Composting Toilet Construction at the Free Farm.

The past few Wednesday workdays Steve and I have been building an outhouse for a composting toilet for the Free Farm.  It's been a crash course in simple construction that I've really enjoyed so far.  I'll make sure to put up some pictures soon showing our construction process, and the finished product in time for a free composting toilet workshop June 19th at the Free Farm.  Details below!

As many of you know, the Free Farm has no toilet or sewer connection. Laura Allen, of Greywater Action, will help us solve this problem by plumbing a composting toilet to be used by volunteers. Come help and learn about ecological toilets, that use no water and return nutrients to the earth. We'll finish construction on a urine-diverting composting toilet, discuss health and safety, codes and regulations, the benefits of composting toilets, and how to maintain a well-functioning toilet.

Date: June 19th
Time: 1pm - 4pm.
Cost: Free.

RSVP: Please send a brief email with the number of people coming to help Laura plan: info@greywateraction.org

Progress at the Free Farm

The post in March about progress at the Free Farm had great "then" and "now" pictures. Things haven't slowed down since then. I would even say that the Free Farm is in a new phase since March. We've been growing and harvesting fabulous crops to distribute. I love the picture above of Pancho talking to people and giving away food! Check out the rest of the pictures we've gathered as the harvests keep rolling in.

Produce to the People!

Local Food Economies at CounterPulse

Come check out the local food economies talk at CounterPulse tonight at 7:30pm. I'll be there representing the Free Farm, and a bunch of other really great projects will be there as well.

The making of an Urban Farm

this pic is from the ever awesome Cristina Ibarra

I am consistently amazed by the progress at The Free Farm, the work is moving so fast I think I've almost been taking for granted how much we've been able to accomplish in a few short months. A few weeks ago, Tree put up a really wonderful post on the Free Farmstand site about appreciation, and it really hit home with me. I feel really grateful to be a part of this project, for the partnership and hard work that has created and sustains it, and for the friends I've made and the inspiring new people I've met in the process. A big giant thank you to everyone who has been a part of it and everyone to come along the way!
I thought it seemed like a good time to post some "then" and "now" photos of our progress so far. The "then" photos reflect what the lot looked like before we started work in mid-January (yes of this year! as in 3 months ago!), and the "now" photos are from the workday this past Wednesday. I wish I had pulled off the row cover on all the farm style beds because they are all really starting to pop with vegetables. Next post, I guess! Enjoy and thank you!

The Free Farm is in the headlines!

Check out this great article in the SF Chronicle about The Free Farm!

My favorite quote from Tree: "Doing things for free encourages people to share," Tree said. "It encourages people to be community, to be family. It provides people the chance to be generous with each other."