A road map to Kristian Hansen and fun stuff.

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Oh Yes… the joys of bike messengering.

Was looking through an old hard drive and found this video I took moments after my first delivery in Warsaw Poland back in June of 2009. 

You haven’t really lived until you have scoured the streets of a foreign country, frantically rushing to deliver a package on a Friday afternoon - when its 85 degrees outside and cars are trying to run you off the road. 

Well, good thing I survived, Kaspio got paid, Elmo got paid and I had some beers.

Miss you Poland!

Laughing Chickens  is a labor of love. It has not blossomed overnight, but rather is a consequence of organic growth. 

We started with a space that was 20 ft long by 8 ft wide - 160 feet of workspace. But as our ambitions and product line began to grow we had to negotiate for more space to handle the increased load on our workshop. 

Real estate is never cheap, especially in Southern Marin. Fortunately, we have a great neighbors and an awesome landlord who have been willing to work with our budget and foster our growth. 

It is hard to manufacture in America. I do not want to get into a discussion right now about the pros and cons of USA Labor, but I do want to say that it is a pleasure working with dedicated employees and creative individuals. 

The fact that in 2013 you can be running a small business out of a construction yard is really spectacular. Not many people can say that they are in manufacturing nowadays. It is a thing of the past to many people and often something we (as a society) look down upon. We expect that due to high labor costs and raw material costs that it is impossible to employee people and make a profit. That we must outsource our work abroad to poorer countries where living standards and wages are less. 

This company that I am building is all about turning common wisdom on its head. I think we can work together to change things. We can build smart products and design them with thought and care in mind. We can be diligent and resourceful, crafty and humble. And most importantly we can create jobs. 

The square footage we now occupy is almost 10X the size we were a year ago. The number of people we have working has shot up from 2-3 part-timers to 6 on an almost full-time basis. The workload is only getting larger. Our business may be small, but we affect many other companies around us. We buy some of our tools off craigslist, our wood comes from Northern California (both the FSC wood and reclaimed fence boards), UPS makes money off deliveries, Uline.com helps us out with packaging materials,  local cafes/stores get my lunch money and the trickle down goes on and on… 

For this I feel special. For the opportunity to wake up and bike to work everyday I feel awesome and blessed. 

Do what you love.

Reclaimed Square Planter Boxes Launch

Another one of our products has launched recently at Williams-Sonoma. If you are looking for that perfect gift for Mom and Dad - Look NO further! Our Spring product line is beginning to hit the interwebz and I am so proud of my awesome team for making the best reclaimed redwood products on the planet.

The 16” and 22” square planter boxes are perfect for starting that backyard, porch or patio project that you are thinking about doing - but not sure where to start. With our boxes all you have to do is add some dirt, compost/organic fertilizer, seeds, water and sunlight. Global warming will take care of the rest!

Okay, well that last line was a bit tongue and cheek, but its super easy to get that garden going, to plant a young shrub, patch of flowers or bonsai plant. 

Laughing Chickens wants people to become more self-reliant and our goal in producing sustainable goods is to inspire people to take the next step.

What would you do with one of these boxes?

Rustic Chicken Coop On-Line Sales

People of the internet, Thank you for listening!

We are selling coops now through our website Laughing Chickens and over the weekend - just three days after going Live we had our first coop sale to a customer in Indiana. 

This is pretty awesome. We have not spent a single dollar yet on any online marketing, SEO, analytics or what-not. I can’t wait to see when we start to implement my intensive internet marketing strategy.

Chickens are AWESOME. Love your Life, Love what you DO!

Duncan Quinn Miami Pop-Up
It’s all quickly coming together into one fierce bus. The 1966 Bristol double-decker is cleaning up nicely. You can see the progress we made in the pictures.
Today I put the radiator back on, front grill, attached the two front tires, and regressed the axles for the rear wheel shafts. Not to mention the cleaning of the interior and shop set-up.
It’s been a long day.
Tomorrow we launch the shop officially in Miami. We will be having a private dinner onboard the bus with 16 VIPs. In addition there will be Ron Zacapa rum tastings the rest of the week with the pop-up open during the day for retail and special tailoring appointments.
It’s a special feeling to jump back into the shoes of my bespoke fashion days. I was not sure when or if I would be popping back on a Duncan Quinn suit again.
But working hard and keeping in contact is a great feeling and speaks volumes about professional relationships.
If you are in Miami this week feel free to give me a shout or an email. I will be in the Design District with the bus everyday between 11am and midnight. Drop by for some Zacapa or just to say Hello!

Duncan Quinn Miami Pop-Up

It’s all quickly coming together into one fierce bus. The 1966 Bristol double-decker is cleaning up nicely. You can see the progress we made in the pictures.

Today I put the radiator back on, front grill, attached the two front tires, and regressed the axles for the rear wheel shafts. Not to mention the cleaning of the interior and shop set-up.

It’s been a long day.

Tomorrow we launch the shop officially in Miami. We will be having a private dinner onboard the bus with 16 VIPs. In addition there will be Ron Zacapa rum tastings the rest of the week with the pop-up open during the day for retail and special tailoring appointments.

It’s a special feeling to jump back into the shoes of my bespoke fashion days. I was not sure when or if I would be popping back on a Duncan Quinn suit again.

But working hard and keeping in contact is a great feeling and speaks volumes about professional relationships.

If you are in Miami this week feel free to give me a shout or an email. I will be in the Design District with the bus everyday between 11am and midnight. Drop by for some Zacapa or just to say Hello!

Welcome to Florida!

Across a country and its many wonderful sovereign states I came to Florida today from sunny San Francisco. Now I languish in a land of Dexter, Oranges, and Jeb Bush. Although, a bunch of other things come to mind: drug lords, immigrants, alligators, Disneyland, cocaine, and beaches…

This will prove to be an interesting week indeed. I can barely wait for tomorrow to come. 

Fort Lauderdale it’s been REAL - Miami, here I come.

Look Out!

Welcome to Florida!

Across a country and its many wonderful sovereign states I came to Florida today from sunny San Francisco. Now I languish in a land of Dexter, Oranges, and Jeb Bush. Although, a bunch of other things come to mind: drug lords, immigrants, alligators, Disneyland, cocaine, and beaches…

This will prove to be an interesting week indeed. I can barely wait for tomorrow to come.

Fort Lauderdale it’s been REAL - Miami, here I come.

Look Out!

Mini Farming San Francisco

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Its that time of year when Spring is in the air. Flowers are beginning to bud and its 70 degrees in February in San Francisco.

Over at the Hansen Homestead I have grand plans for my backyard. Like many aspiring gardeners and urban farmers I have unique limitations to pursue my dream garden - but I have creativity ( which will more than compensate for any constraints I may come up against). Since I am busy running Laughing Chickens and the Urban Garden Workshop over in Marin, I thought it would be wise for me to start implementing some of the designs I have built for the mass market and using them in my own backyard. Its been a weird feeling making composters and tool sheds for other people, but not myself. I hope to remedy this.

Today I discuss some issues that I am finding unique to San Francisco and this endeavor:

Space - There is never enough, but I hit the jackpot with my backyard! It is approximately 60 feet in Length and 24 1/2 feet in Width = That is 1,470 Square Feet. In the backyard there are plum, fig, and lemon trees which I am navigating (if I could chop them down I would, since their fruit is sub-par and muddles up my space - but I am a renter and I can’t ration the cost or time it would require). Currently I have to work within these 60ft by 25ft parameters and the issue of sunlight while I design the backyard. Which brings me to what plants do I want EXACTLY. What plants do I want to grow versus what would I actually use ( like carrots or onions vs pretty flowers). What is built where? Where should I put the composter? How big should I build the composter? Where do the raised beds go? Should I utilize cedar or redwood in my construction materials?… the list goes on.

Sunlight - In Sonoma when I was doing Kristian Pickles there was more sun than I knew what to do with. I was inundated with an avalanche of golden rays of light all day every day. In San Francisco I have two lighting issues. One is that the weather is touch and go. 70 degrees today, but 55 tomorrow and overcast. Additionally there is a tall 5 story building against my backyard. After 1pm I lose direct sunlight in the backyard. And even at the best of times ( around 8-10am) only 30% of the yard receives light. This is making me re-prioritize which plants I want and where they will be going. It is also forcing me to consider which plants grow better in shady conditions.

Heat and Micro-Climates - The Bay Area has a spectacular number of micro-climates which are unique to the area - although it is most closely attributed to a Mediterranean Climate. In San Francisco I can think of 5 very different climates within 7 miles. There is the ocean ( Richmond and Sunset Districts) where you get most of the fog in the city and its rather cold, The Mission/Potrero Hill area gets lots of sun and is 5-10 degrees warmer most of the year - and its 4 miles away from the beach, and right now I live in the Western Addition/ Lower Pacific Heights area. My zone is moderately warm, gets a good amount of sun, but is somewhere in-between the Mission’s warmth and the Ocean’s fury!

Diplomacy - Turning a decrepit, unused urban space into a beautiful sanctuary and productive space takes time, energy, some money and SWEAT. But it also makes your think about your neighbors, flatmates, the Landlord, local restaurants and friends/family. I am already psyched to have friends and BBQs galore. There might even be a chicken coop in my backyard soon… But who is responsible for all of this? Do the upstairs neighbors get access? Do they get to take some of my vegetables? Who is allowed to hang in the Yard? Do I give a small space to the guy upstairs because he is a landscaper? How do I divide the workload? Right now I am figuring this all out and its fun.

Here are some pictures of the yard from the beginning to where it is now… There is a TON of work to do, but I plan on writing about the progress and adding pictures as I get my hands dirty and get plants germinating. Of course if ANY of the Hansen Report readers want to throw in a helping hand please reach out to me. I will provide food, beer/wine/whisky, gloves, tools and shelter. Not to mention you will receive a portion of fresh vegetables and fruit for your labor once the Post Street Farm is up and running. 

What should I call this place?

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Buy My Coops Online NOW!

This week I am proud to announce that you can now order my rustic, reclaimed chicken coops online through my webshop. 

Laughing Chickens 

Laughing Chickens has gone live as of late last night. We have four products for sale at the moment. Our hottest seller is the Cottage Hen House. Its super affordable, easy to build ( these come as DIY kits, pre-drilled with instructions). We have tweaked all of our designs to fit into sexy bike boxes, which we ship nationwide.

Our goal is to sell 1,000 coops this year. 

Check out our Bungalow Hen House with Run if you want something to fit your brood of 5-8 hens. Otherwise for the smaller backyard, not-so-intense chicken owner, I would recommend our Cottage as a good starting point for 3-4 hens. 

Think of all those beautiful frittatas, quiche lorraine, omelettes and easter eggs you can get out of the rustic nesting boxes!

As always, you can reach out to me directly with inquiries. Spread the Love.

If you type in CLUCK you get a 5% Hansen Report Discount!

Sexy Beast Heading to Miami Seeking Duncan Quinn

That’s right folks, its that time of year when Kristian “BlackDevil” Hansen will be making his way South ( and very East for that matter). 

Sunday I fly out to Miami for 10 days of frivolous, action-packed Duncan Quinn mayhem. 

If you recall, I was working with Duncan a few years back. We had some amazing times together. He recently launched a novel pop-up shop out of a double decker 1966 British bus. It is complete with a store downstairs and dining hall/speakeasy on the upper-deck.

Zacapa Rum is co-hosting all of the activities and I will be the man in charge for the week. 

If you are in the Miami area and would like to meet-up for coffee, have a swig of rum or enjoy a bespoke fitting with yours truly - then please leave me a comment or shoot me an email - kristian at trackstand dot com !!

2700 Vallejo Street … Famous for what San Francisco movie??

2700 Vallejo Street … Famous for what San Francisco movie??