Photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC - Beech trees are one of the only deciduous trees to hold onto their leaves throughout the winter. This post is in honor of one of our community members who passed away suddenly this past week. Those of us who knew him will greatly miss him. And the land will remember his gentle spirit. Blessed Be, Jean
Look carefully for the nuts inside the "wrappers" The photos I'm sharing today are from a hazelnut harvest we did last February. This is the time of year when they're ready, but in our experience you can collect them anytime you get around to it, as long as the squirrels don't beat you to it. Our hazelnuts are the wild, native variety which are smaller than cultivars, but their taste ...
The Samhain Ritual was wonderful and well attended for such a chilly evening. It was a clear night with the stars twinkling and the sliver of a crescent moon hanging low on the horizon. Everyone went out of their way to make it a special event and to create the elements for deep connections to be made throughout the ceremony. We have a truly amazing community. ...
For our members at the $25 level, and those at the $10 level who have also been regular volunteers (this includes those who have helped with rituals, helped on the farm, and board members), we would like to offer you the opportunity to come and cut one of our spruces for your Christmas tree. We purposely planted them too close together when we created our wind breaks, so we would be able to harvest some of them ...
I am delighted to share with you that we (the Cavanaughs) have signed on a new contractor to resume the work needed for digging the pond and the water management of our land. This is a crucial main element in our design for creating an abundant life-sustaining ecosystem. This plan allows us to manage the flooding in such a way as to to keep the water on site to use more effectively, while also giving us some ...
In my last post, I talked about the construction plans for the Sanctuary. I want to make clear that this is part of a larger plan that allows for many wild spaces, much of which will not be touched by the construction at all. The area where we are creating the pond, along with the future building site and food forest, includes about five acres. It was all a cultivated farm field with very degraded and compacted ...
During our Samhain ritual, we honored the Cailleach, whose work encompasses death and decay. She is the hag of winter and the face of the goddess who is the crone. Many traditions have Holy Ones who embody this. Here at Crossing Hedgerows Farm, we recently built a new chicken coop. One of the reasons I wanted to do this, was so we could have a dirt floor and keep a compost pile going inside the coop for ...
Though things have been quiet here on our Patreon, we still are going strong at Crossing Hedgerows Farm and Sanctuary. Along with our regular volunteer days, we've been planning a special Samhain celebration. Being able to come together as a community to honor our ancestors and connect with each other is truly a gift. So mark you calendar for November 6th at 6:30 p.m. You'll need to dress warmly, but snow pants are perfectly welcomed and appropriate ...
Part of the mission of Crossing Hedgerows Farm and Sanctuary is to create abundance for our community through earth care - learning together the skills of regenerative agriculture and permaculture. Permaculture is a design system which incorporates people care, earth care, and return of surplus (giving back). We have, little by little, been planting and trying out various growing techniques to gain the skills needed to design the larger space of the Sanctuary as we are able. ...
The woods have been filled with mushrooms this fall, which is a nice change of pace from the mosquito filled summer. A big thank you to Brennah for once again generously sharing her photos with us.
Though these pictures were taken through a screened window as it was raining, the clarity is still incredible. We wanted to share with you an advanced peek of this set of photos of an American Goldfinch who is feeding on the seeds of the sunchokes here at Crossing Hedgerows Farm along with others of her flock. She has donned her fall / winter nonbreeding plumage which is not such a bright yellow as the breeding plumage. Photos ...
This is the time of year in our part of the world where we see what looks like mass death beginning to happen all around us. We likely all are aware of how this kind of death leads to transformation and the eventual springing forth of every manner of life. Likewise when tragedies, disappointments, or fallow times come our way, we never know what transformations it will lead to in our own lives. turkey tail ...
wild grape on yew tree 🌼Volunteer Days: Thursday at 10:00 a.m. and Saturday at 2:00 p.m. - weather permitting This week we will be working on clearing the Yew tree of wild grape vines, mulching pathways (especially back by the bridge where the poison ivy likes to hang out) and building a chicken coop. We may also do some more harvesting of Autumn Olive Berries. 🌼Member Walk and Bonfire: Sunday at 2:00 pm. - ...
We will once again gather at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow for our monthly member Walk and Bonfire. It should be a lovely day for it! Please feel free to bring a dish or beverage to pass, and instruments, songs, poetry, or stories to share. Thank you all for your continued support. 🐉 Jean
For your weekend enjoyment, here are some pictures of a few of the wildflowers now blossoming around the farm and sanctuary. I love how you can walk the same path every day, and it will never be the same walk twice. There is always something different to see in nature. bull thistle New England aster jewel weed boneset goldenrod evening ...
We had another beautiful time of connecting with the the spirits of the land and each other yesterday. We started with collecting nasturtium and marigold seeds to save for next year. Brennah had already begun collecting them, but having several people doing it was a fun project. (I have labeled the pictures to show the process for those who are interested.) Nasturtium seeds we collected Caitlin collecting nasturtium seeds ...
Last Wednesday a severe wind storm affected a large portion of Michigan, including CHFS. Thankfully there was no damage to humans, animals, or buildings. There was, however, a fair amount of tree damage. Here are a few pictures of some of the trees that came down. It's hard to show in the photos just how massive some of the trees were, but I think this will give you a little sense of it. A tree ...
A recurring theme that is emerging in these posts is the portrait gallery. I occasionally select some of Brennah's photos (with her permission) which highlight the inhabitants of the Farm and Sanctuary. Brennah captures the magic of each of her subjects exquisitely and you are often the first to see her most recent work. A young Kildeer next to the pond Tiger Swallowtail butterfly on Teasel plant A true ...
Catnip is one of several types of plants we have on the farm to help keep the mosquitoes at bay. There has been a noticeable difference since we've added them to the landscape. Unfortunately, the wilder parts of the Sanctuary, that don't have these plantings, are currently still plagued with the little buggers. Our hens, Amelia, Little Wing, and Chezabu hanging out among some catnip and hops This video shows how much the ...
We had a relaxing gathering yesterday. It was spent mostly sitting in the shade of a mulberry tree whilst sharing a potluck together. We were serenaded by a catbird, one of which Brennah captured in this photo a few days prior. Gray Catbird by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC According to the Cornell Bird Lab, "Catbirds are secretive but energetic, hopping and fluttering from branch to branch through tangles of vegetation. Singing males sit ...