Culture Shock

Here we are.  Back at home after a conference full of people who are interested enough in organic agriculture/agriculture/etc to attend.  Talk about a bit of a shock when you get back to the 'real world.'

At the conference, we could discuss something like a vegetable crop rotation and not worry so much about whether those involved in the discussion were even remotely interested in the topic.  In all likelihood - every participant in the conversation had their own thoughts on the subject and their own questions.  It was good to explore them with people who had some experience and definite interest.

  In contrast, while this is our blog and we have posted about our rotations, we limit ourselves to the surface to avoid overwhelming or boring everyone else with the topic.  Why?  Because most people who do read the blog are interested in what we do - but not so interested that they want that sort of detail.  Nor do they have experience or personal reason to fully connect with the topic.  We understand that - and that's why these connections with other growers can be so vital.  We can spend time educating the general public about what a rotation is and why it is important *AND* we can discuss various rotation decisions and details with other practitioners.  But, it sure can be hard to transition from one to the other.

Another culture shock for us is leaving a conference where so many people are sold on organic practices to the general public where most people barely care about them.  For those of you who do support organic food production and local food systems - we thank you and are grateful for you.  But, you have to admit that our farm would be considered a bit of an oddball by most people.  Happily, we don't mind being just a little different.  But, there is still adjustments we must make after we leave the conference.

The last isn't really culture shock.  But, it can be jarring nonetheless.

The conference gives us an opportunity to gather all kinds of new information and re introduce ourselves to things we may have heard before, but weren't ready for at the time.  Our time there is full of big ideas and high-minded goals.  It can be invigorating as we tell ourselves how much we hope to accomplish in the coming months and years.

Then we come home and look at the lists of things we already knew we had to do.  And we begin the work of trying to figure out which (if any) of our big ideas from the conference can be integrated into that which we already know we must do.

It can be sobering if we let it overwhelm us.  Yet, I still can't help but be hopeful.  And, I encourage that hope by looking back and seeing where we were one year ago, two years ago and five years ago.  Believe it or not, we've actually moved forward on a number of our 'big ideas.'  It can be done - it just isn't as nice and neat as we might like it to be when we first conceptualize them. 

And so - we see a big week ahead of us.  Let's see what we can achieve.

An introvert walks into a conference....

Complete this sentence:

An introvert walks into a conference...
(note: this conference had over 3000 attendees)

a. ...and back out again.
b. ...covers his ears, shuts his eyes and starts humming.
c. ...and talks so much his voice is a bit raw by the end.
d.   wait...what?  There was an introvert at the conference?!?
=====================
Yes, we have returned from the Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.  And, yes, I tend to be a bit introverted.  And the answer is "C"

Tammy and I have had the great fortune to find a couple of organizations and conferences that focus on bringing together people who are intent on growing good food and finding ways to care for the land and market our products.  It's a great opportunity to talk about what we (and others) are doing.  We can even tell farm stories without editing or explanation - and find that we're not the only ones who have gotten caught on barb wire, run madly after critters that thought a chicken dinner would be lovely or wondered if a combine could be modified for dry beans.

For all of the fine people we had the opportunity to see and converse with during the conference - it was great to see you and wonderful to hear about what you are doing and what you hope to be doing during the coming season.  Thank you for seeking us out or being gracious enough to seem pleased to see us when we sought you out.  It's the quality of people like you that encourage this introvert to interact and be, if only for a while, an extrovert.

And now, this introvert needs much sleep.  All the running around humming with my eyes closed and hands over my ears wore me out.

Promotional Push and Other Stuff

We're beginning our promotional push to fill up our regular season CSA.  One of the tools is the poster you can see below:

You will find this poster soon in the Hansen's Dairy stores in Waterloo and Cedar Falls.  We've long been avid supporters of Hansen's and their farming and business approach and have great respect for the Hansen family and their efforts.  That - and the milk is fabulous.  We're spoiled and have trouble drinking most other milk now.

On other fronts, we are officially moving our Cedar Falls delivery point to the Hansen's Outlet there.  It is very near our old location at Roots Market, so should not cause any undue problems in drive time for our share holders.  We love the Hansen's product and we feel that this is consistent with our desire to promote local, sustainable agriculture that helps you to see who your farmers are and how things are done.

Don't read anything into this, Roots Market fans.  It is primarily the issue that the Roots parking lot and our method of distribution are not likely the best match.  With the number of small children coming with their parents to CSA pickups, we felt this would be a safer location.  And, since Roots is only a couple of blocks away, you can still get all of your shopping done at Hansen's and at Roots after you pick up your shares!

Liking Winter - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #6

I was waiting to post this picture for a prolonged batch of Winter.  But, we haven't really had that this year.

Winter is my equivalent of most teachers' Summer.  I get to do some different things than when the growing season is going full tilt.  There are conferences I can attend, speaking engagements that people ask me to do and opportunities to be creative.  And, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I have opportunities to FEEL creative.  Sometimes, the growing season even drives that out of me.

So, if you are wondering why some of the phauxtos I like best are Winter shots, its because I often have more time flexibility to go out and take pictures that I think are interesting, in light that seems appropriate - rather than pictures that are intended to simply record. 

I realize many who read this are getting excited by the possibilities of Spring.  I'm with you on that - sort of.  The transition to Spring represents a transition from flexible time use to the "too much to do and less time to do it in" phase on the farm.  I love Spring, Summer and Fall.  Just not sure I'm ready for them just yet.

What's Cool About Intercropping/Companion Planting

Rob just had the privilege to speak to a group of cool people at Wartburg about diversity on the farm.  This included some information on 'companion planting.'

In the process of preparing for the topic, there were some quick searches to see what new things were out there on the topic.  The first thing I ran into was a short article that sounded like it was hot to debunk companion planting.  Since I want to hear more than one side of an argument, I read it.  And, it turns out that they do not like the use of the terminology because many of those who use that term also use questionable analysis in determining good 'companions.'  In fact, they agreed that there are many beneficial (and non beneficial) plant relationships.  In their mind, it is preferable to use "plant associations" to describe the concept.  They also concede that polyculture or intercropping would be a bit better as well.

Ok, I bit.  Web searches  for plant associations find me all kinds of articles, research, etc that primarily covers forests, prairies and even water systems.

While the terminology may be more accurate and less biased, I sure can't find anything I might care about for growing fruits and vegetables using those terms.  On the other hand, "intercropping" is a pretty good term - but tends to provide me with larger farming system information.  Personally, I am happy to see legumes intercropped with field corn.  But, I'm afraid my 14 acres won't accept that as part of my farming efforts!

On the other hand, there are some interesting studies out there with some cool results.  The problem is that there are only 'some' of these studies.  Funding sources don't appear to be as attracted to this sort of research as they are for GMO seed or the relative safety of glysophates (ok, don't get me started).  You can argue that these things have their place - but they are currently crowding out a whole host of viable tools in the farming toolbox.  When all I have in the toolbox is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Here is one chart that amazed me.

