Longview Alive: Week 1 - The Awakening of Spring
Your Weekly Tour of the Wildlife at Longview Farm
Introduction
Welcome to the first edition of Longview Alive! I'm Jessi Stead, the proud owner of Longview Farm and your amature nature guide. Each week, I'll be sharing the beauty and life that thrives here. From the blooming flowers to the bustling wildlife, join me as we explore the wonders of nature together.
We are all visitors here at Longview Farm, except for the flora, fauna, and fungi that live here.
Wildlife Wonders
This week, I spotted two barn swallows who had trouble escaping once they flew into the barn. Additionally, I saw a red bird that wasn't a cardinal or a robin, staying as high up in the tree as possible. The whitetail deer abound, grazing peacefully, and the spiders, ticks, and bees on the prow, so watch out!
I'm a novice when it comes to wildlife watching, foraging, and gardening. I used to have what is commonly referred to as plant blindness, but now I see. One of my favorite things is to notice all of the small beginnings that spring has to offer: the buds, new growth, and the first colors in pastel yellows, pinks, purples, and whites, along with the yellow green of new foliage.
When I take a slow, closer look, I'm surrounded by things that make me go, "Whoa, I didn't see that there before."
Daily Life on the Farm
For now, the only animal we care for on this farm is Sig, our cat. Daily life with Sig involves wondering where he is and watching him jump headfirst into the field like an arctic fox after a snack.
Gardening hasn't begun but I am very good at forgetting to water the herbs left over from our Earth Day event for the DIY herb pots using Andrew Snyder's ceramic pots. We also have new pots of flowers in the gallery that Rita and Bryan got to match the flowers in their daughter's show, entitled "Pushing Up Daisies." TBD on whether or not I will forget to water them too!
Around the Farm
While this week is one befitting of the old April showers maxim, the May flowers already arrived at the gallery for Shayna Parker's art show. Last week leading up to the show was filled with sunshine, perfect for getting the outside of the barn ready for visitors.
These trees, marked with yellow tags, will grow up on the farm as we work to remove the invasive species that compete with them for resources and lack natural predators.
The field has been mowed to prepare for our next phases in implementing the forestry and conservation plans. While I won't go into detail about these plans in this series, the important thing to know is that our fields have successfully yielded a number of small native trees.
Conclusion
This is my first time writing my own series for the Visit Longview Farm! blog, so I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the life that surrounds us. Come back every Thursday for more Longview Alive! My photography is also on Instagram at @jessistead, posted in collaboration with @visitlongviewfarm.
This is the part where I tell you to visit our shop to support the artists who have entrusted us with their work and to pick up some Longview Farm & Year of Yin 2025 merch if you love what we are doing.