Showing posts with label Pasture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasture. Show all posts

Friday, February 5, 2010

Invest in Heartwood Farms

At Heartwood Farms, we now have our first successful season under our belt and we're ready to welcome friends of Heartwood to become members of the farm. This letter will review what we've done so far at the farm, what we'll be doing in the years to come, and how you can help support Heartwood Farms by becoming a member and investing in growing nutritious, organic food right here at Heartwood.


The Vision
At Heartwood Farms, we practice bountiful, regenerative farming that is healing to the land and to all who are touched by it. Through Heartwood Farms, you can become the change that you want to see in the world! And you'll feel good because you'll be making it possible for us to raise local, organic food and nurture the land.



So Far, So Good
As expected, our first season was full of many wonderful successes and plenty of learning opportunities as well. Some of the successes included:
• providing over 14,000 pounds of extremely high quality, organic, locally grown food to Heartwood residents and the larger community
• establishing 70 garden beds and building the soil in those beds
• establishing a 2 acre potato field and building the soil in that field
• establishing an orchard of approximately 150 trees
• establishing 3 bee hives
• building LOTS of deer fences, irrigation systems, a root cellar, intern living facilities, a seedling house, a food washing shed, and small animal facilities
• enriching the lives of 4 interns who got the chance to learn about and experience organic farming and community living
• establishing a seed bank specifically adapted to our environment
• promoting microorganisms and soil fertility throughout the pastures and growing beds
• bringing farm workers, Heartwood residents, and visitors closer to Nature and the food they eat

Wow -- big year!

All of the lessons that we learned in our first year have to do with making the farm more sustainable. We need to have enough labor so that the farm work is joyful and doesn't burn people out. The farm operation is complex and we need good communications and systems in place to make it all run smoothly. Although lots of up front investment was made last year, in the long run, we need to bring in as much money as we spend. The soil is our most valuable resource and we need to continue to build it and help it become ever more fertile. All of these lessons have been incorporated into our 2010 work plan for the farm.



A Very Bright Future
At Heartwood we have a unique combination of resources that support Heartwood Farms. We have extremely experienced and talented growers, namely Bevan Williams and Kris Hill. We have plenty of pastureland and great water rights. We have a very supportive community that helps the farm in so many ways -- from providing the land to lending management expertise to giving love and friendship to the farm interns. With all of the achievements of 2009, the exhaustive work to learn from our first year and adjust our plans accordingly, and the support of our community, the farm is poised to continue to grow and flourish. Our long range vision is to create a beautiful and nourishing integrated food system. We're on our way.



Won't You Join Us?
To reach that bright future, Heartwood Farms needs cash investment. Investing in Heartwood Farms Co-op entitles you to membership in the co-op, voting rights, and a proportional financial stake in the cooperative. While dividends and increased share value are certainly possible, investing in Heartwood Farms is really about investing in your values.
• Do you value healthy, organic, local, fresh, convenient, and affordable food on your table and at common meals?
• Do you value making that wonderful food available to the larger local community?
• Do you value minimizing your environmental footprint? (Did you know that food from the grocery store has traveled an average of 1300 miles?!)
• Do you value the development of innovative organic farming practices and sharing them with interns who will carry them far and wide?
• Do you value bringing health and vitality to the land?

If you hold any of these values, please consider joining us in making this vibrant food system a reality by investing in Heartwood Farms.



Investment Details
Voting Rights
All member-owners, regardless of how many shares they own, are entitled to one vote at the annual meeting where we'll elect a board of directors and possibly make other decisions.

Financial Stake and Selling Shares
All member-owners have a stake in the cooperative in proportion to the number of shares they own. They will receive a proportional share of dividends distributed. They are free to sell their shares whenever and to whomever they choose at whatever price they can get, although the cooperative and Heartwood members will retain a first right of refusal in order to keep ownership of the co-op close to home.

