Green Bridge Farm - Latest Blog Entries

Home Of the Year awards

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:06:00 -0600

We have been selected as finalists for Home Of The Year award from Green Builder Media!

Actually the whole project was selected which is very gratifying to me as the owner of Green Bridge Farm.

I will let you know the final results of the contest as soon as I know. I have planted "fence to fence" this fall so the gardens have really kept me busy. We are also rehabbing and reconstructing a yurt on the farm. This will serve as housing for willing organic workers. Stay tuned for pics of the yurt and updates on the Home Of The Year Awards.

/media/AA/AA/greenbridgefarm-com/downloads/188363/HOY_Awards_Certificate_Savannah_iHouse.pdf

Ihouse Open House

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:36:00 -0500

We are having an open house and and field day at Green Bridge Farm on August 12-13. Come see Clayton Homes amazing Ihouse and see what we have growing in the gardens and orchards. The Ihouse is a sustainably built modular home and is the area's first true net zero energy house. The owner, Charles Davis, will not have an electric bill! You can also view Charles' new Chevy Volt. Times for both days are 9:00am-5:00pm. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Great Escape

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:14:00 -0500

The idea of organizing a farm dinner bubbled up in late April when my friend and fellow local food advocate, Leslie Marticke and I wanted to put something together that could be a physical manifestation of both of our graduate studies.

Through my M.A. final project (FoodScape: Savannah), I discovered that people were genuinely interested in exploring the local food system but they really wanted some FOOD to go along with their travel experience. Of course!

Leslie, finishing up her M.F.A. in Design Management, was seeking how to best structure the new Slow Food Savannah chapter to suit the needs of the community.

With our overlapping interests in promoting good, local food and connecting more like-minded people to this movement – the farm dinner planning picked up speed quickly. With the invaluable assistance of farmer Michael Maddox (Green Bridge Farm) and the most excellent Robyn Richardson (Design Management, M.F.A.) we made it happen.

Click to see the Flickr Set

Much of the meal was harvested the day of the dinner and prepared on-site. Our goals for The Great Escape (as we came to call it) were two-fold: get people together to showcase a beautiful organic farm and talk about the new Slow Food Savannah chapter. Personally, I also hoped to connect some people I had been lucky to meet through my studies at SCAD that maybe hadn’t had the chance to link up. Professors, farmers, chefs and community leaders were invited to attend.

My professor Scott Boylston was one of the guests who in reflection of the evening said,

The food was amazing, and the conversation was equally appetizing. And as a piece of the larger puzzle in creating a livable community in Savannah, your gathering was very welcome in that it allowed an opportunity for rejuvenation for some of us who are working so hard in the doing that we forget sometimes that simply being is necessary, too.

SOME QUICK OBSERVATIONS & REFLECTIONS:

Expectations: In the earliest stages we completely overplanned! As “doers” Leslie & I imagined some unnecessary complexity concerning costs, ticketing, hiring chefs, renting tables & chairs… well pretty much everything.

Realizations: Fortunately, we know the benefits of conducting contextual research. After we met with Michael in second stage of planning, we realized he does this kind of thing all the time with his friends, informal dinners that is. Potluck style, bring your dish & finish it in his kitchen. Needless to say, we followed his lead & removed a bunch of cost and stress.

Surprises: Sandoor, a resident on Green Bridge Farm, took it upon himself to provide a fantastic demonstration of how to make Hungarian noodles & pancakes. AMAZING!

Opportunities: For future events, keep consciously trying to diversify the audience. Connect chefs and community leaders to local farmers to facilitate these vital relationships. Also, could a financial model be developed to assist farmers & organizers without compromising the event, making it elitist that is?

A Visit From Dennis Banks - THE LONGEST WALK III

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:21:00 -0500

A few weeks ago, a group of Native American and Buddhist activists led by Dennis Banks came to camp at the farm on part of the southern leg of their journey on the Longest Walk III.

