Derecho, Pollinators and PACTPA

I would like to invite you to do some additional reading this time around.  This blog will feature links, photos and quotes from the blogs I have written for Pesticide Action Network's GroundTruth blog.

The biggest difference between what I write for PAN and what I write here is that I spend MUCH more time checking and double checking facts and resources.  But, that's not all that is different.  I put even more research into what I write for PAN and I have to pack more information into fewer words.  Here, at least, I can write a post for as long or short as I feel like writing!

But, the coolest difference?  I actually have people who read and edit what I write and give me feedback.  Oddly enough, I find that process affirming - so good for me.

I wanted to share what I have written since I took the job with PAN in April of this year.  What I will not include are the monthly Iowa Newsletters - instead I'll share links and small tidbits of the blogs.  I encourage you to take these links, enjoy reading - and then I'd like you to consider signing up to follow us as we try to make a difference in the world.  Be a part of the change process.

Gone with the wind: More uncertainty for rural Iowa

"We know recovery is still very much on our minds right now. If you are struggling, we hope you find the strength to ask for the help you need. If you were fortunate, then we hope you will find strength to provide that help."

The Anniversary we did not want

"I need you to learn how chemical-intensive agriculture has costs that we all, farmers included, must pay.  And I need you to understand enough of what it feels like so you are motivated to join PAN in building a food and farm system free of the negative impacts of pesticides. I want you to see how important this is without going through what we have experienced. 

The final stages of healing will come for me only when we make a real difference. We’ll know we made that difference when our food and farm system is characterized by respect, sustainability, diversity, and justice."

New GE corn would be a disservice to farmers

"Change requires us to climb new learning curves and it can make us feel uncomfortable. We make mistakes as we adjust and we certainly reserve the right to be unhappy about being forced to adapt. We even feel a bit of resentment that the ‘old methods’ no longer provide the same rewards. 

But, that doesn’t alter the fact that we must move on rather than cling to past success."

Cultivating a pollinator paradise

"Our farm sees pollinators as important employees, and we do what we can to pay them by providing food and habitat throughout the year. We maintain permanent wild areas and avoid disturbing the soil in parts of the farm so ground-nesting bees and other friendly critters can have a place to thrive."

PACTPA: Putting people before pesticides

This one represents a departure because it is the first "organizational voice" blog I have written for PAN.  All of the others are using my "farmer voice."  If you know me and my writing, you will see that it still sounds like me, but it is not intended to make that personal connection.  This is supposed to be PAN informing and encouraging you to consider something important.  Eventually, the "farmer voice" will also "speak" on this topic too.

"The proposed Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act (full text here) addresses many of FIFRA’s shortcomings.  This bill provides significant protections for frontline communities that bear the brunt of pesticide exposure, prohibits the use of old stockpiles of banned pesticides, and requires listing of inert ingredients on all pesticide products."

I'd want more tools than just a hammer

"The idyllic picture of the traditional farm in the United States often features the sun coming up over a big red barn. A rooster crows in the background and a few cows walk their path to the pasture. There are all sorts of green in different shades and forms, implying a variety of healthy crops. Perhaps there is a hay bale or an old tractor in that picture as well. And the farmer, if visible at all, might be wearing a broad-brimmed hat, hiding their face from the sun and from your view."

 

I want to grow healthy food for you, here is what's stopping me

This blog is the one that introduced me to the Groundtruth blog.  But, to be honest, it wasn't until the second blog (the hammer blog shown above) that I felt I really hit the kind of writing I wanted to feature with PAN.  Still, I am not displeased with this one either.

"The continued over-use and off-target applications of pesticides are negatively impacting the environment in which we grow your food.  We have noticed spotty germination of many of our direct-seeded crops that cannot be attributed to the seed or natural causes, but are consistent with herbicide residual effects. We have observed inhibited plant growth in our peppers, tomatoes and squash, indicating the likelihood of dicamba drift damage. 

It seems that our only choice is to stop growing."

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I hope you enjoy taking a look at some of the writing I have produced for PAN.   Thus far, I am proud of what I have written - even if I look at a few things now and wonder if I should go back and adjust something here and there.  But, I consider that a positive sign - because I am continuing to learn and grow.

Another neat thing about this opportunity is that many of my farm photos are useful for the Ground Truth blog.  All but the photos in the 'Derecho' blog and the photo for the 'PACTPA' blog are mine.  It's a great opportunity and I hope that I can make a difference by using words and pictures - by encouraging you to do the little - and the big - things that will make change happen.

Local Foods Reality Check

editor's note: I started this post in January.  I am finishing it in August.  That tells you three things:
1. The post was going to require a great deal of energy to complete.
2. I felt it was worthwhile to find the energy to complete it.
3. While I may not have found the energy to complete it, I am going to do my best anyway!

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'Tis the season (January) that small farms, such as ours, begin to feel the pressure that is building for the coming year.  Seeds really do need to be ordered and supplies need to be acquired if we are actually going to 'enter the abyss' one more time.  Organic certification packets need to be completed, decisions need to be made regarding advertising.  At the same time, taxes and reporting for the prior year need completion. 

Meanwhile, the various local food and farming organizations fight for some of our attention before our season really gets going and we have none to spare.  There will be 'local foods' dinners and 'local foods' fairs/promotions.  Nice things will be said and implied promises will be made.

I don't get as excited about these events and all of the promise of a new season as I did at one point in time.  There really is no secret to it.  This is simply what happens over time when the good words are not followed by good action.  Or, when the good actions just don't line up and all of the positive feelings you had evaporate in the reality of what the current day brings.

Caveats for the Current Reality?
Here is where I give a nod to the current situation where we are facing a pandemic and (finally) facing up to the fact that we do not treat all segments in our population equitably.  These are both REALLY big deals and are deserving of our energy to make things better on all fronts for all people.

But, maybe we need to stop hiding behind the excuses that there is so much going on right now and seize the opportunity that is now - a time to become better in so many ways. 

The main theme?  Being and doing better for each other - despite our differences.  And, being and doing better for the earth's environment and the communities that live on it.

