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Wanted: A Crop Mob
Posted 6/18/2011 2:19am by Heather Redden.
Hello Again!
I am up either very late or very early depending on how you look at it. I am planning another work day on the farm for Sunday June 26. Brandon planted way more than I've been able to take care of in our perennial garden since we did not expect the intense work schedule he is now on. This huge garden is planted with strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, pawpaw trees, hazelnut bushes, gooseberries, elderberries, currants, raspberries, garlic, and some potatoes and it is disappearing in a thicket of weeds. Thanks to a very good friend, our much smaller vegetable garden has been rescued from the thistles and ragweed. The sheep absolutely love to eat ragweed and I've been using them to clear it from the pastures and backyard but I can't put them in the gardens. I tried to mow around the edges of the vegetable garden with some of the sheep but darn Lily kept figuring out ways to prune my tomato plants.
So why the title "Wanted: A Crop Mob" you ask? Its the name that's been given to a group of people who come to a farm for a day to tackle a big chore. It's the garden version of a barn raising. The concept has even made it into a New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28food-t-000.html . Our first work day in the spring where we tackled some fence building was a lot of fun. When you have a group of people together chatting away no task seems as big or as hard. I'm hoping that there will be some of you who would like to spend the day on a sustainable farm weeding and laying down mulch while surrounded by new friends and lots of nosy animals. The bottle lambs will be around begging for attention and lots of chickens, guineas, and turkeys to entertain you as well. And we can't forget about the silkie/ameracauna cross chick with the 6 toes on one foot. Who wouldn't want to see that? Oh, and I provide yummy food and lots of refreshments to keep you going and send you home with some farm goodies as well. It is also a great learning opportunity if you want to know more about sustainable farming and gardening.
Please let me know if you can help out by Friday June 24 so that I can plan accordingly for the food. If you are coming and can bring garden tools such as rakes, hoes, shovels, weedeaters, and wheelbarrows that would be great as well. I'm also searching for anyone who wants to donate newspapers to the cause. Newspaper laid several layers thick works as a good weed barrier in pathways.
Last newsletter I mentioned bartering for dog cages and cat carriers. I also find guinea pig and rabbit cages handy as well for brooding chicks and safe havens for broody hens. In this picture, you can see my silkie hen sitting on some guinea eggs in an old guinea pig cage of my sister's. And she is using a cat water bowl as a nestbox. I love to repurpose things : ) Every morning I let her out for a constitutional and when she is done she comes and finds me and I pick her up and put her back with her eggs.
I am up either very late or very early depending on how you look at it. I am planning another work day on the farm for Sunday June 26. Brandon planted way more than I've been able to take care of in our perennial garden since we did not expect the intense work schedule he is now on. This huge garden is planted with strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, pawpaw trees, hazelnut bushes, gooseberries, elderberries, currants, raspberries, garlic, and some potatoes and it is disappearing in a thicket of weeds. Thanks to a very good friend, our much smaller vegetable garden has been rescued from the thistles and ragweed. The sheep absolutely love to eat ragweed and I've been using them to clear it from the pastures and backyard but I can't put them in the gardens. I tried to mow around the edges of the vegetable garden with some of the sheep but darn Lily kept figuring out ways to prune my tomato plants.
So why the title "Wanted: A Crop Mob" you ask? Its the name that's been given to a group of people who come to a farm for a day to tackle a big chore. It's the garden version of a barn raising. The concept has even made it into a New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28food-t-000.html . Our first work day in the spring where we tackled some fence building was a lot of fun. When you have a group of people together chatting away no task seems as big or as hard. I'm hoping that there will be some of you who would like to spend the day on a sustainable farm weeding and laying down mulch while surrounded by new friends and lots of nosy animals. The bottle lambs will be around begging for attention and lots of chickens, guineas, and turkeys to entertain you as well. And we can't forget about the silkie/ameracauna cross chick with the 6 toes on one foot. Who wouldn't want to see that? Oh, and I provide yummy food and lots of refreshments to keep you going and send you home with some farm goodies as well. It is also a great learning opportunity if you want to know more about sustainable farming and gardening.
Please let me know if you can help out by Friday June 24 so that I can plan accordingly for the food. If you are coming and can bring garden tools such as rakes, hoes, shovels, weedeaters, and wheelbarrows that would be great as well. I'm also searching for anyone who wants to donate newspapers to the cause. Newspaper laid several layers thick works as a good weed barrier in pathways.
Last newsletter I mentioned bartering for dog cages and cat carriers. I also find guinea pig and rabbit cages handy as well for brooding chicks and safe havens for broody hens. In this picture, you can see my silkie hen sitting on some guinea eggs in an old guinea pig cage of my sister's. And she is using a cat water bowl as a nestbox. I love to repurpose things : ) Every morning I let her out for a constitutional and when she is done she comes and finds me and I pick her up and put her back with her eggs.
Sincerely,
Heather Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
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