You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan — almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start. Who knows what plants you may choose to grow and who will come to see your new garden? 

Can a butterfly’s sneeze actually change the weather thousands of miles away? Our world is full of such surprising interdependencies. How do we help children understand such complexity – especially when it impacts the events and the world around them? WHEN A BUTTERFLY SNEEZES teaches us how. Aided by systems thinking, children learn to ask simple questions: What happens next? What happens to this if there is more or less of that? They start to look for patterns, to understand why problems arise, and to figure out what they can do about them.

We had nine entries (all entries can be seen on our Facebook and Instagram pages). The voting was very close and we almost had multiple ties! The design with the most votes was created by Connie Usry of Maryland Heights, MO. Her design will be on our honey jars this year! Thank you Connie, and all who participated! Click image to enlarge.

The Eastern Cicada Wasp or (Eastern Cicada Killer) is a solitary wasp that hunts and paralyzes cicadas. They take the cicada to their underground nests for their larvae to eat. Despite their intimidating size and appearance, Eastern Cicada Wasps are generally not aggressive to humans. Males cannot sting, and females only sting in self-defense, making them beneficial for controlling cicada populations. This one was seen in our front yard.

Open to all ages! You can help design our 2026 honey jar label! If your design is chosen, you win a free 1 pound jar of honey with your label design, your name on the product tag, braggin’ rights, and a $50 donation to a nonprofit/organization of your choice – donation made in your name. Click images to enlarge.

A Sprout-Out to our travelin’ soil superheroes – our red wiggler team members! They have been extra hard workers lately! We’ve been taking them to camps and community events, letting people handle them, look at them up close and learn how amazing they are. We love showing them off and sharing information about their superhero skills. Red wigglers can quickly break down organic waste, produce high-quality compost and make the world a cleaner and healthier place for us all!

This is a beautiful book about the life that trees provide even after they fall. Explore how the tree becomes a nurse log and provides a nutrient-rich space for new seedlings, shelters small animals, hosts different plant species, and, most profoundly, nurtures a new tree in the process, renewing the cycle of life. Young readers will be amazed by the nurse log’s resilience and its powerful connection to the forest’s past, present, and future.

This book is an editor’s pick and ideal for book club discussions. Evidence show that remarkable things happen to our bodies and our minds when our senses connect with the natural world.

We all take for granted the idea that being in nature makes us feel better. Kathy Willis explains “Nature is far more than just something that is useful for our health. It is not a dispensable commodity. It is an inherent part of us.”

The eggs of green lacewing insects can be found hanging underneath the leaves of plants, like the ones in this photo which was taken in our garden. Lacewings are beneficial insects! As babies they are ferocious hunters that protect garden plants by devouring hundreds of destructive pests. As adults, they are gentle nectar-feeders. If you see eggs dangling delicately on a leaf, you have one of nature’s wonderful natural pest management systems in your garden!

We want to welcome the newest members of our team! This honey bee swarm landed in our thornless blackberry bush on April 30, 2026. FYI… we purchased the blackberry bush 3 years ago from a plant sale at EarthDance Organic Farm School. It is so healthy! We added our new team members to our apiary and they are busy growing their colony and preparing to help pollinate many foods and flowers!

Children can learn what difference the loss of one animal species can make. Follow the chain reaction, and discover how important honey bees (and native bees) are. Beautiful illustrations and connections.

May is a month of celebrating bees! The author introduces the world of bees-all bees, not just honeybees, which the author describes as “the chickens of the bee world” (wild bees are far more common). Did you know… Bees have long held fascination for humans; they are mentioned in Shakespeare and found in primitive rock art! Did you know… There are also more than 4,000 native species of bees in the U.S.! 

This suggestion comes from a fellow Missouri Master Naturalist! The Greentree Prairie/Wetland Park is celebrating 10 years since its completion, and is a great place to observe wildlife and be out in nature. Paved loop trail as well as natural woodland and mowed trails get you exploring through the wetlands, prairie, and forest.

Recently our family had the opportunity to explore Nature From the Saddle in parts of the Ozarks with Reining Trails Guided Tours in Steelville, Missouri. They provide many options for trail rides and are full of experience and knowledge! They also have lodging!

Bill from Earth’s Classroom was one of our guides during our trail ride in the Ozarks, and led our learning with Nature From The Saddle. Earth’s Classroom is a nonprofit that offers many educational and fun activities throughout the year focused on Missouri nature. Here he was teaching us about a plant called pond shield.