PACTPA Could Correct Pesticide Law Shortcomings

 

The Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act (PACTPA) was re-introduced in the Senate by Senator Cory Booker on February 6 and is due to be reintroduced in the House mid-March. We are pleased to announce that PAN is among the organizations that support its passage!  This bill would overhaul U.S. pesticide regulations, ultimately mandating new rules to protect people and the environment.  The full text of the bill can be found here.

Current law is outdated

The current law governing U.S. pesticide regulations, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) contains provisions that prioritize pesticide industry interests above the health and safety of people and our environment. 

Once approved, under FIFRA, pesticides typically remain on the market for decades, even after scientific evidence shows significant harm to people or the environment.  Even provisional registrations, like the one provided for dicamba, are difficult to remove - despite clearly demonstrated issues with the product.  

FIFRA continues to support widespread application of pesticides.  In 2020, the United States used 1.66 billion pounds of pesticides — which includes an increase in herbicides by 34% since 2005 — and use levels of all pesticide types continue to increase.  This includes 72 pesticides that have been recognized as harmful and are banned or being phased out by the European Union.

FIFRA’s failings lead to real and measurable threats these chemicals pose:

• Organophosphate insecticides have been linked to farmworker poisonings and neurodevelopmental damage in children.
• Neonicotinoid insecticides contribute to pollinator collapse around the world and have recently been shown to cause developmental defects, heart deformations, and muscle tremors in unborn children.
• Paraquat is one of the most acutely toxic herbicides in the world.  Science has shown that chronic exposure to paraquat increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 200% to 600%. It is already banned in 58 countries.

The current law, as it is written, is past its useful lifespan.  Changes need to be made to protect people, not chemical companies’ bottom lines.

PACTPA has the potential to succeed

The proposed Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act addresses many of FIFRA’s shortcomings.  This bill provides significant protections for communities that bear the brunt of pesticide exposure, prohibits the use of old stockpiles of banned pesticides, and requires the listing of inert ingredients on all pesticide products, which are often as dangerous as the active ingredients.

PACTPA would:

• Ban dangerous pesticides including organophosphate insecticides, neonicotinoid insecticides and paraquat herbicides;
• Close loopholes that have allowed the EPA to issue emergency exemptions and conditional registrations to use pesticides even before they go through full health and safety reviews;
• Create a petition process for the people which will allow citizens to request review of pesticides that would otherwise be approved for use indefinitely;
• Support local community protective actions from preemption of veto by state law;
• Protect farmworkers from harm by requiring EPA-reviewed injury reports, improved pesticide label instructions and requiring labels in languages in addition to English; and
• Broaden the knowledge base by requiring suspension and review of pesticides deemed unsafe by other nations.

It’s time to move forward

FIFRA puts new products on the market quickly, while making it difficult to remove dangerous products.  PACTPA would begin to shift the needle toward a regulatory system that protects the people and the environment.

With the current Farm Bill taking up much of the energy surrounding food and farming in the coming months, PACTPA provides an excellent template for changes that could be integrated into this larger legislation.  For example, the Farm Bill could adopt PACTPA’s language that provides protections to ensure that local regulations could not be overridden by actions at the state level.

PACTPA will be difficult to move forward because CropLife and 350 industry organizations would prefer to keep the outdated, industry-friendly version of FIFRA around so they can continue to profit from dangerous pesticides. This time around, let’s take the step forward and push PACTPA through the legislative process — as part of the Farm Bill or separately — for our children, our farmworkers, and our environment.

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The following was initially published as part of Pesticide Action Network's Ground Truth blog. 

Tools in the Farmer's Toolbox: Crop Rotation

 

Perhaps the most well-known tool a farmer can use to introduce diversity into their growing system is the crop rotation.  A simple crop rotation used widely in the midwestern United States is the two-year, soybean and corn rotation implemented by many large-scale farmers.  Each farm is different and may benefit from a crop rotation designed specifically to fit the needs of the land and the stewards who tend it.

Our farm has produced a wide-range of food crops for nearly twenty years, and we continue to make adjustments to our rotation plan.  We believe that our growing system becomes more resilient as we introduce more, rather than less, complexity and diversity onto our farm’s landscape.

What is crop rotation?

Crop rotation is a technique that is typically used with annual crops (plants that grow for only one season), though some plans can include perennial crops.  In the simplest terms, the grower changes the crop each season so that plants from the same family are not grown in the same location each year.  On our farm, we create multi-year growing plans that prevent us from growing vine crops (squash, melons and cucumbers) in the same plot.  We might arrange to grow other crops, like broccoli and beans, in the intervening years.

A crop rotation plan can be very simple, like the corn-soybean rotation, or very complex, like our seven-year rotation.  A common five-year rotation used by many organic row-crop growers in Iowa might include corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats – alfalfa is a perennial and often occupies two years of this growing plan.

What does a crop rotation do for the grower?

