Author Archives: Gabrielle

Monday Work Party, August 12 [Photo set]

By GabrielleAugust 17, 2019Urban Farm, VillageAugust 12, baby bunny, Monday, mulching, sunflowers, surprise lilies, wild care, work party

This past Monday’s work day was a short one but a lot of mulching was accomplished on the corner of DeKist and Overhill. Ann got started early while many of us were still getting our shoes on! It was a humid August morning, though unusually cool.

One of many lovely sunflowers to grace Green Acres, thanks to our aptly named housemate, Daisy. She planted many throughout our gardens and common areas and they are cheerful additions, just like her!

Andreas joins Ann and gets instructions on what the morning’s goals are for the corner, outside the fence of the main garden. You can see many weeds on the road, ready to be hauled away.

Surprise lilies [also known as resurrection lilies or naked ladies] look stunning against the dark purples and greens of the perilla growing along the outside of the garden fence on DeKist Street.

Camden [R] joins Andreas to get instructions for where to lay the newspaper and wood chips. This is where I put the camera away to help remove pulled weeds and wheelbarrow mulch to the corner.

After several wheelbarrow loads, another ‘surprise’ was found amongst the wood chips…

Andreas spotted the baby bunny and picked it up. We believe there must have been a rabbit hutch inside the wood chip pile which unfortunately got disturbed as we were shoveling.

I made several attempts to place our friend near the mulch pile, hoping its mama would come looking for it. The little critter kept jumping back in my hand! Concerned, I placed him in a box with a warm shirt and looked up instructions on what to do. I was told to place the box near where it was found for 4 hours!

That simply wasn’t an option with the many cats in the neighborhood, including our ace mouser, Max. I opted instead to call a local wildlife care facility and was instructed to bring the baby bunny in for rearing. Daisy and I delivered the fur baby safely to the big-hearted, all volunteer staff at Wild Care, Inc. I can’t recommend them enough and would encourage everyone donate toward their efforts! Find out more about them, learn how you can help wild critters and donate here: http://wildcareinc.org/

After our good deed for the day, I tagged along with Daisy while she did her grocery shopping. I was noticing how expensive some items are that are really unnecessary [I agree with my friend Max at Wake Up News, who has words about cold brew coffee — just plain silly!] I didn’t spend a dime at the store myself — I decided to do a little shopping right outside our door:

Three tomato varieties, Yukon gold potatoes, red onions and green peppers. YUM! The next big harvest: beans, beans and more beans! Until next time…

Love and rocket stoves,
Gabrielle

Thursday Work Party, June 13 [Photos]

By GabrielleJune 18, 2019Uncategorized, Urban Farm, VillageBloomingtonIN, forces of nature, GAPV, June 13, predators, Thursday, work party

Last Thursday saw the weather turn brisk for June. After several thunderstorms rolled through it felt more like early spring or fall! I walked 1.4 miles to get to Green Acres for that morning’s work party and enjoyed the smells on the air that reminded me of my grandmother’s home in the Appalachian hills of Virginia.

I was no small time away from Green Acres, while pet sitting and having family visit and depart earlier in the week. I’d not gauged the walk time very well, so was late to the party. Roommate Andreas had just returned from California and we shared warm greetings and both ‘welcomed’ the other back home — where the work party was well underway.

I was tasked with pinning down the chicken fence around the coop in back, as we had lost another chick to a predator that we still hadn’t been able to name. When I returned:

L: Dan and Justin, R: Justin carrying heavy containment blocks from the end of the drive.

Last year, the front of DeKist 2 house had a garden bed on the street. Folks eventually parked their cars there after the last growing season. The task ahead was to clear out the good soil and move the containment blocks that lined the drive, to lay gravel and have parking spaces out front. Now that the large trailer is removed from the driveway, we’ll have ample parking for gatherings and future musical events… Yay!

L to R: Justin setting a block by the pond, Rebecca in the foreground, and Ann. Notice how everyone is dressed for the brisk weather — hard to believe this was June!

L: Rebecca weeding and Dan is street-side on the R where the gravel will go.

After much care from Rebecca, the beautiful smoke tree has bloomed out front, showing us how it got its name!

Red lettuce bed is producing well and the color is absolutely stunning.

It was time to put the camera down and cover the potato plants in the next bed with some seasoned hay. Then over to the greenhouse to empty the extra lettuce that didn’t get planted to give nourishment to the chickens. In permaculture, nothing gets wasted in a closed system.

The little ones grow fast and yes, we have lost a few to predators. No matter where you live, whether your bioregion is near ‘tornado alley’ in Southern Indiana or the rolling hills of Appalachia, if you farm — you will experience both the beauty and brutality that is nature. Hope springs from the former but be prepared for the reality of the latter.

Two days later, the Green Acres crew were huddled together in the basement. I was lucky that my pet sitting client has one, too. Feeling very grateful…

2 Pod Meetings, 2 Work Parties plus Blooming Neighborhoods! May 31st – June 6th

By GabrielleJune 9, 2019Association, Uncategorized, Urban Farm, VillageCity Hall, GAPV, HAND, intentional community, June, Long post, May, neighborhood-association, pod meetings, Thursday, work party

Long post! The last week of May through the first week of June has been chock full of activities both onsite and offsite for Green Acres! Without further ado…

May 31st saw us all gathered for a long overdue pod meeting, which lasted the better part of two hours and was continued on Sunday, June 2nd! Many ideas were brought to the table and discussed, especially the idea of community building and bonding over not just work, but activities we enjoy and can benefit from in intentional community. At the end of each meeting, we stood in a circle, holding hands with heads together. A cheer rose up naturally that ended loudly with enthusiasm before we took our leave: WhooooaaaaaHEYYYY! Like a football huddle for Team Green Acres, except we were speaking about the long game — a 2 year plan!

