June Farm Report

It seems like the time is right to update everyone about what's going on at the Genuine Faux Farm.  So, let's give it a go and see where it lands.

Things Break - Of Course

Every Spring we go through the process of accepting that things are going to break and that there is really never a good time for them to break.  This year, at least, the pressure to produce at the farm is lower than it has been in years when Rob's primary job was the farm.  But, someone needs to tell Rob and Tammy that the pressure is lower because neither of them actually seems to have bought into that program.

At present, Barty (our BCS walk-behind tractor) is in the shop.  We really could have used him before the last batch of rain.  But, we didn't have him available so some things didn't get done.  That's the way it is sometimes.  Rather than list the litany of breakage on the farm, I thought I would instead give myself a "shout out" that I am really not as bad at mechanical stuff as I profess to be.  I've managed to trouble shoot a few problems and come up with solutions in the past few weeks despite the my inner dialogue that tells me I don't know what I am doing.

There is something to building a positive narrative that makes you more willing to tackle problems.  Maybe I should apply that philosophy a bit more often?

Speaking of breaks.  Last Spring and early Summer was Rob's turn to be broken and unable to do farm work.  This year, it is Tammy's turn.  If anyone has noticed Tammy hobbling around for the past year, the news there is that there is a significant problem with her heal and the Achilles tendon.  After a recent trip to a new foot doctor (who prefers not to do surgery), it was pronounced that surgery was actually a really good idea - if only to prevent an emergency surgery if that tendon were to let go on its own.

Progress on Big Projects

There were three big projects we identified over the Winter that were needing to be budgeted so we could get extra help to complete them.  The first of which was to finally get that pit filled in front of the Poultry Pavilion so we could prevent the building from falling apart, begin work on restoring the lean-to on the front and actually walk safely in that area.  As we have mentioned in a prior farm blog report, that work is complete (mostly).  As we all foretold, there has been some settling of the fill and we continue to work to address that on our own.  

The sidewalk from the back of the farmhouse has been completed for some time and the outdoor Farm Supervisory Crew LOVE it.  They have decided that both the sidewalk and the back deck are great places to await the expected presence of farmers - whether they are returning to or leaving the house.  Unfortunately for the farmers, the Farm Supervisory Crew have decided it is OUR responsibility to avoid them if they are in our way and we are carry a heavy load of anything rather than their responsibility to get out of the way.  Here's hoping that can change without a traumatic event.

The third "big" project is to deal with the two large, dead, ash trees that stand prominently on our property.  While we like keeping habitat for woodpeckers, we do not like the fact that branches come down semi-frequently in the wind.  And, the trees don't even look to see if a farmer is nearby when they do it.  Our intent is to leave the main trunks up to a certain height for habitat, but take the rest and chip it up so we can use it as wood mulch.

These were the "big" projects where we hired someone to help because the tools and expertise they possess were well worth paying for.  Maybe we'll talk about the other "big" projects that only involve the farmers in the future.  Although, you could guess one such project - doing the finish work for each of the big projects listed here.  It's just a reality of things.  The big projects aren't actually complete as of now, they need the farmers to do all of the surrounding things that always need doing once a "big project" is completed.

Quick Crop and Poultry Report

As we've mentioned before, this has been a slow start to this year.  Part of the issue is that, with both of us working "off-farm" we can't pick and choose our moments to do work.  Unfortunately, the weather has not cooperated.  The best times to work have been at moments when neither of us is free to do that work.  Even so, we have about three hundred broccoli and about 100 other brassica in the ground as well as about 400 feet of squash and pumpkins.  

The garlic is looking pretty good, if a tad bit behind schedule for this year (like many other perennial crops).  We're just about done harvesting asparagus for the year.  It, too, had started very late - about two and half weeks later than usual.  But we're still going to adhere to our normal schedule for halting harvest to give the plants the full period to rejuvenate for next year.  Who knows?  They may start two weeks early next Spring.

We're still looking to get other crops into the ground.  To do that, Rob took some vacation time this week - and it decided to rain and equipment decided to break.  However, we did manage to get the broilers out on pasture and the hens are soon to be moved to the Summer Cottage.  The turklets are also scheduled to arrive this week.

I guess we'll need to give you another farm report after the weekend, because I suspect there will be plenty of change.

Difficult Task?

Thursdays on the Genuine Faux Farm blog often feature newly edited and revised versions of older blog posts that, for whatever reason, catch my attention or seem like they might be of interest to others.  Today's post is actually not all that old (from August 2021), but it really struck a nerve with many people and the content is still very worthy of consideration.

-------------------------------------

I was presenting to a group of people at our farm a few years ago when one of the leaders of the group said, "So, I saw that Rob and Tammy were doing this and I thought - Hey!  If they can do it, so can I!"

I winced a little bit, but reminded myself to try to take it how it was intended.  This individual hadn't started up their own diversified, small-scale farm.  But, they had started gardening and raising some of their own food.  This comment was supposed to be an exhortation to others that they can also take part of raising food to support themselves.

