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.

April 10, 2010 Covo Springs into Action

Going to new heights

The lodge looks pretty finished from this view but there is still much work to be completed in 2010. With the framing done for the most part, it's time to begin putting in the insulation and drywall.

Ready to start

Front wall

Rear entrance from garage

Outside, spring is evident in the tender shoots of garlic, clear ponds, greening grass and budding trees.

Garlic popping up

Clear ponds

New buds

Full creek

Before the corn is planted

One of the trees planted in April 2005

November 8, 2009 On the map

Covo Hills entrance 

Carroll County gave Covo Hills a new entrance off of Route 78 which we could connect with a road up to the lodge. This is our last visit of the season.   Jeff started drywalling the bedroom, but the major work will be done in spring 2010.  The beams abutting the paneling are from the demolished hay barn used to preserve the original  character of the farm and supplement the budget, but mostly for character.  While we were there, the farmer began harvesting the corn so we could see the process first-hand.

Bedroom 

Kitchen/Bar area divided by a mini wall

October 25, 2009 Hello kitchen, goodbye couch

Suddenly there are real paneled walls and recycled, repurposed kitchen cabinets.  The orignial thought was to panel all the walls. Paneling would be much quicker than cutting and screwing in drywall, taping, mudding and sanding to perfection, not to mention painting the finished walls all the way up to the highest peak. A good thought but the cost of paneling is much higher that drywall.That's next year's starting project.  Dan foamed the lodge so well that the mice are inhabiting the garage. What better place to cozy up in than a nice upholstered couch.  What better way to dispose of the couch and the mice than setting a little fire.

Checking the tree pre-fire

Mid-October 2009 Farm Update

Evergreens growing tall 

Pumpkins harvested 

Garlic planted  

Corn ready for harvest