Resolved

Welcome to the new year.  Perhaps you see January 1st as just another day - or maybe you see it as a new start?  In my case, the realist in me tells me that today is no different than any other, but the dreamer in me still nudges me to treat it as something a bit more special than that.  When I put all of me together, I find that my opinion of New Year's is an odd mix.

But, when it comes down to it - I see the turning of the old year into the new as an opportunity.  And like many opportunities - it will only be as valuable as we make it.

In with the Old

I know the phrase is supposed to be "out with the old and in with the new" and I am here to tell you that we've got it mostly wrong and only partly right.  

"Out with the old" implies the disposal of something that no longer has value.  It emphasizes the negative and encourages us to forget lessons that could be valuable for us as we travel through our lives.  It pushes a narrative of failure, pain, and suffering and discourages us from looking for the balancing positives that are out there for us.  

Out with the old?  Does that mean we throw it all out with the trash?  Even a diamond can look less appealing when it is surrounded with coffee grounds and rotting banana peels. 

I do not mind the idea of using the new year to give the bad things less power in our lives.  So, if by "out with the old" you mean getting rid of a grudge I hold against someone and being free of cancer - I can get behind that.

But, I also want to say "in with the old" by taking the insights that come with the recovery from a major surgery with me as I go forward into the new year.  I say "in with the old" when I think about the grudge I held a bit differently by looking at how I might have been hurt and how I can avoid hurting someone else in the same way.

Maybe it should just be "in with the new perspective on the old."  But, that doesn't really roll off the tongue does it?

And, what about all of the truly WONDERFUL things we got to experience in the past year?  Out with the old?  Nope! Sorry!  These good things still have value for me and I don't see a good reason for tossing them out either.

In with the New

It's a nice sentiment to make it sound like we all enter the year with a clean slate.  But, I suspect this is why so few people actually succeed with their New Year's resolutions.  They temporarily deceive themselves by thinking that the baggage of days past won't draw them back.  Oh, they might be able to leave it by the side of the road for a week or two - but it isn't too long before all of that stuff either finds legs and tracks us down or we get pulled back to it because...  Well, it is still a part of who we are.

Even so, I still admit to feeling some of the illogical power that comes with the end of one year and beginning of another.  And to top it off, I don't really think that's all a bad thing either.

Reflect on the Old, Build for the New

Here's were the pragmatist meets the idealist - I like to take a practical approach towards the energy that comes with the new year.  It's a perfect time to review and reflect on the past year and remind myself of the things that helped me become who I am now.

There are a few wounds that are still quite tender, and it makes no sense for me to spend time probing them just to cause more pain.  There are also other things where I have yet to find a good balance - so I can just nod at them in passing.  The rest, on the hand, is full of all sorts of insight and joy and pain and relief and...  whatever else.  Much of this is ready for me to find closure.  And some of it is ready for me to build more.

And there's the value that the turning of the year has for me.  It's a natural point for me to assess the progress I have made on the building that is my life - and to figure out what I should do to correct problems and how I can accentuate the good things.

Resolved 

Last year, my January 1 post concluded with a resolution for the new year that was 2021.  My "resolution," if you want to call it that was as follows:

My resolution is to continue to work on being better at understanding what others are seeing so I might have a chance to recognize what motivates them to do and say what they do.  And, I will also listen better to what people might say about me and where I am, so I can appreciate the good things from a different perspective and contemplate what is in need of my attention so I can make changes.

Did I succeed?  

The answer is a "yes," because I DID work to do these things and I STILL work to do these things.  But, I also feel that I have tried to do this for much of my life.  Sometimes fairly well.  Sometimes very poorly.  And I know I never will be perfect at any of it - which is why it remains a good resolution for me in the coming year.

It's all a part of building.  Reflecting on the old - identifying the faults and taking note of the strengths.  Then, building for the new - remembering the vision of where we want to be and doing our best to get there.

2021 Crops

We are now fairly certain as to what crops we will be growing in 2021, but there are still details to work out - aren't there always?  The general rule for us in 2021 is that we must simplify our crops significantly if we hope to continue growing, doing our off-farm jobs AND raising poultry.  So, without further ado - here's a quick run down on the plan as it stands at this moment in time.

Seed Production

Assuming the contracts come through for us, we are planning on growing out certain crops for seed that will go to Seed Savers.  The combination of our experience growing many of their varieties and our organic certification makes this a logical step if we wish to continue to grow vegetable crops.  

At present, it looks like we will be growing out Black Valentine green beans, Napoleon Sweet bell peppers and we may also grow out Amish melons (cantaloupe).   

Essentially, that means we will have more row feet of one variety of these crops rather than the wide array we have grown in prior years.  This makes it easier for us to manage with fewer labor hours - a key factor in our decision making.  In particular, the harvest becomes concentrated to one event rather than the continuous harvest, clean, pack, deliver cycle that takes a great deal of time.

Other Crops in Bulk

There will be some other crops as well that we will target either for bulk sales, canning/freezing specials for individuals or bulk donations to local food banks.  Some of these were selected because we have a very good history with them, others because they only have a single point of harvest and some because it will help us keep tabs on how we convert our farm to new systems of growing that will hopefully be sustainable with the new labor hours limits we have.

The order for the Red Adirondack and Blue Adirondack potatoes is already in - so we'll have a decent sized crop there.  There will be Waltham Butternuts and there will be Touchstone Gold beets.  We expect to grow onions as well... and there is garlic in the ground already.  And lettuce is something we are quite good at and we will likely grow a fair amount of it.  There will be tomatoes in the high tunnels.

Asparagus is a perennial crop, so that will not go away either.

To put it in perspective, in the past, when we would just grow a "little bit of something" it would take at least 50 row feet - and usually more.  Even now, there will be a definite difference between our "little bit" and what a personal gardener might say is a "little bit."

And The Rest

Our high tunnels and some of the smaller crop space will have more diversity - in part because we want to eat veggies!  It is likely we will have excess of these things, but we will not be growing them with the intent of maintaining sales other than when convenient.  Again, excess could just go to a food bank if that's what works best.

There will be green beans and peas, of course, because we love them both.  There will probably be some cucumbers and zucchini and there will certainly be spinach.  The list here is certainly much more fluid and subject to change.  But, that planning is what January is for!  We'll grow broccoli, romanesco and cauliflower, but it will be nothing like prior years when we would put in successions of 400 broccoli plants at a time.  Perhaps that would change if we got a contract to grow that many for someone - because we are good at broccoli - but there is none forthcoming, so that's where it stands.

Saying Goodbye

This has been a bit difficult because we know we need to say goodbye to a number of vegetable varieties that have served us well for years.  We won't be growing Thelma Sanders Acorn Squash, for example.  And there will be no eggplant at all on the farm next year.  We will focus on a subset of our normal heirloom tomato varieties and we will likely let varieties such as Red Zebra and Green Zebra go.  There won't be turnips and very little kale and we will likely limit our carrots to one "little bit" planting.

Starter Plants 2021

That said, we are willing to start extra plants for those who talk to us ahead of time.  We will not be growing out a whole bunch of extras in hopes of sales.  Instead, we will only grow plants out for people who specifically request that we do so.  So, if you have a request, let us know.

Here's to 2021 - and a new growing season. 

Resolution

The new year is often the time for people to identify goals and renew commitments to health, wellness, prosperity and whatever each individual feels is important at the time.  While I am not one to write a list of resolutions for the new year, I will admit that I do often use the energy a new cycle brings with it to try to do better on a whole host of things.  This year, I am making an exception and giving myself a resolution. 

What Do You Feel and Think When You See This Picture?

Some who read this blog may be more familiar than others with this building and this perspective.  Others may never have seen it in person, but maybe you've seen pictures in the blog.  It doesn't matter - I just want you to take a moment to look at it and explore how this view makes you feel and/or what kinds of things it makes you think of.

Now try this one.

Can you picture yourself in this frame?  What would you be doing?  How would you be feeling?  What would expect to see as you walked into the picture?  What sounds are there?  Is there any breeze?  Do you smell anything?

And this one?

So, I have asked you to explore what you feel or think when you see some pictures from our farm.  I've asked a few people similar questions over the years and I've had others just volunteer thoughts and here are some things I have had people say about similar sights on our farm:

• What a beautiful place!  It's so peaceful.
• I could just sit here for hours.
• This place is so relaxing.
• You must enjoy living here.
• You need to paint the granary the rest of the way... I love to paint.

So, What Do I See?

Initially, all I see are things left undone that still need doing.  

Yes, the granary needs paint.  The trim and siding around the door needs to be finished and the old doors need to be fixed.  We still need to find ways to exclude raccoons from the building and we have work to do to make more of the building useful to how we do things.  

The next picture shows Casa Verde, which is currently uncovered after the plastic tore.  We need to recover the building and do some work on vent on the other side.  The Iowa hydrant in the front of the building has never quite worked as well as it should since we put it in, so that's a mild continuous stresser and there are some failed experiments in the picture as well.  Oh - and you don't see the raised bed that desparately needed weeding just behind this.

Surely the flower is a relaxing picture for me, yes?  Well, no.  I know where this flower resides and it is in an area that needs to be addressed - especially if we want flowers again in the future.

If I think a little longer, I can transport myself into the picture.  I can hear the door on the granary as I open it so I can get food for the chickens.  It makes a rattling, squealing noise as it opens and I can feel the tug on the rope as I hang on to prevent it from slamming onto the roll at the top of the door.  There are a couple of Barn Swallows that come swooping out as I open the door.  They land on the electric line that leaves the building and make their chittering call to tell me it's a good morning to fly. 

So, yes, I can see the beauty and appreciate it.  But, I have to work harder to see 'peaceful' and 'relaxing.'  It can be very difficult to get past the obligations that come with the farm

Once again, this is about perspective.  You can't necessarily know what I am seeing and how it makes me feel or what it makes me think unless you put yourself fully into my shoes.  Similarly, I don't know what cares and worries, joys and preferences, expectations and fears come along for the ride to color your experience of something. 

Resolved

This is part of the reason we are so willing to take sides and engage in conflict.  We have to work - sometimes REALLY hard - to understand each other and see what the other person is seeing.  Apparently, this is so difficult that we are much more willing to fight in opposition than we are to try to understand.

