Hi I'm Jack Sprout, the sunflower seed who grew up to be a farmer.

Meeting Pierre LeTru at his Power Paddle Wheel was very exciting. He told me how to heat my house and greenhouse without harming The Beaver Creek Meadow and how he sent power to the tug boats. It all started with the water in The Beaver Creek Creek rushing under his huge, powerful paddle wheel, turning it around and around all day and night. He could help keep the creek from flooding during heavy rains, too. Pierre would just stop his paddle wheel and slow down the fast moving water. He said that protecting The Beaver Creek Meadow from flooding was a very important job. “Besides,” he said, “we don't want the mill down the creek from me flooded. That's Barley & Iris Miller's place!”

I went back to Pierre LeTru's one day to learn more about Barley & Iris Miller. I knew I'd have to meet them and see their Flour Mill someday.

“What does Barley Miller do?” I asked Pierre.

“Oh, haven't you met him yet?” asked Pierre. “Barley and his wife Iris are a cute happy chipmunk couple who run the Flour Mill, the only one for miles around. Barley grinds all types of seeds and grain into flour. Iris uses the flour to bake the best tasting, sweet and healthy cakes, biscuits, breads, cup cakes, rolls, pastries,....”

“Okay, okay, I get the picture,” I said.

“Sorry, I get hungry just thinking about Iris's baking. Where are you going to get your seeds to plant when you start your farm?” asked Pierre.

“I haven't even thought about that,” I said. “I was thinking Farmer Smith would help me.”

“You'd better go talk to Barley Miller. He has all the seeds you'll ever need. That's where Farmer Smith and all the other growers get their seeds for planting. He gives them the seeds in the spring and they pay him back in the fall after they've harvested,” said Pierre. “Barley collects seeds from all over the mountains, prairies, wetlands and woods, even some here in the meadow. You still have a lot to learn about farming Jack Sprout. I know you'll do okay though. With those big ears you can listen all day long.” I think Pierre LeTru liked me but he was always kidding me about my bigears. “You'd better go talk to Barley Miller,” said Pierre.

“Okay I will, and thanks for helping me,” I said.

“That's alright,” said Pierre, “we're all trying to help you. Just hurry up and get your farm started. I'm hungry, I'm always hungry. Tell Barley I sent you and to give you some good tasty broccoli seeds. I'm hungry!”

I left Pierre's Power Paddle Wheel and headed down the Beaver Creek Creek to find Barley & Iris Miller's Flour Mill. This time instead of walking, I jumped in the creek and swam down stream. I'm a good swimmer and was moving along pretty fast. I couldn't keep up with the fish but I was faster than the frogs. I turned over to float on my back and looked up at the clear blue sky. This was a good day in The Beaver Creek Meadow. I was floating and daydreaming and having a great time. I noticed the water starting to go a little faster but that was alright, I'd just get to the Flour Mill quicker. Then the water started moving faster and faster and I wondered what was going on. I turned over and looked ahead. I was headed to Barley Miller's Flour Mill alright, right into the blades of another huge paddle wheel! Yikes, I had to get out of the creek and fast!

The paddle wheel was spinning very fast and the water rushing under the blades was pulling me more and more towards the mill. I grabbed onto some branches hanging over the creek and started yelling, hellllp, hellllp! A chipmunk must have heard me because he came hopping from the mill. He scurried along the side of the creek and kicked a large fallen limb which rolled into the creek. I grabbed onto the limb and crawled along it until I reached the creek bank. I fell back on the edge of the creek and took several long deep breaths. “Wow, thank you,” I said. “I almost got sucked into that big paddle wheel of yours. I could've been killed!”

“You sure could have,” said the chipmunk. “What are you doing swimming between the two paddle wheels anyway? Nobody swims between Pierre's place and mine. You'll get bonked on the head and drown.

You must be that new farmer Jack Sprout.”

“Yep, that's me,” I said. “I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. Pierre LeTru sent me. Are you Barley Miller?”

“Yes, I'm Barley. Why weren't you paying attention to what were you doing?”

“I was floating on my back daydreaming,” I said.

“Daydreaming! There's not much time for daydreaming around here,” shouted Barley. “It's serious business around these paddle wheels. Come on, let's get you out of the creek and dried off. You can meet my wife Iris and I'll show you my operation over at the mill.”

As we got closer to the mill, the sweet smell of fresh baked bread was in the air. I couldn't wait to taste Iris's baking. Barley took me to the mill and showed me all around. The water in the creek turned his big paddle wheel which turned a big flat round stone. Barley put his seeds and grains under the round stone to be crushed and ground into flour.

“I always crush the whole seed or grain, it's more nutritious that way,” he said. “Everyone who likes to bake bread, cookies or whatever shops here to get my fine wholesome flour. Those who can't bake or are too lazy to, get some of my wife's baked goods.” He showed me the bakery where Iris was spreading the frosting on her fresh breakfast rolls. “Here Jack Sprout, try one of these healthy whole wheat rolls. They've just come out of the oven,” said Iris.

