Ok, well maybe that title was a little over the top but say hello to our cover crop of organic winter rye. One of its best qualities is that the roots produce compounds that suppress the growth of weed seeds. It will live under the snow this winter then provide bright green first thing in spring until we till it under. For all organic farmers, weed control is the #1 problem and the “allelopathic”  abilities of the winter rye are one of our tools.

We love living in beautiful Prairie Farm, WI and being part of our community. Ken is proud  to serve on the local school board-education is an investment in our future.

So, if you Google PSO (Pumpkin Seed Oil, of course) and hair loss, you will come upon what looks to be an excellent Korean study done in 2014 with remarkable results. As a long-time, very large consumer of pumpkin seed oil, it would be very hard for me to sell this product for hair loss, for the very obvious reasons. To be fair, I started going bald in my 30s, way before Hay River Pumpkin Seed Oil. The benefits of the Korean study may be over stated, and possibly due to the inclusion of some of the other ingredients. For sure, we can tell you that pumpkin seed oil is an excellent source of many valuable nutrients. Below is a link to an excellent article that takes a detailed look at the study. From that article,

Boiling Down the Science: Pumpkin Seed Oil’s Hair Regrowth Mechanisms

Pumpkin seed oil is rich in micronutrients – like zinc and manganese – and tocopherols (vitamin E), phytosterols (plant sterols), and unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid).

And through these constituents, pumpkin seed oil may help improve pattern hair loss through several mechanisms:

1. Lowering androgen activity (reducing DHT)
2. Reducing inflammation
3. Decreasing atherosclerosis in blood vessels
4. Repleting trace elements necessary for hair growth

The Misleading Results Of The Pumpkin Seed Oil-Hair Loss Study

An absolutely gorgeous summer day on the farm. Sudan Grass cover crop in near fields doing great, hopefully suppressing weeds and when we mow it next week, contributing to soil fertility as “green manure”.

We have always been happy to ship Hay River Pumpkin Seed Oil via the US Postal Service. Absolutely vital in the life of rural communities in the United States. Let’s keep it strong!

Well, things look pretty darn good at this point. Weeds, as I always complain, are our main issue, soon they will obscure the pumpkins and we WON’T be posting pictures. This is the time, lots of blossoms, lots of pumpkin-insect love and lots of fruit forming.

So great to use our brand, new rotovator. First step to getting some control on the perennial weeds that have become a problem in some of our pumpkin fields.

Hot, hot hot and lotsa rain, uncomfortable for us but perfect for pumpkins. Off to a great start, they are already beyond the stage where they are subject to being munched by our insect nemesis, the Cucumber Beetle.

So the little guys in the field, all 14,000 seedlings were looking a little dry and stressed and rain was uncertain. If you enlarge and squint you can see Jay and team in the field. Of course this action guaranteed the very nice rain we enjoyed last night. 🙂