May 23, 2010 Racin' with the wind

Jake and Katie

People, other than those named Cortopassi and Voellinger, either make up excuses for not coming out to to the farm, can be arm twisted into coming out for the day or love coming out to the farm (Uncle Palmer for one, Jess's boyfriend Tyler is another).

Then there's Jake, an avid summer camp kid who took to the farm like a natural.

May 14, 2010 - What a view

New Bench

View from the bench

The initial CRP plantings in the south hayfield includes 8.5 acres of shrubs, white pines, cedar trees, clover, little blue stem, Indian grass and forbes (wildflowers). We also planted a food plot with three types of milo, a great cover source in the winter with seeds for food.

Neat rows

Back at the lodge, progress continues with some finishing touches already going in. Window and wall moldings really stand out against the green drywall. The shower is a tease as we have no running water now but maybe in the future. And the back door separates the living area from the garage. 

Shower

Bedroom

Door installation

Side wall

Our back door, complete with stairs and a stoop

Equipment Barn

Corn is sprouting

May 2 - 3, 2010 - Conservation Reserve Program Begins

Dan looks at home in his camo

Dan enters Covo Hills Farm into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) this spring as a way to attract wildlife, mainly turkeys and pheasants, for hunting. CRP grasses, shrubs and trees are native prairie species that once thrived in the Midwest and give wildlife areas to rest, feed and take cover from predators.

Scott Schaffer is our Department of National Resources (DNR) contact. He's the expert who plans and helps us with planting grasses, burning fields and getting some of the bare root trees for free. Woodland Forestry sprays for weeds and plants grasses and trees for us. 

Ladder looks a little precarious up there

A new purchase this year is scaffolding found on   Craig's list and purchased from a defunct clothing boutique in downtown Chicago.  Every season, the owner had artists paint full wall murals that accented her new clothing designs. They will greatly aid in insulating, drywalling and painting  the soaring front wall.