Purchasing Shares
Shares will be offered at $100 per share. In the future, share price will increase as the value of Heartwood Farms increases. When you're ready to invest, please contact Mac Thomson and let him know how many shares you want to buy and whose name to put them in.

If you want further information, please don't hesitate ask. Here is some contact information:


Mac
884-2196 mac@heartwoodcohousing.com


Sandy
884-2196 sandy@heartwoodcohousing.com


Scott
239-1066 scott_fallows@yahoo.com


Zita
884-7003 zitaxavieris@gmail.com


Bevan
884-4069 bevanis@gmail.com


Kris
403-4665 hillblueclouds@yahoo.com




More Ways to Support the Farm
In addition to investing in Heartwood Farms, you might also want to consider supporting the farm by purchasing Farm Credits or volunteering to work on the farm. Buying Farm Credits means prepaying for farm food that can then be purchased at the Heartwood Store or at our Common House Farmers Markets. It's like a CSA, but you can get whatever farm food you want when you want it. There's another email fully describing the Farm Credits if you are interested. If you'd like to volunteer to get your hands dirty and work on the farm, give Sandy a call or send her an email and she'll let you know how to get started (884-2196; sandy@heartwoodcohousing.com)
.


We invite you to become part of this dream to create a more sustainable world and a more secure local food system. Come visit, see what we've done in only one year. If you'd like, volunteer to come play in the gardens. It won't be long until the scent of the first orchard blossoms, the sound of happy bees, the smell of healthy soil, and fresh strawberry shoots poking up from garden beds return to the farm. Remember, vibrant, radiant health comes from the farm, not the pharmacy!
We need to raise $4700 by March to purchase soil amendments, green house supplies, irrigation equipment, and seeds. If you share in this collective dream, we need your help to manifest it right here, right now. Please join us by calling Mac at 884-2196.