A carefully developed crop rotation is one of many useful tools that can be a part of a healthy growing plan based on the principles of agroecology.  The benefits are numerous and the explanations can be complex, but here are some simple arguments to encourage the use of crop rotation practices.

Pest and disease control
Perhaps the easiest benefit to recognize is that crop rotation makes it more difficult for pests and diseases to persist from one season to the next.  For example, the disease called black rot infects plants in the cabbage family and can persist on the residue (old leaves and other plant material) left behind by the prior year’s crop.  Planting more of the same crop in that location the following year simply makes it likely that black rot will infect those plants again during the new season. 

Weed control
Each crop type has different cultivation preferences and required growing conditions. This diversity makes it more difficult for weeds to become established and persist from year to year.  The introduction of alfalfa provides cover for the soil for more than one year, which can suppress many problem weeds for annual crops that would follow.  On our farm, we might use buckwheat as a cover crop to choke out Canadian Thistle, one of our problem weeds.

Soil health
Different crops interact with the soil in different ways.  Some crops are known to be greedy for nutrients while others, like those in the legume family, can actually return nutrients to the soil.  For example, beans, peas and lentils can collect nitrogen and improve future fertility.

Improved crop yields
Research continues to show that the introduction of diversity through crop rotations results in better production in individual crops.  Corn yield can be increased by 28%, regardless of the growing conditions for the year.  The improvement is even greater during poor growing seasons, such as those experienced during drought.

Diversified crop income
One of the benefits I have seen on our own farm over time is the home grown “crop insurance” that comes with diversification in our growing system.  More diversity makes it likely that at least some of our cash crops will provide sufficient income for our farm to keep doing what it does from year to year. 

More ways to add diversity in crop rotations

It is easy to simply assign one year to each annual crop in a rotation.  While this is certainly better than growing the same crop in the same place year after year, a farm can do better than this.

Part of a crop rotation could include a perennial crop that is foraged for two to three years by animals.  Our farm has included poultry on some of our production fields as part of our rotation.  This makes perfect sense because we can ask our laying hens to spread their own manure for fertility in future years; it saves some labor and provides necessary nutrients.

Many farms also include cover crops in their rotations.  These are crops that are introduced to cover the soil, but are not intended to be harvested.  For example, we have planted tillage radish in the fall to help loosen the soil for the following season.  The radish crop is terminated by the cold weather and we don’t need to do any additional work other than adjust our rotation so we don’t grow other crops from that family in the same location. 

Why is this important?

The simplest crop rotation is no rotation at all.  Many row crop farms in the United States grow the same crop in the same location year after year.  The only way this can happen is to rely heavily on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to prop up soils that are being abused by this approach and to keep diseases and pests at bay.

The introduction of diversity through methods such as crop rotation and intercropping helps us to break this cycle of dependence.  Diversity and complexity in our growing systems are natural ways to maintain the health of our soils and increase the resilience of our crops.  These are techniques that require the ingenuity of those who would be stewards of the land, and they do not require purchased inputs from the pesticide industry.

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This blog was initially published as part of Pesticide Action Network's Ground Truth blog.

Working Backwards - Postal History Sunday

Welcome to this week's entry of Postal History Sunday.  PHS is hosted every week on the Genuine Faux Farm blog and the GFF Postal History blog.  Everyone is welcome here, regardless of the level of knowledge and expertise you might have in postal history.  Each week is a little bit different - so if this one doesn't speak to you, come back for the next one or check out prior entries!

Last Sunday's post was more of what some people might call a social history post. The focus was on the writer and the recipient of the letter and the postal aspect was background information to fill out the story.  This week I thought I'd tip the scales and lean into the postal history side a bit more.

We're going to work backwards this week by looking first at a few covers that I added to my collection some time ago.  None of them cost me much, so I was willing to pick them up as learning pieces - things that would encourage me to expand my knowledge and understanding of some area of postal history I was less comfortable with.

The folded letter shown above was mailed from Triest, which was then located in the Austrian Empire.  The postage was paid using 16 kreuzer in Austrian postage stamps.  The destination was Bologna, which was in the Kingdom of Italy in 1867, when this letter was mailed.  And, in case you were hoping for a little social history, Leon Vita Levi was part of the Jewish community in Bologna and makes an appearance in this 1865 publication ( Monthly Newspaper for the History and Spirit of Judaism).

I picked up this folded letter at the same time as the first.  This letter traveled from Triest (again in Austria) to Molfetta, which is further south in the Kingdom of Italy.  This time there is 21 kreuzer in postage instead of the 16 kreuzer that was found on the first letter.  The letter was mailed in 1865, so the two letters are not that far apart as far as mailing date is concerned. 

This, of course, had me asking some questions.  If both letters started in Triest and both went to a destination in the Kingdom of Italy, why are there two different postage amounts?  Both seem to have indicators that the postage was paid to destination (P.D.).  

