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Louise's Utopia: South Dakota's Weather Those Blustery Days And Plans For Sunshine

Writer's picture: Coteau Valley FarmCoteau Valley Farm

Updated: Jan 26


Sunrise on Coeau Valley Farm South Dakota Hobby Farm Louise's Utopia

It was a cold blustery day when Pooh Bear woke up in the Hundred Acre wood... Well, not exactly, however, here on the Coteau it has been just that, blustery and blusterer. I believe one should have to come to Northeast South Dakota to experience blustery. One hears the word occasionally and may think they know what blustery means. However, I think it is one of those words that, until it's a blustery day, a person does not know what it means. They have to know blustery before they know it is blustery! Once they have been here... (today), and the next subsequent days that will follow today, then that person will say, yeah this is blustery, there will be no doubts in his mind if it actually is blustery, more like: this is it man, this is blustery! I love random tangents.

Lately, I have been thinking about the spring and where Coteau Valley Farm is headed in the future. A lot has been accomplished here on the farm, but it doesn't appear that way. However, we have planted a whole apple orchard and a grape vineyard. Both are small, and we have plans to expand in a variety if this white variant of grapes returns with vigor, which I believe they will, the apples. I plan to grow some vegetables, too, but alas, I have not been able to have success growing them. I am sure I am going about it all the wrong way. This is not domestic land, shall I say. The weeds are ravenous for any opening in the soil. It's almost destructive to till the soil as the weeds are the only thing that takes over the bare land if it is tilled. I have tried to grow some varieties of vegetables, and I lost all my garlic last season. I have not given up, but something needs to change. I know it can be accomplished, but I am not sure how. My problem, perhaps, is that I will not use chemicals, so it's a battle. Honestly, the chemicals only burn off the top of most plants, and they just come back year after year anyway. Chems are also toxic to animals, the water, and my family, so what is the point? I have to learn how to grow what I want without pesticides. I was not even able to grow pumpkins here and I know they are a snap in a raised bed. I did grow some zucchini, and my first year of garlic was great. I replanted almost all of the first crop of garlic. The garlic I planted in the second year was a large crop but none survived. I can blame the weeds, but I have to wonder if the copious amounts of chemicals that are sprayed on the neighboring fields, and again the many blustery days that followed. After that, the lush green garlic turned brown and never recuperated. One thing that I did grow was sunflowers. I think they are pretty resilient and they will find a way all on their own. I have also maintained a lot of perennials and tall grasses and they are growing well... also, a lot of trees. The trees will need a few more years but they are doing as well as possible, as long as someone does not plow them over with the mower. Ahem! Another problem I've found is the deer passing through during mating season. The buck will rub his antlers on the tree bark to remove the velvet from his horns. They spread their scent to show dominance to other buck deer passing through. This however removes the bark and the tree will have a harder time transporting water and nutrients. I am not sure if my trees will survive there is a paper you can attach to the tree to try and preserve it. I should have used guards, plastic wrap, or a tube. A buck who routinely comes through the property every year happily found my apple orchard, and Each year that passes I love it more here on the prairie and I learn to deal with what I do not love. Even with that said I am no stranger to the idea that any place a person chooses to live has good points and bad. One thing I love here is the privacy, quiet, and beauty. I guess that is three examples of what I love off-hand. There is a lot to love here and a fair amount not to love. Still, spring is coming and I am excited about all the possibilities. We have been doing a lot inside the house this winter and it is looking more lived in and shall I say amazing. Accomplishing things like painting walls and putting furniture in the house. We are slowly decorating, and it is even slower than ever since we live so far outside the city. The services are hard to get to all the time. Ordering furniture online is not a good idea as the return policy in almost all stores is terrible for shipment orders. Even when buying in stores, the return policy is ridiculous like a twenty-four-hour policy on returns. Get real that is nowhere near enough time for someone who lives one mile from the store let alone us who live fifty. I can't wait to start another garden and maybe plant some seedlings again this time in a greenhouse. There are always so many possibilities on a farm. The list of things to do can be endless, daunting, or wonderful. Whichever way one sees it. I do this for fun and not to make a living, so I have it a little easier than someone who needs to make a large profit. I would be starving if I needed to pay my bills with the garlic I grew and the vegetables that never grew. We have plans to change the face of the property more, which is always exciting. It just takes time and patience. It takes time and patience and it takes time and patience...

*Thank you for reading Louise's Utopia: Blustery Days And Plans For Sunshine #South Dakota weather those blustery days

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Jan 20
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