It is the intention of the Longest Walk III to set in motion a series of plans that will return us to a path long followed by our ancestors. A path of planting, growing, harvesting crops and healthy eating. This habit linked to the daily activity of walking, running and general exercise will close the door to Diabetes, Heart failure, kidney failure and other related health concerns.

Find out more about their crusade at llongestwalk3.com

For more photos from the visit click here.

Crop Mob - THIS WEEKEND!

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 07:30:00 -0500

Meet Michael Maddox, organic farmer, musician, and eco-sustainability building pioneer. For the last 15 years, Michael has come to see his dream of Green Bridge Farm come to fruition, literally. Green Bridge Farm, located near Guyton, Ga. (25 minutes outside of Savannah), is an intentional community aimed at sustainable living. Approximately four acres are set aside for community space, including a stunning organic vegetable garden, fruit orchard, and chicken coop. At Green Bridge we will help weed, harvest, and prune in the gardens. In addition to learning about Green Bridge’s farming and irrigation practices, Mobbers will be privy to a tour of a resident’s I-house, the first truly “zero energy house” in the area. Lunch will be provided and there’s talk of a post-mob jump in the pond!

When: Saturday, June 25th.

Meet at the farm 9am or carpool from Savannah at 8:30am.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

Find out more about Crop Mob at their website: www.cropmobgeorgia.com

A taste of what’s in season

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:23:00 -0500

re-blogged from: inquisitiveappetite.com

by Leslie Marticke

Last week I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon at Green Bridge Farm with owner Michael Maddox and his two trusty sidekicks. We chatted about retirement (Michael is a newbie), what’s in season, the love, sweat, and tears that go into organic farming, and the great reward of finally harvesting the goods and sharing a meal with friends. Along with two of my fellow colleagues, Erin Fenley and Robyn Richardson, I’m planning an evening supper at the farm in a few weeks to initiate two great projects/organizations: Foodscape Savannah and Slow Food Savannah, both in their infancy but boasting with great potential. The first dinner will be a pilot test run and a research study. Hopefully, all is well that ends better (a saying I heard from a friend this weekend), so that this becomes a common occurrence. Michael has done a fantastic job – from designing and building his spectacular two-story southern pine home to creating the most beautiful organic garden landscape I have ever seen. He makes living on the farm a dream come true. The photo story below will help bring the afternoon to life. Enjoy and a special thanks to Michael and his tour guides. Looking forward to “The Great Escape.”

A Trip to the Farm

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:08:00 -0500

Take a gander at this great post from our friend Cat Compton about her trip to the farm a few weeks back. Thanks for the fabulous words and photos Cat!

www.wellsavannah.com/green-bridge-farm

New Pics

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:56:00 -0500

I just added some more pictures of the Clayton Homes Ihouse and created a new photo folder of farm pics. Check them out!

Lot Sale / Clayton Homes Ihouse Arrival

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 09:41:00 -0500

After many months of planning, my friend Charles got the funding to buy lot 6 and tp purchase a Clayton Homes Ihouse to put on his lot. Charles bought the two bedroom Ihouse with a flex unit. The ihouse looks beautiful on Charles' heavily wooded lot. I have posted pictures of the Ihouse in the picture section of this site. I will post more pictures as we finish the landscaping and other details. We will have a ribbon cutting ceremony in mid April to introduce the Ihouse to local interested parties. Stay tuned for exact dates.

Zero Energy IHouse Construction

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:02:00 -0500

In just a couple of weeks Green Bridge Farm will have A Clayton Homes Ihouse sitting on lot 6. Charles Davis, owner of Earth Comfort Company Inc. , a geothermal installation business, has bought the house and lot 6. Charles will be living there. The Ihouse is a sustainably built prefab modular home. Charles will be adding his Earth Comfort Energy saving package which will include a geothermal heat pump system, solar panels, a wind turbine, and a smart energy monitoring meter. The resulting energy savings will render the Ihouse this areas first net zero energy house. This means that Charles won't pay Ga. Power for electricity and may even get a check from Ga. Power each month! This is all very cutting edge technology and it's happening right here on Green Bridge Farm! For more information on Clayton Homes Ihouse click on the link at the top of the page!

