Our state has long been home to many people who treasure nature in all its vast and varying forms. People traveled to this state from far-away homes to establish new lives, made possible by the bounty that the rich waters and soil yielded.
Those who understood and appreciated what our resources provide were sometimes moved to do what they could to protect or conserve them. Manitowoc County has certainly has had its share of conservation legends, some of whom helped preserve Point Beach, Collins Marsh, the Rahr Forest and Woodland Dunes.
In particular, two people from Wisconsin are often held in highest esteem among conservationists, and both had connections with the University of Wisconsin as well. The first is John Muir, who came with his family from Scotland at a young age to the central part of the state to farm. He later attended UW just a few years after its founding, then left to embark on remarkable journeys of discovery of nature, journeys which eventually led him West where he was an important spokesman for conservation and later founded the Sierra Club and helped establish our national parks.
The second was Aldo Leopold, who was born in Iowa and who worked for the U.S. Forest Service and in the 1930s the Forest Products Laboratory, a position that brought him to Madison.
After a few years he began a teaching career at the University of Wisconsin, and he is considered to be one of the originators of modern wildlife management methods. Leopold remained in Madison for the rest of his life, contributing much to our knowledge of wildlife and helping to found the Wilderness Society.
While there, he purchased an old, bankrupt farm near Baraboo, renovated its chicken coop as a family cabin, and visited on weekends to work to restore its land, observe and record its phenology (seasonal natural events), and to write about nature. As he thought about nature and peoples' impact on it, he developed what he called a land ethic — a philosophy, or morality, relating to how we have come to use or abuse natural systems. A number of his writings were gathered and published as "A Sand County Almanac."
2011年6月12日星期日
2011年6月8日星期三
Little white lies of grandfatherhood
I’ve been a grandfather for 27 years, and I have 18 grandchildren, so I should know better.
There are times when trying to be a good role model and remain a doting grandfather are difficult, to be sure. I may have mentioned before that my wife and I baby-sit grandchildren two days a week. It certainly is fun most of the time, and it is eye-opening all the time.
You were too busy making a living when your own children were little. You don’t even remember how they grew up so fast. One day they’re toddlers, and the next they are getting married.
Growing children have questions about everything, and grandparents are expected to have the answers to all of the questions. I have an especially inquisitive 4-year-old granddaughter who has been coming to the “farm” since she was 1.
She has explored all the animals that she has encountered. Never has she been afraid of handling the animals unless they were extremely larger than she. At 1 year of age, she chased baby chickens around and around the manure-covered chicken coop trying to catch one so she could pet it. She learned when to quit chasing chickens by cornering them in the coop. If they could peck their way free, she gave up on them.
Lizards, snakes and frogs were pets to be handled, mangled and enjoyed. She became particularly fond of a painted turtle that climbed out of a pond and lived most of the summer with us. She was very disappointed when we informed her that we had set Timmy free down near the pond.
Last summer, during one of her excursions, she found a tree frog. A tree frog differs from an ordinary frog in that when you kiss it, it doesn’t become a prince. Lola found that out firsthand. Tree frogs have the ability to leap great distances and swim like an ordinary frog; but, unlike ordinary frogs, they can climb trees, or houses, or cars, or anything they want to climb. They have suctions beneath their legs and feet and can change colors to blend in with whatever they attach themselves to.
My granddaughter, Lola, became attached to a tree frog she found at the farm, and against my better judgment, I let her take it home, where after a few days it died in the makeshift home it was provided. I felt bad about the sadness but chalked it up to a learning experience.
Unfortunately, Lola found another tree frog at the farm this year. It had attached itself to our hot tub on the deck of our house underneath a large tree. The frog would climb under the cover flap, where it would be cooler and wetter in the hot day sun. Here Lola found it hiding. She immediately grabbed it and needed a carrying box with air holes for breathing so she could spend the afternoon playing with her newfound friend.
Immediately I began wrestling with the question that I knew was coming. “Can I take the frog home to show Mommy?” I didn’t want her to experience the same grief and turmoil that was created last year. I began to run through my mind the words I would use to keep her from taking the frog. She wasn’t happy and argued openly with my decision, but finally acquiesced.