Though I still can't help but feel like this sort of comment is a "Well - LOOK at them.  Shoot, if people like THAT can do it - ANYONE can do it for heaven's sake!" At the very least, it minimizes the value we bring with the things we have done at the Genuine Faux Farm.

I cringe and sometimes take real offense when people imply that what a professional does is simple, and therefore not something to be valued or appreciated.  And, before you take this wrong, I want to make it clear that when this happens to us with respect to our farm, it isn't usually someone who is deliberately trying to provoke us.  It usually is a bit more indirect:

• Would you be willing to sit down and talk to me about raising _______ (fill in the blank)?  We want to stop spending so much on it.
• So, you only have some poultry and you stopped the CSA... You must appreciate all of the free time you have now.
• You don't grow that?  Why?  It isn't hard to grow.
• You ran out?  Why don't you just grow more of that then? I am sure people would buy it!
• Why don't you do more value-added things like jams or pre-cut meals?  I bet people would love them.

Oh, and sometimes it is quite direct:

• What?  You want $X for one of those?  Heck, I could raise those myself for less than that!
• I can't believe you haven't gotten that done yet, we got that done in our garden WEEKS ago!
  

Mr Aubergine Wants a Story

My Dad used to work for a paper company as a salesperson and he was quite good at what he did.  At the time he started this particular job, the sales records were paper-based.  But, as time went on, paper companies wanted to get sales details recorded into their computing systems.

To make what could be a long story less long, there was a significant period of time where sales were recorded on paper first while the salesperson took the order on the phone.  It was then expected that these paper records would be entered in the computer later.  The problem with that is obvious. What happens when a person is so busy making sales that they reach the end of the work day and the paper records have not been entered into the computer?

Why yes!  A very large pile of unrecorded sales sheets begins to form on the desk of the salesperson.  After all, you DID want the paper sold, didn't you?  It was a classic case of underestimating and undervaluing both the current tasks and the new tasks that people were being asked to do - all in the same amount of time.

Unless, of course, you wanted to donate overtime to the cause?   

Moving this story along: A short-term solution was, in this case, to offer a little bit of money to a certain salesperson's son (Rob) to come in and enter the backlog of sales.  Hey, I liked numbers, I could work with computers AND I could be taught... or so I like to think.

I remember entering piles of sales sheets.  Completing those that were straightforward and setting aside those I couldn't figure out on my own.  I believe I got through most of my Dad's backlog in a few days.

This brought forth an unwarranted and uninformed observation.  If an untrained KID could plow through all of that so quickly, why couldn't the professional salespeople manage such a simple task?

First of all - thank you ever so much for belittling that "kid's" abilities and for making light of an activity.  But, that's not quite the point of this whole post - so lets move on.

What is Difficult?

What makes a paper salesperson a good paper salesperson?  Let's start with detailed knowledge about all available paper products, their qualities and proper uses.  While we're at it, add in appropriate knowledge of each type of printing process and how those processes succeed or fail given certain paper qualities.  And, perhaps you should have a good idea about relative prices of comparable papers and knowledge about the supply chain - what can be available, how much, and when?

And you're worried about data entry as a measure of their skills?  Really?

Let's bring it back to farming.

I have to take care of the poultry every day.  Is that difficult?

Well.  I have to make sure they always have water.  Is it hard to give poultry water?  No.  Not really.

I have to make sure they have food every day.  Is it hard to give poultry food?  No.  Not really.

We need to collect eggs every day.  Is it hard to collect eggs?  No.

Wash eggs?  No.  Package eggs? No.  Let the birds out at the beginning of the day? No.  Put them in at night?  Usually no....

My data entry for backlogged sales, while appreciated, was similar to having someone come and help us catch up on egg washing.  It's a confined task that can be learned with a little bit of training and periodic supervision.  If something odd happens, the person doing the washing can always check with one of us.  

In the end, the eggs get washed and it is tempting to wonder - now that isn't so hard, why can't the farmers keep up with that task themselves?  It really is NOT that hard.

But, if a person comes in to wash eggs and only wash eggs, they have the luxury of concentrating on a single task.  They don't have to figure out storage, sales, acquisition of cartons, egg handler's licenses, food safety regulations, liability insurance, marketing, delivery, record-keeping, projections for future production, and disposal of broken eggs.  

The egg washer is not the person who must make adjustments when predators find a way into the flock and they do not have to deal with birds that get out of their pasture and into the tomatoes.  They don't have to make adjustments to the amount of feed when necessary and they aren't the ones doing the chores each day.  

The egg washer is not making decisions about how to manage pasture area or when to move poultry from one location to another.  They do not have deal with frozen water and providing enough light so the birds keep laying in the winter months.  They don't have to procure clean straw for bedding nor do they have to clean it out and then make decisions about composting.  

The egg washer is not required to be the person who euthanizes a sick and dying bird and will not be required to figure out what to do with its body.  They don't have to figure out when to acquire new chicks and they don't have to figure out how many to get and what breeds would be best for the farm.  They don't need to pay attention to things like Bird Flu.

There is a weight of complexity that comes with the picture of the full job.  And suddenly that long list of "simple" tasks... becomes difficult.

