Nov 2020

 

Welcome to Fall at the Granary!

 

The Granary is a LEED Gold Certified building that evolved from our decision to purchase the defunct Issacson Granary.  The past came alive for us as we demolished much of the equipment and interior silos and discovered 20’ deep pits with augers and ladders.  

 

This fall at the orchard, apricots, French prunes, and figs have been thriving. Planted in 2005 and now 15 years old, the fruits are a testament to the rich soil beneath our asphalt and concrete.  The entire orchard is planted in what was once a driveway and parking lot for large grain trucks. Since the driveway was all rock base, we realized that we couldn’t turn the soil over… so we dug holes and planted trees instead. Over time we have not done any tilling; we’ve planted cover crops of fava beans, mustard, and vetch along with a local organic mixture directly from the barn!

 

In autumn, you will see the orchard turning color and dropping leaves. An ecosystem is developing as well: two owls now live in the tall silos that fly at night and hawks use the tall superstructure as a perch for hunting. On a smaller scale, ladybugs we introduced to help eradicate the aphids are going strong and the aphid population kept in check.

 

We always look forward to sharing our vision, and encourage you to learn about green building, sustainable living, and organic farming.

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By Lesley Miles

Architect + Co-owner of the Granary