The 3rd Annual 350 Garden Challenge, Sat./Sun., May 12-13, sponsored by Daily Acts and iGrow Sonoma County, with support from Aqus Community, 350.org and Transition US among many groups – this one is even more outrageously optimistic than last years’ – a goal of 2012 NEW AND TRANSFORMED gardens throughout Sonoma County. Over 1100 events listed as of now. Check the MAP at DailyActs.org if you wish to Work-Party-Hop. You could garden-party among friends for a whole weekend! Many share food right from their gardens – or bring some.
THIS 350 Garden Challenge IS A DROP OF A GLOBAL WAVE of events created by Bill McKibben, 350.org, to help us focus on our Eaarth (McKibben’s book title) – that is can sustain 350parts per million of carbon dioxide, but WE’VE SURPASSED THAT and currently live with 393ppm! We’re poisioning ourselves, is a way to look at it. Urgently needs to be reversed!
At Oasis Farm, friends will gather around the Lovin’ (adobe) Oven and under the new shade tarp up the hill as we expand our gardens, planting a melon and pumpkin patch, we’ll do crafts with kids and share food and song around the adobe oven. Check our blog at http://oasiscommunityfarm.blogspot.com/
At Oasis Farm, the first 350 Garden Challenge brought 50 people over two days, we built our adobe oven, dubbed the Lovin’ Oven
Many friends made then come by now, some help on the land, several are regulars for our eggs from Les Poulets Heureux (Happy Chickens – free range morning till dusk). Just added a dozen baby chicks today! Sweet, tiny black Sex Link chicks. You have to dip their beaks in water and sprinkle bits of mash around them till they learn the water dish and food tray. Love being a chicken Mom.
All who come are invited back for Harvest Party in August on our small peaceful place just outside Petaluma.
Still a bit amazed at the view of Sonoma Mt. and Mt. St. Helena – 50 miles of clean air!
You can see way more about building adobe ovens at Miquel Elliot’s site.
Here’s a view of went on last year :
http://vimeo.com/41028708
At our place, kids are invited to search the hill and barns for all the kinds of birds who reside here, color and assemble a bird mask of one of them, especially seeking the new Barn Swallow nest – I’ve seen five swallows gathering twigs to weave one or more.
Build-your-own-pizza is always part of our gatherings here since our first Challenge when we built oven and friends are invited to bring musical instruments.
So pizza, planting and song around the Lovin’ Oven – and we’ll update everyone on progress towards our CSA (community supported agriculture) – new hot bed and row covers, more veggies this year and some of the fruit trees will have their first fruit this summer, so learning jams and preserves coming up!
Amazing, this land. We knew it was fertile the first time we walked it and Barn Swallows above and Ladybugs and Tiger Swallowtails landing on plants. The view is 360 degrees and beautiful, and we’ll share updates on 350.org and its doings. So looking forward to it!