I convinced her that her buddy would be waiting for her next week if she would simply put him under the hot tub cover. She reluctantly complied.
Just before it was time for Lola’s exit for home, she wanted one last look at her buddy. So Grandpa raised the lid to the hot tub and sure enough their lay the frog attached, looking somewhat under the weather. Lola screamed and began crying. “He’s dead, you killed him!” she screamed.
I lowered the lid and assured her that he was not dead but only looked that way to keep the cat from killing him. She wasn’t really buying it; but, she has always relied on Grandpa to tell her the truth. Why would he lie to her now?
How do you stop? Do I tell the truth or concoct another tale to avoid her pain? I can look hard for another tree frog and hope she can’t tell the difference. What a wicked web we weave!
There are times when trying to be a good role model and remain a doting grandfather are difficult, to be sure. I may have mentioned before that my wife and I baby-sit grandchildren two days a week. It certainly is fun most of the time, and it is eye-opening all the time.
You were too busy making a living when your own children were little. You don’t even remember how they grew up so fast. One day they’re toddlers, and the next they are getting married.
Growing children have questions about everything, and grandparents are expected to have the answers to all of the questions. I have an especially inquisitive 4-year-old granddaughter who has been coming to the “farm” since she was 1.
She has explored all the animals that she has encountered. Never has she been afraid of handling the animals unless they were extremely larger than she. At 1 year of age, she chased baby chickens around and around the manure-covered chicken coop trying to catch one so she could pet it. She learned when to quit chasing chickens by cornering them in the coop. If they could peck their way free, she gave up on them.
Lizards, snakes and frogs were pets to be handled, mangled and enjoyed. She became particularly fond of a painted turtle that climbed out of a pond and lived most of the summer with us. She was very disappointed when we informed her that we had set Timmy free down near the pond.
Last summer, during one of her excursions, she found a tree frog. A tree frog differs from an ordinary frog in that when you kiss it, it doesn’t become a prince. Lola found that out firsthand. Tree frogs have the ability to leap great distances and swim like an ordinary frog; but, unlike ordinary frogs, they can climb trees, or houses, or cars, or anything they want to climb. They have suctions beneath their legs and feet and can change colors to blend in with whatever they attach themselves to.
My granddaughter, Lola, became attached to a tree frog she found at the farm, and against my better judgment, I let her take it home, where after a few days it died in the makeshift home it was provided. I felt bad about the sadness but chalked it up to a learning experience.
Unfortunately, Lola found another tree frog at the farm this year. It had attached itself to our hot tub on the deck of our house underneath a large tree. The frog would climb under the cover flap, where it would be cooler and wetter in the hot day sun. Here Lola found it hiding. She immediately grabbed it and needed a carrying box with air holes for breathing so she could spend the afternoon playing with her newfound friend.
Immediately I began wrestling with the question that I knew was coming. “Can I take the frog home to show Mommy?” I didn’t want her to experience the same grief and turmoil that was created last year. I began to run through my mind the words I would use to keep her from taking the frog. She wasn’t happy and argued openly with my decision, but finally acquiesced.
I convinced her that her buddy would be waiting for her next week if she would simply put him under the hot tub cover. She reluctantly complied.
Just before it was time for Lola’s exit for home, she wanted one last look at her buddy. So Grandpa raised the lid to the hot tub and sure enough their lay the frog attached, looking somewhat under the weather. Lola screamed and began crying. “He’s dead, you killed him!” she screamed.
I lowered the lid and assured her that he was not dead but only looked that way to keep the cat from killing him. She wasn’t really buying it; but, she has always relied on Grandpa to tell her the truth. Why would he lie to her now?
How do you stop? Do I tell the truth or concoct another tale to avoid her pain? I can look hard for another tree frog and hope she can’t tell the difference. What a wicked web we weave!
Batavia family first to get approval of backyard chicken operation
Batavia’s first family of backyard egg-laying hens has passed inspection with flying colors.