And that is why it can be such a relief - and such a boon - when another person who is unencumbered with that complexity can come in and provide support for one particular task.  A task that isn't necessarily all that difficult, but still requires a little skill that can be acquired with brief training and some practice - especially if there aren't a bunch of distractions!

And Then - We Consider Scale

Then, there is the issue of scale and persistence.

A farm that raises laying hens with the goal of producing 6 dozen eggs a day is a completely different scale than a personal flock of six hens.  Certainly, the backyard flock needs food, water, shelter, protection, egg collection and cleaning - just like the laying flock of 100 or 1000.  But, you should never, EVER imply to the farmer who raises 450 hens that you fully understand what they have to do because you have SIX birds.

Similarly, just because I came in to enter sales records for a few days during the summer months, I should not even think about making judgements that I know how "easy" a paper sales job must be.  We must acknowledge the fact that the professional lives that job consistently and persistently.  It's unfair to make a comparison with someone who hops in to do one task to help out for a short while.

Bringing It Home to Roost

I wrote this whole blog as a gentle reminder to me and to you.

It is always easier to go to someone else's farm and help with a task than it is to do that same task on your own farm.

Why?  Because you are removed and even insulated from the complexities that surround that particular task on that farm.  But, when it is your farm, you are aware of everything... and I mean EVERYTHING else that goes along for the ride with that one task.

Data entry is not just data entry.  Washing eggs is not just washing eggs.

And you don't get to quit for the day after the data is entered or the eggs are washed.

Each task may not be all that difficult.  But the job as a whole is.  So, the next time you are tempted to make light of what someone else has to do - resist that temptation.  Because you probably have no idea what you are talking about.

Jazzy Reech

There has been a positive side effect that comes along with our slow start to get things planted on the farm.  Well, actually, it is a positive side effect that is a result of our using a smaller area of our farm to grow veggies and raise poultry.  We have more area that is welcoming to wild birds at the Genuine Faux Farm. 

One of our returning friends had a strong presence at our farm in 2020.  We had multiple pairs of Dickcissels on the farm that year:

"One of our pleasant surprises this year has been the contingent of Dickcissels that have decided our farm is a good place to nest this year.  We realize that we have had Dickcissels other years on the farm.  But, unlike many birds, Dickcissels do not go back to the same nesting sites year after year.  Depending on weather and available food, they may opt for one site over another each season.

We call Dickcissels "Ree-chard" on our farm, for all of the silly reasons that we play with words and names here.  This year, we have at least one bird we have decided that we will name "Jazzy Reech."  

Maybe that requires some explanation.

Jazzy Reech on top of the pear tree

Jazzy Reech is just like all of the other Reechards.  He is not terribly shy, but he does like his physical distancing!  We have identified at least two male Dickcissels that reside on the farm this year and they love to find the tallest part of our younger trees or bushes so they can make their song heard.  The Youtube video below provides you with the song we hear most of the time when they find these prominent perches.

Once a Dickcissel starts to sing during the warmer months, it seems like they never shut up.  They start early in the day once the sun is up good and proper and the continue until the sun starts to go down.  And, up until Jazzy Reech's appearance, their song has followed the triple pattern you hear in the video: three "dicks" (at least that's what the video calls it) followed by three "cheeps" (the video calls them "ciss").  

Jazzy Reech, on the other hand, seems to like a little more freestyle than his counterparts.  J.R., as we like to call him when we're feeling like using initials, mixes things up by stopping at TWO sometimes and then will pull out all the stops and bring out the stored extra cheep and do FOUR of them during one of his iterations.

Be yourself J.R. !  And you are welcome at the Genuine Faux Farm.

If you go to the Audubon Online Field Guide for the Dickcissel, you will find that they provide a quick sample of each of the several songs our friend(s) named Reechard will sing for us.  Just take the link I have provided and scroll down and look at the bottom left where it says "songs and calls."  Song #1 is what we hear most of the time.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, as always, has additional information for bird identification, including photos and videos.  If you would like to learn more about any bird, we highly recommend their site.  Allow yourself to dig around a bit and I think you'll be surprised by how much you find there. 

And, just another note regarding our friends named Reechard.  We continue to take note when these birds stop singing in the middle of the day.  Usually, some stormy weather is approaching and they rarely seem to sing if lightning is in the area. We're pretty good at recognizing when the weather is going to turn, but they just might have a leg up on us.

Wealth Investment

 

I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression about me.  I am not a self-help author or a inspirational life coach or whatever titles you want to give people who make a living giving advice for how to do this thing called "life" the right way.  What I am is someone who has found that it is useful to write about things.  Sometimes, what I write has uses for people other than myself.

One of the things I AM is a person who likes to facilitate learning - both my own and others' learning.  So, here is part of a piece of mail where I learned something new (and maybe you will too):

I learned that congratulations are in order!  Hurray for me!  I am RICH!

And, if I reply to the people who provided me with this ostentatious and very ridiculous piece of mail, I will become RICHER.  Because, of course, once you are rich, the only thing to do is to get a FREE copy with a bunch of tips in it so I can become more wealthy.

