Last Monarch Generation, Blueberry Weeding, and Hops U-Pick

Here is a young monarch Caterpillar not more than a day old. Note the size of the pencil lead next to it. It is the last generation of monarch locally and should be the generation of monarchs to fly back to Mexico. It is amazing how fast and large this little dude can get in just a week. From this point, it will progress to an adult butterfly in about one month and have to scurry on down to our southern border.
A second grade teacher from Ira B Jones Elementary School in Asheville, NC came out Saturday with her husband and triplet boys to view the fight house and possibly set up my first school tours of the butterfly flight house. We are currently working out the logistics. It is a vital first step to the sustainability of the farm.
I have spent this weekend taking advantage of weeding. It is the first break in the heat wave all summer long as far as I am concerned. I was able to work 10 hours each day and not faint from heat exhaustion. Lots of opportunities for recreation were forfeited, but, believe you me, it was a welcome relief to get this job started.
On the hops front, I have had two local brewers come out and take advantage of my U-Pick hops adventure and will have two more this week. If you are a home brewer and read this, come on out and get your own fresh hop brew going.

Caterpillars Are changing To Pupas

The butterfly flight house is experiencing the third generation of monarch butterflies. I just happen to be in the house to film the caterpillar changing into a pupa. The whole process took about 30 minutes. See the time lapse of it by clicking on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFA-C3HbonE

Hop Harvest Goes to Pisgah Brewing and Hops U-Pick

Pisgah Brewing Company and the "Burnette Brew"


Nuggets on the vine

My hop harvest, all 18 pounds of it, went to Pisgah Brewing company last month. After 3 years of talking and working with them, and after their initial experimentation last year with wet hops, we finally got it together!

They have named the beer Burnette's Fresh Hop Pale Ale and let me tell you, I may be a little prejudice, but it is really good tasting. It is available now in the Growler or tap at Pisgah and is on tap at places like Barley's in downtown Asheville.

Let me tell you how it came down. First I had to let them know that I was ready to harvest and second, they had to get the ingredients and the boil ready. It takes a little coordination, but they have the act together over there.

Next I incorporated the help of my good friend Tony and we begin the harvest. It took us 5 hours to harvest the hops and only 7 minutes to drive over to the brewery where they dumped the 18 pounds of fresh picked hops into the kettle.

This is what fresh hop, or wet hop beer is all about. Right off the vine and into the boil. The flavor takes on a truly fresher more aromatic flavor. If you like pale ales, this is one of the best in this part of the country.

My second harvest is happening now. I have been picking and packaging the dry hops now and anticipate only about 6 ounces of Cascade, Chinook, and Nuggets combined. But, I am offering to any home brewer a chance to make their own wet hop beer by contacting me now and coming out to pick them yourselves and add them to your brew! Hurry, they may not last!

Now on the the butterfly house. The monarchs have completed one complete cycle and are now working on their third cycle of metamorphosis. I already have chrysalises forming along with eggs, and caterpillars of the third generation of Monarchs.

Outside the flighthouse, the milkweed is attracting wild monarchs and the butterfly attracting flowers on the walkway to the house are hosting hundreds of swallowtails, buckeyes, sulphurs, and fritilaries. It is a great time to schedule a tour to see all phases of the butterfly metamorphosis.

Monarch laying eggs

Inside the butterfly fighthouse