Spring Time at the Farm
Day trips always take a bit of planning and preparation to make sure everything sails smoothly. From making sure my bag is packed with meds, snacks, and medical necessities, to loading all of my equipment into the van- it’s always a bit of a production! However, we have done it so many times that it’s just become part of our routine. Most of the things we pack in the car I don’t end up needing but it gives me peace of mind knowing that everything is there in case of an emergency.
Last week, my sister and I we’re on spring break. Seeing as none of our chickens made it through the winter, we were eager to forge up a plan to convince my parents to get chicks. After showing them pictures of the chicks, they didn’t need much convincing! Santa ynez Valley is famous for its farms and since it was spring break, we decided to make a daytrip out of it.
Our first stop was to Folded Hills Farms just outside of Buellton. This tucked away Farm is known for their pigs, wine, and rice crispy treats! Although their rice crispy treats sadly weren’t available, we were in for another treat… one day old baby piglets! The owners were kind enough to bring them out for us to see, and even hold. Along with pigs, we saw goats, a few llamas, and a shy donkey. Being an old farmhouse you would assume the accessibility wouldn’t be great, but it actually wasn’t bad. There is a ramp leading up to the entrance for easy access, and the store floor is lined in concrete which made it smooth for me to roll around on.
Next, we stopped at Bob’s well bread for lunch and pastries. This small bakery sits just about 20 minutes north in the small town of Los Alamos. Other than antique stores, Bob’s well bread is the only other destination in this small town. My OT raved about their menu so I was eager to try it. When entering, we were greeted by aromas of fresh baked bread and sweet pastry. I had a lamb dip sandwich accompanied by a KOUIGN-AMANN (queen a-mahn), which is a flaky pastry sprinkled with sugar and topped with caramelized Breton. This place definitely toped my gluten intake for the week- but no regrets!
After leaving Bob’s, we called a variety of farms asking about their chick availability. Understandably, most places did not stock up until after Easter weekend in fear of people returning them after Easter. Persistence paid off and we were finally able to find chicks at Farm supply in Santa Maria. Surprisingly, there are actually 79 breeds of chickens in the United States! My mom topped us off at three chicks, two Plymouth Rock’s and one Ameraucana. Plymouth Rocks are black and white with brown eggs, and Ameraucana’s are brown with Blue eggs. After some deliberation, we decided on the names Penny, Polly and ‘’Chicken’’ Pox. If all goes as planned we should get around 500 eggs per year!
