April 2018 - Greenacres Foundation

18 Apr 2018

Research Peter Wheeler 0 comment

Trial Run of Establishing Native Grasses

Trial Run of Establishing Native Grasses

To gear up for our research with University of Tennessee we are going to be trying our hand at establishing some NWSGs at our Indian Hill farm. We will be focusing on a 3 acre pasture that is predominately fescue, which you may know provides some initial challenges for us. NWSGs can be easily outcompeted by the aggressive nature of fescue and thus needs to be under control prior to seeding our chosen NWSG species of big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indian grass. This leaves us with two options: the moldboard plow or an herbicide treatment. Neither are preferred but we view them as short-term tools to reach our long-term goals of a native prairie ecosystem on our farm.

Although Greenacres follows organic practices (and then some), we are not certified organic. That said, we know that many producers who may be interested in transitioning to NWSGs might be looking for organic options…so we decided to do it without herbicides. After the ground is prepared with a tillage pass we will be seeding a diverse mix of warm terms of NWSG establishment – providing valuable information to cattle producers, wildlife professionals, extension agents, academics, and others.

4/18/18
To gear up for our research with University of Tennessee we are going to be trying our hand at establishing some NWSGs at our Indian Hill farm. We will be focusing on a 3 acre pasture that is predominately fescue, which you may know provides some initial challenges for us. NWSGs can be easily outcompeted by the aggressive nature of fescue and thus needs to be under control prior to seeding our chosen NWSG species of big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indian grass. This leaves us with two options: the moldboard plow or an herbicide treatment. Neither are preferred but we view them as short-term tools to reach our long-term goals of a native prairie ecosystem on our farm.
Although Greenacres follows organic practices (and then some), we are not certified organic. That said, we know that many producers who may be interested in transitioning to NWSGs might be looking for organic options…so we decided to do it without herbicides. After the ground is prepared with a tillage pass we will be seeding a diverse mix of warm season annuals. These annuals will allow us to start the transition from cool season pasture to warm season.

16 Apr 2018

Research Jennifer Mansfield 0 comment

Ticks Bother Horses Too

Ticks Bother Horses Too

Pests are an ongoing challenge in an agricultural setting. Ticks are one pest that afflict horses causing irritation and potentially disease. Since Greenacres is home to many types of animals, the Equine Center is curious to see if pasturing chickens with the horses will reduce the number of ticks found on the horses. Starting next month, tick numbers will be collected on horses pastured with and without chickens.

–Jennifer

04 Apr 2018

Learn Greenacres Foundation 0 comment

A Worm Lizard

More times than not, when I lift a log with a group of kids, I hear, “A worm!” The next guess is usually, “No, it’s a lizard!” In their defense, salamanders are slimy, with four disproportionately small legs attached to a long, slender body. They even cohabitate in leaf litter or under rocks and logs, though the worms better be careful because they (and many other invertebrates) are part of a salamander’s diet. They’re actually amphibians, and unlike lizards and reptiles, salamanders lack claws, external ear holes, and scales. Eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) are one of the most common salamander species found in Eastern North America. They can be found in two morphs: red-back (pic 1) has a bright reddish stripe down its back; while lead-back (pic 2) lack the stripe and are mostly grayish-black. All color variations have the mottled black and white belly.

Red-backs belong to the family Plethodontidae, also known as the lungless salamanders. Thus, like their amphibian relatives, they breathe through their skin. These sals possess a nasolabial groove, a slit between their nostril and upper lip. It helps with chemical cues involved with courtship, territory, and food. These unique woodland salamanders lack the common aquatic larval stage and lay their eggs in small clusters in cavities under rocks and logs in early summer. It’s a shame they skip this stage because gilled salamander larvae are adorable, but I suppose it’s a pretty nifty adaptation that has evolved in this group. The larvae develop in the egg (gills and all) and hatch in late summer.

Have you ever seen a reddish-brown, slimy creature wriggling frantically? No head, no eyes, no legs…not segmented like a worm…furiously flipping back and forth? A salamander can drop its tail in a last attempt to save itself from being eaten. The tail distracts predators while the rest of the salamander dives out of sight into the safety of shelter. When I encountered this ‘flee of survival’, a child was the curious “predator” trying to pick it up. We must be careful while handling our skin-breathing amphibian friends and also remember that humans often have harmful substances on our hands such as sunscreen, soap residue, or lotion. The red-backs are in full force right now because the warm spring weather is allowing them to emerge from their winter underground hideouts. I encourage you to take a hike and carefully lift a log or large piece of bark to find some of these little sals. Just remember to put the roof back on their home!

~Tracy