Davon Crest Farm Open House

[LittleWing]

In case anyone would like to go but needs to be back early - I will be going on Saturday but need to be back at the restaurant by 4 - my friend is driving and probably still has a few spaces available in the car - PM me and let me know if you want to ride with us- i promise we'll have the best road music

[Camille-Beau]

Per David, here are some recommended items for this weekend's work on the large greenhouse:

CORDLESS drill with Phillips drill tip

Safety goggles if you have them

Recommends wearing long pants

Bring a change of clothes (at least a clean t-shirt -- you'll get rather dirty)

I'll be bringing extra work gloves and a couple of extra pairs of goggles and a cordless drill. If you don't have these items, please don't worry about it. There will be things to do that don't require a drill --- just having a team of people there to work on the greenhouse will be a big help.

The team is slightly smaller this week so if anyone finds out last minute that they can help, please PM me by Friday evening and I'll send directions/phone numbers.

We're planning to be there by 10am on Saturday. Weather is forecast as 72 and sunny so it will be a great day at the farm.

Thanks!

Edited September 29, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[Camille-Beau]

Confirmed team for Saturday, Oct 1:

Meaghan

mdt

Mrs. B

ustreetguydc

Camille-Beau (both)

See you tomorrow!

-Pat

[crackers]

It was another good day at the farm. I arrived last, so others will need to give more details, but a whole lot of of the large greenhouse planting beds are being disassembled and cut up (thank goodness I brought earplugs - it was a serious power tool day today.) I put my drill to good use too - lots of guttering needed to be freed from its base. Thanks again to Camille-Beau for organizing us, and the Lankfords and their workforce for their hospitality. Here are a few photos from the day.

First, the progress from last week's Thyme Piece: And the dismantling and sawing up of gutters in the large greenhouse:

And a final look as the sun set:

Edited October 2, 2005 by crackers

[ustreetguy]

I sit here at my laptop with bruises and scrapes on my arms from disassembling a fraction of the gutters from one of the greenhouses this past Saturday. Now I'm not even going to attempt to put into words what so many people from the prior weekend have expressed so eloquently. All I can say is it was a true pleasure to meet the Rockwellian "crew" and the ever so gracious hosts from this past Saturday, and that I strongly encourage those who may be teetering on the fence to give up a day and go out there to volunteer. You'll be glad that you did.

Edited October 4, 2005 by ustreetguydc

[Camille-Beau]

The October 1st A-team:

Crackers

mdt

Meaghan

Mrs. B

ustreetguydc

Thanks for the photos, Crackers. Great shot of the very large (and still standing - <sigh>) greenhouse!

Saturday's drive out to the farm was fabulous with beautiful sunny views of the Chesapeake while driving over the bridge in the morning and an equally lovely sunset while returning to DC that evening. Much progress was made in part of the largest greenhouse with unscrewing and removing the gutters (which are about 140' long ) from their wooden frames, cutting them into smaller 16' sections, dismantling the wooden frames and clearing out what seemed like miles of irrigation hoses. Cordless drills and heavy-duty saw a must (you're right about the earplugs, Crackers--- I'll bring extras this Saturday!) The goal was to remove the gutters/frames surrounding the post rows which support the roof of the greenhouse. Once the space around the posts is cleared, the dismantling of the frame can begin.

Throughout the day, the faint sound of the seeding machine could be heard coming from one of the other greenhouses while the farm's staff worked to plant lettuce seeds using the conveyor system that David showed us last week. Plastic trays are placed on the conveyor which pulls the trays along as they are filled with soil, 'dimpled', seeded, layered with more soil, watered, then stacked into the trailer, on this day by John.

David spent much of the day at the new location planing a section of land in preparation for the setup of the first greenhouse. After lunch, (vension burgers!) a reporter from the Baltimore Sun stopped by the farm to meet David and Sharon. She is interested in writing a story about the farm and about the help of volunteers with the relocation. Timing was excellent as David had just returned from the new location so he and Sharon were available for the interview. More on this later in the week...

Much like last week, the work was tiring and dirty with a few more pesky mosquitos to contend with (note: Thyme seems to be a natural repellent) but all in all, it was very satisfying. So, on that note, the Camille-Beau mailbox is open and ready to hear from anyone who would like to join the group for this Saturday and to meet the farm's unofficial mascot:

The work will likely include more of the same with regard to dismantling the large greenhouse. More specific details will follow.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed, either at the farm or via donations. See you on the 8th!

