Updates

Were you intrigued by last month's article about the Slow Food Movement? We were! At the Full Moon Potluck Dinner on Saturday, August 4, a few members of the local chapter will give an informal presentation about the Slow Food Movement, at 7:00 PM, followed by dinner and further discussion at 7:30. So take a break from your fast-paced life and enjoy a fun and relaxing evening at Maysie's Farm! Sign up in the barn.

Children's Garden by Dawn Lawless The Children's Garden has been quickly transformed from a cleared hedgerow to an imaginative garden. We now have a mulched path from which you can view the butterfly garden, tepee garden, sunflower house, pumpkin patch, basil patch and perennial bed. Children were able to pick radishes from the tepee garden, and we'll be starting another batch of radishes soon. Marigolds are at the back of the tepee garden, hopefully repelling any unwanted pests. We now have a bird bath and bird feeder from Waterloo Gardens. Goldfinches have already been spotted eating the thistle.We have benches to sit on, so relax a bit when you come to the farm and let your children explore. Wish List Looking to get rid of any of the following items? Maysie's Farm will put them to good use! Clean topsoil Mulch chopper Walkie talkie set (3) Nyger thistle birdfeed Juicer Copier Fax machine Manure spreader Please contact Sam at (610) 458-8129 if you can donate any of these items. Maysie's Musings Use Fels-Naptha soap ("yellow soap" as we've always called it) to wash off any area of your skin that's come in contact with poison ivy. It seems to be the only soap that's effective at washing off the oils from the dreaded three-leafed plant. You can find Fels-Naptha with other bars of soap in the supermarket. It's a larger than normal bar and I think the wrapper says "laundry bar." Or better yet, just follow the old advice: "Leaves of three, let them be."

Summer Fun at the Down to Earth Organic Gardening Workshops for Youth by Dawn Lawless Following the tradition of last summer, MFCC held another summer Organic Gardening Workshop for kids on a 90 degree + day. Despite the heat, the group of eager children listened to the words of wisdom of their group of teachers, participated in many activities, and asked thoughtful questions. Children learned about compost and soil microorganisms. They became familiar with the tools and machinery used at the farm. The group planted lettuce seeds (wow are they tiny!) into trays and placed them into to the greenhouse for safekeeping. The group of busy bees then proceeded to transplant 258 lettuce plants into a bed prepared by the interns. You can check out their accomplishment 3 beds below the greenhouse. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the day was harvesting lettuce, carrots, zucchini, peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and scallions. The vegetables were cooled, cleaned and chopped into a delicious salad. Everyone, even Maysie, chowed down on PB&J sandwiches and salad. Dessert was a yummy slice of juicy watermelon. The fun day ended with everyone sharing what they enjoyed about the day and taking home their own 6-packs of lettuce seeds to care for. It's not too late to participate. We have two more workshops scheduled: from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on July 31st for ages 6-10 and August 2nd for ages 11 and above. We hope to see you there!