Prior to the rains that started in late June, we were feeling pretty good about how our fields looked with respect to weed control. We weren't as happy about the growth of our crops, but rain can help with that. But, since weeds are also plants, they liked the rain as well. So, our peppers, beans and eggplant between our tomatoes in the East field weren't looking as photogenic as we would normally like last Wednesday.
It's amazing what you can do with a wheel hoe.
We do have some tractor cultivating tools that we use on the farm. Sometimes, they are the best tool for the job. And, at other times, the trusty wheel hoe is our choice. Personally, I like the viewpoint I get as I walk the rows while I run a wheel hoe. Yes, yes... I know. I walk back and forth many times in order to get these results. I get that some find that to be inefficient. But, I also get exercise AND a detailed appreciation for my crop status without performing a field walk. I put the two things together this way.
Oh, now that's looking very nice.
Will I need to cultivate this field again? Of course I will. But, we should be past the bulk of the grass germination stage, which is our worst enemy in this field right now. The wheel hoe is a shallow cultivator, so we aren't bringing up a bunch of the seedbank that can be found deeper in the soil and I make sure to overlap my passes so I can be sure to turn roots up to the sun for all of the small and newly germinating weeds.
I like to get the blade moving fast enough so soil comes up over the blade in a bit of a cascade. This won't work so well if the soil has a crust on it or if the weeds are too big - and that's why you have more than one kind of tool.
I mentioned the exercise component earlier. We're actually beginning to wonder if we should teach a 'wheelhoeroebics' class at our farm. Anyone up for it? We have other fields to wheel hoe.
Early July is typically our target for mulching and caging our field tomatoes. Some years it works out beautifully and others.... not so much.
Our field tomatoes usually don't go in until the end of May, but have been known to wait until early June if the weather is difficult. We even had one season where we couldn't plant any in our fields until June 20 (yes, the farmers were a bit stressed that season). This year, we had a few plant dates with our earliest going into our Southwest field because it drains better than all of the others.
southwest field, tomatoes on the right
We prefer to give our tomatoes a few weeks to grow in the field before putting the straw down. There are a number of reasons why that might be a good decision and some reasons why it might not be. First, tomatoes don't like soil splash on the leaves, so you might think it would be wise to mulch earlier than later. But, if the plants are very small, mulching can be very difficult. And, we're not going to mulch in stages - that's just too labor intensive.
Tomatoes like warmth and we like the heat gain we get with bare soil earlier in the season. Once we get to July, that heat gain isn't so important and the soil splash protection is.
Rows cultivated, area around the plants weeded and the plants are pruned - now for straw mulch!
We prune our tomatoes right before applying the mulch. This does make mulching easier since we get rid of all of the low branches and suckers and it also removes leaves that may have been in contact with the soil. We pull these branches out of the area to avoid any spread of pathogen that might be possible.
Ah.. A farmer selfie after tomatoes in the east are mulched.
Typically caging or trellising is our last step. Growers have preferences of all sorts for trellising (from letting plants sprawl to caging to Florida stake and weave). We participated in a study several years ago researching trellising techniques and the determining factor tended to be the farmers' experience (or lack thereof) with the method.
We've been investing in collapsible square cages over the last few years and find that they match our labor requirements and farm tendencies better than other methods. We use the stake and weave method in the high tunnels and we have another trellis method for one smaller field variety. We have been moving away from the round cages we created from woven wire fencing and only have 50 or so that use those cages now.
2016 was not so friendly for our tomato mulching/caging efforts
As of July 7, we completed all of our tomato mulching and caging for our field tomatoes. Last year, our tomato field looked like the picture above on July 16. You might notice cages at the left and right, but some missing in other rows. You'll notice many weeds and no mulch. Of course, some of the issue was the weather but the reasons are almost always more complex than just a bad stretch of weather.
2016 post weeding session
Part of the difference in 2017 is a change in the distribution of the plants. We split fields rather than having them all in one field this year. We incorporated peppers, beans and eggplant with our east field. The Southwest field tomatoes are sharing with short season crops (like lettuce, pok choi, etc). We also shifted a few more of our tomatoes into the high tunnels now that we have Valhalla (our newer high tunnel) fully integrated into our growing system.
We also simplified our life by removing the plant sales component (except for direct pre-orders) and reducing the number of varieties to about 20 as opposed to the 30+ in prior years. We made a few changes in our bed-prep procedures that seemed to speed things up AND we had two returning workers this year.
Oh, and yes, the weather was friendlier this time.
One of the things that keeps me going when I have just "a few thousand more row feet" to wheel hoe is some good music.
Don't know what a wheel hoe is?
Hey! There's one leaning on the cart!