-Pat & Barry

Edited October 5, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[DonRocks]

The October 1st A-team:

Crackers repeat all-star!

mdt

Meaghan repeat all-star!

Mrs. B

ustreetguydc

You forgot two others:

Camille-Beau (and Beau) repeat all-stars!

And still others who have done really important things behind the scenes:

cjsadler

scottee

stretch

tripewriter

walrus

[Camille-Beau]

I would like to put together the list of everyone planning to head out to the farm this weekend, so please be sure to confirm that you'll be going, preferably by end of the day on Thursday. Would those of you who mentioned that you were planning to go please send a PM to confirm? This will also help with coordinating transportation.

Many thanks!

[Camille-Beau]

A photographer for the Baltimore Sun plans to be at the farm this Saturday to take photos so wouldn't it be great to have a very LARGE volunteer group photo??? For those of you who are camera-shy, you do not need to be in the photographs so please don't let the presence of a photographer deter you from helping out at the farm. Just let me know in your PM if that would be an issue and we'll take care of it.

I think at least 20 or so volunteers would make a great photo! So far only TWO are confirmed...

Thanks!!

-Camille-Beau <---- keeping an eye on the inbox

Edited October 5, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[mdt]

Just a little peer pressure to see if we can get some more of us DR.com'ers out to the farm this weekend. If any of you are sitting on the fence, jump off and join us.

[porcupine]

Just a little peer pressure to see if we can get some more of us DR.com'ers out to the farm this weekend.  If any of you are sitting on the fence, jump off and join us.

Would love to - I really enjoyed the work two weeks ago - but I just can't this weekend. Will the Rockwellians be there next weekend?

[DonRocks]

Go to the fourth paragraph of this post. C'mon troops! I just got off the phone with Cathal, and he reaffirmed how important it is that people pitch in to help out David, and that the work being done is very much still needed. One of you there this Saturday is going to win a free dinner at 2941. Who will it be? Cheers, Rocks.

[Camille-Beau]

Would love to - I really enjoyed the work two weeks ago - but I just can't this weekend.  Will the Rockwellians be there next weekend?

Oh yes, there will be another Saturday visit, I'm sure. There has been much progress, but there will be more to do for some time, so we'll post info after this weekend's trip to let everyone know about future trips.

thanks!

[Chris W]

I wish I could make it however this weekend I will be riding in the Tour of Hope Fundraising ride with my mom who is a cancer survivor. I'll try and make another weekend though.

[Camille-Beau]

We are considering the possibility of working at the farm on a Sunday to accommodate schedules for those of you unable to make the trek on a Saturday. If you would be interested in going to the farm on Sunday, October 16, please let me know. Depending on the response, we may change the schedule, or -- even better -- spend BOTH days at the farm

[Camille-Beau]

Per David Lankford, you are very welcome to visit the farm on Columbus Day, Monday Oct. 10. If you want to do so, please PM me and I'll send the directions and other info.

Also, next Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16 are now on the schedule. If you're in the industry and have Sundays available, or if Saturday just doesn't work for you, then come on out - the more the merrier. David estimates we've completed cutting about 20% of the gutters so there is definitely a lot to keep us busy.

Confirmed for Saturday, Oct. 8:

JPW

mdt

TedE

mktye & spouse

Camille-Beau

thanks!!

Edited October 8, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[Camille-Beau]

The presence of the photographer changes on a daily basis. At this point, if the photographer is there this weekend, it will likely be on Sunday, otherwise it may be postponed until next week. We'll keep you posted.

Edited October 7, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[babka]

is anyone driving up on Sunday or Monday?

[DonRocks]

Go to the fourth paragraph of this post.  C'mon troops!  I just got off the phone with Cathal, and he reaffirmed how important it is that people pitch in to help out David, and that the work being done is very much still needed.  One of you there this Saturday is going to win a free dinner at 2941.  Who will it be?  Cheers, Rocks.

P.S. I'll extend the 2941 free-dinner lottery drawing to anyone going up this weekend (Saturday, Sunday or Monday), not just tomorrow.

[Camille-Beau]

is anyone driving up on Sunday or Monday?

Monday is cleared with the Lankfords for volunteers but not Sunday. I'll check with them to see if that is fine which I'm sure it is. Anyone going should contact me or Rocks so that we can inform the Lankfords that people are coming out there.

thanks!

