The weather godess has promised dry weather for tomorrow's planting. (Saturday, May 16th from 1-4 pm)
Don't forget to bring your spade, bucket, boots, gloves, hat, lotion. We will have juice available.
Everyone needs to sign the waiver so see deNeen Baldwin when you get there. She will also give you your membership receipt.
happy planting!
PS At the planting, a brief meeting will be held to set a longer meeting date for organizational commiserations.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Planting Date: Saturday, May 16th
PLEASE NOTE!
The date to plant the potatoes has been changed from Saturday, May 3rd (as mentioned in the April Flagstone) to Saturday, May 16th from 1-4pm.
Please bring a spade, gloves, water and a hat. See you there!
Membership
When everyone has paid their membership dues we will have 24 members this year. Cut-off date for membership is May 1st.
Everyone is welcome to join. Even if you are unable to plant, water or weed, there are organizational tasks that we need help with. Call Veronica Timmons at 335-1828.
Current Core Group
Corinne Bjorge (Treasurer)
Veronica Timmons (Membership/Secretary/
Herb Jones (Field Operations)
Peter Janes (Field Operations)
Derek Takerer (Field Operations)
SPRING 2009
by Veronica Timmons
In February, the Hermitage Board and the SPUDS Core Group signed an agreement which allows SPUDS (legally known as the Cascadian Food Sustainability Project) to grow potatoes and other crops in the field for three years.
The Hermitage is the Buddhist meditation retreat centre on Denman Road. It used to be the Greenpeace Farm where Jim and Marie Bohlen lived for many years. The Hermitage Board is in the midst of changing land use by-laws from farm only to be able to operate a modest silent meditation retreat centre. Farming the land will always continue to be an important part of the Hermitage. The gardens and orchard will be expanded to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for retreatants and the fields will be maintained. There is already a trail open to the public on the eastern edge of the property. The Agricultural Land Commission is encouraging the Hermitage to continue the special liaison with SPUDS which we hope to expand in the future. The contacts for the farming part of the Hermitage are Swann Gardener and Anne de Cosson.
The 2008 potato harvest was not as productive as hoped so this year we are amending the soil with nitrogen. A pea crop has been sown and will be tilled into the soil before the potatoes go in in May. This year we will be planting three types: Seiglinde, Yukon and White Rose. Members will be asked to bring their spades, hats and sunglasses for the May 16th planting event.
SPUDDITES are asked to renew their memberships by completing the survey and membership sheet which is under S. at the Abraxis Free Post. Membes are asked to commit to working in the field four times during the season which could include: ground preparation, planting, hilling, mulching, weeding and harvesting. Watering should be easier this year as the cistern will be moved to higher ground for better gravity-feed and we hope to install an in-ground watering system.
Last year was a great experience and we learned a lot. This year we hope to improve our organization, grow more and bigger potatoes and have more fun doing it! The Core Group would like more members so if you want to help us improve please come and join us, Corinne Bjorge, Herb Jones, Peter Bickel-Janes, and Veronica Timmons.
In February, the Hermitage Board and the SPUDS Core Group signed an agreement which allows SPUDS (legally known as the Cascadian Food Sustainability Project) to grow potatoes and other crops in the field for three years.
The Hermitage is the Buddhist meditation retreat centre on Denman Road. It used to be the Greenpeace Farm where Jim and Marie Bohlen lived for many years. The Hermitage Board is in the midst of changing land use by-laws from farm only to be able to operate a modest silent meditation retreat centre. Farming the land will always continue to be an important part of the Hermitage. The gardens and orchard will be expanded to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for retreatants and the fields will be maintained. There is already a trail open to the public on the eastern edge of the property. The Agricultural Land Commission is encouraging the Hermitage to continue the special liaison with SPUDS which we hope to expand in the future. The contacts for the farming part of the Hermitage are Swann Gardener and Anne de Cosson.
The 2008 potato harvest was not as productive as hoped so this year we are amending the soil with nitrogen. A pea crop has been sown and will be tilled into the soil before the potatoes go in in May. This year we will be planting three types: Seiglinde, Yukon and White Rose. Members will be asked to bring their spades, hats and sunglasses for the May 16th planting event.
SPUDDITES are asked to renew their memberships by completing the survey and membership sheet which is under S. at the Abraxis Free Post. Membes are asked to commit to working in the field four times during the season which could include: ground preparation, planting, hilling, mulching, weeding and harvesting. Watering should be easier this year as the cistern will be moved to higher ground for better gravity-feed and we hope to install an in-ground watering system.
