Today we learned...

The rain was falling in small drops today but we braved it anyway and planned routes through the city of Columbia, SC.  It is a very easily maneuvered city that has two distinct food districts in Five Points and The Vista.

Our first pile is being started in Forest Acres, though.  The issue is now and for

the forseeable future convenience.  We had to find just the right place and in so doing we had to ask all of the questions that we know others would.

Location and looks...
We found a spot out of the way that would still be central to all that we are trying to do; collect compost in a convenient way that does not add to the "carbon footprint".  Also, because we really don't receive any real funding, no contributions, and rare donations, we had to look at ways to do this that saved gas money!  Without any real funding, creativity is king and labor becomes a major component so we looked for places that were near where we were going to do so that containers can be carried to the site.  Holding to our promise this means that over 100 tons of matter are going to be carried by hand!

Containerization. 
We had to think about what we were going to do and most of all how to make it convenient for our "customers and contributors".  Convenie
nce is one of the biggest drawbacks for a lot of people.  Finding containers can be somewhat of a hassle for many.  We sought to kill two birds with one stone and part of that was finding consistent, measurable containers that people could use to store compost.
Where did we get them? Well, there are a number of places throwing away four and five gallon buckets daily.   So, we have started to gather them.  They are often large, food grade buckets, that once contained mayonnaise or something of the sort.
These are buckets that otherwise would have gone into a landfill also.  Instead, we saved them and now they are put to use again.

Smell...
If your compost pile smells bad then you are doing something wrong.  This is going to be the largest thing that we have to battle, not the actual smell, but the perception that something is going to smell bad.  That is why we are happy that we have gotten one of our biggest contributors on board, Starbucks.

Coffee grounds are are high in carbon, nitrogen, and cover the smell of just about anything, especially as it is heated through the pile.

Speaking of heat...

Speaking of heat...
If you get a compost pile big enough, it will begin to heat up on its own.  Micro organisms will chew and spit out matter and begin to bump into each other, all causing the pile to get very hot purely out of friction.  When the pile reaches between 120 and 140 degrees, it will begin to kill off weed seeds and dangerous pathogens. The coffee grounds help to add to that heat and "cook" the compost more quickly.  People have been known to run hoses through their compost piles and use them to heat water.

We got a lot of great information and we look forward to passing on a lot more information, starting more sites, and figuring more things out as we go.

Nearly a thousand pounds in two days...We're ok with that.

The Letter We Get Every Year

We have gotten the same or a similar letter for the past five years.  It will start around April or May and then they come in rapidly right after all the way until about the end of August.  The first time I got the letter, I sprang into action.  The second time, I was a little frustrated.  The third time, more so, and the fourth and fifth and sixth, etc. I was just downright annoyed.

They tend to start innocently and even honorably enough and go something like this:
   "Hi, We are trying to raise money to build a garden/ community garden/ school garden etc. and we need your help to buy x y and/or z"

Mainly they are looking for money for lumber to build raised beds...understandable.

Or they are looking for money for tools... There are other solutions there, but ok.

Or, (and this is the one that really annoys me) they are looking for money to buy compost or fertilizer.

The reason this annoys me the most is because the time to start thinking about this is right now.  Not the first warm days after a long winter, but right now as the leaves are setting up to fall and there is very little else that can be planted.

A good time to get into these things is right now.  The BEST time to get into these things is right now.  We need to get away from the idea that gardening and growing start when the sun is warm and getting high in the sky and when the world is   We need to realize that a lot of preparation needs to and can go into the creation of a great garden and especially if it is in a school.  The lesson of a garden is in what it means over the long term.  The lesson is in what it means when it is not so pretty outside.

The lesson is to go and find a shady place and gather as much and as many leaves as possible.  Combine that with as many food scraps as you can find and get to work.  Engage in finding other sources of compostable materials.  The idea is to get ready for the spring...right now.  Get ready and stay ready.

A year from now, you'll wish you had started today.

The Work

Commitment...The better place
Healthy soil is the foundation of a good farm. It is a little bit cooler outside but as the grass starts to turn brown and the leaves change color, we are starting to think about what we are going to do over the winter.  We are taking into account what we can do next spring.  Even as the brown begins to take over, we are thinking about the green.

So now that we are here we are ready to get to work.  Theresa has been hard at work talking to local businesses about basically, what they throw out. Wasted food accounts for approximately 95 percent of landfill that is bad.  What is good is that waste can actually be collected and used for compost.  It gives us something to do over the winter, starting a massive compost pile.

