WE'VE MOVED!

• Please come visit our NEW WEBSITE!
• All of our previous BLOGS (below) are on the new site too!
• Check out BISCUIT STUDIOS also. A very big Mo' Hen THANKS goes out for some great design, build & programming!

Georgia Organics Conference & Expo 2011

Hope you can join us in Savannah at the Georgia Organics annual conference & expo! Chickin Feed is coordinating the Children's Track (where the 6-12 year olds will be hangin' while their parents get schooled.) We've got some fun presenters lined up to educate & entertain with gardening, art, plant propagation, music, active games & more! Let us know if you are attending and please sign up your chickins NOW! There are only 20 spots and they go quickly.

HEALTH CASTLE RECOMMENDS CHICKIN FEED

Super Cool! Health Castle is a leading Canadian nutrition site & publication. They added our Chickin Feed Track'N PlaceMat to their Holiday Gifts to Help Kids Eat Better! Check it out...

HAWAIIAN CHICKIN FEED!

We're working hard on the new website! It will have some really fun pieces for little chickins and we'll let you all know via our newsletter and/or Facebook page when it's up & running. You can see a preview page @ www.chickinfeed.com now.

As temperatures are in the teens here in Atlanta, I thought I'd post about somewhere warm!!!

This Hawaiian Chickin has nothing to do with pineapple...

A while back we got an order from a Honolulu based mom that wanted to start a Chickin Feed School. She wondered if we would give her a special price if she ordered six Starter Kit's. Surely!

She had in mind to bring her kids and some of her friends and neighbor's kids to her home and use our book, The Chickin Feed Primer for the basis of some healthy kid classes she thought she'd like to lead.


Samantha runs a biz with her hubby and is a passionate mother of two chickins - a beautiful daughter Raiatea (8) and an eleven year old son, Heimana who is something of a skateboarding sensation – he'll will be starring in a new program on ESPN, called NextX.

It's always refreshing when people really get what Chickin Feed is all about and implement it in creative ways.

Keep on Cluckin' Sam!

TRICK OR TREAT ... SMELL MY CHICKIN FEET

Give me something GOOD to eat!

Clever marketing initiative by "a bunch of carrot farmers" trying to fight fire with fire. Hey...whatever it takes.

COME FARM GRUB W/ CHICKIN FEED @ FIELD OF GREENS!

COME SPEND A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THE FARM! The FIELD OF GREENS is this Sunday 10/3/10 at Whipporwill Hollow Farms in Covington, GA. This is a wonderful event for the whole family. Get tickets online in advance @ Whole Foods ($15 adults - kids 12 & under FREE!) or at the door if they still have them for $20. This is a fun farm fundraiser!

Food tastings from some of the finest restaurants in the Atlanta area, Food Trucks, Farm Demos, Cool Vendors, Live Animals & a great kids area. Chickin Feed is proud to be joined by Chef Vanessa Parker McIntyer for some silly food fun and our good friend Rachel is coming from Seed Factory to run the seed planting station. Check out the full schedule here... And did we mention the music?

Chickin Feed's FARM GRUB Revue band will be belting it out at 11:30... You DO NOT want to miss this folks. We had a little preview last Saturday in Piedmont Park and the girls were killing it! We'll have plenty of copies of our new CD for sale. 15% of each CD Sale goes to Slow Food Atlanta - beneficiary of this fine event & 15% of each CD Sale goes to Georgia Organics.
Check out below for some "Reviews of the Revue"

"I was singing and laughing along to Farm Grub Revue. It was hilarious for kids and grown-ups. And, the message of healthy real food is so important. Great stuff."
– Mr. Eric
New York Times Bestseller Author of
Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes

"Chickin Feed don't do no "kiddie" tunes - Real Music for Kids about Real Food for Kids. Only the finest fresh local talent and rockin' tunes with no additives or preservatives or things you can't pronounce, unless you don't know Spanish. Chickin Feed exhibits THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT belief that kids music can be for everyone. It's for you too - go buy it now!"
– Amy
Host of am1690's Creative Loafing Critics Choice Award Winning show
The Kids Are Alright.

"It's really hard to find kids music that doesn't make you want to put an ice-pick through your f'ing eyeball. Good job on the Farm Grub thinggy...can I get back to work now?"
– Don
Papa Chickin

PEEPS!

Come join up for a great Day of Action!

Slow Food Atlanta is gathering peeps to help build

school gardens and then celebrate at a Picnic in Piedmont Park.

Chickin Fans, you'll get to hear live for the first time...

TUNES FROM CHICKIN FEED'S FARM GRUB REVUE!

Details on the event are below. Please RSVP to Ms. Harris!

