Sunset Meadows buys it's first livestock!

It's officially summer, and it's been about 21 days since my last post...to say that things have changed and I've been a bit busy would be like saying "it's been a little warm".  It's 30 C today, and not a cloud in sight!  I have been talking for months about all the things I want to do this year, and now I can tell you, we ARE doing them!

CHICKENS

My most exiting project to date, we just came into possession of 400 baby chicks!  As you can see in the remaining two pictures, they are living in a large-ish sized shed that I just finished building the day before they arrived.  I have two breeds, Red Sussex Cox, and I can't remember the full name of the other.  They're crosses, but they're dual purpose breeds, good for eggs and meat, and they are they type that will forage some of their own food.  That was VERY important for me.

The chicks arrived yesterday just as I got home from working the night shift.  I zipped back into town, expected several enormous boxes which I would need my wife's SUV to carry.  Imagine my surprise when I was given 4 boxes, each about the size of a very large tray of summer fruit, about 1.5 feet x 2.5 feet.  I could have carried them in my car easily.

I brought them home, and frantically tried to finish setting up the brooder heater.  The heater did not come with the proper fittings to connect to a propane tank, and I've been trying to figure out the best way to do it. Of course, the heater did not work properly, there was a leak in one of the fittings.  I abandoned it, and got the chickens out of the box.  They were packed in pretty tight, but they were so very tiny and light, I was able to scoop out 5 or 6 at a time.  I realized that they might be able to slip under the door, so I had to create a barrier that they couldn't jump over.

After a few hours, I noticed that the chicks were trying to cram together in the few little beams of sunlight streaming into the shed, and I realized that they were cold.  I ran to town, and bought the heater you see on the top of the propane tank in the picture below.  I had it tilted as you see, facing down to the dirt of the shed, a mistake which cost me 3 crushed chicks overnight...

Of course, I have secured it now.  The three dead birds joined one more that was crushed by accident earlier to make 4 casualties, which out of 400 birds isn't too terrible!  I am expecting more deaths, but it would be super amazing if all the birds survived!

My daughter, who initially did not seem to interested in the idea of chickens, has de facto been made the guardian of these tiny birds.  She spent about 4 hours in the shed yesterday, and has given them water, food, and entertainment.  She got up at six to check on them, since I was at work overnight.

The chicks will spend about a month in the shed, give or take, and then will graduate to the great outdoors, where they will have all of nature to eat, chase and peck at!  My hope is that 50% or better of their diet will come from natural sources, giving them a tremendous nutrient and taste advantage over the "normal" grocery store chicken.

The shed with the non-functioning heater.

Black and yellow!  So many chicks....

My baby boy's first exposure to farm animals.  He got a bit panicky, but calmed down quickly.  The birds hopped on his legs, and he laughed!

GARDEN

Since it is so very, very hot outside, the garden has stalled a bit, but all of my plants have germinated and look pretty healthy!  I haven't had a lot of time to weed, and I have neglected watering terribly, but they have held up quite nicely even so.  I am working nights right now, which means sleeping all morning, and very little time to do much else except eat.  I have an hour until I have to leave, which means I will be watering as soon as I finish this blog post!

OTHER STUFF

My brother and his wife are moving to another town (boooooooo), so unfortunately we won't see as much of them as I'd like.  They've been some of the most supportive people in our lives, and I wish them the best in whatever they end up doing!

My employment with the Census has been extended, surprisingly, and I will now be looking for a different survey from people in my area.  Since I have 7 days off coming up, that will fill part of my time, and earn a bit of extra cash to pay for these chicks, and a root canal I unfortunately had to get the other day...

If you like this blog, let me know by commenting. I will try and respond to all comments, good or bad.  My general idea is to have you journey with me, experiencing the good, and the bad of what we are trying to do out here!  

Oh, and belated happy 4th of July...

Cautiously optimistic

This is my second favorite time of year, my all-time favorite being May, mainly because the mosquitoes haven't really taken over yet.  They sure have now though!

CHICKENS
I've got all of the stuff I need for the chickens, and all that's left is...the chicks.  I order them tomorrow, which means I MUST have the heater and the greenhouse ready to receive chickens by the next day.  If I don't think I can get it done in time, I can delay ordering the chicks for about 5 days.  I will have to get some unmedicated chick starter, but that should be easy to get.