Edited October 7, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[Camille-Beau]

David and Cathal:

[mktye]

I crawled into bed last night, closed my eyes and saw… gutters. Feet and feet of gutters. Rows and rows of gutters. Empty gutters, dirt- and plant-filled gutters, gutters up on stands, gutters on the ground, gutters chopped into 16’ lengths and stacked. Gutters, gutters, gutters. For the time-being, the disassembling of Mr. Lankford’s large greenhouse is all about the gutters.

After what felt like swimming, fording and hydroplaning all the way out to the eastern shore, we arrived at the farm yesterday morning at the same time as mdt, aka, Colonel Chop Saw. We immediately got to work turning very, very long pieces of gutter into short, manageable 16’-lengths of gutter. We were just getting into our rhythm – pull, chop, stack, pull, chop, stack, pull, chop, stack – when the competition showed up… the swashbuckling Captain Chop Saw (Beau of Camille-Beau) and J-is-for-Jack(of all Trades)-PW. Meanwhile, Mr. Pipeman (TedE) had also arrived and was expertly wielding his weapon of choice, a reciprocating saw, against the snakes of PVC piping.

But what about our beloved organizer, you ask? The Camille half of Camille-Beau? She was hard at work doing skilled labor in the seeding house because some of Mr. Lankford’s hired help had not shown up. Hard physical work and thinking at the same time? Better her than me!

By 11:00, the farm was awash with noise… competing chop saws, seeding apparatus, Mr. Lankford’s tractor, Mr. Pipeman’s saw, the wind whipping the greenhouse plastic and the ever-present falling rain.

Although Captain Chop Saw had a newer saw, Colonel Chop Saw had an extra helper and a pretty good head start, so his victory was inevitable. But ever the gentlemen, the Colonel, after dispatching his pile of gutters, joined Captain Chop Saw’s team. So upon waving adieu to the pile of gutters and removing his hearing protection, Mr. mktye, “The Crowbar”, got busy toppling the wooden gutter stands that were anchored to the ground with 10”-long metal spikes. And with that, I found my calling… spike extraction (not be confused with my secondary task, spider eradication).

Earlier in the morning, I had heard legends of gutter stands with spikes that could be removed with a simple push and twist of the hand, but the forces of nature had conspired to make my job much more challenging. Because of the moisture from the recent rain, the wooden bases of the stands had swollen and were holding on to the spikes as if they were their dearest possessions. There was only one answer for this problem: concentrated application of force. In other words, hammering.

Around 1:00, we stopped for lunch. Camille-Beau provided Cheesetique cheeses (including Humboldt Fog ), potato salad, fruit salad, Terra chips (in very vexing-to-open bags), and sinfully rich brownies to supplement the sandwiches we all brought from home. Mr. Lankford joined us at the table and told us about working with a Hollywood film crew for the movie "For Richer or Poorer" (the Lankford’s provided the corn “field” for the movie – the same field, at three different stages of growth, all within a span of a couple of weeks, in May!), his notable experience with a surprise under the back wheels of his combine (not his tractor ) and his quest to photograph all the castles in Europe. And then, after consuming far too many calories, it was back to work in the big greenhouse.

Sometime before lunch (I missed out exactly when because I was off in my own little spike-pounding world), the combined chop saw team had disbanded and reformed into the Wonder Trio of Cordless Drills (mdt, JPW & TedE, with Beau as an alternate). The Wonder Trio was breathtaking in their speed and skill at removing the screws holding the gutters to the stands. Row upon row they tackled, only stopping to knock the unfastened gutters to the ground to await chopping.

And so it continued: removing dirt from the gutters; unscrewing of the gutters; cutting of the gutters and pipes into manageable lengths; removal, de-spiking and stacking of the gutter stands; and by the end of the day… progress!!!

Yes, we could actually see that the big greenhouse was finally starting to empty out a little. There was even enough space for Mr. Lankford to drive his tractor between some of the rows to aid in the removal of the dirt from the filled gutters. We were excited. Mr. Lankford was excited. We finished the day gathered around Mr. Lankford, hearing his plans for taking apart and reassembling the greenhouse itself. Then we changed into drier and cleaner clothing and splashed back home.

The drive out there is long, but beautiful. The work is hard, but rewarding. You might be stiff and sore the next bay, but it's a better workout than anything at the gym. There is no real downside to doing some honest labor for a good reason. Go.