Atlanta, GA - "Slow Food Atlanta Dig In"

CONTACT: Anissa Harris, Slow Food Atlanta (Click here to RSVP)

Charles R. Drew Charter School 301 East Lake Blvd. SE Atlanta, GA 30317

Sammye E. Coan Middle School 1550 Hosea Williams Dr. NE Atlanta, GA 30317

9/25/10 8am-12pm

"Dig In" and help a school build a garden! The Atlanta Chapter of Slow Food is celebrating school gardens! We are kicking off the National Day of Action getting our hands dirty. As harvest season has ended, and fall planting has begun, we will help two schools clean their existing gardens and prepare for spring planting. We will build beds for the plants, construct compost bins, place barrels to collect rain water and even plant fruit trees! Once we are done getting our hands dirty, we will meet at Piedmont Park for a parade and a picnic lunch.

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SEED & FEED & RADIO!

Chickin Feed is excited to be headed back to the Seed Factory! Saturday, August 21st @ 11am. We'll be tellin' tales & singing tunes' all about food, farm & fun. And we'll have a fresh supply of our super wonderful - screen printed on canvas (by Bo @ Velocity Screen Printing- great job!), handmade books - FARM GRUB A to Z. Check out our Facebook Page for a fun little video preview.

And we're super excited to be joined again by Drama Chick, Amy Handler...aside from her day jobs, she's crankin' out show after show of super cool music on her Saturday Morning show - The Kids Are Alright - am 1690. Listen up Peeps!

Mo' Hen & Chirpin' Chick, Katherine will be on Ms. Amy's show with hot copies of our brand spankin' new CD... Lil' Chickin Radio presents The FARM GRUB Revue... (I heard some pretty complete versions of the songs tonight and cannot express how excited and overjoyed I am about this CD! Katherine & Fletcher Moore - you are amazingly talented folks. Adam, Annette, John K., James, Jimmy, John B., The Chickin Chorus & The Real Farmers' Chorus – Je t'aime!. What a wonderful job. Thank you so very much.) More to come on this obviously!

AND SAVE THE DATE... Labor Day Weekend - Saturday & Sunday 9/5 & 9/6 come say "Howdy" at our booth (same place as the past two years) at the Decatur Book Festival! It's awesome!!!

EMAIL TODAY FOR BETTER SCHOOL LUNCHES TOMORROW...

We're approaching the one year anniversary of the Eat-In @ the Decatur Book Festival where this photo was taken. The Eat-In's all over the country did great things to raise awareness of the need to improve the Child Nutrition Act.

Now the rubber meets the road...!

Please take a moment to send an URGENT EMAIL... to your US Representative TODAY if you can - it's easy.

Here's an email sent out just now from Slow Food USA / Time For Lunch Campaign...

After our huge campaign where 20,000 Slow Food supporters gathered for Eat-Ins all over the country, over 100,000 emails were sent and phone calls bombarded Congress, last Thursday the Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act - the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. This is the legislation that governs the quality of school lunches. Thanks to everyone for such a huge effort! The version that passed in the Senate included a bunch of our priorities - more funding for healthier meals, regulations to kick junk food out of school vending machines, and $50 million for Farm to School programs, but it also makes cuts to food stamps in order to pay for them.

The next step is for the House to pass the bill, maybe when they return from break in September. Or maybe they will pass it tomorrow before they head out. This is why we need your urgent help. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/onestepcloser The House bill, which is still being debated, has much of what we asked for but avoids making cuts to food stamps (SNAP) - a move which will impact the children that are the most vulnerable. School lunch should not be funded at the expense of other important food programs. Contact your legislator now to make sure that we get the bill our children deserve. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/onestepcloser

Thanks for all you do,
Jerusha Klemperer,
Program Manager and the Time for Lunch team at Slow Food USA.

p.s. The First Lady wrote a great opinion piece last week on why we need to pass this bill. Check it out here.

Make a phone call for better school lunches!

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Hi Peeps...

Got a request to make some calls to help get better school lunches NOW... If you have a minute, please read the forwarded message below & make some calls soon. Thanks!

FORWARDED MESSAGE:
_____________________
"I’m contacting you today to provide an update on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization and to encourage you to contact a couple of key members of Congress in your area.

In short, we are hoping that the House version of CNR will be introduced into the Education and Labor committee either next week or the week of July 12th. This bill isn’t perfect, but is a big improvement over the current CNR in many ways. The concern is that if the bill isn’t on the floor of Congress by the end of August, we will be stuck with the current CNR for at least another year.

Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Tom Price are on the committee and so could help make sure that the committee vote happens soon. Could you call each of their offices and urge them to help make sure the bill is introduced soon?

The staffer for Child Nutrition in Congressman Lewis’s office is Michaleen Crowell (202-225-3801) and in Tom Price’s office the staff person is Chris Skrzychi (202-225-4501). Please leave a message if he/she is not available. It would be great if you could pass on this request to others in your network as well.

