Urban Farming = Life Lesson

It started as a little project one Saturday afternoon.  Daddy's trip to Home Depot for lawn supplies ends up bringing back a little kid's greenhouse.  Just a few tomato and pepper seeds in a little plastic greenhouse - it was fun "planting" the seeds in the tiny dirt discs and watering the plants with an eye dropper.  Neither Jeff nor I really thought it would grow, let alone turn into a garden - but it did.

So the little plants grew and grew and outgrew their tiny pots - so we replanted them into a window pot and put in on the back deck.

I made little garden markers to identify which plants were which.  And Jarrett, daddy and mommy faithfully watered the "garden" every day.

This weekend, we discovered the fruit of our labor. - TOMATOES!

They are small and they are still green, but we never thought that planting little seeds in June would amount to real tomatoes.

The peppers starting blooming white tiny flowers too....so its possible that we might actually get a little harvest.  

It just goes to show you that no matter how small you may be or how late you start, God's laws of sowing and reaping are true.  Sometimes as a mom you think that you aren't making any progress or little impact in the lives of your kids.  That's not true.  Every "seed" produces fruit.  Just have patience and trust in God to bring the increase.

Paul says it here, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (1 Cor 3:6)

God's Word can't return void, so keep speaking it over your family, keep speaking it over your own life.  The demands of just living can sometimes overwhelm - but stay focused on the Word of God and His promises for your life.  This will produce the greatest "harvest" for you and your family.

the Stork arrives

Friday morning we got the call early- Postmaster says the chicks are in.  So I quickly get dressed and Jarrett and I head over to pick up our girls.  As soon as we get inside the post office, we hear "peep peep peep".  Its so adorable.  Everyone on the place is excited about the new little chicks; wanting to know what kind they are, how many, what we are going to do with them, etc.  Its so fun.  I must say that I was suprised to see what a small box they were in.  I expected something better and better to mail chickens I guess.

We get them home, get our "broader" (a.k.a., rubbermaid tote) set up and the chicks get in.  They are adorable, tiny, fluffy, so cute for only a few days old.  The temperature is set just right, we tip each beak in water so they will start drinking, and the mother begins.  So much can go wrong with these little gals.  I've heard horror stories, and the thought of losing even 1 is devistating.  So I'm watching them constantly.  One starts to choke, so I am quickly there to help and keep this one alive.  So glad I was there.  Had I been away, I think we would have lost that one.

That afternoon, I bring a few inside to take some pictures.  Baby chicks pics - gotta love it!

We had to order a larger quantity than we wanted, so little by little the other chicks have gone to their new homes.   And over these two weeks, it is so amazing to me to see the rapid growth and development of these little girls.  Whoever said that "life was short" must have had chickens.  Already they are 3 times their size.  they have feathers on their tails and wings and are starting to get them all over.  The soft dewy down feathers are quickly disappearing.  The girls are becoming ladies right before my eyes.  Lets just hope that they are all ladies - no roosters please!

So, now just to find homes for 3, maybe 4 more. 

Next project:  chicken coop.

the girls are coming...the girls are coming...

This Friday is the big day - the girls are coming!  20 little chicks are in the mail.  Yes, I ordered from a hatchery and now day old chicks will be at my doorstop in just a few days.  I can hardly contain myself.

At first, I wasn't sure about how this would work - mailing chickens.  But I guess it does, they have a system.  And what brought me to this decision?  Seeing a very nasty farm locally that was selling chicks and realizing I just wanted to start fresh - from the egg.

So now I wait - and just like an expectant mother, am nesting.  I have my little "broader" (chick cage) all set up with feed, waterer, heat lamp, thermometer.  I have the coop on order from a nearby wood worker.  I have a plan laid out for The Urban Peep farm in the backyard.  I have notified my neighbors that the chicks are coming.  Now just need the chicks.

So when they arrive, this chick mamma will be posting baby pics.  Stay tuned!

which comes first, the chicken or the egg?...or the business plan? or the riding lawn mower????

