You can tell they are mine by the freckles...

I do wear gloves as much as possible.  This, however, required a fine touch.
Photo courtesy of Kirstin McKeel.

Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide

I guess I'd better step it up with these postings as my cat, Zoe Faith Ripley Bates Ramone, has surpassed me in blog entries.  The Z. has always been quite clever, but I suspect she's been getting help from her nanny with the blogging.  She's been letting cyberspace know exactly what she thinks of me, Mike, the neighbors, and the furniture in the apartment in no uncertain terms.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: she's the most defiant pet I've ever had.

Weeks of rain finally gave way to intense sunshine this week with highs in the mid-80's.  This put my Skin Protection Plan to the test.  Back in college, there was riddle that went like this: "What's red and white and sits under a tree?"  The answer was "Laura Otolski".   Unfortunately, I cannot carry a tree around with me while I work here, so I must rely on sunblock and clothing to keep me safe.  Here's my typical gardening outfit on a sunny day:

• Base coat of Blue Lizard Sport Sunblock SPF 30 on face, neck, arms, and hands (originally created in Australia, this is a physical sunblock rather than a chemical one so it doesn't sting your eyes)
• Long sleeve cotton tee shirt in pastel color
• Long cotton twill pants in light stone color (the linen ones will come out later in the summer)
• Light-colored socks that cover my ankles 
• Wellies in the morning, switching to old sneakers or hiking boots by mid-day
• Light-colored, wide-brimmed hat (that I bought at EMS for kayaking on the Hudson River in the early 90's)
• Polarized, impact-resistant, wraparound Wiley X sunglasses (obtained through my favorite ophthalmologist, Darren Hathaway)

Cue the Barry White tunes cuz I'm lookin' hot!

I know what you're thinking, 'Laura's really got it goin' on in her farm gear.'  Of course, I could lie and tell you I'm bringin' style to fieldwork, but what's the use.  Redheads get the short end of the stick when it comes to fun in the sun.  It's no accident that I haven't included a photo of myself.  However, I was able to work in an open field for a few hours tossing freshly cut hay with a pitchfork to help it dry and not come away sunburned.  Sore muscles yes, sunburn no.  My fellow interns can't all say that.

You are getting very sleepy...

Earlier in the week, I was tasked with picking chamomile flowers with groups of 4th-graders and the other interns.  Later, as I was sitting in the shade sorting these small relatives of the daisy, a Sicilian grandmother came by and exclaimed, "Ahh, chamomilia!" I learned from her daughter that she had had a field of it back in her village in Italy and it would be picked for tea.  I too was picking it for tea, but also for a preparation that is applied to the compost piles.  People drink the tea for its calming effect, but the interns will tell you that just picking it makes you feel sedated after a while.

The tomato trellises by night

Today we celebrated the planting of the tomatoes and getting through 3 hot days by dipping into "the DQ Fund" and taking the pick-up a few miles down Chestnut Ridge Road for some frosty treats.  Our rather dirty clothes certainly set us apart from the crowd as the 5 of us waited in the line to place our orders at the Dairy Queen window, but nothing was coming between me and that root beer float. 

And now a few words about our sponsor...

I had watering duty today.  This might come as a surprise, but the plants don't have any concept of "weekend", so someone has to water the ones in greenhouse and some of the ones still in pots outside.  After taking care of that, I wandered around the garden.  Here's some lettuce I helped plant a few weeks ago:

I am still amazed that these were grown from tiny seeds.

Remember those sunflower seedlings from a few weeks ago?

 It seemed very appropriate to be in a garden today as my wedding took place in a botanical garden in Richmond, VA on this date 12 years ago.  Mike and I chose a reading from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, that was dutifully delivered by My Favorite Cousin, Susan Otolski, during the ceremony.  It described the strong pillars of the temple standing together yet apart, and the oak and the cypress growing not in each other's shadow.  We didn't fully realize at that time how well those words described our relationship, but they certainly have rung true over the past 4 years in particular.  We've been apart much of the time as Mike travels for work, but he was in my corner through my emotional departure from Food & Friends and again with my subsequent decision to pursue a more agriculturally-oriented career path.  This internship would not be possible without the financial freedom he has given me, and I feel very grateful to have such a supportive and enthusiastic partner in life.   Thank you, Mike.

