Today@Arcosanti - Agriculture category

GREENHOUSE - HIGH TUNNEL

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:56:41 GMT

Today's early morning visit to the Hightunnel Greenhouse revealed a surprising collection of crops this late in the season. Despite near freezing outside, the inside of the greenhouse was temperate without any heating arrangements other than the sun. And the last few days have been mostly overcast with quite a bit of rain and sprinkles of snow.

[photo & text: Sue]

There are still organic tomatoes, salad greens and chard, as well as parsley, chamomile, four different kinds of basil, nasturtiums. Here volunteer Carmen Thennes is harvesting crops for the Arcosanti cafe as well for the residents of Arcosanti.

[photo & text: Sue]

Public Relations Andrea Speed is picking tomatos.

[photo & text: Sue]

Some seedlings are coming along in a halfpipe suspended along the south wall of the greenhouse.

[photo & text: Sue]

AGRICULTURE - HIGHTUNNEL GREENHOUSE

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:22:29 GMT

Last year was prolific for the southwest bed in the High Tunnel Greenhouse for tomatoes.

[photo & text: Maureen Connaughton]

The southwest bed was recently amended for new salad greens.

[photo & text: Maureen Connaughton]

Through the winter and early spring, the High Tunnel Greenhouse will be supplying the café and CSA members with fresh greens like butter crunch, red leaf, spinach, baby bok choy, romaine and chard as well as herbs like dill and parsley.

[photo & text: Maureen Connaughton]

Seed starts in progress include: tomatoes, cantaloupe, peppers, and chiles.

[photo & text: Maureen Connaughton]

OLIVE HARVEST

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:52:39 GMT

On Wednesday, November 17th, we harvested olives at Arcosanti.

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

The crew started at 7:30 am and worked into the afternoon picking olives to be pressed for olive oil. Workshop participants and community members gathered together to pick olives, first the shorter trees in the Minds Garden and then the taller trees around the main Arcosanti site.

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

A lot of olives on the shorter trees could be reached from the ground, or on tip-toes.

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

A ladder was used to get into the tops of the trees. A bucket could be hung around the neck to keep the hands free.

The harvest continued the next day at Cosanti with the workshop participants the only workers. The final results: 839 pounds at Arcosanti and 465 pounds at Cosanti!

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

YOUNG EAGLE

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:09:14 GMT

Something has been stealing some of our chickens and the culprit may just be this young eagle, sighted in camp, right near the chicken run, in the afternoon of Sunday, November 14. 2010.

[photo & text: sue]

Eagles are a very rare sight here at Arcosanti, this happy photographer has seen only three in the last 32 years.

[photo & text: sue]

[photo: sue]

GREENHOUSE - HIGH TUNNEL

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:36:07 GMT

Throughout the hot Arizona summer the High Tunnel Greenhouse was covered with a lightweight "Aluminet" shade cloth.

[photo & text: sue]

Nate Hodgson is taking care of planting and harvesting, as well as daily chores in the greenhouse. Most of all Nate has put together the ventilation and watering system. Here he reads up on greenhouse lore.

[photo & text: sue]

Harvest from the greenhouse has been a wonderful addition to the public cafe menu, as well to for the residents of Arcosanti. Organic tomatoes, salad greens, chard, melons, cucumbers and basil have been the main items.

[photo: Nadia Begin & text: sue]

As fall has started the shade cloth is removed and will be stored until the beginning of summer next year. Here we see Nate in the back, Dave Tollas and workshop participant Matt Cornwell. Matt has been working with Nate throughout his workshop to learn all about this greenhouse.

[photo & text: sue]