Author Archives: c ben-iesau

March 11: Organic weed control

“Control” is a strong word when talking about a weed in the sub-tropic Gulf South. Is there really any such thing as controlling the weeds, especially if you’re all organic? I mean, really? It’s more of a constant battle with a moving line of scrimmage. Between the part-time help and elbow grease of the WWOOFers,Continue reading “March 11: Organic weed control”

March 6th: From seed bench to soil

I’ve gardened for many years and this obvious point escaped me: many garden plants are perennials in warmer, non-frost zones. Indeterminate tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra are some of the varieties that will continue to grow if not killed back by frost. I got a link to a story about overwintering veggies and found aContinue reading “March 6th: From seed bench to soil”

February 24: Will You Rear Good Bees (and hens)

We have about 70 laying hens at the apiary. This past week we marked all the younger birds, those born in 2022, with leg bands so you can tell at a glance how old they are. There’s an international coding system for marking queen bees that keeps track of their age and makes them easierContinue reading “February 24: Will You Rear Good Bees (and hens)”

January 30th: Apples in the South?

I recently made a post o the farm’s Facebook page about some apple trees we plant as part of our USDA Conservation Stewardship Program. One of the comments was about how nice it would be if we could do fall apple picking, “like they do up north.” Well, folks, it may be that we canContinue reading “January 30th: Apples in the South?”

January 28th: Bird Feeder

If you have a bird feeder you know what I mean when I say it is more entertaining than a TV. And that as a hobby it can easily creep into an expensive obsession. Though small, your ever-hungry avian visitors consume large amounts of food–we now buy it in 40 pound bags. Then there areContinue reading “January 28th: Bird Feeder”

January 15th: A winter reminder

It’s been tees & shorts weather for a week, but two light freezes have reminded us to keep the insulated coveralls at the ready. And we are, ready that is. Pipes are insulated, plants are mulched, and heaters are going in the barn for the chicks and in the greenhouse for the seedlings. Yesterday, theContinue reading “January 15th: A winter reminder”

January 11th: The Planting Calendar

“Don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.” ~RUMI It got up to a balmy 72℉ today. On Friday the low is forecast to be 33℉. That is our Gulf Coast winter–schizophrenic–but mild enough still that we are able to grow vegetables year-round. A lotContinue reading “January 11th: The Planting Calendar”

January 9th: A Happy Marriage of Conservation & Commerce

“A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” ~John James Audubon. Today we are planting trees at the apiary. And if you farm or dream of farming, or know someone who does, you will want to pay attention to this storyContinue reading “January 9th: A Happy Marriage of Conservation & Commerce”

January 6th: The Pri¢e of Egg$

“Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair.” ~Sam Ewing Although we initially intended to just raise bees, here at Big Branch Apiary we have four main products that bring in revenue. In order of least to most lucrative, they are:Continue reading “January 6th: The Pri¢e of Egg$”