The grazing season is in full swing at Whiskey Creek Angus, and the bulls are in with the ladies. We rotate our two herds of cattle to different pastures about every four to six days depending on the growth of the forage. The tree seedlings we planted last year are...
This post has been revised with breakthrough information on how to eliminate House Sparrows from your nesting boxes. It was originally posted in 2017, revised on 4/5/2020, and again today. The House Sparrow is perhaps the most adaptable and prolific bird species on the planet. Often called English Sparrow, its scientific...
Jeanne and I were successful at getting the county to amend its comprehensive plan so that part of our farm will be classified as urban open space instead of low-density housing. We paid a fee to apply for the change and spoke at two public hearings before the county’s board...
Imagine paddling a canoe upstream forever. That’s my metaphor for environmental activism. Activists have been paddling against the current with the Clean Water Act on their backs ever since its passage 50 years ago. We have made a lot of progress, but it’s been against the current the whole time—and...
Imagine paddling a canoe upstream forever. That’s my metaphor for environmental activism. Activists have been paddling against the current with the Clean Water Act on their backs ever since its passage 50 years ago. We have made a lot of progress, but it’s been against the current the whole time—and...
Thirty years ago, Wayne M. Hypes, one of my heroes and a mentor in soil conservation, came into my USDA office in Verona, Virginia, and gave me a wooden candleholder. It was no ordinary candleholder: It was made from American Chestnut, historic wood from a forgotten past. At that time...
Our Border Collie, Valentino, is a therapy dog. He’s also the best cattle herding dog I have ever seen. We call him Val for short. If he’s awake, he’s “on.” Sometimes, with a big smile on our faces, we call him Valium. Watch Val and Jeanne move our herd of...
A farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia was going to be the storage site for millions of gallons of industrial food waste and other sludges until the community rose up to fight the project. Industrial food residuals, poultry slaughter rendering residuals, and bio-solids from other counties and perhaps other...
Getting vaccinated gave me hope that the pandemic will end soon. Hugging loved ones for the first time in over a year helped heal my soul. Planting trees gave me hope for healing the earth for a sustainable future. In this post, I’ll share memorable quotes of the year from...
Jeanne and I have put a lot of sweat and money into making our farm a powerhouse for ecosystem services. It produces not only wholesome food but clean water, air, and wildlife habitat. We rotate our beef cattle through a system of perennial pastures where they drink abundant clean water...
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