Saturday, June 1st saw Ann and myself at Blooming Neighborhoods Celebration at City Hall during Farm Market, seated in a half circle with a larger community of neighborhoods represented to meet and greet.

Monday, June 3rd Work Party, found us working on the new chicken run after a short new moon ceremony as we said goodbye and let go of the plum tree in the front yard, which had ‘canks’ and would likely not produce decent fruit. Read more about this on Ann’s blog!

Many of the branches were tossed on top of the hügelkultur beds behind my house at DeKist 2 [my roommates: T: Andreas and B: Justin hauling them above], and the rest of the larger branches and logs used for firewood. Dan, however, saved the two lovely pieces below for a creative project: making wooden spoons.

Rebecca [L] and Ann [R] hauling the last of the branches to the back garden. Below, Ann stops so I can snap the ‘canks’ Devin told us about that prompted the tree to come down!

Afterward, Justin and I worked a long while on the fencing for the new chicken run, and behind the coop where there is now a second exit for the chicks. Rebecca and Andreas worked on the opposite side of the neighbor’s fence so they could view the chickens, too!

It ain’t pretty but it works! The chicks were big enough to join the hens this past week.

Thursday morning, June 6th Work Party

I arrived from a pet sitting job to find everyone already busy and as always, a warm greeting from our Smiling Dan! He and I worked to cover the cabbage beds in this photo after sprinkling them with a healthy amount of diatomaceous earth. “DE” is an off white talc-like powder that is the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton. It’s like kryptonite for bugs and moths who want to eat your cabbages.

L, Justin and R, Rebecca, weeding and working around the tomato cages. In the foreground are the Yukon Gold potatoes we planted back in April.

Where is Ann? Oh, there she is! Spotted in a jungle of jewel weed near the pond:

We tried to get a good photograph of the jewel weed she pulled, up close to capture it’s beautiful translucency. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show well here. I should have brought the good camera — maybe next time!

Back to work — the above Brussels sprouts and broccoli got a healthy dusting of DE, as well — after much weed pulling. We’ve had so much rain and warm weather that they are hard to keep up with. Below is more jewel weed in the back garden that’s waist high. A luscious green path to the back patio!

In closing — the hens love the new chicks and the new chicken run. The second gate has been removed since this was taken. Happy hens mean more eggs! [And quiche, yummm!]

Thursday Work Party, May 30 [Photo Set]

By GabrielleJune 1, 2019Uncategorized, Villagechicken run, GAPV, jewel weed, May 30, teamwork, Thursday, work party

L to R: Dan, Justin, Andreas, Rebecca and Alex

Thursday’s work party found us all in back of DeKist 2 house, clearing weeds and making room for a new fence for the expanded chicken run. The new chicks grew so quickly and so did the weeds with all the rain we’ve had!

It’s almost time to introduce the chicks to their new home and the older hens in the coop.

Ann was in rare form, having just returned from a Sufi retreat in the Ozarks. She’s holding jewel weed she pulled to clear a line for fence posts. I learned that jewel weed keeps poison ivy from growing — or at least getting too big to manage.

Established fence post on the right. More posts went up along a line to the right side of the tree at the back fence — after clearing some overgrowth!

The only plants left behind were the berry bushes and lemon balm. The lemon balm came in handy later at community dinner as a mosquito repellant!

L to R: Dan and Justin, hard at work!

OOPS! Andreas holding a broken pitchfork after battling with a very old and established root ball — which eventually came free with a shovel.

Thursday Work Party, May 9 [Photo Set]

By GabrielleMay 13, 20191 commentUncategorized, Urban FarmGAPV, hugelkulture, May 9, permaculture, spinach, Thursday, tomatoes, wheatgrass, work party

Last Thursday’s work party began early, with Rebecca calling on all pod-mates to be present for a meeting before beginning the myriad tasks that have sprouted up along with the spring weeds!

L to R: Dan and visiting friend, Maynard — busy weeding and prepping beds in the back garden. This is where all the tomato plants went in last season.

Our tasks this morning included planting this year’s tomatoes in the main garden, which we started from seed back in January! I’m excited to see so many varieties go in the ground. My grandparents used to plant about this many in their own garden!

I’ve dreamt all winter about the flavor of organic, homegrown tomatoes.

Ann snapped this while I was removing maple tree whirligigs that had begun to sprout in our plant starts. I was talking about something but I don’t remember what now. It’s not important because TOMATOES! In fact, I took 4 plants with me [and some cucumber seeds] to plant in additional beds where I’m house sitting for several months. [Did I mention I love tomatoes?]

In the greenhouse the previous day, I’d come by to pot up some of the native trees left over from the Tree Planting Project, which will be given away once we start selling plants, to whomever wishes to give them a good home. First come, first served! 2 White Pine, 1 Hazelnut, 2 single Paw Paw and larger pots with 3 Paw Paw in each.

Meanwhile, in the main garden, Andreas and Rebecca weed and prep the beds for the tomatoes — in the background is Justin, planting tomatoes in another bed.

L to R: Alex mulches after Justin plants tomatoes in the first bed.

Some interesting fungus among us — in the lettuce and spinach bed.

Ann takes the trimmings from last week to the Hügelkultur beds behind DeKist 2 house.

Rebecca and Alex started wheatgrass in the greenhouse. Looks lush and amazing now!

Part of our meeting that morning included discussion of tasks that needed to be done as we walked around all the gardens. We have scheduled a second work party every week to keep up with the spring overgrowth and weeding. Stay tuned for more Thursday and now Monday work party posts. Tis the season…!

Love and rocket stoves,
[and tomatoes]
Gabrielle

Green Acres Permaculture Village

Growing community from the ground up.