"A good farm can be productive all year long and even when it looks like the fields are covered in snow, there are things hard at work to bring life the following year."

local coffee brewer cleaning out the roaster.

Every day or every other day in some cases, we are going to visit businesses to

5gallon buckets containing tea bags, lettuce, etc.

compost pile reaching 130-140 degrees.

Biodegradable cups breaking down over time.

collect their compostable stuff and use it for a type of fertilizer in our farm next year.  Our reach goes as far as Columbia where we are gathering from many different restaurants and coffee shops to divert garbage from the trash stream.  As cooks cut heads of lettuce, tomatoes, we gather it.  As that local coffee place brews your morning latte we get it.

We estimate that, done correctly, we can save over 100 tons of compostable material from the entire state of South Carolina. 

That is 100 tons of material that does NOT go into landfills.

After evaporation and breakdown, that is about 40 tons of compost and wait til you see what we are going to do with that.

20 percent is going to local community gardens.

A portion will be sold to go local landscapers, gardeners, etc.

A large portion will go into the ground at the farm. 

The foundation of the farm is the soil and so far we are off to a good start.

Hurry Up and Wait!

We are trying to stay busy here.  All the permits are applied for the planning is done, and people are at the ready.  It is a lot of "hurry up and wait".  When we got into this, we knew there was going to be a lot of down time, and we expected the winters to be mild so that we could brave the cold in the morning and get some things done.  The paperwork is the hardest part.  Standing there, staring at land waiting to be built upon...

The Corner Stone Farm CSA: Conscious Farming.

Conscious Farming
When we look back at the way that farming used to be done, we can faithfully
assume that most farmers would have traded the Farmer's Almanac for a little bit of the technology that we have right now.  When you think about the amount of information that is at our individual finger tips, and the things that we can now do with that information that makes the job of farming easier and the number of people that we can now reach and sell our products to, it is nothing short of amazing.

A CSA is community supported agriculture.  This has and should have always been what a farm is all about, providing what the surrounding community wants.  So, what a CSA is engages with the community to find out what they want.  We talk to them and find out what they want us to grow.  At its base it is that simple but we are going to take it a step further and reclaim the farm's role as a community center.




Education.  
One of our primary objectives is to have a place where people can learn about the world around them on various levels.

   Daycare...There are a rising number of people in need of daycare.  The farm can be a serene and educational environment.  Our model calls for day care for both our employees and others that fosters knowing the physical world.  One acre dedicated to open air where our staff can be near their children and people who do not work on the property.
 

   Summer Camp...The summer camp model is fading from every day life.  We
are going to bring it back.  The goal will be to embrace modern life as we engage in two week long summer camps that will focus on both indoor and outdoor activities and more specific things like music.

 Life Skills...As we construct this place we are going to talk about life skills for children and adults alike.  We are going to focus on things that are simply in the realm of things that are good to know like how to make soap and more.

 

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Things Are Growing...Getting Bigger!

So, we are seeing that things are growing...very quickly!  It appears that our initial event has grown from one single evening, to a two day festival and I believe that we are up for the challenge.  When we started talking, we also started listening to the things that people were asking for.

We are finding so much talent in SC who love the idea of coming home to play for you, like Carolina Liar and Trevor Hall and reaching out to many more.

We are finding lots of local bands that are just itching to take the stage as well.

We are finding cooks from local restaurants and more to bring out food and more.

We are even going to have a car and motorcycle show.

Why?

Because Moncks Corner and the surrounding area are a beautiful community and we want to be a part of it.

Because not only are we going to have these events, but there are going to be things going on all year round that reach outside of the community and draw in people.

Because it will give people something to do within the town that is entertaining as well as enlightening and educational.

Because this is a place of old traditions and we want to be part of new traditions.

Because we have a serious side too.  With this many people all in one place, and on the verge of major election cycle, we want to bring out politicians and city planners to talk about the issues that effect you!

Because a portion of the proceeds are going to go to supporting local musicians and artists.

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Who We Are/ What We Do

There is a lot coming up in the next few years.  No matter what political party you belong to or support, we are going to have a new president in a couple of years.  Technology is moving forward at a rapid pace.  Events are unfolding around the world with a lot of speed.  The economy is growing once again.


We look at what is happening and work to define solutions and build new parameters and we define these solutions based on what we would like to see in the world on the other side.  So, for the next year, we are going to work very hard at a number of events and ventures all across the U.S.