With deep appreciation from all of us,
The Heartwood Farms Board and Staff

At Heartwood Farms, we now have our first successful season under our belt and we're ready to welcome friends of Heartwood to become members of the farm. This letter will review what we've done so far at the farm, what we'll be doing in the years to come, and how you can help support Heartwood Farms by becoming a member and investing in growing nutritious, organic food right here at Heartwood. The Vision At Heartwood Farms, we practice bountiful, regenerative farming that is healing to the land and to all who are touched by it. Through Heartwood Farms, you can become the change that you want to see in the world! And you'll feel good because you'll be making it possible for us to raise local, organic food and nurture the land. So Far, So Good As expected, our first season was full of many wonderful successes and plenty of learning opportunities as well. Some of the successes included: • providing over 14,000 pounds of extremely high quality, organic, locally grown food to Heartwood residents and the larger community • establishing 70 garden beds and building the soil in those beds • establishing a 2 acre potato field and building the soil in that field • establishing an orchard of approximately 150 trees • establishing 3 bee hives • building LOTS of deer fences, irrigation systems, a root cellar, intern living facilities, a seedling house, a food washing shed, and small animal facilities • enriching the lives of 4 interns who got the chance to learn about and experience organic farming and community living • establishing a seed bank specifically adapted to our environment • promoting microorganisms and soil fertility throughout the pastures and growing beds • bringing farm workers, Heartwood residents, and visitors closer to Nature and the food they eat Wow -- big year! All of the lessons that we learned in our first year have to do with making the farm more sustainable. We need to have enough labor so that the farm work is joyful and doesn't burn people out. The farm operation is complex and we need good communications and systems in place to make it all run smoothly. Although lots of up front investment was made last year, in the long run, we need to bring in as much money as we spend. The soil is our most valuable resource and we need to continue to build it and help it become ever more fertile. All of these lessons have been incorporated into our 2010 work plan for the farm. A Very Bright Future At Heartwood we have a unique combination of resources that support Heartwood Farms. We have extremely experienced and talented growers, namely Bevan Williams and Kris Hill. We have plenty of pastureland and great water rights. We have a very supportive community that helps the farm in so many ways -- from providing the land to lending management expertise to giving love and friendship to the farm interns. With all of the achievements of 2009, the exhaustive work to learn from our first year and adjust our plans accordingly, and the support of our community, the farm is poised to continue to grow and flourish. Our long range vision is to create a beautiful and nourishing integrated food system. We're on our way. Won't You Join Us? To reach that bright future, Heartwood Farms needs cash investment. Investing in Heartwood Farms Co-op entitles you to membership in the co-op, voting rights, and a proportional financial stake in the cooperative. While dividends and increased share value are certainly possible, investing in Heartwood Farms is really about investing in your values. • Do you value healthy, organic, local, fresh, convenient, and affordable food on your table and at common meals? • Do you value making that wonderful food available to the larger local community? • Do you value minimizing your environmental footprint? (Did you know that food from the grocery store has traveled an average of 1300 miles?!) • Do you value the development of innovative organic farming practices and sharing them with interns who will carry them far and wide? • Do you value bringing health and vitality to the land? If you hold any of these values, please consider joining us in making this vibrant food system a reality by investing in Heartwood Farms. Investment Details Voting Rights All member-owners, regardless of how many shares they own, are entitled to one vote at the annual meeting where we'll elect a board of directors and possibly make other decisions. Financial Stake and Selling Shares All member-owners have a stake in the cooperative in proportion to the number of shares they own. They will receive a proportional share of dividends distributed. They are free to sell their shares whenever and to whomever they choose at whatever price they can get, although the cooperative and Heartwood members will retain a first right of refusal in order to keep ownership of the co-op close to home. Purchasing Shares Shares will be offered at $100 per share. In the future, share price will increase as the value of Heartwood Farms increases. When you're ready to invest, please contact Mac Thomson and let him know how many shares you want to buy and whose name to put them in. If you want further information, please don't hesitate ask. Here is some contact information: Mac 884-2196 mac@heartwoodcohousing.com Sandy 884-2196 sandy@heartwoodcohousing.com Scott 239-1066 scott_fallows@yahoo.com Zita 884-7003 zitaxavieris@gmail.com Bevan 884-4069 bevanis@gmail.com Kris 403-4665 hillblueclouds@yahoo.com

More Ways to Support the Farm In addition to investing in Heartwood Farms, you might also want to consider supporting the farm by purchasing Farm Credits or volunteering to work on the farm. Buying Farm Credits means prepaying for farm food that can then be purchased at the Heartwood Store or at our Common House Farmers Markets. It's like a CSA, but you can get whatever farm food you want when you want it. There's another email fully describing the Farm Credits if you are interested. If you'd like to volunteer to get your hands dirty and work on the farm, give Sandy a call or send her an email and she'll let you know how to get started (884-2196; sandy@heartwoodcohousing.com).
We invite you to become part of this dream to create a more sustainable world and a more secure local food system. Come visit, see what we've done in only one year. If you'd like, volunteer to come play in the gardens. It won't be long until the scent of the first orchard blossoms, the sound of happy bees, the smell of healthy soil, and fresh strawberry shoots poking up from garden beds return to the farm. Remember, vibrant, radiant health comes from the farm, not the pharmacy!
We need to raise $4700 by March to purchase soil amendments, green house supplies, irrigation equipment, and seeds. If you share in this collective dream, we need your help to manifest it right here, right now. Please join us by calling Mac at 884-2196.
With deep appreciation from all of us,
The Heartwood Farms Board and Staff



