Author Archives: Ann

Work Parties: Tool Care and Planting Seeds

By 1 commentUrban Farm

We’ve upped our game. Now we ask that podmates devote four hours, rather than two hours, per week, to our common goal of evolving this permaculture village and urban farm into an living template that will inspire others to do the same in all the suburbs of America! I know it sounds like a big vision. And it is. And why not? What else are we here on this blessed Mother Earth for if not to reconnect with Her and each other? I mean, duh!

Okay, so two work parties this past week. First:

Tool Sharpening and Oiling

We have never done this task before as a group work party.! Yet it needs to be done yearly, in the winter months, when the tools are not being used and we’re twiddling our thumbs waiting to get back to the soil.

Four men and one woman gathered in the DeKist 1 living room about a week ago, and got right down to the task, mending, sharpening and oiling. (They were going to do it in the greenhouse, but it turned out to be too damn cold.)

Andreas, Joshua, and Alex all concentrated on sharpening.

 

Solan did the fixing, here tightening screws on our post hole digger.

Finally, Rebecca was the oiler.

 

These tools await sharpening and oiling.

And these shovels are already done, back up on the outside wall. Oops! Notice the tiny unoiled place on the left edge of the middle shovel . . .

Next:

Second seeding party 2019

Yesterday, on a very wet and thunderstormy early February day when I, Ann, was almost electrocuted by lightning, and water pooled for the first time in memory in the Overhill front yard . . .

Josh, Andreas, Solan, and Dan gathered in the greenhouse to replant tiny seeded soil blocks into larger soil blocks . . .

 

Dan took time to rev up the fire . . .

 

Then they planted these new seeds:

 

I noticed that a coffee cups had “Mathematical Reviews” on it, reminding us all of my deceased husband Jeff Joel, an Editor at Mathematical Reviews in Ann Arbor, for 17 years, until he moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to live in a 20-foot diameter yurt with me. My inheritance from Jeff, who died in 2003, ended up funding this Green Acres Permaculture Village and Urban Farm. We are forever grateful!

This morning I went out for another look at the situation.

Oooo! Pea sprouts!

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The 2019 growing cycle begins, on the coldest day of the new year . . .

By 1 commentUncategorized, Urban Farm, Village

10° outside, but the greenhouse was plenty cozy —

— thanks to the fire, which will keep first the seeds, then the seedlings, equipped with a heat mat underneath, all night long if needed.

Photos by Gabrielle.  Solan and Josh, directors of the project, with podmates Gabrielle, Justin, Andreas, and Dan.

Lots of varieties of tomato seed. Also planted a few peppers and eggplant.

Andreas concentrates on coaxing down each itsy bitsy tomato seed . . .

 

Egglplant

A VERY hot pepper.

Dan takes time off to wrestle with Hank (otherwise known as “Satan,” or “Demon Dog”).

 

BTW: Justin wants to grow avocados . .  .

 

(What? In this climate, this zone?) So he filled five planters and planted the pits. Hmmm. I just looked it up, avos thrive in cold-intolerant zone 8, and I think we’re zone 4 now here in south central Indiana. Oh well! We learn by doing.

The seeds all into the soil blocks, Josh sprays to water them, so as not to disturb them from their tiny holes on top of the soil of the soil blocks. Notice the heat mat underneath.

 

Done!

 

The reward? Omelets, for a group brunch.

 

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Second and Third Community Dinners of 2019

By 1 commentVillage

We needed a break during the holidays; many of us were hibernating and some of us were traveling, and, after all, it was deep winter, when the Sun reaches its nadir in the northern hemisphere and everything is supposed to come to a stop — except that it’s Christmas in the western world, and the opposite occurs . . . So, somehow navigating that contradiction, we return, with gusto! The first weekly dinner of 2019 was held at Overhill, on January 10, the second at DeKist 2, our newest dwelling, on January 17th, and the second one at DeKist 1 (otherwise known as Maple House), on January 24th. Here goes,  photos, of the second and third dinners:

Dinner at DeKist 2, January 17, 2019

Left to right, Mariella about to head out the door, Alex, Dan, Wanda

Dear friends Mariella and Eva

Visible: Wanda, Devin, Rebecca, Solan

Mariella’s kids Asiri and Juakim, with Roberto and Mariella

Visible: Solan, Sophia, with Sola

Wanda, her sister Sophie, and Devin

Alex, Dan, Wanda, Justin in kitchen, Sophie, Devin, Solan

One very sudden and surprising note: On the Sunday after our Dinner, beautiful, gentle, gracious Sola, the large white “Doodle” shown above, after only twice accompanying his owner Roberto, suddenly died. A difficult death, with vomiting and I’m not sure what else. In any case, they did a post-morten, and the diagnosis was sudden onset (I presume) Addison’s Disease. So sad, and we are glad that we did get one photo of the full Sola presence:

Sola, communing with Sophia, Wanda Rebecca and Dan in background, Annie front right.

Note also above: the fake fire coming from the screen. As somebody mentioned: it’s surprising how it warms us, anyhow!

 

Dinner at DeKist 1, January 24, 2019

The three houses of the Green Acres Permaculture Village offer three different ambiances. That at DeKist 1 tends to be warm and cozy, since it’s public space is the smallest.

Hugh, in yellow jacket, arrived bearing news: He has ordered 600 young trees, to arrive in Bloomington not sure when, but we’d better get ready for our Green Acres Neighbors to know about this gift! Annie notes it on her phone. Gabby in back, Dan to right with puppy Shadow, and Jim, a friend of Alex, with us for the first time.

 

Rebecca, with Dan and Wanda. Note all the wine! Much more than usual.

Dan with Sophie, Wanda’s sister. Sophie is due to return to Canada for part of the year soon. We’ll miss her!

Max, Rebecca’s Maine coon cat, decided to lie down in the very middle of the traffic pattern between kitchen and living room. We all know, and furthermore, all the dogs know: Max rules!

Alex, with Shadow and Dan

I couldn’t resist taking pics of some of Mia’s astonishing tattoos, truly an art form on her. She tells us that the Indianapolis woman who does them adheres exactly to Mia’s specifications, with each one taking only one to two hours!

 

Here’s what Mia (Hugh’s partner) actually looks like, here  with Devin and Wanda.

Quite an evening. As usual.

Next Thursday? Probably here, at the Overhill House — or should we call it Tulip Tree, or Cedar — both of which grow out front. Our problem with renaming the DeKist 2 house, there are no real trees in that front yard. The renaming idea is Solan’s — a good one, except for times when strangers don’t know what we mean and so translation needed. Oh well! We keep experimenting, keep learning, keep growing, through thick and thin.

 

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