GARDEN
A couple of days ago, we had one of the most intense rain/hail storms I've ever seen.  I think it rained about 2-3 inches in a couple of hours, and everything just got waterlogged.  The water soaked into the greenhouse, which I guess means I don't need to water for a few days, hehe.  Despite the heavy rain, the plants should recover.  Hopefully there won't be any more hail though, the plants will need all the help they can get in my climate!

GREENHOUSE
The greenhouse isn't properly sealed, and it doesn't have a door.  Yet, every plant inside is growing faster, and I have corn, yes corn germinating!  I bought some fast germinating sweet corn, and it just popped up right away.  The cucumbers are growing quickly, and the tomatoes have ended transplant shock, and are growing. The strawberries that are inside are enormous, and are spreading with runners
Long story made short = I need more greenhouses!  If I were to use plastic only on the south side, and plywood for the back, I could build quite a few more of them, or some larger ones.  I could also double insulate the sun-facing side, and maybe get a longer season too.  There's no question, it's a solid plan, and not expensive either.  I have the plastic already.

Cranium Imploded Inward Bison Ungulate Leaping Region

That title is a fancy way of saying "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump", which is where we visited today.
My wife suggested that we go to a museum, so I figured I haven't been to this place in 22 years, why not?  It was neat, and we went at a very good time too.

THE CREATION
The Bible says that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, including man and his wife.  This is God's own testimony, and I heard a VERY interesting bit of "Indian Legend" today that made me elbow my wife and say "Hey, did you hear what he just said???"
An old Native fellow was leading a group of young native kids around the museum, telling them about the exhibits, and expanding on them in a way that no one else probably could have.  I liked this guy from the start, he was smart and engaging, trying to get the interest of the kids who looked like they were about Junior High-ish.
The old man started describing the origins of the buffalo, and how the buffalo was created for the native people by "Napi", the legendary name for their creator god.  Then, he went on to describe how Napi had created man, and then took a rib from the man and created "rib-woman".  I'm not making this up.
The old man probably believed the old story was a legend.  The truth is, many old legend begin from a true story, and are passed down through generations in oral stories, in this case, at least 6,000 years worth of generations.  The story in Genesis 1, and the legend of "Napi" are the same story.  Many cultures have this same story, and also the legend of the Great Flood.  Most modern anthropologists believe that both the Scriptures, and these cultures obtained these legends and stories from a common source, or that the Scriptures borrowed the "creation legend", and claimed it was original.  There is very little evidence for this point of view, other than the fact that the legends do exist, and they mirror the Scriptures accounts of history.

THE TRUTH
The North American Natives carried with them the legend of Napi, whose name means "trickster".  I suspect that Napi is actually Satan the devil, who has perverted the nature of the true God among these old peoples.  I noticed that there is a lot of idolatry, the totems, the shamans, the rituals and luck charms.  Many of the other legends of Napi show him to be temperamental, and deceitful.  Who does that remind you of?  Not the True Creator of the Scriptures.

I suppose that God has a plan for the natives.  I can see that they are sliding into an abyss, no thanks to our government giving them $10 billion every year.  I can also see that this legend of Napi would be a great way to introduce the True God to these people, and reverse this decline.  I pray that the right person comes around to make this happen.

Perhaps some of you were expecting a garden blog, and you're a bit bewildered by my religious ravings.  If it's not your thing, just ignore it, but this blog is my life and my thoughts, and I have a lot of thoughts about a lot of things!

PS
I'm very close to launching the Sunset-Meadows podcast, with the purchase of my itty-bitty microphone meant for the iPhone headphone socket.  Hopefully the sound quality will be good, I will do my best to filter with software.
The Sunset-Meadows podcast will be a lot like the blog, but more instructive.  Once the farm actually has some product to sell, I will be promoting the product through the podcast, at least a little bit anyway.  If you don't want to buy the products, the podcast will be free regardless.  I can promise that it will be informative, humorous, helpful, and very, very controversial.
See ya!

Questions? Answers!

I had some excellent questions from an anonymous reader, and I would like to answer those.

