Everything is Priority One

Here's a throwback post from November of 2013.  I took the time to do a little editing/adding, but I found this a healthy thing to do.  Since we no longer do the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farmshares things ARE different on the farm.  We still have to prioritize, but I have to admit that things are far less... well, just take a look.

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 You know everyone, I've been thinking.

***together now***
A dangerous pastime...
I know.

A constant task on our farm is the act of prioritization.  In fact, I suspect everyone will agree that many choices we all make every day is simply the act of prioritizing.

You have five minutes before you must get to a meeting.  Do you 

1. take out the trash, 
2. fix your lunch for after the meeting  
3. don't do anything else and leave now 
4. read the next chapter in your book because there is a cat in your lap.

Would you dare offend this cat?

Once the choice is made, you've effectively set some priorities for the moment (and some of the moments thereafter) in your life.  

Note: If you choose option #4, you likely have decided that the consequences of removing a cat are greater than those of the other choices.  So, your priority is to maintain peace with the feline and you'll accept the consequences that might follow with respect to not having lunch, leaving the trash in the house a bit longer, and dealing with potentially unhappy persons you were supposed to meet.

Setting Priorities on the Farm

Decision making and priority setting is a continuous process for us at the farm.  We have long term priority setting, mid-term priority setting, short-term priority setting and "oh crap - we have to do all of these right now or else" priority setting.

An example of the last type of priority setting follows.  We have, of course, simplified it somewhat, but we think it makes the point.

Real Life Scenario:   

There are four workers on the farm, including Rob and Tammy.  It is a Thursday in late July.  We must leave to deliver produce in Cedar Falls by 3pm.  It is currently 9am.  Animal chores are done.  Greens are picked and hydrocooling, green beans are picked, but not bagged and little else has been picked.  Forecast is for possible storms and we can see the dark clouds on the horizon. 

The easy part : 

We have a lot to pick for 65 Farm Share CSA members.  It usually takes everything four people can do to pick, clean, pack and prep for the trip on a normal day without storms coming.  So, anything else on the farm is already lower priority.  This can be harsh on days like this if there are things that really NEED to get done before the rain.  Planting the next batch of green beans, cultivating the onions before the soil gets gummed up, etc.  And, because these priority one items cannot exceed the priority one picking items, we may find ourselves a week or so behind on them if it rains enough.  But, that's just the way it goes.

It looks like we might have 90 minutes before some stormy weather.  The underlying priority-one issue is the safety of all workers.  There is lightning in this storm, so we will be pulling everyone in until it passes.  Once it passes, we might have another 90 minute block before we have to pack and leave.  Remember, it is likely that things will be muddy at that time, so that will play into our choices.

What do you do?

• Pick the cucumbers?
• Pick the summer squash and zucchini?
• Pick the tomatoes?
• Pick the broccoli?
• Pick carrots?
• Clean and pack the greens that are hydrocooling?
• Bag the green beans? 
• Throw up your hands and go watch a re-run of Gilligan's Island?
  

Does the summer squash make the cut?

Or do we cut some broccoli?

All of you who decided to bag the green beans lose.  Go to the end of the line.  We can do that when it is raining.

If you chose to pack the greens, you might actually be right.  But, why?  Isn't that the same argument as the green beans?  First, you do not want the greens to soak too long in the water and they are in the water right now.  Second, our packing area is outside.  Third, one of the workers isn't comfortable with harvesting, but likes cleaning and packing the veg.  Ok, we have one winner.  After all, we've harvested this already.  Failure to finish the preparation results in wasting a crop already in hand for the delivery.  Not a good idea.

What do we do with the other three people?

Cucumbers, summer squash and zucchini need to be picked 2 to 3 times a week.  If we keep them picked, they keep producing.  If we fail to keep them picked, we end up with giant fruit that no one wants.  And, the production levels go down for future harvest.  It's still early in the season, so we can't afford to let these go at this time.  If we pick these after the rain, they're going to be muddy, so we have to spend some time cleaning OR give people produce with some mud on it.

Broccoli sets heads that hold for a limited period of time.  The next scheduled pick will be for Tuesday's shares.  A quick look tells us that we'll have about 70 heads of broccoli that will bolt if we don't pick them in the next three days.  We haven't had much for tomatoes so far and members of the CSA desperately want some.  Harvesting from wet tomato plants can spread disease.  If it were later in the season, we might figure it is not a big problem.  But, the tomatoes are just thinking about getting going here. And, the carrots require the most time to clean.  If we pick them before the rain, they will be easier to clean because they won't have mud clinging to them.  And, we could clean them while it is raining. 

Time is running out.

So What Did We Do?

We eliminated the broccoli from consideration before the rain.  It will pick the same before or after the storm (assuming the storm doesn't have lots of wind and it blows all the plants over).  We will zip out with our lettuce knives and pick the broccoli right after the storm passes through.  Yes, we'll be walking in some mud while we pick, but that's true for all our options.  It's a priority one that isn't priority one in the morning.

We eliminate the tomatoes entirely for the day.  It is sad, but there really aren't that many ready to go.  It would take too long to run the whole field in order to locate enough for everyone to get a couple of tomatoes.  If we must, we'll pick over the weekend and make tomato sauce.  There will be more tomatoes ripening the following week and beyond.  And, the only one of the three workers who picks tomatoes is Rob.   In other words, it is an inefficient use of time.  We are hoping to provide farm share members the best return for the picking time available.

