DIY Coffee Table

By Mark Huyser

Today we made a simple table for the upstairs communal area of Better Farm.

This project was designed and financed as a donation by visiting WWOOFers Sara Hawkins and Mollie Cross-Mole.

After consulting with me the girls were sent off to get furniture-grade plywood and 3/4" oak veneer. The girls had the wood cut somewhat to size and brought it back to the farm.

I had Mollie and Sara design the curved legs and as the design was found it was off to the shop to start on the legs.



After beveling the edges on a 45-degree angle that had to be completed first (because we wanted to use one single board to make two half-legs) it was time to cut the curved legs with the jigsaw.





Next up was to tape the two half-legs together at the seam and apply wood glue to make an L shaped corner leg in which Mollie assisted after watching me assemble the first one.



After one hour, the glue was cured and the legs were ready for a sanding. First up was a 120-grit to get off all the glue residue and eliminate any scratch marks in the veneer; followed up by a quick sanding in 220-grit to ensure a smooth base finish.







The next step was to take the trim router and apply a small beveled edge to minimize injuries and extend the lifetime of the edges on the top plate and the middle board. Then it was back to sanding again.



Of course, a faithful carpenter's dog will not make way for dust and flying wood chips. Instead he will choose to stay right at your feet no matter what.



One of the last things that was left to do was to manufacture 3/4" x 3/4" support and fastening pieces. I chose this fast and simple method instead of using dowels or a biscuit joiner. This method fastens hidden and requires no dry time, which speeds the manufacturing of the table up substantially.



The last step for my part was to assemble all the pieces with wood glue and screws.





Now the table is off to the girls for further enhancement!



Thank you Mollie and Sara for this fun little project!

Learn more about Mark's projects or contact him for custom work by clicking here.

Better Farm's Stairway Goes from Hellish to Heaven

Better Farm's main staircase before, at left; and at right with new oak treads, fresh paint job, spindles, and custom newel post.

I've kicked around a bunch of different ideas for Better Farm's main staircase in the last two years; from utilizing a dead tree trunk as a hand railing to putting in new carpet to prevent slipperiness (bad idea, nixed that one almost immediately). Needless to say, we needed a new staircase design. Bad:

I did a bunch of online searching to see traditional farmhouse staircases, railings, and newel posts. Here are a few of my favorites:

 

Key here is the utter simplicity of old farmhouse stairs. They serve their function, they're beautiful in their directness, and they're free of over-the-top gaudiness or fanciness.

To start, I knew we needed spindles that were up-to-code in their distance from each other (check with your local building inspector to find out the rules in your town or state). We'd also need a new newel post. When I consulted with our carpenter, Gary Stevenson, we realized we could utilize some of the aged oak across the street my uncle had stored in the wood shed more than a decade ago. Gary ended up using the oak to build a custom newel post for the bottom of the stairs. He stained and cut the store-bought oak, which we used for new treads, spindles, and the newel post at the top of the stairs.

In the process of taking things off and moving them around, Gary found this gem; ancient-looking little girls' shoes hidden underneath one of the steps:

Gary labored away getting all the cuts right and painstakingly replacing each tread, spindle, newel post, and hand railing. And finally, he was done:

Many thanks to Gary Stevenson for his as-always amazing work; Garlock Building Supplies & Design Center for helping us pick out the upstairs newel post, hand rail, treads,and spindles; Joel Zimmer and Mark Huyser for volunteering their help in installing the handrail; and everyone at Better Farm for putting up with this work-in-progress during peak season.

Signage for Better Farm

WWOOFers Mollie Cross-Cole and Sara Hawkins have been hard at work in the gardens at Better Farm. But in addition to their interest in all things growing, these ladies are truly artists at heart.

So last week, they decided to make some signs for the facilities around the farm.

