On a Saturday in mid-June, several folks from Earthaven went to our neighbors’ farm. It was a great day filled with many chores to assist Cove Creek Farm in planting and to learn more about where our local food comes from. Alvin Lytle, his father, Therman, sister June, and daughter Alexis’s family have been farming in this area since the late 1700’s.

We took turns sitting on Alvin’s modified tobacco planter, dropping seed potatoes, which were then covered with soil by the cleverly crafted blades of the planter. Not sure how many potatoes we actually planted, but we cut up four 50-pound boxes of seed potatoes earlier.

Then came the sweet potato slips, and melons, all planted by hand…lots and lots of them. In the meantime, other folks were helping plant a large field of crowder peas (hence the name field peas).

After all the hard, sweaty, hot sun work, we sat around in a cool forest setting and had a good ole fashion feast of barbecue, beans, and of course watermelon….yum, oh yeah, and cool sweet tea to wash it all down.

It was great to bring back farmers helping farmers, and neighbors helping neighbors. Getting done what needs to be done in order to eat.

Alvin wishes to thank everyone who was involved in this day. He and his family are very grateful for the help and the strong relationship developing between us all. Best I can say to this is Ditto!

Alvin has been bringing his produce to the Coffee and Trade here at Earthaven every Tuesday morning for over a year. So now we can say when we eat those potatoes…hey we helped plant them…now that’s connection to your food!

Rae Jean has always lived on the edge one way or another. For the last eight years it has been at Earthaven. Along with raising heritage chickens, ducks, veggies and herbs, she designs and creates knitting patterns.

Field Day photos by Stephanie Usery

The post Field Day at Cove Creek Farm appeared first on Earthaven Ecovillage.

Watermelon Love

Jenna, Marie, and Liz enjoy Sugar Baby Watermelon from the Village Terraces Cohousing Neighborhood garden.

“I never even liked watermelon before now” says Liz Diaz.

Small and sweet with a green rind, red flesh, and small seeds, Sugar Baby is a heritage variety and did well in our hot, dry, summer conditions.

“We must have gotten 40 watermelons from this 10’x75′ patch of garden” says Jonathan Swiftcreek, one of the neighborhood gardeners.

Firewood Workday NOT canceled due to rain!

In other news, our firewood workday had lots of rain, which didn’t seem to stop us or the dancing. We filled our firewood shed with wood from our 2008 agricultural clearing. Our boiler system heats our hot water as well as our homes.

Pictured above: Carmen, Bob, & Steve on the top level. Matthew, Lee, & Debbie on the ground.

Pictured right: Carmen and Steve dancing in the rain.

Creativity at Harvest-Time

In other news, our basil is going gangbusters and we’re trying to keep up with the pesto making.

And we’re able to incorporate blueberries into our lives on as many occasions as possible.

What a busy summer it has been! How did it get to be September? Now we’re into cool nights and changes afoot.

The post 3 Women And a Sugar Baby appeared first on Earthaven Ecovillage.