Living with Turkeys?

The turkeys have come back to roost – or at least to eat the bird seed in our backyard. For the second year in a row, a flock of about a dozen or so parade down the hill from the woods to see what's for dinner. It always entertains my visiting in-laws.

Living with Pigs Cover

Globe Pequot Press' Spring-Summer 2008 catalog arrived in the mail the other day – the cover for the upcoming book Living with Pigs has been revealed! Click here to read more about the book. Look for it on store shelves in July 2008.

Peeper Poster

This past fall, Valley News staff photographer Jason Johns created a beautiful page of photographs of fall leaves. I helped out with the design and in getting a keepsake poster made. They're finished and are now available for purchase. Click here to obtain an order form. 

Santa Came to Town

During a special story hour at the Tunbridge Library, children in town get to see Santa and Mrs. Claus, otherwise known as community stalwarts Euclid and Priscilla Farnham. It's always fun to see the kids' reaction. This year, I was asked to photograph the event for the library. Euclid said he's been donning the same Santa suit for 30 years, but he's been through a few beards.

Wellspring School Silent Auction

This Saturday, December 8, the Wellspring School holds its annual silent auction, its big fundraiser of the year. Of the many items up for bid is a framed print of Zola, the Tamworth shoat, grazing in the pasture at Hogwash Farm in Norwich, Vt. (which is featured in the upcoming book Living with Pigs by Chuck Wooster. The auction begins at 5 p.m. at the Vershire Town Center. Call 802-685-3181 for more information.

The Joy of Keeping Chickens

Back to the coop I go – once again, I'll be working with my favorite editor Ann Treistman to make photographs for another farming book, The Joy of Keeping Chickens, to be produced by Skyhorse Publishing in 2009. My friend, Jennifer Megyesi (whose family was the subject of Nicola Smith's excellent account of their organic farm, Harvest), has signed up to write the book. Not only will there be the basics of raising chickens for eggs and meat in the book, but also stories about things that scare chickens in the night, the organic egg craze and even show chickens! The Northeast Poultry Congress is coming up Jan. 12-13 at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds in Springfield, Mass. It's quite the sight to see. I'll be back for more...

A bantam Sebright Golden is curious about a camera lens poking into its cage at the Northeastern Poultry Congress in Springfield, Mass., in January 2006.