Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[sarahkatie]

Zgoatlady.... I'm sorry you're sick, I hope it's something that will pass quickly! 
Thank you for offering to split you bottle of eprinex with us!!!
Sounds like we have a Source, Buyers, and Bottles.  YIPPEE!!     (I'm a jar hoarder, too)  Now we just need a plan.

We're sort of spread out...  Bremerton, Tacoma, Enumclaw, and Maple Valley.   Can we all converge on Zgoatlady in Enumclaw on the same day?  
   -  I don't mind going to Enumclaw if I can stop to see my granddaughters!
   -  Or, if we're all going to the show in Vancouver on 4/20, that's a possibility.  I'm going.
   -  Or... if we're all going to be in Tacoma for something, that's a possibility. 
   -  I'm driving thru Tacoma to Seattle on April 7 (with DH) but could build in a stop along the way maybe around noon-ish  (if it's fairly close to I-5). 

I'm kind of a follower, so if anyone can come up with a plan that works well, I can usually follow along pretty well.  Speak Up Ladies!  Since I'm retired I'm not limited to weekends, but I do need to work it in with what's on DH's calendar.  Let's give this a go!

I am going to be at the Vancouver show, and would love to get in on the Eprinnex ..... I like that idea the best and Zgoatlady gets time to get well ((hugs to her))

 

[FirewifeJess]

Can anyone link me to the show site in Vancouver?

 

[mikeyb]

I live in Snohomish County and i have 4 regular chicks and getting 3 banties this week which exceeds the 5 hen limit. Think ill be okay?

You live in the county and they have restrictions? Or do you live in a town, etc?

 

[mikeyb]

Quote: Me too, me too. My plan is to go to the Vancouver show.

 

[mikeyb]

OT
Hey, if you love Rhodies, DOWN'S having their big annual sale 3/28,29,30 30% to 50% off.

www.downsrhododendrons.com

 

[RainMom]

GREG- could you do me a favor? I can't wade thru the article you posted- but I would really like the short version. Can you please post a list of NON-Monsanto seed companies?
That would be extra helpful.

 

[SadieSue]

I hate waiting. It makes me worry. The first two Ameraucanas are out - I think there's a pip in a third egg, but I don't see anything on the fourth. Checked under my broody hens and the BLRW hasn't pipped either. I want them all to hatch! It's been 24 hrs since the first chick hatched and just about 10 hrs since the second. If the others don't show signs of hatching by morning I might take them into the steamy bathroom to free the first two from the incubator. I know they're okay in there but DH is starting to obsess about them being held prisoner until their buddies hatch. "Shouldn't you give them some water? Can't you feed them? I think they probably need some water". And now he's starting to make me nervous...

Here are my two chick hostages.

 

[RainMom]

okay, so here's the last of the chicken house work we did today, before it got too dark to work:

we put this rail on the front of the slated poop board.
It's a 4" piece of smooth pine, that was already varnished with a clear shellac.
This way the poop doesn't roll all the way onto the floor, right?



except we decided to give it an upgrade: watch how hubby is holding this rail:

we made it so it flips down- it's hinged with a pair of spring-loaded cabinet hinges, so when we want to change the sand on top, we flip the rail down and ~voila~


here's how the window looks now that we finished it- I'm still not sure if we want to use some of the boards we cut out to trim it or not?


just a floor covering and we're ready for the chickens to take up residence in the old west chicken saloon!
(need some wagon wheels on the sides!)

 

[RustyHen]

The Four Steps Required to Keep Monsanto OUT of Your Garden
by SARAH, THE HEALTHY HOME ECONOMIST on JANUARY 23, 2013




Seed catalogs are starting to arrive in mailboxes across the Northern Hemisphere with home gardeners everywhere starting to plan which seeds they will sow in their spring gardens.

A positive trend in recent years is the growing number of gardening enthusiasts choosing to plant gardens using organic and/or heirloom seeds.

What most of these home gardeners don’t realize is that corporate behemoth and GMO titan Monsanto has been gobbling up the seed market faster than a caterpillar can munch a tomato plant! With one fell swoop in 2005, Monsanto grabbed approximately 40% of the US vegetable seed market with its acquisition of Seminis.


This means that a home gardener could unknowingly be supporting the development and proliferation of genetically modified crops if the seeds used are from Seminis. In addition, Monsanto now apparently owns many of the names of the seed varieties themselves!

Planting a sustainable home garden is much more than just choosing certified organic seeds and seedlings because Monsanto has cleverly positioned itself to make money off the home gardening trend.

Does this mean that even if you buy organic or heirloom seeds from a completely independent company some of your purchase might be supporting the bad guys?

Yes, it does.

Surprise!

Home gardeners would do well to bone up on where to purchase their seeds so they aren’t inadvertently doing business with companies that maintain a working relationship with Monsanto-Seminis or were acquired by them.

My friend Beth in Minnesota, an avid food researcher, has been digging around to figure out the best ways to buy seeds and seedlings for your home garden without one red cent going to Monsanto.

Buying Organic or Heirloom Seeds Without Supporting Monsanto

Beth has done her very best to make sure the information she has uncovered is current and pertinent with updated listings for the 2013 growing season. Here are the steps she recommends for those who want to truly strike a blow for sustainability in every way with their home gardens:

Avoid buying from the seed companies affiliated with Monsanto. Here’s a list of these seed companies:http://www.seminis.com/global/us/products/Pages/Home-Garden.aspx
Buy from this list of companies Monsanto HASN’T bought and are not affiliated or do business with Seminis:http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/2012/03/06/monsanto-free-seed-companies/
Avoid certain heirloom varieties because Monsanto now apparently owns the names. This article lists the seed varieties to avoid:http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/2012/03/17/monsanto-owned-seednames/
Ask seed companies if they have taken the Safe Seed Pledge. Here’s a list of companies that have done so:http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?pageId=261
More Background on Monsanto’s Quest for World Seed Domination

Monsanto’s corporate quest is clearly to make money on each and every one of us whether we choose to eat supermarket frankenfoods produced with abominable, patented GM crops or carefully plant and tend an organic garden at home. Here’s some background information on the subject you may find interesting as well as enlightening:

http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/forewarned-is-forearmed-veggie-varieties-owned-by-monsanto/
http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/keep-monsanto-out-of-your-veggie-patch/
http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/keep-monsanto-out-of-your-garden-this-spring.html

If you are a home gardener and have information to contribute regarding these steps, please add to the discussion in the comments section. Also, please spread the word via gardening forums you may participate in that folks need to be very careful when seed sourcing for their spring gardens this year else they might be unknowingly supporting Monsanto.

Let’s make this the year when Monsanto’s grip on the worldwide seed market loosens and the movement to seed sustainability gains momentum!

**Update: The day after this article was published, the CEO of a large soybean seed company in the Midwest emailed me complaining that the article was short sighted and insisting that Monsanto is helping feed the starving people of the world. He even went so far as to say that GMO crops are “proven safe”. Click here for the text of this CEO’s entire email plus my written reply.

I have also received email complaints from two other seed companies, one in Canada and one in Arkansas, that do business with Monsanto-Seminis and were offended by what they viewed as inaccuracies in the post. In response, I have adjusted the text slightly and moved linked sources to within the text rather than only listed at the end to make the message of the post as clear and precise as possible so as to not result in any consumer confusion over the information.

I have received no complaints about this article from seed companies completely independent of any affiliation or ties to Monsanto-Seminis.



Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

I use Territorial seed company ! already

 

[RustyHen]

okay, so here's the last of the chicken house work we did today, before it got too dark to work:

we put this rail on the front of the slated poop board.
It's a 4" piece of smooth pine, that was already varnished with a clear shellac.
This way the poop doesn't roll all the way onto the floor, right?



except we decided to give it an upgrade: watch how hubby is holding this rail:

we made it so it flips down- it's hinged with a pair of spring-loaded cabinet hinges, so when we want to change the sand on top, we flip the rail down and ~voila~


here's how the window looks now that we finished it- I'm still not sure if we want to use some of the boards we cut out to trim it or not?


just a floor covering and we're ready for the chickens to take up residence in the old west chicken saloon!
(need some wagon wheels on the sides!)

You and your DH are very talented! you might decide how you want to trim you door first then go with the same on the window. This is just great!
added - you might look at some ghost town pic to see how they did there's.