Tag Archives: nature

The Deer Solution

For many years on my way into town, I would drive by a farm that raised sheep. The pasture was very neat looking and was often cropped to the ground. Like a neatly mowed lawn with isolated thistle plants popping … Continue reading

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Michigan Oranges

Not too long ago, the USDA sent me a newsletter that contained a snippet of nursery catalogs from the early 1900’s. It is interesting to see the drawings and written descriptions of plants used in gardens at this time. This … Continue reading

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Furry, Cute and Venomous Meets Crispy, Snackable and Delicious

Some of the most secretive plants are the most common. We pass by. We see it.  Yet, our consciousness does not reflect it as a discovery of anything significant.  I saw this trifoliate vine twining around an American hazelnut bush … Continue reading

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Scientific Thoughts

I took a class in college taught by a history of science teacher called “Scientific Thoughts and Thinkers.” One of my business major friends from Detroit who was super skeptical on many topics took it at the same time. He … Continue reading

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The Thicket Bean Explodes

Before the advent of annual beans, the thicket bean was well known. It was the protein that did not run away. It is a species of perennial bean found throughout the midwest and northeastern U.S. Unlike the thousands of selections … Continue reading

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Regeneration Through Dissemination

Like my family’s Christmas tree farms of yesteryear, most tree crops are planted in long rows of a single species to maximize production. At my 13 acre farm, I did not have the luxury of both time and money to … Continue reading

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The Plum That Lives in a Farmer-less Field

There has never been a greater example of a species of fruit that could be grown as a species of fruit without employing the cultivar based system of fruit growing. The above image is one of the first beach plum … Continue reading

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A Canvas and Some Paint

It is very interesting to learn about relationships people have with plants and animals. When people visit my farm, they always have some thoughts on what they do and why and while offering me advice. No one was really strict … Continue reading

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There is No Substitute

Every now and then I find an article that tries to connect in some way a little known crop plant to a major crop in modern agriculture. I think it is only natural to do that. I see it more … Continue reading

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The Laws of Nature Are Flexible But Not in Mattawan

I do not have a personal connection of any magnitude to what goes on in the making of laws or an influencer in any way in my chosen profession or in my normal life. I am a follower. I am … Continue reading

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