Questionable Priorities on all Sides
Small farms and businesses pursue the almighty dollar most effectively when they manage to hit the current convenience, entertainment or pleasure item.  In states where it is legal, food growers are looking to cannabis because the money looks like it will pay out for them better than if they grow the nutritious food they had previously grown.  Other growers chased the winery trend and still others chased or are chasing the hops phase.  In some ways, I have a hard time arguing with this because it is true - you can make more money with those crops (at the moment) than you can with produce and people ARE more likely to patronize you if you make things more convenient.  But, these things all shift and change - and it's not always so easy to completely overhaul a farm each time that happens.

We (the royal we) sell cookies, chocolate, sweet breads, pies and other pre-made, non-local and not necessarily all that good for us or our world items to raise money so our children can be involved in various activities.  Some of these activities make one wonder about what we value as well - especially when we opt not to fund so many worthwhile school activities that could benefit all students.  Instead, we fund-raise and support many who already have the means and opportunity to participate.

People will shell out money for a decorative, non-edible pumpkin, little haybales, shocks of corn stalks, but they question the price of a cucumber (or two).  All while holding a $5.75 latte' purchased at the chain coffee place down the street.

We put together and host 'local foods dinners or events' and seek out local foods for those events... once or twice a year.  Schools can be counted as part of a "successful" Farm to School program if they purchase local once a year.  A big deal is made by a grocery that they purchased cucumbers from a local farm after they pick up a fifty pound crate and sell it all quickly - but never order from that farm again.  In each case, everyone looks good to the general public.  Promotion accomplished.  On the other hand, the farmer begins to wonder why they even bother chasing these accounts for the once a year feel good fest.

Small, local farms, orchards, vinyards, etc. keep looking for agri-tourism ideas to put themselves in front of the public and hopefully have a successful face that drives people to continue to patronize them and buy their product.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with these events, there is something not quite right about a farm that is working very hard to produce high quality food having to ADD entertainment value to get you to buy their product.

We Do Not Value Food

Apparently, "food" is too easy for us and we do not value it - and I speak to us all individually and as a community and society.  And before you tell me that I am only saying this because our farm sells food and we want to be grumpy, allow me to point out that we have been scaling back and we have less of a personal stake in this game than we once did.  We will not return to the CSA program that our farm provided from 2005 to 2019.  We might continue to do the farm credit program that we're trialing this season.

And I STILL believe we do not value our food.  

We ALMOST started to value our food as the pandemic started putting some bumps in the misguided and poorly designed food supply chain that we have allowed to be developed over the past century.  I will admit that some people who were already paying some attention to where their food came from are re-dedicating themselves to that particular task - and I applaud them whole-heartedly.  This post should only be a re-affirmation for them.

Unfortunately, what I have written here is directed to those who won't read this post.  This is for the person who jumped on the CSA bandwagon this Spring, filling up my farmer peers' subscription lists and raising their hopes that maybe things will really get moving for local foods.  I have seen this before - this zeal and excitement.  And, I have watched it fade rapidly.  If past history is any indication, I predict that 75% of the new CSA subscribers that jumped on getting a share this year will not return for 2021.

Prove me wrong.  Prove me wrong without needing a pandemic or other disaster to encourage you.

Please.

Available at GFF August 19

 

We will have a slightly different schedule tomorrow, please read carefully.  We will ONLY be at St Andrew's during a slightly later time slot.  The "other" jobs are getting in the way tomorrow!  Also note, we are limiting egg orders to 1 doz per family this week.

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Waverly : Wednesday August 19  5:30-6:00 pm St Andrew's Church parking lot

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Delivery Method: Please maintain appropriate physical distancing.  We will place your order into a tray and put it on our table.  Once we step away, place your order in your bag/box you bring.  then set the tray in the 'dirty' pile next to the table.                                                  

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Available to members (order by 1pm today!):
    eggs - $3.50/dozen (limit 1 doz unless you order for two families)

    green beans $3/pound (lots of beans!)

   green bean FREEZING/CANNING special order 5 pounds or more - $2/pound!  We estimate we have 60 pounds currently picked and more coming in.

   garlic $2 head

   frozen broiler chicken $3.60/pound (avg 4-5 pounds)

   eggplant $1 each (only a few)

  snack/cherry tomatoes $3/pint

   tomato $3/pound

   cucumbers (Boothby's Blonde) - 2 for $1 (limited)

   zucchini - $1 ea (limited)

   Green bell peppers - 2 for $1

     

We will send out a gentle reminder after 1pm that will confirm orders so that you will know if we have what you wanted.

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THE GFF NEWS

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1. Upcoming Schedule

• August 19 - Waverly (St Andrew's)
• August 27 - Cedar Falls (Jorgensen Plaza)
• Sept 2 - Waverly (St Andrew's and Yogi Life)
• Sept 10 - Cedar Falls (Jorgensen Plaza)
• Sept 15 (Tuesday)- Fresh Broiler Chicken delivery (anticipated - no egg/veg delivery this week)
• Sept 22 (Tuesday) - Waverly (St Andrew's and Yogi Life)
  

2. Crop & Poultry Report

The potatoes are ready for harvest and we hope to be able to get to that in the coming week.  This year, we only have a couple hundred row feet of potatoes and they are the blue and red fleshed varieties (no yellow or white).  The other planting rotted in the ground with the early wet weather.  Green beans are going very well right now - which is one of our favorites to eat, so we are happy about that.  Tomatoes and peppers are just starting to show up and should be with us for the next month or two. 

The turkeys are learning to do what we call a 'crowd gobble,' which can be very amusing at times, but much less so if you have a headache!  Our flock was quite calm earlier in their lives but they are now showing much more spunk.  Whether that is good or not, it doesn't matter, because that's who they are right now! 

The new hens (they are graduating from the name henlet) have revealed that they do, in fact, have a rooster among them.  The new rooster is an Americauna breed and we have decided to name him Stu.  Welcome Stu, we hope you are a decent barnyard manager.

3. New blog material for you

We have MORE good posts in the past week plus.  We hope you enjoy at least some of them.

• We have a follow up post on the derecho storm that went through Iowa last Monday.
• There is a mildly amusing post with respect to the social media metrics we get fed to try to entice to feed Facebook money.
• We took a moment and looked at an old newsletter item from 2008 and updated it for 2020.
• And finally, a post featuring Twin Springs in Decorah.
  

