After our successful adventure into the world of the chicken this February, we decided to delve right into the invertebrate area of the zoo. By that I mean we’re raising butterflies. This we’ve done before, at least we’ve done it at my daughter’s preschool. I quickly realized that having someone else coordinate the entire thing for you is not quite the same as doing it yourself. Butterflies require an enclosure. For us, a Rubbermaid bin with PVC pipes stuck to the sides works well. We’ve enclosed the entire thing in a mesh canopy that I got for free. It’s a … Continue reading →

We love vegetables that come in boxes in the summer time and the fall. We love them because we love to visit the farm that they come from, because we know the farmer, and because they vegetables are local, fresh, and good for us. However, we also love them because they hold a lot of useful lessons for our family. Getting farm fresh vegetables helps your children understand the seasons. Around here, there are very distinct growing and dormant seasons, yet we can get fresh strawberries and lettuce all year round. While this is useful for cooking, it doesn’t really … Continue reading →

This February we raised chickens. Now, we don’t live on a farm. Oh no. Our farm is a three-bedroom townhouse, and two of the bedrooms are occupied by people. Our farm is actually more like a one-room show. Of course, we didn’t get to keep the chicks. Before they learned how to fly up onto my library shelves, they went back to the farm where they began. But for a few weeks we had some fantastic and very educational pets. When I was in grade three, I visited a farm where there were chicks and ducklings. I was entranced. I’ve … Continue reading →