“I am all for living sustainably,” Holly Kammes said Wednesday, as she whisked a couple of fresh eggs for her breakfast.
Kammes and her family managed to raise a variety of breeds, including Barred Rocks and the rare blue egg-laying Araucana, in their southwest side backyard with little attention.
Kammes’ chickens are the first flock to get the seal of approval by the city building department, after aldermen last month voted 9 to 5 — after considerable debate — to allow residents to keep up to eight hens on properties zoned and occupied for single family residential. The amendments to city code require owners to register prior to acquiring chickens, but registration forms are not accepted until the coop has passed final inspection by a city building inspector.
City Building Commissioner Jeff Albertson, said Kammes’ chickens were the city’s first inspection, while others are in the process of seeking approval. Kammes’ chickens were also among the few that had 30 days to bring their property into compliance.
“They passed the inspection,” Albertson said Tuesday. “We never thought there would be a huge rash of people. We knew there would be some.”
Albertson said the building department has received two applications for a chicken coop permit.
“The hens are a great way for my boys to learn about sustainability and doing chores,” Kammes said. “I have wonderful neighbors; my neighbor closest to the coop actually comes out and greets them with ‘Good morning girls!’ My other neighbor said she doesn’t hear them too often but when she does it reminds her of childhood. All my neighbors enjoy the eggs.
“There is some knowledge owners need to acquire, but raising hens is easier than raising the family dog; they can be trained and make wonderful family pets,” said Kammes, whose family has lived in Batavia for four generations.
Kammes, an organic vegetable gardener, discovered chicken droppings were as “precious” for adding nutrients to her garden soil as fresh eggs are for her family.
Kammes will share her knowledge as a chicken keeper and gardener from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday during the fourth annual Batavia MainStreet Green Walk, held along Wilson Street in the downtown, to raise awareness of the art of going green.
“I am all for living sustainably,” Holly Kammes said Wednesday, as she whisked a couple of fresh eggs for her breakfast.
Kammes and her family managed to raise a variety of breeds, including Barred Rocks and the rare blue egg-laying Araucana, in their southwest side backyard with little attention.
Kammes’ chickens are the first flock to get the seal of approval by the city building department, after aldermen last month voted 9 to 5 — after considerable debate — to allow residents to keep up to eight hens on properties zoned and occupied for single family residential. The amendments to city code require owners to register prior to acquiring chickens, but registration forms are not accepted until the coop has passed final inspection by a city building inspector.
City Building Commissioner Jeff Albertson, said Kammes’ chickens were the city’s first inspection, while others are in the process of seeking approval. Kammes’ chickens were also among the few that had 30 days to bring their property into compliance.
“They passed the inspection,” Albertson said Tuesday. “We never thought there would be a huge rash of people. We knew there would be some.”
Albertson said the building department has received two applications for a chicken coop permit.
“The hens are a great way for my boys to learn about sustainability and doing chores,” Kammes said. “I have wonderful neighbors; my neighbor closest to the coop actually comes out and greets them with ‘Good morning girls!’ My other neighbor said she doesn’t hear them too often but when she does it reminds her of childhood. All my neighbors enjoy the eggs.
“There is some knowledge owners need to acquire, but raising hens is easier than raising the family dog; they can be trained and make wonderful family pets,” said Kammes, whose family has lived in Batavia for four generations.
Kammes, an organic vegetable gardener, discovered chicken droppings were as “precious” for adding nutrients to her garden soil as fresh eggs are for her family.
Kammes will share her knowledge as a chicken keeper and gardener from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday during the fourth annual Batavia MainStreet Green Walk, held along Wilson Street in the downtown, to raise awareness of the art of going green.
2011年6月6日星期一
Chicken Coop Proposal Ruffles Feathers In Gastonia
GASTONIA, NC- "I did not forsee any problems at all. I just thought it would go through, we would get the permit, we would build a coop, we would have chickens and life would go on without any problems," said Dwayne Johnson, a Gastonia resident.
Johnson and his partner, Brian Giampaoli, put a bid in to the City of Gastonia.
They want to build a chicken coop to house up to 20 hens on this 3-acre estate in the historic district of Gastonia.
