Learning and Having Fun
While learning to drive horses yesterday, there was also a lot of time for fun. Laughter at good jokes, watching the hillside and learning about the landscape, seeing a redtail hawk …
Farm
Quieter Time
The time between Christmas and mid January is highlighted by the relative quietness at Merck Forest. Last year’s apprentices have left, and we are awaiting the arrival of new apprentices. …
Merck Memories
This “Merck Memory” was written by James Dickey. He returned to MFFC from Colorado this November for his 50th birthday, and he later sent in an account of his experiences …
The Wind Returns
It’s usually fairly breezy here at Merck in all the seasons. The land around the farm especially seems to funnel the air’s movements. But, come this time of year, with …
The Root Cellar
With a great harvest from our storage garden this past season, we’ve been working on some carpentry projects to help us preserve these crops for the coming months and for …
Authenticity of the Chicken Coop
I visit Merck’s chicken coop several times a week, usually when I walk up to the farm to take pictures and see what the farm staff is up to. On …
Pig on Pasture
If you are looking for the Merck piglets after this week, you won’t have much luck looking in the Small Animal Barn, their home since they were born two months …
Potatoes, Part One: A Subterranean Bounty
Starting in the lower left, the large, deep purple potato is an Adirondack Blue, and continuing clockwise, we have Yukon Gold (yellow skin, with waxy yellow flesh), Cheiftan (red skinned …
Battle of the Blight
The garden has been growing relatively well this year. It seemed that everything took a while to get going–the cooler spring and early summer, plus lots of rain, deterred growth …
Fun at the Sheep Dog Trials and Farm Festival
This year was a great year at the Sheep Dog Trials and Farm Festival. We had nearly 700 people attend, Sherman’s General Store in West Rupert provided great food, and …