At Heartwood Farms, we now have our first successful season under our belt and we're ready to welcome friends of Heartwood to become members of the farm. This letter will review what we've done so far at the farm, what we'll be doing in the years to come, and how you can help support Heartwood Farms by becoming a member and investing in growing nutritious, organic food right here at Heartwood. The Vision At Heartwood Farms, we practice bountiful, regenerative farming that is healing to the land and to all who are touched by it. Through Heartwood Farms, you can become the change that you want to see in the world! And you'll feel good because you'll be making it possible for us to raise local, organic food and nurture the land. So Far, So Good As expected, our first season was full of many wonderful successes and plenty of learning opportunities as well. Some of the successes included: • providing over 14,000 pounds of extremely high quality, organic, locally grown food to Heartwood residents and the larger community • establishing 70 garden beds and building the soil in those beds • establishing a 2 acre potato field and building the soil in that field • establishing an orchard of approximately 150 trees • establishing 3 bee hives • building LOTS of deer fences, irrigation systems, a root cellar, intern living facilities, a seedling house, a food washing shed, and small animal facilities • enriching the lives of 4 interns who got the chance to learn about and experience organic farming and community living • establishing a seed bank specifically adapted to our environment • promoting microorganisms and soil fertility throughout the pastures and growing beds • bringing farm workers, Heartwood residents, and visitors closer to Nature and the food they eat Wow -- big year! All of the lessons that we learned in our first year have to do with making the farm more sustainable. We need to have enough labor so that the farm work is joyful and doesn't burn people out. The farm operation is complex and we need good communications and systems in place to make it all run smoothly. Although lots of up front investment was made last year, in the long run, we need to bring in as much money as we spend. The soil is our most valuable resource and we need to continue to build it and help it become ever more fertile. All of these lessons have been incorporated into our 2010 work plan for the farm. A Very Bright Future At Heartwood we have a unique combination of resources that support Heartwood Farms. We have extremely experienced and talented growers, namely Bevan Williams and Kris Hill. We have plenty of pastureland and great water rights. We have a very supportive community that helps the farm in so many ways -- from providing the land to lending management expertise to giving love and friendship to the farm interns. With all of the achievements of 2009, the exhaustive work to learn from our first year and adjust our plans accordingly, and the support of our community, the farm is poised to continue to grow and flourish. Our long range vision is to create a beautiful and nourishing integrated food system. We're on our way. Won't You Join Us? To reach that bright future, Heartwood Farms needs cash investment. Investing in Heartwood Farms Co-op entitles you to membership in the co-op, voting rights, and a proportional financial stake in the cooperative. While dividends and increased share value are certainly possible, investing in Heartwood Farms is really about investing in your values. • Do you value healthy, organic, local, fresh, convenient, and affordable food on your table and at common meals? • Do you value making that wonderful food available to the larger local community? • Do you value minimizing your environmental footprint? (Did you know that food from the grocery store has traveled an average of 1300 miles?!) • Do you value the development of innovative organic farming practices and sharing them with interns who will carry them far and wide? • Do you value bringing health and vitality to the land? If you hold any of these values, please consider joining us in making this vibrant food system a reality by investing in Heartwood Farms. Investment Details Voting Rights All member-owners, regardless of how many shares they own, are entitled to one vote at the annual meeting where we'll elect a board of directors and possibly make other decisions. Financial Stake and Selling Shares All member-owners have a stake in the cooperative in proportion to the number of shares they own. They will receive a proportional share of dividends distributed. They are free to sell their shares whenever and to whomever they choose at whatever price they can get, although the cooperative and Heartwood members will retain a first right of refusal in order to keep ownership of the co-op close to home. Purchasing Shares Shares will be offered at $100 per share. In the future, share price will increase as the value of Heartwood Farms increases. When you're ready to invest, please contact Mac Thomson and let him know how many shares you want to buy and whose name to put them in. If you want further information, please don't hesitate ask. Here is some contact information:

Friday, May 22, 2009

Farmer's Almanac


 
We had a beautiful Mother's Day morning down in the garden
A couple of weekends ago.  
Lots of good food, laughter and celebration.

The gardens looked great and much has happened since we were down there.  