[Camille-Beau]

Since I lack the talent to add anything remotely as creative as mktye's impressive review of yesterday's visit to the farm, I'll simply list the team (in alphabetical order, Rocks, as you like it ) and include photos of the farm (Crackers, we need your photography skills!) and some of the hard work done by the team while I had the truly easy job of feeding trays into the seeder (mktye, you give me far too much credit for actually thinking while performing said task....)

The October 8th team:

Camille-Beau

JPW

mdt

mktye (and rwtye!)

TedE

TedE and JPW (with mdt in the foreground) ready for battle:

TedE and mdt (in signature orange) on gutter-removal:

mdt and Beau (aka Colonel and Captain Chop Saw, respectively) doing what they do best:

mdt holding up the greenhouse :

While that hard work was taking place in the main house, the weekly seeding of lettuce and spinach was underway nearby. John, a man of few words but many talents (shown seeding the trays), estimated that 888 trays were completed. Note that the lettuce in these trays will be harvested and served in restaurants around DC in about 3-4 weeks:

In another greenhouse, the incredible work done by the Lankfords is evident in the abundant variety of plants which represent just a small fraction of all of the vegetables and herbs cultivated at the farm:

Sharon harvesting "Johnny Jump Ups" (Viola cornuta) for Maestro & Galileo:

A before & after look of the work done at one part of the greenhouse:

and the end of another productive day:

So, the work continues on the seemingly endless gutters, including the decision of what to do with miles of strawberries that need to be moved to the new farm:

If you have any ideas about that or would like to come out to the farm to join in the fun (seriously!) please do so. Monday, Oct 10 (Columbus Day) would be a great day for those of you who find yourselves with that holiday off and nothing to do with your time . Next weekend - both Saturday and Sunday (10/15-16) - we really hope for a large crowd to help with the progress in the large greenhouse. The goal is to get all of the gutters/wooden frames/irrigation pipes out so that David and his crew can move in to remove the plastic sheeting and frame of this enormous structure.

Thanks again to all who have contributed and continue to do so. We look forward to meeting more of you as this project progresses.

-Pat

Edited October 9, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[Camille-Beau]

The presence of the photographer changes on a daily basis.  At this point, if the photographer is there this weekend, it will likely be on Sunday, otherwise it may be postponed until next week.  We'll keep you posted.

The photographer is confirmed for Wednesday, 10/12 so no worries for those volunteers unwilling to be photographed!

[TedE]

Mr. Pipeman (TedE) had also arrived and was expertly wielding his weapon of choice, a reciprocating saw, against the snakes of PVC piping. 

mktye has done a nice job of making the work seem exciting and glamorous, which it is. Really! OK, OK, how about challenging and satisfying? Cuz it really is. There's not much better than spending a day wielding various powerful and potentially dangerous tools in pursuit of carefully organized destruction. Although doing it this way would have been pretty sweet as well. May have resulted in more bruises .

Seriously, if you are on the fence about heading out to lend a hand don't hesitate. Even a small team of people can make a serious dent in the greenhouse dismantling. And after a few weeks those serious dents could really add up!

[DonRocks]

And now it's time to do the lottery draw for the Free 2941 Dinner!

The list of this weekend's attendees is as follows:

1. Beau

2. Camille-Beau

3. JPW

4. mdt

5. mktye

6. rwtye

7. TedE

So each person is assigned a number, 1 through 7.

We'll use tomorrow's mid-day D.C. Lucky Numbers to determine our own lottery winner. (Note that there are two drawings per day, and we'll use the mid-day, not the evening drawing, for tomorrow, Wednesday, October 12th.)

We'll examine the mid-day drawing, left-to-right, to determine the winner. For example:

If the drawing is 461, then mdt (#4) will win the dinner.

If the drawing is 872, then TedE (#7) will win, since there is no number 8, and the number 7 comes up as the second ball.

If the drawing is greater-than-or-equal-to 888 (or triple zero), then we'll use Thursday's drawing instead. There is only an 11.3% chance of this happening, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck to all!

Rocks.

P.S. The people that came on previous weekends deserve a free dinner, too.

[Camille-Beau]

Hello all -- me again (collective groan... )

Yes, it is that time of the week when the quest begins for anyone who wants to work at the farm on the weekend, either Saturday or Sunday. If you want to go and haven't yet been to the farm, please let me or Rocks know so that we can send you the directions and relevant telephone numbers.

