Mid-June Wear and Tear

I was trying to remember why it seems like every year - right around the the 15th of June - I go through the process of a reality check as to how much I can actually get done.  This is usually prompted by the question "why am I feeling so tired and overwhelmed today."

So, while you will read this post on the 16th - I just want you to recognize that I wrote it on the 15th.  And, I am doing the reality check and I am asking myself the normal question.

June - the Month of Disaster?

Some of you might recall that June was the month that the well died at the Genuine Faux Farm in 2013.  Things were wet at the farm, of course, that year.  But, wet ground prevents planting, but it doesn't get fresh water to poultry or keep seedlings in trays alive.  

If you haven't had to work around the equipment that is used to drill a new well - let me tell you that it is loud and it is hard to not feel like you are clenching your jaw the entire time.  Ok... That's probably because we were clenching our jaws the entire time.  At least it is now just a 'happy' memory.

June is also the month when big things tend to break.  Or things break that require big repairs.  One of our key hydrants for water split open and required some major work a couple of years ago.  Once again, the "Snort" visited us.  In this case, it was a mini-snort.  Whenever snorts visit, we end up with lots of earth torn up for some reason.

 Oh - and June is the month where Buffalo Gnats rule the farm.   Ugh.  We'll rate that as a disaster.  The thing is - it is either WIND or GNATS mid-June.  Take your pick.  You get worn out by the wind constantly howling or you get the energy drained out of you with your blood by the gnats.  We typically vote for the wind, but that doesn't stop us from complaining about it after a long day in it.

June - the Month of Big Change?
It seems like June is a month where we schedule some really big changes at the farm as well.  In 2011, we had the granary re-roofed.  Of course, like so many other things on the farm, the choice was to repair it or take it all the way down.  There really wasn't a middle ground anymore.

Then, there was the construction of Valhalla, our bigger high tunnel, in 2015.   The long days certainly helped the crews to get things done a bit more quickly than they might any other time of year.  But, the long days were just that... loooong daaaaays. 

And remember, we still had to farm too.

And you can't really forget the kitchen project from last year (ish).  The thing is - that one was just kind of continuous and forever - if you know what I mean.  So, maybe it is unfair to include it in the list.

What About 2020?
We have to admit that 2020 is very different than any of the prior 15 at the Genuine Faux Farm.  I don't think either of us has worked so FEW hours outside in the fields and with the poultry than we have this June.  This certainly makes sense when you realize that Rob needs to put in 30 hours per week for his new Pesticide Action Network job. 

The net result is that I am not nearly as 'tough' as I have been each of the prior years.  Normally, I'd have spent much of that 30 hours outside moving around.  The stamina to keep at it just isn't there yet.  And perhaps this is the new normal I have to adjust to.  It's going to be interesting and frustrating to discover what things are going to fall off of our farm 'to do' list this season as the time flies by and opportunities to do things are missed.  We'll certainly do what we can to make the misses less frequent than the hits.  But, right now, we're not always so sure what we'll manage to get done. 

Check one thing off the list though - we've kept the blog going this far.  It is entirely possible that we'll have to cut this back to a few times a week as I run out energy and time for such things.  But, I think we have built up enough stamina for writing now that it isn't actually so hard to get something put together. 

Apparently, I still have the stamina to do things - but they've transferred to the written word.  Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  Let's keep plugging along and find out.

Did You Have a Nice?

It's going to happen.

Even though Tammy and I are going to spend most (or all) of Monday on the farm, someone is going to ask us if we had a nice weekend.  Or a nice day.  Or a nice evening. 

Either that, or they'll ask us how we are doing.  

It'll happen in a zoom meeting, or a phone call, or something.  It's fated to happen.

Well, WE were napping, quit taking pictures of us.

It is really just a greeting of sorts, because we expect only a short, undetailed, but pleasant, response to these questions.  It's one thing if the respondent launches into a blow by blow for some wonderful event they participated in over the weekend/evening/thing.  It's a whole different ballgame if someone starts telling you about the very bad, awful, nasty thing that happened or that they're feeling a little depressed.  The normal response is to feel slightly put upon that the person you asked is ACTUALLY trying to answer the question you asked of them. 

How rude. 

Oddly enough, I actually welcome responses to these 'throw away' questions.  First, if I didn't take the time OR just don't know enough to ask a better question of the person with whom I am conversing, then perhaps the gift I can give is to listen carefully to their response and either commiserate or celebrate with them.  On the other hand, I never quite know what to do when I am asked these sorts of questions.

Why?

Because I could possibly answer the question fairly well, but I am not convinced you really want to know.  So, I give a 'throw away' answer for the 'throw away' question.  Maybe that's unfair of me.  Perhaps I should test out my theories and start answering the questions with more care and honesty.  I wonder what will happen?

So, did we have a nice evening?

The temperature was nice, the sky was beautiful, there was a breeze and the fireflies were really lighting things up.  So, that part was pretty good. 

On the other hand, I am writing this blog post and it is 11 pm.  We just got the hens moved out of the Poultry Pavilion room and put them into the portable hen building for the Summer.  Their pasture needs some rest and repair and the hen room needs to be cleaned (like now).  And, the henlets are going to move into the hen room once we clean it.

In short, it's a big project.

And, it is not one that we always enjoy because we can't really start much of it UNTIL the hens get on their perches and go to sleep.  Otherwise, we would have to chase them all over the place and it would take much, MUCH longer to do this task.

