In the fall, if you are trimming trees or cutting firewood, save some of the 3-to-4-inch-diameter pieces to use as hanging bird feeders.
Cut the branches 12 to 15 inches long, and drill 2 1⁄2-inch-diameter holes an inch deep in each log — three on each side. Pack the holes with a mixture of breadcrumbs, cornmeal, peanut butter, finely ground suet or bacon grease, and sunflower seeds.
Put a screw eye into the top of the log to hang your bird feeder from. The birds will grasp the bark to get to the treats.
If you have a booth at the farmers market, you could market these feeders as an “outdoor entertainment channel.”
Clare Hafferman
Kalispell, Montana