Happy Holidays
Due to time constraints, we will be producing the newsletter quarterly for the foreseeable future. Thanks to you all for your interest in our community.
In this Issue
Building Update
Chicken Coop
We have obtained some of the materials for adding an outdoor enclosure onto the chicken coop. We plan to complete this in late winter or early spring.
Edwin's Dome
Edwin hasn't had time to work on the dome interior and is still in the process of clearing his dome and getting ready to start.
Members and Guests
We have some guests scheduled to arrive in the next several weeks.
The Garden
The Farmer's Markets
The Bisbee farmer's market has just concluded for the year, and will resume in the 2nd weekend of January, 2013. Our crops are growing slow in the cold weather, but we still expect to have some excellent greens ready when the market re-opens. We will also be selling some produce to local retail outlets.
Crop Production
We are continuing to plant mixed lettuce, spinach, kale, Romaine lettuce, and will be experimenting with a stir-fry mix. We now have all beds covered in medium-weight Agribon to keep the crops warmer, moister, and protected from the wind.
While our summer crops have finished, we saved a few eggplants and peppers for growing under glass. The eggplants have already produced a few fruits.
Our chickens are laying more eggs now, and producing about 2 dozen per week. The trick was to set a light on a timer in the chicken coop from 6am to 10pm. Since we only have 6 hens, we plan to increase the flock by another 10 or so in the spring.
Self-Sufficiency Projects
We harvested and stored our tepary beans and small red chili beans for winter.
We plan to expand the garden next year so that we will have enough beds to plant storage crops for next winter.
Other News
Other Happenings
- The weather has been interesting lately with warm and cool weather coming in cycles. Overall the weather has been much warmer than normal. However, on the morning of Dec 19, we got a dusting of snow.
- We completed a fall highway cleanup. Very little trash had accumulated, and we got it done in record time.
- Many of our leftover chinaberry trees are under glass for the winter and we expect they will be strong and well-rooted by spring.
- We have increased the number of beds to 20.
On the agenda for the winter:
- Start work on finishing the interior of Edwin's dome
- Continue selling produce at the Bisbee market when it re-opens
- Continue succession plantings of our winter crops as needed.
- Build the enclosure for the chicken yard.
- Expand the number of garden beds to at least 22
