Shiitakes and Kiwis appear!

And just like that Greenhill gives us Kiwis and shiitake mushrooms in one day. The kiwi vines have finally reached an age at which they feel comfortable producing a lot of fruit. We set up ladders and scaffolding under the tipi arbor and still couldn't reach all of the fruit. We will try some new techniques tomorrow, hopefully harvesting the most ripened.  Here is a picture of a few ripe ones on our kitchen table!

4 medium sized shiitake mushrooms were popping out of the bottom of a small log Luke had inoculated 

a number of years ago. The log didn't fruit quickly and was discarded into the woods. Recently it was pulled from its forested grave and soaked in water for 2 days to possibly force fruiting of the questionable colonization. The log must have fruited sometime over the weekend while we all were away volunteering at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, ME. After quick inspection this morning we shouted in joy at the site of the first Greenhill Shiitakes! here they are-->

The Warner Fall Foliage Fest Approaches! Stop by our booth to purchase Local Organic Produce from Sutton, NH!

The Mother-Load

The Greenhill Collective earthen cob oven is almost all finished! The last layers of cob (clay, sand, water and straw) were added last night under overcast skies.

Over the weekend, Luke was able to extract 5 gallons of clay from the site of the mother load clay jackpot on the bottom of Lake Winnipesaukee at our family camp in Moultonborough. The clay surpasses all other clays we have managed to come across in quality and mixability (if that's a word haha) as we added it to the final layer of plaster-like mix that will be the exterior layer of the oven.
Its only a matter of time before we begin its first firing and from there let the pizza, bread and pie making begin!

In other news...big news that is... all of the solar panels have been installed to the new array adding up to 8 in total and man are they BIG!! With the array being finished its now up to the electricians to wire in the components that will be in the house including the inverter/charge controller, batteries and battery box. I am still shocked that we will have clean renewable electricity in the next short few days and can't even wait for it....
The first of a series of Greenhill Collective BYOPizza Toppings parties are about to be announced so stayed tuned for dates and time!!

I will keep up my blogging with this new app  I just got for my phone...hopefully it will allow me to post more.

Heating Up!

The weather has been incredible up on the hill and so have the deer fly swarms! With today bringing in continuous sunshine and slight breezes, the plants couldn't ask for better growing conditions. The next few days are forecasted to be in the high 80's to 90's with high humidity...ugh! But that doesn't stop us....
 
Construction on the Greenhill Earthen Oven has been rapidly progressing with Luke leading the charge and me lending a hand from time to time. So far he has managed to whip out the post and beam roof structure to keep our oven dry, as well as finish the stone and mortar well-head base that will be the foundation.

Here is a picture of him breaking up chunks of cement/urbanite bricks that we combined with sand to fill in the below ground portion that extends below the 4ft frost line.

Today we made a trip down to Corriveau Ruthier masonry supply and picked up our 25 fire bricks which will be the baking surface. The rest of the day was spent hunting around our property for a deposit of clay that we will mix with straw and some sand to form the cob exterior.

In the gardens things are beginning to really thrive. Weeding is a constant chore of course but its amazing and delicious fresh vegetables really are. We are hoping to attend our first farmers market of the year within the next 2 weeks, offering bread, certified organic vegetables (chards, radish, lettuce, herbs, basil) as well as Soothe Hand Luke's and Luke's Lips.

Our solar system is also under construction. The trench is dug and the ground posts frame of the panels have been finished. Now the panels need to be mounted to the frame. At that point the electricians will come in to rewire the house and install the inverter/charge controller. It will be a lot different around here with continuous power only adding to the potential that we have as a farming homestead.

Again all are welcome!
till next time
the greenhill collection

Picture Dump!!

Heres a few photos from the last few weeks of mushroom logs and dropping some big mama white pines on the western side of the house!

The Next Steps...

The weather has been kinda dreary up here on the hill the last few days with on and off rain showers occasionally breaking to partly cloudy skies. Great humid weather for shiitake mushroom growing! All of our shiitake logs are complete, and stacked log-cabin style on the floors of the pine forest of the south side of our barn. Last weeks weather, mid to high 90's for 4 days,  had us a bit stressed to get water out back to keep them at a high enough humidity to keep growing conditions optimal, but we managed to string a hose together long enough to give them a soak.

Luke and I have broken ground in the field for potato swales, and the rocks we have unearthed from the first few passes are immense. A lot of work needs to be done ripping out these serious boulders that seem to appear wherever you sink a shovel.  New Hampshire Potatoes for sure!

The latest word is that we have received funding for a grant from the NRCS for a 2,000 square foot greenhouse! Things are really coming together, and its exciting to think what will be done in the coming weeks! If anyone is interested in volunteering and learning about organic farming/homesteading, don't hesitate to drop us a line or head on over!
 till next time
GHCF

The season begins!

Hey all,
Spring has definitely sprung up here on the hill. Leaves are out and so are the mosquitos and black flies, and they are as hungry as ever thanks to all of this rain. This season looks to be one of the most productive to date as we set our roots and begin to take hold of the possibilities our fields and forests have to offer. Everyday brings about new additions to the farmstead. This first week of activity includes us finally finishing the metal roof job that never got finished over the winter. The last of the panels were set, flashing applied, and ridge cap installed....Looks like we won't have to worry about roof shoveling ever again!

The next big project currently being tackled in the inoculation of our first-ever batch of Shitaake mushroom logs (approx 250-300 when all is said and done). The job entails retrieving fresh, green, and still dormant hardwood logs (oak, maple, beech) about 40" in length and 3-8" in diameter from our woodlot. We then drill holes throughout the entirety of the logs length, and insert an inoculated mixture of sawdust and shitaake mycellium into the pre-drilled holes. The filled holes are then covered with melted cheese wax to keep in moisture and too ensure thorough colonization. We are experimenting with a variety of stacking techniques including log-cabin style stacks, as well as logs leaning against wire run between two trees. Extra attention needs to be paid to keeping the logs at a very moist and humid climate of about 80 degrees and 50-80% humidity.

I'll be taking pictures and posting them along the way to keep everybody updated on projects, up-coming workdays, and of course farm parties!