As friends began “going back to the land” at the same time that a health issue emerged, Kathleen Alcalá set out to reexamine her relationship with food at the most local level. Remembering her parents, Mexican immigrants who grew up during the Depression, and the memory of planting, growing, and harvesting fresh food with them as a child, she decided to explore the history of the Pacific Northwest island she calls home. In The Deepest Roots, Alcalá walks, wades, picks, pokes, digs, cooks, and cans, getting to know her neighbors on a much deeper level. Wanting to better understand how we once fed ourselves, and acknowledging that there may be a future in which we could need to do so again, she meets those who experienced the Japanese American internment during World War II, and learns the unique histories of the blended Filipino and Native American community, the fishing practices of the descendants of Croatian immigrants, and the Suquamish elder who shares with her the food legacy of the island itself. Combining memoir, historical records, and a blueprint for sustainability, The Deepest Roots shows us how an island population can mature into responsible food stewards and reminds us that innovation, adaptation, diversity, and common sense will help us make wise decisions about our future. And along the way, we learn how food is intertwined with our present but offers a path to a better understanding of the future. Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFG8MpTo_ZU&feature=youtu.be

Spoil your chickens and beautify your coop with 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks from Fresh Eggs Daily. Join Lisa Steele, chicken-keeper extraordinaire and founder of Fresh Eggs Daily, on a behind-the-coop tour like you've never seen. Lisa has spent years figuring out the best ways to keep chickens healthy, the natural way, and she's collected more than just your average tips. 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks from Fresh Eggs Daily includes simple ideas for re-using and upcycling old items, as well as detailed information on using natural ingredients to enhance and improve your chickens' lives without breaking the bank. This guide includes these handy ideas and much more: Feeding: Try homemade scratch, growing fodder, or frozen treats The Run: Make a chicken swing or DIY scarecrow Chicken Health: Find ideas for boredom busters, homemade salves, and herbal teas The Coop: Keep it clean with a natural coop cleaner and make your own coop curtains The Garden: Build an herb drying rack or brew a batch of chicken poop “tea” So what are you waiting for? Make your chickens the happiest birds on the block!