These people think so much of what they've included for my edification that they could not bring themselves to FOLD their letter-sized sheets of paper, so they sent an oversized envelope.  All the better to increase the likelihood that it would be folded, spindled or mutilated at some point on its entry into our mailbox.

I think I know one of their tips.  Do not invest in employees or equipment that could fold letter sheets and stuff these things into envelopes.

I will say, however, that I was shocked that they realized that I AM among the wealthiest Americans.  So, I will now give you - FOR FREE - some of my investment tips so you, too, can be counted among the wealthiest.

1. Invest in opportunities to learn and re-learn.
2. Invest in things that encourage to you to experience awe, gratitude, and wonder
3. Invest in competition - with yourself
4. Invest with the humility that comes from failure and your imperfections
5. Invest by giving what it takes to support and help others in their own journey
6. Invest in things that provide opportunity, rather than those that take it away
7. Invest with an understanding and appreciation for the diverse nature of the world and the people that reside in it
   
8. Invest in love and friendship.
9. Invest your effort in being kind, even if that kindness is not always nice.
10. Invest at least some of your quality time in play
11. Invest energy to look around and look at things differently than you normally do.

And I'm not even going to try to push BONUS material on you either.  Well, um...  Ok, I did link some other blogs here.  But, honest, I won't turn around and try to get you to hire me as a life coach or anything.

DIY CLB ID

It's been no secret that Tammy and I both enjoy hearing, seeing and recognizing the wild birds that make the Genuine Faux Farm their seasonal home.  There are even a few wild birds that appear to consider this place their year-round home too.  

We feel as if our farm has been getting an increasing amount of variety over the years, largely because we have been allowing some places to be wild and we have added a little more diversity in the landscape around us.  But we also need to be truthful with ourselves that some of the added diversity might simply be because we did not know enough to identify some of the birds.

We still call many of the smaller wild birds "CLBs," which stands for "Cute Little Bird."  These critters are often hard to spot, and when you do, they are often backlit so you only see a silhouette.  Or, even more likely, they move so much amidst the leaves that you aren't going to get much more than a glimpse of them.  So, unless they are extremely bright and have an easy to spot characteristic that identifies them, we're not going to be sure what we have just observed.

photo from wikimedia commons

Tammy added the Merlin Bird ID app to her phone recently and we've enjoyed just letting the audible identification system give things a try.  We recognize that the microphone has limited abilities to pick things up and the app itself may have a tough time picking out one song out the clamor that often fills our ears in the mornings around here.  That might be because we have birds like Mr. Wren belting out his tune so often and frequently that it is difficult to hear anyone else in the choir.  Between him and the Common Sparrows that like to try and nest near the windows of our house, it is a wonder that the app picks anything else up.

We've also been going to the Sweet Marsh Wildlife Area to view the birds there.  Of course, we give ourselves the chance to see Sandhill Cranes, American White Pelicans and Trumpeter Swans when we go there.  Of those, only the Sandhill Cranes have been spotted near the farm unless it is a flyover during migration.  These are often just short trips where we sit in the car or truck with the windows down and enjoy the sights and sounds.  We don't quite get into it like Kip Ladage, who captures so many amazing bird images.  Both of us are fascinated by Belted Kingfishers, so I grabbed this image from Kip's site.  In a very real way, his willingness to put these photos on the web can help with our own bird ID too! 

One CLB (Cute Little Bird) that we were pleased to identify on our farm with the help of the Merlin Bird ID app is the Yellow Warbler.  We certainly have decent habitat for them, but they aren't going to put themselves right out there for you to see them like a Goldfinch, for example.  It turns out that these little birds might be a bit like a slightly shy House Wren.  Why?  Well, they sing... and they apparently sing a LOT.  Below is a photo from Kip's site (once again, I encourage you to visit!).  And, yes, the bird is singing in that picture.

We're still trying to get some of the songs for newly identified birds into our heads.  This is a bit tougher than you might think - especially when there are so many different birds vying for our attention.

There are some birds that the two of us have known for much of our lives.  The songs of Robins, Cardinals, Killdeer and Blue Jays are imprinted into our memory banks along with their names and how they look.  Other birds have songs that just seem to stick with you once you get it identified, such as the Common Yellowthroat.  Others are pretty insistent that you learn their song, like the Dickcissel, and yet others are so different that you don't have much choice but to remember once you figure out who it is - like the Ring-necked Pheasant.

But, bird song can be fairly complex and we would be mistaken to think that each bird knows only one tune.  Yes, it is true that they have their favorites, but even Reeeechard (the Dickcissel) will vary his tune a bit - as we noticed this past morning.

Over the past year or so, we can say, without exaggeration, that we have confirmed sightings of 45 to 50 different birds on the farm and found evidence of another five to ten.  This does not count the "fly-overs" of birds like the Great Blue Heron that often uses our place as a marker to go from point A to point B.

But we still have yet to lay eyes on the elusive Yellow Warbler at the farm.  That CLB is out there, we know it!  But will we be able to spot one at the farm this year?  Who knows?  But, I wouldn't be surprised if their mouth is open when we do.