It's a walk-behind cultivator where you are the engine. Sometimes, when the soil is right and the weeds are small, you can cover a good deal of ground in a hurry. Other times, when the weeds are bigger - it can be a bit of a struggle.
Like the taller weeds in the potatoes this year
Running a wheel hoe is "serious business" folks. You have to have your game on to be successful. So, I find some good upbeat music to get me going. Maybe a little TobyMac and "This is Not a Test"
And you've got to wheel hoe like you mean it. Getting a couple of songs with a good beat always seems to help keep you going. In fact, I've been thinking about starting a class of wheel hoeroebics. Who's with me on that one? Well, maybe you'll be motivated by Switchfoot's "Say It Like You Mean It."
Once you get to the end of a row, whether it is 50 feet, 200 feet or 800 feet, you have to have some more bouncy music so you can turn around and go after it again! Maybe "Spin You Around" by the Choir will help with that?
Then, once you have completed your task, you can celebrate a little. Maybe you'll feel like you're "On Top Of the World" (Imagine Dragons).
So, why did I make this particular post? Someone asked me how it was I could wheel hoe for as long as I do. The key is the music. Some good, upbeat music goes a long ways towards encouraging me to run just one more row. And, then, just another row.
I suppose another key is that my body type is probably one of the better ones for plowing along with a wheel hoe. But, I'd rather just say it's the music.
It is ridiculously easy for us to forget to stop and appreciate the flowers that we encourage on our farm. Or, it is ridiculously easy to look at the flowers and be depressed because they are in a flower bed that has not been tended. But, their presence on the farm is supposed to remind us of all of the good things in life.
We try to get a different perspective by getting up close and personal with some of these flowers every so often. I suppose some of it is to just try my hand at taking some different photos (thank goodness for digital cameras - you can shoot a bunch of pictures and toss nearly all of them with minimal cost). But, the other reason is to force myself to fully appreciate what I am seeing and to bring my own focus on the flower WITHOUT allowing the weeds or jobs on the farm to take away from my enjoyment.
Chive flowers are always a good target - plus, you can gnaw on a stem if you want.
Sometimes, the picture I take captures what I am seeing as I look at them without a lens. Other times, I am surprised by what happens. Case in point:
Johnson's Blue Geranium
The perennial geranium loves our farm and we now have many clusters of this flower - it just likes our place. Each mound has many flowers, so it is really a different perspective to get a close up of only one or two flowers. I particularly enjoy the veining on the flower petals.
Daffodils and Pasque Flower
An earlier Spring picture turned out reasonably well, I guess. It really wasn't quite what I was seeing either. In fact, I am pretty sure that I was NOT sure what I was trying to frame when I took this photo. I am sure it won't win any awards - but I feel like I can touch the flowers here. I find that rewarding because I will sometimes take a moment and touch the flowers I am viewing just to force myself to focus and appreciate.
Fernleaf peony
And the last installment for the blog post is a fernleaf peony. Getting a good picture of this flower is nearly impossible, in my opinion. Part of the reason for it is that they don't really hold up as well as other flowers to close inspection. The structure of the flower is often loose and it always seems like they are on the back end of their peak bloom. But, we still appreciate them and grow them. And, I decided this Spring that they are texture treat for the eyes.
While it is not exactly a July thing since we took our first batch of broiler chickens to "The Park" in late June, our efforts to sell said birds actually land in July more than June - so it remains appropriate! This batch of birds resided in the pasture just Southeast of the old barn. There is/was lots of clover there and they really showed a good tendency to spread out in their area to forage - which makes us very happy. The birds were very strong and landed in the 4.5 - 6 pound range after processing. They are now at "Freezer Camp" and awaiting invitations to family dinners in the area! Interested? Contact us!
July Calendar of Events
July 4 - 5: No deliveries
July 6: Delivery 8 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltEven)
Week of July 10 - Chicken Share Deliveries Begin
July 11: Delivery 9 Waverly (Trad, WE, AltOdd)
July 13: Delivery 9 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltOdd)
July 16: Gang of Four+ at Wabi Sabi Farm
July 18: Delivery 10 Waverly (Trad, WE, AltEven)
July 20: Delivery 10 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltEven)
July 25: Delivery 11 Waverly (Trad, WE, AltOdd)
July 27: Delivery 11 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltOdd)
Perspective:
The two of us have had the opportunity to experience different careers and the life that comes with them. At one point in time, we both were involved in academia. At another, each of us worked in our fields of training (Social Work for Tammy, Computer Science for Rob). We were not strangers to hard work and long hours prior to the beginnings of the Genuine Faux Farm. This isn't really about hard work or being busy either. It's about accomplishment and the opportunity to reflect once a major task is complete.
