On the Farm- Events and Barn Update

Barn at sunset with wheat in the foreground

Yesterday, with the help of some generous friends who donated their time and strength, we put the walls up on the second floor of the barn. Barn building and farm projects have absorbed most of my time and energy lately and have kept me out of the studio. Bear with me while I pause on the 52 Form Project and work toward getting back in the swing of things!

Raising a wall requires a lot of hands to put the walls together, stand them up, and then hold them in place while they are stabilized and nailed in. It's a bit risky and tricky, especially on the second floor being so high up!

We're trying to get things ready for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Triad Farm Tour that takes place this coming weekend. There will be about 17 farms on the tour, giving people the chance to caravan with others and go from farm to farm, learn about a lot of different farming practices, see different kinds of plants and animals, and maybe taste some fresh veggies and other food!

Our own farm open house and pottery sale is coming up the weekend after, on Sunday the 15th.

My brother decided that our barn currently looks more like a Super Mario Brothers castle than a barn, so in his honor, I leave you with the ever-unforgettable tune of the Super Mario Brothers (if you get through 34 seconds, you'll see a castle):

Productive Day

Mugs

 After working over the weekend at the museum and on the barn, I had a hard time getting into gear yesterday. Today, I felt like I accomplished quite a bit in the studio. I made a small herd of mugs today, some small pitchers, small dishes, flower pots, and mixing bowls.

Small dishes

Small dishes and flowerpots

Shorter pitchers

 I also did some slip trailing for decoration this morning before the pots got too dry. I've found that putting the slip trailing on when the clay is still a little moist helps it stick on the pot and not pull away while it is drying, or worse, in the firing.

Work on the barn/workshop is going well. We almost have the floor joists done!

Floor joists almost finished

It is amazing to think that a month or so ago the base of the workshop looked like this:

We are hoping to get some framing up later this week. We're back at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market this Saturday, April 12th from 7 am-12 pm, so come visit!

On the Farm and in the Kiln

Some exciting things at the farm include the fact that the sun is shining, it's trying to dry out, the weather is getting warmer, and there are GIRDERS going on the piers for the barn!

 The boards are getting laminated together and then screwed in and nailed.

Equal in excitement is the fact that the spinach direct seeded into our new greenhouse is coming up!

 After the ice set back on Tuesday, I got back in the kiln on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday and got it halfway loaded.

 It was pretty cold at the farm when these photos were taken on Wednesday. The hard brick in the kiln retain the cold temperature and it feels like loading pots in a frozen tomb!

Above is a photo of the kiln all loaded up. I've got it pretty stuffed, but hope it won't make for a difficult firing.

Then I bricked up the door, making one flat wall on the front.

Finally, I mudded up the door with a mix of refractory clay and sand. I once again forgot to leave a brick free to check the cones in the front. This seems to be my repeat "oops" moment. 

Mark your calendars, we have set a date for the farm open house and pottery sale at the farm in June! Sunday, June 15th from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.