As with the past visits, the following equipment is suggested:

CORDLESS drill with Phillips drill tip

Cordless screwdrivers & ratchets for dismantling the wooden stands

Hammer

Sandwich (other stuff, including sodas/water provided)

A change of clothes (at least a clean t-shirt -- you'll get rather dirty)

We always have extra pairs of new work gloves and safety goggles. If you don't have these items, please don't worry about it. There will be things to do that don't require a drill (but Beau and I have 3 we'll take along).

The weather should be much better than last Saturday -- 73 and partly cloudy.

Thanks!

-Pat

Edited October 12, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[DonRocks]

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!

And the winner of the 2941 dinner is ...

mktye!

[mktye]

Thank you Mr. Rockwell!

[Camille-Beau]

Word is that the Baltimore Sun article about the farm will appear in either the upcoming Sunday or Monday edition. [Hoping for SUNDAY!]

Edited October 12, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[Al Dente]

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!

And the winner of the 2941 dinner is ...

mktye!

I hope her husband is chaperoning

Sounds like trouble...

[Meshe at Eve]

It has only been in the last couple days that I have had the opportunity to read ALL that has happened on this site since September 18 when I wrote that small piece about Cathal, his staff and Mr. Lankford.

That night when Cathal returned home, exhausted, and after apologizing to me for having destroyed the car door, apologizing for not having been able to spend his day with his family…I believe he then tried to explain to me the absolute magnitude of work that was still in store for Sharon & David. Deep down I think he realized that without me actually being there, and bearing witness…I would never comprehend his account of the day. So instead, he smiled, kissed me good night then fell asleep.

Late into the night, I realized all my husband had done for a friend. Not just the move, but for months..his determined support of David Lankford….’his’ farmer. It was then I realized how much I was in awe of my husband.

I wanted someone to know. So I began to try and write an account of what I was able to understand from his day.

I am thankful that it has paid off in such a tremendous way..even more than I could have imagined. Tonight, after reading all that you WONDERFUL people have done to help David & Sharon…I am not able to even put into words….how proud I am to be connected to you in just this little way.

For those of you have been to our restaurant, and for those of you we have never met…We at Restaurant Eve send you our deepest thank you! You are most welcome in our ‘house’

You are so geneous. Your accounts paint the picture. Funny, clever, thougthful..and who is the fantastic photographer?

I know my husband will be very upset if you make reservations in our Restaurant and fail to inform us that the ‘Farmer Rockwellians’ are coming to dinner!

And to you, our dear Camille-Beau-Table 103 will always belong to you both!

With respect,

Meshe at Eve.

By the way…Cathal became an American Citizen today!

[ScotteeM]

Meshelle,

What you did was so important, so significant--telling the story! It is clear that some folks who have enjoyed the fruits of this farm have been willing to step up and give up their free time and labor to help these fine folks. My husband and I aren't able to participate in person, but we have been there in spirit and contributed in another way.

Mr. S and I haven't yet enjoyed your restaurant, but we look forward to our first time, very soon.

Meanwhile, our congratulations to Cathal on his new citizenship (he had to work harder for that than we who were born with it, and it is indeed an accomplishment), and our thanks to you both for bringing the need to move the farm to the attention of this great group. Without your writing, this probably wouldn't have happened.

[JPW]

After finishing up my shopping on Sunday, I returned home with a fever of 103.

Needless to say, that put me out of commission for a little bit.

The work on the farm is dirty, muddy, and a hell of a lot of fun in a destructive 10-year old boy kind of way.

But the real highlight Camille-Beau's brownies. I quote --

"I brought home a present for you."

"Really?"

"Yep, brownies"

<cut scene to dinner>

"Hand me the brownies"

"These are good"

"These are really good"

"I believe she said that she used a pound of butter in this recipe"

"I don't care. These are the best fucking brownies I have

ever tasted. Make sure you tell her that"

Mission accomplished.

[Camille-Beau]

The Barefoot Contessa thanks you. (Recipe: Outrageous Brownies)

[Camille-Beau]

So far 3 volunteers for Saturday (one new recruit!!!) and 3 for Sunday. That's a very good start -- anyone else care to join?

[Cathal Armstrong]

So far 3 volunteers for Saturday (one new recruit!!!) and 3 for Sunday.  That's a very good start -- anyone else care to join?