In case you hadn't noticed.  The sun goes down pretty late on June 14. 
Also, for those who do not know.  Hens do not like to go to their room and settle down UNTIL the sun goes down.

So, sure.  We had a nice evening.  We accomplished a task - after accomplishing a bunch of other tasks - after a day where we did things.   And now, I want to have a nice session of exploring the inside of my eyelids.

I hope I have a chance to hear someone ask me if I had a nice... whatever... tomorrow.  And, I hope I'll be able to determine if the person asking really wants to know.   Because, if they don't, they might not understand why I start making clucking noises...

Watch Where You're Walking Fella

As we approach the first day of Summer, we start getting reminders that we need to start paying a bit more attention to where we walk.  For example, the picture below shows an area we walk on a daily basis to go do chores for the poultry.  The brooder room is this way and the turkey room is beyond that.  The turkeys (once they get big enough) are let out every morning and locked up every evening.  Of course, any chicks in the brooder need food and water and we check on them semi-frequently.

You know you have moved through the season into Summer and then Fall.   Yes, that's usually how it works around here.  It may not always feel like it to you, but I have it on good authority that this is the established order of things.

Anyway....

You know it is moving to Summer when you hear something along the lines of....

Tromp tromp tromp tromp.. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuugh!

at our farm.

There is just nothing quite like walking to go do your chores with your mind on other things and then running into a spider web with your face.

'Nuff said.

What Did These Photos Have In Common?

For our Saturday post this weekend, I thought I would have a little bit of fun and take you all along for the ride.  I hope you enjoy it and you might learn a thing or two at the same time.

Oh.  You're not interested in the learning part?  Well, what are you doing here then?  We're ALL about learning here!  Every second of every day!  Round the clock learning.  Yessir!  Learn learn learn.

The problem is - we're also doing a lot of the forgettin' stuff too.  That's why we have to keep learning.  It's like the opposite of a sinking boat.  In that case, you keep bailing to get the water out, knowing that more water is going to come in.  You just have to bail enough to keep the level of water low enough to stay afloat.  The learning/forgetting goes the other way.  If you keep leaking out knowledge, you have to keep pouring more in just to keep the knowledge levels high enough for you to stay afloat.

So - here is our mental edge exercise today.  How are the following pictures related to each other?  While you peruse them, I shall attempt to entertain you with my clever prose.

Or, at least I shall writ some werds on this here blog fer y'all to view or not.  But, we'll still inklude the perdy pichers.

A local food lunch!

The first photo is from a field day from several years ago that we hosted.  There was an educational (uh oh, there's that werd agin) event regarding programs for alternative crop insurance.  We provided the turkey, lettuce and tomatoes for these sandwiches.  The whole event was worth it just for the lunch.

Now I'm getting a bit hungry (it is supper time here at the farm... I hope).

An attempt at beds of rhubarb

 A year or two later, we tried to use the field space to the North of Valhalla, our larger high tunnel.  We thought this would be an ideal place to put in some rhubarb and maybe some grapes.  We hilled the rows a bit so we could deal with possible wet conditions and add some compost for the plants.  Despite the wilty leaves in this picture, we had about 95% survival rate after transplant. The few that failed were probably marginal to begin with.

It turns out that rhubarb is not terribly fond of our farm and its soil.  If you are wondering if it is just this area, we've tried more than one location.  It's either us or the farm.

From our perspective, the biggest loss is the time and effort it took to try to get them established.  Neither of us are big fans of rhubarb (apologies to those that love it).  Ok, let me revise.  Rob REALLY doesn't like it - they may be worse than carrots for him.  Tammy is ok with them but doesn't find them to be worth her time if she's the only one eating it.

Suddenly, I am less hungry... until I think about what we're having for dinner tonight.  Hungry again.

Gotta fence those cukes in or they might get away.

With the event of our farm down-sizing a bit over the years, we find ourselves looking at a year where there will be much less of this sight.  Cucumbers typically grow pretty well for us - so that's a good thing.  We often have trouble getting them all picked and... in recent years... haven't been able to get them all moved.

Our incentive for growing them like we did in the past is just not there.  We were looking at growing cucumbers for events at the Diamond Event Center this year, but the pandemic is likely not going to encourage all that many events.  So, never mind.

You see, cucumbers - to keep them this clean (weeded) AND to keep them harvested - can be pretty labor intensive.  Since it is really only the two of us this year, we're not sure spending a great deal of effort on them is wise.  We actually get a better return for less labor from melons and winter squash.

To put it all in perspective, the above shows three 200 foot rows of 5 varieties of cucumber.  There are fences for peas on the left (they have finished by the time of this photo) and dry pole beans at the right.  We could easily harvest 500-700 cukes in picking from this plot - harvesting 2 to 3 times per week for three or four weeks.  We would do two successions with this many cucumbers in a season.  This year, I seeded two trays (140 plants) for early cucumbers.  We had to make a decision as to what got planted before the rains came and the cucumbers didn't make the cut.  They are now past the quality where it is worth planting them, so we will compost them.  There will be ZERO cucumbers in the field in June.

Before you get too sad, we are seeding new trays, so we will have some cucumbers.  But, it still isn't going to be any more than 140 plants.

This did NOT happen in June (or May for that matter)

Just a reminder that we, in Iowa, do have cold days and warm days. Whichever you prefer, remember that you get to go back to them when it isn't what you prefer now.

