We have an endless supply of potatoes in the ground her at Ozark Alternatives, and they’re for SALE (*wink*). Marine, Annie, David and I were digging potatoes, until Annie and David broke for dinner duty. We took a little breather when David brought out some wine, we were pretty much done for after that.
On this day, the team harvested potatoes. Shiori invited two of her friends from Fayetteville to come over and help, their names were L.J. and Hirona. We also received McKenna, she came to us from Louisville Kentucky on her way west. I can’t forget our newest recruits, David and Marine, coming all the way from Toulouse, France.
The team found snake eggs
Digging up more eggs.
After I told the boys that they had found snake eggs.
Everybody is interested now.
Roy giving everyone a lesson about snake eggs.
Hirona.
L.J.
McKenna.
David and Marine.
Father’s Day, does it always fall on a Sunday? Sundays are our Farmer’s Market day, so we watched all of the daddy’s with their children, young and old. Channel 5 news was there, a local news outlet here in Northwest Arkansas and they interviewed Paul, Oliver and Isaac about Father’s Day and what they were going to do for their Dad. I have a link posted. We were the first to this market with tomatoes. Lest you forget we sell at the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, every Sunday, from 9am-2pm. Also, I take that back about the first with tomatoes, that accomplishment was shared that day. Another vendor had tomatoes also, they weren’t quite ready, but it’s important to be first. The people are tomato hungry right now and I don’t blame them.
Paul and Isaac at the farmer’s market on Father’s Day.
Later in the day we sat and prepared garlic to cure. Here is Shiori doing an amazing job.
I was really pleased to know that a neighbor of a friend of mine reads my blog. When I saw him recently the first thing to come out of his mouth was how I had a “buy local” sticker on my foreign automobile. The second thing was “You need to update your blog, and with close-ups of all of your hot volunteers!” I’ll try my best Dale, and for the record I think he meant hot, as in it’s hot outside and therefore they are hot…it’s just a guess. Like I had said before, on day one of the CSA we received Nora and Will from Brooklyn. Shiori and Keyohei were here as well. A few days after Will and Nora’s arrival, Hayley also arrived from Albuquerque.
Kyohei and Nora in the hoop harvesting potatoes.
Part of the “Take” before being washed.
Everybody, this is Will. He’s planting cucumber seeds.
Rose kicking butt as always.
A picture courtesy of Isaac.
sweatshirts? Yes, remember I’m behind in posting all of these lovely pictures. Nora ate as many peas as she picked, if not more. You would too, they were AWESOME!
Crew cleaning onions while Oliver just watches.
Kyohei and Isaac cleaning radishes.
You want to know what I love about Jonathan? He’s a thumbs-upper. Those are my kinds of people.
Hayley keeping it real…and forgive me girl if I misspelled your name.
These were some great people and great volunteers. Thank you Will and Nora for bringing Brooklyn to the farm, and to any future Brooklynites who are interested, BRING IT!
My apologies, now let’s move forward. These pictures are of the kids and I planting their garden, and the beginning day of our CSA. This day we also welcomed two new WWOOF‘ers from Brooklyn (represent) Nora and Will.
Isaac planted some tomatoes in his garden. Isaac LOVES tomatoes and probably won’t share his crop.
Oliver adding amendments to the soil for his tomato plants.
Paul adding fresh jam to the sacks for the CSA customers. Did I mention this was day one?
Jonathan in front of house #1 on delivery day. Doesn’t he look EXCITED!
Lucky customer #1.
I had to take a picture of these radishes, they were so pretty.
Maybe this shot should have been earlier, nonetheless, Oliver, loading sacks into the car.
As of present, we just finished week 6 of delivery…maybe that’s where I’ve been.
Today we were supposed to welcome two WWOOF’ers coming from Little Rock area, originally from Japan, Shiori and her friend Kyohei. Unfortunately someone hit her car as they were preparing to leave town. So, we will welcome them on monday instead. In other news, Farmer’s Market take two tomorrow. Paul, the kids and I will b e standing out in GORGEOUS weather hustling. I’m so glad the weather will be nice. Last week, if you read, rained and only a few people showed up. Hopefully the crowds manifest themselves tomorrow. Also, to all of the Mother’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day! I can’t forget to call mine tomorrow, I’ve been so busy, I didn’t even mail a card…I feel bad Mom. I LOVE YOU. It’s because of her that I have a green thumb. What a true inspiration she has been in my life. Shiori, Kyohei, we will see you Monday afternoon. To all of my other WWOOF’ers past, I hope your journeys are going well. Thanks for the post cards ; )
Yesterday the gang was busy doing farm work and such, but broke for siesta to build a rain catch for the storm that was gong to hit in the evening. Now it isn’t a permanent system, but with the amount of rain forecasted, it was hard to pass up throwing something together to harvest rainwater.
The scene in the yard.
Alex, from York Pennsylvania.
Johnathan and Eric talking logistics.
Working out kinks.
The problem was how to keep it from falling over in the high winds.
E-town surveying the situation.
This is Shannon, also from York PA.
A side note, here are Alex and Shannon together. They left really early this morning. It rained cats and dogs last night, and they stayed in a tent…Hope yous guys (some Penn. speak) stayed dry. Happy trails, thanks for your help!
