NOFA Winter Conference Set for Jan. 20-22
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Aquaponic Gardening: Phase I
/With winter coming, we're down to cauliflower, leeks, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and celery out in the garden—which means our tomatoes are canned and blanched, our string beans are canned (and some sauteed and frozen), and soybeans are frozen (ready for
).
Instead of being reduced to (gasp!) shopping for all our produce at the grocery store, and since we've got a stellar intern riding out the cold months with us in the North Country, I consulted this morning with dear friend Marco Centola of
about creating a hydroponic setup at
to grow fresh salad greens (and even a tomato or pepper plant) year-round.
We're very interested in not just going hydroponic, but in utilizing earth systems to make this happen. Marco brilliantly suggested we create an
setup with a fishtank where we could raise any kind of freshwater fish we wanted, including—if we go large, with a 100-gallon tank or bigger—trout or other edible fish for the omnivores of the house.
Marco explained that setting up the fish tank has to happen about a month before introducing plants to the system. Here are my marching orders for the next few weeks before Marco comes up to initiate the full system with us:
Purchase at least a 40-gallon fish tank, with two corner filters
Fill the tank with water
Two days later, add fish. At first, Marco explained, we should only add feeder fish. He says these fish will die ("Bad genetics and bad water quality," he explained); and that when they do, we should leave them floating in the water. As the feeder fish break down, they'll be ammonia-based waste. Bacteria will slowly colonize and turn ammonia into nitrite (ammonia and nitrite are both toxic to plants). After that, more bacteria will colonize and change nitrite into nitrate, which is usable fertilizer.
So, I'm off this afternoon to pick up a tank, filter, and a few bags of gravel, and of course, cool under-the-sea decorations. In a couple of days I'll pick up a ton of feeder fish (which, if my past pet-rearing experience holds true, will never die, not for years and years). I'm also going to get Intern May started on researching the
so she's a regular aquaponics expert by the time Marco shows up in November. First phase of the experiment underway, stay tuned for photos and updates!
To learn more about Better Farm's sustainability internship program or to apply,
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Arts on the Square Offers Workshops all Summer Long
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Printing P.art.ners Monday, June 13 (four session options)
Writing Sparks Wednesdays in June, 10-11 a.m.
Foundations in Oil Wednesdays in July 6-8 p.m.
StoryART Thursday in July 9-10:30 a.m.
RecyclART Thursdays in July 12-2 p.m.
Portraits Wednesdays in August 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Writing for Children Tuesdays in August 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Invented Machines (drawing) Aug. 1-3, 1-2 p.m.
Click here for more information. This committee and its work is under construction, and the long-range goal is to eventually offer classes for all ability leves, ages and arts media. The immediate goal is to offer two to three classes per month. With more administrative support, the North Country Arts Council can run more classes, but is limited for the moment by the amount of volunteer hours available to review proposals, market opportunities, track registrations and assist in running classes. If you have interest and ability in these areas and would like to help, contact Kari Robertson at education@nnyart.org. Arts on the Square is located in the Franklin Building on Public Square in Watertown.
Spotlight On: Better Farm's own Staciemae Brown
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I've underserved our readers in the last few months by not profiling the eclectic bunch we have holed up at Better Farm. Since May, we've seen an engineering intern, biologist, bartender studying to be a nutrition expert, fresh Iowan transplant, 20-year-old vet recently back from repairing helicopters in Japan, and a truck driver pass through this house.And that's just for starters.
In the coming weeks we excitedly anticipate the arrivals of a former diplomat, logistics expert, and carpenter. And in the months ahead we'll be welcoming a permaculture expert and gardener, writer, and a craftsman.
It's natural for you to envy our family dinners.
As summer draws to a close and that cold fall air starts nipping at our ankles, we're also readying for a bittersweet goodbye as our own Staciemae Brown packs her things and makes arrangements for her move to the Czech Republic. Stacie—who joined us at Better Farm in mid-May—will be working as a missionary overseas and teaching English. She's leaving in early November with a group from Word of Life Church in Watertown, and as of now her return date is unknown.
But I'll let her speak for herself. Staciemae recently launched a blog of her own, aptly titled "Czeching in with Stacie." You can learn all about her background and follow her progress as she applies the Better Theory to her missionary work overseas. We'll miss her (this woman really is a force to be reckoned with), but this is one journey that can't be taken from the sidelines.
To help support Staciemae's endeavors, please contact Better Farm for further information.
Teach For Us!
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With summer just around the corner, it's time for you specialists to start thinking about teaching workshops at Better Farm in the coming months.
A large crew of worker bees will be going to Better Farm over Memorial Day to do a bunch of painting, bring in some bunk beds, and complete some very basic and minor house renovations. As of June 1, Better Farm is essentially "open for business."
We're looking for people who are interested in running small workshops at Better Farm. Sound interesting? If so, please contact us with a basic outline of the workshop. What kind of workshop would it be? What sorts of courses would it entail? How many instructors would it require? How are you qualified? Do you have people in mind who you could work with? How many students? How long would it run for? What dates are you available? What equipment would be needed? Don’t feel limited to the arts, and go as broad as you like.
You can get most info on the building and property at the Better Farm site, but feel free to contact us with any additional questions.
Better Be,
Nicole
