An Appreciation for Different

We won't do too many more blog posts on our trip to Kauai, so hang in there - the farm focus will come back very soon.  But, for now, we bring you this.

One of the things farming has done for both of us is increase our awareness for the natural things that surround us.  This time around, we tried to record a few more of the things we observed with the camera.  Some with good success and some with ... um.. less success.  If you wish to view any of these in larger format, just select the picture and a larger version will pop up for you.

We took notice of more birds this time around.  One of these birds had a really great call that I wish I could describe.  Maybe one day I'll find a recording of it so I can share.  It's a cute little thing... and it's green, so it blends in well.

Can you find the little green bird in this picture?

We also had a good time finding flowers and taking pictures of them.

Ohi'a Lehua

And we found that fog/clouds can really highlight things differently and give you a whole new perspective on what you are seeing.

Yep, it really was THAT steep,.

We also got lucky and saw a fogbow.  It wasn't really a rainbow and it didn't show the colors as strongly as a rainbow might.  But, it was fun to see.  For a short time, it was a double fogbow.  Cool.

Today's new word is FOGBOW...yes, I created the word.  Neat, huh?

We stopped places that weren't exactly marked as an overlook or scenic spot.  This little waterfall was just off the road on the way up to Koke'e State Park.  We've seen it before and finally managed to get to it with some good light.  I'm not sure I picked the best photo we took of it, but it gets you the idea.

Note the red dirt.

And the day was bright and the sun was starting to go down.  And, the farmer got an idea.

A "Farmer Selfie!" perfect for introverts!

We also couldn't help but notice some of the signs on our hike.  If you read the signs you might wonder what possessed us to take this trail anyway.  If it helps, this was the second time we had taken this particular hike.  Ok, maybe it only helps you to revise your opinion of us, whatever that might have been to start with and whatever it might change to... We really can't say.

Remember.  Don't Cliff Dive!

We took the signs seriously. 

See?!?

But, the reality is that hikes in Kauai are typically a bit rougher than what we might be used to in Iowa. It's not too hard to turn an ankle or wrench a knee on these trails.  And, they can be dangerous if you aren't paying attention and listening to yourself when the internal alarms go off.

We also learned that they grow nasturtiums REALLY BIG in Kauai.  Something about being perennial versus annual plants on the island... among other things.  We grow nasturtiums as a companion with some of our vine crops but we shudder to think what might happen if the nasturtiums we grow got to look like.....

THIS!

And we got to see some wild orchids during a couple of our hikes. 

And we got to watch waves.  Just don't ask how many pictures Rob took to try and catch just ONE of them with the curl this one has.

Oh, did I mention that we saw a number of birds?  And, we have no idea what this bird is.

Does anyone out there know?

On the other hand, we know what this bird is.  Why?  Because there was a sign there.  And because there were people there who told us.  And... well.  I guess I have no other reasons why.

Look!  A Red-Footed Booby.  No, really.  It has a blue beak.

And, for your next "Where's Waldo" experience on this blog.  We did experience seeing Geckos and other lizards like this one.

Yes, I think you bipeds are very silly and quite unstable.

Then, suddenly, on our last hike of our trip, we got the feeling that we had entered the pages of a Dr. Seuss story.  Again, we don't know what these plants are, but they certainly got our attention.

Inspirations for the Lorax?

We hope you enjoyed the pictures and the observations as much as we enjoyed bringing them to you!

Walking Picture Tour

Tammy and I invested in a trip to one of our favorite places (Kauai) to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  The trip was a great time for us to just spend time together and put aside the daily worries and concerns that sometimes prevent us from appreciating our life as partners.

While this is not necessarily a "farm thing," it does have something to do with the farmers.  We've been farming now for enough years that everything we do is still tinged a bit with the farm.  We hope that everyone who reads this blog and looks at the pictures will enjoy them and take them in the spirit the sharing is intended.

Wailua Falls
Tammy and I tend to avoid "touristy" things most of the time, though we do recognize that the definition for touristy is changing since the internet gives all of us more resources to hunt for and locate less common locations.  Wailua Falls, assuming you take the back road that ends in a small parking area, kind of fits into the touristy side of things.  People drive their rental cars up to the lookout, stand behind a railing, take a few pictures and then drive back down the road.  The falls are beautiful of course, but getting a really good shot from the standard viewpoint is pretty difficult.

The two of us enjoyed the drive up as much as anything because it goes through some rural/ag area.  We made sure to stop at a local stand and purchase our first Kauai fruit of the trip.  We had a swallowtail butterfly decide we were pretty cool, but we couldn't get it to slow down enough to take a photo of it.

