Wild Meadows is a farm run by Kim and Joel. They grow a lot of veggies and sell them. Some of the things that are growing right now are tatsoie, lettuce, tomato, leeks, fennel, peppers and lots lots more. Everything is certified organic. When we first got here we spent a lot of time "double digging" the beds in the solar passive greenhouse (high tunell) to prepare them for planting. That was in Febuary. Double digging is a good way to get nice loose soil and remove the rocks. I dont feel like explaining it though.
The high tunell is all planted now so we have been working on another section of garden. At this garden there are 30 100 square foot gardens. All the soil was turned by us, not machines. They are big on people power here. I made sure to bring up the point that there has to be a balance between doing repetive work like turning soil and more interesting thought provoking work. Kim and Joel agreed. Every day we start work at 6 and work till 8. We eat breakfast and then work 9 to 12. Then we have the rest of the day off.
There are 6 people total on the farm. Kim and Joel, Michelle and I, and Travis and Jen. Travis and Jen are the other interns. They'll be here until the rest of the growing season. Next year there moving onto their own farm so they wanted to do an internship here to get a good feel for things. Michelle and I like them a lot.
There is a dog here named Praire. They feed her vegan dog food and she seems really healthy. Although she does hunt a little bit.
There is a cat name Alice. She always has some animal in her mouth and really eats here cat food because she is stuffed with chipmunk, rabbit, or whatever else she found that day.
The land here is beautiful and I'm very happy and grateful to be here.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
We're in pensylvania now
Looking at my last entry which was just 3 pictures I realize that my last entry was at Heathcote community in Maryland in February. Bob tought us how to tile a bathroom floor, and Michelle made a beautiful mosaic. We worked 20 hours a week at the community in exchange for board and a few hours a week with Nick at his pottery shop in exchange for food. Nick tried to teach my how to spin on the wheel but it was hard for me to get the hang of it. Michelle however really knows what shes doing. We spent 6 weeks at the community.
I'll tell you how I got to where I am now.
We got in touch with a farm in Bedford county PA called Goodness Grows and we planned to spend 2 weeks there. We left Heathcote and drove about 3 hours west into south central PA. When we got to the farm it just didn't feel right from the beginning. The people seemed nice and all but something was off. They grow veggies there but also butcher animals and sell the meat. We spent the night there and in the morning we told them we had to leave. We went on the computer and contacted many, many farms to see if we could go there . After a lot of people saying they didn't have space for us or whatever we talked to Mandi from Horn O Plenty farm. She also said she didn't have space but recommended us to Kim and Joel at Wild Meadows Farm. We called Kim up right away and asked if we could do a work trade at her farm because things just weren't working out where we were. She said she needed to talk it over with her partner Joel and that she would call us later. We both weren't feeling hopeful about this situation. I remember I said something to Michelle like, what if we find a place to go to today and spend the whole growing season there?
We needed a break from searching for a farm so we went in to town for lunch at the Green Harvest. We got a call from Kim, she said she wanted to meet with us to talk things over. It just so happened that she called from Hebrew coffee which is 3 buildings down from where we were.
Michelle and I sat on a bench outside and waited for Kim. I remember her walking towards us with her banjo. Soon after that we were on our way to Wild Meadows Farm where we still are today. That happened in February.
Ill leave it at that for now.
I'll tell you how I got to where I am now.
We got in touch with a farm in Bedford county PA called Goodness Grows and we planned to spend 2 weeks there. We left Heathcote and drove about 3 hours west into south central PA. When we got to the farm it just didn't feel right from the beginning. The people seemed nice and all but something was off. They grow veggies there but also butcher animals and sell the meat. We spent the night there and in the morning we told them we had to leave. We went on the computer and contacted many, many farms to see if we could go there . After a lot of people saying they didn't have space for us or whatever we talked to Mandi from Horn O Plenty farm. She also said she didn't have space but recommended us to Kim and Joel at Wild Meadows Farm. We called Kim up right away and asked if we could do a work trade at her farm because things just weren't working out where we were. She said she needed to talk it over with her partner Joel and that she would call us later. We both weren't feeling hopeful about this situation. I remember I said something to Michelle like, what if we find a place to go to today and spend the whole growing season there?
We needed a break from searching for a farm so we went in to town for lunch at the Green Harvest. We got a call from Kim, she said she wanted to meet with us to talk things over. It just so happened that she called from Hebrew coffee which is 3 buildings down from where we were.
