 When I first created a Facebook page for my micro business it was because my customers requested a way to stay connected. They wanted a Facebook page. For about six or seven years, this worked out rather well. I was able to learn more about my customers and followers, share photos, stories, new items, and blog posts. I also shared other pages posts that I thought were relevant or simply amusing. Interaction was high and growth (likes) was good. Then it seemed to come to a standstill. Pay to play. I paid. And paid. Annddd paid. For almost no return. That lasted around two or three years. Boy was I wasting my valuable time! Then 2020 happened. With virtually no interaction from my followers, even with paid advertising and seeing that my rather innocent seeming shares were being marked as misinformation (they weren't), it became rather clear to me that it was time to part ways with Facebook. I believe in freedom of speech, even if I don't like what you have to say. Because staying connected is important, I do think about setting up on a different platform. Instagram is often suggested. Being Meta owned, I doubt I'll go that route. I may consider X. I may end up never joining another social media site again. Who knows? Time will tell. It always does. At the time of this post (4/16/24), my Facebook page is not closed. You can still like it and visit it. However, nearly all of the content I posted and shared, I removed. I've no interest in continuing to feed the Facebook machine. It's not like Zuckerbucks needs my business. What I did do, is save the most popular content and comments, creating this little Running Bug Farm Facebook Archives if you will. In this article, I start from my humble 2011 beginings on Facebook. I finish in 2020. I wanted to preserve what was created. But I didn't want to preserve it for Facebook. They don't deserve me or my little Eco farm, you do. Wherever you are in the world, whatever your beliefs, whatever your passions, I humbly thank you for everything! My little Eco farm couldn't have grown without each and every one of you! March 7, 2011 We always wanted to get chickens. We thought they would be cool to have. We thought they were stupid & ugly but they would be fun, give us eggs and we could chase them with glee. This is a part of how it all started! The desire for something we knew nothing about! We wanted more from life than just working to live. March 18, 2011 ...When we were younger we bred & hand raised Cockatiels. We had parrots. We still have cats - we will always have cats! We had more fish & fish tanks than we knew what to do with! Numerous toads, frogs, & mud-skippers... You name it, we had it at some point! We used to go on hunts for tadpoles & other aquatic life that we could put in our fish tanks & our teeny little hole we dug ahem...our "pond"... March 19, 2011 ...I had a childhood surrounded by mountains & fields with pasture, lizards, snakes, horses, lamas, alpacas, rivers, lakes, ponds....you name it! As an adult the desire to live that life never ever left. It became an obsession - a goal. Totally driven it became our dream & we worked hard to learn everything we could about Organic, Natural, Sustainable & Self Sufficient living... March 20, 2011 ...We saved every penny possible for the future purchase of our Dream. Because we were living on 2 acres in NJ we started to small scale practice what we were learning. Slowly we went to 100% Organic. Eliminated all chemicals. Learned how to can our own food. Learned about root cellars & put it to practice. We started to grow much more food. We learned how to grind our own grains & make our own breads... March 21, 2011 ...Basically we learned how to do everything from scratch. We got 2 Hens. Now we knew it really had begun! We got the hens before we even had a place to house them! We kept them downstairs while learning how to build a movable chicken coop! From here our passion exploded for the farm life... March 22, 2021 ...2 old hens turned into 3 old hens (we had no idea how to tell good birds from bad, old from young (unless they were chicks), or for that matter roosters from hens). 3 hens turned into 3 hens & tons of roosters! Whoops! We bought at auction what said was "Araucana Pullets". Imagine our surprise when we bought a whole box of Araucana Cockerels instead!...
March 23, 2011 ...Needless to say we found ourselves going to the livestock auction quite often! We were buying roosters or old hens feeding them organic feed, discovering we had roosters & having to sell them back at the auction. We couldn't yet bring ourselves to cull (kill) any birds so we took our losses & learned!... March 24, 2011 ...Finding organic feed at the time was impossible in NJ. We had to special order it. The shipping for 50lb bags of feed was over half the cost per bag bag of feed! So if Certified Organic feed was say $22 for 50lbs we paid an additional $15 or so for shipping per bag! What were we to do? Use nasty medicated feed? Feed loaded with GMO's? Disgusting Non organic feed was around $10 - $12 per 50lb bag!...
March 25, 2011 ...We ordered our feed from Countryside Natural Products. A few months before we moved out of NJ, New Egypt Agway started to carry Organic Poultry feed. Tractor Supply Co in WV sells Organic feed. We still order our Organic Rabbit feed from Countryside. Countryside sells a whole bunch of other types of Organic feeds for those of you interested in getting out of the unhealthy world of GMO's & medicated feed... March 26, 2011 ....We started to sell our eggs. Some people were highly insulted at the cost of our eggs. We were disgusted. These people had no idea what the true cost of Real Food is! It cost us much more than we were charging. We should have been charging double! We stuck to our beliefs & eventually found steady & loyal customers who loved us for our Organic All Natural practices & loved when the Girls ran to greet them...
March 27, 2011 ....As the years went on in NJ with our Dream Egg growing, we eventually had over 50 Chickens! We decided that ordering day old chicks was the best way to go & for our current situation, we were right! We ordered about 30 chicks at a time. All Heritage Breeds. No factory type birds. Raising the birds from chicks was a real joy for us. We did so well we had no deaths!... March 28, 2021 ...Getting the call from the Post Master that they have your chicks is one of the most exciting calls to get at 5:30 AM! Off we go with big grins on our faces to get our tiny peeping box of cuteness! Everything is set up prior to their arrival. Giant tubs, homemade wire lids with Plexiglas doors, feeders, waters, heat lamps, hay & organic starter feed...
March 29, 2011 ...Once your home is filled w/ peeping cuteness it's difficult to focus on other tasks. U find U have wandered over to Chick Central so U can peek at & touch them. Chick life is funny: they cheep, poop, run around, sleep. Just like that. They will lay there like they are dead - you will think they are dead! Laying flat, Eyes closed, Neck stretched. Then Boing! They are up & running! Peeping, pooping, eating... March 30, 2011 ...Sadly the cuteness doesn't last long enough! Before you know it these little peeps turn into gangling goofy looking creatures. All poky & beaky. Clumsy as ever & endlessly entertaining. Not only that but the work load grows. More large tubs are needed or a new location entirely. They grow FAST... March 31, 2011 ...Feather dust can really get out of control esp. if you keep them in the home as we do. You will find it forms a thick layer on every surface of the room they are in! Sure you clean it up weekly at minimum, but it doesn't show! Eventually they become much to big for their indoor homes but still too teeny & fragile for outside. This is the time that is a bit trying on us. Bin cleanings are every other day...