Carrots....hm.  Well, carrots will hold until next week.  Frankly, they should have been priority one yesterday (they were, but that's another story with another set of choices).  But, we could use the rain to do some of the cleaning.  And, if it rains a lot for several days, it may be awhile before we want to work with them.  With the rain coming, we would have 3 people who could concentrate on cleaning and prepping them.  It sounds pretty appealing.  We have two broadforks, so we could have two people working on it to get about 75 pounds dug before the rain.

Then, there is summer squash, zucchini and cucumber.  We need increments of about 70 of each (to simplify matters).  Increments less than that leave us with ugly numbers that are hard to split with our farm share holders.

One worker cleaning and packing greens.  Tammy and another worker digging carrots.  Rob runs out and grabs as many groups of 65 of the zucchini, summer squash and cucumbers as he can, watching the progress of the storm and shifting so that each crop is visited and number needs for the CSA are met.

Uh oh.  We forgot the kohlrabi.

Ok, we got to them too.

Why Stay?

I remember the times I worked for my Grandfather during the summer months.  It was usually for a week at a time - probably because that was about as long as he wanted to deal with any of his grandchildren, even if some of us weren't much of a problem.  And, every morning we would get up early and hop into the truck to head to one of the two or three places he would go for breakfast.

Grandpa was a cement contractor and he went places where other contractors and builders would go for their breakfasts.  There would be work conversation, reports on family, a fair amount of teasing and coarseness, and - of course - they would have a little fun at the kid's expense when they could.

I handled it well enough, but usually kept a pretty low profile and didn't attract too much of the conversation.  Mostly, I observed.. and ate.

After one morning where a few of the regulars were particularly... shall we say... difficult (and not with me), Grandpa grumbled something about "not being sure why he kept coming back to that place because of those [guys]."

And, did we go back to that place for the remainder of the week?  No.  Did we go the next time I was working for him.  Yes.

Back when the internet was "new" and people were just figuring out that you could have asynchronous conversations with people from all over the world in places called "bulletin boards" and "chat rooms," conversation groups about all sorts of topics formed.  I remember joining something called "rec.collecting.stamps" and another group that had to do with my research in computer science at the time.  These were places where people with similar interests could go and connect.  It didn't matter if one person was in Maryland and another in Minnesota.

But, just like the restaurant with a few people who often crossed the line, these virtual places also attracted folks who made life difficult for the rest.

The thing was...  it was easier to be (or at least feel like you were) anonymous.  Which meant some people who were normally pretty good to get along with in person became quite difficult online.

Sometimes a someone - or a couple of someones - would cross the line and I would grumble.  And then leave for a while.  And then come back.

So - Why stay?

I can think of two reasons.

1. It was the place where I could find people who had some of these interests that I shared.  Many of those individuals made my life richer and my enjoyment of the topic fuller.   If they left the group and never came back, there would be no benefit for me to return because I really did not need to stay and watch the train wreck of continuous abuse and bad behavior.  And, similarly, if I left, I would not be there to support them either. 

and

2. If I left, I would be left without a peer group surrounding that interest, whether it was work or hobby related.  I would have to search, once again, for a new group that made me feel comfortable with a shared interest OR I would simply remain isolated and my appreciation for the subject might suffer for it.  And, if I did find a new group, I knew it would be only a matter of time until someone popped up that would make that environment difficult too.

Sound familiar?  If you use the internet to participate in a virtual group, I am certain it does.

If you find yourself coming back or staying is it because you feel you bear some responsibility to provide value to the group?  Or, is it because you need the group and don't feel you can find a better substitute?

Just something to contemplate this Wednesday.  Have a good week everyone!

I Got Up This Morning

I got up this morning and the sun was coming up.  I knew it was time to get outside and get food and water to the creatures who depended on us for that sort of thing.  It looked like it was going to be pretty nice outside, but I did not want to do the chores alone, so I asked Hob Nob if she wanted to come help me.

But Hob Nob just kept her eyes closed and ignored me.

Happily, Tammy agreed to help with the chores today.  And, to be perfectly candid, Tammy is MUCH better at helping with chores than Hob Nob ever would have been.

It turned out I was right.  The skies were mostly clear and the sun was nice and bright.  Because we are now in mid-October, it was coming up in the southeastern sky.  The shadows were still pretty long, but it highlighted the textures of the world.

We commenced to filling buckets of water for the hens, henlets and turkeys.  The birds were clearly anxious to be out of their protective shelters and into their pastures. 

I got Rosie out of the granary and Tammy filled the food buckets.  Pretty soon, Rosie was loaded down with food and water so we could take all of these goodies to their destinations.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" The Inspector made his presence known.  It would be a bad thing if the farmers forgot to provide sustenance for the farm supervisors.  Since we try to avoid "bad things" at the farm, we responded in a favorable fashion to this request.

Crazy Maurice has been hosting the turkeys in his field over the last several weeks.  Maurice tells me that he likes this time of year and appreciates the extra company (most of the time).  I walk away wondering if he is referencing Tammy and I or the turkeys....  I may never know.

The turkeys come out to make sure there is food and water already delivered - just as it has been each morning since they were first let out on to pasture.  Once the delivery has been confirmed, the jakes and tom commence to puffing and fanning.  It's a good thing to show off for the farmers - they appear to be an appreciative audience this morning.

I looked across at one of our neighbor's fields.  The corn was harvested, but there has been a new flush of green in their field - looking a bit yellowed after the frosts.  This is what happens when strong winds knock ears of corn off of the stalks.  Our weather has been nice enough that the corn that fell to the ground germinated.

There are still flowers on the farm - even though we've had a couple nights with frost.  The pumpkin leaves are done, but there are still marigolds.

 And, while the tops of the Amish Cockscomb were singed, they still provided some bright color and interesting texture with their blooms.

