Chicken Thistle Farm Coopcast

Our farming updates this week suggest that maybe just a little Spring is on the way here at Chicken Thistle Farm. We took some time to clean out the chick wagon. We have also spent some time cleaning up the asparagus patch and getting the greenhouse ready for some seedlings. Then there's an update on the pigs and their gestation progress. We then move to the Veggie Patch and talk a little vegetable gardening as the seasons slowly turn. We talk seedlings, seed starting and soil blocks. Getting things ready in the greenhouse is a challenge as it seems to have been taken over by rodents following the cold winter. We also answer a few questions about starting peas in the springtime garden and discuss our seed starting worksheet in our project library on the chickenthistlefarm.com website. Our last segment is The Farmers Choice where this week we share part of the story of when one of our pigs went down sick and ask you, the aspiring farmer, what would YOU do?

Our farming updates this week include several things.  Like the new animal on the farm, our new Border Terrier puppy Cricket.  The Brother to Watson. (get it?).  Kelli shares her adventures from last week while Andy was away on business and the "while traveling" farm emergency she had to manage.  We complain about the fact it's early April and there's still snow on the ground.  We also have a discussion around pricing your products (pastured meats and other naturally farmed goods) and making sure you ask what you should be getting.  A little farm marketing advice about how discounting your brand isn't a good idea. If you haven't check us out on Facebook, Twitter or our web site...  the fact is we are NOT raising Ostriches or Gators...  that was an April Fools joke. The "In the News" segment we talk about the big uproar in the media about the fact that dairy producers want to add sweeteners to their milk and be held to the same labeling standards as the rest of the beverage industry (gasp).  Then we turn our a

This week our farming podcast talks about how we (the farmers) manage to get away on a vaction while entrusting the farm to capable hands. Who says farming needs to be all work and no play. There's a set of steps we undergo to ensure the farm is ready to be watched and we share a bunch of those. We share our story about a farmers market we visited while on vacation in sunny Florida.  It was interesting for us to deal with how the farmer becomes the consumer. There's a new segment this week called "Remember When"... where we talk about how we start off little chicks to grow them into healthy birds. Finally, our last segment this week is an "In the News" where we discuss how China, Russia and otehr countries have banned the import of a bunch of US raised meats because of the usage of a chemical called Ractopamine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ractopamine

This weeks farming updates include our final decision on how we are managing our turkey order of midget white and Bourbon reds in the coming farming season.  We talk about moving a pig feeder to get it out of the swampy mud the spring has brought and finally we are starting some seeds for the vegetable garden.In the CoopCast Community we answer a question about washing eggs.  We also followup on the geothermal system and how it's been working through the first real winter it's been online. Finally we spend some time on the farm with a rumination pertaining to the questions we often get from new farmers.We often are asked about advice and information with regards to getting into farming.  One thing that we have seen very often when talking with upstart farmers is sometimes they ask questions that they don't want the answer to.

This week's farm update were kind of all over the place since we missed an episode last week with #farmerandy being down for the count with a nasty lung bug.  We talk about sickness on the farm when it's NOT an animial but a farmer, living through mud season on the farm and dealing with mud and pigs.  We hase how the chickens onf the farm are doing with the Spring thaw and chickens and the challenges with their coop and netting and muddy eggs. In the Coopcast community this week we spend some time raging in general... must be the sickness and/or the drugs.  We respond about a post where some folks were worrying about the CoopCast podfading away...  We spend some time answering listener questions about a modibe pig tractor in Grit magazine and some other questions about chicken pasture pens.  Sorry all you iTunes reviewers - no drama like high speed chases this week!

Farming updates this week: Our Facebook page hit 1000+ fans - thanks so much! Chicken orders done for the 2013 farming season Turkey decision still pending In the CoopCast Community: Mark sent us some seeds! Josh helps a neighbor pig rescue in his farming adventures Suggestions posted on FB - for pasture pen plans Kelli's visit to CSA fair Ruminations continue about farm finances: Farm finances continued as we discuss some of the specifics of expenses and income on the small farm Using QuickBooks and a farm credit card

Farming updates for the week include: Updates AI - no more updates needed, Due dates on calendar Chick Wagon Hay/straw delivery CSA full A new segment called "From the ground up" where we discuss the basics for any given project or enterprise on the farm and what we would do to do it again.  THis week we talk about how we would go about starting a CSA Pictures posted of the shares Surveys  Reviews  How to get people to invest that much Make it a community with recipes, posts each week Host events at the farm- potluck, etc.  What to expect and communicate a lot Questions, Conversations and Ruminations this week (and for a few weeks) are a in depth review and discussion around the farm finances. Income Expenses

Updates from around the farm: AI update - no heat for Katniss Checking Herm this week Snow storm - closed off extended pasture; ran extra line Round bales - more $ and hard to get Farm census Taxes and a financial look back at past year- upcoming discussions A simple soil block question This week we have a Farm U discussion around TRACTORS! How much horsepower for diffrnt jobs What is the right type of transmission Confusion Solution for hydraulics

Farm updates this week include: More AI talk- gator sound needed Katniss heat check this week Day 12 Cold weather continues Super Bowl = good food from the farm Chicken sitting-new chick wagon & lil eggs Veggie patch, our vegetable gardening segment we talk: New varieties we're trying this year Seed organization CSA email out to old members- did raise price Farmers choice segment talks abous our value (or lack there of) in the natural food movement: Our role/value in the food movement Not big, not trying to grow big, not trying to make a living solely from farming- so what value can we bring? Advice on farming abounds and can be annoying.