Evening colors are a highlight at the farm

And, say what you will about Iowa, but we get some really nice sunrises and sunsets.  It is important to the two of us at the Genuine Faux Farm that we remind ourselves of that.  We often just think of sunrise as time to let the birds out, give them food and water, etc etc.  And sunset is putting birds away, putting away tools and closing up buildings.  These darned shows that nature keeps putting on only distract us from doing our work.

Thank you.

We still get surprised how nice things look that we don't think are supposed to look nice.

No one that I know of plants chive because they want to see the flowers.  And yet, there they are, every season, looking good.  They attract some pollinators and give us some early color.  Even if we have failed to keep their bed weeded, the chive remind us every season that they are still there with this colorful display.

We used to try to offer chive as a part of our CSA shares every so often, but it didn't seem like people were all that interested.  Yes, we know a few of you were, but we would often come home with lots of bundles that people would leave behind and we don't recall anyone asking for more than one bundle.

It doesn't matter.  We still like them.  And a little chive on a baked potato is still a treat.

Reconnecting with good friends

The Gang of Five has seen significant changes over the years in how each of them is going through life (the farms and the people).  Yet, we still are finding ways to stay connected and maintain our friendships.  We haven't gathered since this past Winter, but we have had a couple of 'zoom' meetings to check in with each other (including one just this Thursday).

We are trying to remind ourselves that physical distancing does not have to mean social distancing.  When you have a lot to do, it can be hard to make the effort to make sure the physical distancing doesn't become the same as being socially distant.  We hope the blog helps some.  We hope we can reach out to others more (and regularly) and we hope to start using the nice days to safely gather in the outdoors.

So - what do these photos have in common?  Can you tell?  We'll wait and see if you can figure it out.

Wingspan

I've tagged Sundays as a day to share a more light-hearted topic as a blog post - but I didn't have time to write a post for Friday.  So, I went and stole Sunday's post so I would have something for Friday.  Now what will I do for Sunday?  Saturday is also a question mark.  Oh my!  The drama!

In everything there needs to be balance, even when there is much to be done and needs to be met.  We are fortunate that we are able to find ways to work on the balance in our lives and we hope you also have ways to do the same.  Perhaps, by sharing some nice pictures or more entertaining content, it will encourage others to take those moments that remind you that life is worth living and that there are good things to do and experience.

This week, I thought I would share a little about a game that Tammy and I have played on (almost) a daily basis since last December.  There seems to be a lot of that going around with me.  Daily blog posts since the end of March.  Daily facebook and twitter posts for the farm since prior to that.  For sixty days I posted postal history items in postal history discussion area.  Some of this is an offering to help others and some of it is a recognition that I, personally, will do better if I consistently do some things to reach out.

So, without further ado - Wingspan.

We mentioned this game back in February when I created a post about work we all should be doing to help our diverse bird species who are struggling right now.   Since that time, we have continued to play this game AND we have found that our interest in our bird friends has actually increased.  Our ability to identify some different birds  on our farm has improved and we have found ourselves returning to our old habits of looking up things in the bird books we have.  This is a habit we used to enjoy, but we allowed the constant activities of the farm, teaching and daily life to take it away.

We have always been fairly good about observing what is going on around us in nature.  But, since we started playing this game regularly, we have found that our experience in observing the birds around us has become richer and more satisfying.  I don't think either of us fully attributes all of this to the game itself.  After all, there are so many things different this Spring than so many before.  But, it certainly has become a touch point for us.

I think, perhaps, that much of it has to do with the fact that this is a thing that Tammy and I are doing together.  I think it is safe to say that neither of us is more of an expert than the other in this area.  Our knowledge has very much grown over time together, rather than one bringing the other up to speed. 

In any event, I have found learning new things with Tammy is one of the high-lights of recent months.  It's a good thing - and I am happy if it continues.  (Speaking of Highlights, the Classic Crime came out with a new album that has a song by that title.  Take the link if you are interested - we like it).

One of the early goals we had was to see if one of us could crack the 100-point mark.  For a time, we were convinced that it would take a good bit of luck and the perfect game to reach that number.  After initially reaching that goal in mid-March, I have reached or passed 100 ten more times and Tammy has gotten to that benchmark an amazing 16 times!

From a win/loss perspective, I have a slight 5 game edge with a record of 133-128-8.  Yes.  We have kept track.  Are we nerds or what?!  But, it gets a bit nerdier than that.  We also know that our average scores are 84.4 to 83.9 in my favor.  It seems Tammy has a propensity to win the higher scoring games and Rob the lower scoring games.

You can roll your eyes at us if you like.  But, we are enjoying the game.  We are enjoying talking about it.  We are appreciating wildlife more - both at the farm and at other locations, such as Sweet Marsh.  But, most importantly, we are doing this together. 

Available from Genuine Faux Farm June 11

We will be putting our available items up on the web the day of a delivery each week on the blog in addition to our email newsletter list.  The email list goes out the day prior to the blog posting, so if you wish to get in on the earlier version (and avoid having things sell out) then contact us at our email address.

Available This Week:

• eggs - $3.50/dozen (limit 2 doz per family)
• asparagus - $5.00/lb (our final week for asparagus this season!)  
• lettuce - $4/bag 
• starter plants - $2.50 each

Pick Up Locations Today

1. 5:00-5:15PM  Cedar Falls - Jorgensen Plaza West parking lot
2. 5:30-5:45PM  Cedar Falls - Hansen's Outlet back parking area

Drive by delivery.  Drive up/park, open your trunk or tailgate, stand aside and we'll put your order in your vehicle.  Do not approach us, even though we would love to see you. 
If you are biking/walking, we will place your order where you can get it after we step back.