NO TILL
I had previously mentioned about using newspaper and no till for a portion of the garden.  It turns out that it's a small portion, newspaper laid on the ground, seed potatoes planted directly on top, and covered with straw.  I haven't seen anything poking out yet, but I'll report when I do.  I did not use newspaper in any other areas, although I would have liked to.  It would have taken a very, very long time to lay the paper, and I was a bit pressed.

BUCKWHEAT IS A WEED?
Anonymous expressed concern about using buckwheat in such a liberal fashion as I have been, strewing it everywhere.  Buckwheat is a strong plant, and tends to take over where it establishes.  It's roots give off a chemical that suppress other plants, and the tall canopy shades out the competition.  However, unlike mints, grasses, and thistles, buckwheat cannot spread through root rizhomes, it can only establish through seed.  If the plant does not go to seed, or the seed is collected, the buckwheat does not come back, it is not a perennial.  In Canada, buckwheat is planted as a crop in limited quantities, and is easy to grow.  The seeds are good food for animals, and the hulls are quite useful as well.  Buckwheat is probably one of the most common soil-building cover crops in use around the world today.  Oh, and bees love it!
My land is quite large, and my neighbors are far away, and buckwheat seeds are heavy, and can't be blown far.  My neighbors won't get any stray seeds growing on their property, but if they did, I'm sure they would spray just as for any other broadleaf plant.

WHAT IS A WEED ANYWAY?
Why do gardeners hate weeds so much?  Is it our love of order?  The desire for neat, straight rows of plants, growing with no competition?  Or is there some science?  Conventional wisdom tells us that "weeds" consume precious water and nutrients.  What then happens?  Do those nutrients vanish?  They are stored in the leaves. If we leave our garden to bare soil, we will find ourselves with crusty dry dirt in no time flat!  Many types of weeds spread across, keeping moisture in the soil.
Dandelions and other tap rooted plants penetrate the subsoil, creating carbon pathways, and nutrient channels that can be used by other plants.  If you cut them, and drop them, the leaves are excellent mulch, and contain a large amount of needed minerals.  Clover is a legume, and is also a wonderful mulch.  Grass can be suppressed with mulch, or pulled.  I already have plenty of dandelions growing in the garden, and I will control them, only to make sure that my garden plants can get through.  It's a lot faster to just cut them back than to pull them out.
Many so called "weeds" are found mainly in poor soil, and were designed by God to rebuild the soil structure.

CHICKEN
There are as many ways to raise chicken as there are moons circling Jupiter.  I choose to raise them in a way that reflects their natural habitat, the jungle.  Yes, chickens come from the jungle!  They do very well outside, all year round, and will roost in bushes, and trees if they are available.  Since I have no trees, I will have to put roosts out.
Pastured chicken has a very different taste from what you find in the grocery store, and a firmer texture.  It is not necessarily organic, but it can be.  Organic chicken can also be raised in little tiny cages, and many are.  Organic only refers to what the animal eats, not the conditions it is raised in.  My chicken will be many steps beyond organic, and I intend to market it like that!  Pastured meat is a fast-growing market segment, and there is plenty of consumer demand, especially from those who are concerned about the cruelty of raising a bird in a cage that is so small, it can't even turn around...

Ready to roll!

Well it's official, my entire family has now reached adulthood.  My youngest sister just turned 18!  Time flies when you're doing stuff.  I was thinking about that, and then I realized today that my daughter will be 12 years old in 4 years from now.  She's 2/3 of the way to puberty!!!  At least I've got my anti-boyfriend shotgun secured already.  I need a few years to practice my 'threatening brandish at the door' routine.  I've already taught her most of the sensitive attack points on a male body.

