Hedgerider Farm grows art material is a place no longer on the map
2024 is almost over. 2025 is a drooling something lurking outside our doors, peeking at us through cracks in the blinds. There is a lot going on at the Hedge right now. Starting with the willows, we are mid-harvest. Several hundred pounds are in the barn with hundreds more to go. If you're interested in buying willow rods for basketry let us know using the form on our site . So many thanks to our…
Compared to chickens and ducks, there aren't many documented goose breeds. The different breeds are organized by size: light to heavy. Of course, there are lots of differences between breeds, such as temperament, foraging ability, flying ability, and fertility. The Cotton Patch Goose (CPG), is a light goose and was the goose of our area. Used for its instinct to forage, they kept cotton and corn…
Recently we got the opportunity to collaborate with Cone Zero Ceramics to make pottery aprons. All are hand-sewn with a combination of naturally dyed bull denim and vintage trim + fabric from Maren's personal collection. The apron design is Maren's own. It is based on a traditional potters apron, which has two overlapping panels covering your legs when squatting at the wheel. The pattern Maren…
It's high summer and a tree in the prime of its life falls. Up until now, the tree looked good. They were the image of beauty and vigor. Now, broken at the base, the tree is tethered to life by a few ancillary roots. Not dead, but parallel to the ground they're starting to look more like a log. Months before winter, their leaves wither and die. Winter comes and the tree shows no outward sign of…
It took a minute to recall why, suddenly, there might be about a dozen vultures perched around, on and flying above the house. Turns out, I invited them. A few days earlier I decided to cast a spell to ensure a good woodland harvest by burrying a pigs skull at the north west corner of our willow coppice. I didn't bury it deep enough which inspired a creature of the night to exhume the skull and…
A quick look outside almost any time of year in the Southeast US you'll see colorful things growing everywhere. Spring flowers, autumn foliage, summer berries and stems in winter. The more you look the more you see. From the top of trees to the mushrooms fruiting in the dirt. Despite the endless parade of color circling the calendar most attempts to translate that vibrance to fiber will result in…
My brother Charlie and I look alike. To geese, I think, we look a lot alike. To be fair, I think the geese look a lot alike. So I was happy to hear that when I left Charlie in charge of the farm during a trip away, the geese had no idea I left. The times I left and Charlie was unavailable, the geese knew and were distressed. If Charlie didn't look like me, he wouldn't be my first choice…
Ticks want your blood. The moment you step into the woods, thousands of tiny creatures begin plotting how best to extract your vital essence. It's the cost of spending time in woods. To me it's worth it. But I'm often asked about how I deal with this fact. In short, I tuck my pants into my socks and my shirt into my pants. Here's why I believe it works: I need to state up front: the strategy works…
We fell in love with Willow as we searched for the first crop for our marginal farmland. There are over 350 species of Willow in the world, extending much further beyond the eponymous Weeper. The Willow is a miraculous plant. Certain varieties can grow up to 8 feet in one growing season. Cut off a branch, stick it in the ground, and it will sprout. Super fast growing trees like Willow consume more…