Just wondering if anything is developing in our area. It would be really nice :) I'd be able to help in some way but my health is so whacky, I couldn't take on the planning for one (and I've never even been to one!).
Had TONS of rain the past 2 days, especially the gully washer this morning. My carrots and turnips are loving it!
Janet
Any RU/get-together/whatever in the Greater Houston area??
I hope someone steps up to the plate for your area, you guys need to have one too.
Josephine.
I am in Hempstead, and like you Janet have never gotten to go to one, but I would be willing to offer my farm as a location for one. Someone with experience would have to hold my hand and walk me through everything, but I think it could be great fun.
Joy
That sounds great Joy, I hope someone will step up, it can be a lot of fun.
Josephine.
Heather (gr8cayte) and I are going to meet tomorrow to see if we can get something worked out for a RU at my farm. She has offered to help and I would love for it to happen. I know that a bunch of folks have lost a lot of plants due to the bad drought last year but even if there isn't much to trade, wouldn't having a get together with a pot luck be a good thing? I hope that it will work out for as many people down here as possible, please let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Joy
That's great Joy!
I've only been to one in our area, hosted by Randy in the Houston Heights. Here's how our day was organized just as an example:
A callout announcement was posted in the forums announcing a Round-Up was being planned and asking for attendees to sign up so a talley could be taken. Also, there was a sheet for folks to list what they had to trade, what they wanted to have, what they wanted to give away, etc. And a sign-up list for pot luck lunch items, and dinner peripherals (tableware, drinks, etc).
Folks started arriving Saturday morning at Randy's (between 8-9am), unloading trucks and cars, and trunks of plants and stuff to trade/giveaway.
[Since we were arriving at Randy's home so early, I believe he did the set up for a continental breakfast with coffee and juices and pastries, and I think I remember there was fruit. You could call out for a small donation for the breakfast set-up in advance if you want to.]
Everyone brought a dish for lunch.
First, we took a tour of Randy's JUNGLE garden (so much in such a compact space, and totally organized).
Then, after our pot luck lunch, we took a walking tour over to a neighbor's Greenhouse Garden Shop (walk off all that great food!!!).
There were also several groups of us who, after the walking tour, caravaned to a local Spice Shop for totally fresh spices of all kinds. Again, not far from home base.
We went back to Randy's after these excursions and it was time for desserts and coffee!
Then, we mingle, mingle, mingled some more, swapped plants, talked garden talk, and just enjoyed the outdoors, and indoors, and the conversation and fellowship.
When dusk rolled around, Randy had arranged for a wine and cheese tasting, and there was more tasting of desserts! Some people stayed, some started packing up to head on out. I remember folks had come from as far away as College Station? maybe? Definitely BigBubbles from either Austin or San Antonio.
We laughed and talked and had a wonderful time.
That's all folks!
Linda
Thanks for the input Linda, there is nothing within walking distance from the farm, well at least my walking distance, but there is a nice local nursery, small but can have some neat stuff, about 5 minutes away. I forgot Ellisons which is a big greenhouse or should I say multiple greenhouses, in Brenham which is about 15 - 20 minutes ride. There is also the Bluebell creamery, who doesn't like ice cream! We are struggling to get my cottage garden put together around the house, but we have 30 acres and several animals that like being fed, scratched and loved on. We also have a lot of water in our ponds, don't know how many fish survived the drought, but fishing is fun too.
Thanks for the itinerary, that gives us something to work with. The biggest problem is getting this set up and run before the heat is too much.
Joy
Oh, so I take it you would be interested???
Oh, so you figured that out???
All that you mentioned sounds like it would be GREAT fun!
►A nice local nursery tour
►The Bluebell Creamery DEFINITELY!
►Ellison's Nursery (15-20 minutes away) Some of us would love to see a commercial greenhouse in action
►Feeding/Petting/Scratching the Farm Animals
►Helping to plant a designated small area of your cottage garden (Many hands make the work light!)
►Catching a few fish from the pond (Fish Fry, perhaps???)
Sounds like a full itinerary to me!