4. Update on the Farmers

We have had some cooler weather the past couple of days and we can't be blamed if we are starting to feel like it is Fall.  The daylight hours are rapidly changing, as are our expectations for the season.  On top of it all, the Wartburg school year is starting sooner than usual as part of their response to the pandemic.  Thus far, I think it would be fair to say that Tammy and I feel like 2020 has been a roller coaster ride on a rickety wood frame that is currently on fire.  There has been a fair amount of yelling, but we're still rolling!

Our current strategy is to try to prepare the farm as best as we can for 2021.  While we are starting some late, cold season crops, we are preferring to get some projects done that will allow us to be in a better position for future efforts.  This was, after all, the entire point of stepping back a bit in 2020 and it would be a poor payoff to ignore that decision.  Even with that decision, we are still a bit overwhelmed by the length of the things that reside on our 'to do' list.  But, you all know us by now - we're going to give it our best effort.

5. 2020 Pre-Paid Farm Credit Program

We will run the system in $50 increments.  In other words, you can purchase a minimum of $50 of farm credit at a time.  We will cap the maximum amount of credit at $200 and you can refill your farm credits at any point.

Like the CSA program, this gives you the advantage of not having to pull out money at each delivery.  Instead, we will have a ledger with tracking for your current credit balance.  This also provides us with some working capital to start the season.  Also, like the CSA program, we will give participants better pricing and opportunities than those who might prefer to 'pay as they go.'

A major difference this year is that farm credits can be used for ANY farm product the Genuine Faux Farm offers.  If you buy farm credits, you can apply them to purchasing meat chickens, vegetables, eggs or any other thing we offer this year.

We are accepting purchases of credits now and throughout the season.

6. Welcome!

If you are new to this email newsletter for the Genuine Faux Farm, we would like to welcome you.  If you are an 'old hand,' we want you to feel welcome too - but we were gently reminded that we need to introduce people a bit more to the system.

The basics are as follows:

  - we deliver once per week - alternating between Waverly and Cedar Falls locations.

  - Waverly is on Wednesdays

  - Cedar Falls is on Thursdays

  - anyone with farm credits can order from either location, you just have to arrange to get what you order.

  - to order, you only need to respond to this email - sent the day prior to the delivery.

  - a "gentle reminder" email is sent the day of the delivery.  This email confirms that we have received orders by listing those from whom we have received orders.

 - delivery instructions will be in this email each week.  Please pay attention as circumstances may require a change.

Be Well!

Rob & Tammy

Cleaning Up After the Storm

On August 10, a massive storm of the type everyone in Iowa now knows is called a derecho (pronounced: dr ay cho) blew through our state with devastating effect.  Our blog had a post the next day that addressed the situation as we understood it at the time.  We were fortunate to be North of the wide band of destruction.  Our farm and home was spared from experiencing the difficulties so many others are dealing with right now.  

Starting in the late morning hours last Monday both of us were getting a bit nervous and edgy.  At first, we weren't quite sure why that was, but we found ourselves looking at the sky - over and over again.  We know, after many years of working outside at the farm, that our weather sense is sharper than many people.  There was a frightening energy that day, but we never did see the approach of an ominous sky on our horizon.  We soon learned that many other folks in the state did see such a thing - and then they experienced those storms as they rolled right over their homes, farms and communities.

We did take a trip to help family and people we know and brought supplies, some items for a meal and whatever meager help we could manage.  And we saw things we've seen before - but never thought we'd see so many times or so extensively in one trip.  There were multiple grain storage bins that were crushed like soda pop cans - it didn't seem to matter if they had grain in them or if they were empty.  We saw field after field of flattened crops.  Every town we drove through looked like a tornado had gone through and damaged pretty much EVERY property. 

As more pictures and videos came out, we also saw things we had not seen before.  Things like Harvestore silos looking like... well, this.

At about 5pm on Monday, the number of customers without electricity stood around a half million.  Over 1/3 of the customers tracked in Iowa.  At 3PM on August 17 - almost exactly one week later - there are still over 68,000 power outages in the state.  

Let's put this in perspective.  We were on the farm in February of 2007 when an ice storm hit Iowa (and surrounding states).  According to the National Weather Service summary I linked here, over 180,000 were left without power -some for a little more than a week.  We were among those without power for a few days.  The good news?  It was cold enough to keep freezers frozen and warm enough to allow us to use supplemental heat and keep our water pipes from freezing in the house.  But, we do know what it is like to be without water (we have a well) and to worry from moment to moment about how we would deal with all of the things that come about in these situations.

It isn't easy.

I admit that nature and its weather fascinates me, so it has been hard to not look at more information regarding this storm.  I also admit that I feel a need to justify for myself why so much damage occurred.  I saw much of it with my own eyes - yet I still need verification.  It doesn't make sense.  Yet it does.

 So, How Can We Help?

We recognize that our jobs probably will preclude our doing much more personally to help, though we will not rule that out.  But, there are other ways we (and you) could consider helping.

State Auditor Rob Sand recommends donating to the Iowa Community Action Agency for the region you wish to aid.  Similarly, he has suggested that a local United Way organization may also be a safe and effective way to help.

As with all disasters, other options may pop-up, but it can be hard to tell what is legitimate and what is not.  I've appreciated Sand's forthright approach to things and feel his recommendation can be trusted.  Now, of course, the focus here is on the Cedar Rapids area, where the bulk of the affected population is. 

Iowa Public Radio has published this article that illustrates ways you can seek help if you have lost work or need help with damage due to the storm.  The Iowa Department of Human Services also put together a Derecho Resources page that includes applications to apply for food loss relief if you meet income guidelines and a disaster assistance grant (with similar income restrictions).  KWWL also developed a page to help people figure out how they can help - including helping with cleanup.  

This is going to be a long haul problem in our state.  I tend to agree with Art Cullen that we're going to see larger derechos more often than we have in the past.  And, before I go on, I want to point out that we experience a derecho every couple of years on average in Iowa.  We just don't typically experience one that is this big.

