Saturday, April 6, 2013

Downtown Farming

My first straw bale raised bed. I got lucky with the straw, these are older and done with the initial hot decomp. I picked them up at the Equestrian Center downtown.

A man that works there on the weekend is stopping by later to look at the backyard.  I want to fence part of it before getting chickens.  I am getting chickens.  The last time I got eggs, mine were fine but the dozen Mom got seemed less than fresh - I'm of the opinion that this supplier collects when she feels like it so they may be sitting in the nest longer than optimal.

I was expecting to get three girls (five-six weeks) last weekend but that was a disastrous waste of gasoline. The man who was making the coop suggested we meet in a town nearly an hour away at a particular business that shared an address with a stretch of desolate nothing.  Whatever halfwit that thinks the east and west portion of the same county road can be separated by miles of other roads and several doglegs has a lot to answer for - I had GPS but left my phone at home so I was a half hour late and he didn't wait.  Then I was late meeting the woman with the chicks.  She didn't wait.  I understand not wanting to travel TO your customer if they're a good distance away.  I can't understand not knowing they may have an issue finding you and hanging around - OK, a half hour is a long time.

The killer? The man who made the coop has a delivery fee and I was willing to pay it - but he decided that it was too far to drive.  I'll shop closer to home from now on.

In this first bed: three Cherokee Purple tomatoes, nasturtium, watermelon and yellow squash seeds.  I'll put some more beds in the backyard.  In the mix, mulch on the bottom, over the grass, garden or topsoil and Black Cow.