We really took the road up on a whim more than anything and we made sure to stay and enjoy the falls for longer than most people allow themselves to do.  We're always a little shocked how people will get out of their cars, stand for two minutes, take a few pictures and then climb back into their cars.  It's almost as if a large portion of the visitors think it is a huge treasure hunt - but they forget to appreciate the treasure while they're there.

As we watched the falls (and the butterfly), we noticed our blood pressure dropping and we started talking about things other than the farm and school.  A good part of the reason for going in the first place.


Pu'u Hinahina Lookout of the Waimea Canyon
Our first day was spent locating a farmers market and acquiring supplies for our stay in Koke'e State Park.  Our goal was to get to the cabin before dark since the drive is a typical windy road up a mountain.  Since Waimea Canyon is probably our favorite spot on the island, we couldn't help but stop and take a peak at the Pu'u Hinahina lookout.  The sun was starting to go down and we wanted to see how it highlighted the East canyon walls.

The picture above is a familiar one to us.  The last time we were in Kauai, we took a hike to Waipo'o Falls that was a bit on the 'scary' side (the link takes you to our adventure a few years ago, it's a fun read).  We realized this time that we could actually use the long lens and record some of the view we had at Waipo'o from this lookout.  We're both captivated by the arch in this picture.  No reason why.

We spent the first part of the trip in a cabin up in Koke'e State Park.  The cabin is on the rustic side, which is fine for us.  Temps got down into the 40's a couple of nights, which maybe was a bit less fine, but we dealt with it ok.  The real advantage was the proximity to some of our favorite views and some of the trails we wanted to take.

Waimea Canyon Lookout
The main lookout for Waimea Canyon is heavily trafficked by tourists, so we made sure to get up and get there before larger numbers of people would arrive.  The shadows really displayed the texture of the canyon.  If it weren't for a little bit of overcast, these pictures would be outstanding.  But, we'll settle for just pretty good.  We ended up viewing the canyon several times while we were up on the mountain, so we could catch it with sun at different angles, or with clouds.  Let me correct what I said earlier about Waimea Canyon.  It isn't just one of our favorite spots on the island, it is one of our favorite places in the world.

Waipo'o Falls
The Waipo'o Falls are about 800 feet tall and can often be overlooked by persons who only go to the main overlook.  There are a couple of pull-outs further up the road that give a better view.  If you look at the picture above, you CAN see the falls.  It did amuse us to hear people as they tried to figure out if they were seeing a waterfall or not.

We did take the hike to Waipo'o again during this visit.  If you look at the rounded rock to the left and up from the falls, you can see where we hiked to get there.  In fact, we encourage you again to take this link to the story about our hike a few years ago.  Check out the falls in that picture there - there was MUCH MORE water in it this time around.

We've got ALOT of pictures of the falls now and we just need to figure out which ones are keepers.

Pu'u O Kilo Lookout of the Kalalau Valley in Koke'e Park
We also thoroughly enjoy looking into the Kalalau Valley from the two overlooks.  Once again, by staying in the park for a while, we could pick and choose times and be patient as the weather changed.  It's Late Winter/Early Spring on the island and clouds/rain were to be expected.  We managed to get a nice sunny morning and caught some cool shadows from the Pu'u O Kilo lookout.  Since we had a different trail in mind this time, we decided not to walk the Pihea Trail, which starts at this lookout.

While it is nice to get a big picture of the entire scene, I've been enjoying trying to locate a subsection of the whole picture and try to capture the texture and color.  Both Tammy and I thought the one above turned out well.

The other thing you need to know about Kauai is this: The colors are brilliant.  These photos were not taken with a filter, nor have they been "photoshopped."   If anything, they may not quite have captured how electric the colors were at times.

Nu'ololo Trail in Koke'e
This trail was a very good challenge for us.  It had rained, so there was mud and Tammy took a bit of a slide early on.  No harm, no foul - just red dirt on the pants.  This trail goes up a few hundred feet right away, so we got our cardio workout.  Then, we went down 1400-1500 feet in altitude for the rest of the hike.  Which means - yes - we had to go back up on the return.  We REALLY felt this hike afterward.

Sadly, this is what we got when we reached the overlook portion of the hike.  We certainly do not regret taking the hike at all, it's just too bad we didn't get the end of trail reward that we'd read about.  We may have to go back and try it again? 

Kalalau Overlook on a cloudy day
It would be easy to let yourself be disappointed if you go to some of these places hoping to see the beautiful views and you find clouds.  But, in our case, it simply allowed us to see the beauty of these places in different clothing.  This was part of the advantage of staying in the park, we could experience the area more fully.

The picture above is probably one of our favorites for the trip.  We caught sun, color and clouds all in one try.

And, if you scroll up to the sunny day picture from Pu'u O Kila, you can see what this ridge looks like in the sun.  We both like this one because I was able to catch the clouds framing the ridge.  The trees give the whole things some balance and perspective that I like.  We were able to stay up there and watch the clouds move off (most of the way) and then come back in. If you would like to see what this area looks like in a brilliantly sunny day, a picture from our previous trip opens up this post.

