Cultivate that land

I am a poultry farmer. I raise hens and sell eggs for a living. I believe there are a lot of folks out there who do not realize just how serious the latest oil crisis truly is and how far-reaching it will prove to be. For example in just a tad over 11 weeks my cost for basic chicken feed supplies have risen between 18 and 21 percent per ton (per bag it's even worse at up to 35 percent).

At least two feed suppliers here in Tehama County have stopped supplying feed due the ever escalating costs which, in turn, causes me to purchase chicken feed even further afield - again adding onto the overall fuel cost.

To truly put that into perspective a dozen brown, organic eggs down in San Francisco will set you back anywhere between $5.50 to $7.50 and you haven't seen nothing yet! Scary, huh?

So, what to do? Buy locally. Corning and Red Bluff both have local Farmers Markets each week. Not only can you support your local farmer but, at the same time you are guaranteed fresh, wholesome produce and another incentive is that it is usually a lot cheaper.

One of the best things you can do is to grow your own vegetables . . . it doesn't matter how small a yard you have . . . there is no magic to growing food from seed and you can very easily supply a family of four for the whole summer season with just a little bit of effort.

Try it. You just might like it!  

Chris Copley, Corning