Updates

Goodbye, Maysie's Farm by Karline Faust Thank you, shareholders, for providing me with a wonderful place to work. I have learned much about growing vegetables and continue to be motivated by the community spirit that provides healthy, vital, nutrient-rich vegetables for everyone. As Acting Farm Manager I've also learned a great deal about organizing work activities, explaining what needs to be done and doling out the tasks. Maysie's Farm is fortunate to have high-quality interns, quick learners who ask excellent questions and are willing to work a lot of hours. Andrew and I are both sad to be leaving our work here; there are so many creative people with whom we have been discussing ideas about ways of living. We are moving to a place where we can drink pure water from continually flowing springs, and never be smothered by a neighbor's exhaust in our garden. There are forests everywhere and very little pollution. We want to grow as much food as we can with as little fossil fuel as possible. We plan to build the roof and walls of our straw bale house before winter. Starting this summer with the building of our house, we will be hosting small groups who are interested in learning about our ways of procuring food, water and shelter. We intend to stay active in groups like Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and the Mountain State Organic Growers' and Buyers' Association so that our knowledge can continue to expand. We are being encouraged to be leaders among those searching for alternatives to the public school system in West Virginia; the public high school is over an hour away from where we live. We will return here for one more school year, and Andrew will continue to bring students to Maysie's Farm from Upattinas. We value the volunteer connection between Maysie's and Upattinas, and will make sure that it continues after we leave. Many students have said that they are glad to have this experience. Please volunteer with Maysie's Farm as often as you can, and experiment with growing food in whatever space you have where you live, even if it's just herbs on the windowsill. And allow your mind to think about the history of every object you invite into your life. With collective awareness we can change ubiquitous cultural patterns and create new ones more in harmony with the earth's natural communities. If you are interested in more information about our work in bioregional living, please e-mail us; treefaust@juno.com will be checked once a month.

From Our Volunteer Coordinator Spring activities are continuing at Maysie's Farm, and many thanks go out to a variety of volunteers. The Children's Garden is off to a good start thanks to a lot of hard work from Dawn Lawless and Louise Smith and some help from students from King's Highway Elementary School in Coatesville. The Volunteer Work Day/Earth Day celebration in April was enjoyed by both children and adults. The children made their own Earth Day T-shirts, learned how to do potato prints, and enjoyed nature books with the generous guidance of enthusiastic volunteers. Others transplanted kale, collards and lettuce, and mulched garlic. On the May Volunteer Work Day, members weeded and thinned carrots, mulched all the new raspberry and blackberry beds and worked on the Children's Garden. More volunteers have been donating their skills and knowledge in the computer area. Amy Guskin continues to develop our new website (www.maysiesfarm.org) and Randy Kaplan repaired a computer that quit working right after being donated to us by Dale and Diane Snyder, then installed appropriate programs to meet the needs of Maysie's Farm Conservation Center. Our next Volunteer Work Day is June 23, and another is scheduled for July 7. Everyone's welcome to attend (we start at 9:00 am). There are always opportunities for volunteering at Maysie's Farm: we need more Distribution Managers, more members for the Core Group, help in the garden and maintenance around the farm. Get in touch with Cathy Fornwalt at 610 363-0892 or Cathy436@cs.com with questions. Thanks again to everyone for all their help.

Maysie's Farm Conservation Center
2001 Summer Schedule

Ages 6-10 July 10th8:30am — 2:00pm OR July 31st8:30am — 2:00pm

Ages 11 and above July 12th8:30am — 2:00pm OR August 2nd8:30am — 2:00pm

These day-long workshops provide practial, in-the-field introductions to the basic principles and methods of organic gardening. By moving around the farm, we condense a growing season to a few hours so that the students plant, transplant, care for, harvest and make a meal out of a variety of crops. Along the way, they learn where their food comes from and how their lifestyle choices affect both their own health and the health of the planet. This day on the farm is also a fun way for young people to get the dirt on how to start their own organic gardens.

The $15 fee covers instruction, a fresh-from-the-field lunch, and take-home plants. Each session is limited to 20 participants. Contact us today to reserve a spot or to get more information and directions. Telephone (610) 458-8129; or e-mail Sam@MaysiesFarm.org. Pre-registration is required. Make checks payable to Maysie's Farm Conservation Center and mail to 15 St. Andrews Lane, Glenmoore, PA 19343. Include participant's name, address, telephone number, age, and the preferred session date.