So I arrived at the Palmers' the other day, the place of my first WWOOFing stay. For those that do not know, WWOOFing is agricultural volunteer program in which people provide help in an agricultural style in exchange for food and lodging. At the Palmers' the operation is hydroponic salad rearing. It is very interesting stuff. They have a greenhouse where greens are grown laid out in rows of plastic planks. Through the planks flows water which is infused with a fine tuned amount of the particular chemicals the plants need to grow. The seedlings are simply anchored in a small soil cube with their roots protruding in every direction. The treated water flows over these roots and gives the plants everything they need to grow. The whole system is managed by a computer which constantly checks the amount of chemicals present in the water. If anything is over or under dissolved, the adjustment is made automatically. Of course the computer needs constant supervision since malfunctions are not uncommon, and it cannot, of course, harvest the greens itself. This is where WWOOFers come in handy. Most of the 45 varieties of greens that go into the Palmers' delicious salads are cut three times before a new plant is needed. These cuttings are washed, mixed, and bagged before being delivered to markets and restaurants throughout the area. They are also a daily presence on the table of the Palmers, and I can say without a doubt it is the best salad I have ever tasted. So good is it, that myself and the Dutch couple also staying here have decided that we must expand the "Eat Ya Greens" business in Minnesota and also in the Netherlands.
After getting a tour of the homestead and learning about the salad operation, I was invited to join Ivo and Femke (the Dutch couple) for a weekend of backpacking in the mountains about 2 hours East. I was amazed at my good fortune. The hike was great. We climbed up through the forest along a river until we were above the tree line where is was quite windy, but we were able to keep our feet on the ground until we arrived at the hut operated by the NZ Department of Conservation. There we enjoyed some cards, food, and conversation before an early bedtime. Around 230AM most of the 20 or so people in the hut woke up to winds that seemed to be capable of picking our structure clear off the ground. Luckily they were not that strong, but they were strong enough to drive those camping outside to seek more permanent shelter and also to blow the shoes stored outside all over the nearby field. This called for an emergency shoe-collecting mission in which all but one shoe was recovered. We never found out what happened to that one with the missing shoe, hopefully they made it back alright. The hike back would not have been easy with one shoe, however. It kicked out in the still high wind with a hanging bridge crossing in which I literally feared for my life, although I do not think that danger was as extreme as it appeared. After that we were met with more wind and some spectacular views (think Lord of the Rings). We made it back to the Palmers' in time to take part in a dinner party which was great fun. Unfortunately, though, the high winds also hit their homestead, and the green house that protects the fragile greens was severely damaged.
This morning we lounged about before the Palmers went to town to see about materials for repairs to the greenhouse. I suspect that will fill our afternoon. Before they left though, we got to watching Youtube videos and Petra showed us the below video. It makes fun of certain expressions here in NZ where people say something is ______ as! _____ as what you ask? No one knows. But that is what they say anyway. Its a fill in the blank. Or perhaps Kiwis lose their train of thought easily, I'm not sure. Anyway, give it a watch will ya?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=606eK4abteQ
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