Saturday Sampler Platter

no pesticides here. (4.00 / 4)

but I will have to give up my idea of a tidy garden. My husband sprayed the weeds and I won't. I just got back from our annual plant sale to benefit the local Democratic party here. I got a bunch of perennials.BTW...NONE of the local ranks and file are happy with the idea of Arlen Specter being shoved down our throats.

the below guy was on Bill Mahrer last night...Fascinating...I ordered the book and will review it here..

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite: David Kessler

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by: LeeN @ Sat May 02, 2009 at 15:39:20 PM UTC

Yes! (4.00 / 3)

Fooducate sizes up All Natural Fanta. They recommend we all skip the beverage aisle at the supermarket and learn to enjoy water.

I love water!  I would marry water if they'd let me.  Heh...

Although I'd hook up with coffee and beer sometimes, too.  :)

And this is a great point, too -

Our steadfast advice -  save your family of 4 over $500 a year by skipping the beverage aisles at the supermarket and learning to enjoy water. It's cheaper, healthier, and lets the flavors of your home cooked meal express themselves best.

Hell, just my "family of one" saves huge by not drinking the stuff - fill my stainless steel canteen with 26 oz. of Portland City tap water (what's that cost of my overall water bill?  Maybe $0.00000002?), and refill if necessary at a park drinking fountain or at one of these things scattered all over the city.

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat May 02, 2009 at 19:09:40 PM UTC

I got my chickens! (4.00 / 4)

OK, they're not here yet but my parents picked them up.  We have three and might get one or two more in June.  I would have gone, but I had a water polo game so my parents just went to get the coop and a few chickens.  They're from this place called Happy Farms which sounds like it might use the kind of management intensive grazing that Joel Salatin uses, but I'm not sure.

I'll have to take some pictures.

Vote for yourself at www.ni4d.us!

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by: rossl @ Sat May 02, 2009 at 21:56:19 PM UTC

Congrats! (4.00 / 3)

Looking forward to the pictures...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat May 02, 2009 at 22:11:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm super jealous (4.00 / 3)

Can't wait to see them! Good for you... grrr.. super jealous.

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by: Curtis Abbey @ Sat May 02, 2009 at 22:45:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

yay for you! (4.00 / 3)

pictures soon please!

come firefly-dreaming with me....

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by: RiaD @ Sat May 02, 2009 at 22:50:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

i'm so jealous (4.00 / 4)

do you have names yet?

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by: LeeN @ Sat May 02, 2009 at 23:08:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

yay! (4.00 / 4)

I just went to a lecture on how to keep chickens today. Fascinating lesson in chicken anatomy and behavior. The girl doing it was really funny. She said the first time she saw her chicken taking a dust bath she thought it was dead.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 01:43:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Any advice? (4.00 / 3)

And I haven't even thought of names yet, LeeN!

I was going to take some pictures with my phone but it got dark and they went to sleep.

It's friggin' awesome!

Vote for yourself at www.ni4d.us!

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by: rossl @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 02:20:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Get a Brahma chicken (4.00 / 3)

and name it Barack O'Brahma :)

Well, she went through chicken anatomy, different kinds of food, what's required for a coop, and a lot of behavioral stuff. So no advice in particular that sticks out but I might be able to point you in the right direction if you have questions on specific things. Here's the one bit of advice she had: She has 3 rungs for the hens to roost on and they pick where they roost based on their pecking order. Naturally, everyone wants the top rung. She said if she had it to do over again, she'd make the top rung larger so that more chickens could get up there.

Also, she said that she got adult birds from a few different flocks and combined them and she wouldn't do that again. Each flock had different germs and immunities so when she combined them two birds got sick and died. She said if she got more chickens she'd get baby chicks and do it that way.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 02:25:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Here are a few pictures (4.00 / 2)

They all ran to the corner when I came in with a camera:

Vote for yourself at www.ni4d.us!

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by: rossl @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 20:15:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Congrats to Jill (4.00 / 3)

for breaking that story which led to Colbert's segment ripping the Midwest Crop Life Association. Will we be hearing from Dear Brad the Monsanto rep again soon?  

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by: Curtis Abbey @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 00:12:37 AM UTC

Yes. (4.00 / 2)

Will we be hearing from Dear Brad the Monsanto rep again soon?

And this time, he'll be writing us from Nigeria!

Dear friend,

I am have for you US 14$ Million, if only will help aid export of crop and spray to White House Garden for Great Company of Monsanto.

My Uncle, Finance Minister from MACA; etc, etc...

:)

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 00:33:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

LOL n/t (4.00 / 2)

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by: Curtis Abbey @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 01:02:00 AM UTC

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oh my (4.00 / 3)

something tells me I'm missing out on some fun by never reading through my spam box.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 01:44:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]