GARDEN
Everything is planted!  Well, almost.  I want to put in some radishes yet.  We just came out of about 1.5 weeks of steady rain, and the warm sun is going to be out for this next week.  The peas I planted about 2 weeks ago have sprouted, and are about 2 inches tall.  I haven't seen any of my beans, potatoes, carrots, or sunflowers yet. I went out into some pasture and tossed a whole bag of buckwheat, quinoa, clover, amaranth, and some barley. I found a few birds munching on my seeds, so I shot one with my shotgun and I haven't seen them since.  I can see the seeds all over the place when I walk about, so I'm sure that most of them will be around to hopefully germinate.
The greenhouse is holding up well, even without a door (hey, I'm a busy guy).  I've got 4 Roma tomato plants that I bought the other day, and a bunch of cucumbers that I started myself.  This morning, I found a fairly thick layer of ice on some water in a wheelbarrow, but the tomatoes were completely unfrosted inside the greenhouse, despite the zillions of gaps all over the dam thing!  I wouldn't want to trust that protection too far, so I put some plastic over them tonite, it could be cold again.

CHICKENS
I've ordered the brood heater, which is on it's way from the US, along with the electronet fencing.  I just need to fashion some sort of hawk protection for the chickens, and some roosts, and we'll be sailing up the Bayou with both guns blazing.  That is, I can order the chicks from the hatchery.  My plan is to mix and grind my own feed, unmedicated of course.  I've cleared a bunch of room in the greenhouse.  I will start with 250 chicks, and once they've cleared the brooder, I'll order another 150~ and another electronet fence.  It takes about 18 weeks for the chickens to reach market weight, so that will bring me to the end of September.  By then, I should have lined up some customers, and set up a website.
Keep your mouse peeled for www.sunset-meadows.com/chicken for ordering details!

OTHER RANDOM STUFF
My work with the census is going well, I've only got about 55 forms to collect yet.  I'll be heading out on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to hassle, I mean, ask people for their forms.  I've yet to find anyone who hasn't been totally cooperative, so I'm enjoying the work pretty well!

My wife, Heather is starting a business promoting cool products, and she earns commissions off what people buy under her name.  Please visit www.fhtmca.com/heatherschneider and buy lots of stuff.  You know you wanna!  Seriously, there's a LOT of things, computers, clothing etc.  Check it out.

Building a greenhouse

I almost should have titled this "Building a greenhouse during a hurricane"  but that was a bit long.

The completed frame of the greenhouse.  2x4x10', cut at the top to form a peak, with a small triangle of plywood at the top, and a bracer about 1.5 feet down.  The entire frame is attached with rope at the top.  I wouldn't recommend this, if you can put wood straight across the very top to protect the plastic. 

Inside the mostly completed plastic cover.

The most up-to-date picture.  The plastic is tight, and the door is framed and cut.  The other end is capped with plywood.  Inside there is no wind, and I will be placing my soil blocks in here, as well as making more blocks.

Close up of the door.  That little flap of plastic will be cut away once I've built a door.

All in all, I wish I had built this greenhouse from PVC conduit pipe, which would have been much, much faster.  The plastic would last longer too.  I also would buy a product called "wiggle wire" which attaches to the bottom frame of the greenhouse, and holds the plastic without puncturing it.  It isn't expensive, and allows you to tighten the plastic from time to time.  

When the plastic on this this finally gives out, I will cover the north end with plywood, and paint it white.  Then, I will put polycarbonate panels on the south side, which will make it much stronger, and it will last many years.

A few days ago I had a few good friends here, and we got a lot done.  The plastic, of course, but we also planted about 160 bareroot strawberries, and collected a bunch of llama manure from my neighbor.  I planted a couple more packages of sunflowers, a bag of potatoes, and found that my neighbor has my favorite chicken, the Buff Orpington!  She also has a turkey, guinea fowl, and a bunch of sheep.

I should mention that the wind has been blowing about 27 kph, but from the east...normally it's north or west. I have no fencing to the east, so it's really irritating!  I have quite a bit more work to get done, but that greenhouse was the major project I wanted, and it's finished!  Sort of!  Needs a door!

Next project, get a brooder heater, and buy 400 chicks from a local nursery.  That's next wednesday.  Then, purchase electronet fencing, and some chick feeders and waterers.  And, a pump action 20 gauge shotgun.  Hey, a man's gotta have a shotgun!

I bet no-one in the world is talking about this right now!

I just got off my Facebook, where just about every single person in my friends list is rejoicing about the apparent death of Osama Bin Laden.  I though I would sound off about that too, although you might not like my opinion once you read it.  You've been warned.