Then there was this one, mailed in 1870.  Once again it was mailed from Triest to a location in the Kingdom of Italy.  Firenze (Florence) would be in the Tuscan region of Italy, so it would be further away from Triest than Bologna and closer than Molfetta.  This one appears to also be paid to destination (P.D.), but the postage paid was only 15 kreuzer.

• 16 kreuzer to Bologna in 1867
• 21 kreuzer to Molfetta in 1865
• 15 kreuzer to Florence in 1870

What in the world is going on here?  I wasn't seeing a pattern, so I went through the possibilities that came to me as I considered these three items.

1. Perhaps the postage rate changes between 1865 and 1870 - maybe more than once?
2. Perhaps one or more of these letters weighs more than a simple letter?
3. Perhaps distance changes the postage rate?
4. Perhaps one of these letters was overpaid?
5. Perhaps someone has altered one or more of these pieces of postal history?  Maybe stamps are missing or added?

Well, I had some options.  I could locate pictures and scans of other related items and begin to deduce patterns.  Or, I could try to find resources that would tell me what the postal rates between Austria and the Kingdom of Italy were during this time period. 

I chose to start with what I knew already and then look for resources that would contain the rates for the time.

What I already understood

I was aware that, prior to 1860, Italy was broken into many Italian States.  After the War of 1859, Sardinia (northwest Italy) led the way to unification.  The Kingdom of Italy, by the time we get to 1865, consisted of all of Italy except Venetia and the Patrimony of St Peter (around Rome).  

I was also aware that Austria, Tuscany, Modena, Parma and the Papal State participated in the Austrian-Italian Postal League.  The postage rates in that arrangement included both a weight and a distance component to determine the cost of sending a letter.

Example 1 - Austria to Tuscany during Austrian-Italian Postal League 

Tuscany did not share a border with Austria, relying on transit via Parma, Modena or the Papal States.  There was the possibility for mail via steamship as well.  Regardless, the distance was never going to fall below 10 meilen (1 meilen = 7.5 km), so the postal rate for the shortest distance from Austria would never be effective if the destination was in Tuscany.

Prepaid Letter Rates - Austria to Modena/Parma

Effective Date	Rate	Unit	Distance
Apr 1, 1851	6 kreuzer	1 loth	10-20 meilen (c)
""	9 kreuzer	1 loth	20+ meilen
Nov 1, 1858	10 kreuzer	1 loth	10-20 meilen
""	15 kreuzer	1 loth	20+ meilen
Apr 28, 1859 (a)
March, 1860 (b)

(a) - prepay only to the border possible - mails via Switzerland

(b) - Kingdom of Italy rates at this time
(c) - 1 meilen is approx 7.5 km, so distances are 75-150 km and 150+ km

So, I could figure out postage amounts for items between the Austrian Empire and some of the Italian States.  But, once I get to March of 1860, I wasn't so sure.  Still, it doesn't hurt to look at examples that come from a prior postal rate period to help me to get more comfortable with mail processes in the region.

9 kreuzer per loth 150+ km distance:  Apr 1, 1851 - Oct 31, 1858

Note: you can see larger versions by clicking on images

Wien (Vienna) Mar 26, 1858     Firenze (Florence) Mar 2 , 1858

The folded letter shown above traveled about 860 km to go from Wien (Vienna) to Firenze (Florence) in 1858.  It's interesting to note that there is no "P.D." on this letter.  But, there is a slash in black ink on the front that tells us the Florentine postal clerk recognized it as paid.

Example 2 - Austria to Modena/Parma during Austrian-Italian Postal League 

In the 1850s, both Lombardy and Venetia were part of the Austrian Empire.  That means it was possible for destinations in Modena, Parma and the Papal States to fall within the shortest distance for calculating postage.  Otherwise, this table looks similar to the last one.  We just add a row for the shortest distance.  This was part of the appeal of the postal league.  Postal patrons in the Austrian Empire did not have to figure out different postage rates for each Italian State.

Prepaid Letter Rates - Austria to Modena/Parma

Effective Date	Rate	Unit	Distance
Jun 1, 1852	3 kreuzer	1 loth	up to 10 meilen
""	6 kreuzer	1 loth	10-20 meilen
""	9 kreuzer	1 loth	20+ meilen
Nov 1, 1858	5 kreuzer	1 loth	up to 10 meilen
""	10 kreuzer	1 loth	10-20 meilen
""	15 kreuzer	1 loth	20+ meilen
June 11(?), 1859(a)
May 15, 1862 (b)

(a) - prepay only to the border possible - mails via Switzerland

(b) - Kingdom of Italy rates at this time
(c) - 1 meilen is approx 7.5 km, so distances are up to 75km, 75-150 km and 150+ km 

15 kreuzer per loth 150+ km distance:  Nov 1, 1858 - June 11, 1859

Postal rates in Austria changed in 1858 when the empire implemented currency reform.  Technically, it was not the rates that changed - it was the value of the kreuzer that changed.  But, from a postal historian's perspective the rate amounts are different and the postage stamps also changed.  