Look at it carefully.  The control would be cabbage in a study that had NO companion plant nearby.  The others are different types of companions.  By June 9, every plant in the control had damage from cabbage worm/cabbage looper.  NONE of the others had damage at that point.  This is a small ISU study which admittedly only has 2 replications and could stand to be a bit more rigorous.  But, consider this - in other fields, a pilot study that produced results this clear would be followed up in a potentially grand scale -wouldn't it?  And, last I looked, four of the five could be a potential cash crop for the farmer as well as the cabbage. 

Well, perhaps not.  But, Practical Farmers of Iowa is looking to perform a study on cabbage looper and cabbage worm control in cabbage.  If it gets the go ahead, we anticipate that we will be involved in this study.  On the docket is thyme as a companion.  We'll see if others are included.

We're Listing Captain

We may be listing, but let's try to avoid the sinking part!

Everything is beautiful in February.  All the crops are growing well and weed free in our mind's eye.  But, our lists are also growing in February.  Who fertilized them so well?  We really want to know!

Things on our minds (and therefore our lists) at this time.

• We really need to work on keeping rabbits out of the high tunnel.  We've identified what we want to do.  Now we have to do it.  But, it's frustrating to go out and see lots of nothing where there should be something.
• Obviously, the barn is no longer an option for use.  That means some of the things we used it for have to find new homes.  We're starting to feel the pressure as the season creeps closer.  
• Then there's all the paper work that really MUST get done.  We're plugging along, but paper work seems to beget paperwork.  Just like each line item on a list begets more line items.  Even when you cross one off!
• Seed starting time is coming!  Yep, onions and perennial spices will get planted in trays very soon.  Uf.  Are we really doing this already?
• Being involved in grants and research is great.  But, they all have their things that need to get done.  And, of course, they need to get done before we get to absorbed by the growing season.  Hmmmmm.
• Are you beginning to wonder why a blog post is appearing when I have lists of things to do?  So am I!  But, there is no denying the therapeutic quality of a blog post for the writer.
• It would be nice to accomplish a few house repair items before the season gets going too.  The humans deserve a decent place to live too, don't they?  No.  Ok, chicken room it is!  As long as we keep the hay fresh in the house, all is well.  And, I thought this list was supposed to help clarify my thoughts - now I'm confused!
• On the plus side, most of our seed orders have already arrived.  Yay!
• If you are familiar with our farm even a little bit, you might recall that there is a building slab with remnants of an old building still on it.  We've been working on cleaning that area up for years now.  This Spring.  We want it done.  It is time.  I said that last year.  Uh oh.
• On the other hand, we don't have a giant maple tree to clean up this Spring, nor do we have to take down and level out a fence line that has been on the farm for decades.  Does this mean we have a chance to get to that building cleaned up?
• The walk-in cooler project is resurfacing.  There is no doubt it needs to get done.  There is doubt in my mind as to whether it *will* get done.  That's the way things on the farm go sometimes.
• More portable bird shelters are on the docket.  We're fine tuning.  There's a fine line between portable and kite-like.
• Hmmm. Maybe we should start working on recruiting a work crew for the season.

This is how we cope.  The list we are thinking about/worrying about/considering/working on (pick the moment and one of these applies) is long and has alot of question marks.  But, we look at 2011 and see the amazing list of accomplishments on the farm for the year.  And we think about all of the help we received from a bunch of people (thank you all!).  That's when we realize that a) a list is only a list  b) we will accomplish a number of things this year  c) the list of accomplishments for the year will have its differences from the wish list of February.  That's how it is and that will be ok.

On the Fly

It's time for a quick farm report.  And, since I'm not feeling 'creative,' we'll just rely on a bunch of blurbs and see if it makes any sense in the end.

• We have attended the PFI Conference (Jan) and will be attending the Cooperator's Meeting this week (PFI again).  We'll see if we can influence some of the research projects sponsored by PFI this year.  
• The vegetable seed orders are in!  We still need to get the cover crop order in and the potato seed order in.  So, I guess we're not REALLY done.
• Started the organic certification paperwork for 2012.  It gets easier every year as I'm able to build on prior years work.  That, and I know better what I'm doing.  Learning...it can be a good thing.
• We're modifying and improving the field plans again this year.  Of course, I was hoping to just reuse last year's plans.  But, we learned so many things last year with our new equipment...  That and we're changing the rotation in hopes that it handles the last of the residual issues form 2008 and 2010.
• Speaking of changing the rotation.... (*we were?!*)  For those who don't know or remember - we have two field/plot rotations.  One is a 7 year rotation and the other is 4 year (soon to be 5?).  We've flip flopped some crops between the two in response to what we've learned.  It sounds like a good move.
• We are taking reservations for CSA spots this year.  Plenty of openings.  Spread the word.
• The hens are laying, the hens are laying.  Something about averaging 4.5 - 5 dozen eggs a day.  
• Speaking of birds.  We still have 2 turkeys available for sale.  Anyone?  Anyone?
• Thinking back to crop changes.  We are anticipating using a paper mulch this year on a trial basis.  We'll probably talk about it more on the blog later, but suffice it to say, we're trying to hold the weeds down to a dull roar.
• Lots of building, fixing and reconfiguring are on the docket for this season (again).  We're looking at new doors on two buildings, making a new hen room and chick room in another building, finally putting a deck on the back of the house... Ok, the list is long.  As always, balancing time and money is the issue.  
• We'll be going to the organic conference in LaCrosse again this February.  Anyone want the A to Z cookbook?  Let us know.
• Tammy is on sabbatical this term.  All I can say is that this is a much deserved change of pace for her.  She still has plenty to do, but it is nice to have the schedule flexibility.  I'm very proud of her work.
• It looks like we're going to have our Cedar Falls drop off at Hansen's Outlet in Cedar Falls - it is only a few blocks from the Roots drop off.  But, we feel this will be a bit safer than the parking lot at Roots.  We were just getting a bit too nervous about all of the traffic combined with the smaller children, etc.  Certainly, Hansen's will be busy as well, but we think we can provide a more contained environment.  More on this topic at a later date as well.
• We keep saying it, but our time seems to get swallowed up.  The big CSA signup push is COMING.  We need to get through the Cooperator's Meeting first, then we go!
• Billing for the CSA.  The stamps have arrived, time for Rob to put the billing together!  
• On another front, Rob is completing a postal history exhibit to be shown in Cleveland.  If you scroll down the blog a bit, you'll get an idea as to some of the contents.
• If you are looking for presentations from the two of us - now is the time to ask.  If not, don't ask.  But, say hello anyway.  We are usually polite.  

Well...ok.  Tammy is polite, kind and good looking.  That guy with the red hat....um... well.  He takes showers periodically.

Are we trying to fix what's broken?

We do a fair bit of reading in the Winter regarding various agriculture issues, philosophies, problems and potential solutions.  We also try to keep an open mind so we can understand all sides of the issue, even if we are decidedly opposed to certain approaches.  This alone can be quite a task, especially when the item just read was clearly written by someone who does *not* care about opposing views.

Some of the topics that I've recently read about that make me a little less than happy include, but are not limited to, grafting tomatoes, GMO seed, atrazine use, plastic mulch and commercial agriculture rotations.