In the News - Postal History Sunday

Welcome to the 94th entry of Postal History Sunday, featured weekly on the Genuine Faux Farm blog and the GFF Postal History blog.  If you take this link, you can view every edition of Postal History Sunday, starting with this one (the most recent always shows up at the top).  

I have been neglecting to remind everybody in recent weeks that they should feel welcome to pour themselves a beverage of their choice and maybe even partake of a snack you like - as long as you keep it away from the paper collectibles (and your keyboard).  Everyone is welcome here, whether you have expertise in the topics I share or you are just an interested passer-by.  

Let's see if we can all learn something new!

I realize that newspapers and magazines no longer hold the same prominence in our culture as they did even a decade ago, but in the 1860s and 1870s, periodicals required substantial attention from the postal services around the world to get these items from the publisher to their various destinations.

While letter mail was typically the first thing addressed in postal agreements between countries, they could not escape the fact that newspapers and other printed documents required a different type of handling.  You certainly don't have to read the blurb shown above.  It's just a sample of text from the 1867 convention between the United States and the United Kingdom that mentions newspapers and other "printed matter."  I offer that illustration for two reasons.  First, to show that newspapers and similar printed matter were often given different postage rates than letter mail.  And second, verification that this kind of mailed matter was handled differently.

This Belluna, Italy, newspaper dated March 2, 1871, shown above was enclosed by a paper wrapper band that served as a surface for the mailing address and postage.  The band also kept the newspaper together and prevented it from inconveniently opening up while it was in transit through the mail services.  The Belluno postmark is also dated May 2^nd and the newspaper arrived at the Vittorio post office the same day according the marking on the other side of the wrapper.

It almost looks as if this particular newspaper has not been removed from the wrapper band.  I suppose I could gently remove it to view the rest and then work carefully to put it back in the wrapper....  but, maybe not.  I'm pretty happy with it the way it is.  That, and, well, the news probably is a bit dated.

We could speculate as to the reasons why this particular artifact remains in this condition nearly 150 years after publication and mailing.  Perhaps this item arrived while the recipient was away and they never did get caught up on the backlog of papers when they got home?  I would find it hard to believe that someone would read the paper and then painstakingly fold it up and put it back in the wrapper. 

It is a bit more common for a person to find a wrapper without the contents, such as the item shown above.  This wrapper band is postmarked on December 12, 1920 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and is no longer completely intact. 

This newspaper postage rate in Czechoslovakia was intended for periodicals published at least four times per year with a maximum weight allowed of 500 grams.  This particular rate (5 haler per 100 grams) became effective on October 1, 1920, but there was no 5 haler newspaper stamp available.  There were stamps with the 2 haler denomination, so it became common practice to split one of these stamps diagonally to represent 1 haler in newspaper postage.  In philately, this is known as a bisect or bisected postage stamp.

If you were paying attention, you might also have noticed that I called these newspaper stamps.  These stamps were only intended to pay the postage for items that qualified for the newspaper rates.  

Getting back to our original newspaper with the band still intact, we see that it has a 1 centesimo stamp on the wrapper.  The stamp shown there was not a specialized newspaper stamp and it served as a regular issue postage stamp, available to show postage was paid for letter mail and newspaper mail alike.  The bulk rate for newspapers in the Kingdom of Italy at the time was 1 centesimo per 40 grams (effective January 1, 1863), which explains its use here.

But, it is possible that it actually cost the publisher of this newspaper less than that to get this copy to its customer in Vittorio.   Wait… what?

Letter mail in Italy

Let me back up for a second so you can see the whole picture.  Above is a piece of letter mail.  It cost 15 centesimi to send from Chiavari, Italy to Torino, Italy.  The envelope is a personal or business correspondence and it weighed no more than 10 grams.

Letter mail provided great flexibility.  You could mail one item and you could seal it up, placing whatever you wanted (within reason) inside the envelope or folded letter - as long as it was flat.  The only reason the postal service might open the letter is if they couldn’t find the addressee and it went to the Dead Letter Office to be processed.

You could include a picture, an invoice, paper money, a newspaper clipping, a lock of hair and even, perhaps, the letter you got from Aunt Mable so your cousin could read it too.  You just simply had to pay the higher letter mail rate to send it on its way.

Printed matter mail rates

 

Printed matter mail on the other hand, could not be sealed up.  It had to allow the postal workers to be able to check contents to be sure there weren't personal messages or other non-permitted material being snuck in with the mailing!  Newspapers were a type of printed matter mail and were typically wrapped up with a paper band.  If a postal clerk felt there was a reason to check, they could remove the item and put it back after inspection.

The item above was simply sent as a if it were a folded letter, but there was no wax seal to hold the contents closed.  This met the requirements for printed matter and allowed it to qualify for the non-bulk rate in Italy starting in 1863.  It was mailed from Torino to Allessandria (both in Italy) for 2 centesimi for an item weighing no more than 40 grams.

Printed matter was 2 centesimi for 40 grams vs 15 centesimi for 10 grams for letter mail.

