August 2024 - Hot News!

The name August comes from Augustus Caesar, the first Roman Emperor who ruled from 27BC after Julius Caesar's death. For us, we just know it as "OMG, it's too hot out here", but it must have been a pretty good name, to keep it for 2000 years on the Calendar.

It's peak heat, and hopefully downhill temperatures from here. I'm sure everyone's animals are ready for a break in this heat too! August brings us some

of the most impressive growth, and a great outdoor glow we can't get any other month. It's turn of the season peaks us with max growth, rain, storms, and of course the bird sized mosquitoes who take up residency squatting in our water puddles left behind. Here's the latest updates and news for next upcoming adventures with Little Planes Farm and Feed!

1. Little Planes Farm is getting a new Bigger & Updated Building!

While we did say building, we didn't say location would change! We'll hopefully be just behind

our normal spot. We're working with the Town to put a much larger building and hopefully keep up with the demand of everyone. Many thanks to our Town of Maysville again. They help promote businesses including ours. We really appreciate the support they give us and other small businesses. We're hoping to get a 16x40 portable. This will enable us to carry larger inventory, and easier in/out access to the feed for everyone! Stay tuned, more to come on this. (Photo not exact building but close) Starting in September 2024, our store will be staffed from 10-3pm every Saturday and Sunday. All others, simply give us a call and we'll meet you at a time that works for you!

2. Pond Health

This year, we experienced something new with our pond. It developed almost overnight an Algae bloom, and the bad kind. It started out as a slick looking film, then bubbles everywhere, and finally a green patch of yuck took over the pond. It happened really fast. For those that don't know, if your pond dies, it's not a pond. It's a mud hole, mosquito heaven, brain eating bacteria waiting to kill your animals. It's important to understand the cycle of ponds, and understand the need for fish, plants, and aeration. We have many fish in our pond, from Bass to Brim, catfish, turtles, and some huge frogs that deserve a phone call to Guinness

World Records. We knew we had to act fast. We reached out to a local friend/farm at Sun Coast Farms, in Hampstead NC. With a soil biologist background, and pond expert, he knew just what to do. He delivered a generous 4 different species that quickly jumped into action to help eat up the algae and help restore balance to our pond. The process began working almost instantly. Combined with water aeriation and hoses to add water while keeping it moving, this really has helped. I will try and post what the water plants were, I know some where duck weed, and another was aquatic bulbs of some sorts. Follow up with Pond Lillie.

3. Battle of the Bugs!

So a lot of you have been asking about the bugs, and what we do on our farm. Some are just interested in better ways, others are afraid to even go outside. This was a big problem for us, and the truth is, the solution isn't one thing, and it's not fast. For us, having a large acre property, it means a few options are off the table. There really isn't any magical tricks. There are gimmicks that keep people spending their money, but for folks like us with a farm, money is an object. For us, we decided on the Fog Methods. We have an industrial sized fogger, there are many available starting at around 79.00 on amazon or Lowes. They run on a small tank of propane and they are basically a small version of that truck that drives down the neighborhood with a fogger int he back.

The chemical is a liquid called Black Flag Fogger. It can be cheaper on Amazon though. Expect high prices at local shops during peak times. They are way more expensive. Now, it's pretty important to understand how these work, and how to maximize its effectiveness. Understanding wind, and how the fog sprays, takes a little time and learning but you will get the hang of it. Walk your property in lines, late in the evening, with no wind if possible. Spray close to the ground, and while its not super dangerous to animals, if they get a drift, but don't spray it near them. Use the wind drift breeze to your advantage. Do this once a week, and over time you will notice a difference. One time applications help, but its the long term that makes you appreciate it.

Breaking the cycle, and killing them over time beats their numbers way back. We've found this to be the most useful for us, and safest.

4. The Chicken River update

Some have asked for an update on the chicken River project. It was a fun neat idea where we dug a channel through all the bird runs, to create a small river that could be filled to provide fresh water. They love it, and now expect it. It's a daily thing, and worth the digging effort. Here is a short video just taking a look at how we built this primitive water works. There was some thinking we had to do, because you know, gravity. But we figured out how to get a good working river that kept the birds cool and happy.

All-in-all, things are going well. We hope they are with you too! We've been happy to bring such an awesome product and meet so many people. We are proud to be your feed supplier and thank you for everyone's support. Reach out if you need anything! If you've made it this far, email us at info@littleplanesfarm.com for a $3.00 OFF coupon!

LPF Staff!