FYI David and I will be doing a segment for NPR on November 2nd. When I have more specific information I will let you know.

Edited October 13, 2005 by Cathal Armstrong

[Halloween]

I think I can make it on Sunday. I'll know for sure tomorrow.

So far 3 volunteers for Saturday (one new recruit!!!) and 3 for Sunday.  That's a very good start -- anyone else care to join?

[porcupine]

So far 3 volunteers for Saturday (one new recruit!!!) and 3 for Sunday.  That's a very good start -- anyone else care to join?

I should be able to make it one day or the other. If anyone wants to share a ride from the greater Potomac area, pm me.

[mame11]

Edited... I PMed people for directions... thanks...

Edited October 14, 2005 by NCPinDC

[Camille-Beau]

Weekend volunteers (both confirmed and tentative) - Saturday:

Porcupine

Beth Cover

Camille-Beau

Sunday:

NCPinDC

Crackers

Monique DC

Camille-Beau

If anyone wants to visit the farm on Sunday and needs directions past 7am on Saturday morning, please email/PM Rocks for the info.

Thanks!

[Camille-Beau]

The Baltimore Sun story link (requires (free) registration with the Sun): Farm Aid

Farm aid

...

Also in September, Armstrong's wife, Meshelle, provided an emotional appeal for help that her husband posted on donrockwell .com, a message board for Washington foodies: "Without David Lankford, the basil you eat would not be so green, the carrots not so rich and the corn not so sweet. He is a pioneer, an innovator and the first to grow the sweetest of strawberries in winter."

The request brought city folks to the farm where, every weekend for the past two months, they have been pulling the long rows of herbs and plants from the endless guttering, cutting the guttering and breaking down the greenhouse frames. The epicureans are also learning more about the food that appears on their plates - that "micro greens" are actually baby lettuce, for example.

On an early October weekend, the volunteer crew toils away in the large greenhouse, still home to masses of chocolate mint, lavender and chard. The moving effort is behind schedule but progressing.

....

[Camille-Beau]

The goal this past weekend was to setup at least one greenhouse on the new site by Sunday afternoon. The closest we got to completion was pounding the 100 anchor posts into place. Took all afternoon to do that with three volunteers (welcome Monique DC!) working with David Lankford and his staff (John and Chuck). It's a painstaking process which requires lining up the 100 posts (50 each side) in a precise line 4' apart and parallel to the opposite line, using precise measurements and lasers to make sure the posts are set at the right alignment and height. David and his small crew of two will work very hard this week to get the frame set into the posts and pull the plastic over to get at least one greenhouse ready for the delicate plants that are currently exposed to the elements -- and DEER! The cold is fast approaching and at least 2 more greenhouses need to be completed.

That being said, the best way to achieve this goal is to get a group of hardy volunteers at the new farm to help with the framing OR, even better, to help with the hiring of day laborers. This work is harder than removing and cutting gutters because of the use of sledghammers for pounding the posts into the ground. David has one set of alignment tools (the laser, etc.) to perform this work so only one greenhouse at a time can be setup. The installation of the plastic needs to happen very early in the morning (as early as 4am) to avoid the winds which tend to kick up at sunrise. Since it may be difficult for volunteers to be there at that time of day, the hiring of local help may work best. $10 covers one hour of labor.

Saturday was a very productive day back at the old farm with Porcupine (aka speedracer ) and Beth Cover (new recruit!) working with Beau to take apart the framework of one greenhouse (50 very heavy aluminum 'ribs') so that they could be moved to the new farm. That greenhouse is targeted for setup as soon as the 100 posts anchoring the greenhouse can be pulled up, moved to the new farm, and pounded into place.

More information (with photos) will follow soon. Any help, as always, is greatly appreciated. So many of you have contributed time and money and your stories of the experience really show what a massive effort this is and also how satisfying a day at the farm can be. I am sorry that more of you weren't able to be interviewed by the Sun reporter since you all deserve mention for the hard work you have done on this project. We would love to see new recruits added to the ranks of "Farmer Rockwellians".

Thank you.

Edited October 17, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[hillvalley]

It was requested that I post this again. Thanks.

I am now accepting donations for the Lankford farm through my Paypal account.  You can send the payment to membership@donrockwell.com or my new email address.  Click on the Send Funds button at the top of the screen to send money.

