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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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Wasting Walnuts

Each fall there is no escaping the crunch of the smashed hulls of fallen black walnuts under our tires as we cruise back and forth in our cars along Pasturegate Lane. For those of you who don’t know what a black walnut is, it is a generic term for the wild walnuts native to North America. Black walnuts are related to hickory nuts and butternuts. There is one main species east of the Rockies, one of which grows along Pasturegate Lane between the horse stables and the “Honeymoon Suite.” Every Autumn this tree provides a bounty of nuts that typically are left to rot on the ground. This year I considered picking up the fallen walnuts and processing them rather than letting them go to waste. Ever eager to learn,…

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Is There a New Line of Defense Against Stinkbugs?

I’m sitting on my back porch watching three stinkbugs climb up my screen.  (Sigh)  This must mark the beginning of the fall pilgrimage when stinkbugs that have summered over in the grounds outdoors start moving into our comfortable homes to winter over with us, unwelcome guests.  But this year I have found a new line of defense against the stinkers:  SPIDEY! Spidey is a spider that moved into my screened porch last spring.  I noticed Spidey one day with a tight grasp on a stinkbug to that stinkbug’s demise.  I had understood stinkbugs to be an alien species with no natural predators in the area, which allows them to thrive (to our great annoyance). We watch, helpless beyond what our local pest control experts can advise. Stinkbugs are stowaways from Asia…

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Here’s to…

Here's to... Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of those who worked in the hot, dusty fields recently to mow, ted, bale and haul the hay to the barns for storage:  Deiter Haas, Bill Bohn, Angel Cyphert, Lynda Davis and Mike Friedman.  Those were the people I personally saw out in the fields.  If there were others that I missed, please note them in the comments section below so that we can thank them as well. If not for these folks who are willing to go out and do this dirty work on the farm, there would be no winter hay for the cows, no cows without winter hay and no income for the farm, since a tidy percentage of our income comes from our cow operation. So…

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