Crop Mob at Ever Laughter Farm
A few Mobbers get to weeding at Ever Laughter Farm
I spent the afternoon yesterday working with the at in Hillsborough. In case you missed Crop Mob has been getting lately, they are a group of farmers (both landed and landless, urban and rural, professional and amateur) who get together each month to “mob” a local farm, accomplishing in a few hours projects that otherwise would take days or even weeks. The labor isn’t free – host farms are expected to feed the Mobbers, and only those who have helped out on previous Mobs can have their own farm Mobbed. At the end of the day its about helping out small farms in the community, getting your hands dirty, and having some fun.
Today at Ever Laughter there were a number of different projects for Mobbers to work on. The main focus was on preparing and mulching a new field to get it ready for planting later in the season. Some folks also helped weed some of Ever Laughter’s current fields, while I pitched in with a couple Mobbers to move the hog enclosure to a new location with plenty of forested shade for the summer. Ever Laughter currently has five hogs on the farm, Runty (who received a “pardon” after he was unwilling to be loaded onto the trailer with his fellow pigs and thus didn’t make it to the processing facility this past week) and four new piglets.
Runty, Ever Laughter Farm's senior hog
Our first step was to pound in new posts along the perimeter which we then strung with electrified hog wire. We then had to take apart, move, and reassemble the hog shelter. Finally we double-checked the hog wire, turned on the electricity, and herded the piglets into the new enclosure to join Runty, who was already happily munching away on the fresh clover now available in the new enclosure. It all sounds simple, but in reality it took four or five of us about four hours of constant work to get it done. When it came to herding the piglets all the Mobbers pitched in, holding up panels of hog fencing to create a pathway while Sam of Ever Laughter and myself herded them into their new home. They were pretty reluctant to move at first, but once they heard the sound of a fresh bucket of feed being poured they got the hint and took hoof.
After all was said and done we settled down to a delicious meal prepared by Angelina’s Kitchen and Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe. It was a great day of farming, fellowship, and fun that I can’t wait to repeat at next month’s Crop Mob!
If you are interested in attending a Crop Mob visit their website, and click on “Get Involved”. There are also other Crop Mobs sprouting in North Carolina and throughout the United States – send me an e-mail at greeneatsblog@gmail.com and I can help you find one in your area.
Runty is ready for his close-up
