Something Completely Different

Sometimes, we see things and we just can't help ourselves.  We receive a few magazines related to horticulture and agriculture (I wonder why that would be?).  And, those magazines have advertisements.  And, many of those advertisements are for products we won't use - such as pesticides.  And... well, here's a picture that is supposed to make us want to use an insecticide.

 

Possible captions:

a. Caterpillar, it's what's for dinner (alas for Copland, a fine piece of music forever scarred)
b. Hey Rocky, watch me cut off my arm with this stylized hatchet!
c. I have something to tell you, I'm not left appendaged either!
d. Look, I've got a new cell phone holder!  It makes me want to.... sing!

On first glance, I might suggest that these critters appear to be more of a danger fo the dude with the hatchet and the dagger.  After all, they seem to be going after him - and the crops don't look like they've taken any damage at all.  In fact, it seems to me that this guy is more of a threat to himself AND the crops than he is to the creepy crawlies surrounding him.

 

Heck!  He even parked his TRUCK on the tomatoes... or beans... or whatever crop the artist was trying to depict.  Now, if this fellow just led these critters OUT of the field wouldn't we all be happier?  I know I would. 

Actually, I think we can tell why the insects are so upset - it's the guy's jewelry choices.  And, what's up with that belt?  If you're going to be harvesting those terribly short tomatoes (or whatever they are) you going to need to bend over at the waist.  With that belt?  Maybe not.  

 

I still think it's all a moot point.  He's going to chop off his arm anyway.  At least the truck is nearby so he can try to get himself to a hospital.  At that point, they might be able to put his left appendage back ON.  

 

One final observation (what? just one more?).  This guy must be new on the job.  Shiny hatchet.  Clean and bright red shirt.  No wear or staining on the jeans.  Why did they send the rookie out here for this job?  Is it because all of the other workers only have one hand?  Is this part of the hazing process for hatchet wielding, creepie crawly attracting, truck parking on the tomatoes guys who have poor tastes in accessories?  Heck - there isn't even a sweat stained band on the red hat.

 

Speaking of which, I resent their choice for hat color.  And that's all I'll say about that.

Then, there is this picture.  I took it when I noticed (in December, 2012) how shiny Chumley's bumper was.  Mrranda (a wonderful farm supervisor who left us too soon) noticed I was taking a picture and wanted to watch.  So, you can see the cat looking up (bottom left).  

 

I missed framing it by "this much."  There's a hand holding a camera at the left.  Chumley has been a very good truck for us, but his bumpers no longer gleam with the newness that they did at this time.  He is now an older and much wiser truck - showing some scars that come from good honest farm work.

 
Then, there was Bullwinkle the potato...
 

 

Hey Rocky!  Watch me pull a potato out of the ground!  It seemed like the Rio Grande russets were more prone to odd shapes this year than any of the other varieties we grew in 2012.  Happily, it was not all of the crop, so when we ran across something like this, it was amusing, rather than annoying.  I had to bring this up because we've already referenced Rocky and Bullwinkle in this blog post.  Might as well go all the way with it!

If you recall the growing season for 2012, you'll remember it was dry.  But, do you also remember how warm it got REALLY early?  All of the trees budded out early and fruit trees in Iowa went to town, putting blooms on absurdly early.  Then, of course, we had freezes that took out many of the fruit crops in the state. 

 

We're not big fruit growers.  We just have 6-8 apple trees, a couple of plums, pears and ...two peach trees.  The only tree to give us any fruit?  A peach.  Look in the center of the picture and a bit to the right.  There it is.  The only fruit we got from our trees in 2012.  Yes, it was tasty.  Yes, I shared.

As veggie farmers, we don't get quite as excited for Spring as we once did.  Don't get us wrong.  Both of us still feel the thrill of seeing Robins again (for example).  But, Spring means the beginning of the season that doesn't let us slow down.  It's fine once it starts, but sometimes a person doesn't want to start.  I'm sure everyone knows that feeling.

 

Perhaps this coming Spring will be different?  After all, the farm is going to have a very different purpose and Rob's PAN job will not be so new.  Still, when all else fails.  We remember iris flowers.  Now, there's a good reason to look forward to Spring!  The flower above is known as Spouting Horn.  We are hoping to see it again this Spring.

Speaking of "Spouting Horn,"  here it is - from the coast of Oregon.  We have not been back to see it since our trip way back in March of 2012. 

Spring also makes us think of wind....   Now that I've mentioned Oregon, I can look at the picture below and get some perspective.

 

When I'm tempted to complain about the wind on the farm, I'll look at this.  Our trees don't look like that.  Maybe the wind here isn't so bad after all.

 

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This is a revitalization of a February 20, 2013 post on our blog.  Much of it was, of course, dated and would not be appropriate to take as is - so I started to edit it.  Then I started having more fun with the post itself.  In many ways, this "throwback" post is more of a "remake" post.  It was actually kind of nice to have the basic structure in place and all I had to do was fill in the blanks with new or revised writing.

 

Have a good day and watch out for guys with weird belts, hatchets and a lack of consideration as to where they should park the truck! 

 

And, hey!  Do you have a suggestion for a caption to place on the first image?  Share them with us!

Worth Your Attention

I thought I would take a moment this cold Wednesday to thank everyone who has invested a moment or two in reading what I put out here on the Genuinely Faux (Genuine Faux Farm) blog on a nearly daily basis.  Since last April, I've not missed many days putting some sort of reading material out here for those who enjoy reading what I write.  I know you're out there and I've received several kind comments and many useful thoughts.  I am grateful.

Usually I do enjoy the writing - but I probably enjoy the learning that comes along with it even more.  I also admit freely that there are times when I am less than motivated.  In fact, I sometimes wonder why I bother.  Surely this little blog with a smattering of farm stuff, food stuff, amateur philosophy and whatever else is barely worth anyone's notice.  That is exactly why a comment here and a comment there is valuable to me.  I don't need accolades and I do not need much affirmation.  But that little bit?  It goes a long way!

