The Fifth Crow Farm chicks fresh from the Post Office
Teresa Kurtak of Fifth Crow Farm
Poached Eggs on Basmati Rice cooked brown basmati rice
roasted brussel sprouts
sauteed red peppers and onions
olive oil, salt and pepper
pasture raised hen eggs
Hi Winnie and Steve,
Well, I did not think that November and the onset of winter would have much activity -- but it does this year. New things are happening here on the ranch -- or more accurately over on our farm land. Do you recall that we had several acres of farm land separated from the rest of the ranch by Cloverdale Road? This is the area where Gene grew the Sonora wheat last season. Now in addition to the wheat growing, three young organic farmers (Fifth Crow Farm) have leased several acres to farm including egg production with their pasture-raised hens. Also, Paul having recently graduated from the UCSC Farm Apprentice Program is farming a few acres. There's a flurry of activity when land has to be disced, irrigation infrastructure put in, and most amazingly -- little chicks have to be nurtured to become laying hens. I watch with amazement the focus and work as all the farming unfolds.
The Fifth Crow Farm baby chicks, all 300 of them, arrived almost three weeks ago when they were only 24 hours old. Surprisingly, they come in little cardboard perforated boxes through the U.S. Post Office! Farmers Mike and Teresa and John constructed in our storm barn a protected chicken-wire pen to keep the chicks safe from predators. Heat lamps were also installed to keep the baby chicks warm. They will live in this pen for two months until they are large enough to be transferred to the farm land where they will become pasture-raised chickens for egg production.
The melding of the various interests -- Fifth Crow getting their chicks raised and their strawberry beds in; Paul getting his land disced today; Gene getting ready for wheat planting and working on irrigation; and me feeling inspired to be a bit of a farmer too with my plans for an expanded garden -- has created a rich soup of learning opportunities and sharing. How I wish you could be here and sit around with us during one of our potlucks or salons and pass on some stories of your farm in Maine. I recall how much you enjoyed working with young people back in the Beyond War days. It's kind of like that -- but with lots of dirt!
Thinking of you. Donna
