Category Archives: Urban Farm

Thursday Work Party, May 9 [Photo Set]

By GabrielleMay 13, 20191 commentUncategorized, Urban FarmGAPV, hugelkulture, May 9, permaculture, spinach, Thursday, tomatoes, wheatgrass, work party

Last Thursday’s work party began early, with Rebecca calling on all pod-mates to be present for a meeting before beginning the myriad tasks that have sprouted up along with the spring weeds!

L to R: Dan and visiting friend, Maynard — busy weeding and prepping beds in the back garden. This is where all the tomato plants went in last season.

Our tasks this morning included planting this year’s tomatoes in the main garden, which we started from seed back in January! I’m excited to see so many varieties go in the ground. My grandparents used to plant about this many in their own garden!

I’ve dreamt all winter about the flavor of organic, homegrown tomatoes.

Ann snapped this while I was removing maple tree whirligigs that had begun to sprout in our plant starts. I was talking about something but I don’t remember what now. It’s not important because TOMATOES! In fact, I took 4 plants with me [and some cucumber seeds] to plant in additional beds where I’m house sitting for several months. [Did I mention I love tomatoes?]

In the greenhouse the previous day, I’d come by to pot up some of the native trees left over from the Tree Planting Project, which will be given away once we start selling plants, to whomever wishes to give them a good home. First come, first served! 2 White Pine, 1 Hazelnut, 2 single Paw Paw and larger pots with 3 Paw Paw in each.

Meanwhile, in the main garden, Andreas and Rebecca weed and prep the beds for the tomatoes — in the background is Justin, planting tomatoes in another bed.

L to R: Alex mulches after Justin plants tomatoes in the first bed.

Some interesting fungus among us — in the lettuce and spinach bed.

Ann takes the trimmings from last week to the Hügelkultur beds behind DeKist 2 house.

Rebecca and Alex started wheatgrass in the greenhouse. Looks lush and amazing now!

Part of our meeting that morning included discussion of tasks that needed to be done as we walked around all the gardens. We have scheduled a second work party every week to keep up with the spring overgrowth and weeding. Stay tuned for more Thursday and now Monday work party posts. Tis the season…!

Love and rocket stoves,
[and tomatoes]
Gabrielle

Thursday Work Party, April 25 [Photo Set]

By GabrielleApril 27, 20191 commentUncategorized, Urban FarmApril 25, GAPV, greenhouse, intentional community, permaculture, Thursday, work party

Another rainy and overcast Thursday morning at Green Acres — but there was no complaining! The main task was to meet to build compost in the main garden, while Rebecca started some seeds in the greenhouse to go into the garden towers.

But first, Ann and Rebecca decide on the front bed at DeKist 2 to plant the berry bushes we have. [These photos reminding me I better get out and harvest some mint before it takes over!]

Solan and Alex weed the front of Maple house gardens.

Dan inspecting the garden on the left and assisting Justin with the compost before the turning begins.

Meanwhile, Rebecca is back in the greenhouse — starting greens — with Hank overseeing

After spreading some seasoned bale straw in the main garden, I took the tomato plants out to harden them before preparing our house for a great turn out for community dinner in the evening! I couldn’t help but notice newspaper headlines being put to their best possible use…

Thursday Work Party, April 17 [Photo Set]

By GabrielleApril 20, 20192 commentsUncategorized, Urban FarmApril 17, biomass, GAPV, Hügelkultur, permaculture, Thursday, Turkey Tail, work party

Last Thursday, the rains started and as of this writing, the clouds are still producing misting rain. This weather always reminds of the porch on my grandmother’s home in mountains of Virginia, and the smell of Scotland.

Spring showers didn’t keep us from getting outside to work behind DeKist 2 house, where I reside at Green Acres. It is still lacking a name with some creative flourish. However, plans for this space are certainly going to be creative in coming months!

Ann asked me to get in some photos with my good camera. I snapped these in the short windows between rain showers. The first three will give you a scope of the work to be done here, with plans for a sauna and eventual space for outdoor music performances!

Below, Ann is adding sticks and limbs to the Hügelkultur raised garden beds — an old German horticultural technique that uses compostable biomass to help hold moisture. Justin happily stomps them down until we get some fill dirt on top of them. Rebecca and Alex are digging out limbs and raking up stray ivy in the background.

I got a few shots of what we believe to be Turkey Tail fungus on a rotting stump.

Solan looked underneath them but I think he was undecided about whether we should harvest and there was other work to be done.

I did a little research online and found this from Bay Nature Magazine: Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is a species of fungus that closely resembles — you guessed it — turkey’s tail. As a bracket fungus, named because of its shelf-like form, its job is to break down either the lignin or cellulose in rotting wood. As a polypore, turkey’s tail holds its spores in tubes, so its underside should display tiny holes visible to the naked eye.

We’ll have to take a second look and report back!

Solan cutting bamboo for kindling in the workshop.

Amos watching over the hen house — chilling like a Zen master.

Larger view of the back garden with gazebo. L to R: Rebecca, Justin and Ann.

Alex and Rebecca clearing the back fence line.

It was time to put the camera under the dry gazebo and move bamboo stalks for Solan to cut in the workshop, then stack them near the fire pit for kindling.

Until next time ~ love and rocket stoves!
Gabby

Green Acres Outreach Coordinator : An Introduction and Thanks

By GabrielleMarch 30, 2019Uncategorized, Urban Farm, Villagefirst post, Introduction, new faces, outreach, social media

Spring Greetings, Green Acres patrons! Before I jump in with my first post here on GA’s blog, I’d like to start by introducing myself.

My name is Gabrielle. You might recognize my writing style if you’re on our mailing list for community dinners. I’m also the Outreach Coordinator [a.k.a. media maven] among other hats that fit me well at Green Acres. I arrived last September like a leaf on a whirlwind. My journey here has been challenging, satisfying and humbling. That’s a long story for another time, and on another blog.

I’m an Indiana native who came to permaculture through peak oil study and news analysis after the BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf. My late mentor, Mike Ruppert, lit a fire under my backside with his work. I dug in my heels to share information, search for communities, eventually traveling down the west coast during an Occupy media tour. Like a hawk, I was always looking for like-minded individuals and ‘some place’ that resonated with me.

As it turned out I didn’t have to look further than my own back yard. I discovered people online doing what needed to be done in Bloomington, Indiana. It had a peak oil task force, a growing permaculture community, and climate mitigation strategies not only being discussed but put into action. It was just after the first Occupiers took Zuccotti Park that I read the name, Ann Kreilkamp.

There has been a learning curve for this rookie to intentional community but thankfully it hasn’t been steep thanks to the wisdom of not just one, but two brilliant women. I feel ‘home’ singing in my bones here. I’m in love with Ann’s vision and intention as the founder of Green Acres. I’m eternally grateful for her friendship and recognizing my value here before I saw it, frankly. I also found myself guided in grounded, loving and creative energy from its garden goddess, Rebecca Ellsworth.

I’ve since been given the title, “proto-crone” which is equally humorous and humbling as I approach 52! Both of these women are straight shooting Sagittarius, but it was Ann who explained that Green Acres needed a ‘bridge’ in this inter-generational community; someone representing my age group. We both laughed. Hey, no pressure, right? But I understood on many levels what she meant.

As a Gemini, I understand communication is a bridge. It is tragic to see so many being easily burned over divisive politics. We must also work to communicate with our souls — through art, poetry, music, but also FOOD. When was the last time you saw people argue when someone announces that pie is served? With a mouthful of good food, people shut up long enough to notice the common threads that keep people and cultures healthy. This is what builds resilient spirits. And it all starts with healthy soil. That is permanent culture: permaculture.

I don’t feel pressure — I feel vital. I feel planted in the fertile soil that was the social permaculture of my ancestors. As a Taoist in practice, I asked myself, “Am I no longer the river but a bridge?” Ah ha, I’m both! Welcome to your paradigm shift, proto-crone. It’s time to get liminal — but it’s also time to get dirt under your nails again, and honor your grandmothers. Every. Single. Day.

It is my earnest intention to use my ‘gift of gab’ to sing the song of Green Acres on this blog and beyond. Today, I need to flow with the current of information, which is rapid. There’s much to share about Green Acres’ happenings from this past week, so to quote one of my favorite authors, Graham Hancock: “In writing, always strive for elegance and clarity. But if you must sacrifice one to save the other, sacrifice elegance.” Time to skip to the end!

L to R, Hugh, Annie, [me], Jim, and Dan. Hugh brings us first news of the tree planting project, community dinner night, January 24, 2019

In closing, I invite you to view my bio to learn more about me. I’ll be sharing posts from here to my blog and across networks to spread the word about my home and hamlet with my readers. I hope you all enjoy the changes for Green Acres’ web presence as much as I enjoy ‘growing community from the ground up’ with my new friends and neighbors. I am still occupying. This is my People’s Kitchen!

I always welcome comments and feedback. Thank you for reading!

Love and rocket stoves,

Gabrielle

Friday morning Work Party, March 22: Life in the Heartland! Gobs of photos

By AnnMarch 23, 2019Urban Farm

A number of podmates plus one friend (and possible future podmate) Camden, met in the morning and got a lot done in the greenhouse which, at least at this time of the year, functions as the heart and soul of community, as well as growing seedlings. We were repotting tiny plants, getting them ready for the great outside.

Meanwhile, Solan asked me to go to the hardware store and purchase organic soil and organic compost material. Both of us winced to realize that we still need inflows from outside to keep our operation going. Our compost bins are cooking fine, but none of our compost is quite ready.

So I did that. And our big strong beautiful young men picked the bags up off the driveway and hauled them inside.

Meanwhile, Solan (our director while Rebecca is gone glamping in the Nevada desert, now with podmate Andreas visiting for the week), asked Justin and Dan to mulch a few more paths, not sure where, but they did that. Here’s a posed shot:

Dustin and Camden, with Alex watching started to mix another batch of the Eliot Coleman soil blocks we use to start plants.

WOW! I noticed this shroom growing by the path between two of our houses. GREEN! What?

Solan came over and inspected. Aha! “Covered with algae” he said, and pointed to the faint green at the bottom of a nearby tree trunk. Good observation! Following the first principle of permaculture: “Observe and Interact.”

We’re interacting all the way now, baby, and spring has truly sprung. More photos from that glorious morning in the greenhouse, heartland of the Green Acres Permaculture Village.