And the Cosmos played host to some bumblebees, who reveled in the morning sun.

I got up this morning, and I was glad that I did.

Balance Sheet

Every so often, I am able to participate in discussions with other growers about things that matter to us.  Recently, in a social media group, someone posted a link to this study presented by Pasa Sustainable Agriculture.  This one looked at direct-market vegetable farmers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.  Results were for a variety of farms that ranged in size from less than 15 acres (the size of our farm) to a maximum of 100 acres.  Farm experience ran from beginner to fifty (!) years.

The question being asked by the study - Can direct market vegetable farmers make a middle-class income?

Before I get very far, let me summarize that their conclusion was essentially, "probably not."  The average net income for participants was $18,500.  However, if you look more closely, you find that things like experience, access to larger acreages and a strong market can make a difference.

In the end, the study, like so many of this type, is flawed enough that we need to be careful making strong statements based on the results.  In the first place, there are simply too many variables to make conclusions.  And secondly, the natural selection of farm businesses quitting over time and not being part of the study makes it difficult to say much.  If you look at the data, you will find that most of the farms in the study started after our farm did in 2004 (most starting 2010 to 2017, when the study started).  From what I have seen, new small-scale farm businesses are going to fail in the first five to eight years.  Take from that what you will.

But, I do think one thing is very clear.  Farms that succeed over a long tenure and follow direct-marketing on a smaller scale are uncommon.

Let me be candid with you.  The Genuine Faux Farm landed in the vicinity of the average net income for farms in this study most years.  To be perfectly clear, our income was not salaried with the farm either.  Our income was based entirely off of the net profit our farm could manage from year to year.  So, if you predicate success of our farm solely on whether or not our net income puts us in the "middle income bracket" then we clearly fail.

So, why does the Genuine Faux Farm, established in 2004, still exist?

Farm Life Balance Sheet

The standard net profit model forgets a number of things that are true for a farm like ours.  The farmers are able to benefit in ways that are not necessarily reflected in our net profit.  We have had access to a four-wheel drive pickup that is, essentially, an expense for the farm.  Some of the property improvements are farm improvements.  We have access to some really good food too.

In short, our balance sheet that we might use for our taxes or for our bank does not have a series of columns to measure farm life costs and benefits. 

Our business model early on was to get to "break-even" as soon as we were able - with the knowledge that we were receiving other benefits from the farm that did not show in the numbers as profit. As we progressed, our business model actually moved to more of a "personal well-being" balance sheet. Was the actual net-profit enough to offset any hits we were taking to keep the farm going? For some people, a net of $5K per year may be enough to make it a life's work. For others, a net of $100K won't be nearly enough. 

The question being asked by the study is not adequate to answer this sort of question. But, it still gives a little raw data to work with. It's a decent enough study if it encourages questions - even if it doesn't give answers.

The Hidden Column

There is a hidden column in the balance sheet that is difficult to measure accurately for every small-scale, direct-market farm.  This column takes into account the convenience that comes with living on fifteen acres and having access to a 45 horsepower tractor with a bucket.  It also considers the stress of trying to successfully grow not one, not two, but fifty, or more, different crops successfully in a season. 

The hidden column probably should have its own blog - and maybe I'll give it a run some day.  It would include the benefit I have had where I can be my own "boss."  But, even that has its pros and cons.  And the benefit that someone who farms like we do gets to spend more time closer to nature is balanced by the fact that we are often isolated from other people.  For some individuals, the inability to "get off the farm" is not offset by the $18K net income, and they decide to move in a new direction.

At the Genuine Faux Farm, we have been very aware of the hidden column and we have been working hard to balance it out.  Are we succeeding?  Well, we're still farming, even if we are farming very differently than we once were.  And we ask this question of ourselves every year - because success looks different every year.

Have a great week everyone - and I hope you are able to balance your own hidden column in your personal balance sheet.

Too Late - Postal History Sunday

Welcome to Postal History Sunday on the Genuine Faux Farm blog, which is also cross-posted on the GFF Postal History blog each and every Sunday.  This is where the farmer (Rob) gets to share a hobby he enjoys with you.  It doesn't matter if you collect stamps or postal history or if you just like to learn a new thing or two, all are welcome here.

Now, let's take our troubles and worries and crumple them up into as tight a ball as you can manage.  Give that ball to your cat, or your dog... or your goldfish.  The cat will probably end up batting them under the refrigerator, the dog will chew them up so you won't recognize them anymore, and the goldfish...  well, it probably won't do much, but once you soak your troubles in fishtank water for a few hours, they don't look as impressive as they once did.  Don't have a pet?  Well, we are crumpling up virtual pieces of paper, so give them to your virtual pet - maybe an elephant, if you'd like.

Let's see what new things we can learn this week!

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One thing that I think most of us can relate to is the way time can get away from us all.  And the other thing is how valuable time can be to us.  Postal services around the world, for as long as they have been in operation have been intensely aware of both of these things.  They know that we will wait until the last minute to get that envelope full of important, time-sensitive materials (like maybe - a tax return?) to the post office to be mailed.  They also know that their customers pay attention to how long things take to get from here to there!

How have postal services defended themselves when their customers push that time envelope and still expect the miracle of quick delivery to the destination?  I thought it might be fun to look at mail in the 1800s and see how it was handled then.

I'm sorry, but we didn't get this letter in time

During the mid-1850s, speedy and affordable mail services were desired, and even demanded, by the business communities who relied on the post to execute their business.  They were swift to point out failures to deliver in a timely fashion, which encouraged post offices to mark letters and mail that were received after the mails closed.  It was a simple line of defense.

"Hey!  The people who sent this to you messed up, so talk to them if you got it later than you wanted!"

