Mural-Building

Decades ago, a guy who went by the nickname "Poppy" painted a small mural of Pan on a wall of Better Farm's dining alcove. Poppy—or possibly someone else—then nailed a homemade frame onto the wall over the painting.

In Greek mythology, Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, and companion of the nymphs. And since sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, he's been keeping a trained on eye all the goings-on at Better Farm.

I've long wanted to invite visiting artists to add their own mini-murals to the wall, but got so caught up in large-scale projects (like a mural in a bedroom upstairs, another one in the birdhouse, and an almost-lifelike wooden family portrait-turned-roadside attraction), the last four years haven't seen any add-ons to the Wall of Pan in the kitchen. 'Til now, of course.

Last month's intern Zoya Kaufmann has a big-time passion for art and, well, bugs. So when she was invited to make a small mural of her choosing alongside Pan, she couldn't resist. Inspiration drew on her insect intrigue, combined with an inclination to paint something mimicking the mood of the Pan portrait.

Zoya explained, the Pan mural is presenting viewers with an unusual vantage point of something we rarely pause to look at (or even begin to imagine). Running with this idea, she painted another such creature (albeit literal, not mythic): the western conifer seed bug.

The western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis, is a species of true bug (Heteroptera) in the family Coreidae. It was originally native to the warm-temperate western USA (California, Oregon and Nevada) but has in recent times expanded its range and become an invasive species in parts of Europe. This species is sometimes colloquially called "the leaf-footed bug", and is sometimes mistakenly identified as a stink bug due to the unpleasant aroma it emits when disturbed. In its native range the western conifer seed bug feeds on the sap of developing conifer cones throughout its life, and its sap-sucking causes the developing seeds to wither and misdevelop. Here's a photo of what a western conifer seed bug looks like:

And here's Zoya's painting from beginning to end, bringing this unusual sight directly into the foreground for your viewing pleasure:

 

 

For more information about Better Farm's sustainability program, click here.

DIY Tile Backsplash

When the kitchen cabinets were built at Better Farm in the 1980s, the sink backsplash was constructed out of some kind of composite board. Over time, water damaged the faux wood and rotted; creating a gross-looking backsplash that was also a health risk because of mildew and mold.

Using discarded tiles from another project, some trim boards we found in the wood shed, a little grout, caulk, and double-sided tile tape, we were able to create a tile backsplash for less than $30 that reinvented our kitchen space.
We started by taking measurements and determined we'd be covering a six-inch wide, eight-foot-long area.

Next, we removed the old backsplash and sprayed bleach onto the mold we found:

Then we screwed on leftover pieces of cement board from another project to use as our base and laid out the tiles we'd be using:

Then it was time to lay the tile. Here's Greg applying Simple Mat, a double-sided tape you mount your tiles on (truly the simplest way we're aware of for laying wall tiles):

Then it was just a matter of mounting the tiles:

Mixing up some grout:

Applying the grout over the tiles:

Then, we let the grout set before wiping the tiles clean and replacing our trim pieces:

We found an old piece of oak to use as top trim:

We used a vinyl edge for the bottom of the backsplash and set it with finishing nails and caulk. This should give us a totally water-tight seal and prevent future mildew and mold issues. The white trim can also be painted:

Got a DIY tutorial you'd like to share? E-mail us at info@betterfarm.org.

Upcycling 101: Island altar

An old church altar becomes a kitchen island.

It was way back in 2009 when we scored two 12-foot church pews from Calcium Community Church and made them the centerpiece of our dining alcove. It was about a year later when we updated the alcove and gave the space a truly spiritual overhaul:

  

Since then, I've been eyeing a church altar (origins unknown) that was collecting dust for years out in the Art Barn. We'd cleaned it up and used it as a buffet for gallery openings; but in my heart of hearts I knew it was destined to join the church pews in the kitchen. In a recent burst of renovations that added a new bathroom, shrunk another, and moved doors and refrigerators around (stay tuned for those before and after photos!), it was time.

So, first things first. A group of us went out to the Art Barn to assess the situation and start the process of cleaning the old altar up. Here's Jaci removing some old, mismatched and cobbed-together cabinetry:

Next, Greg used a small sander to get the paint off the top of the altar. Then it came time to move it (note that new farm truck Jackson's sitting on!):

 To replace the old cabinets, we're upcycling the lower front board from our driveway piano and affixing it with pivot hinges. Here's Adam demonstrating what that will look like:

Eventually I'll have a kitchen sink installed in the center of the island. But for now, it's a great work station and spot for casual conversation while cooking is underway. Bring on the soul food.

Dining Alcove Goes from Boring to Bronze

Before

The dining alcove at Better Farm has always served its function in a straightforward manner without fuss. Sure, it was never particularly lovely; but the table could be stretched to accommodate up to eight at a time, the windows let in beautiful light, and Better Farm dinner conversation was (and is) second-to-none.

