Washingtonians

[Farmin Momma]

Hi everyone!
Uh I have had such a lazy day today, I have the want to get things done today but I think I left my motovation some where cause I can't seem to find it.

If any one comes across my motovation leet me know and I will gladly come get it lol.
Earlier I steped out to check on everyones chicks and found that Motor Mouth was missing one of her 4 chicks, so I went out to find it and heard her in the yard yelling for mom. Then I noticed that I had a kitty kat, that shops here offten pearing threw the chain link gate right where the chick was. He is a big old putty tat that everyonce in a while comes and hunts for mice here, catches them and then leaves the property with them haning out of its mouth. I don't mind him taking mousies but checking out my chicks..... Big no no, I angerly chased him off! I am so tired of loosing chickens to other creatures.
Well Hopefuly next week will be more productive!

 

[Ixyavi]

Good afternoon locals! <3

It's been a busy day here full of running around doing errands. But after they were done my Fiance surprised me by taking me to the Urban Farm Store in Portland~~

I got to look at all the baby chicks and day-dream about the future coop. It was also my first time being around a real coop (they have an outdoor one beside their store) and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no bad odor. I mean, it really just smelled like hay and feathers. I've been sooooo afraid that no matter what I did, if I got chickens, my backyard would smell like a barnyard. Despite reading everything that says contrary, it still helps to "smell" for myself.

I live in Vancouver and even though we can have chickens here, I still have this fear of starting a war with my neighbors. I've only been here a couple days and I already see horror stories of people fighting against their neighbors and ordinances to keep their flock.

Anyways~ I was excited to visit the Urban Farm Store today ^o^ and I happily picked up their book "A Chicken In Every Yard". I can't wait to start reading it! If I'm going to own chickens, might as well throw myself off of the deep end and absorb as much knowledge as I can.

Besides, I could use another book to add to my collection. I tried condensing for the move but...

I have a hard time parting with books, I've already spent almost all of the cash I made selling some of my books by buying more books.

By the way, this thread is awesome. I hope I can make some local friends here! I've lived here 5 years and I still don't have a single friend.

Buying a house gives me room for a garden and some nifty animals and gives me a much-needed excuse to be outside.

 

[Greg Richardson]

 

[RainyDayChicken]

Good afternoon locals! <3

It's been a busy day here full of running around doing errands. But after they were done my Fiance surprised me by taking me to the Urban Farm Store in Portland~~

I got to look at all the baby chicks and day-dream about the future coop. It was also my first time being around a real coop (they have an outdoor one beside their store) and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no bad odor. I mean, it really just smelled like hay and feathers. I've been sooooo afraid that no matter what I did, if I got chickens, my backyard would smell like a barnyard. Despite reading everything that says contrary, it still helps to "smell" for myself.

I live in Vancouver and even though we can have chickens here, I still have this fear of starting a war with my neighbors. I've only been here a couple days and I already see horror stories of people fighting against their neighbors and ordinances to keep their flock.

Anyways~ I was excited to visit the Urban Farm Store today ^o^ and I happily picked up their book "A Chicken In Every Yard". I can't wait to start reading it! If I'm going to own chickens, might as well throw myself off of the deep end and absorb as much knowledge as I can.

Besides, I could use another book to add to my collection. I tried condensing for the move but...

I have a hard time parting with books, I've already spent almost all of the cash I made selling some of my books by buying more books.

By the way, this thread is awesome. I hope I can make some local friends here! I've lived here 5 years and I still don't have a single friend.

Buying a house gives me room for a garden and some nifty animals and gives me a much-needed excuse to be outside.

welcome, this is a great thread with tons of knowledge and awesome people.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Good afternoon locals! <3

It's been a busy day here full of running around doing errands. But after they were done my Fiance surprised me by taking me to the Urban Farm Store in Portland~~

I got to look at all the baby chicks and day-dream about the future coop. It was also my first time being around a real coop (they have an outdoor one beside their store) and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no bad odor. I mean, it really just smelled like hay and feathers. I've been sooooo afraid that no matter what I did, if I got chickens, my backyard would smell like a barnyard. Despite reading everything that says contrary, it still helps to "smell" for myself.

I live in Vancouver and even though we can have chickens here, I still have this fear of starting a war with my neighbors. I've only been here a couple days and I already see horror stories of people fighting against their neighbors and ordinances to keep their flock.

Anyways~ I was excited to visit the Urban Farm Store today ^o^ and I happily picked up their book "A Chicken In Every Yard". I can't wait to start reading it! If I'm going to own chickens, might as well throw myself off of the deep end and absorb as much knowledge as I can.

