celebrations of lucerne and other legumes, solar crescents, roots, and the husbandry of even toed-ungulates
sward of chicory, crimson, and white clovers
inquisitive crossbred pig in a paddock of rye and vetch
hampshire pig eating bolted chicory
improvised by a previous farmer, well worn window weight cover chains
nitrogen nodules formed on alfalfa (lucerne) roots
lucerne (alfalfa) roots and crown, pulled from the vegetable garden
garlic, un-earthed
root fire works
sonar malfunction (?) allowed us a daytime visit from a strange and fierce nocturnal beneficient
windrows in the alfalfa (Medicago sativa) meadow
the rusty old New Holland swather in contrast eating alfalfa
I read once that the Arabic word from which the name “alfalfa” came meant “best fodder”
Louis Bromfield justly brought attention to its role as a soil healer. It seems to live up to its names, feeding livestock, pollinators, humans, the soil and its inhabitants, and the atmosphere.
I feel grateful that I get to farm my own patch of lucerne. In the background is a mobile chicken coop with laying hens working the perimeter of the meadow. We’ve learned that alfalfa is a key ingredient in good eggs.
the angus bottle baby
bellows for milk
lambs in the illuminated profile of humid dawn
the young shepherd studies his flock
compact paddocks of soybeans and milo forage, bloody butcher field corn, and the Quonset barn looking at home in the landscape
the great blue heron disturbed from his breakfast, as we head across the creek to do the morning chores
sun in hand
interplay of lensing leaves and the light of 92% totality
solar shield
transfixed
the image of the solar eclipse projected through on half of pair of binoculars proved to be the most successful of viewing contraptions
photographing under the helmet, layers of eclipse and lense
contractions of the dry months
elevated mundane details; oxidations of copper and steel
a barn that is part celebration of geometry, part dog house
the colors of the barnyard hens grouped together over their dawn ration
wax goldenweed of the many cousins in the sunflower family
emergence of the inflorescence of Indian grass
dr. Seuss hairdo of thistle
snow-on-the-mountain
snouts and ears
coreopsis growing in a wheat field we are converting to perennial pasture
The School of the Transfer of Energy 
Fantastic photographs of a rich experience. Thanks Jack, & how wonderful to see.
Thank you so much, my friend.
You keep an amazing number of balls in the air.
These photos bring back memories of my youth when we made the yearly trek “home to Kansas” from Peoria, IL every summer and stayed at my Uncle Luke’s and Aunt Dorothy’s farm about a mile south of Hesston. It was the headquarters for our annual reunion with the Bartel and Stucky clans. Happy times for me!
It can get a little much sometimes, but if I can keep my perspective, it’s usually ok. I live a blessed life.
Love it, Jack. We had a visit like that from a horay bat a few years back. Angus bottle babies are hard to come by. You got the real deal. Beautiful pictures!
Also, what’s the cross on the first pig? Way cute.
Hi Chris. It was claimed to be a spotted-hampshire cross, but I think there is a little more in there. He’s a neat pig, though. Growing good.
My best friend raises Angus cattle, so I have direct line on any bummers.