Winter 2014 Update

I do believe Nivritti will begin moving in this weekend? I do know from going inside the Haven house that it has been painted!

Haven Green House raised beds have been constructed on both sides. Today we began filling the base layer with wood from the arborist, Doug. He has volunteered to come by this week or next to prune with us the handful of fruit trees on the Haven side. These didn’t produce much fruit this year, and are badly overgrown, so it will be another good experience to see how we can reshape the trees back into production.
Larger prunings can be used for cooking wood stock-pile (which we have started to maintain from prunings in Stanwood) and the rest can be used as the base layer for the Haven House beds.

Hailey’s brother Cole and Kieran joined us today in a bamboo planting effort, from the bamboo stock we received last year from James the bamboo gardener in Seattle. We planted the stock on the ‘wild’ hill side, off the second trail. It is a good location for expansion on the hill, and also for harvest from the food forest side. On another note, we found actual clay deposits in the hillside, and found the soil to be of excellent quality. Very promising for future orchard sites.

The main garden has been mulched for the winter and looks to be in great shape going into spring. Leaf Garden has been expanded upon, with a fresh supply of Detlings applied to build the beds, and will be mulched again in the coming weeks. Also to be in great shape for the spring.

Vihaan will be joining us on Thursday to get the plastic on the walls in the garage (the first step to developing a kind of processing center), as well as to attach the plastic lift on the Haven green house. We have materials, including poly tape which Larry donated for use.

Vihaan also was able to get the water going again, by reversing the check valve that was reinstalled after pipe bust. Good to have someone getting to know that well system at Haven so well :).

Friday, Derek from the County will join us from the County with 8 more 55 gallon drums, and will help us get them ready for conversion and implementation in the coming weeks. We have parts on hand already. All together we should have around 20 55 gallon drums at our disposal (1000 + gallons)

We will be working with Kieran to make more progress on the chicken coop greenhouse above the leaf garden this week – the roof has gone on the chicken coop side, and we will likely use simple plastic covering for the greenhouse side. We have some re-purposed plastic from the little kitchen garden greenhouse we used last year. This should be ready coming into spring to host chicks as well as starts for the leaf garden. We will use the solar fence from last year to pasture/feed the chicks in the larger grassy area behind the coop.

We are well into seed planning mode, and will be making seed purchases for outstanding needs in the coming week or two. We have many, but will require more, including some cover crops for different sections of the lower field. Estimated cost a few hundred dollars all together.

We have begun grafting for the year (still a little early in the season), but we have a great opportunity to make many a apple and pear trees of selected varieties through the spring… to then plant them in the coming years, as well as share them with friends and fellow Anandans. We are developing a new area for the nursery this year, and will hope to transition the back of the house into a more friendly flower/herb garden that transitions into the forest.

Hriman has signed the paperwork for the orchard and I do believe all things are go. We have already pruned about 1/3 of the orchard, and been finding it to be very rewarding hands on experience.

I also have a tree order set to arrive in early february (thanks to christmas gift from my mother!) for selected nitrogren fixing trees and livestock food trees, to be strategically planted on both properties to build soil, feed ourselves, future and current animal companions, as well as acting as windbreaks in the lower field! . The Chestnut, persimmon, siberian pea shrub, see buckthorn, *thornless* honey locust, and others. We are in a good position to be a provider down the road, of such trees, as well as educator as to their importance and role in regenerating the earth.

The front orchard has been fully mulched for the year, planted with garlic and bulbs, and we look to begin more work converting the kitchen garden into the herb and strawberry gardens.
An anticipated upcoming expenditure is that of cedar grove compost delivery. Though initially I hadn’t planned on needing this, the immediate cultivation of the haven green house, as well as the continued bed expansion, well, everywhere, seem to warrant another delivery. Any thoughts on this? Larry I think is versed on the pricing.

Carole and Dakshina continue to find ways to help us. Last week was the first that I didn’t go to the bookshop, Larry has done a wonderful job transitioning at East West.

The CSA is a big item for discussion… and I’ve had opportunities to talk briefly with Rick and Larry. I do think things are moving forward positively and the farm is poised to be a large provider for the upcoming season, in addition to the more specialized growing which can take place in Lynnwood.

AUM