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A Rainwise MK-III-LR weather station is installed on the property and feeding current conditions

We’ve had an actively reporting on-site weather station for more than 6 months now, and for those of us that get excited about things, it’s fun to watch the weather patterns unfold before our eyes. On a computer screen.

The only thing more life affirming than having your loved ones tell you you’re right is when your weather station verifies for you that it is actually the temperature outside that you estimated based on actually going outside. We are also looking forward to seeing if this winter gets as extreme as the last, and you can be sure that if it does, we will now have proof of our virile hardiness in the form of hard empirical data.

A more communal benefit of this individually-owned device will be to track the relationship of crop yields to monthly precipitation rates and temperatures.

Let’s get to the data: compiled here is 6 months worth of data (2014/04/24 – 2014/10/24). The image will give you a good grasp on the situation, but you can also drill down using the interactive charts on wunderground.com.

View the interactive report on wunderground.com

The Chanticleer Quartet summer festival is underway, and the main farm house is full of guests. Here are some shots of the goings on.

How many musicians can you fit around a kitchen table

Sunrise on Woods Road showcasing the extreme midwest humidity

Pole barn getting its hair did by Russell Painting

A stinky dog nuzzling Olive

That grass is really luxurious, Bob!

There are a couple of concerts planned to take place on the farm this summer, bringing in a diverse cross section of the community to enjoy the property and take in a wide range of musical styles.

The first is a free afternoon classical concert put on by the Chanticleer String Quartet, planned for August 3rd at 3:30 pm. There is no entrance fee, and the public is welcome. In the event of rain, the event will be held at Earlham College.

The second concert is a full day and night of music on August 30th. This will be year 6 for Prophets Fest, and will host a variety of music, ranging from Bluegrass to Reggae to Electronic DJs. There is a $20 ticket fee ($25 at the gate) to help cover the costs, and camping is encouraged.

We’re looking forward to a great summer with lots of great music and community involvement!

The flyer for the 2014 summer concert series put on by the Chanticleer String Quartet

Prophets Fest 2014 will host a wide variety of music on August 30th, 2014

We found and scanned in a nice thank-you letter from Prophets Fest from a year or two ago. The words speak for themselves:

Dear […] and […],

We personally wanted to take a few moments to thank you for opening you farm for others to enjoy.

[…] and I have been coming to Prophets Fest since it began, and we can’t tell you how much we’ve enjoyed it. We truly understand the hard work all of you have to go through to put on an event such as this, and we want everyone to know that it’s truly appreciated.

The beauty of the outdoors is so pronounced when you’re here. … has even said, “The weather is always beautiful at Prophets Fest.” 🙂 (that’s a very true statement)

In our fast-paced world, where we’re so busy, it seems like we all miss the things that are important.

What I’ve observed today; little children running around, exploring, smiles on everyone’s faces as they meet new people, friendly people everywhere, butterflies landing around me all the time, the sun sparkling off the water, wonderful music fills the air (of course our favorite music won’t be ’til later tonight when […] and […] and […] play – sorry, I don’t know the other names)

Most of all, I guess we just wanted you to know how very much we appreciate the kindness of sharing your bit of heaven and beauty with us.

Tell the Everyday Prophets they can always count on us to be here at Prophets Fest. We wouldn’t miss it.

With gracious hearts,

[…]
Blessings with you until next year.

Thank-you letter page 1

Thank-you letter page 2

In 2014 we refurbished the farmhouse on the Boston, IN property with insulation and new siding. We replaced the basement and porch windows, and the current residents are pleased to have better insulation! The drafts fought a tough fight during the Snowpocalypse 2014, but we were able to seal it all up in the end.

Insulation and Siding 2014

New Porch Windows

View From Kitchel Road

Here are a couple of shots of the improvements made to the barns and silos in 2011. The place is looking great!

Barns and Bins Refurbished 2011

Fourteen years ago this spring, we planted nearly 7000 baby trees in the natural areas of the farm, and they are really starting to grow up!   We found some original pictures (snapshots, since it was before the digital camera era) of the planting process, and the 14 year comparison is interesting.

Spring, 2000, operating the planter in the field behind the pond

Spring 2000, carrying a single bundle of tiny trees

Spring 2000 – Loading the trees into buckets to put on the planter

Now, 14 years later, they’ve grown quite a bit!

Spring 2014 – A good shot of some of the planted trees near the path in the ‘new land’ on the east side of the property

Winter/Spring 2014 – Field behind the pond

We originally estimated 30%-40% survival rate, since we didn’t want to use herbicides (recommended for higher survival rate), and this estimate still seems to be about accurate. Some of the trees fared much better than others, as there is quite a bit of diversity in water content in the soil, species of tree, and proximity to deer.

Spring 2014 – Comparison between trees that did well and those that didn’t, but still survived

Spring 2014 – Some of the trees planted in a drier area – Royal Enfield for scale