In most of these cases, discussion boiled down to the bottom line - was the approach profitable in the end for the farmer?   I have no problem with this specifically.  In fact, I agree that it is critical for farmers (including ourselves) to earn a profit that is reasonable and appropriate.  But, I disagree with the tendency to boil it all down to dollars and cents to the exclusion of other things of value.  I especially disagree when I realize how easily the facts, numbers and analysis can be turned in more than one direction. 

In fact, I begin to wonder if these issues actually deal with what is broken? 

Example 1: crop rotations
There are now a number of studies that show that Iowa farms that would be willing to add a third year to their rotation would see increased yields.  In other words, conventional farms would get better corn and soybean yields if they added a grain, or some such thing to their rotation (a 3 year instead of 2 year rotation).    And yet, we see all sorts of research attempting optimize the 2 year (or even 1 year - corn on corn) rotation.  Is this because the 3rd crop has no value?  No.  But, it does require more agility or flexibility by the farm instead of a rigidly specialized system.  And, the bigger a farm gets - once it gets to a certain size - the less flexible or agile it becomes.

I realize this is, perhaps, an over-simplification of the whole matter.  But - I still have to ask:

Do we continue to work so hard to develop new seed, sprays and tools to support shorter crop rotations because we are trying to improve yields to "feed the world" or are we doing it to facilitate very large, specialized farms?  Since it tends to come down to the money, I suspect it is more of the latter than the former.

In fact, most farmers I talk to would admit a 3rd crop in the rotation would probably be a good idea.  But, they will stick with their shorter rotations and they have their reasons.  One of these reasons has to do with the system that rewards growing certain crops to the exclusion of others.  Another has to do with the infrastructure that has grown up to specialize in only a couple of crops.  In short, it takes some initiative to break out of a short crop rotation.

So - what really is broken here?  Is it the strains of corn and soybeans we plant?  The tools we use?  The herbicides, pesticides and fungicides we use to control weeds, insects, etc in our crops?  Or is it the fact that we need to increase the demand of corn/soybean products?  You would think so since so much or our R&D goes to these subject areas.

Maybe I'm wrong.  Feel free to tell me here - or tell me what IS broken.  Let's see where this goes.

2011 In Review

We received some positive feedback that end of year "top 10 lists" are fun - even if they are done by everyone who can count to eleven.... er... ten.

Our 2010 year in review can be found here for those who have interest: 2010 in Review

And now for the very thing everyone has been waiting for!  Ok, maybe just what some of you has been waiting for...  Well, maybe just a few of you... 
Fine - maybe it's just that kid in the back.  This one's for you "kid in the back," we hope you enjoy this list!

10. See-through Barn

 

 If you've been reading the blog lately, you'll know we're taking down our old barn.  At present, it is still standing, but you can see right through it. 
 

9. Tom Sawyer Week

We've done our best to incorporate events known as "Tom Sawyer Days" into our farming.  The idea is to give CSA members and other interested parties a chance to be involved in the farm.  Of course, getting help completing various tasks is part of the goal here, but the primary focus is to promote a connection to growing food - something we feel is being lost.

This year, we attempted a Tom Sawyer Week -where we gave a set of optional times.  Our hope was that this would allow more people to find a way to work a trip into their schedule.  Attendance was moderately higher, but we also found that it felt less like a burden to us using this format.  And, several people got to help free up winter squash.  Our winter squash harvest was reasonable this year thanks to this group's efforts.

8. Barty 

Our new BCS walk behind tractor with tiller was a major purchase for the season.  We planned the purchase carefully and debated relative merits for weeks.  After an early false start, Barty did an admirable job for us.  It was a good purchase and we are grateful that we took the leap to get him.

7. Truck barn gets a facelift

We've always just called this building the 'Truck Barn.'  We don't know why.  So, if you think the name is silly, deal with it, because we are unlikely to change that part of it.  On the other hand, we've changed most of the rest of the building.  We still need to put up a door, put in a walk-in cooler, paint the rest of the building and do a few other things.  But, it really has come a long way.

6. Implements at auction and in action.

 We became a "very real" Faux Farm this season with the purchase and integration of several larger pieces of equipment.  Yes, I suppose we are still a "fake farm" according to many since the "big" equipment is typically older, castoff items that are no longer used on conventional farms.  But, they are exactly what we need, so no apologies there. 

We've learned that used equipment comes with their rewards and their perils.  The hay rack at left works well enough, but one of the front wheels still does not turn left or right.  The two-bottom plow at right helped me to break ground in an effort to square off a plot, but it took some learning time to figure out the right depth and angles to make it work well.

5. Granary-Leaks (not quite wiki-leaks)

This should probably read "NO MORE granary leaks."  The problem with buying a farm with several 'older' existing buildings is that you have to repair all of the buildings.  And, the roof is the number one priority if you hope to save the building at all.  Well, the granary makes the cut and the barn does not.  On to the next steps - putting on better doors and painting the building!

4. Huge Boids!

The truck was riding pretty low when we pulled into the parking lot with the processed birds.  You can imagine how much lower the truck must have been riding on the way to the processor.

2011 was a great year for our poultry.  The only thing we feel was really different in 2011 from 2010 for our birds was the weather.  But, then again, maybe we've improved the pastures and the pasture rotation?  There were more veg thrown to them this year?  Whatever the case may be, they were happy and they were healthy.  We'll take it.
 

3. Walk This Way....no... I said *THIS* way.

There were so many changes to our farm this season, we actually found ourselves having to re route our normal walking routes.  In fact, it can be a bit disturbing when you find yourself walking somewhere (with mind on something else) and realize you can't get through to where you are going the way you are walking. 

Major changes included moving the hens from the area east of the barn.  Now that they are in the Poultry Pavilion, we find ourselves treading new paths in the snow.  We rearranged some fields (turning triangles into rectangles), removed some fences, put up other fences, took out a large tree and blamed Gilder for all of it.  Who is Gilder?  Even if you watch the Princess Bride you will only know that it is the sworn enemy of Floren.  So, I guess that may not help you all that much.

2. Gang of Four

 It was a big deal for us, at least.  Four Iowa farms agreed to share work days (a different farm each month from June to September).  And, simply put, we felt it was a success.  There is something about having a chance to share time with people who do the sort of thing you do.  You find out that you are not so special in ways you may have thought you were - and special in ways you thought you weren't.  (Take that any way you want)

But, the most positive thing we got out of the experience was that we are not alone in what we do.  Support groups can go a long ways towards helping you get through a growing season.  Well, that was the second most positive thing.  The first was the opportunity to get to know a really cool group of people better!

Scattergood Farm - West Branch

Genuine Faux Farm - Tripoli

Grinnell Heritage Farm - Grinnell

Blue Gate Farm - Chariton

1. Spinach and a Sunburn...on February 28.

 Yes, you read that one correctly.  We picked spinach and found the sun to be strong enough in the high tunnel to result in a slight sunburn on February 28 in 2011.  Not only did the spinach taste great, it looked great.  And, it did us both some good to do a little bit of work outside/inside. 

