permaculture

[refinej@juno.com (jenifer a white)]

I will only type a little on this subject, as it is probably wearing
thin.

Please tell me if I appear to be a tad bit naive, but being a vegan and
living among animals, to me, does not seem contradictory.  As a
vegetarian who has went back and forth being a vegan, (It is very
difficult for me to eat a cheeseless pizza, and I am in counseling if
anyone is curious...hee hee... ), I have never really questioned the
place animals have in PC.   Just because I choose not to eat animals, I
do not discount their importance in ecology.  I happen to love the
chickens that peck around my home, scratching for insects and pooping
everywhere.  Geese make wonderful watch dogs among other fine traits. 
Goats perform inventory control and eat many predacious plants, and then
some.  There are many other animals that work well in a PC environment,
and then there are those that, well...  

I, myself only live with chickens.  Simply by default as they were here
when I moved into my home.  I would not however consider them as
potential food or nutrients for myself.  I am well fed off of plant
matter.  If anyone is wondering what then happens to all of those chicks
that hatch, a few have lived to become adults.  Most however, are eaten
by creatures such as coyotes, who cannot go to the local market to buy
free-range chicken with no added hormones.  Then again, those coyotes are
sneaky fellas.      ;-)

One quick anecdote:

A friend of mine stopped by one time and we sat outside and watched a
mother hen teaching her chicks how to scratch and peck.  He asked me if
he could have a few of the babies once they got a bit bigger, as he was
eager to try the "chicken tractor" in his garden. 
I answered,  "I don't know.  They're not mine.  You'll have to ask their
mother."

Eat well everyone!

Jen White
Modesto, CA