The 1st "Introduction To Gardening" class at Go Away Farm

Mikki held her first "Introduction To Gardening" class today at Go Away Farm. Although it was overcast and raining most of the day and less than 50 degrees, the class got 16 x 28 feet of garden put in before they left. The day began with a two hour class in the dining room with Mikki covering the basics of gardening: choosing a location for your garden, what size is right for your family?, preparing the site, different methods for prepping and amending the soil, raised beds vs. conventional rows, feeding your plants the natural way, composting, watering options, beneficial insects, rotation of crops and hands-on planting. The class is taught from an all organic approach, as Mikki's gardens are all grown organically.

Back Row: Cary Castleberry, Diane Young, Mikki Walters, Tami Senchal, Candi Weekley, Molly Ensey, Gaillynn and Sean Williamson. Kids in the front: Macey McCracken, Trevan Williamson, Zach Castleberry, Taylor Williamson, and Alec Castleberry.

Taylor and Macey preparing to plant a tomato.

Cary and Sean after moving 9 yards of soil!

The class finishing the rows in the garden.

Mikki and Candi planting a bell pepper.

Mikki giving instruction.

The class transplanted a row of onions from the old garden to the new row in the foreground.

Everyone hard at work.

Adding compost to the garden.

9 yards of garden soil to be worked into rows.

Molly, Candi and Tami in the classroom.

Spring has sprung...

Isidro starts the application of compost tea on the pasture grass at Go Away Farm. We are going to do at least three applications. The compost is all organic and made at the farm from scraps, coffee grounds, manure, clippings, leaves, and hay refuse. Our efforts are to replace all chemical fertilizer dependency for the farm. This is our third year to be free of chemical fertilizers, but we are in need of supplementing the soil with nutrients that the synthetic fertilizers have stripped from the soil.

Next week we will break up the soil in the front pastures and then we'll apply another application of tea in a couple weeks. Next fall we are going to attempt to plant cover crops to sustain the cows through the winter and reduce the dependency on hay. Then again in about 45 days we'll make our third application. Tomorrow, I plan to apply tea to all of the orchard and vines, as well as to our yard area.

One of the benefits of a pesticide free place is the abundance of wonderfully beautiful creatures. This little guy came and enjoyed a few seed and the warmth of copper in the morning sun while awaiting some lush prey to arrive and whet his appetite. He kept thinking about leaving and then he'd turn to look at me again. Then he'd think a bit more and then turn and look at me. Then like lightning he lept about 4 feet to a tree nearby.