The Newton Farm: April 2009

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Spring 2009

Winter and early spring has been a time for clearing brush piles and planting American chestnut trees in coordination with the Tennessee Chestnut Association. Almost 100 trees were planted, with about a tenth of them being "control" species from a nursery in east TN, and half of the remaining being descendants from a surviving tree in Marshall County and the other half descendants from a surving tree in Sumner County. Trees have been marked according to geneology and will be bred for blight resistance in the hopes of developing a blight resistant strain of native American chestnut in Tennessee. Check out the website for the TN chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation: http://www2.volstate.edu/tnchestnut/Jim%20Newton%20Giles%20County%20Orchard.htm .

Chestnut trees have returned to the farm for the first time since being eradicated by blight in the 1930's. The trees were planted in a ridgetop clearing near the Smith's property boundary. Most of the clearing took place during a cold weekend in January with the planting in late February. Jim, Steve, Jennifer (and friend Hannah), Janine, and Clint Neel worked on the planting. Hill Craddock from UT Chattanooga brought the trees and got the planting started and Jim, Ben, Clint and Steve did the planting.

The cattle and Gypsy have made it through the winter with a minimum of hay. Grazing was feasible for most of the winter months by the use of rotating paddocks and the grass emerged fairly early with some warm days in February and March.

The new pond is filling up nicely. It is probably about a foot or two below the spillway after a lot of rain in the past week or two. Some additional length in the water diversions should help keep it filled. It will be a great asset for grazing in the back pasture areas and the setting is really nice below the NWSG field border and above the hay fields.

Jim, Fred, and Steve and Jennifer were there on Palm Sunday weekend w

ith Beth and her girls (visiting from Kansas on Spring break). The girls had a great time roaming the fields and hills, and Taylor got her feet wet on a hike with uncle Steve.

With the wet weather, we started burning the fallen hickory and oak tree piles between the house and the road. Jim stayed all week taking care of the cemetery , relaxing, and tending the fires, which have just about taken care of the logs and the stumps. Good Friday was a day of severe weather with extremely strong winds which indicated shear markers shortly after passing over the farm. These storm produced pea to marble size hail. Joe Newton's barn along with several others were destroyed or damaged in the community.

The winter and spring has brought some new opportunities to enhance the farm and connect with the community. Hunting season pro

duced some nice bucks for Tanner and Chip with rifles and Chris with bow. The wildlife management strategy is to create an area of sanctuary and cover with stands on the outer perimeter in the lanes of travel. Turkey season is now underway.

The native warm season grass seems to be progressing as intended. Jim mowed the ar

ea of gamagrass and new shoots are already appearing through the thick dormant bermuda that was present previously. This in encouraging since the gamagrass seed had just been put into the ground at the same time last year. The bermuda was not eradicated last spring because it was still dormant when the field was sprayed prior to planting the gamagrass. It is expected that the gama will shade the bermuda as it grows. Controlled burning will also help control the bermuda and weeds once the gamagrass is more established. The switchgrass is also becoming established even though weed competition exists. Controlled burning will help these areas as well.

The ponds are in good shape thanks to Jim's maintenance work on water diversion and clearing combined with heavy spring rains. The main pond is running over at the spillway and the surface area of the little pond is much larger than recent years. The new pond in the hayfield should be a real asset for maximizing the rotational grazing this season.

Jennifer (with Jim's help) is doing the yardwork and maintenance at the Noblit Cemetery. She is planning to use the money she earns for a horse corral. Gypsy has made it through the winter nicely staying in the front pasture area with access to the pond and the barn shed. Jennifer has had several friends spending the weekend on a number of occasions.

