October updates
Hey folks, it’s been awhile since we’ve posted and it’s time to let you all know what we have been up to! We’ve been busy building and reclaiming the abandoned high tunnels on the farm. High tunnels are unheated greenhouses that can help farmers extend their growing season. Scott and Brad, our construction team, have been building the tunnels, while Taylor and Hane, our farm crew, are filling the tunnels with mushroom compost and minerals, and planting the rows with fall and winter produce. We hope you are excited as we are about the revitalization of the land whether you’ve seen it on your drive past, or if you’ve gotten to come visit us this past year!
Here are a few highlights from the past month here at Sprouting Farms:
October Highlights
This October we hosted a pest management class for our former apprentices and community members here at the farm. The class was taught by Brad Cochran from West Virginia State University Extension Service. He encourages farmers to use simple, but sometimes forgotten, observation skills to identify pests and diseases before they become a problem. (Fun fact: It all starts with the soil!)
Seed saving potluck
We also hosted our monthly potluck in October with the educational theme of “Seed Saving and Seed Farming”. This discussion was led by Monica Williams and was our biggest potluck turn out to date. We had 30 people come out to the farm and enjoy the evening breeze with us. Everyone that came brought delicious dishes and we ate together as we chatted about food and farming.
SF staff at TOOT in Lewisburg WV
Our team had a joyful time at Taste of Our Town (TOOT) in Lewisburg, WV. Taylor, Beth, Amanda, and Brad got to chat with community members and visitors to the area about project goals and how to get involved.
We had several things to offer; high tunnels and land we have for rent, potential field trips for area elementary schools, and we had worms and compost piles for the children to play with at the booth. We also asked community members to tell us about what they would like to learn at classes and workshops Sprouting Farms will be offering next year. We are inspired by the response and support for the farm’s goals and mission!
Apprentice applications:
Our apprenticeship application period opened this month. The apprenticeship begins March 1st and runs through October 31st. We are so excited to have new students on the farm! For more information about the apprenticeship check out the following link:
2018 APPRENTICESHIP APPLICATION & INFO
School visits:
We hosted our first Elementary School visit to the farm. Talcott Elementary’s first through fifth grade students came to the farm with their teachers. They took a tour of the farm, learned about farming and food production, and planted some of their own seeds. The students’ lettuce seeds will grow in our greenhouse for what looks like another two weeks. The cold weather and fewer sunlight hours in December and January slow their growth. Soon we will transplant the lettuce to a high tunnel to finish their growing in the ground. When harvest day arrives the lettuce will be donated to Talcott Elementary School and at lunch time the kids will be able to eat food that they planted themselves.
