What We Do At Serene Fox Farm

To our neighbors we are a curiosity in some respects. I have been asked a number of times, why did I move to the Delta. The short answer is that it felt like home, but of course, there was much more involved.  Serene Fox Farm is by definition a small-to-midsize farm. While neighbors farm thousands of acres of rich alluvial soil, our efforts are confined to less than 200 acres. Nevertheless, I have found a deep satisfaction in farming even a few acres. The business of farming was completely new to me when I moved to the Delta in 2018, and it has proven a challenge to learn.  Thanks to the considerable patience of my neighbors who have endured hundreds of questions, problems and crises over the past years, their good humor, and sage advice, we have survived

Preparation

As soon as the fields dry out preparation is underway for spring planting.
The alluvial soil that makes up most of the Delta is both good and bad. Of course, it is extraordinarily rich and anything that you plant will grow whether desired or not. Additionally, much of soil has a high clay content so that when it dries out it will form small clods that look like buckshot, hence its name.

Planting

Planting soybeans in the dry land or non=irrigated field on the farm. The seeds are planted using a seed drill which is a device that cuts a trench into the soil into which a seed is dropped and then the trench is closed and the soil slightly compacted.

Using a seed drill to plant a non-irrigated field allows you not to have to turn over the topsoil thus preserving vital nutrients and minerals, as well as preventing erosion.

Growing Season

Hot days, plenty of sunshine and our maturing soybean crop.

Harvest

Freshly cut soybeans being loaded into a grain cart.

Cutting soybeans 2019

Winter

After the harvest, the pace of life changes dramatically. The winter months are spent in enjoying a bit of time off and the opportunity to prepare for the next planting season. During the off season there is an opportunity to catch up on all the daily tasks that have been put on hold during the harvest. For many of my neighbors winter is a season for hunting, particularly deer and ducks in this part of the world. Since we do not allow hunting on SFF we have created a small sanctuary for wildlife during the hunting season. In addition, we have graded one of our fields to create a waterfowl containment area (a high falutin’ name for a duck pond) in one of our fields.

“Duck Pond” filling with water. The field will remain flooded until spring when it will be drained prior to spring planting.

Excavating equipment used in leveling the field and creating the waterfowl containment pond.

Trail around the perimeter of the farm, February 2021.
Fields after the Deep Freeze of February 2021.
Deep Freeze 2021

Gate to the Farm , February 2021

And It Starts All Over

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