Compost Cycle of Our Ranch

Dasher and Valley clean last leaves from chardonnay vines. White strips are pheromone strips to control European grapevine moth. Compost Cycle of Our Ranch I think of our goats as kinds of blenders: they mix up the food stuffs of the ranch, then release what isn’t digested to be composted and put back into building… Read more »

Natural Ecosystems and Diversity: What’s Blooming

mariposa tulip grows in the hot, open meadows               Natural Ecosystems and Diversity: What’s Blooming The end of wild flower season brings some of my favorites: mariposa tulip, bog candle, and Neptune’s trident.  They are all a part of the healthy diversity of this ecosystem in which we live…. Read more »

Biodynamic Rain Dance

  Upper Reservoir. Photo Art by Bill Fulton. Biodynamic Rain Dance This week we will do a Biodynamic sequence spray to increase moisture. On Wednesday afternoon, October 17, we will begin by stirring two earth preparations together, Barrel Compost (BC Prep) and BD 500 (horned manure), which we spray on the ground in the late… Read more »

Mistakes: Butterfly Capers

If you look closely, you can see several monarchs in this butterfly bush in our garden. Butterfly bushes are touted as good plants to draw pollinators, but there are better, more balanced alternatives. I am not sure you would call it a big mistake, but upon attending the Geography of Hope seminar at the native… Read more »