05/08/2026
At 1100 Farm, we’re working to transform our family farm into a living demonstration hub focused on diversification in agriculture, conservation, rewilding, and creating new opportunities for rural communities.
Today, co-owner Tammy worked on potting 125 bare root tree seedlings from the Iowa State Forest Nursery. Even with a lifetime of gardening experience, she’s diving into the more technical world of bare-root tree propagation and care as we continue experimenting, learning, and expanding the types of projects taking root across the farm.
This batch includes bur oak, willow, red oak, and sycamore trees, and every step of the process matters:
🌱 Pruning — trimming excess roots for a healthy start in 3-gallon pots.
🌱 Leveling — planting exactly at the root flare to help prevent trunk rot.
🌱 Shelter — using the horse barn as a temporary nursery to provide shade and heavy watering during the first critical week.
🌱 Soil Blend — a high-drainage 2:1:1 mix of black dirt, compost, and perlite.
The retrofit of our former hog confinement building into a specialty mushroom facility remains our primary focus, but projects like this are also part of the future we’re trying to build here — one focused on experimentation, education, resilience, and sharing what we learn with others.
One step at a time.