Amazing! Once the signs were done, it was just a matter of finding them homes around the property. Here's what we came up with:

Many thanks to Mollie Cross-Cole and Sara Hawkins for their wonderful artistry and donation, and to Mark Huyser for helping to cut, assemble, and hang the pieces.

Ingredients for a Rainwater Catchment System: Part II

By Elizabeth Musoke

We can now check most of the materials off our rainwater catchment ingredient list. The subsequent blog entry details the parts that make up our rainwater catchment system.

The structure in question: The Birdhouse. This structure was chosen because of the solid tin roof, as compared to the plastic sheeting on the greenhouse. The dilemma with this building is the steepness of the roof; steep roofs collect less water. But we are going to make it work somehow!

The gutter (left) and the downspout (right). The gutter will be cut and attached to the roof, and the downspout shall lead directly into the rainwater barrel.

The gutter drop outlet that connects to the downspout.

Brackets to hold up the gutter.

Reclaimed barrels that will be sanitized and used to collect the rainwater.

I have made preliminary mark-ups. The spigot will be placed 3 inches from the bottom of the barrel and fitted tightly into the barrel (X marks the spot).

The downspout has a width of about 2.5 inches. I marked out a square opening that is about 4 inches across to allow for water to flow easily into to the barrel.

Mosquito proofing! This is absolutely essential! An insect screen shall be placed over the openings of the barrel to stop mosquitoes, other insects and debris from entering the barrel.

Our last step is to acquire cinder blocks to raise the barrels off the ground. Stay tuned for more!

Read more:
Ingredients for a Rainwater Catchment System, Part I
Ingredients for a Rainwater Catchment System, Part Part III
Ingredients for a Rainwater Catchment System: The Results!

Better Farmers go Postal

Guerrilla painter.

A group of locals has for the last several months petitioned to have the Redwood Post Office painted. With all the flaking old paint, bare patches and dirt, the building wasn't looking its best. Redwood residents felt, rightfully so, that their public building should be a little more welcoming.

But up through the ranks, they were turned down. So without exterior funding, a group of volunteers on Saturday and Sunday scraped the old paint and then applied a fresh coat. They brought their own scrapers and brushes and senses of humor, they brought their own paint, and in no time this group numbering more than a dozen people had given the post office a facelift we can all take a little pride in.

Studies have shown again and again that people are affected by the spaces around them. Cleaning up graffiti on subway cars, for example, reduces incidences of vandalism and crime. An uncluttered home helps to de-clutter the mind. And so on. It stands to reason, therefore, that the buildings we frequent for shopping, dining, living, or even for getting the mail, have a negative effect on us if they're not cared for.

The entire field of environmental science deals directly with this very subject matter. Still, all this psychological mumbo-jumbo is certainly not the kind of thing we think about every day, if ever. But on some very basic level, we interact with clean spaces differently than dirty spaces; and those locations we feel best in are often those which are the most loved and cared for. We can now add the post office to that list. On behalf of one community member, I offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to the folks who gave up a part of their weekend to pay it forward. It's an honor to be in a place where people band together to take pride in the place they call home. And of course, big thanks to the entire gang from Better Farm who showed up with bells on to help out.

Here are the "before' shots of the front and back of the post office:

 And here's the Better Farm crew teaming up with locals to get 'er done:

Many thanks to all who came out to lend a hand!

The Green Rev-olution: 2011 car-buying guide

It's all over now, Baby Blue.

It was a very sad day for me when I realized that my 2004 Mini Cooper S was quickly nearing 100,000 miles; and that, in addition to its increasingly frequent need for expensive repairs, it would very soon be losing most of its resale or trade-in value.

And so it was with a heavy heart that I began the painful, arduous, frustrating process of figuring out what my next vehicle would be. Should I explore pick-up trucks for their usefulness around Better Farm? Was another Mini Cooper in the cards? Which vehicles were leading the pack for fuel efficiency? Emissions? Reliability?

