Tag Archives: living off the grid

Meaning not buying any electricity or water from a power or water company. Getting alternative forms of energy.

Sep19

It felt good

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Synergy, in general, may be defined as two or more agents working together to produce a result not obtainable by any of the agents independently.

We had an unbelievable day today.  Well, I cannot speak for Beth and Franchy, but to me it felt good.  We finished what we started yesterday.  We were widening a row by a few feet.  That’s how Franchy had his accident : )  We pitch-forked the Bremuda grass up and then shook the soil from the roots.  This morning we finished that chore.  Franchy continued to work up the grass the next row over and finished it.  Bet raked the first row to even it and we started planting more cilantro seed.  It felt great getting dirt jammed under my fingernails.  As Beth and I were scratching dirt over the holes we drilled with our fingers, Beth said “Scratching Mother Nature’s back”.  How apt.  It felt really good to have my hands massaging the warm soil.  You should try it sometime.  Then we watered in all the seeds.  Good work team!  We broke about 1:00pm for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a salad.  Never had a meal tasted so good.  I felt so exhausted and dehydrated.  I had to sit still for a while because I had too much sun.  I don’t know about the weather in your neck of the woods, but in my yard it’s in the high 80’s/low 90’s…it’s brutal out there come 12:30 pm.  We took the rest of the day off.  Still ore to do, but tomorrow is another day.

Sep19

As of this morning

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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.

Sep18

And so it begins

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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.

Sep17

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

Sep17

WWOOF

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Paul signed our farm up with an organization called: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or WWOOF.  I added the link on the side of the page so you can check out the details.  Today, Paul i going to pick up our first WWOOF volunteer, Franchy.  Should be interesting.  He will work 4-5 hours a day for us, which if it works out will be HUGE!  There is so much going on right now.  Even though we have had the most awesome volunteer base, there are still chores to be done.  With our shift in focus to planting fall crops, there is the issue of pulling out summer crops and prepping those spaces for planting.  It is such hard work, I thank my volunteers with my whole heart.  And I have a mess of chores for you come tomorrow.  Please check out the WWOOF link, it’s a really great organization.  I first read about it in Mother Earth News, then was told about it again by a young woman in the organic gardening club on campus.  Now, a bite, Franchy will be here today.  It’s exciting.

Sep12

Excuse me, where are my manners

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We have had a wave of exceptional help lately that has been a positive force in this whole circus.  I can say “Thank you” until I’m blue in the face at them, I still don’t think it would do justice to the amount of appreciation that Paul and I have.  Thank you again though, for good measure.

Everybody, meet Rose.

She has been a tremendous help for us these past few weeks.

This particular day we harvested the seeds from my spring cilantro and seeded a new bed with them.

Everybody, meet Beth.

Also a big help.  Beth is interning on the farm.

Everybody, meet our county fair Grand Champion!

Everybody, meet our first place winner!

Now in this picture are more volunteers, Jason and Jen.  I don’t have better pictures of them, sorry Jen and Jason.  They too are a great help.  This is a picture of the work party today.

Sep25

What else is there to do but move?

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In wake of the move I have five extra minutes to post these pictures of the last month or so.

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Okra, I found a new vegetable love this year.  Delicious, slime and all.  I’m not sad to see it go, for it is a very time consuming vegetable to grow.

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My men prepping tomatoes for canning.

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I liked how the kids asked if they could help.  I think because it’s really messy and messy means fun.

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Arkansas has the craziest critters I have ever seen.  This spider was hanging out in the chicken coop.

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Some of the chickens hanging out in their jungle.

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I think this is Paul’s hand, he must have been proud of these bell peppers.  My kids pick them off of the plants and eat them like apples.

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The last of the three-legged carrots to come out.

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Oliver received a second place ribbon for the sunflower seed head he entered.  The old ladies running the show put it in the novelty category for “Largest seed head” instead of just “Large”, he could have had a blue ribbon, I’m only a little bitter, he could care less.

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This was the largest pumpkin to come out of the pumpkin patch this year.  Unfortunately it rotted a week later and we had to throw it in the compost.

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Next year my pumpkin patch will be more sincere.

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These are some pie pumpkin plants that I seeded where my old compost pile was.  Pumpkins are heavy feeders, so it seemed like a practical spot.  They did well here.

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I LOVE PUMPKIN PIE!

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A view of the new digs.  Passive and active solar and a beautiful view!

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See.  I think I’m going to like it here.

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Ike looking out the windows.

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Moving the “op”.

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We have since hired a dump truck and a back hoe.

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Ike was having a good time, though the look on his face shows otherwise.

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They worked hard.

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Dumping the dirt at the new place.  Black gold, do you blame us for moving it?

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Row complete.

Everyone, please stay tuned.  I know my posts have been sporadic, but with school and the move that is just how it will be for the next couple of weeks.  I know there are diehards out there who are like ‘Yeah Amanda, cool’ and I thank you for it.  Crazy is the word that comes to mind for what is going on right now.  We learned that “off the grid” really means off the grid, for where we are moving has no physical address and no phone.  We are adopting an address from another building on the property though.  I think my blog is about to get a whole lot more interesting because it is going into the ether.  I’m doing it.  All of you who dream about your solar cabin/off the grid lifestyle, let me be your barometer.  I’m just as curious as you are.  Thank you for your support.