Michelle and I sat on a bench outside and waited for Kim. I remember her walking towards us with her banjo. Soon after that we were on our way to Wild Meadows Farm where we still are today. That happened in February.
Ill leave it at that for now.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
sky meadow ( part 6)
On December 27th ish we are driving down to Freeland Maryland to Heathcote Community. We will be work trading for room and board and might be making some extra money helping someone in their ceramic studio. Our plan is to spend about 2 months there. They said if everything goes well we can stay 3 months, maybe more.
There is a couple living at Sky Meadow, Aimee and John. For the first few weeks we were there they were away house sitting. John showed Michelle and I how to make tempeh. He split soy beans in a grain grinder and got off the husks by running water over them. Then he soaked them overnight. The next day he boiled them for 45 minutes, scraping off the stuff that floated to the top. Then he strained out the water and dumped the beans on a towel to dry them. After that he mixed them with a couple teaspoons of tempeh starter and a couple teaspoons of vinegar, then they went into a mould, he used glass trays. It then needs to sit in a warm place for about 24 hours.
Michelle and I have been going to the east Hardwick community gym almost every day. It is a real small gym in a basement. Usually when we go we only see 1 or 2 other people.
We have also been going to the weekly community lunch in Hardwick. This guy Robin who also works at the co-op started the community lunch 15 years ago and has been cooking there almost every week. They ask for a 1 dollar donation. They are supported by donations and local farms. On the flyer they have it says " a community that eats together stays together."
There is a couple living at Sky Meadow, Aimee and John. For the first few weeks we were there they were away house sitting. John showed Michelle and I how to make tempeh. He split soy beans in a grain grinder and got off the husks by running water over them. Then he soaked them overnight. The next day he boiled them for 45 minutes, scraping off the stuff that floated to the top. Then he strained out the water and dumped the beans on a towel to dry them. After that he mixed them with a couple teaspoons of tempeh starter and a couple teaspoons of vinegar, then they went into a mould, he used glass trays. It then needs to sit in a warm place for about 24 hours.
Michelle and I have been going to the east Hardwick community gym almost every day. It is a real small gym in a basement. Usually when we go we only see 1 or 2 other people.
We have also been going to the weekly community lunch in Hardwick. This guy Robin who also works at the co-op started the community lunch 15 years ago and has been cooking there almost every week. They ask for a 1 dollar donation. They are supported by donations and local farms. On the flyer they have it says " a community that eats together stays together."
King Arthur bread course
A few people recommended I take a course at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont. I went on their website and found a 4 hour course called Whole Grains From the Hearth. It was a hour and a half drive from Stannard, Vt at Sky Meadow. There were about 15 people in the class. Some came as far as Boston or Montreal to come to the class. Our teachers name was Sharon O'leary. I learned a few different ways to shape loaves, mix ingredient and work with the dough. I was really surprised by how wet the dough was, but after following her kneading and resting techniques the dough absorbed a lot of the water. A big mistake people make with breads is putting in to much flour. This will make the bread dense and not rise much.
I had some trouble shaping the batard style loaf, it came out flat, but it tasted good. I learned a bunch and am happy I took the class. I'd like to take more classes somewhere one of these days.
I had some trouble shaping the batard style loaf, it came out flat, but it tasted good. I learned a bunch and am happy I took the class. I'd like to take more classes somewhere one of these days.
sky meadow ( part 5)
At morning meeting when our 3 weeks were almost up Miles and Cella told us they really like us, and want us to stay but they can't offer a work trade because there isn't;t much work left. So now we are renters at Sky Meadow. The rent is cheap and the accommodations are really good.
Michelle has mastered squash soup. Now that we aren't work traders we have to buy our own food, so Michelle came up with the idea that we cook them lunch in exchange for getting to eat it with them. Now we get to eat all the good stuff we've been craving like kale and raspberries.
Mile's Dentist invited us all over his house to see his greenhouse. Mark ordered the parts and spent lots of time putting it all together. I think he is the only black person I've seen since I've been up here. He had a few stories to tell regarding the police.
Michelle has mastered squash soup. Now that we aren't work traders we have to buy our own food, so Michelle came up with the idea that we cook them lunch in exchange for getting to eat it with them. Now we get to eat all the good stuff we've been craving like kale and raspberries.
