Super Ross and the Day the Earth Moved

No, it's not an old 'Friends' episode.

We made the decision that more people are necessary to build and work this farm.  We posted ads on a couple permaculture blog-sites and on Craigslist, and Ross was the first to respond.  He studies public health at Bastyr University and is an ultra-serious 'through-hiker.'  He has hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail in four and a half months!

Ross has building skills and can operate a backhoe!  Last weekend we dug 6 big holes on the farm.  Two are for pit latrines, one is for a dog-poop composting station, one is for an apple cellar, one is for our first pond and one is down lower on the property to observe the water-table over winter.

Ross has already started to build one outhouse and is almost finished with our first henhouse.  He's a creative builder who is good at incorporating salvaged components in his structures.  A farm axiom that we have adopted is that we should always look for ways to save money, using and reusing resources that are cheap and/or free.   (Thanks to Tater's owners for their old deck lumber!)

The photo above with the half-buried garbage can is our dog-poop composting station.  The bottom of the can is cut out and the can is placed over rocks and gravel.  We pitch the poop in with a little septic starter and the poop composts down into the ground.  As long as we don't plant something edible right there, we are fine.