Paul and I have been preparing the permaculture bed for our visitors/worker bees who will be attending the workshop April 19.

This involves

• Contouring the slope to maximize water retention. Thanks to Jon Matz over at NRCS in Tipton for his help flagging the contours. Paul’s good work shows today with water in the lower swale from last night’s storm.
• Gathering cardboard, donated in large part by Keller’s Furniture in Tipton, but now we’ve learned our neighbor Margaret Bailey has stash we’ll be relieving her of!
• Planning the noon time meal and the party afterwards. I’m hearing homemade bread, smoked ham from our local farmer and pasta primavera salad are on the noon menu.
• Taking inventory of tools -Please bring a steel rake, hay rake or shovel if you have one and your work gloves of course! Tick repellent is also a good idea this time of year.
• Recruiting more helpers. Interested or know a friend who’d like to learn? Please contact us for details, check the post announcing the workshop or just let us know how many are coming.

Remember, we’re covering the cost of the workshop, the meal and the party…WHY? Because we think this is a great way to grow stuff and we want to give you all the reason in the world to visit us and to learn alongside us.

Here’s how the site has progressed so far. These are views from the west. The above photo is from the east.

In chilly March…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In early April after our burn…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning, after Paul plowed and the rains came.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next steps: Going over Fred Meyer’s final design, being sure we have all the seedlings we’ll be planting that day, and looking forward to new friends at Draco Hill!