Ok - I think we see a cost advantage for newspapers, magazines and advertising!  But it only makes sense from a business perspective.  In the case of a newspaper, people were used to paying 5 to 10 centesimi for a single copy of a newspaper at a newstand.  Even if you could pass your costs on to the customer, it was unlikely that readers would pay too much more for the privilege of mailing it to their home address.

Newspapers and Journals

The next item is a sample Farmers' Journal of Agricultural Practices in Italy.  The white band at the bottom essentially indicates that this sample is being provided 'gratis' and that the recipient should not delay in sending in for a subscription!  At top right is a 1 centesimo stamp that is paying for the mailing of this item from Casale Monferrato.  Sadly, the "where it was sent to" portion has been lost.  But, it is safe to say it stayed in Italy - and likely landed somewhere in northern Italy.

There was a concessionary rate that provided a discount for newspapers and magazines that pre-sorted their bulk mailing by the destination and the route the items were to take to get to that destination.  While this and our first item were mailed under the 1 centesimo rate, we cannot be certain that was the actual cost to the publisher of either of these items because one of these (or both) may have been given this additional discount.

Some bulk mailers paid less than one cent per item if they were regular customers.  A weekly newspaper, such as our Belluno newspaper, might qualify for a better rate than a monthly magazine.  The thing is, there weren't stamps with denominations for all of these fractions of a centesimo - so they just used the 1 centesimo stamp and the bulk mailer simply paid the bill at the agreed upon rate.  In some cases, the stamps were adhered to the newspaper before printing and you can find examples where the newspaper printing goes OVER the stamp.

If you think about it, this makes a great deal of sense for the post offices as well.  They can count on consistent business rather than the whims of those who send a single letter at a time.  A pre-bundled batch of newspapers to go from Belluno to Vittorio required about as much handling as a single letter from Belluno to Vittorio - until you got to the delivery part, of course.  And, yes, they typically weighed more.  But, there wasn’t all of the sorting that went into the letter mail process and that counted for something.

When I unfolded the Farmers' Journal item, I found it was a larger piece of paper that was printed as four separate pages on each side.  Other than the title page, it was all advertising for agricultural implements, plant stock and other items.  At a guess, the actual sample of the journal had been wrapped inside this covering and is no longer part of the whole.

Perhaps someday I will find an actual copy of this Farmers' Journal of Agricultural Practices.  Then, I'll brush up my Italian - and learn something new!

Countdown Bonus Material

I asked for some questions that I could respond to in Postal History Sunday, and I actually got a few.  Oddly enough, they were all some form or another of "How do you pick your Postal History Sunday topics?"

I feel like I might have answered this somewhere, but I can't figure out where.  And, that doesn't matter, because if the question is being asked, there must be some curiosity about it.

First things first - my motivation for most of the topics in Postal History Sunday come from items that happen to reside in my own collection.  As I research these pieces of postal history for my own learning, I often find myself motivated to dig in deeper and produce something others might also enjoy.  That is usually the root of what starts a particular entry.

I do my best to take note of potential PHS topics by keeping them in a notes file.  At present, there are over seventy possible PHS topics in my "future writing" file.  Considering this is the 94th PHS, I would say there is potential for many more entries.  But having the basic idea for an entry does not write it!

This is where real life enters the picture.  Many of these topics could require a significant amount of digging before I could feel ready to write that particular Postal History Sunday.  If I do not have the time or motivation to put into those topics, they simply have to wait until I do.  For example, last week's topic Friends in Need or the recent blog Two for the Price of One were developed over a period of weeks.  On the other hand, a PHS entry like What Caught My Eye is a way I can simply share where I am at with some things I am enjoying without getting in so deep that I will need weeks to put it together.

In other words, I have to adjust my topic selection each week to the available time and energy.  Of course, there is more to it than that - but this might give you all a little bit of a peak into how things work in this farmer/writer/postal historian's mind.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and thank you for joining me on Postal History Sunday. I am always willing to accept constructive feedback and questions that will inform future "Postal History Sundays."  You can reach me by using the contact form on this blog page or by submitting a comment below.

June Saturday Playlist

Where has the time gone.  I think the last time I shared a playlist, it was March!  These playlists really don't have many rules - these are just simply some tunes that I am currently enjoying.  I will admit that I try to select tunes with a little variety - even if I am currently actually stuck on a certain artist or genre at the time.  Why?  Well, I do like to find at least one thing each of you might enjoy.  

But, no, it is not required that you like them all.

 

 

 

I'll start it out with a tune that I particularly like because of the lyrics.  Yes, the song itself is pretty catchy too.  But, the words really grab my attention.

The Hard Way - Switchfoot

 

The second tune is from a group of talented musicians who had not recorded music under this name for many years.  The pandemic encouraged them to put together a Kickstarter campaign, and now new music is available.  The wait was worthwhile, I think.

 

Got Any Change - Chagall Guevera

 

Let's take a trip back to the 80s, and every band that thought they were anything felt the pressure to create a video to go with their music. Let's just say some were better at it than others.  Anyway, this tune got played a fair amount on the radio and always seemed to make people act a bit more upbeat.  And, hey!  They use the word "hoopla!"

