Chickens at the Library!

Here a Chick, There a Chick – 

at the Grayslake Library!

by Sharon Gaughan, PCLF Education Program Director

Last Saturday, Anya and I presented a kids program at the Grayslake Library (for grades K-4).  The library staff advertised the program as “Here a Chick, There a Chick!” – and, no surprise, our program was focused on chickens and their chicks!

We brought Rhubarb and Rutabaga, our Rhode Island Red and Buff Orpington backyard chickens (very much adults at 2.5 years, not chicks at all!) to the library to meet the kids.  I talked a bit at the beginning of the program about chickens – and the fact that there are many different breeds (types) of chickens of many different colors.  Not all adult chickens are white, and not all baby chicks are yellow. 

 

Anya read aloud one of my very favorite chicken books, I Bought a Baby Chicken by Kelly Milner Halls.  Then we taught the kids how to do a simple craft, making a chick of their own to take home with them after the program (many thanks to Kayla, a high-school age library volunteer who was a huge help to us, especially during the craft-making session!).

After the program was over, we hung out a bit longer so that some of the kids who didn't attend the program could still get to meet a friendly chicken during their Saturday visit to the library.

This is the second year we’ve done this spring chicken program at the Grayslake Library.  The kids certainly seemed to enjoy it, and so did we!  I think even Rhubarb and Rutabaga had a good time (can you actually tell when a chicken is having a good time?)!

Words from Bedlam Farm Journal

The Barn Cat and the Hen
from Jon Katz's Bedlam Farm Journal Blog, March 26, 2013




Life on a farm is strange. Minnie is a strange cat, even for a barn cat. We feed her each day, and she loves to hang out on the rocking chair on the back porch. So do the chickens. I have never seen a cat nap next to a chicken, or a chicken next to a cat. No chicken would go near Mother [another of Jon's cats], and I never saw Mother hang out with the hens. Minnie grew up in the Bedlam Farm barn around chickens. I remember when Winston I the rooster fell ill, Minnie sat by his side day and night at the end of his life.

Still, I have not seen her cozy up with a hen. So it came down to these two farm animals, both wanting the same chair. Seems to me they came to a reasonable and collegial compromise. They napped together much of the afternoon while Strut the rooster paced nervously back and forth. I could watch animals all day. I do, really. They never cease to surprise and challenge me. They are not like us.

Photography is as curious and unpredictable as a farm. I always carry my camera. This chair, which we didn’t even expect to use until the summer, and then not much, has become the focal point of daily photos capturing the animals here in a different way. I could never have imagined that.


Note from Sharon:  My cat, Moira, is getting used to having to share her turf with the two Learning Farm chickens that I bring home on a daily basis, but I doubt that I'll ever see them sharing a rocking chair like this.  I'll let you know if I ever do though!

Chicken Volunteering!

My Time Volunteering at PCLF
by Erin Childers, Austin Community College Student

Over spring break from college in Austin, Texas, I traveled to Illinois to visit family and to volunteer at the Prairie Crossing Learning Farm. This was an awesome experience! I have been playing with the idea of farming land for a while now, and when I was assigned volunteer hours for my “Introduction to Social Work” class, this seemed like a great opportunity to explore these ideas.

I worked a majority of my time with the chicken flock. I had a great time. One of the most fun things was making a “play ground” for the chickens out of stumps. I was not aware of it, but apparently chickens can get bored. One way of avoiding chicken boredom is to give them things to jump on, climb under, and peck at. After we moved some stumps to the chicken yard from another part of the farm, we spread chicken feed around the new objects to engage the chickens, and watched as they jumped up and around, pecking at their food.
 

Another chore I was given was to fork the straw in the floor of the coop, and scrape the ledges and roosts clean. The bird waste would gather in the straw and on the ledges, so both of these chores were essentially making sure that the smell was not over powering, and waste management. Even though both chores were somewhat gross in nature, the tangible result of hard work was very satisfying. Much more so than running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike.

The week I spent at PCLF was a great experience. I am looking forward to helping in the future, if schedules permit! Thanks for the opportunity, Sharon!

A Use for Eggshells!

Beeswax Candles in Eggshell Holders
posted by Sharon Gaughan, PCLF Education Program Director

In yesterday's post on the "Fresh Eggs Daily" blog, they explain how to make beeswax candles in egg shell holders.  I absolutely LOVE the smell of natural beeswax -- in fact, I just purchased a large natural beeswax candle at the Good Food Festival in Chicago this last Saturday!

This is a cute idea, and I thought it would be a fun project to try -- perhaps this summer with our chicken camp for older kids.  Of course, I'll have to try it out first, before I try to do it with the kids -- and, when I do, I'll be sure to let you know how the project turns out.




But if you're interested in trying it out sooner -- maybe even in time for this Easter -- you can go to Beeswax Candles in Eggshell Holders for the directions.

Let me know how they turn out for you!