Some Recommended Reads

Today I thought I would share a couple of efforts with all of you that I feel are worthwhile and that I, personally, hope will continue.

Kip Ladage is a talented nature photographer for whom I have great respect.  We remember the year we had fox kits on our farm and Kip came out for a couple of days to take photos of the family as they meandered around the old foundation they were calling home at the time.

Kip spent hours standing in his blind, patiently waiting for the kits to show their faces - doing his level best to not call attention to his presence so he could catch them simply being foxes.  We, in turn, did our level best to avoid the area so we also would not disturb the family.

Kip maintains a website with his quality nature photography.  But, I find myself drawn to Kip's Comments, typically offered on a daily basis as he shares his moments trying to capture wildlife and nature each day.   So, Kip, if you read this - you have at least one fan right here.  Keep up the wonderful work.

Dr. Ai Wen is another person for whom I have much respect who also is a skilled ecologist.  If I recall correctly, we first had contact with Ai when she (and some of her students) were attempting to measure the presence of pollinators and other insects on farms such as ours.  They placed these tubes with plastic cups every so often in some of our vegetable fields in an effort to see what they could find (and where they might find it).

Part of the hope was to be able to determine if the populations might become more diverse as you moved away from the row cropped fields.  While we came away with only a little information that might be applicable to our farm, we had more appreciation for what it takes to study and appreciate the diversity that are the invertebrates in our world.

Ai has had an on-again/off-again blog that featured some educational and very enjoyable entries focused on some of the insects we could encounter here in Iowa.  Ai is an Assistant Professor of Biology at University of Northern Iowa, so it would be too much to expect her to put out many entries during the school year.  But, if Ai reads this - I hope she considers continuing to put out a gem or two during each break.  There is at least one fan (me) that reads them!

I also read a few organizational blogs.  Some of these are for my PAN job and others are because I just want to.  I will admit that I don't always read any particular blog 'religiously,' but I do read some of them frequently.  One that I enjoy is put out by the Xerces Society.   I find this blog informative and I tend to learn something new each time I read it.

In fact, that might be why I enjoy each of these three offerings.  I tend to learn when I read - and that is something to be valued.

And, while you're at it

If you like the Postal History Sunday posts on this blog, you can read them and a few more postal history posts at my alternative blog that is postal history all the time.  And, yes, you can get more doses of my writing on the PAN blog as well as other talented writers on PAN's staff.

I hope you all have a great day and learn something new as you travel through it! 

Thinking Cold

Well, folks, the Upper Midwest is looking at several more days of the "brisk" temperatures.  The latest ten-day forecast's only hint of relief is that we *might* be more than two degrees above zero Fahrenheit a couple of times.  Maybe.

There are numerous reasons why this is actually good news from the my perspective as a farmer.  But, it sure can be difficult to feel good about it when you walk outside and your nostrils freeze shut.  Or your eyes tear up a little bit and then your eyelashes seal your eyes closed.

I won't pretend that I am one of the people in this world who loves to be out in this sort of weather.  But, I also won't say that I fail to understand people who do.  Things certainly feel, smell and look different (when eyelashes haven't sealed your eyes) when the temps go below zero.  There is a certain clean, crispness that can be refreshing.

This year we have plenty of snow cover on our farm, which also makes the cold weather a bit more bearable, from my point of view.  At least the landscape isn't lying to me.  The white blanket is a strong indicator that things are... well... cold.

Yep!  It's Winter.  Put on layers, cover your skin and deal.  

Winters when it gets this cold and there is no snow are deceitful - making you think that it can't possibly be as cold as it s.  And for some reason, snow blanket almost feels like a "warm" pair of words.  Ok, the blanket part does.  And, somehow it makes you feel as if you had a snow blanket you might actually be warmer.  Work with me here.  I'm trying to justify how a pair of words somehow distract me from the sound my chattering teeth are making.

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, dealing with poultry and other animals in this weather is a bit more a task than it is any other time of year.  Every thing you do seems to take just a bit more effort - even breathing.  Tammy and I were grumbling at each other about how much time we spend just bundling up and unbundling ourselves between each trip out to deal with the animals.  

It's almost enough to make you think about staying outside and doing more work once you've got all of the layers on.  

Until your nostrils close up and you realize some snow somehow got into your boots and has melted into a cold, refreezing puddle between your toes.

I mentioned earlier that, as a farmer, I am also aware of the role cold winters in Iowa play.  Personally, I am not enamored by the list of pest problems farmers to our south have to deal with year after year.  A good, strong cold cycle in Winter can reduce populations of a number of pests that could otherwise cause us problems.  This is especially true since predator populations never seem to move as fast as the pests do.

This is, in fact, one of my concerns as our climate changes.  Farmers have taken note that the pests on their farms have been changing over the past few decades.  Much of these population differences are indicative of shorter cold cycles that allow certain critters to more readily thrive where we grow.  One such example has been the appearance of blister beetles on our farm and other vegetable farms over the past five years.

And, when it comes to our perennial plants - things like our apple trees, grapes and asparagus - a deep cold cycle simply encourages their full 'hibernation' - if you will allow me to call it that.  The years that get just warm enough to make these plants think it is time to start growing and then it hits them with a cold snap are the absolute worst as far as we are concerned.

Our plants like a little more certainty.  It's January and February and it is cold.  They know what to do.  Don't go confusing them with 62 degrees and sunny for a week!

I have also noticed that a deeper frost typically means that our soils are mellower in the Spring - making it much easier to work (assuming it dries out enough to work on our farm).  In my opinion, for our farm, that is a good thing.  

Which of course brings me to this: I am fully aware that the cold favors some populations and it does not favor others.  Of course if some of our pests are unable to survive the Winter it would be true that some of the beneficial populations will also struggle.  Some of our perennial plants would prefer a milder Winter to a harsh one.

