Hello lady Farm Chicks, just wondering what kind of projects you have lined up to fill the winter days? This morning was foggy and just so pretty I couldn't resist a few pictures before I set off to finish up a few last minute details before the weather got bad. I took advantage of this unusually nice November weather to finish up one more chore that had to be done to prepare for next spring.The pen where my  chickens and ducks stay has not been touched in a couple of years and I started thinking about it and realized..it's space I could be using. I think this year I will try my hand at growing pumpkins to have for our Fall show here at the Briar Patch. I've had good luck with pumpkins before, but realizing that this ground is pretty poor, I decided to help it along a little. Now, I try not to use my tiller very much anymore, since I started using the Back to Eden gardening method, it hasn't really been necessary. But this ground is hard and mostly clay and it just isn't going to be a good garden unless I make it one. So, off I went with my tiller, a big monster called "the earthquake",I learned early on why they call it that..this thing will shake your teeth right out of your head. But being the brave and strong Farm Chick I am, I forged ahead. Tilling the ground up, raking up all the grass tuffs I unearthed and raking it smooth made a big difference right away. Then I hauled many wheelbarrels full of well composted horse manure out there and spread it on top. Just like frosting a cake. Now don't make that face...well composted manure doesn't have any smell and is not the least bit icky. After that, my work is mostly done, except now I will save all my kitchen scraps (veggie's, nothing with fat), peels, skins and old stale crackers and such, and I will bury them up until the ground freezes. After that, the chickens will do the work for me. If the ground is too frozen to dig into, I'll just toss the scraps on top. They'll have a great time pecking and scratching all those scraps into the earth and make my ground wonderful! So, one more thing crossed off my list, and another garden will be waiting for me come spring. Ah......life in the garden. I would love to hear what you have going on, waiting for spring....

Happy November everyone!!   Do you know what time it is?   It's Pack a Shoe Box time for Samaritan's Purse!!!  Have you packed your shoe box yet?  What's that?  You don't know what Samaritan's Purse is?  Well, now's a good time to find out 'cuz there's still time left to get your boxes packed up!

 Follow this link to find out all of the details about Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child           http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ   And then get to packing!!!

This lovely pile is just the tip of the iceberg for us.  My family and I spend the whole year picking up little goodies here and there so that when it's time to pack our boxes, we've got plenty to choose from.  After Christmas sales, back to school sales, clearance items, buy one get one free deals...you name it and we're on it to get our shoe box 'fillings'.    I can hear you now..."we can't afford to do that"...."doesn't it cost a lot to buy all of that stuff?"....and "I just don't have time"....Well, I'm here to tell ya that you  can  afford to do and it doesn't  have to cost a lot of money and you really do have the time.  If you have time to shop for groceries, then you have time to shop for your shoe boxes.  Five extra minutes squeezed into your shopping trip to go through the clearance isles is all it takes as far as time goes...and as for the cost....well....that's what sales are for.  At a wonderful back to school sale recently we got 6 boxes of 24 count Crayola crayons for $.39 each....6 boxes for less than $3!!!  And the shoe boxes themselves were purchased on clearance...for a whopping $.50 each!  It's not only fun to do shop for these boxes but it's a wonderful way to teach generosity (and bargain hunting) to the kids!  It's been so fun to see them embrace this project and to watch them come up with great things to put into the boxes.  We've made it our personal mission to find the best deals on our stuff so we can fill more shoe boxes than in previous years...it's like a game!

 This year we shared our "bounty" with my youth group girls and we packed 13 boxes.  The girls each wrote a special note to put into their boxes and we prayed over the boxes and their future recipients. It was a great time to bond together for a common good and to just hang out and be blessed by one another.  

We farm chicks also got together and packed some boxes...and then we decided to shop and pack some more!  It's such a worth while cause and so very fun to do.....try it and you'll see.....filling shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child is a blessing for the child but also for you.