The distance from Triest to Modena was approximately 340 km, which was roughly equivalent to 45 meilen, well over the 20 meilen mark.

Triest Mar 31, 1859      via Modena Apr 2, 1859

Routing options may include a northern route via Verona or a Southern via Bologna.  However the route didn't make a difference in postage because the distance component was not determined by the actual route a letter took to get from place to place.  Instead, distances between places were determined by agreement.  It was just understood that Triest to Modena fell in the longest distance calculation.

And what I needed to learn

With my knowledge of the Austrian-Italian Postal League, I had some groundwork already in place.  I was also aware that the borders in the region were changing.  There was a history of using distance as part of the postal rate calculation.  And, of course, it was pretty clear that postal agreements were going to be adjusted after the War of 1859.

It turns out that, as the Kingdom of Italy was being formed, the Austro-Sardinian rate structure was put into place.  So, my next step was to figure out how mail between Austria and Sardinia worked.

Example 3 - Austria to Sardinia/Kingdom of Italy Prepaid Letter Rates  

The Sardinians and the Austrians used rayons (or postal zones) to determine the distance component for their postage rates.  Rayons could be loosely defined by distance from the border.  But, postal clerks referred to lists of post offices to determine which rayon the origin and destination for a letter were in.  In many ways, a rayon based system was not so different from a distance based system - especially since actual traveling distance was not considered.

So, a letter might originate in the first, second or third rayon of Austria and travel to the first or second rayon in Sardinia.  Please note that there was a third rayon in Sardinia during the 1840s, but Sardinia was reorganized into two rayons starting in 1854.  

It certainly results in a fairly complicated table!

Prepaid Letter Rates - Austria to Sardinia/Kingdom of Italy

June 1, 1844	Jan 1, 1854	Nov 1, 1858(a)	Distance
N/A	3 kreuzer	5 kreuzer	< 30 km distance
6 kreuzer	6 kreuzer	10 kreuzer	1st Aus/1st Sard
9 kreuzer	9 kreuzer	16 kreuzer	2nd Aus/1st Sard
15 kreuzer	12 kreuzer	21 kreuzer	3rd Aus/1st Sard
8 kreuzer	9 kreuzer	16 kreuzer	1st Aus/2nd Sard
12 kreuzer	12 kreuzer	21 kreuzer	2nd Aus/2nd Sard
18 kreuzer	15 kreuzer	26 kreuzer	3rd Aus/2nd Sard
10 kreuzer	N/A	N/A	1st Aus/3rd Sard
13 kreuzer	N/A	N/A	2nd Aus/3rd Sard
19 kreuzer	N/A	N/A	3rd Aus/3rd Sard
per 1/2 wienerlot	per 1 loth	per 1 loth
Year	Rate	Weight Unit
Apr 20, 1859	35 new Kr	loth	via Switzerland
Sep 15, 1859 (b)
May 15, 1862 (c)
Oct 1, 1867	15 kr	15 grams	N/A

(a) -currency conversion to 100 kreuzer per gulden, same postal convention.

(b) - could pay the domestic rate to the border with remainder due

(c) - restore the 1854 convention, with 1858 new currency rate levels

16 kreuzer per loth Austria rayon II to Italy rayon I :  May 15, 1862 - Sep 30, 1867

And now we can make sense of our first two covers that I did not initially understand.  What I needed to learn is that the old agreement with Sardinia was simply restarted in 1862 and applied to the entire Kingdom of Italy.  The shaded area in the table can help you focus on the possible postage rates for mail from Austria to Italy at the time two of our letters were mailed.

Our first letter traveled about 300 km from Triest (in Austria rayon II) to Bologna (Italy rayon I).  By 1867, the rail lines were well established and Venetia was now a part of the Kingdom of Italy.  The railway crossed from Austria to Italy at Cormons in Austria and followed a route from Udine to Venice to Padova (and on to Bologna). 

Treist Feb 3, 1867 Bologna

 

That means we can take a good guess that our second letter cost more because it had to travel further!

21 kreuzer per loth Austria rayon II to Italy rayon II :  May 15, 1862 - Sep 30, 1867

via Ferrara, Bologna, Ancona and Foggia by Adriatic Coastal railway (~940km)

Triest Nov 1 or 4 ? Ferrara Nov 5, 1865 Ancona ??? Molfetta Nov 7, 1865

Sure enough, Molfetta was in Italy's second rayon, so the postage was 5 kreuzer more.

Prior to Austria’s loss of Venetia to the Kingdom of Italy in 1866 during the Seven Weeks War, Ferrara served as an exchange office on the Padova-Bologna rail line.  The Adriatic rail line that ran along the coast was available to the public (and mail carriage) by April 25, 1864.  So, it should be safe to say that this letter was carried on a train via this route.

The blurred backstamps are difficult to read, but the Ancona-Foggia docket on the front tells us to look for those two locations as possibly having reason to provide a postal marking.  It looks like there is an Ancona marking with the "A" being visible.  A second marking in the same location looks like it might be Foggia with "GGIA" being mostly visible. 

