Yesterday we planted 150 trees at Roshara, 50 jack pine, 50 red pine and 50 Norway spruce. This year’s planting crew consisted of son Steve and daughter-in-law Natasha, daughter Sue and son-in-law Paul plus the Old Timer who mostly organized things, gave an unneeded lesson in tree planning techniques, and thought about tree planting in years past.
We planted the first trees at Roshara in 1966, two-thousand red pine that are now fifty feet tall. That year the kids helped as well, but not much for they were four, three and two. In 1967, we planted another two-thousand red pines, finishing four rows all the way around the farm.
Every year since, for some 49 years, we have planted trees at Roshara, sometimes as few as 10 trees. Five years ago we planted 7,500, which was the most in any one year. These days we are mostly planting where trees planted earlier years died.
Tree planting has become a spring ritual for the family. Some years the April day when we plant is sunny and pleasant, some years it is snowing and cold. But no matter, when the trees are ready to plant, we plant them. And as we do, the crew shares stories of earlier years. We marvel at how well these trees have changed the landscape of Roshara—and made the place just a bit more enjoyable.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: One is never too old to plant a tree.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, April 20, Noon. Fox Valley Book Festival, UW-Fox Valley. Whispers and Shadows
Wednesday, April 22, 6:30 Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose. Mid-Wisconsin Launch of Whispers and Shadows. Fundraiser for the library.
Friday, April 24, 8:00 p.m. Ice Age Trail Org. Wis. Dells, Winter Green Resort. Old Farm
Tuesday, April 28, 11:00 a.m. Wisconsin Public Radio, Larry Meiller Show. Whispers and Shadows
Tuesday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. Black River Falls Library, Sky Line Golf Course. Stories from the land
Sunday, May 3, 1:00 p.m. Readers’ Realm Bookstore, 147 E. Montello Street, Montello, WI Whispers and Shadows.
Tuesday, May 5, 10:30. Chilton Library, Chilton, WI Whispers and Shadows.
Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):
The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps A Farm Story.
Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, (which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story). Also available is Jerry’s new novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County and his new nonfiction book, Whispers and Shadows: A Naturalists Memoir.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
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