Micanopy, FL: Simonton Farm, Final Week

A View from the Top of the Pond While Feeding the fish

pecan, pumpkin, apple OHH YEA

Hey everyone, we hope you had a good Thanksgiving!  Even though Curt was really missing his family's traditional day of eating, we ended up having a great dinner here on the farm.  As always there were lots of people and LOTS of food.  8 different pies, 2 turkeys, some BBQ hog, stuffing, 2 types of rolls, homemade mac and cheese, cranberry sauce (homemade and out of the can), and soo much more! It was the first time we had leftovers for days!   The fact that we shared this traditional American holiday with some international friends who were experiencing Thanksgiving for the first time made it all the more special!  

Tomorrow, our hosts Sid and Susan are leaving for the same 4 day cruise that they convinced us to take. They must have talked it up so much that they convinced themselves too!  We're obviously very excited for them because cruises are so awesome, and we now get a chance to try our hand at managing the farm in their absence.  The farm will be left in the capable hands of Sid and Susan's 4 children; Linea, Sunne, Rowan, and Sidney and the WWOOFers Jesse, Adam, Peter, Kristel, Danny, Rafael, and ourselves.

Happy Chickens

We'll be leaving the farm next weekend after Sid and Susan return and we will miss all of our friends that we've made in the past few weeks.  There was certainly a lot going on while we were here and we can't wait to hear about all the other adventures and projects that happen to other Wwoofers with the opportunity to come live and work at Simonton Farm!

In a short synopsis of the tasks we were involved with, here is a little breakdown:

• We've had fun getting the garden into winter mode with the planting of potatoes, collard greens, broccoli, lettuce, radishes, and more! 
• We were able to get the garden greenhouses full of new tree cuttings (cuttings of trees that will then grow roots and be able to be potted for later sale in the tree nursery), planted date palms sprouts, re-potted older tree cuttings that had sprouted roots, and organized a puzzle of loose pots and planting material! 
• We helped with the maintenance of the pigs, chickens, goats, and puppy kennels: Feeding, puppy-poopy-scooping, bedding changes, playing/cuddling, etc.!
• We helped Peter with his ultimate A-Frame construction project and learned about some of his tricks-and-tips of the trade!
• We learned a lot about communal living involving a wide range of characters and personalities (6 Family member, 7-9 Wwoofers at a time, and a revolving door of friends). Cooking, cleaning, and conversations!
• And to finish things up, going back to a quote from our first blog post of Simonton Farm:

"Day to day life on the Simonton Farm manages to strike a harmonious balance between chaos and organization, planning and spontaneity, and work and relaxation."

Goats love hay

One side up on the A-Frame

The pig will eat almost ANYTHING and love it

COMMENTS welcome- Are people really out there reading this? If so, let us know!

We would like to propose a contest...the person with the most witty comment wins a postcard from our next location!

New pics on Facebook as well!