Lights, Camera, Action!

A thought occurred to me about a month ago...while running in a thousand directions at once. Why not harness the power of youtube so I can continue my spring plantings and let the internet help spread the word about rent-a-chick?! Soo...

I posted an ad on craigslist and found Mr. Frank Bonner, a professional videographer with all the gear and equipment - to help turn the video idea into a reality!

Brooke, one of the rent-a-chick members for the Easter session joined me as my assistant to help demonstrate to families how to set up their farmer-in-a-box kit. I wanted to create an informational video not only for the potential adoptive families but also to help people purchasing their chicks for the first time. She did great...I was alittle nervous , heehee....

The 2 farm chicks...(actually if you look closely there are 3!)

Here we are on set inside the farm stand from 7pm to about 10pm and Frank was such a professional. Take after take - (got tons of bloopers 'cause I couldn't stop laughing) - Who knew it took so much effort to do a little 3 min. gig? I have much appreciation for people on film and television now. Brooke and fluffy were the real pro's. This child had so much patience :)

After the video shoot was over Miss Brooke had to rush home for a sleep-over party where her new peeps were the guest of honor :) What a great present to wake up to on Easter Sunday!

Thanks to Frank - Here's our Big Debut! Hope you enjoy it :)

Check out the Video - and if you need one like this for your farm, business or special occasion - You can contact Frank -on twitter - nbandit - or email - bonnerf2007@gmail.com

I can't say enough good things about Frank's videography expertise and helping me get the word about the farms program!

ok...Gotta get back to starting more seeds.

Spring-Time Work on the farm!

Every year about this time I get all freaked out that I am behind schedule. Have to stop looking at the calendar because I know I cant move any faster if I tried. Even start my annual chant - "Plants in the Ground, Plants in the Ground, Looking like a fool without your plants in the ground!"

Feels like every waking moment on the weekends is churning out little soil blocks for zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, and other colorful petals.

As the strawberry fields pop open up one-by-one can feel the push to get more seedlings rolling to make sure there will be an abundant summer. One of the most crucial parts of the Spring tasks is making sure the plastic rows are in. Thanks to my neighboing farmer friend that is now crossed off my to-do list.

I feel lucky to have the friends, neighbors, and family to pitch in for times like these! (Thank goodness for badass tractors!) This year the rows are alittle longer but spaced wider apart. This has me thinking about some creative plans for when the flowers are in bloom...humm... Can we fit tables between the rows for a fun farm dinner parties? Never know! Could be a fun birthday bash for someone among the butterflies. :)

I forget what a stress the spring is. It takes a great deal of faith during 2 short months to trasform these plastic rows into colorful fields like these! (here's mom picking petals in last years zinnia field!)

These raised rows are a lifesaver though. It means a practically carefree summer.

No weeding, no watering, just flip the switch on the water pump and cut the flowers.

The space allows the riding mower to fly down the isles for easy maintenance too.

Have been noticing the extra traffic from the neighboring Restaurant that just re-opened down the street - Blue Pete's.

The new owners are local 25 year old twin brothers, super hip guys, using local farm produce and hosting live music. They have fixed the place up quite a bit and have been utilizing lots of social media outlets so I think they have brought many more honks and waves driving past my little farm.

I am sure my lush fields overflowing with flowers will inspire patrons to stop in and soak up the country experience on their way to a great local meal -

Well back to starting seeds so I can have some flowers to go in these rows :)

Spring Has Sprung!

Hundreds of seeds are popping out of the soil as I write this blog tonight. Flower and Herbs. Herbs and Flowers. Expanding the varieties in order to offer some outrageously fragrant and edible bouquets that will put Pungo on the map!

Over the next month thousands of seeds will be encouraged to germinate by the warmth of the heat mats below them. This spring I really went off the deep end with the soil blocking method. Last years experience taught me the hard way to never use plastic pots AGAIN! ...Using pots took me 5 times the effort, labor, and back pain at transplanting time. I had to carefully tip each upside down, squeeze the plant out oh-so-gently, then deal with the mess of storing all those flimsy plastic containers that love to get caught in the wind. Plus the tender babies roots suffered from my man-handling and had to deal with many more days of transplant shock.