 

We Built This City - Starship 

 

I've done enough with lyrics for the time being, so let's feature something that has a minimal amount of lyrics!  

 

Starlight - Charlie Peacock,  Ruby Amanfu & Sam Ashworth

Ok....  It's time for some cello.  How about cello in a cover of a well-known song by the band called Cream?  Sure, I can do that.

White Room - Apocalyptica & Jacoby Shaddix

The next tune has a couple of versions out there.  This is the original release, but the band actually did an 'unplugged' version that is pretty good too.  Sometimes I'm in the mood for that one, and sometimes for this one.

15 Doors - the Choir

I think it's time to do something a bit more laid back, so how about...

I Radio Heaven - Over the Rhine

And here's a song that I've found is a good one to help me relax.  Yes, I know.  I'm leaning pretty hard on some "older music" right now.  Just listen to it and don't look up anything more about it and you probably won't care when it was recorded either.

Down By the Sea - Men At Work

We'll keep it on the mellow side for one more and stick with the water theme.  Wait, was there a water theme?  Doesn't matter.

The Rain Kept Falling in Love - 77s

And, we'll bring it back up a little with....

An Irish Walk - Green Clouds

And finally, because this list goes to eleven, and there is water in hurricanes...

Hurricane - Code of Ethics

Have a great weekend everyone!

Taking on the Extremes

I was doing a little thinking lately - a dangerous pastime you know.  And that thinking had to do with how easy it seems to be for many of us to get distracted from things we can do something about by putting something in front of us that is extremely BAD from our point of view.

Pick an issue or problem.  Pick any one of them.  And I bet we can find some extreme points of view on the topic.  Heck.  Pick an obviously hot topic - like abortion, guns, war, transgender persons, etc...  and we can immediately identify the extremes of each of these issues.  Then, it feels like we dutifully line ourselves up against the extreme that is most repugnant to our own personal sensitivities.

And this is how we allow ourselves to ignore inconvenient facts that don't align with our side of the issue.  This is especially the case if we do not personally know and care about someone who might actually land on the other side - for whatever reason.  It gets even sadder when we allow ourselves to doubt the love, friendship and respect we might have had for someone and replace it with spite and anger simply because we can't be bothered to recognize what extremism is doing to us.

Now I am going to call us out - each and every person who likes to take a side and make their opponents out to be incompetent at best and ...well, whatever is worst.  I bet you and I can come up with our own words - which is something I also find to be a bit sad.  Why?  Because most of us think some very uncharitable thoughts about people who don't line up with us on topics that are sensitive for us.

We Are Lazy and Should Expect More of Ourselves

Why do we give so much attention to the extremes?  Well, it's because it is so much easier to take on an opponent when they are (to you) almost certainly wrong.  We like the easy opponent.  We like opponents that have no redeeming values.  And we like them to be wrong.  Very, very wrong.  

And then we like to pretend everyone else who doesn't fully agree with us is taking that extreme position.  That way there is no risk to us that we have to maybe consider a point that doesn't line up completely on our side.

It is so much more difficult to discuss the nuances where both parties agree with some, but not all, of an issue.  And it is much, MUCH harder to line up with a radical view when you know someone who has a personal experience that fleshes out the problem and you learn it isn't really so easy as "yes" or "no."

As a result of our laziness, we give power to people who like to accentuate the extremes.  We allow them to have more voice and more power than they should have.  We let them do our thinking for us.  And they often tell us that the moderating voice is a useless one.

I am sorry, but I have a tendency to distrust anyone who is completely certain that they KNOW they are right and their solution is the absolute best.  I have yet to find a single human who is perfect, myself included.  I just might be a prime example of the flawed human.  Yet I still think I am right to believe that if an issue is actually big and worthy enough to elicit a strong response, it is likely too complex to boil down to two extremes and one correct answer.

If you want to point to a higher power and say - there's your correct answer - I won't argue with you.  But, I will point out that YOU are still flawed.  I am still flawed.  That means we are incapable of understanding the perfection of that answer and we are prone to misinterpreting the truth to fit our desires.... so we can stay lazy and so someone else can be bad (or pick your word you identified earlier in the blog).  

We introduce flaws into perfection by our very participation.  This should humble us and make us more, not less, willing to hear opposing views and differing viewpoints.  We should be more, not less, likely to appreciate the appearance of exceptions to the rules that we embrace because they make us comfortable.  And more, not less, willing to recognize the extremes as... extreme.  Extremes have value because they give us points to ponder as we consider the problem as a whole.  But, they should not be given more value than any of the complex stances that might fall in between.

I'll get down off the "soapbox" now.  Thank you for reading and considering. 

Man with the Plan?

Every so often, we get asked a question about what we do on our farm that makes me think a little harder after the conversation is over.  The question that got me going this time was presented by an individual that may have only been trying to encourage conversation rather than a deep philosophical exploration.  In any event, what this person got was probably what was wanted; a short, pleasant conversation that may have only scratched the surface of what could have been said.  What I got was a headache afterwards as I tried to figure it out for myself...

