I’m emailing you from Fayetteville, Arkansas where I just finished helping Mel with a day full of Square Foot Gardening workshops. It was an exciting day! I think things are going to EXPLODE for SFG in the next few months. The producer of the new composite SFG boxes, Greenland Composites, has recognized the value of SFG and he envisions whole sections of the big box stores dedicated to to the method! He already has product being shipped to Sam’s Club, Home Depot and others. He says he will be nationwide by next year. And with what I’ve learned about owner Burt Hanna today, I have no doubt. Tomorrow, I’m loading up my car with as many of his boxes as I can carry. Although this isn’t the “official” licensed SFG composite box, this is what Greenland sells through Sam’s Club and the official box is similar with fantastic packaging.

Mel actually let me teach side-by-side with him and people described it as “George & Gracie” or “Laurel and Hardy.” lol. I don’t know that it was QUITE to that level, but Mel and I do see to have a good stage presence together and it was a lot of fun tonight. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

Stay tuned. When I get through this weekend, I’ll have more news, hopefully on Monday with details as to when Mel’s Mix will be available in Ohio and when & where I’ll be holding a meeting to share with you all the new things happening.

Fayetteville, Arkansas is an amazing, beautiful town. In the midst of Southern conservatism, this town is a light to progressive thought and I’m not talking politics, although that may be true as well. The whole town is dedicated to reducing its environmental “footprint” on the earth. The new public library, where Mel and I spoke tonight, is a phenomenal example of conscientious attention to energy-saving detail. I ate early dinner at the lovely Trailside Cafe & Tearoom. It was early dinner, but we walked in at closing time, yet they were gracious and served us a delicious meal. I had the grilled chicken salad which had scrumptiously salty calamala olives. Yum. It was within walking distance to the library. We seemed to have established a trend because after the program with Mel, Louise Mann (the organizer of the event) and I went to The Greenhouse Grill for a late dinner. We again walked in at closing time and Louise (she’s so funny, told them that I drove 13 hours to do this program and to eat in their restaurant) talked them into serving us anyway. I really don’t like walking in at closing time, but they, too, were gracious (I love Southern hospitality!). The server (and shoot, I was too tired to remember her name) was extremely knowledgeable about food sensitivities and didn’t seem at all bothered by my request for no wheat. I had a lovely Rosemary Chicken with pan-fried sweet potato rounds and grilled summer squash. For dessert, I had to try the chocolate-hazelnut creme’ brulee and it was DIVINE! It was absolutely heavenly with the cabernet I was drinking. The Greenhouse Grill’s mission is to create “conscious cuisine” utilizing as much locally grown products as possible – including from their own kitchen garden – composting organic kitchen wastes, rain collection system, using environmentally safe soaps & cleaning agents as well as recycled paper products. Going in so late, I really didn’t have an opportunity to explore as much as I would have liked, but it was impressive, none-the-less.

If you’re thinking about an out-of-state vacation this summer, I highly recommend Fayetteville and look into staying at the Mt. Sequoya Conference & Retreat Center. Louise set me up with a room on the beautiful campus that was almost like a small, peaceful neighborhood of tree-lined roadways and lovely lodges. Where I stayed contained several rooms along a long hallway with a common living room area and kitchenette. On the covered porches are rocking chairs where I sat and ate my breakfast on the first morning I was here. Right now I have my window open so I can hear the wind through the trees right outside. The bed is comfortable and the rooms are clean. The towels are a little small and not so fluffy, but I can understand the need to economize. It would be perfect for a church retreat or a personal getaway. I would definitely stay here again.

Wow, I have rambled on and it is now after midnight. Tomorrow is another long day with meetings in the morning and the first leg of my drive home. I drive all the way here in one day, but I will be taking two to go home.

Cassie