Take one middle class, American family, living in suburbia and mix with a desire for a simpler, greener, more local life, and what do you get? Down on the funny farm, adventures in suburban farming, a three year project with a modern family nearly clueless about farming.
We are a family of five living just outside the Seattle area, with a desire to live a slower and fuller life. We want to know where our food comes from and that it is healthy to eat. We want to leave less of an impact on our beautiful environment and grow closer as a family.
So welcome to our blog: Down on the Funny Farm. Now meet the cast of comedic characters:
Julie Ann: Mom and principal instigator of the project. I'm a former biologist and biotech scientist now pursuing writing, ecologocial causes, and education.
Dave: Dad and former military man. I'm the principal investor of the project and hoping for a good return.
Ari: Daughter and newly graduated. I just started my college degree in anthropology, and my family is a cultural study in and of itself.
Alex: Son and wielder of a wickedly witty sense of humor. "To bean or not to bean, that is not the question..."
Anni: Daughter and a dynamo of spirit. I can't see well , but I truly live through every other sense. I love dirt!
Barkley: Woof! arf! arf! (translation: I'm Anni's service dog and chief defender against ferocious squirrels.)
As if to officially kick off our experiment in suburban farming, we had a barnyard visit yesterday afternoon. Just how it managed to escape it's coop and arrive in our backyard is a mystery. Barkley was more than perplexed by this large bird. It was Anni who alerted us to its presence by repeating, "I hear it, I hear it!" and sure enough, she was right. One of the neighbor's turkey flock was parading around with ever panicking gobbles. His cohorts on the other side of the fence were responding with a rising cresendo of their own. Barkley ran and hid in his kennel, ferocious beastie that he is. After a quick trip around the block, the wayward turkey was returned to its rightful side of the fence, and all was again peaceful by side of the veggie patch.
Stay tuned for more info on the goals of the project and what we've tried so far. More pictures coming too.
Julie Ann
1 comment:
Woo hoo!! Go suburban farmers go!!
Okay, so "rocket" is arugula?? Really? On my only trip to London I had a veggie sandwich with about twelve items on it, half of which I didn't recognize. I asked "what's rocket?" and the waiter launched into a long discourse that invoked a British celebrity and at the end I still had no clue.
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