Winter is almost over, and with it the time for
introspection also draws to a close. The heavy rains and shorter days have given
us time to create a sign system that illustrates our priorities in the garden. In
the coming year some focuses like crop selection and soil building will stay
the same, and this season they will be enhanced by a winter of planning that we
did not have last year.

Education is also a key priority as we enter the 2008
growing season, and one of the primary tools that we developed this winter is
our garden didactic system. This collection consists of 23 concept signs and 30
profile crop signs. They will be scattered throughout the garden to greatly
enhance its accessibility.

This project was beneficial to the Energy Garden initiative
because in the process compiling the content, we were able to summarize our
work to date. In addition, the signs helped us to identify the focal points of
the garden and the methods that influence its development.

The concept signs consist of:

·
Goals of the Sebastopol Energy Garden

·
Community Compost Collection

·
The Sebastopol Energy Garden Growth Collage

·
Square Foot Gardening Method

·
Natural Farming – The “Do Nothing” Method

· Cover Crops

·
The Water Catchment System

·
Drip Irrigation

·
Culinary Herb Spiral

·
Mandala Garden: The Sheet Mulch Technique

·
Methods of Season Extension: Towards a “Four
Season Harvest”

·
Appropriate Technologies

·
Processing and Harvesting Techniques

·
Tree Guilds: Edible Forest Gardening

·
Garden Cycle Tracking

·
Ethanol Production

·
The Fractional Still

·
Recycling and Compost: Designing “From Cradle to
Cradle”

·
Chickens

·
Biointensive Concepts

·
Permaculture Principles

Each sign corresponds to something that is happening in the
garden or that has influenced its progression. There are also 30 profile crops
that we have chosen because of their ability to help us adapt to Peak Oil.
Instead of a lawn, we are selecting a great range of crops to benefit humans
and the environment. Please see http://www.energyfarms.net/node/1495 for a list
of these crops.

These signs will enable people with a wide range of
understanding of sustainability to experience a transformed suburban lawn. When
people visit this year, during our second growing season, they will be
introduced to a diversity of crops with a large variety of functions. In
addition, they will be exposed to techniques and technologies that are easy to
learn and have the potential to make a big difference in their lives.

The rains will soon stop, and spring will bring a time of
action. We will sow seeds of diversity in the garden and hopefully, inspiration
in the community. The Energy Garden is always open to visitors and we look
forward to helping more people experience the resilience of the Earth.

The snow is falling again this morning, giving me a good opportunity to give a report related to the planting and planning that has occurred in the last three weeks of February.

Starts:

On February 7^th, Jason and Rachael started peas and onions in a glass house. Sown in flats according to the methodology of Grow Biointensive, approximately 1000 pea seeds were seeded. On the 24^th, Jason and I planted kale and chard seeds into flats in hopes of getting a jump on those crops.

Orchard and Perennials:

On February 15^th and 16^th Jason and Rachael worked with a new volunteer Lauren Kitover. Over the past couple of years Lauren was the coordinator of Laytonville’s community garden. She also works part time for Bountiful Gardens, the non-profit seed company in Willits. Together they planted 17 of 29 planned orchard tress, 5 blueberry plants, and a number of tree collards. On Saturday the 17^th, Rachael and Lauren planted out sections of the perennial beds in strawberries, asparagus, and rhubarb plants. It is very exciting to visit the site and see the first plants in the ground. The fruit trees planted include:

Apples Varieties

• 2 Gravenstein
• 2 Liberty
• 2 Red Fuji
• 2 Sierra Beauty
• 1 Arkansas Black
• 1 York

Cherry Varieties

• 1 Lapins
• Montmorency

Plum Varieties

• 2 French Improved
• 2 Green Gage

Fig Variety

• Black Mission

Well and Irrigation System:

Earlier in the month there was an opportunity to get a well drilling rig onto the site (without severely compacting the soil). To drill in early February is not conventional since most wells are drilled in the summer (the later in summer the better to get a true test of the possible lowest water yield). It would have been an advantage to drill this month because well-drilling units are usually busy in “peak” summer months. In preparation and to understand as much as we could about this very important investment, Jason and I reviewed the literature regarding ground water resources for Mendocino county and Willits. After reviewing the document Jason made a couple of “bare-minimum” calculations and we agreed that the well would have a minimum depth of 90 feet. Clearly, the well-driller would be able to tell us this, but it never hurts to some of the research on your own. In the end, the rains came and the well will not be addressed until later in the summer.

Nevertheless, on February 19^th Jason, David Drell, Rachael and I met to discuss the layout of the irrigation system. We decided on the type of sprinklers and the various zones of water coverage and crop rotation, talked of the DC powered pump and pressure tank, and mapped out a general schematic of the ground lines. This irrigation system needs to be both flexible (accommodate the rotation and type of crops) and durable (to inure reliable operation long into a powerdown). With simplicity as our guide, the system can be automated, but does not rely on automation and can be operated just as effectively manually. Since we will be using municipal water until we get our well in, we will have to filter it. Instead of a large filtration system, we are going to use hose bibs at the end of each hose line. These bibs used activated charcoal to remove sediments.

As part of her program with Mendocino College, Rachael is charged with sourcing parts, planning, and designing the schematic for the irrigation system. She recently provided a detailed parts list and a schematic. The work looks very good and we will have another meeting to discuss the latest developments in March.

Farm Structures:

Plans for a composting shed and a chicken coop with brooder were drawn up. Neither is ready to present but they are nearing completion this March. These structures are intended to utilize the existing backstop located in the Northwest corner of the site.

Starts in Glasshouse

Brookside Students With Fruit Trees

Lauren Digging Holes For Orchard Trees

Rachael Planting Tree Collards