posted: Jul 30, 2010

It has been a month since we last updated our farm news. July went by so fast I do not even know where to start our July story- so much has happened!  First I want to re-introduce our wonderful summer employees-Katie, Anne and Christy.  Today I will introduce you to Katie.
One of Kaite's highlights this summer is the purchase of a laptop.  One lunch break on the farm, Katie showed us some of the fun applications she has had fun playing with!


Katie graduated from Colton High School as Salutatorian and class President.  This fall she will attend the University of Idaho for Landscape Architecture.    She plans to join two of the UI choirs as well.    The hills are alive with the sound of music when Katie is working on Paradise Ridge.  Katie started working at Thorn Creek Native Seed Farm when she was in the 8th grade - this is her 5th year with us.  She is always upbeat and is willing to and is able to do all of the hard physical labor the job requires.  She is good at distinishing the large and small difference of our species so makes a great collector.  She cleans many our species as well.  This summer she is learning the latin names of our native species.  Katie will hae alot to contribute in her plant eycosystem course work.



When Katie and I were collecting Mule's Ears ( Wyethia amplexicaulis) and Stickey Purple Geranium (Geranium viscosissmum), she came accross about 20 Mariposa lilies (Calochortus nitidus).  It looks like a large soft purple tulip on a12" stem.  Notice the many hairs on the inside.  Usually the deer get to the pods before we do!

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posted: Jul 2, 2010

Finally...nice weather!  The rain  has its pros and cons (like most farmers, we are never satisfied with the weather).  The crops love the soil moisture and recent  warm sunshine, but the weeds do as well!  We have been busy rouging (Webster's definition: "to carry out") non-native grasses out of native grass fields, broadleaf weeds out of native wildflower fields and plots, Canada thistle on every inch of our land, and invasive and noxious weeds in the native prairie.  Rouging is an experience that gets us up close and personal with the plants and each other.  Fortuneately, the mornings are cooler than usual for this time of year so only our out of shape bodies slow us down. By the end of rouging season our thighs increase in circumference by four inches or it seems!




 Taperleaf penstemon (Penstemon attenuatus)

The bees and other pollinators have been out in full force since the sun has come out.  Our penstemon plot is a humming place.  Not only becauses Katie has such a great voice but also due to the many pollinators.  This year we have had  frequent visits from a Rufus humminbird, as well as multiple bee species.  We have a video on youtube of the bee pollinators in action: http://www.youtube.com/user/nativeseedfarm.   

This year we added a beehive owned and operated by Brandon Woodland from Woodland Apiaries to our field of Little Sunflower ( Helianthella uniflora).  Most of our native fields and plot are adjunct to the priarie so they are visited frequently by many native pollinators.  The Little Sunflower field is about a mile from a native prairie remnant so we thought we would assit Mother Nature in the pollination process to assure quality seed to our customers.    We will see if the germination rate increases after the harvested and cleaned seed is analzed in a State approved seed testing lab.