Crabapple Farm in Summer

Every summer we rent a skid steer to clear out the barn.  Then we put all the old compost into the fantastic old manure spreader and fertilize the fields.  The manure spreader actually works!  Not only is it  great for photo shoots, but it also is an honest to goodness manure spreader.

Last fall our grass in the lawn was in a very sad state.  Our sprinkler system was broken and the lawn really needed to be fertilized.   We happened to be cleaning out the barn that weekend and so we decided to use the compost on the lawn instead of on the fields.  

Mr. Bechtel drove around and around the house spraying clumps and globs of compost all over the grass.  I followed with a rake and tried to spread it evenly.  It looked terrible, but we just ignored it.   Three weeks later the composted just disappeared into the grass, the grass greened up and it looked like we'd had chem-lawn come spray. 

I decided I wasn't doing any new chickens this year.... ha ha ha.  Well, we had a hen go broody back in the barn.  She waited and waited and none of her eggs hatched.  Finally I took pity on her, and without going out to the barn to check on her, I blithely drove to the feed store, bought 5 little chickens and came home.  I was going to tuck them under her and make all her dreams come true.  When I went to the barn she had given up and left her nest!  She had no interest in the babies.  So, then I was stuck with 5 chickens to raise myself.  I decided If I was raising 5, I might as well raise 20, so I went and got some more from the feed store, and then everyone was happy.  Then I sold the old hens, and since the new hens weren't laying yet, I had to buy eggs at the grocery store for the first time in 4 years.  They taste awful and are a very sickly yellow color.  Ughh.  We're very spoiled with our beautiful brown eggs.