For Christmas

For Christmas, we hang a wreath on our front door. We open presents sitting next to a fir or pine tree. The greenery that a Christmas tree farm provides brings life to our homes in the dark of winter.

Providing that greenery and those memories begins several years earlier, in springtime.

This April, we’ll drive to a Michigan nursery to pick up Canaan firs and concolor firs. Between the spring rains, we’ll plant them in our Indiana soil, 500 trees to one-half acre. Once their roots are established, they will grow for the next seven to ten years, then join a family for Christmas.

It’s easy to become impatient with this process of growing trees. Just as the Ents of Fangorn Forest do not speak as quickly as a hobbit does, trees in our world do not grow on a human scale. If it were up to us, our firs and pines would be ready to sell in a few months. But we are working in a tree’s timeline, which requires taking the long view.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• What will you plant this spring: crops, vegetables, ideas?

Share your answer and this newsletter with someone who enjoys planting.

If Sylvan Sundays was forwarded to you, welcome! To learn more about our farmers, check out “A New Year’s Introduction,” and to learn more about our name, visit “Being Sylvan.” Also, make sure to check out “This Week on the Farm” and “Farm Shop” below!

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This Week on the Farm

All winter, Jeff has worked on cutting up logs and clearing branches. We’ve had some strong winds and wet weather, but yesterday, the skies cleared up long enough to let us work outside. One huge log was scooped up with the forks on the back of the tractor.

It was a big job moving all those logs and sticks, so Mia helped.

In the afternoon, a thunderstorm and fierce wind swept us into the house. Yet, while the storm raged, twin ewes arrived in the barn.

Now, it’s a quiet Sunday. This will be a good week.

Farm Shop

Pre-orders are available for 4-H lambs; simply reply to this email and let us know of your interest!