Did you know? February 22-26 is National Invasive Species Awareness Week.

Happy National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW), the week we celebrate our native plants and their importance in our landscape.  Native plants are the plants that grow naturally in our area.  They are best adapted to our local soil and climate conditions and provide the best food and habitat to support native insects and wildlife.  By simple definition, invasive plants are an alien or non-native species that show a tendency to spread out of control, often crowding out indigenous plants that feed and shelter the animals we love.  Once “introduced” into the native landscape, invasive species displace native plants that are the foundation for the food webs that sustain life. In fact, invasive species have directly contributed to the decline 42% of the threatened and endangered species in the United States.” According…

Continue ReadingDid you know? February 22-26 is National Invasive Species Awareness Week.

The Times They Are A’Changin’ and So Are We

Backyard chickens have enjoyed a renaissance in popularity in recent years, and with a rise in popularity comes a rise in costs -- for hens, for feed, for all things chicken.  This trend has touched Farmcolony as well as we have seen the costs of raising chickens on the farm continue to go up.  And the craze is only getting worse.  Raising chickens has become one of the hottest trends during COVID-19.  Google searches for the term “live chickens” recently spiked to the highest point in five years, interest in backyard chicken coops has exploded, and hatcheries across the country have sold out in the wake of runaway demand. We’ve all read about toilet paper and dried beans. Now people are stockpiling chicks, too. Brace yourself! Backyard bird owners…

Continue ReadingThe Times They Are A’Changin’ and So Are We