country n news-compost bees green conference

COUNTRY N NEWS-COMPOST  BEES  GREEN CONFERENCE


this is the time of year i harvest my country n compost
ive been known to give it as gifts for christmas and birthdays
and house warmings

it all starts with leaves like this
this person donates their yard leaves they rake and bag
usually she gives us between 25-50 bags a year
this load is approximately 25
i especially like the paper bags that are used since
they are also thrown into our compost area to be composted

then we add the leaves to our chicken run which runs around
our garden like a c on its back like a staple
it is about 80 ft long and 3-4 feet wide
we add about 2 ft of leaves to the area
overtime
the chickens pick out all the seeds and shred these leaves to
smithereens
adding of course molting feathers and frequent droppings
we also add anything that was plants like weeds leaves
plants from the garden etc

so whats left then is this rich rich real rich compost

here in the left bin is a cubic yard of compost
from the right side of the upside down c
its been composting over there for 2 years
it smells so good and is rich

the bin on the right is from the rest of the run
this cubic yard of compost has been composting about a year
its also rich in nutrition

this is a cubic yard pile of compost from inside the coop area
which is about 300 square feet
the composters spend about 12 hours a day in there
it is much richer than the other two piles
its made up of leaves poop and lots of feathers
a real gardeners delight when used on their gardens

then the last pile i make
no picture
is
i scoop all the stuff under where they roost at night
folks that is the richest of the rich
its probably real high in nitrogen
pure fertilizer it is
when i use this i use it sparingly as it is real hot to the
plants if overused

a nice haul of country n compost this year
3 cubic yards or 3 truck loads of compost
thanks to the leaf donors
and
of course to the ladies those hens who did all the work

so again thats my compost story
ill repeat it again next year


this saturday at the jj pickle research center in austin there is the
annual austin area bee conference for beginners and experienced
bee folks
here is the link to the conference


then on february 20 and 21st
the mother earth news folks are having a two day conference
on all kind of green stuff in belton texas
it is usually held at other parts of the country a few times a year
we were planning to take a vacation to california
to see our family then go to the conference
now we only have to drive a few miles

my sister introduced me to the mother earth news magazine
a few years ago
ive been receiving it every since

so if you are a gardener want to raise chickens want to know
about homesteading herbal stuff solar power rainwater collection
bee keeping composting and lots more
its all there that weekend
it will probably not be back in this area again
or
if it does it will be awhile

so
heres the link on the mother earth news fair

enjoy all the information
maybe even turn your brown thumb to a green one

the organicgreen doctor