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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
In this photo, the white banty hen is trying to shelter all her grown chicks under her wings. A banty hen is a type which is smaller than regular hens. The chicks in the picture are not bantys, but the banty mama sat on the eggs from other hens and raised the chicks as her own.Happy Mother's Day to all the Mamas of the world!
I'd like to highlight in my coming posts some of the many forest crops we have at the Sanctuary. Many we have planted around the Cavanaugh homestead. Others have been planted by birds, wind, and the ways of Mother Nature and we have allowed them to flourish. And some were on the land already when we arrived. The Shagbark Hickory is one in the last category. Hickory trees do not produce nuts every year, so one has to ...
Excavating a fallen log, a little native bee works busily away to build a nest for her offspring. Blossoms of wild geranium, violets, and anemones peek out here and there. Insects go about their business breaking down the detritus that would overwhelm us if not for them. The alchemy of creating life out of death goes on constantly under our feet, in a world that mostly goes unnoticed.Oftentimes, that is the way of things... the true stars ...
Happy Beltane to all who celebrate!In the Gaelic tradition, Beltane is the season from the 1st of May to the 31st of July. As we travel through this season, you may like to focus on some of the above activities. But whatever your path, I wish you the brightest of blessings in the coming days,JeanActivities for the Summer Months, from Celtic Devotional: Daily Prayers and Blessings by Caitlin Matthews
We had another gathering for members this past Sunday. The afternoon was bright and crisp and gorgeous. Though the morning had been overcast and chilly, it turned into one of those days where the air is cool but the sun is warm, and they offset each other perfectly.There had been a few others who had been planning to come, but they were waylaid at the last minute with one thing or another. So it was an intimate ...
A Snail and a Bud"Sacred Geometry charts the unfolding of number in space. It differs from mundane geometry purely in the sense that its moves, concepts and products are regarded as having symbolic value and meaning. Thus, like good music, the study and practice of geometry can facilitate the evolution of the soul. ... This material has been used for a long time indeed as one introduction to metaphysics. Like the elements of its sister subject, music, it ...
There is so much life bursting upon the scene right now, it's impossible to mention it all. Hyacinth and daffodils and tulips are gracing the scene. Rhubarb, Egyptian onions, mint, lemon balm, tarragon, and various other herbs are popping up. The currant bushes, peach and apple trees, serviceberry, and wild plum are blossoming. Mayapples are in their full glory in the woods. These are a few of the many perennials we have planted around the farm and sanctuary. ...
For the most part, the photos will speak for themselves. We had a similar snowstorm last year about a week earlier than this one. Looking at the pictures from that one, it seems that the blossoms on the fruit trees were not out quite as much. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that this doesn't harm the fruit production here in SE Michigan. We prepared as best we could by bringing some of our more sensitive seed trays ...
Amazingly, it's been a couple of years now that Sarenth Odinsson and his family have been volunteering at the Farm and Sanctuary. Time has flown by so quickly. We've formed a wonderful relationship and it was delightful to hear Brandon talking about the yummy leek soup he likes to make, while we were transplanting leeks this week. The leeks are ones that self-seeded from some that were in our very first planting of the hoophouse in 2017. They've ...
One of the main understory shrubs in the woodlands area of the Sanctuary is Spicebush. The photos in this post are ones that Brennah has taken across the seasons showing the blossoms, berries, and fall foliage. She has even captured a shot of the Spicebush Butterfly (which I didn't realize was a thing, but she had identified long ago).I happened upon an excellent description of Spicebush this morning on the Indigenous Landscapes site which I will share ...
It was another good community work day on Thursday. We started with a little walk around the farm... in which I apparently made at least one funny face! The honey berry bushes are blossoming and the lilacs are getting close. Honey berries produce edible, sweet, oblong shaped blue berries. They're in the honeysuckle family and another of our beloved perennials.Next we planted up many seed trays - one of my favorites being nasturtiums. I can't wait to ...
Prayer to the Spirits of the Land ~ by JeanWe thank you for your presence and all that you provide for us. We are grateful for our time together with you, as fellow travelers and inhabitants of this place.May our actions be harmonious in creating abundance for all. We celebrate this time of year of new life emerging from the death and decay. May we honor this process in our own lives.Hail Spirits of the Land! Blessed Be!The Land Spirits ...
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. ~ Lao TzuYesterday we had another lovely Member Walk and Bonfire, which I will share some pictures from soon. We had a small ritual in the woods together, while the Red-Winged Blackbirds loudly serenaded us. A big thank you to members, such as Alissa Addy, who have spread the word to friends so that more people can be aware of all that we are offering here at the Farm and ...