My resolution is to continue to work on being better at understanding what others are seeing so I might have a chance to recognize what motivates them to do and say what they do.  And, I will also listen better to what people might say about me and where I am, so I can appreciate the good things from a different perspective and contemplate whether the critical things are worthy of my attention so I can make changes.

I want you to look at pictures of the farm that shows green plants, some sunshine and a farm building and feel that it is peaceful.  I also want to see those same things and feel a little of that as well.  But, I also hope you can recognize that my perception might be colored by some things you can't necessarily know about.  I don't need you to feel the same way, I just need you to accept that I might not feel the same as you.

By the same token, I need to look at you and consider that what I see in you and where you are from your perspective.  If I see something good, I should call it out - so you can see it again for yourself, because you might have forgotten with all of the difficulties that surround you.  And, if I see something that needs attention, perhaps I need to think a little harder about why that might be the case instead of leaping to judgement.

It's a tall order.  But, the worthwhile resolutions usually are.

Genuine Faux Farm 2020 Hindsight

Welcome to the final day of the year 2020.  Rather than indulge in the 'year-bashing' that so many fall prey to doing, I thought we would do a year-end retrospective from our farm's point of view.  Yes - it is true that many of the challenges that faced us were part of the general news (pandemic, derechos and hurricanes, confrontational politics, etc etc) - but you can (and probably have) read about that elsewhere.

Personally, I am not celebrating the end of 2020 because that I am glad to be rid of it.  I celebrate 2020 because it was a part of my life and I found some things to appreciate - or, at least, contemplate - in the form of a top ten list.

The GFF 2020 Hindsight Top 10!

10. Swales and Ditches, Ditches and Swales

While we didn't put in as many swales (or waterway ditches) as we had planned, we did get two critical swales put in early in 2020.  You can ask if they worked and the answer would be - "mostly."  Once we determined exactly how much time and effort it took to put in these two swales, we realized that we just don't have the best equipment to do the job efficiently.  However, we also learned that it was just as well that we did not do everything at once because we were able to learn from how the water management changed with just these two adjustments.  

 

In other words, this is a work in progress.  But, there actually was some good progress!

9. A Year of the "Bird Game"

This might seem odd, but one of our highlights for the year was actually a board game!  Tammy and I found ourselves enjoying Wingspan so much that we have played it nearly every day for the entire year.  

This was something we got to do together and it was not a case where one of us was humoring the other.  Wins and losses are roughly equal even after all this time.  And, we still learn things about our avian friends - all thanks to this game.  We have found that our bird identification prowess has improved because of the repetitions we have had with the images and names on the cards this game features.

8. Rob Gets a "Smart" Phone

I am still not a fan of smart phones.  I probably never will be simply because I see how often they take people's attention away from things that are more important.

On the other hand, the sheer volume of things that practically require that you be able to text has made it increasingly difficult to avoid having one of these things.  So - Rob got a smart phone.  The first thing he did was figure out how to delete the vast majority of useless apps he found preloaded onto the device.  Then, he deliberately figured out ways that the phone could be useful without becoming an appendage.  

Success?  Mostly.  And I was able to use it so I could hold a PFI field day this year.  Score one for the phone, I guess.  And I could record some bird sounds while I was working in the Spring that I can now enjoy in January.  We'll call that a win.

7. Walking There Again

Perhaps we should have done this more often this past year, but we did manage to take ourselves to some of the natural areas in Northeast Iowa and hike around a bit.  

I will admit that our willingness to take the time and do this fell off once the school year really got rolling in August, but we still recognized a benefit to reconnecting with nature at locations that were not our farm.  Don't get me wrong, the farm is a great place for us to maintain our connection to the natural world.  But, it is also a place of work for us.  Sometimes we need to balance our lives out with a walk in the woods by a stream - with nothing to remind us that we need to finish digging a swale or that the garlic needs mulching (it doesn't, we did get that done - phew!).

6. Adjusting Farm Sales Processes

Even without all of the extra 'big events' that were going on with the world, 2020 was going to be a very different year on our farm.  We had already announced that we were discontinuing our CSA Farm Share Program that had been running since 2005 and we went with a Prepaid Farm Credit system for the year.  Add to that a pandemic and the necessary steps to maintain safe practices with foodstuffs and you find us working to adapt how we deliver food dramatically.

We feel that, with the help of our customers, we developed a safe process for delivery that was effectively adapted as the season's changed and circumstances required.  There were some definite issues - primarily with tracking, which was rooted in large part to the next item.

5. Rob's New Job and Tammy's Never-ending Job

Perhaps some of the biggest news of the year was that Rob took an off-farm job for the first time in many years, working as a Communications Associate for the Pesticide Action Network.  As anyone who has taken a new job can attest, there is always a period of transition that has its stresses and requires changes.  

In many ways, Tammy's job was ALSO a new job.  The adjustments and the uncertainty that came with teaching at the college this past year has not been comfortable and it required her constant attention - even during the weeks that she traditionally has been able to step back a bit.  You see, teachers at all levels tend to work for much longer than 8 hours a day, five days a week when school is in session (and usually right before and after each term).  The balancing factor is that Summers are supposed to allow for a little more freedom.  Not so in 2020.

