New Endangered Species: The Rooster

I just found out that a neighbor of mine isn't happy with our rooster. Never mind that he didn't come to me and tell me and that I had to learn this "through the grape vine." He was probably just being polite. He claims that our rooster wakes him up at 5 in the morning with his crowing. I have to admit, Felix does start crowing at 5 in the morning and doesn't really stop until evening. There's a few breaks here and there and frankly, I love to hear him crowing. But unfortunately, most people do not. Which is why the rooster is soon to become an endangered species. After all, you don't need a rooster to get eggs, just chicks.
For me perhaps the crowing of a rooster is wrapped up in nostalgia. The farms I have known all had roosters. Or perhaps for me it is an inherited memory of a time long ago when my ancestors raised chickens. Our Swiss side (my ancestory is sort of octagonal so this side is 1/8) were chicken people. I know that because their last name was Hunerwadel and their family crest was a rooster on a crescent moon. "Huner" or "huhner" is the possessive form of chicken as in "chicken's"...... I can't find a translation for "wadel" although "wade" means a "calf" so perhaps "Hunderwadel" means "chicken leg." Kind of loses it's beauty in the translation, doesn't it?
I come by this chicken thing honestly. But honestly, why are there so many people that are bothered by a rooster crowing? Is it because it's so early? Is my neighbor really awoken by the rooster, or does he wake up as we quite naturally do toward morning and then hear it? What am I to do with my poor rooster that no one wants? Can you surgically remove a rooster's voice box? What is it in his programming that tells him it's morning even when it is not yet light out? Is there some way to fool him into thinking it's still the dead of night? Most of you probably won't have answers. Just sympathy and that is enough for me.

Food Prices Soaring in Utah

The picture to the left is in Tuscany. We were staying in a bed and breakfast called Astieto not too far from Florence. Across from the 40 acre B&B was a farm. In fact, there are all sort of beautiful farms dotting the countryside. One farm I really wanted to visit but didn't have enough time was a sheep farm where they produce sheep cheese called pecorino. One day we noticed horses running around their paddock, whinnying nervously. I looked up to see a wild pig running about. He was squealing, desperately trying to find his way out and the horses kept snorting and chasing him. I loved Tuscany so much. I loved seeing the old stone farmhouses with red tile roofs. The countryside was breathtaking. I long to have a farm in a place like this.

I read in the paper a few days ago that food prices in Utah are soaring. This isn't unlike other states I'm sure. You know what the big irony of this is?? Every day huge developers are bulldozing away good farmland. Farmland that could support and sustain our communities here in Salt Lake and Davis Counties. Farmers could barely make a living off of the land, developers are making millions. Where are our priorities? Not only is our valuable land being made into McMansions and pavement, but we are creating a rising population of people who demand the resources we are losing. It doesn't make sense! More developments mean more needs; more water being used to water huge lawns, more energy being used to heat and cool the huge homes, more people using more cars and more gas to get from here to there. Utahns need to be more responsible for their land. We need to value agriculture and farmland. No farmers no food. Period. If we insist on buying locally instead of buying food at the store that was shipped an average of 1,500 miles we won't have the problem of rising costs. Each community needs to learn how to sustain itself. CSA's are a great way to go. (This stands for Community Supported Agriculture.) CSA's are a partnership made between community members and a particular local farm. (In our case, East Farms.) In this arrangement, members buy "shares" which entail a weekly allowance of produce and sometimes milk or meat. There are certain times that members can even go and help out on the farm. This is a type of farm that I'm interested in someday having. In this way we support the family farm and help them with costs. Another way to buy locally is to support farmer's markets in the summer time. We have a few in our area. What's wonderful about this is that you are buying fresh, ripe produce grown in your own area, supporting small farmers and garden hobbyists. Co-ops are another great way to go. I belong to a milk co-op. Our members take turns going down to the farm to pick up wonderfully delicious raw milk from grass-fed cows. Also, we have the chance to buy grass-fed beef at a good, affordable price. And of course, another great way to sustain a community agriculturally is to encourage people to have their own gardens. (Another terrible thing about "developments" is that it is all house and no land. Land is sooooo important! In "Far and Away" as Joseph's "Da" is dying, he looks at his son and says something like, "Land Joseph, it's a man's very heart and soul." It's a woman's very heart and soul too. At least mine.

Matthew's 9th birthday was on Friday and for his party he wanted to have the theme of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." We had a blast! The image you see is his cake, it's supposed to be a compost pile like the one we have in the garden. I used five round chocolate cakes, layering them with frosting, shredded coconut dyed yellow for straw and green for grass, chinese chow mein noodles for dried out plants, fruit chews, "malt ball" robin's eggs, and of course a gummy worm here and there. I wrapped chicken wire around it to make the compost heap more complete.
In addition, we had some fun activities that related to the theme. Each child was instructed to bring a plastic bag, a tin can, and an empty plastic milk jug. The first thing we did was go out and pick up litter. (You'd be surprised at how much litter there was in a square block!) Each child filled up their plastic bag they had brought with litter - each bag was very full! We then separated each bag into what can be recycled and what has to be thrown away.
Next, we talked about compost piles. I had each child take out their tin can (now with a hole at the bottom) and we filled them with nice soil from my old compost pile. (The chickens had nicely aerated it for me.) We talked about what you can put in a compost pile. We then planted a pansy in each can.
After eating the compost pile cake (I kept teasing them that I couldn't believe they would want to eat dirt!!) using disposable forks made from potato, we played a game of toss, using the plastic milk jugs. I had cut the bottom off of each one, leaving the top with the handle. They could then play catch with a "recycled" aluminum ball. While one group was playing outside, I had another group inside reusing scrap paper to make new paper!
The door prizes were the most popular. The first door prize was a recycled, reusable bag from Target using old plastic Target bags. The second was a set of colored pencils made from a certified forest where they replant trees. (If you ever wondered how a pencil was made, check out their website at www.forestchoice.com- it's quite interesting.)
I think the children had a good time and learned some important things about caring for the earth as well. :)

Border collies are good for more than just herding sheep too. They also herd chickens. Or if you need to stay on task--just have a border collie stare at you. Those intense eyes say 'get it done or else buster'.