I took one bite of the frosted whole wheat roll and could tell why every one raved about Iris Miller's baking. The taste was fresh and sweet but tasted like healthy food at the same time. Iris wanted to know why I was so wet, so we told her about my near miss with their paddle wheel.

“That was a close call Jack Sprout, you'd better be careful. I don't want you ground up into my biscuits.” She started laughing then Barley started laughing, but it didn't sound funny to me. They kept laughing so I started laughing too. I was glad they were funny. I guess they knew that I'd learned my lesson not to play around the mill again.

“I'm going to need seeds to plant my crops when I start my farm Barley. Can I get them from you?”

“If you want the best and freshest seeds around you should,” he said.

“Where do your seeds come from?” I asked.

“I get them from all over. I get grass seeds from the prairie and flower seeds from the mountains and wetlands. I get herb seeds from the woods and bird seeds from the woods and forest. Wheat, barley, buckwheat, oat and of course sunflower seeds come from the farmers. Say, we're about to go pick some seeds this afternoon. Do you want to go along?”

“Could I? That'd be great,” I said.

“Okay, lets have lunch then go seed picking.” said Barley.

Barley and Iris Miller were sure kind to me. Everyone in The Beaver Creek Meadow was very friendly and helpful too. I think they've always been that way, but I knew they wanted me to get my farm built, also. Everyone worked hard and ate good food, seems like the two went hand in hand.

Barley, Iris and I each took a basket and headed into the East Woods next to their mill.

“What are we looking for?” I asked.

“Today we're going for bird seed,” answered Iris. “The wild birds need seed for the winter when the ground is frozen or covered with snow. Some of our neighbors have birds in their homes that won't go out in the wild so they have to be fed at home. We always keep a large supply of tasty crunchy bird seed at the mill.”

“What does bird seed look like?” I asked.

“You sure ask a lot of questions, Jack Sprout.”

“I have a lot to learn,” I told them. “That's why you see my ears perked up all the time.”

“Oh, so that's your radar,” they said. We laughed, they thought I was funny too.

“We're looking for some red or white millet, which the pheasants and sparrows especially like. Some safflower seeds for the cardinals and thistle seeds for the goldfinches. I'll put the millet in my basket. Barley will take the safflower and you can get the thistle seeds,” said Iris. “Just watch us and you'll learn which plants are the right ones.” We walked through the woods on the edge of the forest and were soon putting seeds in our baskets. This was more fun than anything I've done yet in The Beaver Creek Meadow. I was learning about new plants and how important they all were. I just thought they were there to look pretty but they were a very important source of food also.

As we walked along through the flowers and trees, we heard lots of sounds both on the ground and in the air. Squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, deer and bobcats were running around gathering food and playing. All sorts of birds were following us, landing on the plants and eating the seeds. Barley and Iris could tell the different kinds of birds just by the song they sang. They were trying to teach me to tell the difference. It was a lot to remember, but I knew I'd be back here again and again and would learn the different sounds sooner or later.

We were almost done picking when I heard the most beautiful song of all. It was much clearer and stood out among the others. It was so beautiful and melodic that I had to stop and listen. “What bird is that?” I asked. “I think I heard it once before when I was going through the woods to Sawdust Miller's Sawmill.”

“Oh, that's a gorgeous yellow canary we call Honey B,” said Iris. “Isn't her song touching? We all stop and listen when she sings. Her songs can be so intense and emotional that you almost want to cry sometimes. She can sing happy and even funny songs too. We just love her here in The Beaver Creek Meadow.”

“Where does she live?” I asked.

“We think she flew away from someone's bird cage one day and now lives here in the East Woods or the Northeast Forest. No one knows for sure, she doesn't come out much. We don't know if she's hiding or just waiting to find the right cage.”

“Well, I'd like to see her someday,” I said.

“I'm sure you would,” said Barley.

“She sings some Sunday mornings by our mill. We're very busy then and she likes to sing for our customers,” said Iris. “We always have our best bird seed waiting for her whenever she wants it. Her favorite is the white millet. We don't always see her, but you can't mistake her voice.”

“I have to hear her song again,” I said. “I wonder what she looks like. I'd like to see her.”

“I think you're starting to daydream again, Jack Sprout,” said Barley.

“We'd better get you back to the mill before something happens. Maybe a tree will fall on your head or something.”

“I'll see her someday,” I said.

“Okay daydreamer, let's go,” they said.

Back at the mill we dumped our seed on the cleaning table and separated it from the leaves and sticks. I had another whole wheat roll, this time with raisins, and said goodbye. This had been quite a day. I almost got bonked on the head by a huge paddle wheel, saw Barley's seed crushing stone, tasted Iris's baking, went seed picking for the first time and heard the beautiful song of the yellow canary Honey B. The Beaver Creek Meadow is a very exciting place. I'm glad I'm here!

I'm almost ready to build my farm now. I have the farmland, the lumber, the power, and Barley will get me my seed. Now I have to make sure my soil is ready. I'll have to find Early Worm. Uncle Dale said Early Worm would help me.

 

Keep Growing,