Apologies for the radio silence, we will try to post more regularly!
Many thanks to Max for sharing the news - we have been very connected to the knoll, and somewhat disconnected from the rest of the world.
It is so rewarding to know a space so well- when we led tours for alumni attending reunion, we realized we know what is growing in every square foot!
Giving the tours and answering questions also gave us the opportunity to pass along some of what we have learned, ranging from explaining insectaries to telling the history of the garden (well, farm). [Insectaries are the beds of flowers we plant to attract pollinators and bugs who will prey upon pests, and I'll come back to the history of the garden.]
We have also come to realize that like our plants, the knoll as a space and the farm as an organization must continue growing and changing.
Regarding the knoll, we have discussed several different ideas. We have the opportunity to expand into the land between the knoll and Route 125, which would significantly increase our growing capacity, though the soil is more challenging. Max has been working on plans to build a barn for more storage and a wash station for our vegetables. Caleb Elder, one of the founders of the garden, told Jay about a new solar panel which would have a much higher output (we currently use the panel to power our well pump).
These are all exciting possibilities, but this summer we have chosen to focus on promoting the knoll to the community to encourage people to visit and respect the space. Most of our focus is on education- we want everyone to know what the garden has to offer, and how they can help sustain it.
There are three main issues we have discussed- dogs, picking, and use of the fire pit.
All of us love dogs, but they can do a lot of damage off leash in the garden. It is great that people walk past the garden on the TAM (Trail Around Middlebury), but in some cases the dogs are off leash and run through the garden away from their people. Dogs can trample and kill young transplants, dig up seeds, and generally wreak havoc. A dog ran over the photodegradable black sheet we use for our tomato bed in order to suppress weeds and prevent spores from splashing onto the plants, and punctured holes in it. We plan to make more visible signs asking people to keep their dogs on leashes or out of the garden, and include the explanation of why dogs running loose harm the garden. We are trying to talk to dog owners when we get the chance, and we hope word will spread.
Picking produce is another issue because the garden relies on its income, and in some cases has already promised the crop to a specific buyer. The prevalent perception is that "picking just one" won't make a difference, but it does add up. For anyone who would like to taste our produce, we are working on setting up a weekly farmstand on campus and are discussing the possibility of selling produce straight from the knoll this summer. Also, in the fall we will resume our CSA, so people who volunteer four hours a week will receive a weekly basket of fresh produce in return.
The fire pit is a wonderful place to spend an evening with friends, but it poses a few problems. We want people to enjoy the space, and use it responsibly. Issues arise when people do not get fire permits, burn pallets, and leave trash and glass. So, we decided that the best strategy would be to promote the garden and the fire pit, and tell everyone some important information and rules. In order to do this, we drafted an email to send to all of the incoming language school students, and we hope that the directors will include the organic farm in their orientations (We plan to do something similar at the beginning of fall term). We also are creating a separate website for the garden- this site is wonderful for bringing organizations together to discuss food, but the farm needs a site to share information regarding the fire pit, volunteer hours, events, plans, and history (as previously alluded to). This site will have several go/ links to help curious students learn more about the farm and become more involved.
We set down a few rules we think are essential, and also have some ideas to make the fire pit more visitor and user friendly. We plan to renovate the fire pit to replace some of the shattered tiles and build a stone wall that can serve as seating, storage, and a windbreak. We are also thinking of providing a woodshed and trash receptacles.
We have had a few more random flashes of brilliance to make it easier for visitors to connect with the farm. We want to make our guest book more accessible and visible by constructing a stand with a glass cover, like the kind at trailheads. This sparked Jay's idea to have a map of the garden showing what is growing where and lay out a self-guided tour, and we could post informational signs around the garden.
We are also full of grand ideas for the future of MCOF as an organization, but I'll save that for another post!
If you have any ideas or would like to give feedback, please leave a comment!