This is supposed to be a positive reflection - so here is the positive spin.  Rob has adapted to his job well and his co-workers feel that he is a useful member of the team.  Tammy has amazing skills and has done more good than she knows for a number of people (some of whom do not yet know how much good she did for them as well).

We both did good - the warts just add character.  And that's the story I'm sticking with.

4. Sharing Information with Others

Pandemic or not, we still did things at the Genuine Faux Farm to share our experiences and knowledge with others.  Rob was given the opportunity to present on various mulching techniques at the conference in January (pre pandemic).  We probably should have taken that as a warning for future months since a Winter storm was bearing down on us and many people had to leave the conference early.  Tammy and I, in fact, stayed an extra night to avoid driving in the worst of it.

During the Summer, we hosted a two-part (initially intended to be three-part) field day at our farm.  The second session, focusing on cover crops and poultry, can be found here.  The first of the two focused more on incorporating cover and establishing new cover.  Rob also was one of a panel at the Iowa Organic Association's Annual Meeting.  

There was even a chance to talk about postal history this year.  Something that I might not have been able to do in a 'normal year!'

3. Working Alone Together

With only a couple of brief exceptions where we were able to get some volunteers to come and help (with appropriate physical distance) the farm crew consisted of... Tammy and Rob.  That meant more adjustments on our part in terms of what we planted and how we went about planting.  

We both missed the presence of a crew and were relieved that we were not responsible for a crew at the same time.  It is clear that no matter how efficient we could be as workers, there was no replacing the person hours we typically received in the form of our seasonal helpers.  The same was true for the removal of our annual festivals at the farm from our itinerary. 

On the positive side of things, the extreme changes to how our farm operates have opened our eyes to some different possibilities and helped us cut ties from some things that, perhaps, we needed to let go.  We are hopeful that we can continue to adjust successfully to a new phase for the Genuine Faux Farm.

2. Major Repairs and Improvements on the Farm

Yes, we started the year with the big farmhouse project (siding, doors, windows, stairs, etc) and a new roof for the Poultry Pavilion.  It was a pretty major effort all around to start the year.  

We also celebrated our first full year of renewable energy from our solar panels that were installed the prior Summer.  

First, let me say that we are BOTH relieved that we do not have to be outside tearing off siding again THIS December and January.  We are pleased with the results and we continue to make progress on the overall project that this house presents.  And, we are also pleased with the production of the solar panels.  We have successfully managed to cover the electrical use our farm takes, including the walk-in cooler and heat mats for starting plants.

1. Paying It Forward as Best We Can

The number one item on our list is that we continue to do what we can to help others.  I wanted to send a little praise Tammy's way for her recent efforts in trying to address food insecurity for the Wartburg students who remained in Waverly after the early end to the semester.  These students do not have food plans like they might during the normal semester.  Tammy cooked up a GFF turkey and a bunch of winter squash that was snapped up quickly.  And, on another date, she helped connect resources so a catered meal from the Diner in Waverly could be made available to these students.  And, yes, she was also involved in the Holiday Shoppe program in Bremer County. 

So, celebrate the coming of the new year as you see fit.  If you want to burn a 2020 calendar and say 'good riddance!' that's up to you.  But, in my mind, one of the best ways to move forward is to build on a solid foundation with good bones.  

Happy New Year to all.

Farm News - December 2020

We certainly got out of the habit of the monthly farm newsletter on the blog - but that is partly because we got into the habit of posting something nearly every day since April.  But, it is clearly time to give an update of what is going on at the Genuine Faux Farm.

Put on your hat and your gloves.  Make sure you are dressed warmly and have proper footwear.  Make sure you are clear of the tractor, keep your toes out from under the implements and don't have loose clothing dangling near the power take off.  And please, please.. when I ask you to weed the beans, don't PULL the BEANS!

What is Still Available from GFF in 2020?

It is December.  We did not plant a late Fall/Winter crop in our high tunnels this year (for a whole host of reasons), so our offerings will be simple.  Sorry - we only have pictures of lettuce.

We will have eggs.  We will have broiler chickens (frozen).  And we still have garlic.  There may be a smattering of golden beets and an odd item or two.  The key here are the eggs.  Our current laying flock is consistently providing 5 to 5 1/2 dozen eggs each day.  They may slow a little in the colder weather, but they will produce -which means they need to get moved - hence our motivation to make sales!

We are also hoping to pull out our inventory of cookbooks, bags and maybe t-shirts?  We have to find them first.  Then we would like to offer them so they get used!  Maybe making interesting and useful Christmas gifts?

Our anticipated deliveries for December are as follows:

• Dec 9 (Wed) - Waverly and Cedar Falls
• Dec 22 (Tues) - Waverly and Cedar Falls

Farm Retreat / Foresight 2021

We keep pushing the farm retreat back as our other duties continue to eat up available time and energy.  But, that has not stopped us from doing some research and having good conversations between the two of us.  Again, nothing is finalized, but we want to keep people informed of where the wind appears to be blowing - if only so you can give us feedback if you wish.

