All good things must come to an end. The little flock of Suffolk sheep have been somewhat of a fixture of the Brooksdale landscape for a long time. So it is with a twinge of sadness that we have had to find a new home for our rambunctious herd of wool covered vagabonds.

They kept us on our toes, with their big personalities and penchant for escaping in order to “taste test” the corn and cabbage on occasion. Unfortunately, as activities and plans evolve here, the sheep were increasingly unable to express their “sheepiness,” that is, their grass grazing, fertilising, soil building-selves. So they have now moved to a small family farm in the Fraser Valley, where they can get back to being sheep more fully.

This is by no means the end for our livestock, though. Our animals are our co-labourers, helping to increase fertility, control weeds and insect pests, and build a healthy landscape, while they get the best possible life; a win-win scenario. And we can’t ask for a better labourer than our flock of bug-eating, dirt-scratching, fertiliser machines.

Scratchmaster 3000. Likes long walks in the garden and gourmet bugs. 

We have a new flock of 30 teenage chickens, and once they’re older they will have two jobs for the winter. Lay some eggs, and turn our garden waste, our veggie odds and ends, and our old hay and straw into compost for the coming year.

Making compost can be a lot of work, as good compost needs to be turned and aerated regularly so it breaks down safely and quickly.  One thing that chickens do constantly is scratch and dig. So we layer our organic waste into their enclosed run, turning their entire area into a shallow compost pile. Then they get to work, scratching and turning it up in search of bugs, weed seeds, and any other goodies they find; keeping it well-aerated and fertilised with their own droppings.

A few months later the compost/bedding is ready to be dug out and piled up for a few more months of ageing before it is ready to use in the garden.

We get compost without all the work, and the chickens get nutrient-dense, natural foods like grubs and greens and seeds. Win-Win

Oh, and let’s not forget the eggs. Win.