A friend told me something interesting recently about osage orange, the tree that makes a good hedgerow, the highest BTU firewood in the land (it's so hard it can dull chainsaw blades) and drops softball-sized, brain-like seed pods that aren't eaten by anything and seem to have a dispersal range limited to how far they can roll. And judging by the piles of osage oranges sitting under any given tree, they don't roll very far. 

Native to certain parts of North American, osage orange has been dispersed to the rest of the country by farmers who brought the seeds with them. Pre-farming, however, biologists don't know of any living creature that would have helped disperse these seeds. The leading theory is that osage oranges were eaten and then excreted by a long-extinct pre-historic beast. Which for some reason I think is very interesting to ponder. 

For a monthly history lesson on farm life in the Pleasant Valley circa 1900 (courtesy of Howell Farm's resident historian, Larry Kidder) we invite you to visit howellfarm.org:

http://howellfarm.org/valley/life/november.htm 

Wednesday morning at Howell Farm is the timeslot for the weekly farmers’ meeting, at which plans for the coming week are made and the previous week is discussed. Around the table, Farmer Ian gave an update on the successful shoeing of Jack and Jesse, and the general health of our six draft horses. (All are in working order.) Farmer Rob led a discussion on quantities of hog feed. (More corn needs to be ground.) Speaking of corn, another corn picking day is scheduled for next Wednesday, weather permitting. (Volunteers are encouraged.) Farmer Pete expressed satisfaction for the job done fortifying the corncrib against mice and squirrels. And then the meeting moved on to winter repairs, including some work needed on a wagon and the grain drill. In the farm equipment portion of the meeting, a discussion was held about the desire for a new tank in which to collect sap for maple sugaring. 

This historic photo of a corn harvest looks remarkably similar to the corn harvest happening this week and next at Howell Farm.

After Chester the draft horse threw a shoe this morning, farmers Ian and Larry embarked on the delicate task of putting on a new one. Around the barn, Chester is known as the most difficult horse to shoe -- he doesn't like people touching his feet. Chester has come a long way since he first arrived at Howell Farm, however, and today the shoeing was relatively uneventful, which is always a good result.

Howell Farm is blessed with a bumper crop of field corn this autumn, and there's plenty still left to be harvested. Yesterday a group of local farmers and farm interns visited to help harvest it the old-fashioned way -- by hand. Over the summer, the corn stalks grew as tall as 16 feet (resulting in a blue ribbon at the Mercer County 4-H Fair), the tallest anyone around here can remember. June's record setting rainfall (the wettest June in New Jersey history) may have played a role in the corn's growth, though one can't be certain. A deer fence around the corn helped increase yields as well.

This afternoon, with the help of a Farmall H tractor, Farmer Rob and Intern Virginia ground some field corn into pig feed.

Judging by the big coats and winter hats, winter has come early to Howell Farm. Today the high will reach only 38 degrees, and the low tomorrow morning is forecast at 24 degrees.

But next week, this preview of winter is expected to give way to a balmy high of 62.

For lunch today at Howell Farm is homemade spaetzle, made fresh with Howell Farm eggs and wheat, topped with a creamy pork and mushroom casserole. The German home cooking is courtesy of Howell Farm super volunteer Reinhold.