Signs of Spring

 

Red oak acorns are starting to break open. We picked these up from a local tree last fall until the first snow and then "floated" the acorns by putting them in water. Whichever sinks, these should be viable. The acorns are placed into a bag of peat moss in the spare frig to simulate the cold winter - this is called the stratification process. If we planted in the ground right away, then squirrels and other critters could get them.

These are ready to be planted in a tube tray with a peat moss/sand mix and will I let them grow in the tubes until next spring. So long as the squirrels and chipmunks stay out, they should be ready to plant. We lost half of our white oak seedlings to them last summer. Previous year's surviving white oak, red oak and hickory will be planted in a few weeks.

We do this every year and we lost access to several white oaks last fall. Still looking for a black oak source that we lost a few years ago.

The numbers: of the acorns we pick up, we throw out 70-80% after floating. Of those seedlings that are planted, only about 20% survive rabbits and other rodents to year three. Putting up wire cages increase the chances of trees making it but no guarantees there.

Looking forward to spring planting.

Spring 2021

Spring has arrived at the farm. Don't tell me that spring is a couple weeks away because when the red-winged blackbird arrives, it's spring.

Dozens arrived on Monday (3/1), a week earlier than I predicted and they were active in a couple of cottonwood trees on the north side of the road. As I approached to get a better picture, they scattered to the soft maples along the creek that runs through the neighbor's field. Usually I can walk within 10 yards of a red-winged but they may be jittery this early in the spring. I waited behind the cover of a row of cedar trees for them to return to the cottonwoods.

When they came back, I was able to get that one picture above and then I left them alone but watched from the truck. With the ground still nearly covered in a foot of snow, there was little open ground but under the cottonwoods was a mound of corn that must have spilled when the neighbor harvested his field last fall. The snow melted to reveal the corn that was almost directly underneath those cottonwoods. 

The flock at the cottonwoods, both males and females, about half stayed perched in the trees while the others fed on the pile of corn. Maybe a half a minute later the birds on the ground flew up into the trees, their "chip" calls among themselves for a few seconds until the group that was perched took their turn to feed. 

I watched for at least 10 minutes as they switched from sentinels to voracious eaters until they decided to move on. Some may stay here at the farm while others fly to greener pastures. Maybe the chicks born at the farm last year will return to weave their nests for their own brood.

The first day of our spring started out on a high note but went down from there. More later on that. In the mean time, I'll remember the behavior of our friends on that day.

Coming Soon - The Project

A new beginning for us here at the farm as we decided to go in a new direction. As many know, I have always been employed off the farm to pay the bills. We bought the land about ten years ago and it doesn't provide enough income to allow us to be a full-time farm operation.

Things have changed.

I've worked for others since I was fourteen when my dad "volunteered" my labor to neighboring farmers. For the past four decades (with only very brief periods) I've earned my wages working for others.

I voluntarily left my salaried job on Friday in an effort to complete what has been a lingering vision/dream/passion that has been sitting there dormant for far too long. More details will roll out as we successfully complete our next steps or we crash and burn - who knows?

I call it by it's sexy title - The Project

Will we be successful? The stubborn part of me is driving the bus right now, so I better say yes.

We will clear more ground for our farmer's markets this summer as well as a couple of side projects that are in the works. My wife is employed, so we won't be living on the streets (for the time being).

This may be insane or one of the stupidest things I've done but life is a crap-shoot and "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." - Attributed to Yogi Berra

I plan to take this fork while I still can. 

Since I don't have a fork, here's a "T"