I was surprised to learn that the Mini Cooper wasn't so much as ranking with these new car models. I continued my search and narrowed it by price range, size, and, practicality for my day-to-day life. 

With two dogs and frequently varied styles of transport needs, I knew I wanted a hatchback with back seats that could be folded down flat. I also knew I wanted something sporty with stick shift (six speeds if possible) and a two-door model. And, let's get serious, I am in no position to be checking out Lexuses. I did make a few phone calls in to the Mini dealership back in New Jersey where I got my last car, but their disinterest and unwillingness to so much as call me back in a timely manner turned me totally off. So I kept looking into top ratings for "green" vehicles in 2011, and found a bulletin from

Mother Earth News with the following:

This year’s list highlights the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius, Ford Fiesta, Honda CR-Z and Volkswagen Jetta TDI as the best green cars in the 2011 model year.

I did some test driving and number-crunching (with a lot of help), and finally found my new car:

Volkswagen Golf TDI Diesel

Avg. Paid:

$23,995 - $25,755

Ranked by US News as 8 out of 33

Affordable Small Cars

, the new Volkswagen Golf (available as a 6-speed manual, hallelujah!) promises up to 50 mpg on the highway. Reviewers applaud the diesel option for its great fuel economy and torquey engine that make it a great city cruiser. But while on the

Volkswagen website

it says average city-driving speeds are in the 30mpg-range, I had a much different experience:

Not too shabby, eh? It takes a little getting used to to not be driving a glorified go kart around anymore (or hugging those turns on Cottage Hill Road the way I loved to—though the VW

does

zip around), and all the space is more than I'm accustomed to. But so far I've got to admit that the Volkswagen is quickly winning this little heart over. Happy motoring...

Almond Raisin Orangey Goodness Gluten-Free Cookies

by Mollie Cross-Cole

Adapted from Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by David Lebovitz, these cookies are little gems.  The addition of orange zest is a must.  My Singaporian roomie for two weeks at Better Farm, Soon Kai, whipped these up one night during a cut throat bake-off against traditional chocolate chip cookies (containing flour).  Myself and Biker Bob agreed these were the winners, no contest.  This recipe calls for sugar, which I don't normally bake with.  I can't wait to try them made with honey and possibly more orange zest! 

Almond Raisin Orangy Goodness Cookies
makes 60 small cookies
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T finely chopped orange peel
1 1/2 C toasted chopped almonds
1 C raisins

Preheat the oven to 350
Cream the room temperature butter and sugars very well
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, toasted almonds, and raisins
Mix the dry ingredients with the creamed butter and sugar
Slowly add the eggs one at a time
Chill for a few hours to overnight.
Using a spoon, shape into small balls of dough and place on a baking sheet
Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees.
Using a spoon, depress the tops of the cookies and continue baking for another 10 - 11 minutes.  Be careful not to let the bottoms burn. 

Basics of Self-Defense and Tai Chi: Workshop tomorrow!

Last-minute signups should call (315) 482-2536 or e-mail info@betterfarm.org ASAP!!

1-4 p.m. July 9

INTRODUCTION TO TAI CHI AND THE BASICS OF SELF-DEFENSE

This three-hour seminar will acquaint students with I Ching breathing exercises, which are the foundation of the Chinese Internal Chi (including Chi Gung, Nui Gung, Fuhn Hey, and Dim Mak); and prime aspects of personal safety and self defense. Those in attendance will acquire basic skills associated with self defense including necessary holds and escape maneuvers, as well as the foundation of stances and postures associated with Tai Chi.

Instructor: John Sundbeck has been training in the Yang system Tai Chi with Master Shing Perin, originally from Taiwan, for more than 30 years. Mr. Sundbeck holds a rank of third degree Black Belt in Chito Ryu Karate, and for many years, was chief instructor of The Rochester Yoseikan Karate School. Over his many years in the Martial arts, Mr. Sundbeck has trained with six world renound Masters.

