Author: Lisa

You only need farmers when you’re hungry!

Written on June 6, 2017.

“Well, I suppose we don’t need farmers much. Just three times a day.” That’s a comment I’ve heard many times from Orion Samuelson – the voice of agriculture in America since 1960 when he...

Farming & Land Conservation

Written on April 26, 2017.

What is conservation? The definition is “the careful preservation of something.” Conservation is talked about typically in the context of nature, water, soil, a historic structure, artwork, and the like....

Need Silence? Take a Hike!

Written on December 2, 2016.

I cannot recall the last time I experienced silence – the complete absence of sound. Sure, there have been times that I would describe as “quiet,” even very quiet, but not silent. Even late at night when...

Fog Season

Written on November 4, 2016.

“The fog comes on little cat feet” wrote Illinois poet Carl Sandburg in 1916 as he watched the fog roll in at the Lake Michigan shore in Chicago. The next line, “It sits looking over harbor and city on...

The Birds and the Bees

Written on August 10, 2016.

This is a story about the birds and the bees (and the bats and the bugs). That’s right, it’s a story about plant pollinators. Insects like bees and butterflies, as well as animals such as birds and bats, are...

Bonnie and Clyde visit the woods (reprint)

Written on April 8, 2016.

I understand that it is welcome to see something green in the woods after winter, but please keep in mind that the welcome glint of green you see spells trouble for our native trees, shrubs and wildflowers. That green you...