Boise Eagle Tour de Coops 2012 Rise of the Chicken!

It's that time of year again. The blessed event when Boise and Eagle turns up it's fabulousness and is home to the combined annual Boise/Eagle Tour de Coops. This year's theme is Henzilla: Rise of the Chickens. (Awesome).
So much hard work and effort is put into this event by Erik Kingston and his committee. We'd like to officially extend a BBC high five to all the wonderful people who participate in this event.

Erik was kind enough to answer a few questions before this years event.


1. What is the Tour de Coop? Where and when can we see it?

The event runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, September 22nd. See
www.boisechickens.com for details and registration information (along with
pictures from last year’s tour). We have various bikeable locations in NW
Boise and several coops in Eagle. The After Party follows the tour at North
End Organic Nursery (NEON) from 4-7pm. (Folks will still have time to hit
the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley’s shindig that evening). Last year we
did two days with around 10 coops in each location (too much) so we’re
sticking to one day this year.

2. How long have you been in "chickens"?

I got my first chickens in the spring of 2007. Three Silver-Laced Wyandottes
named Feather, Sparkle and Monkey Banana. They were soon joined by
Australorp Iris and Easter Egger Ginger. Their coop featured some recycled
materials from Second Chance and a few other projects. Here’s a picture of it
before it got covered by poo and chicken dust.

I used to run a community garden and fisheries coop in Salt Lake City, and
have always been interested in polyculture. I’m still threatening to add some
fish tanks to raise tilapia and prawns.

3. We love the Boise Tour de Coop posters past and present, who designs these and
what is the inspiration?

Thanks! I’ve kinda done the art direction on promotional materials the past
three years. The first ‘Chicken Head’ art was a photo I took of two of our
Wyandottes and processed in Photoshop. I added the eggs to the type as an
afterthought.

Last year we commissioned Ward Hooper to design the super cool bike
wheel/chicken rider art. This year Chelsea Snow at bricolage turned me on to
local artist James Lloyd as soon as she heard about the ‘Henzilla’ theme...he
rocked it. I manage the boisechickens site and we all use the FaceBook page
to share info.

4. Can you comment on the growth of backyard chickens in Boise? How do you feel
about it?

Well, the theme this year is ‘Rise of the Chickens,’ which is a nod to a
recent 2012 study that estimated around 90,000 urban chicken coops in
the U.S. and projected that number to double next year. I think backyard
chickens are like many things. Done right, they are an urban analogue to 4H,
providing fresh eggs, recycling scraps, controlling insects and generating
some thermonuclear-grade material for compost. But there is a downside
to chickens if folks don’t pay attention to conditions and let noise, flies
and odors become a nuisance for neighbors. It’s important for folks to be
responsible and considerate. We’ve always subscribed to the ‘Eggs for Peace’
program with our neighbors. I’ve heard some not-so-nice stories of neighbor
issues, some involving dogs.

5. What safety precautions are taken to prevent coop to coop contamination?

We consulted the folks at Wasatch Community Gardens (I was the E.D. back
in the 90s) in Salt Lake City and use foot baths with a peroxide solution at
each location. We ask visitors to step through the solution both entering and
exiting each coop location. We also alert hosts to this issue and encourage
them to be aware.

6. What are your favorite types of chickens? Why?

Personally, I like our Wyandottes and Australorp for personality; they’re
good listeners. Our Easter Egger is a drama queen. All our girls have pretty
much slowed down or stopped laying after 5 years. I’m interested in maybe
getting one or two Buckeyes (purportedly good mousers) and Marans for
their cool chocolate eggs.




Maps. Following traditions established in other Tour de Coop events, there
are no 'tickets' per se. We're encouraging visitors/tour guests to register
online at http://2012boiseeagletourdecoop.uticketit.com. Once registered
(and when the maps are finalized this evening), each registrant will be sent
a map that can be shared with family or a small group of friends (around
five people, give or take). This is in part how we cover our individual out-of-
pocket costs for posters and such like, and create a foundation for next year’s
event. Folks are on the honor system here, and we trust that no one will copy
and distribute or forward the map.

Shirts. The shirts this year turned out great, thanks to artist James Lloyd and
the pros at Deadwood Designs. We have Men’s and Women’s styles, Youth
sizes and will be ordering limited edition black tees for the grunge-at-heart
crowd.

After Party. The charming and talented ladies at NEON are so amazing.
They are hosting the After Party this year (They hosted in Year 1 and then
Zamzow’s hosted last year), and have arranged for Payette Brewing and
several food trucks to be on site. They have also organized some live music
for the event, which runs from 4-7pm on the 22nd.

Directions to coops. Besides the maps, we’ll have 11" x 17" host posters
with the Henzilla art and the word HOST in big letters. These get posted
at gates and driveway entrances to take the guesswork out of the final
approach.

