Green Acres Permaculture Village

LET THE NEW YEAR BEGIN! Work party to care for large tools, and more.

By AnnJanuary 21, 2024Urban Farm

This past week was momentous. I myself, with son Colin well on his way to recovery, newly committed to this place, remembering its motto: GROWING COMMUNITY FROM THE GROUND UP.

Since we have only two homes now (the third one out to regular renters due to property tax and insurance increases), that means only six people (actually five, given Colin’s situation (see last post)); which in turn means that whoever is here needs to be on board with what we are doing: demonstrating for others a constantly evolving template for growing food in community. However, at this point, only three of us are committed: Joseph, Marita, and myself, with Joseph as the only one naturally oriented in this direction! (I’m philosophically committed, but must continually learn and relearn the practicalities). So for the first time in a long time, a week ago I mentioned to my two housemates just why I started this place (see above), saying, “if not, then what am I doing here?” And asked both of them, are you aligned with the mission?

Both Ningyao and Adam very much appreciated my suddenly recovered clarity, and thanked me for telling them. Ningyao said she would think deeply about it, and then, the very next day, rose to the occasion, saying she will start by organizing bi-weekly Community Dinners (to begin soon), and will devote either Saturday or Sunday to whatever is needed. The other one, Adam, a naturally solitary soul, and a man of total integrity, after nearly two years here, has chosen to move.

Okay, so here we go, in this ever-changing experiment in a college town that has given at least 50 people, since 2009, a taste of what it means to grow food, in community, inside a college town neighborhood. Hopefully, each of them takes what they learn, the strong, subtle flavor of how to grow into your full natural self while in cooperation with all of Nature, including other human beings and the ground under our feet and the sky above, with all Her critters, large and small.

This year, to get started, we agreed a week ago to meet for a workparty in the greenhouse, heated beforehand, at 1 PM, on January 20, that’s yesterday, to wash, sand if needed, oil, and sharpen large tools. We did this while “stacking functions” (a permaculture term), deciding what’s next (seed selection next Friday, refresh small tools next Saturday), and tossing around ideas as to how to work with this year’s surplus in a more conscious manner. More on this later. We also took turns telling stories. 90 minutes of engaged FUN.

Ningyao doesn’t want to be in photos, so she asked if she could be the one to take the photos. Okay! So that’s why you now see (the back of) yours truly in one too.

Joseph begins to tackle the pile.

Adam, Joseph, me, and Marita, left to right. Joseph and Ningyao washed each tool, sanding the ones that needed it; I oiled them, and Marita and Adam sharpened hoes and shovels, sanding more if needed. Then one final oiled swipe on sharpened edges.

Next day (today). Large tools back on the wall.

Haven’t checked yet, but I doubt there’s any more arugula now. Big freeze started about a week ago, followed by snow.

1/1/2024: FIRST NEW POST IN FIVE MONTHS!

By AnnJanuary 1, 2024Urban Farm, Village

I just noticed that my last post on this site was August 3, 2023. This was shortly before all hell broke loose, on the morning of August 16, when my 57-year-old son Colin Cudmore, inventor of the Garden Tower, who lives here in GAPV, in the house next door, suffered a massive aortic dissection, both ascending and descending branches. He was supposed to die, but did not; the two surgeries left him paralyzed from waist down, suffering from extreme nerve pain waves (signaling that nerves are beginning to fire, a good sign), and utterly determined to make his way back, at least to home (after we renovate the house so a wheelchair bound person can navigate through it), and eventually, back to walking. He is inspiring everybody around him with his continuously generous and cheerful attitude.

For now, Colin is in a local care center, and I post notices on a daily basis as to his condition: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/colincudmorehealing

Meanwhile, Summer turned into Autumn, and Autumn turned into Winter. However, our arugula and one type of lettuce are still growing, feeding us.

Last night, we held a wonderfully raucous New Year’s Eve Community Dinner with massive amounts of food, wine, and White Elephant gifting. Seventeen of us altogether; other than Thanksgiving, when we hosted a dozen, this was our first Community Dinner in lo these many months.