What about this one?

Well, here's the good news.  My guesses as to why these letters all required different amounts of postage were all on my list of possibilities. 

Let me remind you of them:

1. Perhaps the postage rate changes between 1865 and 1870 - maybe more than once?
2. Perhaps one or more of these letters weighs more than a simple letter?
3. Perhaps distance changes the postage rate?
4. Perhaps one of these letters was overpaid?
5. Perhaps someone has altered one or more of these pieces of postal history?  Maybe stamps are missing or added?

The first two letters were different rates because they traveled different distances, but they were mailed during the same rate period.  This item has a different rate because the postage rates were changed.  On October 1, 1867, the Austrian Empire agreed to remove the distance component and stick with a flat 15 kreuzer rate for mail to the Kingdom of Italy. 

 

That makes this additional 1870 letter fairly easy to figure out then!

For those of you that have read this far - well done!  For those of you who skipped to the end - I understand.  Postage rates are not something that interest everyone.  But, before you go, I want to point out all of the surrounding history that was hinted at as we looked at changes in the postage rates:

• The process of Italian reunification impacted postage rates (and routes).  It is a complex period of history for Italy with many interesting stories.
• The currency reform in Austria was a big deal that changes some of the patterns we see in Austrian mail of the time.
• If you are a person who likes military history, we've got the War of 1859 and the Seven Weeks War in 1866 - both are reflected by the available rates and routes.
  
• We can look at the changing influence of Austria in Italy - from spearheading a postal league to actually NOT having any postal agreement for a period of time after the War of 1859.
• Not obvious, but certainly a factor is the development of railways in Italy and increased access to Italy by land (remember the Alps are in the north!).
• And finally, the increased volume of mail and improved transportation between European nations is reflected by simpler, and less expensive, rate structures.

If this still doesn't make you reconsider whether postal rates could be interesting, I'll give you an excuse.  I like difficult Sodoku puzzles and I enjoy problem solving and looking for patterns.  It's not you.  It's me.  Sometimes it takes a different personality to enjoy something like this.

Still - I am glad you joined me today for Postal History Sunday.  Next week will be something completely different - and even I don't know what it will be at this point.  What I am certain of is that I am pleased to share something I enjoy and I hope we all had an opportunity to learn something new.

Have a fine remainder of your day and an excellent week to come.

February Playlist - Music for Dragons

The Genuine Faux Farm Guardian Dragons are appreciative of the fact that we like our music around here.  In fact, there are times when we get the impression that they are singing along - each in their own way.

Since February is the shortest month, the creation of the playlist kind of snuck up on me a bit.  So, I went to our Guardian Dragon team for some help with picking the list this time around.  So, don't blame me if you think things are a bit hotter than you might like.

We will start with a song that seems to be a current favorite.  It's kind of a a big-hair, metal band type of song.  Apparently dragons like that sort of thing.

Fire Dance - Balance of Power

For those of you who are sensitive to language or screaming vocals, this next one might not be enjoyable for you.  The dragons, on the other hand, don't seem to mind.  It doesn't hurt that the dragons share some of the sentiment of the lyrical content here too.

Turn it Up Like (Stand in the Fire) - Nothing More

They do seem to like this fire and flame theme.  So, how about a bit more of the hot stuff.

Fire - the Almost

I guess things don't have to be in open flame all of the time either.  Maybe if we just keep things warm they'll be happy?

Under the Heat - the 77s

 
Apparently, it's not always about fire when it comes to the GFF Guardians.  Sometimes it can be a bit more shocking.

Electricity - Switchfoot

The good news, they also like cello.  The bad news if you were tiring of the initial focus of these songs - they went back to the heat and burning with this one.

Life Burns - Apocalyptica

When they submitted the next tune, I recognized that they are a bit preoccupied with this theme. It does cause me to worry a little bit.  But, I did say they could pick the tunes and I will keep my promise.

Blister Soul - Vigilantes of Love

I suspect we do influence our Guardian Dragons' favorite tunes because, if they don't hear it, how can they know they like it? And, since we play tunes by the Choir a lot...

Midnight Sun - the Choir

We do have to watch ourselves because the littlest of the dragons likes to play some pranks.  If you don't know what a "hotfoot" prank is, you can look it up and I suspect you'll figure it out.

Hotfootin' - Rez

Of course, this might be their favorite tune.  I'm not sure why.

The Dragon - Kerry Livgren

The GFF Guardian Dragons thank you for listening to their choices - or at least reading about them in the blog.  Have a great day.  And if you didn't find anything here that was interesting, that's fine.  Play your own song and take the time to enjoy it!

Worst Enemy

I have been considering re-reading some or all of the Harry Potter series in the not too distant future as a sort of "comfort read."  I don't think I am alone among people who sometimes prefer reading a book they have already read.  This is especially true when I am under stress or if I can only read in short bursts.