Farm updates this week include: Hermione AI Seed order in CSA - email to current customers Chicken trailer update Bogs boots update In the "Extended" CoopCast Community" Song used last episode The Facebook discussion of the picture of Hermione w/ Andy and Katniss in back Questions about fencing Feeding pigs "bad" milk Patti and others - how to know if AI worked Heather and Danielle - couples listening

This week's coopcast has a weather update about a big windstom that caused some damage but spends most of it's time talking about the artifical insemination process we followed with our gilt Katiniss and what worked / dindn't as well as what we learned about doing AI on the farm. Part 3 of the Farm Meeting discusses the general palns around infrastructure this year and why we made some decisions we did about growtih or processes in 2013.

The updates in farming this week include: A Big thaw Planning for artificial insemination with the pigs Finally raised egg prices to $4 / dozen Kelli shares a listener requested update on her Bogs Boots Freezer inventory fun This is part 2 of the Annual Farm Meeting: A pending plan for turkeys The chicken succession plan Purchase and project in support of the Chicken Plan Breeds that we will be replacing the flock with and why

Updates around the snowy and cold farm: Snow and drifting on the farm and the implications to portable fencing Pigs on the loose Electric netting - upright again Chickens in the wind Greenhouse - salad for new years eve, peas, Swiss chard and a warm refuge The Annual Farm Meeting Farm Meeting for 2013 - Part 1 We discussed if we will be doing a CSA this year and the size, The Pig plan and AI, Laying chickens (more on this one next week) The plan for broiler chickens this summer General "farming burnout" that we are trying to avoid

Our Post-Christmas, pre New Year 52nd, one year celebration episode. This week's updates include: Christmas on the farm - yum Let it snow, we say, with over 2 feet and counting... Preparing for the snow - round bales to the rescue Dealing with the fence lines in snow Placement of winter paddock fencing - room for improvement Chickens and snow In the Coopcast Community: Listener Bill shares his bad experience with CSA's and trying again One of our first listener Jeph talks about getting to eat an egg from Nugget! Frank want's to know about any automation on the farm

Updates this week include: #elfonafarm - visit our  to follow the adventures of one of Santa's Helpers on a farm. Weather - is this December? Haven't moved pigs to want area yet - fencing ready to go Rats in barn And a listener update from Adam about those VT college oxen This week in the news we share some thoughts about the horrific tragedy in CT and try to provide some facts about the gun control debate Guns - banning guns and they types of firearms Gun control in New York State Guns on a farm This episodes Farm U talks about feed storage Why rodents are bad Best practices for small farm feed storage What to do if a rodent gets into your feed

Updates from around the farm: Chickens - they love the round bales in their area for winter Lower egg production - no heat lamp Pigs- not in winter paddock yet- no real snowfall Cat in a hoop house Snow fence is up- why do we hate doing that so much? In the CoopCast Community Gaertagang Farm- Bogs boots Maple View Farm- Overalls Nicole- favorite podcasts and online tools Homemade gift idea- seeds or help starting a garden This week's Farmers Choice is a discussion on different egg layer breeds What we like and don't about: Barred Rock, Speckled Sussex, Buff Rock, California, Golden Comet, Rhode Island Red, and Tetra Tint

In this episode we share several of our favorite things from our farm.  From pasture to plate we talk about big and small farming items that we like and that make farming easier for us to manage things. This episode is a departure from the typical farm updates and other discussions and we hope you enjoy it!

This "longer than usual" CoopCast includes... Updates from around the farm: Heritage Turkey for Thanksgiving - yum!!!! Losing a chicken and a farmers "instincts" Prepping for winter by moving chicken fencing (poultry netting) and pig fencing A trip to the cold Veggie Patch to discuss some HOT tomato choices: Review of our top 2012 tomato varieties A brief lesson on determinate and indeterminate tomato plants as well as heirloom and hybrid. In the CoopCast Community Josie asked about worming pigs? Lots of people have been asking "when is sign up for X, Y or Z"?

This coopcast is a bit of Thanksgiving fun with the theme of "plate" (from pasture to plate) running through the segments.  So pull up a chair, have a seat on the farm and join us for a Thanksgiving discussion! Farm updates: Customer looking for pastured turkeys the week before Thanksgiving, Pig fencing takes a hit from deer,  General farm updates CoopCast Community: We just talk more about food... and answer a question from Josh about our breakfasts. Farmers Choice: We discuss food... In particular how we have noticed that eating good food from the store never seems to taste very good.  Can healthy food taste good?

Updates this week on the farm include: Winter prep continues - fencing for winter paddock and the trouble with fencing in the fall, Tomatoes out of greenhouse after a really hard freeze, Moved pig feeder out of the mud In the CoopCast Community Prop 37 - didn't pass - is it all about business! Mackaenzie shares a tip to make your Facebook faned pages visible Question on our recipes, Robert asked about our recommendations on poultry netting. Farm U Was inspired by a question from Stuart: What are the differences in processing chickens and turkeys?