the equine bovine: Kids

Friday, November 5, 2010

Danger: Hungry Worms!

Pass Whiskey the Pig,

Thru the new site of the Outdoor Kitchen,

and tip toe along the tents of the farm workers,

..are the group of kidlets ready to get down n ' dirty with worm composting!!

Bailey wearing of my favorite shirts. Its a tad blurry, but it says 'Cow Hugger' written in the clouds.

'Herbivore' a San Francisco based company dishes out vegetarian & vegan wear.

Kellan asks "What is worm composting?"

The worms eat your food scraps ( veggie peels, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds) digest, and poop out rich , dark conditioning rich soil . Oh, and its best not to compost with meats, dairy , or grains. It attracts rodents, flies, stinks and other unwanted house guests.

I see a worm! I see thousands of worms!!

" I see a banana peel, leaves, green stuff and....

..worms squiggling in my hand!"

Did you know it takes about 2000 worms to eat one pound of food a day!?

That sounds like alot ! And it is. Thankfully they like to be snuggled up together in their nice dark, damp bed.

Randy Stannard Food Access Coordinator of Soil Born Farms, shows the kiddies how to make a cozy little home for their new friends.

To start mix some fresh soil with scraps and your worms!

Lots of holes so the worms can have nice fresh air, and proper drainage.

Artists at work. Designing a worm bin to be auctioned off at the next fundraiser.

I call her 'Loretta Lily'

Lilly loved worms. But I think she loved horses a little more.

She is so rad. I hope to see her, and the rest of the tikes in future classes!

I recently found this blog entry on how to build the best worm farm.

Step by step with great pictures.

Dirty Girl Motor Racing

Monday, October 18, 2010

Happy Buddha Belly.

This year marks the 23rd Anniversary of the Hoes Down Festival at Full Belly Farm.

Joe and I took a farm tour with Amigo Bob and Paul Muller to learn a little more about Full Belly.

This year round working farm has been piping strong since 1985. Among other farms in the Capay Valley, over 300 certified organic acres of this land is devoted to Fully Belly. This is a year round farm that grows with the seasons and provides food for us 365 days a year with over 80 crops in rotation. What that also means is that the farm workers will be guaranteed employment and establishment. Always harvesting, always working, always earning, for all!

At one time, this was an Almond and Dairy Farm before Fully Belly bought the land and developed into an Organic Farming Mecca! They grow organic wild flowers, veggies, fruits, nuts, herbs, chickens , sheep, cows, lambs. You can go to the Davis Food COOP or Sacramento Natural Foods COOP and walk out with a Fully Belly flower bouquet, weaving wool, bag of nuts, flour, salad mix, potatoes, and some pears for a cobbler tonight. BAM! You got date night all ready to go ,courtesy of Fully Belly Farms. Don't live close to the COOPs? Fully Belly offers CSA Boxes.

Side note: It's not you , its me. Sorry for all the lame blurriness to the pics. Something got on my lens and worsened the quality of pictures even more!

I met this sweet couple barley 2 steps into the entrance of Hoes down. My eyes were magnet to all the colorful goodies for sale. Creating out of Eureka, Blossom Arts and Crafts uses organic , repurposed , and hand dyed fabrics . I was swooned over the booth and so wanting to hang out with them all day. They were so sweet , smiley and happy to chat .I picked up an Artichoke hoodie , and some awesome patches for my 'milk maid' sister up in Dunsmuir.

Solar powered ATM , powered me to come back for seconds before we left .

Farm pup. Long lost sister to Beauchephus. We can never resist a doggy snuggle.

Prather Ranch cooking up some bitchin' hamburgers!

See Joe. She Joe compost.

One of the Blacksmiths, working away.

If you ever have the chance to watch a Blacksmith at work , take advantage of it.It is something so awesome, it is indescribable .

"The heat of forge, the blow of a hammer the certainty of an anvil"

Fully Belly wreathes are born here.

A barn dedicated to hanging and drying herbs, flowers, chilis, & fruits.

The Sacramento COOP has them year round, but more abundant during the holidays. They

are absolutely gorgeous and will last forever!

Amigo Bob teaching a 'Soil Building' workshop.

Trini Campbell River Dog Farm Farms taught a workshop on how to keep chickens.

Right now , it is illegal to house chickens in the City of Sacramento.

Totally lame, but lets make a change!

Join CLUCK and Eat Sacramento and help wake up City Hall.

Bonnet Babe at the water tank.

Hoes Down farmers market.

Last farm tour of the day and still a huge crowd.

Amigo Bob & co-owner of Fully Belly Paul Muller

This just might be in your next bouquet.

Clovers~ Clovers ~Clovers

Cooooling off. It gets hot up there. But luckily the creek is in walking distance of the farm , and an ear shot away from the Johnny Cash tribute band.