Goals for 2021

1. Simplify our production and sales plans to account for many fewer labor hours.
2. Increase the percentage of 'enterprises' on our farm that are successful by identifying those we are best at, those we like the most and limiting ourselves to a subset of ONLY those enterprises.
3. Recommit the Genuine Faux Farm to a set of core values and do our best to make sure our farm enterprises reflect those values.

Core Values

Diversity and Environmental Health

It seems a bit odd that we want to recommit to diversity by simplifying our crops and we are not saying that we did not like the diversity we worked hard to maintain in prior years.  What we are saying is that there are many ways to achieve healthy diversity on the farm and we just need to pursue it differently because life at the Genuine Faux Farm is changing, like it or not.

Connect People to Nature and Where Food Comes From

Once again, there are many other ways to make this connection other than direct sales via a CSA or farmers' markets or farm credits.  We are still committed to this principle, we are just likely to change how we are going to go about it.

Address Food Insecurity

While we have done what we could for this in the past, we may actually have an opportunity to do more here than we have in the past.  The consistent paycheck that comes from Rob's employment actually gives us the flexibility to rely less on farm sales - we may be more able than ever to pass product on at low (or no) sales prices to address local food insecurity issues.

Maintain a Healthy Balance

We have really made adjustments over the past two years to find a balance between hard work, service to others, and our own health and well-being.  So, when a call comes that help is needed - we are among those who are ready to answer that call.  But, also - we want to live lives that are open to awe and willing to express gratitude.

Veggies 2021

Valhalla and Eden - the High Tunnels

The high tunnels are the most valuable growing ground we have and we intend to use them in 2021.  The question, of course, is how?

If 2021 is anything like 2020, we expect that the two of us will do 95% of the work on the farm.  And, yes, we both expect to be employed by someone other than our farm (Wartburg for Tammy and PAN for Rob) in 2021.  We are pretty certain we can manage a fairly complex and interesting (to us) growing plan for two high tunnels and their surroundings.  On the other hand, the other 5 acres of growing area we have?  That has to stay simple or we will fail.

We are considering using one of our high tunnels to grow out some pepper seeds for Seed Savers.  The plus side there is that we only harvest when the fruit are ripe for seed production and otherwise concentrate on growing them out healthy while looking for any off-types that we should remove.  Otherwise, we will maintain variety in the high tunnels - in part because we want to feed ourselves (of course), in part because we think it is the healthiest way to raise produce in a high tunnel.

What will we grow?  Well, that depends on... everything.  Including how we intend on disposing of the produce.  But, it is a sure bet that we will have lettuce, spinach, green beans and tomatoes in some volume.

Fields in 2021

Well, we do have about 1800 garlic planted and we have our asparagus patches (including a new one started this year).  So, we have to maintain those.  Otherwise, the most likely field crops for 2021 are green beans for seed to sell to Seed Savers and... well, we're not sure.

The most likely candidates include winter squash, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and potatoes.  We may grow out some cucumbers or melons for seed crops (Seed Savers again).

And, of course, there will be intercropped flowers and herbs.  As you know, we do that to support pollinators and other beneficial critters.

And, where will it go?

This is the hardest part for us.  But, we are fairly certain that we are moving completely away from the weekly individual sales models.  There simply are not enough hours in the day for us to do our jobs, grow the produce, care for the animals AND handle sales promotion, tracking, packing and delivery.  It is hard to admit that we have limits and even harder to step away from something we have done since 2004 in some fashion or another.

At present our plan for disposition of the veggie crops are as follows:

• certain crops for seed production
• key crops for bulk sales
• donation of crops to the food bank
• trade for volunteer labor with willing individuals
• minimum order amounts of key crops to individuals who wish to can/freeze - for example 20-30 lbs of tomatoes.

Poultry 2021

We liked how our 2020 poultry plan worked out for the most part.  Yes, there were issues at times - but that will be true for every year and every plan.  Our plan for 2021?  Do that again, with minor modifications... depending...

What does that mean?  

Laying Flock

Well, we have a laying flock that we are actually really enjoying.  This has got to be the nicest tempered and easiest to deal with flock of hens we have EVER had.  And, they are producing pretty well.  At the very least we will see them through to next Fall.  At the most, we will order a similar number of chicks to be delivered in the Spring (assuming the postal service still delivers).

Broiler Chickens

Time to be brutally honest here.  If we rely only on sales direct to the consumer, we drop the broiler chickens except for a small batch for our own use.  Why?  Well, of the 450-500 birds we processed this year, 350-400 will go to one place - Jorgensen Plaza.  So, as long as Jorgensen Plaza can weather the pandemic and continue with their orders in 2021, we can consider raising broilers.  If not them, some other larger contract would be necessary for us to continue.

If we get the larger contract, then we're also willing to have additional birds available for direct to consumer sales.  If we don't, maybe it is time to move on.

Turkeys

We like our turkeys - most of the time.  If there is an order of preference, it would be hens, turkeys and then broilers.  But, again, turkeys are a sizable investment on our part that can really be troublesome if we can't get them sold.  Of the seventy turkeys raised in 2020, forty-five were sold to two purchasers.

