December has arrived , and a raw yr is preparing to introduce itself . Thanksgiving was an significant start to this season of gratitude , and I ’m stare at this concluding page in my calendar with a full middle as I reflect on what I ’m thankful for in 2019 .
Farmers always have a peck to be thankful for , and , speaking in person , I count 2019 as a particularly memorable yr . From start to conclusion , the year was action - pack , generative and solid . I was able to take on some expectant projects and dwell the understructure for a few others that I ’m look forward to harness in 2020 .
But I wo n’t put the handcart before the horse . First , I ’d like to front back on a few of the things I ’m grateful for in 2019 . Some are hard-nosed , some are comic , and all are fun to chew over on . Hopefully they ’ll spark you to imagine back on your own year and everything you have to be thankful for .
lease ’s begin ! I ’m thankful for …
1. An Orchard Full of Blooming Fruit Trees
Seven orchard apple tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and three plum trees — those were thefoundation trees I found in August 2018to start a new orchard , and I ’m thankful to report they all survived one of the elusive wintertime in recent Wisconsin memory board . Despite insensate temperatures , cakehole of coke and a severe methamphetamine storm in February , every tree bloom in the spring and nine of them produced fruit . Here ’s a confidential information — KinderKrisp applesare delicious ! I institute nine more fruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in 2019 and am looking forrader to another sound yield crop next year .
2. A Sturdy Deer Fence
By far my big task of the year wasconstructing a perimeter fenceto protect my young orchard from hungry deer . I was able to redeem on expenses byusing trees as fencing postson three sides of the grove , while for thefront sectionour protagonist and neighbor munificently add his tractor andaugerto bore fencing post holes . Using an screw auger certain beats digging with a manualpost - hollow digger !
So far , the fence is doing its caper . The deer have rerouted their walking trails to maneuver around my plantation , and afterstudying their tracks in the snowI’m fair positive they ’re not searching for a mode in . digit crossed this remain the case throughout the wintertime !
3. A Perfect Hay Season
We could n’t have inquire for betterhay - balingweather during the summer . We had plenty of three - day gay stretches and were able to wrap up baling by early August , which is about as good as you could hope for when putting up around 1,600 bales with a small-scale crew in northern Wisconsin . Using ahay wet testersped up the summons , allowing us to cursorily and analytically determine the wet content of windrows and bales .
4. The Return of a Farm Heirloom
On the 100th day of remembrance of our farm , we were delighted to receive as a gift anold woodbox built on our farm at least 50 old age ago . The workmanship of the woodbox is straightaway recognisable — it ’s tack together in the same manner as the doors on our barns and outbuilding — and as a farm history buff I ’m thankful to see this antique return to its place of origin after more than half a century .
5. Another Year With My Red Wagon
Yep ! In case you were wondering , mytrusty red wagonis still live and well . Yet another section had to be screwed back together with transposition boards , but even though it ’s pushing 30 years old , it survived another meddlesome class enchant yield trees , lumber , Rock , compost , tools , generators and numberless other items .
What are you thankful for this twelvemonth ?
