Introducing Precise Holistic Complete dog and cat food!

Stop by the Farm Supply on any given day, and you are likely to find as many dogs as people here. We love our animals, and are happy to work in a place where we can bring our best friends to work every day. On our staff, we've got employees who have trained police dogs and herding dogs, guys who run hunting dogs, and one jerk who has one of the largest livestock protection dogs around working as a baby guardian and lap warmer. (I'll raise my hand to that one and swear he had a job when we got him!)

It is needless to say we are passionate about dog food. Most of us can flip over a sack of new dog food and identify the top ten best and worst ingredients and gauge how well a certain food will work for a certain age and breed size in a matter of a few seconds. We have declined to carry and even stopped carrying a number of dog and cat foods that we felt were of poor quality. We carry our discount feeds, but we pride ourselves in our good ones. And when a new food lands on our table, we're happy to share it.

The Precise Holistic Complete line is one of those "micro-brewery" dog foods. Produced by the family-owned Texas Farm Products Company they have been producing dog food for 563 dog years, right here in the USA. In that time, not only have they never had a single recall or scare, their testing protocols are being adopted by the USDA! They own and operate their own production facility here in the US, and test every ingredient before it is allowed into the premises.

 

Their line of dog foods include the Precise Holistic Wild at Heart Flight Line and River Line produced with duck and Turkey and Salmon, respectively. With 24% crude protein and 15% crude fat and featuring human certified sources of fiber (no disgusting byproducts) they are complete all-life-stages dog foods with top quality ingredients and absolutely no nasty fillers like corn and wheat.

Important to a Great Dane / Mastiff mix owner like myself, their large and giant breed puppy and adult foods are endorsed by the Linda Arndt, "The Great Dane Lady" canine nutritionist. Their giant breed foods are formulated with just the right amount of protein and fat for the growth and maintenance stages of a large dog and with additional DHAs and Omega 3s to assure continued joint health.

They also just started offering their flight and river lines in a canned dog food! Now even those fussy dogs who turn their noses up at kibble can enjoy the prime nutrition of a quality dog food! And the ingredients are truly remarkable, with no meat meals and featuring pure salmon turkey, trout  duck and other whole foods.

Have a cat? Precise Holistic Complete also makes River and Flight lines for cats with salmon and chicken along with fruits, vegetables and probiotics to assure a long and healthy life for your feline companions.

We've got quite a few sample bags available right now, so next time you drop in to pick up some food, take a few with you to see if your dog or cat might like the make the switch. And talk to any of our knowledgeable staff to discover some great tricks for making an informed food change with none of the stress!  (You'd be surprised how easy it can really be!) 

For more information, visit their great website at precisepet.com!

15% Off! Hot Apple Cider Day: December 11th!

Fight off that winter cold with a nice hot cup of our famous apple cider and enjoy 15% off everything in the store! Bring the kids for lots of fun activities including cookie decorating and making hand made bird feeders! The livestock swap will be going on as well, so there should be lots of cute animals to fawn over or even take home! See you there!

Allium cepa, Allium sativum

The time is now to get your sets in! If you've never planted garlic or onions, you have to give it a try! They are one of the easiest things to grow over winter here, and even if you mess up, you'll have some good results!

For best results, garlic and onions should be grown in loose, well drained soil. While many garden books say to plant in spring, DON'T! Out growing season is too short, and by getting them in a few weeks before first frost, you'll allow them to grow just enough to survive their winter dormancy.

Our recent haphazard springs over the last two years have played havoc on onions, since the back and forth between heat and cold often forces them to seed. Onions that have seeded cannot be stored, as they have a hollow core, which invites rot. However, the seed heads and stalks are easily sautéed, and leaving flowering onions in the ground until the minute you want to use them brings amazing flavor to your table!

Garlic can flower, seed, and get trampled to almost no ill result. My first year planting garlic, it contended with bear, deer and great dane puppies tramping through the patch, and we had an excellent harvest.

