Complimentary Blueberry Juice

Last week was orchids, this week is Milkweed.

We’ve been leaving a little stand of Milkweed on the edge of one of our fields and it is a hotspot. We aren’t going to mow this section and let the insects do insect things. The Milkweed emerging from bushy flowering clovers makes for quite a hub of activity…ants all over the Milkweeds, insects feeding on the Milkweed stem, bees around the clovers. If you stare for a few seconds it looks like everything is moving.

Luckily, we were also able to find one of Nature’s most amazing migrators, the Monarch Butterfly .

Sometimes I’m extra glad to have my macro camera with me, or I’d never have known how wrinkly these little guys are! Or that they have tiny hairs all over their feet.

Sometimes it is so easy to provide habitat for Nature’s most beautiful things, and it can be as easy as not mowing. Milkweed is, as far as identifying different plants go, a pretty easy one to spot. Their large stature and distinct leaf shape make them stand out. And if you look closely, the Milkweed is a home for many different things, not just our butterfly friends. Combined with grasses, clovers and other flowering plants, there’s quite a lot going on a small area. Nature has given us a little pollinator island, and all we had to do was avoid getting the mower out.

We are happy to have as many pollinators and wonderful things living around the farm. Every organism chips in and fills a role in nutrient cycling, pollinating or pest control.

Stay curious!

Graham

Next Wednesday, June 28th, I’ll be speaking at Pecha Kucha #47 in Winnipeg at The Park Theatre. The event starts at 8pm and admission is by donation.

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