In a word…Yesss!! In an action….a jump for joy. It has rained and the reservoirs in Little Lake Valley have been topped off.

As was mentioned a couple of blogs back, a Stage One water ration had been declared in Willits due to low reservoir levels and unseasonably dry weather in December, January, and March. After attending a Willits City Council meeting in April, I found out that a prescribed amount of water needs to be released from the reservoir in order to protect native salmon. However, after the month of March, a greater degree of water can be retained in the reservoir to meet the needs of the Little Lake Valley during the dry summer months. In the last two weeks the weather station at the Willits Energy Farm has recorded 3.6 inches of rain at the site.

To be sure, just because reports have said that the reservoir is topped off does not mean that we can be foregoing our responsibility to conserve scarce water. However, it does slow the timeline that the city was using to decide whether to issue a Stage Two mandate that restricts ALL outside water usage.

Water scarcity is a serious issue in the Willits area, and in response, we developing an irrigation system that considers ways in which we will conserve water and still feed the plants appropriately. With the exception of the table grape and the orchard section we are using 3 overhead sprinklers to cover the main parcels that we have planted out (perennial section, potato section and cool season annuals). However, overhead watering of our crops is not the most efficient form of irrigation. The Rainbirds will suffice during the interim in which we are hooked to the municipal system; however, we want to investigate other watering options.

Today, I visited an irrigation store in Ukiah to pick-up a handful of Toro “Shrub” sprinklers that have unique watering patterns. One sprinkler, for instance, shoots water 4 feet forward and 15 feet in each direction laterally (like a rectangle). Another is rated at 12 feet and shoots in a quarter circle at a flat angle, while another sprinkler shoots 9 feet forward and 9 feet each direction laterally. These unique sprinkler heads may provide an effective alternative to transient and disposable drip lines and large scale overhead watering with Rainbirds. We will investigate whether the Toros will be valuable watering devices that conserve water by not watering unnecessary space and last a long time. On Monday, I plan to acquire the appropriate sprinkler stands and threaded schedule 80 pipes (at heights of 3, 6, and 12 inches) to experimentation with these unique patterns and to gauge the effectiveness of their coverage.

Current Overhead Watering Style Using Rainbirds

Various Toro Shrub Heads to be Tested

Tentative plans are being made at Brookside Elementary school to secure a long term source of worm bedding. Worm bedding can be manure, shredded cardboard or paper, straw, wood chips, grass clippings, sawdust, or peat moss. The bedding source that we will try to utilize is the shredded paper that is produced at the school. This paper is often sent to recycling, but it seems feasible to divert the flow to the vermicompost system. Although we will not be collecting food scraps from the cafeteria this year, it is still important to include the school in the waste management process as it seems like the most natural source of material.

The carbon-rich worm bedding provides the following functions for the worms:

• Moisture: Worms need a moist environment to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide through their skin. Without moisture this transfer of gases will not occur.
• Oxygen-rich air: Loose bedding provides air pockets that promote respiration and prevent the worms from suffocating.
• Protection: Bedding covers the worms and hides them from predators. This provides the same function that leaf litter or soil provides in the natural environment.
• Food: Worms will eat the bedding along with the food scraps that are buried in it. It also gives them an alternative to eating their worm castings if there is not a significant amount of food scraps to consume.

The bedding is also used to knock down the potential for flies and odor. Once food scraps are put into the system they are covered with some bedding, (similar to using sawdust in a composting toilet). Regardless of the bedding source it has to be non-toxic.

Shredded Paper that Can Be Used for Worm Bedding Material

Today I finished creating a four-foot wide by eight-foot long vermicompost bin. I used 18 cinder blocks ($40) to line the top of the bin and to provide long-lasting structure. This bin is one foot deep and provides 32 cubic feet for composting with red worms. It is important not to make the bin deeper than one foot because increased depth leads to excessive compaction of damp bedding and food scraps. Since worms are strict aerobes, they cannot tolerate the reduced oxygen environment of an anaerobic composting bin.

The bin is located along the northern fence line and takes advantage of the afternoon shade. For optimal feeding, the worms prefer a temperature that ranges from 68°F-77°F. Since the bin is rather large it has a greater insulation capacity should not be difficult to maintain temperature in the mild Mendocino county winters. However, I am certain that some form of shading will be necessary to keep the worms happy in the hot summer. After the construction of this bin we have plenty of room on the Northern fence line to create 2-3 more bins.