N.B.  These candles are sitting in ceramic egg cartons, no doubt for fire safety.  As you would with any candle -- but especially with these, as they will have the rounded bottoms -- be very careful and conscious of where and how they are used when lit!

Marbled Tea Eggs

Have You Ever Heard of Marbled Tea Eggs?

by Sharon Gaughan, PCLF Education Program Director

Today I received the online newsletter for Mountain Rose Herbs in Eugene, Oregon.  Mountain Rose Herbs is an interesting organization to know about, if you like herbs – but not an organization that I’ve ever associated with chickens or their eggs – until today!

A portion of the newsletter immediately caught my attention with the title “Marbled Tea Egg Recipe” and this gorgeous photo!  I had never heard of marbled tea eggs, and was intrigued!

To get the recipe, you clicked onto their blog (http://mountainroseblog.com/marbled-tea-eggs/), where they explained what marbled tea eggs are and how to make them.  Here is part of what they said:

“Tea eggs are a traditional food commonly sold by street vendors throughout China.  In China, there are many variations since each family makes their tea egg recipe a little bit differently, but they all contain black tea, soy sauce, and spices.”

I’m excited to try these, though I don’t know how soon I’ll find the time.  If you're as intrigued as I am, and you get to try it before I do, I’d love to hear how they turn out for you!

Cooking with Eggs

Making My First Frittata!

by Sharon Gaughan, PCLF Education Program Director

Last night for dinner, I made my first frittata ever!  And I can guarantee that it will not be my last!

I (mostly) followed a recipe from The Fresh Egg Cookbook: From Chicken to Kitchen by Jennifer Trainer Thompson (Storey Publishing, 2012).  This is a new cookbook for me, and the frittata was only the second recipe that I’ve made from this cookbook so far – but, if you’d like some new ideas for recipes that will make good use of your farm-fresh eggs, I would highly recommend this book!  I’ve already bought two more copies and given them as birthday gifts for two of my friends! 

I made the “Red Pepper and Potato Frittata” (p. 111) – one of three frittata recipes that Thompson includes in the book.  I assumed that I would like it, since I love red peppers and I love potatoes – and I was right!  

I should have taken a photo of my frittata to include in this post, but I didn’t think of it until I had already eaten yesterday’s and today’s dinner from it.  Not much left now!  So instead, I've included a photo that I found on google images…

 

 

If you’re unsure what a frittata actually is (I know I was), here’s a definition from http://culinaryarts.about.com:

Definition:  In the culinary arts, a Frittata is a flat Italian-style omelet that's usually prepared in a cast-iron skillet. A brunch menu classic, the frittata may also have its origin in Spanish cuisine.

To make a frittata, beaten eggs are cooked briefly in a hot skillet along with other ingredients such as onions, spinach, bacon and/or potatoes, and then topped with cheese and finished in the oven. When cooked in a round skillet, the frittata is then typically sliced into wedge-shaped portions for serving.

I hope this post inspires some frittatas in your future! Happy cooking!

Eggs for Sale!

Farm-fresh Eggs, for Sale in our Long Barn!
by Sharon Gaughan, PCLF Education Program Director

Our relatively new flock of Bovans Brown hens are continuing to lay well for us through the winter -- despite their dislike of the snow and cold!  And so we continue to have a nice stock of farm-fresh eggs for sale in our Long Barn.  

Come on by and pick up a dozen for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner)!

If you need some inspiration for some simple egg recipes, check out this link:  Grit Magazine Egg Recipes

Backyard Chicken Presentations

Learning More About Backyard Chickens!

by Sharon Gaughan, PCLF Education Program Director

This past Saturday, I attended not one – but two! – presentations on backyard chickens! 

In the morning, I attended a 1.5 hour presentation at the Eco-Justice Center (http://www.racinedominicans.org/eco-j.cfm) north of Racine, Wisconsin.  The presentation was given by Sister Janet, the director of the Eco-Justice Center and a long-time chicken enthusiast. 

Then in the afternoon, I attended a 1 hour presentation at Nature’s Feed in Spring Grove, Illinois (http://www.naturesfeed.net/).  This presentation was given by Kerri Gburek, the “self-proclaimed Chicken Eggspert” (http://www.thechickeneggspert.com/).  We met Kerri about a year ago, when she adopted one of the Learning Farm’s “special needs” chickens.

I love attending these kinds of presentations!  As always, I learned some new things and was able to connect with other “chicken folks.”  And I won a door prize provided by Nature's Feed at the afternoon presentation!  It was a large “scratch block” – which will give our flock of chickens something else to do on these cold and snowy days that we’ve been getting of late!

It’s so exciting to me that the idea of having backyard chickens – and the supply of fresh, healthy eggs that they provide – is becoming so widespread!  There are still folks that will need some convincing, and some of them sit on various village boards – but I have faith that in time, they will come around to appreciate the value, as well.