"I think, for someone to spend 20,000 dollars on a chicken coop is... most people would probably think it's outrageous, but we have to do that in order to maintain the architecture and the style our home is built around," said Giampaoli.
Their plea... they say the chickens would help the community be more "green".
The chicken would produce daily fresh eggs and compost from their waste.
The City of Gastonia sent a denial letter to Johnson in May stating "Your site plan appears to be in compliance with the applicable requirements of section 10-18 of the livestock ordinance."
But, the bid was still denied.
Johnson thinks this letter is more subjective than objective. The letter goes on to state that the animals are likely to seriously interfere with the neighboring properties because of noise and odor.
Johnson and Giampaoli’s neighbors agree.
It's not the country. It is in the city and we just didn't want it back there," said
Kristine DeJong.
DeJong and her husband Ronald sent a letter to the city stating they don't want the coop because it's too close to their home.
Others neighbors with nearby property think the chickens could decrease property value.
"You apply for your chicken permit. We say we don't want it and the powers that be will make a decision based on that," said DeJong.
At this point, Johnson and Giampaoli say that's not enough because the denial was uneducated and unfair.
"A baby's diaper stinks if you don't change it. So, if you have an animal and you don't take care of them, then of course they're going to stink. Dogs stink, cats stink," said Johnson.
Johnson filed an appeal to the city's denial last week.
He's told a meeting is being set up with him and the assistant county manager to discuss the appeal.
If the coop is denied again, they plan to pursue legal action against the city of Gastonia.
Johnson and his partner, Brian Giampaoli, put a bid in to the City of Gastonia.
They want to build a chicken coop to house up to 20 hens on this 3-acre estate in the historic district of Gastonia.
"I think, for someone to spend 20,000 dollars on a chicken coop is... most people would probably think it's outrageous, but we have to do that in order to maintain the architecture and the style our home is built around," said Giampaoli.
Their plea... they say the chickens would help the community be more "green".
The chicken would produce daily fresh eggs and compost from their waste.
The City of Gastonia sent a denial letter to Johnson in May stating "Your site plan appears to be in compliance with the applicable requirements of section 10-18 of the livestock ordinance."
But, the bid was still denied.
Johnson thinks this letter is more subjective than objective. The letter goes on to state that the animals are likely to seriously interfere with the neighboring properties because of noise and odor.
Johnson and Giampaoli’s neighbors agree.
It's not the country. It is in the city and we just didn't want it back there," said
Kristine DeJong.
DeJong and her husband Ronald sent a letter to the city stating they don't want the coop because it's too close to their home.
Others neighbors with nearby property think the chickens could decrease property value.
"You apply for your chicken permit. We say we don't want it and the powers that be will make a decision based on that," said DeJong.
At this point, Johnson and Giampaoli say that's not enough because the denial was uneducated and unfair.
"A baby's diaper stinks if you don't change it. So, if you have an animal and you don't take care of them, then of course they're going to stink. Dogs stink, cats stink," said Johnson.
Johnson filed an appeal to the city's denial last week.
He's told a meeting is being set up with him and the assistant county manager to discuss the appeal.
If the coop is denied again, they plan to pursue legal action against the city of Gastonia.
Mayor Asks City Council to Consider Allowing More Chicken Coops in Santee
Santee Mayor Randy Voepel believes that more Santeeans would raise chickens if zoning laws allowed them to do so.
He has asked the City Council to consider voting to amend a law which governs animal regulations in residential districts of the city. If the Council agrees to consider the proposal, additional residents could soon have the option to keep a small number of chickens on their property.
The Council will vote at the June 8 meeting as to whether to give the matter consideration. If approved, the item would be added to a future Council meeting agenda for a formal vote.
“Many citizens are keeping chickens these days because of the high cost at grocery stores and concerns about chemical additives and hormones,” Voepel wrote in a memo to the City Council. “Currently, chickens are not permitted in most residential zones, and I want to encourage urban agriculture in Santee by allowing our citizens to keep five or so chickens in a coop with the appropriate setbacks.”