To plant garlic, break the bulb apart and place the cloves in rows, one foot part and six inches apart It is best to plant them right side up, with the pointed tip facing upwards, though they'll figure out a way to right themselves if you don't. Onions use the same spacing, but after planting, you want to pack them down a bit, otherwise they tend to push their crowns out of the ground.

As they grow, you may occasionally have to re-mound soil around the tops of the bulbs to keep them from getting sun scarred. Make sure to keep the moisture level steady, never water logging or allowing the soil to completely dry out.

Onions and garlic are ready to harvest when the tops of the plants brown and wilt, usually in mid to late summer. I like to bunch my garlic together with just twine and hang them by their stalks to dry. Onions are easiest to harvest when their stalks fall down. Take a firm rake and rake gently along the top of the rows to break off the tops, and let the onions sit in the ground. A day or two later, pull the onions up out of the ground and leave them sitting for a day or two to further cure. You can use them  right out of the ground, but this curing makes them store better through winter. You should let them dry single stacked in a cool, dry, place protected from excess light if possible, then stack them in milk crates, mesh bags or similar containers once the weather starts to cool. Keeping them in a dark place helps prevent sprouting.

Cleaning the internet. . .

Taking advantage of a new office, and resulting hermitage, I set out this month to take advantage of the lessened distractions to really clean things up for ALL of the Farm Supply internet hangouts. You'll notice, of course, the new look at our blog (mendocinocountyfarmsupply.blogspot.com, for those of you reading this through syndication or Facebook). But I've also cleaned up our website at www.farm-supply.com to make it easier to use. It's got better, cleaner navigation, and some changed features. We removed the unused classifieds sections (go craigslist!) and added all of our old newsletters (a surprisingly long process to get them formatted right). I'll slowly be adding old features back, such as our facebook widget, etc, but I am now doing some serious backend work to make sure it all fits together right, instead of looking perpetually kludged.

Our paper newsletter, the growing gazette, is growing. Tired of being limited to such a small space, I'm trying out a paper version of the "read more" link. Now our newsletters will feature the beginnings of articles that will be kept in there entirety on the web. Those of you who saved my three part series on planting onions and garlic last year, will be glad to know this month's newsletter features a consolidated revision and the originals are now on the website. if you'd like to subscribe to our e-mail newsletters, you can sign up by registering at www.farm-supply.com! Newsletter articles will be featured in the articles section of the website, as well as here on our blog.

So, check it out, and if you love it or hate it, let me know! I'll just be sitting here in my hermitage. . .

Hay Days 15% OFF EVERYTHING!- Saturday October 16th

We do two big sales each year, and when we say big, we mean big. To begin with, everything is 15% off, except Nutro products which are $10 off ALL OF THEM! (Big thanks to Nutro) Additionally, we try to make these big sales more of an event. For our autumn Hay Day, we've got quite a bit going on.


The Livestock Swap
We've moved our usual second Saturday livestock swap to the third Saturday this month, to mesh with Hay Day, which means a lot more people to see your animals. If you haven't made it out to a swap yet, this will be the day to check it out. We've have just about any animal you can imagine here, from Guinea Pigs to Horses. It is proving to be a fun place for families to bring their kids after the Farmer's Market, as it does have a sort of petting zoo feel to it.


Well Mannered Mutts
Sallie Palmer, one of our favorite dog trainers will be on hand offering spot training, tips and advice to dog owners. Sally's business, well mannered mutts spent quite a bit of time holding classes in our warehouse and she is one of the best trainers we've ever seen. If you've ever been impressed by the behavior of one of the Farm Supply dogs, thank Sally. (No, the rowdy bunch of mini-aussies out front have not met her yet)


Ukiah Natural Foods
October is national co-op month, and we've joined forces with Ukiah Natural Foods to increase awareness of the importance of the Co-Op structure to local economies. It seems very few people remember that the Farm Supply has been a co-op for 61 years, and it's time for that to change. Did you know that with you farm Bureau membership you become eligible for a patronage dividend that has been as high as 16% in the past? We're also proud to offer 5% off every day to all Ukiah Natural Food Co-Op owner/members. Just come in and show your card or key fob, and we'll set you up!


