A New Beginning at the Farm With the last of the frost alerts behind them … hopefully… the Farmers of Skidaway are busy preparing their plots for the new harvest year. And with a year of experience dealing with the soil on Skidaway and the weather in Coastal Georgia, all anticipate a more bountiful harvest come this May. This season, all 20 Raised beds have been rented along with 143 ground-level plots. There are 15 new Farmers on the Farm roster as well. Membership Coordinator, Janet Waldie can be contacted at membership@skidawayfarms.net to rent one of the plots left available. […]
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(for the Feb TLA Journal) Skidaway Farms is proud to announce we will be hosting a “hands-on” Organic Gardening Class this month. Sponsored by Georgia Southern University, this course is for those of us who have always wanted to know the ins-and-outs of Organic Gardening. Learn about soil biology…composting…seed starting techniques…how to handle pests…how to develop good compost…both in the classroom and “in-the-soil”. This comprehensive six-week program will take place in the classroom at Skidaway Methodist Church and in the soil at Skidaway Farms. The program will be taught by Kelly Locamy, Master Gardener and Director of the Savannah Urban […]
(For the TWATL) Spring is softly tip-toeing our way again…and with that, comes the anticipation of yet another bountiful harvest at Skidaway Farms! Farmers have been busy clearing their plots and getting things ready for all those new seeds and plants. The compost is in the soil…the mulch is ready and waiting…excitement is swirling in the air at the Farm! So it’s high time to lean the hoes and pitchforks against the fence and celebrate the new harvest year! You are invited to attend our Official Opening Day at Skidaway Farms! When: Sunday, February 19 at 12 noon Where: In […]
(for the Janaury TWATL) If you have always wanted to know how to grow your vegetables and plants organically, this is your chance to learn … both in the classroom and “in-the-soil”. Georgia Southern University is sponsoring this comprehensive six-week program that will take place in the classroom at Skidaway Methodist Church and in the soil at Skidaway Farms. Learn about soil biology…composting…seed starting techniques…how to handle pests…how to develop good compost…and so much more! The program will be taught by Kelly Locamy, Master Gardener and Director of the Savannah Urban Garden Alliance (SUGA). Kelly holds a Certificate in Permaculture […]
(for the January TWATL) What better way to start off 2012 than to start growing more of the food you serve at home! There is nothing to compare to eating a tomato fresh off the vine….or green beans picked that morning … or lettuce so fresh it tastes sweet. Better tasting and healthier too… things the folks who grow their veggies and fruit in their own plot at Skidaway Farms know firsthand. Now you too can join the Farm by renting a plot for the 2012 season which begins February 1st. Becoming a Farmer is easy with our new online […]
(for the TLA January Journal) Growing vegetables and flowers is a skill…much like learning how to swim or ride a bike….once you get it under your belt, it becomes a life skill you will use more often than you plan on. And learning about where your food comes from and how its health can keep you healthy is a valuable lesson for all our children. From the White House to Skidaway Island…kids in the garden are breaking ground and having a ball doing it! The Children’s Program at Skidaway Farms is now taking registrations for the Spring 2012 season. Come […]
(for the TWATl December 2011) Open the south gate and step one foot into Skidaway Farm and you will tread on the pathway named for Dr. Charley Caldwell…Doc Charley Lane. Yes, he was father to Skidaway Farms’ organizer, Blake Caldwell…and husband to one of the Farms largest benefactors, Nancy Dancu. He was a Harvard educated surgeon who cherished the hours he got to spend cultivating his orchards and tending the vegetables on the family farm in Danville, Kentucky. Doc Charley passed on in January 1999 but his memory is now marked at the Farm by the wide boulevard that leads […]
(for the TLA December Journal by Kathy Hardigan) Becoming a Farmer may just be that New Year’s resolution you have been looking for! What better way to improve what you eat than to grow your own fruits and vegetables…your own cornucopia of healthy things to serve your family for dinner! After a very successful first year, Skidaway Farms is preparing for 2012 by offering a new online registration system. Starting December 1st, you can sign up for a plot or a raised bed by following the step-by-step instructions at www.skidawayfarms.net where you can pay with a credit card or PayPal […]
