Filed under: May 2018 | Tags: Ash trees, Emerald Ash Borer, lumber, Skidding logs, spring work, timber harvest
May 15, 2018
The rain has stopped all field work for now. I will be switching gears from spring field work to woods work. Our ash trees have all been killed by the emerald ash borer. An insect brought to us from Asia/China. It has decimated the ash trees in several states. There is no predator for them. The woodpeckers go after the larva, but by then, it’s too late for the tree.
It is my hope to harvest the dead and dying ash trees before they rot away. I went in search of a market for the logs. I have found a sawmill willing to take the logs and pay a fair price for the wood. I will have to get busy before I lose my market. I have a few nice logs. The rest of the tree will become firewood for the sugarhouse. It will be used for boiling maple sap next spring.
So, while the rain keeps us out of the fields, we will continue to work. The horses impact in our woodlot is minimal…even in the muddy conditions from the recent rains. We just have a small plot (3 acres) to plant to animal corn and our gardens to get ready for planting. I will switch back and forth between jobs as the weather dictates. It will all go smooth. I just have to make sure everything is ready to go. So far…So good!
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RicelandMeadows 
I am a retired custom applicator from the Wooster, Ohio area. I enjoy reading about your activities; please keep posting. As you can imagine, it is wet here also. Some of the “not so early” corn is up here with lots of spring work to do yet. Keep trusting, He will see us through. Rich
Comment by Rich Busche May 15, 2018 @ 10:22 amThank you Rich for following along. I should have lots more time now to write and farm. My retirement starts today!
Comment by ricelandmeadows May 17, 2018 @ 9:46 pmYou raise the issue of feral animals here- what devastation can be dealt when an animal that doesn’t belong makes it to another countrys’ shores. Here in Australia, we are often mocked for our OTT quarantine and customs laws, but we know all about animal pests. Cane toads, Donkeys, Foxes, Pigs, Camels, Horses, European Wasps, Fire Ants etc etc (and the list goes on and on), we know all about loss of habitat and extinction of native fauna. I really hope something can be done with your timber, but especially that your scientists can find a way to rid of you of the borer that has caused this destruction.
Comment by jennyrecorder May 15, 2018 @ 9:03 pmThank you Jenny. It was nice to read about your plight as well. I remember from grade school learning about rabbits in Australia. They were everywhere! Alas, our world becomes smaller by the day!
Comment by ricelandmeadows May 17, 2018 @ 9:48 pmCan’t believe I forgot about the rabbits!
Comment by jennyrecorder May 18, 2018 @ 7:30 amEnjoy your retirement x
:o)
Comment by ricelandmeadows May 18, 2018 @ 9:24 am