07/06/2022
I love showing folks around our farm, because itās a kind of a mess.
There are lots of beautiful fences out there - well maintained, no w**ds, uniform, etc. it looks so āfarmyā and nostalgic.
Our fences at Big Jebās are covered in w**ds, vines, grass, and young trees that we can to cut back each year with hand clippers in the winter.
Iāll admit, a w**dy fence is hard to look at, at times. We all like things looking neat. But you canāt w**d whack under a fence thatās stapled or buried into ground so as to prevent rabbits and groundhogs. There are many predators that want salad greens besides deer.
But for all the extra care needed to have a fence not maintained with roundup chemical, they eventually come into bloom with spectacular wildflower.
Hereās to a patient mess, my farmer friends out there. Smile at the rag-tag, focus on what counts. Topsoil over top-rail. Grow food, not fences. Organic is often synonymous with chaos.
Without further adieu, Chickory, my absolute favorite wildflower: Weedy, gnarly, not uniform, scraggly, yet perfect.