So, while we're on the subject of vitality in relationships, look at this beautiful crimson clover that is growing in some of the beds that are resting in the garden.  In order to keep the soil healthy, beds need to be taken out of production every few years or so to give them time to restore their fertility.  Known by the charming term "green manures", legumes like clover, alfalfa, and peas help restore nitrogen to the soil.  Clover and alfalfa also have the added benefit of being a "biological subsoilers", which means they both have root systems strong enough to break up compacted soil far below the surface thus allowing subsequent plants to have greater access to deeper supplies of water and nutrients.  Clover also attracts bees: another great reason to have it in the garden.

Speaking of bees, another hive swarmed on Friday, but I missed it.  I think I was bringing the horses down from the pasture with Elexis when half of the hive known as Sophita decided it was time to find a new home.  According to an old saying, "A swarm in May is worth a bale of hay.  A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon.  But a swarm in July isn't worth a fly."  If you can determine the origin of this adage, I'll send you a prize.

Leaving comments

I've heard that some people have been unable to leave comments.  I have adjusted my blog settings, so this should no longer be a problem.  Please try again.  Thanks.

Rain Pants & New Shoes

Not too much to report on last week.  We spent most of the time writing plant names on Popsicle sticks and weeding flats in preparation for the annual Pfeiffer Center Plant Sale, which took place this past weekend.  The sale netted $8400, which was significantly more than last year, due in large part to the Garden Gold potting soil.  It's all the rage in Chestnut Ridge and the surrounding villages.

Yesterday, I ventured off campus and hopped a train into New York City to have brunch with fellow Food & Friends alumni Janice Cori, Kirsten Feyling, Greg Diamond, and Suzanne McMahon.  It was great to catch up and tell them about the past 3 weeks here.  Kudos to Kirsten for building a raised bed for vegetables in her cozy DC backyard.  Suzy, I hope you are able to do the same in New Jersey.

I'll really be able to whirl about like leaves on the wind in these babies.

Today started with care and feeding of the horses and rain.  After getting a bit soaked, we went into the dorm to drink tea until it was time for our eurythmy lesson.  Head Gardener Megan gave me a pair of eurythmy shoes (see right), so I'm going to be looking professional at our next lesson.  

Around mid-morning, I joined up with a group of kindergartners who were visiting from a local school.  After they had checked out the lettuce and chard beds in the garden, we brought them into the greenhouse.  We were talking about the baby plants on the table when a downpour suddenly began pounding on the roof.  It was so loud that Outdoor Educator Carol encouraged the children to yell to see if we could hear ourselves over the din.  Of course, they obliged.  When things started quieting down up above, one of the little girls turned to me and said "That was the rain making that noise?" with a look of surprise on her face.

When the rain let up, we showed the kids the outdoor oven made from clay and straw that is used to bake bread.  Then I stood next to a hive to show them that you don't need to be scared of bees.  This was followed by stops at the bees' favorite watering hole (a large plastic lid with sticks and stones to keep them from drowning), the tool shed, and the cabin where they got to smell some dried herbs.  The children's teacher is a gardener so she incorporates plenty of horticulture into her lesson plans.  After their outdoor time, the class headed indoors to learn how to make beeswax candles.  I, however, had to join the other interns in thinning the carrot bed in the rain.

Now, I'd like to say a few words about my new favorite article of clothing: Helly-Hansen rain pants.  I ordered them from REI for $25 after reading a 4-star review from someone who wore them to do 4 months of trail maintenance in Alaska.  They are worth every freakin' penny and more!  I don't know why they aren't a standard component of everyone's wardrobe.  They may very well be the most practical thing I've ever owned.  This is also a good opportunity to say thank you to my DC neighbor Rita Mortellaro for the REI raincoat she gave me.  It's a great companion to the pants.