But, the point is that our farm and the ecology of the area we live in is built for these periods of cold.  When we don't get them, some of the balance is lost.

And so, in honor of this cold cycle being brought to us by Old Man Winter, I present you with a post about the cold that is contrasted with the flowers Spring and Summer will bring when we pass through this period of time.

For now we'll just put on layers, cover our skin, and deal.

Livestock in Winter?

I am not entirely sure why it is, but lately I've had Zoom or phone conversations with people who do not know me all that well and I find myself describing a bit of what we do at the Genuine Faux Farm.  Multiple times I have been asked whether we have livestock.  My response is to mention the laying flock, which gets a variety of responses.

Some of the responses have been to dismiss a laying flock as nothing more than a few pets that you deal with because you want to.  Others have implied by their response that we don't have any REAL livestock, so it is discounted.

On the other hand, there are some who are completely enthralled by the idea and want to learn more about it.  They ask how many birds are in our flock, whether we free range them, and how many eggs we get.

In both instances, I am pretty sure that a little Winter experience would do them some good if they actually wanted to understand what it means to maintain a laying flock in Iowa during its coldest months.

Not Livestock

According to legal definitions, poultry are NOT livestock.  It turns out, in the eyes of the law for its descriptive purposes, domesticated birds used or raised on the farm are "poultry."  So, I suppose I should get with the program and answer even more precisely with "no livestock, but we do have poultry."  Though, I do wonder where our Farm Supervisors (the farm cats) fall in this definition?  I certainly do not want to be too insistent on calling them "workers" because the insurance companies will want us to give them Workers' Comp insurance coverage.

There are several reasons why the Genuine Faux Farm has not taken a foray into livestock, though we have discussed the idea of raising a few pigs more than once.  The primary reason should be the most obvious to everyone who asks - where would the time come from to add yet another set of tasks and skills to our repertoire?  Certainly, there are some similarities between caring for poultry and livestock.  But, we would be foolish to assume they are completely alike for their care and feeding.  It's kind of like people who assume raising tomatoes commercially takes the same skills and tools as raising dry beans commercially.  Hey!  They're both plants.  Same thing, right?

Um.  No.

And, while we are at it.  Let's make another thing clear.  Poultry and livestock have their challenges and neither is perfectly simple to deal with.  A person who knows the trials of raising cattle shouldn't belittle a poultry operation and vice-versa.  It is not a matter of which requires more or less effort and more a matter of realizing each has their challenges and each lends themselves to different sorts of operations.

Winter Blues

Tammy and I have maintained laying flocks through the Winter months now for many years.  Our flocks typically land around 100 laying hens, producing five to six dozen eggs a day on average.  We do not raise meat birds during the cold months and have only kept ducks through a couple of winters when we were looking to breed and raise our own flocks to reduce some of the costs inherent with getting chicks every year.

Right now, we are sitting at about 16 inches of snow pack and our low temperature at the farm February 7 was -21 degrees Fahrenheit.  The snow isn't going anywhere and the temps aren't likely to change a whole lot for the coming week.  To give you an idea as to how cold it is, the ice on the solar panels isn't melting and an egg freezes hard enough that it will chip a block wall if you throw it hard enough - without breaking the egg.

Even the sundogs are asking to come inside.

Every year, we go through the cycle of 'winterizing' the hen room and in the Spring, we 'summerize' that same room.  This involves putting up covers to block walls we open up in the Summer for ventilation.  Once the snowpack gets high enough, we stop shoveling an area for the birds to roam in the pasture and they tend to stay inside.  This is especially true during these bitter cold periods, when it is better to help them maintain some heat in their room rather than opening the door and letting them decide on their own that no... they do NOT want to go outside.

It got cold enough that one of our heaters to keep their drinking water unfrozen could not keep up.  So, we will rotate frozen waterers with unfrozen ones, carrying them to and from the house.  Or, we'll just take more trips to fill the unfrozen one - as long as that heater can keep up!

The eggs, of course, are another issue.  At a minimum, we need to go out every two hours each day to collect eggs before they freeze.  It would be more often if they were laying in the nest boxes, but this group prefers to lay in a couple of spots in the straw for the most part.  There are usually enough hens sitting on the eggs during the early part of the day to keep them warm enough.

Once things get this cold, cleaning the room is not an option.  Well, actually it becomes less of an option when the snowpack doesn't allow us to take the old bedding away from the building.  As a result, we add more straw to the top more frequently.  There is a reason the Spring cleaning of the hen room can be quite the project!

Eventually, the weather will warm and the snow will melt - exposing the hen pasture in all of its muddy, ugliness.  The hens don't seem to care about mud - but they will avoid the snow with a passion.  The picture above shows what the pasture looked like this past March after the snow was gone for a week.  You might notice some green further from the hens - all that does is illustrate how hard hens can be on ground cover.

Once we get through mud season, we will put the hens in the mobile "Summer Cottage" so they can visit other pasture locations on the farm.  And we'll do our level best to rehabilitate their main pasture.  It's all part of the cycle of raising poultry for eggs at the Genuine Faux Farm.  Not the same difficulty as livestock - it's just its own brand of difficult.  A difficult the two of us can handle.

Halfa No More - Postal History Sunday

Welcome to this week's edition of Postal History Sunday on the Genuine Faux Farm blog!  I hope you have had a good week and that you have taken the opportunity to tuck those worries into a cardboard box and buried them under the other boxes you keep there because... well... they're just good boxes.  And you never can have enough good boxes.

This week, we are going to travel to Northeast Africa and time travel back to 1939 where we will encounter the travels of a letter bearing the images of camels on its stamps.  Remember, you can always click on an image to see a larger version of the picture.

Sent from Khartoum, Sudan in 1839 via Egypt and probably by surface mail (boat and land) to Landover, Maryland, I will readily admit that this particular envelope is not the most compelling item if you want to trace its entire route.  Once it gets to Egypt, there are no markings that illustrate how or when it gets to the next step.

