A New Start for an Old Field

Raisin Cluster Land Stewardship Workshop – Saturday, August 14, 2010, 10 AM to Noon
16866 WellWood Road, Tipton 49287 (Manchester Township, Washtenaw County)
Woody provided us with a nice description, and pictures, to explain how he is tackling two small fields on his property that had been overtaken by invasive shrubs since they were last farmed several decades ago.

Woody's New Field

I have a contract with the Soil Conservation District to install prairie grass on two fields – 2.7 acres and 4.5 acres, one field per year. This year I planted the smaller field.

The process started last summer with removal of all the woody invasives, primarily autumn olive, but also some native trees and shrubs: walnuts, ash, popular and sumac. Early last fall, when much of the field was still green, we sprayed the herbicide glyphosate (commonly known by the brand name Roundup). This killed many of the existing perennials. Early this spring, the field was burned to remove debris that would interfere with the next steps. A second spraying of herbicide was done after the seeds from last year’s annuals had sprouted, to eliminate competition with the planted seed. Next, the seedbed was prepared by discing, dragging with an old section of fence, followed by cultipacking (a cultipacker is a wide implement that creates shallow furrows in the soil for the seed to rest in). I had ordered $1,700 worth of prairie grass seed and native forbs (flowers, etc) of a genotype local to southern Michigan. We planted these by using a hand-cranked broadcast seeder, and finished with a final cultipacking run to press the seed into the soil. Problems encountered included getting the herbicide strength correct and seeding later in the season than was optimum. All in all it has been a satisfying experience, but will truly be rewarding when I see the field full of native grasses and flowers.

Where does land stewardship begin?

Where to start?

What might happen if you don’t start?

You have to find your own answers.

You can look for those answers at the next Iron Creek Community Stewardship Day
July 10, 2010, 10 AM to noon; Kolon Property, 11677 Noggles Road, Manchester Township, Washtenaw County; between Wellwood and English Roads, just north of one lane bridge over Iron Creek

It is much easier to tackle any problem if you tackle it before it becomes obvious. If you know what to look for, you can learn how to nip invasives in the bud.

This is your chance to find out what other “stewards” have done.

Since 1968 the eighty-acre Kolon property has been mostly allowed to let nature take its course. We keep trails open for hiking and skiing and have cut firewood to heat one or two homes every year since 1976. There is high quality habitat that supports a diverse array of flora and fauna. But there are also areas where autumn olive, honey suckle, garlic mustard and other non-native, invasive plants are taking hold. It is not a pretty sight, and it can wipe out populations of native plants if not addressed in a timely fashion.

Understanding the history of your land can be interesting, and can help you prioritize which areas to focus on. We will review maps and discuss the history of the area, then we will visit specific areas where prescribed burns, or invasive shrub and garlic mustard removal have been done over the past six years. A small fen is one area where these efforts have made good headway. It is easy to be overwhelmed when you are dealing with eighty acres, but if you take it in pieces it is possible to make progress that will add up over the years.

Land ownership in the area has been remarkably stable. Parts of the Kolon property, sold in large chunks by the newly formed state of Michigan in 1837, were in the Bigelow family until 1867, when the Sutton family bought the property and continued or began raising sheep. It was never prime farmland, but it must have provided a livelihood for the Sutton family, who owned it until the depression came along. The farming activity changed to corn, probably after World War II, when farm machinery became readily available, and cultivating marginal soils seemed like a good idea. In 1948 my grand parents bought the place and either continued, or began, growing corn, until 1968. The “farmhouse” still stands.

After moving here in 1976 we finally began stewardship activities in 2003. Not that we hadn’t done anything before, but it wasn’t focused and we didn’t know it had a name. It started on a small scale with prescribed burns, invasive shrub and garlic mustard removal in selected areas. Now we are part of Iron Creek Properties and are gaining knowledge and motivation from other neighbors who have joined this effort.

You are welcome to contact me if you can’t make the workshop. Bring your lunch if you have time for additional discussion from noon to 1:00 PM.

Opening Oaks

Iron Creek Properties “workshop”, Saturday, June 12, 10 AM to Noon, 11007 Mull Road, Tipton, Michigan [but  in  Manchester Township, north of Wellwood Road]. 

Walk and talk these Irish Hills and Valleys.  Bring your lunch and join in continued discussion from Noon to 1:00 PM.

This 300-acre Irish Hills parcel is an originating participant in Iron Creek Properties, which offers this opportunity to walk-the-talk of a sustained restoration initiative. An early map of Manchester Township characterizes the southern sections around the Kellum property as ‘oak openings’. Remnant, open grown oaks confirm this record while lending their dignity to the area’s variable topography, numerous wetland systems and evolving habitats.