Bigger Picture Problems

We are playing a losing game with our corporate agriculture approach that promotes only a couple of commodity crops in the state.  We're destroying our soil, which was once our strongest asset (and still could be).  Corn and soybean farmers were already farming at a loss this year unless, perhaps, they were certified organic.  Even if the insurance covers their crop damage, it still represents a loss.

We keep kicking the can down the road for various infrastructure services rather than taking an initial loss so we can be prepared for disaster.  Downed power lines in the Midwest are not new.  When will we bite the bullet and bury lines in areas where it makes sense to do so?  No - I am not one of those "bury them all" people.  It makes no sense to bury lines in flood zones, for example.  And, lines that carry heavier loads are probably not the best candidates.  But, we do have numerous lighter load lines in stable soil that is not prone to flooding AND that are in areas that have lost poles multiple times.  And, our prevailing storm winds are pretty well known in Iowa.  Why do we put poles on the side of a road where they'll block the road if they come down?  I agree that nothing is perfect - but we can do better than we are right now.

And while I am at it - as long as we do not make our Emergency Medical Services in Iowa a priority we run the risk of experiencing more loss during catastrophes such as the latest derecho.  

If we aren't learning from our current struggles, then we aren't paying enough attention.  And even if we pay attention, there is almost too much to learn if we are going to stay on top of it all.

 photo credit: Audrey Staples

So-Called Media Madness

I have long been a skeptic regarding social media and I admit that part of that skepticism comes as a result of my education background in Computer Science.  When you add in the fact that many desire to make money via social media, I get even more uneasy.  Top that with the fact that many otherwise decent people seem to think they can comport themselves like monsters via electronic communications methods and there you have it - a summary of most of what makes me uneasy with so-called social media.

And yet, our farm has been posting regularly on Facebook for many years and on Twitter for several months now.  If I feel as I profess, why do I even bother?

That's a great question with a much more complex answer than you might think!  Are you ready to go on a ride with me?  You might pick up some insights as to how social media works for a small business or farm like ours and you will certainly get some ideas as to how silly some of it is as well.  I promise, I'll do my best to keep it lively!

How Do You Reach People?

This is not a new question to small businesses.  Marketing has been a complex problem since the time Grog the Caveman opened up his "Used Stone Wheel Lot."  When I was growing up, the options to a small, local-sales business (or farm) would be local radio, local newspaper, the phone book, posters and signs, bulk mailing, phone or door-to-door soliciting, guest presentations and sponsoring local events.  Oh... and let's not forget word of mouth.

Unfortunately for small businesses, the phone book is gone and most local newspapers and radios have closed up shop.  My apologies, of course, to the local radio stations and newspapers that still exist - but a small business has to have enough of a budget to use those resources and you must admit that their reach has declined, making it difficult to put that down as an expense line item.  What has been moving in and trying to take their places are a myriad of online options.   Some are specialized for a certain kind of product and others, like Facebook and Twitter, cater to those who want to get a message out there... somewhere... sort of.  

For example, we had a listing for several years with Local Harvest.  Over that period, we had a total of five contacts for a total of two CSA shares as a result of our listings there.  We have an account on Iowa MarketMaker as well.  In fact, we were one of the first farms to list (three contacts total and no sales).  We've continued to put our names out there in the Cedar Valley's Buy Fresh Buy Local and maybe get a contact or two per year from that which may or may not pan out.  Part of the issue?  People have to know to go to these places first before they can (possibly) find our farm.  The advertising venue needs to advertise...

In other words, if the Genuine Faux Farm wants to reach people, it has to find a venue that reaches people.  The problem with that?  How do you keep track of what venue is currently attracting people and then move to that venue to reach potential customers?  

Well, in some ways, we gave up on that pursuit and simply went where there were people who were already our customers so we could stay in touch with them.  The theory is certainly not all bad as it is really just a version of the word-of-mouth approach.  Keep the people who already know you and support you informed.  If you need to reach more people to increase sales, you tell the people you already  know - and hopefully it works out.  In fact, the returns are usually higher for word of mouth than any other marketing approach we have tried over the years.

This is still a difficult proposition however.  You can never be quite sure that email is getting where it is supposed to go.  And, if it does, is it being read?  Generally speaking if 1/4 of those you send an email too actually OPEN it up, you are said to be doing quite well.  Huh.  And, those are the people who said they wanted to hear from you!

The Silliness That Is Social Media Metrics

Here you go people!  If you do not maintain a page for a small business or an organization, you are going to get a glimpse into the 'tools' that Facebook provides to 'help' you grow interest in your business.  

(Quick caveat - this is not a tutorial and I am NOT going into all of the details.  We're just going to have some fun with it - ok?)

First up - the "LIKE."  Our farm page has over 700 'likes' on Facebook.  I know other comparable farms that have much more than that and others that have less.  I'll just point out one thing about a 'like.'  It can come from anyone from anywhere.  If you sell product around Tripoli, IA and have 700 likes, then that would be something if all 700 come from the Tripoli area.  According to our metrics, we have more people who 'like' us that live in Canada than those that identify as being from Tripoli.  Oops.

Now, don't get me wrong - I appreciate remaining in contact with these people in Canada.  But, if my page is intended to help my business do better and I don't sell to Ontario....

Here is what set this whole blog post rolling:

Note the "Get More Likes, Comments and Shares - This post is performing BETTER than 95% of other posts on your page...."

Facebook wants me to pay them money to help get more people to see this post because it is already doing well... ok, it is doing "better than 95% of my posts."  At the bottom you can see 94 people "reached" and 25 "engagements."  In general, a "reach" is when someone has this post scroll by on their screen.  An "engagement" is anything from clicking the "like" button to taking the link to the blog or putting in a comment.  Please note that I suspect they will count one person three times if they do all three of those things, but I haven't worked to confirm that - 'cuz it's not that important to me.

Hooray!  94 people scrolled my little post from the bottom to the top of their screen faster than a banner tied to a rocket.  Oh.. and maybe 7 to 10 of them slowed down enough to visit the blog or hit the like button... and just maybe someone even typed a comment.  Shares count as an engagement too - but the 2 shares you see on this post are mine.  I shared them to my own Facebook page and the CSA Group page.  So, I count for two of those engagements...  Yay me!

Here is a post that the post above is doing "BETTER" than.

