Weclome to Harmony on the blog. This Harmony Farm News, here at www.harmonyfarm.wordpress.com is news on the projects volunteers, such as yourself, have helped us with. “Forest Gardening Meets Deep and Spiritual Ecology” has my experiences with All Beings.
Yes we will be increasing the resolution of our header pic and replacing it from time to time. This one is from the wild zone of the south bank just up from Wisdom Creek. One of the really special green, luxurious, hardly ever go to, leave it as it is areas.
Neighbour’s Space
Its amazing, so much like Harmony, right next door, and coming on the market soon, so that it can be added to the forest. Harmony Forest wants to expand, and have a friend like you living there too, with a view of Blueskin Bay, living on the edge of the native forest you know as Harmony.
If you would like to be that person, or can help in anyway at all Harmony Forest is keen for this, and is making it happen. It would even like to see a eco-visitor centre and eco-education meeting space on the bare land portion just by Waitati Valley Road.
Read more about it and keep up to date with developments by visiting Harmony Forest’s Blog,
If you would like to be involved in any way at all, Harmony and I welcome your support.
You might even contemplate on it and see what you come up with as your part in this development in bringing people and remaining native forests together!
Water to Waitati
As I write this there is a drawbridge over a pipeline that this moment is passing Harmony’s front entrance on its way to take water that Dunedin is short of back north towards where it came from – to supply Waitati and Warrington with water that their residents are no longer encouraged to collect off their roofs. Harmony Farm remains indebted to the rain and to the roofs of its buildings, Gateway Creek and Wisdom Creeks that provide water, sparkling with life, on site.
Sacred Space
Lorraine’s cabin has been lined ready to receive a little of the furniture from our house in Ryehill St when it sells. We have also started on the steps to the front door of Sacred Space Cabin. Lorraine however is planning to spend the winter in the North Island weaving and visiting nature spots so maybe David will be in the cabin.
Wash-House
An interesting shape is emerging from the forest edge that gave it birth. A large rock is lending itself as the support for a handbasin. Other rocks have jostled for position to support a wall, to gift their weight to the building (to which they are wired) during winds and earth movements, and to act as steps into an enclosed wash-house, and three of the rocks will be busy doing all three jobs! The roof of the wash-house has taken on the form of the tree and the mountain and naturally enough for a Harmony building is different heights in each of its corners. By a Tree Fuchsia it aspires almost 4m high which quickly slopes like the canopy of a tree to heights of 3m, 2.6m, and 2.4m, and 2.2m in its other corners. This roof extends as a verandah over the hand-basin rock and shower that will be indoor/outdoor optional with views into the privacy of the bush behind the hand-basin. The high ends of the roof will house a bedroom in their loft.
For walls four doors bought for in an auction for about 50c each have been used as their enclosed air spaces are close to 25mm, which is the best “size” of air to trap for insulation. Around these an opening door and various windows are being framed.
Small space chicken netting has been stapled to the framing spread out and gravelled so all rodents that have not been given a front door key will feel inclined to stay out of the bedding, washing, and clothing that will be stored in the “Wash-House”. Hand or foot powered washing machines, tubs, and sink benches will complete the picture in the years to come.
Water will be heated in the fire-bath and pumped to the shower by a 12-volt system, and if needed into the wash tubs. A little wood stove may one door find safe harbour inside the wash-house itself but with a floor area of just 2.65m square we are not sure if that will fit!
Traveling
Lorraine and I are away now to walk in the forests around Glenorchy and Paradise for 8 days or so before gently taking the inland route to arrive LivingSprings.co.nz near Govenor’s Bay, Akaroa Peninsula for an Eckankar Campout (Visitor’s welcome) on April 4,5, and 6 before drifting back past Lavender farms and places of interest on the way to and arriving back in Dunedin, April 9th.
Orchard
Not a tree fruit to be seen this year. The birds having eaten every bud early in the spring. With all its warmth and with less possums the abundance of birds needed more food. Black birds and wax-eyes are also getting to know the fruits. Last year one worcesterberry bush supplied me with my fruits of the season and I was looking forward to it again, as the gooseberries, most raspberries and currants are widely taken as offerings to the birds, despite my protestations that I also need to eat! So I transplanted two more large worcesterberries, with the net result of no ripe ones, as all are eaten green. I however gain much pleasure in the berries, and currants left to me, such as the the wild strawberries that grow close to the ground and are small enough in size, that a foraging human has the advantage!
Many trailer loads of grass mowings mixed with woolbales full of untreated wood shavings and fed to compost heaps and worm farm, plus many extra plantings of berry fruits are adding to my chances!
Several fruit trees bent by the wind were supported with stakes in Spring. I thought they would feel supported, instead they must have felt something like throttled, as they all promptly broke where they were tied. Understanding that living in Harmony requires respect to give all beings the freedom to live as they will for the benefit of each other, I pulled up all stakes, and said told the trees it was up to them to grow strong.
Of about 12 fruits trees, several deaths, and replantings we currently have a crabapple in Connection Clearing approaching full height, and an apple within the forest making straight for the light. The rest are either still growing sideways or were broken to new shapes by wind and possums. Apparently trees naturally in forests do not want to grow into nice symetrical city-type shapes. Masanobu Fukuoka pointed out to us that pruning any tree adversely affects its shape and health.
