Category Archives: Renovation

Seeing the Veggies through the Trees (Clearing Farmland)

Big news for McCollum Orchards. This fall, we cleared eight acres of overgrown farmland. Over 30 years the property had changed from maintained orchards and farmed land to a scraggly, overgrown wooded area. The land was densely shaded. There were old, rusty trash heaps and burn piles. Beneath the tall swamp maples were rows of dead plum trees. Areas flooded where clay drain tile had broken long ago. Clearing it back to its original plane was the key to bringing the farm back to life. In order to expand production, we need more cleared land to grow vegetables, hops and fruit on.

Big changes in just 18 months

In October, we hired a crew recommended for agricultural land clearing. It took them a week to clear eight acres. Watching them work was fascinating. A large dozer uprooted the trees, then pushed them over to the excavator. With its claw attachment, the excavator would lift a tree high up in the air and drop it. Repeatedly. This shook the top soil off the rootballs. (Afterward, the top soil got spread back onto the land.) The excavator would then do a maneuver where it gripped the tree in the middle, spun around and tossed it on top of the wood pile. We are stuck with a few, strategically placed, giant piles of deadwood for now. Whatever can’t be used for firewood will decompose. The piles also still provide the habitat that solitary bees need.

The excavator does its thing

Now, the place is starting to look like a farm again. In fact, the clearing uncovered a massive rock wall made with field boulders along the east side of the apple orchard. What we thought was a natural rise on the land is actually a manmade terrace. From the barn, the vista opens up onto the orchards and wheat field and sky. Many neighbors have stopped by to say how good it looks. Seeing the cleared land lets us visualize what the farm will look like in the future. That’s both exciting and makes this whole endeavor very, very real!

With the land cleared, we can move ahead with the next several steps that have to be done before we can actually plant anything. First,we tested the soil on the cleared land and are waiting to find out the composition and if we need to add any amendments. Then, we need to clean up the stray roots and branches that were left behind and pile up the rocks that got upturned. (Ugh, what a big job.) In the spring, we will do heavy discing to loosen up the soil and smooth it out.

Taking soil cores

Next year, we expect serious weed pressure. The long dormant weed seeds have now been exposed to sunlight. We are already working on a weed management plan with Cornell Cooperative Extensionon how to best manage them next growing season.

Now, we can start to see the forest through the trees, so to speak. The land has taken shape into four main plots. We plan to farm two fields next year and the other two we will prepare for perennial plantings, like berries. We are chomping at the bit to get that beautiful soil back into production.

View of the barn, house and hops yard from the cleared field

PS: Things that were uncovered in the land clearing: 1) two metal fire escapes 2) a V-8 Engine 3) a swing set 4) half a pick-up truck (not near the engine) 5) countless beer bottles and cans 6) a broken arrowhead 7) a doll’s head 8) a sleigh bell 9) lots of wild garlic

The Spooky Spirits of McCollum House

McCollum House Circa 1910

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I’d share some of the spookier tales we have uncovered about the property. Whether it is the Carveth Estate, McCollum Orchards or Grandma Josie’s house, this place has had many names over 180 years. However you remember it, the farm’s legacy and its stately buildings have become an almost endless source of lore. You would not believe how many people we talk to end the conversation saying, “Oh, by the way, I hear it’s haunted.”

When we first moved in last year, we were greeted with a tale of a ghost sighting in the kitchen. Just a couple years before, the family hired a lady to help clean the house. All was going well until she started on the kitchen. The next moment, she ran out of the house to her car, face gone ashen white. Scared out of her wits, she said she saw a ghost. “There is a woman in the corner of the kitchen!” Needless to say, she never came back. Later, we found out that great-grandmother Josephine Carveth was bedridden in the kitchen for a long time and passed away there. Could it have been her?

We have heard about rumors of secret passageways that were used during the underground railroad, buried treasure, and even unmarked graves on the property. Many people might find these kinds of stories unnerving, but I have heard them all my life.