However, there are so many other ways that a piece of postal history can hook you and keep your interest.

The Stamps Bring Something to the Table

So many stamp designs over the years feature the faces of royalty or statesmen.  I have heard the joke that early period stamps often feature a bunch of "old, dead guys" more than once.  So, suddenly, you see a series of older stamps that feature camels.  It catches your imagination in a new way - perhaps even transporting you to that place along the Nile River where a postman might actually ride a camel to deliver the mail.

The story of the creation of this design, according to the Stanley Gibbons firm, was that the designer, Captain E.A. Stanton, saw the arrival of the regimental post via camel, instead of the normal riverboat delivery.  This inspired him to create this proposed design for the new stamps of Sudan to be used as the English asserted their control in that region. 

This design was first put in use in 1898 and was still the postage stamp design that saw primary use until the 1950s when Sudan became an independent republic, freeing itself from Egypt and the United Kingdom.  Even then, there were some stamps that retained this design - I guess they knew a good thing when they saw it?

According to philatelic lore (philately is the study and/or collection of postage stamps) the issuance of this stamp led to some religious controversy.  Stamp paper typically had a watermark (go here to learn what a watermark is if you don't know) that was impressed so that it would appear on each postage stamp.  It just so happens that the first issue of the post-rider and camel had watermarks that depicted a stylized rosette featuring a cross.  Much of Sudan was populated by followers of Islam who found this to be objectionable.  The watermark was changed for the 1902 printing of the design to feature a crescent moon and star to avoid further conflict over this issue.

I mention that this is 'philatelic lore' because I have yet to find a direct reference to this issue outside of the hobby.  The earliest reference I have seen thus far is a 1905 paragraph in The Connoisseur: An Illustrated Magazine for Collectors, vol 11.  I do not doubt that even something as small as a watermark could be a touchy issue, considering the tensions in that region at the time.  An excellent summary of the religious context in Sudan from 1898 to 1914 can be found at this link.  Even so, I have to wonder if it was as big of a thing as it is made out to be - after all, there were plenty of other reasons for tension in Sudan.

The stamps on this particular envelope were printed on paper watermarked with a series of the letters "S G" for "Sudan Government."  This paper was used for stamps created from 1927 and into the 1940s.  That makes sense since this was mailed in 1939!

There you are - an example of how the postage stamps on a piece of postal history can take you on a journey that may have little to do with the actual item.  No wonder this hobby can be fun!

The First Half of the Journey

So, the camel stamps got me to consider picking this item up for two dollars.  I always liked those camel post-rider stamps, so why not?  But, the curiosity in me now wanted to figure out how this letter got from Khartoum to Maryland!  The first hint was a poorly struck marking on the back of the envelope.  Since I was not particularly good with Sudanese geography, this took me some time to figure.

The marking reads: Shellal-Halfa TPO 10 JAN 39 No 2

The Shellal-Halfa Traveling Post Office (TPO) connected the Egyptian Sate Railways (El Shallal was the railway station) with the Sudan Government Railways at Wadi Halfa.  This piece of railway was 210 miles in length.  Until July, 1951, all surface mail from Sudan was sorted on the Sudanese TPO (rather than the Egyptian) and these marks usually appear on the back of a mail item.

Well - now I have some ideas as to where this item traveled!

The original  1885 Egypt-Sudan map can be found at this link if you wish to view it at the Library of Congress site.

The map above can give you an idea as to the geography that is dominated by the presence of the River Nile.  For most of the land north of Khartoum, anything outside of the Nile valley is dry, hot desert.  Most settlements were close to the river as it travels through Sudan and Egypt.

At the time this map was made, the Suez Canal had been in operation for almost 20 years.  Major ports of departure were Alexandria and Port Said for ships on the Mediterranean Sea.  It is interesting to note that Shallal is identified as Egyptian, Wadi Halfa as Nubian and Khartoum as Sudanese.

And, as a bit of foreshadowing, the first dam on the Nile, now known as the Low Dam, but known then as the Assuan Dam, was in place to help control the flood/drought cycle of the Nile in Egypt.  This article gives excellent details on the construction of this first dam.  The Assuan Dam, Jstor article, H. D. (1913). The Assuan Dam. Journal of the Royal African Society, 12(46), 200-201. Retrieved January 29, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/715871

This dam was initially built from 1899 to 1902 and was raised twice - once in 1907-1912 and again 1929-1933.  So, by the time this letter was mailed, the Low Dam was... ahem... at its highest.  Sorry - I had to. 

You might notice the locks to the West of the dam for boat traffic, the rail line would be to the East and Shallal would be northeast of the dam itself.  Apparently, the old rail station can be visited - for those who want to see something a bit off the normal tourist path.

The map above is taken from the original 1928 Anglo-Egyptian Sudan map found again on the Library of Congress site.  If you look, you can see both the River Nile and the Sudanese rail route from Khartoum to Wadi Halfa.  You should take note that the rail line breaks away from the river at the point the Nile turns back southward.

This railway would be the mail route this letter would have taken in 1939, transferring to Egyptian rail north of the border on its way to Shallal (and the Low Dam) and then Cairo.  From there, I can only guess as to whether the item went to Alexandria or Suez (and then to Port Said).  From that point, we can suppose it went to Brindisi (in Italy), then by land to Ostende (Belgium) and took a ship across the Atlantic from one port or another.  With no additional marks or dates, it is impossible to be sure.

Halfa No More

My how things have changed.  Wadi Halfa, once so important as a connection between Sudan and Egypt, is no more, covered by the waters (Lake Aswan) created when the High Aswan Dam was put into place in 1971.  This dam is just South of the low dam (by Shallal) and the city of Aswan (Assuon) is in that area now.  

If you look at the Google Earth picture below, you can see the Aswan Dam in the foreground.  The Low Dam is above it in the picture where the two channels of the river meet again.