The message is simple! Urge your Representative to support H.R. 5504: “The Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act of 2010.”in the upcoming committee vote!"

END FORWARDED MESSAGE:

DUCKIE'S NAG PREVIEW!

How would you become a Modern Mobile Duck you ask? She's happy to tell you all the things she does to stay fit. And she loves to let Piggles know that she's NOT on the right track... Sound familiar to anyone?

BRAVA..Ms. Katherine Moore as Duckie! Hilarious & Fabulous and out of breath I'm sure...

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON BELOW...Lyrics are in the video and below:




DUCKIE’S NAG (An ode to Gilbert & Sullivan’s Modern Major General)
Lyrics, Chirpin’ & Plinkin’: Katherine Moore (some lyrics by Mo’ Hen- the ones that don’t work as well!) Mixin’ & Recordin': Fletcher Moore Backup Vocals: Annette Wawerna & Adam Cole.

Duckie:
I am the very model of a modern mobile duck, you see.
I keep my feathers flapping and my toes a-tapping constantly.
I do plies and releves and pirouettes so gracefully.
I rarely play my X-Box, I prefer to do my yoga Wii.

I make my wings so big and strong by climbing on the monkey bars
I jumpy jumpy with my jumpy rope until I’m seeing stars
I pedal pedal on my bike until the wheels go hummy-hum.
I ride the tire swing until I’m queezy in my tummy-tum.

Chorus:
She rides the tire swing until she's queezy in her tummy-tum.
She rides the tire swing until she's queezy in her tummy-tum.
She rides the tire swing until she's queezy in her tummy-tummy-tum.

I work my garden and I do the laundry and I clean my nest,
And then I quack and eat a snack and run a marathon with zest.
How do I keep my girlish size?
I run and swim and even fly
(I feel it in my hips and thighs).
I get my daily exercise!

Chorus:
How does she keep her girlish size?
She runs and swims and even flies,
(She feels it in her hips and thighs)
She gets her daily exercise!

Duckie @ Piggles:
Get up you should be prepping for the farmer’s market trip right now.
I don’t know why you’re napping like an overfed seahorse or cow.
I’ve come to wake you up agai-ain from your sugar co-o-ma,
Only to see wrappers from pretend food in your ho-o-ma.

You really should be helping Farmer Goat to load the cart right now
Instead of lounging on your tushie eating bonbons like a sow.
Clean off that sugar from your snout and wipe away that sluggish frown
Roll off that sofa, make your body like a verb and not a noun!

Chorus:
Off that sofa, make your body like a verb and not a noun!
Off that sofa, make your body like a verb and not a noun!
Off that sofa, make your body like a verb and not a, not a noun!

Your body is so stationary that your tushie’s growing roots
The time has come to pull you up and don you in your working boots

Get up, get up and move around!
We have to get the food to town!
Be like a verb and not a noun!
Your only active chowing down!

Chorus:
Get up, get up and move around!
We have to get the food to town!
Be like a verb and not a noun!
Your only active chowing down!

CONT...

© 2010 Chickin Feed, LLC | All rights reserved.

SNACK CAKE BLUES..

Preview of Piggles "Snack Cake Blues" (Click on the black box below and LISTEN UP!)
from the upcoming CD... Chickin Tunes by the Farm Grub Critters.

Chickin Tunes are churning!

I love love love to meet open-hearted creative folks. No matter what their field. I've been so lucky to have found some of the most creative music souls on the planet (I'm certain!) living nearby and am so pleased that they've gotten on board to help record our new CD Chickin Tunes...


Katherine Moore (Chirpin' Chickin) is leading the efforts with her tirelessly talented hubby Fletcher Moore (Punker-Roo?) doing the recording, mixing, picking and surprise! Punk Vocals - he used to be in a band and is really great. (I told him I get to do his hair for our first live performance...) Katherine has taken on the job of writing stories for the Farm Grub series as well that we are about to debut. She takes the lead on the fast paced patter song called Duckie's Nag. She has a magical voice through and through and I'm so honored to be the recepient of her many lyrical gifts.

Also chirpin' for us is Annette Wawerna, whose voice I would steal if I could. She reminds me of my favorite singer, Diana Krall. Annette sings the lead on Snackcake Blues, a great song penned my Ms. Moore that would make Little Debbie turn over in her grave. Annette has recorded her own CD and is one of the chirpin' chickins on our theme song you might have heard on our website. She also recently retired as one of the favorite teachers of The Music Class (where Ms. Katherine Moore still chirps).

Adam Cole joins us again with his particularly funny brand of cross-singing in our Tango Empanada (he plays a female Argentinian Bovine Chef with aplomb!) and he's lent his piano talents & vocals to other songs so far too.

