Currently being served at DC's Birch and Barley...
Happy Valentine's Day to all!
2/10/11
Buses everywhere
You know those people who get their first apartment and start drooling over vintage sofas in shop windows and can't stop talking about furniture? You know those new parents who seem to have some kind of obsession with strollers and seem incapable of walking past one without commenting on it? I think I have that sickness... but for school buses.
Take today, for instance. As I was biking to meet a lovely young woman about helping me to make a video for our upcoming Kickstarter campaign, I rolled right past a veritable treasure trove of buses and couldn't help myself....
It's a sickness, yes. Soon I hope to have my own 25-foot bus filled with local, seasonal fruits and veggies. But for now, I'll continue to ogle anything bright yellow with four wheels and a flip-out STOP sign.
Take today, for instance. As I was biking to meet a lovely young woman about helping me to make a video for our upcoming Kickstarter campaign, I rolled right past a veritable treasure trove of buses and couldn't help myself....
It's a sickness, yes. Soon I hope to have my own 25-foot bus filled with local, seasonal fruits and veggies. But for now, I'll continue to ogle anything bright yellow with four wheels and a flip-out STOP sign.
I've got my eye on you, Bambi
Being one of the only woodland spaces along the Rt 1 corridor in Alexandria, I knew we would have deer. I also know, from very sad experiences, that deer can eat an entire garden within a week. I did not expect, however, to have an entire village of Bambi's living in the woods!! I see the evidence everywhere!
There are a lot of ideas circulating in the farming world about how to best deal with deer. Some say they hate marigolds and the smell alone will deter them. Others say bloodmeal sprinkled on plants or air cannons shot throughout the night (think how much the neighbors would love THAT one). In reality, it seems the only way to deter the deer is to build a fence and make a barricade between the deer and their feast (aka, your garden).
This week, thanks to the weather gods and an unseasonably warm Monday, the first installation of the deer fence went up at Arcadia! We attached 8' "invisible" mesh fence to 8' 2x4's purchased from a local building supply house. With a power drill and staple guns, we economically built a barrier that will, at least, deter the deer a bit. Fencing is not foolproof and some farmer's have seen them jump the 8' fence or wiggle their way underneath! I am going to have to be at peace with a little bit of midnight nibbling. Deer are part of the ecosystem too, right?
Another HUGE thanks to the staff from Birch and Barley and Buzz Bakery for coming out and trudging through the mud to help make our farm a reality!
2/7/11
Sustainable fuel
So I'm getting closer to determining what size bus I need. Next up is the matter of retrofitting it (design under development) and converting it to run on biofuel. Yep, I plan to alter a diesel engine to run on recycled cooking oil. Like that stuff you use to fry chicken or donuts. (From what I've heard, the connoisseurs opt for donut oil's aroma and stay far, far away from oil previously used for french fries or fish.)
I'd first heard of running vehicles on vegetable oil from my friend Joel on my way down the California coastline about a year ago and have been rather taken with the idea ever since. I'll be driving a bus with a diesel engine, most likely, so the switch to biodiesel shouldn't be that big of a leap. And Arcadia is ALL ABOUT sustainability, right? Finally, considering our link to the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, it seems like a no-brainer. I mean, what the heck else do chefs plan to do with the used oil that, say, Evening Star Cafe has after they make their irresistible, fried Tofu Parmesan? It can run my bus!
Now, I became rather adept at checking the engine oil on our family's '86 Toyota Tercel that I drove on occasion during college, but that was many moons ago and I have a feeling this diesel engine conversion is a more complicated endeavor. I'm going to need help. Who the heck does this sort of stuff around here, anyway? I started asking around, pretty quickly learning of my friendly neighborhood biodiesel expert, Adam. Here he is next to his home-on-wheels that, you guessed it, runs on biofuel.
Among many other awesome pursuits -- sustainable farming, building bike-powered blenders, and developing a community kitchen -- Adam is the driving force behind Mount Rainier's biofuel co-op (that, alas, isn't currently accepting new members). About a week ago, after a tour of his impressive DIY bus abode, Adam sat me down to explain the basics of biofuel. I took notes, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around some of it.
My brother got the engineering brain in the family. (I got the food obsession and wanderlust genes.) But my take home messages from my chat with Adam were:
1) It'll take a chunk of change to build a conversion system to fuel my mobile market on recycled veggie oil, and a small investment in fixing up the bus to be able to run on this renewable energy source.
2) You have to admit it does make sense: aside from the recycled nature of this fuel source, as gas prices rise again -- and they will -- it makes economic sense, too.
Speaking of moolah, keep your eyes open for a Kickstarter campaign in coming weeks to raise funds to purchase, convert, and run my beloved farmers' market on wheels....
I'd first heard of running vehicles on vegetable oil from my friend Joel on my way down the California coastline about a year ago and have been rather taken with the idea ever since. I'll be driving a bus with a diesel engine, most likely, so the switch to biodiesel shouldn't be that big of a leap. And Arcadia is ALL ABOUT sustainability, right? Finally, considering our link to the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, it seems like a no-brainer. I mean, what the heck else do chefs plan to do with the used oil that, say, Evening Star Cafe has after they make their irresistible, fried Tofu Parmesan? It can run my bus!