There was a time that we would have felt that moving a 30' x 96' building from one location to another would be a major accomplishment worthy of a celebratory meal and some down time later in the day. Well, ok, there was also a time when planting a 30' x 30' garden was a reason for the same reaction as well. In fact, we did have lunch with our helpers after the building was successfully in place. Then, we went out and worked some more on other tasks. We did not spend a great deal of time basking in the glow of the accomplishment, because we had other good sized accomplishments that were due to be reached before the day was up.
In some ways, our growing season is a bit like a musical performance. There are passages that are more difficult and require significant effort by the players than others. The performers can't stop and admire what they have wrought (or stop and cringe if they make mistakes). They must continue until the piece is over. The time for reflection and basking in the glow of work well done happens when the musical piece concludes.
CSA Signup 2017
We will continue to add people to our CSA as people request and we will prorate the amount necessary for the shares.
Song of the Month The sun comes up early enough that Tammy and I usually don't have too much trouble waking up initially. But, there is awake and there is "awake." This a song we've been enjoying as a morning wake up song lately. It helps when we're having a bout of the "I don't want to's."
Recipe of the Month
Chicken Bruschetta From WebMD's Recipe Finder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided 4 (4-ounce) pieces of chicken, skin off Cooking spray 1 tablespoon olive oil 8-ounces sliced mushrooms 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 5 ounces) 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup chopped tomato 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese Preheat broiler. Combine garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon
salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle chicken with
garlic powder mixture. Place the chicken on a broiler pan coated with
cooking spray, and broil for 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is
done. Remove the chicken from pan, and keep warm. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, mushrooms, zucchini, and
minced garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, tomato,
onion, basil, and vinegar; saute 3 minutes. Serve the vegetable mixture
over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 4 servings
Field Report We have gotten our fair share of rain (and then some) over the past couple of weeks. Yes, things were starting to get on the drier side, so we were happy to be getting some rain. But, you know we're teetering on "too much" when we start to see the weeds in the field getting away from us even though we had done a very good job of getting those same fields cleaned up prior to the rains. The rain has prevented us from putting our next batch of lettuce and short season crops into the ground. Otherwise, we have planted the majority of our crops. We still need to put in succession III of cucumber, summer squash and zucchini and they are due to go in fairly soon (mid July). Rather than overdo the report and tell you about all of our crops, we'll focus on a few: Tomatoes: The tomatoes in Eden have tomatoes set on them. Most of the plants look healthy and we think we'll get a few tomatoes by the end of July (which is good for our farm as our tomato harvests tend to be strong from mid-August to October). The tomatoes in Valhalla are just in since they focus on providing us late tomatoes. Last year our Valhalla tomatoes produced into mid-November. The field tomatoes are ready to be mulched and caged, which is right on schedule. Carrots: The carrots in Eden are a bit sparser than they have been, but we were hoping to go for a bit more size this time around. Last year we seeded too heavily and didn't find time to thin. The result was a good number of smaller carrots. They tasted fine, of course, but a bunch of little carrots are a good deal harder for us to clean than fewer, larger carrots. We suspect the final volume will be about the same when all is said and done. Believe it or not, the field carrots also look pretty good. Per the norm, they are a couple weeks behind the high tunnel carrots in development. A quick weeding would be good for them, but they are general in decent shape. Napa Cabbage: There is a batch of napa cabbage in the southwest field that is starting to look like Napa cabbage should look like. Heads are not yet forming, but the outer leaves are getting larger and the plants look reasonably healthy. Our guess is mid to late July for these. The next batch is in trays and need to go into the ground. Picture of the Month
Anything that shows dead weeds and healthy plants works for us right now!
Farm News Shorts
Rob has been asked to present at a conference in Canada this year. He's never been in Canada, so we're both looking forward to it. Perhaps we'll tell everyone more about it at a later time.
Herbicide spray drift has become a bigger issue the past couple years than it ever was before. The dicamba product is subject to volatilizing and drifting after application, with the potential to travel miles before resettling. Many people, including our own operation, are reporting spotting on plants that is almost certainly from some sort of herbicide. The problem was serious before and apparently things are going to get worse before they get better. Please consider learning more about the problem so you can be a part of the solution.
Farmer selfies. This is about as close to a real selfie you'll get either of us to do.
Time to Have Pun
President Teddy Roosevelt decided to go on a big game hunt in the
jungles of Africa. While deep in the middle of the jungle, he came
across a beautiful lake. He immediately pulled out his fishing pole and
started to fish in the lake. A short time later, he caught a huge carp
and reeled it in and laid the carp down on the ground to remove the
hook. As soon as the hook was removed, the carp leaped in air and
knocked TR's wallet out of his jacket. The carp then grabbed the wallet
in its mouth, jumped into the lake and began swimming away. TR
immediately jumped into the lake and began swimming after the carp to
retrieve his wallet. Just as TR was about to catch the carp, the carp
handed TR's wallet off to a second carp. TR swam furiously after the
second carp and was closing in fast on the second carp when the second
carp handed the wallet off to a third carp, who quickly swam away from
the exhausted TR. This is the first known example of carp to carp
walleting.
