Spring Is Here, Let's Work

Hey farm fans, 

Spring is here. The fields are green. Trees are budding and gardens are being planted. Every thing is set in motion again. Birds sing. Flies, bees, and wasps go buzzing by. 

The farm is in full swing. Now we are beginning to transplant out our spring vegetables and we're starting our summer seedlings in the green house. This is the beginning of the busiest part of the season. We are so lucky to have had the help of many volunteers, family, friends, and visitors. 

Faith Formation Conference of the ECCC

In a creative Sunday service, this group sang a camp song for the Coop Mitchell ladies. 

Amber Carswell spent a few days of reflective service. She assisted in building a deer fence around our wheat field. 

Dave Daily, a professor of religion at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, brought his God and Nature class out to tour the Camp Mitchell Agricultural Project. They helped us make some beds on the garden plot we've been preparing across the highway from camp. 

Dave and his class.

Some good friends of mine that I grew up with in Heber Springs, Arkansas, came to visit us. They worked hard to build a deer fence around our spring vegetable garden plot. Now we can put out transplants without having to worry about the deer mowing them down. 

Our official work day held on March 22, went very well. We were able to make several beds by hand and plant out several cabbages, broccoli, and kale. Several people also worked to sow our first round of summer seedlings in the green house.

Photo courtesy of Carol Eden, also a big help at the work day!

The Coop Mitchell Hens have begun laying their first few eggs! We are so proud of them.

We taste tested a few of the first eggs against a store-bought egg. Our hens' yolks were much yellower. 

They youth group at St. Luke's, North Little Rock, came up for a Camp Mitchell work day. In addition to helping clear some leaves from around the camp property, they helped us make beds and transplant onions!

Planting blue berries in between the rows of wheat. 

We also had a good visit from our family in South Arkansas. They broke bread with us and worked to help us remove roots from our newly cleared field. This month was a beautiful example of how it takes a generous and involved community to support full tummies! It feels good to have been able to accomplish so much so far, there's a lot more to come so grab a shovel and friend and come join us!

Doug and Jenny