Author Archives: Ann

TWO MORE WORKSHOPS: seeds, lists, tools, and puns

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

LET THE NEW YEAR BEGIN! Work party to care for large tools, and more.

This past week was momentous. I myself, with son Colin well on his way to recovery, newly committed to this place, remembering its motto: GROWING COMMUNITY FROM THE GROUND UP. 

Since we have only two homes now (the third one out to regular renters due to property tax and insurance increases), that means only six people (actually five, given Colin’s situation (see last post)); which in turn means that whoever is here needs to be on board with what we are doing: demonstrating for others a constantly evolving template for growing food in community. However, at this point, only three of us are committed: Joseph, Marita, and myself, with Joseph as the only one naturally oriented in this direction! (I’m philosophically committed, but must continually learn and relearn the practicalities). So for the first time in a long time, a week ago I mentioned to my two housemates just why I started this place (see above), saying, “if not, then what am I doing here?” And asked both of them, are you aligned with the mission?

Both Ningyao and Adam very much appreciated my suddenly recovered clarity, and thanked me for telling them. Ningyao said she would think deeply about it, and then, the very next day, rose to the occasion, saying she will start by organizing bi-weekly Community Dinners (to begin soon), and will devote either Saturday or Sunday to whatever is needed. The other one, Adam, a naturally solitary soul, and a man of total integrity, after nearly two years here, has chosen to move. 

Okay, so here we go, in this ever-changing experiment in a college town that has given at least 50 people, since 2009, a taste of what it means to grow food, in community, inside a college town neighborhood. Hopefully, each of them takes what they learn, the strong, subtle flavor of how to grow into your full natural self while in cooperation with all of Nature, including other human beings and the ground under our feet and the sky above, with all Her critters, large and small. 

This year, to get started, we agreed a week ago to meet for a workparty in the greenhouse, heated beforehand, at 1 PM, on January 20, that’s yesterday, to wash, sand if needed, oil, and sharpen large tools. We did this while “stacking functions” (a permaculture term), deciding what’s next (seed selection next Friday, refresh small tools next Saturday), and tossing around ideas as to how to work with this year’s surplus in a more conscious manner. More on this later. We also took turns telling stories. 90 minutes of engaged FUN.

Ningyao doesn’t want to be in photos, so she asked if she could be the one to take the photos. Okay! So that’s why you now see (the back of) yours truly in one too. 

Joseph begins to tackle the pile. 

Adam, Joseph, me, and Marita, left to right. Joseph and Ningyao washed each tool, sanding the ones that needed it; I oiled them, and Marita and Adam sharpened hoes and shovels, sanding more if needed. Then one final oiled swipe on sharpened edges.

Next day (today). Large tools back on the wall.

Haven’t checked yet, but I doubt there’s any more arugula now. Big freeze started about a week ago, followed by snow.

 

 

 

1/1/2024: FIRST NEW POST IN FIVE MONTHS!

I just noticed that my last post on this site was August 3, 2023. This was shortly before all hell broke loose, on the morning of August 16, when my 57-year-old son Colin Cudmore, inventor of the Garden Tower, who lives here in GAPV, in the house next door, suffered a massive aortic dissection, both ascending and descending branches. He was supposed to die, but did not; the two surgeries left him paralyzed from waist down, suffering from extreme nerve pain waves (signaling that nerves are beginning to fire, a good sign), and utterly determined to make his way back, at least to home (after we renovate the house so a wheelchair bound person can navigate through it), and eventually, back to walking. He is inspiring everybody around him with his continuously generous and cheerful attitude.

For now, Colin is in a local care center, and I post notices on a daily basis as to his condition: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/colincudmorehealing

Meanwhile, Summer turned into Autumn, and Autumn turned into Winter. However, our arugula and one type of lettuce are still growing, feeding us.

Last night, we held a wonderfully raucous New Year’s Eve Community Dinner with massive amounts of food, wine, and White Elephant gifting. Seventeen of us altogether; other than Thanksgiving, when we hosted a dozen, this was our first Community Dinner in lo these many months.