Holding a Chicken the First Time

Six new farmers have gotten to know the chickens in the last two days. Everyone in Siskin’s class should be friends with Goldie, Sunshine, Blackie, Peanut and Brownie by Friday.
Some farmers are content to just observe the hens moving about while others want to hold them. Goldie is a good first hold because she is gentle and fairly comfortable with the kids. It’s always fun to watch their faces as I set her in their arms. They are at once in-awe, thrilled and a little scared. I always take a photo of their first time and have noticed most look very serious unless I encourage them to smile. Even then, the smile is barely there.

Give the kids a few weeks and they will be old pros at holding the hens. We will have lots of stories and photos that I’ll post on the Beyond Wonderful Kids Cook: Garden to Table website.

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Sunflowers Light Up Lives

Glorious sunflowers teach our kids the true meaning of sustainability. Watch as they harvest seeds, plant, nurture and thrill as each new sunflower opens and glows brightly.

Learning to Bloom

It took a lot of us—parents and kids alike—rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty to restore this garden to its former glory. Watch it transform from messy to magical.

Caring for the Coop

With our garden in place, it was time to bring in the chickens. We’ve had a blast learning to care for our new hens and, of course, enjoying plenty of farm-fresh eggs in our recipes.

Sunflower Sentry Garden

Each day, three third graders from Anne Siskin’s Willow Creek Academy class join me in the garden to water the crops, tend the chickens, and record weather, temperature, wind direction and air pressure in our online garden journal.

See Us in Action



The Sunflower Sentry Garden and its devoted attendees were featured in Chase Manhattan Bank's Small Business commercial.