08/10/2025
WELCOME to LICHTENWALNER GAME PRESERVE 2025
No, this is still a preserved farm, but it seems to be a game preserve. This year the wildlife has gone totally berserk with deer leading the way. Besides deer, there are rabbits, voles, squirrels, birds. The raccoons are waiting, hoping for sweet corn. Last year deer destroyed a significant amount of tomatoes. This year the tomatoes are grown either in the greenhouse or protected by an 8 foot high fence. I expect a good crop of tomatoes well into the fall season. Melons are a different story. For the first time, deer are eating melons and have already destroyed most of the crop. Sorry, very few melons this year. My sweet corn strategy is to plant a small plot late and spray with deer repellent. Sweet corn is relatively undamaged at this point, but still a long way to go. If the deer and racoons let us have some sweet corn to eat, it will likely be in late August or early September. The seedless grapes are inside a greenhouse and surrounded by chicken wire. The birds have not found a way in, not sure about the squirrels. It looks like a good crop of Thomcord grapes will make it to the store shelves. Birds have completely striped off all the apples from the early varieties. Later varieties are undamaged and look nice, still a chance for apples later in the season. The spring planting season got off to a slow start with the cool and wet weather. Most of my usual vegetables will be here, just a little later this year. Now we could use some of that spring rain.
I often express my frustration about the deer problem with many of you, and during the conversation I’ve heard many of you also have deer problems in your yards and gardens. The PA Game Commission is not doing enough to reduce the deer herd in our area. They still promote a 100 year old policy of conservation when we need a pest control program. The deer are ruining our quality of life. If you have been impacted by the deer by way of property damage, auto accident, or Lyme disease, write to your state representative and let them know. They need written evidence to make a case with the game commission. Send them a written letter or fill out their online form. It does not need to be a fancy essay, just simple and to the point will do fine. I hope you enjoy this year’s vegetables.
Mark Lichtenwalner
610-965-5214
[email protected]
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
187 District
Gary W. Day
3402 Brookside Rd
Macungie, PA 18062
131 District
Milou Mackenzie
1425 Mountain Drive North
Bethlehem, PA 18015
134 District
Peter Schweyer
2132 South 12th Street, Suite 306
Allentown, PA 18103
