URBAN FARM UPDATE

HELLO & Welcome to GARDEN DADDY here at the URBAN FARM!  I would just like to bring you up to date on the condition of this urban farm here in Jackson, TN.  It thrives and flourishes with already giving an abundance or should I say OVER abundant harvest of snow peas.  You can see them in the back growing up and over the top of my chain link fence.  They currently are around 7ft high and need picking almost daily, at least every other day for sure.

You can see in the top photo that I have added a larger "herb bed" (LITERALLY if you look at the yellow frames!) this year and have added several different varieties of Basal.  I think my sister & I are in a fever to see who can have the most varieties of same this year!  You can also see a few tomato plants in the background as well.  I already have a few small "greenies" putting on size daily.  I think things are SO LARGE and prolific this season as I am basically all organic this year with the only additions being chicken manure added during last winter chicken coop muckings and the only other addition being pulverized lime, which is a natural mineral and not a "chemical" as such.

The lower picture shows you the other addition of a weather vane I added earlier this spring.  It has chickens on the top and really will spin when the wind picks up.  I raised it up to give a better show as well as get it over the fence-line to take better advantage of winds.  I have radishes growing at the base as well as on each corner with plans to let it wind around the supports like an arbor, I have planted large size bottle gourds.

Chickens are laying daily and of course this GARDEN DADDY always has to have some spring chicks.  I have bunches!  I have some that I got with intent to sell at the West TN Poultry Club sales and also added two more Ameraucana chicks I intended to keep....I went out this morning to put those two 10-week old "keeper' pullets in with the general population of laying hens and when I went to pick up the larger of the two, who was my favorite...blue body with black head and was truly beautiful..."SHE" began to CROW!  I nearly cried I was so disappointed.  You know that Ameraucana roosters do not have a very large comb...actually only a pea comb not much larger than a hens.  But I knew something was odd with this one due to the size and the beautiful conformation, etc.  SHE was lovely..truly!  Off to the sale for HIM as well...next weekend, Saturday, May 12, 2012.

I will leave you today with our ongoing gardening affirmation...oh yes, the community garden is coming along pretty well...several sections up and growing..."URBAN FARMING:   ONE EGG & SNOW PEA AT THE TIME!"