We forgot to bring out the camera to take photos of this, but on Sunday before my Grandma's party we took a side trip into Minneapolis to visit Devin and Heidi Quince and their two boys. I found their blog somehow or other and we started emailing right away. They consider themselves Urban Homesteaders too, and I can tell you they have really gone gung-ho about it! Do check out Devin's blog, The Quince Urban Homestead, for great photos of what they're up to.
Minneapolis does allow chickens and we were excited to visit their chicken coop and see all the lovely roosters they got (9 out of 12 chicks turned out to be roosters--ha!ha!). We got there right after they slaughtered 3 of them for meat, and I wish we could've seen that process. Boy, Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle has so many of us city kids wanting to raise and even um, process, our own food. It was their first time doing it and it seemed like they didn't find it difficult. I've always thought that if you're willing to eat meat you should be willing to do what it takes to bring it to the table. I don't feel squeamish about it at all. I think I am a farm girl at heart...
Anyway, the Quinces have nine new sexed chicks who are promised to be hens. They're on the front porch until they grow big enough for the coop. Pics of that on their blog, too. The kids were thrilled with all the animals, and they loved the two Quince boys right away. I knew as soon as I saw those two little guys hiding in the tall grasses with sticks in their hands, Eli could relate. The four kids ran around like wilderness urchins while we adults talked and learned as fast as we could for not-quite two hours.
It was cool to spend time with these guys with similar ideas and ideals to ours. Heidi is a geologist who worked/works for a geologist in Colorado who is hired by rich guys to find oil. He and she know how little there is out there. The writing's on the wall. That's why the change in lifestyle...
Minneapolis does allow chickens and we were excited to visit their chicken coop and see all the lovely roosters they got (9 out of 12 chicks turned out to be roosters--ha!ha!). We got there right after they slaughtered 3 of them for meat, and I wish we could've seen that process. Boy, Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle has so many of us city kids wanting to raise and even um, process, our own food. It was their first time doing it and it seemed like they didn't find it difficult. I've always thought that if you're willing to eat meat you should be willing to do what it takes to bring it to the table. I don't feel squeamish about it at all. I think I am a farm girl at heart...
Anyway, the Quinces have nine new sexed chicks who are promised to be hens. They're on the front porch until they grow big enough for the coop. Pics of that on their blog, too. The kids were thrilled with all the animals, and they loved the two Quince boys right away. I knew as soon as I saw those two little guys hiding in the tall grasses with sticks in their hands, Eli could relate. The four kids ran around like wilderness urchins while we adults talked and learned as fast as we could for not-quite two hours.
It was cool to spend time with these guys with similar ideas and ideals to ours. Heidi is a geologist who worked/works for a geologist in Colorado who is hired by rich guys to find oil. He and she know how little there is out there. The writing's on the wall. That's why the change in lifestyle...
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