The Question:

What would you say is the most important task for you on the farm?

Whoa!  Are you sure the farmer is up for this one?

Whether I was right to do so or not, I immediately discarded a whole host of tasks on the farm that are critical items.  These are the daily farm chores that really need to be done.  Inspector (shown above when he was a kitten) might argue that feeding the cats should be at the top of my list.  And, in reality, it is at the top of our list every day along with feed the chickens and turkeys, water plants, get water to birds, open and close high tunnels, etc etc.  But, in the grand scheme of the farm, none of these is inherently more important than any other.

I suppose I could say planting, harvesting, weeding or any other crop specific task, but while they are all also critical, they aren't the most important by themselves.  Equipment maintenance?  Record keeping?  Habitat management for beneficials?   Weather monitoring?  Sales?  Building repairs?  Mental health?  Creating really good playlists to work by?  Being able to NOT scratch where it itches? 

Planning Wins the Day?

It actually didn't take me long to conclude during the conversation that planning was actually the most important task I perform on the farm.  And I can tell you right now that I have not been planning in 2022 as much as I have in prior years.  

It used to be that I would create a VAP (Very Ambitious Plan), which was a bullet point "to-do" list.  I did not always write one out formally, especially when there is a large and very specific project that would dominate the day.  For example, I do not think I wrote anything specific out when we built a high tunnel.  But, anytime there are more workers on the farm than myself, there needs to be a plan that I can convey.  But, I haven't had any additional workers on the farm yet this year, so...

The Chalk Door - just one way to tell everyone what's up at the farm.

There was often so much going on at the farm during a typical June day that the process of planning could be a project all by itself.  For example, our June 19 VAP from a few years ago had over 50 items on it.  Item one was "morning chores."  I only say this to point out that the list did not include a separate item for each daily task (such as scoop the litter box...).  

With some of Tammy's family visiting (and wanting to be involved) the plan involved eight different people in some way, shape or form.  A good plan is one that keeps everyone as busy as the want to be (if they are visiting) or need to be (if they are part of the crew).  The plan also needs to consider resource availability.  After all, the lawn tractor can't be two places at once.  Or, at least, that seems to be the case on our farm - even if we try REALLY hard to put it two places at once.

The Plan Within the Plan

Planning for a single day usually has a basis within the plan for the week (or for some series of days).  I can tell you that we have a plan every week, and that would be true.  But, it is more likely that our plan covers three to five days with any accuracy.  It seems that I cannot predict how things will go well enough for any of our weekly plans to be terribly accurate towards the end of that week.  Essentially, the weekly plan occurs whenever the prior weekly plan is completely unhelpful for the upcoming daily plans. 

You might ask why we can't adhere to our weekly plans better (or why Rob can't manage to plan better so the weekly plan works).  Go ahead.  You can ask.  But, you know I'm going to answer even if you don't!

I'll give one example and that should be sufficient to explain how this can happen. The forecast called for a very low chance of less than a half inch of rain on Monday of a given week a few years ago.  The rest of the week was supposed to be dry with seasonal temperatures.  Instead, we got three to four inches of rain over a couple of days.  Suddenly, the plan that called for prepping seed beds and numerous other things that need somewhat drier soil was entirely out of the question.

In short, things happen.  Weather can alter what you can do.  Equipment breaks.  We will discover tasks that must be done NOW even if we didn't plan to do them "now."  Blackflies and Buffalo Gnats can get so thick that we have to run screaming into shelter every hour or so to stay sane (I wish I were joking about this one).  Some items take longer than anticipated.  Others don't work out the way we planned and they have to be deferred until we solve another problem.  It's just the way it works.

So, just imagine how the entire season's growing plan must look when we compare to what actually happened at the end of the year?

Failure of Plans and the Need for Contingency Plans

You've got to figure that we probably spend some time with contingency plans since there are so many uncertainties in the first place.  And, you would be correct.  We do create contingency plans.  Most of our 'formal' contingency plans are created as a part of our season plan.  On the other hand, our daily VAP usually includes contingency items on it should conditions prevent something else from being done.  In other words, each VAP has more on it than we can hope to complete simply because we need items on our radar should we need to make a change.

Surprise Lilies are actually pretty predictable, as far as surprises go

If there are even chances of rain or dry weather, we often create separate plans for the actual weather conditions.  For that matter, if there is some sort of variable that could influence what we do, we'll try to account for it.  But, no matter how hard we try - we can still find ourselves in 'unplanned territory.'

When Contingency Plans Fail

After letting myself think about the original question as I wrote this post, I have to amend my answer to say that adapting is actually the most important task I perform on the farm. 

There is a practical limit to how much time one can plan without actually performing the tasks in those plans.  There is also no such thing as a perfect plan.  It's a matter of coming up with a set of plans that will be good enough most of the time. Then, WHEN (not if) they fail, you simply do your best to adjust and make the best of it.  After all, when plans A, B and C are off the table:

Rob: "It's time for plan D."
Crew Member: "What's plan D?"
Rob: "There is no plan D.  So, let's do this..."