Garden Update!

So,

I bet you were wondering what was happening with our broccoli. It turns out that it is preparing to help fight cancer!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=broccoli-fights-cancer-by-clearing-11-01-27

Broccoli Fights Cancer By Clearing Bad Tumor Suppressors

Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds that preferentially destroy ineffective mutant p53 tumor suppressor proteins, but leave the good ones alone. Steve Mirsky reports.

Steve Mirsky would be proud!

This is what a full grown broccoli flower looks like. We netted our two main garden boxes to keep the chickens out.

Unfortunately netting out slugs is a little tougher.

There is a rumor out there that chickens are good for your garden.
There is a fact that chickens enjoy fresh veggie scraps from the kitchen.
I would like to propose that chickens all though not the brightest animals have sense enough associate food growing in the garden with well... food.

Exibit A:

Lounging in the garlic patch.

They like to dust bathe in the soil as well.

Chickens turn the soil, create loads (loads!) of fertilizer and eat a ton of bugs. Some wineries turn chickens loose in their vines to do all of this. Grape vines are tall enough that chickens can't get to the vital bits. But for home gardens, keep the chickens out!

Garlic crop, not doing so well.

This combined with a very nicely stated complaint by a neighbor that our chickens will not be welcome in his yard much longer (very understandable) has lead us to the decision that we are going to corral the poultry! Oh well, full time free range isn't going to work but part time is going to be better then nothing.