Lots of butterflies this year.

I've been having a blast enjoying more butterflies this year in the garden here on the farm. Perhaps it is due to the warmer and drier year we are having. The same kind of weather has allowed me to actually get ripe tomatoes and summer squash already. Of course there are cons to drought and …

Isabella Tiger Moths

Pyrrharctia isabella, the isabella tiger moth caterpillars are out in force today, I saw no less then a dozen on my short walk. These are different then the virginia tiger moths that were out in force last month that are basically all cream white in color. The Isabellas are often nicknamed wooly bears and folks …

Use what you have: Nutrient Cycling

This year is different then last year. You can blame that on it being 2020. 2020 has gotten the blame for a lot of odd stuff. Last year, it was rainy and dreary in September. I had tomatoes coming in by the bucket full. And It hadn't once hit 90 degrees. This year it rained …

How do you like them apples?

No picture, because I often forget to bring my camera with me when I'm working in the garden but today I ate my first Whitney Crabapple right off the tree. Things I've read - mainly on the interwebs-said they would be ready in September. But all but one had disappeared suddenly (Crows? Racoons? Deer? They …

Virginia Tiger Moth?

I could be wrong, and feel free to correct me if you can, but I think these are Spilosoma virginica (Yellow wooly bear) caterpillars. I found several lately mostly on the invasive pest buttercup weeds. But I did find one on the carrot top of one of the carrots I harvested today as well. It's …

Distractions: Middle age farming?

“There's this piece of contemporary mythology that the forties are the best time of your life. A load of cock, so far as I'm concerned.”― Penelope Lively, Passing On Learning to farm in your forties is strange. You're not a spring chicken so things feel 10 times more difficult then they would have 20 years …