Category Archives: Workshops

Fence, Rain, and why I love the 4th of July

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Team WWOOF planted sweet potatoes up in the front and had to construct a fence to keep out the deer.  Deer will wipe out your sweet potato crop if you don’t protect it.  The Missouri Angels and Annie D worked on it during the morning, before she took off.

Go team go!

RAIN!!!!!!

Blessed rain!  Enough to soak the ground and cool things down.  However, the next day it was so humid.

Swallows hanging out during the downpour.

Missouri Angels picking blackberries in the rain.  They wanted to.

The 4th of July.  Jr. Soapbox y’all.  I felt so American.  Thanks to Cody Russell for organizing a fantastic group of musicians to come and play in the yard during the fireworks.  It was so awesome, you all should have been there!  I’m adding all of these pictures even though they’re blurry.  I can’t thank all of the musicians enough for coming out.  Thank you Cody, Clayton, Chad, Stacey, Jr. Soapbox, Bayard and others who jumped in here and there.  I’ve joked about Jr. Soapbox playing in my yard since the winter, so it was a real treat to have him.

Thanks Paul B. for the harmonica stylings!

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An exciting day of harvest

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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.

Car Accident

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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 ; )

Arkansas DIY

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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!

A Photo Essay

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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!

 

Again…2010 Workshops

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Click on this to view our upcoming 2010 workshops!

The Farm will be hosting a series of workshops that are all coming up for the Fall season.  You don’t have to live here in Northwest Arkansas to attend.  Tell your friends!

OA workshop flyer

ATTENTION NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

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The Farm will be hosting a series of workshops that are all coming up for the Fall season.  You don’t have to live here in Northwest Arkansas to attend.  Tell your friends!

OA workshop flyer