LIGHTING A HOLIDAY TREE WITH CANDLES
In the instant we signed the papers and took charge of our 44 acres back in November 2003, we became stewards of many thousands of trees, including several swathes totaling […]
Author Archives
Denise Thornton
PLANTING PRAIRIE IN A DECEMBER FOG
Saturday we joined a group of about 20 people to help our friends, Jim and Marci Hess, who live near Blanchardville, WI, seed 12 acres of brand new prairie. […]
THE THREE POWER-PACKED PIGMENTS THAT CREATE AUTUMN’S COLOR
This fall in the Midwest, and perhaps particularly in the Driftless Area, the leaf color has been over the top. Breathtaking, heart-stopping gorgeous. In the sun the leaves radiate color […]
GIVING GARMENTS THEIR TIME IN THE SUN – TO SAVE ENERGY AND YOUR CLOTHES
We designed Underhill House to be energy efficient, and this week we finally whittled down our energy use a little more with an umbrella-style clothesline.
HANGING UP A BAT HOUSE AND HANGING ONTO HOPE
We feel blessed by the bats in our barn, but with White Nose Syndrome now present in Southwest Wisconsin – how much longer will they survive?
GROWING OUR FIRST GARLIC
Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated crops. Potent, esteemed, and finally coming into the cross-hairs of science, where pieces of its DNA sequence may help us better understand human history.
10X LENS: TICKET TO A NEW WORLD
A 10X magnifying lens is giving me a glimpse into a world of exquisite detail at the boundary between the plant and animal kingdoms where drama plays out among flowers and insects.
A PATH ALONG OUR ICY PAST
Walk the Ice Age Trail with the Badger Science Writers and learn about Wisconsin geography in the terminal-moraine landscape.
HAND RAKING OUR FIELD FOR FUN AND PROFIT
We are really feeling like farmers now that we have started to convert an acre and a half that was full of brome grass and wild parsnip, sumac and prickly […]
UNDERHILL HOUSE BECOMES A CLASSROOM
We hosted Highland Middle School’s 60 students for a tour of Underhill House last Friday. Highland is a nearby village with 842 residents, and its school system is pushing the […]
Digging in the Driftless 