Wanted: a Coop with Style

Our cousin Janice now has two chicken houses at the farm. One is the old playhouse and the other Sean salvaged from the property that Jonathan and I are renovating. The set up is a little wonky and challenges the visual sensibility of our Director of Aesthetics (yep, you guessed it: Molly). So, on her hunt for examples of possible design upgrades, she showed me a surprisingly clever contraption that got us clucking. Omlet’s Eglu Cube Chicken House is made in the UK and incorporates “revolutionary technology that leaves you with more time to enjoy the pleasures of owning chickens.” Brill!, as the Brits would say.

With the lack of great chicken house designs online, the Eglu was a fun discovery, however, it doesn’t quite align with our priorities of conservation, organic and being innovative with the resources on hand. Hence, the search continues. If you’ve come across an inspiring coop, let us know!

As If Reality Isn’t Enough

"Howdy! These here virtually modified sheep don't bother your crops!"

When my Los Angeles urbanite friend questioned my farming abilities based on the delinquent status of my Facebook FarmTown acres, the virtual pressure was on. As I step up efforts to harvest my crops on time and progress through the experience levels, I see how it vaguely mimics reality.

Though crops grow extremely quickly, they don’t hesitate to over ripen and die if I don’t harvest in a timely manner. The game also encourages community. You gain points by lending a hand to your farmer friends and gain insight into other ways of farming (Tracy makes great use of space, and Peter needs fencing… his cows are out!). It’s entertaining to inch my way up the farming ladder, however, the “Apprentice” level seemed to last forever and I see with envy that Laura is at “Green Ace.” …admittedly, also not unlike reality.

What’s missing in The Dirt On The Farm playground is the REAL dirt, of course. There’s no substitute for getting it under your fingernails to reap the rewards of fresh air, tactile productivity, therapeutic exercise and a kitchen counter full of candy-like tomatoes.

Free-Range Humor

From this week's New Yorker