Binet Payne recommends starting with one bin and building up, from there. In her system at Laytonville Middle School, Binet uses four, 32 cubic foot, bins to manage the flow of lunchroom wastes. These are large bins and each bin can hold a maximum capacity of 64 pounds of red worms! As a general rule, 2 pounds of worms can consume 1 pound of food scraps per day. As you can guess, a fully stocked bin is capable of processing a maximum of 32 pound of food scraps a day! I have yet to determine the weight of food scraps produced daily at the restaurant we are going to begin to collect scraps from. I want to be able to match the restaurant's production, but I also have to watch the budget as red worms cost around $30 a pound. At present I think I will not invest too much and let the population ramp up in the next few months. Who knows, there might even be someone in the community with extra worms to spare for the project.

Construction of vermicompost bin

Halfway Finished With Cinder Block Border

Cinder Block Border Completed

We started transplanting Peas mid Saturday and it has taken us until early Tuesday to finally finish planting all the starts. I want to thank Kristin Bradford for coming out and helping with the project of transplanting on Saturday and Monday. We are also thankful for Rachael Adair’s help on Monday and Tuesday. Sometimes I would look away to do something and when I turned around I would be amazed at how many plants Rachael had done.

We are planting out the Peas using Grow Biointensive methodology which focus on intensive planting. Four rows of peas are spaced 6 inches apart. The “in row” spacing is three inches. As a comparison and to highlight the intensity of the plant spacing I planted half a section in 6 inch “in-bed” spacing. The entire bed that borders the walk path is full of peas. The area near the path is a little over 160 sq feet. With more starts to transplant, we added another 66 sq feet of peas in our “soon to be” annual section.

While some people were working on the peas others were simultaneously planting out bare-root raspberries and thornless Boysen and Black berries. Two separate beds where made on the most north-east part of the site. Each bed is located five feet from the back fence line and is spaced a few feet from the vehicle access road.

31 bare-root Raspberries have been planted, totaling approximately 130 Sq feet. There are five known varieties of Raspberries including:

- 5-Willamette

- 4-Latham

- 5-Heritiage,

- 4-Amity,

- 4-Indian Summer,

- 8-un-marked raspberries

Likewise, 31 Boysen and Blackberries were put in about 130 Sq feet. Again there is a diverse mix of varieties including:

- 5-Thornless Evergreen Blackberry

- 5-Thornless Dirksen Blackberry

- 5-Thornless Boysenberry

- 5-Kiowa Blackberry

- 4-Black Butte Blackberry

- 4-Olallie Blackberry

- 3-Siskiyou Blackberry

I know this has been mentioned earlier, however, bordering the blackberries are five blueberry plants. They take up about 60 Sq feet and the variety includes:

- 2 Misty Southern Highbush

- 1 Blue Southern Highbush,

- 2 Ozark

Once this berry section starts producing it will be a wonderful addition to the farm. Juices and jams are clear uses, as well as the opportunity for the kids to harvest a healthy snack. The addition of fruit to the CSA boxes will no doubt be great extra for members.

Kristin Transplanting Peas

Rachael Working with a Group of Volunteers and Enjoying the Afternoon

Jason Planting Bare-Root Blackberries

Berry Section Almost Fully Planted Out

The snow is falling again this morning, giving me a good opportunity to give a report related to the planting and planning that has occurred in the last three weeks of February.

Starts:

On February 7^th, Jason and Rachael started peas and onions in a glass house. Sown in flats according to the methodology of Grow Biointensive, approximately 1000 pea seeds were seeded. On the 24^th, Jason and I planted kale and chard seeds into flats in hopes of getting a jump on those crops.

Orchard and Perennials:

On February 15^th and 16^th Jason and Rachael worked with a new volunteer Lauren Kitover. Over the past couple of years Lauren was the coordinator of Laytonville’s community garden. She also works part time for Bountiful Gardens, the non-profit seed company in Willits. Together they planted 17 of 29 planned orchard tress, 5 blueberry plants, and a number of tree collards. On Saturday the 17^th, Rachael and Lauren planted out sections of the perennial beds in strawberries, asparagus, and rhubarb plants. It is very exciting to visit the site and see the first plants in the ground. The fruit trees planted include:

Apples Varieties

• 2 Gravenstein
• 2 Liberty
• 2 Red Fuji
• 2 Sierra Beauty
• 1 Arkansas Black
• 1 York

Cherry Varieties

• 1 Lapins
• Montmorency

Plum Varieties

• 2 French Improved
• 2 Green Gage

Fig Variety

• Black Mission

Well and Irrigation System:

Earlier in the month there was an opportunity to get a well drilling rig onto the site (without severely compacting the soil). To drill in early February is not conventional since most wells are drilled in the summer (the later in summer the better to get a true test of the possible lowest water yield). It would have been an advantage to drill this month because well-drilling units are usually busy in “peak” summer months. In preparation and to understand as much as we could about this very important investment, Jason and I reviewed the literature regarding ground water resources for Mendocino county and Willits. After reviewing the document Jason made a couple of “bare-minimum” calculations and we agreed that the well would have a minimum depth of 90 feet. Clearly, the well-driller would be able to tell us this, but it never hurts to some of the research on your own. In the end, the rains came and the well will not be addressed until later in the summer.

