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Farmcolony’s Mighty Men

Gritty. Resilient. Passionate. These are words used to describe Farmcolony’s mighty men, Spartans Greg Prior, Eric Nitzsche, and Matt Hodges, who took part in the recent 2019 Virginia Super and Sprint Spartan Race held October 26-27 at Infinity Downs and Oak Ridge Farm in Nelson County. This is no casual 5K or fun run. The Spartan race is a military-inspired obstacle course combined with trail running that pushes competitors mentally and physically beyond their limits, and then some. There is mud, water, barbed wire, walls, rope climbs, cargo nets, plus “Spartan-inspired” obstacles such as a spear throw and a fire jump, obstacles designed to test your mental fortitude and physical strength, to rip you from your comfort zone. Mighty men push through it. Greg, Eric and Matt pushed through.…

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Two Farmcolony Residents Featured in Art Display

For our interest and amusement, Greene County Economic Development & Tourism, in partnership with the Art Guild of Greene County and Vyvyan Rundgren in particular, initiated what has become the largest barn quilt trail in Virginia. Barn quilts are painted quilt-like designs on plywood.  The Blue Ridge Barn Quilt Trail in Greene County currently displays over eighty barn quilts throughout the county on barns, sheds, houses, fences, porches and mailboxes and even in gardens.  Many businesses also display the colorful artwork which can be viewed by driving the trail that points out barn quilts tucked throughout the majestic mountain-scape of Greene County.   Two of our residents, Ellen Thurnau and Ann Bohn, have barn quilts featured on this tour.  Ellen’s barn quilt, “Read, Read, Read,” (shown above) appropriately graces the side…

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What to feed (and not to feed) our farm chickens

By Roberta Culbertson (i.e., Chicken Lady) To all of you Farmcolony folks inclined to feed our chickens, feeding is welcomed, but it is important to know what to feed or not to feed our chickens to keep them healthy and happy.  Chickens love variety in their diets, but, like us, some foods make them happier than others.  To keep our chickens happy, here is a list of what you can and should NOT feed the chickens from a reliable chicken website called “Backyard Chickens.” Most importantly, do not give chickens spoiled food or stuff listed below under “DO NOT  FEED CHICKENS” See you down at the coop. Love, The Chickens and their Human Colleagues Y’ALL DON’T BE STRANGERS NOW!  BAW P.S.  If you give us chicks some fresh water,…

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Perilla Pulling Party

Ain't we got fun! When the call came out, Farmcolony residents rallied round to pull and eradicate (not likely) the unwanted perilla weed. THE PERILLA WEED A member of the mint family of plants, perilla is known by many names -- shiso, beefsteak plant, Chinese basil, rattlesnake weed, and purple mint. By any name it is a toxic weed that can create respiratory problems in cattle, goats, horses and other ruminants that consume the plant while grazing. Originally from Asia, it is considered an invasive species in the U.S. Dr. Joel Cline, DMV, Director of The J.B. Taylor Diagnostic Laboratory in Elba, Alabama says that “Livestock poisoned by perilla mint have respiratory problems from lung lesions, with symptoms similar to pneumonia.” Sure enough, Farmcolony has lost some cattle presumably…

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Farmcolony Welcomes New Families to the Farm​

Lisa and DJ Gano Olivia, Madelyn, Westley Thank you for the welcome! We bought the Higgins home: 61 Farmview Rd. We have lovingly named our home Greene Gables! DJ and I grew up in Bunker Hill, WV, and have been married for 17 years. DJ just retired after 20 years of active duty service from the Air Force. He has his MBA in Project Management and took a job with NGIC. I have my BS and MA in education. I taught at a private school for three years in TX and have been homeschooling our children for the past five years.  Our children: Olivia 13, Madelyn 11, Westley 1. We’re so excited to contribute to the farm. We used to have chickens so the children and I signed up for the chicken…

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FARMCOLONY ANNUAL MEETING AND BOARD ELECTIONS SATURDAY, AUGUST 3​

The Farmcolony Annual Meeting will take place Saturday, August 3. 1 PM – Meeting and Voting Soft Drinks and Water Provided 6 PM – Dinner Please bring a dish to share. Fried chicken will be provided by hosts Mike Friedman, Kathy Arbour, Miles Lee and Roberta Culbertson. Please RSVP to Kathy Arbour at kath_arbour@yahoo.com or 808-344-6046. A field of six candidates will vie for three open seats on the Farmcolony Board of Directors. Those running include (in alphabetical order): Billy Arbour (incumbant) Kathy Arbour Bill Bohn Barbara Brecht Erich Nitzsche (incumbant) Malou Stark (incumbant) We tracked down the candidates and asked them the same set of questions.  Four accepted the invitation.  Here's what they said. BILLY ARBOUR​ Q: Why do you want to be on the Board and what…

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FARMCOLONY MARKETING SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN

The results of the marketing survey undertaken by the marketing committee are now in.  Below you can read a summary of key findings from the survey that includes comments from members of the community.  If you would like to receive the complete raw data provided by the survey site that includes all of the questions and answers to the questionnaire, simply send a request to nsopher7@gmail.com and a copy will be sent to you. Summary of Key Findings Why conduct a community-wide survey? Community surveys are a well-established marketing tool and considered the most efficient method for collecting high-quality feedback from members of a community.  A successful community survey provides insights into what different stakeholders view as the community’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, but beyond collecting input from stakeholders, a community…

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Farmcolony is Seeking Nominations for Three Elected Positions on its Board of Directors

The Nomination Committee of the Farmcolony Homeowners Association (FCHA) is working to prepare a slate of candidates interested in serving on its board of directors for the 2019-2020 election year.  By serving in a leadership capacity, you can make a positive impact on the future of the farm.  The Board of Directors is a “governing” board by law.  Farmcolony’s by-laws specify a seven-member board each serving a two-year term.  The Board of Directors meets at least every three months during the year, and on other occasions as needed.  The nomination committee is seeking candidates to fill three open positions for the upcoming term.  Elections will take place at the annual meeting on Saturday, August 3.  Candidates must be members in good standing in the FCHA.  This is an opportunity to contribute…

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Spend Memorial Day with your neighbors

Join your Farmcolony neighbors on Sunday, May 26, at 4:00 pm at the garden gazebo for our annual Memorial Day picnic.  This event has become a wonderful tradition that brings our community together to commemorate not only those who have given the supreme sacrifice while in service to our country, but to remember and express our immense appreciation to those who came before us and contributed so much to the growth of the farm. The festivities will take place at the gazebo overlooking the community garden area.  Residents built the gazebo in memory of Farmcolony resident Roger Arborgast who passed away in 2007. Beloved by the Farmcolony community, the gazebo still stands as a testament to Roger’s life on the farm. Brats, beer, soft drinks and water will be…

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Is it Safe to Use Manure in the Garden?

Animal manure has been used in vegetable gardens for centuries, right?  Back when people rode horses and families kept milk cows, animal manures were a natural source of fertilizer for home gardens. Today, publicity about E. coli outbreaks have made people more aware of the risk of food-borne illness and many are now questioning the safety of using animal manure on food crops, including one Farmcolony neighbor who raised the issue as we were digging out straw and manure from the goat shed. Several of us wanted to take the droppings to the garden, but she resisted. “Animal manure can make people sick,” she insisted as we discussed where and how to dispose of the droppings.  “I don’t want to eat greens that have been exposed to manure,” she added.  Is she…

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