Site Discussions

Hi Ben,
I came across this blog while researching an article on rice for Edible. Not only is this informative and pertinent, it is beautifully written! Looking forward to reading more!
Best,
Michele

That is one of the best explanations on how the Quebec Federation works that I have ever run across.  Nicely written with a balanced view point.  Well done Dave.

I find it astounding that no one has noticed how sick most of trees are in Vermont, Trees of all ages are not losing their leaves in the fall! The trunks are becoming porous and rotted, Peeling bark is exposing the core and killing the tree, There is splitting, and excessive growth of lichens, fungus and mosses (not just on the north side of trees)  I started to notice all of this in 2013 and the damage is massive. In the spring of 2014 I saw that many trees had stunted red leaves at the tops and many had become sparse also at the tops. Leaves started to die and shrivel up on the south side in the early summer. I know this is not coming from parasites or insects but something else happening in our environment. So far this winter trees are falling over everywhere on lines into road and near rivers and streams. It is almost as if their root systems have been compromised. There needs to be some explanation for this mass destruction which I am documenting meticulously! Most of the conifers are yellowing or dying!..

Hi, I would like to know if it is possible to graft limbs on to the trunk of my old Norway Spruce?

Would appreciate any guidance.

Am passionately determined to try.

Thanks.

Great article on wild edibles!  I couldn’t help but wonder though why the butternut (Juglans cinerea) was not mentioned with the oaks, hickories and beech.  The nut from the butternut tree was revered by indigenous peoples throughout eastern North America as a valuable and nutritious food for thousand of years and they showed the early pioneers the value of butternut nuts.  There wasn’t a homestead in the natural range of butternut that didn’t have a couple of magnificent trees staked out for seed collection every fall and not a kitchen that didn’t know how to bake with butternut nut meats.  Doesn’t it at least deserves a mention in your article?

We started selling firewood in North Jersey and from what I’ve seen and counted in the past years is there should be 480 pieces of wood in a cord.

Thank you for your experience! I am looking forward to having my own tree farm. I can have my own Christmas tree!!!

I witnessed something today that I have never even heard of.  On December 31st, I witnessed a whitetail doe give birth to a fawn.  How is this possible?

Just wanted to add a little two cents worth, having been successful on three occasions of capturing a wild hive.

  Bees have a distinctive method for setting direction and distance. They use the angle of the Sun at a particular time of day, primarily, but setting this often requires circling, if it is more than a quarter mile away. They will then fly straight.

  If you sit by a trickling creek or stream, you will often see a bee drinking, especially if it is a hot summer. If you carry a small vial of flour and sprinkle a little on the bee, she will look like a dot when she flies. The flour will require her to need to circle anyway, but will give you a direction of the hive. Keep sitting there and wait for another which should not take long. This time, since you know which direction the bee will wind up going, just focus on that direction. If it circles, it is more than a quarter away, if it goes straight, it is less. In either case, you must, must follow a strict compass bearing in the direction that bee traveled and look carefully as you go.

Dave,

This is a beautifully written piece. You put us right there and you did so in a most artful way. Thanks.

Ed

Thanks again Dave lll, The cold is back again but your beautiful words remind us of the great things we have to look forward to. Our woods, our rivers freezing, our forest wonderland! Thanks

I just stumbled upon this, and found it very interesting!  Tomorrow (Dec 30, 2014) my partner and I are closing on some land in VT, and I think a greenhouse would be an excellent way to start ‘building’ on the land (we’re planning on using it, primarily, for camping).  Thank you!

Thanks, great article and very helpful.

Your comparison of shaping a door with shaping an article is spot on.  I understand the analogy and get the point.  As a teacher, I appreciate the shout out to formal writing.  It is important.  Creative writing is important.  Writing is important.  When kids are exposed to the various styles and when to use them, they are better off.  Thanks for the honesty, the humility, and craftsmanship of your work.

I always enjoy Dave Mance III’s lyrical, thoughtful writing. And the Eye on the Sky guys’ encouraging reassurance that back into the freezer we go, soon.

I have beautifull 200+ acres that hunters use but think would be fair to rent out for at least to pay taxes.

In our location, we’ve had a long run of overcast—2+ weeks—and then a single day came, approx. the solstice, when the skies cleared and the sun blazed. Suddenly we gained about an hour at either end of the day! It was like jumping forward in time by a few months. Then back to gray, gray, followed by dark.

THE TREES WITH LEAVES IN WINTER REALLY MUST DRIVE THOSE LEAF BLOWER FANATICS CRAZY. OMG - A LEAF MAY BLOW OFF MID WINTER ONTO A LAWN. Another example of nature deficit disorder. Some people prefer the noise of leaf blowers over the beauty of colorful leaves-or even brown leaves on trees in winter. THEIR MINDS DON’T appreciate real beauty.

These clinging leaves must be driving my neighbor across the street crazy since he is out there almost every day once leaves start to drop sucking them up with his leaf blower LOL.  This is the first winter where his leaves have remained on the tree and we were wondering why they are still there.  We thought that it was from the regular fertilizing he does EVERY 6 Weeks.  He is totally anal when it comes to his property and will go out there to hand pick leaves if he see’s them on the lawn.  Even having just one leaf on his lawn is a no-no.  This article gives me some better insight as to why this is happening now.

Starting a small Christmas tree farm is something I have been considering and researching the past year. Your article had been very helpful.