Cost: $40, which will be donated in full to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Group will meet at Better Farm at noon and caravan to workshop location.

Introducing betterArts Resident Marty Weishaar

Marty Weishaar wanted a betterArts residency at Better Farm in order to continue his work on a large volume of small vellum drawings he calls "The Black Road."

"The drawings involve a long train of uninterrupted thought," he told us, "much like a dairy would function. The drawings focus on symbols of colonial houses, nostalgic mountains, and subjective abstraction. The line of the black road either builds up non-objective imagery or draws a line around recognizable symbols. The drawings are exhibited next to one another; houses, roads, mountains, gesture, and line share formal structures and empathies on building imagery using a repeating system."

The other series-in-progress underway is called "My Atomic Bomb and the Pursuit of Happiness"; large works on paper and canvas symbolizing the quiet conflict inside suburbs of the domestic dream and a larger dialogue within contemporary painting: the crisis of abstract painting.

Black Road, part of a 10-part series

Marty received his bachelor of fine arts from

Alfred University

, then went on to earn a master of fine arts from

American University

in 2007. While not at Better Farm, he's in the midst of serving a year-long artist-in-residency at the

Creative Alliance

in Baltimore, and has previously done a month-log residency at the

Vermont Studio Center

. He works full-time as a teacher in the Baltimore area.

Click here

to see more images of Marty's work. To learn more about the betterArts residency program or to apply,

click here

.

