A Little Blog Housekeeping

We’re taking part in an agblog series next month, and in preparation comes tidying up and getting ready for new and established readers.

So, in keeping with what feels like “home” and what represents ‘us’ we’ve gone to a wood grain look as our blog page. Same content, and you can still access farm info, applications and other pages (have you browsed those lately?!) but with a new look. We do this a couple times per year anyway, and it was time to redecorate a little bit!

We also will be shooting some new video clips – it’s been a while since we’ve done that. It’s been a tough and discouraging month here…so too easy to get down and we just can’t do that!

If you’re visiting for the first time – welcome! Have a look around! If you’ve been here before – thanks for visiting again!

Long Days

Well we’ve had a couple litters of babies, lost one of them for unknown reasons. It’s been some spring preparations of a different kind, preparing raised beds, tilling soil, hauling manure, planting cooler weather things like lettuce.

Above photo is dug up framed in bed. Below is after manure, compost and soil are added.

Above – working the garden the ‘old fashioned’ way by hand.

Raised beds without borders, ‘hilled’ with walkway between.

Four by eight food raised bed by hoop house.

End of a busy day – priceless.

Above – Connor’s litter of Champagne D’Argents – this is a breed that is born black and get lighter. The roan on this baby is coming in well.

All work together! Another raised bed area.

Planting soon!

Urban Agriculture to Feed America?

This sounds like a great idea. There’s so much that urban agriculture *could* do. Yes there is. And there is a much shorter list of why it won’t work that comes to one word. People.

We’ve started where we were, growing to a level to be able to move onto a larger property. The “great ideas” and “support” turned into one actual signup. So it doesn’t look like, for the time being, land is reachable. But we can do what we can where we’re at right?! That’s what we’ve been doing. Urban agriculture, after all, is the wave of the future.

The problem is in an urban area there are more people. More people mean more people to complain. Noise, even of hens. Traffic. Manure, compost, or just the fact that it’s there! After all how much noise and disturbances do rabbits make?

Like solar, wind and other great ideas, urban agriculture depends on those around it. The availability of clean land, the ability of meeting the challenges while at the same time watching a careful balance of productivity, water control, air control and soil health. The difficulty in finding manure for compost is one of the things manure from the birds and rabbits is appreciated…it keeps our garden areas fertile.

Not all appreciate outdoor keeping of stock. Increasingly, in rural and urban areas, they must be inside for their own protection and to keep a low profile, enabling the enterprise to continue.

The sad thing is, all agriculture depends on the majority, and if there are complaints it affects large and small alike. For too many, just seeing animals is objectionable, a compost pile is automatically a source of smell and flies.

While we can keep our places clean, changing the minds of the public is more difficult. It may not be your food choice today, but are you sure what tomorrow holds?

Ag In the Bible February 19

In Mathew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

That may be a difficult thing to picture without insight into sheep and shepherds. The trusted shepherd is a safety for the sheep. Without protection, the sheep can find itself targeted as a meal for many predators.

 

Tonight Connor and I watched a movie, Patch Adams. I’d seen in some time ago, but it was Connor’s first time seeing it. It centers on health care, the function of doctors and treating patients with compassion.

Patch Adams blazed trails in the health care system.The website offers, in part, 10 questions to ponder.

1. If no one wants to end up in a nursing home, what kind of community can celebrate all ages together and honor elders?
2. Could you choose at least one child you’re not related to and give them the time and care they need?
3. If compassion and generosity were the measure of success that money and power are now, how would your life change?
4. In order to bond your neighborhood in healthy interdependence you would need to host weekly potlucks. Would you?
5. If being publicly joyful, even silly, were beneficial for our society, would you participate?
6. If you have rooms at your home, why not take in single parents as a gift?
7. How can we move to an economics of friendship?
8. Could you do ten or more volunteer hours each week to make a healthier world?
9. Do you dare to be universally friendly to end violence?
10. Can you match the cost of everything you buy with a donation to an environmental sustainability project?

What does this man with a vision have to do with agriculture? “What the majority need is an engagement with life. This is why we fully integrated medicine with performing arts, arts and crafts, agriculture, nature, education, recreation and social service, as essential parts of health care delivery. We knew that the best medical thing we could do for the patients was to help them have grand friendship skills and find meaning in their lives.”

Community. Health. Agriculture. It’s heartening, especially in light of troubles, to see others far smarter than we see a connection.

Busy Weeks

It’s been a very busy week here, and a couple days of blogging missed because of it. Apologies for that!

The week started off with a discouragement in losing a pair of breeders – C246 and CB5. We bred Holly to Bargain, as well as Survivor, and bred the Californian doe to Connor’s Champagne buck. The lone American chinchilla was bred to Mr. Steele.

I hosted agchat Tuesday talking about what we love about agriculture and relationships surrounding it. An AgChat board meeting two webinars and the purchase of three domains to help get dogs, horses and pets into homes, although it’s uncertain whether there is enough serious interest in that.

Added to that was normal day to day chores, planning another #agchat for March 13 which will center around some special guests. I’m looking forward to that, and hope many will join our Twitter chat.

