We didn’t know there were any longleaf at the bottom of the pond, but the white candles are unmistakable:
Pictures of Longleaf pine (Pinus Palustris) by Gretchen Quarterman
for Okra Paradise Farms, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 April 2012.
The needles are also longer than on the nearby slash pines:
Continue readingHeron in slash pine tree:
Here’s a slideshow.
Does the jar grow around them?
Here’s the video:
Planting Pickles
Video by John S. Quarterman of Gretchen Quarterman planting cucumbers
at Okra Paradise Farms, Lowndes County, Georgia, 16 April 2012.
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Returning for its second year, Valdosta Farm Days starts this Saturday:
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There’s a list of vendors on VFD’s web page. See also their facebook page.
Support local agriculture and buy direct from area farmers while shopping at Downtown Valdosta Farm Days.
The market presents producers from the surrounding areas of Lowndes County offering fresh fruit, vegetables and so much more.
Come for the freshness and stay for the fun at Downtown Valdosta Farm Days!
At the market, you’ll find locally-grown, locally-raised, locally-produced fruits and vegetables, plants, herbs, meats, farm-fresh eggs and dairy products, baked and prepared foods, snacks, and coffee. You’ll also find a variety of artisan and natural value-added products including products made from recycled goods, birdhouses, handmade soaps and body products, candles, gift baskets, and honey products.
Oh, look! Potatoes from Okra Paradise Farms! OPF won’t actually have those there this weekend (they only just bloomed last week), but stay tuned for later Valdosta Farm Days!
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Potatoes red and white, peas, onions, turnips, collards, and radishes!
Here’s a playlist:
Growing in the Garden
Gretchen Quarterman explains it all for you, assisted by Brown Dog and Yellow Dog.
Videos by John. S. Quarterman for Okra Paradise Farms, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 March 2012.
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Yes, Brown Dog and Yellow Dog found another hog-nosed snake. Hiding:
Boxed:
This is a road, at least a hundred years old, after a prescribed burn:
Those are mostly slash pines (Pinus elliottii), with one or two longleaf and some oaks.
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Yellow Dog and Brown Dog pointing:
Can you see it there, between the wiregrass and the oak log?
High and higher:
Lowndes County, Georgia, 7 March 2012.
Pictures by Gretchen Quarterman for Okra Paradise Farms
Closeup:
Continue reading
Photo CC BY-ND Okra Paradise Farms
You can see the old panels sticking up on the left, and we’re sitting on some of the new panels, which continue on the lower roof on the right.
These panels were purchased with the assistance of a
USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) 25% grant:
Eligible projects include those that derive energy from a wind, solar, biomass, or geothermal source, or hydrogen derived from biomass or water using wind, solar, or geothermal energy sources.The REAP program will probably be renewed this year, so if you have a farm, you could apply.
We also applied for and got a
U.S. Treasury 30% grant from the
1603 Program: Payments for Specified Energy Property in Lieu of Tax Credits.
That program was funded by the
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).
Finally, there is the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) 35% Clean Energy Property Tax Credit, which will apply in parts over four years.
That all adds up to 90% covered by grants and tax credits, which is a pretty good deal.
Now that remaining 10% is still a significant amount;
like the price of a small car.
But in 7-15 years (how long it will take to pay off this system,
depending on how you figure it),
what would
the value of a car be?
Much less than when you bought it.
Meanwhile, these solar panels will be generating almost as much
power as they are now, and they will continue to generate for
at least a decade more, probably much more.
The big missing piece is up-front financing. For more on that, see other blog post.
Meanwhile, we have here on our workshop roof a proof of concept, operational right now.
The little dogs wanted to know what we were doing on the roof: Continue reading