SIFT News - Fall 2014

Garlic for the Spring, CSA Lessons Learned, Appropriate Tomatoes, and Souping Up the Coop Even though the growing season is essentially over, there is still lots going on here at the SIFT farm. We planted garlic in mid-October, and right now it's tucked away under a layer of mulch, awaiting a new season. Garlic is planted in the fall and mulched. It overwinters, and its shoots are one of the first things to emerge in the spring. We hope by planting the garlic at the ideal spacing this year, we will get an abundance of big bulbs to sell and use for seed next year.  >>more Chicken Chores We have some new residents on the SIFT farm—a flock of laying chickens. In addition to fresh eggs, they have been a great source of entertainment (especially as chicks). If you are contemplating acquiring chickens and want to learn more taking care of them, here are some of our chicken chores.  >>more Winterizing Your Chickens Winter is coming. If you are raising chickens for the first time this can be a daunting realization, especially if you live somewhere like Butte, Montana, where it is not uncommon for temperatures to plummet into the negative 20s in the winter months. So, what can you do to ensure the safety of your chickens this winter? The first step is to realize that chickens are fairly cold-hardy. So, take a deep breath. Your chickens should be able to easily survive the winter. That being said, there are things you can do to ensure their safety and happiness. >>more Keep It Light: Just Wear a Hat Those who know me know that every now and again I ponder strange things. Nobody knows this better than my wife. I know my ponderings are strange because when I tell her about them, she gives me what our family calls "the look." It's not an eye roll, but close. It's more like a glance with slightly squinted eyes then a turn away. Her body language is that of just giving up to the fact that, for better or worse, she's stuck with me. When what I'm pondering is really strange, I'll know by the accompanying head shake that goes with "the look." So, the other day I got "the look" and the head shake when out of the blue I asked her, "Why don't people wear stylish hats anymore?" >>more © 2013 - National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT).

 

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