Better Farm's Summer 2011 Newsletter

Better Farm News - July 2011: Meet Better Farm's Interns and Volunteers   Our Latest Projects and Community Outreach Efforts  What's Good at the Farm Stand  Featured Artists and Upcoming Events  Future Projects Hello, Friends of Better Farm! Summer is in full swing here at Better Farm, with a fresh group of workers and artists, tons of new ideas and projects, and a garden bursting at the seams. Whether helping to clean up at the Redwood Historical Society, volunteering for the Redwood Neighborhood Association, breaking ground on public art installations, or holding art gallery receptions that are free and open to the public, we've embedded ourselves in the local culture of Redwood and beyond. Our stable of interns, farm volunteers, and artists have come from all over the world to participate in a great experiment of arts and sustainability education, creative expression, and community outreach—and it's paying off beyond our wildest dreams. Thanks to all who came out in force for our annual open house and fundraiser back in May, and for those who continue showing their support through private donations, attendance at our gallery shows, and by helping us out on the grounds of Better Farm. We truly couldn't do it without you. Please contact us to schedule a visit or tour or to find out how you can get involved. You can stay in touch on a daily basis by following our blog at blog.betterfarm.org or stopping over at our main site, www.betterfarm.org. Viva Better! Nicole Caldwell Executive Director and Co-Founder Better Farm --- Better Farm's Interns and Volunteers From left to right: interns Natasha Pietila, Soon Kai Poh, Elizabeth Musoke, and Jaci Collins Better Farm owes its gardens and day-to-day operations entirely to the cast of hard-working volunteers and interns who've been calling this little sustainability-center-that-could home. Interns Natasha Pietila, Jaci Collins, Soon Kai Poh, and Elizabeth Musoke have since June been running Better Farm's herb, vegetable, and fruit gardens, and greenhouse. The group has also taken care of green building projects, chemical-free pesticides, nurturing Better Farm's chickens, baking breads and delicious meals, community outreach projects, and even brewing and bottling beer and wine. Some quick bios on this adventurous, ambitious bunch: Jaci Collins   BS, sustainability, Arizona State University; Associate of Arts, Kent State University Jaclyn is a fresh-faced graduate from Arizona State University's prestigious sustainability program. She's specifically interested in sustainable farming and ecosystems, and plans to earn a master's degree in agriculture from Oregon State University. Jaclyn's extensive research into food systems and subsequent environmental degradation, food insecurity, and obesity has fueled her efforts and interests in local food production, distribution, consumption, composting systems, and waste. Since being at Better Farm, she's become very interested in starting community gardens in cities. Natasha Pietila Natasha is a 22-year-old student at University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Originally from the Bay Area, this California girl is interested in all things green and sustainable; including organic small-scale farming and gardening, general farm management, alternative building, rainwater catchment, community outreach, outdoor survival, and environmental public policy. Soon Kai Poh Carleton College student Soon Kai spent 22 months after high school in the Singapore military, 6 months working in a bakery, and volunteer farming in Singapore and Japan. Then he enrolled in a liberal arts college in the States, and, a few months later, got in touch with us. Talk about well-rounded! Elizabeth Musoke Elizabeth grew up in Kenya and moved to the United States to study at the College of Architecture, Planning and Design at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. She'll finish up her masters of regional and community planning in May of 2012; but in the meantime, we are fortunate enough to have her here with us. For more information about Better Farm's sustainability internship program, click here. Joining our interns in July are Sara Hawkins and Mollie Cross-Cole, volunteering at Better Farm through the WWOOF program (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). As you can imagine, having such a dynamic force running day-to-day goings-on at Better Farm means a lot is geting done. Which brings us to our next topic... --- Latest Projects and Community Outreach Efforts    There's no time to be bored at Better Farm. Some of our latest projects undertaken by the crew here include: Annual Open House & Fundraiser  Better Farm's annual soiree was a hit this year. The event featured a big gallery showing in our newly renovated Art Barn, performances by several local bands, a group art project that will be installed in downtown Redwood this summer, a raffle, tours of the grounds, backyard cookout, and even some hula hooping, dancing, and a bonfire. Volunteering at the Redwood Historical Society  Interns Natasha Pietila and Jaci Collins stopped by the Redwood Historical Society a few weeks ago to help clean the building and preserve the local artifacts stored there. A Gate for Better Farm's Main Garden  Interns Soon Kai Poh, Jaci Collins, Elizabeth Musoke, and Natasha Pietila joined forces with Better Farm's carpenter-extraordinaire in residence Mark Huyser to design and build a brand-new gate for our garden. Gallery Opening for Erica Hauser  Visiting painter Erica Hauser spent all of June at Better Farm through the betterArts residency program. Her work was wonderful and varied; two points made obvious June 28 when she filled the first floor of Better Farm's art barn with her pieces for the general public to enjoy. Click here for images and the full write-up. Rainwater Catchment System for Greenhouse  Intern Elizabeth Musoke researched a rainwater harvesting system for Better Farm to implement at the greenhouse. Utilizing a simple gutter system, downspout, and reappropriated plastic barrels, she's put together a harvesting method that will provide plant seedlings plenty of fresh water. Mural in the Birdhouse During her stay at Better Farm, Erica Hauser left us with a lovely gift: a four-wall mural in the birdhouse! Click here to see photos of her work. DIY Projects  The interns and WWOOFers have teamed up to put together an herb-drying rack for Better Farm's herbs, several new raised beds for plants and herbs, signage for the Art Barn and garden, homemade breads, and beer and wine.   --- What's Good at the Farm Stand We're installing a permament farm stand at Better Farm next week! Here's a short list of what will be available for sale (contingent on seasonal ripeness and what we've got cooking!): Vegetables : Radishes, onions, lima beans, peas, bush beans, cucumbers (all varieties), squash (all varieties), corn, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, brussels sprouts, beets, carrots, celery, leeks, pumpkins, and asparagus Fruits : Watermelon, canataloupe, raspberries, tomatoes (all varieties), and blueberries Herbs : Parsley, oregano, cilantro, basil, dill, amaranth, summer savory, chickory, salsify, chamomile, eucalyptus, mustard greens, chives, and mint Baked Goods : Breads, pies, and pastries Bath and Body : Biodegradable soaps, shampoos, laundry and dish detergent Miscellaneous : As always, we have Better Farm T-shirts and betterArts mugs available for sale (to have one shipped to you, please e-mail info@betterfarm.org). --- Featured Artists and Upcoming Events Here's a quick run-down of the artists who've made Better Farm a more creative space so far this summer: Joetta Maue is a Brooklyn-based artist who excels in embroidery: Forbes Graham is a professional musician out of Boston: Erica Hauser is a painter ouf of Beacon, N.Y.: Matthew Lane is a writer out of Jersey City: In the last week we've also been fortunate enough to have Marty Weishaar and Meredith Kooi join our ranks as artists-in-residence. We have several art openings and performance pieces scheduled throughout July, August, and September; check back on our blog for times and dates! All events held at Better Farm are free and open to the public. To learn more about the betterArts residency program, click here. --- Upcoming Projects We're in the fundraising stage for a few upcoming projects, namely: Installing an exterior staircase to the second floor of the Art Barn Constructing a small outbuilding out of straw bales The construction of a small outbuilding specifically for Better Farm's interns A betterArts project that would offer free music and art lessons with professional teachers to local individuals free of charge To donate to any of the above causes, please contact us at info@betterfarm.org. --- Interest Piqued? Just drop us a line at info@betterfarm.org to learn more, share your ideas, make a donation, or find out other ways you can get involved. Until next time, better be! 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He (The Poet) Marks Me

