Hens' Summer Garden Projects

The Hens have had a busy summer with yard improvement activities as well as getting things geared up for our next show on October 3 & 4. Don't forget tickets go on sale this Tuesday, September 1! Our yard improvements centered on garden sheds. Carrie’s husband, Dave, our show's go-to fix it guy and parking director, is an amazing mason as well as an accomplished builder. Below are photos of the little potting shed he put together in their backyard. If you are a dealer you may recognize something that you sold to Carrie as she has been collecting and curating for this shed for a couple of years. This uber cool shed was worth the wait!

Hen Kathy on the other hand, took an easier route. Over the past few years she has wrangled an old outhouse, an old horse tack shed and a church float with the hopes of building her potting area. The church is large enough for a potting shed if the door is enlarged to accommodate an adult or is perfect as a playhouse for her grandchildren. The outcome is to be determined. Completion photos to follow this fall.

Susi has had her potting shed for a while now and her garden area never ceases to amaze! Beautiful flowers, veggies and fruit abound. Her yard improvement came in the form of new pig digs for her family of Mangalitsa and Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs. Can’t wait for barbecues at their farm! Great fodder for another blog will be the amazing chicken coops Susi, Carrie and Lettice maintain for their flocks. Kathy’s chickens long ago went to the freezer so her chicken house is full of old furniture and rusty stuff.

Show activities have centered around making things run more smoothly and streamlined. As our show has continued to grow, we needed to implement a more concise and expedient way of processing our dealers paperwork. New contract and billing systems always come with a learning curve and a few glitches. We’re proud to say that the Hens have mastered (mostly) the new programs with only minor kicking and screaming! We could not have done any of it without our amazing “IT Chick,” Lettice. 

The show layout is basically the same; however we have made a few changes for the safety of our shoppers and to accommodate our large customer base. There will now be two entrances to the show; the Main Gate and the South Gate. Both gates will have ticket booths and will remain open for the entire show. Another seasonal feature for the October show will be a Harvest Marketplace showcasing some of our local artisanal vendors and their offerings. As always, the Hens will have a local pumpkin grower for your fall decorating pleasure.

Summer is waning and none too soon with the terrible fires and drought here in California and Washington. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected property owners and responders.

See you in October!


The Hens