The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces,
or at least not try to defy them. ~ Paul Hawken
Fall, the time to plan for raising your own flock next spring. If you are concerned that factory farming is harmful to the environment, that the egg industry engages in and promotes cruelty to animals or that Big Ag commercial farming practices put us all at risk for salmonella contaminated food and contributes to antibiotic-resistant infections, this class is for you.
These are two young girls, Bridgett and Catherine, I helped mentor for their TEDx Asheville talk on factory farming.
The joy and satisfaction of being a good steward to the environment and to all animals is at the heart and soul of Mother Hen’s Chicken School. The curriculum is designed to teach others to become Confident, Compassionate and Organically-minded CHicKenERs. Mother Hen, aka Cathy Williams, presents four comprehensive and successive classes that also includes a mini coop tour, including hers! Attendees receive a discount coupon for a private half hour site consultation. Students will also receive a discount coupon for a Mother Hen Beginner CHicKeNer Kit. Handouts include Mother Hen’s favorite products, web sites and books will be available.
The school curriculum includes how to optimally place the coop and run for maximum utility and efficiency that align with a chicken’s natural behaviors. Do you know if your coop will be legal? Compliance with city ordinances will be addressed. For eighteen months Mother Hen and a handful of others worked to convince Asheville lawmakers to relax the laws. She knows the law!
- At a recent class touting local author, Ashley English’s, excellent book.
In the session on health and wellness, students will learn how to recognize basic chicken maladies and provide treatment, organically where possible. Cathy shares her favorite homemade inexpensive immune-system-boosting recipes. And let’s face it, all the start-up costs can add up. In Mother Hen’s Chicken School you’ll get tips on learning how, where and what to buy cheaply and what not to buy at all, despite what others say. Breed selections for our mountain area will be discussed and how best to keep your birds healthy and happy. You might discover some surprisingly counter-intuitive facts for optimal hen health. Another plus, you’ll get feedback from other chicken folks. On the coop tour, seasoned CHicKenERs share some of their challenges and successes.
Cathy is passionate about teaching others about the joys of back yard chickens and has been an invited speaker on numerous occasions and presented over thirty free public talks on Compassionate CHicKenInG, via meetup.com. She applies her appreciation for laughter and lightness in her presentations. Here’s what recent attendees had to say about their experience:
April 2011 monthly group meeting. The delightful Libby McDougall shared her expertise on vermiculture, growing our own worms. She is seated front row, second from the left.
“This was perhaps the most fun meetup I have ever attended. All the personal stories I heard about “the Girls” from everyone in attendance were so informative and loving. I also learned that caring for chickens is far more complicated than I ever imagined, but worth it for the company they provide. This is a really fun and personal group. I love it.” ~Neill
“A fun meetup as always! Can’t wait for the next one!” ~Angie
“Way fun Cathy! As always, a great time…”Ellen
“Learned a lot of new things. Always a great place to get answers to your own particular issues.” ~Mike and Susan
“Thanks for all the pertinent information. I am one stop closer to getting my girls.” ~Sebette
Register here by September 1, tuition is $69. Thereafter, tuition is $75. Chicken School students will receive six hours of instruction for a fraction of Cathy’s normal consulting rate. Mother Hen Consulting fees begin at $50 per hour. Here’s the great news: The rate of tuition for all classes and field trips is the equivalent of paying a consulting fee of $10 per hour–$.16 a minute! That’s $17.25 per class to learn and avoid mistakes you don’t and won’t have to make. Honestly, for the money, you won’t find a better value. If you do, let me know. And lastly, students will receive a bonus discount coupon for upcoming single event workshops. At a recent monthly gathering, I asked seasoned Chickeners to share their list of the Top Five things they wish they had known before they started. You’ll get that list on the first night of class. I hope to share how back yard chickening brought new joy and satisfaction in my life. I hope you’ll come and see what it’s all about.
Via con Huevos.
cash in a GROUPON North Carolina Mountain balloon ride. The photo here is my very first balloon ride. It was a present to myself to celebrate my 50th year.. That’s me on the right side in the blue jacket. It was a grand ride. I listened to Andrea Botticelli w/ my ear buds. Getting back to this year, three of us, Julie Bass Ransom and Natalie Aicha Mahr all bought tickets together. Gifted women, sweet friends…now that I think about it, this was my very first Groupon purchase last spring! It was exciting! Getting anything for half off excites me! Cashing in the coupon and actually doing it, well, it was an exhilarating process and down right frustrating. On all four attempts to fly with the birds, unsafe winds and funky weather kept us from going up. Next spring when the tulips and dogwood are blooming we’ll try again. The next Groupon purchase I snapped up is for a flying lesson. Which leads me to wondering. Have I told you lately how truly grateful and happy I am about my life these days?
Art that features birds flying or in trees fascinate me. Plus I’ve been Googling about wildlife rehabing. I want a crow friend.
Is there such a thing as too many coops? My friend Diane and I often choose to catch up with one another at a local bookstore. We each get a stack of magazines and sit and talk as we leaf through the pages. This little gypsy coop was in one of the magazines. Who wants one just like it?
MoTHeR HeN's CHicKeN CLuB 