It is absolutely amazing how descriptions the Aswan Dam change when you consider the context of the person(s) looking at it.  The Egyptian peoples north of the dam (and down river) benefit from control over a flood/drought cycle that often caused problems.  They focus on the positives of hydroelectric power and consistent river navigation and irrigation systems that this huge dam creates for them.  For them, there is a sense of great national pride.

On the other hand, over 100,000 people, mostly Nubians, had to be relocated as Lake Nassar flooded their former homes.  Cultural sites, such as Abu Simel and the Temple of Dakka had to be taken apart and moved to avoid destruction.  The effort to create a new agricultural project (New Halfa) has been cited as a poorly planned effort.  And, environmentalists are not always so sure controlling the Nile has been the best idea.  

And I learned all of this simply because I wanted to find Wadi Halfa on a map and I wanted to find Wadi Halfa on a map because I had a single envelope mailed from Khartoum to Maryland.

It has been said that travel is important to help a person learn and grow.  But, if you can't travel, buy an envelope with camels for two dollars and see where that takes you.  You just might be amazed what you will learn as you take some travels with your mind.

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Thank you for joining me yet again for another Postal History Sunday.  If you have questions you would like me to address or topics you might enjoy seeing here, please let me know.  And, until next time - have a great week!

Want to know more about Sudan stamps and postal history?  This site points to several resources.

Cardinal Sins

I have probably regaled more people than I can recall regarding the agonizing choice I had to make as I looked towards selecting classes for my 9th grade year in the Newton public school system in Iowa.  Every student had to take either Speech or Debate.  As a person who was EXTREMELY uncomfortable with the idea of talking in front of people, there was no winning option for me.  So, I took debate - because it would have far fewer people in the class.

Four years of debate and well over 50 speech and debate tournaments later, I graduated - feeling perfectly confident that I could give a presentation in front of audiences of all sizes.

One of the side effects of this training was the fact that I learned how to critically select information sources, find basic factual data and analyze it, and see how there are almost always more than two sides to every issue that had at least some reasonable support in fact.

Let's start with this meme that was created several years ago and shared with me.  Of course, the person who shared it with me figured I would be all for it because our veggies ARE certified organic.  But, I wasn't entirely on board.  Why is that?

Cardinal Sin #1 - Only One Reason

Every time I see one of these graphics that make a claim by implying only one action will solve a problem OR there is only one cause for that problem, I discount it.  In fact, I often get offended by it when it is something I know a bit about.  Why?

Well, it sure is nice that you agree with me that Certified Organic is usually better than a chemical-intensive system.  But, in your zeal to make your point, you oversimplified and completely ignored a whole host of things that severely limit our food systems.  What about monocrops?  What about short and non-diverse rotations?  What about the public's love for convenience?  How about we talk about distribution systems that cannot adjust in crisis (see the pandemic for evidence)?  Could we consider how poorly many large processors and farms treat their workers?  I could write a blog on this one all by itself and have talked about some of this in several others.  

It's a BIG topic and I find it offensive that someone would try to make the claim that a broken food system is caused by the presence or absence of a label.

Cardinal Sin #2 - Only Sort-of Correct

First, I must destroy the myth that certified organic growers are "non-chemical."  That is an outright untruth.  Now - our farm is both certified organic and committed to not spraying chemicals to control pests.  But, I could maintain certification as long as I only apply pesticides and other chemicals on a very short list of approved products.  Yes, these are not synthetically derived products - that much is true.  

If you use a broad-spectrum insecticide, such as a pyrethrum product, it still kills beneficial insects as well as beneficials.  A certified organic grower could potentially be just as bad as one that is not with their reliance on pesticides to solve problems.  

However, this is where they miss a second time by only being partially correct.  To be certified organic, you must have a whole system plan.  This includes dealing with soil health, crop rotation, water management and a whole host of things.  Typically the simple act of planning to care for natural resources will improve a farm's practices.  In other words, it is harder for a farmer who has gone through the organic system plan process to abuse pesticides because they must consider all aspects of their operation and how it impacts the natural world.

It is true that a farmer must pay to be Certified Organic.  It is also true that there is a fair amount of record keeping.  But, they make it sound like punishment rather than a part of a worthwhile system.  

Frankly, I like getting the gold star on my work instead of seeing an absence of a gold star.  I EARN a Certified Organic label for what I do.  The others fail to earn it.  THAT is a good reason to support a Certified Organic grower.

Cardinal Sin #3 - My Way or the Highway

First they fail to recognize that life and the issues in life are complex.  Then, they fail to even have the most basic bits of information correct.  And it is capped off by pronouncing that there is only one solution to the problem that is our broken food system.

If people wonder why I am sometimes very critical of efforts to promote things I actually believe in, they should wonder no more.  

You do me and the causes I support no favors when you promote those causes with misinformation and poor understanding.  You make it worse when you then try to make a claim that this is THE right answer.  Not only do you insult me with your unwillingness to check a few facts, you make me, and others like me who are Certified Organic growers, look bad.  

In short, you hurt my cause when you share things like this.  So, knock it off.

Do You Really Want To Help?

First, don't pretend you know as much as those who have some expertise (or at least a little bit of skill) in the subject.  If you really want to help and you see a meme you think might do some good - though I haven't seen many social media graphics that have succeeded in making much, if any, positive difference in the world - ask someone who has some expertise if it has any of these cardinal sins.

Second, take a moment and actually identify some facts and get a little understanding of the subject.  There is such a thing as knowing only enough to be dangerous.  But, you need to figure out the difference between becoming informed, being competent, and knowing that a trigger makes things go boom.

Here is a start for you.  Our blog has a number of posts that discuss what it means to be Certified Organic.  Read those and you will have something to start with.  Take a few of the links given in those blogs and you might even be informed enough to make your own meme - one that might be accurate and supportive at the same time.

Again - The Season for Farmer Delusional Syndrome!