Farm Chicks New Bodyguard

Oh yes, my friends...Meet Gus. Gustav Amadas to be exact, but we call him Gus. Don't let the cute cock of his head and that one floppy ear fool you...he's a killer! Well, maybe killer is a strong word. Anyway, Gus is here to protect us Farm Chicks as we toil on this farmland, thick with critters that mean to do us harm. Well...ok, the ducks probably won't hurt us, and uh Baby the cow, well she's not really much of a threat..ok, so Gus is maybe just for fun. Farm Chicks need fun too don't they??
I look forward to an early morning meeting with our sister chicks, I can't wait to hear about all they've been doing. So much sewing, cooking and crafting, so much to catch up on.So it's been a while since our last post, summer has been busy and fall is upon us now. Cool nights and crisp mornings call for some autumn scented candles and warm cocoa. The tomatoe juice is in the pantry, thanks to a wonderful bounty of those red, juicy little wonders of nature. I hope you have had the chance to make a pot of fresh from the garden green beans mmmmmm good! Come on Farm Girls, break out those aprons, put a big pot on the stove and show us what you can do.

Hey friends,
              Just to update you on what the Farm Chicks have going. The Folk Art Show held at The Briar Patch was a success, thanks to all the chicks. Everyone lent a hand putting up and tearing down displays and running the Farm Chick stand. We spoke to a lot of ladies interested in what we do and our group and I hope some of them will start a group of their own. As we gather groups together we hope to host a Farm-A-Palooza out here at The Briar Patch so that we can all get together and exchange ideas, information and have a great time. So, put on your farm girl boots and gather your friends and join us won't you. We have a great time and learn so much from each other, what fun!

It's a library display!

We have been busy little bees chicks this week!  Plans were made and an emergency meeting was called to make preparations for our window display at the Plymouth Public Library...and now after much arranging and rearranging.... it's done! 

We think it turned out pretty nice and it really makes a statement about what we are all about...sustainability (which basically is a fancy way of saying taking care of what God gave us), frugal living, gardening, recycling and reusing, canning and preserving,  and fun and fellowship with one another. 

It's about learning together,  teaching one another,  sharing and lifting each other up, lending a helping hand and making a difference.  Want to know how to get involved and form your own group?  Come see us at the 4th Annual Folk Art Show and Sale at The Briar Patch on June 30th, 2012. We'll be there all decked out in our chick aprons and muck boots...and maybe even straw hats... and we'd love to meet you so be sure to check out all the details at thebriarpatchgardenshop.blogspot.com  .

Until next time....toodles!
  Shannon

I dream in country!

I grew up on a small farm.  It wasn't a big deal....a few chickens, a couple of ducks, two dogs, a pony, a huge vegetable garden and some fruit trees.  We lived a quarter of a mile off the road back against some woods, where a small, stocked pond hide just beyond the trees.  Our family didn't have much, but we had what we needed, and it was enough.  I didn't appreciate the simple, slower pace of those times, and only thought of growing up and leaving the farm behind....that happened in 1984.  


Twenty eight years later, I'm happily married, have two sons and a daughter-in-law, and just recently became a retired, empty nester.  I live in a small town in the country, but not on a farm.  I live in a subdivision, with an HOA, nice houses and great neighbors.  There is wildlife everywhere, and although I love sitting in the rockers on my front porch, I've really been thinking alot about, and missing my times on the family farm!  


One day, while reading Mary Jane's Farm magazine, I noticed an article about farm girl chapters.  Basically, anyone, anywhere, who has a farm girl spirit, no matter if you live on a farm, in an apartment, (or in a subdivision), can be a member.  Excitedly, I looked online to see if there was a chapter in my area, and guess what?  There was!  Now I am a member of the Plymouth Indiana, WaHoo Farm Chicks group and I LOVE IT!  We're a group of 5 friends, who have a great time when we gather for our monthly meetings!  For me, it was a wonderful way to fill the newness of being retired and an empty nester. But something else has happened because of this group....I am relearning the skills that I lost after leaving the farm 28 years ago! Sewing, canning, tilling and putting in a garden, learning to be frugal, making my own laundry detergents, cleaning supplies, and beauty products.  Sharing dreams, offering support.....we are a sisterhood!  A sisterhood of Farm Chicks!


Now, I dream in country!  My house in our subdivision has become my "farm"! I don't have farm animals, but I have a cat!  And whenever I need a farm girl fix, a little time working on a farm, I drive down the road to my Farm Chick sister's farm, and spend part of the day remembering!  There are cows to entertain me while I work in the garden.  There are cats and a dog to lovingly greet me.  And Romeo, the rooster, calls out often to remind us that he's there!  


Looks like we'll be sharing some of our adventures and tips here on our new blog, so be sure to check back often, as we start this journey with you!  We look forward to getting to know you too, through your comments, so be sure and keep in touch!


Until next time,
Vanessa :)