c ben-iesau

Fifteen seconds of free range happines

The flock at Big Branch Apiary has settled in and can finally be released to free range forage during the day. Makes for better eggs and happier hens (& cuts way down on the feed bill!)

How to slide through a war-zone roadblock

I remember a story about how a woman imprisoned in Auschwitz was thankful for the infestation of fleas. The infestation was so bad that it kept the guards out of the barracks and as such, made the women’s lives easier. Check out this story from the Guradian’s Bethan McKernan about beekeepers in Yemen. Not onlyContinue reading “How to slide through a war-zone roadblock”

Big Daddy goes to Big Branch

The flock is slowly migrating from River Ridge to Big Branch. This week Big Daddy, by far the biggest rooster in the flock, got moved along with his hens. Big Daddy is a Pearl Orpington. Orpingtons tend to be docile which is why he’s a lover, not a fighter. He was happy to find himselfContinue reading “Big Daddy goes to Big Branch”

Thanksgiving reprieve

These young toms are always eager to parade. Luck was on the side of these Royal Palm turkeys. They may have been destined for Thanksgiving dinner, but then they found a home on Jacob King’s Donaldsonville farm. Jacob has a menagerie that includes goats, sheep, some pigs, chickens and even a pair of peacocks. HeContinue reading “Thanksgiving reprieve”

Why the carrot is (usually) orange

I recently sowed a row of carrots and had only Cosmic Purple–a dark and richly purple-black root, come up from the seeds. Cosmic Purple is so dark it stains fingers for a day after being handled. it is a sweet, crisp, mid length carrot with a lovely top that also carries a purple tinge nearContinue reading “Why the carrot is (usually) orange”