Here is a listing of celestial events you might want to look for during these spring nights in May. All times are listed as Eastern Daylight Time for the Northern Hemisphere.
Take note that we sometimes will use angular degrees to define the separation between two objects, such as (for example) the Moon and a bright planet. Keep in mind that the width of your clenched fist, held at arm’s length, measures roughly 10°.

May 12—Venus is a rather difficult sight as May begins, setting only 45 minutes after the Sun for viewers at mid-northern latitudes. However, the planet’s visibility improves considerably during the month. By May 31st, Venus’s altitude at sunset has increased from 8° to 14° and the bright world doesn’t set until about 1 hour 25 minutes after sundown. Soon after sunset this evening, an exceptionally thin (1 percent illuminated) lunar crescent might be glimpsed about 1° to the lower left of Venus.
May 13 – This evening, it’s Mercury’s turn to be visited by the Moon. It’s still an extremely slender (4 percent illuminated) crescent when it appears about 3° to the left of Mercury. They’re low in the west-northwest at dusk, setting before the sky is fully dark.
May 15--This evening, Mars can be found at nightfall, sitting about 1¾-degrees to the upper left of the waxing crescent Moon. Mars is in Gemini, fairly high in the west at dusk, 11° below Pollux and Castor. It passes 5° south (lower left) of Pollux on May 31st. In a telescope, the Red Planet is a featureless little dot. It now glows only 1/53 as bright as it did last October!
May 17--Today Mercury reaches “greatest elongation,” 22° east of the Sun, and is visible in a completely dark sky. This rocky little world is now only half as bright as was at the start of the month, and its tiny disk is only 35 percent lit. The planet fades much more rapidly in the following days, becoming too faint to observe by May 25th. It will arrive at inferior conjunction with the Sun on June 10th.
May 19 – First Quarter Moon at 3:12 p.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way to becoming a full Moon.
May 26 – May’s Flower Moon turns 100% full at 7:14 a.m. In this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Though the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it is considered “full” for the entire day of the event and appears full for three days. 

 Supermoon Alert! Because perigee (the closest the Moon comes in its orbit to Earth for the month) occurs the night before at 9:55 p.m., at a distance of 222,023 miles, we are calling this full Moon a “Supermoon,” the second and last for 2021 (April’s was the first). This will lead to an unusually large range of tides during the next few days.
There will also be a total lunar eclipse this morning, that will be best seen from the western half of the United States just before sunrise.
Lunar eclipses are known for turning the Moon a reddish color, which some refer to as a “Blood Moon.” The reddish color will be visible everywhere where the total phase will be visible (where the Moon is above the horizon during the total phase of the eclipse). That means the Western US will get a good sight of it. In the Eastern half of the country, unfortunately, the Moon will set prior to totality, so we miss out.

May 29—Mercury Retrograde begins (ends June 21). The term retrograde comes from the Latin word retrogradus, which literally means, “backward step.” 
May 31 –Set your alarms! Early risers will enjoy seeing the waning gibbous Moon just 5½° to the lower left of Saturn during the predawn hours.

​Our schedule is adapted from “Skylog,” a regular feature appearing in Natural History magazine, written by Mr. Rao since 1995.
This post was re-used from the farmers almanac. See full post HERE. 

Feral swine have become increasingly detrimental in Georgia, causing significant damage to agricultural crops and natural resources throughout the state. The economic impact of damage caused by feral swine in Georgia is estimated at $150 million. A group of agricultural and natural resource organizations are partnering to bring Georgia’s top experts on feral swine together in a series of educational workshops for farmers and landowners.
The partnering agencies will host two separate workshops and trapping demonstration opportunities on the following date:

May 20 at the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center in Midville, GA
o   Morning Workshop at 8:45 am- 12:00 pm
o   Afternoon Workshop at 1:45 pm- 5:00 pm

Topics will include disease issues, swine biology, economics, water quality issues, effective control techniques, transport issues, and regulations to be followed by a question and answer panel of experts. Each workshop will also include a feral swine trapping demonstration.

Partnering agencies for this effort include the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Wildlife Services, Georgia Association of Conservation Districts, Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Agriculture, University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources and Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District.
There is no cost to attend the workshops, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required. COVID precautions will be followed. Additional workshop opportunities will be announced soon. More details and registration information is available at www.GACD.us/events. 

Birds ordered 2021
All birds are first come first serve unless otherwise arranged.
We'll gladly put your name and number on the list and call you when birds arrive.
Call for special orders! 406-788-0436
*Please note that arrivals are contingent on weather and other variables.
Chicks
 May 29 (here now)

• 25 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte $12
• 50 Cream Legbar $10
• 50 Black Copper Maran $7

June 4 (here now)

• 50 Salmon Faverolles $7
  

June 6

• 15 Golden Polish $8
  

June 9

• 20 Bantam Buff Brahma $7
• 10 Old English Red Pyle Bantams $8
• 5 Old English Silver Duckwing Bantams $8
• 5 Quail Belgian d'Anvers Bantams $8
• 50 White Silkies $3.25
• 15 Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys (straight run) $12

June 24

• 10 Bantam Mille Fleur Bearded d'Uccle St. Run $6.5
• 10 Bantam Mottled Cochin St. Run $6.5
• 10 Bantam White Crested Black Polish St. Run $6.5
• 15 Bantam Black Silkie St. Run $6.5
• 10 Red Cochin Bantam St. Run $8
• 6 Frizzle Cochin Bantam St. Run $8
• 10 Red Shoulder Yokohama (Females) $10
• 10 Phoenix St. Run $6.5
• 30 Ameraucana $6

July 16

• 50 Guineas $4 

August 13

• ALL TURKEYS STRAIGHT RUN
• 25 Blue Slate Heritage Turkeys $16
• 10 Narragansett Heritage Turkeys $16
• 15 Chocolate Heritage Turkeys $16

Thanks to the UGA Extension service for this great life hack video. Got extra eggs? Keep watching...

It's not to late to plant a fall or winter crop! Greens, Lettuce, Broccoli, carrots, etc.. will do great as a fall and winter crop. Check out our planting 'hack' for tiny seeds. 

A lot of you have been asking about chicks, so we thought, maybe a list would help! Here's what we have on order through July. Feel free to call with questions or call the day of scheduled delivery to double check arrival. 706-804-2461
The listed prices will apply for a week and go up from there. All chicks will be hens unless otherwise noted and all chicks will arrive vaccinated. 

Birds Ordered:
June 10-11
              150 Blue Plymouth Rock ($4)
              22 Blue Andalusian ($5)
June 17 – Ducks
              Khaki Cambell – 15 female ($8) 5 male ($6)
              Rouen – 15 female ($8)
              Mallard – 20 female ($9.50) 5 male ($6.50)
June 25
              150 Novogen Brown ($4)
              100 Blue Plymouth Rock ($4)
July 10
              100 Novogen White ($4.25)
              100 Rustic Rambler ($4.25)
July 30
              150 Novogen Brown ($4)
              150 Blue Plymouth Rock ($4)
              18 Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys – 12 female ($9), 6 male ($10)

Click on the Flyer link below to see details! 

Ever had questions about pruning? Where do you cut? How much do you cut? Should you trim at all? Well come and join us as we learn from Mr. Campbell Vaughn, and Extension Agent with the Richmond County Extension Service through UGA! We'll be talking everything pruning, from fruit trees to shrubs. Bring your questions and answers and join us!