While this event might seem a bit small in comparison to the others, consider how different this was from prior years on the farm.  A major change for us in a year full of changes. 

Veg Varieties of 2011

Here it is!  Our 2011 Veg Variety Winners!   We know some of you enjoy this every year, so we feel like we should make sure to get this out there for you!

First off - here are links to prior awards and variety reviews you might find useful:

• 2010 Veg Winners
• Prior Years Winners - Where are they now?
• Highly Recommended
• Move Veg Recommendations

 Drumroll please.......  Ok, you can stop now.

10. Purple Majesty (at right)

This is a major breakthrough for us because we had decided to drop All Blue from our production list and we were unsure if a blue/purple potato would replace it on our grow list.  The problem with All Blue on our farm is that it produced ALOT of small potatoes that were the color of our soil (approximately).  It was a nightmare to pick, even if people (including ourselves) enjoyed eating them.  Purple Majesty helps to bring more diversity to our potato crop as it is a mid season bulking variety versus early (Yukon Gold) and late (German Butterball, Rio Grande).  The taste is fabulous (better than All Blue), they are far easier to pick as the potatoes stay 'closer to home' and the size is generally larger.  High marks were given for Purple Majesty this year by our CSA members and we agree with them, so we will grow more this season.

9. Pablo

Pablo was #2 in 2009 and just missed in 2010.  It has not disappointed since we added it to our grow list in 2008.  This lettuce is dangerous for dinner planning.  There are many reports of 'nibblers' getting to this lettuce during preparation and finding most or all of it gone before dinner is served.  Pablo is a Batavian type and will form a loose head as it matures.  It can be picked prior to that stage (especially in mid-summer) as a loose leaf.  The only knock on this lettuce is that the transplants can be fragile, easily breaking at the stem.  But, once you get used to it, you can adjust your transplanting methods and they do quite well.

8. Music garlic

Another veg variety with a history on our list.  Music was #2 in 2010.  It drops a bit this year only because we had a more successful growing season in 2011, so it had more competition.  Music is an all around winner for garlic.  We have others we like nearly equally well, but Music wins with the consistency it shows beyond the other garlic varieties.

7. Wisconsin Lakes

Another new entry to the list, Wisconsin Lakes finally came into its own this season.  If you want a reliable early red bell pepper with very good taste, this is our recommendation.  The three-lobed and thinner fleshed Wisconsin Lakes exceeds most grocery store and hybrid reds in taste (our opinion) and they are not as tough as some of those can be.  These grow well in our fields and not much differently in the high tunnel.  A joy to pick and a fun plant to grow. 

6. Redwing onion

And here is a rarity for our lists.  Redwing is an F1 hybrid, and we tend to prefer open pollinated varieties.  The only other F1 to make our lists was Kolibri in 2010.  We still have a half dozen or so storing in our root cellar in January and they look great.  Production was generally consistent for a late season trial in 2011.  Size did have some variation depending on weed control nearby, but that is not uncommon for onions.  We've been hunting for a red onion we like best for a while - and I think we finally have a winner.  But, the best aspect of these onions is the taste.  We find that they sweeten up nicely when cooked.  I wouldn't say no to a nice grass fed beef hamburger on the grill with some Wisconsin colby and a grilled Redwing onion.

5. Misato Rose fall radish

Some people call this type of radish a 'watermelon' radish.  We just call it our pleasant fall surprise.  We added Misato Rose, Nero Tondo (black Spanish) and Miyashage (daikon) to our grow list this year in an effort to provide something new to our CSA members at the end of the season and into our Fall shares.  All of them did well and converted fans.  But, the one with the most converts and with consist growing success was Misato Rose.  We always wonder a little when when we choose something we've grown one year for our top 10.  We can't vouch for consistency just yet.  And, one has to consider the 'newness' factor.  Did we choose this because we didn't know what to expect from it?  Maybe that's part of it.  After all, you don't want a copy paste of the same group from year to year do you?

4. Bronze Arrowhead lettuce

Number 1 in 2010 and second in the lettuce category in 2009 to Pablo and 2008 to Crispmint.  This lettuce is so good we are tempted to remove it from the competition altogether next season.  In fact, Bronze Arrowhead and Pablo may just get put in a 'Perpetual Top 10" list so we can review new things for you each year. 

3. Pintung Long eggplant

This was the year of the eggplant, with our farm setting records for production this season.  One of the things Tammy remembers about this season was how Rob would drape a pile of 10-12 Pintungs over his forearm as he picked them - before transferring them to a tray.  These are some of the prettiest eggplant you will find.  You need not worry about bitterness, sweating or peeling them.  These plants favor warmer weather and took off after our June hot patch.  We planted 30 plants and harvested 1.5-2 per plant each week for 5 weeks through August and into September.

2. Bloomsdale spinach

You have not tasted *really good* spinach until you have some in March or December.  We've always had trouble having spinach for long in our regular season CSA because it tends to bolt quickly in June.  The reality is that spinach just likes cooler weather.  And, it gets sweeter in colder weather.  Bloomsdale isn't anything new, and it is a fairly common type for growers to use.  But, there are many good reasons for it.  Bloomsdale overwinters well and resists bolting longer than most varieties.  And, last season our extended season CSA members got a fair amount of spinach in their shares.  And, a tribute to this success is the fact that our additional sales of spinach nearly caught up to our additional sales of lettuce.  I am getting tempted to go pick some spinach in the high tunnel as I type this!  There should be enough for one or two salads.

1. Black Valentine green beans

We've been big fans of Provider and Jade green beans for a long time.  And, of course, we still like them very much.  But, we learned from the loss of Benchmark, a green bean we had come to rely on a bit too much.  A seed supply can disappear, so you should make yourself aware of viable options.  Well, it turns out our little experiment with Black Valentine paid off.  The motivation here was that Black Valentine could be a 'dual purpose' bean.  We can pick them as green beans or let them mature and harvest them as dry beans.  It seemed like a good idea - if we can't keep up with the green bean harvest, you don't lose the crop.  We kept up with the crop this year and had some very heavy yields off of these plants.  And, of course, they tasted very good (a necessity if we're going to grow a green bean).  We entered this experiment not expecting much and got something we intend on using regularly from here on out.  Plants had good vigor, showed no tendency towards disease and were great companions with eggplant.  We had two consecutive 'peak picks' off of the same 100 foot row.  Since we planted these as a later succession, we can't yet speak to how long these will go in a season.  But, we're more than willing to see in 2012.

The C in 'CSA' - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #5

Fifth in a series of favorite photos.  This one comes from our high tunnel build in 2010. Unfortunately, I do not recall who took this one.  I just know it wasn't me.

The high tunnel build was a Practical Farmers of Iowa field day and we had several people attend and work on this project.  We remain grateful for all the help we received and would like to report that the tunnel continues to do well despite many strong winds.

This photo reminds me of the "C" in "CSA" - Community.