See!  There are only 230 people reached and 63 engagements.  THAT'S less than.... uh.  no.  It's not.  Hmmm.

Ok, let's try another:

 There.  See, only 2240 people reached.  That's.... um... no.

We actually had the 'boost this post because it's doing better than 95%" on the top two posts shown in the figure above.  I am trying to figure out where the 95% of my posts are that did less well than the two most recent posts.... hmmmm.

Ok.  So, I get a little annoyed with 'squishy' numbers in the first place.  The definition given by social media sites for their metrics are a bit imprecise to begin with because they don't want to 'give away' how they measure things.  What it really means is they don't really want people like me to hold them accountable if they fail to measure something properly.  That, and, well... they want to feed their clients some numbers so they think they are getting a return of some kind for their investment in time, effort and (maybe) money.  Look at the chart below:

 Ah....  This metric is "ESTIMATED."  I wonder how accurate their estimate is?  Who knows?  They estimated a number of somethings that have a definition that can be interpreted more than one way.  But, if you put it in a chart, then it looks official.  Yes sir!  We have an official estimate of people "reached" which is sort of like an ineffective subliminal message in most cases.  Unless, of course, Facebook changes its mind on the definition of what it means to 'reach' someone.  

Facebook: "We're guessing that fifty people thought they might see something you posted somewhere, so we counted that and made a nice chart.  If you gave us some money, we'll make a nicer chart that has better numbers.  We take all major credit cards and Paypal!"

Ok.  Let's try something in the metrics package that might actually help us out - assuming they have actual numbers to share with us.  When do people look at our posts on Facebook?

Heh.  Well, that helps me a great deal you know.  Because now I can tell you that people generally see our posts at some point from 6 AM to 8:30PM during the week....  Doesn't matter which day of the week.  What?  What's wrong with you people?  Our Facebook posts are more important than sleep, don't you know that?

These two charts also are begging that I ask a couple of questions!  Fun!

1. How does Facebook measure a user's presence on their site? The top bar chart essentially says about 600+ of our 700+ "followers" are online each day.  I guess that's not too hard to figure as they track log-ins.  The bottom chart indicates that during typical North American waking hours, about 300 of our followers are logged into Facebook at any given time.

2. What I really want to know is how many of THESE people are treated to our posts on their timelines since they are "our fans."  After all, if 600 of our most loyal fans are online each and every day, you would think they should each be given the privilege to scroll our post past their faces at light speed as they exercise the thumb muscles on their tiny screens.  But, we've already noticed that our reach typically lands at 150... about 25%.  Hey, that number sounds familiar, where have I heard that before?  Oh yeah.  Email open rates....

3. You know - what if Yo-Yo Ma visits our page  - will that count as 3 visits?  I am curious!  After all, I like Yo-Yo Ma.

I Can Learn A Few Things - I Guess

For example, if you look at the Total Reach Chart or the table showing the numbers for recent posts, you will find that most posts land in a fairly common area.  Most posts we put out will scroll by on a screen between 140 and 200 times.  We'll get between 20 and 50 'engagements' which probably means an average of 10 to 25 people slow down enough to scan the picture or text and click a like and maybe visit the blog or comment.

And you know what?  I am cool with that.  Why?  Because I feel like it is a way of staying connected - even if it is not quite what social media companies want you to feel it is.  

Our post that actually did so well was a comment regarding getting chicks from the US Postal Service.  That's currently a hot topic, so people ran with it.  Did they visit our blog?   Actually, they did not.  You would think that this blog post would have more visits than any other recent blog post.  In reality, it sits at number 10 for the past 30 days - decent, but not all that spectacular. 

"Reach" and "Engagement" numbers should never be construed to also be reflected by meaningful "action" from the perspective of the farm.

Is it possible that the short little blip of text with the photo of cute turklets will actually inspire someone to meaningful action - like contacting legislators to keep our necessary postal services running?  The post did get a number of 'shares' that give me some hope.  But, it is more likely that people saw something that they already agreed with (or at least they interpreted it that way) and it was paired with a cute baby animal or two. .... Awwww cute!  LIKE! Oh heck, really cute!  SHARE! Bye.  I need to find some cute kitten videos now.

One More Takeaway
This next piece of information says more, in my opinion, about social media companies than it does what I put out there.  If I share a post that features a photo, it gets more attention than one that has a link (even if that includes a photo in the link text).  I get around that often by featuring a photo and hope interested people see the link to the blog in the text.

What does this say?  Well, social media companies don't really want you leaving their site - especially if you are being driven somewhere with a post that is not PAYING them money to promote the post.  

Imagine that.

There you have it.  A glimpse into the wild and wacky world of my mind and how it sees social media and the metrics they feed us in an effort to get us to give them money so more people can scroll our posts from the bottom to top of their screens.  Maybe we'll even get a like or two.  If only I could exchange those likes for some meaningful actions.  Then I might be cut social media a bit of slack.

But not much.

Elsewhere Envy Revisited

Introduction

I just wanted to use the word "introduction" at the top.  After all, if it is the first thing you read in a blog post, it probably qualifies as the introduction.  There isn't much need for me to put the label there!  

In a fit of nostalgia, I decided to take a quick look at a couple of our newsletters we produced for the Genuine Faux Farm on a monthly basis PRIOR to the introduction of our blog.  I thought it would be interesting to read what was written at that time and perhaps respond to some of it here.  But, perhaps more important, we find that we may be moving back towards some of our earlier production goals as we continue to scale back on the farming in response to other responsibilities.  At the least, I found this to be interesting.  We hope you do too. 

New material will appear in a slightly lighter color and will start and end with ***.

Elsewhere Envy - October 2008

As people who are concerned about sustainability issues, we are aware of numerous places in the world that are held forth as 'shining beacons' for 'green living.' These are communities, or regions, where like-minded persons gather to live and do business in ways that support local businesses, artisans, farmers, etc. All the while they try to do that which is currently accepted as most friendly to the environment and the community. In fact, some of these locations are not terribly far away.

