Birders take advantage of the mild weather and Head to Sussex County

When you head to Sussex County- You head home happy!

January has brought many days of exceptionally mild weather to Sussex County and has encouraged a migration to the great outdoors for hikers, bikers and birders who don't usually get to enjoy their favorite hobbies in January!

With miles and miles of trails and acres of state parks, Sussex County is a haven for outdoor recreation and year round enjoyment-but typically during the winter months, it's cross country skiers and ice skaters who are braving the elements to enjoy their favorite pass times. Not so this year.

Hiking, biking and riding trails throughout Sussex County have been dotted with visitors and birdwatchers who are usually spotted during the spring and fall bird migrations, have grabbed their binoculars and are headed to Northwest New Jersey. The beauty of the County's winterscape  has offered an added the bonus for birders- increased visibility. This is  making it easier to spot some feathered visitors who generally make a migration to the Jersey Shore, where food is more abundant this time of year.

Amazing photos are turning up on birding sites and even in the press and backyard birders are enjoying the activity around their birdfeeders.

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger captured this image. A Snowy Owl that has made the Merrill Creek Reservoir in Warren County her home for the past 7 weeks perches on a rocky slope by the reservoirs southern dam. Naturalist at the site say that the young female bird seems to be healthy and is feeding on what she catches in the area.

If you're a birding enthusiast or a backyard birder AND would like to share your birding photos, NaturallySussex.com invites you to email them to shopkeeper@naturallysussex.com. Include "Publish my bird photo" in the subject line of the email. If you photos is approved it will be added to our beautiful Sussex County photo gallery- a permanent feature on our website.
The photo must belong to you and have been taken in Sussex County.
We encourage young photographers to add their work BUT if you're under 18, we'll need a release form signed by your parent * see photo release section of our website
By submitting your photo, you are granting NaturallySussex the right to publish and use your photo on our site and in promotion. We'll always add photo credits to entries we use so be sure to include your name when sending us your favorite photos.

Spread a little of Sussex County's Sunshine™ around the world! Sunflower photo contest 2011

naturallysussex.com

 Announcing the FIRST ANNUAL
 Sussex County's Sunshine™
Sunflower Photo Contest

sponsored by Brodhecker Farm
hosted by naturallysussex.com

 Sunflower fields are bursting into bloom all around Sussex County-delighting visitors and residents with amazing color and fantastic photo opportunities.
NaturallySussex.com wants to spread a little of that "Sussex County Sunshine™" across the world, and is inviting you to enter your favorite Sussex County New Jersey sunflower photos in this first annual Sunflower Photo Contest. Spread the beauty captured through your lens -enter your photos for FREE in the Online AND Print photo contest. Deadline for entries is October 15th-giving you lots of time to get out there! Prizes will be awarded for first place entries in the DIGITAL ONLINE and PRINT categories-Professionals and Amateurs are invited to participate. There's even a DIGITALLY ALTERED category for all those creative types! We can't wait to see what you come up with! Photos taken in 2010 or 2011 will be accepted- Sussex County locations only.

Here are more of the details:
ONLINE Gallery: The NaturallySussex.com Sunflower Photo Gallery will feature digital entries that depict Sussex County NJ sunflowers. Professional, Amateur AND Digitally Altered classes are open to Sussex County visitors and residents. 
Photos will be featured online in the NaturallySussex.com virtual gallery until December 31, 2011. Photos will be judged by an independent panel of judges.
Photo credits will be given for entries in the online gallery.

First place prizes (valued at more than $100.00) will be awarded for:
Digital Amateur-Digital Professional and Digitally Altered classes.
Email JPEG files and completed entry forms to shopkeeper@naturallysussex.com by October 15th. *see contest guidelines on the naturallysussex.com site.
This contest is open to the public-photos must have been taken in Sussex County 2010/2011.

 IT GETS EVEN BETTER!

NaturallySussex.com and sponsor Brodhecker Farm 
want to share your great print photos in a county-wide traveling exhibit thru 2012!

Prints up to 11"x14" will be accepted at Brodhecker Farm until Oct 15th.
Photos must be framed/ready-to-hang*wire hanger please

First place prizes will be awarded in the Print Professional, Print Amatuer and Print Digitally Altered classes. (First place prize valued at more than $100.00 )
A GRAND PRIZE (valued at more than $250.00) will be awarded for the best overall PRINT photo.
An exhibit of all print entries will be on display at Brodhecker Farm through December 31, 2011.
Opening date: November 12, 2011  An artist's reception will mark the opening of the exhibit.
The exhibit will travel throughout the county in 2012 beginning in January at the Homestead Nursing Home in Newton, NJ.

There's no limit to the number of photos you can enter and no fee to enter!
Photos can be submitted to the to both the Digital and Print Classes!
This give you lots of opportunities to share your great pictures.

Photos must  have been taken in Sussex County NJ - 2010 or 2011 photos are welcome
For more on the contest, rules, entry forms and prize details visit naturallysussex.com 's Community page and links.

The online Sunflower Photo Gallery is already OPEN for viewing- visit naturallysussex.com and check out some of the first entries received.

Sussex Naturally is  looking forward to seeing Sussex County Farmland through your lens.

NOT SURE WHERE TO FIND SUSSEX COUNTY SUNFLOWERS?
Here's a partial list of locations:
Route 565 N near the Skyland's Ball Field and across from Roseline's Bakery (30 acres + maze)
2 Branchville-Lawson Road Hampton Township (7 acres and viewing platform for panoramic view)
Route 94 across from Crystal Springs (Roadside view)

About to bloom:
Rt 15 Sparta (7 acres and viewing platform)
Rt 519 and Branchville- Lawson Road (10 acres)
*visit www.brodheckerfarm.com for a google map of Brodhecker fields

Why so much attention to Sunflowers?