Please send the money as Quasi Cash. Don't forget that PayPal adds a service fee so you should add a couple of dollars to your donation to cover that fee.

In the title of the email please put Lankford Farm Donation. In the text of your email please let me know your screen name and real name so I can keep track of who the money is coming from.

Edited October 17, 2005 by hillvalley

[Free Wilma]

It was requested that I post this again.  Thanks.

What a WONDERFUL story in the Sun. Maybe the Post or some others will pick it up as well.

Thanks hillvalley for the reminder of how to do the Paypal contribution! It was easy-peasy with your instructions.

[Camille-Beau]

The fun you missed last weekend:

Saturday - 15th, sunny, warm, WINDY: THYME'S UP!! Beth Cover (new "Farmer Rockwellian" (FR)) pulled up the last of the now-dead thyme (still smells great though, unlike most dead things...) at the Old Farm (Hurlock) to be added to the compost heap for use in planting gutters at the New Farm (Trappe).

Meanwhile, Porcupine (back for more!) worked with Beau to take apart the 50 frames from one 300' greenhouse so that it could be moved to Trappe. IMPORTANT DISCOVERY: Sledgehammers (even when the head keeps falling off the handle) -- way easier for separating stubborn pipes that somehow mysteriously welded themselves together over time than the original plan of picking up the pipes and dropping them 'til they separate...

Mission accomplished!

Yep, still there: View on the roadtrip between farms:

Sunday - 16th - Sunny, not-so-warm, still WINDY !: PROJECT GREENHOUSE at Trappe: (with the exception of Monique DC (new FR!) who started at Hurlock cleaning out the last of the tomato plants, then joined us at Trappe) Objective today: Complete the setup of one greenhouse - unfortunately mission NOT accomplished but the anchor pipes were put into place. Took us all afternoon to pound 100 pipes into two rows using the laser-thingy mentioned before to help with the alignment and depth. David, as always, available to help with the transfer of knowledge:

(So who's whistling?? -- oh it's the wind through the holes in the pipes -- the only sound at the Trappe location to be heard other than sledgehammering and the honking of ducks/geese flying overhead. Did I mention they have a bald eagle family as new neighbors??)

John switching from Hurlock to help:

Just a reminder of what needs to be protected and what has been moved by everyone working so hard on this project:

End of the day at the farm.... or so you think

Hey, a full moon rising -- hammering by moonlight!!

Ok, so NOW it's the end of the day (for us volunteers, at least):

Gettin' rather chilly out on the peninsula -- just a reminder that the first FROST is very very close, so this weekend is the drop-dead date to get at least one greenhouse frame up and covered in plastic. Unfortunately with rain forecast for Saturday, it looks like the work that day will be back at Hurlock, working in the large greenhouse (see photo above ) to remove plants/soil from the gutters, taking down the gutters, cutting the gutters, oh -- did I mention that there were a lot of GUTTERS??!!! David has decided to sacrifice the strawberries since they cannot easily be moved to Trappe. They are taking runners from the plants but once that is completed, the strawberries will be joining the compost heap for reincarnation as soil for new plants. Lots of work to do in the large greenhouse.

Since Sunday is supposed to be less-rainy than Saturday, then that may be the new Project Greenhouse COMPLETION Day. So any and all willing participants, both veterans and new recruits, who have prior experience working on the railroad or in a chain gang (or who just want to pound the living daylights out of heavy metal pipes - 100 down, about 1,400 left to go), please let me or DonRocks know if you can help and for which day (Saturday 22 or Sunday 23). We'll send directions to both Hurlock and Trappe locations. As always, donations are greatly appreciated - see hillvalley's post for more info on that.

Thanks!!

-Camille (Pat)

Edited October 20, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[crackers]

For anybody wanting to come help out on Saturday, we're planning to retire to Suicide Bridge Restaurant after the end of our toils, for beer and oysters and whatever. If you can make it out to help at the farm, the first round's on me.

Edited October 20, 2005 by crackers

[babka]

For anybody wanting to come help out on Saturday, we're planning to retire to Suicide Bridge Restaurant after the end of our toils, for beer and oysters and whatever.  If you can make it out to help at the farm, the first round's on me.

If anyone can give my friend and I a ride, the second round's on me.

[Camille-Beau]

and -- I promise to make the Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies again for this weekend

Edited October 20, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[Tweaked]

and -- I promise to make the Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies again for this weekend

Then gosh darn it I'm there!