Forget Me Not Farm Fans

Posted by Rich Randolph

Forget Me Not Farm Fans

Lindsay and Katy, Grand-daughters of Susan Glowacki set a high bar for planting Saturday as more senior volunteers heavy lifted in the seedling beds.

Leroy "Golden Hammer" Carlenzoli, Matt Crooks, Paul O'Rear, Susan Glowacki, Ken Petro, Rich Randolph, Rob and Betsy Sanville and Steve Zwick took up shovels and wheel barrows to prepare rows of vegetable beds for the next harvest.

Of course before starting we need guidance. Nathan Rathmann, Director of Operations is familiar with all volunteer cadres. He know how to best assign tasks in sustainable ~ aka appropriate ways!

Weeds must go first! The soil is turned after adding rich amendment.

Winner of the weed pulling contest! Wait! Is that a weed?!

We learned that the Farm does not rototill by machine. The soil is best turned with a "wide-fork", a 3 foot wide multi-blade tool which penetrates the soil and turns it with the strength of the handler. This less invasive technique better preserves the mycelium component in soil. Nathan claims their produce is more nutrient rich than that of the previous decades, due to better soil management.

When the work is done the rows are separated by a path of rice straw. That product is absent of unwanted organisms normally found in hay.

While this semi-skilled labor was underway, yards away Leroy "Golden Hammer" Carlenzoli was skilfully planning additional racks for the greenhouse. Leroy's green team hands have built the expanding greenhouse accommodating capacity for the farm to produce yields providing 300-plus food insecure people fresh nutritious produce.

Forget Me Not Farm is a remarkable community resource. Sunrise is proud to support the Farm: Our prime fundraising beneficiary this year is the Farm. Learn more of the life enhancing results at http://www.forgetmenotfarm.org