Don't knock yourself out trying to do this before the heat sets in. Most of us will need to be home taking care of our gardens in the heat. We bypassed the heat and did the RU at Randy's during the cool of the fall. I believe it was October 7th or so. Nice and cool. No sweat (pun intended, LOL!)
YOU decide when the best time is for you -- after all, you're extending your hospitality to us!
Hugs!
Ive only been to the one in Josephine's area and Ive only been once. It began at noonish with the pot luck lunch after unloading all our plants. It was held in a park in Arlington and table space had been labeled with our names or handles so each one knew where to place what they had brought, each plant labelled with the "to" and "from". We put what we were giving on top of the table and what we were receiving, under the table on the ground. We had set up trades on the thread before arriving. After all the arranged trading was done, if there were leftovers, people were invited to take what they wanted. After the trading, we had a door prize drawing for small garden items that each person had brought for that purpose.
There was an attendence thread, a trading thread and a pot luck thread. Trading takes longer than you might think because we ask questions of the donor like how long has it been in the pot, do you have it in shade or sun, and also people bring other things that we want to know more about. One person makes butterfly cages for keeping a chrysalis safe until it becomes a butterfly. Another brought butterfly food and attractant. There were books and stakes and garden gloves and carry-all bags. there were kneeling pads and garden art, hose guides, plant ties, plant labels and seed catchers. A lot of recipe trading went on as well. There was some really delicious food to enjoy.
The one I went to was last May 1st and my neighbor and I had come from Houston where it was 75* when we left. The temp in Arlington had dropped 20* the night before and my neighbor and I were ill prepared for the cold 40* wind. Those there loaned us jackets and sweaters but it was still really cold.
I will attend yours, Joy and thanks for offering your farm. When it's a person's first time to host, I would advise keeping it as simple as possible. Field trips can be arranged after the weather turns hot so they might be another excuse for us to get together and bond. The Arlington RU has one person in charge of attendence thread, another in charge of the trading thread and another could be in charge of the food thread. As LInda says, many hands make light the work.
Thanks, I was definitely thinking of keeping it simple since we are so late into spring already. What would y'all think about one of two options to try for this spring. (I don't mind if the first one is small, gets our feet wet) What about April 15th or May 5th or 6th? I know it isn't a huge amount of time but it is at least a month and if there isn't a huge amount of trading at the first one, that is fine. Several people have mentioned to me that they don't have much to trade after the drought. I know I lost bunches. We will still have baby goats that will need bottle feeding then and should have a bunch of new lambs, goslings and ducklings. My back yard is full of post oaks for shade and is huge, as well as my wraparound porch or other places on the farm that will work.
Shall we go for it??????
Joy
I'm in! I have a couple of plants to trade or give away, can bring food, paper goods, whatever and could keep track of who is coming (attendance).
Ok, I have a city-girl question. Why would one need to bottle feed a baby goat? Wouldn't the mother nurse it? I am a retired lactation consultant but know nothing about nursing goats!
I also vote for April 15th just because it may be slightly less hot and humid... maybe.
:) Janet
Goats can become orphans for many reasons. A nanny may not have enough milk. Occasionally a nanny will kid, walk away, and not look back. Sometimes a nanny has twins or triplets and rejects one. Once my horse decided he wanted twin newborns for friends and scared the nanny away; she disappeared over the hill and did not come back. Lots of ways to get bottle babies!
We have Nubians, dairy goats. Most folks raise the babies off momma so they get more milk, and to keep from babies damaging mom's udder. I make cheese so having some milk for me is important.
I am waiting on a doe to kid who is monstrous, last year she had trips, and I suspect she may have quads which is two more than she has teats. So we will most likely move at least two off her and hand raise them.
This also helps to keep them gentle so that they will like people when they become old enough to milk.
BTW, wasn't a city girl question, I wondered it myself when I got my first goat.
I vote for the 15th as well, for the same reason.
Joy
I absolutely looooove goats!! Especially baby goats. I can't wait.
Hope to see you all there!
RU -- http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1246985/
Trade -- http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1248090/
Food -- http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1248115/
Oh, and there is also that huge statuary place just down the road from Joy's. (see pic if you don't believe me ;-) that pig is at least 4' high!)
