We’ve had a lot of traffic at the farm this month. I love having visitors and appreciate the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency running our burns. The burning is critical for our long-term goal of restoring native grasses and clearing the underbrush. But, our roads paid a high price. We have miles of gravel roads that…
I was excited to head out this morning and walk through the newly-burned fields. It’s always interesting to see the land in this charred state. Even though the fire engulfed the pre-planned areas, some shrubs and trees remain unscathed. It’s called a “patchy” burn which creates a diverse “mosaic” on the landscape. Still, much of…
The controlled burns over these past two days have gone well. When I met up with Lindsey this morning, he said we are on schedule to finish the final 50 acres this afternoon. I walked with him as he went to check the fire breaks and talk to his crew. They were all in high…
Yesterday was a good day for us. The weather cooperated, and the burn began as planned. Temperature levels, humidity, wind speed, and constant wind direction don’t line up as often as we would hope. So far, we couldn’t have asked for better burn conditions. Better still, the forecast is for a similar day today. I…
I didn’t sleep well last night. Two years ago, while performing a controlled burn, we had the wind pick up in the evening, and our fire threatened to get away from us. I will never forget it. Though we contained the blaze, the memory is a reminder, a warning, of how quickly a controlled burn…
Today is an important day for us on Coal Creek Farm. Our season for burning is short but critical to provide wildlife habitat, encourage the growth of native plants, provide fodder for our cattle, and prevent future accidental fires. I met Lindsay, Fire Chief, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, leading the burn crews. We had a…
Sunday is a rest day, so we are ready for an exciting river outing. Today we drove around the Catoosa Wildlife area to paddle Clear Creek of the Obed River. This is a beautiful stretch of river that is the only federally protected waterway in the state of Tennessee. The water quality lives up to…
I am excited about the burn that Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will do on Coal Creek next week. We carried out these burns ourselves for years, but having the pros involved reduces the stress factor. I hid a key for the fire crews to access the farm when they arrived. Dr. Dwayne Estes recently discovered…
After another windy night, I needed to check the fence along Glen’s Road. I rode side-by-side toward the Coal Creek Gorge. I only found a few limbs on the fence. I started at the branches using an electric chainsaw I bought last year. I am still impressed with how powerful the saw is. I could…
Yesterday was very wet and cloudy. I enjoyed hiking along the fence line in the rain, but my spirits were lifted this morning as I watched the sunrise and listened to the birds excited chatter. We needed to move the cattle again today as there is only so much grazing available in each field. We…