Saturday, May 30, 2009

Planting Day Celebration

So we have officially kicked off our growing season and invited the community to join us in our venture to grow healthy community and healthy food.
Today (a Saturday of all evil things. . . poor interns) we met at the farm with the single focus of getting all of our crops in the ground. We had already started some tomatoes and the herbs, but now the push was on to get the educational field planted. After three days of rain and cold weather, today was blessedly hot and sunny.











Folks from the community started rolling in almost as soon as the clock hit 9 am. It began as a trickle at first. . . people from the neighborhood coming to investigate what all the goings on were around the property. Then came folks who were very interested in talking with Sue about the square foot gardens.












After that the flood gates opened, and it began raining children. . .
Amy and Susan, who were running the Kinder-Garden had their hands full. So full in fact that it became necessary to let the kids dig a huge hole and fill it with water, which then became the "spa" - a place for little people to go and exfoliate. The parents talked and watched as the Kinder-Gardeners became mud monsters and made mud balls and cups of "cement". With all the fun and games, they were still able to plant spinach, peas, beans, carrots, tomatoes and a few other veggies.











Around lunch time we stopped and supped on the sandwiches, chips and cookies that were provided by the Bon Appétit staff from across the street. Afterwards there was some demand for a tour of the grounds and information on local edible plants.Mr. Brandes was happy to oblige and led a walk through the woods while the rest of us went back to planting. The trail started just opposite the field from the walled garden and ended up back at the educational field.

All the while Nat and Big Mike worked frantically to get the deer fencing up so that the efforts of our day would not be in vain!
In the end we enjoyed a fabulous day on the farm. With the help of some very dedicated friends from the school and the community we succeeded in getting in more than half of our total starts. It was a huge boost for the staff on the farm and we are looking forward to finishing off the main fields on Monday.

After that. . . Weeman Road.

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