April 1, 2011 ...Cute little feet must be checked that no poop builds up on the bottom; this is very bad! If there is poop the little squirmy peeper must make a visit while in your hand over to the faucet for some gentle foot cleaning. Poop compacts on the bottoms of chick feet & it can cause them to loose their toes. It can also cause infection. Cleanliness is always of utmost importance... April 2, 2011 ...When the chicks are finally old enough to go outside it is part relief & part worrisome. They must be fenced in to extreme measures. Tiny holed fencing is required so they don't get stuck in the fencing. They must be separate from the grown birds & they need protection from both ground & air predators. Virtually anything & everything wants to eat those little pipsqueaks...
April 3, 2011 ...You know you've have done the right thing when you see them running around charging at each other & mini flying fluttering around their new giant open spaced playpen of "oh boy what's that? What's that & that & that & that!" Peck peck peck, run, flap, poop, charge, peck, cheap, sleep, dust bathe, sun bathe. Oh boy! you got it - it's the good life indeed... April 4, 2011 ...While the chicks grow outside they can safely enjoy many "conversations" with the adult birds thanks to the fencing between them. These many "discussions" help ease the chicks into acceptance with the adults as they mature into pullets/cockerels... April 5, 2011 ...When the young birds are old enough to free range, these "conversations" are no longer through the fence. A pecking order must be re-established & there is a lot of squawking, pecking, & general fighting. Thankfully prior 'through the fence talk' makes this a short affair & no one gets badly hurt... April 6, 2011 ...If there are cockerels in the group, when they join the adults, the hens will actually battle the cockerels for dominance in the pecking order! The pullets usually know to quickly show that they know there place & do their best to avoid fighting with the adult hens. Usually within 2 to 3 days the new pecking order is established.... April 7, 2011 ...Once our pullets & cockerels reach full age we have many decisions to make. What older birds do we cull? Which do we sell? How strong are our egg sales? Which birds are good & which are troublemakers? How heavy were our losses due to predators? Sometimes no birds are culled & all the older birds we decide not to keep go to the auction... April 8, 2011 ...We noticed that our birds typically sell higher at the auction then the exact same types of birds. We believe this is due to their excellent living conditions & humane care. When our birds are tested for disease, we have been told that it is obvious that our birds are raised on pasture due to the smell of their poop of all things! Note: we have never had any birds test positive for any diseases... April 9, 2011 ...For those of you who are against us culling our birds, know that this isn't something we do constantly. Also we do not raise birds to sell on the market for meat. We only sell eggs on the market. Our birds are never confined. They have over 16 acres of pasture to enjoy. They get to behave naturally. They enjoy bugs, sunshine, sex, dust baths, & normal flock behavior...
April 10, 2011 ...Birds that we do cull are for our personal use. We do not believe in waste. The entire bird gets used from the meat to the feathers. If it is a old tough bird, it is used to make stock & the meat is given to the cats. We wash & dry the feathers. Then we sort them (this takes a very long time) to sell. We are very dependent on the money we get from the feathers & the eggs of our birds... April 11, 2011 ...We do not raise our birds for their feathers. Most of our feathers are Vegan friendly as they are from birds that died of natural causes or predators as mentioned in previous posts. Next up, Guineas... April 12, 2011 ...Guineas! After a while we decided we had to get guineas. We read so much good stuff about them. The downside was we also heard they made a heck of a lot of noise. While in NJ we did our best to not keep Roosters because of the noise, even though the neighbors said they didn't mind. We never had any complaints. Most people loved to discover our little farmette nestled away right at the Jersey Shore... April 13, 2011 ....back to the guineas. We got a bunch of keets (baby Guineas we've seen this spelled keets & keets). They are so cute at this age it is hard to believe they turn into such weird looking creatures! No matter how much we handled them, when they grew up they were terrified of us! Yelling their heads off & charging away. A very amusing sight to see... April 14, 2011 ...We had to clip their wings (harmless if done properly) to keep them from roosting in trees & flying over the fencing! Even w/ both wings clipped they manage to catch some air! On top of that guineas really like to wander far from home! They come back every night like the hens but they can disappear for many hours. Needless to say 2 acres of land is not enough for guineas... April 15, 2011 ...With the noise Guineas make & all the traveling they like to do, we knew we really needed to move! Problem was we were looking for over 4 years. We put in offers on property in WV & PA. On some we were outbid. On others they counter offered too high for our comfort... April 16, 2011 ... In the meantime, the guineas started to drive us mad with their constant noise. If you are considering guineas, you need to know that they are very loud & the sounds they make are not pleasant. Your ears will ring! We ended up loosing all but one guinea because a predator got to them. We had one male left. He chased after the hens, would grab hold of their feathers & wouldn't let go... April 17, 2011 ...The girls would run around the yard screaming their heads off while the rooster watched them & made upset sounds (we have yet to have a worthy rooster to this day). Our poor hens were loosing giant patches of feathers due to one randy guinea. There was no point in keeping one randy male guinea who screamed all day long. We culled him. We must say, guinea is delicious!... April 18, 2011 ...We were not done with guineas. We still wanted them for a large number of reasons. One was to eat. They cost less to raise up then chickens & they are great watch dogs & bug eaters. We wanted to have some to feed us, some to control bugs, & some to breed. Once again we got a whole bunch of tiny little keets! We purchased 3 beautiful breeds: Pearl, Lavender, & Royal Purple.... April 19, 2011 ...Keets are cute little darlings at this age! They are teeny tiny & are much nicer to each other than chicks & ducklings are. They never chase each other or peck each other. They are the cleanest out of all the babies. It is fascinating to watch the behavior of different types of babies. Keets are the sweetest babies so far! Runner up - ducklings. Last - chicks. Chicks like to peck & that can be troublesome... April 20, 2011 ...Eventually just like mentioned with the chicks, the keets move outside & have to have extreme fencing for their safety from predators & the adult birds. For this flock of guineas we had a creepy situation unfold that we didn't understand in the beginning... April 21, 2011 ...Our hens houses are built up off the ground with fine wire mesh on the bottom to keep up the air flow & it makes for easier cleaning. We always put hay in the bottom & they have bars to perch on. In the morning before heading off to work, everyone would be let out for the day into their fenced in area - a space about 10 times larger than the USDA requirement for free range organic birds... April 22, 2011 ... We noticed our young guineas had weird wormy looking ends to their toes. We thought it was some sort of creepy infection. Maybe a parasite eating at their feet. We already experienced Bumble Foot with our hens & thought it was something similar yet way more disturbing... April 23, 2011 ...Bumble Foot is when a infection gets into the foot/toe of a bird. The toe will swell up terribly. If you don't do anything about it, it will eventually kill the bird. You can use antibiotics. We never have. We are organic! We don't even take antibiotics let alone give them to our animals! What we do, is cut out the infection. It is pretty disgusting... April 24, 2011 ...There will be a round hard spot then around that the foot/toe will be swollen & inflamed. If you can get out the round spot, you can do things pretty clean. The round thing in Bumble Foot is a lot like the biggest black head you have ever seen. Like the size of your pinkie finger! With a little razor blade finesse, it can be loosened from the flesh of the birds foot/toe... April 25, 2011 ... After that you kind of grab it with your fingernails with all your might & pull this long thick squishy white wormy thing out of the flesh of the bird. Once it's out, the bird has a giant hole in their foot/toe. If you did good, there will be no blood or nearly none. Amazing enough, you clean the area & let the bird go. The foot doesn't need to be bandaged.... April 26, 2011 ...If you made a bloody mess of things because you had trouble getting that nasty bumble foot out of the bird, it is a good idea to bandage up the birds foot after clean up. Then put the bird in a clean cage for about a week while the wound heals & so the bird doesn't get an infection. A secure comfortable wrap is necessary or you will find the bandage has been pulled off & all your efforts were for naught... April 27, 2011 ...It takes 2 people to remove the bumble foot. One holds the bird & the other works on the foot. Once you get the hang of it, it is a rather quick process. Less than 20 min. Much faster than over used antibiotics with all the side effects that come with them. So what was this weird creepy thing going on with our Guineas? It wasn't Bumble Foot it was Racoons!... April 28, 2011 ...Coons are horrible creatures. They kill for sport just like humans! They may be cute but they are evil at heart. What these nasty Coons were doing was biting off the tips of the young Guineas toes! For some reason the Guineas were not roosting on the bars but hunkering down on the hay & their fine, long toes would poke through the bottom. Along come the Coons, & chomp off the Guineas toes!...
April 29, 2011 ...Once we figured this out, we loaded up the bottom of the houses with excessive amounts of hay. This solved the problem & our poor guineas healed. Some had no toes only stumps. They amazed us with their adaptability. Soon they were running around acting normal. If you didn't know what horrors the Coons did to them, you would never know that they had half their feet! Guineas are really amazing animals... April 30, 2011 ...Thankfully we found a house at last (where we are now) in WV & started the entire buying process. We were so excited to have so much land & couldn't wait to let our guinea flock loose on all that pasture! Esp. when we found out how many "bad" snakes are in the pasture. Our property had such an abundance of bugs we couldn't wait to let everyone loose on it!... May 1, 2011 ...We got the guineas here & we had several losses. We lost chickens as well. The move was very stressful on all of us. The night we arrived it was pouring rain & windy. We arrived at 1 am exhausted. We couldn't find the cat box for all the unhappy cats, we had no heat set up, no dry firewood, & we couldn't get the giant moving truck across the river it was so swollen... May 2, 2011 ...The moving truck was too enormous to go over our neighbors private bridge. The only way to our house was to drive through the impassable river (low river crossing). So we had to make many long trips at 1 am back & forth retrieving our animals from the moving truck parked on the other side of the river & through 2 other properties before ours!... May 3, 2011 ...Thankfully we have great neighbors who hooked up a trailer to their tractor to help us unload the moving truck & get our belongings to our house early the next morning. This took 2 full days! On top of that, our first day in our new home it started to snow... May 4, 2011 ...We were trying to get the truck unloaded in time to return it, finish the set up for the animal homes, & care for the crated animals. We still didn't know where the cat box was. When we got to our poor animals to put them in their designated houses in the frigged wind & snow, we already suffered many deaths... May 5, 2011 ...It was heartbreaking to loose them after all this. It took about 2 wks to get things somewhat in order. It snowed every day. We had more deaths. Our house was 37 in the morning. Everyone suffered. If that wasn't enough, we had fox & hawk attacks & lost even more animals. Then finally a few months of peace. We got a routine in place & worked in the cold & snow. The animals were recovering & so were we... May 6, 2011 ...Then just the other week, we lost 2 more of our guineas to fox. This is the price one pays when you let your animals run free. We don't believe in locking them up. They love to run around the pasture. We will be getting more guineas & maybe our 3rd try will be successful...
I was so excited because omy Copper Agouti English Angora Rabbit was ready to give birth. Babies! Her first time as a Mama. She must not have fancied the idea. She gave birth to 5 yesterday morning. She ate their ears & feet. She even chewed ones face off. It was like something out of a zombie horror movie. Words cannot describe how it feels to see such a terrible thing done to newly born creatures.
May 7, 2011 ...We will be getting the extremely rare brown guineas along w/ more lavender & the common pearls. We hope to breed them in the future. Having guineas when you have plenty of land is pure joy! We don't recommend guineas if you don't have much property. Even with the amount of land we have they still trespass! Thankfully their trespassing hasn't been enough to create a disturbance with our good neighbors... May 8, 2011 ...No longer do we have to clip their (Guinea) wings. Something you have to do every six months because they get new feathers at molt. They charge around the pasture like feathered beetles. They yell their heads off & fly a little. They can even fly across our large pond & they do it as a group which is fun to see... Early Afternoon attempted rescue in ones PJ's. Hens, Guineas & Roosters yelling & running out of the woods. We know that's not good. So through the pasture & onto the neighboring property & into the woods at a full run to find that damn fox trying to take one of our hens. One stupid hen stood at the top of the hill cackling & watching instead of following the others to safety.
May 9, 2011 ...They (Guineas) charge & yell their horrible ear ringing chatter at deer, opossums, the cows & even the guy that comes to read the gas meters at the neighbors fence line. It is really funny to see the meter guy looking at this gang of guineas screaming at him. One can only imagine what he is thinking while his ears are ready to bleed from the pain! Ha ha ha... May 10, 2011 ..They chase the roosters around & pull out their feathers. Guineas don't like a bully & they make sure the roosters know it! Seeing the roosters running & hiding from the guineas is very funny! They will team up & kill snakes, eat tons of bugs & ticks. They are our "Guinea Gang" & we adore them. No farmstead is complete with out a gang of Guineas charging about the place! Next up, Ducks... May 11, 2011 ...For the first 5 days or so ducklings are so cute it will drive you crazy! They even have little cheeks! They stop being cute very fast. They are crazy with water. They will empty out their waterers in no time flat. Not because they are thirsty but because... May 12, 2011 ... they love to stick their bills into the water & clean their nostrils & squirt the water out the sides of their bills & it goes all over. If you are raising them with out a Mama this means you have a ton of work on your hands. If ducklings are hatched from an incubator or hatchery, they lack the coating they get from Mom that helps keep them dry... May 13, 2011 ...Therefore incubator & hatchery ducklings must be kept dry so they don't get a chill. This is all well & good but ducklings are very determined to be wet! We use the same tubs we use for rearing chicks as we do with the ducklings with a small modification. Unlike chicks who are not water demons & don't require tons of bin changings, ducklings need frequent bin cleanings... May 14, 2011 ...After they are 2 weeks old they must have daily bin changes! This is a lot of work! If you have a lot of ducklings in a bin, you will need to clean their bins more than once a day & if it's this dirty, you need either a bigger space or another bin to separate the ducklings... May 15, 2011 ...We put bedding on about 75% of the bottom of the bin & leave one side free from bedding. This is the side we put their water feeder. We then tilt the bin the tiniest bit so that the water they toss about stays at the end of the bin without the bedding. This helps keep the bedding dry & reduces the speed of it rotting & stinking. Plus it helps keep the ducklings dry... May 16, 2011 ...Ducklings poop a lot. They poop noisy wet poops that you can hear squirt out of them. These big messy poops then get trampled on by their flat webbed feet. Unlike chicks who's poop is rather dry & small most of the time & chicks will scratch at the bedding. Duckling bins get nasty very very fast! We cannot stress the amount of work such little buggers are!... May 17, 2011 ...Ducklings grow so fast it's hard to keep up! If the weather is warm enough you will be eager to let them outside. Not only will you be much happier, but they will be too! You fence them in for their safety. Lots of predators would love such little meaty snacks! Not only that, but they are after all ducklings. Not adults & it is best to keep them confined so they don't stupidly wander off...