It's seems natural to us that we might visit these locations and feel somewhat wistful for the services and opportunities we perceive to be available there. Everything can seem so perfect when you tour through a community as a visitor. Oh look! A bustling farmers' market AND a local cooperative food store! How wonderful! There is not one, but TWO people who advertise contracting for sustainable energy systems with main street store fronts. It's so easy to idealize a location or life that is not our own.

The natural corollary to this is that we become dissatisfied with where we live.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Bremer and Black Hawk counties had five or six CSA businesses - all of them filling up their shares - with room for ambitious young farmers to start new CSAs? How about county government support for organic farming methods? There are locations with similar populations to this region that have (had) both of these things.

Since most of you are not vegetable farmers, perhaps you envy a wide diversity of local restaurants with a wide variety of foods? Or, maybe you wish there were more local stores and contractors that worked with 'green' building supplies? Wouldn't it be nice if there was a diverse and active series of cultural events?

*** If I were to write this today, I suspect I might select different things to highlight because our farm and what matters to us has evolved over time.  Nonetheless, the point is still clear - there is still much we might like to see being emphasized differently in our region. ***

Reminder Number 1: Every community has its problems, but not every community has problems that are apparent to the visitor!

Reminder Number 2: Model communities (whatever the type) only become models when there is a high level of participation by a large number of people within that community.

Reminder Number 3: Communities that are struggling need idealistic and energetic people who have dreams of better things.

Reminder Number 4: Things typically do not change overnight. If they do, it's likely due to a catastrophic event or will lead to one.

Reminder Number 5: Communities and members of communities need to learn, relearn and adjust as circumstances change.

*** I wrote this in 2008 and I expected to find a great deal with which I could quibble with my former self at this point.  I've re-read these five reminders three times.  I still believe they are true.  On the flip side, I think the optimism I might have been indulging in at the time I wrote the original has probably gotten a bit dinged up after 12 more years in the area. ***

We are seeing signs of change and hope in our communities. We hope that our farm is a part of this and we are pleased to see more people taking calculated risks in an effort to make our communities better ones.

Go out to these "meccas" of sustainable living and visit! Come back with ideas. Then, work to make these ideas happen. That's our idea of a community to be envious of.

*** 

Speaking of being 'battered' - the word 'sustainable' has been co-opted in so many ways that it no longer means what we thought it meant in 2008.   I realize the world has changed since the time this was written and that I have also changed.  But, there is much that STILL rings true in this post and a few things that might need amending.

Still ring true:

1. If we want things to be 'better,' regardless of how we define 'better,' we need participants with energy, persistence and attention to detail and we need a higher percentage of people to pull on the same side of the rope.
2. It is certainly not a bad idea to use ideas from elsewhere to inform the change you might like to make in your home community.
   

Amendments/Reflections:

1. There is a fine line between trying to get what someone else has and making changes that help you reach a goal someone else appears to have reached. 
2. It is so easy to destroy prior efforts or to allow good works to fall apart over time.
   
3. It very difficult to avoid inadvertently leaving whole segments of the community out.
4. People are not particularly good at wading through fine details, being persistent for long-lasting improvements, compromising in a positive fashion, considering the needs of others or thinking about consequences that need to be addressed.
5. We are more adept at making a great deal of noise about something and then patting ourselves on the back after a dubious amount of achievement than we are at making real and positive change.
   

And despite all that, I still say we should keep trying.  Why else would I still be trying to write about these things twelve years later.  Misguided?  Perhaps.  But, I mean that in a good way - I hope. 

 

We Should Walk There Again

Tammy and I met in Decorah, Iowa at Luther College.  One of the attractions (for me, at least) are the beautiful natural areas in that section of northeast Iowa.  There were numerous occasions that we would go for hikes and enjoy seeing cold water streams, waterfalls and trees.

We don't actually live all that far away right now - but with the combination of our farm and Tammy's job as an educator, we have difficulty taking the time necessary to visit these places as much as we might like and we certainly have not visited as often as we should.

When we were in school, Twin Springs was a nice walk from campus and was particularly enjoyable on the warm days because the spring-fed streams stay quite cool.  The water is cold enough that if you soak your feet in them they begin to ache soon after you submerge them.  This park area was where my family took me the first time they came up to visit me during my freshman year at college!  So, I guess I have several reasons to be sentimentally attached to this place.

Many years ago, this area used to be home to a fish hatchery.  By the time I arrived on the scene, the fish hatchery location had been moved to the South of Decorah.  

It had rained prior to our arrival this time, so the spring fed stream had rainwater supplementing it a bit.  But, even with that extra water, it remained quite clear.

And if you look closely at the picture above, you can see steam rising from the water.  Even several hundred feet from the location where the water exits the ground, the water remains cool enough to react to the warmer air in this fashion.

The farmers even took a 'farmer selfie' when the sun was behind them.  Yes, that's us!  Hi everyone!

We were able to view some flowering plants, including the Pale Touch-me-not shown above.  There were some strong colonies of these plants in the cool, damp and shaded areas we walked.  These are called 'touch-me-nots' because, as the seed pods develop, they will 'explode' shooting the seeds from the pod when they are touched.

And this guy just missed getting trod upon as we walked the path.  His coloring was nearly perfect camouflage.  We are not sure what sort of toad this is as it appears to be different form the American Toad that we typically see on our farm.  It looks a bit like a Woodhouse's Toad to me.

Towards the end of our walk - on the return trip, we saw a bumblebee checking out some Prairie Coneflower.  With the sun filtering through, it felt like it was a worthwhile thing to attempt to take a photo of.

We enjoyed this trip.  We should walk there again.

Learn Something New

I enjoy learning new things and I like to share information with others.  Sometimes I follow-up on questions I have had for some time.  For some of the things below, pictures from a recent hike spurred exploration into new topics (or topics I have explored some in the past).  And, there are also times when there are things I have done some extensive research on and I enjoy sharing that as well, in hopes that others will learn something new.

I hope you learn something new as you read this.  And if you don't, I hope it is just because you are REALLY smart and just happened to have already explored these particular topics.  Either way - good for you!

Jewelweed's Benefits?

Jewelweed, also known as Touch-me-not, is a plant that it blooming right now in northeast Iowa, preferring damp, shady locations.  They are a member of the genus impatiens and as such create seedpods that will burst when you touch them.  I have read that this is where the "Touch-me-not" name comes from, though I am unsure if I can verify that or not.   