As each day goes by, I'm constantly thinking of ways to improve and simplify our quality of life.  One of this thoughts is chickens.  Yes, chickens.  I'm not a farmer, have never raised livestock of any kind (assuming dogs, hamsters, bunnies, goldfish do not count) but the thought of chickens seems appealing to me right now.  "Where did you get this thought" you ask?  A few weeks ago, I was at the farmer's market and there were organic eggs, for $7/doz.  Yes, that is expensive.  Yes, I want them.  And yes, I think I could do this.  I want to go as organic as possible plus the idea of having a chicken or 3 is somewhat charming, in an Americana kind of way. 

After careful planning on the most appropriate time to broach the subject, I propose the idea to my husband and got an emphatic "NO".  But we all know that a 'no' today usually doesn't stop me from trying again.  So a few weeks later, at lunch, I bring it up again.  This time I get, "show me a business plan".  Typical.  But I write it.  So now, after research and thought, I have created The Thompson Family Farm - urban farming for a healthy and happy family.

The plan has everything a typical business plan would have.  Breakeven analysis, ROI, Mission/Vision statements, operations planning and even an exit strategy.  I've named the different divisions of our farm, one division for each pet we have in our family.  With most business plans, the idea is to make a profit.  However, the bottom line is I want organic eggs and I don't want to pay $7/doz for them.  And I want to have cute little chicks and someday eggs.  I want my son to go out and find eggs, see them roaming around, care for something outside of himself and overall enjoy something that is fun and different. 

What I didn't know when I was putting all of this together, is just how popular this is right now.  There are articles all over about raising chickens in your backyard.  And I've come to find out that some of our neighbors are doing it.  This just gives me more confidence that I can do it also.  Mommy Tam-Tam is now Farmer Tam-Tam.

So here is a little something from the plan......  maybe someday I'll post the whole thing.  Keep in mind that it was written for my husband, not venture capital and it should be used for only that purpose...convincing a questioning spouse that it just might make sense.

........

Mission Statement: 

The mission of the Thompson Family Farms is to provide quality, organic foods and fertilizers for personal use while providing an Americana Home Spun quality of life for raising our family.

THE URBAN PEEP

Organizational Structure:

Chicks and Chickens must be acquired to begin the operation. These are the “staff”. Minimum wage for staff is feed and water, and some excitement every once in a while from an overactive cocker.  Operations for the care of chickens are simple. They must have food and water every day. During the winter, to keep the chickens warm and also “trick” them (thanks Wayne, sales clerk at farmers exchange) into thinking there is more daylight than there really is, we add a heat lamp. This allows egg production to continue all year long, not just in the spring/summer. When it is time to breed them, a rooster needs to be added to the coop. After there is a “cock in the hen house”, the eggs will be incubated until hatched. Hatchlings can be added to the “staff” if it makes sense at the time for expansion of production, and/or they can be sold on craigslist or at the local markets.

Cost Analysis:
The average laying lifecycle of a chicken is 6 to 7 years. At approximately $7 per dozen and the average chicken lays 30 dozen per year, that is a cost savings of $210 per year per chicken or a gross savings of over $5000 in 6 years for the 4 chicken operation. The ongoing costs for the chickens are feed and electricity to maintain the heat lamp during winter months. The net life cycle savings of The Urban Peep is $4000. Additional income could be realized with the retention of a Marketing Director / Business Development Manager.

Exit Strategy
Dinner. Celebrating the harvest. Thanksgiving.
.........

The plan has information on the other divisions "Hop Poop", (organic bunny fertizlier division named by my 2 year old son) and "Abbey Lane Kennels", (dog breeding with our cocker spaniels).  That will come to you another day.  Today, I focus on the chickens.  And there really is a lot to learn. 

• Building a coop
• What types of chickens to get
• How to get chicks this time of year (I only want 3 and you have to buy a min. of 25 at the markets now)

 So much to do and plan, but so fun.  This is the catch for the plan to even begin.  The deal I made with my husband is that he gets a riding mower before I get the chicks.  Chicks cost around $3 each.  Mowers cost around $2000.  Big price difference.  Somehow, I think I can swing it.  So for now, I'm putting the coop designs aside and researching where I can get the best deal on a John Deere.    Soon though, you will be hearing me say, "here, chicky chicky"!