We have ten ducks that are growing like weeds, on weeds! In addition to their feed we’ve been filling them up with whatever we pull out of garden and flower beds, and oh, they like it. They also very much enjoy the fact that their cage is mobile, and so they get fresh green grass beneath them every few hours or so.

The farm at La Finca has, this week, both a new orange cat and a new golden puppy.

And, my personal excitement is the three hives of bees we now have buzzing away several yards from the white farmhouse. We peeked in today, a few days after the initial install, to retrieve the queen cages and check on the girls. Despite a brief (and, for new beekeepers, stressful) robbing incident between the colonies, the bees are doing well, building up comb on their frames and top bars with purpose. It’s a thrill to see the bees zooming in towards their hive doors with the bright orange spots of pollen on either side of their bodies.

Today at our team meeting we sat down to discuss plans, ideas, and steps forward. And then we ate well, as is best when you are working hard to bring about good things.

A snowfall presents challenges this time of year, especially after the warmth has coaxed trees towards bud and blossom. Still, I had to go outside and appreciate the look of snow on our landscape.

As I walked around it occurred to me that visually, we seem to have three seasons colliding. With the early warming and the slow budding of the trees, we’ve ended up with red hues lingering on the branches for a several weeks. We all kept saying how it seemed like a mini-fall.

Now we have fall and spring and winter together.

Everyone likes to try to explain weather. Or bemoan weather. Or predict weather. Sometimes, it’s nice to just go out and be in it.

Even – and sometimes especially – if it’s not what you’re expecting.

Peter came across this little white woodland wildflower on the Hungry Turtle property last week. For such an unassuming bloom, it has quite a story for itself. Bloodroot, or Sanguinaria canadensis, is a somewhat rare and, in some states, threatened plant that grows primarily in the Eastern U.S., with a preference for little-disturbed areas on hills and mountains.

This spring-flowering plant has also been called bloodwort, coon root, Indian paint, paucon, red puccoon, turmeric, red root, snakebite, king root, sweet slumber, and tetterwort. The name bloodroot, which seems to be the most widely applied common name for the plant, stems from the fact that the plant has a thick “root” – actually a rhizome – that is red-orange and fibrous. When cut, blood-red liquid runs out. This juice was used by Native Americans as body paint and as dye.

Of particular interest is the plant’s medicinal usage. A quick Google search reveals that one can buy bloodroot dried or as an extract from various suppliers, yet at the same time the FDA has deemed this plant unsafe, urging people and herbal healers not to use it (the one exception being as an ingredient in mouthwashes for its anti-plaque properties). Bloodroot has long been used by American Indian tribes and has been considered helpful for treating sore throats, fevers, ulcers, and skin conditions such as ringworm, warts, and fungus. It has even been used to treat various cancers, particularly skin cancer. Internal use and self-medicating with bloodroot are discouraged as an improper dosage of the plant may cause vomiting, distorted vision, and unconsciousness.

Now that all sounds a bit scary and controversial. Other intriguing lore includes the practice of keeping bloodroot nearby, even carrying it around, in order to attract love or offer protection; people would place the plant over doorways and windows. For now, we prefer to leave our white-petaled flowers and their mysterious, magical rhizomes on our wooded hillsides, where we might walk by and appreciate them in their natural habitat.

Sources:
NC State University Horticulture Leaflets: Bloodroot
NPS: Shenandoah National Park: Bloodroot
USDA NRCS Plants Profile: Bloodroot
Wildflowers of the Southeastern U.S.

This week projects some cold temperatures, but we’re discussing moving the tunnel back on its tracks in the very near future. Meanwhile, there is always weeding to do, and plenty of other projects have us brainstorming and planning. RNH now has three more people on site with new ideas to flesh out. Welcome to me (Erica) and Cella and Emmet! And happy April to all of you.

Community Outreach Farm Leader

Resilient Northern Habitats is a collaborative for-benefit organization in western Wisconsin dedicated to producing nutrient dense organic food and revitalizing habitat using principles derived from permaculture.  We seek a team member to lead development of a public space initiative, assist with farm tasks and develop a unique income stream from the land.   Applicable skills include:  basic accounting, social media and web fluency, strong communication, people and community building skills, farm experience, as well as dedication to ecological principles, organics and community.

Major Responsibilities:

1.  Lead development of Hungry Turtle public space initiative.   50%

Tasks:
Check in regularly on priorities/tasks/research leading to achievement of RNH goals/objectives for the public space as defined collaboratively by team.
Establish schedule and create work flow for task achievement into the future.
Answer phone, establish contacts, research and generally administer organizational matters around the public space as they arise.
Provide light bookkeeping for farm operation.
Collaboratively develop and implement marketing plan for CSA, learning center, and direct sales to customers.
Provide event coordination in conjunction with others.
Update website calendar, photos and blog as needed.
Conduct social media campaign to promote public space initiative.

2.   Assist in implementation of overall farm plan.  30%

Tasks:
Throw boots on and help RNH team with farm work on a regular basis, everything from driving a tractor, to pitching manure with a fork, to weeding vegetables.
Maintain positive team spirit and physical vitality in the face of difficulties, set-backs and failure — creating hope for overall project success, as well as HAVING FUN.

3.  Develop a well articulated business plan in an area of strong interest to produce an income stream at one of the RNH farm-sites, convince team-members the plan will work, pursue plan vigorously, ask for help as needed.    20%

Tasks:
Research and define area to pursue.
Articulate a complete business plan showing how/why the income stream should be pursued, anticipated costs, needed equipment, work flows, potential markets, timeline for bringing income stream on-line, etc.
Implement plan on the ground on a daily/weekly basis.
Monitor plan, update team and adjust accordingly over time

Commitment:

40 hours a week, on average.

Salary:

Depending on experience, $25,000 – $30,000.   Housing options available.

General Conditions of Satisfaction:

Work/tasks are done competently, on time, and meet the requirements of the assignments:  timeliness of task completion and quality of work is high.

Work collaboratively and effectively with others .

Prepared for meetings, with data, input and insights into agenda items.

Confidentiality in dealings, financial, business and personal.

Team-members, customers and the general public are treated well and feel uplifted by their connection with RNH.

Projects, initiatives and events run smoothly, successfully and regularly exceed expectations of RNH team, customers and visitors.

More detailed Conditions of Satisfaction to be collaboratively articulated at beginning of tenure.