New Arrival on Elm Street

All of us at Elm Street Gardens are pleased to have a new arrival in Sparta, Jonathan Tescher, join us in our gardening and community efforts. We met Jonathan during his time as Farmer Services Coordinator for Georgia Organics where he has worked for the last three years serving organic farmers across Georgia. 

Jonathan moved to Sparta to partner with us in starting Sparta Imperial Mushrooms, a gourmet mushroom farm that will be developed in the old Sparta Furniture Factory, and to be involved with our community activities and Elm Street Gardens.

The old furniture factory was originally built in the 1880’s as a cotton warehouse shortly after rail lines came into Sparta. In later days, it became the Sparta Furniture Factory, but it has sat vacant for the past fifteen years or so. It is a great old building and we are in the process of cleaning it up and making the necessary repairs.

Elm Street Gardens has already benefitted from Jonathan’s experience and willingness to work. He also is volunteering as the Acting Director of the new Fall Line Farmers Market in Milledgeville and working to increase market opportunities for farmers.  The Fall Line Farmers Market is where you can find Elm Street Gardens every Saturday morning along with Hancock's Three Centuries Farm and Fort Creek Farm.

Suzy

Exterior view of the old
cotton warehouse/furniture factory

Jonathan in the building

New Residents at 15 Elm Street

Along with the official arrival of summer in June, Elm Street Gardens had two new animals arrive.  Orange kittens, adopted from the Atlanta Humane Society (where we had a thoroughly pleasant experience), arrived and were greeted warmly by our standard poodle, Rives. 

Rives greets a new kitty.

 The “tomboys” are brothers and so identical that we have put a blue collar on one and a red collar on the other.  As it turns out, however, they are so different in temperament that we can tell Harris from Harley Jr. without the collars.  Harris loves and demands to be picked up and petted while Junior is skittish and not so sure about contact with humans. Junior is just starting now to show signs of more sociability and accepts petting and sitting in a lap occasionally. 

The kittens watch Rives play in the yard from the safety of the back porch.

 So now we have three animals named after our house on Elm Street.  Our 1843 Greek Revival house is locally referred to as the Harley-Harris-Rives house after three of the main owners prior to us.  We had another orange cat named Harley who died a couple of years ago, hence the “junior” after the current Harley’s name.  And, in deference to a current Rives family member who clearly prefers dogs to cats, we had named our dog after her family.  Both kittens love Rives the dog and, in turn, he adores them.  Matter of fact, he is the main object of Junior’s affection. 

The boys take it easy.

 As the days go by, the tomboys are growing and becoming more and more adventurous in their exploration of the grounds.  We have high hopes of them becoming adept hunters of various and sundry rodents in the garden, but in the meantime we are content with enjoying their kittenish antics as they play together or with Rives.  There is no doubt about it:  kittens are awfully cute. 

Suzy 

Baby Sitting

Baby Sitting

All of us at Elm Street Gardens are participating in the activity of baby-sitting to some extent (of course parents, Brad and Megan are doing most of it), but I am talking here about baby sitting with another meaning. Yes, Elm Street Gardens littlest flower, Emolyn Fowler, is a baby sitting now. Well almost. At six months she can get herself into an almost independent sitting position from what was until recently a reclining position only. She is not exactly starting from a prone position, but I am sure that will come very soon.

It has been a while since we have had an Emolyn update here so let us share some recent pictures from proud parents, Brad and Megan Fowler, managers of Elm Street Gardens growing operations.

Emolyn sits up!

Smiley girl

Megan and Emolyn

Relaxing down in the barn

Emolyn is growing by leaps and bounds.  She will be starting to eat her first solid foods soon – of course, they will be Elm Street Gardens veggies processed for six month old taste buds and preferences.

Suzy