The interesting thing I thought I would share about this is that Jewelweed was used by various Native American tribes to treat rashes - including those caused by poison ivy.  A 2016 study published in Pubmed shows that there is at least some efficacy for using a mash concocted from these plants.  The study also seemed to indicate that modern soaps were probably better to deal with the problem, though I suspect from the method description that they did not test it on advanced rashes, but more as a preventative after exposure.  

There you go - something new to me.  Perhaps it is new to you?

Dunning's Spring and Cold Water

There are a number of cold water springs in northeast Iowa that are fed by underground water sources.  The "Driftless Region" of Iowa is known for many of its karst landforms.  Sinkholes, caves and cold water springs are common features of karst landforms.

According to this Iowa DNR Survey in 2005, Dunning's Spring's temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit year round with slight variation if heavy runoff from rain or snow melt joins the stream.  The underground caverns and streams flow through 'carbonate' rocks such as limestone and dolomite, which can be quite strong, but will slowly dissolve as it comes in contact with the acidic waters.

There you go - something that I knew a little bit about and now I know a bit more.  How about you?

Black Borders for Mourning

The 1860s would mark a shift in mail use that saw many more people sending personal correspondence in the United States.  Prior to this, most mail was limited to business or to those in the upper class.  The Civil War prompted more letter writing, just as the surge of settlers to the Western states also encouraged people to 'write home.'  The use of envelopes became more common and specialized stationary followed suit.

While you can certainly find black-bordered envelopes used for mail prior to the 1860s, they became more common and were used as a way to indicate that the contents held a death announcement, hence the label 'mourning cover.'  Their use became less prevalent as the 1800s waned, but you can still find them in later periods of time.

There it is - a partial summery that is likely new to many who read this, but not new to me.  

I hope everyone has a fine weekend.  And, maybe, I'll do this again on future weekends.  What do you think?

The Postal Service and Small Farms

Did you know?

Small, local farms like ours rely on the US Postal Service to deliver the chicks they raise for egg layers, broiler chickens, turkeys and any other bird a farm might raise.  The majority of small, diverse, local farms do not hatch their own chicks simply because it is just one more thing to do that often can't be added to a long list of things to do on a farm.

Did you know?

UPS and Fedex will not ship chicks.

Do you prefer to see farms that have poultry and care for those animals well?  Are you interested in maintaining a local food system?  

Guess what people?  The moves to cripple the US Postal Service are likely to cripple many small businesses - many of them located or amenable to rural areas in Iowa.

I suppose you could argue that if the USPS is dismantled, someone will take their place.  You could argue that UPS or Fedex or... someone will pick up the chick mailing business.  But, I can tell you these things:

• It will be more expensive - expensive enough to either cause a farm like ours to significantly raise prices and/or expensive enough to cause a farm like ours to cease working with poultry altogether.
• There will be a transition period where no one will be able to move these birds and small businesses and small farms will likely cease to operate before it is repaired.

Don't think this is really happening?

Go back to the link I provided and read.  Our post office and sorting facility in Waterloo, Iowa is having equipment removed and is not being staffed sufficiently for OUR mail to be handled in a timely fashion.  The volume of mail is so vast that even a short period where the USPS cannot keep up will result in significant delays for you and me.

Other considerations for the USPS in rural areas

It has always been true that things like telecommunications and delivery services are far less profitable in rural areas than they are in more densely populated areas.  It is simple mathematics.  If you build the infrastructure for a delivery service in a city, you get more customers per unit of cost for your base expenses.  Once you get into the wide-open spaces, you have fewer customers available, but you still need much of the same infrastructure to serve an area with fewer sales possibilities.

Why do you think it is taking so long to get reliable internet in the rural parts of Iowa?  The expense is greater than the returns for the relatively small number of customers.  Most companies delayed providing access until they received government support to add access.  

It is not right that rural citizens of this country should be left out of the communications and services loop.

Crippling the US Postal Service is a terrible blow to the rural areas.  We are already behind when it comes to most other services.  But, when it comes to the post - we have had a system in place for over a century that delivers to all addresses, six days a week - for a very reasonable price.  We currently have nothing in place to stand in that gap when the postal service is removed or damaged.   

Did you know?

Small farms such as ours find that shipping seeds from seedhouses is most economical via the US Postal Service?

This is why we need a system that receives government support in some fashion so it can absorb the losses required to provide a system that works for ALL citizens in the country.  In the case of the postal service, it might do just fine if we removed the hurdles placed on it by the federal government.  It isn't even a matter of providing support - it's a matter of at least getting out of the way!

Stand Up for the US Postal Service

There are many more reasons why the moves by the current federal administration need to be opposed.  I want you to take note that I am not even citing any specific political reasons here.  I am simply pointing out that these changes have the potential to further damage Rural America's necessary services.  It should not matter what side of the political fence you think you sit on.  What should matter is that the current trend is taking away important options and services that many of us rely on - and we should not accept it.

• We still pay our bills using the mail.  Why?  Well, until very recently, we didn't have sufficient internet service to use online banking.  We did not have much of a choice.  And, we actually feel there is more security in using the mail versus an online app.
  
• Many small businesses rely on the US Postal Service for reliable and inexpensive shipping of their products.  Collectibles, skilled creation products and numerous other personal or small businesses need the US Postal Service to stay in business.  The Fedex and UPS rates are too high for these low to moderate price and low overhead businesses to remain viable.
• What about our veterans and others who use the postal service for the delivery of their medications?  Delays are already causing people to go without important medications.  
  
• what happens if you are not at home for a Fedex or UPS delivery?  You could drive to their office and get it.  For us, that is a 45 minute drive.  USPS?  5 minutes to the post office.
• The infrastructure for mail delivery and post offices ALREADY EXIST.  They just need to be maintained by a sufficient number of qualified and properly paid employees.  If we allow the infrastructure to be dismantled, then we have a big climb to get it back.  And, remember, Fedex and UPS probably don't have much incentive to build that infrastructure because the financial returns are not strong.
  

It is time to make some noise about yet another thing.  This matters to the people of rural Iowa and it should matter to you.