Deep Breath

Every so often there is a need to take a deep breath.  A very deep breath. 

Tammy and I have been lucky enough to have opportunities to take some time off now and again.  But, this time around, we've arranged to take some time just for the two of us.  It wasn't until we arrived at our destination that we began to understand exactly how much we needed to take some time and release some of the stresses that are placed on us.  Some of them internal, some of them external - but all of them as real as we make them.  And, it turns out that maybe we were making them too real.

One of the things we enjoy doing is taking pictures and trying to be creative in the process.  We thought we'd share a few.  If you already know where we went, don't spoil it for others.  But, if you don't know, but want to guess, put a comment in with where you think these photos come from.

Per the norm, we like to start with some potential misdirection.  This picture could be a part of a larger photo that many other people who visit this place might take.  Of course, Rob had to focus on one part of it because he liked the shadowplay.

And how can you NOT like a droplet picture?  Ok, maybe you can't, but we like it.  I suppose there is some clue as to where we are based on this picture alone.

Dew on a spider's web?  We love spiders, as long as they aren't crawling on the back of our necks.  This little one was just fine where she was.

Catch You Up

We took a little bit of time away from the blog and facebook to recuperate and build up energy for the upcoming year.  As a result, there is a batch of things that maybe we need to catch everyone up on with regards to the Genuine Faux Farm.

Currently on My Mind
Since Tammy and I have spent a large portion of today either conversing about this topic or attending a legislative subcommittee meeting on a bill pertaining to it, I thought I'd start here.

Most of you know that in 2012, our farm was oversprayed by a flier with Stratego, Lorsban and Sniper.  As a result, all of the crops from the West side of our farm and the crops in our high tunnel (the only one we had at that time) had to be destroyed.  We destroyed eggs for 10 weeks and we had to make emergency moves for our poultry to get them off of sprayed pasture areas.  Of course, our initial response to figure out how we would address things on our own farm.  But, we have also tried to be active in trying to encourage change that will help reduce the likelihood of scenarios such as the one we lived.

Iowa Senate Bill 3125 had a subcommittee hearing on February 17th (today) and Tammy and I felt it would be important to attend this fact-finding meeting.  We were given the opportunity to share our story, our insights and our knowledge of the process and its relative shortcomings in hopes that it might help this bill along.  In the end, we were informed that the bill would leave the committee
and go to 'appropriations.'  In short, the bill still lives and could see action yet this session.  This is good news.

This bill focuses on addressing slow testing turn around times, reporting issues and low fine structures that fail to discourage misapplication.  We feel this bill is an excellent first step that, regardless of your position with respect to the use of chemicals, is a reasonable and practical approach to address a problem that is becoming more prevalent for those who do not grow row crops in our state.

If you agree with us that this is a good idea, contact your Senator.  We intend to provide more detailed information in a future post.

Looking Forward to Nota
Every year during the Winter months the Gang of Four farms (Blue Gate Farm, Grinnell Heritage Farm, Scattergood Friends School Farm and Genuine Faux Farm) hold a "Nota" Conference.  We spend some time together at Blue Gate, enjoy some good food, some great company and we have a chance to talk over a myriad of farm issues with people we know and trust.  It's coming up and we're shifting gears so we can be ready for it!


CSA Workshop
Rob was asked by Practical Farmers of Iowa to help lead a CSA workshop for those who are in the beginning stages of running a CSA farm share program.  Since Rob was a teacher in a former life, this gives him the opportunity to revisit the process of facilitating learning.   Yes, he still likes that kind of stuff.  But, best of all - there wasn't any grading.  Just good opportunities to give feedback and to encourage critical thinking.

Since the workshop was a two-day affair, you can guess that it required a bit of preparation prior to the event.  So, if you wanted some idea as to what Rob was doing with all of the time he was spending NOT weeding in January, now you know.

Research Agenda 2016
Every year we undertake a series of trials and/or research projects on our farm.  Some of them are simply to explore techniques or varieties that we might use on our farm.  Other things are a bit more formal.  For example, we have applied and received SARE grants for research in the past.  We have also participated in numerous Practical Farmers of Iowa projects in the past.  This year, we have a few projects going on that we thought we would share with you.

1. Summer Broccoli Variety Trials
Many growers in the state have a difficult time growing summer broccoli, which is something our farm tends to focus on.  A fairly large number of farms will be running trials of three broccoli varieties (Belstar, Gypsy and Imperial).  We will be running randomized, replicated plots to measure yield and other qualities of these varieties as we grow them this season.  The side result for the CSA and others interest in our product?  There's likely going to be a bit more broccoli this year!

