Depending on the season, they produce up to 12 eggs a day. Cotton is one of the heaviest fertilized crops on the planet. I remember picking cotton by hand when I was 8, but then the machines came in that could pick more cotton, so they put more fertilizer in and more pesticide to keep up with the insects and one year the crop failed. This means taking a good look at the soil from which life springs. The land is alive with bugs and living microorganisms that have to be there to have healthy and living soil.
Soil is alive.
It has to be fed the right thing. Last year Howe began teaching this concept as part of Sunset Elementary School's community gardening project. He started with one class. This year, he'll be teaching four classes. Even with my feeble attempts at making coffee, it's all learning, and everything adds to the whole picture.