The NJ Grown Black Oil Sunflowers are a cash crop for farmers and a recent addition to JERSEY GROWN.  After the spectacular bloom period, the sunflower heads "go to seed".
When fully matured, the seed heads are harvested, cleaned-dried and packaged and are available to consumers for use as wild birdseed.(check out the NJ Black Oil Sunflower Harvest video on YouTube).
Black Oil Sunflower seed is a favorite for wild birds and a number one choice product for bird enthusiasts. JERSEY GROWN Black Oil Sunflower seed was introduced across the state by NJ Audubon as part of their S.A.V.E. initiative. This is the second season Sussex County farmers are growing this crop for direct to the consumer sale.

This year, NJA introduced another S.A.V.E. brand product to the JERSEY GROWN-handcrafted bird feeders and bird houses made from White Cedar grown in the Garden State. NJA Birdfeeders and Birdhouses are available in the naturallysussex.com marketplace and at various retail and farm locations throughout the state.

NJ Audubon continues to build bridges between conservation and agriculture for the benefit of all NJ residents. Those who appreciate JERSEY GROWN products will be glad to know S.A.V.E. products are produced here in the Garden State. 
NJ Audubon has brought leadership, vision and innovation to the goal of preserving our natural resources and working in compliment with NJ Farmers to bring new products to the market.

Now that you know more about sunflowers-Grab your camera and get out there!
Sunflowers mature in several stages. Watch the fields as they come to full color and then mature to seed. Capture the beauty with your camera and be part of this fun-FREE- contest.
Sussex County's Sunshine Sunflower Photo Contest ® 2011 Dandelion Creative,LLC
Hosted by: naturallysussex.com
Sponsored by: Brodhecker Farm Newton 

naturallysussex.com reserves the right to make changes or cancel without notice
prizes packs may be subject to change
no cash substitutes for prozes

Year Round Produce-grown at home NATURALLY HOME At Home Hydroponics

How many times have you wished you could grow your own veggies at home, but when you started calculating the expense and man hour investment found yourself at the local grocer instead? Even at the check out line, you wish you could include locally grown/home grown into your family diet but just don't have the time, patience or experience, right?

How many times have you looked at "how to build your own hydroponics system" with a fired up-can do attitude-but somehow never got around to doing it? Too complicated, too expensive, too much time...sound familiar? 

Naturally Sussex-our sister group- has taken out all those complexities and has introduced a compact-easy to assemble and use- home hydroponics unit that will produce fresh greens and produce for your family table without the time commitment, weeding, digging and risk of little return for all that investment!

NATURALLY HOME-At Home Hydroponics is a three flow tube system with an 18 plant capacity. Customizable to adapt to the size pump and nutrient container you choose, the unit is a dream to assemble (hand fitted-pre measured, cut and drilled assembly) and easy to maintain. Made from lightweight PVC piping throughout, there's little worry about algae growth. The unit is compact and easy to set up, clean and move from back deck in the warm weather to indoor use (a grow light will supplement the light plants need to thrive during the winter months).

Naturally Sussex has tested the design and function of the unit using a variety of plants including lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and beans-and we're getting great results. You'll get even better productivity by substituting the aqua culture nutrient supply we're using, with an organic or commercially available, water soluble nutrient supplement added ONCE A WEEK!

The NATURALLY HOME At Home Hydroponic Unit is available through the Naturally Sussex Marketplace for under $150.00. Shipped to your door, you can be set up and running in under an hour and enjoying garden fresh produce in no time.

Hydroponic growing allows the plants to be feed at the root- no potting soil, no growing medium needed for seedlings- the nutrient rich solution continually flows past the plants roots, creating a stress free environment for their productivity. And they do produce! Faster growing, healthy produce that you grew at home using tomorrow's food production technology!

A bonus to hard working folks, apartment dwellers and those who gave up traditional gardening-the NATURALLY HOME At Home Hydroponics unit is minimal work with great benefits AND it's a fun way for kids to learn about food production!

Stop wishing and waiting...start living healthier with produce you grow AT Home!
Order your unit today and enjoy the benefits of home grown...just about anywhere.

Naturally Sussex Marketplace-First to offer NJAS Jersey Grown Bird Feeders online!

Naturally Sussex  is excited to announce the opening of the online market with some fantastic locally produced and "made especially for Naturally Sussex" products including our newest product line in cooperation with New Jersey Audubon Society- just in time for one of the key birding seasons in Sussex County NJ!
Sussex County is a key area for migratory birds and home to an amazing variety of winged species.
The timing of this special product just couldn't be better for novice or experienced birders to enjoy the wonder of nature without wandering far from home!


NJAS has a long reputation for innovative solutions to bridging the needs of environment, farmers and consumers. The most recent addition to the S.A.V.E. product line is one we're proud to offer on line to our customers- Jersey Grown, White Cedar handcrafted wild bird feeders and bluebird houses-designed by the people who know wild birds!

White Cedar is one of New Jersey's best woods. Harvested under careful forest stewardship practices, the white cedar is milled and then hand crafted into these great products enjoyed by back yard birders and wild birds alike.  We love that the raw materials and construction talent is totally New Jersey- Naturally Sussex appreciates the innovative solutions and dedication to natural resource management and stewardship which are part and parcel of NJAS-best of all we love that we're able to offer you the opportunity to be part of the solution in protecting, enjoying and preserving our Garden State treasures-the diverse wildlife, natural resources and habitats which are key to the quality of life in New Jersey.

Congratulations to New Jersey Audubon on another great contribution to the S.A.V.E. product line.

Visit the Marketplace for more products, details and shopping where the bounty of Sussex County is delivered to your door~