What. A. Year. 2020 threw us all some major curveballs. So many lost so much and prayers were (and still are) abundant. We were fortunate to have been able to still open our Christmas tree farm at the end of the year but missed out on hosting our events.
The tree farm did well, as everyone was excited to get outdoors and do something with the family. We saw many of the same faces from years past and so many new faces too. It is always such a fun, but busy and exhausting, time of year. But as farming and work goes, nothing is ever easy!
As the tree-selling times were coming to an end, we began planting new crops. The largest portion of peach trees were taken out and prepared to be new grounds for crops to come. Funny thing about it, the field once held Leyland cypress trees about 12 years ago.
In true fashion, we tried to move as quickly as possible in the winter months to get the dormant muscadines pruned back (Mom and Dad did this as I recovered from surgery), finishing up by the personal deadline of the end of February. This seems like it should be an easy task, but it is NOT! It is a time-consuming job that requires a lot of attention to making the correct cuts (and not cutting off the main vines like we have all done in our haste to move to the next plant). Dad sent me a text the 28th of February to inform me he and Mom had completed the last muscadine vine and that would make my birthday celebration dinner more enjoyable. His sense of humor never ceases to amaze me.
Since then, we’ve begun basal pruning the Murray cypresses we planted last year and used those clippings to begin to root our own trees to put in the ground in the future. This is was another fun task that had us cutting up with each other as we pushed through to do at least 2,000. It seems like a lot of trees but we like to plant back more than 2,000 trees every year and we take into consideration that we will inevitably lose a few (like when my youngest dog ran through the trays and looked like she forgot how to be graceful and function on four legs).
Our final task for the trees for the winter will be basal pruning all of the year-plus old trees. This gives them the trunk space that turns a shrub into something that looks like a Christmas tree at that young age. We will soon trim them into the triangle shape, but that is a task for late spring… and I’m not sure I’m ready for the backpack trimmer just yet.
The shows for 2021 are also on our minds. We really missed everyone last year, and, truthfully, I got spoiled by not worrying about rain and other unpreventable events wreaking havoc on the show weekends. Although my mind was at ease, I really missed the normalcy of hosting the shows.
This year, our goals are to pick up where we left off in 2019 and resume the shows this year. The dates are quickly approaching and we are trying to get things rolling (once we get done basal pruning the smaller Christmas trees). Not long ago, we decided to add some things to the future shows, especially for Inman Farm Heritage Days… corn grinders, Dad’s project pulpwood truck and more! Keep these dates in mind for your 2021 calendar of events: June 19th for the Inman Antique Truck Show and September 17th, 18th and 19th for Inman Farm Heritage Days. We would love to see everyone there!
Another thing we’d love to see is all your projects you may be working on to bring to the shows! Post them on our Facebook pages (Minter’s Farm & Inman Farm Heritage Days) so we can look at what you’re doing as well.
Hope everyone stays safe and enjoys this beautiful weather we’re having this week… I know I am!
– Stephanie