This year will be the bomb with my little seed bombs! (err..actually they look more like brownies, lol)

There are so many benefits to the soil brownies - once you have the handy block makers just add a good soil recipe and water. there is no flimsy plastic junk to buy, store, wash, or to keep organized, the seedlings have no transplant shock because their roots are air pruned - they stop right at the edge of the block just waiting to hit new soil, and my favorite -they are so easy to plant... you just plop them in and they take off running! The only thing I had to do was commit to finding lunch trays, as opposed to the thin foil pans thrown away after 1 season.

I was able to find bulk lunch trays and also ran across huge restaurant display trays that hold a couple hundred blocks each. Then for easy labeling I browsed the mis-cut miniblinds bin at home depot. They are perfect to recycle into plant tags with the help of scissors and a sharpie. Worked like a charm. (Thanks for that idea Erin @ Gardenfirst-thinklater blog!)

The racks are filling up and each batch graduates into the greenhouse as the last frost date quickly approaches.

Besides seedlings - the farm has other things sprouting up this spring! Finally got the sign completed and it looks just perfect gracing the entrance.

Here is John putting on the vinyl lettering. This part made me so nervous for some reason! Been waiting forever for this sign to finally make it's big debut - so it had to be perfect. The vinyl lettering turned out great. It's the same material they use on boats and planes, so it supposed to last in the heat, sun and weather. After the install - finished up with painting, mulching and putting a few plants in. Had to go with a couple margarita sweet potato vines to add some punch of green color. They will be spilling over the sides in no time.

It was a proud moment to sit back and take in the new view!

The other big project that was happening - since the "Rent-A-Chick" program has been expanding... required getting some more carpentry talent in the mix. I was about fed up from loosing hens to hawks in the egg-mobile. Even tried the square floorless pens like the Joel Salatin ones. They were ok, but at a little over 2 ft high they were so low to the ground I just didn't enjoy them as much as I had hoped.

With an interactive farm it's nice to have a coop where visitors can go inside and hang with the peeps, so having standing height was key. Also it makes me happy when the ladies have enough height to fly around and a place to roost at night, so figured it was worth trying these A-frame style pens out for kicks.

Over 1 weekend, Chad and Cory practically created a new subdivision... Like I said...the rent-a-chick is expanding! lol . Once the covers were on for sun and rain protection they took off down the field to utilize the fresh grass. Mom looked out over the pens at sunset and observed "Hey it looks like they are camping out there!" yep - it kinda does...my chickens have their own tents. It is working out great so far - always amazes me how much grass they chow down on. The floor-less pens are moved daily and good thing since the patches of clover and grass are down to the stubs in a matter of 24 hours!

Another great thing about having these pens is it allows me to separate them out by breed and offer a fertile egg program.

I am starting to put a few of my top roosters to work so they can do what they do best. Seem to be very fertile as the incubator has been going non-stop since February - lookie!! It is such a trip to hatch out your first batch of fluffy babies.

Right now I have a New Hampshire Red pen - for my brown egg layers

And Easter Egger Pen - with the green egg layers.

On the lookout for a chocolate roo - to add the chocolate egg hen pen!

Chad even added in a smaller coop - to serve as a new daycare center. It is wrapped in plastic for warmth and draft protection. As the rent-a-chicks slowly trickled back to the farm they are greeted by their siblings and enjoy scratching the grass inside their new home. They are still too small to handle the chilly nights so it is close enough to the house to plug in a heat lamp once the sun goes down.

Well that is a little look into the farm over the last month. I have to say it has been a productive spring and gearing up for the best summer ever!

Pictures from the Seed & Poultry Swap Event!

We made the paper! Mary Reid Barrow highlighted the farms free seed & poultry swap event happening at the farm - in the SUNDAY paper no less... :)

Yes, fellow farmers, brace yourself. I traded my "mud for mascara" briefly for a cover shoot :) haha. Thought it would Only be fitting to Hold my handsome-est New Hampshire Roo for the chicken swap picture. (Photo by Mary Reid Barrow). Here is her write up:

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/03/chickenandseed-swap-yes-you-read-correctly

The entire week after the article came out, the phone was ringing off the hook with gardeners and chicken lovers were wanting to attend the swap. Everyone was so exciting to see one hosted here locally in Virginia Beach.

