Storms have blown through the country, all forms of precipitation have fallen, knowledge has been gained and ideas have sprouted like the restless spring seedlings since the last post. Myself and Chef Alberto Gonzalez attended the annual Georgia Organics conference February 20th and 21st on behalf of Greyfield Inn. I attended last year’s event and walked away feeling more empowered and enthusiastic about my life and my career than ever before. This year’s event was enlightening and inspiring for Al and myself as well as every other attendee, vendor, volunteer, educator taking part in the conference. The event was held in Athens,GA, a city with a very rich food culture as well as a welcoming atmosphere of a community that is keyed in on the local food movement. Al and I joined our new chef Whitney Otawka for an elegantly local meal at 5 and 10, her former place of employment. The food was excellent and the conversation jovial, what else can you ask for? We look forward to growing with Whitney in the kitchen and the garden. Good things are here and even better things are happening at Greyfield Inn and in Greyfield Garden.
Two days were spent digging a mote, filling it with wire cloth, securing the cloth with staples, and zipping up all the loose spots. The end result of hours hoeing with blisters and numerous backstretches gave the garden a well-constructed armadillo-proof fence!
Jen and Aaron, a sensible newlywed couple, lent a week’s worth of their time in exchange for some good food, garden experience, and a chance to gain some knowledge about their interest in returning to the land. Check out their blog to read about their journey… wwoofingpattaps.blogspot.com
I have been busy getting a few projects folded up and put together while the garden has been carefully expressing apprehensive feelings toward the tardiness of spring. The seedlings are itching to leave their apartment buildings and set some roots in the warm and lively sandy soils of Grefyield Garden. I had the pleasure of sharing two days of flower planting and compost sifting/hauling with a few friends this weekend. Ryan and Amanda came down from Savannah to spend some time with their hands in the earth. We took the first few steps toward fashioning a funnel and freshening up an herb garden. More to come about the funnel… it’s a part of our most recent structure in the garden, a water tower for collecting rainwater and irrigating a portion of our vegetable and flower beds.
I am working hard at making our spring garden healthy and productive to provide our guests with delicious veggies and a pleasant place to meander and gather inspiration. Greyfield Garden has started a composting initiative of sorts on Cumberland Island. We are giving island residents and extended stay vacationers 5 gallon buckets with information about composting and asking them to collect kitchen scraps during their stay in hopes of encouraging new earth friendly habits. Cumberland Island has a rich natural history of food and sustainability and we intend on preserving that culture and soil that it starts with. Chef Whitney, myself, and the entire staff at Greyfield are waiting arms open for spring to walk in the door, we look forward to an enjoyable growing season! Enjoy some photos of the “garden haps”. Take it easy (on the planet), happy planting!
Sugar snap peas busting trough the still cool soil.
Leguminous cover crops collect nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots.
Chinese cabbage, Red Russian kale, green wave mustard , and collards.
Young carrots and ornamental kale.
A look under the row covers.
Seedlings under the cold frame, almost time for spring transplanting.
The tower part of our new rain catcher with some recently shaped and composted rows ready for planting.
True companions. Strawberries and onions work well together.
Snapshot of the garden on March 1st, this same shot in May will be totally full of color!
Cumberland Island Journal 
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