Interwoven Update #2 1/11/15

There has not been much time for winter hibernation over at Interwoven. Things are moving along quite nicely, and we am really pleased with the direction things are going. The Interweb now has an on site mycologist, replete with a fully functioning mobile mushroom laboratory built in a semi trailer (pictures to come). One of the resident on site businesses, Dancing Spirit Herbs, is working with Mycosmith's Mushroom Lab (https://www.facebook.com/Mycosmiths) to include a new line of liquid mushroom extracts. We are gearing up to plant 200+ trees and shrubs come spring. While we wait for our perennials to become productive, and thus profitable, we are working to develop operations that can turn a profit to support the farm and learning center in the short term. Fungus has always had a special place in our hearts. We plan to inoculate a thousand logs, or so, by spring, to add to our previously small scale mushroom operation. We are currently cultivating shiitakes, and plan to include oyster mushrooms, and who knows what else...maybe reishi? More surprises to come.

We have an abundance of yellow pine on the land. We have begun selective cutting to later mill for lumber. Yellow pine doesn't really play nice with other trees, particularly when it was planted as a mono-crop. By selective cutting, we open the forest up for more productive species. We also get high quality timber without relying on the logging and shipping industry. We will plant new trees to take their place, the carbon remains sequestered, and we get massive amounts of building supplies to express our artistic vision. Everyone wins.

We have begun designing, and will soon be building, an outhouse on skids. The goal is to have zero odor, be spacious, mobile, pretty, and clean. There will be a sink for washing inside, complete with a foot pump for water flow. The no-smell requirement will be accomplished by including elements of rocket stove technology! Instead of rocketing heat, we will be rocketing out stink. We want even the most domesticated city slicker to feel comfortable using this toilet. Should we include a stain glass window?

Other building projects that are in the design stages are a mobile shower house on skids and a 7-8 sided community building with a spiral roof. Using material from the land will allow us to build these with low cost and with low environmental impact. The shower house should be done by early spring. The community building will be started in spring.

We finally got around to purchasing a 32 foot diesel school bus, which we have been eyeing for some time.  The plan is to convert it into a tiny home, which can be rented, or used as housing for volunteers. 

Other happenings include...mulching the gardens, creating compost using the Berkeley Method, main frame property design, wine brewing, transplanting wild nitrogen-fixing shrubs to the completed swale, and butchering chickens for the freezer. We also built a super sweet L shaped work bench in the barn.

We are preparing for our big push of projects come spring, when we plan to rise up like new shoots bursting from the soil.

We hope you'll follow our progress here at Interwoven, and become involved in some way. We'll offer many ways to do so, including offering food, workshops, classes, and events, and opening the farm up for volunteer days/weekends, open-farm days, and more!