We will NOT take payment at delivery, please see below for how payments will work.

Thank you so much for tolerating this process to help keep everyone safe and healthy.  We will modify the process as the season progresses and available product dictates the need to do so.

How Do I Order?
For the time being, we are taking orders via email.  We are asking those who wish to place orders to participate in our Pre-Paid Farm Credit Program.  The program is simple and easy to join.  You get better prices and you will help us to limit transactions (and remove the process of passing money back and forth during deliveries).

How Can I Participate?
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. 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.

If you want to send us a check via mail - email us for our farm address. Want to use Paypal? You may send cash to gff@genuinefauxfarm.com We are accepting purchases of credits now and throughout the season.

Upcoming Schedule

• (Thus) June 11 - Cedar Falls, Jorgensen Plaza and Hansen's Outlet
• (Wed) June 17 - Waverly, St Andrew's Church & Yogi Life
• (Thus) June 25 - Cedar Falls, Jorgensen Plaza and Hansen's Outlet 
• (Wed) July 1 - Waverly, St Andrew's Church & Yogi Life

Tammy and Rob's Weekly Challenge
Send us your favorite joke or pun!  We are in desperate need for a laugh or two to regain some balance at the farm.  Thank you!

Crop and Poultry Report

There is so much going on right now that it is difficult to figure out what to tell you. But, you can learn much more by just reading our daily posts on this blog.

We had this very short window of dry fields that allowed Tammy and I to work some long days on the farm Saturday - Monday.  We topped it off by getting up early on Tuesday and working until the rains got serious enough to push us inside.  We cultivated and weeded a plot.  To give you perspective, one of the plots is about 110' x 75'.  To be perfectly, fair, some of the plot was not yet planted.  So, we remedied that by finishing planting in that plot.  We also worked in the much larger East fields and put in about 700 feet of winter squash.

We are really beginning to realize what it means to have no hired workers on the farm this season.  We're still figuring it out.  But, we also realize we wouldn't be much further along with the planting even if we did have the workers.  You can't plant when you can't work the soil.

Even so, we remain optimistic and we'll keep plugging along.  Be well everyone!
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.

Starter Plants

We do have extra plants and we are listing them below and will add to the list as we work today (the gentle reminder will likely have more for you to view).  for now, it is mostly heirloom tomatoes.  If you wish a certain plant, please include that in your order.  You may use farm credits to purchase these, just as you may for any other GFF product.

• Silvery Fir Tree (5)  - red, good for pots
• Cosmonaut Volkov (3) - red, intermediate size, great taste
• Nyagous (4) - salad to small slicer size, brown/red, a hint of brown sugar taste
• Dr Wyche's Yellow (3) - large yellow beefsteak, big plants
• Trophy (3) - flattened globe reds, standard slicer taste and texture
• Wapsipinicon Peach (5) - salad size, the sweet, fuzzy yellow tomatoes
• Jaune Flamme (3) - salad size, orange, prolific and very tasty
• Tommy Toe (10+) - cherry tomato
• Speckled Roman (6) - red and yellow striped paste tomato
• Italian Heirloom (20) - larger reds, smaller, wispy plants.  meaty tomatoes
• Dester (3) - large pink, haven't done these before, so can't say much else
• Mortgage Lifter (3) - similar
• Black Sea Man (3) - larger black type, great taste, likes drier conditions
• Pintung Long (2) - long thin Asian style eggplant.

Broiler ChickensOur first flocks of broilers are scheduled to go to "the Park" on July 6, which means they are available beginning July 7. 

On-call worker list

Are you interested in helping out at the farm on an "on-call" basis?  We are creating an on-call list of people who are willing to provide a helping hand at the farm.  We would be cognizant of physical distancing for safety reasons, but the outdoor environment will help with much of that.  Please let us know if you are interested as either a volunteer or if you are interested if you receive compensation. 

Be Well!

Rob & Tammy

Rain, Nota Waterwheel and Blood Donations

In our last post, we mentioned that we were having some long days on the farm because the puddles had finally dried up and we could work in the fields.  There was additional urgency because the forecast had tropical depression Christobal heading our way and dumping all kinds of moisture on us.

As of 8:30pm Tuesday - we had 2 inches of rain on the farm.  The good (ish) news is that it didn't start to drip here until mid to late morning.  That means we could continue to try to slap more crops into the ground.

There will be winter squash here

 We did not complete our workday on Monday until 10:00 pm - and that wasn't just because we were completing farm chores.  The ground was dry enough to run the rotary harrow and prep area for planting.  It's a good thing the tractor has headlights.  This morning, we got up when the sun work us up and we did morning chores.  Then, we set up the mulch layer and put down some mulch rows.

The plan was to put as much as we could into the ground before things got too wet to work.  To be perfectly clear - that does not mean we quit as soon as a few raindrops hit the ground.  In fact, I believe we worked for two to three hours in a light rain before we called it quits.

The good news?  The farmers can still read the weather correctly because they got themselves picked and out of the field moments before the heavier stuff arrived.  That means there were still a few dry spots on the farmers....  but only a few.  My little toe on each foot, I think.

