Introducing three of our 2018 summer interns (one more still to come!), Rachel Eber, Alice Foster, and Derek Seil! They have been with us for a couple of weeks now and will be gracing the farm with their presences until the beginning of August. They have already proven to be beautiful additions to our farm community! Come out to one of our harvest days or workdays to get to know them! Here are their fun answers to my questions:

Rachel Eber

1. What vegetable are you and why?

Introducing 2018 spring/fall intern, Katrina Courtney! Get to know her by reading her fun answers to my questions below; meet her in person and work with her by coming out to the farm sometime! She started interning this spring, will be gone for the summer, and will be back with us mid-August. She is a lovely individual, and I am so glad I know her!

1. What vegetable are you and why?
K: Sweet potatoes, because I too, am sweet :)
2. Favorite color?
K: Blue.
3. What brings you joy?

When: Sunday, June 10th
Where: Mustard Seed Community Farm, 366 W Avenue
What: Potluck and Roundtable on Sustainability
Time: 4:30-6:30 pm
Who: EVERYBODY!
*optional soccer game afterwards

we have a great picture of shadowbeast yawning but it is not downloaded yet. here is another great picture.

hello friends,
We are really swamped on the farm (see below for a more detailed explanation) and we are asking for extra help this next week to see if we can get to a more stable, sane state.

Spring is in full swing and there's a lot going on here on the farm!
2 Volunteer opportunities, The beginning of farmers' market, and upcoming potlucks!
Also, here's our prairie hand-out sheets for the farmers' market. If all goes well, we should have all these varieties this year.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
May 12: PLanting 9am-4pm.

We can finally start planting!
all these little plants are ready to go in the ground! And we are ready to have a little more room in the house!
(i was trying to put a picture here, but it's not working right now)
The soil is still pretty cool, but the forecast says it will stay above freezing for the next 10 days, so we are going to be planting tomorrow, saturday april 21, from 9-4.
You are invited to join us!
we will have 2 shifts - 9am-noon, a lunch break from noon-1, and afternoon, from 1-4pm.
if you will be here over lunch, please bring your own food, or something to share.

It looks like Saturday is going to be COLD (40deg), VERY WINDY (like 40mph gusts) and SUNNY. If that sounds fun to you, come out to the farm between 1and 4pm and we will do some work together. I will not take it personally if you don't come! If no one shows up - I might be working inside the greenhouse (starting seedlings) or the blue house (doing more boring admin). If you show up late and can't find me, try those 2 places or call me (978-471-8414).

We had scheduled a potato planting work day for this coming saturday, march 31 but since

Dear friends,

(included in this entry is a very helpful schedule of events!)

We are in that transition time between winter and spring, when the days fluctuate between lovely and icy and the birds migrate north one day and then turn around the next day. As spring gathers momentum, so do the activities on the farm.

Besides our very exciting SPRING FUN-RAISER DANCE AND POTLUCK and craft sale coming up on April 8th,

hello everyone,

Due to popular demand, we ARE having our annual SPRING FUN-RAISER!
(great poster in attachments!)

it will be Sunday April 8, 5-8pm.
at the Collegiate Methodist Church Annex: 130 S. Sheldon in Ames

We will have a POTLUCK dinner (please bring a dish to share and your own table service)
a BARN DANCE with live band and caller (no experience necessary)
a CRAFT SALE (pottery, rag rugs, candles and more)

All ages welcome! invite your friends!

Last week, Alice, Allyson, and neighbor Nate went down to Maloy, IA, for the craft retreat at Strangers and Guests Catholic Worker Farm. We made willow baskets, rag rugs, candles, bread, fancy pattern weaving, and had lots of fun. I already made a trip down there earlier this winter to do some rag rug weaving. Here's some pictures of some steps of the process of making woven rag rugs. (above is an assortment of prepared rags, ready for weaving)