Up Coming Farm Events

March 9th, 2010

April 3 Austin’s second annual Funky Chicken Coop Tour

April 10 Slow Food Austin tour at Springdale Farm – come learn about sustainable urban farming   http://slowfoodaustin.org/

April 11 East Austin Urban Farm Tour featuring four urban farms within walking distance of each other: Springdale Farm, Hausbar Farm, Rain Lily Farm, and Boggy Creek Farm. Food tastings, music, and more, all benefiting Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. More info soon. Or call us at 386-8899.

Meet the Newest Members of our Staff

March 2nd, 2010

These cuties have come to the farm to work! They are Runner Ducks – voracious foragers. Unlike chickens, who love the vegetables, these guys are some bug hunting, bug eating, workers! And I will be talking to them specifically about snails! Runner Ducks are sometimes called Penguin ducks. They will not waddle (although I must say, they are TOTALLY awkward now: they look like they’re trying to walk with flippers on! Imagine!). These guys will stand upright and mostly run. Run right after those snails, I’m hoping!

These guys came in the mail. That’s always so strange to me. Last time, we picked up the chickens at the post office. But the mailman brought these babies right to our door. So I guess they’d been riding around in the mail truck talking to the postmaster for a while. Amazing. But the real surprise, if you will notice, are the pointed beaks on some of these ducks. Huh? No bill? Wait, those aren’t ducks! So here’s the deal: Poultry People just don’t know what to do with all the roosters that hatch that no one wants. There are actually some truly horrific poultry stories that abound about what happens to unwanted rooster chicks. But in this case, FIVE roosters were packed with the ducks to “keep them warm.” Hmm.

So I’m wondering if the ducks will grow up thinking they’re chickens? or the chickens will think they’re ducks?  And what will the pecking order be?  Do chickens swim?

Sunshine!

February 21st, 2010

We don’t always have water in the creek, but we’ve had plenty this winter.  In fact, seeing the sun has been a wonderful change of pace around here.

Just driving in and out has presented a problem.

But we finally dried out enough to plow up another field. We removed two old, unused greenhouses to create more crop space. Next, we’ll have to incorporate our rich compost. After it’s tilled in, we’ll form raised bed rows and be ready to plant. Come on Sunshine! Just a few more days, please!

Meet Miss Dotty

February 17th, 2010

Meet Miss Dotty.  She’s the one that has discovered the grass is greener on the other side.  She is not outside the actual coop, but she’s outside the play yard because… well… she thinks she’s special.  And I guess she is.  There’s always one in every crowd, right?  This weekend, enjoying the sunshine, we left the office door open, and she just walked right in.  I think she’s the new Queen Hen.  She’s actually one of the new chicks – the chicks that are now called Pullets.

And the pullets are beginning their first laying season.  They begin laying eggs when they are around 20-23 weeks old.  Their first pullet eggs are very small – and highly prized by many chefs.  The hens will lay larger and larger eggs until the eggs are full size by the time the hens are around 30 weeks old.  They are learning what the nesting boxes are for, but we still check closely in all the nooks are crannies for stray eggs.  Just like an Easter egg hunt!


  • Currently growing:

    broccoli, leaf lettuce, head lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, swiss chard, beets, spinach, collard greens, arugula, turnips, carrots, cilantro, basil, chives, chamomile, fennel, parsley, marjoram, thyme, dill, scallions, garlic, shallots, onions, brussel sprouts, rutabaga, mustard green, chinese cabbage, napa cabbage, lavendar, oregano, sugar snap peas, winter squash, peppers,

  • Contact

    755 Springdale Road
    Austin, Texas 78702
    512.386.8899

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