The Wilkes Team

It is with great joy that I report we have had 9 out of 10 grafted trees bud. Truly a miracle indeed. These sets of two individual pieces of wood, when unified together, will bring thousands of pounds of apples in the years to come. What a picture of marriage and of our union with Christ.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit…” John 15:5

While it is possible for the pieces of scion wood to bud prematurely apart from the rootstock, they will never bear fruit and will wither away shortly after budding.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4

Earlier this year, dozens of branches were clipped off and stored in pieces 12 inches long inside our refrigerator until the time for grafting arrived. Only a handful were chosen to be grafted.

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14

With warming temperatures, consistent moisture, and daily sunlight, 9 out of 10 unions are now bursting forth in radiant life.

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.” Eph. 5:29

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1Pet. 5:7

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” 1 Peter 2:2-3

Every tree is different, grows at different speeds, and will only produce the fruit it was predestined to bear.

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8

Through providing nourishment and caring for the apple trees, it is our desire that all 10 will bear much fruit in the years to come.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and  that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

4 Comments » | posted in Farming 101

Over a period of about 6 weeks so far this Spring, our family has had the joy of watching an astounding attribute of creation unveil before our eyes.

It all began a little over a year ago when Dad, Daniel, and I were blessed to attend a course of apple grafting with Vintage Virginia Apples just south of Charlottesville, Virginia. Under the first class training of Mr. Tom Burford and the Shelton family, all 3 of us were trained in the skill of bench grafting.

During the second week of April, we took on the grafting of 10 apple trees. One month prior, we ordered 10 Malling-Merton 111 (MM. 111) root stocks from Vintage Virginia. Clippings (scion wood) from branches 2 years or older were carefully selected from 3 different locations of mature trees and stored with lightly moistened paper towels in our refrigerator. We worked together to try and keep all fruit, especially apples, out of the fridge to keep the gas emitted from fruits from causing the scion wood to bud prematurely.

The grafting process involves the following steps:

1. Select a root stock that is similar in diameter to the scion wood you are using (leave root stock in bag for as long as possible to reduce the possibility of damage from exposure).

2. Cut out a portion of scion wood with 2-3 buds at least 1 inch from either end to avoid any dried out portion.

3. Using a sharpened knife, slice the scion wood about 3/4 to 1 inch below the first bud at a 45 degree angle. The face should be at least 1/2 inch long.

4. Slice a mirror cutting on the root stock approximately 1-2 inches above the roots (room for mistakes ).

5. In the center of each face gently cut a 1/4 to 1/2 inch cutting parallel to the pieces’ grain.

6. Gently force the two pieces into one another to form an union. Should the scion wood be smaller in diameter than the rootstock, be sure to align the cambium layers on at least one side.

7. Using a tape such as masking or blue painting tape, completely cover the union to deter drying out before healing.

8. Using a waterproofing substance like Doc Farwell’s Grafting Seal, seal the very top of the newly grafted tree.

9. Label the  tree and store in a cool location until outdoor temperatures are well above freezing. Should the grafting take place after the final frost, still allow approximately 7-14 days for the healing to take place before potting. During the healing period, keep grafted trees in a plastic bag (ziploc is perfect). Apply moisture every couple days so roots do not dry out.

10. After the healing period, place tree(s) in nutrient rich soil. Keep soil moist. Budding may take up to 2-3 weeks. Beware of small rodents which will destroy the young tree with little effort. I prefer to keep tree well protected for at least 1 year before planting in orchard.

Stay tuned for post number two which will feature the progress of the newly grafted trees.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:4-5).

2 Comments » | posted in Farming 101

     Let’s see who can dig, turn, and chop up the most dirt!

                           On your mark get set GO!

We all need to learn to enjoy hard work! Being diligent: is visualizing each task from the Lord and using all my energies to accomplish it. And thoroughness: knowing what factors will diminish the effectiveness of my work or words if neglected. These are so key in us having an impact and an influence on those we are serving and working with.

We recently had a need to prepare a 25×25 garden out on our 90 acres. It could have been a lengthy process for one or two people doing it by themselves, but with ELEVEN it went amazingly fast!! Everyone had such joy and enthusiasm in digging and chopping up the ground which will bring us a wonderful harvest this summer if the Lord wills.

Looking back over that day I realized once again that I am the one that controls my outlook! If one person would have decided to let their feelings control their outlook and viewed this time of work as a burden and a bore it would have affected the whole group.

I don’t think we truly understand how much we impact those around us. People are watching us. People are looking for role models! How are we responding to our authorities? How do we interact with are peers? Are we being leaders or are we just following the crowd? Do you grumble over hard work? Do you up hold the standards of your authorities even when others are not?

We need to be different! Be willing to be odd. 2Timothy 3:14 says “Yea and all they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”  Continue to be loyal to those God has placed over you. Continue to be an enthusiastic, grateful and faithful follower of Jesus Christ! View each task you are given as if Jesus Himself was assigning it to you and use all of your energies to accomplish it!

5 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101

March 22nd, our family multiplied the workforce on our land in Culpeper by several thousand. Midmorning on this fine Saturday, Kenan, Adam, Daniel, and I bounded into the old pickup for a ride to the dump. While there, we filled the bed of the truck with a load of leaf mulch. Everyone worked so hard that the gentleman to our left paid us $10 to fill his trailer (gas money)! From there we drove over an hour to the rolling foot hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our destination was Windsong Apiaries, owned and operated by Virginia’s State Bee Inspector, Mr. Bob Wallemeyer. He had two packages of Italian bees ready and waiting.