Voepel further asserted that he is not looking to change zoning as it pertains to roosters, however, because they “they tend to drive people crazy,” he said.
Although a number of municipalities within the county allow for people to raise fowl, many times zoning ordinances only permit homes within more rural areas to do so.
Some believe that the ordinances are a bit too strict.
In 2009, La Mesa resident Jill Richardson began circulating a petition asking city officials make it legal for residents to raise up to six hens per single family residence homes. Earlier this year, residents of the city of San Diego began advocating for a similar change after two chickens living in a back yard coop in North Park were "forced into hiding" after city officials learned their presence.
Santee Associate City Planner Angela Reeder said that she’s aware of a growing urban chicken movement.
“People are going green, and chickens eat bugs in outdoor gardens which allow people not to use pesticides,” Reeder said. “Right now in Santee, though, our zoning ordinance only allows chickens to be raised in the HL and R-1 residential zones, which are lower-density residential areas.”
Voepel said that he wants to loosen the current regulation, which only permits one fowl to be kept within every 2,000 square feet of site area, and to allow for chicken coops to be installed, provided they are in a distance of no less than 50 feet from neighboring homes.
“Requiring a 50-foot setback will kill 70 to 80 percent of the homes in Santee because the houses are just too close together,” he said, furthering that those eligible for coops would be required to have a garden as a means of offsetting chicken waste.
“Because of an increasing interest in urban agriculture changing the ordinance to allow greater numbers of Santeeans to raise chickens, should they choose, seems like a cool thing to do,” Voepel said. “So I’ve put an item on the June 8 agenda to see if members of the City Council might want to pursue it. If they don’t [the idea] will die right there.”
He has asked the City Council to consider voting to amend a law which governs animal regulations in residential districts of the city. If the Council agrees to consider the proposal, additional residents could soon have the option to keep a small number of chickens on their property.
The Council will vote at the June 8 meeting as to whether to give the matter consideration. If approved, the item would be added to a future Council meeting agenda for a formal vote.
“Many citizens are keeping chickens these days because of the high cost at grocery stores and concerns about chemical additives and hormones,” Voepel wrote in a memo to the City Council. “Currently, chickens are not permitted in most residential zones, and I want to encourage urban agriculture in Santee by allowing our citizens to keep five or so chickens in a coop with the appropriate setbacks.”
Voepel further asserted that he is not looking to change zoning as it pertains to roosters, however, because they “they tend to drive people crazy,” he said.
Although a number of municipalities within the county allow for people to raise fowl, many times zoning ordinances only permit homes within more rural areas to do so.
Some believe that the ordinances are a bit too strict.
In 2009, La Mesa resident Jill Richardson began circulating a petition asking city officials make it legal for residents to raise up to six hens per single family residence homes. Earlier this year, residents of the city of San Diego began advocating for a similar change after two chickens living in a back yard coop in North Park were "forced into hiding" after city officials learned their presence.
Santee Associate City Planner Angela Reeder said that she’s aware of a growing urban chicken movement.
“People are going green, and chickens eat bugs in outdoor gardens which allow people not to use pesticides,” Reeder said. “Right now in Santee, though, our zoning ordinance only allows chickens to be raised in the HL and R-1 residential zones, which are lower-density residential areas.”
Voepel said that he wants to loosen the current regulation, which only permits one fowl to be kept within every 2,000 square feet of site area, and to allow for chicken coops to be installed, provided they are in a distance of no less than 50 feet from neighboring homes.
“Requiring a 50-foot setback will kill 70 to 80 percent of the homes in Santee because the houses are just too close together,” he said, furthering that those eligible for coops would be required to have a garden as a means of offsetting chicken waste.
“Because of an increasing interest in urban agriculture changing the ordinance to allow greater numbers of Santeeans to raise chickens, should they choose, seems like a cool thing to do,” Voepel said. “So I’ve put an item on the June 8 agenda to see if members of the City Council might want to pursue it. If they don’t [the idea] will die right there.”
2011年6月1日星期三
Chicken keeping is latest backyard hobby
A growing number of San Antonians are learning that yes, indeed, the chicken came first.
