Sheep Hill Bluff Prairie – 1930 to 2019

[To see photos and stories of this prairie in other years, go to the links on the main Sheep Hill Bluff Prairie page.]

These are old photos of Sheep Hill Bluff Prairie – from when it was owned by the Rutschows and was a farm field, until just before we planted it in prairie.

The Rutschow farm with Sheep Hill Bluff behind – around 1930

 

1946

 

2002  At the time we bought the farm – in 2000 – it was an ‘old field’ with typical old field vegetation:  Smooth Brome, Canada Goldenrod, Raspberries, and Queen Anne’s Lace.

 

2006  There’s a sharp angled drop off at the east end of the field – easy to see in this photo, just above the power pole.  Just below that drop off is an area of native vegetation – especially Sky-blue Asters.

 

2007

 

2010

 

2011

 

2019  We mowed the field a few times, and cut the few small trees that were growing near the eastern edge – leaving the stumps to warn us of the drop off.