May 18, 2011 ...We have concluded that ducks are the most stupid fowl we have raised. Guineas are by far the smartest & noisiest. Chickens fall in the middle. Ducks are so dumb it leaves you shaking your head. They are dumb as ducklings & stay dumb as adults. Sounds mean; we do like our ducks we wouldn't have them if we didn't! But they are dumb! Here is an example:... May 19, 2011 ...They are always afraid of us. No matter what we do, how we act or how much time goes by. They see us walking about doing farm chores. They see us & start quacking the "danger it's the farmers" quack & stare at us while quaking & walking quickly away from us (as if we are after them) only to plow into other birds or objects because they don't look in the direction they are going, they are looking only at us!...
May 20, 2011 ...Put a duckling on top of a table & they will run like a wind up toy right over the edge never stopping. Why? We don't know. Chicks & Guineas tend to be a tad more cautious. They have gone off the edge but usually due to being clumsy. We feel like we push the button & off the ducklings go! They just plow right into stuff, bounce off, bounce over, quacking in terror at the big bad humans. It's frustrating... May 21, 2011 ...We are hoping that once we get a incubator (we are saving up for one) we will no longer suffer from stupid scared ducks. We have been told that when a duckling first hatches it imprints on the first creature it sees as Mom. We want to be the first creature they see! We want our ducks to be as comfortable around us as all our other animals... June 13, 2011 We adopted 2 tortie shell kittens yesterday from friends of ours. Their Mom is a stray. These adorable little sisters will be "barn cats" just like Molly & Jackson. We will get them fixed when they are of age. No pictures yet. Because they are little tots & have a lot of adjusting to do, they will live in the house with us until they are ready to make friends with Molly & Jackson. August 20, 2011 Our neighbor brought us a kitten he thought was one of ours. Funny thing is, we thought it was one of our kittens too! Once we got a good look, we quickly realized we didn't know who this kitten was! So for those of you in our area, are you missing a kitten? If so, let us know & please describe it. This is clearly an animal who was owned by someone. It is sweet as can be. The neighbor was going to drop it off at the pound if we didn't take it... August 23, 2011 That earthquake was felt here too. Our farm & home seem to be fine. Phew! October 8, 2011 Today marks the 1 year anniversary on our farm purchase! Today also marks our wedding anniversary. What are the odds? Sometimes you just know it is meant to be... November 17, 2011 Naturalla Beauty featured our Pawtastic Lotion Bar! I then found Running Bug Farm here! Thanks for the mention Shanti Perez! Yes yes, I am doing a Google search. I think it's a good idea to check every once & a while to see what's out in cyber space about my eco farm! I am finding these lovely posts & am so pleased, I am sharing. Sharing for not only you, but for myself (so I can look back & smile) & to give a plug back to those who mentioned Running Bug Farm without asking for freebies - I hate that! My Cat Grass was mentioned here! December 22, 2011 Approx. a year ago today we were literally freezing & barely getting by. We lost nearly our entire flock of guineas, many hens & our favorite little rooster. Our oldest cat was sick & dying. We were buried in snow. We struggled to keep our home above 50 degrees. We still were not finished unpacking (both inside & outside). We were a stressed out mess. Ironically help was received in the most unlikely of places, not from family or friends but from people who hardly knew us - our neighbors! They knew we were in a bad situation & provided us with many deliveries of firewood to keep us warm plus delicious homemade baked goods & home canned goods. Other neighbors called constantly to assist us however they could. We never asked them for help. They saw our need & were simply there for us. Here it is a year later & how much our life has changed for the better! We are so GRATEFUL for our beautiful life. Hard though it may be, it is our dream come true! So when we are told to be thankful we can easily say we are thankful for EVERYTHING! Our land, our tiny cabin, our wonderful & supportive customers, our neighbors, our animals, our love, our life! What are YOU grateful for?
January 2, 2012 Watching the very high lake effect winds blow the chickens around the pasture. Watching the geese spread their wings, lower the heads & stretch their necks as they run directly into the wind! Watching the adorable little banty chickens peek out of their little houses because the cold is not easy on them. Watching the barn cats snuggle & purr in the piles of hay in the barn with the Angora bunnies. Watching the bunnies enjoy the day - all that wool keeps them snug no matter how cold or windy it gets! Last, when inside watching the snow fly past the window completely parallel as the wind whips it by. Seems it snows sideways today! These are the kinds of days one is very thankful for a fire burning in the hearth & piles of fire wood to assure one that more warmth is on the way.
January 10, 2012 We experienced our first chimney fire late yesterday afternoon. It sounded like a freight train. Black smoke poured into our cabin & poured out in many places through the sandstone. Seems we have many more leaks than we knew about! Considering the age of our home, we guess it's to be expected. Thankfully the fire burned itself out quickly leaving a smoking chimney behind - smoking from the stones on the inside & outside! We learned for a chimney to catch on fire it has to be over 2000 degrees. That's a lot of heat for our little piece of history to withstand! We are once again thankful for the kindness of our neighbors & the compassion of others. Our neighbors are friends with a couple who used to run a fireplace company. They came over within hours to make sure we were safe. When we thanked them for coming by so quickly they said they would have felt terrible if something bad happened because they didn't check things out right away. Now they are going to help guide us in getting a fireplace insert & installing a stainless pipe. This way we can still have our historic chimney while being able to safely & efficiently heat our cabin. We are hoping to find a used or free fire place insert. If anyone knows where we might obtain such a treasure, please let us know. Thanks!