The work on our farm falls primarily on Tammy and I, but we are very sensitive about making inaccurate claims about our accomplishments.  We could not be where we are now without a long, long list of people who have supported us in our endeavors.  This includes persons who are members of our CSA program, people who buy our plants in the Spring, persons who get eggs, chickens, turkeys or ducks from us, farm workers, Tom Sawyer Day participants, family members, schools, institutions and retail outlets who buy our products, and even people we hire to do work we cannot find time to do - like putting a steel roof on the granary.

Our success is tied to our links to the community.

Life on "Plan it GFF"

Ah.... real Winter has arrived.  We *really* don't have a need to work outside today.

So... we plan.

A number of people tell us they like getting insights as to some of the things we do for our farm that might not be as apparent on first glance.  So, I thought a quick look at planning for the 2012 CSA might be interesting.  At least it might be as long as I don't get too long-winded.  And, if you read this blog, you know the risk you are taking by starting to read this post!

CSA planning is a backward/forward process.  We start with our goal numbers for members and figure out how much of each crop we want to set as a goal to distribute to those customers. 

For example:
We would like 100 standard shares and 20 large shares during the regular 20 weeks season.  We hope for 20 Spring shares and 25 Fall shares (all subject to adjustment).
We can do some forward projection on our lettuce crops (for example) so we know our capacity for growing lettuce in our current field plans.  But, for now, we'll stick to backward planning.
We want a head of lettuce for every week of the Spring and Fall shares.  We also want 2 heads for each large and 1 head for each standard share for 15 weeks of the regular season share.  So, we need approximately 2400-2500 heads of lettuce just for CSA demand. 

Now we shift to forward planning!
We look at our historical crop records and use them to project what we can expect for lettuce production assuming that we grow what we grew last season (approximately).  Why last season?  Well...if the numbers work out, we don't have to adjust our field plan.  We keep the plan the same - even though the crop is planted in a new plot.  That's why we try to have similar sized and shaped plots.
Prior records show a capacity of 4000-5000 heads.  These records also remind me of variability in size.  In particular, head size is smaller in the Summer, when we pick heads younger to prevent bolting.  We also see that we have been able to provide lettuce in the regular season for 14 to 17 of the 20 weeks each of the last three seasons. 
What does this mean?  Our field plan is close.  We will now need to look and see if we can optimize the successions in hopes of targeting sales in addition to the CSA. 

Do this for lettuce.  Rinse.  Repeat (for many of the other crops we grow).

Mr. Sunshine - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #4

 

 In honor of what looks to be a sunny and warm January day, we give you exhibit D - a daisy on our farm..in July.

We both like looking at this picture.  And, this is especially true in the Winter months.  We've nicknamed Rudebekia flowers "smiles" because it is hard for us to see these flowers any other way.  These plants are short-lived perennials, but they are also quite willing to set seed and start new plants.  We welcome new plants wherever they pop up - even if we feel a need to transplant them.  

Our only complaint about them might be that they don't flower long enough during the year.  But, we say the same thing about most things we like.  We enjoy iris flowers and we both agree that season is way too short.  Same thing for day lilies, hibiscus, zinnias, etc etc.

  

The lesson we take from this is that we need to learn to see different kinds of beauty and enjoy different tastes and smells.  As gardeners, we re-learn this every season.  With our CSA, we encourage participants to learn and re-learn these concepts with us.  Green beans may be your favorite vegetable (Rob will possibly agree), but you can't have them all season.  What if you tried kale?  It doesn't taste like green beans, but it has its strengths.  

We also remember that we need to take the time to enjoy the things each season brings.  These daisies do not bloom all the time.  So, I try to slow down a bit as a walk by on a farm task just to appreciate their beauty.  And, in seasons where we get an abundance of one particular crop, we remind ourselves not to waver in our enjoyment of them.  For much of our year, many of these vegetables are not in season.  A short term bounty is an opportunity!  Remember this the next time you see four zucchini in your share... again.

Break Time III

Likely the last in the series for some time and we'll get back to farm related posts.  We are now back from travels away from the farm and it was a good thing to be off farm for a while. 

This cover is one of my favorites because there is so much going on!  Let me explain.  No, there is too much.  Let me sum up.  

Essentially, this letter was sent to London from Worcester, Mass in early 1866.  Evidently, the addressee was from Worcester and was traveling to London.  Baring Brothers & Co provided services to many travelers to accept mail on their behalf while they traveled in Europe, which included forwarding mail back to the US if they concluded their travels.  This was the case here.

Postage was paid to get this envelope to England (24 cents) and it was received by Baring Bros.  But, since the recipient was no longer in Europe they sent it back.  Remember, it was still possible to send mail 'collect' (no payment of postage).  And, that is exactly what they did for the return trip.  No British postage was paid by Baring Bros.  That means the recipient, Mr. Bacon, had to pay for the privilege of receiving this piece of mail.

The cost was 24 cents = 1 shilling.  But, you might notice a bold "US Notes 32 Cents" marking on this cover.  At this time, there was a difference in value between US paper currency and the gold standard.  Currency had a 'depreciated' value for some time after the Civil War.  Thus, unpaid mail could be paid either 24 cents in coinage with appropriate valuable metal content OR it could be paid in US currency (notes) at a different ratio to maintain the real value needed by the postal service.  At this time, that ratio came out to the recipient needing to pay 32 cents if they opted to pay in currency.  

Clearly, I could give more accurate detail on this, but I suspect this is enough for most of you.  But, the real reason for showing this is to illustrate what I like about these kinds of items.  They give me a view into the story of the times.  And, the best part is that the story can be about individuals, groups, governments, places, events or daily chores.  Sometimes, the story includes parts of all of these.    The challenge is reading them so you can see what the story is.

Hope everyone had a good holidays and that you've set yourselves up for a good year!

Break Time II

It's still break week.  And, I'm trying not to think about things farm related.  So, here's another interesting item that I have enjoyed researching.

For the most part, this item is fairly typical of mail from the United States to the U.K. in 1865.  The treaty still called for 24 cents per half ounce, so a 24 cent stamp is used to show payment of that rate.  It entered the mail at Street Road, PA and then was placed in a mail bag to cross the sea in Philadelphia.  It was taken out of that mailbag in London and delivered.

The cool thing about this cover is the adhesive on the top left.  Westtown school and farm was around a mile away from the rail station, where the nearest post office was established.  At that time, it was illegal to have a private mail carrying service on any road that was designated a 'post road.'  However, there was no such service to the school and farm.  So, a service was provided for 2 cents to carry mail to the station.  The adhesive (or stamp) at the top left indicated payment for this service.

Westtown school is a Quaker school that still takes boarding students and the section of the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad around the old station now runs a historical/tourist train through this area.

Like history?  You can read more about each of these here:

http://www.westtown.edu/about-westtown/history/more-history/westtown-train-station/index.aspx

Break Time

You might have noticed that we are not doing so much on the blog, email, the website or facebook the last week.  And, just so you all know.  It's because the farmers are taking a break from farming for a short while.  But, not to worry, we'll be figuring our seed orders next week, attending a farming conference and making our year plan.  Not to mention farm tasks like putting electrical in a couple of buildings.

But, until then, Rob intends to work with things like this:

Yep, as strange as it might sound.  Rob is a postal historian (on top of whatever else he might do) and he enjoys old envelopes and learning about where they come from, what the postal rates were and other fun stuff.  And, about once a year, he allows himself to post something on it.

The envelope shown above (usually referred to as a 'cover') is a cool example of a postal agreement that might seem a bit unfair to us now.  But, let me give you a brief summary.

In the 1840's, England and the United States made an agreement (a treaty) to exchange mail at the rate of 24 cents (1 shilling) per one half ounce of weight.  This cover was posted in the 1860's, with that same rate intact.  There are three 24 cent stamps on the envelope, so you would expect that the envelope with contents must have weighed between 1 ounce and 1.5 ounces.  Which it likely did.  But, the envelope was treated as unpaid and 4 shillings were collected from the person who received the envelope in Falkingham.

The treaty did not allow for odd rates except for a single rate.  So, it was 24 cents for the first 1/2 oz.  24 cents for the second 1/2 oz.  Then, it was 48 cents for each ounce after that, with fractions (no matter how small) rounded upwards.

So, here is the kicker.  The treaty also stipulated that underpaid mail should be treated as UNPAID.  That means the sender spent 72 cents that did nothing toward sending this letter.  The recipient spent 4 shillings (96 cents) for the honor of receiving this mail - so the cost to the participants was $1.68.

Now, before you get too upset that the postal agencies were ripping people off, consider this:
It was common practice for people to send mail unpaid for collection of the due amount from the recipient.  It was also common for recipients to refuse delivery.  Thus, the service of delivery was rendered for FREE in those cases because no one would pay for it.

Either way.  Next time you are unhappy about paying 44 cents for a single envelope to go through our current day mail system, think about this envelope.  And, if you want a very brief editorial on this - think about how inexpensive it is to use a very complex and expensive system of delivery.  'Nuff said.

Who Thinks This is Cool?

We do!

We consider this a great Christmas gift - a very rare sighting of a Snowy Owl in Iowa.  This was located on Highway 9, just east of Armstrong on the morning of December 24.  We have been told there are 63 snowy owls documented in Iowa of which this is one, so it is not a 'new' discover.  They have come further South due to food shortages in Canada. (Thank you Kip for the info!)  To give you an idea of the rarity, we lived in Duluth for a year and were told seeing snowy owls there was uncommon.

Snowy owls are diurnal, so it was not necessarily odd to see this one in broad daylight.  Descriptions of this bird also indicate that they may let spectators, such as ourselves, get relatively close.  Prior to the sighting, neither of us had those facts in our personal databases, so we were even more amazed by its presence.  Apparently it is perfectly normal that it should size us up in broad daylight.

Tammy was driving and saw the bird first.  She slowed and did a U-turn - not telling Rob why.  Her reason was that she didn't believe what she thought she saw and didn't want to say what it was until she could confirm it.  Rob's excuse is that she had asked him a question that involved looking at a map (otherwise he would also have seen it the first time...... HA!  Ok, who knows....but it sounds like a good excuse).

An additional bit of irony for the sighting:  We were listening to a book on tape at the time.  Harry Potter (book 1).  But, prior to Harry getting his Snowy Owl, Hedwig. 

Promises of a New Year - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #3

Third in a series of photos we like with various and sundry attached musings.

This installment features some of the wildflowers on the farm.  The area pictured below isn't quite as big as it looks and its origins were not nearly as wild or wonderful as it is now.  But, the Rudebekia, Shasta Daisies, Coneflower, Blue Flax, Monarda and Gaillardia are enjoyable nonetheless.

Tammy and I were avid perennial flower gardeners in addition to our vegetable garden prior to our starting the Genuine Faux Farm.  In fact, we moved multiple truckloads of perennials down to the farm from our prior home when we moved.  We also had a penchant for buying seed for various perennials and trying to start them (both in pots and the ground).  The humble beginnings of this area on our farm was as a nursery area where we direct seeded a bunch of perennial flower seed just to see what would happen.

Many of the seed packets were old and we didn't expect much.  We set out neat rows, put in row markers and hand seeded into the soil our first Spring on the farm.  The initial intention was that any plants that started successfully would be integrated into our carefully laid out and cultivated perennial gardens nearby.  I guess we thought that any plant that survived in this area deserved graduation to our featured garden areas.

Sure enough, many of the seeds did nothing.  But, those that came from 'wilder' stock did better.  It was a good lesson in seed viability.  And, as you can likely surmise, we never did get around to transplanting those plants that got a start in this area.  Instead, it was one of those tasks we never quite got around to.  As a result, the plants that took produced their own seed.  Suddenly, we had a patch of wild flowers.  Every year it changes a bit.  Every year we think we might wade in there and yank the weeds that inevitably incorporate themselves into the mix.  But, despite our intentions, we do a little with it and then let it be what it is.

Our farm is, at many levels, alot like this perennial bed.  We went through the process of creating a business plan and working hard to prepare ourselves prior to our first year of running a CSA.  We had an elaborate set of documents.  We had big ideas.  We set about to make them happen to the best of our abilities.  We laid out the rows.  We set out markers.  We planted.

We had intentions that we never quite got to.  We had others that we did.  And, there are others that we still intend to get to.  Our initial plan called for us to stop at a 40 member CSA.  We had 100 members this year and have had as many as 120.  In the beginning, we didn't have a vision that had Rob working on the farm as his full-time job, we planned that he would work part time doing other things.  There were no thoughts of high tunnels, Ford 8n tractors, eight sandpoint shovels or summer workers beyond a few volunteers or periodically hired kids from the community.  Chickens, turkeys and ducks?  Are you kidding?  Why would we do that?  Ironically, some of the best things that have happened on the farm came from events, choices or plans that seemed most difficult, least clear and most risky to us at the time.

There are still vestiges of that first set of plans that are the underpinnings of what we do today.  And, much of those foundations are solid points from which we could begin our journey.  Like this wildflower bed, it became something more than we envisioned.  We still plan great things and we accomplish as much as we are able or are allowed each year.  Yet in the end, we still have to stand back and realize that our farm is what it is.

Every year, there is beauty, there is change, there is success and there is failure.  While our wild flower patch of a farm takes a rest this Winter, there are dreams of how next year will be.  There are new plans and new ambitions.  We will accomplish much, we will fail often (even as we strive to fail less often than we succeed).  Yet, there will still be something wonderful that comes of it.

May there be wildflowers for all of you in the new year!

White Christmas - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #2

Part 2 of a series where we feature photos we like. 

We just got a quarter to a half inch of snow on the 22nd of December. The likelihood that it will stay until Christmas this year is low.  So, here is one of our favorite snowy/frosty day pictures to help you get into the seasonal mood.

We've found a good hoar frost is a great opportunity for pictures on the farm.  And, this is one that has grown on me over time.  This picture was taken (we think) in 2010.