Music in the Basement

Growing up, I spent parts of my summers on the farm alone in the house with just my grandmother. In a big, old house like this, things do not merely go bump in the night. Colds winds suddenly ripped down the hallway, doorknobs turned by themselves, figures were seen in the windows. You swore you heard the faint sound of music coming from the basement or a whiff of perfume as you passed an old portrait. This is on top of the usual squeaks and creaks that you might expect. My grandmother always chalked it up to “the spooks” (whom she also blamed for misplacing her things). At night, when the whole house would echo with the sound of shutters banging in the wind, it was enough to keep a young boy with an active imagination hiding under the covers.

Words Entwined

We have found that the more we fix up the farm and buildings, the warmer and more inviting it becomes. The chaos that much of the farm was in made it feel, well, creepy. It is amazing what cleaning, organizing, and applying a fresh coat of paint can do to make it feel homey again. But there is one mystery we cannot seem to solve. In the process of organizing the house, we kept finding stacks of books bound by twine. Some stacks of books would be standing up, some would be on their side. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to their grouping, with the occasional library, school or phone book thrown in. We learned that one of my great-aunts, who lived in the house in her later years, would compulsively tie books together with twine, like a nervous tic. We did what most people would do and untied the books. We cut the twine and organized them again. The strange thing is that we are never done. No matter how many books we set free, we keep finding more stacks. It is as if someone goes through and binds them up again. It became somewhat frustrating, so we just stopped trying and let the house spirits have that one.

Some of the many books bundled with twine

The love and loss that this house has witnessed cannot be summarized in a single post. Many people have asked us if we have seen a ghost here. Even though we sometimes catch ourselves looking over our shoulder, I honestly have to say no. This house holds memories of generations who called it home. Their memory is felt in their portraits, books, photos and letters that remain. If there are ghosts here, they are my family, right? So, the next time you drive by the house and you think you glimpse a figure peeking out from an upstairs window, just smile and wave. It might be a relative, stepping out of their place in time to check our progress.

Happy Halloween from all of us!

Pennies, Pipes and Prophecies

We are pretty sure we got a sign from the ancestors on Monday.

Raised beds made from old stone windowsills (used to be along driveway)

On Monday evening, Rich was finishing up a few raised beds in the garden. He reused some old stone windowsills as edgers. The beds will house herbs and lettuce this year. Once more acreage gets cleared, we plan to convert this garden space into a designated herb and “show-and-tell” garden.

One idea is to plant a historical ‘1883 garden.’ Last fall, while organizing some old papers, Rich found a seed purchase receipt from the farm dated April, 1883. It is fascinating to see what the family grew four generations ago. Rich had the idea to try to find the same seed varieties and plant an ‘1883 Garden’ in 2013 – for the 130th anniversary. We want to get school groups involved as a fun way to learn about farming and history.

Back to Monday night. Rich, who has a knack for finding things (which is probably why he enjoyed archaeology), swung the hoe into the soil and caught the glint of metal. He bent down and picked up a small, round, earth-caked object. He brushed off the dirt and corrosion and discovered a coin.

With a little more cleaning, he realized it was an Indian Head Penny dated 1883. Right in the place where we plan to plant the 1883 Garden! We have a saying around here, when something that we need or have been looking for suddenly appears, that ‘The House Giveth.’ But, this find takes it to a new level.

1883 Indian Head Penny found in the garden

When we are so busy with hard work that is also so new to us, and a future that is largely unknown to us, we cannot help but want a little sign that we are on the right track. This was one of those moments that makes you marvel at the many ways this old house connects our past to our future. We feel lucky to just be here now, right where we are.

Hope it’s not a pipe dream! (Clay pipe from early 1800s)

PS: The very next day Rich also found an old clay tobacco pipe in the same area. What could our ancestors be hinting at now?

Farming in the City: Variances Approved

In the springtime

We are very happy to report that all of our variance applications were approved on Tuesday by the city zoning board! This is a huge step in our efforts toward trying to save this family farm property. The meeting proceedings even made it into the local news, in the Lockport Union Sun & Journal and the Buffalo News.