It starts every year when the seed catalogs appear in the mailbox.  It ends sometime in late April when we realize how many tasks are behind schedule and after there has already been a mini-disaster or two on the farm.

'Tis the season.

The season for Farmer Delusional Syndrome!

Symptoms are as follows:

1. The farmer circles forty new varieties and three to five completely new vegetable types to 'trial' for the coming season in the first catalog he sees.  He genuinely thinks he could squeeze all of these in somehow.  Or, even if he doesn't believe that, he thinks he'll be able to set aside more time to investigate these options in order to make the "best" choice.

2. The farmer forgets that pictures like this one don't show the ENTIRE field.

And he forgets the field doesn't STAY this way.

3. It's cold outside right now.  Like most people in Iowa, he idealizes hot June, July and/or August days.  Yes, those days.  The ones where he often goes through three, four, five and even SIX t-shirts.

4. The farmer sees nothing wrong with a calendar that includes five or more good sized projects in April and May.  After all, getting plants started, handling sales, having Tammy still dealing with school and Rob working an off-farm job, planting a majority of the crops and dealing with poultry chicks only take "a couple of hours a day."

5. Every row is straight.

Straight as an arr....oh.

6. Fields are dry when you want to work in them and rain only falls right where you want it to.

Ok, maybe we don't believe that one.

7. Taking a weekend or two off in the middle of the growing seems like it shouldn't be all that hard to do.

8. This will be the year that a major, unplanned for project does NOT cause us to re-prioritize.

No Snorts Allowed!

9. Deer don't eat beets, rabbits don't cut down young pepper plants, cucumber beetles don't girdle young vine crops, raccoons don't eat chickens, woodchucks trays of broccoli, gnats don't cover your face, neck and arms in welts, horn worms don't eat every leaf on a tomato plant, dandelion seeds don't clog up air intakes on the tractors, tools don't break, seedlings won't dry out, the wind isn't THAT strong, thistles don't hurt that much, my body won't get that sore in May, cleaning carrots doesn't take very long and I won't let the pile of receipts get so big before they are recorded this time.

Those wheels didn't break, they just couldn't have.

10. A place for everything.  And everything in its place.

We like the sentiment and the intent - at the least.

And the final symptom?

11.  The farmer spends time making creative blog posts about fictional syndromes.

================================

Our first reference to Farmer Delusional Syndrome appeared on the blog on February 5, 2014.  It is likely that Tammy and I made our own personal reference to this syndrome - even if the name was not yet refined - as early as 2005, when Rob went through the process of creating a business plan for the Genuine Faux Farm.

Well, if we hadn't already made reference to it, we SHOULD have.  

Have a fine day everyone!

Where is that Button?

I know it's there somewhere, I just can't seem to find it.  I've looked several times.  In fact, I've taken them apart, replaced lids, fixed floats, removed them and installed them.  But, I still can't find that @#@% button that must be somewhere on the toilet that tells people that my rear end just hit the seat and it is now time for them to call me.

I am, of course, talking about the toilet in our house.  No, wait!  I am talking about EVERY toilet anywhere I have ever bin since the time I added a cell phone to my repertoire. 

Look, I don't get all that many calls and most of the calls I DO get are from a sunshiny voice who wants to tell me my auto's warranty needs my attention or Google business wants to take my money so I can reach more people.  There must be some sort of pressure plate on every toilet seat I have ever visited that sends an electronic signal to whomever was thinking they might call me some time.

Of course, I am NOT going to answer the phone while I am in the restroom.  After all, that's MY business.  And, in case I should ever visit a public restroom and you are in there doing YOUR business AND still talking on your phone, I will find it within my rights to flush every available toilet and urinal as I walk by each one.  In fact, if I ever suddenly develop the talent to pass gas loudly whenever I want, I just might add that to background noise as well!

I don't think toilets are the only place sensors of some kind have been placed to signal my unavailable status to potential callers.  It seems Zoom has taken to selling this information to potential callers.

Hey!  Rob is in a meeting!  It's a great time to call him.  While you are at it, do NOT leave a message and make sure you use the phone number he doesn't have recorded on his phone.

Actually, now that I think about it, this might be a great money maker for all of the introverts in the world who aren't fond of talking on the phone.  Sign up to have people get notices to call you when you are NOT available.  Hmmmm.  I think I'm on to something here.

Common allez vous?

The board game, Wingspan, does not apparently have a sensor that contacts people to call when we play the game.  For that we are both grateful.  But, I don't think we are adverse to actually answering the phone when a game is in progress.

It is fairly well known that Tammy and I like this game very much.  We picked it up last year in December and we've played it an average of once a day, every day, since that time.

Yes, I know - it sounds crazy and maybe a bit obsessive.  

Ok, it sounds a LOT obsessive.  But, we have a table where it can just sit out - waiting for the next game.  And, we try to make sure that we take some time to do something together.  Recent activities of choice have been board games (usually Wingspan) or watch a Poirot mystery.  Wingspan often wins because there is more interaction (though we often try to guess 'who done it' together with the Poirot mysteries).  

Before I get too far away from the board I showed above - this is what I was dealt for birds in yesterday's game.  Note the names of the birds: Common Nightingale, Common Loon, Common Goldeneye, Common Moorhen and Common Cuckoo.  

Yes, the deck was shuffled and yes it was randomly dealt.  I got a flush of the commons I did.  

Heh.  Flush, see how I called back to the prior topic?  I am so very clever.

Well, I decided to play out the theme the rest of the way.  If you look at my final board above, you will see that I only have ONE bird that does not have the word "Common" in its name.  Once again, we did not stack the deck.  But, I will admit that I decided I would make myself get any bird that popped up with the word "Common" in its name.  

I got 80 points, which we consider to be an 'average' game.  I shouldn't be surprised, with everything being so "common" and all.  