2. Annual Flowering Companion Trials
After Rob showed a picture of the 2015 GFF melon field at the PFI Cooperator's Meeting, several people wanted to try and figure out what annual flowers they could add to their fields.  We will be trialing borage, lemon basil and anise hyssop in an effort to assess their relative benefit and cost to our farming operations.  We will be measuring speed of germination and establishment, canopy density, flowering period and attractiveness to pollinators.  Plus, these plants should look great in our fields.

3. Living Mulch in Cucumbers
Cucumbers sprawl and cause a myriad of problems once they do so.  Among them is the issue of weeds and muddy fruit when it rains.  We will running a
trial using New Zealand white clover in a randomized, replicated study to determine if yield is affected and if there is additional cost (or savings) associated with this.

Go Caucus with This

If you are going to caucus, please remember that this is an opportunity to bring plank proposals for the political party of your choice to consider.  This is AT LEAST as important as who you stand for in the presidential races.

These are planks that were drafted by the Iowa Organic Association, of which Rob is a board member.  Print these out and bring them along so you can easily submit them.

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General Support for Organic: We support a farmer's right to farm as they see fit as long as the practices used do not infringe on the rights of others.  These rights include clean air and water, the ability of future generations to successfully farm, and the rights of farmers to use alternative growing practices on nearby farms without fear of loss due to the actions of a neighbor.  It is a farmer's responsibility to adopt practices that support a healthy and diverse environment and use techniques that prevent chemical drift, promote soil health and protect water quality.  We believe it should be the government's role to support sustainable and organic agricultural practices, education and research.  Similarly, the government should discourage actions that are shown to have deleterious effects on the quality of our shared natural resources.
Labeling of GMOs:  We believe that people have a right to know what is in their food; and thus, the FDA should require mandatory labeling of GMO ingredients.  Studies show that more than 90% of Americans support mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods (GMOs). State and Federal officials are urged to support mandatory, on-package GMO labeling at the State and Federal levels.
Pesticide Drift:  We believe that pesticides should not travel away from the intended area of application and that pesticide applicators have a responsibility to apply pesticides so that they do not cross property borders.  Pesticide drift can damage neighboring crops and it can cause bodily harm to people and animals when it drifts off-target.  State and Federal officials are urged to better execute their delegated responsibility to regulate pesticide drift and enforce the federal pesticide label requirements around pesticide drift.
Water Quality:  Recent research published by USDA Agricultural Research Service in Ames and Iowa State University in the journal "Sustainable Agriculture Research" showed that a typical organic crop rotation reduced farm nitrate leaching by nearly 50 percent, compared to the conventional Iowa corn and soybean rotation. Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy calls for a 41 percent reduction in nitrate leaching across Iowa agriculture. Changing to an organic cropping system could by itself achieve the goals of the INRS for those farms that make that conversion.  We believe that subsidizing the transition of conventional farmers to organic management is the most cost-effective and efficient way to achieve the water quality goals of INRS.  State and federal officials should recognize and fund financial and technical assistance programs that help Iowa farmers transition to organic agriculture to mitigate nitrogen pollution in our waterways.
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Because we want tomatoes like this.

News of the Farm - It's Still January - Right?

One of the hardest things to do is to get back into something that you purposely set aside in an effort to take a break and rebuild energy.  In this case, it is our blog and all of the accompanying online presence-type stuff that we do to promote our farm.  It actually goes a bit deeper than that.  By nature, I am a planner/analytic type of personality.  I really prefer to spend time figuring out what should be done and how it should be done before I take action.  The problem with that?  Well, time doesn't seem to stop while I sit and figure out exactly what it is that I want to have happen.  Why is that?

What does it mean when the burning bush freezes over?

Since time is not sitting still - I will work to get a quick January Newsletter type thing out there.  Then, we should be able to continue with our regularly scheduled blog posts for the month.


January - Time To Plan
There really is a good bit of that going on and we thought we'd let you in on some of what we're looking at.  Of course, you get the short version of it all.  Yes, I am SURE you are all relieved to hear this.

Of course, there are the normal things that we do every year.  We've got to figure out seed orders, planting plans and workers for the next growing season.  This year has the added complexity of a second high tunnel in the plan.  It's not that we're unhappy about having it - far from that.  But, its presence changes everything from crop rotations to seed varieties.  For that matter, it might change how we focus on labor and it may even encourage us to make a change in tools.

It won't be long until seeds are out again.

And, while we're at it, we're trying to figure out how to add a packing shed/plant starting building to our farm in the near future.  That's not a small thing.  But, rather than keep it simple, we are sold on doing our darndest to add solar PV to the mix as soon as we can manage it.  We've had the idea of going solar from the beginning, so this isn't new.  We're just getting the idea that the time is right.  The difficulties - as always - are time and money. 