Now, I became rather adept at checking the engine oil on our family's '86 Toyota Tercel that I drove on occasion during college, but that was many moons ago and I have a feeling this diesel engine conversion is a more complicated endeavor. I'm going to need help. Who the heck does this sort of stuff around here, anyway? I started asking around, pretty quickly learning of my friendly neighborhood biodiesel expert, Adam. Here he is next to his home-on-wheels that, you guessed it, runs on biofuel.
Among many other awesome pursuits -- sustainable farming, building bike-powered blenders, and developing a community kitchen -- Adam is the driving force behind Mount Rainier's biofuel co-op (that, alas, isn't currently accepting new members). About a week ago, after a tour of his impressive DIY bus abode, Adam sat me down to explain the basics of biofuel. I took notes, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around some of it.
My brother got the engineering brain in the family. (I got the food obsession and wanderlust genes.) But my take home messages from my chat with Adam were:
1) It'll take a chunk of change to build a conversion system to fuel my mobile market on recycled veggie oil, and a small investment in fixing up the bus to be able to run on this renewable energy source.
2) You have to admit it does make sense: aside from the recycled nature of this fuel source, as gas prices rise again -- and they will -- it makes economic sense, too.
Speaking of moolah, keep your eyes open for a Kickstarter campaign in coming weeks to raise funds to purchase, convert, and run my beloved farmers' market on wheels....
2/5/11
Bus shopping and the "baby bear" phenomenon
Greetings, local food lovers and blog enthusiasts. Ibti here -- your friendly neighborhood mobile market manager!
Here I am next to the super cool, Richmond-based Farm to Family bus about two weeks ago when Erin and I stopped by for a visit at their CSA drop-off site. Isn't it rad? I want one. A school bus filled with seasonal, sustainable, fresh foods, that is, but not one nearly quite so... large. I am used to maneuvering a bicycle, after all.
Since throwing myself headlong into mobile market research at work these past few weeks, I've been lusting after school buses. I see them everywhere. On the way to work. Walking home from yoga. While running errands around town. Soon they will probably be sitting in the traffic of my dreams.
The first piece I am trying to work out is what size bus I will need. Like a modern day Goldilocks, I haven't yet found the right one for me. My friend Susan refers to this as "the baby bear phenomenon"....
Too small.
Too big.
Just right? Hmmm. Possibly. It's maybe, what, a bit under 25 feet long? I didn't have a chance to catch up with this one with my tape measure amid rush hour gridlock during my bike ride to work the other day -- it's hard to get my winter bike gloves off that quickly and rummage around in my backpack -- but something along this size could work nicely for a few neighborhood market stops each day. I can fit a lot of produce in there and still be able to navigate the narrow, potholed streets en route to Deanwood, say.
Stay tuned for updates as the mobile market project develops. Meanwhile, if anyone has a lead on a good diesel mechanic in the DC area, send 'em my way. I may be able to drive the thing, but I'll definitely need help with repairs, and my regular automotive consultant (aka, my little brother) doesn't do diesel....
Here I am next to the super cool, Richmond-based Farm to Family bus about two weeks ago when Erin and I stopped by for a visit at their CSA drop-off site. Isn't it rad? I want one. A school bus filled with seasonal, sustainable, fresh foods, that is, but not one nearly quite so... large. I am used to maneuvering a bicycle, after all.
Since throwing myself headlong into mobile market research at work these past few weeks, I've been lusting after school buses. I see them everywhere. On the way to work. Walking home from yoga. While running errands around town. Soon they will probably be sitting in the traffic of my dreams.
The first piece I am trying to work out is what size bus I will need. Like a modern day Goldilocks, I haven't yet found the right one for me. My friend Susan refers to this as "the baby bear phenomenon"....
Too small.
Too big.
Just right? Hmmm. Possibly. It's maybe, what, a bit under 25 feet long? I didn't have a chance to catch up with this one with my tape measure amid rush hour gridlock during my bike ride to work the other day -- it's hard to get my winter bike gloves off that quickly and rummage around in my backpack -- but something along this size could work nicely for a few neighborhood market stops each day. I can fit a lot of produce in there and still be able to navigate the narrow, potholed streets en route to Deanwood, say.
Stay tuned for updates as the mobile market project develops. Meanwhile, if anyone has a lead on a good diesel mechanic in the DC area, send 'em my way. I may be able to drive the thing, but I'll definitely need help with repairs, and my regular automotive consultant (aka, my little brother) doesn't do diesel....
2/1/11
A New Plant Home!
Starting this week, Arcadia's baby plants have found a home and a place to grow!! We are extremely excited about our new collaboration with Phelps High School in Washington, DC! An architecture and engineering training school, Phelps provides hands-on training for their 300 9-11 graders. We will be using their state-of-the-art Micro-
Grow Growmaster greenhouse to start our spring vegetables and provide a beautiful butterfly garden for the school. A group of students will be helpi
ng me in the greenhouse after school on Wednesdays and I hope to have weekly discussions about the tenets of sustainable farming. Who knows, maybe a future farmer is waiting to be discovered at Phelps now!
Starting plants in the greenhouse will be invaluable to ensure a good start at the gardens this spring. Transplanting "teenaged" plants rather than direct s
eeding provides healthier, stronger plants which leads to more vegetables! This also allows us to have an earlier season because we will not need to fret every night about the possibilities of a frost coming through and freezing the plant babies.
Thanks, Phelps Team! You all have been so helpful and we are excited to be working with you!
-Farmer Mo
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