Once again, if we can secure those two larger sales, it makes sense to do what we did this past year.  If not?  Well, we'll see.  But, I could see us just running a 25 turkey flock and going from there if that's what must be done.  It would be easier in some ways, but probably inefficient given the scale of what we do.

Modifications to the Process

Let's assume we will raise poultry as we did this past season.  If that is the case, there will be some projects to improve our efficiency.  First, we will look to build or acquire a trailer that will make transport of our poultry to the processor easier on us.  Hopefully resulting in fewer trips and less lifting of heavy cages (100+ lbs) up to shoulder level.  We don't mind exercise, but we do mind potential injury.  We are also looking at a permanent fence for the turkey pasture, a water trailer and a back up feed bin.  Frankly, if we get one of those, it had better be that transportation trailer with the fence running a close second.

And, where will the poultry go?

Again, this is all in the planning phases.  If you read the above, you know that the larger purchases we have had in place for the past couple of years are critical.  We are likely to make individual sales of broilers or turkeys because we can limit the number of sale and delivery points for each of those to keep the labor in that area down.

It's the eggs we're trying to get a handle on.  One option on the table is to continue with direct sales on an every other week basis as we typically do in the winter months.  Another option is to get the egg handler's license and sell most of our eggs at one time to one location.  The latter is made difficult because the state has really put a hold on that process because of the pandemic.  Either way, the reality is that we must keep the labor requirement for sales low if we are to be successful.

And - Everything Else?

If you have read our blogs and/or if you have paid any attention to the Genuine Faux Farm over the years, you know we set high goals for ourselves.  And - there is always too much - or so it seems.  Even so, we seem to be able report a fair amount of progress every single season.  That is great.  

But, we recognize that we need to address the high rate of failure that comes with a hyper-diverse operation such as ours.  Our spirits have worn down a bit and we need to manage failure differently than we once did - at least for a little while.

Our plan to handle this is to simplify the farming operation (which is in progress based on what we show above) and to address some long term projects that need to move forward to help us address our new method of failure management. 

And that, as they say, is something for another day -and another blog!

Be well everyone!

Standing in the Rain

As small-scale vegetable and poultry farmers dedicated to local sales, we have become experts at numerous things.  We're very good about doing lots of laundry.  We can tell if there is an invader in the chicken yard from the other side of the farm.  We know when the broccoli heads are at peak harvest quality.  

And we have been very good at standing in the rain.

People who have outdoor jobs, such as farming, can probably relate to the "Five Stages of Being Wet" that we introduced for the first time in the early years of the blog.  Sometimes, you get wet because you don't have a choice.  The job (whatever it is) can't be brought to a halt just yet, so - there you are.  At other times, the job can't continue once things get too wet, so you keep pushing until it reaches that point.

I can recall numerous times that we were pushing to get a 'few more things' planted just prior to a rain.  We would keep an eye on the skies so we would know if we needed to be ready to pack it all in.  But, there was a huge difference between a rain that caused us to rush and gather all the equipment and go versus those light or steady rains that we would just tolerate as we continued with our task.

There were even more times that we pushed to harvest despite the rain, even when it was quite heavy.  You see, if you have two to three deliveries a week, you can't just 'not harvest' when the weather is less than ideal.  Of course we plan our harvests so we pick things that won't be adversely affected because we are working with them in the wet.  "One and done" crops like lettuce or cauliflower are often good choices, but I never did like harvesting wet root crops.  There are only so many times you want to say to yourself, "I know there must be a carrot in the middle of all that mud I just pulled up."
 

So, I told you those stories so I can tell you about our tolerance for standing in the rain.  

I can recall numerous farmers' markets where we dealt with downpours, strong winds, and continuous rains.  There were even multiple events where it was cold (35 degrees) and the rain was falling sideways in a stiff, northwest wind.  I remember multiple CSA distributions in rainy conditions.  One season, we had nine consecutive Thursdays (typically our Cedar Falls distribution) where it rained during the entirety of each of our two and a half hour delivery periods.

It was not uncommon for us to stand outside the shelter area so our customers could stay dry and we very rarely packed up early, simply because we knew there were some folks who had to come later.  And, if there were still people on our delivery list that had not arrived to pick up their share, we stayed until 'closing time' because that's just what you do. 

I have realized that I have become less willing to stand in the rain than I once was.  Or, more accurately, the reasons I accept as being good enough to stay out in the rain have changed.

I will stand in the rain, the cold and the wind - for hours if I must - for someone who needs me to do so.  I will work in the pouring rain if the task really must be done - I will not forsake it just because I don't want to be cold and wet.  There will still be times that I will stay in the field, work in the pasture or remain on the tractor when conditions are not optimal.  After all, that is part of what I bargained for when I decided to be a grower and raise poultry.

On the other hand, I will no longer stand in the rain for the sake of potential business.  I won't get soaked for the possibility of another $x in sales.  But, I will stand in the rain for you.

I realize this is a fine distinction.  Perhaps I can make it clear this way?  If someone specifically needs me to stand in the rain to get them food that they need - I'll do it.  If someone else's tent blows over and their product is exposed to the elements, I will be among those who will rush over and help them get things under cover - even if I get soaked doing it.  If I'm in one of our fields and I know another ten minutes will finish the task, I can handle getting cold and wet.  If someone has a flat by the side of the road, I'll help them change to a spare even if (and maybe especially if) conditions are poor.  And, if my spirit wills it, I will stand in the rain because I want to.