We did manage to get most of those two long rows planted with butternut squash, tan acorn squash and pumpkins.  We still have about 50 foot to go on each row that you see there.

Sadly, we did not manage the 'after' picture because it was... well, it was raining and we wanted to keep the camera dry.  And, frankly, our hands were so muddy, neither of us wanted to try to run the camera.

Many farms that grow vegetables have a tool called a 'water-wheel' transplanter.  This is a tool that is mounted on the back of a tractor.  It has a big tank of water, a wheel that pushes holes into the ground (or mulch) and two seats where people can sit and push plants into those holes.  As the holes are being punched, water is poured into that hole to help the seedling deal with transplant shock.

The Genuine Faux Farm version of the water-wheel transplanter involves, two humans, watering cans and a tub.

Normally, we would lay out drip tape prior to transplanting, but time was short today and we knew lots of rain was coming, so we didn't want to flood the field prior to the rain.  However, we still needed a little help to push the plants into the holes.  So, we taped a short handled dibble onto an old shovel handle to punch holes and we used watering cans to put water into each hole.  Tammy performed this task admirably.  Rob's job was to take a tub of transplants and get them put into the holes.  There was a little extra effort to make sure roots were covered.

Voila!  The GFF water-without-a-wheel transplanter.

Folks, this is a grand illustration of what it is like to be a bit too big for certain farming approaches and a bit too small to be able to use/acquire a specialized tool.

Ouch

The Buffalo Gnats are out in force and the wind was fairly calm prior to the rain.  Both of us were wearing "bug baffler" netting over our heads.  The problem is - the darned varmints figured out how to get through around the neckline.  Yes.  It hurts a bit.  No.  I don't like it. 

And, if you ever wondered why we charge what we do for vegetables - I ask you if you would be willing to plant your produce with these critters clamoring for your blood.  Ok, that was uncharitable of me to say.  Nonetheless, it is a reminder that people with all sorts of jobs put up with all sorts of unpleasantness as a part of those jobs.  Some more dramatic than others.  I remind myself of this often and tell myself that I do not intend to be a person who perpetuates 'unpleasantness.'  Rather, I hope to be respectful and supportive.  I wish I could say I always succeed at that.

A favorite iris flower

And so - I end with something I think is wonderful.  This iris made its appearance on the farm today and it just happens to be one of my all-time favorites.  I am not sure there are any German Bearded Iris I do not like - though I bet I could find one if I looked REALLY hard.  But, if I were forced to select only a few varieties to keep, this would be one.

This stalk sits on my desk, just behind the computer as I type. 

My neck itches and burns a bit, but for some reason I forget about that each time I look at the iris.  But, I still find myself wondering when the puddles will recede so we can finish planting.

Full Days

The puddle by the granary was finally gone.

When you can walk here without sinking, you can work the fields at the Genuine Faux Farm

It is not scientific, but there are just certain puddles that we use as a measure of how close our fields are to being workable.  It turns out that this puddle - which has been full more days than not over the past few years (or so it seems) is as good a barometer for such things as anything else we have.

It was dry enough to walk where that puddle usually is on Sunday morning.

We knew we were in for some long ones.

The southwest field is quickest to dry out.

Our best soil has consistently been in our southwest plot over the years.  Since we are working to put in swales (waterway ditches) in the east and north plots, this area has become a catch-all field this year.  The picture above shows how the southern half looked this morning after we completed chores and started work here.

What you probably can not see are the weeded beet and carrot seedlings.  It certainly is NOT our best stands of either crop.  But, they are weeded - which makes them a decent stand, I guess.

 The garlic went into this field last fall.  Once again, this was because we needed to keep the other fields clear for that moment when we could dig some ditches.  The garlic is looking quite good right now.  We planted about 60% of our prior year plantings, so it will be a bit easier for us to handle the harvest and bundling without the help we usually have for that task.  I'm still not sure if we are looking forward to it.  But, we ARE looking forward to scapes - which we noticed are just now starting on the plants.

We have had plenty of rain recently - which is why we are pushing so hard now.    Lots of rain usually means lots of weeds.  So, of course, there was lots of cultivation and weeding going on Saturday and Sunday.  The zucchini and summer squash look much better now than they did when I took this picture on Saturday.

The Siberian Iris are putting on a display too!  We started with just a dozen plants about fifteen years ago and now we have several patches of them throughout the farm.  They do not bloom long and don't look like much the rest of the season.  But, right now - they are fantastic.

I did try to apologize for the hot, strong winds over the past couple of days that took their toll on the flowers.  But, I couldn't really do much about it except be thankful that the flowers have thrived over the years.

Oh look! An inadvertant farmer selfie!

 After some wheel hoe and hand hoe action, we have a pretty clean field now.  The borage planted between the garlic patches is pretty clean too!

So, why borage there, of all places?  Well, we intend on using some of the garlic space for late zucchini, summer squash and cucumber.  We are hopeful that we can have some nice habitat to keep pollinators interested later in the season - and maybe cucumber frog will like this sanctuary!

We also managed to put in some paper mulch for the melons that are going in this area.  The ground was  still a little on the damp side, so we had to break up some clumps and push them into the trench on one side of the mulch.  When the soil is a bit mellower, this isn't as much of a big deal.

We admit it isn't necessary to do this for the plants.  It's more for the humans that have to walk this area.  If we don't flatten it a little and get the chunks broken down, we're just asking for a few sprained ankles in the future.  Since we don't like sprained ankles... here we are, breaking up clumps.