January 24, 2011 Today was an interesting morning. In all our years of raising chickens we have never witnessed this. It was for the most part a normal morning, more pleasant than most as the temperature was pleasant. Everyone gets let out of their respective homes, water is checked & filled if needed, they are fed, talked to & get an overall inspection to make sure all is well. This chore takes about an hour. Imagine our surprise when we witness our adorable Silver Duckwing banty rooster relieving his sexual frustrations by mounting a clump of grass & treating it like a willing hen! Needless to say, we had to stop what we were doing to observe. Sure enough our tiny feathered friend is very sexually frustrated! He took out his needs on the grass several times. All of this occurred AFTER he tried doing his courting dance to the pullets he is housed with. They are too young so they treat him like he is crazy. Thankfully he is a sweet little guy & is never aggressive towards the youngsters - either that or we have a dud rooster!
May 24, 2012 Construction update: We are starting today! However the real demolition begins tomorrow morning. Hopefully we will have a roof over our heads, a flushing toilet & sink by Sunday at the latest. As posted a few weeks ago, I will not close my shops & I will do my very best to respond to everyone & ship out orders as promptly as possible. This is a pretty big event for us. We are both nervous & excited. I have been working hard trying to get my inventory & supplies as fully updated & stocked as possible. As well as taking care of all the animals as much in advance as I can though for the most part they require care throughout the entire day; every day. Even with the best laid plans... life happens.
May 28, 2012 Construction update: We are still under construction. No plumbing or water day 4. Things are a mess so we just want to remind everyone that we will do our best to ship orders out as promptly as possible. We cannot always have the pc on due to the power being turned off, the construction debris & that we ourselves are working along side those kind enough to volunteer to do this back breaking labor. We are amazed by the speed & hard work everyone is doing for us out of the kindness of their hearts. We are working right along side them but they are the ones who are skilled. When you think the world is full of nothing but nasty selfish people. Death & crime as always posted on the news, remember that there are still a lot of amazing people in the world who will nearly kill themselves in order to help someone else in need. Words cannot express how grateful we are.
June 26, 2012 Etsy treasury featuring my catnip seeds by FantasiesSewReal Just Breathe Relax, breathe, feel good. Inspired by my favorite fairytale, as well as a wish to live a natural, sustainable, chemical free, stress free lifestyle. Look good, eat well, and feel amazing. July 3, 2012 John was on the local news. He along with others helped the Red Cross giving out ice & water to people without power thanks to the 2 storms that knocked out our state.
July 4, 2012 Wishing everyone a happy Independence Day! Our hearts go out to those who still are without power & water. We know of one town who is setting up a projector to watch movies on the side of a building to celebrate the holiday. Those that have running water must boil it first, but they are sharing it with those who still do not have running water. Many communities have come together giving each other support & encouragement despite nearly a week since the storm hit us. John has been assisting the Red Cross at Lowes in Clarksburg where they are handing out bags of ice & bottled water for those in need. These communities & volunteers consist of regular every day people. The back bone of America. We The People are what make America great. July 6, 2012  There is only one thing cooler than a viking bunny.... no wait, i take that back... NOTHING is cooler and a viking bunny!!!! - Jasön Häger July 18, 2012 We are pretty sure that during yesterday's storm, lightning struck our well pump. So once again we find ourselves without water & fiddling with things we never fiddled with before...
July 21, 2012 Today's early dawn brought much sadness to the farm. The Guinea Gang was not locked up properly last night. EVERY adult guinea except for ONE was eaten by predators. All that remained was a coop full of feathers & one pair of feet. No bones, no heads just tons & tons of feathers. We have only ourselves to blame. Sure we still don't have our well fixed & we have to leave to go to the neighbors to shower besides living in a home still under construction, but no matter how hard our lives sometimes are, we still have 100% responsibility for our animals. They depend on us to care for them & protect them. This is a day of heart break & tears.
July 22, 2012 We think we "fixed" our well pump. The crazy thing is we have it hooked back up exactly the way it was with exactly the same equipment. Prior to pulling out the old pump, it was not working. No water to the house. The bladder tank was good & the switch was good. We even dug up some of the line to check for leaks & found none. So we installed a brand new well pump & had no water! So we then installed a new switch & had no water! We pulled the pump back out (our well is 110 feet so this is not an easy task). We checked the brand new pump & it was working. We put the new pump back into the well & we had no water! We pulled the new pump back out & put the old pump back in. We had water! We removed the new switch & put the old switch back on. We still had water! So here we are with water & wondering what the heck went wrong in the first place!?! We were without water for 3 days trying to get this fixed. We just don't understand how we had no water, still had no water with brand new stuff installed, then reinstall the original old stuff & have water again?!? We cannot help but worry that we will be without water again because we don't know what went wrong in the first place! ???!!!???
July 24, 2012 Our favorite neighbors are back from vacation. We told them about our well troubles & they immediately came up with a very good possibility as to what might have went wrong: When the pump kicks on it twists in the well. This twisting can cause the wires to fray & break over time. This would explain why the pump wasn't working but was working when we hooked it back up. To hook it back up we had to re-splice the wires. Regarding why the new pump didn't work the only thing we can conclude is it required more power than the circuit breaker could supply. It was 3/4 horse power & the old pump is 1/2 horse power. August 6, 2012 Today is a very sad day for my family. I am dealing with the loss of my grandmother known to me as "Little Nanny", "Nanny" or her favorite, "Ma Petite Grandmere". My Nanny died this morning. I ask that you have patience with me if I do not respond quickly to your messages or requests. My heart is heavy & my mind is slow with grief. Thank you for your understanding & patience while I work with my loss.
January 11, 2013 Dreaming about what to plant in this years garden? Let this beautiful etsy treasury featuring our cat grass by Veronika make those dreams a reality! March 29, 2013 This beautiful magic hat was made using fiber from Snuzzle my English Angora Doe. - "The white spiral on the cone of my magic hat was spun from Running Bug Farm Ermine English Angora Rabbit Fur. Thanks for the wonderful fibers!!" 
