Archive for July 2009

The Day Ranger – Chicken Shelter

Jul 31st, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren
The Day Ranger – Chicken Shelter

Life on a small farm is both science and art. Designing shelters for animals, poultry, or other livestock is based on good thinking, local custom, and what you have  to work with.  In this case, I’m using all three and we’ll see the outcome.
In Storey’s Guide for Raising Chickens, there is a simple  shelter for
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Even I don’t believe this duck story

Jul 24th, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren
Even I don’t believe this duck story

No, I don’t expect you to believe it either, but it happened.
The ducks are laying eggs.  In their duck house, they have scooped out a little nest in the straw, but most days, they lay eggs on the fence line between the duck pen and the pheasant pen.  Ducks do what ducks do.  There’s no
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Neighbors being neighbors: Cattleman for the weekend

Jul 23rd, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren
Neighbors being neighbors: Cattleman for the weekend

There are things we do because they are the right thing to do.  This week, I have two examples.
My physical neighbors about a mile down the road have been good to me.  I met them the first time I high centered my tractor while bush hogging the front of the property.  I drove down the
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True Grit -and- The World is My Oyster (shell)

Jul 14th, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren
True Grit -and- The World is My Oyster (shell)

I shared the discovery of the first pheasant egg, and Sunday, I found the first duck egg.  It was broken and was on the wood platform the duck swimming pool rests on.
Whether the duck egg broke on the wood, was stepped on by one of the ducks, or had a soft shell due to it
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Street Farmer – NYTimes.com

Jul 7th, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren
Street Farmer – NYTimes.com

A nice profile of Will Allen and urban farming. There are great quotes in this article and a terrific example of ways to re-think “conventional wisdom” .

“We need 50 million more people growing food,” Allen told them, “on porches, in pots, in side yards.” The reasons are simple: as oil prices rise, cities expand and
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The first egg — from an unexpected hen

Jul 5th, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren
The first egg — from an unexpected hen

I have 4 laying hens, about 12 weeks old.  I also have 3 Cayuga ducks, about 20 weeks old, both all well known for their egg laying.  I also have 38 hen pheasants, about 10 weeks old (although some are looking roo-like in their plumage.)
So imagine my surprise to find that the first egg of
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July Full Moon Full Buck Moon July 7

Jul 5th, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren

Antlers begin appearing through the fur of bucks in July, giving ghe name of this month’s full moon  Other names include the Thunder moon or Hay moon.



Q & A With Mark Van Roojen, a Philosophy Professor and Cabin Builder – Times Topics Blog – NYTimes.com

Jul 3rd, 2009 | By Fritz Nordengren
Q & A With Mark Van Roojen, a Philosophy Professor and Cabin Builder – Times Topics Blog – NYTimes.com

In past blog posts, I’ve mentioned both Lou Ureneck and Mark Van Roojen.  If the Internet is the “Information SuperHighway”, then I guess you could call Mark, Lou, and I ”neighbors” on the same “Internet gravel road”. Mark had some weather slow downs during his trip west in June, and Lou spent time away from the
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