The French were proud of their rail system and the 'star' configuration that set Paris at its center.  They utilized mail processing cars on these trains and there were complex schedules for mail transit using these rail lines.  

Often, rather than going overland via a shorter distance, mail would travel to Paris on one line of the 'star' and then go outward towards its destination from Paris.  This resulted in a faster delivery than a direct coach service would have provided.

The reliance on speedy railway services raised expectations for timely delivery of the mail, which means a May 18 postmark at Cambrai in France was typically expected to arrive on May 19 for delivery at Tournay, Belgium.  After all, Belgium's rail system actually advanced more quickly than France's.

So, here I am looking at a folded letter that was postmarked on May 18, 1860.  It is properly prepaid with a 40 centime French postage stamp.  The red box with the "PD" marking shows that the postage was recognized as paid.  And then there's that additional marking in black ink:

The words "après le départ" translate to "after the departure."  Post offices had to set a cut-off time after which items could no longer be accepted for that day's scheduled conveyance.  Trains, in particular, had a schedule to keep and the mailbag had to be ready to go and be on time.

The individual who trotted in with this piece of mail was probably breathing heavily and might have even tried to convince the postal clerk that there must be some way to get it on that train.  But, alas!  They were too late, and the postal clerk made absolutely certain to document that fact by putting this marking boldly in the center of the address panel, for all to see.
 

Arrival at Tournay two days after mailing.

 The French postal service was sensitive about their reputation for timely mail service, so they applied an "Apres Le Depart" marking to any item that was received after the scheduled close of the mail.  It is important to recognize that the closing of the mail for a particular departure does not imply that the post office itself was closed for business.  In fact, some post offices had multiple mail closing times to reflect mail bound for different directions or conveyance methods.... or a different train on the schedule.

a sample train schedule from Basel (Switzerland) to Strasbourg (France)

I suppose two days for the delivery of a letter may not seem all that terrible in the grand scheme of things.  But, we need to remember that the post was the primary method of communication between businesses and time... as they say in business... is money.

The Dutch wanted timely mail too...

"Na posttijd" is translated literally as "after post time," which clearly fits the same purpose as the French marking shown above. This folded letter was mailed in Wageningen on September 6, 1858.

Wageningen and Arnhem were both located on an operating rail line at the time of the posting of this letter in 1858.  So, it seems that it is likely the na posttijd marking was an indicator that the mail train was missed.  Perhaps no such marking was used for coach or other service?

However, 20 km is equivalent to 4 Hollands Mijls, and each mijl was equivalent to roughly an hour long walk.  Technically, any service could have arrived at the destination in one day as long as the letter was received at the post office prior to the carrier's departure!  Sadly, I suspect no one was willing to walk this item to Arnhem, so it waited for the mail train that came through the next day and the letter arrived in Arnhem on September 7.

You might notice that this letter bears no postage stamps, something that is uncommon for items in my collection.  However, it was not at all uncommon in the 1850's for items to be mailed unpaid with the intent that the recipient pay the postage in order to take possession of the letter.  The large, penned "5" on the front of this letter indicated that the 5 Dutch cents of postage were due on delivery from the recipient.

Maybe it wasn't the sender's fault...

In 1855, Milan was part of Lombardy, which was considered a part of Austria.  Parma was a duchy ruled by a member of the Bourbon line, but had as recently as 1847 been ruled by a Habsburg.

Wait!  What's this Habsburg/Bourbon stuff?

If you are like me, I have only so much brainspace.  And references to the Bourbons and the Habsburgs don't mean much to me without a quick reminder - so maybe the same holds true for you?  The Bourbons have a French origin and the Bourbons in Parma were Spanish.  The Habsburgs, on the other hand, were Austrian (remember the Holy Roman Empire?). 

It is this Austrian connection that explains Parma's participation in a postal agreement (Austro-Italian League) that maintained favorable rates for mail between its members.  Members included Austria, the Kindgom of Lombardy & Venetia, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, and the Papal States.  

The letter below was sent from Milan (Lombardy) to Parma, which was both the name of the primary city and the duchy.  Mail between them could be prepaid at rates that were roughly equivalent to Austria's internal postage because they were part of this postal league.

Rail service was still extremely limited in the Italian states because Austria wanted to suppress development of anything that might support a growing sentiment for the unification of Italy.  It would not be until 1859 that the Milan-Bologna rail line, which ran through Parma and Modena, would be fully placed into service.  

This letter was mailed in 1855.  Perhaps there was a short railway spur in Milan that carried this item towards its destination.  But, it probably was carried in a mail coach most of the way to Parma.

Whether this folded letter was put on a train or not, there is a marking in Italian that reads "dopo la partenza" or "after departure."

There is a September 2 postmark in Milan followed by an arrival in Parma on September 4 for a 120 km trip - mostly by coach.  With an average speed of 8 km per hour, it would take 15 hours of continuous travel, but the dedicated mail coaches probably traveled faster than this. So, it is possible a person in Parma might expect to receive a letter from Milan in a single day.

So - perhaps there was another reason this letter was delayed?

 

There are two slits in this folded letter that are indicators that the item was disinfected at some point on its journey.

The third cholera pandemic had been particularly deadly in 1854 and reached places in Italy where it had not previously been found in the following year (see p 30 of the monograph linked here).  It was at this time that various individuals were discovering that contaminated water was the source for most outbreaks.  But, even so, disinfection of the mail continued, if only to show the public that something was being done to control the disease.

In fact, you can see that I featured this same cover in this Postal History Sunday that talked about treatments of the mail in attempts to halt disease.

