Alchemical Blog
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a time of learning
On this winter solstice eve, snug in my tiny bungalow, I think of the coming growing season. I am just beginning my journey into farming and there is so much to think about. I haven't decided on which crops I will grow, although I have a few ideas. I have already planted a few nut and fruit trees on my "farm." At this point, I use that term loosely since there is not much there but an old soybean field and horse pasture. It is "there" because there is not any sort of house there so I don't live there yet -- "there" being in Sterling, NY. I have spent the last couple of years getting to know what is already growing there. And if anyone can tell me to what purpose Sepp Holzer in Austria grew giant hogweed, I would be much obliged! Sure, it's an insectary but so is Queen Anne's lace and I have plenty of that. And that doesn't cause skin burns. Maybe Sepp doesn't have Queen Anne's lace.
I just found a website on Nigerian Pygmy Goats and think they look just adorable! http://www.rosasharnfarm.com/ Goats smaller than my dog. I might be able to handle that. She also raises Livestock Guard Dogs. A very good idea when your goats are smaller than your dog. I also find the idea of a guard donkey intriguing. My dog has quite the adventure in store for him.
In this quest of farming, I happened to get an email announcing the start of a new program - Beginning Women Farmers sponsored by the USDA and focusing on Holistic Management. I applied and got accepted! The more I learn about that, the more it seems like it is a blend of
Permaculture and bookkeeping with a few tools on decision making thrown in. I have only been to two "classes" but the dominant theme seems to be rangeland management. I am not interested in dealing with an animal as large as a cow but I have a "wait and see" attitude about this because there seems to be so much more involved than cattle wrangling here.Starting tonight, there is a confluence of cosmic events occurring. The winter solstice coinciding with a full moon along with a total lunar eclipse. Hope you get to see even a little bit of it. Hasn't happened in 372 years...
I have also started my own blog at lavenderdawn.wordpress.com. Join me there as I continue the adventure. Hopefully, I can be a bit more conscientious about posting there.
I would also like to share of few links with you. Here's one about greenhorns finding their space - and writing about it. http://thegreenhorns.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/seeking-greenhorns-essayists/
Permaculture class online! North Carolina State has a lecture series published. http://iuniv.tv/top/detailPlaylist/pid/3062
Midwest Permaculture also has a series of talks on YouTube. Starting here - Intro to Permaculture 0 - Overview. http://www.youtube.com/user/MidwestPermaculture
There is a lot out there to learn. Soak it up!
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Helping out the Syracuse Tree Stewards
Oswego has a fledgling Tree Stewards volunteer group dedicated to caring for our urban forest. We wanted to learn more about how the Syracuse community obtains and plants the shade trees they use to enhance the city. A couple of our members were there when the truck pulled in with hundreds of bareroot trees ready to be unloaded and distributed around the neighborhoods.
I went up with a group on Thursday, November 4th to actually get some of them in the ground. I was expecting little one or two years old seedlings and was not prepared. The trees that were waiting for us already at their site were more like four or five years old, ten feet tall, five inch diameter trunks with their roots dipped in hydrogel and covered in plastic bags. Huge! It was drizzling Thursday and I was wearing a down jacket, jeans and sneakers. The local people showed up dressed like they were ready to face a New England Nor'easter and I'm sure they went home much more comfortable than I.
The holes had already been dug by the DPW, trees waiting next to it with the sturdy stakes that would be put in after getting the tree properly planted. Our group of four were assigned five trees to plant on Syracuse's east side near Kinne Street.
Soil in Syracuse is not anything like the soil in Oswego. It was incredibly clay-ey, sometimes with chunks that we mistook for rocks. The rain just added to the goop. Our task was to check the trees over for any shipping injuries - remarkably few! Then we were to insure the trees were planted at the proper depth, move the sod and large rocks and wrapping from the trees to the curb then place the stakes. The DPW would then come by to pick up the discards, wire up the trees to the stakes and mulch them. The process was extremely well orchestrated and everyone was incredibly helpful and pleasant in spite of the weather. Which was, of course, very helpful for the trees.