April 26, 2013 Etsy treasury featuring my birds feathers by staroftheeast. August 8, 2012 Put A Bird On It etsy treasury by sophiemangalafeaturing my roosters feathers. August 26, 2013 Check out this stunning etsy treasury by Up The Attic Stairs featuring my very own organic elderberry syrup! August 27, 2013 Sweet Dreams etsy treasury by NatashasArtHaven featuring my white chickens feathers. August 28, 2013 Featuring our organic Blue Cochin rooster hackle feathers. My internet connection is so poor that I cannot get our photo to post. Etsy treasury Farmstead by Megan. August 29, 2013 It's Not Over Yet etsy treasury by ljmj featuring my Narragansett turkey feathers. Empty etsy treasury by jljordan2 featuring my Phoenix rooster feathers. September 1, 2013 Spooky foxglove treasury by Lauren Gray of TheHauntedHollowTree featuring my Phoenix Rooster feathers! September 10, 2013 One of the English Angora Kits (baby bunny) we sold this spring to [customer name withheld for privacy] won Grand Champion at the Fair this summer! October 16, 2013 Lovely Shades of Fall etsy treasury by meganlindsayadams featuring my cruelty free organic guinea feathers. October 17, 2013 Winter Textures etsy treasury by lilianadesign featuring my Blue Cochin Rooster Feathers. October 22, 2013 Gorgeous its only natural etsy treasury by Kim of ThePrivateCollection featuring my miniature feathers! A spinners dream of fibers featuring wool from our English Angora rabbit Blue Bell! Luxury rovings and fibers for spinners etsy treasury by Monica of SilkenTreasures. This is a treasury for spinners to drool over. Luxury roving such as cashmere, silk, suri alpaca and angora. Be sure to show these to any spinner on your list! October 23, 2013 It's a dreary gray rainy cold kind of day, kind of like this etsy treasury Elements of Style by Bike Barn featuring my black & white rain drop feathers. October 24, 2013 When Raquel saw Vladimir peeking from behind my hand made laundry soap as featured in this Laundry Day etsy treasury, she was inspired to create her own treasury: A Black Cat Story. November 4, 2013 Etsy treasury Feathers, Feathers, Feathers! by Katherine Barrington of huckleberry0070 featuring my organic Barred Cochin Feathers! Etsy treasury la cage aux folles by Kisha Ragland of kishpai featuring my organic White Laced Red Cornish feathers. Etsy treasury Birds of a Feather by Anne of annefinkle featuring my Brown Leghorn Feathers! November 8, 2013 Whispers in a dream treasury by CinnamonCherry71 on etsy featuring my cruelty free organic guinea feathers! Another lovely treasury, Spotted bird feathers this time by Kerrie Giles on Etsy. This one also features some of my cruelty free organic guinea feathers. December 14, 2013 Gorgeous woodland greens etsy treasury featuring our hand knit hat. Simple Pleasures by Andrew Hick's.
 January 2, 2014 Lovely January Snow treasury (think of a treasury a lot like a board on Pinterest!) by klhcornelius featuring my adorable buck Snowbird! January 4, 2014 Lovely Natural January treasury that isn't white! We've already had our fill of snow! LOL! This etsy treasury features some of my rooster feathers. January 6, 2014 Birds & fathers etsy treasury by Karni Kadan featuring my Narragansett turkey feathers. January 7, 2014 WOW! With wings to fly... by Janine featuring my Brown Leghorn hen feathers. January 11, 2014 Treasury Time! Winter Natural Lip Gloss by Denise featuring my Pegasus Poop lip balm. January 12, 2014 Treasury Time! Cream by Maya Ben Cohen featuring my birds feathers. January 13, 2014 Treasury Time! Enjoy. The Future's So Bright by Vasula featuring my birds black wing feathers. January 15, 2014 Treasury Time. A Gray & Amber Day by Pamela featuring my birds feathers. January 16, 2014 Treasury Time. The best geek by Maya ben cohen featuring my birds organic feathers. Treasury Time. Love on Earth by Mister Awesome featuring my organic laundry soap. January 22, 2014 Treasury Time. Feathers in the wind by Kyriaki Stratakou featuring my guineas feathers. January 23, 2014 Treasury Time! Organic Galaxy Lip Balm by Sue featuring my organic lip balm. February 7, 2014 Get your fiber fix with these Fiber Friday - February 7 treasury finds featuring my English Angora rabbit fiber. July 3, 2014 We had a great time at the Doddridge County Farmers Market grand opening yesterday! For those of you who didn't show up, you missed out on fresh herbs, butter, cheese, meats, candles, wood crafts, eggs, veggies, baked goods, handmade chairs & more! The FM will be held every Wednesday from 3pm - 7pm. Please come out & support your local farmers! P.S. If you look closely you will see your friends at RBF pictured. P.P.S. If you show up, you can finally meet us!  September 1, 2014 Local Harvest featured us on their page! I never thought I'd see the day! LOL! Too cool!
Local Harvest West Virginia! Get yourselves over to Running Bug Farm! (Parkersburg and Marietta, OH, you're pretty close too!) http://www.localharvest.org/running-bug-farm-M27265?ul
September 8, 2014 My white English Angora rabbit wool won 1st Place with a score of 100 (the highest score you can get) in the West Virginia Fiber Festival's Fiber Competition! The judges said it is the best wool they have ever seen! The wool is from my sweet Ermine Buck Snuzzle
October 24, 2014 Etsy treasury Day Tripper by Jenna Tagliaferri featuring our Organic Brown Leghorn Hen's feathers. December 12, 2014 It's soooo nice to receive a kind word from a customer. It made my morning! Jody Nichols Mohr December 11, 2014 This is a shout out to locally owned and operated Running Bug Farm! Ordered a few items a few days ago and the nicest package arrived today! Great customer service and truly sustainable products. Check them out, you won't be disappointed. February 15, 2015 Sunny River Creations in Rockford, Minnesota uses my birds tiny bits mini feathers to create these unique watches! I love seeing all the amazing things you (my awesome customers) create utilizing my birds beautiful feathers.  May 14, 2015 Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Our farm was mentioned in a article by connect-bridgeport.com! How cool is that? We are both Nervous Nellies & Excited Emma's to be selling for the first time every at the Bridgeport Farmers Market.