So...it is possible the reason for the dopo la partenza marking had nothing to do with the late arrival of the sender at the post office and everything to do with the disinfection process itself.

Or maybe, we just missed the boat...

The letter below was mail in February of 1858 from Triest to Pola.  There was no active rail line between these two cities on the Istrian peninsula at that time and the entire area used Austria's postal services.

Nach Abgang Der Post

Triest was a major port city on the Adriatic Sea and there were significant business concerns that utilized mail services regularly in that community.  Pola, at the time this letter was written, was also a port city on the Adriatic*.    Sadly, the backstamp is not clear enough to determine the arrival date with certainty, though it looks like February 9 (after a Feb 6 sending date).   

Another postal service and another language.  This time, our marking on the letter is in German and it reads "nach abgang der post" which means "after the post has left."

It does not seem possible that this marking had anything to do with a train since I cannot find any record of railways there until decades later.  Of course, it is always possible that a mailcoach was missed, but I think that this letter may have missed the boat!

Both cities were reasonably significant ports on the Adriatic Sea and it seems reasonable to expect coastal steamers to carry mail between them.  It is also reasonable to expect that there were also mail coach routes.  So, I can't say for sure whether this missed the next scheduled boat or the next scheduled mail coach.  But, one thing is for sure - it missed something! 

*Pola is now a part of Croatia and is known as Pula.  The distance, via ground routes, is approximately 140 km between Trieste and Pola.

It's nice that you wanted to catch the Asia, but....

Persons who availed themselves of trans-Atlantic mail services in the 1860s were often well-versed in the comings and goings of the mail packets (ships) and would often write a directive on the envelope or wrapper for a particular ship sailing.  On the bottom left of the envelope shown below we see the words "p(er) Cunard Steamer Asia from Boston April 25."  The docketing at the left indicates that the contents were datelined April 24, 1866 but, sadly, the contents are no longer with the envelope.

Generally speaking, the postal clerks at exchange offices (those post offices that handled mail to and from countries outside the United States) were charged with getting the mail to the destination via the fastest available route.  So, the docket indicating which ship this item should sail on was not as necessary as it might have been in prior decades. Still the sender of this piece of mail found it necessary to try to show that an April 25 sailing departure was expected.  

Is it possible they put it there in an attempt to impress upon the recipient that if it did not go that way, the postal service might be to blame for any delay?

It was well known that Cunard Line sailings left on Wednesdays, alternating between Boston and New York.  The next available sailings (by other lines) were on Saturdays.  This Wednesday sailing was in Boston, but the letter was mailed in New York, which means the letter probably had to be in the New York exchange office on Tuesday (Apr 24) to reach the Wednesday ship departure in Boston*.  But, what happens when you get to the post office too late and the mailbags intended for the Cunard Line's Asia have been closed and are no longer available to stuff one more letter into them?  

Well, the postal clerk takes note of your intent for a April 25 departure by putting a marking that reads "Too Late" on the front of your piece of mail.  Then, he strikes the cover with a red New York marking with the date of the NEXT available sailing (April 28), providing an explanation to the recipient that it was NOT their fault that this item arrived a few days later. 

I wonder if the clerk would have bothered with the "Too Late" marking if the sender had not tried to place an intended departure date on the cover?  My guess is that they would not have done so.

*The Appletons' United States Postal Guide gives some of the postal schedules for some of the larger cities including New York and Boston.  However, it only provides a look at the Boston foreign mails and no mention is made of the New York foreign mails.  In Boston, letters destined for a New York sailing were to be posted no later than 7 pm the previous day.

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Well, once again, you have frittered away a chunk of time and politely listened (or read) while I shared something I enjoy.  I hope you found parts and pieces of it interesting and perhaps you learned something new.  I hope you join me next week for a new Postal History Sunday.

Hey!  Where did that wadded up ball of troubles go?  Oh, the elephant took it?  Ok, that's fine with me.

A Couple of Resources

There are numerous philatelic and postal history resources out in the world that have helped me get a foothold on some of the things I share here.  Here are two that had some influence on this week's Postal History Sunday.

"Appletons' United States Postal Guide - 1863," D. Appleton & Co, reprint by J. Lee

Lesgor, R, Minnigerode, M & Stone, R.G., "The Cancellations on French Stamps of the Classic Issues: 1849-1876," Nassau Stamp Company, 1948.

Staying in Tune

 

A few folks have said that they like the periodic post with a playlist of music that I am currently enjoying.  I certainly understand that not everyone likes them and that some people don't have internet that allows them to easily enjoy the links provided.  But, for those that do, here is a list for the month of October.

In a way, these posts are not terribly different from Postal History Sundays...  I am, once again, sharing something I enjoy and I hope you will find something here that you might also enjoy.  And, if you don't find something for you here, I hope you will at least be happy for me that I have found music I like and I, in turn, will hope you can find what interests you too!

This month, I enlisted the help of Stu (not STEW - he does not like that spelling) to determine what songs to include this month.  So here is the rooster approved list of tunes for your listening enjoyment.

What You Think I Am - the Choir

            This is a tune that deserves to be in a movie, or get on popular playlists.  It's a lyrical theme we can all relate to and it's just good music.

Anodynia: 4. Finale - Break of Reality

            Cellos and percussion.  What's not to like?

20 Loves - Veil of Ashes

            Sadly, Sean Doty, vocalist for Veil of Ashes, passed away.  There are a couple of songs this group put out that have been among my top favorites for many, many years. This is one of them.

Resilient - Rising Appalachia

            The theme of resiliency is well loved to those who work on small-scale, diversified farms.  I have little doubt this tune will show up here and there at various events that cater to this crowd.  (And, in fact, I just heard it at one a couple of days ago - was not surprised).

