Fox!

He continues to strike. He had a good old rumpus out there this evening. We have been holding our own with the chickens, the problems seem to be corrected although I don’t have the coop on wheels yet! But this fox, man you can tell why this is one of the oldest stories in the long tale of man vs beast.

Ever read a short story called “Leiningen Versus The Ants“? For me it is the classic story of man vs. nature. I read it in high school can not really tell you the in’s and out’s of the story but it always comes to mind when I ponder squaring off with a “pest”. The problem, of course, is that these critters are so damn smart, and cautious. I think that the brazen nature of this creature will lead, eventually, to his downfall. (I have watched him urinate and this is how I know it is a “he”.) He is becoming more and more brazen here on the farm.

His visits are always after the farm has settled down from chores. I am pretty sure he listens to the sheep blatting all over the place while we feed and water everyone at chore time. Then we all go in to make supper and eat… stories… bed, etc. He slips in behind the barn, digs in some compost, grabs a loose chicken… whatever suits him.

I maintain lavish daydreams of out “foxing” him. I ponder camo, face paint, long silent stake outs with gun at the ready. I become Bill Murray as he plots the destruction of the gopher in Caddyshack.

So if you see me making small chickens out of plastic explosives you know what I am up to. The funny thing is that I have taken two shots at this critter (with the wrong gun but, as Donald Rumsfeld once said , “You go to war with the army you have”) and have missed badly because all my rage at his pesky raids and their consequences pump away as I hyperventilate at having him in my sites at last. Maybe if I were a hunter I would have a clue how to manage the adrenaline and calmly defend my flock.

It forces that realization that he and I can not share this little peninsula, not as long as he is smarter than I am. Free range and foxes don’t mix…

What an Egg Can Communicate

We had our first 100 egg day here today. The first time we collected over 100 eggs in a day. 103 to be exact. We will eventually expect about 130 or so a day for the next 6 months. This is great news in that it will provide a steady income through the season and will help us stay afloat until the fall sales of meat get completed.

Eggs are not a big money maker, you can cover your costs and make a little profit after going through the 2 year cycle. You spend a lot up front to feed them in the first 6 months before laying begins, you try as well to keep the lights on and make sure they produce as much as possible during the winter months. What is great about eggs, I have found, is the connection most people have to them. Eggs have a place in most people’s diets and, beyond that, they have a place in our culture that is also noteworthy.

People can relate to eggs, and to me they are an amazing communicator of quality and health. I wrote a earlier of the 99 cent eggs at Walgreens. Part of this reflection was about scale and quality, about how a small producer can compete with those able to sell an egg for a little over 8 cents. What I have found though, and it was not clear in that post, is that increasingly people are willing to admit that not all eggs are the same. That is one of the biggest battles still out there in food marketplace, to convince people that some eggs are better than others, some peppers are better than others, etc. Not just better in taste, better food…. more nutrition, more mineral, more power for your body.

I think most people will willingly admit that some pizza is better than others, some apple pie is better than others, etc. The human factor is worshipped here, the ability of one vs. another in the kitchen. While the ingredients are a level playing field, it is the skill of the cook in the kitchen that makes a big difference. For example, my Aunt Lib made (hands down) the best blueberry (pronounced “bluebry”) pie EVER.  Maybe there is some recognition of the quality of the ingredients, but for the most part its a matter of cooking skill.

What I have seen with the almighty egg is the ability is has to communicate the primacy of methods. I have seen that for many it is a stretch to imagine one egg really differing from another. Shell, yoke, white… and egg is an egg man. When people do see the difference, when they taste the difference, it is such a great opening for conversation about the power of pasture farming.

 

Your Egg on Grass… color, texture, “body”

A chicken can not hide the care she receives. She only has what she is fed and surrounded with to make her eggs. She will make an egg, in most cases, regardless. What she can tell us is that it matters what she is fed, how she is housed, what is under her feet each and every day. Given the right conditions, she will produce a masterpiece of health, nutrition, and beauty each time. We need to keep spreading this message as it is just as important for the cow, the sheep, the pig, and the vegetables. I think it was Michael Pollen in one of his books who said: “you are what you eat eats”…  love that.