Since we all worked at least one day over the weekend because of the plant sale, we were given time off this afternoon (but Josh and I still went to give the horses their afternoon feeding).  Lunchtime involved watching Elexis try to eat lasagna noodles like they were a much smaller type of pasta, Josh trying to eat a salad made with lettuce that was wasn't adequately washed, and Peter (aka The Dorm Mother) showing up with brownies for all of us from the cafe.  It was quite entertaining.

Bill Rocks!

Sunday morning at the hive

Sunflower seedlings

Basil, basil, and more basil...

A big shout-out to My Mom's Main Man, Bill Strauss, for the snazzy new camera he sent me.  Now I can document this experience in living color. (Happy Mother's Day to Bill's Main Squeeze!)

After all my talk about the bees, I thought it appropriate to include a shot of Imagination, the hive that swarmed the first week I was here.  Look carefully and you can see the bees flying toward the entrance.  Things seem to be going well for both Imagination and the still unnamed new hive a week post-swarm.

Second shot is of the sunflowers I started from seed in the greenhouse, where most of the day is spent when it rains.  It's very peaceful to seed and transplant things while the rain beats on the roof.   There are probably close to several thousand plants in there now.  I had watering duty this morning, and it took some careful maneuvering not to knock over the various trays of seedlings with the hose.

Third shot is a patchwork of the various types of basil we transplanted.  Can't you just taste the pesto??  Fellow intern Elexis and I are already dreaming about all the things we can preserve to eat in the winter months.

I almost forgot to mention that last Thursday I had the chance to help disk one of the fields.   Disking involves turning and breaking up clumps using a somewhat fierce-looking machine with about a dozen round metal blades that rotate as they are pulled through the soil.  The dynamic equine duo of Captain and Eva pulled the disking machine as Mac directed them via their lines (that's teamster lingo for reins) and I steered the machine with Peter coaching me.  As you may or may not know, horses are very strong and can move quite fast, so I had to take leaping steps behind the machine in order to keep it in the center of the row.  You definitely are living in the moment with this task.

Friday and Saturday were focused on second-to-last training session for what's known as "The Year-long Course".  This program provides part-time training in biodynamic growing practices with regular monthly sessions from September to June.  The interns attend all of these sessions for free.  Highlights included painting the trees in the orchard with a special paste made of manure, clay, and sand and turning the barrel compost.  Rather than building the typical pile of refuse, barrel compost is made by digging a shallow pit, lining it with bricks, and layering in horse manure that is then treated with special botanical preparations to help with its decomposition before covering it with plywood.  The pit had been created a month earlier so it was time to turn the manure and add more of the preparations.  It should be done breaking down in another month or so.  I know you can hardly wait to see my photos of that!

More Buzz

Yesterday, it was decided that a bee colony should be split into two because it had grown large enough to fill two hives.  We piled into the front and back of the beat-up Ford pick-up truck, along with the needed equipment, and drove up to the old apple orchard where the hive to be split was located.  Megan and Kirstin opened the hive known as Frannie and began looking for a couple of frames containing plenty of developing bee larvae (also known as "brood").  The plan was to move those frames to a new hive, without the queen, along with some nursemaid worker bees to care for the larvae, and a couple of frames of honeycomb for their winter food supply.  When the worker bees discover there is no queen in the hive, they will begin feeding one of the female larvae a substance called royal jelly, which causes that larva to develop into a queen.

This plan sounded reasonably simple, but it became more and more complicated as one by one people were either stung or harassed by the bees (those who were harassed were wearing dark colors, which makes them targets for bees).  Once you've been stung, especially if the sting is on a hand, you have to move away from the hive because pheromones are being emitted from the sting area that will cause more bees to attack.