And hey!  The wild daisies are blooming on the farm too.  It seems that they were pretty happy to see the farmers out and about.  It turns out that daisies are an extroverted flower - they like to interact with humans.  Most have a sunny disposition and leave you with at least a little smile on your face.

Here's hoping the rain holds off a bit longer so we can finish up some more of these tasks on Tuesday morning!

Tainted

As part of my new job with Pesticide Action Network, I am responsible for composing Iowa-based social media posts on a semi-regular basis.  Essentially, I am responsible for that channel one to two times per week.  One of our goals was to exhort my fellow Iowans to vote in the primaries on June 3.  Please note that I was not telling anyone how they should vote - just that we wanted people to participate.

Thank you for participating in the Iowa primaries!

I do, however, think it goes without saying that if I am representing PAN then I am hoping to reach people who want to change things with respect to corporate agriculture and the overuse of pesticides.

A Clear Statement That is Hard to Argue Against

In my last post encouraging voting, I included an abbreviated version of this quote:

"So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform. " *

Read it carefully - then tell me if it applies and if it rings true.  I'll wait here.

What do you think now?  As a representative for PAN in Iowa, I am hopeful I can help to motivate people to make some changes.  I do, in fact, protest the status quo.  I am, in fact, trying to raise awareness, educate and promote organization for change.  And I do believe part of the process is participating in the election process.  How about you?  Even if you think you're "not political,"  you'll probably agree that this is a logical and straightforward statement that can be widely applied.  We've got to say what we want, work to get others to hear it and perhaps agree on action and then we all have to vote to put people in place to make these things happen.

Guess what?  This statement is ALSO LIKELY true if you do not agree with the things I am proposing. 

I was dutiful and put the attribution for the quote in the post.  And, it received some negative feedback that had nothing to do with the content of the quote.  And some positive feedback, that may not have been any more specifically motivated.  The response was driven largely by personal feelings regarding the author.  Or, I suppose it was a 'bot response' that was triggered by the individual's name who supplied the quote.  I'll never know that - but I do know it was intended to rile people up on the name and not the content of the quote.

How often do we close our eyes and stop our ears because of the source? 

*Who wrote/said this?  Barack Obama

This is NOT Barack Obama.  But, he was said to be truthful. And he had his detractors.

Who Said These?
I went and selected some quotes from former Presidents of the United States that I felt were pretty good messages when you look at them without attribution.  Even if you THINK you know who said each of these, I want you to read them and consider the message and what comes to mind for you as you read them.  I realize we are missing the larger context of the surrounding words.  But, we are a culture that seems to like to take short quotes and ascribe them great importance - so let's play along, shall we?


a) “There could be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others."

b) "People are more impressed by the power of our example rather than the example of our power...” 

c) “Power can be very addictive. And it can be corrosive. And it’s important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power.”

d) “While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise, even the justice, of our own country. The ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing schools and hidden prejudice and the circumstances of their birth, and sometimes our differences run so deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country. We do not accept this...”


e) “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

A call to service to others.  A call to set a good example.  A call to stand up to power when it is in the wrong.  A recognition of inequality and a call to address it.  And a call to personal action.

I selected these, in part, because they are all fairly consistent with other words spoken by each of these presidents.  They certainly do not summarize all of what they stood for or said - to expect that would be ridiculous.  I am also certain we can find plenty of specific examples of each presidency that is not consistent with what was said here.  All I am saying is that I believe each of these are a valid recognition of what these people were about or what they wanted to be - despite all of the inconsistencies each person exhibits. 

So - who said these?
a) George H.W. Bush
b) Bill Clinton
c) George W Bush
d) George W Bush
e) Barack Obama

And now, I have tainted each of these quotes because I have associated them with a person for whom each of you likely have a strong opinion.  Did (or do you) "hate" Bill? George W? Barack?  Are you tempted to howl that the quote I selected is an aberration or that it doesn't mean what I think it means (ah.. Princess Bride, the quotes I can use from that movie!).  If you did, I just made my point.  You discarded a piece of potential wisdom you could have collected and made personal to your betterment so you could be upset.  Well done.

Now stop it.

Sometimes we need to hear things we don't want to hear.

When The Source Taints the Message
First, let me point out that I have my own opinions about each of these people.  But, when push comes to shove, I firmly believe that each of them wanted the best for this nation.  Each of them applied themselves and their staff in an effort to do what they felt was right for the nation and its people.  We can disagree with how they went about prioritizing and executing that duty.  Each of them had faults and made mistakes (and as a president, there are rarely small mistakes).  And, each of them accepted that there would be (and should be) criticism.  Why?  Because, if there is no dissent, then we aren't thinking hard enough to find the best solution and we are clearly leaving someone out who needs to be heard.

The "Big Finish" - Well Not Quite

The whole purpose of this blog post is to (hopefully) make two points.

1.
When we look at an idea, proposal or a statement, we should ponder its merits and what it means for us.  Then, we should consider the source.  Once you consider the source, you get more context as to what the purpose of the words might have been.  After all, with a little bit of editing, Attila the Hun could sound a bit like Ghandi.  Ok... maybe that's an exaggeration.  But, the context of the representative can make it clear as to the purpose of the statement.

The point is still this: dismissing something off-hand because of the source is a good way to miss something important or useful and a certain way to fail to see common ground we might have with those we often disagree with.