The Precipice - the Classic Crime 

            It's a beautiful tune with thoughtful lyrics.  If you watch the video, please get over the fact that the video is slightly out of sync with the music.  Just listen.  This is another long time favorite.

Trance Celtica - Green Clouds

            I do have a soft spot for some Irish/Celtic influenced tunes.  This group is new to me.

Now - Future of Forestry 

            If I had the skill to write and perform music, it would sound like much of the music Eric Owyoung of Future of Forestry creates. 

In Maidjan - Heilung (in particular the first 3-4 minutes of this clip)

            Truth in advertising, I linked to a live performance that actually starts in the middle of In Maidjan and then runs into another tune I featured a couple of months (?) ago.  It's the vocals here that give me chills.  The talent... the skill... and the chills.

Deep - Adam Again

            It's got to be funky if it's Adam Again.  And it is.  I still love the music of this group even though I've played the tar out of it for.... a long time.

Scarcely Cricket - Ma, Duncan, Meyer & Thile

            Once a cellist, always a cellist.  Even if you don't actively play anymore.  So, of course, with two cellists in the household, we enjoy the works of Yo Yo Ma.  Add in other skilled musicians and you have another "goat rodeo."

Signposts - Sam Phillips

            Did you know of Sam Phillips before she gained more recognition as the vocalist who sang on Gilmore Girls?   She continues to write and create and I am grateful - though this one is actually a tune that's been around for a while.

River Queen - Robert Vaughn & the Dead River Angels

            I could not find an online version of this song.  But, I will still include it because I want to! 

Liars and Saints - Liars and Saints 

            And here's another linkless wonder.  This is cousin-in-law, Rusty Zaspel's band.  My brother made sure I got a copy of the demo album they put together a number of years ago and I just keep inserting a song here and there into my playlists - enjoying them every time.  I never did get the song titles, so I just guessed on this one.  So, Rusty, if you see this....

Lush of Spring - Morella's Forest

            Guess I am in the mood for a bit of "shoegazer pop."  Just imagine yourself walking down a sidewalk on a calm, sunny day in the Fall - with your headphones on and your head down... sometimes bobbing to the music as you step.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Large Values of Two

The farmer (Rob) was asked to speak at two different events on Wednesday of this week.  The first was about organic farming and the second regarding local foods.  I typically enjoy giving these presentations - especially when the audience is engaged - but there are side-effects.

1. I'm usually quite tired the day after because the introvert in me needs a big recharge
2. The process of preparing to speak gets me to thinking...

And we all know thinking is a dangerous pastime!

If you have been reading our blog over the past couple of years, you probably are aware of the number of changes and challenges we have had to deal with at the Genuine Faux Farm.  Anytime your life undergoes transition and upheaval at any magnitude (it can be a small thing from other people's perspective), there is a process of evaluating exactly what it is that you want.  Where do you want to go from here?  What are you able to do?  What should you be doing?

What if - we don't know?

First, let me toss out the normal things that most people say they want.  Happiness.  Love.  Friendship. Health. A sense of security and place.  That kind of stuff.

All valid.  All coming from a positive viewpoint.

And all of them too vague to actually act with any real surety of direction.

So, that leads us to the real questions you have to ask.  What should I do to be happy?  How do I maintain and cultivate friendships?  How do I show and receive love?  What do I need to do to be healthy in mind and body?  What makes us feel secure and how will we know that we belong?

So, what happens when you realize that every option you come up with can cause you to be both happy and stressed... or angry... or (pick another feeling here and keep going).  So, that leaves us with considering options that will leave us with an overall "happiness," while we recognize there may be some things that run counter to being happy.

And suddenly, you realize.  You don't know exactly what goals are the best goals for you to pursue right now.  It can be a crushing blow to a person raised in a society where there was a great deal of emphasis on right versus wrong answers.

What happens when you realize that 2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2?

Large Values of Two

I recognize that my desire for "right" answers leads to frustration in life.  Sometimes I fail to move forward when I should because I am not convinced that I have found the correct solution to ... well, whatever the decisions are that I have to be making.  I can get stuck on the idea that a "2" is  a "2" and adding them together is always "4."  

In real life, our twos have varying values and we can only choose from a set of possible solutions that seem like they'll lead to happiness, security, and all of those other good things.  We're left to make our best educated guess based on what we think we know and the experiences we have in our possession at the time.  We're left to decide with incomplete information and whole host of assumptions.

And we often stare at the options for too long, hoping someone will save us from our quandary and point out the correct solution.  It's got to be here somewhere - right?

It turns out that the correct solution happens to be the one you choose to take and you choose to make work - as best as you can.  Until it no longer works and you change.  Then THAT will become the correct solution.

I wonder what value "two" will have next?

One of THOSE Days

There are days and then, there are DAYS.  Wednesday of this week was one of them.  But, in yesterday's case, it was a matter of having WAY too many things going on and not so much that everything went wrong.  Still, in honor of Wednesday's follies, I found a blog post from Oct 16, 2013 that seemed to be in keeping with the theme as Throwback Thursday post.  Yes, this past Wednesday was different than this October day several years ago, but I can still appreciate the theme.

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One of the things we honestly try to do when we go to our CSA distributions is to be positive.  But, every once in a while you just want to say, "It's been one of those days."  I suspect nearly everyone knows exactly what I'm referring to here.  It may be different in form, but the substance is pretty much the same.  Typically, it is simply a day where so many little things go wrong or get annoying that they accumulate and threaten to bury your attitude (and other things) by the end of the day.  Tuesday was one of those days for Farmer Rob this week.

