A quick report to keep everyone up to date on what we accomplished this week. We had 19 volunteers who arrived at the farm, some with tools in hand, to see how they could help. We started with piles of twisted metal, broken doors, and ripped plastic. We finished out the week with salvaged parts, organized piles, and quick fixes, hoping to prevent more damage until more permanent solutions can be achieved in the Spring.

Lucky for us, the temperatures were warm for December ending with a beautiful Friday of sunshine in the 50’s! I arrived at the farm 10 minutes early to find 6 volunteers ready and waiting. Two of those were my favorite little friends, Sorrel and Silvo, who rode their bikes over with their dad to see what they could do to help! They were so excited because they brought presents for Carrie and me. Both are talented artists (what children aren’t?). I received a lovely watercolor painting and the world’s smallest weaving. What a great way to start my day.

Here are some photos of the fun we were having on Friday.

As we have gathered at the farm, there has been some head shaking, frowning, and lots of discussion of how this might have been avoided. But for the most part, there has been a sense of optimism and comradery. It is so great to have such a great volunteer crew who are invested in our mission and open to sharing ideas and opinions to help us decide what is the best way to move forward.

Patty has met with the insurance agent who has called this a total loss. This gives us a monetary starting point. Now we will research what new tunnels make the most sense for G2G.

Since we have already raised the money for the seedling tunnel, we have decided to go ahead with that project. I believe we can get one replacement tunnel in place this year. It’s mostly about the time and labor it will take to raise these new structures. I met with Lynne Holland yesterday. Lynne was my Master Gardener coordinator and runs the program for Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties. Lynne is also a great supporter of G2G and helps us in countless ways. Yesterday, as we talked about putting up the new tunnels, she suggested using it as a Master Gardener project. That will be extremely helpful, and when we have a better time line, I hope we can ask other groups/teams to come. Of course, this means we will be relying on the wisdom of our Fix-It Team. Maybe raising all three new structures really will be achievable! Speaking of the fixers, Tom shared a Christmas gift that left us all envious,Mr. fix-It socks! Here he is showing off his new apparel.

Okay, so where does my attention grabbing headline show up in this farm report? Well, as a thank you, we were able to share fresh parsley and spinach with the Friday volunteers. The spinach has raised its sugar levels so high from the cold temperatures earlier this month that it tastes like candy. There is nothing like it–another reason to buy from your local farmers.

One final task before winter comes back is patching the holes in our existing tunnels. The outside temperature needs to be 60 or above. The weather prediction for this coming Wednesday is in the upper 50’s, so we will probably give it a shot. Cathy will post the time on the volunteer sign-up schedule in case anyone can join us.

Just FYI, MOFGA will accept and recycle greenhouse plastic on their campus in Unity. There’s more info on the University of Maine extension and MOFGA websites.

Thanks to friends who wanted to help, but weren’t able to. There will be plenty to do later, and I know who you are. 🙂

Happy Healthy New Year!

Theda