By Meredith Kooi



he (the poet) marks me from meredithkooi on Vimeo.

DIY Herb-Drying Rack

For $19.95, you can order an herb-drying rack from Amazon.

:

Or, you can cut up some old tomato-cage wire, grab some twine, and make your own in about five minutes.

You'll need clippers, a pair of scissors, strong twine (hemp works great!), and a hook, nail, or staple in the ceiling to hang the drying rack from.

Cut the wire into a length that will give you the perfect circle size for your needs when you bend it. Then make small knots with the twine around the circumference of the circle to hang your fresh herbs from. Finally, take a few pieces of twine to connect the wire circle to your ceiling hook.

To harvest your herbs, cut healthy branches from your herb plants. Be sure to remove any dry or diseased leaves, and shake the branches gently to remove any insects. If you have to rinse the herbs off, be sure to pat them dry with towels (wet herbs will mold!). Cut off the lower leaves along the bottom inch of each branch, then bundle four to six branches together and tie them together as a bunch. Hang these bundles upside-down from your drying rack.

Leave your herbs hanging in a dry, warm, airy location until they are crumbly to the touch (depending on your climate, this could take up to two weeks). When they're dry, your herbs are ready to store.

Sweet Liberty Cakes

 

by Mollie Cross-Cole

School is out, summer has begun, happy 4th of July!  To get away and do something different this year, my friend and I are volunteering at Better Farm in Redwood, NY.  They're part of WWoof USA (World Wide opportunities on organic farms) and we're staying for two weeks!  I'll be posting more about Better Farm soon. 

We spent Saturday night at a local friend's camp for a one-man fire works show worthy of some sort of medal.  Today we're skipping the local town fireworks in Alexandria Bay, having a bonfire and eating these delicious cakes. 

You may notice the ingredients are in larger quantities.  You could easily halve this recipe to make 12
muffins. 

Sweet Liberty Cakes
makes 24

5 C blanched almond flour
6 eggs
1/2 C (one stick) butter melted
1 C honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 C blueberries
1 C strawberries diced

Preheat the oven to 350
Line two baking dishes with 12 red, white and blue muffin liners (this allows for the square shape, you could use a normal muffin pan and reduce the cook to 20-25 min)
In a large bowl whisk the eggs, honey and cooled, melted butter
In a separate bowl mix the blanched almond flour, salt and baking soda
Blend the dry into the wet and mix thoroughly
Mix in the berries
Using a less than full 1/4 C measuring cup and a spoon, spoon the batter into the 24 cups

Bake 35-40 minutes until the tops of the cakes are a light golden brown