Dear Marlin... I too would like to help out....I would be
happy to get a gift certificate from one of your suppliers...please let us know
specifics because there seem to be a number of us who want to do this. If
you name the supplier, we can contact them on your behalf, or whatever works
best.
I remember reading somewhere in Wendell Berry's writings
that a good farmer is first a good neighbor...seems that you have been that
to others, now let us be "good neighbors" to you!
nan at dancing goats farm, n.mississippi
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 8:05
PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Trial By
Fire
That is quite a trial! I'm sure the market farming internet
community would like to help. How about a gift certificate to Home
Depot or your favorite home and garden supplier?
Sheila
Far Out Gardens
Boulder County Colorado
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 4:37
PM
Subject: [Market-farming] Trial By
Fire
On Thursday morning, Feb 22 Glen Eco Farm experienced a
devastating fire that destroyed our house, our plant starting
greenhouse, and shop. Our market van, four wheeler, a car, riding
lawn mower, our seed inventory, and all of our shop and garden tools
were destroyed. A tractor sitting about 15 feet away from the
leanto tool shed adjoining the garage was severely damaged but
reparable. Plastic on the hoophouse another 15 feet farthur away
melted in the heat. The fire was driven by a 50 mph wind that came up
suddenly in the mid morning and gave me only a few minutes from the time
I discovered it til I could warn my wife, make one futile attempt to put
it out, and dash back to the front of the house to grab a few
items. We escaped the house with seconds to spare and sped away
from the front of the house in our car with the tail light lenses
beginning to melt in the heat.
We were able to salvage some clothing
and a few pieces of furniture from the walk out basement which did not
experience fire damage. Amazingly enough we were able to salvage
much of my work clothing from a severely charred chest of drawers in the
otherwise totally gutted master bedroom and most of the appliances,
utensils, and some food in the kitchen. We saved about 2/3 of our
already germinated plants from the greenhouse before a large piece of
flaming debris fell beside it, destroying the structure and frying the
remaining plants inside.
We are doing OK considering the
circumstances and most of our immediate needs are being well taken care
of. We have been blessed by overwhelming response from our local
church community, our CSA patrons, and the local Kurdish community who
have been giving us good patronage for several years. Five days after
the fire we held on schedule our annual signup and kickoff meeting for
CSA and signed up once again over 60 CSA shares. On Saturday
morning, March 3, nine days after the fire, around 30 guys with varying
carpentry skills and a good bevy of women skilled at keeping us fed and
watered, converged on our place to raise the packing shed and 1/2 of the
pole barn we had begun building a few months earlier and to begin
repairing the damaged hoophouse and to convert it to a plant starting
greenhouse. Yesterday we got the plastic on the greenhouse. I have
reordered and received much of the lost seeds and have been given back
significant amounts of heirloom seed which I had been sharing with
friends and relatives within our local old order Mennonite community for
the past several years. This coming week I hope to get back to
gardening only slightly behind schedule. Life will go on. For all of
this we are deeply grateful!
Due to all the disruption of our routine
and the ensuing physical and emotional stress I have not yet gotten to
posting the fire story on my blog. I have written some of the stories
and hope to have them completed and posted soon along with
pictures. My blog can be accessed by googling "Musings >From Glen
Eco Farm". www.gleneco.blogspot.com
We covet your prayers as we continue our recovery.
Marlin
Burkholder Shenandoah Valley Virginia.
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