Nevertheless, on February 19^th Jason, David Drell, Rachael and I met to discuss the layout of the irrigation system. We decided on the type of sprinklers and the various zones of water coverage and crop rotation, talked of the DC powered pump and pressure tank, and mapped out a general schematic of the ground lines. This irrigation system needs to be both flexible (accommodate the rotation and type of crops) and durable (to inure reliable operation long into a powerdown). With simplicity as our guide, the system can be automated, but does not rely on automation and can be operated just as effectively manually. Since we will be using municipal water until we get our well in, we will have to filter it. Instead of a large filtration system, we are going to use hose bibs at the end of each hose line. These bibs used activated charcoal to remove sediments.

As part of her program with Mendocino College, Rachael is charged with sourcing parts, planning, and designing the schematic for the irrigation system. She recently provided a detailed parts list and a schematic. The work looks very good and we will have another meeting to discuss the latest developments in March.

Farm Structures:

Plans for a composting shed and a chicken coop with brooder were drawn up. Neither is ready to present but they are nearing completion this March. These structures are intended to utilize the existing backstop located in the Northwest corner of the site.

Starts in Glasshouse

Brookside Students With Fruit Trees

Lauren Digging Holes For Orchard Trees

Rachael Planting Tree Collards

We have spent the last two days over turning sod at the Brookside Farm with two Toro rear-tine propelled tillers. There has been 0.9 inches of rain during the entire month of January. This has provided us the unique opportunity to over turn the sod and allow it to decompose during the final months of winter. As mentioned in previous blogs we were looking to overturn the uneven sod that was sure to be unsuitable for seedbeds. The sod was tilled for the first time at the beginning of November; since then, it has re-rooted and in some places began to grow again. Jason Bradford and I had been experimenting with methods of overturning the sod by hand, (cutting the top layer off and overturning it with a spade). We had allocated two weeks to complete the project with two people, doing 100 sq foot sections at a time and working fairly long days. If we waited to overturn the sod after the rains we would be pushing very close to the spring planting season and we might not have the opportunity to allow the sod to decompose enough to set seeds. After lengthy discussion about the use of petrol powered machines the choice was clear that we could incorporate the sod and allow it to rot over the winter in hopes that we could need minor raking and weed disruption to set seeds in spring.

Local business, Willits Rental, allowed us free usage of two Toro rototillers. The choice to use walk behind tillers was made for a couple of reasons. First, the tillers relive the soil of the compaction that can occur when one uses a tractor to address the soil. Tilling at a depth of approximately four inches, we did not create any undue compaction by driving heavy equipment over the soil and potentially compacting it below the fluffed-up top layer. Additionally, while it was possible to use a tractor before the perimeter fence was completed, it is no longer feasible to do so. The area that a tractor would need to turn around in to make its next pass was not enough without probably running against the tight confines of the perimeter fence. Needless to say we wanted to till as close to our walkways and boundaries as we could and not damage the fence at the same time. Finally, erosion by wind was likely to be less of a factor when tilling with the smaller, slower, rear-tine Toro machines. In this instance, the Toro’s served as intermediate tools allowing us to complete as much work as possible in the least amount of time and, we believe, with minimal petrol inputs.

We averaged a total of 8.5 machine hours on each tiller and a total of 5 gallons of unleaded gasoline for the entire project. The machines were used on approximately 16,000 sq feet (both the annual, perennial, grape, and orchard areas). As is standard we cross-cut the sod, with one machine moving east to west and the other tilling north to south. This practice helps the tilled layer to be uniform in depth and remove any ridges left by an incomplete pass. We noticed that there were two types of grass growing on the site, and one species was particularly rooted and hard to incorporate. At times we needed to make a second pass in order to insure that we had cut it. I fear that some of this grass has surely survived this tilling and we will have to deal with it in the early spring as we prepare the seedbeds. At present we feel ahead of schedule in relation to preparation of the land for seeds and starts. A project that was scheduled for two weeks has been completed in 2 days by two people and perhaps it is the last major machine cultivation that will be needed on the site.

