Boston Flora

Tag: Hens

  • Saturday, September 7, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Garden Club of Concord Garden Tour

    The Garden Club of Concord will sponsor a self-guided tour next Saturday, September 7, from 2 – 5.  The four gardens on tour are free, open to the public, and all are within one mile of Concord Center.  Please pick up tour tickets with garden locations from the Garden Club of Concord Table at the Farmers Market, Main Street, Concord from 10 – 2 on the day of the tour, or email concordgardentours@gmail.com.  No pets or strollers, children welcome accompanied by adults, gardens not handicapped accessible.

    The first garden is a three season organic garden, with veggies, herbs, chickens and bees.  Using biodynamic and organic methods, the host’s vegetable and herb gardens provide much of the family’s produce starting in early spring through late fall.  Tucked to one side of the property at the edge of a tiny brook is a chicken coop and yard, home to the family’s hens when they are not free ranging.  The owner, an avid biodynamic beekeeper, has her hives placed on the opposite edge of the yard, overlooking the gardens.

    Next, the raspberry batch garden which was created by a family who moved from Michigan to Massachusetts with 12 raspberry canes in tow.  Nineteen years later there are now 11 varieties, some cross-pollinated by the owner, a recently retired molecular biologist who has made it his passion to grow and breed raspberries.

    The chicken coop and kitchen potager is a little bit of country in the heart of Concord.  The owners have created several gardens, including a small formal kitchen potager in the center of the yard, with herbs and vegetables planted within brick pathways.  Soon the garden shed was transformed into a chicken coop and family and friends have been enjoying fresh organic eggs.  A pergola, later attached to the building, adds an element of whimsy to the scene as well as providing a space to sit in the gardens and enjoy the charming antics of the hens.

    Finally, meet the goats at a low maintenance garden!  If this gardener could pass on one piece of wisdom it would be that anyone can garden and grow food.  She and her partner have transformed their backyard into a low maintenance and highly productive garden of vegetables, herbs, and fruit, using a system of hoops and row covers over raised beds.  In 2009, she fulfilled a long-time dream of raising goats.

    http://cf.ltkcdn.net/garden/images/std/110386-400x266-When_to_Move_Raspberry_Plants.jpg

  • Wednesday, October 3, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Urban Chicken Keeping Workshop

    You don’t have to be a farmer to keep chickens. Terry Golson has more than sixteen years of experience keeping a small flock of laying hens in her backyard that supply eggs for her family’s table. In this slideshow and lecture, Terry will share everything you need to know to get started with your own chickens. She’ll cover selecting the right breeds, housing, feed, and how to keep the hens healthy, in this Northeast Organic Farming Association class to be held Wednesday, October 3 from 6:30 – 8:30 at Groundwork Somerville, 21 Properzi Way, Somerville. Terry will talk about chicken behavior, predators, and daily chores. She’ll show you how she composts the manure and makes use of it in her garden. Terry speaks and writes frequently on this topic. You can find out more about her and her hens at http://www.HenCam.com.  $25 for NOFA members, $30 for non-members.  If you have any questions contact Drew Love at drew@nofamass.org.  To register on line, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/259982. Photo of Polish hen from www.oregonlive.com.

  • Friday, November 13, 5:30 pm – Urban Farming

    Slow Food Boston will sponsor an evening called “Urban Farming Discussion with Two Experts” on Friday, November 13 beginning at 5:30 pm at the Fort Point Artists Community Store, 12 Farnsworth Street in Boston.  You may reserve your spaces by logging on to www.slowfoodboston.com/events.cfm.
    Novella Carpenter lives in Oakland. I mean, really IN Oakland. As in downtown. But that certainly hasn’t stopped her from farming – and she has now written a memoir chronicling the transformation of her backyard from bare land to full-blown animal & veggie paradise!

    The book, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, is newly released, and Slow Food Boston coaxed Novella out of sunny California to cool New England to read from it and talk more about her experiences. By doing so, they hope you will be inspired to make a little more out of available space on rooftops, outside windowsills or in yards.

    In order to tie Novella’s work back to local issues, they’ve invited Belmont resident (& resident chicken expert) Joan Teebagy to join Novella. More people are opting to raise their own hens for eggs, and Joan teaches classes on the subject at Codman Farms in Lincoln. But be sure to check your town laws! As many of you may have read, there is an on-going battle in Arlington about residents rights to keep backyard chickens.

    So come on Friday, November 13th at 5:30pm.  There will be some light nibbles, a little cider, and then enjoy the reading & discussions that commence. Advance RSVPs and a $10 donation to the Slow Food fund that supports local agriculture are duly requested!

    Directions:
    Made in Fort Point, the FPAC Store is located at 12 Farnsworth St, just off Congress Street and next to the new Flour Bakery.

    The gallery space is a 5 to 10 minute walk from the South Station Red Line T, or the Court House stop on the Silver Line. There is also street parking in the area.

    http://civileats.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/farmcity.jpg