Featuring a Record 40 Vendors, BFM Opens Sunday for the Summer Season By Julie Perine on May 12, 2015 Featuring a record 40 vendors, Bridgeport Farmers Market opens Sunday for the summer season. The outdoor marketplace at Charles Pointe will be dotted with an array of tents where shoppers will find locally-grown seasonal produce, farm-raised meats and eggs and a variety of specialty vendors. Brand new to the line-up are Quantum Bean Coffee, Health Nut smoothies, Gail Phares, Laurel Mountain Basketry, In a Jam Preserves, Mike Diaz, Hasenpfeffer Farms and Running Bug Farm. Quantum Bean Coffee features artisan roaster Sam Bonasso, who will be preparing a variety of coffee-based drinks on site. “He’ll be making pour overs, ice coffees and selling bags of beans,” said Bridgeport Farmers Market President Deb Workman. “We are very excited about that.” Also preparing drinks for purchase will be Health Nut, which specializes in fruit and vegetable smoothies. Gail Phares is a specialty baker who makes allergen-free and gluten-free baked goods and In a Jam Preserves is a Parkersburg-based maker of jams, jellies and preserves from fruits grown on the vendor's Parkersburg farm. Also for sale will be pickles and pickled vegetables, Workman said. Laurel Mountain Basketry of Bruceton Mills is the market's first basket vendor. “They make gorgeous baskets out of West Virginia wood,” Workman said. Likewise, Mike Diaz crafts furniture from hardwoods obtained from his own property. Hasenpfeffer Farms out of Monongalia County also brings a special niche to the market. “They’re actually a rabbitry and will have rabbit meat later in the year, but during the first couple of markets, they will be selling all natural fertilizer made from rabbit droppings,” Workman said. This being the growing season, the product is expected to be popular, she said. Running Bug Farm is the market’s newest grower of fresh seasonal produce. Their products are gown with organic practices. Other new vendors will be joining the market as the season progresses, Workman said. “We could reach 50 vendors by peak season,” she said. As the market grows, there will be some shifting of vendor locations. “We would appreciate the patience of our customers as we have to re-diagram the market,” Workman said. “As we expand, people may have to seek out the vendors they are looking for.” Because of the expansion, the parking area is slightly affected and customers are asked to use caution upon entering and parking. The market’s opening day will bring shoppers asparagus, strawberries, root vegetables, herbs, lettuces and a wide variety of greens. There will also be starter plants, flowers and maybe even a few surprises. “We’ve talked to all of our farmers who are coming this Sunday and they said depending upon how much rain we get this week, they may be bringing some other products,” Workman said. “We want people to appreciate that. Part of the attraction to buying at the market is getting to talk to farmers who grow the produce or raise the beef, chicken or pork. You can ask them about their practices and buy their local products, knowing that your money will help all of that to continue.” While at the market, Workman encourages shoppers to stop by the children’s tent and the dining hub. At the children's tent, customers can learn more about the newly-unveiled children’s activity – the POP (Power of Produce) Club." Children between the ages of 5 and 12 are eligible to sign up for the activity, which begins June 7. Throughout June, July and August, those who enroll in the POP Club will be given at each weekly market $2 tokens, which can be redeemed at the market for fruits and vegetables. “We encourage our kids to try fruits and vegetables they haven’t tried before,” Workman said. Tokens can be spent right away or saved for a bigger purchase later in the season, she said. This year’s dining hub will again feature Bridgeport Conference Center – which will prepare made-to-order omelets among other brunch options – and Cody Thrasher’s food truck, Hash Browns & New Grounds. New to the dining hub is West Virginia OO Bagel Company of Monongalia County, featuring homemade bagel sandwiches and Gourmet Hog-Dog of Upshur County, offering seven different hot-dog varieties with all proceeds benefiting the non-profit organization, Inspiring West Virginia. All prepared food purchased at the dining hub utilizes market products, Workman said. Sunday will also feature the music of Rus Reppert, a chef demonstration by Tim Goots of Mia Margherita and yoga sessions by Meg Shaver. Those yoga sessions will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and will cost $5 each. The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year, there’s definitely something for everyone, Workman said. May 17, 2015 So cool to see our image the newest blog post by the Bridgeport Market! If you couldn't make it to opening day, we are sorry we missed you & sincerely hope to see you next Sunday!  June 3, 2015 You made our day Brenda! We are thrilled that to hear that you love our products! Brenda Heise > Running Bug Farm Today I received these fantastic ointments that are going to be used on a regular in my house! Excellent product, fast shipping and every order has a personal touch! I highly recommend this organic business. They've become my favorite! The neem ointment instantly smoothed my sons eczema!  July 14, 2015 Jasmine Southern > Running Bug Farm Just wanted to stop in let you kow our cats LOVED the cat toys we bought Sunday! We bought a wool ball and a feather stuffed square. The wool ball lasted only a few hours before it was completely torn apart. They loved it. We will have to stop back and get a few more. : ) Thank you so much for a much better option then plastic for our kitties to enjoy. July 27, 2015 Check it out! Running Bug Farm was interviewed yesterday at the Bridgeport Market along with some of the other vendors! Many farmers at the Bridgeport Farmers Marker farm organically. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. and studies have shown that these organic foods are more often than not healthier for our body than those that are grown with other farming methods. "We do everything organic well it's actually better than organic because in certified organic they allow over 365 non organic ingredients in USDA certified organic, so that got us really angry. So what we did is we decided to start growing and making our own, including raising our own animals because we didn't want all these chemicals that are still being allowed in organic," Jennifer Layton of Running Bug Farm. People enjoy buying foods from the farmers market because they know exactly where they come from. "For most everything here at the farmers market was grown right here in West Virginia. It was grown within a mile, or two miles or four miles and it's just a wonderful way you get to interact with the people who grew it. They'll be able to tell you when it was picked and how it was picked," said Emily Lewis of Little Red Hen Farm and Bakery. Shopping local helps the economy prosper. When you shop at places like the Bridgeport farmers market or any local store the money circulates back into the local economy. But When you shop at large superstores less than 20% of that money is really ever seen again in your town. Most of the farmers at the market today told me that they keep farming because they love what they do. "At the grocery store you're just under fluorescent lighting and all the cashiers are miserable and why wouldn't they be? You know you come here and you got happy vendors who are selling what they love and you're supporting them and trust me.. We need the support," said Layton. Food items weren't the only things being sold at the market today as there were handmade wooden items, vintage clothes, and even beautiful handmade baskets. "Even though my baskets are more than Walmart they're much much better made and they're one of a kind and I put a lot of personality in them. I dye my own colors and I even cut my own wood," said Juliette Collins of Laurel Mountain Basketry. All in all, the farmers have the same ideas about their industry. "We wanted it cruelty free, and humane, and we wanted animals to live happy, we want the people to be happy and that's it. That's our motivation," said Layton.
December 14, 2015 Yesterday at the Winter Bridgeport Market in our Ugly Christmas sweaters! 