After a bit of not-so-smooth maneuvering, the brood was transferred along with the nursemaids, but we still needed to transfer the honey.  A third hive known as Queen was opened because there weren't excess frames of honey in Frannie.  At this point, I had to step in and assist Megan with separating the frames in Queen in order to locate some honey.  I put on a hat with a wire mesh mask that surrounded my head (also known as a "veil"), pulled a hive tool out of my back pocket, and carefully worked with Megan to pry the frames apart, all the while negotiating with the numerous bees that were crawling all over the frames.  As I often played with bees and other insects as a kid, I was quite calm standing over the buzzing hive.  Megan found the honey we were searching for and I gently pulled the somewhat heavy frame from the hive and held it up for inspection.  I then carefully handed the frame to Megan and she carried it to the new hive.  It was placed near the outer wall of the hive so that it can serve as insulation as well as a food supply during the cold winter months.  I'm pleased to say that I was not stung in this process, but I know I will be eventually.  I'll be sure to give a full account when that happens.

Today, I handled the morning watering in the greenhouse then caught up with the others at the paddock where I cleaned one of Eva's hooves.   Because it was raining, we spent the rest of the day in the greenhouse weeding and removing dead and/or yellowing leaves from the numerous plants for the upcoming plant sale.  We finished early, which gave me time to get my reading done for tomorrow's discussion group.  I had planned to do some of my cleaning chores in the dorm, but somehow never quite got around to them.  Now it's time for bed...

The Buzz

Two days of training in beekeeping...I don't know where to begin.  They are fascinating creatures.  By a stroke of luck, I was able to experience my first swarm on Friday morning just a few hours before the workshop began.

A swarm usually occurs when the queen bee is aging and not able to keep up with her duties to the colony.  She and about half of the bees in the hive will leave in order to allow a new queen to be established.  The new queen is one of the original queen's daughters and those daughters will engage in mortal combat in order to determine who will succeed their mother.  This involves stinging each other to death or chewing open the cells in the comb containing their still developing sisters, which results in their deaths.  This is what is known as a primary swarm.  A secondary swarm occurs when a fight between two queens ends in a draw and one leaves.  It's quite a dramatic time in the hive.  It is also described as a birth because it means the start of a new colony.

The photo I've included, courtesy of intern Kirstin, shows Garden Assistant Megan and Senior Intern Peter preparing to remove the swarm from a tree that was fortunately quite close to the hive.  Sometimes you have to track the swarm over a distance.  Megan climbed onto the taller ladder and gave the branch a quick shake to get the bees into a box (she was stung several times in the process).  The box was then shaken into an empty hive.  From the obvious activity that is now occurring there, it appears that they are happy with their new home.

Here are some other things I learned about honeybees over the weekend:

• That smoke you often see beekeepers puffing around hives distorts the bees' sense of smell so they can't detect your pheromones.   It also makes them think there's a fire which distracts them from the fact that a person is coming into their home.  This makes them easier to work with.
• When working in hives, you shouldn't wear dark colors such as black or brown, nor should you wear anything fuzzy or woolly, because the bees may mistake you for a bear that will rob their hives and attack you.
• Fossilized honeybees have been found in Nevada, so they are not non-native to North America as previously thought.  Apparently, they were here millions of years ago, died off for some reason, and then were re-introduced by Europeans.
• The amount of nectar a bee gathers in its lifetime is the equivalent of 1/12 of a teaspoon.  
• It takes 50,000 nectar-gathering trips for a bee to fill a single cell in the comb.  The nectar is then concentrated to make honey.  
• It takes nectar from 2 to 5 million flowers to make 1 pound of honey.
• Bees also collect 66 pounds of pollen per year, per hive.  They use it as food: it contains protein carbohydrates, enzymes, several B vitamins and vitamins A and C, among other things.

I could go on and on about the bees.  I'm looking forward to gaining more experience working with them this year.  They are quite amazing.

Today, I helped groom the horses, had a eurythmy lesson (a type of dance/performance art that is taught here), and planted lettuce.  We were all a bit punchy having had little downtime due to the annual deep cleaning of the dorm on Sunday.  In the midst of planting the lettuce, an earthworm hit me in the side of the head after having been tossed by Josh.  Kirstin ended up with dirt down her pants courtesy of Peter.   Plenty of taunts and quips followed.  Not surprisingly, we were all given the afternoon off...