Looking forward to this building working for us

The high tunnel also brings us to a couple of things regarding distributing our tasty produce.  Assuming our plans work out, we will have a larger volume of yummy things available May through July and also at the end of the year.  Without counting 'chickens before they hatch' we have to be prepared so that we have sales lined up for this food.  As a result, we are looking at early season sales in both Waverly and Cedar Falls, expanded sales through Hansen's Outlet and increased membership in our Fall Shares.

With lots to plan, there are moments where we might be a bit overwhelmed.  Usually, we have a few moments where everything seems to be in disarray, but we know we have the facts gathered.  Soon after that point, we typically have a flurry of planning activity where a number of things get pruned out and the overall plan becomes clear.

Available For Sale Right Now!
We gave ourselves a little time off from promoting what our farm has for you, but that time is coming to an end.  We're getting our email lists updated and we're taking stock of what is still in our freezers and our cellar.  At present, we know we have the following available if you want it.  Send us an email if there is something here you have interest in.

They made short work of the old tomatoes!

• Broiler chickens.  Whole and Cut up.  $3.50/lb  About 80 available.
• Ducks.  Primarily hens (4-6 lbs)  $6.50/lb
• Potatoes.  Blue, red, yellow and white.  Mostly roasting size.  $1.50/lb  (lower for larger orders)
• Garlic.  Maybe 500 heads still!  $10/lb (about 10 bulbs) or $1.50/head.
• Butternut Squash.  6 to 8 left?  75 cts/ lb
• CSA Shares for 2016.

The Farmers Speak (or Write)
Rob is happy to speak to interest groups and/or classes during the Winter months.  In the past month, he has had the opportunity to speak at the Exchange Club and Dr. Lindgren's class on food issues at Wartburg.  He is planning on speaking at Dr. McCullough's class (environment) at Wartburg and Dr. Perez's class at UNI.  Somewhere in the mix is a CSA Workshop he will be helping lead (sponsored by the Practical Farmers' of Iowa).

Cucumber Frog sleeps - but she WILL awaken!

Both of us had the opportunity to attend the Practical Farmers of Iowa conference this past weekend.  We were pleased to see a couple of our good friends, Jill Beebout (Blue Gate Farm) and Andy Dunham (Grinnell Heritage Farm) give excellent presentations at the conference.  We even managed to NOT heckle either of them.  We aren't sure how that happened.  Rob is also on the board of the Iowa Organics Association and was recently elected as Secretary for the board.  Meanwhile, he is involved in a coalition that is looking to promote legislative change with respect to pesticide drift.  Well, he did need more to do, after all.

Tammy, of course, is merely working hard at Wartburg.  Anyone who knows her will recognize that understatement immediately.  She has been working on an instructor's manual for a new edition of a textbook and she has some research for an upcoming conference presentation that needs to be completed.  In addition, she took a bit of time during the holiday break to write a self-assessment portfolio for the college.  Oh, and she was elected to be President of the board she serves on.  She will fulfill these duties in addition to being Queen Boss on the farm.

Newsy Odds and Ends
You have probably detected that this post is a little disjointed.  It falls under the "Lemme explain... no, there is too much.  Lemme sum up" category.

So, here are few shorts that you may (or may not) have interest in:

• The ducks are starting to lay eggs again and we're trying to sell them!  Let us know if you want to try some.
• We were able to harvest spinach FROM THE FIELD on Thanksgiving this past year.  This would be the latest we've harvested that crop when it isn't under cover.
• Rob's Nation's Cup team for Ticket to Ride won the tournament in 2015, defeating France's Team I in the final.  
• We broke the 10 ton mark for produce during the 2015 season.  We'll take it!
• We were able to donate somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 pounds of produce to the NE Iowa Food Bank and Cedar Valley Friends of the Family thanks in part to help from those who volunteer to help us get the produce to these locations!
• And, we're looking for a few more votes before we close the voting on 2015 picture of the year!

Misunderstandings and Irony

I have been asked by people if I plan on expanding our farm to year-around growing by trying hydroponics or growing in a heated building.  It doesn't take me very long to respond in the negative.  Rather than bore you with the financials and realities of that sort of operation, I'll give you one good reason why.

I need my January.

Pretty easy to be up in time for the sunrise in January.

While I am not particularly fond of very cold weather and I KNOW I am not pleased with the nice little head cold I landed, January gives me a chance to exercise other parts of who I am and do other things I like to do.  A critical part of staying healthy and being successful (in my opinion) is maintaining a balance.  And, simply put, year around growing is a good way to promote the farm running me rather than the other way around.

I certainly have enough to do for the farm right now as it is.  But, it sure is nice not to have to worry about harvests and all of that other stuff hanging over me every day.  Yes, we still have birds to care for and we still have chickens and ducks to sell.  Oh, and there is garlic and potatoes as well.  But, this isn't the same as having to maintain a crop, harvest it, clean it and sell it.  Thank goodness! 

