New Faces New Manure

Yesterday was really pretty cold and wet outside but it didn't deter new volunteers from coming out. We had three new faces whom did not object to turning the compost pile, a true test of someones dedication to the farm. We actually turned the two that are almost finished and we have a new one on the way. Alright! It really does put a smile on my face to see a heaping pile of steamy humus. I explained to everyone that the best compost piles have a 30/1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen. This lead me to believe that we should make signs that say certain instructional things like that. It lets someone know whats going on and also for people who don't speak English very well they can continue to look over it rather than relying on some redneck with a funny accent to get his/her point across...just a thought.



We also laid down cardboard between the rows. This proved to be advantageous in that we could pull weeds afterwords without getting our pants wet from the mist. I could see that everyone was getting cold but they still seemed to want to persevere. I think there is great spirit in people under such hard times to better themselves and help the community. It's something that has been missing for a long time and I can only say it is going to get better.

On that note, we had a couple come out from the neighborhood that had been to the farm before and they brought us a pumpkin plant that they had grown over the last couple of months. It was good to see them because I hadn't seen them since our spring party. I hope we can grow a pumpkin from what they gave us because they have a little boy that comes around with them from time to time that we have a picture of with a watermelon from last summer. It would be great to have a picture of him holding a pumpkin for the fall.

Thanks to everyone that came out. I hope that we can see you again next week. It is supposed to be nice and I think we are going to actually plant our cold weather crops. I ordered a broadfork and I'm eager to put it to use.