Bree and Hobnob don't always show up on our blog. They are our Indoor Farm Management Staff and their jobs are extremely important.
At least that's what they tell me. Every day.
You know it's been a long day when....
Our Indoor Farm Management Staff is less than enamored with the longest days of the year that occur from mid June to mid July. They do not see their humans all that much. And, when they do, said humans are either dashing back and forth doing 'stuff' or they're hot and sweaty (and dashing back and forth) OR they're closing up things for the night and going to bed (after dashing around a bit).
That last doesn't usually matter because these two are usually ready to shut down for the night by the time the humans are ready to do so. After all, these are long days for managers too!
Bree (on the right) is clearly very tired and does not really care about her sisters plight. Hobnob, on the other hand, has the grumpy look only a cat can manage when there are cobwebs stuff to their ears.
Normally, the house staff (Rob and Tammy) takes care of any cleaning, but Hobnob decided things were getting out of hand and took matters into her own... um... ears?
After suffering the indignity of a photo, her human servant finally removed the offending cobwebs.
We have featured garlic scapes in prior posts including an excellent post authored by Elizabeth in 2014. We strongly encourage you to visit that post if you are interested in recipes for Garlic Scape infused oil, Garlic Scape Stir Fry or Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto.
The last could be modified to use other greens you might enjoy as well - and remember amounts in recipes are guidelines and can be changed to fit your personal preferences!
In recent a CSA distribution in Waverly, Tammy created Garlic Scape Pesto for our CSA members to try out and it has received positive reviews (Cedar Falls, you'll get your chance this week!) The recipe Tammy followed is based off of the following that we posted on Facebook for those who use that social media platform:
photo from allrecipes.com
Garlic Scape Pesto http://allrecipes.com/recipe/199868/garlic-scape-pesto/
"...an easy, fragrant pesto that can be spread on bread or crackers,
put on pasta, used with fish, and as a substitute for garlic, onion, or
scallions! Add to sandwiches, pasta, lamb, and fish dishes. Tastes great
mixed with mayo."
See the above website for their recipe I don't weigh out the scapes, so here is the version that fits for our CSA: - 10 garlic scapes (trim off the top (flower) and bottom that is not "bendy". - 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese (I prefer the shredded kind, vs the ground up "shaker style" - 1/2 c olive oil - 1/2 T lemon juice - pepper to taste Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator for one week or freeze (works great if you
put in ice cube trays to freeze, then pop out and store in a freezer bag
or container - just don't reuse the tray for regular ice cubes!). Variations: add kale, mustard greens or basil and slightly increase the oil.
If you want to try this recipe, we should tell you that you should LIKE garlic if you want to use this pesto. If garlic is NOT a taste you like, then you will not want to eat this pesto. On the other hand, if you love garlic, you'll love this pesto. One person suggested that they would slather it on chicken or shrimp prior to putting them on the grill.
Hey, if it can make a cheap 'saltine' type cracker taste good....
Just because we said we took our "Grand Iris Tour" of our farm one evening does NOT mean we ignored the iris on other days. However, I apparently thought that was the case until I went to download a more recent batch of photos from the camera and found MORE iris pictures.
For the iris shown here, they would be the 'late bloomers' on our farm. We had already taken our "Grand Iris Tour," then these popped open and said, "Time for another tour!"
Silverado
Silverado is another iris that has been with us since we started growing iris. It's liked some years and places we've lived better than others, but I'm not sure it's missed an appearance yet. I was beginning to wonder about it this year.
Triple Whammy
We have a couple of 'space age' iris. They are so called because the beards stand up on them. The other we have on our farm is Thornbird, which also bloomed this year and appears in the prior post.
We had a favorite named Liaison that we think went away, but this one is similar. We think the name is Prince George - or something like that. Doesn't matter, it bloomed. And we liked it. Sometimes an iris will put up a weak attempt at a flower stalk and still manage a flower - which was the case with this one this season. One thin stalk, two flower buds, and it was done.
It may seem like we grow our iris in isolation based on some of the pictures, but you can't really control iris that way. They tend to move as the rhizome's grow. The old portions die off and the new portions send up shoots the following year. The net result, you can't expect iris to stay in the exact location from year to year, but they won't move too far in one season. However, if it has been five (or ten) growing seasons, you could be surprised where they turn up!
We hope you enjoyed the addition to our Grand Iris Tour.
What happens when it rains cats and dogs on the farm?
No, really, the weather station says it was raining cats n dogs. Honest!