PGG Seed / Agricom Seed
The endlessly entertaining expert, John Snyder will be here discussing best practices for cover cropping, erosion control and building soil and pasture health. Even if you just have a bare patch in your lawn, John is worth talking to you, he'll set you in the right direction, and leave you laughing for the rest of the day. We're still trying to get him to do a stand up routine mid-day.


Roni McFadden Book Signing
Farm Supply has long been a primary underwriter of many programs at Ridgewood Ranch, this historic home of Seabiscuit. When we were approached to sponsor the publication of "Josephine, a Tale of Hope and Happy Endings." the support the T.R.A.I.L program at Ridgewood, we jumped on it! Month later, the book is a huge success, and we are happy to invite Roni McFadden here to talk about her book and sign copies!


The Raffles!
Alright, if you've ever been to one of our big sales, you've probably won a raffle prize. This time, Darcie went all out and bent every arm in the industry! We've got giveaways from EQ Solutions, Lextron Animal Health, Farmer's Feed, John F. Mahaney Hardware, Ware, Greenies, Science Diet, Farnam, Natures Miracle, Fresh Cab, Petmate, Veterinary Supply Incorporated, Precision Pet products, Wrangler, and more. We're sorting things out now to try and make sure everybody wins something, as we've got about three pallets worth of stuff hidden away!

Mendocino County Horse and Equestrian Supply!

I've never had the land, time or money to own a horse, though I love their immense grace and power. As such, I haven't written much about Mendocino County Farm Supply's equestrian offerings on here for fear of being readily identified as a greenhorn. As the years go by, however, I have grown to become much more familiar with our horse feed and tack options thanks to the help of people like Denise, Sam and Darcie, our resident horse experts.

Horse Feed & Supplements


We carry the largest selection of feed in our county, with offerings from LMF, TDI, Nutrena, ASI and more. We also carry everything you need to create a fully balanced custom feeding routine for your horse, be it a retired mare, or a champion barrel racer. Our bi-annual events (Customer Appreciation Day, and Hay Day) often feature equestrian nutrition experts who can not only evaluate your horses health and body scoring, but can also advise you on maximizing your feed's results.

Need supplements? We've got em, and we know that everyone has very specific tastes. We carry every major brand of equine supplements, so you can get exactly what you want from the brands you trust. Fat supplements, glucosamine, micro-minerals, electrolytes and even colostrum from a number of respected brands.

Horse Shoes and Farrier Supplies

We carry every type of horse shoe you could want, from St. Croix and Delta, in every size possible. We also feature a remarkable selection of farrier and black smithing supplies including anvils from 75 to 150 lbs, tongs, rasps, nails and yes, even we even sell the least expensive propane in town! Do you prefer your horse barefoot? We've got Cavallo and Delta boots in every size.

Tack and Saddlery

From saddle blankets and harnesses to lunge whips and cribbing collars, we've got every horse supply you need. if you've been to any of our local rodeos, trail rides or shows, you've seen much of our selection hard at work; cactus and fastback ropes, breakaways and a full selection of custom roping supplies. Of course, we've also got riding helmets, spurs and all the standard fare.

For optimum training and practice with your performance or rodeo horse, we've got roping dummies, including calf and steer heads, heels and steer stands. No matter if you are packing out, gathering cattle, hunting or just enjoying our immense number of regional trails in the company of your equestrian companion, we've got what you need. Make your own, or just need to make a repair, we've got a good selection of buckles and snaps from the ornamental to the rugged and utilitarian.

