The tomato hornworm shown here is clearly the bad bug. If you like tomatoes. It destroys tomato plants leaf by leaf. The white protrusions on its back are egg sacs of a parasitic wasp, the good bug. At this point, the hornworm’s fate is decided but we resist the urge to squash or otherwise remove […]

I’ve been writing about butterflies, bluebirds, and gardening lately.  As if life on the farm is always beautiful and joyful. A more complete description would include these images from the farm over the past two weeks:  a squirrel killed by the cat, a nest of eggs abandoned by the sitting hen just a day or […]

This week we had a controlled burn, also known as Prescribed Fire (Rx Fire,) in the pine tree stands on the farm.  Conditions such as wind, humidity, and temperature assessed. If favorable, burn permit issued.  Community notifications sent out.  GFC forester, and a bulldozer were on the property the day of the burn.  Rx fire […]

Monday on the farm.  Cold, windy, and we have a dental appointment scheduled at the pole barn.  Dr. Diane Febles of Georgia Equine Dentistry sees our Tennessee Walker, Buck, once every 8 months.  Today she is floating or filing his teeth. Why would a horse need a dentist?  oh, so many reasons. A horse is […]

Last summer,  a serpent appeared on the farm.  A timber rattlesnake discovered by Jefferson the cat.   Keeping vigil, courageous cat held snake in strike pose for long minutes while the patriarch of HF retrieved the necessary means to end its sojourn around the chicken coop.  Reasoning With and Relocation were not viable options.   […]

When the lambs are born, the ewes do the important work in cleaning and drying the newborn.  Then the lamb begins its own work of looking for nourishment.  Most of the time, nature does very well taking care of itself in lambing as in other ventures.  Since these are domesticated animals, there is an implied […]

Brena’s two ram lambs entered the world today around noon. Sensible timing. Jacob sheep often twin with occasional tripletts.  Last year Brena delivered two ewe lambs.  This year’s lambs, our third lambing season at HF, will all have names beginning with the letter “C” and so we  shall consult the list created by nieces, nephews […]

Pecan season has just ended.  While we are most grateful for this year’s high yield,  we are tired of  picking them up.  Friends are tired of picking them up.  This is just an afternoon, maybe two of harvesting.  More than 600lbs of pecans were gathered from end of October to end of January.  The local […]

When you live on a farm, people bring you gifts.  With teeth, or claws, or beaks.  Alive or dead. Sometimes we must say no thank you. This  feral pig appears cute, deceivingly so. We were not yet “pig tight” on our fencing.  Wilbur would have been wild and free again within hours of release into […]

Sharing the abundance of homesteading at Hedgerow Farm is a delightful mission. The custom labels, created by local artists and printers, adds to the pleasure of giving and receiving eggs, jam, and honey from the farm. These custom labels come with stories about local people, intertwined relationships, conversations in the garden, in the pasture, at […]