Sprout and the Bean

Goodness me, it's been over a month since I last wrote in this durn thing. I couldn't possibly capture all that's happened in enough detail (it'd be way past 2012) so I'll just mention some highlights and pepper this post with pictures.

• We attended a Heifer Project Partner Meeting in Holyoke Massachusetts and got to meet all sorts of wonderful people and learn about terrific projects that Heifer International funds domestically. We were hosted by the amazing Nuestra Raices (www.nuestra-raices.org), one of the most dynamic examples of a truly grassroots community based organization. All I can say is that somehow, they make an incubator farm, coral reef project, popsicle business, and paso fino riding stable make sense together. Check it out. They're doing some crazy stuff.
• These are heifers looking at the coral reef growing project.
  

• We have spent a lot of time planning out the seed-saving garden, and are now getting it ready for the first planting! We are going to grow the cinderella style Musquee de Provence winter squash, which I just can't wait to see. As well as the ever elusive blue podded capucijner pea. as well as some crazy pepper that Susan snuck over from Romania. And a Chinese Long Bean (which is not short.) That's just to get your mouth watering, because we growing many other lovely varieties too! Seed saving for ever (and ever and ever!) I think I might want to become a professional seed saver and travel the world teaching people the lost art of seed saving.

• The spring Green Teens program started, which is a job and life skills program that brings urban youth from Poughkeepsie and Beacon to the farm to learn and work. So far the kids have been pretty hilarious, and very good sports (they ate real Stone Soup and enjoy digging parsnips). I look forward to learning from them over the next two months.

• The greenhouse is very green:

This is a young rosemary --->

• We have started our first round of transplanting on the farm. The first day we did it, it was sunny and a bit breezy and we planted beets and lettuce (which have been followed by kale, collards, broccoli, etc). You might not think it, but its incredibly fun to scoot along in the dirt and give these baby plants a new home, every nine inches apart. That day kind of felt like the first REAL day of farm work.

• We are doing tons of potting up, which has become my new favorite past-time (pass-time?). Poke Poke Poke a hole in the soil, deliver deliver deliver a seedling in the hole, pinch the soil back, and waalaa. Aliyah and I have been adopting the rejects (plants too scrawny or too many to pot up) and now basically have our own apartment farm.

• Current favorite seed: Blessed Thistle.

• I have continued my regional explorations. I ventured up to Hudson, Saugerties, Catskill and beyond. I went to an art opening for a display of art that the Hudson Valley Seed Library is using on some of their seed packs. Completely stunning. And then proceeded to get lost in the mountains. But I found some places I want to go back to for hiking, and maybe even fishing! These mountains are magical. I also discovered two lighthouses in one day.

• 

• We attended the Youth Forum/Expo on Food, Farming and Active Living in the Bronx, organized by our new roommate and intern, Sarah.

• We had our first Western Mass/Eastern NY CRAFT Meeting at Markristo Farm. CRAFT = Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farming Training. I learned how (not) to tip a tractor or get caught in the PTO and die, got to see a $30,000 greens washing machine, meet 40 other farmers/farm apprentices in the area, and eat some of the best potluck this side of the Hudson. I feel much more a part of the young local farming community now.
  

Here is a special triangle 3 point hitch that makes changing implements simple as pie.




This is a fancy transplanter, with mother and daughter team showing us how its done






This is one of the farm girls watching the new foal frolic.








And this is the 5 day old babe, snoozing with its muzzle in the dirt.
They mentioned this CRAFT would be about tractor safety,
but I think it was really just a chance to show off the cutie cute.





So those are just the highlights, really, I swear. I had some lovely visitors too (Jon and Jonna thanks for coming! Come again soon!)

This week: more seeding, more transplanting, green teens, seed garden, a food politics discussion, bike repair, bread baking (25lbs of hard whole wheat from Wild Hive!), jogging and blogging.