My son hates worms: he thinks they are like disembodied intestines in shallow graves. As we plant cabbage seedlings on the farm, the quiet evening air is punctuated with his exclamations of “Ew, gross!” and “Sooooo disgusting!” In some areas, particularly in northern forests, worms are an invasive species that is rapidly destroying the ecosystem, [Continue Reading…]

The farm brings me joy—usually. But sometimes it is just plain depressing. I stopped by the other week to check on things after one of the many recent thunderstorms. I wandered over to the squash plants, which were covered with vivid yellow flowers. But when I parted the leaves, I saw the stalks were a [Continue Reading…]

Growing up on a farm and ranch in central Texas instilled in me a love of nature. I spent my summer days running through the fields, riding on the tractor, feeding the cattle, moving hay bales and playing in the creek. We would work as a family to accomplish the constant work required to maintain [Continue Reading…]