Medicine

A house call from a horse veterinarian can be incredibly expensive, and preventive medicine is imperative! We carry a wide selection of ivermectrins, pyrantels, and psylliums from the most reputable brands in America. Our veterinary supply section is immense, with DMSO, MSM, gall salves, anti-thrush gels and ointments, wound dressings, powders salves and bandages, antibiotics, including the increasingly popular Vetericyn, a number of pain managers and, surgical supplies abscess and vet kits. We proudly feature products from the most trusted names in the industry, including W.F. Young, Farnam, Ideal, Pfizer Animal Health, Aspen, Manna Pro, Priority Care, Vermont's Original, Kaeco, EquiAid, Merial, Bimeda, Cooper's Best, Absorbine, Dr, Naylor's, Equilite, Fort Dodge, Microcyn, Bio-Nutrition, Oralx, Kentucky Performance, AHCP, Bickmore, Select, AniMed and Forco. We keep a wide variety of breeding and foaling supplies on hand at all times, and we pride ourselves in our ability to special order even the most obscure products.

Grooming
So much more than Mane and Tail! No matter if you merely want to keep the flies away, knock off the sweat at the end of a long ride, or prepare for lead in one of Mendocino County's many parades and shows, we've got what you need. Heck, if you wanted to start a horse spa, we'd be able to take care of you. With full lines of shampoos, conditioners, shines, polishes, fly sprays and tools from Eqyss, Farnam, Absorbine, Prolap, Cowboy Magic, Tuttle's EQ Solutions, Procter & Gamble, Manna Pro, QuicSilver, CoCo's Equicare, Sullivan's, Silver Lining and, of course, the ubiquitous Mane 'n Tail, we've got you clean and clear!

More on the Livestock Swap!

Wow, has the Livestock Swap grown! The August livestock swap saw us grow to include used tack, and suddenly, the parking lot was full of horses, goats, chickens, pigs and more! We're so happy to see this new county resource grow, and excited to see all the connections being made as people compare breeds, discuss feeds and generally enjoy an informal atmosphere of buying selling and trading!

The next livestock swap falls on Saturday September 11th, and will once again welcome people to come in and trade and sell used and outgrown tack and saddlery.

Our October swap is occurring on the third Saturday, October 16th! (Don't worry, it will almost always be the second Saturday, but we're expecting a baby too close to the 9th)

The November livestock swap falls on November 13th and the December swap falls on the 11th.

Check out the FAQ on our website for more information on buying and selling.

See ya there!

More Pet Food Than You Can Wag a Tail At!

It always makes me smile when first time customers walk into our store, and exclaim, "Oh my! You have so much pet stuff!" It's true, we have one of the largest selections of pet food, treat and toys in Northern California. And since everybody here has their own menagerie, we've tried almost all of it! We also have a huge network of suppliers, distributors and manufacturers, so if we don't have it, we can almost always find it.

On a lark, last week we compiled a list of every type of dog and cat food we had in stock. This doesn't even include the immense range of small-mammal, reptile, fish and bird food we carry. For a complete up-to-date inventory, you can visit our online store, and even place an order for pickup in Ukiah. 

OMG! BBQ!

If the rains subside and the summer finally arrives, our kitchens will begin the annual move to the backyard. As serious BBQ aficionados, we tend to keep the farm supply well stocked for any sort of grilling.

Propane? No problem, we have the cheapest propane in town and always ready to fill your small or large tanks. Just stop by the small engine shop and fill er' up!

Charcoal? Now you're talking! 40lb bags of pure mesquite charcoal are only 14.50! Forget those flimsy briquettes, this whole-wood char has branches! The taste imparted by pure mesquite is so exquisite, you can skip marinating your more tender cuts. Really, a thousand times better than briquettes; inexpensive and flavorful!

Smoke? Yep, we even have hardwood chips for your smoker, and not those tiny bags you get over charged for at the grocery store, either. Selection varies with popularity, so check back all summer long for a selection of hickory, apple, cherry, and mesquite. Want some seriously deep and local flavor? Cut a few small pieces of bay laurel and try smoking with that for a deep spicy flavor. Even if you don't have a proper smoker, you can still get the rich taste of smoke in a regular BBQ simply by soaking your chips and putting them in an old tin can next to the coals. For extra flavor, try soaking your chips in apple cider or beer.

