Build Build Build!

Nearly 15 of us descended onto Charlottesville for the first big Ivy Project building weekend! Most of us had close to zero experience in construction work, but we were artfully guided by our designer and neighbors, Eric and Brian. Half of our beautiful shade structure (room without walls, pavilion, sala) is up! Keep in touch for the next building weekend in the next month or so.

After the structure is up, comes the green roof, the floor, and eventually solar panels, lights, and maybe even walls! Imagine the wonderful ideas a group could have and work through in such a beautiful space.



Fundraising events coming up, and promise to be a blast.

Thank you Eric, Liz, Josh, Amanda, Allyn, Stephanie, Mariela, Todd, Elliott, Shintaro, Jimmy, Andrew, Brian, and Mihr!!!

Pavilion Building

Eric's plans look great, and we're making real progress getting ready for the weekend of the 16th! Be in touch to organize a ride down or offer fundraising help--!

One sister, many weeds

Alas! Our seeds weren't good enough quality to germinate! Little of the corn came up, and Todd's great effort to germinate the rest of the seed in boxes off site met little success. With its being so late in the season and all, we'll be looking for a new seed supplier and planting cover crops instead. Better luck next year!

But, keep your schedule open for Ivy Project building days on August 9th and 16th! We'll be doing an Ivy-style barn raising of an open-air, green roof structure! See my attempt to render what it'll look like below. Eric and Liz are doing great things with designs Get in touch with me if you want to come down! (202) 674-0900 Also get in touch if you want to give us money..

Corn Planting!

A Charlottesville, Fairfax, and DC crew descended on the farm this Saturday. We made hundreds of mounds of dirt and compost and sowed the corn! We picnicked, sweat, and watered the entire garden with buckets from the creek! We also took it as a sign that the project was destined for luck when it rained good and hard for 20 minutes immediately after we finished planting.

Todd will give a shout out when the corn is 4 inches, and then we'll put in the beans, followed by squash! Keep in touch for those dates if you want to come along!

Fence building

Todd, Andrew, Jimmy, Liz, and I put up our first electric fence! Planting party this coming saturday 11 am!

May update

Before and After!

Ground is broken! Arnoldo, from the Virginia Justice Center and Mexicans without Borders, Todd from Quality Community Council, Brian, our neighbor, Megan, my housemate, and I spent the day on the 7th plowing up two plots of dirt in the back of the farm. We've got a 100 ft by 40 ft and 40 by 40 ft plot nearly ready to go for planting-! We'll put up a fence over memorial day weekend to keep out cows and deer, and then have a planting party at the end of the month with cville folks from QCC and hopefully some folks from the organized day laborer network up here (TUAVA).

We'll be planting corn, beans, and squash. This is often called the three sisters- the three work together to keep away pests and balance soil nutrients. The corn is a natural pole for beans to climb up.
Todd, Arnoldo, and our trusty plow. Brian plowed and tilled the larger plot with his tractor and potato plow.

Upcoming dates:

• May 24th- build a fence and till once more
• May 31st- planting party!
• Late summer- harvest party!

February update

The Quality Community Council is taking on Companion Farm in Ivy as their next project. http://cvilleqcc.com/default.aspx
Todd, urban farm manager and I have staked out a beautiful little 1/2 acre plot for the pilot season of melons and pumpkins. We should sign a lease on the property by the end of the month.
I'll be moving to DC for a little while, but will be back and forth and keeping in the loop. Amanda Altman may be down here for a month--! Anyone else would be very welcome, as her lack of a car is a small problem in a town like cville.

-VA