The Process

We found out last month that the whole 100-acre property, that has always been farmland, was zoned residential. In order to operate it as a farm, we needed to apply for variances for land use, retail to sell in the barn, some signs and a place for people to park. Notices were sent to all our neighbors. Well, since we are located in a city, that totaled about 60 residences around the perimeter of the property. The process included a zoning board meeting that is open to the public. About 40 people attended and were able to hear our proposed plans and voice their concerns and opinions. We were able to address them with further clarifications. In the end, the board passed each of the variances unanimously.

Next, the plans go through the County Planning Board for recommendations. This is because our property line touches the town border. After that, they will go through the City Planning Board. These address more technical issues, such as size of the parking lot. For this, we will have to hire a landscape architect because all the plans need to be drawn up to scale.

This was an unexpected process to do this Spring. But, just like healthy soil for plants, we realized that it is a necessary step to make sure our farm business is on a solid foundation. Fortunately, the process has been well laid out and people have been very helpful, even though it is uncommon for the city to see this kind of business start up. We’ve come to find out that it is not all that uncommon anymore. More and more farms are being tilled in private and vacant lots in cities around the country.

Barn & sheds, view from the yard

We’re Not Alone

To prepare for the meeting and for our own knowledge, we reached out to friends who knew about the urban agriculture movement and to pretty much anyone who might be able to provide information or share experiences. We got a lot of responses. A school friend active in Louisville’s local food movement was even willing to help go through ordinances with us. It is not just farmer’s markets anymore. People are moving the farming right into the cities.

We were surprised and thrilled with what is occurring across the country. In February, the Boston mayor kicked off a zoning process to encourage community farming, as it beautifies the city and widens access to fresh, healthy food to people who can’t usually get it. In 2010, Cleveland passed a very progressive recoding policy to make it as easy as possible to start farming in the city limits because it attracts and keeps residents. One of Milwaukee’s two booming urban farms, Growing Power, is hosting the 2012 Urban & Small Farm Conference: Growing the Good Food Revolution. In Buffalo, there are four gardens/farms that we learned of who are growing fresh produce within the city limits: Wilson Street Urban Farm, Queen City Farm, and Cold Spring Coop, and the Massachusetts Avenue Project aquaponics project. Right here in Lockport, Hall Apple Farm is a historic farm that is in both Lockport the city and the town.

So far, we have mostly thought of our efforts as preserving this special house and property that has somehow remained intact and in the family by making it our home and restarting the farm. This week, we realized how much bigger it is than just our little corner. It is connected to the neighborhood, the city, and even to a trend that is taking a many people back to their roots and to the roots. We may have many more meetings to attend and rows to hoe, but we are more committed to offering fresh locally grown produce from our barn doors. Thank you to all those who have encouraged us along the way.

Sunset over the fence

Quick Fixes #2

Before: A jumble of mossy rocks

In several places on the property, it is obvious that something used to be there. Mounds of cut stones lie where buildings and walls used to stand. Broken glass, ceramics and coal mark old dump sites. Raised ground is remnant of long forgotten roads. Ditches reveal old wells and broken clay drainage tile. Nothing excites me more, as a one-time archaeologist, than a little exploring to dig up the past. For safety and the protection of expensive farm equipment, it is also good to know where these piles and holes are located and what lies beneath.

We have matched some rubble piles to historic photos and maps, but others are a mystery. A jumble of rocks in front of the barn had me baffled. So, I took a shovel to it. I discovered a 15×4 foot retaining wall. Years of erosion and tree growth had toppled and covered it. Being in a fix-it mood, and highly caffeinated that morning, I decided to rebuild it with the help of my brother-in-law.

It was much easier than rebuilding the old fieldstone wall that we fixed earlier in the year. At least these stones were in some kind of order. The key to rebuilding a retaining wall without mortar is to have a solid foundation and to lean the wall slightly back against the higher ground for strength. We pulled out the stones, staked out the area and evened out the foundation. Then, we stacked layers of interlocking flat stones row by row. Last, we packed the soil down behind it. My wife even planted some spring daffodils around. Good as new!

Gradually restoring the farm to how it used to be is challenging, but also a lot of fun. When we don’t have old photos to go by, we’re stuck with reasoning things out. What was this pile of rocks? What had that been? Sometimes, it is just a pile of rocks. But sometimes it is another trace of the farm’s long history.

After: A great-looking retaining wall!