It makes sense to me.  The cadence of the story is familiar and, perhaps, soothing.  I can control the level of suspense because.. well, I've already READ it (duh!).  And, I can always discover some new details with each read.  On top of that, each new reading comes when I have a different perspective, which means the story actually IS a bit different each time.

My most consistent standby, over the years, has been the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.  And I have many others that I have "re-enjoyed" as well.

There is a bit more comfort with the Harry Potter series because, especially early on, there is a certain light-hardheartedness that comes with a book written about and for twelve year-olds.  The opening of the first book is the type of beginning that encourages you to sigh and then squirm a little as you settle into your favorite chair for a nice read.  I still let out a soft chuckle after reading that Mr. Dursley had an "owl-free morning."

The Harry Potter "universe" introduces a few interesting tools that I like to muse on every once in a while when my brain needs a break from heavier matters.  One such item was the "Sneakoscope" which was supposed to whistle when someone nearby was untrustworthy (or doing something that was untrustworthy).  And another interesting item was a little ball called a "Remembrall" which was supposed to change color when you have forgotten something.

In both cases, J.K. Rowling, the author, doesn't miss the trick that each tool has its limits.  You can have something that tells you that you are forgetting something, but it certainly doesn't help you remember exactly WHAT you've forgotten.  And, a Sneakoscope isn't going to help a whole lot if you can't identify the source of the.. um... sneakiness.  If you think about it, the Sneakoscope could actually BECOME the problem.

But, in my mind, the real winner came to me as I was looking in the mirror (not something I do often), trying to figure out what was in my eye.  

I figured out what was in my eye - it was my finger.  

Ahem.  Anyway....

Another tool in the Harry Potter books is a "Foe Glass" which supposedly shows how close a person's enemies might be.  If an enemy is some distance away, there would be a very shadowy and unclear image.  As a "foe" gets closer, the image becomes clear.

As I mused about this, I realized I was looking in a Foe Glass.  My own worst enemy was staring back at me...

with a finger in his eye.

Have a great Friday and a good weekend everyone!

When You Feel Down

I go through cycles where I seem to be happy and productive, which are often mixed in with times where I struggle to get things done and/or I am, perhaps, a bit depressed.  Lately, I have struggled with the knowledge that former friends and acquaintances are no longer with us.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And so do the other pictures in this blog.  

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

I'm good with that.

Not a Fluke - Walk There Again

We took a day of rest after our Canyon Trail achievement and then headed back to Keonelona Bay (aka Shipwreck Beach) and the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail to close out our Kauai "walk there agains."  We made sure to get there early so we could avoid some of the heat.  Much of this trail is exposed and collects a lot of sun.  So, it pays to get an early start and it is important to carry lots of fluids to stay hydrated.

This time around, we had the goal of getting to the area where the trail can be accessed at the Makauwehi Cave.  In our prior walk from Keoneloa Bay, we only got to the Heiau Ho'ouluia (Heiau is a sacred Hawaiian site) just prior to the golf course portion of the trail.  This particular Heiau was likely a place of worship where offerings were made to the god of the sea to ensure good fishing - and yes, I am sure I have simplified it too much.

Before I go much further, this region of Kauai has been under threat to be developed in a fashion that is similar to the neighboring Poipu area.  I appreciate the work of Malama Mahaulepu that seeks to preserve this area and find a cooperative use plan that works to protect natural and cultural features while allowing folks, like ourselves to appreciate this land and its unique features.

Most hiking sites will rate this trail as a fairly easy one to walk.  This is, technically, true.  However, it does have its technical aspects.  The first portion can be loose sand, which has its own challenges - especially if you run into some roots or rocks just under or at the surface.  The rest of the trail can have rock and root obstructions like most Kauai hikes.  

That means it can be easy to catch your foot on something and you can stumble or fall.  If you fall on some of the sharp rocks, it could be quite painful.

That said, we both did just fine with only a few mild stumbles each.  The general rule for us is to keep an eye on the ground while walking.  If you want to look at things - stop and let yourself look.  It's worth it.

Most of my picture taking this time around happened after the Heiau.  This photo is looking back at the area we walked to get to the golf course.  Part of the Heiau can be seen in the distance where the black rocks are. 

And this is the view of the cliff edges near the golf course portion of the walk.  When we take shorter walks on Mahaulepu this ridge is often seen in the background of our photos.

While we were walking on the edge of the golf course, we noted a Cane Toad that was looking a little unhappy with its lot in life.  These toads were introduced to Hawaii in an effort to control Sugar Cane Beetles on Oahu in 1932.  Since then, these toads have spread to the other islands, apparently appreciating the habitat golf courses provide.

No, seriously, I am not kidding.  With the watering regimens and the low-cut grass, these toads are pretty happy.  Originating in South America, they are indiscriminate eaters -  whatever they can catch and swallow will work.  And, no, they didn't end up helping with the Sugar Cane Beetles all that much.  And before you think I know all of this stuff magically, I will point you to this excellent web article.  According to that work, ticks that are natural parasites for Cane Frogs have somehow found their way to the big island of Hawaii.