2.
When we consider who will represent the things we desire, we need to remember that most people are NOT going to exercise the first point.  Instead, they are going to filter the message based on their feelings for the representative.  Much of the time, I would agree that it would be better to educate people to spend more time trying to understand the points people we disagree with are trying to make - just so we can find that common ground - or so we can find an even better idea.

However, I will now give you one more quote:
“My motto is: Always get even. When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.”


Hmmm.  I wonder who wrote that one?

How I Selected Quotes

Let me give you full disclosure on what I did here.  I hunted for quotes from our most recent presidents by doing a Google search using their name and the word "quotes."  For every president other than Donald Trump, there were a host of potentially inspirational and/or valuable ideas and words.  The preponderance of those that appeared for Trump were worse than this one.  Unlike the other presidents, I had to dig quite a ways to find something that wasn't.. well... ridiculous.

To make the point, I did a search for James Garfield - just a randomly selected President of the United States and here is quote number 2 on the list I found.

“There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of kindness or courage or loyalty or integrity. It really matters very little whether they are behind the wheel of a truck or running a business or bringing up a family. They teach the truth by living it.”

The quote I selected for Trump was somewhere in the 40's in the list I was scrolling through.  Even Warren G Harding, typically listed as one of the worst Commander's in Chief the United States has seen, had a few that had some value.  Though I admit his was a bit difficult to wade through as well.

So, I leave you with this thought.  If the current President of the United States is a spokesperson for an agenda you support, you might want to consider that your point of view just might be tainted beyond repair by its association with an individual who has a disappointing and offensive body of work to his name.  I am disappointed in other public servants (and I use those words on purpose) who have not called him to heel.  Only now are some prominent conservative personalities, such as George F Will and James Mattis, speaking out strongly - telling us we need to remove the President and the Republicans who have enabled the farce that is his presidency by voting them out in November.

Again, I give you full disclosure.  My own political falling (or failing if you see it that way) is to generally be left of center because I tend to believe a key component of governance is to protect and serve the people - in particular those who need it most - by providing services, support and proper regulation of the things we use in common.  This means that those who need protection and service the least are those who will find themselves providing a greater proportion of resources to help the least of those.  At present, this places me firmly on the "liberal" side of the ball - while recognizing that there is much to be said about other points of view.  And, I hope you will give me benefit of the doubt that I try to consider each issue without first consulting the "manual for whatever ideology that seems to fit me."

I believe that most people want to see themselves as helpers and as a positive part of the country.  This is why I prefer to hear multiple points of view and ideas.  We all have value and we need to start acting as if others also have value.  This is why it is important to me that we have people of integrity representing our 'big ideas.'  In this way, we can actually work on the merits of what we propose - and find a better solution because of it (are you seeing a theme here?).

I hope we can all live successful lives that include service to others. (G.H.W. Bush)
I pray that we learn to understand the power of setting an example (Clinton) and that it motives us to teach the truth by living it. (Garfield)
I want us to call to account those who wield power incorrectly and address inequality and failed justice for those whose circumstances of birth place them in positions where they are abused and oppressed. (G.H.Bush)
And...
Let us be the change that we seek. (Obama)

And let us seek change that comes from the better part of all of us - and do it together.   (Rob Faux)

Grand Iris Tour 2020

The German Bearded Iris are a bit later this year than they have been many years.  And, once again, they aren't as strong as they once were.  We are hopeful, as we re-adjust how the farm works, that we can give them attention and revitalize the plants that remain.  But for now, we simply offer some pictures of some of the blooms that help us get through our days at the Genuine Faux Farm.

 

How Are We Doing Now?

The last time we addressed the "How are we doing" question was in late April.  It seemed like that post got a bit more attention than many of our posts.  I am not terribly surprised because I do believe most people prefer something that feels a bit more personal.  So, here we are - stepping out again to give you all an update about the Genuine Faux Farmers...

Adjusting to Permanent Adjustment
I realize life is, to a large extent, just a series of changes.  So, you would think we would be able to handle it better than we do.

But, I believe we need to recognize the scale and importance of what has been ongoing for us personally and for the communities with which we are involved.  A new job for anyone is a pretty big deal and Rob's new job with Pesticide Action Network has been a major shift in what we do at the farm.  We need to remind ourselves (and others) that this job has been a reality for only eight weeks (roughly).  In the grand scheme of things, that is not very long and I think it still qualifies as a new thing that is going to take some additional energy.  On the other hand, as I (and others) expected, my transition to being a productive member at PAN has gone quickly.  The days that I am unsure of my purpose with this team are much fewer than those where I have a good idea of what my role and tasks are.  This is great, but it would be a bad idea for me to assume that the transition is complete - because it isn't.

Tammy managed to survive May Term with Wartburg College.  The class she led was difficult because it was designed to be an experiential, hands-on course that had to be altered to an online model.  At the same time, the faculty and staff at the college have been grappling with how they must adjust and address the reality of a continuing pandemic.  As is always the case, it is easiest to fall back on the previous approaches.  But, I see evidence that there are some motivated people that want to move forward and become better than what they have been.  It is hard and often frustrating work, especially when there are many people who care so strongly and have their own ideas of what is best.  Good things aren't always easy.

All in all, it sounds like a microcosm of what we are all dealing with in today's world.  We have an amazing opportunity to be better than we are right now.  It's just ... hard.

How Is the Farm Doing?
The short answer is that we are struggling a bit right now.

