In my first year on the farm, problem-solving was a lot like being in a batting cage while the pitching was set on rapid fire. This year is going to be more like mini golf. This year at Moss Funnel farms we will be documenting (by video blogging) how we are going to develope this beautifully raw farm while maintaining the support structure for its inhabitants (animal, vegetable, mineral, and human). It is a low-wire balancing act of ecological proportions.

We are now in our year two (51st for the jersey high bushes). We are not yet offically organic but we will only be using OMRI-listed products (The Organic Materials Review Institute specializes in the review of substances for use in organic production, processing and handling. OMRI conducts materials review according to standards established with implementation of the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). Materials that are allowed or prohibited by the NOP Rules National List are compiled in the OMRI Generic Materials List.). All the weeding will be done by me, by hand, and our stump-digging mascot, Sly dog.

From the time the leaves fall to the ground to the time when the shoots start to green, class is in session. During this off-season I have been studying, sketching, and vigorously planning for a smart farm. At this point, I have crudely designed two different types of bush shakers, an extra large compost tumbler, a one-man system for raising the roof of the picker shack that I will be living in, and a shredder (made out of an old lawn mower) for leaves and grass to speed up the composting process (compost is very similar to a digestive system; the more you chew your food the less time and work it takes to break down its components). Not to mention the other one thousand projects/contraptions I have plans for. Come out and see what's going on.

Joe