Friday at 1 pm, four of us gathered to look at seeds (including Mitch, who has never worked with us before): to start to list what we’ve got, and to make preliminary decisions as to what will go where with what. More work on all that needed. Ann and Marita will finish the catalog, so we can figure out whether we need to buy any seeds (I hope not; it’s about time we learn to continuously recycle what we have!), hopefully early this coming week. Then Joseph will look at the map of our garden beds and make preliminary sketches as to what will go where with what. One big decision that we all agreed with: NOT SO MANY TOMATO PLANTS THIS YEAR. Puleeze! And geez! Why didn’t we grow more peppers last year? And let’s include asparagus again, and of course potatoes and sweet potatoes, three sisters (corn, squash, beans) in the second DeKist house front yard; and more squashes, both winter and summer! And yes, spring greens and herbs mixed in with herbs in both gardens and Garden Towers. 

And this year, with the surplus, should we position a table out in front with our extra produce for the neighbors? Likely. 

Then, yesterday, again at 1 pm, Joseph, Mitch, Nathan (who worked with us a lot last year in garden), Ningyao (who took pictures here) and Adam gathered to finish the tools job, focusing on small tools this time. Marita couldn’t make it, but will sharpen them later. So the six of us concentrated on cleaning and oiling. 

These are cleaned, oiled, and ready for Marita to sharpen.

At one point I had to leave the group in order to take a long phone call from my bedridden, paralyzed son Colin. When I returned they were all laughing hilariously. Of course I joined in. (Fro left to right: Joseph, Adam, Mitch, Nathan, me. Ningyao behind the ipad camera.)

Adam tells me now they had been talking about Passover, and how a tiny bit of oil lasted eight days. Before I left, I had been once again, amazed at how little oil we had used up from the bottle, so this remark must have transferred then to Passover. In any case, they ended up saying they were “anointing” the tools with oil, as in a sacred ritual . . . And then, in American Gothic style, Adam got a big tool (leftover from last Saturday’s work party), one which had on it cobwebs (hard to see in photo, but they’re there!), and announced “this is the kind of  web sight (website) I can get behind.” At which point, Nathan (in purple) announced, deadpan, at least it doesn’t have bugs.” 

Took only an hour and was great fun. 

BTW: Not just Adam, but Ningyao also, after much thought, hs decided to move elsewhere; neither one can actually commit themselves to the renewal of our (cooperative, urban farming) mission, and motto: “building community from the ground up.” Since we have no leases at this point, we rely on mutual good will to get us through changes, and it’s working fine. So we are now open to interviewing anyone who is interested. 

Oh, and, we are about to slowly get our Community Dinners back up: one in February (Thursday, February 1) and one in March (not sure when, maybe close to Equinox?). Then, from April on, Community Dinners — open to friends, family and neighbors — every two weeks, on Thursdays. So if you want to get on the invite list, contact us! 

Contact info: greenacrespermaculture@gmail.com