Urban Farming Externship - Week 5

This was the week of the gravel. We opted to clear out an unused space on the side of our house and use the gravel there. First, we had to clear the space of the weeds, debris, and random junk. Next, we shoveled the gravel into ten gallon buckets, which we then carried over to a setup I made with a plastic produce tray and a couple of bricks to rinse the gravel of dirt and leaves. Finally, after rinsing, the gravel was ready for the bed. 

By the end of it, I was soaking wet, covered in dirt, and sporting a legitimate farmer's tan! I'll admit, I was actually a little excited about the farmer's tan; it feel's really amazing to finally have a little piece of land that I can work with and connect to, and the silly-looking tan lines are a reminder of what's important to me - a connection with the Earth and learning to live a sustainable life. 

Here's a before-and-after of the space we cleared. I have so many ideas for what I want to do with it! Rows of veggies, quail, chickens, or even a quiet little reading nook! The space probably only gets a couple of hours of afternoon sun, so I'll have to take that into consideration when planning.

Here's a picture of the bed we filled. It still needs a bit more gravel for the overflow to work properly. I did fill it with water, and it seems to be functioning as it should. I'm actually glad I tested it as we added the gravel, because lots of little crickets had set up house in the pipe! 

Next week is the week of my wisdom teeth removal, so I'm not sure what it has in store for me as far as our project goes - but I'll post an update regardless. Blessings!