Instructions for preparing Eastern Gamagrass seed with Hydrogen Peroxide

This is info provided by Jimmy May at the request of Rusty Walker and Greg Brann of the USDA. We had purchased unstratified seed and followed these instructions with good results on our farm:
Research information collected by Josh Kline at University of Kentuckyin2006 indicated that soaking eastern gamagrass in 15 % hydrogen peroxide for18 hours will substitute for 6 weeks of cold stratification at 4 degreescentigrade. I am attaching a copy of Josh Klines paper. He publishedthis at an International Seed Meeting at San Antonio, Texas in early 2007.I would soak the seed for the prescribed time, take them from thesolutionand let them drip dry 3-4 hours and then plant them in soil that has good moisture and hope for another rain in a week. Two weeks of dry weatherandthe seed are likely to dry out and go back dormant. The hydrogenperoxidetreatment doesn't last if the seed are allowed to dry out. I have planted cold stratified seed treated with hydrogen peroxide next to a row that was just cold stratified and the cold stratified combined withhydrogen peroxide germinated quicker.I would not freeze the seed. Seed kept over should be stored in a cool, dry place. I don't know the specifics for holding seed. Seed allowed to heatup will loose germination. If seed go above 104 the germ can be killed. Seeds held as part of long term seed banks are held at a low humidityandaround 55 degrees Farenheit.Don't know the answer to how long seed be frozen without damaging them.Haven't seen it in print.I personally would recommend the hydrogen peroxide treatment. I have not personally field tested the hydrogen peroxide treatment by itself.(Note: We performed the treatment by itself and it worked at Newton farm) It worked in the germination test as Josh described in hispaper.I have confidence in it.. From: Jimmy May [mailto:nwsgmay@logantele.com]

Acknowledgements

Many have contributed to our success and have helped us in our difficulties. We wish to acknowledge at least some of those and, where appropriate, convey our gratitude:

Joe Newton: We've enjoyed connecting with Joe and Faye and sharing in planning and working on the place. Joe has a wealth of wisdom and farm experience and is a great asset to our family.

Lillian Newton Bass (Joe's Sister) Lillian is the oldest member of the extended family and has shared many amazing stories about growing up in Puncheon. Lillian has even gone the extra mile and sent a manuscript of her stories to various family members.

Hardin Caldwell and Sue Caldwell Richardson & Family: Thanks to Hardin for working through the transfer on his side of the family and to Sue Nell for following through the whole complexity of the process. Also we have come to appreciate the fact that the bathroom was already renovated when we acquired access to the place.

Bennie Sanderfer, Lewis Hardin and Mike Hardin: Bennie has become a partner and more importantly, a friend in restoring and maintaining the pastures. We appreciate the way he has joined with us in sharing in the vision for the potential of the pastures with proper restoration and management. As Bennie began to transition his operation, Mike and Lewis have become part of the family and a great resource to learn from and work together with.

Rusty Walker and the Giles County NRCS : An incredible resource for us as new farmers starting from scratch. They helped us develop a starting point and gain some traction towards a pasture management plan, approved a contract for improvements which is in progress, and have given guidance in many ways.

Tanner Barksdale and Heath Johns: Bringing on Tanner and subsequently Heath who lease hunting rights has opened up new awareness about enhancing wildlife management on the farm. They also have knowledge about farming and mechanical aptitude that has been most helpful.

Dan Melton & Family: Visits with food and fourwheelers and family, and of course the loaner '52 Ferguson Tractor. The Tractor has advanced our pasture improvements and the pond rehab, and has been fun for Jim, Logan, and Ben. Dan also flew Jim and Jennifer over the farm in his plane last February which provided some helpful pictures and a different perspective.

Puncheon Church of Christ: For welcoming us in their worship service when we are there on Sunday morning.

Sugar Creek neighbors: George Bailey, Robert Lee Townsend, and Willard Davis for keeping an eye on things and giving encouragement. Holly and John Smith for sharing similar experiences and for the improvements on the Noblit place.

David Thomack & Family: Hard work clearing fence rows and working around the barn

Matthew Smith: Help with new fencing & getting the seed drill

Norris Cook: Advice and practical wisdom from years of farming experience

Trey Archer: Help with floors

Dan and Marilyn Rachlin: providing second hand refrigerator

Also, none of this would have been possible without a vision from Logan and Maynard Newton to keep the farm in the family back in the 1930's, or without the loving care given to the place by Maynard and Lillie Newton for the latter half of the 20th century.