Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year!
As this newsletter is being prepared, news of the Midwest tornado devastation is coming in. Stories and pictures of the incredible suffering have left me heartbroken. We are going to donate the PROFIT from our BIRDSEED SALES from Wednesday, Dec 15 (my birthday) through Jan 27, 2022, to the Midwest Food Bank.
On behalf of our customers who have been so supportive of Terra Depot, our goal will be to donate a minimum of $2,500 as quickly as possible to get to those in such desperate need. Please join me in spreading the word and joining in our fundraising effort. Please LIKE and SHARE our Facebook posts.
Winterfest in North Canton
Terra Depot participated in the recent North Canton Winterfest Celebration to display many of our feeders, seed blends, and gifts. As a gift to the kids in our community, we gave out over 100 of our homemade pinecone suet feeders. We hope the kids will hang the pinecone in their yard and be delighted to see who shows up!
I have a huge collection of pinecones so it was easy to melt some suet and lard in an old skillet, dip in the pinecone, then roll it in our songbird blend of seed. It was a very easy project to do and I would recommend it as a fun activity if you are entertaining any grandkids or other family during the holidays.
Getting out to gather the pinecones is half the fun, but if you need some more cones, I have extra and will be glad to share. We have all the other supplies you will need to complete this special project.
This season is the perfect time to share your love of nature with the little ones in your family.
Featured Feathered Friend: Woodpeckers
We live just south of Canton and our little farm is surrounded by tree fence rows and woods. Many of the ash trees along the north property line have been impacted by the emerald ash borer and are dying. What is interesting is the amount of woodpecker activity we have seen in the last few years and the amount of nesting cavities that have appeared in the standing dead wood.
The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest of the North American woodpeckers. These common little visitors to our feeder, and especially the suet feeder, have obviously found many options for their wintering nesting holes along the tree line.
The Downy, along with the larger Hairy Woodpecker has distinct black and white coloring with the males sporting a red patch on the back of their head. The Red-Headed Woodpecker has a scarlet hood with white rump and wing patches over the background black. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker has the back-of-the-head red patch (females have a reddish nape) with the tinged red belly.
The Nov/Dec 2021 Bird Watcher’s Digest has an excellent in-depth article profiling the Red-Bellied Woodpecker.
One of the coolest and largest woodpeckers is the Pileated – think Woody the Woodpecker – has the red-crested head with white face stripes, a black body, and white wing patches.
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-Headed Woodpecker
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Black Oil vs Grey Striped Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seed, primarily the thinner shelled Black Oil sunflower seed, is the seed of choice for most all songbirds and is the foundation of all the quality bird seed blends sold at Terra Depot. The seed is loaded with high-quality oil and nutrients for year-round feeding and is easy for most birds to crack open.
The Black Oil seed is smaller in size than the Grey Striped sunflower seed. Because its bigger shell is harder for house sparrows and blackbirds to open, offering the striped seed may help deter these pests from your feeder.
Another way to offer the sunflower seed at your feeder is to select the hearts (we call them Treats at Terra Depot) or the chips. Both have had the shell – outer hull – removed. The chips have had an additional milling step to make the kernel smaller. Because the hulls are removed, there is less mess under the feeder. This is especially helpful near patios or highly landscaped areas. The seed is also more available to a wide variety of visitors to your feeder.
Keep in mind the importance of keeping the hulled seed dry as it can become spoiled or moldy faster without the protection of the outer shell. We always recommend completely emptying your feeders before refilling to minimize the accumulation of old spoiled seed and deep-clean as often as possible.
Most of the Black Oil and Grey Striped varieties of sunflowers are grown in the upper Midwest grain belt of the United States and Canada. The seed is harvested in early fall. Supplies were tight this past season due to growing conditions and production costs. Be assured we source the freshest and highest quality sunflower products, we are serious about our seed!
Terra Depot Customer Service
Remember, Terra Depot is pleased to load your seed into your vehicle no matter if you are getting a 5 or 50-pound bag of our delicious birdseed. We can also handle your order over the phone and have it ready to load or deliver right to your door! What works best for you?
Last-Minute Shopping?
How ‘bout a bird feeder with a free 1-pound sample of the perfect seed selection? Hundreds (maybe more!) to choose from.
A birdhouse – a sweet little hanging wren house, a colorful hand-crafted felted wool house, a carved house shaped like a cat (LOL), or maybe a serious bluebird box to extend a bluebird trail for this spring?
Jam – so that you will have a very BERRY Christmas. Our homemade red raspberry and blueberry jams can liven up your Christmas buffet, makes the perfect hostess gift, or the world’s best thumbprint Christmas cookie! Add our Buttermilk Biscuit mix and enjoy a brunch with friends to celebrate the Comfort and Joy of the Christmas season.
Pottery – Beautiful and functional pottery and serving pieces made right here in Canton by local artists.
Windchimes – Terra Depot has a huge selection of windchimes, all sizes, and many different pleasing tones.
Candles – the thoughtful holiday gift with subtle fragrances to last all through the winter season.
Coffee mugs, ornaments, goats milk soaps and lotions, whimsical tea towels, concrete statuary. We just have so much in our little shop!
Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year!
Terra Depot wishes you and your family have a holiday filled with comfort, joy, and appreciation. We thank you for your support these past years. Peace to you and your loved ones.