Since it is now Wednesday evening, it seems like it might actually be an interesting exercise to make some fun of myself.  Why not?  It's good for me.  And, to keep you all from getting bored, I'll just stick with a few of the things that got on my nerves that actually are a bit humorous (from a distance).

The morning began with a rather startling note.  Literally.  We have an ipod player that allows us to set music to play as our alarm.  Typically, this is a very relaxing way to get up.  Well, at least, that is the case when you don't forget to turn the volume down the night before.  Hey, it's not that I must listen to my music loud - but if you're outside on a windy day and want to hear *any* of the music, it has to be turned up.

The upshot of this is that we woke up VERY quickly.  Let's just say that I don't quite know how I got to the player so fast to turn the volume down.  And, of course, the heart was racing pretty quick. Welcome to your day - and HOLD ON TIGHT!  At least the tune being played wasn't Adam Again's "Helpless, Hopeless, Useless."  If it had been, I think I would have taken that as a warning.

Feeding and watering the birds are two of the morning chores.  So, of course, I worked to do that.  The feed bin decided not to let the feed out - until it did.  A bit much for that bucket.  Oh well, scoop the excess on the floor into another bucket.  It happens.  And, of course, when it gets colder outside, watering is a bit more of an adventure.  Essentially, the level of annoyance when water splashes on your feet goes up as the temperature goes down.  And, since it was one of *those* days...I made sure to get my feet wet.  Again, we are sad to report that this one was also literal.  I really do wish it was just the figure of speech application this time.

I managed to get through the part where I was wielding a sharp lettuce knife without cutting myself, but I did manage to put my hand around a thistle.  But, that's not a big deal this time of year.  The hands can handle it.  The real fun came when I was cleaning the lettuce and pok choi.

For those who do not know, we have a packing/cleaning area that is open.  Tuesday was breezy.  The makings of a slapstick comedy routine were all there.  Farmer wants to clean lettuce, he sticks hands in very cold water and gets some lettuce ready to go in the cooler.  He reaches to put them in the cooler and a wind closes the lid.  He sets the lettuce back down in the water and opens the lid.  Reach for the lettuce, pick it up, lid closes again.  In the end, I cleaned the greens with one hand while I held lids open with the other. This comedy continued as I migrated to the high tunnel and tried to open the door with my hands full.  The results were predictable, so I finally sighed, set everything down and opened the door.  Happily, I have a block I use to prop the door open.

The good news - at this point, I realized that it was going to be "one of those days," so I resigned myself to not taking shortcuts.  This was a good move.  But, frankly, it probably is a good idea to exercise more patience anyway.  Thanks for the lesson, Tuesday!

Mrranda and Sandman are getting a bit more needy as the weather gets colder.  They see us less, and there are fewer people on the farm.  As a result, they are much more insistent when they want something.

Sandman "helped" me pick Green Zebra tomatoes.
Sandman: "Mew. prrrrrrrrr"
Farmer Rob: "Hello Sandman.  Please get out of the tote, I need to put tomatoes there."
S: "prrrrrrrr"
R ***lifts cat out of tote*** :  yes, you're nice, now stay out of the tote.
R ***picks some tomatoes***
S ***steps back into tote*** : "Mew. prrrrrr"
R ***turning to put tomatoes into tote***: "Sandman - stop that, I need to use the tote."
***removes cat and turns to pick more tomatoes***
S ***steps back into tote*** : "MEW! PRRRRRRRRR!"
R: Sigh.

Both cats also have learned that I go into a squat or kneeling position when I pick tomatoes.  That gives some space on my leg they can jump onto to get attention from me.  Needless to say, that's not really what I want to do at that time.  Usually, both cats can be dissuaded from these behaviors after one or two iterations.  But, Tuesday it was more like TEN iterations.

I took a quick break around midday and ran into Tripoli to check the PO Box.  It was all junk mail.  But, then again, that is normal.  On the way home, I looked in the rearview mirror and into the back of the truck.  I had forgotten that some things had been left in there after Saturday's market.  The tables had nothing holding them up, so they had fallen over.  Typically no big deal...except for the trays of tomatoes they fell ONTO.  The good news - many of those were slated to go to the turkeys and chickens anyway.  The bad news - now I have to clean up the truck.

So, I grabbed a cat and rubbed it around for a while on the inside of the truck... at least it was getting attention.

Ok, I didn't do that.

But, the thought of it made me laugh.  And, when you're having one of those days, that's all it takes.

Looking for New Homes

Today's blog is going to be very different because we're actually advertising some farm things that the Genuine Faux Farm no longer needs and we are hoping to find them new homes.

We will update this blog post as things find their new place to be.  Scroll to the end for details on how we will handle transactions.

Durnik the Ford 8n/2n

Durnik joined the farm in 2010 and taught us how to safely operate a tractor at the Genuine Faux Farm.  We've maintained him well and he's been shedded most of his life at the farm.  We added an electric start to make it easier to get him going.  It has a Sherman overdrive transmission, PTO and three point, category 1 hitch.  The three-point does not have draft control.  Like most tractors of this sort, it does not have much for brakes, so you should use chucks to keep it parked on an incline.

He's a great little tractor and we've thoroughly enjoyed its presence at our farm, but Durnik is probably better for someone else at this point in time.  We do have manuals and other useful resources.

Status: Available ----------- Price $2000 OBO

Cat 1, 3 point, Tater Digger

The reality for our farm is that we don't need this AND a middle buster.  The middle buster is more versatile for us. So, this one goes.

And, it works fine with Durnik.

