Tag Archives: farming

General Posts

Sunday Afternoon Ramblings

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Repairs along the front wall.

The last three days have seen great progress at the farm.  We got nearly all of the brush that had been cut down dragged away and burned, and we cleared out most of what was left on the far side of the building.  There’s still a little bit to cut on the far back corner, but that job is nearly complete.  Next, we’re going to get all the little limbs and other debris to the burn pile.  The perimeter is really taking shape and looking good.  We also fixed a couple of drainage problems that should help with the flooding issue.  All in all, this has been an extremely productive weekend.

My muscles are so sore I can barely stand it, but it’s a great feeling.  Today, it feels like we’re closer to having the farm operational.  Seeing that progress is a great feeling and gives me a sense of encouragement that is hard to describe.  From all of our hard work, things are really taking shape.  I don’t want to forget to include Marty Carson.  He’s come out and helped us a few times for free, and without his help we wouldn’t be nearly as far along.  He’ll try to deny it and say that he has barely done anything, but we both very much appreciate everything he’s done.

I also want to thank all of the people who have donated to the IndieGoGo campaign.  Tony Davidson has donated twice.  Matthew McMahan gave a nice donation.  Amy Lovdal-Taylor not only made a donation but also wrote a nice note of encouragement.  And Melissa Royer also gave to our campaign.  Each of them has a special place on my list of cool people, and in all seriousness, I appreciate their support more than they’ll ever know.  That goes for everyone who has contributed.  With as hard as times are getting for all of us, I am extremely grateful for each and every dollar we have received.

We’re down to one week to go on the campaign.  If you want to donate, please do so now before the campaign is over.  Even just a $5 contribution will help us get the supplies we need to finish these renovations.  Please, help us get this farm up and running.

General Posts

Monday Night Ramblings

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There aren’t words to describe how ready I am for this semester to end and for me to focus exclusively on the farm.  Mentally, I’m completely exhausted, and emotionally, I’m worn down to a nub.  Most of how I feel right now is leftover from last semester.  The combination of dual enrollment and overload broke something inside of me and took away the last reserve of teaching energy I had stored away.  Then, on top of having been overworked in an inhumane manner, I now sense the weight of this current assault on education pressing down on me as each day I feel as if I have to justify my existence to a nameless, faceless enemy that seeks to dismantle the career for which I’ve sacrificed so much.  It’s a sickening sensation, and morale among my colleagues is disturbingly low.

The truly maddening part of our current political climate is that we’re on a collision course with self-destruction.  Our nation’s infrastructure has been woefully neglected for decades, and now, instead of fixing the two areas that truly threaten to bankrupt this nation, namely the unchecked inflation in healthcare and energy costs, our “leaders” have set their sights on dismantling that infrastructure even more.  We spend $750 billion out of the Federal budget on a healthcare system that is completely disconnected from market realities and true free trade principles, yet instead of finding a solution to that, we’re gonna punish the civil servants, most of whom are already overworked and underpaid and feel like second class citizens.  If that’s not madness, what is?

My best hope for the future is the farm.  If I can get it productive and on the road to self-sufficiency, then I’ll walk away from the system and never look back.  I can honestly say that I did my best to make something of a difference and give something back to my community.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel as if I’ve failed because the values I’ve embraced and the skills I’ve taught now seem antiquated and worthless, especially in our current environment, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel impotent and powerless against the tide of mindless hate that’s ripping our society apart.  But I gave all I had to give, and now, my tank is empty.  Now, I just want to grow some vegetables and enjoy the woman who loves me and spend as much time as possible with my family.  Someone else can worry about literacy and critical thinking and organization of thought.  As for me, I’m going to focus on fixing up the building, installing the first unit, and growing fresh food.

General Posts

Thursday Afternoon Ramblings

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Once again, we’re going to spend as much of the weekend as possible at the building, fixing the plastic along the back wall to stop the flooding and replacing the damaged boards on the front wall.  With any luck, the weather will allow us to get a lot done.  I’m confident that with just a little more tweaking, the back wall will be fixed for good.  It shouldn’t take too much longer to repair the front, either.  That’s just a matter of cutting and nailing up the boards, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to finish.

I’m proud of the progress we’ve made so far.  Looking at the pictures from “before” and then where we are now, I can see just how much we’ve accomplished.  There’s still a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but the building is beginning to take shape.  Sixteen years is a long time for something to sit unused, but thankfully the foundation is still in pretty good shape.  Within the next couple of months, much of the building will be like new, clean and restored, and I’m excited to watch it come back to life.

We still need your help.  There are still many supplies to purchase just for the remodeling and then a lot of equipment for the aeroponic units.  Please, if you can, donate to our campaign on Indie GoGo.  Your contributions will be used exclusively for materials for the building or the growing units.  We only have a couple of weeks to go on the campaign, so time is running out for you to donate.  Thank you again to those who have already donated to all of you who have offered me words of encouragement on this endeavor.