Fall is Here and it's Corn-Mazing!

Yesterday, I went to the Cruze Farm Corn Maze. I've never been to a corn maze before, so I had a lot to take in and a lot of observations to make.

It was definitely a wholesome affair, attracting young and old.

We didn't know whose birthday it was, but did it really matter?

Height of this Pumpkin Head? About 5'5" tall.

The food was delicious, which is to be expected of Cruze Farm- ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, and fries. Mmmm.

In the maze, we were asked to spot some celebrities along the way. Here's Mary Costa, voice of Sleeping Beauty, who was from Knoxville, or lived here... I can't remember...

And here is Governor Bill Haslam. Striking resemblance!

I wasn't keeping time, but it probably took us about 30-45 minutes to walk through all of it. Not difficult, but we stopped along the way for some photo opps.

Of course, we bought snacks for the road. Look at that straw. Cruze Farm knows it's all in the details. 

Hope you can make it out there or to another local corn maze. I've heard of several, spooky and non.

Below is some info about the Cruze Farm Corn Maze. I'm not positive when their hours are, but I'm sure you can call them and find out: 300-3307. 

Thanks for reading, and Happy Fall!

Yours truly,

A new lecture and workshop series promoting Knoxville creatives

I attended Pecha Kucha 2 a couple of months ago at Relix Variety Theater. I didn't know what it was until I got there, but was pleasantly surprised.

In essence, it is an outlet for creative people to talk about what they make. There were about 10ish speakers and each talked for 5 minutes while a slideshow of 20 images was projected behind them. It reminded me of attending the visiting artist lecture series at UT in the Art and Architecture Building, but I like the idea of Pecha Kucha because it gives artists and designers making work in Knoxville a chance to share.

Pecha Kucha 3 happened this past weekend, but I was out of town for it. I know they happen about quarterly, so be on the lookout if you are interested in attending. You can friend them on Facebook for updates.

Attending Pecha Kucha got me thinking that there needs to be more of this type of thing happening in Knoxville. Artists need a place to talk about their work and to teach outside of an academic setting. Art and inspiration for all. So I've decided to see what I can do to help.

I am very pleased to announce that tomorrow will be the first lecture/ workshop in a long series, based on this idea of creative people sharing, brought to you by 17th Street Studios*.

Our first speaker is Katie Ries, founder of the Urban Land Scouts and graduate of the MFA Studio Art program at UT.



photo by Katie Ries

I have gotten to know Katie over the past year or so and have to say she is one of my favorite artists in Knoxville. My first run in with her work was at a show at 1010 where models wore elaborate costumes she had made to better connect them to their surroundings (Costumes to Save Your Life). Later, I knew her as the girl who took people on walks through 4th and Gill to find edible plants in the neighborhood. Her work is exciting, pertinent, and it doesn't hurt that she has a great personality to back it all up. (I only gush when I am sincere, for the record)






















photo by Luke Wilkins

These are her words about the what she will be sharing tomorrow night: My work addresses the intersection between modern people and their land. I will be discussing my most recent project, the Urban Land Scouts, and talking about other contemporary artists with similar social and land-based practices. I will lead participants in a round of making seedbombs so that all may take their newfound knowledge to the streets (or fields).

I do hope you can make it, whether you are an artist or one that appreciates art. It should be thought provoking, inspiring, and a great venue for discussion. It may also be a place where one could find a free beer and some snacks.

Here are the details about tomorrow night:
17th Studios Presents
an Artist Lecture and Urban Land Scout Workshop
by Katie Ries
Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 6-7pm
at Redeemer Church
1642 Highland Avenue, Knoxville, TN
on the corner of 17th and Highland

If you can't make it tomorrow but have any ideas for future workshops or lectures, you may email me at beth@bethmeadows.com.

*17th Street Studios is a work space for 11 artists and designers in the Fort Sanders Neighborhood.

