Spring 2010 on the Farm

The sky was too beautiful today to miss these shots. Please join us on June 13 for a build your own pizza party and live music on the hill. Call 707 364-9769

Oven Building Video

Just got to add Miguel's video

350 Garden Challenge Cob Oven Building at Oasis Community Farm

Connie and I are riding high on the energy of old friend and new that came to share the work on our new farm project. Here are some photos of the day. What Miguel says about grounding power of getting your hands in the mud is true -- speaking as one with many years in the construction trade, cob just feels heathy. Enjoy the show and see you soon.

Update to 350 Garden Challenge on the 15th

It seems that projects just naturally grow. This one is no exception. In addition to building our new adobe earth pizza oven we've added an opportunity to pitch in and plant a salsa garden. We think 15 to 20 families can join in this coop effort with over a hundred tomatoe and peppers plants, maybe do some weeding from time to time and come back in 80 days for a canning party and take home a supply of personalized salsa. We supply the land and water, you supply the love.

In addition the our scare crow workshop, we have added fanciful face painting by visiting artist Natalie Dale. Lest we forget little educational walking tours of the orchard and discussion about our fruit production.

This is a small little farm but still big enough for lots of friends and family. Although we will start with chicken eggs for only about 10 or 12 families, we expect that within 4 years as our fruit trees mature and we add livestock and a hot house, that we will supply 40 families with 30 tons of fruit and fruit products, 100 families with eggs, 20 or 30 with vegetables and10 with milk and a little cheese.

I warn you, our place is a little rough around the edges, a bit like frontier, but that makes it a ground floor opportunity.

Wayne

Connie, thanks for the Bill McKibbin interview. Not only is he one of my heroes, the content of the talk is totally related to the 350 Garden Challenge. Some may not know that 350 stands for 350 parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere. McKibbin's been on this since the 70's and although he did not invent 350 as a number he works full time now promoting it's importance with his organization www.350.org

Unfortunately I can't open and play it so I will include another interview here from a while ago but related to another favorite book "Deep Ecology". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5YVXnnfS28

Enjoy.

Oasis Farm joins 350 Garden Challenge
Oasis Community Farm invites families to build
Living Earth Oven and Scarecrows May 15-16th
On May 15th and 16th, 10am-5pm, friends and budding veggie farmers will meet at 350 sites around Sonoma County – including at the new Oasis Farm, 280 Skillman Lane - for a day of sustainable fun as part of the 350 Garden Challenge launched by Daily Acts, iGrowSonoma, GoLocal Sonoma Coop and Petaluma Bounty to honor Bill McKibben’s call to reduce greenhouse gases below the 350 parts per million level required for a healthy planetary climate.
At 280 Skillman Lane, Wayne and partner, Connie Madden, are inviting interested families and friends to join them in building a Living Earth adobe oven and benches with Miguel Elliot - and scarecrows to take to their own gardens. Scarecrow building is great for kids and free if you bring materials; $10 for materials otherwise.
“We’re expecting Miguel’s Living Earth Oven to be a centerpiece of our fruit farm,” said Morgenthaler.” “We’ll build in the courtyard between a planned fruit packing/dance hall and our new home-to-be on the hill.” There will be an open-air folk music and pizza party Sunday, June 13th to dedicate the new oven. Parking is limited and Petaluma families are asked to RSVP for both events to ConnieMadden@yahoo or Wayne at 364-9769.
Morgenthaler has transformed bare land into a budding orchard with 188 fruit and nut trees and berries, Rhode Island Red chicks and Nubian Goats on the way. The couple is seeking families to join in planning a food coop along the lines of a community-supported agriculture (CSA) with many possible variations.
350 Garden Challenge includes GoLocal Sonoma County as business liaision, Petaluma Bounty and Daily Acts building new gardens or revitalizing existing gardens wherever plants will grow. Inspired in part by the 350.org international campaign to address climate change, the 350 Garden Challenge is a partnership between Daily Acts, iGROW Sonoma, GoLocal & Living Mandala, Sonoma County Water Agency and dozens of community groups and companies (including Petaluma Bounty). Goals of the program are to create a healthy homegrown food supply, save water and cut greenhouse gas emissions, support local businesses, build community and beautify our neighborhoods.
To help build an adobe oven, build scarecrows and consider future involvement with Oasis Farm, email ConnieMadden@yahoo.com or call 364-7627 or 364-9769. To register your garden as a project of 350 Garden Challenge, go to the 350 Garden Challenge page on the iGROW Sonoma website