Two Tillers Cross-Cutting The Soil

Pushing Tiller Through a Tough Spot

Breaking New Ground in the Orchard Section

Using Larger Toro Tiller

Shot of Tilled Soil

Oh, what beautiful weather today! With the relative warmth and the sun it's hard to believe that it is January (both a blessing and a curse because we could actually use some winter rain). Energy farm regulars Jason Bradford, Christoffer Hansen, and David Drell worked to string straight wire across the northern and the western fence-lines. At the end of November we slammed green T-Posts along the north and west fence lines. Click here to revisit that blog. Since there is already a chain-link fence on those sections we installed the T-posts so that we could extend the height of the existing fence in order to discourage deer from jumping over. Today we made use of those posts as we stretched three lengths of straight wire (electric fence material) along the tops of each section.

The method is fairly straight forward. We would tie an end of the wire off to one of the steel corner posts, unroll the wire until we reach the other steel post, attach an "inline strainer" to the steel pole, and ratchet the wire until we obtain the desired tension. For those unfamiliar with the term inline strainer it is basically a ratchet that you wind the wire into as a way to create tension on the wire. After the strand of wire was tight we used fencing clips to secure it to the T-posts, and then, for added strength, tied the T-posts to the horizontal pole on the fence. As a way to support the steel poles and add strength and rigidity to the project we secured the steel poles to each other or already secure fence posts on the existing chain-link fence.

About two weeks ago we visited the farm site and patched a hole that existed in the northwest corner. From the hoof prints in the mud, the path through the fence resembled a deer freeway-giving the deer unlimited access to the site. After patching that hole we have not seen any sign of new entry by the deer. The patched hole coupled with the three strands of wire makes access all the more difficult for the deer to leap over. It is conceivable that we have completely finished the perimeter fencing project. Our goal was to have built a fence that would keep out the deer and rabbits and so far there has been little sign of the their presence!

Additionally, we moved the toolbox down to the farm site. It took three people to load it into the back of a truck and unloaded it at the end of the vehicle path. I think it will take four people to move it to its final place.

Unrolling Wire

Threading In-Line Strainer

Installed In-line Strainers

Looking Down the Northern Fence Line

Hole in Northwest Corner of Fence

Hole After Being Patched

The toolbox project for the Willits Energy Farm is now complete. Jason and I installed the hinges and door latch on Friday and today the box was painted with two coats of oil based primer. The paint dries quickly and the box is ready to be hauled down to the farm site tomorrow. We expect that the white primer paint will protect the wood from the elements and we feel that it is a good base color for local artists or students interested in decorating the box.

Our guess is that the box weighs about 250-300 pounds, and it will therefore not be easy to move. Arrangements have been made to have the box loaded into a truck and transported to the middle of the farm site. From the middle of the site we will use up to four people to carry it to its final resting spot near the backstop.

Now that we have a safe place to store our tools it will be quite easy to arrive at the site and begin work. It is amazing what a pain it is to carry tools to and from the farm site. A place for storage is indeed a crucial piece of farm infrastructure. It was wonderful to use scrap materials to construct the frame and it really saved on the cost of the box.

I was thinking about the many homes that are renovated or remodeled, wondering where much of the older material goes. I think we can all guess where...the landfill. I’m sure it seems obvious how wasteful this practice is. Lumber is traded as a commodity and there is a large amount of imbedded energy in glass. These items are quite valuable--why do we simply throw them away? After scrap material is cleaned or processed it is again useful for other purposes. I know that we can use these materials in Willits to build compost bins, cold frames, a toolbox, seed start flats, construct a portion of the wood frame and glass elements of a glass greenhouse, a chicken coop, a chicken tractor frame, and support walls for raised garden beds. We cannot allow these materials to simply go up in smoke or be buried in a landfill. As the energy used to make glass or harvest, process, and transport lumber becomes more and more expensive, it will serve our projects and our communities better if we reuse these items. A non-profit in Portland, Oregon, The ReBuilding Center, has already anticipated this idea and offers the community the service if utilizing salvaged material from home renovation. Check it out this remarkable project: http://rebuildingcenter.org/ .

At present, the plan is to raise twelve chickens on the farm site at Brookside School. The purpose of raising chickens is to create eggs for local buyers, demonstrate a system that can provide for the food needs of poultry, and, where possible, control insect populations. The site will include an enclosed coop and small chicken yard, with the option of allowing the chickens to both pasture and range as they forage for a majority of their sustenance.