Accessories? Well, we're still a farm supply, so you'll have to look elsewhere for spatulas and grill forks, but we've got firestarters, chimneys, char rock and more!

And if the rains don't stop? Don't worry, we've got tarps and steel buildings to keep those grills dry!

Livestock Swap and Fish Market! June 12th

The first livestock swap was so much fun, we're doing it again! (And again, and again) The Livestock Swaps will be continuing (all summer long, in fact) on the second Saturday of each month! In May we had heirloom chickens, goats and pigs, and everybody sold! The next one will be on Saturday, June 12th.

If you have animals to sell, contact us to reserve a space. We expect to have plenty of room, but do not want to run out! You can stop by, call or e-mail us. We'd really like to see some sheep and horses out there this time!

Inside, we'll be offering 10% off on all aquatic supplies to celebrate the launch of our new collection of tropical fish! From sea salt to lights, we've got everything you need to keep your fish happy, or to get started a with fresh or saltwater aquarium!

If you are looking for animals to buy, or just pet, stop by and take a look. We'll be on hand to answer questions, and make sure you are all set! But, please... don't pet the fish!

Here fishie, fishie, fishie! Tropical Fish at Farm Supply!

For a while now, many of our customers have been frustrated by the lack of fish in Mendocino County. While we have been diligent in providing top quality supplies and food for both fresh and saltwater fish, it has been nearly impossible to acquire fish without a lengthy drive to Santa Rosa. We heard you. So, coming in the next month, we're adding a wide variety of salt water fish to keep our rabbits, guinea pigs and chicks company. An amazing 14 foot long aquarium is getting set up right now, and once the system is established, we will be stocking a tremendous variety of salt water fish. Clownfish, snails, salt-water vegetation, live coral, leviathans and man eating whales will be amongst the selection. So no more driving to the ends of the earth to find nemo! Keep an eye here and on our website for more information.

Fighting the European Grapevine Moth in Mendocino County: The War Starts at Home

     I love our Mendocino growers. We’re a community deeper than most can imagine, constantly gossiping in conspiratorial tones about the the expanse of Jane’s tomatoes and the girth of Tom’s zucchinis. We share seeds, plants and recipes; both for our harvests and our soils.  In short; we grow together.

      Today, our gardens and perhaps livelihoods are threatened by a new and nefarious garden pest. The recent discovery of the European Grapevine Moth in Mendocino County does not just affect the commercial vineyards, our largest economic contributor; it affects every gardener and grower in our county.

     Lobesia botrana will either go down in Mendocino county history as the only moth who’s scientific name was easier to say than its common name, or it will not go down in history at all. The European Grapevine Moth (EGVM) will be here to stay.

     When botrana was introduced in Chile, its spread was aided by the prevalence of home and hobby grape growing in urban areas. Poorly maintained backyard grapevines provided both an ideal and safe habitat for the invader. Home growers were either unaware or unconcerned about the pest. When they saw much of their fruit shrivel and die that year these home grape growers realized what a threat the moth truly was and invited commercial growers to come spray their vines. Unfortunately, by then it was too late; EGVM was firmly established.

     Right now, we need the help of every gardener, farmer, rancher and grower in Mendocino County. Together we can stop this pest, or at least diminish its future impact. One Napa vineyard experienced a 100% crop loss due to the moth last year. We can stop that from happening here.

What you can do:

1. If you grow grapes within the greater Ukiah area, request a trap from the Agricultural Department. Early detection is the best form of control.
2. If you know the location of wild grapes or abandoned vineyards in or near the quarantine area, please report them so they can be trimmed back.
3. Remove old and neglected grapevines from your property, or at the very least prune them back and start taking care of them.
4. Learn to recognize the moth.
5. Share. Please, if you feel strongly about this, tell your neighbors, fellow gardeners and anyone with a grapevine about the pest

Please, everyone, lets tackle this thing.If you have questions regarding this pest, feel free to stop by the Farm Supply and talk to us.

www.farm-supply.com

Whoooooooot!