Well, if you are two veggie farmers who didn't sleep much the night before, you are both annoyed and happy... at the same time.
On the other hand, you begin to realize that Thursday is a CSA delivery day. Uh oh. Do we really want to harvest in that? No. So, add in some light hail and some lightning. Ugh.
Happily, the solution for this time of year and the current state of the farm is to reschedule the delivery for one of our open dates later in the season. Ok, we're back to being just fine with the situation. But, you better believe that if this happens again, we'll be figuring something out to get it all done. It just turned out to be nice that we built in a safety valve in our schedule to allow this to be dealt with in this fashion.
For those who are curious - as of 6:00 PM we were at a total of 2 inches of rain for the day (and another quarter inch the day before). The hail did very little damage - and what it did do, the plants should be able to grow out of it. No farmers were struck by lightning, though they were once again awed by how nature works.
So, what did the farmers do today? Well, Tammy had some significant work to do for her 'real' job and Rob had a good deal of record keeping, bill paying, checkbook balancing and even a little blog writing to do.
Our "official" cancellation notice is here:
======================================
We are officially canceling today's CSA and egg distribution in Cedar
Falls. If you have questions, feel free to call. Next thursday will be
delivery 7 - so odd delivery shares will still be up next week. We will
plan on doing the garlic scape pesto in Cedar Falls next week as well.
Do not fear, we have some 'off days' scheduled on the calendar and we'll
just move this delivery to one of those. You will NOT miss a delivery,
it is just getting 'relocated.'
We apologize to those of you who have already ordered eggs. If you have
great need of them, I am sure something can be arranged in the next few
days. If not, we'll see you next week.
Why are we postponing today's delivery to another date?
Well, we're really, really wet all of a sudden and we have more coming.
But, the real kicker is the lightning. We will not go out and harvest
in that. We ran hard until 10pm last night trying to get things done in
the field before the possible rain and didn't have time to harvest.
There hasn't been much chance to do anything other than normal animal
chores this morning. In short, we likely won't have enough time to get
things picked for you.
And, to be perfectly frank, none of the items we have to pick are in
desperate need for harvest. In many ways, the postponement works in
your favor since it gives crops more time to grow and move forward.
We apologize for any convenience this may have caused you.
Tammy and I have always loved our flowers. In particular, Tammy likes her daylilies and Rob is particularly fond of bearded iris. Actually, Tammy very much likes the iris and Rob very much likes the daylilies as well. So, really it's not a problem.
A few people might remember our farm when we first moved there. We brought a significant number of perennials (including iris and daylilies) from our previous location(s) and we had one fantastic garden area in the southwest portion of the farm.
A picture from 2005 or 2006 of our iris in the southwest garden area.
It's pretty amazing the number of different iris in that picture and the sheer number of blooms going on there is almost ridiculous. We would take 'grand tours' every morning and evening to enjoy them. But, as we increased our vegetable and poultry farming operations, the time we could spend on our flowers declined.
The same area in 2017 (facing the opposite direction)
We've allowed the old perennial garden to go more 'natural' over the years - mostly in response to our inability to keep it cleaned up. We moved as many of the iris and daylilies out and put them in other locations, but as you can see, some iris still persist. And, if anything, these appear to be getting a bit stronger. And, we really do not mind.
Very few of our iris seem to bloom every year, with many showing up every other year and some others gracing us only every so often. Some beds do better in one year and poorer the next. I'm sure it has something to do with different weather conditions and the micro climate we can attribute to each bed. Ok, that and... how much time we've had to do a little weeding and flower bed work.
The upshot of this is that we haven't quite had the same "Grand Iris Tours" we used to have. Part of it is the reduced number of blooms, of course. Another factor is the vague sense of disappointment that we haven't been able to maintain the flower gardens. And, perhaps it's just because we get so caught up in farm work that we don't always take the time we should to go out and view the iris (our special take on "smelling the roses" - we "view the iris").
Finally, Tammy and I purposely went out (towards the end of the bloom season) and took some pictures and enjoyed some flowers. We have shared them before. Like these pictures in 2014.
Thornbird
I'm not always sure if I remember the names correctly. At one point in time, I knew all of their names and all of their locations. But, now, I just greet them all when I see them and ask their forgiveness if I've forgotten what I should call them.
For the most part, the iris don't really seem to mind if I don't know their names. They seem secure in their own identities.
Red at Night
I suppose you could look at this a couple of ways. These big, beautiful blooms either indicate supreme confidence and self-awareness OR you could wonder if they are trying to make up for something by being so bold and showy.
Olympiad
I prefer to think that they just like sharing a little beauty with us for the short period of time that is iris bloom season.
I also suspect they take great pleasure in getting the farmers to do a double take as they zip around trying to get their work done. Maybe they are a little bit vain, laughing quietly to themselves as they notice us nearly trip as we try to get from here to there quickly while still wanting to get a second glance at what they are doing now.