Besides, I could use another book to add to my collection. I tried condensing for the move but...

I have a hard time parting with books, I've already spent almost all of the cash I made selling some of my books by buying more books.

By the way, this thread is awesome. I hope I can make some local friends here! I've lived here 5 years and I still don't have a single friend.

Buying a house gives me room for a garden and some nifty animals and gives me a much-needed excuse to be outside.

 

[justbugged]

Quote:

JB. Maybe we had a disconnect there. I was describing what my Grandpa did with them after digging them up in order to use them through out the year.
When I was a kid I'd spend a week or more every summer at their farm near McCleary. That was fun as a kid grabbing the potatoes.

I have done the rows. The square area.

Next year I'm going to five gallon buckets so I can just dump them out and save time. Grew around 15 tomatoes in buckets this year and looks like harvest time is in about another week. Have had a few already but the main bunch be coming. I was a bit worried if there was enough soil in a 5 gallon bucket for good growth but no more. So if tomatoes do well in a bucket potatoes will also.

Awww! Yes I did do a disconnect there. Thank you for the clarification on this. Storing the taters in straw is a very good idea. I am going to try that this year. I think that if I put them in a bin with the straw, keep it out in the shed I might have a chance at keeping them longer.

Once again I deeply appreciate your ideas.

So far this year, I have gotten 1 purple tomato, and 3 ripe Romas. I did just notice that I do have some green yellow pear tomatoes on the patio plant. I have also gotten a couple of lemon cucumbers, and a couple of peas out of the garden. I know that I will get some yellow beets this year. Over all I am not unhappy with the garden. I do know that I will get more zucchini and pumpkins out the patch too. I think next year that I need to not plant squash type plants in the garden space. I think I am going to plant them in the front yard next year. I have been reading more about square foot gardening, and the squash plants take up too much space. I also need to plant my tomato plants much earlier in the year, and maybe plan on keeping them in the greenhouse all summer.

 

[justbugged]

RE: SAD(seasonal affective disorder). I think some were interested in the OTT light that is often used for SAD but, the high price put them off. Jo Ann fabrics currently has the Ott lights on sale for 50% off. I think they also offer a coupon for free shp. on orders over $ 40. They offer them frequently . You just sign up for Jo Ann's sales flyers and get emails to your in box.

The only problem with this is they will send emails at least once a day. But that's what the 'delete' key was made for. Most of their coupon deals, sales etc. are available in- store or on line. Hope this helps somebody.

Thank you for the great suggestion on how to get an affordable light.

 

[justbugged]

PS I would imagine plant lights (ie., Grolux wide spectrum fluorescent tubes) might also provide some relief. I hybridize streptocarpus house plants and these tubes are used to provide the effects of sunlight to encourage blooming etc. I don't know how much exposure to the light is beneficial but, I would think it would ease symptoms for SAD sufferers. The tubes are not that expensive, I think they may also come in screw in bulbs for table plant lights.

Very Very Cool house plants!!! I do have a full spectrum grow bulb in my kitchen garden window. I normally run that light 24/7. I do have a great house that has several skylights, so during the day the house has a lot of light inside. I now can't remember if the light in the house is the one for blooming plants, or the one that is for leaf growth. I just know that I have one of each. The other bulb is running in the green house. Over the years I have used full spectrum light bulbs for all of my indoor lighting. I now have the fluorescent bulbs that are rated as sunshine. I do know that I simply prefer the whiter or bluer light, over the yellow light that seems to be more common.

 

[justbugged]

When I grew potatoes, I read that they needed to be rotated to fresh ground every other year or so due to disease. And the old spot needed to lay fallow for a year or two.

This is very good to know. I think I was starting to learn the hard way. I have also learned that for some reason a person can never seem to get all of the potatoes out of the garden patch or bin that they were grown in. I only planted more potatoes in the stock tank, because of the volunteers. I am just going to have to get tough next year, and pull out anything that volunteers. I'm not sure what I will plant in the bin next year though. Maybe I will try peas, or beans in it.

 

[justbugged]

Instead of a basement what about a block building, and bank dirt up about the walls? Most potato storage (commercial) that I have seen is done that way. If not block maybe corrugated metal? Just a thought

This is a great idea. It would work if I wasn't stuck here in suburbia. I am living in a sub-division house on a fairly nice size city lot. So I have managed to stuff way more stuff into my yard than maybe I should have. I must say that I still deeply miss living on acreage. I doubt any of this will ever change because DH loves living in the house. I still want a house where I don't need to have window coverings, and I can't see the neighbors. I do know though that this place is all that I really can manage by myself, so I am working at being content with what I do have.