Construction News

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:27:00 -0500

I have posted some pics of partial land clearing on lots 4 and 6. We rented an environmentally sensitive machine called a gyrotrac to do the clearing with. I think the woods opened up nicely. A layer of mulch is left after the underbrush is chewed up. I will post pics documenting the construction progress.

Contracts

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:29:00 -0500

After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, I finally have lot 6 under contract. I will have lot 4 under contract at the end of the month. These lots will be partially cleared next week. Water wells, septic systems, and electrical lines will be installed shortly thereafter. It would be a great time to come out and look around as lot 4 and 6 will be much easier to view after clearing. If you are interested in one of the remaing 7 lots, you can get a better idea of how your lot would look like after minimal clearing. Hope to see you on the farm!

House Plan Booklet

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:22:00 -0500

We have posted the entire Green Bridge Farm house plan booklet. Just click on the new farm logo and the link will take you there. I look forward to your comments.

House Plans

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:04:00 -0500

We have started posting house plans under the architecture heading. We will be posting more plans as well as a link to the entire Green Bridge Farm house plan portfolio. All houses will be equipped with geothermal heat pumps, foam insulation, and energy star appliances. We will also be posting photos of finished homes with their interiors designed by our architect. All plans were drawn by local architect Curtis Gibbs.

Zero Energy House

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:15:00 -0500

If everything goes to plan, a zero energy home, or ZEH, will be built on Green Bridge Farm in the next few months. I am in negotiations with a builder who utilizes the Earth Comfort System TM, to build a house that produces as much energy as it consumes. This is cutting edge technology. We will use SIPS panels, a geothermal heat pump, and solar panels. The structural insulated panels are premanufactured off site and delievered in crates to the building site. They are basically particle board outside with foam inside. Like a sandwhich. There is no waste and they provide superior insulation. I will provide more information as the project progresses.

WSAV Interview

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:20:00 -0500

Please check out my interview at WSAV . There is a link to the interview in "in the news" section

South Magazine

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 06:41:00 -0600

I've posted an article about Green Bridge Farm from "South Magazine" in my photos section . I've also posted some photos that were taken by Shawn Heifert that were not used in the magazine. In the current issue of "Savannah Magazine" there is mention of the farm in the "What"s New" section of the magazine on page 30. Getting great exposure and a television interview is in the works!

Update

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:40:00 -0500

The project is ready for inspection and will be reviewed by the Effingham County commisioners. When they approve, the project will be recorded and the lots will be ready to be sold. We've had an enormous ammount of rain but the road and ditches have held up well. The pond is filling in nicely. I went for a swim this morning and it was great. It will probably be late September before the project will be recorded. We will have an open house on the property around that time. I wil post the date as soon as we finalize the plans. . Hope to see you out here!

Construction Update

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:23:00 -0500

Finally the end is near, or should I say the beginning. The pond is in place and filling with water. We will stock it with fish in a couple of months. Bass, bream and catfish. We will also be building a performance stage near the pond. That should begin next month. Electrical service will be installed next week. It will be underground so we won't have to look at ugly poles. After that the dirt road will be capped with recycled concrete. We will be having an open house on the farm just as soon as the road in completed. Stay posted for details

Building Standards

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:13:00 -0500

After deliberating for months on a building standard for this project, I have finally arrived at one. This standard will be referred to as the Green Brdge Farm standard in the architectural review board bylaws. This standard addresses the carbon footprint of the houses being built on the project. Other standards that address fascades and square footage, will remain the same.

The standard is simple:

1. All houses must have a geothermal heating/cooling system.

2. All houses must have foam insulation in exterior walls and ceilings.

3. All houses will be all electric with energy star appliances.

With the current tax incentives at both the state and federal level for geothermal systems, it would be irresponsible to not go with geothermal.