Hygiene/safety. You’ll also see a poster that encourages safety and hygiene
that should be near the foot bath at the entry/exit point of  the chicken area.

Who is doing this and why? Short list consists of Gretchen Andersen (author of The Backyard Chicken Fight), Martha Lane, Elizabeth Donick-Swisher, Sallie Herrold
 (who just purchased and is rehabbing the Hollywood Market), and Kelsey Nunez.
 In 2010, I ran into Dave Krick from Bitter Creek shortly after returning from the Salt Lake
City Tour de Coop, run by an organization I led in the early 90s. They now
have an entire ‘Chicken Week.’ Dave had wanted to do something like that
in Boise to help folks share information about chicken wrangling so, a few of
us got things organized and made it happen. I still maintain this is all Dave’s
fault.

We all chipped in to plan and implement the tour, and crossed our fingers
that we would not lose money. We partnered the first two years with a
local nonprofit and donated the net to them at the end of each year. We are
currently negotiating with another local food-related nonprofit to take over

the tour's administration and finances, while offering to help with the heavy lifting 

on a voluntary ad-hoc basis in the future. 

We'd love it if other folks wanted to step up and get involved going forward, and we’ll have a volunteer signup sheet at the after party. It's a fair bit of work and time, but people seem to enjoy the tour and it's a good way for someone to understand what backyard chickens are about

Lets Go To The Fair!

I've often told my husband that we should seriously consider inventing a car freshener scent that smells like the Fair. But what would such a lovely yet abominable creation smell like? Fried Cokes, cotton candy and kettle corn with just a hint of sawdust.

It's that time of year again. It happens right at the end of summer every year. It's time when the fair comes to town.
There are many reasons I attend fairs. Being a busy mother, artist, blogger and urban farm wife,  "free time" is elusive and nearly mythical around these parts.
 Urban Farm Euphoria for me is the agricultural and exposition portion of the fair. I found myself, almost embarrassingly, skipping on the pathway leading to the exposition building.

Walking through the heavy glass doors was like walking into a building of homespun reverence: a magical land of baked goods, spun yarn and gourmet vinegars. Kaleidescopic quilts hang immensely overhead like  proud homages to the homesteading gods. Baskets of gourmet goods bursting with homemade crafts.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the Grand Reserve Champion ribbons. Royal Purple in color, the satin bows were proudly displayed on the winning entries, carefully kept under eye and even behind locked glass cabinets. The idea of receiving a reward, for what I consider an art form that is experiencing a resurgence lately, is wholly perfect. The modern urban homesteading and self-sustainability movement should remember, just for a moment, these dusty symbols of extremely talented handiwork that existed long before our current, hipster-farm mindset.


In the Home-Arts area I met another family who were handling their area together. Each was helping by answering questions and handing out recipe cards.

Beverly Goodwin of Sweet, ID in front of her winning basket for preserves.

 Beverly's soft smiling eyes and easy handshake seem to tell me that she would answer all of my eager questions. She swiftly turned her crotchet needle quick and sure while she smiled and told me that this is her eighth happy year at the Western Idaho Fair. Since starting, it has grown into a family affair that now includes her brother and sister.

Some of those I spoke with were participating for the first year, like teacher Wylene Knight from Horseshoe Bend, who was nervously awaiting her homemade bread to be judged. I wished her the best.

When we spoke, Beverly had taken an early lead and ended up walking away with numerous honors this year. She took home six 1st-place ribbons for her Strawberries, Apricots, Grapes, Thyme, Tarragon and Almonds.

Since this particular fair has a large open class, it really is one of the best kept secrets for those participating in the Home and Agricultural  'arts'  to get recognition for their hard work throughout the year.


I took my time, browsing the agriculture buildings, speaking with enthusiasts and fair participants in different areas.

Chris and Tina Abe own and operate Fuji Farm, in Nampa, Idaho, raising Nigerian Dwarf goats. Tina cheerfully considers their dream a family endeavor. Their farm is home to more than six Grand Champion prize goats.

Photo credit Fuji Farms. This is  GCH Sandy Hollow UK 2*M 

 All four kids help pitch in with the the daily milking and farm chores.
With determined smiles they handled each of the goats, taking them individually for their afternoon walks. One by one, The goats marched out, some with noses as small as acorns and dark eyes that lure you to scratch their nobby little heads just a minute longer. I spent about twenty relaxing minutes with one of their smaller goats who was both tame and sweet. I highly recommend goat-petting for what ails you.

Because I took my time, my fair experience has forever changed my respect for those who contribute both their talents and their time to pull off such a tremendous event every year.

Patiently waiting with a flower in her tail.

The Chicken Exposition building shares it's space with the Cavies (Guinea Pigs) and Rabbits. So of course my head almost exploded with the amount of cuteness overload in one building.