James Palmer, a majorly talented illustrator, and leader of the The Wipes (a parent band of the Grant Park Cooperative Preschool that also has included Ms. Wawerna & Mr. Cole at times) is lending his southern thang to the Lamentation of the Rotten Zucchini.

And rounding out the main players so far is one of the finest pickers to hit Cherokee Avenue, Jimmy Galloway (co-owner with wife Bridget of Intown Healthy Hound in Grant Park).

Our backup singers include the "Chickin Chorus" and some real live Farmers! Who better to sing a song about composting! Farmer Joe Reynolds of Love is Love Farms, his mom (Mama Reynolds) & her friend Robert "Birdman" Ridenour and Farmer Matthew Bagshaw recorded a kickin' chorus for the Punk tune fronted by Punker-Roo Fletcher Moore entitled, Don't Trash Me Baby. What is really neat about this experience is that Mama Reynolds said the experience made her "Bucket List." How cool is that!

STAY TUNED! We've got several events scheduled over the summer to roll out FARM GRUB & CHICKIN TUNES...

LUNCH & LEARN WITH EFFECTIVE PARENTING

I'm teaming up with Dr. Kellie Ritter of Effective Parenting for a workshop on Friday May 14th. ...Come join us if you can... There will lots of chatting about getting your chickins to eat well and we'll be eating well with some free-range Chicken Pot Pies.

DRAMA ON THE RADIO!!!

kid's music for everyone! (or kids' music for people who hate kids' music)


Well, The Kids are Alright and coming to an AM frequency near you! Chickin Feed's own "DRAMA CHICK" is going to be hosting her own little Radio Show on Atlanta's Voice of the Arts - am 1690. It's the coolest thing you've heard ever! Yeah, I said so. There is even a rumor that Chickin Tunes will make it's debut. Woo Hoo...

Listen or stream it live this SATURDAY morning - May 1st @ 9am Eastern Time. Be There or Be Square.

NUTRITION DELIVERED

DELIVER IT PLEASE! Just found this site that delivers healthy toddler food to your home! Ah, the art of delivery – only in NYC. From my oat sowing days as a receptionist for Eisenman Architects on 21st in NYC, I remember perfecting this art as we would call down to the deli around the corner to bring up an iced coffee. Most of the time, we had 3-4 drinks ordered up, however...sometimes is was just ONE. How ridiculously indulgent!

On the other hand, here's a great excuse for delivery in the Big Apple – Toddler Food, help those picky chickins make good choices by bringing it straight to the door!

My favorite thing on their website is this cool handy Nutrition Chart that delivers all the essentials in a VERY DIGESTIBLE format. Chick them out @ Din Din's Food

COOL PROPS FROM CANADA!

Here's a great review from our friends North of the Border at Canadian Family Magazine - April 2010! Before the article hit, we were picked up by two mom-stores in Alberta... Cater Tot and Great Things in Store... Give them a little FB FAN and tell them Hello from Chickin Feed!

TV Worth Watching tonight.

Check out JAMIE OLIVER’S FOOD REVOLUTION 2-HOUR PREMIERE FRIDAY MAR 26 8|7c.
Then read through & follow up with this TOOLKIT put together in association with the PTA.

Thanks to Natalie Rogers. A local mom working hard to make this a reality!

Dear Task Force on Obesity... Less Talk-y, Paper Shuffley, More Do-ey...

1. FULLY fund the Child Nutrition Act - it's cued up for you. Take the shot.

2. FULLY fund FARM TO SCHOOL programs too. Kids need to reconnect to their food source. And this is a real valid learning tool.

3. No Child Left Behind ... hmmm anybody think that taking PE & Recess out of schools in order to spend more time prepping for tests is a good idea? It seems like it should be called "NO CHILD'S LEFT BEHIND should be too big to fit in their seat because we don't allow them to run around during the school day and Dang, why can't they pay attention anyway?!"

4. Parents & Task Force members... BE ROLE MODELS not ROLL models. We all have to do this together...It's not up to the government to make this one work...we do need their help but this one hits too close to home to leave it up to someone else.

5. Let's not try and solve every problem with a "tech-y" solution. Video & Computer Games are fine in small doses, but trying to get a kid to sit in front of the computer in order to learn about how to get healthy seems a little oxymoronic to me.

seeds, BIRDS | creative chickins

I just MUST post about this. My friend Rachel owns one of the coolest kid's stores I've ever been in. It's called the Seed Factory and is located on the west side of Atlanta, GA. She is hosting an event with one of the most creative artists I've seen in a long while. Have you ever seen a gigantic felted bird cage? Fantastic! Sign up & show up if you are geographically inclined. Even if you aren't, it might be worth the road trip.

What does it have to do with building healthy habits you ask? Well, inspiring kids to follow their creativity is a tremendously healthy habit!