“Opening oaks” is the romantic over-simplification of the restoration model applied to the property. See first hand the results of four years of concerted restoration work, including before-and-after examples of work in progress. Learn of potential funding assistance. Understand stewardship strategies; identify common invasives and witness eradication techniques. Appreciate the trials, tribulations and learning curve of a land steward’s sustained restoration efforts.

Opened Oak

This white oak now has more room to grow and has the potential to be part of a new generation of Oak Openings for future generations of Kellum land stewards.

Sunnyside Land Stewardship

This is our first workshop at Coyne’s in Norvell Township, near Brooklyn, (Saturday, May 8, 10 AM to noon) who began land stewardship activities on their own several years ago. Sunnyside is the Coyne’s name for this special place.  They are now full-fledged members of Iron Creek Properties, setting a great example of what a bit of determination and hard work can accomplish. We will introduce you to this scenic 13 acre property with frontage on Mud Lake and the very beginning of Iron Creek, a recognized high-quality tributary of the Upper River Raisin watershed. This is a mostly upland site with many large oaks where the Coyne’s have been removing invasive autumn olive shrubs and garlic mustard. There is an area of garlic mustard that a few willing volunteers can easily remove.  We will review what has been done and talk about future plans. This is a quiet retreat where we should expect to see some spring wildflowers.  Bring your lunch if you want to continue the conversation at noon. Check out the Raisin Cluster’s web site for information about our other activities.

Mud Lake Through the Trees

Upper Raisin Stewards’ Meeting #2

Adopt-a-Stream and the River Raisin Watershed Management Plan are on the agenda for our meeting coming up on Tuesday in Manchester. These sessions are informal and intended to bring people together to share their knowledge and experience.

Adopt-a-Stream on the Raisin & Tributaries

The River Raisin Watershed Council’s Adopt-A-Stream program consists of three events; Training Day, Stream Search and Bug I.D. Day. Jim Martin of Adrian College will be discussing Adopt-a-Stream at the next Upper Raisin Stewards’ Meeting on April 6.

Volunteers are needed to work in teams to collect macroinvetebrates from about twenty sites to evaluate the water quality of each site. Macroinvertebrates are one of the best indicators of water quality as there are a variety of types of macroinvertebrates that are tolerant, somewhat tolerant, sensitive and highly sensitive to pollutants. Waders and other equipment is provided.

Training: April 17; Stream Search: April 24; Bug ID: May 8
Each session starts at 9 AM, Adrian College in the basement of Peelle Hall

For more information, please contact Courtney Shaffer (courtney.shaffer (at) comcast.net

April Workshop

Frog Holler Farm, near Brooklyn, will host the first Iron Creek Properties land stewardship workshop of the season on April 10, from 10 AM to noon.  Bob Kellum, who has been helping the Kings with their restoration efforts, will lead the workshop. He will review the management plan for two areas of the property, a prairie fen and an upland savanna, with a focus on the prescribed burns that have or will be done this spring.   Those who are interested are encouraged to bring a lunch and stay for another hour for Q & A.  Workshops will continue on the second Saturday of the month.  Visit the Raisin Cluster of the Stewardship Network web site for more information.

Frog Holler White Oak Ready for Spring - 3/29/2010

River Raisin Watershed Management Plan

The River Raisin Watershed Management Plan has been approved by the state and contains lots of information about the Raisin, its watershed and what needs to be done to make it even better. Several participants in the Raisin Cluster are involved in projects that are consistent with projects recommended in the plan. Some grants have been applied for and we expect some news this spring. In the mean time, you can take a look at the plan and bring any questions or ideas to the next Upper Raisin Stewards’ meeting on April 6 from 7 to 8:30 PM at the Manchester Village Office.

The Raisin - Main Street in Manchester, March 16, 2010

What Is Iron Creek Properties?

It started out with two families, it continues to grow.  This is what it is as of today.

Iron Creek Properties as of March 2010

We think there will be more.  Being part of Iron Creek Properties means being part of a growing awareness of what each of us can do to improve the Raisin watershed.

Upper Raisin Stewards Network – Post #1

To the 21 people who attended our first networking session, we are encouraged by the attendance of so many enthusiastic people who literally care for the Raisin and its watershed.  Based on feedback from everyone, we will definitely be discussing the Raisin, the newly approved watershed management plan, recreational opportunities and Adopt-a-Stream.  More details will follow, but the next meeting will be at the same location, the Village Room (lower level of the Manchester Village Offices) on Tuesday, April 6, 7:00 to 8:30 PM.  We plan to move to other locations in future months.

Please let me know if you did not have time to share your particular interests, future topics for discussion, or whether you would be willing to become more involved to ensure that we can continue to reach out to more people about the importance of the River Raisin.  If we each pitch in, we can do a lot.

If you were not able to make it, we would love to hear from you, too!

Iron Creek, March 6, 2010 - Melting in Progress