So, one treat to me is that I get to play with postal history. 

I try to select things to put on the blog that might be interesting to a wide group of people without being overwhelming.  I find this one to be amusing, so I thought I'd share.

3 cents for a normal letter + 13 cents for "Special Delivery" fee

The Misunderstanding
This letter was posted by a person who probably wanted to do business with the Spencer Fire Works company located in Polk, Ohio.  You would think that someone who lives in Chicago (where this was posted) would have some idea as to the difference between Ohio and Iowa.  Yes, yes, I know.... They both have alot of vowels.  With two of the three letters in common, you *might* be able to suggest that they were having trouble with a vowel movement.  

No, no.  We shan't be punning here.  Oh, it's too late?  Sorry.

In any event, a helpful postmaster found that there was a Polk CITY in Iowa, so they added "City" to the address and away it went.  The Polk City postmaster probably rolled eyes to the sky and said, "we've got another one."  I'm guessing this wasn't the first (or last) time that something was incorrectly addressed to the Spencer Fire Works company and sent on to Polk City, Iowa by mistake.  The postmaster dutifully re-mailed the item to Polk, Ohio and a backstamp on the envelope shows that it did arrive there on June 28.

The Irony
Items like this are a bit more interesting to a postal historian, such as myself, because something didn't quite go according to plan in the delivery process of this letter.  That's why the item caught my attention when I first saw it.  I was able to purchase it for a couple of dollars and I could then take a little time to research it.

Initially, I thought it was interesting that someone would try to send something to a fireworks company in Iowa of all places.  After all, there has been a ban on the private sale and use of fireworks in this state since 1938.  By 1947 (the time this letter was mailed), I suspect most people in surrounding states might have some idea that fireworks were illegal in this state.  One could say that it is ironic that people are confusing one state with legal fireworks with another state with no fireworks allowed.

But, that's not good enough.  I like a full dose of irony when I can get it.  And, I got it this time.

In the process of confirming the date that the ban was put in place, I was able to learn some information about a key event that had much to do with the fireworks ban in the state.  Before I tell you about it - look again at the NAME of the fireworks company.  Got it stuck in your brain now?  Good.

The year was 1931 and a very dry weather was beginning to take hold of a significant portion of North America.  Have you heard of the Dust Bowl?  Well, there you are.  In any event, things were dry in Iowa, but towns in the state were still intent on celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks.  On June 27, 1931 temps were in the mid to high nineties and winds were strong.  I think you know what comes next...

There was an accident in one town.  A local retailer had a display of fireworks that was accidentally set off.  Fires spread rapidly.  By the time they died down, one hundred buildings in the center of town were destroyed.  Amazingly, no one died in the fires.

The name of the town that burned due to a fireworks accident?

Spencer

And A Bit More of the Story
One major event wasn't quite enough evidently to spur the ban.  The Remsen Holocost of 1936 simply provided more impetus for change.  Legislative action in 1937 led to the ban taking effect January 1st of 1938.  This ban exists up to the present day, though the presence of large retail outlets at the border attests to a long-standing tendency of Iowans to cross the border to purchase fireworks regardless of the ban.  As recently at 2013 there were more than 25 fires started by personal fireworks in the state.

Squished Squash and Jack Frost

Congratulations Winter, you have finally arrived.  And with a vengeance it seems!


It started with a nice snow where we got about a foot of the white stuff at the farm.  Some time later, we had a very nice hoar frost that covered the trees and other things, dressing them up nicely for the farmers to view.  And, of course, it was suddenly quite cold, making it a bit more of a trial to get the camera out.  But, as you can see, we had a little success with it.  I just wasn't willing to stay outside longer to wait for the sunlight to come around and sparkle things up a bit more.

I have to admit that I am of mixed feelings when it comes to the colder temperatures.  On the one hand, our climate has a norm to it where we expect some frigid temperatures that freeze the soil (and the nostrils shut).  I was actually beginning to worry that if we didn't get the cold, we might have more trouble with certain pests (such as aphids) next season than we might normally have.  Yes, folks, there are certain advantages we have in Iowa that come with the colder January weather.  Among those advantages is natural pest control.  It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

On the other hand, there are a number of things that get downright difficult when the weather turns very cold.  Chicken and duck eggs can freeze pretty quickly in this weather.  That means we have to go out and check fairly often if we don't want them to freeze.  And, of course, the ladies aren't particularly thrilled in temps below zero, so they tend to reduce egg production when that happens.  I can't say that I blame them.  Certainly, we do what we can to help them out.  But, hey, it's cold and we're NOT bringing them into the house.  If one of the things they have to do to cope with the temps is to drop egg production for a bit, I guess we have to respect that.  What I don't care for is the consequences of spilling the water bucket on yourself and finding that it is cold enough to freeze your pants legs in a matter of a couple of minutes!