Today. I was out taking pictures of the “Take” and Rose B. volunteer extraordinaire was sticking her tounge out at me, I missed that but caught her laughing smile.
The “Take”. A little more than 200 gallons of rainwater!!!
A look at the finished project. Cinder blocks helped with weight and stability.
Rose B. and Eric (E-Town) pouring out rainwater out of another barrel to water some seeds just planted.
This is some Arkansas DIY in action!
There has been so much tat has happened, so, I’m posting pictures…Come visit! I need more volunteers!
January-ish, possibly early February, greenhouse and gorilla(s).
Snow and freezing temps outside, almost 70 inside AND it’s not even insulated yet!
Inside Hoop house, snow on the ground outside.
See.
Lettuce on the inside.
A team of tree cutters came through and cut down a bunch of trees lining the driveway because they interfered with the power lines. This is a group of neighbors helping to clean up the mess that the tree guys left.
Back side of the greenhouse.
Paul and intern Johnathon putting up a gutter on the hen house to catch water for them to drink.
Rose, the first place volunteer in our ever-expanding group of volunteers and Grace, one of our latest WWOOFers getting rid of the lettuce in the hoop.
Courtney, WWOOFer #2, keeping it real, building potato beds in Carharts. And to all of my Humboldt homies, she’s wearing a “Drive thru Tree” hat from Leggett California.
Johnathon, Grace, Courtney, Amanda making potato beds.
Courtney and Grace stayed for a month volunteering for us.
Stuccoing the Greenhouse was part of the agenda.
Ike took this picture.
Lettuce out, potatoes in.
Plantin’ ain’t easy.
MORE POTATOES!!!!
John and another guy, I don’t know his name. But, he came for a day to volunteer.
Tractor came to plow it up.
MORE POTATOES!
Zack. Says he’s “WWOOFing”, but I’m not so sure. He has a strong back, but if he could only get up before 2.
More tractor action.
This is Courtney and I getting ready for 26 high school students to come and volunteer. We’re straight up bustin’.
These students were from all of the area high schools. They are a part of a program called “Upward Bound”. Their supervisors found our farm through a volunteer list serve via the University of Arkansas. I was worried that these kids wouldn’t be into it, but was pleasantly surprised at how into it they were.
So we are turning over the dirt that the tractor plowed, to get rid of the grass and roots.
I gave them a greenhouse tour. See the girl in the blue? She was the only one who was not into this farming thing. She picked at the same clump of roots for two hours. It’s cool girl, that’s why you’re in that program…you’re a somebody who has options. Farming isn’t for everybody.
We had them plant potatoes too. We have about 2000 sq. ft. planted.
The girl with the sunglasses on told us her sister was “impregnated”. It was random, and funny, but that’s Arkansas for you.
This patch was tilled up to eventually plant sweet potatoes but for now, it will be an irish potato patch…because the theme of this photo essay is POTATO.
This is Alyssa, she visited us from Ohio for her spring break.
Here’s a better picture of Alyssa. Thanks for your help girl, it was fun having you.
Here’s some community garden action happening. The group dug a trench and is laying pipe for water spigots throughout the garden.
GO TEAM!
And this was this morning, when Grace and Courtney were leaving. They are off to Texas, continuing their farm tour of America, and we are keeping on here on the farm. Best of luck Ladies, you were an awesome help!
As I sit here, drinking my morning cup of coffee, letting my interns get their last ten minutes of sleep, I’m just realizing all of the work we still have to do before we can plant any seeds. Trying to write it down on paper, to have some sort of game plan, so we’re more efficient out there. Today, I think Franchy will wear shoes. He learned a lesson yesterday and I didn’t have to talk to him like his mama…I can come off that way a lot, (right Monica). But, I just thought I’d drop my readership a line to let you all know there is hard work to be done today, so please come over and show your face, pitch in if you wish! TTFN.
Today Paul took Franchy to the farmer’s market to meet with Patrice Gros about the hoop house building that will be commencing here in November. Patrice, a fellow Frenchman was excited to know about our new French help. Pleasantries, pleasantries. When Franchy and Paul arrived back on the farm, Beth and I were in the north rows weeding and attempting to make them larger. Franchy stepped in and began pitch forking the ground, while Beth shook the soil from the grass roots. I was a row over returning mulch to the row. Franchy turns to me, and with his French-English says, “Uh, I need, how do you say, uh…” and he lifts his foot which is covered in blood and dirt. “A Band-Aid” I say, “Yes! A Band-Aid, yes.” He replies. “What did you do?” I ask him. He motions that he stuck himself with the pitch fork. “Okay, go back to my house and show your foot to Paul, and he’ll take care of it.” I tell him. After he walked away Beth and I giggled. His first day on the job and he stabs his foot. I think it’s noble of Franchy to travel with the WWOOF program, however, bless his little French heart, I don’t think he has ever worked on a farm before. I sat tonight down at the home with Mrs. Barbara, doing some care giving and told all of the old ladies at dinner about this episode. They all had a good laugh. Hopefully tomorrow will bring less injuries.
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