Melissa Sisk

For what it's worth, if you already have Ash growing, it is a fairly hard wood and comes back with a vengeance when it is cut. We have a field full of it that took me 6 years to identify and I am now working with it instead of against it. EAB are problematic after a point but up to that point you should have good production. Might be worth the research on its BTUs.

Regarding the idea to shred them- we do have recyclers in the area that charge to shred them and then charge to sell the shreds. It's a good business model for them. I like the idea of offering them to others for their building projects. We've got a couple hundred of them probably all told so it could be a worthwhile option for someone. I also like the idea of offering them to farmers for their silage tarps- we're surrounded by about 1000 acres of cattle land on 3 sides and I know other farms in the area do silage. I appreciate all the actionable solutions suggested!

Hoping to get some input. I know tires are a hot topic. I'm inclined to think they're not good overall. That being said, I probably have a couple hundred of the things dumped all over our place. We bought land that had been formerly owned by scrappers who threw anything of no value to them into the woods. We've moved several trailer loads of the things (70 or so per load) and have more left to clean up.  Paying to recycle is out of our budget so I'm left with finding a solution for putting them to use or burying them. Given that they're already decomposing in my space I'm looking for a "least worst" solution for putting them to use. I'm not going to grow food in them. I'm probably not going to grow anything in them, but maybe ornamentals. What suggestions have you got for me?

I'm learning to be patient and share my garden space. For many years, it was"mine," and it's quickly becoming mine and Roo's. I love to watch her in the garden. At 19 months, she can recognize basil, mint, wood sorrel, raspberries, tomatoes, and bee balm. It's fun to watch her wander around as she nibbles an herb leaf or how excited she gets about finding a ripe raspberry to eat. I didn't realize how well she could identify some plants until we were in a different area of the yard. I was cutting back a tree and looked down to see her picking wood sorrel to munch on. When we walk past a forest edge, she also recognizes the wild blackberries and signs "hurt" since we've talked about the canes having sharp thorns.

This is one of the biggest challenges as a mom gardening with littles and then growing littles for the first time. My 3 are 10.5 (!), 8, and 2.5 and they join in to varying degrees. I've learned what to claim for my own and what to let go and let them little by little and the feeling of pleasure at having my oldest asking for her own spot, her own plants is worth the past frustration. You're doing great things raising future lovers of the outdoors <3