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.

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

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

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


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.
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