Exciting Find!

During my lunch break last Friday I decided to visit Natural Grocers, a store that I visit very seldom. Boy, I'm glad that I decided to visit this day! After browsing around for few minutes I was getting ready to head to the check out and I spied The Whole Seed Catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds....WHAAAT?!

I was getting ready to order this from the website. No need now - the 84 cents tax was worth it, not having to wait for it to arrive in the mail! Yeah, 84 cents...whatever right?

All afternoon as I was sitting at work I couldn't help sneaking some peeks at the beautiful photos of all of the  vegetables and flowers on the pages. In all my life I don't think that I have never been this excited about any catalog!

It's Time to Start Planning

The first of many seed catalogs have arrived!! I LOVE Seed Savers Exchange! This is just the beginning! Seed catalogs are like when the Sears catalog would come in the mail. Always loved looking at the toys! I think seeds are better!!

I wonder which catalog will come next...

Never, Have I Ever...

Gotten a catalog for living creatures - poultry to be more specific.

A couple of weeks ago I was pokin' around on the Meyer Hatchery website and decided to have a catalog sent. Sure I can look at the catalog online, but this way I can add this to my sad farm library. Also, it's fun to thumb through a catalog...or magazine as I like to call it. 

If I were to do a mail order I might consider Meyer Hatchery as they have a large variety of poultry to choose from. From the various brown egg layers to white and "olive eggers" and "easter eggers." There are some even mor exotic birds available as well like Egyptian Fayoumi and White Sultan

Turkey for the holidays - Yep! Ducks & Geese - Yep & Yep! Game birds, hatching eggs and all sorts of accessories and supplies to get your chicken operation set up.

A couple of my favorite listings:

Leann's "Adopt Me" Bargain - 

These are basically the runts that were "hiding" in the incubators after a hatch. The catch with this collection - they could be anything including bantams or turkeys. Could you imagine? The chick that keeps growing turning into your holiday dinner centerpiece?

Personally, if I were to order a special collection/pack it would be the Production Pack. This option is all female and all excellent layers. The breeds that might be in this one would be: Golden Buff, Barred Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, Buff Orpington, Black Australorp or White Leghorn. An order of 15 will set you back $50.42 which really isn't that bad of a deal actually. 

Here's a bonus:

The Fry Pan Bargain (meat bird section). This is a ALL-ROOSTER assortment. According to the catalog:

"This all-rooster assortment may include one or more of any large rooster in our catalog."

If you were inclined to go this route it is VERY affordable! 

• 1-5 $1.10
• 6-15 $0.99
• 16-25 $0.83
• 26-49 $0.66
• 50-99 $0.50
• 100+ $0.34

As much as I would like to order this pack...I think I will stick with a different broiler breed for my first batch of meat chickens.

Order yourself some chicks! Well, maybe get a place for them to live first...then place an order!

Almost Time

The seed catalogs have been arriving in the mail which means it's almost time to start ordering seeds!

Normally I just go to the garden center at Freddy's or maybe even shop at Yard 'N Garden Land. It's awfully convenient to just pop into the store and pick up some seeds. There really aren't many places to get "specialty" seed varieties so I'll be making a list of my favorites and then pouring over the catalogs and checking out where to get the majority of my seeds for this year's garden extravaganza!

These are the ones that I have been carrying with me in my bag...

All are "local" except for Johnny's. I am acquainted with Territorial & Johnny's and look forward to making some selections from both of those. Uprising Seeds is located in Bellingham, WA and Siskiyou Seeds is in Williams, OR. Uprising has a cabbage variety that is so awesome it is called Filderkraut

(photo credit Uprising Seeds)

According to the catalog these cabbage heads can grow up to 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide!! Man oh man,  I want to grow those in my garden! I can hardly imagine just how large they will get in my garden, but all I know is that I might be making a lot of sauerkraut! It's time to start looking for REALLY BIG fermenting crocks!!

As soon as the seeds are ordered and the weather improves slightly, I'm gonna get out into the hoop house and start making some soil blocks and getting my seeds started! My gardening buddy, partner in crime - Mary will be itchin' to get things started too. I have a feeling that the hoop house may not be big enough for the both of us...hmmm...