St Helen's Wake
And, every once in a while, an old friend reappears after all hope of seeing them again is lost. St Helen's Wake is one of our 'oldest' friends. She was in our first batch of iris we ordered many years ago when we lived elsewhere. I was just lamenting her absence this Spring. A few days later, there she was - looking fabulous.
Other iris are reliable every season and we are no less glad to see them as we are those prodigals who return after a year (or years) of absence. Perhaps they are more sensitive to our remembering their names and they are aware that we tend to forget unless they make their yearly appearance?
Taco Supreme
And, every year we see them, we promise them that we will 'do better' for them. They know us. They are pretty certain we mean it. They also know we are unlikely to be able to do it. So, they just go about their business.
Rare Treat
Sometimes, an iris even seems to pose for us. "Go get your camera," they say. I've put on my best clothes for you and the light is just perfect for me.
And sometimes, we still take a picture, even if the light isn't right and the clothing is a little tattered after a strong wind and hot days. Some of them seem a bit embarrassed by this. Others, just appreciated that we still enjoy seeing them.
We hope you enjoyed our 2017 Grand Iris Tour. Here's to another year of flowers sharing with the farmers (and hence... with you).
Sometimes it is strange how things come back around to you. I have now had three different people ask me (recently) how things regarding our 2012 spray misapplication incident went. The weather we've been having during the month of June is reminiscent of 2012 as well. I am watching the pastures and lawn areas get browner - usually something reserved for Augusts in Iowa. And then, Practical Farmers of Iowa released a series of YouTube videos that feature my good friend and respected farmer, Andy Dunham, and some other guy with a red hat. THEN Liz at PFI suggested we submit our own op-ed in response to the excellent one by Zachary Michael Jack in the June 8, 2017 Des Moines Register. I guess that means I should do something about the topic.
Can you find the Genuine Faux Farm?
The potential for misapplication of farm chemicals (and lawn chemicals) can have negative effects for each and every one of us, whether we farm vegetables or not. And, if it isn't enough for you to be worried about your own health, consider this report that is the beginning of research that shows children are more susceptible to health issues because of the misuse of pesticides. We shouldn't be surprised by these results. In fact, I suspect most people who have ever given any thought to the topic EXPECTS there to be health issues that are related to these chemicals.
We have a problem.
And it will not go away unless we work to do something about it.
As I write this, I find myself thinking negatively about any number of things. The problem seems unsolvable - even when I feel like it shouldn't be a problem at all. Every year I get doses of the attitude that says "You live in Iowa, so deal with it."
But, I read the last lines I wrote in that post.
"We are better than this. We are capable and innovative.
Now we just
have to be willing to admit there is a problem and address it."
Chemical overuse and misapplication is a huge problem, which means we can't fix it immediately. It will take more than one season of awareness and effort. This is what I refer to as a "long-haul problem." We've got to dedicate ourselves to doing the right thing and sticking with it year after year. And, then, when we think we've got it figured out, we need to re-apply ourselves to keep it that way.
This fight is worth fighting because we aren't just standing up for ourselves - we're standing up for others who can't (or won't) stand up for themselves. It's just beginning.
In my opinion, education and communication are ALWAYS key parts to solving any problem and Practical Farmers of Iowa has been working to build resources with respect to drift issues for the past several years.
Here is a short video that outlines these resources. It is worth a few minutes to take a look and see what is out there.
And, our farm (Genuine Faux Farm) is not taking a vacation from the subject either. For example, we volunteered to be 'drift catchers' for a season and we worked to get information about what others can do to try to make a difference (2015).
And, then, that crazy farmer with the red hat shows up in a series of videos available to the general public like this one:
I fully understand that the world is full of problems and that it is difficult to find the energy to care about it all. If you are like me, it causes physical and mental pain to consider them. Is it easier to give up because it is just too much? If we allow ourselves to care, how can we manage to be happy and live a good life? I get the feeling that many people get overwhelmed and take this approach ("There are just too many bad things, so I will ignore them and I'll feel better.")
Well, I challenge that premise. Why? Because the premise of "I can't deal with it so I'll ignore it" does nothing to help you be happy nor does it mean you will be allowed to live your "good life."
A better answer is to start learning about the problem NOW so you can be ready to act when the situation arises where YOU are placed in a position to do something. But, what might some of those situations be that YOU could find yourself in? Don't think it will ever happen? Think again.
If you are in your vehicle on a road and it gets hit by droplets from a spray plane, you have just witnessed a chemical misapplication. Watch the video with Liz and find out where you can go to report this incident.
