Chickens & Salad (not chicken salad)

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Though my true gardening skill can be witnessed in the overgrowth of the rare delicacy known as crabgrass, this is what accompanied our grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner tonight.  Everything but the pecans were picked from the garden just minutes before dinner went on the table -- 5 kinds of lettuce, kale, spinach, basil, arugula, strawberries.  Delicious!

The girls love when I'm picking strawberries -- they eagerly await the ones the chipmunks started to eat and never finished -- you can see the corner of the strawberry patch on the left.  What you can't see in this picture is the rhubarb they demolished.  I'm hoping it comes back strong next year (especially considering that it has never been strong, which is kind of a problem, because it's rhubarb and it's supposed to be overgrown!).  
This is Clementine (buff orpington) and Mabel (silver-laced wyandotte) scrounging around the gardens for nibbles.

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Raw Milk? Yes, Please

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Rich, tasty, creamy, fresh.  Four words that aptly describe raw milk.

There is a lot of controversy out there about raw milk, and I'm not going to get into it all, because you can easily find that on your own (just search "raw milk" and you'll find it).  But in my experience, raw milk is nutritious and delicious, local and extremely satisfying. It is something worth drinking.

I am fortunate to have 2 raw milk dairies in my town, conveniently located on my way to/from work.  While getting ice cream at one of those dairies last night (strawberry chip and Hadley grass from Flayvors of Cook Farm), I saw this poster on a wall.  Nicely done with good infographics, it's worth a look.

The poster is published by NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association: Massachusetts Chapter), which also has information on raw milk on their website.  They have also published an informational pamphlet on raw milk, which you can access here. 
One thing to point out: raw milk helps dairy farms remain sustainable and economically viable, keeping nutritious food available locally -- an important piece in my efficiency, sustainability, and productivity goals.

If you've never tried raw milk, I encourage you to give it a shot.
If you are looking for someplace to buy raw milk in Massachusetts, look at the list here.
If you are outside Massachusetts, you can start locating resources for your state here.

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