Rains are a coming!

The end of April brings the much awaited rains. It has already rained twice here, about 3 weeks early this year though we are still awaiting the BIG downpour that ushers in the wet season. We have had a few overcast days of late and the weather has been fine. Each night brings a show of thunder and lightening with the onset of the nightly fireflies as well. This dry season has been fairly mellow, we have had some plant loss but not much and that which we have lost is attributed to inferior fitness and genetics for the site so the weeding out process AKA die off is actually welcomed. The oncoming wet season brings the promise of piglets in our new pig corral which is featured in the first 2 photos on this blog update. The corral has a wallow that will drain via a 3" pipe to a large banana circle where subsurface piggie wallow water will feed bananas year round. We will also have the option of using the manures for our annual field crops as well.

A New Guinea hen house is also on the ready and we just need to track some of these elusive West African birds down. They are superior to chickens as they are better pest and tick eaters and they do little scratching and are much more garden friendly.
The final foto commemorates our 5th annual seed exchange overseen by: Nevis, Maria, Norbert and their students from Vermont, Kate and Walker.

Thanks to all of you for your hard work. Each year more and more great information, food, and plant material is shared.

Best to all and thank you Bona Fide friends and supporters,

Chris Shanks
PBF co-Director
FBF Farm Manager