From valuable insights shared by Michael Staddon, Mr. Andrew Voell, and others, all necessary steps of preparation had been taken. Supers were built, frames assembled, sugar water prepared and jarred, and instructions read through. The whole family worked together on the project, expressed great desire to learn, and so made the entire process fun and exciting. We look forward to providing updates along the way!

Here are some fascinating facts about honey that we have discovered along the way:

• Honey is the only food consumed by humans produced by insects.
• It is sweeter than table sugar (1 to 1.5 times sweeter).
• There are 300 different types of honey produced throughout the United States.
• 1 Tablespoon of honey contains 17 grams of carbohydrates and 60 calories.
• Bees travel the equivalent distance of 3 times around the world to produce 1 pound of honey.

Honey bees are an amazing creation of God. Like the ant, so well described in Proverbs, they buzzily apply themselves to the task before them. The honey bee works with such fervor and dedication that though their bodies could exist for some time, they expend all their energy and die approximately 3 weeks after birth in order to raise a healthy, productive offspring. In so doing they provide not only for their own “family” of bees, but also the entire human population. What an example of how true Christianity should look (Phil. 3:8)!

Diligence: Visualizing each task as a special assignment from the Lord and using all my energies to accomlish it.

7 Comments » | posted in Farming 101, Outdoor Adventures

One day last month our family went to visit our cousins who work on a farm in Fauquier County, Virginia. They blessed our family with a bountiful dinner of pizza, hot chocolate, hot cider, and much more!

After dinner, they took us to a very large barn where our cousin Kevin works. Earlier that day, before we arrived, a baby bull was born. They thought the mother cow had only one calf but when we went to the barn we found a second baby calf. But it had died. The first calf was very cold and weak. It needed milk, but was having trouble sucking. We all helped Kevin move the mother cow into an open space and forced her down a long channel to a holding place. The cow was then locked into a position where she could not move. Kevin tried to milk the cow so we could feed the baby calf, but she did not have much milk and kept trying to kick Kevin. We would have to make some.

Most of us went with Kevin to his shop and made a bottle of milk. Joshua and Daniel stayed behind and kept trying to bottle feed the baby bull with the little bit of milk Kevin had gotten out of the mother cow.

Even though it was very late and cold, everyone kept good attitudes, prayed, and helped wherever they could. Kevin brought the new bottle of milk to the baby bull. It started to suck on the bottle. We were so excited. God saved the little calf.

3 Comments » | posted in Farming 101, Outdoor Adventures

Time was ticking quickly by. K&M Rentals would be arriving sometime soon. Round and round I went on the Kubota tractor with the bush hog trailing immediately behind. Every newly toppled stand of thorns or weeds rendered the passing on of seeds impossible for the invasive plants. What a thrill to see the surrounding area take on a clean, clear look. Whoa! Watch out for that stump! Look out for that large stick! Not everything could pass under the tractor and bushhog. The tractor and I were clipping right along. Thankfully the turning radius allowed me to miss undesirable obstacles. All was going well….

One morning on our recent trip to Culpeper, I took an early hike around the property. Amidst breathing in the fresh cool country air, I was prompted to ask the Lord to teach me the lessons now that I will need for life. I simply desired what each of us, as Christians, seek after: spiritual maturity. Little did I know the blessed, but trying lessons God had in the works for me that very weekend.

Back to the story:

The tractor continued zipping through the dense brush. My faithful ground’s crew hustled around pulling out large sticks that could potentially damage the tractor. At one point a thought, more like a caution, wiggled its way into my head. “Perhaps I should avoid this thick area up ahead. There may be some obstacles that could damage the tractor.” The warning sticker on the tractor read that the customer was responsible for all tire damage.

Have you ever received one of those promptings and then ignored and viewed it as an inopportune distraction? I really believe it is the Lord who sends those. He desires to see us be so in tuned with Him that He can direct every little step of our way from what type of tooth paste to buy to where to drive a tractor to how to make an important financial or ministry decision. No situation is too small or large for the Lord to work through. Of course we know that, but how often to we exemplify it?

I overlooked the prompting and for some time had great success as more and more land was cleared. With only about 15 minutes left I made what became my final pass and suddenly noticed a spray of fluid emitting from under the tractor. Someone yelled out, Joshua the tractor is cleaning itself. I wish that was the case. I hurried to a stop and with an uncertainty of the fluid that had begun to spray me, jumped off. A closer evaluation revealed that I had popped off the inner tube air valve on the large back left tire. The liquid was some sort of calcium mixture which aided in keeping the tractor balanced. I had damaged the tractor! How I groaned within as I slowly walked to the campsite to tell everyone what had happened.

This self-inflicted trial of my faith was not what I wanted. I was grieved over my lack of sensitivity. However, amidst the aweful situation, what did excite me was the recognition that this was a lesson sent straight from the Heavenly Father. How many times have I overlooked His hand at work in my life? God is constantly working on the behalf of those who seek Him, even in our physical day to day life. When we acknowledge the Lord, He directs our steps (Prov. 3:5-6). Furthermore, His mercy and love include correction. Let us not despise His chastenings, for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth (Heb. 12). May we be alert to God’s classrooms.

Self-control: Instant obedience to the initial promptings of God’s Spirit.

5 Comments » | posted in Farming 101, Outdoor Adventures