Trust for Working Landscapes

Saturday, December 12th 10 am - 2 pm

On-the-Farm Volunteer Opportunity: Join Trust for Working Landscapes (TWL) at Morales Farm for a work party to spruce up the place. This public farmland property is managed and maintained by TWL and we need your help with some general landscaping tasks to keep it working well and looking good. Morales Farm is located at the northeast corner of Highway 305 and Lovgreen Road. Bring gloves. Contact Bart at 380-5327 with questions.

Sunday, December 13th 2 pm

Join Trust for Working Landscapes for a farm walk at Suyematsu/Bentryn Farms. Begin at 2 pm at the farm stand on Day Road (where the pumpkin patch was!) and enjoy a 1.5 hour walk through the fall scenes of the island’s largest working landscape. Check out fall crops and growing techniques as well as the post-harvest vineyard. Sturdy shoes recommended. Contact Bart at 380-5327 with questions.

Please help out at the first of three Saturdays getting ready for the annual Harvest Fair at the Johnson Farm on Fletcher Bay Road. We will spend the first Saturday weed eating and trimming the farm up. There are apples to pick for the cider pressing, a beautiful farm to be on, and good farm friends. September 12th 10 - 2 PM. Bart Berg 380 -5327

Farm supporters,
This Saturday’s work party will focus on fixing and completing elements
of the Day Road Irrigation System. We had a major break caused by a tractor
which needs backfilling, brush needs cutting back at the pump house, pump
house door installed, all the field quick couple boxes checked and graded as
necessary. The east deer fence gate needs repair - you get the idea. So we
need help - please turn out.
We have also had the privilege of having the resources of the Kitsap
Conservation District Crew for this week and next clearing invasives along
the fence lines - come out and see their progress.
10 - 2 meeting at the greenhouse at the Day Road Winery entrance.
Thanks, Bart Berg bart@bainbridge.net / 380-5327

Come out to the Morales Farm (on the corner of Lovgren and 305) work party this Saturday from 10am to 2pm to help mow the lawn, remove the weeds and otherwise beautiful this important piece of Bainbridge Island farmland. Bring any tools (weed eaters especially) you have for general yard cleanup.

Join us at the Johnson Farm on Saturday June 13th for a volunteer work party! 10am -2pm, bring gloves, snacks if you wish, and a smile! There are jobs for everyone, easy or challenging! We’ll be working on various projects around the farm. This is a great opportunity to come see the Johnson Farm, help out, meet new people, and learn more about TWL and public farmlands.

Attendance was light, about five of us, but then we got a lot done anyway. The area by the stream is full of challenge and opportunity. There was junk to be hauled away - a whole pickup load of metal recyclables (thanks Mike L), garbage we put in Brian M’s garbage truck (thanks Brian) and old oil,chemicals etc. to be hauled off to hazardous waste. Between Russ and son Adrian, Laura Lleyellyn (a new farmer), Christy, Ed Hager and son Jared, we cut also cut out much of the scotch broom and blackberries. Christy has ordered native deciduous plants to provide a better riparian corridor next to the seasonal drainage and we will bring down chips from our work at M and E to cover the ground next to the drainage.

We will have another work party there next month if not the greenhouse rebuilding at Morales.

Work Party — Saturday, February 14th from 10 am - 2 pm (meet at the Day Road Farm Stand)

There will another work party at the Crawford property this weekend. We will continue the great work of the last work party several weeks ago where eight great folks cut down the fast growing alders and maples shading crop land to the north. This work party should finish that task and help make happy farmers by showing we care about the food they grow for us. Those with sharp and ready chainsaws are needed along with those who can assist clearing. We also need to repair the fence on which the trees were leaning and complete the cleaning of the fence line.

Farm Walking Tour — Sunday, February 15 at 2 pm (meet at the Day Road Farm Stand)

Another fabulous walking tour is available on Sunday, to be lead by TWL board member Brian Zimmer. The walk will take from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Light boots are a good idea. Come see what the farmers are doing and how the crops are faring at this time of year. We often we have farmers along to answer questions. Previous TWL projects will be discussed as we stroll along the beautiful farm land.

One of the largest work parties in recent months removed a number of alders shading the grapes growing in the south-west corner of the Day Road farms.

Bart felling a tree while the others wait safely in the distance.

Once the tree hit the ground, the chain saw vultures swooped in limbing and bucking so it could be moved to the brush pile and await the arrival of the chipper.

Some of the trees needed roping to help guide them away from the deer fence separating the Crawford property from the Day Road farm — here Ed had the honors of climbing the ladder and affixing the ropes.

All in all an extremely productive day, thanks to the volunteers for all their help!

When: January 4, 2009 @ 2pm
Where: Day Road Farms farm stand

Bart Berg will be leading another Farm Walk starting at the Day Road Farms farm stand on Sunday, January 4th at 2pm. The walk will cover seven agricultural properties before returning to the meeting point.

Please bring winter clothes and boots.

Contact Bart Berg at bart@bainbridge.net with questions.

Please consider joining the twl-announce mailing list to receive timely updates on all TWL events. Sign up from on the Contact page.

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About 8-10 volunteers turned out for the latest work party on Saturday at the M & E Tree Farm to clear the invasives taking over the property.

The brush was thick scotch broom and other invasives choking out the would-be Christmas trees so we got to work.

Volunteers were busy turning the brush into mulch.

In the end we made a lot of progress and the cleared land looks and feels better.

Stay tuned for more news about future work parties at M & E and elsewhere.