Thursday, February 23, 2012

Volunteer Work Days February 26 to March 3, 2012

Thursday, March 1, 8:30 to 11:30:  We'll plant more carrots, prep bed space for potatoes, leeks, and parsnips, and do some weeding.

Friday, March 2, 1:00 to 3:00:  We'll plant flats of aster and thyme, prep bed space for rudbeckia, borage, and sunflowers, prune, weed and feed the lantana and feed the rose bush.  

Pictures of the Week

Last Monday, 3 out of 4 parent chaperones thought they wouldn't be able to join the class due to illness, car trouble and travel plans.  High school in-service crews to the rescue!  Below you can see Kolyer, Aaron and Bennet helping 3rd grade to turn a bed.

Here is Charlie, who comes every week, not just for emergencies, watching over his crew as they weed a bed. 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Volunteer Appreciation Party

It was definitely a cold day.  One of the children found this hunk of ice in the creek to prove it.  

But we stayed toasty warm with the fire that Batian helped to build.

We grilled some of our own home grown shiitake mushrooms,

toasted marshmallows,


drank hot chocolate, hot cider or hot tea, ate pesto noodles made from our own basil,

and generally enjoyed each others' company

If you missed out this year, no worries, we plan to make this an annual event.  Without volunteers, this farm could not exist.  
Thank you!!







Volunteer Schedule - February 19 to 25, 2012

Even though we are having a break from school this week, the needs of the garden are growing as the amount of sunlight increases and we move towards warmer weather.  Please come help if you're looking for something to do over the break!

Wednesday, February 22 from 1 to 3:  We'll start prepping an area for a mix of flowers that hummingbirds love, plant some marigold seeds in flats, finish weeding and feed the big shade bed for flowers, and edge up another bed for flowering annuals.

Friday, February 24 from 1 to 3:  We'll plant a flat each of lettuce and chard for indoor starting, plant spinach, dill and cilantro in the beds, weed the sorrel and start prepping another bed for spring planting.

Saturday, February 25 from 1 to 3:  We'll clean out the greenhouse, move rocks, retire our old scarecrows, clean up the fire ring and move some soil to even out some "dents" at the front of the garden.

If you guessed that last week's picture was of 2 Praying Mantis egg sacs, you were right.


Picture of the Week

This is one of the early spring bouquets that made an appearance at the farm volunteer's party on Sunday.  Stay tuned for more pictures of the party.  

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Volunteer Work Days Feb. 12 to 18

As the sun begins to make longer appearances each day and the weather moves toward warming, the work schedule in the garden really picks up.  Please come help out if you are able.  It's truly beautiful, the soil is like chocolate cake, the birds are singing and the garden will warm you to your core.

Thursday, Feb. 16, 8:30 to 11:45:  We'll plant dill and cilantro, start a flat each of senposai and stevia, feed the asparagus bed with compost, and do some prep work on a couple of beds as well.

Friday, Feb. 17, 1 to 3:  We'll plant peas, start a flat of tomatoes, prep some bed space, and weed and feed the raspberries.

Don't miss the volunteer party this Sunday, Feb. 12 from 1 to 3 at the farm:  bonfire, scavenger hunt, music and stories, photos and history of the farm, hot drinks, marshmallows and mushrooms to roast over the fire - all to celebrate you!

Picture of the Week
I found these two beautiful egg sacs in the mint patch.  Does anyone have a guess as to what they are?  (Hint: having them in the garden is a very good thing!)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Work Days February 5 to 11, 2012

Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 1 to 3:  We'll prune the raspberries.  If I have enough helpers, we'll move the raspberries so that they are planted along the new fence line.  We'll also finish prepping another bed, weed and feed the grains and check the strawberries to see how they're doing under their straw cover.

Friday, Feb. 10 from 1 to 3:  We'll spread cardboard and wood chips around all of the prepped beds, and weed the winter root bed if it needs it.

Picture of the Week

Above you can see some of our third graders helping with the making of compost by shoveling horse manure to add to the big compost pile.

Below some more of our crew is sifting finished compost to add to beds in preparation for planting.

Outdoor planting started today (Feb. 2).  Five rows of carrots went in with many more to follow!






Farm Volunteers Party


Just click on the link above to get the details.  Be sure to scroll down to find out what to expect.  Hope to see you there!