First Weekend Work Day!

Yesterday was a very important day for the farm.  A work day was organized, and we had excellent turnout: community members associated with both LACS and Southside were there, as well as a couple LACS students, alumni, and even parents.  We accomplished many very important tasks in the span of the morning:

1)  Dismantling old electric fences around the farm perimeter.  Collecting electric twin from all around the field was tedious, but important.  Now that the old fence is down, we will be putting up new fencing ASAP so that planting can begin deer-free.
 

2)  Plowing and turning the fields.  Jeff and Ann took care of this part.

Jeff and the plow

3)  Laying the foundation for the hoop house and building the hoop house doors.  LACS alums Max and Joseph built the hoop house doors while others drove PVC pipes into the ground to establish where the hoops will be.  The hoop house isn't fully assembled yet, but the skeleton is there.

Max and Joseph with the hoop house door

Putting in the PVCs

4)  Covering the rows with plastic and setting up irrigation - another very important job.  We had a machine to lay down plastic and drip tape simultaneously.  All the workers had to do was follow behind the tractor with shovels and make sure the edges of the plastic were buried so the plastic won't blow away.  The plastic we used is biodegradable, imported from Italy.

Katie, with son Isaac, sits on the back of the tractor to make sure the plastic and tape are being distributed smoothly.

The first row completed

Burying the plastic

Max and Anna connect the drip tape to the main water system

The field at the end of the day. In the words of Dan Flerlage, 'IT'S A FAAAARM!'