Who won?  Ummm... not me.  Someone else in our household got 102 in that game.  That, my friends, is not common. The 102 part is not common, that is.  The Tammy winning part happens about half of the time, so that's not uncommon!

Lighten Up

After a couple of "serious" blog posts it was time to lighten things up a little bit.  So, I grabbed the camera and took a picture of our Christmas tree.

Yes.  It's still up - and I don't think we are inclined to take it down any time soon.  Why not leave it up?  The lights are cheery on days when the sun doesn't come out and/or the sun goes down early and comes up late.

No apologies here.  We know what we like.

And to close - A Story

Three crows loved to sit around in the alley behind the local butcher shop.  There was a fence that surrounded the garbage cans and a few other odds and ends.  These three birds would perch on the fence, or the handle of the push mower most days around 7 am because that was when the butcher would toss out the meat that had passed the expiration date.  After all, crow diets aren't regulated in the same way our are and they don't care if the label says the food is too old.

 Crow picture copyright Ryan Schain, Macaulay Library

On this particular day, the butcher and his apprentice walked out with a bunch of sausages of all sorts.  As they walked to the garbage, the butcher told his apprentice, "We need to throw these so no one gets sick."  They tossed the sausages into the can and walked away.  The crows noticed that the apprentice forgot to put the lid back on.

"Hmmmm," said crow number one, "I think we've got a feast today!"

"I dunno," replied the third crow, "dinna ya hear 'im say it coulda make sommun sick?"

"Pffffff!  We've never gotten sick before, I'm going to go eat as much as I want!"  So, the first bird flew off of the lawn mower and landed on the trash can.  And he ate... and ate... and ate - while the other crows watched.   Eventually, the first crow belched and then struggled to fly back to his perch on the mower handle.

The other two crows sat there for a while longer - waiting to be sure that the first crow would be ok after eating all of the 'past date' sausage.  When it became apparent that he was likely going to be fine, the both flew off of the fence, landed on the edge of the trash can and ate... and ate.... and ate.

Once they were full, they both belched and then struggled to fly up to their perches on the fence.

After a while, the first crow roused himself and stretched a little.  "I'm going to try to fly some of this off - that was quite a feast!  Aren't you glad you listened to me?"

The other crows were so full they just kind of nodded slowly - but they didn't say anything in reply.

The first crow stretched his wings and took off.  He flew up off of the mower handle, up above the rooftops of the buildings that bordered the alley.  They could see him as he started to circle when suddenly....

There was a loud "POP" and the first crow exploded!   Feathers slowly drifted back down into the alley and down onto the ground.  A few even floated in front of the other two crows.

"Well, there ya have it!" said the third crow.  "He shouda knowed ya never shoulda fly offen the handle when yer fulla baloney!"

A Little Down

I've been struggling to get things done of late and have been having more than my normal number of stress dreams - most are not as entertaining as this one was.   Part of it has to do with fewer hours of daylight/sunlight - it's just a normal cycle for me that we always work to address (no - I am NOT looking for suggestions here, so keep them to yourselves for the time being).  Another part just has to do with the normal vicious cycle that comes with not completing tasks and adding new ones on top of it.

And, the rest is mostly just because I am human.  I'm not always happy.  I make mountains out of mole hills.  I let other people's anger and discontent depress me sometimes.  I also wonder why I bother putting it in a blog.  And none of this has to make sense, either. 

When I feel a bit down, I try to dig around deeper so I can find some of the good things that I have buried.  Not unlike the Clematis flowers that open near the base of the plant or... perhaps next to the trellis where we have to move a few leaves to see them.  

I am pretty sure that they are there... somewhere.  But, I don't always have the energy to do that sort of digging.

That's why I sometimes need a bold statement.  One that stands out like a German Bearded Iris.   

I may not have the energy for subtle and perhaps it will work to just hit me with something grand and beautiful.  But, sadly, this does not always work.  These ostentatious blooms might feel a bit like they are trying too hard to impress.  It's almost as if they are saying, "You are not allowed to feel down - smile!  Or else!"

I suspect that those who know me will tell you that this is NOT necessarily the best way to turn my mood around.

Perhaps what I need is something in between.  Something that stands out, but it isn't quite so overpowering?  Maybe a Columbine?   Each healthy plant usually has many flowers open at once and you take the plant and its flowers as a whole.  It's almost as if the flowers are saying, "Hey!  We're all happy to be here.  Maybe if you joined us you would cheer up some?"

There are times when this works too - just like the other two.  But, sometimes, a person actually starts feeling a bit trapped when everyone around them seems to be doing just fine.  If not trapped, then maybe isolated because you feel like you're the only one feeling as you do.  It's a reminder that feeling sad is ok sometimes and that being told you shouldn't be sad isn't the way to turn things around.

The Mock Orange tends to get my attention first when I pick up its aroma as I walk by.  Again, there are many flowers open at once.  Unlike the Columbine, where a single flower can captivate you as much as the group does, the Mock Orange relies on the group and your sense of smell to entice you to smile in appreciation.

But, if you're feeling a bit cynical at the moment it tries to capture your attention, you might find yourself saying, "Nice try, Mock Orange!  But, I am not in the mood for sweet smells and bright flower petals.  Even if you are putting yourself right next to the path I walk from one farm task to another."

Maybe what I need is something a bit more practical.  Potato flowers normally come in clusters, but it isn't a huge bunch of flowers on a stem.   Their presence typically signals some of the next steps in plant development that will result in some tasty tubers in a month or so.  

A promise of good things to come, brought forth by a good thing now.  A little companionship that comes with the cluster of flowers, but no tendency to overwhelm with numbers or with drama.  Maybe that will work for me now?

Except, potatoes at this stage usually also bring work, and I was having trouble getting everything done as it was.  Apparently, I think too much, because the potatoes almost got me.

Well, let's try the snow peas instead?  The flowers are delicate and quite beautiful when you take the time to observe them.  They promise tasty peas in the not too distant future.  In fact, you can often view a flower and munch a pea at the same time.  

