Our New Website - IS LAUNCHED!

Please do take a look at the all new badgersett.com.

This has been the work of years, by Brandon, to get our very old website re-built from scratch - and, finally!  Actually Editable - by normal humans.

Be aware- we still have tons of wording that will be out of date- but we're working on getting that all fixed, bit by bit.  If you find a particularly egregious example, please to let us know, at info@badgersett.com; that will help.

We're amazed, happy - and exhausted, yet again.

Chestnut harvest looming- and huge!

We've been wondering all year if we would get a real chestnut harvest this year, or not- since the abnormally cold spring led our trees here in Minnesota to flower about 2 weeks late.

The trees have made up their minds though, and their answer is YES -

This is T-401-S in flower (and Eleanor beneath) - and all those flower did indeed turn into chestnuts, currently loading the branches heavily.

This tree has had the chestnut blight for 5 years- see how poorly it's doing?  No?  You're correct- it doesn't care.  Even though there is a large basal canker; you simply can't see anything from a distance.  I photograph the cankers each year- and keep worrying they'll win the battle one day; but so far - the tree is winning; and making nut crops to boot.

That's Anastasia posing under the tree, our pony mule; the horses were too busy eating grass- and pruning chestnut limbs; to come when I called just now.

Something that's not only interesting- but important; the size of the nut and the date when they are ripe are often not related; some of our smallest, and some of our biggest nuts- are ripe; now; really quite early for Minnesota: 

Hazels are ripe!

We're about 2 weeks late this year with main hazel ripening; we had a late spring, and cool summer.  But; finally; we're at early peak; if you're not already picking; get out and check!  The crows and jays are working.

And!  DON'T Forget!  Some of the neohybrid hazels have been BRED to NOT look ripe!  So as to fool the jays and crows.  I was far more successful at that than I expected.  Check the nut inside the husk do NOT rely on the color and condition of the husk!

If you're interested in helping out here at Badgersett - you can now send Megan Rutter a Facebook message, and she'll get it via smartphone, right then, as we pick; and tell you where to join us!

PAR

A Laid-back Field Day; this Saturday.

Something we've come to know in the past several decades; the word "sustainable" - is a synonym for "slow".

Complex systems take time to assemble, time to comprehend and appreciate, and time to manage.  "Fast" - pretty much always means corners are being cut somewhere.

This year's Field Day is going to reflect that concept of "slow".  We will probably not be having regimented tours; leaving on time, exactly addressing little bits.  Expect, rather, abundant time to wander around; see for yourself, and ask all the questions you like.

We have managed to get plenty of representative nut rows mowed and cleared so walking and seeing is easy.  And in the process, I've spent plenty of time cussing the work; much of which sheep would do faster and far better.  If we only had enough sheep; and shepherds.  Sweat and diesel looks increasingly stupid to me, as we learn more about the sheep.  (Yes, and the horses too.)

Come, and you'll see!

The hazel harvest is just barely underway, as our "on the cool side" summer slows the main crop; the chestnut crop looks great, and is easily seen everywhere (blight and all); and the hickory/pecans took terrific, as usual.

The weather forecast is bright, pleasant, and on the warm side.  We've got shade, though - lots of it.

Shuttleworth Funded!

Badgersett Research has received the honor of a Shuttleworth Foundation Flash Grant.  Nominated by Shuttleworth Fellow Marcin Jakubowski, the $5k will serve to kick several of our directions over stubborn barriers- the first being moving our flock of Icelandic sheep from "Experimental" into fully "Permanent" status.

Notice - up above on this blog there are now 2 "tabs"; Home, and Badgersett Icelandics.  In the near future, we'll be adding tabs here; like "Chestnuts", and "Hickory-Pecans" - lots of writing to do.  Which -

makes it a good bit easier to get done.