In the past three months, Jimmy Manger, daytime manager at Alamo Feed & Pet Supply, has sold more than
400 baby chicks.
“We're seeing a lot more people keeping four or five chickens in the backyard for eggs,” Manger says.
The reasons for keeping feathered friends as pets and producers vary. More than a year and a half ago,
Yen Diep and her parents received chickens from friends with the intentions of butchering and eating
them.
“We opened the box and inside were the scraggliest-looking chickens we'd ever seen,” Diep says. The
chickens were spared from the cutting board, and the Dieps had to figure out what to do with five
chickens.
Googling led to some makeshift coop building; a few trips to the feed store later for a cage, food and
water trays and feed, and the chickens were situated in their new home.
For Diep's parents, who grew up in Vietnam, having chickens roam the backyard was a part of life.
“My parents were used to that,” Diep said. “The meat from free-range chickens is slightly tougher, but
they prefer that, so they'll buy free-range.”
The Dieps learned about keeping chickens through trial and error. After waiting for several months for
their hens to start laying, the Dieps asked friends what steps they should take to procure eggs. They
learned hens need a special protein-packed feed to reach optimal egg-laying hormone levels.
“After we got them the feed, we had so many eggs, my mom was giving away dozens,” Diep said.
Yes, the eggs are different from the eggs sold at your local grocery store. Different chicken varieties
lay different-colored eggs: eggs with spots and flecks, bluish-green eggs, dark brown eggs, tan eggs.
Once the harder-than-average shell is cracked, the inside reveals a slightly darker and, at times, bigger
yolk.
That being said, there isn't a discernible taste difference between home-grown and store-bought eggs.
Joe Barfield, a Mahncke Park resident, has kept chickens in his backyard since 2003. Barfield has celiac
disease and cites health and nutrition as reasons for keeping hens.
“It's a challenge to try and eat whole foods every day, but we try doing it a little bit here and there,
” Barfield says. Barfield and wife, Dee, use their eggs in all their dishes, including Shirred Eggs and
Raw Egg Curry Dressing.
Barfield keeps his hens in a chicken tractor, or movable chicken coop, he built. This helps protect the
chickens from predators while providing a new plot of soil to dig and peck; moving the chickens every
other day gives the soil a chance to use the nitrogen-rich chicken waste and flourish.
Even in coops, chickens aren't always safe. Predators such as cats, dogs, raccoons, opossums and even
bees can often find a way. The Dieps lost three of their chickens to a swarm of bees.
“They were defenseless,” Diep says. “We're nursing one back to health, but we're not sure she'll make
it.”
Barfield shares his backyard hobby with neighbor and Restaurant Gwendolyn owner and chef, Michael
Sohocki.
Sohocki built a pyramid-shaped tractor that stands more than 6 feet tall. Each of his hens lays about an
egg a day into three bottomed-out plastic buckets that lay on the side closest to the coops door. The
tractor is pulled across his backyard daily to give the chickens fresh grass and nutrients to consume.
“I do this because it makes my chickens happy,” Sohocki says. “Happy, healthy chickens will give me
eggs.”
His chickens produce about six eggs a day, which he uses in everyday cooking.
Sohocki's approach to backyard chicken-keeping focuses on sustainability and awareness.
“I trust these eggs because I know where they came from,” Sohocki says. “Increasing the social
knowledge of seasonal food and benefits leads to a healthier takeaway — the only change is you.”
In the past three months, Jimmy Manger, daytime manager at Alamo Feed & Pet Supply, has sold more than
400 baby chicks.
“We're seeing a lot more people keeping four or five chickens in the backyard for eggs,” Manger says.
The reasons for keeping feathered friends as pets and producers vary. More than a year and a half ago,
Yen Diep and her parents received chickens from friends with the intentions of butchering and eating
them.
“We opened the box and inside were the scraggliest-looking chickens we'd ever seen,” Diep says. The
chickens were spared from the cutting board, and the Dieps had to figure out what to do with five
chickens.
Googling led to some makeshift coop building; a few trips to the feed store later for a cage, food and
water trays and feed, and the chickens were situated in their new home.
