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Photo Credits Br. Paul

Over the past few years, the Abbey has been trying to grow more of its own produce. Each year, the garden becomes a little larger and more varied, and our diet, at least through the summer, is enlivened with fresh produce and herbs.

This year, we are adding a few chickens to our gardening operation. We hope that they will provide enough eggs to allow for one dinner a week.

That day is still far off, however. The chicks arrived one day old and will not begin laying eggs until July at the earliest.

For now, their home is in the old planing shop, kept warm with heat lamps. A coop has been constructed and will allow the chickens to roam free within a wire enclosure while nesting as they choose. The coop is portable, and will be moved periodically so that the chickens have a new scratching area and a new part of the field will benefit from their manure.