The controlled burns over these past two days have gone well. When I met up with Lindsey this morning, he said we are on schedule to finish the final 50 acres this afternoon. I walked with him as he went to check the fire breaks and talk to his crew. They were all in high spirits and geared up to head back out. We have been fortunate that the weather has been favorable for burning this week. We are expecting rain this weekend—right on time.
This morning I woke up and looked out over Coal Creek Farm and saw nothing. This isn’t true; I saw a beautiful expanse of whitish gray. At the top of the mountain where my farmhouse is, we were totally enveloped in the clouds. It’s amazing to go from being able to see the Smokie Mountains…
Yesterday was very wet and cloudy. I enjoyed hiking along the fence line in the rain, but my spirits were lifted this morning as I watched the sunrise and listened to the birds excited chatter. We needed to move the cattle again today as there is only so much grazing available in each field. We…
We got about a half-inch of rain yesterday and expect the same today. The cows make a muddy mess when it’s wet, but the hayfields need the rain, especially as new blooms pop every day. I took the ATV to the White’s Creekside of the farm. Our five thousand acres are divided by two creeks….
Today is an important day for us on Coal Creek Farm. Our season for burning is short but critical to provide wildlife habitat, encourage the growth of native plants, provide fodder for our cattle, and prevent future accidental fires. I met Lindsay, Fire Chief, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, leading the burn crews. We had a…
I love this time of year. This morning I saw the first Indigo Bunting of the season. Our area of Tennessee is in the flight path of dozens of migratory birds. During Covid, my children and I recorded more than 60 different species of birds. They aren’t a profit center for the farm, but I…
I didn’t sleep well last night. Two years ago, while performing a controlled burn, we had the wind pick up in the evening, and our fire threatened to get away from us. I will never forget it. Though we contained the blaze, the memory is a reminder, a warning, of how quickly a controlled burn…