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Category Archives: Life Science
Double Eagle Days
Earlier this month we had a string of eight or nine days that were mostly clear, sunny, and warm. And, almost every day we saw a mature bald eagle “parked” in the big cottonwood that we can see from our … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Life Science
Tagged eagles, Happy New Year, Nature's lessons, weather
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SEASONS CHANGE
Seasonal rounds are an intrinsic part of life on the prairie. They’re an experience shared by Ice Age animals and plants, by Native American hunters and farmers, and by homesteaders and people in agribusiness. But, 2020 has been different. COVID-19 … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Family History, Farm History, Life Science
Tagged pandemic, precipitation, rural, urban
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ENVIRONMNETAL CHANGES
This is the first in a series of four seasonal posts that speak to changes: environmental changes, cultural changes, generational changes, and seasonal changes. They’re all based on insights provided directly by life on the Farm and rooted in the … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Life Science
Tagged climate change, Covid-19, glaciers, mammoths
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Fly Over Country
Our bird populations have seasonal rounds. Most of the songbirds like robins and meadowlarks have left. Now the main birds that we see are either passing through or are the ones that stay around all winter. Bald eagles stay year … Continue reading
Nature Will Not Be Denied
This time of year, plants and animals seem to loosen their grip on the Farm. Corn and soybeans have been harvested, cattle have been moved off the pasture paddocks, leaves have fallen off the trees, and grass is brown. But, … Continue reading
Conservation Crowdsourced
Back in the 1940s the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) was called the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and as a young beginning farmer my dad was using that as an information source. For example, we’ve got … Continue reading
Place-Based Stacked Experiences
That’s a weird title! It’s trying to communicate that some places seem to host multiple experiences that don’t seem to be related. But, sometimes these “coincidences” have a common thread, other than sharing a specific location. This picture taken in … Continue reading
Posted in Earth Science, Farm History, Life Science
Tagged archaeology, beaver den, cache pit, erosion
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Battling Brome
Prairie restoration programs often involve attempts to eradicate or at least limit smooth brome. This invasive, non-native, cool season grass is a vigorous sod-maker that usually expands to turn a pasture into essentially a monoculture. I understand why the restoration … Continue reading
Extraction, Restoration, or Regenerative Agriculture
We’re glad that we live in a neighborhood of diversified farming operations. Naturally, the Kanaranzi Creek valley dictates that grazing and livestock are one way for the pastures to pay their way. The corn and beans on the surrounding uplands … Continue reading
Tracing Native Prairie
Big bluestem, aka turkey foot, is a warm season grass that’s pretty easy to identify in a native prairie. That’s because it ripens to a distinctive purple-red color this time of year. And, the top has a shape like a … Continue reading
Posted in Life Science
Tagged biodiversity, environmental disturbance, soil seed bank, warm season grasses
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