A Glimpse of Littlest Life at Dry Hollow Farm
No ten-year anniversary blog is complete without mentioning the tiniest of critters who share space with us at Dry Hollow Farm. From pollinators to spiders to the creatures whose purpose of existence we question - we all share a common space. Most days I walk by without noting their existence, but every once in awhile, I pull out a camera lens and try to capture a moment of their life.
One of my favorite forms of photography is macro photography. Trying to capture the smallest of creatures is always a challenge, particular as many of them refuse to sit still for their portrait!
Insects of all varieties inhabit our luffa and herb beds. For example, this grasshopper has found the perfect perch atop a drying luffa gourd …
And this orchard spider has spun their intricate web in between the vines.
Since we are committed to organically-growing our herbs and gourds, insects abound throughout our garden beds. We are especially dependent upon our pollinators for turning blooms into produce.
Also of extreme importance for the health of our organic beds is the presence of earthworms.
Of course, we also are home to a number of critters we’d rather not encounter, such as red wasps. Their sting is incredibly painful, and it’s the rare summer that passes without at least one wasp-human attack. We also must take care with every visit to the barn loft where we stack pieces of lumber waiting to find uses around the farm. Nestled within the boards is the occasionally brown recluse spider whose bite is to be avoided at all costs.
Speaking of spiders, we encounter all types of these little (and not so little!) creatures around the farm. We consider them an important part of our farm ecosystem, and do our best to protect them.
Some members of the insect world obviously love posing for photographs …
These two lovable grasshoppers appeared on our back porch railing one hot summer morning, and I couldn’t resist making a portrait set!
One of the most fascinating insect encounters we’ve had is the discovery of a dragonfly carcass being disposed of by an army of ants.
Finally, one of our most unique finds came when I was up in the barn loft one afternoon to find pieces of scrap wood for a project. We hang bags of wool fleece in the barn loft as they await washing and carding. I heard a distinct buzzing coming from one of the bags. Curiosity got the better of me, and I carefully opened a bag to discover a nest of bumble bees. Who knew?
Dr. Kathryn Bush owns and operates Dry Hollow Farm, a working goat and sheep farm in Huntingdon, Tennessee. Together with her husband, Russell, she creates skincare products from their fresh goat milk, grows organic herbs, welcomes visitors to their two cabins on the farm (available for stays through Airbnb), keeps the farm’s on-site soap shop stocked with their handcrafted products, and enjoys working the farm in company with their Great Pyrenees dogs (who work hard guarding the animals). Check out their natural products featuring farm-grown ingredients here, and sign up for the Dry Hollow Farm newsletter to stay in touch and be the first to hear about farm news, events, and new products.