We are happy to invite you to our June monthly Walk and Bonfire! It is this Sunday the 27th at 2:00 p.m. There is a chance of rain, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that it will work out. If not, I'll let you know and we'll postpone to the 4th of July. I've noticed that having the gathering on holidays actually makes it easier for some people to attend. Of course for others it has the opposite ...
June 2021 The last week has brought us an excess of rain and caused the creek to overflow and the water table to swell. Fortunately yesterday there was no rain, so the water went down a bit. We were able to slosh through ankle deep water on the trail back to the creek and take the pictures you see here. The bridge was just barely above the water and it is flooded on both sides, throughout the ...
A few more photos from the Farm and Sanctuary to greet you today. A lone cicada wing found lying in the fire circle, festive nasturtiums in the gardens, and creatures often looked at with annoyance all have their own joyous spirits and beauty. cicada wing by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC nasturtium flower long-legged fly by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC nasturtium flower garter snake ...
It was great to have Alyssa and daughter, Allie come out on Saturday for a work day. They finished harvesting the garlic scapes, weeded a flower bed, and dug and planted a bed of thyme plants which we started from seeds earlier this spring. They also helped me transplant a paw paw tree seedling to a wetter area where it will hopefully be happier. Between chores, we sampled some of my elderflower cordial ...
wild rose by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC By August 1st, the wild rose pictured here will be a newly forming rose hip. Likewise, the wheat in the fields will soon be 'headed out', and ready for harvesting. Depending on the type, it will be harvested in July or August in Michigan. "The time of Lughnasadh is a time of the beginning of reaping (of grains) - of revelling in the height of summer, and ...
I snapped a few photos this vapory morning to share with you all. It rained steadily all day yesterday (Sunday), giving the plants another good soaking. The wild creatures all seem to be quite happy. Also a baby dragon has come to live at the Farm. I can't wait for Sarenth and Silverleaf's little Charlotte to see it. She loves the "glass chicken" decoration we have in the lemon balm patch. It's lovely ...
https://youtube.com/shorts/whMiZs6y1yk Summer Solstice 2021 "Even in the height of summer, we remember that winter must come. Yet it is that shift in day length, that change, that triggers blossoms to set fruit. Life is built upon cycles. Beginnings reach culmination, and decline, which opens the way for something new to begin. Much as we might want to cling to every bright possibility, we must open our hands and let go for potential to manifest. That ...
Summer Solstice Sunrise, 2021 - by Jean Greeting To The Summer Solstice Glory of the Day-Star, hail! Lifter of the Light, Burnisher of the Sky. Gifts of love to earth are bringing, Summer's shimmer, dew's delight. Dancing be the heart within us, Open be our souls to bliss, Courage vanquish every shadow, Greet midsummer with a kiss. by Caitlín Matthews Photo: Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary Solstice Sunrise, by Jean
Along with the Sanctuary land, which includes beautiful woodland and wetland areas with trails, we also operate a permaculture farm and enjoy sharing the farm experience with our members as an added bonus. Today I wanted to give you an update on how the farm is doing with several photos of the annual crops we're growing right now. garlic in the front garden A few of our chickens Basil ...
On Thursdays we have a volunteer work day from about 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm. I wish I had gotten pictures of our trail-blazing crew yesterday, but as sometimes happens, I was caught up in the moment, and I think everyone else was too. We had marked out a trail beforehand, putting stakes in to show the way, and our crew of Caitlin, Sarenth, Brandon, Brennah, and I headed out with a machete, a saw, a couple ...
One of the priorities we have in designing the "non-wild" spaces of the farm and sanctuary is to choose multi-functional plants. In this video, you can see the bumblebees gathering nectar from the blossoms of the comfrey. I've also seen many other pollinators, and even hummingbirds, sipping from the comfrey flowers. Comfrey is likewise a medicinal herb used in salves for healing wounds, and occasionally a tea (for very specific conditions - not to be used long-term ...
Yesterday while we were walking in the woods, we came across three American Woodcocks sitting quietly in the leaf litter. They were so quiet in fact, that they almost got trampled. It looked like they were perhaps a mama and her two young chicks. In the photos, you best can see the length of the Woodcock bill on the young bird. In the last photo you can try your luck seeing if you can spot the two ...
Jean, Brennah and guests A fun little episode from our May Member Walk and Bonfire was the appearance of this butterfly. Brennah spotted it and stopped to take some pictures - two of which I've added to this post. The young lad was especially interested, and Brennah explained that the butterfly is called a Mourning Cloak, and is one of the earliest to appear in the spring. Because they come out so early, there ...
In our May gathering, one of the areas we walked through on our tour was the hoophouse. Cabbage and Leeks When we look at growing crops through the lens of healthy ecosystems, it requires that we think of all the elements involved and what they want and need to be healthy. Chard, Leeks, Onions, and Milkweed Some of the things I touched on during the tour, is how we ...
We had a nice turnout and gorgeous weather for our May gathering. These pictures are mainly from the bonfire and potluck portion of the day. We had egg salad made with eggs from Crossing Hedgerows Farm, crackers, potato chips, and Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble made from our farm fresh rhubarb. Doug also brought a Lentil Salad (made by his wife Pat) that was scrumptious. And Alissa brought a wonderful Rhubarb Mead. But before all that we had a ...
Some of the baby birds are beginning to fledge now. This whole nest of sparrows came down at once the other day, moving about in a little group while the parents continued to watch over them. It's a little hard to tell, but there are four of them here.Being a haven for birds is something we're quite keen on here at the farm and sanctuary. We love that we can provide an excellent habitat for them. Even ...
The fragrance of the Autumn Olive flowers in the springtime is fabulous. It's such a joy to walk back towards the woods and be greeted with their sweet smell rich in the air. The blossoms are now beginning to fade away, but they have been a great source of pollen and nectar for the pollinator insects. Their speckled leaves are now coming in fully, and when fall rolls around, they will produce their yummy speckled berries (which ...
Ok, I won't go into all the health benefits of aronia berries, but this is another of the perennials we planted that has been incredibly productive. As you can see in the photos, the aronia bushes were only a couple of inches tall when we planted them in 2014, and are now five or six feet tall. Even the very first year, they had started producing berries. Over the years, we've made lots of aronia crumble to share ...
Today I'm sharing a few photos taken in the woods yesterday. These spring ephemerals don't last long, but while they do, it is magnificent.Our group Member Walk and Bonfire for May will be next Sunday, the 23rd at 2:00 p.m.. And as members, you are also welcome to arrange to come at other times too. If you've had the tour, and know your way around, you can choose to take in the Sanctuary on your own, or ...
Continuing from my previous post about food forest crops, sunchokes are one of the perennials we've planted around the farmstead area. As you can see, they have a gorgeous flower which blossoms in late summer. They're a type of sunflower with an edible tuber root which can be used similarly to potatoes, though they have perhaps more of a water chestnut consistency. Also they can be eaten raw, sliced up on a salad with a bit of ...