Even old spider webs collected hoar frost this time

At the risk of making you draw parallels to a see-saw, I also have to admit that the colder weather and snow is welcome from my perspective because it officially seals the end of a large number of outdoor projects.  Any drip tape left in the fields at this point will wait until it gets warmer, for example.  After all, the reality on the farm is this - if the temps remain moderate, the farmer will continue to find that there is more than enough to do outside on a daily basis.  Snow covered, frozen ground effectively puts a stop to some of the outdoor project options.  And I'm very ok with that.  After all, there is plenty to do indoors on the farm.

Among the things that take up our time at the farm is our desire to process some of the remaining produce.  We keep some winter squash for ourselves each year, eating some of it throughout the Winter and processing/freezing the rest for use throughout the year.  Tammy is particularly good at making pumpkin bread and will often make it for various events at school or for the farm.  We simply cannot allow our supply to dwindle so that she can continue to make her excellent pumpkin bread!

Musquee de Provence - now that's a meaty pumpkin!

During the fairly recent snow storm, Tammy selected a Musquee de Provence pie pumpkin (and some others) to process.  We thought we'd take a picture of it once we opened it up to show you one of the reasons why we like this variety so much.  The volume of usable pie pumpkin flesh on these is quite impressive.  And, the taste is fantastic.

We cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seed cavity.  Once that is cleaned up, we cut the pumpkin into wedges.  The pumpkin above weighed in at about 17 pounds and we cut it into seven pieces for cooking.

We put them in a roasting pan and roasted them until they were soft enough to scoop out.  Tammy will typically run this through a blender to make it easier to work with for her bread and pie recipes before she puts them into freezer bags.

We took the time this Winter to do a side by side comparison for taste and concluded that they all had their qualities.  And, not surprisingly, they ALL tasted different.  What was a surprise (though we shouldn't have been) was the fact that we each tended to choose different pumpkins as having the better taste and texture.  Once again, this shows that we are on the right track growing more than one variety.  People have different tastes, so as long as we have a nice range of pie pumpkins with good quality, people can identify what fits them the best when it comes time to choose.

If you are interested in Tammy's pumpkin pie recipes, take this link and visit our recipe pages.  Look for the tab that says "Winter Squash" and scroll down until you find them (should be the first two on the page).  One of these days, I might be able to convince her to divulge her pumpkin bread recipe.  Or, perhaps, you can all tell her how wonderful she is and you might convince her to make some for a farm event and you can have some then!

Finalists for Best Picture of 2015

The category winners have been selected and it is now time for you to place your votes for the photo of the year!

How to vote:
Go to the bottom of this post.  There is a box to submit your comment at the bottom.
If you are browsing our entire blog rather than just this post, there is a link that will indicate the number of comments currently on this post (it starts with the words "no comments").  Click on that.

You will be asked to enter a code to submit your comment, simply follow the instructions given.

If you don't want to comment here, you can email us or you can post your vote on our Facebook post.

Now, without further ado, here are the category winners that are eligible to win the 2015 GFF Picture of the Year!  Want to see the picture a little bigger?  Double click on the picture.

People Category Winner

a) Who Needs a Kid Sized Rake?

Tammy managed to have the camera out for part of our Gang of Four visit to Scattergood Friends School this year and she managed to document some of our work down there.  We have to admit that we're usually immersed in the visit too much to do picture taking, so I'm glad Tammy grabbed the camera this time around.  You never know for sure what you have until you look at the pictures later.  This one looked pretty good in color, but Rob thought it might be more interesting in black and white.  A quick conversion and a little tone adjustment later and this is what we have.  And, yes, she was successfully moving some dirt with that rake.  The Grinnell Heritage Farm girls know how to work!

Flower Category Winner

b) We Love Our Borage

Our melon crop was supported by some excellent flower companions this past year.  In fact, we've always worked to include flowers in our vegetable plantings for a number of reasons.  Late Springs have made it difficult in prior years, but this year we rededicated ourselves to planting more flowers and the results were spectacular.  Rob was inspired to try to document the borage a bit more this time around and this photo was one that really stood out from that batch.

Look to the Skies Category Winner

c) High Tunnel Sunset

 Tammy was much more interested in running and getting the camera than she was in helping Rob clean and bag the spinach one evening in May.  While we love our spinach, we might be getting more mileage out of this photo than anything else.  We do like to try to capture sunsets at the farm, so we've had a fair number of good shots over the years.  This one ranks at the top.