And no, I didn't see any ticks on this toad.  It didn't seem to be of a mind for me to look either.

There are also cactus in the southern portion of the island.  This might seem to be odd considering how wet much of the island is, but there are areas that have very low annual rainfall amounts, making it a good place for cactus.  

I believe this is a hedge cactus, but I couldn't get close to it and I am no expert in that area.  If it is a hedge cactus, it was introduced from Central America.  If this blog is accurate, when some of the sugar cane land was converted to grazing in the early 1900s, cactus were imported to provide a durable food source for the cattle in times of drought.

After the golf course portion of the walk, there is a brushy portion where we hiked in a tunnel of plants for a short while, followed by this brushy area where I found the cactus.  The trail here was level, but it had just enough surprises in the trail surface that we still had to pay attention to where our feet were going.  But, that's okay, we couldn't see much over the brush on either side of the trail at this point anyway.

As we emerged from this portion of the trail, we were re-introduced to blue.  

The color of the Pacific can change depending on how agitated it is, how deep it is, and how much sun there is at any given time.  This area gets lots of sun, so we are often shocked by the deepest blues that keep drawing us to look.

But, the rocks and obstructions in the trail become more frequent at this point too.  So, we exercised our neck muscles.  Look down to place foot.  Look up to see the blue sky and blue water.  And repeat.

I took a few moments to try and capture a few photos and Tammy walked ahead - so I took a picture with Tammy in it to provide further proof that she was taking this walk - and doing quite well!

In the background is the Black Mountain, Ha`upu.  There is no hat on Ha`upu today, so the some of the areas that use it to predict coming rainfalls aren't likely to see any moisture any time soon.  In fact, during this particular walk we saw very few clouds.  Just the occasional white puff-ball that Wai`ale`ale released from the center of the island so it could go floating out towards the sea.

And speaking of the sea.  Tammy ordered up some whale sightings for our walk too.  

Okay.  What she really did was say, "this would be a good day and a good place to spot some whales."  And then, we looked, and saw some whale spouts.  

Goal for the trip: see some whales.

Check. 

Yes, the ocean is pretty big.  No, I didn't have a giant lens on the camera.  So this is what a person gets for a whale sighting if you are using the unaided eye (or a normal camera lens).  Neither of us has any problem with that.  It is simply thrilling to see the evidence of their existence and their activity and that's good enough for us.

It's like checking with a friend to be sure they're still ok.  Well, the whales are still around - it's a good thing.

We have also had the chance to see Green Sea Turtles (Honu) now and again.  But, usually it's tough to spot them or see much more than their head poking out of the water.  Often it is just a shadow image if you just happen to look just right into the waves.  If you don't manage to look at the right time and place, you won't see them.

On this walk, they must have heard my comment that it would be nice to get a really good look at a Honu.  So, this one obliged us (or maybe it was more than one) a few times.  Enough for us to be shocked to see one so clearly and recover from the shock to get the camera ready.  

Once again, no big lens.  But, this gives you an idea of what our eyes could see.  

In my opinion seeing Honu is a big deal, as they are an endangered species with a population that was drastically reduced by poaching.  It's a bit like seeing a Bald Eagle in Iowa.  I remember the time when being able to view this raptor even once in my lifetime was a dream I wasn't sure could be fulfilled.  The recovery of the Bald Eagle population has been encouraging - perhaps the Honu are seeing a rebound as well?

The Honu also plays an important role in the stories of the Hawaiian culture.  The great fisher Aiai created the honu by drawing its figure on a rock by the water.  Because the honu is part of the earth, it must return to land to lay its eggs (see pages 238-9 in this book).

After this event, we discussed another critter we hadn't seen in the water - dolphins. 

And they showed up not long after that discussion.  We think this was a group of Bottleneck Dolphins.  A rough count put their number somewhere around a dozen.  These intelligent creatures have a complex language of whistles and clicking sounds and each individual has unique characteristics to its voice.

The two of us, on the other hand, were not swimming in the ocean like the Honu, or the wales, or the dolphins.  Instead, we were walking the red-brown earth.  We did our best to respect the plants that tenaciously clung to the soil, though we did gratefully accept the shade when a larger tree or bush offered it.

And when our eyes were not drawn to the sky or the water - or Haupu (the mountain), we took our time to recognize the green and growing things around us.  After all, we are growers and caretakers of the land.  It is only natural for us to check in with the plants on the trip.

I noted that many of the grasses towards the end of our walk displayed these seed heads and I found them to be interesting.  I have no idea what they are, whether they are native, introduced or invasive.  Instead, they just were there.  Carving a little niche for themselves next to a few small trees we were using to take a break from the sun.

And sometimes, that's enough for me to know.

This walk was a little different for us in that we didn't just concentrate on making it BACK to our starting point.  We did take time to look at sea creatures and we stopped at some of the beautiful overlooks.  This departure from what had become the norm is another significant step in Tammy's recovery.  It meant we weren't overly concerned about making it back to the starting point.