Heartwood Farms has been to the Farmer's Market in Durango twice.
The soil in many of the beds has been amended.
Beets, onions, onions and more onions have been planted.
Four kinds of lettuce are growing.
Also planted since then are green beans, peas, melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, brocoli, garlic scallions, cooking greens, radishes and 2 kinds of cabbage.
The upper garden is two thirds of the way planted.
Lettuce will be ready to harvest in 3 weeks.
The 450 strawberry plants that got planted are doing well.
The fruit trees are leafing out.
The crab apple trees are blooming.                                                           
There are 9 baby goats.  All girls except for Cassanova the only billy.
The bees are doing what bees do.
Birds are nesting in the bird houses.
The interns now have running water.
Pam has found us a handicap van with a lift to 
transport produce and people to the markets and
make deliveries for $100.  Thank you PAM!

Dixie has goat milk for sale in the store.
1 QT for $2.50
1/2 Gal for $4
1 Gal for $8
Please bring clean jars back to the store so she can reuse them.
There will also be some of Dixie's raw herb cheve made from milk from her goats and herbs from Heartwood!

They will be planting 8,000 potatoes over the next couple of days.  If you have a spare hour or two please show up at the garden Thursday or Friday and drop some potatoes in.  It's easy, some of the older kids could definatley do it.  

Things are moving right along at Heartwood Farms where all the trees are strong, the bees are good looking and the amount of potatoes that need to be planted in way above average!









Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Tree Planting Party


Come celebrate with us.  This Sunday we will have a ribbon cutting ceremony down in the pasture.  We will plant a lot of apple trees and offer apple treats.  Come see the bunnies and the new baby goats!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Garden Common Meal at Heartwood Cohousing



Bevan and Mimi have spearheaded a push to have food grown on site here and recently celebrated a successful start to that effort. They hosted a common meal that included locally grown food from Heartwood and LaBoca Ranch.




Great weather and a great meal.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Draft Horse Soil Preparation



Eric Husted and his team of draft horses preparing the pasture soil for reseeding, May 2008. A group of dedicated people reseeded the pasture, revitalizing the fields. They are green and beautiful!! Eric loves working the land and is spending the summer at the LaBoca Center for Sustainability growing food. (photos by Mario P. Manzo)

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Kite Flying at Heartwood Cohousing

We have started a new group here at Heartwood that is focused on he boys and dads. Not to oversimplify it, but we get together to interact in an organized way.



So a couple of weeks ago we got together and built kites. I have to say I was worried about it myself. I didn't really think I was going to be able to build one successfully.

Well I was wrong. It was awesome and all the kites flew. None survived the flights, but they all at least flew well once.

Check out how much fun this was.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Reseeding the Heartwood Cohousing Pasture





Lots of work going on down in the pasture. More to come on that as we just had a HUGE work day that was a blast. Food, Fun and work.

Back to the Pasture. One of the big projects we are working on is reseeding large sections of the pasture. Right now we have a group of people working several hours a week getting the field turned over so it will be ready for the seed. This is part of our 5 year plan to get the pastures up to our standards.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Don't Touch My Stuff


Just another day in llama world at Heartwood.

Thank goodness the snow is melting and by the way, keep away from my stuff.

Oh really says white boy Kiowa. I don't want your darn stuff!

Whatever........
Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

A Cohousing Community Moment

This from one of our members...

I just gotta share this "community moment" with you all. . .

Yesterday, when we came back from Bayfield, we noticed that llamas were still stuck up at the top of their pasture, even though Barry had just put out hay in their corral. They were obviously agitated and upset, but seemed unable to get down to the corral though the snow.

So Jack climbed into the corral, and then proceeded to "drag" a path with his legs (snow up to his waist) all the way up to the top of the pasture where the llamas were stuck.

It took him more than 20 minutes- pretty grueling work-out. Then when he got to the llamas and encouraged them down the path he had made, they still wouldn't move. So he then turned and walked them all the way down to the corral.

I realized belatedly what a wonderful picture this would have made- Jack with 5 llamas following on his heel- and didn't get back with the camera in time. So I am sending you all this mental picture of what it means to care. . .