Online Food Co-Op and Wool Dryer Balls

I belong to a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture program. The idea is to buy fresh, local ingredients from small, local farmers, instead of at big box stores or supermarkets. Consumers make sure farmers are paid fairly for their labor by bypassing the middle man. And by choosing to support farmers who raise animals humanely and who use sustainable growing methods, consumers can "vote with their dollars" for healthier food, a healthier environment, and for practices that align with their own values. Food dollars remain with the local economy, too, which adds value to the purchase. And the food tastes better, in my experience, than what you get in stores.

I belong to an online food co-op that supports several farmers in Virginia, the state where I live. The advantages of the coop are that I have a greater diversity of choices in my purchases, the farmers are already pre-screened for their use of sustainable methods, and I can order what I want each week, rather than have a box of what's available from foods pre-chosen for me.

The downside is, I tend to order a little impulsively because I get excited about all the exquisite offerings.

Sometimes this turns out well. This week I spent $20.00 for three "Eco-Friendly Wool Dryer Balls," for example, from Breeze Hill Farm in Powhatan, Virginia. Made from felted wool, they are fragrance-free and an all-natural way to reduce drying time in my clothes-dryer while softening clothes and reducing static cling. Commercial fabric softeners will reduce the absorbency of towels and diapers, but these felted balls will not.

I do not like fabric softeners or their strong fragrances, so I am happy with the purchase so far. The balls do seem to reduce drying time, but it's still too soon for me to decide about their softening and anti-static properties. I also bought some local honey from a farm in Chesapeake that is wonderful.

On the other hand, I bought a pound of shiitake mushrooms this week as well as three turnips. I have never cooked a turnip, and I'm not even sure I like them. And I have no idea what to do with a pound of fresh mushrooms. I thought they came dried, you see. I do know I will have to come up with some mushroom recipes and cook them up fast, because mushrooms only keep for a short time, and these were expensive for my budget at $9.00/lb. I also bought five pounds of wheat berries just because they seemed like a bargain. And, no, I don't mill my own flour, at least not yet.

But that's part of the fun and adventure of a CSA. I have already come up with a recipe for the wheat berries, one that I'll share in a separate post. And my new Twitter-pal Andy Bellatti shared a mushroom soup recipe with me that I can't wait to scale up and try.

Looking for a CSA or farmers' market near you? Local Harvest can probably hook you up.

**Update for May, 2012: The wool dryer balls are starting to come apart in the dryer. Strings from the insides of them are tying up pieces of laundry, making them harder to dry. And little bits of felt are getting on our darker clothes. They still do a great job softening clothes, even as ratty as they are getting. When my supplier has more, I will buy two packs of 3 balls in hopes they will last me all year.

**Update for February, 2013: I bought some more dryer balls from Gum Tree Farm.  These are smaller than the original ones, but seem to be working fine. The clothes sure seem to dry faster when the balls are in there! I don't think they eliminate static as well as the chemicals do, but otherwise I'm happy with them.

Longing for Urban Chickens

I live in Chesapeake, Virginia, which does not currently allow poultry anywhere except in areas zoned for agriculture. There is a national movement to raise "micro-flocks" of laying hens for their eggs in backyard spaces, even in urban centers. New York City even allows hens, and more and more people are keeping them as backyard pets. I have read City Chicks and other publications about responsible chicken keeping, and I could really use the hens' help in my garden. Properly managed, they eat pests and weeds and provide fertilizer to compost  for the garden while providing fresh, nutritious eggs and plenty of entertainment. They are as easy to keep as a cat. Unlike roosters, they are quiet, and they do not need roosters to lay eggs. Any hens I raised would have much happier, healthier lives than the poor animals raised in CAFOs for the mass-produced markets. I've started a Facebook Page for like-minded Chesapeake residents who would like to join forces with me in getting changes made to the law. If a resident and interested, like the page or leave me a comment here.

Update for 2012: We took some advice from City Chicks and actually found and read the animal-related laws in Chesapeake's municipal code. We might be able to have up to four "pet" chickens depending on our zoning, easements, etc. We plan to check on this when we can.

Update for February, 2012. We discovered that to have chickens in Chesapeake one must have at least 3 acres of land, which, alas, we do not. There is a petition to allow urban chickens in nearby Virginia Beach, VA. If Virginia Beach allows them, perhaps Chesapeake could be next? Needless to say, we are supporting the petition.

Update for March, 2012. The Facebook Page has 17 "likes" and some folks besides me posting on it, asking questions, and even a few tentative offers to help. I tend to be a "doer," so I have a hard time understanding the delay in storming City Hall, lol! I got a good suggestion to post flyers at the local feed stores that sell chicks. I am also researching the space requirements for a few chickens. Hint: it's A LOT less than three acres! But that's fodder for another post.

Update for April, 2012. The Facebook page has 30 "likes" and our group's online petition on Change.org has 58 signatures in three days as I type this. This video on underground chickens recently shared on the Facebook page shows how clean and well kept the birds can be and how much families can enjoy them. I hope the petition gets enough attention from actual Chesapeake residents. I suspect local voters will have the most clout with city council members.

Update for July, 2012. We have over 130 fans on our Facebook page, and the petition has reached its goal of over 500 signatures. Actually, we have close to 600. We got some positive publicity on Channel 3, WTKR news recently. We have one council member, Robert Ike, who is completely supportive, and there is real hope we can get this thing before the City Council in coming weeks.

Update for November, 2012: City Council voted on November 20 for TA-Z-12-07 with changes to allow up to six hens and with the removal of the privacy fencing requirement. Now all Hubby has to do is build us a coop! The ordinance comes with a one-year sunset clause. Council must vote by December 20, 2013 to keep the ordinance, or residents' rights will lapse. Those who already have them will be "grandfathered," however.

Update for November, 2013: City Council voted on November 26, 2013, to make the ordinance permanent. The vote was 6-3, with Council Members Debbie Ritter, Rick West, and Vice Mayor John De Triquet voting against the ordinance.

Oh, and our Facebook page has over 1,000 fans! Wow!