LAKE CITY â The week before the annual seedling sale organized by the Missaukee Conservation District is always a little hectic.
On Tuesday, program coordinator Michelle Hill oversaw the packaging of dozens of seedlings already on site while also performing other duties at the conservation district and dealing with the unexpected early arrival of another large seedling load.
This year, the conservation district ordered around 25,000 seedlings to fill a little over 160 orders, which is a pretty busy year, especially compared to last year. This year people are buying like crazy, Hill said. Everyone wanted conifers.
Every spring, the conservation district orders seedlings from nurseries all over Michigan and elsewhere, which they then package and distribute to customers in Missaukee County. Hill said being a one-stop shop for a variety of different tree and shrub species is very convenient for customers who otherwise would have to order themselves directly from several diff
CADILLAC â This spring is shaping up to be pretty odd.
With precipitation levels a fraction of what they typically are this time of year, farmers are beginning to stir anxiously as planting season draws near.
At the same time, owners of homes on area lakes and rivers also have noticed how low water levels are at a time when they re usually thinking about flood risk.
Accuweather Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker said while average temperatures for the Cadillac area about 2.8 degrees above normal for April, the area s received only about half of its normal precipitation amounts.
Temperatures swung dramatically Monday night into Tuesday morning, rising from the low 30s to near the 70 degree mark in a little over 24 hours.
With the celebration of Earth Day just last week, it is a good time to discuss the formation of the USDA Soil Conservation Service (known today as the Natural Resources Conservation Service) and the Conservation District (Wexford CD and the Missaukee CD).
The beginning of the soil conservation movement in the United States was started by Hugh Hammond Bennett in the early 1900s. Hugh Hammond Bennett, the Soil Conservation Serviceâs first Chief and the Father of Soil Conservation. A maverick and visionary, Bennett knew that productive soils would help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners protect their livelihoods. Even then, Bennett, a scientist, knew good science must be the foundation for voluntary conservation on private lands.
Warmups earlier this month have allowed farmers to get a head start on field work in preparation for planting at the end of April and beginning of May, marking a smooth start to the year so far following the hectic roller coaster ride that was 2020.
At Gingrich Meadows dairy farm in LeRoy, workers on Thursday were busy spreading manure on their fields.
Eric Martin was in charge of operating the âmanure boatâ via remote control. The boat floats over the 12-foot manure pit, using high-pressure spray nozzles to stir up the pitâs contents and make the manure more consistent for application on the fields.
Itâs time to think about getting ready for spring yard clean-up and summer gardens. Missaukee Conservation District, as well as the Osceola-Lake Conservation District, have another great opportunity to get you outside soaking up the vitamin D and breathing fresh, clean air! How about adding a native plant garden to your landscape?
Why Go Native?
We all set out to landscape our property with the best of intentions, however, some of the plants available in nurseries are alien species from other countries or other parts of our country and considered invasive here in Northern Michigan. Invasive plant species not only interrupt the food web among native animal species but also have become pests hard to eradicate. These invasive species outcompete native species for space, light, and nutrients needed to grow and degrade habitat in our remaining natural areas.