One of the best things about living on the farm is the requirement that we go outside frequently.  Of course, we spend much more time inside during the Winter months, but we still get out there.  And, because we do, we don't miss the wide variety of clothing nature gives our surroundings.  That is, we don't miss it as long as we take a moment to stop trudging to the barn or compost pile or wherever the poultry are right now and raise our heads for a good look around.  Yes, sometimes that means wiping the tears from our eyes that a strong North wind can cause in cold weather, but we still do it.

A hoar frost, like the one above, comes when there is an ice fog, which implies little to no wind.  While pictures of hoar frost in the sun can be amazing, this one reminds me of the feel of that day better than many.  The stillness, the silence and the beauty made it difficult to want to do more than turn in circles in a single spot.  Why would you want to infringe on the silence by taking a step?

This picture, and the day it was taken, reminds me to think about things I like.  Textures, sounds and colors that I find fascinating.  It also reminds me to be calm and remember people, places and things I am fond of. 

We hope everyone can find a moment of peace to reflect on what they love.

Again, Merry Christmas.

Hope for a New Day - Favorite Faux Phauxtos

Like many things we might like to do, this mini-project may end up being only one blog post long.  Or, it may become a small series if the mood strikes.  Every once in a while, the creative bone my body wants to do something.  In this case, we've recorded some nice pictures of the farm (and elsewhere) that we enjoy sharing.  And, many of those pictures make us think things that might also be worth sharing.

So, here is our first offering of what we consider to be excellent pictures.  Remember, we are not trained photographers, nor do we claim to know anything about composition, etc etc. 

If you want to get a better view, click on the picture and view it at a larger size.

This picture was taken in mid-July of 2010, in the evening after a rainy and stormy day.  We don't recall if we got more rain right after that or not.  But, the background story here is that we had been getting lots of rain at the time.  We were watching plants die as they drowned in standing water in our fields.  And, there wasn't a single thing we could do about it.

Normally, at this time of year, we're beginning to ramp up the quantity of vegetables in our shares.  We should have been looking forward to the increase in crop availability and diversity - and worrying about how we would pick and distribute it all.  But, instead, we were dreading having to tell people that we'd lost more crops.  We did not look forward to going to CSA distributions feeling like we had to apologize for less than stellar amounts of produce.  On top of it all, we'd just invested a huge chunk of money in putting up our high tunnel.  Doubt, fear, worry, stress and fatigue were all appropriate words to describe our state of being at the time.

You might figure a picture of a dark, stormy or brooding sky would be appropriate for how we felt at the time.  And, perhaps it would be.  Except I remember how we felt when we saw this evening sky and how beautiful it was.  It was the end of the day.  We were tired.  We were depressed.  And, we still ran to grab the camera in order to take a couple dozen shots.

Soon after that, things began to dry out and we started to shift our focus to growing lots of short season fall crops.  We fought through the adversity even though we were sorely tempted to tell everyone we were finished for the year.  And, best of all, we reminded ourselves of our blessings and the positive things in our lives - including the ability to recognize and enjoy nature's beauty.

Lest you think that the trials of 2010's growing season ended when July did, we can truly say that we are still fighting battles that began during that difficult time.  But, we can also point to dozens of innovations and alterations in what we do, how we do it and how we think about it that came as a result of the struggles we went through at that time.  And, we can also tell you how valuable these changes have been for us.

Perhaps this sky reminded us to hope.  And in doing so, it gave us something more.  A will to persevere and live life.  And...

It's just a darned good looking picture.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Rob & Tammy

Meals on Wheels?

Wednesday is going to be an interesting day.  Please note, this is where you are supposed to say...

"Really?  What's so interesting about Wednesday?"

Why, thank you for asking.  We're ever so glad you did and we'll do our best to be polite and keep it brief and interesting.   After all, we are aware that we normally have trouble with the first and sometimes wonder if we can achieve the second.

Let me open by saying that we picked 89 eggs yesterday from our hens.  Granted, we picked a little later than usual, so this is going to be high for a daily output anyway.  But, suffice it to say that the hens are doing what we *knew* they would do.  They somehow realize when our CSA deliveries are done and when it becomes less convenient to get eggs to people.  So, they increase production.  We've already moved 16 dozen this week and intend to deliver another 18-19 dozen tomorrow.  Yeek!

On another front, the twice a year event of getting pork from the Berlage family has its Winter iteration.  The pork is ready to be picked up and we will be doing so tomorrow.  Normally we do two hogs with them, but they asked if we could help move a third hog this Winter.  We were, happily, able to help them do this by arranging a cooperative buy (we pool resources with other people since we can only eat so much pork ourselves).  There are fifteen families involved in this purchase and we intend on delivering tomorrow.

Then there is the matter of the last duck and one of the last few turkeys available for sale (hint hint, we still have 2-3 turks).  The duck will be delivered with a pork portion.  The turkey goes somewhere else.  But, you had to know there was more poultry involved somehow.

Then, there is the issue of an electronics purchase that didn't have all the parts, some brochures that need delivering and two humans that intend on riding *inside* the vehicle.

Do the math....

Two humans, three pigs, nineteen dozen eggs, a twenty-six pound turkey and a duck - all in one car.  Yes, we intend on putting all of this in the Honda.  Yes, we may change our minds and go in the truck too. 

I don't know if we've had this much fun putting alot of odd stuff in/on a subcompact vehicle since the day we put a buffet (piece of furniture) on the trunk of our Saturn.  That, as many might say, is another story....and maybe we'll tell it.

Best Posts for 2011

A jury of one has selected what were thought to be some of the best posts of the Genuinely Faux blog for 2011.  You can help us select the posts from this year that go onto the left side bar of the blog (where we put our best posts all time).  Give us some feedback here or via our email address.  And, hey, if you think the jury of one missed a better post, tell us!

February

There's Snow Business Like...
Vocabu..?

March

Traveling for the Amused
Talking the Talk (more vocabu...)

May

Black and Blue Division
New Lyrics by A Man With a Hat
Mad Dash

June

Infectious
One for the Record Books
The Day of "No Rain"
All We are Saying...

July

Bird Brains
Bird Brains II
Splish Splash

September

Not So Marigolds

October

Dusty Roads and Other Adventures
Bugga Boo!
The Fried Egg Fairy

November

Box of Maple

December

Irony and Other Cool Words
It Really Shouldn't Be This Hard

It Really Shouldn't Be This Hard

There it is.  The hose reel.  Doesn't seem like a terribly complex contraption.  Also, it seems like a pretty good idea on our farm when we are often dealing with 300-400 feet of hose at a time.

Since I am also an academic (read in, thinks he has to know more then he should before he acts and believes such information is findable), I had to do some reading and researching to find the best made hose reels for 400+ feet of hose.  All this within, of course, normal monetary and time constraints.  We settled on a particular model with "no-flat" tires and heavier gauge steel construction.  It seemed pretty good on paper.  So, we made the order.

First thing of note - we made this order early in the growing season so we could put them together and get used to using them throughout the growing season.  Every tool has a learning curve, even something as simple as this.  For example, if all 400 feet are 'played out' and you want to roll it all up, you would do well to drag it back towards the reel *first*.  Why?  You're trying to pull *alot* of weight otherwise and the cart is not heavy/stable enough to stay still while you try to turn the wheel.