Spring Planting Party this Saturday

If the Wigshop were to be a sorority (one can only dream!), I'd like for us to have two philanthropies: CAC Beardsley Farm and Food in the Fort. We've made friends in both organizations and we really like what they do for our community.

My friend Jess Wilkins has recently been crowned the "Food in the Fort Gardens and Lunch Coordinator" which means she is the liaison between the two groups. She would be the one to come to our chapter meetings and tell us how to be involved.

Let's pretend now we're all dressed in white sitting on the floor of a room in Panhallenic (does that place still exist?). I introduce to you, Jess, Food in the Fort Gardens and Lunch Coordinator.

You may remember reading about CAC Beardsley Community Farm in a posting last October when B wrote about her visit. Well, this time the good people at the farm have teamed up with local nonprofit Food in the Fort, a part of Redeeming Hope Ministries, to bring fresh, locally grown, and sustainably farmed fruits and veggies to the homeless and underprivileged of Knoxville.






















This Saturday their inaugural Spring Planting Party is taking place to kick off the 2011 growing season. It is an opportunity for people to come out to CAC Beardsley Community Farm, take a tour of the farm, learn Gardening 101, and enjoy some coffee and pastries. We will also be planting tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli that will benefit Food in the Fort. If you have no idea about gardening, come and learn. If you have every idea about gardening and want to put your skills to good use, come and show off. If you have nothing to do this Saturday morning come and enjoy what should be lovely weather and an even lovelier cause.

Here is what you need to know:

Saturday, February 19, 2011
9-12 (Rain or Shine) at
CAC Beardsley Community Farm,
(1719 Reynolds Street, Knoxville, TN 37921)

Contact for more information or questions:

865.546.8446,
BeardsleyFarm@gmail.com
Jess@RedeemingHope.com

A courtesy RSVP is warmly encouraged and recommended, but not required. We hope to see you there!

Thanks, Jess. Meeting adjourned.

The truth about Beardsley Farm {it's awesome}

Even though I've heard the name Beardsley Farm thrown around quite a bit the past few years and have participated in Snow Day, their winter fundraiser, for the longest time I've had no idea what they are all about. Until yesterday.



Katie Ries invited me to take a tour of the farm. She is one of four AmeriCorps workers there, and she gave me a much-appreciated rundown of what happens on the urban development farm. If you read no further, just know this: It's really really awesome what Beardsley Farms does.

First, and I think most importantly, did you know that they don't sell any of their produce? Well, I didn't. They give it all away to organizations like the YWCA and Food Not Bombs. They also use organic practices, no pesticides and all that stuff. This philosphy in itself is pretty amazing to me: to give the very best to those that cannot afford it.



Another function of Beardsley is to provide community beds where anyone can coordinate with them about planting and harvesting their own food. Food in the Fort has about five beds that they use for their program to feed the homeless. Something I think is pretty sweet as well is that next to the community beds, they have a gleaners bed with produce that anyone passing by can take.

The more I learned yesterday, the more I wanted to know how to help them.



My first proactive endeavor is to ask you to consider going to their next fundraiser called "Raise the Roots" on Monday November 22. Mahasti Vafaie, owner of the Tomato Head, and head cook of the Maryville T Head, Robert Birkholz, are going to prepare a meal for all those attending to help raise money for the farm. The event is at the Tomato Head in Market Square and you can buy tickets in advance here.



The fact that this private event is at Tomato Head sells itself, and for a mere $25, to have a seated meal prepared by the owner of one of the best restaurants in Knoxville (and maybe the world), with all the planning and preparation that go into events like this, well, it's a steal.

Some of the ingredients will be provided by Beardsley, and Tomato Head is providing the rest. Alcohol is not included but will be available for purchase.

Need a date? As an added bonus you can take Knoxville's 72nd best blogger, yours truly. Take a ticket, gentlemen, and get in line.

***

If you can't attend the event, Here are other ways you can help and support Beardsley Farm:

You can donate money.
You can donate tools, materials, and seeds.
You can donate time by getting your hands a little dirty. Just call or email them.
You can spread the word to your friends and peers.
If you're a teacher, plan a field trip with them.



Oh, and they have bees!!

Beardsley Community Farm
1719 Reynolds Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37921

Urban Farming Redux

Year two for Farmer Pol is looking promising.

I have expanded my beds, refined my layout, and timed my planting more appropriately. Lettuce, kale, sugar snaps, snows, brussels, broccoli, okra, tomatoes, and asparagus are on the menu for spring/ summer and I've got more in the works for summer/ fall.

Things I've learned this year:

- You can plant earlier in downtown than elsewhere because of the radiant heat. We likely average a good 3-5 degrees warmer which extends our growing period by a few weeks.

- Peas need a horizontal support, vertical wrought iron sounded like it would work well but the peas prefer something smaller to latch on to.

- One 4 foot row of Kale is enough for anyone.

- Go easy on the lettuce seeds, their germination rate is closer to 90% than 9% like I assumed.

- Small spaces allow for a more targeted and orderly garden. The design is as important as anything as it is a showpiece and a functional space.

I love my garden. It is big enough to produce enough produce to be practical, but not so big as to be a burden and time sink. I like to think that people headed to the city county building or out for a walk are pleasantly surprised to see such and unexpected thing in the middle of town as a garden.

Come by, enjoy, I'm happy to share (especially the kale). There are two pretty gardens on W. Hill at Henley, mine, of course, and Brian Pittmans just up the street. Neither of us mind if you look.

city chickens

C'mon, everyone likes chicken. I know I do. And eggs! I could eat dozens of those amazing morsels in all the multitude of ways they can be fixed. But in this post-Food Inc. world, I often take a hard look at those chicken breasts and cartons of eggs in the store. Where did they come from? Am I supporting an inhumane system of industrialized agriculture? If only there was a way I could know where my food came from.

Oh wait, there is! Right now in my back yard a multitude of plants are working to give me delicious vegetables and berries. I know exactly where they came from. I was there from seed packet all the way back to composting the soil for them. If I was a vegetarian, I could pat myself on the back and stop right now. But chicken.... delicious chicken.

So I can fork over more money for "organic" chicken (trusting that the farmers followed the the intent of the certification) or I can raise some myself- a few delicious egg-laying, succulent meat-bearing pets. Much more useful than my lazy, good-for-nothing dogs. Alas, I cannot. Yet.

Knoxville does not allow citizens to raise chickens inside the city limits. And culturally it's unacceptable to eat dog meat, so... what to do? A new proposed ordinance is up for a vote tonight at the city council that will allow those who want to to raise a limited number of hens (no roosters! I promise) on their property in the city. Here's the deal- read below and if you agree, copy it or paraphrase it into an email and send it to your city council member:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to express my full support for the Animal Control Board’s proposed ordinance change to allow residents to keep a small number of domesticated chickens. This change characterizes growing interest among our residents to expand urban gardening. This includes the keeping of small animals to support healthy, local food choices. I believe the ordinance is drafted in a manner to sufficiently protect property integrity, property value, and neighborhood aesthetics, as well as increase community interactions through gardening and pet companionship.

If supported by a fully staffed Animal Control force, I believe the currently proposed ordinance for domesticated chickens will benefit the community. Knoxville is not approaching this practice alone. Seattle, Portland (OR and ME), San Francisco, Denver, Fort Collins, Madison, Cedar Falls, and our neighbor Asheville, NC have recently passed similar code amendments. The main themes throughout these ordinances (and addressed by our city’s Animal Control) relate to limiting the number of hens, banning of roosters, and specifying that hens be confined within coops of specific design and construction.

Regards,

[YOU]

Better yet, join Lo and I at the council meeting tonight at 7:00. Hopefully we can make a big step forward for the urban gardening and organic movement in Knoxville. Thanks!