I just don't see the need to stand in the rain because some unwritten rules says I am supposed to.

This has been a gradual revelation to us over the past several years.  Our farm share customers have probably noticed that we have been trying to move to locations that provide us with more (rather than less) shelter, preferably with indoor options when the weather gets difficult.  (Of course, the pandemic kind of set that idea back quite a bit - oh well.) They have also probably noted that our delivery times have gotten more compact, while still maintaining some flexibility.

Perhaps it is because we now place a higher value on our own comfort than we once did?  Or more accurately, we consider our own discomfort to be enough of an 'expense' to cause us to look for alternatives. 

It is actually even more complex than that.  Over time, we have come to realize that our willingness to be soaked rarely paid off.  At farmers' market, rain usually signaled the end of customers coming to purchase, even if it cleared up well before closing time.  And, with CSA distributions, we had the same number of shares to deliver whether we were soaked or not.  Wouldn't you rather make deliveries without being soaked?  With a rare exception or two - we would prefer to stay on the drier side.  

After all, if we get damp on the farm, we just go into the farm house and change into dry clothes (and maybe, ironically, take a shower).  Get caught in the rain 45 minutes from home?  Welcome to exploring the world of being damp for at least 45 minutes.  Did we tell you about the time the farmers' market in Waterloo experienced a downpour, complete with wind knocking over tables and tents?  It rained and blew so hard that some of our produce washed away and went down the storm sewer that was hundreds of feet away.   After the clean-up, we squelched into the nearby box store, bought clothing and went into their restroom to change.  Yep, we started taking a change of clothing with us to any market or delivery that looked like it might rain from then on and we started backing away from farmers markets the next season.

So, here's to the next time we get caught in the rain and we have a choice of whether we want to get to shelter or if we want to feel the cool drops landing on our shoulders.

A Return to Fundamentals?

I took a quick look at some of our oldest (digital) farm pictures and found some that were taken by Sally Worley at our first Practical Farmers of Iowa field day in 2008.  

It is always interesting to see what others choose to photograph when they come to our farm.  For some reason, people often select a few things that make the farmer cringe.  As a 'for instance,'  for some video event a person zoomed in on a weak, bolted lettuce in an area we had let go.  I mean - C'mon!  We work really hard to grow things well and we also typically work pretty hard to clean things up when we know others are coming.  Why would you go to that section, over there, that we opted to let be because it was out of the way and not necessary for farm operations?

One example is above. It's an area we didn't get to weeding and finally succumbed to mowing it down before people arrived the next day.  Perhaps it didn't look bad to others.  But, darn it!  That was supposed to be our little secret!  

But, that's exactly why I actually value these pictures.

You see, when we select pictures for blog posts or to review prior years, we don't always look at a photo such as this one.  But, the reality is that we should look at this one and others like it so we can ground ourselves in the truth of what was, not the truth of what lives inside our heads.

Remembering What Worked

My thought process went something like this - "Oh!  Look at those great zinnias!  And the clean melons right next to them.  I remember the variety on the end didn't do well, but the rest were fine.  We need to get back to the fundamentals of diverse growing using solid intercropping methods."

Well - ya.  But, then I realized that we always have used intercropping methods - with varying levels of success - and we are committed to continuing to refine how we do it.  It just seemed like those zinnias are brighter than the zinnias we have had recently.  But, perhaps they have just gotten brighter in my memory?  I mean, they look pretty good in that picture don't they?

But, they also look good in this picture from 2016.  And, we had a nice long hedge of them this year as well.  They weren't as big - but we had to plant them later (wet fields).  But, they were dense enough that it was nearly impossible to walk through them if you wanted.  They did a nice job of hemming the winter squash in so they wouldn't creep into the next planting area.  In fact, only a few vines even managed to get through.

So, yes.  We will return to some of the fundamentals that, frankly, we never left in the first place.  Instead, we will re-dedicate ourselves to some of the things we feel are important to maintain a diverse and healthy farm.  Just as we do every year.

We're just going to do even better next year.

Unless...

The year of our first field day was also the first season we had any difficulty growing cucumbers.  What you see above were vines that should have been in full swing at the point the picture was taken.  As you can see, it was well cultivated.  We had not neglected them.  Yet, there they were, looking pretty pitiful.

It turned out everyone in the area who was growing for markets had a terrible time with cucumbers in 2008.  I need to review my notes from that year to see if we ever figured out the causes.  

Note - the plural 'causes' is not a typo.  If there is one thing I have learned over time, it is that there are always going to be stresses of some kind on a crop.  A successful grower finds ways to encourage healthy plants so they can deal with those stresses and still produce well.  After all, the perfect growing season for every crop on our farm can't happen because each of our crops has a different idea of what a perfect growing season would be.

Perhaps that is also something we should all keep in mind as we grow our gardens and we live our lives in our communities.  My perfect season may not be your perfect season.  But, if I should be lucky enough to see perfection, then I should at least be kind and aware enough to help you to stay healthy and well.