Critter Category Winner

d) Diggle as Photo Bomber

We over-wintered some ducks for the first time last Winter in hopes that they might raise some of their own ducklings.  Well, it worked, to some extent.  The event of small, fuzzy babies brought the farmers out to the duck pasture with a camera a couple of times.  We'd been meaning to get some better pictures of our ducks anyway.  So, Rob went about trying to capture some decent pictures of the two different breeds: Muscovey (white) and Silver Appleyard (I'm not describing all of the colors, just look at the picture!).  The picture above occurred when Rob was trying to get a good picture of the Appleyards.  For some reason, Diggle the Muscovey wanted to be in the picture and photobombed the Appleyards more than once.

Vegetable Category Winner

e) Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkins

One of the things Rob tries to do each year is get some decent pictures of the vegetable varieties we grow.  Over time, our library is filling up.  Now we need to get them out on our web pages so everyone has a nice reference site for GFF veggies!  We're hopeful that we can take some pictures that look nice (and maybe a little artsy at times) and will help our customers recognize what they are getting from us.  If it ends up helping a gardener or another grower in the process, all the better.  Both Tammy and I liked this one for the shadow contrast from this later afternoon photo on what was a very bright, sunny day.

Around the Farm Category Winner

f) Faux Mountain Range

The past couple of years, we've managed to surprise ourselves with some really good pictures very late in the year.  This year, Rob managed to get himself to go get the camera before a system that sported some beautiful clouds moved out of the picture.  I will admit that I often see things on the farm and I think that everything would be perfect for a great picture, but I don't make the effort to grab the camera.  This pictures is also a tribute to the very warm December we experienced this past year.

Best Medicine 2015

A "year in review" of humor in the blog was started a couple of years ago, so we thought we'd treat you to the same for this season.  There are two categories.  Line of the Year may appear in any type of post.  Needless to say, it may actually encompass more than one sentence/line.  Hey, it's our blog, we can use whatever rules we want!  Post of the year was selected for the perceived entertainment value.  Of course, entertainment value is subjective.  And, since the farmer and his lovely bride were the only two judges, you can feel free to comment and correct our flawed insight!  

If you wish to read any of the posts that have been highlighted here, feel free to take the links provided.

Previous Best Medicine posts are linked here: 2014,  2013,  2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
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CATEGORY - LINE OF THE YEAR
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LINE OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION
A new musical genre could be "Mock and Roll" or maybe it is a new party game?  The party game version probably requires one person to mock and the other person just rolls with it.

From Stream of Consciousness : January 30

LINE OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION

I picked the right bucket!

From Summer Festival at GFF: August 24

LINE OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION
Today's List:
   1. Do everything.
Tomorrow's List:
   1. Do what you did yesterday.
Simplicity at its finest.

From The Law of Expanding Lists (Revisited) : July 13

LINE OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION
I guess she could have said I was as "dumb as a post."  But, I am smarter than a post as long as it is made of wood, I guess.

From Harder Than It Looks : April 10

LINE OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION
Now, that's a word I think has alot going for it - "obliquely."  But, I probably shouldn't talk about it directly - it might be offended.

From November - A Quality Month : November 18

LINE OF THE YEAR - RUNNER UP

Tammy: Oh, look!  The first squinny of....

***squinny darts across the road and directly under one of the truck tires***

Tammy: Oh.

From Scents of Humor : November 24

LINE OF THE YEAR:
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?

 From Lessons in Farming IV - Synchronized Swimming : January 7

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CATEGORY - POST OF THE YEAR
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POST OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION
And not 'nough gloves to go round
Can't you see...
This is a land of contusions.

From Land of Contusions - February 14

POST OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION

7. Allow fence roll to push you onto your other side

From How to Roll Up An Electric Fence - November 16

POST OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION
The door opened up to the spider (that's a pun, get it?) and told the spider about its problem.

From The Spider in the Door: January 13

POST OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION

I am STILL cooler than you!

From The Sandman Has Spoken : December 8


POST OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION

Hugh and ONLY Hugh, can prevent florist friars.

Oooooooh.  You just HAD to, didn't you?

 From Traditions Don't Die, They Just Look Different Each Year : April 1

POST OF THE YEAR - HONORABLE MENTION

If those vines choke out the peppers but result in top quality peas, you might say we won a No Bell Peas Prize  

From Vinally! Minding Your Peas and Cukes : July 20


POST OF THE YEAR - RUNNER UP
Rob The turkeys are in there.
OSP In the freezer? That's inhumane!
Rob Um. Well, they're dead.
OSP I suppose so, it must be very cold in there.

From Know Your Okra, Know Your Farmer : November 3

POST OF THE YEAR

When the vines fall off or otherwise evade our trellis efforts, you could say we have an issue with...Escapeas!

From Minding Your Peas (and Cukes!) : July 6

the Blizzard peas STILL do not endorse Rob's puns

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