2025, Farming Update, gardening, Medicine, Nature, Science, Theatre, Weather

NAILING THE WEEDS

51 Comments

Nailing the Weeds

The weekend Farm report from Ben

I finished mowing weeds this week. Last year the mower was being repaired so I wasn’t able to mow much at all. $2600 later it’s back and better than ever. I mow the edges of the road next to the fields to keep the weeds down, (and the crops always look better when the weeds are cut). Lots of wild parsnip, and thistles. Sometimes when it’s just grass I’ll leave it standing and I think to myself ‘What is the point of mowing all this?’  What is the point of mowing if it’s not noxious weeds? The waterways that go through the oat fields, I mow them off because it’s easier to harvest the oats and bale the straw without the weeds and grass in there. But it really does look nice when it is mowed down. I don’t worry too much about cover for wildlife, there’s plenty of cover yet.

I practice my side hill acrobatics too. It helps to remind myself how low the actual center of balance is on the tractor. 

All the weight is under my feet. There is a bit of a ‘pucker factor’ but I’ve done this before so I know it’s OK. I worried more about these hillsides when I was a kid. Dad always told me it was OK. And I only ever tipped over one wagon and that was due to a badger hole.

Down in the pasture there is a lot of parsnip. Back when we had cattle, they kept the weeds and buckthorn down. Or maybe buckthorn hadn’t taken over 30 years ago. 

While down in the pasture I found some wild flowers growing. At risk of stirring up the flower debate again, I present them here. I used the ‘Plant Net’ app to identify them.  Wild bergamot, Giant St. John’s wort, American blue vervain (which we had bought some seedlings from a friend selling native plants, and I didn’t realize we have this), mullein, and lots of Goldenrod coming. I try to save most of that. Again, majority rules, so I’ll mow some off to get the parsnip. 

Vervain
Wild bergamot
St John’s wort

And Kelly took this picture of milkweed in the yard.

img_8068
Milkweed blossom photo by Kelly

We learned about ‘Beggars Lice’ too. For years, the dogs would get these little stickers in their fur and I didn’t know what they were or where they came from. Ah. It’s this plant.

img_4085
Beggar‘s Lice

Work at the theater went well. I won the ‘Power Actuated Nail Gun’ on the auction, and made good use of that. It was fun to use. I nailed 2×4’s and foam to the north wall for some insulation. We are attaching plywood to the 2×4’s. Nailing 2×4’s to concrete with a .22 blank! Awesome!  

img_4097

Crops are still looking good. Corn has nearly doubled in height since July 4th. 

img_4074

Beans are filling in and getting blossoms on them. The oats should be ready for harvest in another week or so. 

I put a new fanbelt on the 630 tractor and I replaced the throttle plate so the throttle lever will hold its position. One of the padawans and I changed the oil in Kelly’s C tractor. 

A little bit of everything this past week. 

Next week I’m working on ‘Shrek’, the musical, down in Chatfield.

FAVORITE SOUR FOOD THAT MAKES YOU PUCKER?

OR QUESTIONS OF YOUR CHOICE BECAUSE I GOT NOTHING!

51 thoughts on “NAILING THE WEEDS”

  1. Congratulations to our Ben for becoming an administrator to the blog and putting up his first-ever-all-by-himself post for the weekend!

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    3. I had a good teacher. From Dale to Sherrilee and Renee, to me.

      It’s always good to understand the full process. I apologize for sending a dozen photos to them in the past. 🙂
      And it’s also helpful when I’m having a busy day that I can finish this at midnight .

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

    2. I have never tried sauerkraut on pizza. But it sounds intriguing although I’m thinking the sauerkraut has to be really dry before you put it on.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. Sauerkraut on a rueben sandwich.
    Our little coffee shop had a pickle something soup one day, and it was not heavy on the pickle – was quite good.

    Another question – anyone else go to a Good Trouble rally this past Thursday? I’ve shared some photos of ours on FB – Husband is in the background of one.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. We were unable to go to this one,but I was there in spirit. I am now on a mission to link the Resistance to protesting cut to public media.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

    2. I think sauerkraut is my favorite sour thing. I go to lunch every couple of months with a couple of girlfriends and we refer to it as the Reuben lunch we go to the same restaurant and we almost always all have reubens. Rita has hers but with no dressing. Ann has hers, but no cheese. I of course have mine with no meat.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  5. Yesterday Husband picked 4 lbs of raspberries. Today he is picking about the same amount. Today I am making a raspberry cream pie from the old Red Betty Crocker cookbook circa the1950’s, as well as peach raspberry crumble. We are freezing as many as we can. Our berries are very tart and flavorful. They are the Boyne variety.

    Since we take possession of the new house August 31, we plan to make a trip to Luverne a couple of weeks before the official move date to bring as much food from the downstairs freezers to put in the new house freezer. I can’t believe all the logistics that have to go into this move!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

        3. I think it is the same thing, not sure, but that’s what I always thought. I know that bergamot is an ingredient of Earl Gray tea.

          Liked by 1 person

  8. I like sauerkraut too, and there is a beet kimchi that I really like, as well. My favorite pickles were Claussen’s Hearty garlic dill. I can’t find the Hearty Garlic ones anymore. I’ve looked in a few different stores and I see only the dill ones. They’re still good but I really liked the hearty garlic ones. I like lemon juice quite a bit too, and have even licked my fingers after squeezing a lemon.

    There was a fruit truck here from Georgia yesterday. They said they’d be here at 3:30 so I went at exactly 3:30. The line was already very long. My friends said they got there at 3:02, and they had just completed their purchase. I’d like to know how everyone knew that 3:30 wasn’t the real time! Even my friends! We split a half bushel of peaches and a case of blueberries. So now I have a half bushel of peaches sitting on my kitchen counter ripening. I’m going to freeze some, make a peach pie, and grill some of them. They’ll need a few days to ripen though.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  9. We picked blueberries yesterday down by Lake Pepin. I couldn’t say how many pounds we picked but it was $160 worth. That should last all year.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  10. i think of your pucker factor and all i can think of with side hill tractor stuff is doc watsons son merle dyying when the tractor rolled
    be careful
    rhubarb makes me pucker sooo good

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  13. Waaaaay off topic. (sorta given Be )
    I discovered that the grave of my budgie, Art, was raided this morning.
    I have some Trailbaboon thoughts to share on that but need directions on how to do it.

    Like

    Reply

    3. Well I’m still sorry to hear that.
      Something dug it up?

      Email Renee or Sherrilee or myself, and we can post it for you.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment