Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:24:59 -0400
From: Mari Trosclair
Subject: Chickens in the neighborhood

The requests from home buyers to be able to raise chickens or goats in neighborhoods has greatly increased in the last few years.  Some developers have recorded covenants to allow chickens (rarely allow a rooster) to broaden their buying pool and many neighborhoods have amended their covenants to allow chickens.

If your neighborhood allows chickens, is considering chickens or has already changed the covenants to do so, I would like to get your feedback on the pros or cons in your experience.

Thanks in advance.

Mari Trosclair, Realtor, Broker, GRI, ePro, ABR
Piedmont Preferred Realty, Inc.
http://www.HiddenCoast.com
919.619.2236  Fax: 919.287.2609

Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:09:21 -0400
From: vinitslrn
Subject: Fleas…..a big thank you and feedback

I received at least 25 responses, and all were helpful.

For the benefit of all, I wanted to share some info.

Borax and food grade diatomaceous earth spread on the lawn is helpful. If not, some other application to kill the fleas outside is a necessary part of treating the problem.
Borax in the house under all furniture, everywhere the dogs sleep, in the carpets, under the cushions of chairs/couches and along base boards is also very effective. I left it down for 24 hours, then vacuumed. I also immediately empty the vacuum canister and throw the bag in the outside trash. I continue to vacuum everyday. Washing the dogs with any type of shampoo kills what is on them at the time if you leave the lather on to drown the fleas. My niece thinks the fleas hold their breath, so leave the lather on for a few minutes! Wash all bedding in hot water….often.

I also tried essential oils added to a spray bottle of body spray. Citronella, Cedar wood and lemon eucalyptus seemed to aggravate the fleas, plus the dogs smelled nice. Some people recommended placing those types of essential oils onto a nylon collar, but I didn’t try that…….yet.

After all this, I noticed a definite improvement, but the fleas were still there. Maybe it would have gotten better in time, but I broke down and bought Advantix. I place it on all 3 German Shepherds, and it seems to have worked, and they are fine. However, I split a small dog dose between my 2 little dogs at 4pm on Friday. I woke up at 2:30am with my little Yorkie having a seizure. She was thrashing and was incontinent of urine. After the seizure, I picked her up, she couldn’t focus and her head kept swinging around. When I put her down, she fell over. She vomited as well. I called the emergency vet in Cary that said to wash her with Dawn and bring her in. We did that and headed to Cary at 3am. The dog recovered quickly after that, and we actually turned back and never went to the vet. She seems fine now, but, I am never using that topical stuff again. I called Bayer, who makes Advantix, and they said it couldn’t be the Advantix because Advantix couldn’t do that. I told him I would expect him to say that, but it is what it is.

There was another product recommended called Cedarcide which looks good, but a little pricey, and I’ve already spent quite a bit on what I’ve tried. However, it is another option. It is available on line. The Diatomaceous earth is available at Southern States in Pboro for a fraction of what it costs on line when you have to pay for shipping. Shop Local! Borax is at WalMart.

I think that’s all of it, and again I thank everyone for their help. Viva la Chatlist!

Vini

Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:24:18 -0400
From: John Dykers, MD
Subject: pond fishing

Lay fish on aluminum foil and liberally add Zesty Italian Salad dressing or your choice with modest oil. Wrap in the foil. Bake at 350 longer than you think  you should – 30-40 mins and even longer for bigger fish. unwrap. pell skin and scales will come off with it. The flesh is like poached fish!
You must know your bony anatomy so you may eat safely – easy with bass, only tricky ridge is the line of small bones between the ribs and backbone. Brim a little trickier, so be careful
Very healthy and delicious and EASY!
John Dykers

Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 16:06:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: Billy Thornton
Subject: produce at a reasonable price

Went by farmers market at the brewery Saturday to check it out. Not much to offer but high prices. English peas at $4.00 a pound. Heard the Pittsboro market offered lettuce in a ziploc bag at $5.00 each.

Hey everybody go on out to the Busy Bee Farm and you can pick your produce fresh from the plants. Sugar snap peas at $1.50 lb, Brocolli at $2.25 a head, cauliflower at $2.00 head, and squash(just coming in) at $1.50 lb. Lettuce is $2.50 head. Two types still available. China cabbage at $2.50 head.

Produce to come is: cabage (bullet and round), bell peppers, bananna peppers, cayanne pepper, okra, egg plant, zucinni, cucumbers(pickling & burpless), tomatoes( including German Johnson), two kinds of cantelopes and two types of watermellons. For you flower lovers there is Petunas in a tray (3 plants) and Zinnia that you can cut and

take home.

The Busy Bee Farm is located between Hwy 902 and SR 1010( Pittsboro-Goldston Rd.) on the Dewitt Smith Rd. John is open from 3pm to dark Monday – Friday and 8am – dark Sat. and Sun. When the Blueberries and Blackberries are ready the hours will be 8 am till dark every day except Wed. and Thur.. Will be closed those days.

There you get service with a smile and a thank you. Your business will be greately appreciated. Tell John that Billy sent you.

Never put off what you can do today because tomorrow there will always be something else to do.

Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 07:12:44 -0400
From: Debbie Roos >
Subject: new website for pollinator garden

For those of you interested in pollinator conservation (and that should be anyone who likes to eat!), take a look at Cooperative Extension’s new website for the Chatham Mills “Pollinator Paradise” Demonstration Garden at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/chathammills.html

I added some new sections, most notably a “What’s in Bloom” list with photos of – you guessed it – all the plants currently blooming in the garden in Pittsboro. The website will continue to expand with lots more photos of all the plants plus other information. The garden is looking great and we are looking forward to having a good year with continued educational programming. The website includes a list of all the plants on site plus the nurseries where we purchased them.

We will be conducting monthly garden tours on the third Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm, starting May 19. No need to register…just show up!

Also, mark your calendars now for our 4th Annual National Pollinator Week Celebration to be held Saturday June 26! You can see photos of past celebrations on the website. We hope to see you there!

Whether you live near Pittsboro or find yourself passing through, come visit our pollinator paradise!

Debbie

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
www.growingsmallfarms.org
twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms

Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:15:38 -0400
From: Debbie Roos
Subject: Pittsboro Farmers’ Market on Facebook!

I created a Facebook page for the Pittsboro Farmers’ Market so please check it out and become a fan! We think that this will be a great way for vendors and customers to interact and connect. We will post the latest info on market happenings and offerings, as well as photos. You can find a link to the page from the Pittsboro Farmers’ Market

website at http://www.pittsborofarmersmarket.org.

Please help spread the word about the page and the market and let’s all support our farmers!

Debbie

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
www.growingsmallfarms.org
twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms

Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:30:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: Billy Thornton
Subject: Busy Bee Farm

Stopped by the Busy Bee Farm on the way back from Sanford to see John. While I was there I picked up four types of lettuce, some spinach and some radishes. John was still out working at 6:30 pm trying to get some rows ready to plant some more produce. He had just finished putting in some purplehull peas, giant calico beans, wax beans and okra. He has lettuce, spinach, radishes and some flowers ready to go. He has a salad tray of three different types of lettuce ready now. If you are wanting fresh lettuce that you can pick or flowers that you can put along your deck give him a call at 542-5890.

The lettuce, spinach and radishes that I got made a terrific salad for me tonight.

Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:43:39 -0400
From: trentt
Subject: Re: Chicken Talk

I’ve had chickens for a year and I have 7 hens and 1 rooster. I get  usually 5 or 6 eggs a day. You can usually get about 5 eggs per week  from 1 hen in good weather. If you can get chickens I’d recommend a  “chicken tractor” type of pen. It’s like a 1 room apartment with a  screened in porch. You can see images of them on Craigslist in the farm  & garden section. They look nice and appealing and are not run down and  weathered looking. They usually cost $300 or more if you buy a pre built  one but if you build your own I’d expect it would cost much less than  half of that.

As for chickens I’d say try whatever you’d like but my only  recommendations are getting a breed originating from the Northeast.  Something like a Delaware, Rhode Island Red, or New Hampshire Red. All  three breeds can be found from hatcheries or feed stores (Pittsboro  Feed, Tractor Supply, etc.). They will fare better in cold weather and  all 3 breeds lay a brown egg. The only downside of brown eggs are that  they sometimes are hard to peel if boiled. Good Luck!

Trent

Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:29:59 -0400
From: Ollie waddell
Subject: What I Saw At Pittsboro Farmer’s Market

Thursday with be the third week of new season for Pittsboro’s Farmers Market.  I was there last week, it was breezy but cool to look at all that was available. Starting on one side of the covered shed, here is what I saw:

Amy of Bonlee had a large variety of bedding plants, including wonderful impatiens. Also canned jam, jelly etc.

Next vendor had fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and fantastic just plucked asparagus.Green Dreams Farm had some of those great white Japanese turnips-
plus other fresh grown greens.
The vendor with wines was there, Frogpond Nursery from Sanford had a large variety of Host’s.

Charlean Beef was there with choice meats. Jim Massey, the Daylily King was there with goodies. Screech Owl Farms had a selection of fresh lettuce. Sunny Slope Greenhouse those wonderful plump red tomatoes.

Celebrity Dairy has those wonderful cheeses made from goat milk.  Joan Thompson had jellies, jams, etc. Plus home made sourdough bread, big big cookies.

Zambellannata had native trillium’s, Columbine, sweet Betsy (Carolina allspice) grape holly, blue phlox, wild strawberry plants. Weeping blue atlas cedar, rare Japanese maple. Vendor from Southern Pines had a large assortment of plants- patio tomatoes, herbs, veggie plants.

And guess what? It all happens all over again this Thursday at Chatham County Fairgrounds (behind Foodlion) hrs. 3:30-6:30. Don’t miss it!  Fresh, Fresh, Fresher!

Ollie

Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:49:46 -0400
From: Debbie Roos
Subject: PYO strawberries!

Jean’s Berry Patch in Apex – call for opening date (any day now!)

Oakley Farm in Chapel Hill – open now!

Visit Cooperative Extension’s Growing Small Farms website at http://www.ces..ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/pyofarms.html for details.

You can also find pre-picked local strawberries at our local farmers’ markets starting the week of April 26 (possibly sooner but it’s not a sure thing): http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/marketinfo.html

Debbie

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
www.growingsmallfarms.org
twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms