Spring has sprung at Callahan’s General Store and that means not only planting season but also new baby animals!

Charley Wilson, the president, CEO, and general manager of Callahan’s General Store, joined Studio 512 Host Rosie Newberry to talk about what they have in store for Austin this spring.

Why are so many people interested in buying baby chicks these days?

“It’s a combination of things, like the rising price of a dozen eggs in the grocery store; the ability to control the source of your eggs; the allure of raising and benefiting from your own backyard chickens and other feathered friends; the social community benefits of sharing experiences and eggs with your neighbors; and some assurance that you know how to be self-sufficient and part of sustaining the food supply chain.”

When many of us were younger, baby chicks and ducklings were often dyed cute colors for Easter. Is that a good thing?

“Using artificial coloring with baby chicks to celebrate Easter, while technically safe if using non-toxic dyes, is largely a thing of the past. We love the symbolic connection of Easter: new and renewed life, along with baby chicks.”

“We encourage people using chicks to celebrate Easter to just let things remain in their natural-colored states. Some of the chicks we sell at Callahan’s eventually become hens that will lay colored eggs. If you just have to use non-toxic artificial coloring on something, then do the safe thing and dye your Easter Eggs.”

The planting season is upon us. What are some of the most productive and interesting seedling plants that you can get from Callahan’s?

“We are in a great spring climate zone where seedling plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and melons — more specifically, cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumbers, and squash — all thrive. There’s a brief window where we make available okra, beans, and strawberries.”

“Additionally, we have a number of flowering plants, such as Crown of Thorns and Bougainvillea, that serve as great pollinators for insects like bees for citrus and fruit trees, hibiscus trees, rose bushes, and others. We strive to ensure our customers have a choice of plants that make their gardens and orchards productive, which is why you don’t see much in the way of splashy, cosmetic plants here. Most of what we sell has an agricultural, long-term purpose.”

Callahan’s General Store is hosting a Front Porch Crawfish Boil on April 22 (Earth Day). The event features live music inside the store. All are welcome.

Check out all Callahan’s has to offer this spring, or any time of year, by stopping by in person at 501 Bastrop Hwy, or by going to CallahansGeneralStore.com.

This segment is paid for by Callahan’s General Store and is intended as an advertisement. Opinions expressed by the guest(s) on this program are solely those of the guest(s) and are not endorsed by this television station.