As the first week that really felt like summer winds down, we’ve made a huge amount of progress in getting the garden prepared - but we’re just really realizing how much work remains to be done, and how hard it is to put all of the various pieces of this project together.
That said, a numerical review of the week and a, hopefully not too optimistic, timeline for the coming days:
- The sod is removed! We now have seven beautifully grass-free parcels of land - each of which is approximately 20 x 80 ft. We’re hoping to set one aside for community garden plots, meaning there will be between 10 and 15 plots, depending on how we decide to size them. If demand for plots exceeds this number…great! We’ll cultivate another one of the parcels for community gardening! A reminder - if you’re interested in having a community plot, email Hillary at her snazzy new address: hillary@acadiafarm.org.
- Two of these plots are already full fledged gardens! We’ve constructed four raised beds, (about 3 feet wide and running the full 80 feet of the parcel) and dropped in our tomato, lettuce, basil, and sunflower transplants. The other plot has two rows of mounds for cucumbers on either side of a row of pole beans. We’re trying to come up with creative ways to get water to the garden, but haven’t come up with any reliable solutions yet…well…at least none that don’t involve carrying incredibly heavy buckets back and forth from the spigot at the arena.
- Three more of these plots are almost full fledged gardens. We’ve spread manure and a little limestone along with some old leaves we picked up from Valley Waste, but alas, we’ve already run into a snag. Our tiller, borrowed for the duration of last week, broke down on Friday afternoon and had to return to its owner today, meaning we’re desperately seeking a plow or a rototiller to help us bust up the hard dykeland clay. As soon as we get our hands on a tiller…(ideas?), the community plots will be healthy and ready for planting and the farm planting can continue.
We’ll be updating this website almost daily with our plans for garden work throughout the week - but feel free to take a stroll down past the soccer fields to check the progress. Hopefully we’ll have some activities set for next weekend, so those of you with 9-5 jobs can get in on the fun.
Enjoy the warm afternoon, and don’t be afraid to start those rain dances.
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