Frost Flowers ...

Wildflower Update: With the polar cold spell this week, the only flowers to find were frost flowers.  There were hundreds from ironweed and wingstem stems.  As water moves up from the roots of these plants it cracks the stem open and ribbons of ice crystals form.  Frost flowers last only until the sun comes out and melts the ice cyrstals and they only form after the first few days of hard freezes. They were beautiful during sunrise.

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/common-plants-and-animals/wildflowers-and-grasses/frost-flowers


Pollinators and Wildlife:  Our pollination season is over until next Spring but lots of wildlife on the move with this cold spell.  Deer hunting season started last weekend and the sound of guns could be heard each morning and evening.  The hunters that lease our farm are mostly bow hunters and have taken a few deer last week.  The population remains too high because I see several each time I take a walk.  It seems as though our coyote population is very high also ... they make a lot of noise each night.  I have loaded our bird feeders and there has been several chickadees and nuthatches visiting.

Work on the Farm:  The last few weeks, I have been feeding our honeybees sugar water (in ziplock gallon bags on the frames of the top super).  They seem to have good populations and substantial honey heading into winter.  Shaw Farms combined the soybeans on the second bottom land next to Long Creek.  I walked on annual rye and winter oats on the water ways to prevent erosion.  Folks in the community are still stopping by to pick turnip and mustard greens.


We support:
Round House, Jeans and Workware, Made in the USA for 111 years.
http://www.round-house.com/
Red Pig Tools, Garden tools, Made in the USA.
http://www.redpigtools.com/servlet/StoreFront
FEDCO, Co-op Garden Supplies, Seeds, Trees and Bulbs
http://www.fedcoseeds.com/
Johnny's Selected Seeds and Garden Tools
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
Roundstone Native Seed ... A Kentucky Company!
https://www.roundstoneseed.com/
Prairie Nursery, Native Seeds and Plants
http://www.prairienursery.com/
Kelley's Beeskeeping ... A Kentucky Company! ... at least for now.
http://www.kelleybees.com/
and these organizations ...
Xerces Society
Journey North
Monarch Watch
Sierra Club

First Freeze and Harvesting Milkweed Pods ...

Wildflower Update:  After 26 degrees F. last night our wildflower season is mostly over.  Any Monarch stragglers will have a hard time from now on.

Pollinators and Wildlife:  Early this week, I saw a couple of Monarchs ... the last one on October 30th. Lots of animals on the move during this freeze.  A praying mantis was at our back porch door.  Deer season with guns start next weekend in this part of Kentucky.  I filled up a couple of our birdfeeders this week and it did not take long for the chickadees to find the sunflower seed.

Work on the Farm:  Yesterday, I harvested a few bushel of milkweed pods for seed and to use in my classroom.  Harvest will accelerate now that we have had a freeze.  The pod set was heavier this year due to great growing weather early in the summer.  Also, I have harvested some acorns for our Great Oaks of Holland project.  We still have lots of folks stopping by to harvest turnip greens from Burl's Big Turnip Patch.


We support:
Round House, Jeans and Workware, Made in the USA for 111 years.
http://www.round-house.com/
Red Pig Tools, Garden tools, Made in the USA.
http://www.redpigtools.com/servlet/StoreFront
FEDCO, Co-op Garden Supplies, Seeds, Trees and Bulbs
http://www.fedcoseeds.com/
Johnny's Selected Seeds and Garden Tools
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
Roundstone Native Seed ... A Kentucky Company!
https://www.roundstoneseed.com/
Prairie Nursery, Native Seeds and Plants
http://www.prairienursery.com/
Kelley's Beeskeeping ... A Kentucky Company! ... at least for now.
http://www.kelleybees.com/
and these organizations ...
Xerces Society
Journey North
Monarch Watch
Sierra Club