Last year was a great experience and we learned a lot. This year we hope to improve our organization, grow more and bigger potatoes and have more fun doing it! The Core Group would like more members so if you want to help us improve please come and join us, Corinne Bjorge, Herb Jones, Peter Bickel-Janes, and Veronica Timmons.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
800 Pounds in 2008!
photo by Andrew FysonA beautiful day, a bevy of enthusiastic SPUDSters, and voila... 800 pounds of beautiful potatoes unearthed on SPUD's first annual harvest, Saturday, September 27th, 2008! Everyone's hard work pitching in to help prep the field, build the fence, install the water cistern, water, weed and sing over the crops obviously paid off! Congratulations to all SPUDS members, and everyone who had a hand in seeing this fabulous project come to fruition.
Unfortunately, the school kids patch at the front of the Hermitage grounds ran out of water during the long drought before the fifty or sixty originally healthy potato plants in that area had a chance to form fruit underground. Maybe next year the kids can participate inside the larger Co-op's fenced-in area and enjoy the benefits of the cistern when SPUD members are watering the larger community crop (an idea to be negotiated, at any rate!)
You'll find a plethora of great recipe ideas for cooking with potatoes in the Links column on your right, and also access to detailed information on how to store potatoes for maximum longevity. For example, it is recommended that freshly harvested potatoes be left them out in the sun for a few hours to dry off and allow the skin to harden a little. Before storing, brush off any excess soil and check for damage. While your storage area should be cool, the most important thing is to exclude light! (please click on Links for additional details)
Bon appetit everyone!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Exciting News!
SPUDS first annual potato harvest will take place on Saturday, September 27th from 1-3pm. Members are asked to bring a shovel and a large cloth bag.
As the yield isn't that large for our very first year (about 850 lbs) folks will be asked to take their portion of the harvest home (hopefully around 20-25 pounds) to store and enjoy.
Potatoes will be set aside for any member unable to make it on September 27th. Please call 335-1828 to make arrangments for pickup from Veronica, or a downtown location to be determined. Anyone who wishes to donate their share of the harvest rather than enjoy it themselves is also asked to call with that information.
Congratulations on SPUDS very first harvest to all our members...see you on the 27th!
As the yield isn't that large for our very first year (about 850 lbs) folks will be asked to take their portion of the harvest home (hopefully around 20-25 pounds) to store and enjoy.
Potatoes will be set aside for any member unable to make it on September 27th. Please call 335-1828 to make arrangments for pickup from Veronica, or a downtown location to be determined. Anyone who wishes to donate their share of the harvest rather than enjoy it themselves is also asked to call with that information.
Congratulations on SPUDS very first harvest to all our members...see you on the 27th!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Watering and Weeding!
(Stay tuned for a photo of SPUD's recently aquired water cistern...)
We now have a water cistern in place and Spuddites have been taking turns watering the parched field. Looks like this hot-dry spell is going to last another month! Thank goodness we bought the cistern!
Veronica is putting a roster together for the next water events.
We are asking people to work in pairs. One to weed the field covered in buckwheat
and help move the hose over the rows and the other to water. It takes 2 hours to water the entire field.
Because it's a tedious job we are asking people to water/weed for one hour.
Thursday, July 17th, - the Fire Dept. will fill ithe cistern with 2,000 gallons as a training practice on their new pumper. Thank you Fire Dept!
Call Veronica if you can do a one-hour paired water/weed session. 250-335-1828.
We now have a water cistern in place and Spuddites have been taking turns watering the parched field. Looks like this hot-dry spell is going to last another month! Thank goodness we bought the cistern!
Veronica is putting a roster together for the next water events.
We are asking people to work in pairs. One to weed the field covered in buckwheat
and help move the hose over the rows and the other to water. It takes 2 hours to water the entire field.
Because it's a tedious job we are asking people to water/weed for one hour.
Thursday, July 17th, - the Fire Dept. will fill ithe cistern with 2,000 gallons as a training practice on their new pumper. Thank you Fire Dept!
Call Veronica if you can do a one-hour paired water/weed session. 250-335-1828.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
June 8th work bee in the Potato Patch!
Fifteen adults and two junior spudsters made it out to help with the first weeding and hilling of our inaugral potato patch, on Sunday morning, June 8th. Organic farmer Bob Parsons once again provided sage advice on techinque, in our quest to maximize yield. The plants look vigorous and healthy after all the rain. Check back for info on the next work bee party, if you weren't able to make it out today...coming soon (within the next ten days or so, give or take...) to a community potato patch near you!above photo by John Millen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)