April 26, 2016 Bridgeport Farmers Market is with John Layton. Running Bug Farm is a small eco family farm located in West Union. Meet Jen and John on May 15th and hear about their commitment to providing real, humane, chemical free foods and fiber. #BFMWV  December 12, 2016 Showing off our Ugly Christmas Sweaters  Bridgeport Farmers Market December 12, 2016 Running Bug Farm got into the holiday spirit at market yesterday! #livephoto #bfmwv Jen Layton John Layton
May 21, 2017  Why We Stopped Selling At The Farmers Market Lindsay Cather-Barnes I really missed you guys today. Hope you're well and getting much done this season on your farm! Running Bug Farm We miss seeing y'all too! We are well & are getting a lot done this year now that we aren't dedicating all of our time to the market. We are still farming, just on a smaller scale. If you need anything, please let us know & we can arrange either a pick up or meet. Becky Webster Pearce First... I'm exhausted just listening to everything you guys do I totally agree with you... all those hoops and rules & regulations to deal with. Sounds like all management at these markets cared about was collecting their money. I love going to the local farmers markets and meeting the farmers and seeing everything they have and hearing their stories. Support should always be given to the local farmers.. better food, without toxins and generally are hard working people who are genuinely nice people. Running Bug Farm LOL! It's a lot of work but we love it Not all the markets require payment, although most do. The reasons given are to fund the market to pay for advertising & that sort of thing. Each market is different. Some ask for a percentage of sales, some ask for a fee at each set-up. Some for the payment for that season, & some ask for nothing. We loved selling at the markets. We loved meeting people & chatting with them. We loved chatting with the vendors too & we love shopping at our farmers markets. We are so glad that you support your local farmers Our hope in all of this mess is that things will change for the better. If they don't, it will probably be the demise of our farmers markets. Running Bug Farm You think everything is about you Bob. The fees we are referring to are not the market you mentioned. Nor have we ever said anything about that market. We think you need to go back and reread our blog. We sold at more than one market & our blog is our story about our experiences with these different markets. We have not trashed any market & we certainly have not lied about our experiences. Becky Webster Pearce Gosh, I've known Jen & John since probably 7th or 8th grade... I would have to politely agree to disagree with your statement and would agree with the post above. I can't want to get out of Jersey and move to western PA and have some type of farm, even if it's just self sustaining for Evan and me. The hard work has to be worth the reward in the long run. I know I have a lot of research to do on what goes into a farm. But I'm looking forward to the challenge. Running Bug Farm Thanks! The best way to get your feet wet is to try to do whatever hobby farming you can get away with where you are now. Having a garden, a few hens, can as much as possible, etc. It helped us so much when we moved. We were still in over our heads, but at least we didn't move here totally green! There are a lot of great magazines & books for folks yearning to get back to the land but the majority of them make things awfully pretty rather than realistic. However they are still an enjoyable read & educational in their own right. Whatever you do don't bother with Mary Janes farm. LOL! It is so unrealistic. The rest are pretty good though (Countryside, Grit, Hobby Farms, etc.) as are the books we mentioned in this blog post (and many others). Oh & if you want serious agriculture without the fluff, get Acres magazine. It's all about Eco-agriculture. We don't have a lot of time to blog, but we do post about our experiences when we get the time. There is so much we want to blog about, things that work, things that don't & that sort of thing. We've made a lot of mistakes & are sure to make plenty more, but we seem to learn more when we mess up. We really hope you & Evan accomplish your goal. We think it's worth it. It's really hard work. Probably harder work than you've ever done, but it is so satisfying. June 17, 2016 There are farmers markets in the USA selling coffee which is of course not local (coffee doesn't come from the United States)... fresh chemicals from America grown in another country for your mornings pleasure. ~sigh~ Please, go organic & better yet, go organic fair trade.  Only Organic June 17, 2017 Morning coffee anyone? Make sure you choose organic coffee. Most people are not aware that regular coffee consumption can be a significant source of pesticides. Find organic coffee sources here: http://www.onlyorganic.org/organic-companies/ #coffee #cleaneats #goorganic #onlyorganic March 12, 2018 Learn how to make a wrap around ear cuff decorated with feathers. What you need: 20g wire, 26g wire, 3 cruelty free feathers - www.runningbugfarm.com - 9 - 4mm x 8mm resin rondelles, 3 - 4mm x 6mm rondelle crystals, Chain Round, nose pliers, Wire cutters Chain nose pliers Cruelty free feathers: runningbugfarm.com Ear model: etsy.com/shop/bodydoublearts  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoZWh7Piua0 June 3, 2018 This dream catcher measure 20.5" around and uses a Dollar Tree hula hoop, jute, ribbon and lace ribbon. My lovely model in the thumbnail is 7 years old which gives you a size scale. I'm sorry, at one time I said "bundle of wire " instead of bundle of twine. Just ignore me. What you need: 20.5" hula hoop, Jute twine, Ribbons, Lace ribbon, Large hole beads, Feathers, Glue gun, Scissors. Cruelty free feathers: runningbugfarm.com  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebJbEv_W_sI June 8, 2018 Good Toast Handmade Sustainable Dry Goods "i have also had the pleasure of recently connecting with a lovely farming family in west virginia, who grow cotton the way it was meant to be grown. running bug farm produces organic heirloom cotton, sustainably gathered feathers, and other good things from their homestead in west virginia, and i am delighted to have begun ordering my organic cotton from them in an uncombed state, allowing me to be a greater part of cotton-crafting than i was previously able. it was always imperative for me to spin organic cotton (if you do even just a little looking-into the cotton industry, you'll find that conventional cotton is really a huge bummer), but being able to order from a family farm instead of a larger company is so exciting to me. we use cotton for a few of our offerings already, like the handspun dishcloths, but now that we have an even better source for our raw material, we will be making plans to expand our use of organic cotton to make more useful things for your home & closet!"  August 24, 2018 Here is a video by BareMoose showing you how to make your own turkey feather ball point pen using my very own Narragansett Turkeys feathers.  BareMoose 3.1K subscribers This is a cute, quick, silly project. I hope you like it. What you need: Feather Ribbon Lace Pen Button Glue gun Scissors Purchase cruelty free feathers: runningbugfarm.com August 14, 2019 Where your feathers go We had a few exchanges about how feathers soothe my parrot who came to me severely plucked - you said that you'd had parrots at one time and suggested stiff feathers for mine which is what I've been ordering. I finally posted a short video so you could see her - she's grooming a parrot feather that her veterinarian saved for us. Enjoy! - Audry B.  Dewey is a 23 -year-old Umbrella Cockatoo who plucked her feathers long ago -- a behavior that is common in parrots and reflects the frustration of being caged. The follicles are dead so her feathers will never grow back. Now she takes great comfort in gently grooming molted feathers from other parrots. December 13, 2019 "I just wanted to say thank you again for your wonderful feathers. Many of them made their way into special holiday stockings for the shelter cats, and we even had a Facebook Live video where we gave them out - you might recognize some of your feathers in the video, so I wanted to share. " - Tiffany  BARCS Animal Shelter was live. December 24, 2019 A Special Christmas Eve Gift All of our cats received a special toy filled stocking on Christmas Eve. ❤ December 18, 2020 The coronavirus vaccine is just like the flu shot – What a lot of people don’t realize about the flu shot is it does not stop you from getting infected with the flu virus and having the flu virus grow in your system, and then making you contagious to others and giving you mild symptoms. The flu shot doesn’t even stop that. All the flu shot does is make you feel less sick, but you’re still just as contagious, just as infectious to other people, and that’s why we see the flu everywhere. Maybe people aren’t dying from the flu as much as they otherwise would have, maybe not feeling as sick, but the flu still breaks out every year despite mass vaccination, and so far, scientifically, that’s all we also know about the coronavirus vaccine. The Covid-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know with Dr. Bob Sears  The Covid-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know with Dr. Bob Sears You may also like:
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 Hi there! My name is Jen. I'm a "tree hugging dirt worshiper" who has been organically farming for nearly two decades. It never ceases to amaze me at how much I've learned & how much I am still learning. I have studied natural health, nutrition, & herbs for nearly three decades. Our health & the natural world around us are connected in ways we don't often realize. How we treat the land & animals directly affects us in both body & mind. My goal is to provide others with truly natural humane goods from my own little piece of paradise, & to freely pass along whatever knowledge I pick up along the way. I am grateful every day to be able to have such a worthwhile & fulfilling job surrounded by the beauty & unpredictability of Mother Nature.
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