Green thumbed folks, gardeners and grow your own

This is the part in my day when I say "have someone you know in the USA get it from an Extension Service and mail it to you book rate".

This is the part in my day when I say "have someone you know in the USA get it from an Extension Service and mail it to you book rate".

And this is the part where I go 'Not in a super rush for it, so I would be happy to pick it up next time I'm in the US. '   

And this is the part where I go 'Not in a super rush for it, so I would be happy to pick it up next time I'm in the US. '   

Ah, too bad then. You won't get to use it for this canning season.


Unless you take to the high seas. 

OMG Kittens!  There's a derelict old barn out at the community garden. Today we saw five little cat faces staring at us as we were taking a break - they were peering out from under the old barn door!  Must be maybe 5 or 6 months old. They are completely feral.

What to do!  Winter will be brutal here for them. I will drive over there and slog in with a bag of Purina Cat Chow, but even if they're out of the direct weather in that barn they will freeze!   

OMG Kittens!  There's a derelict old barn out at the community garden. Today we saw five little cat faces staring at us as we were taking a break - they were peering out from under the old barn door!  Must be maybe 5 or 6 months old. They are completely feral.

What to do!  Winter will be brutal here for them. I will drive over there and slog in with a bag of Purina Cat Chow, but even if they're out of the direct weather in that barn they will freeze!   

Can you speak to some of your local cat rescue charities and see what help and advice they can provide?
The ones I follow are California based but they do a lot of trap neuter release and rehoming as barn cats but obviously the weather there is much different to yours in the winter.
Just in case they can't help. How to make a feral cat shelter.

 

Yeah, so the rescue groups up here are pretty useless. 

I've alerted the garden coordinator. There used to be a "Garden Cat" who lived in the barn a decade or so ago, so perhaps it's doable. If I don't hear from him I'll buy a well-insulated dogloo and put it in there for them. With five of six of them in it they should stay toasty. There will be no shortage of vermin for them to eat, but I'll also drop off kibble a couple of times a week.

Nan, I'm expecting one of those pumpkins so big they fill up the back of a pickup.  Please do no disappoint me. 

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/pumpkin-boat-record-attempt-nebraska/index.html

Yeah, so the rescue groups up here are pretty useless. 

I've alerted the garden coordinator. There used to be a "Garden Cat" who lived in the barn a decade or so ago, so perhaps it's doable. If I don't hear from him I'll buy a well-insulated dogloo and put it in there for them. With five of six of them in it they should stay toasty. There will be no shortage of vermin for them to eat, but I'll also drop off kibble a couple of times a week.

I wonder if you contact this amazing rescue in CA, they might know of one a bit further away? They are going to start breeding soon! 

https://orphankittenclub.org/fullcircle/

I know they'll be fine now they have you in their corner though! 

I have reported them repeatedly to the garden coordinator, who is not acknowledging my messages.
They are on government property, in a government-owned building, so it's limited what I can do privately.
Doesn't mean I won't though. 

I have reported them repeatedly to the garden coordinator, who is not acknowledging my messages.
They are on government property, in a government-owned building, so it's limited what I can do privately.
Doesn't mean I won't though. 

There is probably a local rescue that would be able to come out and trap them, and at worst TNR to stop the population from increasing. A friend who I adopted my kitty from in WNY does that alongside the rescue work since not all are suitable away from their colony but sometimes need vet care + neutering/spay.

Yeah, that was kind of the plan.    There are no local groups that will take them in.  They will only work with socialized animals, not ferals.

I did get put in contact with the feral cat network, which apparently is pretty wide-spread. I have just put the garden coordinator in contact with an entity from that network in a neighboring county that is willing to loan traps and that will arrange a spay/neuter, vaccinations, pain meds, etc, for $75 a cat by donation (which is pretty darned good!).  I am now soliciting funds from the other gardeners, and seeing if the coordinator will allow the placement of the traps.

Best to get this done quickly, so they are healed and 100% before the cold sets in for winter

$75 is cheap for that! Thanks for caring Nan! 🥰

You can't get the vaccinations in this town for $75 normally, so all the work they are donating is amazing.  I will cover part of the cost for one, and hope the other gardeners (there's at least a few dozen) will kick in for the rest.

I just wish I wasn't working right now. Someone who is free all day every day, I think, needs to manage the traps.

Ok, so the garden coordinator says I should write a letter to the other gardeners, and he will forward it to them. And then we should have a meeting to see who might be interested and what to do next.

The cats have to be kept somewhere pre- and post-surgery, and I have no place to do that. I can't do any trapping or checking of traps (except driving by in the evenings to see if there's anybody in them).  So maybe they could stay at the barn unless someone will offer their garage. I can certainly do the transporting (my car is basically a big square with a hatchback, so lots of room in there) and can take a day off of work (or at least several hours) for that purpose.  He even said that there is some money in the budget for discretionary use that he can kick in to help with the costs.

So now I just have to organize people. NOT my forte. 

Maybe I'll contact that organization again for advice. 

Canned up
Bread & Butter Pickles
Pickled Beetroot
Green & Purple Beans
Courgette and Chill Pickle
Bramble Jam

This weekend!  Loving my pressure canner that I got for Christmas that my husband got imported from the USA!