Where I Run: Clay Hill Road

Took this shot as I was nearing my home after having been dropped off by the bride for a run.

The pasture was full of black beef cattle--Angus, I suppose--all identical except for one steer with white highlights on his face:

[image credit Gary]

And a close-up of the cute little critter:

What Are You Doing on 14-15 July?

Nope, it's not a race.  It's the North American Manure Expo, to be held in Chambersburg, PA, hosted by the county agricultural agent in conjunction with Penn State.

Web site is here.

I was in their office the other day to get a soil test kit for my garden and could not help but notice this flyer.

Believe me, I get it that farmers are the backbone of America and we don't want to take them or their profession for granted...but this tickled me!

Last Gasp of Winter Along Harshman Road

[updated to include image, which failed the first time]

[image credit Gary]

I don't know why the farmer keeps this solitary oak  tree right out there on the boundary between two fields.  After all, the shade it brings plus the hassle of plowing around it make it a detriment and inconvenience.

But it's beautiful, so that's why I think it remains.  Farming is not always about profit maximization, it's also about the beauty of growing things.

Monday's snow is just about history.  Let's hope that's it for the winter of 2013-2014.

Farm Scenes as I Run

 

 

 

[photos by Gary]

Volunteer corn stalks amongst the ground cover

 

I love the routes around my home, especially the Harshman Road loop.  Here we have a field that was in corn last year (2011), and still had some viable kernels in 2012, even when another crop was planted.  I am not certain of what the ground cover is (perhaps barley?).

The closest volunteer

 

 

I learn so much from the annual cycle of agriculture, but the most important lesson is that food comes from the ground, not from the grocery store.