An average morning on the farm here at Tac-L-Box Farms includes going out first thing, usually still in my PJs, to let out the dogs, the chickens and feed the goats. Today I was able to go out without a coat! We are experiencing a very warm February here in North Georgia. The grass is showing signs of waking up. I contiued my morning walk with a browse around the garden and the front beds and I found purple dead nettle blooming, mint poking out in the containers, dandelion already in flower. Large tufts of grass are available to clean my boots like a rug when I step in the mud. The strawberries are sending up new leaves and shoots, the garlic and onions are growing. After breakfast and some work, I look across the pastures and I see the light green areas growing daily. The blueberry and peaches have fuzzy buds, the violets flowers are starting to dot the landscape and golden finches land in a cluster to grab the worms emerging to escape the rain.

After lunch, I had our local expert stop by and walk with me to show me what I already have growing natively in the woods and pastures. We found wild mint, and heal all, then Usnea, a lichen that looks very much like spanish moss on the ground. I learned this is potentially a very good antibiotic that fights Staph. For sure we will be collecting more of that! We found Privat, and honey suckle these will be great for the goats to munch. A plant I have been following for a few years in the woods I was surprised to learn is pipsisewa, which has been know to turn a uti around in hours if made in to a tea. Wild ginger with its heart shaped deep purple leaves is a sign that there is a snack below. As we walked, up the hill we found the terrifying devil's walking stick which I had mistaken for sumac. It is actually a southern prickly ash and is used for toothaches and arthris when the berries soaked in gin are sipped propoerly.

From a valley of Elderberry to the mother load of chicken of the woods, we continued our walk and lessons. Next came the Turkey Tail mushrooms, then rabbit tobaco with its musty vanilla fragrance and wild fennel dominates the newly cleared area we passed through. At the edge of the forest, Wild Cherry trees whose bark can be processed into cough syrup and next to that hickory with its crazy branches. Back in the clearing blackberry patches and passion flower, red berry sumac, poke berry, now my brain is getting really full! We finished our walk with a quick walk through the garden where we discussed natural ground covers like chickweed that is delicious and nutritious!

Spring time is one of my favorite times of the year as every morning you wake up, your world gets brighter with all the greening going on around you!