Mile's Dentist invited us all over his house to see his greenhouse. Mark ordered the parts and spent lots of time putting it all together. I think he is the only black person I've seen since I've been up here. He had a few stories to tell regarding the police.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Sky Meadow (part 4)
Michelle and I have a mutual friend Bill who was an intern at Sirius Community in Shutesbury while we were apprentices there. For the past 6 months he has been living at Dreaming Mountain which is about 45 minutes from Sky Meadow. We went to visit him for a few days. He gave me a book of his called The Tassajara Bread Book. We visited his friend Peter King who is getting well known in the "tiny house" scene. There is a couple really interesting videos of his work . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VV2MBo-ZMM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9g8Jwi_nks
Although he builds lots of these tiny houses he lives in a big round house. He lives a very very simple life. He hand pumps his own water, heats his house with wood which he gets on his own, he grows most of his food, and he doesn't travel much because he hates the idea of using fossil fuels. He told Michelle and I that because of his lifestyle he is able to have lots of free time and no debt, while other people in mainstream society have lots of debt( because they buy stuff they don't need) and not a lot of time ( because they work so much to pay it off). His views on things were interesting.
Peter, Bill, Michelle and I ate bread that I made and hummus that Michelle made. Peter told us to come by sometime and live on a tiny house on his land and do a work trade kinda thing. surely we'll see him again.
We said our goodbyes to Bill and headed back to Sky Meadow. The next day was the first time we saw Miles and the family in a week. They were very happy and surprised by how much work we were able to do. At the morning meeting when discussing what jobs were to get done for the day I was asked to show their daughter Emma how to make my Nannie Tillies Challah. I was honored to do so and I'm sure she would be proud. Emma was a natural at kneading and braiding a 6 strand loaf after i showed her just once, but she was not so good with keeping an eye on the oven. The outside was burnt and black as night, but it still tasted great. I like the idea of showing people how to bake bread. I could never do it professionally but once in a while it would be nice.
Cella, took us to meet with her friend Suzanna. We had a little potluck and then did some needle felting. I don't think I ever want to needle felt again. To stressful for me. Suzanna is real good with it though, she even sells some things at the market.
Later that day I went to the shop of a local baker. Bohemian bread. It is probably some of the best bread I have ever had. He has a huge brick oven that can hold about 30 loaves. It cost him $11,000 to have it built, but it was worth it. His bread is really well known around here and sells quick. Like all the bakers I've met he seemed to be in a big hurry, so our time together was short.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VV2MBo-ZMM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9g8Jwi_nks
Although he builds lots of these tiny houses he lives in a big round house. He lives a very very simple life. He hand pumps his own water, heats his house with wood which he gets on his own, he grows most of his food, and he doesn't travel much because he hates the idea of using fossil fuels. He told Michelle and I that because of his lifestyle he is able to have lots of free time and no debt, while other people in mainstream society have lots of debt( because they buy stuff they don't need) and not a lot of time ( because they work so much to pay it off). His views on things were interesting.
Peter, Bill, Michelle and I ate bread that I made and hummus that Michelle made. Peter told us to come by sometime and live on a tiny house on his land and do a work trade kinda thing. surely we'll see him again.
We said our goodbyes to Bill and headed back to Sky Meadow. The next day was the first time we saw Miles and the family in a week. They were very happy and surprised by how much work we were able to do. At the morning meeting when discussing what jobs were to get done for the day I was asked to show their daughter Emma how to make my Nannie Tillies Challah. I was honored to do so and I'm sure she would be proud. Emma was a natural at kneading and braiding a 6 strand loaf after i showed her just once, but she was not so good with keeping an eye on the oven. The outside was burnt and black as night, but it still tasted great. I like the idea of showing people how to bake bread. I could never do it professionally but once in a while it would be nice.
Cella, took us to meet with her friend Suzanna. We had a little potluck and then did some needle felting. I don't think I ever want to needle felt again. To stressful for me. Suzanna is real good with it though, she even sells some things at the market.
Later that day I went to the shop of a local baker. Bohemian bread. It is probably some of the best bread I have ever had. He has a huge brick oven that can hold about 30 loaves. It cost him $11,000 to have it built, but it was worth it. His bread is really well known around here and sells quick. Like all the bakers I've met he seemed to be in a big hurry, so our time together was short.
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