Come say hello to @Wee Farmer Sarah!
Sarah has been a member since October 2018 and comes to us from Massachusetts.
1. Tell us a bit more about yourself.
My real name is Sarah, divorced more than once but happily single now and I’m retired. Like many people on this site I retired, got chickens and started a vegetable garden. I know a lot of people look forward to spending their retirement travelling around to places they have always wanted to see. But when I was in the Air Force I did a lot of travelling. Even before I went into the service I travelled quite a bit as a child. My mother was always shipping me off to various relatives around the country every summer. I really don’t have any plans to do more travelling aside from visiting a cranberry bog at harvest. I guess I did things backwards when I was younger and did all the fun stuff then. I ate fish tacos in Ensenada Mexico before they were a thing, but oh so tasty. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon to see the sun rise over the grand view, played frisbee in Greenwich Village, NY and celebrated the Fourth Of July on an oil tanker in the Baltimore Harbor for the Bi-centennial. These are just a few of the of things I remember from the 70’s. Oh, then I joined the Air Force and became an airplane mechanic. That’s when I really travelled. I spent a lot of time in Europe where I danced at a NATO ball, ate street food in Crete, caught the tail end of Oktoberfest in Bavaria and shopped like a crazy American in Frankfurt and again enjoyed more street food. You may have picked up on the eating thing. I love to eat so I learned to cook all those things I love. I make a decent loaf of bread now and then as well. So with all this travelling behind me, the last thing I want to do is dust off my suit cases and pack my bags again. I love retirement. My days are fairly quiet now just tending to my chickens, working in the gardens and working hard to keep up this property. Before the pandemic closed the senior center I used to go there a couple of times a week to work on my social skills. Now it’s venturing out occasionally for necessities but I’m pretty much hunkered down in my Wee Farm bubble until the pandemic is under control.
2. Why and when did you start keeping poultry?
I had chickens and ducks when I was younger. But I was always on the move so nothing stuck. When I was a child I had a pet duck. However, when I set about making my retirement plan I decided to do what I really enjoy: raise chickens and grow as many of my own vegetables as possible. So here I am with my chickens and my gardens. AND: not travelling! I retired on September 30, 2018 and am loving it. I got my first chickens in April of 2018. Rhode Island Reds, my second batch came in March of 2019, 3 lovely Barred Plymouth Rock pullets. My latest are 3 darling Buff Orpingtons at the end of this past April.
3. Which aspects of poultry keeping do you enjoy the most?
My favorite thing about raising chickens is for the eggs of course.
4. Which members of your flock, past and present, stand out for you and why?
My RIR rooster Randy. Very personable, not the least bit mean but a bit of a rough lover, so he is currently hanging out in his bachelor pad. My other “sort of favorite” is Princess. One of the BR’s. She has always been a lap chicken of sorts. When I do the afternoon “hanging with my peeps” thing she usually jumps up in my lap to visit. Sometimes she just wants to snuggle, then there are times she looking for any bits of food that might be clinging to my shirt.
5. What was the funniest thing that's happened to you in your years as an owner?
Other than witnessing my little princess chest bump the rooster, it hasn’t happened yet.
6. Beside poultry, what other pets do you keep?
I had two tiny chihuahuas for a long time. Fred was a min pin mix and so very personable. Then there was Ginger, a Pomeranian - chihuahua mix. Fred passed in December of 2017 at the age of 15 ½ and Ginger passed in February of 2019 shortly after her 15th birthday. I would like another dog, but it’s a lot of work and maintenance, but you never know.
7. Anything you'd like to add?
I love my gardens. My main vegetable garden is visible from the street so I try to make it pretty. I have two herb garden beds behind my house along with another 4 x 16 foot vegetable garden. Most of the flowers on the property came with the house but I’m slowly adding to that.
I’m so happy I found BYC. I’ve learned so much here not only about keeping chickens, but from the friendly gardeners on the “What did you do in the garden today” thread. This is such a great group of folks who amaze me with their knowledge every day. I’ve been gardening for more than 40 years and started out as a Biology major in college, but I believe I’ve learned more from that group than any of those classes I took. And I learn about chickens and gardening and life here and am grateful for that. My old Aunt Julia told me years ago that you can’t stop learning, because when you do, you just die.
Here's me from a group photo with the guys I used to work with at my "retirement" party. Which consisted of a wild and wet ride on the high speed boat "Codzilla" in Boston Harbor follwed by lunch off the Rose Kennedy Parkway.
My main vegetable garden
My little chihuahuas - Fred & Ginger
My "Wee" flock before I added the BO's.
@Wee Farmer Sarah
For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews.905602
For more information about the interview feature and a complete list of member interviews:
introducing-vip-member-interviews.905602