If you have an opportunity to speak to a legislator, ask them about what their stance is regarding chemical misapplication. By simply asking the question, you raise the topic to a level where they too might be ready to act when the right ideas come along. If you have taken some time to learn some of the details, you can effectively advocate for change.
When you go to the doctor, you should ask them about what is known regarding agricultural and lawn chemicals and their impact on our health. Perhaps you could encourage the medical community to begin sharing that information more readily?
If a friend, neighbor, acquaintance or family member tells you about a time when they were harmed by a misapplication incident, you should encourage them to follow through with the reporting process. Take them to the proper linked resources. Every rural Iowan has at least three incidents that they did nothing about because they either didn't know what to do OR they were afraid to rock the boat.
In the end, the reality is that farmers who use herbicides, pesticides and fungicides typically are not evil, "twirl the mustache and laugh a villain's laugh" people. They want to do a job and they don't really want to hurt others. But, somehow, we've gotten to a point where the use of chemicals is so prevalent we aren't thinking it is worth enough of our attention to make a difference. Let's change that.
Here we are, in the month of June. And, we wonder how we got here. But, since it is a new month, we need a new newsletter. I am not sure who made that rule up, but we're going to try and follow it anyway.
May Calendar of Events
June 1: Delivery 4 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltEven, Trav)
June 6: Delivery 5 Waverly (Trad, WE, AltOdd, Trav)
June 7: Delivery 5 Tripoli (Trad, WE, AltOdd, Trav)
June 8: Delivery 5 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltOdd, Trav)
June 12: Turklets Arrive at the Farm
June 13: Delivery 6 Waverly (Trad, WE, AltEven, Trav)
June 14: Delivery 6 Tripoli (Trad, WE, AltEven, Trav)
June 15: Broiler Chicks (Flock 2) Arrive
June 15: Delivery 6 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltEven, Trav)
June 18: Gang of Four+ at Scattergood Friends School Delivery 7 ***Traveler 20 Break Begins***
June 20: Delivery 7 Waverly (Trad, WE, AltOdd)
June 21: Delivery 7 Tripoli (Trad, WE, AltOdd)
June 22: Delivery 7 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltOdd)
June 27: Delivery 8 Waverly (Trad, WE, AltEven)
June 28: Delivery 8 Tripoli (Trad, WE, AltEven)
June 29: Delivery 8 Cedar Falls (Trad, WE, AltEven)
June 30: Broiler Flock 1 to "the Park"
Festival News: First Order of Business - No Faux Fun Spring Festival this
year.
Why? Well, we weren't getting too much interest and frankly, we
weren't pushing it too hard either. The May weather set us back
and we're working hard to catch up. We thought we might try to
turn the event into a moving the high tunnel day WITH the
festival, but the wind predictions don't look favorable (though
the forecast keeps changing).
But, the "C" in CSA stands for "Community," so we are interested
in doing things that continue to support that concept. So, here
are some of the things we are looking at:
Summer Festival and Tom Sawyer Work Day August 26
Mark your calendars and save that date. The 26th is a Saturday.
The Tom Sawyer portion runs from 1pm-4pm and includes set up and
preparation for the festival. If you are willing to come early
and help set up some tables, cut heirloom tomatoes for tomato
tasting or other sorts of preparation, please let us know.
Over the last couple of years, this festival has featured live
music, artistic endeavors (painting and chalk drawing), a farm
scavenger hunt, farm tours, turkey feeding, lawn games and the
ever popular 'push the green carts around the farm.' We have also
provided a GFF turkey for sandwiches in the past.
If you would like to help us do more with this festival, we'd
like to hear from you. Do you do face painting? Would you like
to help lead some sort of artistic project? Anyone want to set up
a game area? We have no need to make it terribly complicated, but
we do want you all to enjoy the event. Share ideas and suggest
what you might want to do and we'll see where it takes us.
As far as the live music goes, we could see if the Buskers would
like to play again this year, or we could consider someone else.
Are there suggestions? Let us know.
Monthly Events at CSA Distributions
We see you, often briefly, at our CSA distributions most weeks
and we're wondering if you might like to do a bit more at some of
these distributions? Our move to St Andrew's Church in Waverly
frees us up to do more things there and we have support from
Hansen's Outlet in Cedar Falls. Here are some ideas to start with
and we'd love to hear your ideas:
- Farmer Rob could challenge people to a timed game of chess or
Farmer Tammy could set up a cribbage board. And, if you want, we
can arrange to have more than one chess board for others to enjoy
a little time outdoors and play. Other games could be arranged,
but there is always the issue of possible wind or rain. Tammy
likes cribbage and Rob likes Ticket to Ride.
- When the heirloom tomatoes and peppers come in, Tammy would be
willing to work with others to make a nice big pot of pico de
gallo and if we can get some people to bring different kinds of
chips we can all snack ourselves silly. Perhaps we can do some
other things along these lines? Maybe we should make some basil
lemonade?