There is word, on a negative note, of a complaint, of which we’re not certain of the nature or who lodged it. With the rain, anything outside is difficult. Our barn chores continue, increased because it’s springtime! That means more planting beds, more moving ‘poo’ to fertilize the beds ahead of planting, stirring compost, trying to keep things dry. We’ll have to wait until Tuesday to find  the  details on the complaint, and really wish it was possible to trust people to just speak directly. Clearly that isn’t the case.

In the mean time, things carry forward. We’re pressed to get some things done quickly that we thought we’d have longer to do. With that in mind we’d greatly appreciate support at this time of our ebook or photos. We’ve got some things to do, and like most juggling funds is very difficult and unforgiving.

Still we’re blessed to have a roof, food/feed and what’s important. This, too, shall pass.

Fun in the Garden

Versatile Blogger Awards

Thanks to The Flying T Ranch for nominating our little blog for the Versatile blogger award.

As this is the first time our blog has been honored, here’s a little history behind it:

The Versatile Blogger Award started as a fun way to publicize and recognize fellow writers in the blogosphere.

The RULES for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Add the award to your blog.
2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.
3. Mention seven random things about yourself. (see below)
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.

The seven random things about us…this can vary widely!

1. I (Jan) once worked on a large dairy, one that milked 1,000 head three times a day. Have also worked on smaller dairies, mostly with cow care but some milking.

2. Paul and I met online after a comment about dairy goats.

3. I’ve had border collies for 45 of the last 46 years, going back to Jerry, a non-descript crossbred who was dumped near the family farm. He was 15 when he died, and a tree planted over his grave called “Jerry’s tree”. It’s been storm damaged the last few years.

4.I lived in Washington state for the ’80s – loved it. Miss it.

5. For several decades I worked with horses, until the last few years. This is somewhat by choice – with enough experience to see the wrong ways some expect handling/training to be done. We never stop learning, but many close their minds.

6. Connor was a good baseball player in grade school in Arizona.

7. Besides Diva and Missy, seen often in our blog, we share the home with several other dogs, some purebreds and some ‘mutts’…several taken in when they needed a safe home.

Passing it on – because nothing is nearly as fun if not shared! There’s so many people I know with cool blogs! But 15 blogs worth reading:

1.A Colorful Adventure is just that! Travel to historical sites, see farming on many levels and life!

2.Bellbottom Farm is a relatively new blog from my friend Melanie – see her beautiful spotted ponies and a variety of news bits and opinion.

3.CommonSense Agriculture – I guess with our common sense food approach it should be no surprise we love Jeff Fowle’s blog! Always a good read!

4.Haley Farms - from hard, serious topics to watching cattle buck and play in the field (yes cattle do run and play!) another worth the time to look.

5.Life As an Iowa Farm Wife – like many of us, there are days the blog doesn’t get the attention it needs, but that *is* life isn’t it?!

6.Sitting In The Pasture – cattle, life and more highlighted here.

7.Through The Windshield – from a 4th generation farm that does live sustainability.

8. Wife of a Dairyman – Dairies aren’t just about cows.

9.Humpin’ It In the Boonies - OK I admit a weakness for long ears (and horns). Different! But there’s more to Brahman cattle than ear. Take a visit here to see.

10. Valentina’s blog – Not just about ag – but worth the time for farmers and non-farmers alike.

11. Chris Chinn has a cool blog that shows folks about raising hogs on a much larger scale than we are eyeing, allowing for food choices for everyone.

12.SlowMoney Food - yes a shoutout to our sister blog, which discusses the food end of life. Recipes, how food is processed, home processing and more!

13. Darin’s Ramblings may be some time between posts but are worth the wait!

14. Chico Locker & Sausage is a blog to follow whether you just eat or farm…meat doesn’t go from farm to plate without a stop at a processor.

15.TheKitchensGarden - funny, real life, good food and pictures…if you haven’t read it go look! Her border collie is much more talented than mine…but that’s ok!

Ag In the Bible – Horses in Heaven

It’s been a rough day here – after a very cool cowboy church, we found Princess (our 6th place national doe, due next week with her first litter) near dead in her cage.

There was a song Lawrence Shaul played and this video was referenced to share.

Last week I saw news that the horse that carried Stacy Westfall to the national spotlight, was put down after an injury in her stall.

There’s an awesome stable in heaven – I know some of the ones I’ve had. Joe. Stars. Sierra.

Many moons ago I was riding Sierra through a forested area in western Washington. An Appaloosa mare who was skin and bones when I got her, she’d become a trusted mount. We’d approached a log and as I asked her to step over it she hesitated. I pressed her on saying “where’s your faith?” and a voice said “where’s yours?” There was no one around, but as Sierra stepped over her fear I knew we could get through ours too.

Those green fields are a blessing…and look forward to those rides in Heaven.

Why Are Farmers Punished for Success?

In any business it’s said that success is a good thing.

