The freshy-fresh egg center

I've been talking about chickens for my back yard ever since I became friends with Keverlee Burchett (scroll down to see her bit). When she first mentioned it I just thought she was crazy. Then I became convinced it was a good idea and learned that my friend Michael had not only chickens in his back yard but three beehives as well. Michael is probably not one to use as a benchmark for complete sanity but he's made eccentricity an artform and is one of the most productive humans I've ever known. He has a lot of know-how and I'm very willing to exploit a resource that needs little-to-no renewing. That reminds me I owe him a dinner. Have to get on that.

At any rate, I'm ready to move forward with the chickens. I have enough know-how of my own to build a coop but I am always looking for inspiration. BackyardChickens.com has provided that. Their coop section is varied enough to offer plenty of grist for the mill, so to speak. I'll probably end up with a hybridized coop/tractor design. I'm pretty excited. I'm a little worried about my neighbors. My plan is to have enough hens laying that I can get some buy-in from several in the form of free eggs. Having been broken into five times, I tend to think they don't all have my best interests in mind. I couldn't survive coming home and finding my chickens brutalized and I can't imagine there aren't those kind of kids in my hood. So, fed neighbors would probably insure protected hens.

I'm hoping to continue some convincing of Heather to cover a large portion of her HUGE yard in raised beds. I don't think Kohl would befriend chickens but I can do the egg and fertilizer making at my place. We could have enough garden at her place to feed most of the circle of friends for a large part of the year if we can and freeze creatively. It's another exciting thing to consider.

Bees? YES! I have wanted a hive longer than a coop and I don't see any reason to put it off for much longer. Money is the biggest issue at the moment. Second biggest concern is biting off more than I will chew. I do mean more than I will chew. Like most of us, my most disabling impediment in life isn't, "Can I do this," it's, "Will I?"

What has been the impetus to finally get me moving? Food, Inc.