What It Feels Like to Succeed

Monday, I wrote a blog where I tried to express what it feels like to fail on our farm.   I did not want people to read it and feel like everything was doom and gloom at the end.  But, I DO want everyone to understand four things after that post:

1. Failure at a farm like ours is common.  It is part of the price of doing business.
2. Our experience can help us deal with failure, but these failures still hurt and the hurt can build up over time.
3. We will only cease to feel the pain of failure when we no longer care if we succeed or fail.  I would rather feel the pain.
4. Failure gives us the opportunity to learn, to grow and to seek redemption. 

 Creating a Place You Want to Be

We've said it before and we'll say it again because we believe it is true.

A successful field is one that makes the farmer want to be in it.

It is also not a surprise that success breeds success in this case.  If we want to be in the field, then we tend to pay more attention to maintaining that field and addressing any issues that might come up.

Our 2015 melon crop is an example of success that we are still proud of today.  The cash crop (melons and watermelons) did exceedingly well.  We had about 100 CSA farmshares sold for the regular season that year and we were able to give everyone at four melons as part of the share that year AND we could sell others.  The real win here was the beautiful combination of melon crop with support crops such as zinnia, borage, buckwheat, calendula and sunn hemp.  The pollinators loved it.  We got higher production numbers in the same amount of space with fewer melon plants.

Then we replicated this in another field the next season - showing it was not a fluke.

Looking At What Is Behind Success

 

It wasn't like we had never had melons on the farm before.  In fact, we have grown melons on the farm since 2005 in some form or another with varying levels of success.  In 2013, we were still waiting on melons to ripen in September after a late start to the season (sound familiar?).  So, this was not a 'wow, we tried this and got it right the first time' moment.  Instead, we had our share of failures (uh oh, there's that word again) and we had also seen some reasonable success as we learned how to adjust.  It just so happened that we finally hit on a combination of practices and circumstances that led to a field we were very happy to work in every day.

There were numerous bits of trial and error that informed us as we did our best in prior seasons.  We did plenty of reading and plenty of asking.  And, we kept trying.  If you don't count our growing seasons as gardeners, you could say 2015 was the result of ten growing seasons worth of learning and adjusting - complete with failures.

Success for the Long Haul?

Are we still successful with our melon crop?  Well, not in the way we were in 2015 and 2016, that is certain.  When circumstances change, the goals have to change.  

We still have the goal that we want our fields to be fields we want to be in.  We still prize diversity and habitat for pollinators and beneficial critters.  But, demand for our CSA program crashed and we had no secondary market for the number of melons the old approach would give us.  That, and, we started getting far too much rain to be able to make it work... on a regular basis.  The adjustment has been to give more attention to a row of melons in the high tunnel (Eden to be specific).  You can see them at the left, with lettuce and bunching onions nearby.

Field melons fell back into the 'failure' category and the high tunnel melons because our success story for that crop.  But, up to this season, we have had sufficient fruit to meet the demand we have (and we can eat plenty of them ourselves).  

This year?  Well, the rules changed on us again this year and now we feel that we are back in a bit of a 'failure' cycle as we adjust to our new circumstances.  But, don't count us out - because success breeds success on this farm.  We know how to fail and we've learned from it (and will continue to learn from it).  We also know how to succeed, and that gives us the confidence that we will do so again.

Pardon the Interruption

Tammy and I were on edge most of the day yesterday.  We kept looking out the windows when we were inside and we often inspected the sky when we were outside.  You could feel that something big was going on.

The good news?  We could also see that it wasn't likely heading to our farm.  Each time we checked, we did not see anything imminent that required actions on our part.  We were spared from experiencing the damaging storm known as a 'derecho.'  

Our biggest inconvenience?  We lost cell and internet service for a while.  We'll take it.

The graphic above is from KWWL, the 'local' television station.  There were multiple triple digit readings throughout the state.  The crazy thing is that the winds lasted so long wherever they hit.  In Iowa, we are used to storms that pack a short duration wallop.  They may come out of nowhere, smack you once real hard and then go their way.  Derecho winds?  Not so much.  

Power is a pretty big deal for people at this time in history.  This many people losing power in the state is a big thing.  Even if you are philosophical about the loss of electricity (after all, we survived many many generations without it), you should consider that power loss is a symptom that indicates lots of other sorts of damage as well.

Our friends at Pheasant Run Farm were running a 'Sunflower Experience' that was very well received.  The field above WAS a field of sunflowers at their peak.  Ah well.  Needless to say, they announced that the Sunflower Experience has ended for the season.  

Throughout the state, there are fields of corn that are just as flat as this field of sunflowers.  Vegetable growers in this storms path fared no better.  I'll just put a small little plug out there about this.  Commodity growers typically acquire subsidized insurance that is built for their growing methods.  Growers on a small diversified farm such as ours typically have no affordable options for insurance.

So, if you support a local food farm in the affected area, please find a way to continue to support that farm - even if they do not have produce for you for a while.  Be ready to be a consistent and reliable customer for them once again when they recover.  Thank you!

Our friend, Ben, at Wabi Sabi Farm near Granger shared this one.  What you are seeing is a walk-in cooler that was pushed part way off of its slab.  This is a VERY heavy piece that was moved more than a foot in one direction.  Ben reported significant crop damage and high tunnel damage. 

Thank you to those of you who asked after us!  It is appreciated.  Again, we are fine with no damage.  We are, however, very concerned for so many other folks who cannot say the same thing.  We stand ready to help as we are able and we ask you to do the same.

***post-publication addition***

A couple of additional graphics became available as the day progressed that I wanted to include.  The first is a 'time elapse' of the progress of the derecho.  You'll notice that, for the most part, northeast Iowa was not severely impacted by this system.  There were some T-storms that are not shown in this capture, but nothing causing any kind of significant damage.  In fact, our farm only recorded .07" of rain during this period and only had winds gusting to about 30 mph.

The second is a satellite image after the storm.  If you click on the picture, you can see it better.  The lightened swaths in the center of the state show downed crops.  These areas represent over 10 million acres of crops.  Crops, such as corn, need not be toppled completely (as these fields likely are) to be at least a partial loss.  If they are leaning, it may become impossible to harvest with a combine.