Tom Sawyer Work Days and Work For Food Events
We have already held two WFF (Work For Food) events and admit
readily that they are geared towards college students who are
willing to do a few things on the farm if there is a Tammy cooked
meal as a reward. We hope to do this again in the Fall.
The Tom Sawyer Events were, at one time, fairly popular, but we
found much less interest in the last few years. Last year we had
a pop-up TSD when we needed help putting plastic on one of our
buildings (again, our thanks to all who participated).
We would be pleased to entertain the idea of a TSD event with a
potluck at the end. The key here is that the farmers need enough
help that they have to spend so much time in set up and clean up
that the benefit of the work is moot. Does something along these
lines interest you? If it does, we need to hear WHO is interested
and WHEN you might like to do these things. For that matter, if
you tell us WHAT sort of things you might like to help with at the
farm, we'll see where we can go.
CSA Signup 2017
We will continue to add people to our CSA as people request and we will prorate the amount necessary for the shares.
Song of the Month Alright by Aaron Sprinkle. It's a good song when you get a little grumpy about raccoons in the chickens, woodchucks in the melons, rabbits in the chard, soil that is too wet, soil that is too dry, lost emails, sore hands and tired feet. It'll be Alright.
Recipe of the Month
Spring Veggie Frittata
Easy vegetable dish for breakfast or dinner. Experiment
with additional vegetables, spices or meats. This is REALLY GOOD!
Ingredients: 1 c chopped asparagus
½ c sliced mushrooms 2 green onions, chopped spinach (as much or as little as you like)
1-2 T butter or olive oil
4 lrg eggs
1/3 c shredded cheese
Directions:
Sautee vegetables in skillet with oil until tender (use
2-3 T water to help steam veggies). Add chopped spinach and stir. Don’t
over cook vegetables. Make sure some oil remains in skillet so
eggs won’t stick.
Whip eggs until fluffy. Add shredded cheese. Pour into
skillet, cover and cook approximately 5 minutes over medium heat or
until eggs fluffy and cooked through.
Field Report We thought we might finally be dry enough to play in the dirt and found out that we aren't entirely correct. Some of the fields are dry for the first inch and then gummy underneath. It's just part of what we deal with on our farm. However, we have managed to put in some tomatoes, more radish, kale, napa cabbage, pok choi, lettuce, broccoli and onions. There is so much more to put in the ground! We'll keep you informed as things go in. Our first cucumber succession is official done. The heavy storms we had a week plus ago took them out, it just took them a while to realize they were finished. We're looking at some losses in the winter squash and watermelon as well. It's early enough that we should be able to replant - it just means we have to find the time to do that. On the other hand, the carrots in the high tunnel AND the field look decent this year. The peas are marginal, but they should produce something. The potatoes are germinating (finally) and we have some lettuce that is starting to look really good. Picture of the Month
Farm News Shorts
Rob is finally getting a bit more help at the farm. Tammy is able to spend more time at the farm now that Wartburg graduation is complete. Of course, she still has things to do for her job, but she can spend more time here than she can while school is in session. Jocelyn joined us for four days this week and we hope she decides to come back after yesterday's 'bug fest' with no breeze at the farm. Emma and Caleb start next week, which brings us to a full compliment for the summer months.
How do we forget this every year? Our hands. They hurt. And they're dry and rough. We always make it through, but there is a two to three week period where we wonder a bit about it!
Stormy weather. The month of May included a three day period where we had several severe storms pass through the area. We had wind gusts that topped out at 70 mph, 50mph, 49 mph and 48 mph during that period and we also had small hail and downpours. But, the real kicker was the dust cloud that accompanied the 70 mph gust.
Essentially this is what Rob saw coming at the farm. Picture from KGAN CBS 2
I did not have time to go get a camera - I was too busy running around. What you see in the picture is a wall of dust that has been picked up off all of the freshly tilled and planted fields in the state. I was trying to get buildings closed up, animals secured and everything under cover. I did not quite get it all done and found myself outside when the dust hit. Now I know what sandblasting feels like. I could smell soil, ash and herbicides in the mix to make it even more surreal. I think I might still be pulling dirt out of my nose and ears from this event.
Tammy was on her way home and had to ride this out in the car just a mile or two away. Corn stubble pelted the car and was plastered to one side once she got home.
In one of the 50 mph gusts, nearby Tripoli was hit by higher windspeeds and numerous large trees were downed with some real damage to buildings. We are hoping that we've had our weather adventures for the year.
Time to Have Pun
Asparagus - the weather was cool, then it warmed up and the
asparagus said - OK! It is now the age of asparagus. Just don't
get me to tell you about the awning of the cage of asparagus... it
needs some repair, I think.