I had no idea what to expect for turnout but with weather looking clear - certainly was hoping for the best. I would never have dreamed of what happened in a few short hours.

Here was a picture of the stand before the swap:

Calm before the Storm! The sun was out and gardeners and homesteaders started trickling in by the car and truck load a few minutes before 10. I spent alot of time trying my best to meet and greet everyone in the stand and had much fun just talking about chickens - alot of people wanted information on how to get started with backyard hens.

Also was having alot of interest from people looking to come to sign petition to allow city dwellers to have backyard hens. Collected hundreds of signatures. If you would like to sign online click this link! www.virginiabeachchickenoutlaw.com

About 30 minutes into the swap I looked out and - the parking lot was full. Kinda felt alittle overwhelming as I saw a line of cars were stacking up on our little country road! omg!!

The chicken swap began promptly at 10:15 as people started walking around to check out the assortment of breeds and tail-gating with their feathered friends.

Beautiful pets - Silkies were a hitChicken talk!

Love was in the air as Chickens and their new owners were finding each other. This little girl had a box full of stuffed animals for her baby chicks to cuddle with for the ride home.

These two redheads - My friend Liz and a Rhode Island Red hen...fell in love at first sight. It was a proud chicken swap moment :)

Lotsa plants and seed swapping were happening as well. Nothing says spring like daffodils and lil lambs!

heck...I couldnt be sure but they might have been swapping kids by the pair too! (lol!)

Quite the display of handsome roosters were had most- throwing out their best cockle-doodle-do's. My friend and neighbor Melissa went home with this stunning Lavender Orpinton fella.
Even caught a glimpse of a beautiful Heritage breed bunny hopin' around.
Goats and sheep - always a hit.
Little guys - Warming up in the stand under some heat lampsThe baby duckies showed up and stole the show. (Khaki campbell type I believe? They had these precious little webbed feet and were spoken for in the first few minutes). awww babies with babies... what's not to love?

Everyone wanted to show off their feathered friends and I took one look out of the stand and realized what a hit this event really was.
Before the first hour - we had cars stacking up on the road to get into the farm...Estimated 250-300 people were at this free networking event!

Here is a pic of a Polish Rooster raised by a very talented 4-H'er.

What a hairdo - I couldnt say no -This punk rockn roo now adorns my coop!

We lucked out It was chilly but brisk sunny day to enjoy the company of all the attendees and get motivated for spring! Hugs galore.

My lil'wayne hanging with melissa's - paul the lil' lamb

All the rent-a-chick kids showed up to pick up their brooder kits and chicks. The new blackboard paint really came in handy for me to write notes on during the chaos and excitement of pickup time.
Throughout the activities - People were filling up the lines - signing the petition to show support for changing the vb ordinance for having backyard hens in Virginia Beach (not roosters though!). I think we made a huge difference in awareness and education at the event...
Funky chickens -
Oh yeah there were more plants and seeds swapped as well! Blackberry canes, garlic bulbs, irises to roses. I had packed 200 seed envelopes of dill and zinnias to pass out but completely ran out within the first half hour! Luckily there were tons of plants and cuttings available.

It was one of the most rewarding days for me thus far.

Taken so long to get to this point - and so nice to hear all the feedback from all age groups and experience levels. Everyone expressed an interest in having the seed and poultry swap on a regular basis.

All in all - The seed and chicken swap was just the type of event I had originally hoped I could host here on farm. Lots of education and networking with like minded individuals who share the same passion for small scale and backyard farming. Haven't stopped thinking of new ideas to prep and improve the event for next year. Pretty sure I wont be able to wait that long! - In June - once the flowers are blooming and chicks are all grown up - there will no doubt be another!

Thanks to all the helping hands that pulled this event together. Parking attendants, photographers, greeters, swappers and Mary Reid for the great article. It was a blast!!