As renovations began in 2009, the patchwork wallpaper job in the dining alcove got stripped, cleaned up, and replaced with a coat of white, eco-friendly paint. When we scored some church pews off Craigslist from a soon-to-be renovated church in Calcium, N.Y., Better Farm's dining alcove felt like a a whole new space.

But we weren't done! When the single, hanging bulb over the table broke sometime around New Year's Eve, we were reduced to candlelight. Danny Ely came in at the end of May and installed new chandeliers for us, which left us with one final project: the ceiling.

The main part of the kitchen is graced with a gorgeous, original tin ceiling that's been painted white. We mimicked the style, buying faux tin ceiling in mass quantities from Lowe's and affixing it very carefully.

Only thing we've left to do is commission a custom table that follows the arc of the pews...

After

Better Renovations: Kitchen lighting fixture

Lighting changes everything. And at Better Farm, there's been an ongoing issue with really ugly lighting fixtures; from exposed bulbs in the front hallway and bathroom to the hideous "chandelier" that's been hanging in the kitchen for who-knows-how-long (see above photo). The aesthetic nastiness of that chandelier was incentive enough for us to start shopping around for something more lovely.

Then, I discovered that the government is offering tax credits for up to 30 percent of the cost of energy-efficient home appliances, insulation, doors, roofs, and windows. Hot damn.

So, off we went to Home Depot to check out the selection. Key factors we sought: reversible directions, various speeds, farmhouse chic, and Energy Star certified. After much browsing, we settled on Hampton Bay's 52-inch ceiling fan. Here's Fred doing the installation:



The whole process was started and finished within an hour. Now we're enjoying late summer breezes in style.

Better Compost

Worm composting is one of the easiest and quickest ways to convert your table scraps into rich, healthy, organic soil for your garden. Carina Molnar was kind enough to pass along to Better Farm a big bin already in the throes of what we call vermicomposting.

Inside the bin are hundreds of what I believe to be red wigglers; one of the best worms around when it comes to compost. They eat fast, and provide some of the darkest, densest, nutrient-rich soil there is.

Into the bin go coffee grounds, vegetable and fruit rinds, unfinished salad scraps, and the like (no bones or meat). If the bin starts to smell, wet some strips of newspaper in the sink, ring them out like a sponge, and put those in the bin. The pH level will right itself in no time. You can also ensure a smell-less bin by not overpowering your worms. Only put in as much as gets gobbled up. It doesn't do anyone any good to fill the whole bin at once with table scraps only to suffer through the rot process. Always err on the less-is-more side of things.

I've been turning the compost (which, if you have sealed in a heavy-duty plastic bin like ours, you can keep right under your kitchen sink) over with a trowel every week or so; and have already used it to bring several houseplants back to life. In a few weeks I'll start adding it little by little to the acre we've plotted outside for next year's crops.

Better Renovations: The Kitchen, After

One of our big tasks at Better Farm was to make the kitchen pristine. That meant doing away with the old, cracked, mismatched wallpaper, sanding down the walls, washing off the discovered boot print on the sheet rock underneath, taking down old musty bookshelves covering up gorgeous reclaimed barn wood, patching (a lot of) holes, and washing all the blinds (bathtubs work best for this—really). It's amazing to work on a house last renovated in 1970 by a bunch of 20-somethings (lots of newspaper stuffed into crevices and random, jerry-rigged solutions never meant to last 39 years).

We were finally ready to paint by the end of Day 1. To keep things basic, we went with plain white paint from Olympic's green line (only $15 at Lowe's—who said going green had to be expensive?), and hung fresh lace curtains reclaimed from storage. And, voila:

Better Renovations: The Kitchen, Before

I love this kitchen: nice and big, amazing tin ceilings, lots of counter space, and an alcove eating area. Tons of potential. Eventually we'll want to fully update the appliances and bring the whole space into the 21st Century; til then, we'll start with the basics:

• Rip down the old wallpaper and throw up a fresh coat of paint

• Figure out the situation with the old wood-burning stove vent (in photo above right). Right now it's very drafty. Should we properly seal it? Or attempt to revive the rusty old dinosaur that still sits in the barn and drag it in? Would that be less drafty? Is it a viable heat source?
  

• Dining alcove: Light fixture? Insulating windows? Expanding bookshelves to ceiling? Definitely doing away with the old carpet below the table. Looking into seating? Different table? Wallpaper on left wall definitely has to go. The dryer in above-right photo is only in the shot because it was on its way out - not a permanent addition to the room!
• Main lighting fixture over center of room - replace? Or at least find covers for exposed bulbs? Will replace all the bulbs with energy efficient ones next month.

• Here are some remaining shots to give a feel of the overall room, countertops, appliances, etc. There are a few broken/loose handles on the cabinetry that will also need to be addressed: