Eleven hundred-plus bales of good quality hay were piled high in the loft by June 14 at Stratford Ecological Center on Liberty Road. The teen campers joined in the effort to load the 60-pound bales onto the trailer in the field and unload them onto the conveyor belt up to the loft. Their verdict was it’s a hot and heavy job, but very satisfying to see the end result. The small group of aging farmhands were very grateful for their help. The spelt in fields 2 & 4 changed quickly, in just 10 days, from milk to dough stage. We were able to cut the stalks immediately for hay on June 30, before a wind that would have caused the seeds to drop to the ground, and we baled on July 1. By the end of the next day, 185 amber/golden bales of our best quality spelt hay ever, were safely in the loft.
The two honey heists in late June were not as successful as the hay harvest. Honey production was down 75%, resulting in only 100 pounds available for bottling. This was due to the long dry period when the flowers were in bloom, which resulted in less moisture to create the nectar, and less nectar for the bees to collect.
Farmer Jeff used the moldboard plow for the first time in 18 years. He totally inverted the sod to a depth of 8 inches in a small area of field 3, that has laid fallow for the past year and become heavily overgrown with weeds. He wanted to avoid the numerous passes it would have taken using our normal no-till method to break up the soil. He will disk and harrow once and then plant sorghum Sudan grass, a sharp, thick plant, around the edge. We hope the grass will protect the sunflowers, to be planted in 2-3 weeks, from our 20-plus resident deer. Farmer Jeff may still take the precaution of erecting an electric fence! The sunflowers will mature in time to enjoy at the Harvest Fair on Oct. 5.
The parasite problem has increased this year in the pasture and the barn pens. In order to reduce infection in our livestock, Farmer Jeff is mowing the pasture closer to the ground more often, allowing the additional heat and sunlight to kill the parasite larva. He is spreading double the amount of diatomaceous earth on the pen floor after mucking out, to ruptures the skin of the worm, causing their demise. We have recently purchased a fecal sample testing kit, and we can treat the livestock immediately if necessary.
We have not had a burn of our invasives in field 5 for a long time, and right now it is too dry. Instead, our invasive plant remover leader, Paul, is layering the smaller branches and driving over them with a tractor, leaving the remnants to become mulch. The bigger branches will be chipped by the new AmeriCorps volunteers who arrived on July 15. They will stay 8 weeks, working at Stratford and the Methodist Theological School of Ohio Seminary Hill Farm.
Despite below normal rainfall, our vernal pool and stream continue to hold water due to the groundwater table. Our pond has plenty of quality water and is as clear and weedless as it has been in the last 10 years. An aerator was installed in the spring of 2020 and runs every season except winter, powered by solar panels on the Prairie Pavilion. The aerator ensures the oxygen-laden warm water on top is circulated and mixes with the colder water at the bottom. This movement ensures a constant supply of oxygen at all depths of the pond for the fish and aerobic bacteria. The bacteria eat the nutrients floating in the water and growing on the bottom. This prevents a buildup of “muck,” which would result in a muddy bottom and murky water.
A 10-year-old beef cow left the farm for the processors last month. She had been a good mother but had major troubles during her last calving earlier this year, and Farmer Jeff did not want to risk the problem occurring again. The calves are growing so big that it is hard to believe they were born less than six months ago. The first lamb was delivered to the processors this week. The five piglets are healthy and now have access to the backyard.
The Stratford Herb Group hosts its annual Garden Tea Party, geared towards families, on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 2-4 p.m. Jim McCormac, the well-known local naturalist and writer, will be at Stratford that evening to share how we can “Garden for Moths.” Individual tickets for our “Give to Grow” Fundraiser at the Columbus Zoo Africa Event Center on Aug. 22 will be available online soon. Please check our website for further information and other monthly events.
Pauline Scott is a farm and nature guide at Stratford Ecological Center, 3083 Liberty Road, Delaware. She can be reached at 740-363-2548 or by email at [email protected]. Website: StratfordEcologicalCenter.org.