After some serious finagling,  we've reclaimed our old domain name and set up a new website, just full of internet goodness!

Features:

• Online Store (Still in working beta phase, ugly but functional)
• Forums and Galleries for registered users
• Online Archive of MCFS newsletters. 
• Newsfeeds, Local Resources, e-mail lists, etc. 
• Coming soon: Classifieds, Job Board, and a few super secret surprises!

Please check it out and let us know what you think!

Covercrop Update

With our recent (and thankfully substantial) rains those of us who are not looking out at new ponds in their fields are probably seeing quite a bit of green in our pastures, vineyards and gardens.That green could be exactly what you've been waiting for, or a new mass of weeds.

If you planted a mixture such as our organic Biobuilder, you should see a lush diverse assortment of pulses and cereals from a few inches high to up to two feet tall by this time of year. If you planted Vinemate, you might feel disappointed by it's meager few centimeters of growth. Don't worry. Vinemate is a permanent covercrop mixture; intended for years of growth with remarkably low maintenance. Biobuilder is exactly as its name suggests; a rapid growing green manure blend intended to create biomass and add organic matter.

The key to understanding the spring time management of covercrops is knowing that the faster a plant grows, the shorter its lifespan and the longer a plants lifespan is, the longer it will take to establish itself.

BioBuilder is about to blow up with these recent rains. You should try to mow or trim it back once things dry out a bit. This will return green leafy material to the soil to become green manure. Letting bio-builder grow to seed is a bad idea as it can rob nutrients from your soil both while seeding out and again during the decomposition process. Mow again in late spring; your Biobuilder will have lived out it's lifespan.

Your little Vinemate shoots are fine. It is busy building a strong root system to survive the hot dry summers to come. You are probably seeing small plants with two to four leaves that look nothing like the weeds that can be towering above it. Come March, many of those weeds will flower and at that time, you can safely mow vinemate, but no lower than six inches. This will injure the weeds and release the perennial plants. By June you'll have dead weeds and green vinemate, happily creating biomass in its roots.


Extra special thanks to John Snider from PGG Seeds for information and motivation on this blog!

Severe Weather - Erosion and Flood Control

Just a quick post to let you know: It's raining.

And it's raining hard. According to the NOAA, The Navaro river is expected to flood by this evening, we can expect 6-12 inches of accumulated snow between 2000-3000 feet, and 1-2 feet above 3000ft. Here in Ukiah, the streets are wet, the puddles are deep and we are all hoping for the rain to fall as heavily as possible without causing damage to low lying areas.

We have thousands of nylon and burlap sandbags ready to go, and our friends over at Granite construction are operating a fill station at their landscape supply center just down the road at 900 Talmage.We also have wattles and erosion blankets available if needed.

For up to the minute NOAA weather updates, go to www.noaa.gov. For community status updates, listen to KZYX&Z, 91.5, 90.7 and 88.1 FM.

Try to stay high and dry today, everybody!

Incredibly Cheap DIY Seed Starting Setup!

As we sit and hope that our incoming storms are big enough to fill our lakes, and not our floodplains, I've been running around thinking about nothing but gardens, gardens, gardens! Seed catalogs, garden layouts, germination temperatures, start dates for perpetual harvests; the list is endless! I can't wait for spring!

In order to get an early jump on the season and avoid the issues from last year when we lost nearly ALL of our starts to a mistake and a freeze; I opted to set up a cheap seed starting room over in the small engine shop.

I started with two shelves in a dark corner of the shop; piled high with forgotten boxes and random piles of books. I wish I had taken a picture before clearing it out, as half of the lower shelf was out of sight. But this picture, taken after cleaning and running electricity to the area will have to do.

You can see a combination hygrometer / thermometer in the right side of the photo. I wanted to test to see how wet and cold this corner got normally without lights or seedling mats, so I set this up the day before putting the area together. Overnight as the first of our storms hit, the corner varied from 49-52 degrees and 85-89% relative humidity. As damping off occurs around 90% humidity, I expect that I will have to do something about that before sprouting. I will wait to see what the addition of lights and soil heaters do to the humidity and will work from there.

