The outstanding work of Bethesda Barn Builders is present throughout the Farm. All the benches …and soon-to-be-built picnic tables… were handcrafted by this talented band of volunteer carpenters. Landings resident, Bo Wolf manages these 14 men and coordinates the myriad of requests they receive for projects in Savannah. Our Southern Pine benches were designed especially for the Farm. Check out the dedication plaques on each one – some are in honor of a present Farmer and others are in memory of a loved one who has passed on. Bethesda Barn Builders felt it was time to dedicate a permanent memorial […]
Monthly Archives: July 2011
9 posts
June 20-26 was declared Bee Pollination Week by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. You can view his official proclamation here. As Growers of all-things vegetable… and flowers too… we Farmers should maintain a robust reverance for what bees do for our plants. Without them, next to nothing would bloom at the Farm! So treat them as you would a colleague… and try not to fear their presence. Bees are here to help our plants, not hinder them! (6/22/201)
New Irrigation System Update… The Committee has been hard at work and now has the proposed new system out for bid. You can view the layout for the system here and the watering system data here – both are also on our website’s “Irrigation System” page in “About The Farm”. You can also view the system schematics as a slideshow in the “Photo Alum” page. Individual Plot Watering Systems… There are a few individual watering systems already in place at the Farm. Also, the Organic Farmers in Section H have voted as a group to switch over to these for […]
(For the TLA Journal August 2011) Now that our first growing season is nearly past, Farmers have learned a bushel of things about growing vegetables and fruit on Skidaway Island. For example: Number 1 – it’s NOT like gardening in the north! Number 2 – it’s NOT as easy as it looks! Number 3 – compost and mulch are the keys to the Farmer’s kingdom! Nearly 40 Farmers gathered one Saturday morning in Valley Crest Square at the Farm to listen to Tina and Cleve Zipperer share their professional advice on tackling the Georgia coastal environment. […]
Sounds like there’ll be more than just a few of us gathering for the Farms’ kickoff “Lessons Learned” event. Tina Zipperer will be on hand to offer her professional insight and advice on what to grow next while Education Coordinator, Donna Shea will moderate a con-fab among the Farmers who will be encouraged to share what they have learned so far this season. It all starts tomorrow at 9 am – Saturday July 9th – in Valley Crest Square at the Farm! Bring a chair to get comfortable….once we Farmers get to talking…..well, you know how it goes! (7/7/11)
That downpour was great but we are still in a serious drought so our water pump continues to work overtime to compensate. The SolarSync sensor on our irrigation system dictates just how long to run the pump based on the previous few days’ sun and temperature readings. Needless-to-say, this drought has the pump running close to almost a full hour per section. Eight sections means eight hours of watering… start at 1 am and finish at 9 am. We’d prefer to finish watering by 5 am – better for the plants and for those of us who like to garden first thing in the day – so we […]
(for the TWATL June 2011) Mike Shulman, owner of GrassMaster Lawn Care, Inc. is committed to giving-back to the folks who live on Skidaway Island. His generous donation to Skidaway Farms lent itself to the naming of GrassMaster Lane as one of the walkways nestled amongst the garden plots. Donations such as this one continue to help Skidaway Farms pay-down its construction loan debt. Mike started GrassMaster 15 years ago on the weekends while working as a pipe-fitter. He now has seven fulltime crews and just purchased a new spray truck to add to his fleet of lawn-care trucks. GrassMaster […]
Any and all youngsters are invited to gather round renowned children’s book author, Phyllis Tildes as she reads to them from some of her enchanting books on gardening and plants. The event is free and takes place July 27 at 10 am at the Skidaway Library. Phyllis is a Landings resident who has 18 books to her credit…including Plant Secrets; Pumpkins and The Garden Wall. Written with kids from 3-6 years old in mind, these books will charm and inform our future farmers on veggies and gardens and other-things-natural. Put the date on your calendar and in your phone…your children will thank you for it! (6/8/2011)
After our first spring planting at the Farm, we Farmers have learned a thing or two about growing vegetables and fruit in the Savannah climate! Save the Date: July 9th at 9 am in the Farm The Farm will be hosting a gathering for those of you who would like to share their newly-acquired know-how with others. Education Coordinator, Donna Shea, has invited Tina Zipperer, of Zipperer Land Managemnt, to visit with us and share her knowledge as well! No matter whether you have success stories about your vegetables or a disaster tale to share, we want to learn from you. […]