Shoe drop

One of the rules that I live by: Life Must Balance

Which is when I've bragged a little, reality comes along to smack that haughtiness back where it belongs.

In a previous post I mentioned that sales were good, only a few days later to have my worst sales day --- ever.

Then a friend asked if my popcorn looked good this year, I started to say, "It looks really goo...." when I realized that I said too much.

Two days later, half was laying on the ground. Kaput. Flat, broken stalks that won't recover.

This is a bit of superstition that I really don't play into. It's just a reaction to the moment.

Because if I truly believed that G*d reacts this way when someone takes a little pride in their efforts, then I really should be dead from His vengeful wrath. Truly...

Iowa gets storms (remember the derechio a few years ago?) so why should my little operation miss out. Acres of oats were also laying flat on the ground just up the road from us. Another lost his sweetcorn to hail.

Weather --- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The best I can do is shrug.

We planted an additional plot this year which will soften the loss and hope I can come up with some additional income for next year because much of what I grow now is for next year's sales.

I show this pic, not to generate sympathy but to show how fragile our plans and efforts can be, although I'm sure there's someone out there enjoying the bit of schadenfreude at our expense. (I see you)

It's about how, in a single moment, all of one's work, or their lives, can be swept away. Just ask those in floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Some people lost much more than a few stalks of corn.

Plan, Prepare, Execute, Reevaluate, Adapt. 

I'm in the Reevaluate stage right now and next year might still be a good year. 

In the mean time, I'm keeping my mouth shut about this year --- just in case another shoe drops (again) and the wrath of the gods never run out of shoes.

 

Yes, it's been awhile...

Take a break - you might miss something.

This past week was three long days turning ground, planting, and interruptions to run for replacement parts.

You know that a drive belt never breaks until you use it, right?

And a planter plate doesn't turn if it's jammed.

I was rushing to plant the early crops before a rain on Thursday and another all-day job off the farm on Friday.

This is the time of year that if you get into a hurry, you miss things.

Like a sunset at the end of a long day, where the shadow cast along the bottom half of a soft maple tree but the sun illuminates the crown.

You can find your own metaphor in this but I find it one pauses once in a while you may capture a memory or two. I would have liked a better camera/skills to capture it for others.

Stay safe out there and give the farmers a little leeway while they move equipment from field to field.

It's planting season.

Christmas Blessings to you all (2023)

I wish all of you a Happy Christmas as another turn around the sun comes to an end.

Please don't look upon this Black Hills Spruce and think of Charlie Brown. This was planted from a 4" seedling about 10 years ago and was doing well as our Tree of Lights going forward.

Until a buck chose the tree to rub his antlers on what should have been about a 30" or so little tree. We plan on bringing the culprit to justice soon.

The spruce will continue to be our lighted tree until it decides it can't fulfill its obligations. We don't feel like giving up on it just yet.

There could be a lesson in there but your mileage may vary.

Happy Christmas from all of us at The Stranded Tree Farm

Same tree from 2021 ( a bit smaller though):

 

 

If gold could be grown

This year's popcorn yield was more than double of last year, in part to a dry August, no late severe summer windstorms and a whole lot of luck.

So, mostly out of my control, except for the planting time (earlier than previous years and no spring frosts), manual irrigation, and proper weed control with a heavy dose of bovine scatological inputs.

Some would still say... luck was the key factor. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As the self-proclaimed second largest popcorn producer in my county, we are expanding for next year --- if I get a new transmission so I could till the earth. Plus with some mad-scientist crossed hybrids, we will add a few colorful additions for the snack food consumers here, coming in fall of '24 and beyond.

In the mean time, winter is the time to shell some of this gold and I'd best get to work.

The reasons to plant a tree...

Conservation - water, soil, improving air quality, wildlife habitat

Shade - would you rather relax with a favorite beverage in the blinding sun or in the shade of a sugar maple?

For fun and profit - it may take 80 years but that straight walnut log is worth a little money

We added another reason: Legacy Trees.

Some might call them Memorial Trees but these are planted to honor those who are important to us, such as family, friends, and one planted for a group of people. All of them have an important impact on the farm and each tree is a reminder - a part of the legacy we hope to build.

We've even planted a few for other people who don't have the land to grow a maple, oak, or even a non-native species.

If you don't have the room for a tree, we can plant one for you. Contact me for details.

We have two Catalpa trees that were planted from seed collected from our neighbors who sadly passed away before they had a chance to watch them grow. Late Spring flowers are a reminder that they're still with us in spirit and seeds were given to their children to plant their own memorial. 

 

Squatter

I don't mind some squatters on the place but I would have liked a better location than my ladder that I store under the eve of the garage.

I'm delaying a new roof until she moves on...

(There's other reasons but now I can blame someone besides myself.)

New Legacy tree

First tree planted in 2023

First legacy tree of 2023

This one is kind of special. Planted for someone who came into our lives a short time ago and this little Norway Spruce will grow in the family reserve above the pond. 

He may be small but he's growing...

Springtime weather report

 Last Friday's storms left a lot of damage to the south and east of the farm:

One of the two tornadoes at the bottom were rated EF4 and reportedly started in Wapello County. Lots of roofing tin spread about in ours and the neighbors' fields and I'll walk the acreage to see what else I can find.

No damage (so far) just like a bloviating politician - a lot of wind...

Second batch of aronia wine from 2022

We just bottled up our second batch of aronia wine that we started brewing a few months ago. This recipe had two gallons of juice compared to the first batch which had 2.5 gallons, plus we tried a couple of different things to assist in the clearing.

With each batch, we bottle some as dry and sweeten the rest to between a semi-sweet and a sweet wine. We sweetened it up a bit more in search of a good balanced recipe.

Most of my tasters prefer the sweeter end of the spectrum but I do like how the dry turned out last year. 

This seems to be the best batch we made from 2022 berries and looks pretty good through the light. Our third batch with another variation in the recipe is almost ready for second siphoning to clear the wine.

#1 son and I drank tasted the scrubs, what we call that last bit of wine that isn't enough to fill a bottle, and it's probably the best that we produced this year.

We might be getting close to the preferred recipe but I'm looking forward to finding out how our third one turns out.

From the shadows...

 I'm a little behind on reviewing the trail cameras and found this guy from September last year: