Spring Rain
Good morning,
What an odd week of weather. It’s been good for the farm though, the grass is growing!! Ok Ok, I get it. That probably means mowing for you in the not too distant future but it does make your lawn look good, right? Same over here but for me it means that I will soon be able to put this years plans to action.
Spring, a brand new start. Bugs are starting to come out, grass is growing, and the spring rains are delivering a wonderful payload to the pasture that I rely on for the well-being of everything on the farm. Of course the ticks are already out, Pete was hosting one this morning, and although I have no idea what their purpose is, I’m sure that they fill a need. I love to see the increase in nature on the farm year on year, what better measure of success than that? Have you ever seen a field literally covered in dew laced cobwebs from end to end? Ours is! That’s the way it’s supposed to be, packed with nature.
I put out a swarm box this morning as I feel that the year is going to be a good one for swarm catching. Swarm boxes are small empty hives that you scatter around your property, usually at six feet or higher off the ground. When a colony of bees is preparing to swarm (often because they have run out of space) they send out “scout bees” to find a good place for the new hive, hopefully your swarm box! My bees certainly seem to be busy and strong for the time of year so early swarms are likely, I feel. I usually put one or a few out, not just in case I miss one of our own, but also to pick up a new colony or two to slowly expand. We never get enough homegrown, local honey each year and sell out quite quickly. Don’t forget that local is best, especially if you are using it to help with allergies. There is no point inoculating yourself against local plants with foreign pollens! Ours is as potent as you can get as we do not heat, stir, or mess about with any of our honey. We strain it through a fine stainless steel gauze while it’s still warm from the hive and that’s it, full of unadulterated goodness!
OH! Anyone that knows me will probably also know that I have an addiction to Rhubarb! I’m very excited because it’s the time of year to make splits from your Rhubarb crowns and a friend of mine has offered me one (thanks Clay!) I keep trying to grow them from seeds, which oddly I am very good at, but something keeps eating them before the end of the year. I suspect grasshoppers, personally, but I have yet to see the blighters that are doing it. I’m hoping that a split will fare much better against attack and I will certainly be keeping a close eye on it. If you have a large or even overgrown crown, I’d love to trade something for a strong split. Just contact me through the contact form or leave me a comment below (pleased to say that I have finally figured out how to add them now) Nothing beats Rhubarb Pie!!
Have a great week and I will speak to you soon enough.