Hi, everyone! I want to extend a warm welcome to The Santa Fe Community Farm blog, where I will do my best to keep you up to date on all the exciting happenings in the orchard and in the fields!
Our first big news is that The Farm is now being ‘overseen’ (where is my big whip?) by myself as Executive Director, and two wonderfully talented folk who make up my Management Team. Donna Clark has been a great asset to The Farm for over 15 years, as a knowledgeable farmer/advisor, Quickbooks maven, and meticulous field hand. Isaac Maxson is a gifted tekkie, with tremendous know-how in many fields (no pun intended) who happened to visit The Farm late last fall for the first time and volunteered his services. Without these, my friends, The Community Farm would not now have the bright future we are creating here, one task at a time.
I want to profusely thank Carolyn Stephenson, The Farm’s former Director, for her tireless efforts in resurrecting the land from several years of non-use and making it the beautifully rich and fertile ground we get to work with for another year. But, even more than this gift of growing place, I want to thank her for her friendship, which made my coming to The Farm 5-6 days a week an added joy. I wish you well, Carolyn, in whatever new endeavors you undertake. You are certainly a force!
Now on to the New News on The Farm! THE most exciting thing so far this year is our NEW GREENHOUSE! Woohoo!!! The former greenhouse up behind the casita was lost to a huge wet snowfall several years ago. But soon we will have a new place to start seedlings for our fields, thanks to Scott Gamble – designer/builder extraordinaire who has made our dream come true. THANK YOU, SCOTT! BTW, Scott is always on the lookout for new building jobs so let us know if you have something – anything – you want built! The man is a genius. We’ll get you in touch with him.
So our greenhouse is a lean-to variety, attached to the south wall of the old Stephenson chicken house; it will be approximately 40 by 10 feet when finished. We have the basic frame up, and the outside braces are set in truck tires filled with concrete – a great way to stabilize the structure without digging a permanent foundation. I hope to post some photos, if I can figure out how. Our next step is creating a ‘floor’, then shelving or tables for seed flats, then building the flats themselves. We better hurry since Spring is just around the proverbial corner!
Old brooder house wall - site of our new greenhouse!
Recycled truck tires for the foundation
First support going up!
Aiden collecting rocks for the foundation
Builder Scott checking level
Ingenious tire foundation with rebar hook
Pam muscling the rebar angle
Skeletal framework - now how about some warmer weather!
I will tell you about our new growing method in my next post. Exciting stuff! We plan to triple, or even quadruple our produce output in the fields this year. You are welcome to come out to The Farm any time, to look around and/or give a hand (actually, two hands work better).
COME GROW WITH US!
Linda