The Anchors...
We have created an alliance of three farms.  The Oasis Farm in California City, CA.  The Corner Stone Farm in Moncks Corner, SC, and The Burnsville Farm in Burnsville, NC.  Each of these farms are geared towards providing good healthy, local food for the surrounding area and building a community.

These farms will be anchors for education and growth as well as support systems for the group overall.  We are investing in creating these spaces as farms, but also as event venues and schools where people can learn the basics of the lives they are trying to create.  These farms will provide a real world template for all of the things that people talk about but rarely get a chance to act on due to lack resources.

Epoch Festivals
The Epoch Festivals are not your normal festivals.  Most festivals are all geared towards one thing, but Epoch is geared towards every thing.  This coming year, we are aiming for two very big events.  The first, in the last weekend of April, will just be three days of music and entertainment in Burnsville, NC.

The second festival, in the desert of California City, CA from May 10 to May 18, will be a massive event.  We are looking to create an experience that defines a generation.  We are going to build our very own city and yes, there will be music, lots of music.  Yes, there will be alcohol and games.  We are even going to attempt to break the Guinness World record for hula hooping with 5000 people.  We are expecting 10,000 people during this event.  If we get 10,000 people all in one place, shouldn't we say something?  Shouldn't we listen to what they have to say?

The thing that makes Epoch different is that there is going to be a lot more going on with discussions of politics  and health.  Foreign policy, immigration policy, economic policy and more.  Global climate change?  With this number of people all gathered in one place why not engage in these conversations.  We are proud that we are putting together events that bring together thousands of people and supporting the arts as well as the sciences.

This community is getting larger and larger and we are building more and more connections as we work across the country.  We have larger plans for the future too.


If you like what you see, subscribe to our mailing list so that we can send you info on how you can get involved...or how we can help you!

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Open Positions as of August 2

Here at The Corner Stone Farm, we are hiring for:

Administrative Assistant ($15/hr)(PT)
We are looking for bright organized individuals answer phones, run various errands and general office work.  The ideal candidate will be a high school graduate or GED equiv. Must be well versed in social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and the ability to lift 50 pounds.

Educational Supervisor (salary negotiable)
The ideal candidate for this position will be responsible for developing a year-round curriculum for students from the ground up and expanding that curriculum as the needs of the organization expand.

Children's Day Care Asst. ($15/hr)(FT)
We are looking for people with a desire to teach as well as learn.  Seeking individuals who will be responsible for children ages 2 to 6 years old.  Supervision as per the Educational Supervisors instruction, preparation of meals and child safety.  Must submit to a background check.


Grant Writer/ Researcher (salary/ negotiable).
The ideal candidate for this position will be responsible for crafting the message of the organization and presenting it for consideration for grants to aid in the growth of business.

All positions include Health Care, paid vacation accumulation, tuition reimbursement for accredited and approved classes and 401k savings plan.

Please send resumes to Epochpeople@gmail.com and be sure to put the position being applied for in the "subject" line.

To be kept up to date on open positions and everything that is happening with The Corner Stone Farm, please sign up for our mailing list below.

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New Seeds Being Planted

We are a long way off from planting actual seeds in the ground but it seems that we are planting already.  Any one who has ever tried to grow anything can tell you that a great deal of the challenge takes place long before the first fruit is picked from the stem.  All of the hard work takes place long before that stem, even as a seedling pops, out of the ground.

In the construction of our farm, we are looking at several things.  The foundation of what we do is figure out how to support the community that supports us.  How do we reach out to people who would be customers, investors, and staff.  How do we create an atmosphere where we acknowledge that in order to have success, we need to build a family and an ethic that says that we are responsible for you so that you will be responsible to the community at large.

By January 1, 2015, we are going to hire 30 new people in the Moncks Corner area for a number of
different positions in the company.  We will be hiring 5 people to work in the day care/ preschool.  We will be hiring a nurse for the property overall and 24 more people at various jobs all over the property to do things from carpentry and maintenance, to sales, social media coordinator, and community outreach.

Each of these positions will be over $15 an hour.  Each will allow for benefits like medical care and paid vacations.  Each will allow for tuition reimbursement for classes taken at local schools and more.  We want to create an environment where people can work in a healthy, positive environment.  Where mothers and fathers can work less than a hundred yards from their children.

As this and other things come together, we want to thank you for your continued support, hope that you will spread the word, and help us think of ways to better serve the community.

Carol, Melissa, Theresa, and James.
We can be reached at 9of9productions@gmail.com or epochpeople@gmail.com