The Governance Committee is pleased to announce that Landings resident, Jane Kollmann has been selected to become our Children’s Program Coordinator. Attracted by the weather and the longer growing season, Jane and her husband, Tom moved to the Landings from Minnesota a year ago. They tend to their two plots at the Farm as well as the Flower Garden in Section D. Jane has been prepping the four plots that make up the Children’s garden, building a brick perimeter and covering the space with hay to winter over the soil. She is busy preparing the curriculum that will […]
an update from Skidaway Farms by Kathy Hardigan (for the TLA Journal November 2011) Delegal Harbor’s Sunset Room was transformed into a magnificent venue to celebrate great wine, tasty foods and an evening of fun on a Wednesday evening in October! This sold-out event was organized by Skidaway Audubon to support Skidaway Farms and to help the Farm pay down its initial construction costs. The Farm is indeed thankful to Skidaway Audubon, the many volunteers that staffed the event and in particular, Cathy Adler for her leadership in coordinating everything! Organizers Maddie Harwood, Pat Morris and Lynne Schwartz […]
Skidaway Farms Update On September 11th, the Farmers gathered in the Farms’ “Valley Crest Square” to share their know-how from their first Savannah- summer season. The unanimous opinion was that the heat and humidity were formidable foes to almost any kind of produce except the tenacious eggplant and its southern cousin, the okra plant. So prolific was the eggplant harvest, that education Coordinator, Donna Shea was giving away a bagful of luscious eggplants to those in attendance! The Farm had been bursting with activity the previous weekend with the delivery of 60 cubic yards of new compost meant to kick-start […]
(for the TWATL Sept.23, 2011) On Saturday October 1st at 10 AM, Skidaway Farms is hosting a session on soil microbiology at the Skidaway Methodist Church. All are welcome to this free event – just register that you are attending at www.skidawayfarms.net. The Farms’ Organic Coordinator, Janet Waldie, has invited known expert, Peter Hartel to speak on soil improvement as it pertains to organic gardening. Hartel was a Professor of Environmental Ethics for Georgia Power as well as a Professor of Soil Microbiology in the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia. Now a Professor Emeritus, […]
(for the TWATL August 2011) The folks who farm in the Raised Bed plots love the convenience of being able to sit on the wide pine-sideboards and till their plants. No spot in their bed can’t be reached by doing this. It’s a comfortable way to till and weed…the civilized method to farm while not sacrificing your back! Given the success of these beds, the Farm thought it was high time to build a few more of these wooden wonders. Duke’s Custom Construction was called in to build the nine new beds. Duke’s has been affiliated with the Farm from […]
A visitor to Skidaway Farms is always taken in by the tranquility of the space…full of life and growth…with Farmers diligently and quietly going about the business of working their plots. It is a comforting…almost soothing…place to wander through. But, behind this idyllic scene, the Farm is a hotbed of plans for building and events! What tops the list is the Farm’s “Full Moon Wine Pairing” event at Delegal Marina’s Sunset Pavilion on October 12th! An array of wine tastings complimented by four courses of delectable appetizers served by “Two Moon Catering” … AND dessert to boot! Come and enjoy the rising of […]
(for the TWATL August 2011) Join us and enjoy the full moonrise while tasting an array of wines at Delegal’s Sunset Pavilion! The event takes place on Wednesday, October 12th at 6:30pm and is hosted by Skidaway Farm’s Development Committee and Skidaway Audubon. “Two Moons Catering” will be serving four scrumptious courses of appetizers followed by dessert – all chosen to compliment the full menu of wines! It will be an evening to indulge your palate while helping to support the Farm. A splash (or more) of wine is a great way to lend your help! Skidaway Farmers are known for throwing great […]
(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. […]
For The Landings Journal, June 2011 Skidaway Farms NEVER looked better than it did one Sunday evening in May! With the perfect breeze to keep those pesky gnats away and over 200 people in attendance, the Farms first annual Supper in The Farm event was held to help raise much needed funds to pay down the construction loan on the Farm. Committee Chair and event organizer, Blake Caldwell, couldn’t have been more pleased, “It’s the Farmers who’ve made this so great”, she responded when visitors thanked her for the evening, “This has been a team effort!” Cha Bella Catering supplied […]