For Diep's parents, who grew up in Vietnam, having chickens roam the backyard was a part of life.
“My parents were used to that,” Diep said. “The meat from free-range chickens is slightly tougher, but
they prefer that, so they'll buy free-range.”
The Dieps learned about keeping chickens through trial and error. After waiting for several months for
their hens to start laying, the Dieps asked friends what steps they should take to procure eggs. They
learned hens need a special protein-packed feed to reach optimal egg-laying hormone levels.
“After we got them the feed, we had so many eggs, my mom was giving away dozens,” Diep said.
Yes, the eggs are different from the eggs sold at your local grocery store. Different chicken varieties
lay different-colored eggs: eggs with spots and flecks, bluish-green eggs, dark brown eggs, tan eggs.
Once the harder-than-average shell is cracked, the inside reveals a slightly darker and, at times, bigger
yolk.
That being said, there isn't a discernible taste difference between home-grown and store-bought eggs.
Joe Barfield, a Mahncke Park resident, has kept chickens in his backyard since 2003. Barfield has celiac
disease and cites health and nutrition as reasons for keeping hens.
“It's a challenge to try and eat whole foods every day, but we try doing it a little bit here and there,
” Barfield says. Barfield and wife, Dee, use their eggs in all their dishes, including Shirred Eggs and
Raw Egg Curry Dressing.
Barfield keeps his hens in a chicken tractor, or movable chicken coop, he built. This helps protect the
chickens from predators while providing a new plot of soil to dig and peck; moving the chickens every
other day gives the soil a chance to use the nitrogen-rich chicken waste and flourish.
Even in coops, chickens aren't always safe. Predators such as cats, dogs, raccoons, opossums and even
bees can often find a way. The Dieps lost three of their chickens to a swarm of bees.
“They were defenseless,” Diep says. “We're nursing one back to health, but we're not sure she'll make
it.”
Barfield shares his backyard hobby with neighbor and Restaurant Gwendolyn owner and chef, Michael
Sohocki.
Sohocki built a pyramid-shaped tractor that stands more than 6 feet tall. Each of his hens lays about an
egg a day into three bottomed-out plastic buckets that lay on the side closest to the coops door. The
tractor is pulled across his backyard daily to give the chickens fresh grass and nutrients to consume.
“I do this because it makes my chickens happy,” Sohocki says. “Happy, healthy chickens will give me
eggs.”
His chickens produce about six eggs a day, which he uses in everyday cooking.
Sohocki's approach to backyard chicken-keeping focuses on sustainability and awareness.
“I trust these eggs because I know where they came from,” Sohocki says. “Increasing the social
knowledge of seasonal food and benefits leads to a healthier takeaway — the only change is you.”
Bear spotted in West Asheville
Several residents on Brucemont Circle in the heart of West Asheville saw the bear shortly after 8 a.m. near a chicken coop owned by three families in the neighborhood.
"I think the bear was checking out the chicken coop when I drove up," said Brucemont Circle resident Paul Moore, who was returning home from taking his daughter to school.
The bear stayed in Moore's nextdoor neighbor's yard for several minutes, then climbed a fence and went into another yard before disappearing.
Moore said he couldn't guess where the bear might have come from. It would have had to cross one or more major roads, including possibly Haywood Road or Patton Avenue, to get to Brucemont Circle.
Send us your bear news
Have you seen a bear in your yard or in a public place in the Asheville area recently? Send us a bear photo if you have one along with your contact information.
"I think the bear was checking out the chicken coop when I drove up," said Brucemont Circle resident Paul Moore, who was returning home from taking his daughter to school.
The bear stayed in Moore's nextdoor neighbor's yard for several minutes, then climbed a fence and went into another yard before disappearing.
Moore said he couldn't guess where the bear might have come from. It would have had to cross one or more major roads, including possibly Haywood Road or Patton Avenue, to get to Brucemont Circle.
Send us your bear news
Have you seen a bear in your yard or in a public place in the Asheville area recently? Send us a bear photo if you have one along with your contact information.
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