Okay, this isn't really a how-to blog entry on the farming of a chicken. Sorry to disappoint you, but it is instead a mere pearl in a string of realizations that I have had since getting into the farm/foodie world.

It was about this time last year that we began planning our Bike2Barn tour last year, which began my newfound hobby of farm-hopping. I am in the beginning stages of transforming into a full fledged farm fan ('fan' being short for 'fanatical'), so I consider myself lucky to have a beginners' mind, and enjoy the high of excitement and enthusiasm before I might become jaded.

My most recent exciting realization is that hens can be raised in many different ways. After visiting a dozen or so small farms with chickens, I now can confidently say that there are at least a dozen ways to raise a hen. For example, at Manfred's the hens are kept in an airy coop with a couple of ducks and are allowed to run all over the property. TLC Ranch of Aromas, CA (close to Watsonville) keeps their hens in a large field with mobile trailers as their coops. They feed them grain and farmers' market scraps to supplement the grass and weeds from pasture,  and move the entire flock to a fresh new field in a regular rotation. I'll never forget the adorable wooden 'train car' that housed at least 30 chickens at Fairview Gardens in Golida, CA, and the rainbow of eggs that came from their assorted flock. The most memorable had to be at Hoofs n' Horns in Tucson, Arizona. These random chickens lived in peaceful harmony with scores of other animals and feathered friends, and were known to lay eggs wherever they damned well pleased (like the seats of the farmers' Jeep). You know, I can think of only a couple of small farms that we have visited who didn't keep chickens. Even Guillermo and I have a few chickens (not Pipi, of course), they are so easy to keep. You just need to give them protection from the weather and from predators, a roost in their shelter over some fresh hay, a grassy area for them to run around in, and food in the form of grain, leftover farm veggies, grass and insects, or kitchen scraps (preferably not the leftover roast chicken). Really, it is that easy. But then, these are lucky chickens, raised the way that chickens should be raised.

I guess I did end up telling you how to raise a chicken, and I hope that it inspired you to do so. Chickens are wonderful to have for a multitude of reasons. They make great pets, they provide good food, they take up little space and little time, and they eat your leftovers (they don't like asparagus). If you already know all of this information, then so sorry just please bear with me...I'm excited!