But, that's not really a part of the story.  The real story goes something like this:

Early May: We make the order with a company that shall remain nameless but will (in the future) be orderless from us.

Mid to Late May: Two boxes (with two reels) arrive two and a half weeks later.  Allow 10-14 days delivery.  Ok, we can forgive that.  Boxes look a little rough, but it is the contents that count.

early to mid June: We were ready to put these together  about a week prior to their arrival.  Now, other things are taking our time.  So, it is two+ weeks later when we have a rainy day and time to put these together.
Box #1 is opened.  Instructions are found.  I begin to lay parts out and compare to the parts list in the instructions.  I give up when I realize the small parts do not match the list.  But, it seems like the parts do match the instructions for assembly.
Assembly begins.  The base is assembled, wheels put on .  The hose reel drum is assembled.  The handle is assembled and put on the base.
Now, to put the reel drum onto the base you need the handle that serves as the crank.  The picture doesn't show it well, but it is on the right end of the pictured item.
Where is the crank?  What?  Really?  No crank?!?
Really.  And no way to put the drum on the base without it.
Box #2 is opened.  All parts removed and inspected.  No crank.
Right.

Next Day in June:

Phone call made.  We request cranks.  Two to be exact.
"Sorry, the cranks are on back order.  But, we will ship two more reel kits.  You can take out the cranks and then have the remainder shipped back to us. "
We suggest they just take the cranks out themselves, save on shipping and just send those cranks.
"No. We can't do that.  It's the whole box or nothing."
We suggest they OPEN the boxes before shipping to be sure there are cranks in each box.

Mid to late June: Ten days later.  Two boxes arrive.   Better timing.  Boxes still look pretty rough.
We open one box.    There is, in fact, a crank.  We finish the first cart.
We open the other box.  There is no crank.  But, the packing list *does* say "open boxes to make sure crank is in the box."  Before you say someone only opened one of the two, consider that this packing list with the instruction  to open boxes was INSIDE the box without a crank.

Next Day: Phone call #2.  We inform them of our case number and ask them to arrange to pick up two boxes.  We also inform them that we are still short one crank.  So, maybe they could either:
a. open a box and send us a crank
or
b. pick up three boxes and leave us alone with only one working hose reel and refund our money for one of the two reels.

They choose option c - pick up two boxes and send us another full box with the whole assembly.

Some point in July:
Two boxes go away and a new one appears.  It is immediately opened while the UPS guy watches.  It has a crank.  We suggest he can take the other crankless one too, but he cannot do so.  He only has an order to ship two.
Cart #2 gets put together at some point thereafter.

We also were good people and made a call to get the company to arrange another pickup for the 3rd box with a crankless reel.    We kept the box where we could get to it easily and, in fact, put it prominently in front of the garage when we went somewhere so UPS would see it if they came when we were not around.   I think I only tripped over it a few times.

It's December.  I moved that box into the granary for the Winter.   I suspect they have enough inventory on hand for the crankless hose reels already. 

Irony and other Cool Words

Irony

Back in March of 2009, we used the title "Irony" and my brain had some memory of it.  So, I hunted it up and you can feel free to take the link if you are curious.

Tammy and I have one smallish television in the house.  We do not have satellite tv, we can't get cable, internet is too slow and the bandwidth isn't there and we don't have a converter box.  In short, the tv is there to watch dvd's.  That's all there is to it.

So, what should appear in our mailbox yesterday?  A large envelope from the Nielsen Ratings.  Yes, they want our household to tell them what we watch on television.  We realize they use a random sampling technique, so we should be just as likely as anyone else to be asked our opinions.  But - if they only *knew*!

We were just going to toss the envelope, but for some reason I opened it.  What should fall out but two crisp one dollar bills.  Fresh from the printer (hmmmm).  They also included a SASE.  So....why not?  How do we answer the "What are your three favorite TV shows?" question?  Or the one about our normal TV watching time?   What we probably should have done was select some of the long since terminated shows we have watched in the past, or bother to see on DVD.  Maybe I should have said "Sesame Street."  You can't go wrong with that show.

Fortuitous

We haven't, according to my memory, focused on this word before - so you'll just have to deal without a link to another post!  And, if you are on limited internet time, that would be fortuitous for you.

For each of the past three seasons we have worked hard to figure out our field plans and our seed orders.  But, for some reason, we always seem to be ordering our seed in February - March.  This can be a bit late if you want to order the bulk amounts of certain seeds that our farm requires.  As a result, we find ourselves looking for substitutes in a few cases.  Not the end of the world, but a bit of a pain.

So, this year, we are looking to get our seed orders in earlier.  We received our Johnny's catalog at the end of last week and Rob has already gone through the whole thing from front to back.  Evidently in the mood for this sort of thing.  Now that we have an idea of what interests us in the Johnny's catalog, we need some of the others to arrive in our mailbox.

What should arrive today? The Seed Savers catalog.  Now, if we can get another one on Wednesday and the next on Friday, we'll be in great shape!  In fact, that would be fortuitous.  (note: Tuesday's mail brought us the Fedco catalog!)

Perspicacity

Now, here's a word I've always liked.  But, I can't always get my voice to say it without messing it up.  So, I'll type it instead!

Every so often, it seems like one or both of us pick up on things much quicker than normal.  In other words, we exhibit a higher perspicacity at those times.  Last week was not likely one of those weeks for me.  So, if I came across as a bit thick....sorry.  I got better (I hope).  At least I'm trying to refine my vocabulary....whatever that is.

Ostentatious

The word is, in itself, what it is.  So was that sentence.  But, other than enjoying writing big words in blogs, it is something neither Tammy nor myself wish to be.  But, because we run this farm business, we have to call attention to ourselves to make sales and promote what we do.  And we are finding there is a fine line between honorable self-promotion and being ostentatious.

Case in point #1 - we set up a trifold display with pictures and information about our CSA and our farm at the Harvest Market on Saturday.  We both agreed that it was probably a good thing to do, but part of me wondered if it would not go over well with the other vendors who were there.  There is always a fine line to walk between attracting customers and belittling others who are also trying to attract customers.  And, if we go too far over the top with our own self-promotion, we wonder if they might conclude that we *are* ostentatious.

Case in point #2 - Facebook.   If that web application doesn't invite one to try to call attention to oneself, I don't know what does.   For those who only have a personal page and no business page, they might not be aware of the 'metrics' Facebook tries to use to indicate your 'success' at reaching people.  We continue to do our best to use Facebook as a communications tool, but we're not always sure it is the right tool.  On the other hand, so many people we are trying to reach seem to be using it right now, it is hard to ignore.  So, forgive us as we attempt to integrate Facebook into our farm communications system.

We hope you had the perspicacity to enjoy this attempt at irony with respect to the ostentatious premise of this blog post.  We trust that its timing is fortuitous in that it will allow you to read it and....

Post your favorite big words as comments to this post!  Challenge us to try to use each word in a future (January) post.