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.