I spent a while creating a new page about the movies I’ve seen and books I’ve read about food and farming. Check them out in the MOVIES & BOOKS tab above. If you scroll down for a while, you’ll get to Just Food by James E. McWilliams which I mentioned in my earlier post on GMOs. I just finished this book today and I really recommend it. Even if I don’t agree with his conclusion on GMOs, McWilliams has done his research and has a lot of great information and ideas about the big controversies in farming.
And because you can never have enough pictures of chickens and garden veggies, I’ll include some photos of my garden right now as it’s starting to get going and my five beautiful chickens. (They’re even bigger than they were in the last pictures.)
-Simon
Here’s some rainbow chard I picked to sautee tonight. Yummm
Misty is enjoying some yummy grass. She lays little cream-colored eggs.
The hens forage through the grass.
Mandy likes perching on the bench.
The hens are eating their grain.
Bubbles lays the dark chocolate brown eggs.
Peach is drinking from the fountain. She lays the light green eggs.
The hens are digging around for bugs.
These are a few of our raised beds.
The artichokes have gotten huge.
Here’s another lettuce variety.
Here’s one of the lettuce varieties.
This is a baby peanut plant that my biology teacher started from farmers market peanuts. I’ve never grown peanuts at all so I’m trying it out. I can’t wait to see how it goes.
This is rainbow chard left over from the spring garden. Since it never really got that cold we have a ton of plants leftover from spring: kale, spinach, and onions among other stuff.
The babiest of baby apples are starting to appear.
Beans are starting to grab onto the post and climb up. Baby pepper plants are there in the background.
Strawberries are for me quite the summer classic.
This is some Bloomsdale spinach left over from the spring garden.
In one bed we have a mix of lettuces and some random kale and cabbage left over from the spring garden.
Here’s a nearly ripe artichoke in the garden. This plant is young and just maturing so this is its first flower. I’m excited to pick it and cook it up.
This is one of Misty’s eggs. Check out how orange that yoke is! Feeding her veggies gives the egg beta-carotene (which is responsible for the deep orange color and makes the eggs healthier than store-bought ones).
Eat for the Earth 
Simon…I love reading your posts! I am learning a lot…the best thing a teacher can say about a student! Your garden and chickens are gorgeous! Do you also have pictures of the eggs after describing them as different colors? Do they taste or look any different when you eat them? Growing peanuts sounds especially exotic somehow for the Bay Area…I wonder if they will work out? I hope you continue to live healthy and inspire others to do the same. I will continue looking forward to your blogs. Thank you!
Kathy Hoekenga
Hi Ms. Hoekenga! I’m glad you like the blog and everything. Here are some pictures of the different colored eggs we get: eggs but the dark brown ones aren’t there. They look like this: Welsummer eggs. The different colors taste the same but they all taste so much richer than store-bought eggs. I’m excited to see how the peanut works out. I just planted it in the bed itself and it seems to be doing great. The really cool thing about peanuts is that the flowers burrow underground. I used to think that since peanuts were found underground they’re part of the plant’s roots. But just as peas ripen on the vine after the flower is pollinated, the peanut comes after the flower but you have to dig to get it. Super cool! Thanks so much and I’ll be writing a new post soon.