A Story of “Unfarming” in Western Wisconsin
This blog tells the story of the old farm we bought in 2000, and the adventures we've had living here. We call it "the farm", but actually we've spent the last 9 years "unfarming" it - trying to bring back the prairies and savannas that were here before it was farmed.
To read about the most recent happenings, click on the 'Journal' category on the right side of this page, or click HERE. For specific topics, look at the index down the side of the page.
To learn more about the land's history, and our restoration plans, click HERE.
I've been compiling an inventory of all the plants and animals we've seen here at the farm. It's continually changing as we live here longer, see more creatures, and learn more about them. Look for the current inventory at the right side of this page, or click HERE.
I hope you enjoy the tour and the stories.
I've recently started a new blog about insects - Buglifecycles.com - to document and learn about insect life cycles. Please come visit!
Marcie O'Connor
Buffalo County, Wisconsin
Current Favorite Photo
This is Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) growing in the planted prairie area around our house. The bright red things are actually special brightly colored leaves, called bracts, that surround the greenish flowers. The flowers are the thin green tubes that stick out between the red leaves. Indian Paintbrush is partially parasitic on other plants. This species was historically found in this area, but I've never seen it growing in the wild.
