People like me!

Tonight as I was leaving work, this little reminder popped up on my iPhone.  (I'm not sure how this happened, because usually my phone doesn't alert me for anything.  Perhaps my smart phone new I was sad yesterday...)  The phone was reminding me about an informational meeting for an event called EarthFest.  I was intrigued, and only 1.5 miles from the event, so I drove down to the meeting spot, nervously went in and WOW!

EarthFest is an event that was held last year in Dayton, Ohio and had nearly 1,000 visitors and over 30 free workshops on everything from bee keeping to lasagna gardening and a bunch of stuff in between.  It's an all day affair and sounds absolutely amazing.  I volunteered to teach a class on backyard meat animals, if they have workshop space still available, and I won't lie the thought of helping others learn to be more self sustaining excites me.

Perhaps the coolest part of the evening was meeting the 20 some people that were there with the same interests as me!  I met other urban farmers, beekeepers, pottery enthusiasts, and even other chicken keepers.  (And this was just the people I was able to talk with, there were more people that I didn't get to interact with, but I will next time!)  And one very kind woman, Mandy, invited me to meet with a group of urban farmers that are meeting this weekend.  I am pretty excited!  And to think, I thought I might be bored without dog rescue.....

Bit O' Bunny Bartering

Today was a busy day!  The Reluctant Farmer and I woke up early so we could drive 3 french angora rabbits to Indiana, to Teri from Spin Me a Yarn Rabbitry  (http://www.facebook.com/SpinMeAYarnRabbitry?fref=ts).  I started following Teri's Facebook page and contacted her because I was looking for an unrelated buck to add to my group.  She mentioned that she was in the same situation, so when I decided keeping 2 bucks that were siblings or sons of my does, I contacted her to see if she would be interested in them.  We talked and worked out a barter!  

The 3 angora rabbits that she got were all from Wooly Wilma's litter and they are gorgeous, heavy wooled babies.  (Just like their Mama!)  I really held on to them too long with the thought I would breed one of the bucks to Cher, however since her death, all of my rabbits are related which will not work for a breeding program!  Teri now has 2 new bucks and a doe to love, and I am getting a buck from her next litter.  I was so excited that they were going to someone who knows the breed and that will take good care of them.  I was even more excited to meet someone I could talk angoras with since I know no one else.  Can't wait to see what my new buck will look like, and I am glad I have formed a new friendship with someone else who understands my love for these wooly beasts.

These are the things I like the most about farming: bartering and new friends!  I have to laugh about this now, but when I first started this urban farming project, people wanted to know why I was doing this and if I missed my friends.  (Between working 40 hours a week outside the farm and the animal and garden upkeep on the farm, it is like having two full time jobs!)  The truth is I have met more genuine people through farming then I ever would have met before on my own.  The friendships I have now are more dear to me then what I had before, they are deeper.  These are the people that get me and are doing the same things I am.  These are the people that guide me and understand what I do.  I get asked quite frequently if I created this farm so I could escape, and I often have to explain to people that I did this to live healthier, to know where my food comes from, and to make sure the food I was eating was being raised humanely.  Yes, it is an escape, an escape I welcome.  I am blessed to be able to escape to the most amazing place in the city.  My home.  A place where great things are happening: new friends, life, death, growth, exercise, and learning.   I wouldn't trade this life for anything....

 

 




Shared on:

And they are out!

Summer brought upon us very high temperatures this year, and unfortunately it really heated up the outdoors and in turn our garage.  I tried everything I could think of to keep our angora rabbits cool, and I just was not successful.  With temperatures holding steady at 90-100 degrees the temperature inside my garage was over 110 degrees at times!

The first week I purchased 2 industrial sized fans to help cool them off.  That moved the air but did not keep them cool.  The second week I purchased a fan that misted water.  That did cool the garage by 10 degrees, however my angoras were soaking wet and the floor had puddles I could have floated the Titanic in.  The third week I purchased a 17,000 BTU portable air conditioner.  (Nothing but the best for the animals on this farm!)  Sadly, that did not work either.  Finally, when I was in tears and flat out exhausted I did what any crazy woman with a bunch fuzzy rabbits would do:  I moved them into my house!  

This was really not want I wanted to do, but after all of the stress I decided I could take no more!  I moved all of the angoras into the study and that is where they have been for the last 12 weeks.  I will not say that this has not been stressful.  It has been slightly more than I bargained for, but there is good news!  Finally there has been a break in the weather, and the Reluctant Farmer and I have moved the rabbits back out to the garage!  Praise God!

Next year I plan on having one of those fans installed in the eve of the garage so that hot air can escape and having the windows replaced with actual windows that can be opened.  (The garage is old and the windows are fixed...)  Hopefully, that will be the key to keeping the angora rabbits comfortable in the summer.  I learn something new everyday that I am out here, and even though my ideas fail sometimes and often things don't go my way, I will say I have no regrets.  I am sitting on the brink of something big folks.  I can feel it.....


This blog was posted on:

we have babies!

                                 

9 days old and so cute!

This week I am pleased to announce: we have French Angora babies!  I feel like I can talk about them now because they were 2 weeks old on Thursday.  (It makes me nervous to talk about kits too early since they are sometimes very fragile.)  Our French Angoras (Wooly Wilma and Reese) both gave birth 2 weeks ago.  Wilma has 5 kits and Reese has 3.  We have a variety of colors including: black, fawn, orange, blue, and tort.  I can't wait to harvest wool from these bunnies, as they are a rainbow of colors!  As of right now I don't know what I am keeping, but I think I have fallen in love with each one of them!  I will try to add weekly pictures of these babies, because the only things that grow as fast as baby chicks are rabbits.  They change so quickly and boy howdy are they cute!

Wooly Wilma!

Meet Wilma!


Meet Wilma!  Wilma and her sister Reese are the newest additions to Rainbow Acres Farm.  Wilma is a french angora rabbit  that I just purchased.  I am so excited!  Look at all that wool!  This crop of wool is sort of a bust because she wasn't groomed regularly, but I am excited to see what will be there in 4 months.

Wilma and Reese came after a longing to raise wool on my farm.  I wanted fiber so bad, and it only seemed right to be able to provide my own angora yarn since I knit so much.   The Reluctant Farmer was not to excited about this experiment, but as I reminded her, it could be worse.  I could have brought home an Angora goat!