3.1.19 Quaker Farmy Friday Newsletter
Welcome to the second iteration of Earlham College Miller Farm's weekly newsletter. We hope this provides a way for alum, current community members, and interested individuals to stay in the loop.
Saturday's weather was a pleasant surprise - low 40s and only a drizzle! A Gung-ho group of seven, aided by two wheelbarrows and plenty of shovels, pitchforks, and rakes, covered our muddy path through the center of the farm with wood chips.
Path in progress.
Claire, Maya, and Karly came by around one with a delicious, spicy meal of rice and beans - eagerly devoured!
The path - fully mulched!
On Wednesday, the Farm Practicum course had the first fully-outdoor class! Paolo led the group in a meditation before pondering the query "What is soil tilth?". Tony described it as the make-up of the soil -- what is the soil literally made up of? How does it behave? How does it interact with water, plants, etc.? We took sticks and our fingers around the farm to poke and prod the path, the tilled beds, the natural farming area, around the pond, and wherever else we felt inspired to. Given the history of the land we're working with -- lots and lots of soy and corn production -- it is interesting and essential to look at how compost, compression, and cultivation affect the soil.
Miller Farm Practicum class met out at the farm this week.
We also got the sign for the kiwi and pond installed, which adds some color to the property. (Photo of kiwi sign yet to come!)
Thursday's farm meeting in Rose City brought Eva, Nathaniel, Saskia, Paolo, Caleb, and Tony together. We refocused our energy on the main farming task for these days: tending to our starts currently living in the greenhouse. We may experiment with pea starts, and Tony still hopes to order plants and seeds we don't yet have.
Our starts have room and warmth to grow in the Earlham Greenhouse.
Next Thursday's farm meeting will largely be spent discussing the Eco Spirituality conference planned for the 27th of April. Join us to plan the day-long event! We'll meet at noon in Rose City again. Tony and Saskia have had various meetings this week with Lynn Knight in events and Rachel Van Boven to get the ball rolling, but there is still plenty of space for input and excitement from all perspectives.
Tony left this morning for the Small Farm Conference in Danville, Indiana where he will connect with other people doing big things in small places.
Tomorrow, Farm Day will include mulching and sign installation! Meet out at the farm at noon to join Fry House members and Miller Farm staff for some good ol' fashioned fun.
Tune in again next week!