In order to give a hint of insulation and reflectivity to the walls, I went for super cheap. I cut up a few used pallet bags from our pellet stove fuel. By carefully pulling apart the top seams and cutting the rest with a utility knife I was able to get two 3x15 foot white plastic sheets. I used a steel straightedge with the knife to cut away the freyed plastic and cut the pieces down to size. While the thin plastic will not do alot to keep heat in, I hope that since it is airtight, it will allow cold nighttime air to move down the wall to the ground without hitting the plants. I will know more by checking our temps tomorrow.

I reused some old rubber flooring for matting to cover the shelves and prevent water from the top shelf from dripping down onto the light below. I avoided cardboard and metal, since we would be dealing with electricity and water and figured to keep a second conductor out of the mix. I know they will be well separated, but hey; better safe than sorry.

For the lights, I used two types. One is a $10 4' fluorescent shop light fit with two full spectrum bulbs. The two lights above are 8" reflectors (like brooder lights) fitted with 150w Gro-Spot floodlights. (Which we hope to have in stock sometime this week.)

The idea is that I will use the low intensity fluorescent for seed starting, and then move more developed plants under the gro-spots. The grow spots are clamped onto an old six foot piece of 1"x1/4" flat steel, fittid into place with deck screws so I can adjust lap height as I go. I also have the ability to add three more lights if needed.

49-52 degrees is a bit cold for some of the plants I want to get a head start with, so I added two seedling mats. The seedling sprouter single and two tray mats. (19.99 and 39.99 respectively) they will raise the soil temperature 10-20 degrees above ambient, so we should be getting 62-72 degrees at peak. I'm hoping the lights will keep the area a bit warmer as well. (Again, we will see as we go)

I opted out of a timer for this set up, since seedlings are going to need about a 14 hour cycle. Since I'm here from 730-4, I should be able to go the first week by simply turning ont he lights when I leave and off when I get here. There is nearly no ambient light in the corner, so I am not worried about darkness during the day.

To set up a simple 72 seed starter kit of your own, drop by and pick up the following:
8" Reflector - 8.99
150w Gro-Spot bulb - 10.99 (back-ordered as I write this, expected in by Feb 1st)
Super Sprouter Seedling Heat Mat - 19.99 single tray, 39.99 double
Seed Starter Green House Kit - 6.99

Alright, lets grow!

Livestock Swap?

Everything is still int he works, but it looks as if we will be having a monthly livestock and animal swap on the second Saturday of each month beginning on Saturday February 13th! Keep an eye out on the blog or check out the newsletter for more information as we work it out!

MCFS Garden Planner!

Now that the first of the year has come and gone, I have my eyes firmly set on spring. Planning the upcoming garden, getting seeds selections set, preparing for chicken arrivals, and a ton of other things. Even on a cold rainy day like today, the work begun now in preparation for growing season keeps sunshine in my mind.

I sometimes have a hard time keeping things organized, and my seed start plans are generally an incomprehensible mess of chicken scratch in one of my pocket notebooks. This year, with multiple gardens under my care, I have dedicated myself to at least making organization easier. To begin with, I created a very simple spreadsheet to track both indoor and outdoor start dates based on the last frost.



This easy to use spreadsheet will automatically fill in calendar dates to start your seeds. Just look for the blue and yellow boxes and put in your first and last frost dates and the calendar will update to give you an idea on when to get those seeds going.

To find historic first and last frost dates for most major cities in California (even Ukiah is in there) you can visit the California master gardener webpage. Other states can be found through your county extension web pages.

MCFS-Garden_Planner [Excel Formatted]
MCFS-Garden_Planner[Open Document Format]

If you lack a spread sheet program, you can download one for free from www.openoffice.org that will open the Open Document format.

Happy planting! And please feel free to contact us with suggestions and corrections!