NEWS

Spiced Up Permaculture

Big project with David Spicer right before berry season… Our blueberries are coming on strong and we are anxiously awaiting picking season (we may start a little early this year)… but

What else have we been up to?

Doug Roberts left, David Spicer right, May 23, 2019 | West Point, GA USA

If you have visited our farm, you may already know our blueberry and blackberry terraces are designed with water conservation in mind. They make picking easier, but their real purpose is to help with irrigation. Managing water wisely is a core lesson when studying permaculture and regenerative farming techniques. Over the years, we have implemented other smaller design elements and have tried to stack functions in everyday farm life. The berry terraces were a huge project back in 2011, which totally work, but what about the rest of our farm?

Where to begin?

Well, we started with a swale plan, but just could not make it happen. Along with being a daunting task, being too close to a project can make it difficult to see the overall characteristics that are influencing it. Its like seeing a forest from an airplane vs. seeing a forest while you are standing in it. Every change you make in a landscape has an impact and is also impacted by other changes. Carefully studying the big picture and deciding on a plan that fits both the land and your needs has to come first. So, implementing larger permaculture elements into the rest of our farm landscape has been a long time coming.

Doc Spice

We contacted David Spicer, who is touted as one of the best earthworks designers on the globe. His work functions beautifully and is beautifully functional. David’s specialty is water management and creating ways to optimize and use this resource. This is his first trip to the United States and with fresh eyes, he quickly calculated a workable plan that is now being carried out – at this very minute.

There are several projects going on at once during his short stay here in America (from Australia). Here are a few photos of the process of creating long terraces the right way. These terraces function similarly to swales, but give us better access and are easier to maintain in our situation.

The thing on the tripod is a laser level that tells the heavy equipment when the ground is level. Rather than the usual concept of moving water away quickly, the idea here is to let water collect slowly along a level plane, holding it, and allowing it to soak in. The photo at the picnic table is of David making some calculations.

Below are more photos from the day.

These are some hard workin’ folks. All day in the sun for several days in a row. Its amazing what you can get done with a bit of good help. Thank you to Jeremy Darda (in blue), Kyle Roberts (sun glasses), Kelly Darda and his excavator.

We all need to respect water a little more than we do. Careful planning in the landscape can control flooding, control drought, improve soil structure and lessen erosion. Now, I can’t wait for it to rain.

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Berry Season Wrap-Up

TeamsEnding the season on a fun note

Berry season seems to fly by each summer. Toward the end of the season, when there were only a few pick days left, several folks came with their own berry picking TEAMS. They got loads of berries, in a short amount of time, and had fun doing it. The picking was really easy, the weather cooperated for the most part, and who knew crickets could be so entertaining? (see slideshow below)

The 2018 year for blueberries and blackberries began May 31st, and ended on July 1st. It always seems shorter than an entire month. Here is a rhyme to help you remember how long berry season lasts:

Berry season ends too soon, its only in the month of June. 

(If you can think of a better rhyme, let me know.)

Thank you

Thank you to all the berry lovers who came out, rain or shine, to pick. Here are a few photos of some really cool folks as they visited our farm. We enjoyed meeting all of you and hope you put us on your calendar for next summer.  When will that be? Oh, yea… JUNE!

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EARTH CARE Workshop at RabbitEye Farm

Permaculture swales, how do they work? (small urban garden or large land plot)

RabbitEye Farm is hosting an educational EARTH CARE workshop with master gardener, Patrick Bexton, and permaculture enthusiast Brandon Banks!

Patrick Bexton

Patrick Bexton

Sunday July 8th, 2018, 6:30 PM at RabbitEye Farm, West Point, GA. Cost is $15 per person for lecture, demonstration, and build experience.

Certified UGA Master Gardener, Patrick Bexton, has been a lecturer, and advocate of permaculture practices for many years.  With the help of Brandon Banks, he has implemented and proven several unique ideas with his own farm, Willowood Garden, where he runs a CSA with the abundance that he grows. In this workshop, he will teach and explain the overall concept of swales, why they are important, and how to begin to build one.  This is a hands-on workshop. Participants are invited to take part in all aspects of layout, plotting, and building a segment of a real working swale.  You will understand the relative scale, properties, purpose, potential, and variations of the swale whether urban or rural, particular to our southeastern landscape and soil.

Patrick BextonSwales are a key concept in the workings of Permaculture. They have been proven to rebuild soil that was considered barren with rather miraculous results.  Most of our soil problems, are the result of man’s influence.  But man can reverse big problems such as erosion and even desertification using this practice. Developers, city planners, land owners, farmers, and others all need this knowledge. Swales are used around the globe, but we will teach you how to layout and build swales for your own land’s benefit in Georgia’s red clay soil.

Complimentary blueberry farm tours will be offered to participants after the class.

Wear appropriate working farm clothing and shoes. Parking is plentiful. Water is provided. Restroom facilities available. Pre-registration is not required. Payment by PayPal is accepted as well as cash before the workshop.  Rabbiteye Farm is located at 279 Grayhill School Road, West Point, Georgia.  Workshop is approximately 2 hours.

 

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More Berry Picking

Early Pickers 2018There are more berries this week.

We will be open for more berry picking Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday:

Tuesday – June 5, Thursday – June 7th, and Sunday – June 10th.  Hours are mornings: 7AM-11AM and evenings: 5PM-9PM.

We are hoping to keep this same schedule throughout the month of June, but it all depends on the berries.  We will keep you updated. Next week, a large group is scheduled on June 12th as the Active Life Group will come for their annual berry picking outing.

What kind of berries?

Blueberries and Blackberries.  The blackberries are a little slower to ripen, and are not yet in full swing, but that will happen any day now.  Blueberries are abundant and totally in season.  We have several more rows of blueberries than blackberries, so if you are specifically seeking blackberries, come early in the day.

What to bring?

We supply a bucket with a liner to pick into.  Then we lift the fruit out with the liner and you can conveniently carry your berries home.  There are three sizes to choose from: a generous pint, a quart, and a two and a half quart pail. Prices are $4, $7, and $15.  You may want to bring a hat, though, and a few helpers.

Slideshow

There were lots of terrific proactive berry pickers here for the first pick days, and there were more folks than we got photos.  Here is a slideshow of some (not all) of the folks who got the first pick of the season.

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