Status: Available --------  Price $50

Cat 1 Three point Slip Scraper

Once we acquired a tractor with a bucket, this implement was not used much after that point.  It's been patiently waiting in a shed for someone else to love and use it.  Works fine with Durnik.

Status: Available  ---------- Price $75

Flexible Cat, S-Tine Cultivator on 8 foot Toolbar

Here's another tool that once did a job for us.  Our operation has changed and this is not longer part of the toolset we need at the Genuine Faux Farm.  And actually, we will still be keeping and using another, similar tool bar, so it's not like we've decided it has no use - we just don't need BOTH!

This was formerly a 16 foot toolbar, which we cut in half.  The 3-point attachment could be adjusted to a different category hitch (it is set for Cat 1 right now).  There are four S-Tine gangs that can also be adjusted to your row spacing.

Status: Available ---------- Price $150

Small Covered Trailer

At one point, we used this as a portable brooder for our farm.  Once we created the permanent brooder room on the farm, this became less useful for us.  

Status: SOLD  

Cat 1, Two-Seat Holland Transplanter

Complete with different cogs to facilitate different plant spacings.  At one point in time, it had a water tank to allow you to put a little water on the plants as you put them in.  It just never fit in with our tool and labor sets.  The best time to use it was when we weren't able to have workers available to sit in those seats.

 Status: Available ------------ Price $300

Bed Roller

We found this was a useful item when we were using the Johnny's 6-row seeder.  That seeder is persnickety about how nice the bed surface for planting was, so this was a great help.  If you have trouble with seed to soil contact, this can help.  I believe we also have dibbles that can go with it if you want to use it to mark your seed bed for transplants - assuming we can find them!

We have moved away from plantings that use the 6-row seeder and this tool is no longer useful to us.  We never did get into using the dibbles, etc because we were more interested in the bed packing rather than row marking.

Status: Available  ---------- Price $200 (Johnny's list price $310 new without dibbles, etc)

Ariens Tiller

It feels like just yesterday - and yet it was years ago.  The Ariens tiller blew out its engine and, having no alternatives at the time, we put a new engine on it.  Then, we actually got some bigger equipment and the Ariens has been rolled from one corner of a building to another.  With the new engine along for the ride.  With some TLC, you can probably get the tiller to work for you.  But, the value is in the motor, of course.

Tecumseh 8hp engine with tiller.  Considering how few hours this engine has on it, this is a pretty nice price for the person who could either use that engine in another application or for someone who will do a little rehab on the tiller.

Status: Available ----------- Price $40

Stand-up Soilblock Makers

The soil block maker on the left is a 6 block and the one on the right is a 20 block.  Both with minimal use.  While we liked the concept of them, they simply ended up not fitting our operation and how we went about doing things.  If we had a better seed starting area earlier in the development of our farm, I suspect these would have gotten plenty of play.

These are practically new and from Johnny's would cost $225 each.  We may have dibbles for these if we can find them.  We've priced these so you can order the dibbles if we can't find them and you need to order some and you'll still come out spending much less than you would for new ones.

Status: Available  -----------  Price $125 each

Harvesting Broadfork

Our harvesting broadfork has seen much more love than our soilblock makers.  However, we have no need for two harvesting broadforks with the changes on our farm.  

Status: Available  Price $150 (listed as $250 new)

Portable Poultry Building (sale pending)

We will only need one of the two buildings we have used for our broilers at the Genuine Faux Farm when we go into the 2022 season.  That means one of these Jeff Sage built buildings will become available.  We have found that about 125 broilers works in a building if you do a day-range system and you can plan on moving every other day.  Building is tall enough for most average height people to be reasonably comfortable entering.  Skid based construction.

Status: Pending ------ Price $200

Truck Topper

Way back when... we used this old truck topper as a shelter for our broilers.  We built a heavy wood base, which is now largely gone.  But, the truck topper is still sitting at our farm, wishing we would find a use for it.

It was given to us and we will give it to someone who feels they can use it.

Status: Available ------- Price free

2020 Hen Flock (sold out)

We have two hen flocks on the farm at this time.  This year's hen chicks are now producing for us and last year's are also producing.  Simply put, we don't have the demand or the inclination to deal with two flocks anymore.

So, for those who might like a few backyard chickens, we have about 80 hens and one rooster available from the 2020 flock.  If you want a larger number than just a few, for whatever reason (to supplement your own layers or to process them as stewing hens), we can accommodate you if that's what you prefer.  These birds were chicks April, 2020.  They will still produce for some time yet, but are certainly past the highest production levels in their lifespans.  They are a mix of Isa Browns (brown eggs), California White (white eggs) and Americana (blue/green eggs).

We would like $3/bird if you arrange pickup, more if we have to arrange delivery.  If you want larger numbers, we can discuss details.

We will need to finish negotiations prior to October 19.  After October 19, these will be available as processed stewing hens at $6 each.  Frankly, we'd love to just get them different homes prior to the trip to the "Park" this year as freezer space on the farm may be at a premium this season.

Status: SOLD OUT

Are You Interested?

The best way to show interest is to email Rob at genuinefauxfarm@gmail.com

For the larger items on this list, we are asking the buyer to arrange for transportation.  Smaller items we can discuss options.  If you need a definition for large/small - ask yourself, can Rob throw it into the back of his pickup by himself?  So, the slip scraper may be the upper limit.

Why are we selling these items?

The nickel tour answer is this: our farm continues to change as any living farm does.  These are items that do not fit what we do anymore.  Durnik, for example, was great when we hosted farm gatherings, which we no longer do and was nice to have when we were more actively farming and could use two tractors every so often.  A few things never quite fit our farm and you can benefit from our throwing money at something that wasn't right for us, but may be right for you.