The baby chicks went back to Mama last night. Chickens are funny. If they wake up and see another chicken or baby in their coop, they accept them without a fight. Out of 12 eggs, we had 8 babies. This is the first batch of the year. They are strong and full of energy. Farmer Boy already has a favorite one!
Bainbridge Island used to be a major farming community. Now it’s a mix of everything from farms to condominiums. I am more familiar with the Japanese history of the island. To celebrate the New Year the Bainbridge Island Japanese-American Community is inviting everyone to the 5th Annual Mochi Tsuki Festival on January 18th, 11 am to 3 pm. This is a fun and free local event. For more information, see http://islandwood.org/events/mochi-tsuki-festival.
What I made from it – no pork winter minestrone, no meat Caesar salad, butternut bisque, baked winter squash (served as dessert with ice-cream), apple butter, and cranberry apple butter (added cranberries and 1 cup brown sugar). I also made waffles from a box (we had milk that went sour, so I needed to do something with it) and fudge, and baked cornbread (that sour milk is still sour).
What I really need to do is sit down and think of basic dishes I should be able to make from scratch for the whole year. I noticed this week I kept running out to pick up two or three things at a time. I wasted time and gas, not good.
We need a budget. Can a family of 2 with your average income live locally and sustainably? If you read 100 Mile Diet: Local Eating for Global Change, it says:
Was it expensive?
Again, only in the beginning. Most of us pay a big premium for out-of-season foods like cherries in winter or prepared foods like spaghetti sauce, usually with a long list of ingredients we might prefer not to have in our bodies. Eating locally, we bought fresh ingredients in season and direct from the farmer - and we were often buying bulk. We preserved enough food for the winter that we rarely had to buy groceries. Our bet? Most people eating a typical diet could save money by eating locally.
However, there is no total dollar amount mentioned. So how much does a 100 Mile Diet cost annually? I went to our local library today and came across a flyer “Facts About Basic Food”. It’s a Washington State program that helps low-income family with their food needs, www.foodhelp.wa.gov. The flyer states that to qualify a household of 2 needs to make up to $2,334 a month. The program will give them $323 a month in food assistance. These are just good numbers to start my budget planning. ($2,334 + $323) x 12 months = $31,884. Can a person live sustainably and organically on $32,000 (for everything, not just food) a year?
I posted a question to James and Alisa on their site. I hope they answer.
The year started with new baby chicks. A hen laid 12 eggs, which have been hatching on different days. A hen can abandon unhatched eggs, if she feels she has enough chicks. That’s why Farmer Boy brought the hatched babies in to let mama chicken to finish hatching all live eggs. I spent two days doing nothing, but watching baby chicks learn how to drink and eat. Farmer Boy already thinks he knows which ones are boys! It is impossible to determine chickens’ gender so early. However, he is convinced that he knows just by watching their behavior. We used to have an orphan baby chick, which, according to Farmer Boy, was a rooster! 100% boy! He was so convinced, till his rooster laid an egg!
Talking about eggs. Farmer Boy set a rule long time ago – no buying eggs. However, chickens don’t lay eggs as much in winter. I found myself with no eggs at all for holiday baking. So I broke the rule, first time in about 4 years. It felt like cheating - I didn’t know the hen, which laid them, and didn’t know the day they were laid. I am an egg snob!
