jessejames here

[jessejames]

it goes something like this "cops pop pot plot" apparently my 15 immature plant were worth 15000 bucks!!
if i knew that maybe i would grow it illegally hahaha
and yes MTN its true i hear rumors that the guys who are farming my land this year are the biggest growers around, makes sense seeing as they farm 3500 acres. i am sure there are lots of places to hide it. they better hope they arent on my land or i will rip them up. something i have done many times. i am not going to risk my neck for someone elses greed!!
thanks for all the support guys i wasnt sure if i should post about it or not but as always i am glad i did!
you guys are great!!

i have just completed my supply list for making the gopher boy bator from BYC that is my after dark project for tonight.

i have been harvesting all afternoon for my weekly trip into the big smoke tom. so i can provide all my city slicker friends with some real food.

besides the fleas i have a bout of avian pox going through my flock right now. is there anything other than the ACV i can be giving them to help move it along. i am kinda happy to get it out of the way before they start laying next month i hope!

be well yall

 

[jessejames]

yes BB i was trying to express the point that the folks around here would not know organic from well a hole in the ground except that maybe they are a bit or a lot more suspicious of organic farming than the hole.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I found it in the Observer. funny how they never printed anything about you having a permit. but that's not exciting or newsworthy, is it. Usually, ppl who grow it for unethical reasons, would never think of planting it on their own property.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Actually, I think you are in a great area to have an organic farm. You're nice and close to Grand Bend, and there are alot of people who go there who would LOVE to have that option.

 

[jessejames]

i didnt see it in the observer i will have to get my lawyer on that. i am having the standard print a retraction\correction next week it was to be in this weeks paper but they forgot. beleive me they wont again after my lawyers call!!!

my plan next year is to have aroad side stand i am literally the first farm out of town, really still in town, but i am the first one with a well (i wouldnt have bought this place if it was on town water and hopefully by the time they force it i will have turned this 50 acre feild into a quaint hobby farm for some city slicker to buy.
as well as the stand i am going to do one market at least in toronto. i already have at least one truck going back and forth a week so i might as well go to highest paying customers i figure. i hope to have a few csa style customers as well.

MTN how do you process your chooks? do you have a plucker? can you rent one locally? i may build one if i cant find one to rent seeing as i ordered 12 Cx that are coming a week from tues. woot! woot!
and i hope to do alot more meat birds next year though i will probably go more with a freedom ranger or something of the sort.

the canadian tire across the st. has 10" potted strawberry plants on for 25% off the regular of 10.99 do you guys think this is a good price?
they have been there all summer and i have been waiting for them to get cheaper but i was hopping for cheaper than that.
please let me know what you think.

 

[miss_thenorth]

We have processed some of our birds and we don't have a plucker. If we did, I am sure we would do more. I sell some of mine, so for that reason, I take my birds to the abattoir. Closest one to me is Highgate. With extra roos and old hens, we do those ourselves, but we usually end up skinning them.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/meatinsp/prod_type/chicken_name.htm
Here's a link tot he OMAFRA sebsite for chicken processors.
I would LOVE to have something like a CSA around here. I don't think they exist in Canada, at least-not that I have found.

 

[jessejames]

cool thanks for the link
there are lots of csa s running out of the bigger cities here i just dont think it has caught on enough here for the rural communitys yet. i think pricing is a huge factor too! most people in farming\rural communities wont pay the prices that can be got in the bigger cities. i could do drop off at a central location in sarnia if you are still interested next year.

 

[Farmfresh]

Jesse, Jesse, Jesse.... I personally process about 30 to 50 birds a year. I am here to tell you that if you scald the bird in water with a squirt of liquid dish soap in it between 150 and 160 F for about a minute the feathers come out VERY easily and in fist fulls.

Remember what the old farm wife said about plucking a chicken... "It is very easy to pluck a chicken - the feather is only attached at one end!"

 

[jessejames]

well i am sure i will be processing my first birds with out a plucker for sure.
i am hoping to process 100 plus birds a few times over next year so that is really my thought behind the plucker.
i must say though that i have close to traumatic memories of pluckin birds from my childhood and my mother does nothing to help me dissuade this notion in my mind.
i am glad to have found you guys to get another perspective on things!!

 

[Farmfresh]

I think the secret to success in chicken butchering is not to do too many birds in one day!

With my arthritis I usually clean 4 to 6 birds in one day. FAR better than the days when hubby and I would clean 50 to 75 in a day for my aunt! By the end of the day you NEVER want to see another chicken!!

With my method they all still get into the freezer!