As we moved about in the mud, the clay adhered to our footwear and at times gave us another few inches of height! It made for slippery footing on the pavement but on the tree lawn we would just pick up more clay. I was wearing my leather work gloves which soon wet through as did my down jacket. We weren't really sure of what we would be doing, we just wanted to learn and help. We did.
We were impressed by the wide variety of trees that were used in just that neighborhood. Our trees were Tilia, Prunus, Gleditsia. We also noticed Quercus, Sycamore and Acer, among others. They will add immeasurably to a wonderful tree canopy and environment for the city. We hope to bring this kind of habitat to Oswego.
And that cup of hot chocolate on the way home was a great reward.
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Permaculturing on Otisco Street, Syracuse
We were favored with a wonderful sunny fall day to have our backyard
Permaculture event. We were even able to construct a
Hugelkultur bed at no cost but our muscles. (You can find more detailed information here - http://www.appropedia.org/Hugelkultur) And with all the help, it wasn't that great an effort individually. We were of like mind and it was quite heartening as everyone willingly joined in.We started out with a potluck of many yummy dishes and informal getting to know you chatting. Then I presented the 3 ethics and 12 principles of Permaculture. It was well received and a lively and enthusiastic discussion followed. We then considered strategies for preparing our garden beds for winter. Following this was a natural segue into building the new garden bed. As we built, Frank pointed out the generous stinging nettle patch that would have to be moved/removed and invited folks to help themselves to the plants. What he actually said was, "Feel free to grab some of the plants and give them a new home." One of our participants took him quite literally and never having had experience with the nettles before, did just that. She barehandedly grabbed a handful of plant. Another lesson learned. She was good natured about it and studied the sensation for awhile before returning to the bed building. I put my work gloves on and after William dug up some roots, I placed the runners into my plastic transport bag. I hope to establish a nice little bed for them at my home. They are a nutritious green - the sting goes away with cooking - and a dynamic accumulator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_accumulator) for the earth. Everyone should grow them!
I felt it was a successful day.
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Day tripping
William and I drove up to Redfield today to meet my new friend, Kathleen. We exchanged comfrey and stinging nettles and rose hips and black-eyed Susan and Monarda seeds. I got to meet -- and hold -- her sweet chickens. Also got to meet her husband, Ron (just a handshake), three dogs and a stand-offish cat. She showed me the chicken tractors and coop she built and I took copious mental notes. We visited and spoke of dowsing eggs for fertility and gender, dowsing for underground water and dowsing for aberrant energy spaces. We shared herbal stories. We spoke of her plans for the new house she and Ron are building. Since they are right in the middle of getting their permits in order and planning their new space, we talked about natural house building the most. William attempted to entertain us all with his guitar but it turned out the dogs -- schnoodles? -- all liked to sing! And their singing was very shrill barking so William soon left for a walk around the property. I had such a lovely visit I didn’t want to leave. So much to talk about! I also didn’t want to overstay my welcome. So we headed out, gifted with flowers plucked from her perennial gardens.
We headed around Salmon River reservoir towards the falls. A bit cooler up there. 800 feet above sea level. There were quite a few other folks there, as well. A couple had brought lawn chairs and drinks and were situated just above the cliff, enjoying the view. On the trail, we even met a man with his family who restores/ builds guitars. Since William was carrying his old Burl Ives Gibson, they stopped and chatted a bit about old guitars.
We headed back through Pulaski and stopped for ice cream and cheese at the Colosse store. Then a lovely drive home. Pleasant day.
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raspberries and bugs
The raspberries have kicked into overdrive and are huge and luscious. Along with them have arrived the Japanese beetles. The bugs showed up late this year. Last year my roses barely opened and the beetles were on them relentlessly. But we have an abundance of roses and raspberries so we can spare a few. I am still not gracious about the sharing, though, and knock of the beetles whenever I see them.
