We have some new baby chicks! These are cuckoo marans, which is a breed developed in Franch in the mid 1800s in the town of the same name, Marans, France. The breed made their way to England in the early 1900s and quickly became very popular for their rich, dark brown eggs — a trait they are still known for today. These beautiful birds were first exhibited in 1929 in Paris by the Poultry Breeders Society of France, and since then have become popular around the world.We can't wait to showcase their deep dark brown eggs.
We were shocked to see that some our artichokes plants, which we just planted from seed this season, were starting to flower. Artichokes are a perennial crop and in order to produce flowers (the artichokes), they need to be convinec that they are in their second year of growth. In other words, they need to be "vernalized," or exposed to cold, to make them think they've experienced winter. I guess this cold, wet Spring fooled them twice.