As a general rule, the nutritional needs of chickens include:

1. Grains (a mixture of whole grain, un-cracked grain is good and mixed grain is better than pure corn).
2. Greens (grass, weeds, fresh berries, and other vegetable scraps).
3. Protein (in summer, ranging they get enough bugs -- but in colder weather they need protein supplementation, including soybeans or fava beans, worms, milk, and seeds).
4. Water (chickens need plenty of water and need to have it not only in their pen, but additionally in chicken tractors and near their forage).

There is a special opportunity at the Willits Energy farm to demonstrate a planting arrangement on the western perimeter that serves the dual function of windbreak and forage crop. The western fence line stretches 150 feet and borders a fallow pasture. While designing our annual beds, we have allocated a width of 10 feet from the fence to create the windbreak and forage section. Perennial trees and shrubs will be spaced and interplanted with ground crops that should provide a variety of food from late spring to the middle of October. The plan is that some of the crops will be immediately consumed by the chickens while other crops will have the advantage of storage.

Below is the list of crops that could be used for the western windbreak and under-story:

-Trees:

These will provide the bulk of the windbreak and will be alternated in sequence.

• 5 Mulberry Trees (This tree is wind resistant and provides edible berries as early as the first year).
• 4 Honey Locust Trees (A fast growing tree that provides large, edible seed pods and hard seeds that can be collected and stored for winter use. It also attracts bees).

-Shrubs:

The selected shrub will be spaced between the trees and provide added windbreak for the area left open between trees.

• 8 Siberian Pea Shrub (This shrub is hardy and grows well in drained soils; it requires full sun and will be backed away from the trees. With a large number of them it should provide a certain amount of storable seed if the chickens don’t get to it first.)

-Understory:

These plants that will be sown to provide ground cover and compete against grass under the newly established trees. They will address all three dietary needs and provide greens, additional forage seed, and some grains:

• Clover (It will compete against grass, attract bees, and provide a choice of greens).
• Borage (This flower will also provide greens as well as yield seed).
• Comfrey (It has deep tap roots that bring potassium from deep in the soil. It will be used in the understory of trees and can perhaps be used for composting and green feed).
• Buckwheat and Rye (These grains will be row seeded in various short lengths both in the fall and spring and may provide added material to be composted).
• Favabean (Fava may potentially provide more storable protein for the winter and food in the earlier part of spring).

To support pastured egg layers, we are considering the implementation of various “chicken tractor” designs. A chicken tractor is a movable floorless chicken coop for the purposes of pest control, protection of annual crops from hungry chickens, fertilization, and sheltering the chicken as they forage. Chicken tractors allow the birds to feed in precise areas and can potentially be a useful way to manage forage resources. However, they need to be moved throughout the day and may be too tight a quarters for more than two birds, thus requiring more tractors and more effort to move them. If we don’t use chicken tractors we may consider fencing the forage section with extra wire left over from the perimeter fencing project.

Way Down There is the Western Fenceline

Northwest Corner Behind the Backstop (Potential Coop Location)

Example of a Very Nice Chicken Tractor

Jason and I are hoping to finish the toolbox project by Thursday and will perhaps transport the box down to the farm site by Friday. Three main objectives need to be completed in order to consider the project finished. These objectives include:

1. Installing the hinges for the lid

2. Installing a latch and lock

3. Painting the outside of the box with an oil-based primer for protection

We are considering the addition of locking hinges or a rod that would be used to prop the lid of the box open so that people can reach into it without the effort of holding the lid open. The lid is heavy and would be difficult to juggle as one reaches for tools.

It is quite cold in the mornings and then warms up in the afternoon until after sunset. Also, the winter has not brought a great deal of precipitation. This, in turn, has allowed the soil to dry out enough for us to overturn small sections of sod as we investigate a method for seedbed preparation. It will be important to find a method that can be replicated and scaled up.

Many people have made the suggestion of simply cutting the layer of sod; turning it over (upside-down) and placing it back in the same place. Indeed, this is an effective method and great option for people working with a uniform sod layer that might be encountered on a lawn. However, our situation is different because the soil was tilled (shallowly) in early November in hopes of disturbing the sod and encouraging it to decompose. Since then, a portion of the sod has decomposed while other parts have re-rooted. The soil is loose and un-uniform, and when sod is removed it removes a portion of soil near the root system. We are certain that we want to avoid removing the soil along with living organic matter in the process of preparing beds. However, without further decomposition it will be difficult to prepare appropriate seedbeds. While we have dry soil we will continue to explore hand-cultivation methods that could prove useful for laborers and safe for the living soil.

Toolbox With Lid

Edges of the Toolbox Lid Extend to Allow Water to Run Off the Sides and Front

Another View of the Box

E
Example of Un-uniform Sod