Maybe.  Just maybe?  Yeah.  But, harvesting peas take a fair amount of time.  So... maybe not?  

What about a chorus of day lilies?  Yes, they are a bit ostentatious, like the iris.  They typically come in groups, which means they could be a bit overwhelming.  But, they, like sunflowers, are captured rays of sunshine that glow on a bright day and bring out the light on a dark one.  

This is the part where I realize that sometimes I actually need a little bit of all of these flowers.  It's not that I am demanding or anything, it's just that I know I can get a boost in so many ways.  I just have to accept the help as it is offered - taking what I need and leaving the rest for someone else who might want it.

Throw in some bursts of Garden Phlox and few spikes of Culver's Root and it starts getting pretty difficult to keep a small smile from showing up on my face.  Yeah.  That does look pretty nice.  

And so do the other pictures in this blog.  

It's okay to be sad.  Just like it's okay to feel better after the flowers try to coerce you into improving your mood.  But, even if it doesn't help right now, the flowers won't be offended.  They'll just keep doing their thing in the hopes that it might help when you are ready and able to receive that help.

I'm good with that.

Changing Minds

 "So, you speak really well and you write really well.  Why don't you speak out more often to change people's minds about important things?" 

The person who was asking was someone who maybe didn't know me all that well, but they were aware of some of my skill set.  Perhaps they also thought that the two of us were fairly well aligned in our beliefs, so they were hoping to recruit me to be an advocate for "that way of being" because it "certainly is the best way of being."

My response was that I have always done my best to help others think for themselves and that I probably fail more than I succeed.  This response was apparently confusing because they responded with, "but you could make such a difference!"

Not Even Close

Let me first say that I will be the first to admit that I fail at least as much as I succeed in most everything I do - at least by the measures I place on myself.  I will also say that I am very guilty of letting failure carry too much of the tune in my own litany far too often.  I tell you all of this to pre-empt you (and myself) from starting to think that I am ever so noble and always handling things perfectly.  That would be inaccurate.  

It would even be inaccurate to say that my goal is to always succeed in reaching my ideals.  I am not that good.  Not even close.

I can honestly say, however, that overall - I give it my best shot.  And maybe that's the best I can do.  But, I refuse to believe it.  Because, if that's the case, there is no reason to improve.  And, believe you me.... I fully intend on improving for as long as I live.  Even if I end up failing at that too.

And so, we go back to that conversation I had some time ago.  The one where a person was telling me I was wasting my talent and that I needed to go out and change minds.  

I distinctly recall that the last thing I said was, "if a person doesn't want to change their mind, I won't be able to do it for them."

An Excuse?

Personally, I tend to (eventually) appreciate a conversation that gets me to think a little harder about what I believe and think.  This conversation fell into that category.  

Was it possible that I did not/do not use my own skills to communicate in the most effective and beneficial ways?  Of course it was.  Were there times I should have spoken up, when I did not?  Certainly.  Times when I should have shut up instead of running off at the mouth?  Well, probably fewer of those, but yes.

But, the big question was - do I use my belief that only you can actually change your mind as an excuse to stay silent when, perhaps, I should speak out?  Again, the answer was "yes."

I have to admit that some of this comes from the knowledge that none of us knows all of the answers and that it would be presumptuous of me to make any such claim.  Even more of it comes from the reality that I have had more training in structured arguments than most people (with years of debate).  I know very well how to bludgeon someone with a boatload of facts and logic chains.  I am capable of winning debates.  I can win debates for the side I don't agree with nearly as well as the one with which I have more in common. 

That's not the kind of winning that interests me.

So, I hesitate because I know things are far more complex than the simple yes/no, us/them, either/or arguments everyone is so fond of taking sides on.  I hold my tongue because I also know I am not privy to all of the facts.  And, I step back because I know, despite all of this, that I could probably "win" the argument.  All the while knowing that I wasn't sure that winning was the right thing.

So Now What?

If you've been reading the blog, you know some of what came from my own self-reflection.  I needed to speak out more often.  But, I needed to do so with integrity.  This is not a debate with winners or losers - this is supposed to be an opportunity for me to learn and maybe also a chance for you to learn as well.  Perhaps - if I do my best - I just might help each of us to see some important things and make some useful changes... some useful improvements.  Or maybe, if share some of my own struggles, we will all be a bit more understanding and more willing to consider beneficial alternatives.  It's possible, if I do my level-best to share some balanced information we could then figure out some changes for the better.

It's not easy, because there are some things that I am very invested in.  Issues that I am pretty certain I have a fair amount of knowledge and a pretty good idea of some things that should happen.  It is so tempting to get right to bludgeoning and pushing and cajoling until you all either say you agree or you walk away disgusted - never to return.

Someone pointed me to a wonderful opinion piece in the New York Times by Adam Grant (Jan 31, 2021) - The Science of Reasoning with Unreasonable People.  

You can go read the piece if you would like, but if you do, please do me the favor of reading all the way to the end.  That is where the real gems are.

"The real breakthrough, though, was mine. I became open to a new mode of conversation, with no points to score and no debate to win. The only victory I declared was against my own prosecutor tendencies. I had prevailed over my inner logic bully.

Many people believe that ... the end justifies whatever means are necessary. It’s worth remembering that the means are a measure of our character. If we succeed in opening minds, the question is not only whether we’re proud of what we’ve achieved. We should also ask whether we’re proud of how we’ve achieved it."

While Adam Grant may not be a kindred spirit in all things, in this we are in perfect agreement.  He put words to what I have been feeling all along.

If I am going to do anything to change someone else's mind, it has to be in a way where I, too, am willing to modify my own understanding.  I must be willing to learn and grow in the process.  I will not be so arrogant as to believe that you must change when I am unwilling to change myself.

Maybe I will make that difference yet?  It won't be for lack of trying.  And, I intend to let the means be a measure of my character.

How about you?