WAR.  WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR.
Absolutely nothing.  Except stimulating the economy.  And keeping peoples attention focused from other, possibly more sinister events.
In 2001, 19 men flew some Jumbo Jets into a couple of massive buildings, and killed a lot of innocent people.  As we find out, the mastermind of this attack was an old man name Bin Laden.  He was not unknown to the world, or the US, nor did he act alone, and neither were his attacks "random" or "unprovoked".  The attacks themselves were horrible, and yet mysterious, and there are more questions than there are answers.  See "Loose Change" for more information about the collapsing of World Trade Centre 1 and 2, which were specifically designed to withstand the impact of an airplane in the 20's.

Ok, enough conspiracy.  Bin Laden fought for the CIA, who trained him to fight the Ruskies in Asscrackistan in the 80's.  He was an ally.  Then he wasn't.
After the 9/11 attacks, the US, and specifically Dick Cheney, and George "Dubya" Bush, went to war with Afghanistan, on the pretext that OBL was hiding there, which was NOT confirmed.

Based on that, the US bombed Afghanistan, and from 2001-present has killed EACH YEAR, the same number of INNOCENT CIVILIANS as the Americans killed in 9/11, about 3,000 a year.  Thousands more die of causes related to the war.  No one weeps for these people, except Afghanistan.
Iraq has been worse.  Millions are dead.  No one can remember why we are at war with Iraq without referring to the admitted lie of "weapons of mass destruction".

This is terror.  It is being waged against these countries by ourselves!  But, the soldiers who fight are not to blame.  They are fighting a politician's war.  Most of them are weary, they want the war to end, but the roadside bombs, shootings, and car bombs continue, and no one knows what to do next!

OBL is dead.  Nothing will change.  The war cannot be won, there is no objective to be taken, no people to be freed.  The people themselves produce "insurgents" who fight our men.  This bothers me, a lot.  A friend of mine just got back from A-stan, and he had no good words or news.  It is a dangerous place, and we should not be there!

VOTING
I don't often have two rants on one blog post, but tomorrow is election day, and I can't help myself.  Come with me down the rabbit hole, if you dare!
Voting for leaders is nothing new.  The Greeks did so, as did many ancient kingdoms, and hundred of countries today hold "elections", most of which are so clearly rigged, that we wonder why those people even bother to try!
In 1767, the original 13 American colonies revolted against King George because he dared to impose tariffs (taxes) on them.  Today, my government takes over 50% of my earnings to pay people to play solitare on thousands of computers, in hundreds of offices across Canada.  $10,000,000,000 goes to the smallest population group in Canada, who themselves pay no income taxes of any kind.  The leaders in these groups earn $300,000 for leading 1,200 people.  That money came from me, and you.
Tomorrow, millions of people will "cast a vote", and try to "make a difference".  None of them will, especially here in Alberta.  Millions of people will decide who will "lead our country".

The real question is this (for me):  Why can't I make my own decisions?  Why must I pick some one to lead me?

Not a single member of any political group in this country knows me.  Yet, they presume to take 1,000 hours of my time, every year, and commit my time to causes that they deem "worthy", but produce nothing.  They tell me that I cannot raise more than 2,000 chickens without buying "quota".  They forbid me to purchase raw milk, which I would like to drink.  They print, borrow, and spend money that no one has earned yet.  They have racked up $500,000,000,000 of debt, in my name and yours.  They have voted themselves pay raises, lavish and extravagant pensions, tax free allowances, and perks of all kinds.  I suppose I should be glad that they don't actually work very often, sometimes less than 100 days per year.  Every day that Parliament is in session, is a day that I should be guarding my pocketbook.

"If I don't vote, then I cannot complain".  It wouldn't matter if I did complain!  Who's listening?  I would rather vote in ways that actually matter.  I buy organic food, voting with my dollars for healthier apples.  I purchase beef from a trusted family source.  Because of the money I spend, people are moved to produce what I want!  I can actually wield that power for my own benefit.

I support the people, their rights, and obligations as God told us in Exodus 20 when he gave us the 10 commandments.  He has never amended His Law, and never will.  His Law can protect you, if you follow it!

If you vote tomorrow, please drive safe.  Traffic accidents always go up on voting day.  I'll be doing something productive.

By for now!