It is early June, so this is not necessarily a new thing.  This is always a difficult time and we often have trouble with too much water on our farm.  But, let's just trot out some of the new adjustments to make it clear why this is exceptional for us:

• no CSA - instead we're doing farm credit system that was piloted only during the 2nd part of last year.
• no additional workers on the farm - just the two of us.
• new job for Rob (see above) and existing job for Tammy (see above)
• we're trying to add waterways to manage the water, but it is not a simple conversion
• neither of us is as 'tough' as we usually are by this time of year, so it is hard to run a full day outside on the farm (again, linked to jobs, among other things)
• the pandemic has forced changes to where we were targeting our sales going forward.
• and the pandemic is causing us to consider different ways to deliver and handle contact

The big thing right now is that our fields are, once again, too wet to work.  And, we just didn't have the stamina to get it "ALL" done prior to the rains.  It didn't help that we had some of the warmest weather of the year this past week.   In other words, we're not sure we'll be able to get it all done.  Ok.  We never get it all done.  We are not even sure we can get ENOUGH done.

Let's think about it a bit.  Normally, we have anywhere from two to five different groups of people who come out to the farm for service days, or tour/work days, etc.  With the pandemic raging, we have had none of those.  Last Spring we had a couple of people come out and volunteer a few hours a week.  As recently as two years ago, we had three people working during the summer months anywhere from 2 to 5 days a week each.

We're trying to make all kinds of adjustments to make this work.  It only makes sense that we are not going to get it together without some difficulties.  We'll keep plugging along and see where it all lands.  Removing the CSA was an excellent answer because we don't have to put out a full assortment of veggies every week to fulfill that obligation.  But, we still want to get some of our crops in and going so we do have great produce available for people.

And the farmers?
While we are dealing with many of the things everyone else is right now, we do have some advantages.  We live on the farm and have some space and we don't have to worry too much about daily contact with others.  Rob has already been working on the farm for several years, so no big change there.  We also seem to like each other and we do enjoy doing things together.  We take time to play board games, read books and talk with each other.  We have accomplished a great deal over the past couple of years and we can show plenty of progress in recent months.

Like so many other people, we are also feeling separation from others.  We are distressed by recent events and we worry for people who are being hurt right now.  We are finding that both of us have a need to speak out more than maybe we have in the past.  As an introvert, that process can be draining.  As a human-being who wants to be understanding, caring, accurate, etc.    It can be hard when you also realize fully how little you actually know - yet you know you need to participate to make things better.  It hurts even more when it seems as if there are a whole lot of people on ALL sides that seem to think they've got it all figured out - and heaven help you if you don't land exactly where they do.  And there is so much anger.  And fear.  And frustration.  We've all got so far to go - but the journey we are undertaking has the potential to be one of the greatest the human race has seen.  No pressure, but let's not mess this up.

I'm not sure I've answered the initial question.  So how are we doing?

We had not put a screen back on a window of the house after using that window to go out and do work on the siding this Winter.  A Yellow-billed Cuckoo slammed into that window and died just yesterday.  I was in the process of closing up the house as the day warmed.  We've never seen this bird on the farm before this (we had just identified him the day before).  If I had just taken time to put that screen in earlier, perhaps that bird would still be alive.  That's all it took to make me feel like I had failed - at everything.

Our emotions and our feelings of worth are more on the surface than they usually are.  We tell ourselves to toughen up, but maybe that's the wrong idea.  Perhaps we should be feeling these things more.  The key is not to toughen up, but to keep moving in hopes that we can make more things right than we make wrong.

So, that's what we're trying to do.  How about you?

Weather, Wind and Iris

We have had some wind on and off for the past several days to go along with the heat.  On the negative side, the wind means we have to water plants and birds (and ourselves) much more frequently.  But, on the positive, if there is a good stiff breeze, then our annual infestation of Buffalo Gnats don't make our lives quite so miserable when we are outside.

This afternoon, we watched while storms blew up to our south and then to our east.  We are hopeful everyone south of us is fine.  In terms of staying power, this is not at all unlike what happened to us earlier. 

 We had a moment where the sun in the western sky was lighting up our farm nicely, but there was this forbidding sky in the background.  I was not patient enough to try to catch any lightning as we were about our business of getting things closed down due to some wind poofs coming through that were attached to a cell that went just north of us.

We had some interesting cloud and sunray displays as well Thursday evening.  One very positive thing about all of this is that this week was a Wednesday farm credit delivery day in Waverly.  If this were a Cedar Falls Thursday, it would have been pretty uncomfortable.  This does remind us that our new modifications to handle the Covid-19 pandemic are not at all friendly to us if the weather is bad. 

On another note, our iris are beginning to really get into the act of blooming.  Of course, the wind is beating them up pretty good and the heat limits how long each flower is at its peak.  But, at least we have iris. 

Sadly, we have plenty of evidence that the late hard freeze took its toll on many of our iris flower stalks (and plants).  This seems to happen pretty often at the farm, which is sad for us because we do love these flowers.

 

We'll try and get more pictures of them to share assuming the wind calms down tomorrow.  It is pretty difficult to take a photo when the iris is bobbing around in the wind!

My old friend, St Helen's Wake is blooming again this year and we'll try to take a picture that will do it justice.  However, if you want to see a very good one (along with a very good blog post) you can go to this April post from this year.  We were also graced with the presence of Proud Tradition again this season.