Neither humans, nor animals, should be subjected to uniformity or standardization. My goal was to cleave it between the yolks… Chicken-keeping injects weirdness into your life. This is a rarely touted benefit. While combing through the final edit of my next book, drawing out extra words like so many nits, I’m awestruck by the role … More Vive la peculiar!
The hard work of life will never be split perfectly down the middle 50/50 between two willing partners. Ever. The sooner you come to realize that, you’ll be happier, and your partnerships across all areas of life will be healthier. In any partnership—business, marriage, friendship—the workload shouldered by each individual is always fluctuating, never static. … More The key to successful partnering. And, how did the chickens go?
That path through the oats, the getaway route, was the only evidence. No feathers, blood, or other carnage were left as evidence. 12 hours after burying our family dog, we discovered that 80 chickens had been carried away. If it weren’t for this obvious path, I might have thought the boogeyman did it. Gobs of … More Death and mayhem
I met Joel Salatin at an agricultural conference recently. Afterward, I was stunned to realize that there was nobody else on Earth I would’ve rather met. Not the President. Not Bob Dylan. No sports figure. Though he was due to speak to a large crowd in mere moments, he was fully engaged and animated in our … More A mob of poultry in the city, and swimming with ducklings.
I was tempted to title this post I’m the Smartest Guy in the World, but I decided to wait until another life-changing epiphany flows from my extra large brain. Two in a row ain’t no accident folks, so that’s when I’ll stake my claim. Today’s act of greatness—one which arose from a unique moment of procrastination fused with perceived need—consisted … More Chickens in bitter cold, and The Smartest Guy in the World
The visual manifestation of chlorophyll is truly lovely, precious even, when two-thirds of the day is cloaked in darkness. Chlorophyll is a poor absorber of the green portion of the electro-magnetic spectrum, hence its color, which it reflects. These luscious 18-inch patches, looking like stolen portions of a golf course green, are wheat grass. A friend … More A riot of chlorophyll on the darkest of days
I recently received my first truly negative review out on Amazon. What a punch to the gut! I know it comes with the territory, but I’ve proven myself to be more fragile than I’d care to admit. The anonymous reviewer was polite and appears to have choked down the entire contents of the book—like cod liver … More Dealing with negative criticism
Coffee chaff in the chicken coop??? This chicken is pondering the same thing, but we’ve determined that it’s completely awesome! A byproduct of the roasting process, they are light, fluffy, compost much more rapidly than the pine shavings these are replacing, smell fantastic, block odors, and are free! I collect mine from high-end coffee roasters located … More Caffeinated Chickens, Castoffs, and How I Finally Used My Master’s Degree
Our motley crew of baby chickens and ducks spent the day outside in the chicken tractor while enjoying their first 80-degree day. Fresh air does them good. The sensation of grass and dirt between their toes, spindly chicken legs, and mud-flap-like duck feet/paddles, provides a thrill. A quick breeze ruffles brand new feathers, briefly exposing … More Chickens and Clotheslines for Connectivity With the Natural World
By 9:33 (three minutes in) I was already glancing at my wristwatch, realizing this was going to be a dues-paying experience. I was slotted for a 90-minute “book-signing,” but failed to deface a single copy with my autograph. The event was completely unadvertised, and the gracious coffee-ninja running the place had no idea I was … More When things don’t go as planned or hoped
Ed's Big Adventure 