This photo of Lincoln resident Ellen Raja on her farm was featured at #23 in September’s Photos of the Month gallery in the Boston Globe.
Ellen Raja repaired a fence where sheep graze in Lincoln. (Photo by Joanne Rathe/Boston Globe Staff)
Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.
The yellow foxtail seedheads are beautiful! Unfortunately, this plant is taking over the pastures. The sheep will eat it when the leaves are young but not as the leaves get older and they also won’t eat the seed stalks. It’s replacing the preferable (for the amount of useful forage) pasture grasses like orchard grass, blue grass, etc. With some grasses, you can keep them in the “growing leaves” phase by mowing down the flower/seed stalks. But with this plant, you can mow it down to an inch but it simply puts up 1-inch seed stalks. The seeds supposedly germinate all summer long. Does anyone have any information on how to get rid of this plant short of using herbicides? (Any ideas for getting rid of chickweed would also be welcome. This too is taking over parts of the pastures and the sheep usually won’t eat it.) Thank you.