Grand Reserve/Champion Bantam Plymouth Barred Rock White

Handsome show Rooster

Robin Hopper has been working in the Chickens division for fifteen years and answered all my sometimes silly questions with a smile and wink. Chicken entries this year have gone up and she says she definitely sees the backyard chicken trend being represented more than in the past last few years.

Robin Hopper in the poultry building was so helpful

The youngest man I interviewed ( he was around 11) smiled with a boyish face behind his ginger hair. He had entered and took home ribbons with two handsome cochins. His older brother proudly held his prize-winning Polish crested hen. He talked excitedly about his interest in raising and showing his chickens and pigeons.

Satinette Pigeon Hen

This is a way of life for these boys and their family. Their mom sweetly pushed a stroller by the plexiglass display holding newly hatched quail as small as dimes.

Hatching quail

I imagined for a moment what it would be like to win one of those gorgeous, flamboyant Grand Reserve Champion ribbons for one of my chickens, a batch of beautiful eggs, or a jar of Strawberry-Ginger Jam.
As stated above, there are many reasons I go to the Fair. Upon reflection, I'll have to admit my favorite memories were not the entries that ranged the gamut from Light Horse Mule Driving to pickled pints of asparagus. It was remembering the genuineness of the people of Idaho who I had the opportunity to talk and share with. Of course next year, I'll want a ribbon too.

Grand/Reserve Champion blue eggs. 

 View results from the 2012 Western Idaho Fair.

Pysanky egg-sperience

How do I know it's spring?

It's that time of year when I itch to sleep outside again.  Which worries me that my sense of weather is run by my innate girl scout, not a seasoned urban farmer.  Neither of which is necessarily going to help me explain my egg-addiction.

They are perfect globes of compacted nature with babies/food inside. And every spring they begin showing up like magic falling right out of a chickens behind. 




This spring I wanted to appropriately express my gol' durn amazement at this mystical process.
Then I recalled something in my brain. The part of my brain where I keep all the crafts, magazine clippings, urban farm lifestyle tips and funny animal you-tube videos.
It's a big area, so it took me a while to remember the name.  Pysanky

 I needed supplies:  Ukranian annaline egg dyes, Kitska, pencil, beeswax, glass jars,egg stand, spoons.

For future record, should anyone ask, there are no Ukranian Pysanky Supply shops in the greater Boise Idaho area.

Heck if this girl scout was beat. I rustled up some o' my own version rigged Idaho style from what I had in the house/art store.

Beeswax - Check

Beeswax melter tool/batik/kitska - Check 

Eggs- Check 

Food Egg Dye- Check

Several glass jars - Check

Spoons- Check

Big table in messy art studio that I should have cleaned before taking pictures - Check.

Over caffeinated cheerleader enthusiasm  - You're damn straight.

Thank you Rabinowitz Design, you saved my arms many wax burns from my first attempt with a less expensive tool. I'm hoping my arm hair will grow back in those areas soon

I did some  research on the internet and was inspired and touched by the idea that Pysanky Eggs were meant not to be kept but to given to others as a gift. Normally when I research a project I take weeks reading, researching and taking notes.
This time I had twenty-two minutes until the next Sponge Bob video was done entertaining my five year old. 

Let me preface the following experience by explaining that my ego was riding a little high by being fortunate enough to have our Boise Backyard Chickens Blog and Facebook Page mentioned in the Idaho Statesman in an article about chickens in Boise.

For all intents and purposes I was kind of a jack ass about the whole Pysanky "challenge".

No problem,  I could master this centuries old art in an afternoon in the art studio.
Needless to say I was confused when my first egg came out so broken and muddy colored
that I sent the contributing hen a mental apology for the tragedy I just inflicted on her perfectly good egg.
Then one after another to my horror the eggs just got a little bit better, but that's about it.

My artistic talents in this area should transfer right? Nope. Nopity, nope, nope.
 What did transfer is my artistic sense of self censure and obsessive compulsiveness about line spacing. I figured my ego was probably just smacking itself back into the real Idaho spring air.

These market food dyes didn't do the job

The outcome were some pretty interesting looking eggs.
None of them look like Pysanky Eggs. Not even a little. 

Of course I can laugh about it now,but if you had asked me about it a day ago I'd have still been pretty warm about my ignorance and frustration.

I've decided that I like my eggs, and I'm going to be brave and give them to friends and family as tokens of love and luck. Ugly, ugly eggshell luck.

Better luck and preparedness to you during this holiday from the Boise Backyard Chickens Urban Farm.

To learn more about Psanka/Pysanky visit: 

Learn Pysanky.com

http://www.pysankybasics.com/blog-tips.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanka

http://www.learnpysanky.com/suppliers/suppliers_us.html