August 3, 2033: Flowers, Flowers, Flowers!

By AnnAugust 3, 2023Urban Farm

A few short weeks ago, one large bee, centered inside the one sunflower that came up volunteer this summer.

Now that sunflower is withered, gone, dead.

IMPERMANENCE!

Zooming out, to where the old, decayed sunflower is barely noticeable . . . See it? Slightly above center.

Meanwhile, there are still lots of flowers, most of them small, like the cosmos above.

Wonder what’s top right? That’s chicory, with my beloved “chicory blue.”

Meanwhile, the surprise lilies came up, all of a sudden, all over the place. HOW do they arrive? The squirrel relocation program? Bird droppings? Both? I did NOT plant a single one. This year, way more than ever.

During a large wind-whipped storm when, two weeks ago, a lot of the surprise lilies bent over to the ground. Oh good! We can bring some of them in to grace the table in front of my young eyes contemplating the universe!

Finally, noticed this little gem the other day, a tiny bouquet placed inside a big old mushroom.

Of course! This just had to be Joseph’s handiwork!

I asked him.

Yes.

Mid-July, 2023: Work Parties, Community Dinner, Arborist-in-Training!

By AnnJuly 23, 2023Urban Farm, Village

TUESDAY

Tuesday work party: Three of us begin to clear this alley/driveway. And that includes this gigantic, deep rooted burdock which Nathan, who walks over here to work with us for most work parties, managed to actually dig up completely. Note: the root is about as long as the plant was tall.

THURSDAY

Community Dinner evening, something we have managed to cut in half. Rather than every single Thursday, we now meet first and third Thursdays of each month. That way, when we do meet, it feels like a celebration rather than an obligation.

This evening, a special “treat.” Cooked pokeweed leaves, which our friend Ben, with his old friend and new Green Acres resident Ningyao’s help, knows how to cook. First, a one-minute boil in lots of water. Then, a ten-minute slow boil in another pan with not so much water. He tells us that when cooked this way, the poke leaves get rid of two different kinds of poisons. We did eat them, trusting Ben’s expertise, and no one got sick! Tasted like, yep! – cooked greens. Something we may want to remember if store bought greens get too costly or scarce; or the carefully cultivated greens in our garden don’t do well. Let us appreciate, indeed, let us revere, all these wild plants that simply, know how to grow, no matter what the conditions.

A big turnout this time. Probably 18 altogether. Unfortunately, it had just rained, and looked like more might be on the way, so we met inside, instead of on the patio.

Afterwards, some young people in the living room . . .

decided to make music together, and then, Yingyao told me in the morning, when I went to bed, decided to go out to the yurt, where they continued for two more hours — in a thunderstorm! An evening to remember, especially for them, and for the yurt, which has just been inaugurated into yet another new use! That adds to its already discovered uses: a place to sleep overnight, a place to do yoga chikung taichi, a place to hold meetings. And, it appears that, whatever the occasion, both the yurt’s size (12 feet diameter) and the indoor/outdoor rug inside that features a mandala, create its capacity as a centering device. Something sorely needed in this increasingly chaotic age.

FRIDAY

At our dinner, I had taken a few minutes to consult with neighbor Devin, who works as an arborist at IU, re: two of the trees in the Overhill front yard. So, I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Devin pull up the next day with his grandson Ethan, and lots of tools for lopping and cutting. He proceeded to give an hour-long lesson to 11-year-old Ethan, who jumped right in and learned quickly. Great to see older generations passing along hard-earned expertise. Great to see younger generations eager to learn.

SATURDAY

Work Party. Ningyao and I finished clearing that area we began last Tuesday. YES!

Nathan and Joseph weeded the main garden. (And Joseph pulled lots more potatoes out of the ground. Will reseed that area with some kind of fast growing green. Arugula?)

At one point there were three bumblebees on different echinacea flowers here, plus a monarch butterfly. But by the time I rushed to get the ipad to record the scene, they were gone. There is a tiny bee on one of them, however.