My friend Derrel recently gave an example of what seems a successful operation. ” I just returned from one of my clients operations. They had sales last year of just under $ 10 million dollars. Owned by two brothers and a sister and employees about ten family members plus about twenty other full time employees, all of which make more than the national average salary. Their operation was started by their father, continued by the second generation and plans have been made to transition the operation to the third generation. All three generations have not only been actively involved in the farming operation but have been model citizens in their local communities contributing significant time and money to various local causes. They are one of the most environmentally responsible operators that I have seen of any size. Their operation includes farming, ranching and a feedlot which feeds not only cattle but buffalo. They are a corporation because anyone operating a business that grosses a half million dollars, much less 10 million would be an idiot to not have some protection through a legal organization such as a corporation or an LLC. What part of this operation is not a family operation in your mind?”

A critic’s response was that because it could be promoted as small family farm “that’s misleading.”

So in a nutshell, it appears some want farmers to operate at a loss in order to somehow prove they are a family farm rather than, for legal and tax purposes, incorporate or become an LLC.

It’s ok if they make an average salary, but not ok if they succeed to sell $10 million in sales. Isn’t that small business success?

According to the Southwest Farm Press New Mexico shows “82 percent of the state’s farms earn less than $50,000 in gross annual sales, and three-fourths of those earn less than $10,000″.

Further “Meanwhile, large-scale operations are super-sizing. For example, in 1980, four firms controlled 36 percent of beef slaughter nationally. By 1998, those same four firms controlled nearly 82 percent of production.” This trend and control of the food supply has been followed, and talked about , by some of us since 1980. Most weren’t concerned, and weren’t concerned in 1998 either. So now in 2012 after thousands of farms that were begging for help are gone…now when more are hanging on and asking for support…it’s a bad thing to have adapted, survived and thrived.

That horse left the barn a long time ago…his descendents are trying to carry on…in the same way, adapting, finding niche markets, insuring food choices. Our farms may look much different from our parents, or may look very much the same. But we’re here, still moving forward.

Success shouldn’t be a bad thing. It shouldn’t be qualified by sales (that 80% may be expenses) – sometimes survival through the generations as a family farm is a success in itself.

Why Is Farmers Working Together a Threat?

In a very practical way we stand on food choices. It is food choices that lead customers to trust us with growing their food. It is food choices that allow so many choices that we in America are spoiled beyond belief.

There’s plain food. There’s organic, natural, vegetarian, vegan,kosher,  heirloom, heritage, slow food, fast food, home grown. There’s a diversity of ethnic offerings for those that want chickens with colored feathers or other options. And with all of these options are farmers offering choices by growing it.

So with the diverse markets and options it is amazing to me that there are people who do not want farmers to get along. They thrive on discounting and creating division. There are individual farmers who hurl insults and are willing to take advantage of such ‘opportunity’. There are those individuals who discount anyone working together as “supporting the status quo.”

The oxymoronic thing of course is that in action we don’t – but for those consumers who don’t buy from *us* it offers them choices. After all, if 20,000 people signed up with us for farm shares, we’d no longer be a small farm nor would we fit on 11 acres! With 200 people we’d be scrambling to supply those food choices…and there are many with the same point. There are other farms that are larger, and specialized. We have friends that dairy, and produce almonds, and cotton experts, aquaculture and citrus growers. There’s friends who produce hogs and beef and chickens in volumes that we don’t want to and can’t conceive doing!

And that’s ok – because there are people who need what they have, and there’s people who choose what we have. Most are not the same consumers. There are those who look down at places like us as a “hobby” that “aren’t serious” because we don’t deal in volume, and there are small places who lob “factory farm” insults at anyone larger than them.There are those large organizations who can’t possibly learn from someone with a smaller vantage point, so discount them.

And when those of us who support farm and food choices band together to try to present a picture of all in agriculture, it sometimes takes funding from those who can afford it. That is, then, a bad thing. Somehow when operating costs are covered by a company that has the money, it then changes the message.

As a supporter of the AgChat Foundation I’ve seen many people try to discredit the network of farmers within the umbrella. There are those who say that because a major company provides financial support it then alters the message. Yet they also criticize if small farms aren’t included in activities! Clearly, no matter what is done people love to criticize and find fault!

So here’s the thing, straight up. A while back I was asked to serve as director on the AgChat Foundation, an honor I accepted. Last year it was criticized because some (not all) funds were donated by Monsanto. It could just as easily been from Slow Food USA or Gardens Alive or other organic producer operations – but for whatever reason they chose not to donate to an organization that empowers all farmers to tell their stories of what happens on their farms.

Anyone who’s read this blog for any length of time knows who we are and what we are. There is no company or organization that is going to bother with what we’re doing. We exist for our customers and the preservation of animals and plant varieties we believe in. If that sweetens your tea then by all means visit our food and sale pages and buy from us or sponsor something! If it doesn’t great – go find a farm that supports your food choices and buy from them!Are there critics? Sure there are – those who don’t want food choices or farm choices.

Without the patchwork quilt of agriculture none of us have choices. Preserve it, cherish it and support it.