Milk Mama Goat Farm

The city council meeting was a success. Many of the council members were very interested in hearing more about our proposal. We are trying to collect 1000 signatures by June in support of using rotational grazing livestock to restore and manage five acres of wildlife habitat in the Jean Sweeney Open Space. Please sign here and pass along to folks who might be interested.

This evening is the City Council Meeting where they will decide on the conceptual use for the Jean Sweeney Open Space. We have collected over 200 signatures in just a few days of supporters for our proposal of a community farm and wildlife habitat. I hope you can make it out to the meeting on Tuesday night to tell the city council that you want to see 5 acres be dedicated to wildlife habitat that is managed by collectively owned livestock using rotational grazing.

There are similar existing organizations that lease space from the city and manage for the public like the Alameda Museum and the Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter. The community farm would relieve the city of land management while creating living wage jobs and food security. The farm would be a non-profit organization that would hold a lease with the city and pay for utilities.

This would not be your typical farm. A walk through our farm would be like a hike through Yellowstone or Yosemite. We will only have a small storage shed for tools and supplies that would also serve as an interpretation center.

The National Forest Service advocates that ranchers use planned grazing techniques to restore native grasslands. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends using compost and manure to nullify toxic soil. Healthy soil is the first step in creating a healthy environment.

Lets heal ourselves and our world together by creating a Community Farm and Wildlife Habitat! Come be heard tonight at 7pm at City Hall in the Council Chambers 2263 Santa Clara Ave. Alameda.

Here is a link to our online letter of support that we will present to the City Council on May 7. Please ad your signature and pass it along. Let’s make support wildlife, food security and living wage jobs together!

I have class this full moon so I’m going to celebrate it on Sunday afternoon by playing with wool. Since so many people enjoyed last months wool moon I’m going to make it a monthly event. Comb by on from 2-6:30 for some carding, spinning and hide tanning. We might even get the grill going.

In case you haven’t seen it, we’re on the cover of the East Bay Express. If you can’t find a hard copy you can check it out online.

Last night Anjuli and I started a womyn’s business class offered through Women’s Initiative. Since I was accepted into the program I could hardly wait for it to start. I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks. And yesterday only confirmed my anticipation for a wonderful and positive experience. The class meets twice a week for three hours and it was an invigorating and inspiring few hours yesterday. I am able to meet other entrepreneurial womyn, who I may never encounter otherwise, from all walks of life all trying to make their lives better. I’m excited to go to class tomorrow and continue my education on owning and operating my own business, especially with a group of kind, supportive and motivated womyn.

We are going to be in this weeks issue of the East Bay Express. I was interviewed about how cities are creating policy around the emerging backyard agriculture. Lori Eanes came over and photographed the goats and sheep doing their thing. This is one of her photos. Nunumu somehow manages to always make a silly face in photos. Krampus, of course, looks like a ram god as usual.

I attended my first square dancing class last night. The description of the class says it is friendship set to music. I had so much fun learning some of the basic moves and putting them all together. There is still room in the class if anyone is interested in signing up. It is being offered through the Alameda Recreation and Parks Department for $30 for 8 more weeks on Wednesdays from 7pm-8:30. I can’t wait for next Wednesday, I’m going to wear a flowy dress.

Here are some great photos from me and Anjuli’s picnic adventure tour thanks to one of our wonderful picnicateers, Kemal of Istanbul Photo Workshops.

This month I am celebrating the full moon by spinning wool. I noticed that Perla has been looking a little scraggly so I tugged at some of her wool and realized that she is shedding.  She inherited a beautiful wool coat from her East Friesian damn that she sheds like hair from her Dall sire

I still have all my wool from last year waiting to be spun so I’m inviting people over to learn how to process wool. Hopefully this way I can get a good chunk of it done before Perla completely sheds her coat. If you would like to join in on the wool moon party on Wednesday the 27th from 6-8:30 send me an email.