It meant that we were confident that we could complete the hike without worrying if we had gone too far.

Tammy's rehab progress on Kauai was not a fluke - but the whales have them (flukes).  And we'd like to keep it that way.

Sense of Purpose

 

Murphy the Nibster has yet to find a blogging voice - after all, she is still very young and most of her thoughts involve making sure the humans provide food... constantly.  It's not because Murphy isn't willing to speak their mind because that happens almost constantly.  I can't even take a decent picture of this kitten because Murphy is either darting around, squirming or... meowing.

So, other  than eating and irritating Soup and Inspector by pouncing on them, Murphy hasn't really settled into a sense of purpose.  That might explain the somewhat erratic dashing about and the tendency to not fully commit to anything other than that food thing.  Or maybe I am wrong and Murphy is just entirely and fully committed to being a kitten right now?

It's also possible that I just have not been able to ascertain exactly what Murphy is committed to at this time.  Maybe I am not paying enough attention or perhaps Murphy is far more complex than I might believe.  But this did get me to thinking about what others must see when they visit the GFF blog.  

I think it is safe to say that the only person who has read every single blog (sometimes more than once) is the person who is doing the writing (me).  It's probably also a good assumption that most people who do read what I write do so in periodic bursts.  They get reminded that the blog is out there via social media post or chance encounter, they visit the blog, and they read one blog that leads to reading a few more entries.  So, it is possible what they see might seem every bit as scattered and erratic as Murphy often appears to be to me.

A (really) quick history

The Genuine Faux Farm blog actually has been around since December of 2008 and it was created primarily as a way to get information about our farm out to others in a fashion that was a bit easier than using publishing software to make newsletters.  It also allowed us to just share life on the farm a bit in the hopes that we could get more people to support small-scale, diversified farms that supply local food - why else would we tell the story about a duck in the kitchen?  Other than the fact that it was just a bit odd to begin with.

Content was about weather, recipes, crops, farm events and farming in general.  When we would occasionally leave the farm, we might include a post or two about it, but raising food and our farm was never far from the center of it all.  As I got more comfortable with blogging, I began allowing departures that included April Fools posts, Thanksgiving posts and even a few that mentioned postal history.  Then the Sandman found a voice and other, more creative things started happening.

In addition to creativity, I started to allow myself to speak a bit more freely, without the muzzle that a person with a business often wears.  You don't want to offend a potential customer, you know.  Some of that came after our struggle with pesticide drift became more extreme.  

In January of 2019, I actually gave daily blog writing a try when we took an extended break from the farm and school.  I enjoyed that exercise, but it was pretty obvious at that time that the blog (and the farm) were trending downward.  I was hard-pressed to produce three to five blogs a month and the farm (as it was) had worn us to a nub.

And then the pandemic happened.  People who were very much NOT used to isolation were struggling.  I decided that one thing I had to give was the gift of writing.  So, on March 30, 2020, I started a string of blogging that hasn't really stopped since.

What about the present day?

Well, the pandemic isn't a thing anymore.  People don't need daily writings from a farmer on a small-scale, diversified farm.  And the methods for letting people know that a new blog post is out have changed.  It is harder than ever to reach out to let people know there is something new to read - if you want to read it.

Yet, here is my 52nd blog post of 2023 - on the 52nd day of the year.

What's the purpose now?  Do I have one?  I suspect I must if I am willing to push out blogs this often.  And, clearly, it's not about attention seeking.  If it were, I know I would be taking a completely different approach to promote what I do instead of the "well it's there if you want it" thing.

The obvious? It's good practice. Currently, my primary employment is to be a writer.  I need to exercise my skills regularly so I can keep improving my craft.  But, I will also admit that I can (and will) cease writing for this blog if (or when) some of the other purposes go away.  After all, I can write and not offer it up for public consumption to get my practice in.

So... why do I keep offering things up?

There are things I believe in and have knowledge about that I hope I can encourage you (and others) to think about.  Things like diversified, small-scale farms and farming.  Things like local foods, skilled occupations, learning and teaching.  Things like tolerance and kindness and grace.  Things like seeking out awe and wonder in the natural world and in the arts.  And even things like postal history.

And there are things I think I can offer because I see a need for it.  Like a little laughter.  A little music. A walk in the woods. A pun or two.  And even some stories - both true and made up.

And yes, the Genuine Faux Farm is still here - even if it is not quite the center of our world like it was several years ago. 

So, I've got a sense of purpose for this blog.  The questions that remain are twofold.  The first is, what purpose, if any, do others see evidence of when they visit? 

And the second is, how much longer will the energy match the purpose to keep it going?  

I've got no idea what the answers are to those questions.  Maybe you can help me with the first.  As for the second?  We'll just keep going until we stop.

Meanwhile, have a good day!  Pass the goodness forward to someone.  Share a kind word, hold a door open or split that candy bar with someone who looks like they need it.