Fat Pony Farm

05/29/2026

We’ve got a lot less stiltgrass than we did in 2022. So invasive Species War Score: me 4,567,943 stiltgrass in retreat

05/27/2026

What’s happening in the ravine area spring 2026

05/26/2026

05/24/2026

Summer is definitely getting closer. Native blackberries and blueberries are ripening. Native elderberries are in full flower— white flowers, the size of a dinner plate.

05/22/2026

Detailed instructions on how to do the Chelsea chop. I often use this on our local goldenrod and the horses like to use it on ironweed. I think I will try it on the monarda this year. And the last slide has a list of species it’s appropriate for—which also includes false sunflower so I might try some of those too just as an experiment. The monarda and the Goldenrod can both hit 6’-7’ feet when left to their own devices. Although there is an insect that runs around the goldenrod and does nothing but chop off the top so you get three blooms instead of one— they don’t call it “the Chelsea chop bug”, but maybe they should.

Come to think of it I might try it on the vervain too. It always wants to be in front and it’s always like 3 feet taller than everything else.

05/21/2026

05/19/2026

Yay scallops!

Big news for the Eastern Shore! 🌊 Bay scallops — once considered locally extinct in Virginia — are making an incredible comeback.
After disease wiped out their eelgrass habitat in the 1930s, bay scallops disappeared from our coastal waters. But thanks to years of seagrass restoration with our partners at VIMS and William & Mary, the population is now multiplying exponentially. Scientists are finding more scallops per square meter than anyone imagined possible just a handful of years ago. 😀
This recovery is more than a win for one species — it’s proof that restoring habitat works. Healthy seagrass meadows support marine life, improve water quality, and strengthen coastal resilience. And now, they’re helping bring back a beloved species once thought lost.
Be part of this historic comeback and help us restore eelgrass. Sign up for upcoming volunteer opportunities: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1983046986920?aff=oddtdtcreator

📸 Matt Kane/TNC

05/18/2026

I'm very happy to announce that today I found a second native wild sumac species. We have long had lots and lots of winged sumac/ rhus copallina …and today I found smooth sumac/ rhus glabra down on the roadside. I was very happy that it was NOT the oh-so-invasive dread tree of heaven.

These sumacs are both nice to have because they make thickets, have spectacular fall color, and are wildlife/bee feeding power houses. Rhus glabra is particularly ubiquitous. It is native to 48 states in the US.

The link is to Illinois Wildflowers which does an excellent job telling us all about the wildlife native plants support.

P.S. Bats have been back a while. But the last couple of days brought the fireflies. It’s fun to catch them in your hand then watch them fly away again🥰