Spring never fails to bring me surprises: every year, a random flower blooms in an unexpected spot. My daddy always said the squirrels and chipmunks were his landscape designer. They’re mine, too. I can always count on four-footed helpers to dig up and replant bulbs....
The snowy fields glisten as the sunlight dances on the hillside. Winter’s blasts will soon be here. And, as I anticipate them while sitting alone in my warm living room, I remember other chilly nights around this fireplace, roasting marshmallows with my growing boys....
As the blustery November winds blow across our fields, they sweep the last of the vibrant-colored leaves away. What remains are gnarly brown branches and tree stumps void of color. The harvested fields, too, appear bereft. Squirrels don’t linger; they scurry to bury...
A Bountiful Harvest Here on the farm, the maple trees are ablaze with glorious red leaves. Hay season has ended, but the harvest is still underway, with soybeans and corn ready for gathering. Harvest generally begins in mid-September and can run as late as...
This year, my March On The Farm post discussed my wild, unruly grapevines that I had neglected for so long. But this year would be different, I decided. Through the spring and early summer, my sons and I worked tirelessly to prune, replace posts, and wire the vines to...
Farm to table. This trendy term isn’t new to those of us who live on a farm. Many meals prepared here come directly from the field to the table daily. No shopping at a grocery store or warehouse. And if I am fortunate to grow the right herbs, there is no need to add...
A century ago, forty percent of Americans lived on a farm. Oh, how times have changed – dramatically. Now only one percent of us live on a farm. So, I’m not surprised that people I meet are curious about farm life. “What do you grow?” “Do you raise cattle and hogs? Or...
The smell of freshly mowed hay makes this farm girl smile! Summer is just a few weeks away, and my three sons have already finished the first cutting. That fragrance of green and growth is intoxicating! I’m so grateful not to suffer from hay fever because I love everything about hay season: the warm sun on my face, the crickets chirping, and the birds singing. Just listen to the hum of that tractor as it crawls over the rolling hills.
This spring, we planted Macintosh and Delicious apple trees to replace an old tree that fell this winter. The fruit from that tree was tart, suitable only for making pies. And, speaking of pies makes me think fondly of my mother-in-law, who held the gold seal in the...
Spring sunshine and warm breezes energize me. Some days I feel like a tornado whipping around, cleaning and organizing inside and out. My exercise regimen also jump-starts every spring, just like daffodil shoots. But invariably, a remnant of winter blasts through the...