The Renegade Poultry Project

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The First 3 Months

...the farm work began, and it hasn't stopped or slowed at all! *note the date of the last post Oh man, want to hear about the most trying 3 months of our lives, read on... The learning curve has been steep, going from 5 chicks to 350 chicks - its like a whole other animal, its a small herd. The psychology of a small group of chicks vs a larger group is nothing alike. Same goes for 4 week old chickens, and 8 week old chickens, 5 is fun - 350 is insane...at least at first. I never look forward to the holiday season, but this one was particularly complicated. Not sure if it was the planets aligned in a specific sort of way or just the culmination of several small things that resulted in an epic shit-storm! Looking back it was probably all the anticipation and fear of a HUGE life change, an opportunity we've been longing for finally about to begin. January 1st came quickly, we had the first couple of weeks planned out because Cameron really only had to focus on b

LET THE FARM WORK BEGIN!

Thanks to our good friend & beloved market farmer Ben, we found some land in the South Valley of Albuquerque to start our farm! FINALLLLLLLY we are so stoked to share this news! Everything about this just feels right. As the wise say, "trust your gut" - my gut is resonating with excitement! Cameron with Ben's corn stalks ...that also means we will no longer have the time/energy to commit to Rent-A-Coop. We've always felt like it was just our 'starter project' while we searched for land & resources to get the farm going. Of course it is with a heavy heart that we let this project rest. It was our eccentric entrance into the community that is now like family to us, it was our first project together (beginning only 2 months after we met) & we made some incredible friends along the way! We could bring it back someday, though it will probably take on a different form...who knows, life is cyclical. Though unlike most I find comfort in chang

Firm decision: there will be sunflowers!

It's been a while friends, we have been keeping busy! For the past few months we've been on the look out and have been scouring central NM for a small piece of land, even for someone with some land we can use or rent out an acre. there will be lots of sunflowers Its an exciting time and we find ourselves having endless conversations about what we are envisioning or just bouncing ideas off each other, in the car, at the farmers market, in bed, texting while the other is at work just because we need them to know this incredible idea that just hatched a trove of possibilities ASAP! We are both hours deep into farming books by the best & most practiced. We draw out plans while out getting dinner on the back of whatever piece of writable surface I can find in my purse, and can barely eat with all the thinking going on. We research the cheapest ways to acquire or build the equipment we will need. Using our combined abilities to the fullest capacity and having eruption

Mile-Hi Farmers' Market: Vendor Roll-Call

The feeling after a good market day is it's own kind of feeling, one of accomplishment but also the feeling that a miracle took place. Every week its a difficult balance to obtain - a very important vendor can't make it which I know will disappoint a certain number of market customers who came just for that vendor's product. But it could also be, the folks who are coming to put on that week's activity "completely forgot". The market days when I don't wake up to 7 missed calls, or there isn't a poor turn-out due to the heat or rain, this is when it feels like a miracle...when all the moving parts line up and charge ahead, which is happening more and more often! When the vibe (and I don't abuse this word by using it often) is one of satisfaction, comfort, & ease - which is exactly the type of feeling I'm trying to produce each week. At my dream farmers' market, I come to buy fresh, organic food & artisanal goods, meet my n

Trusting the natural process - eggs

Cameron & I love Rent-A-Coop and love all the incredible people we meet because of it, it hasn't even been 1 year yet and we've had over 25 renters already! That's 25 different families and personalities we've happily come in contact with, and made some relationships that we never see coming to an end. Only in the 'land of opportunity' the beautiful USA could we have this business...seriously I've told my friends in Europe about it and they think I'm crazy, the response is: "You could never do that in __ (insert European country here) _!" Its true we as a nation are free-thinkers, capitalists, and all a bit eccentric compared to our ancestors in the Old World! classic Nob Hill, Route 66 As a nation we are accustomed to high productivity and rapid results , just look around there's drive-thrus on every corner, there's all-you-can-eat buffets, there's 24-hour shopping centers, etc. If you've ever been subjected to

Summer-time-grind...our kind of disco!

'Tis the season... Everyone gets all green-thumbed, outdoorsy, and turns into the grill-master - so what better for the backyard than some local fauna, by local we mean ABQ raised chickens (not too close to the grill though, hmm!) We got a hand full of sign-ups recently, so back to the good 'ol No Sleep routine...so with the recent heat we've decided to take up the Spanish art of the siesta , though instead of spending the night drinking at the disco, its to the workshop for a whole other kind of disco (there is of course still beer, music & lots of dancing, ask Cameron about that- viva Nuevo México!) Recent projects : 'Home Sweet Home' brought to the Mile-Hi Farmers' Market last week and dropped off to a renter's backyard after! You guessed it: 'Home Sweet Home Coop' ode to the magic & traditions in the New Mexican wind Red or Green...red for this one - Ristra 'Chickens in Space' the inspiration for this c