Lost Forty Tree Farm

06/02/2026

whoop. here they are. the first 2 mulberry pies of the year. fresh out of the oven cooling. something tells me they will not cool all the way before we start on them.

06/01/2026

elderberry blooms . it will be a while before the berries form and get ripe. this is right on the first curve in the driveway. we ate the first wild raspberry yesterday, so lots more to come. then the blackberries. today more mulberry harvest. life is good here on the farm!

05/31/2026

"a beautiful morning" by the rascals. google it, and then go out for a walk. this is as good as it gets. every day I am thankful we have this farm and all my work is outside, every day.

05/31/2026

see reel in post below below. 8 pounds of mulberries in about one minute.

05/30/2026

05/29/2026

anyone interested in seeing how we shear (trim) christmas trees give us a call. we have a visitor from ohio coming to watch next monday about 10 a.m.. new growers, established growers, or just folks interested are welcome also. we do it in an unusual way that very few other growers do. most wait until august to trim. we have specific reasons why we trim when it would be considered early, timing wise.

05/28/2026

yesterday was a great day for ducks. this is the normally dry soybean field north of the farm, with a mallard paddling around. we have in recent years had so many summer droughts that I never turn down a good rain. each time we are wet I worry it will never rain again, as that has happened the last 3 years in a row. what really gripes me is during bad droughts I hear the weatherman on tv say " another great dry sunny day". he must have no idea where his food comes from or that all life, plant and animal, needs water. so ...let it rain!

05/27/2026

the recent rains brought out the oyster mushrooms. these are a real delicacy. if you see them be sure to harvest the same day, or the next at the latest. they do not last long. if they have started to wilt or turn brown/yellow, you are too late. great any way you want to eat them. salads, on top of a steak, fried, all good. 100% chemical free. taste is wonderful. picture take a few minutes ago.

05/25/2026

on the right is a picture of a tree that has lost it`s terminal BUD, OR WHAT IS CALLED THE LEADER. THIS CAN HAPPEN FROM FREEZE DAMAGE, OR BIRDS BREAKING IT OFF. THE WAY WE FIX THIS IS NIP THE ENDS OFF ALL THE SIDE BRANCHES EXCEPT THE BRANCH FACING NORTH EAST. THE REASON WE PICK THAT BRANCH IS TREES HAVE A PHOTOTROPIC RESPONSE, MEANING THEY GROW TOWards the sun. the strongest summer sun is in the southwest, so along with us staking that n.e. branch up, the tree wants to replace it`s lost leader with that branch. in the fall when the soft new growth has hardened off, meaning turned woody, we take the helper stake off and there it is, a new leader.

05/24/2026

3-5 MORE DAYS AND WE WILL HAVE THE FIRST MULBERRY PIE OF THE YEAR. SOUTH OF US THEY ARE PROBABLY READY RIGHT NOW' EVERY C**N, FOX, COYOTE, DEER, `POSSUM, AND BIRDS WILL BE PURPLE REAL SOON. WHEN THEY ARE DARK PURPLE WE WILL BE PICKING.