At the very least - there should be flowers.

Have a good day everyone and be well!

Identification Please

"[E]veryone tells a story about themselves inside their own head.  Always.  All the time.  That story makes you what you are.  We build ourselves out of that story."  

Bast to Chronicler in "Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss.

I distinctly remember a moment in time when I was working on my doctoral thesis that I realized that my story - the one I told myself - had just changed.  I am not sure if there was a particular driving event, but I simply understood that I was no longer an individual who wanted to achieve completion of a PhD.  Instead, I knew I was a person who had earned that PhD and it was simply a matter of dotting i's and crossing t's from that point forward.

It was also at that time that I realized that many doctoral committees are simply waiting for the student to come to this conclusion.  Once a student begins to identify as someone who belongs in the group of people who have moved on to the 'next step,' then it is time to facilitate moving to that next step.

Of course, the transition from student to academic with an earned degree wasn't instantaneous as that.  There were still days that I told myself a story of uncertainty.  Was I just an imposter trying to be something and somebody else?    But, over time, the story gained clarity and I became someone who belonged, more or less, in academia.  I say "more or less" because part of my story I told myself was that there were some traits attributed to academics that I didn't want applied to me.  So, I told myself a story of how I was 'my own kind' of academic.  I also say "more or less" because, like most people, there were plenty of moments where I still thought this all must be some sort of colossal mistake...

When we moved to the Genuine Faux Farm, I had to adjust the story I told myself.  I was an academic waiting for the opportunity that was certain to come along.  In the meantime, I adjusted my story to begin re-inserting parts of myself that had 'gone on vacation' while I concentrated whole-heartedly to complete my education.  I also introduced new ideas and new concepts into my story.

Eventually, I became "Farmer Rob."  Once again, there was plenty of learning to do.  There were numerous occasions where I was not sure I was anything better than an imposter.  But, there came a moment when I knew that the Farmer Rob story was, in fact, who I was.  I belonged, more or less, in a community of people who worked hard to grow food for others.

Before you get the wrong idea, let me make it clear that a strong story does not mean there aren't moments of self-doubt and uncertainty.  That's simply part of my story of being human and imperfect.  This subplot is what keeps me looking to learn - keeps me questioning and pushing to do better - no matter what the rest of the plot for the story is.

Apparently, I am still building my story - the one that tells me who I am.  I've worked so hard at building Farmer Rob over the past sixteen years that it is a little disconcerting for me to consider that I might not be Farmer Rob in the future.  For the time being, at least, I am still Farmer Rob - just a different version of the same person.  We believe there is some sort of farming in our future next year and, perhaps, years to come.  It is just highly likely to be different than it has been up to this point.

You see, reinvention of the Genuine Faux Farm requires reinvention of the farmer.  I wonder what the farm and this farmer is going to be like?  I wonder if I'll have to ask to see his identification?

Mishmash of Goals

Are you the sort of person who sets a whole bunch of goals for yourself with the full knowledge that there is no way you can manage to accomplish most of them?  Perhaps we are kindred spirits then?

Frankly, I prefer to reframe this in a more positive light.  I see a whole bunch of opportunities to accomplish things and I have a pretty good idea of where I might like things to go.  But, at the same time, I am fully aware that they can't all be done 'soon.'  I tend to believe that it is better to have some idea where you want things to go and to be aware of things that need to be addressed someday than it is to be unaware and unwilling to consider what might be needed down the line.

So - today I am sharing a small batch of 'goals' I have for 2021 that may or may not come to fruition.  We'll see if either the opportunities arise or the priorities line up!

Get Durnik Out and About

Durnik (the Ford tractor shown above) joined our farm in 2010 and was an excellent tractor for us to learn some of the basics.  After a few years, it was clear that a newer tractor would fit us better and would likely be a safer alternative for the things we were trying to do.  Add to it the fact that neither of us is inclined to do much with mechanics and it just made sense to get a newer machine.

Don't get me wrong here.  If you aren't particularly good with mechanical things, the simpler engines and equipment from the period this tractor came from are much easier to learn on and work with.  On the other hand, if you do not particularly LIKE to do these sorts of things, you DO have to do that sort of work more with an older machine.

In any event, once Rosie joined us on the farm, Durnik did not get used all that much.  Part of the issue is that we do not have a great place to keep both pieces of equipment sheltered and easy to access.  So, an odd little goal I have for 2021 is to get Durnik back out and running.  Then, we need to decide if Durnik sticks around the farm or if we find him a new home.

More Painting

We have a number of things that could use some paint.  I actually like to paint, but it requires chunks of time with the weather being right for painting.  That is normally prime farm work time - so it is difficult to take the time to put a coat of paint on something and enjoy doing it.  And, let's be honest, if I've been outside working hard day after day on the farm, I might rather do something that is a bit more different than ... painting on the farm.  

Even so, I have this goal that I want to paint more on the farm in the next year.  It sounds good right now.  But, I also know that the conditions won't be good for painting over the next few days - so it is easy to say it.  What happens when conditions are good for painting again.  Will I still think it is a good idea then?

More Zinnias

This one is a goal we know we can do.  Hey.  We had a four hundred foot row of zinnias this year.  We can do zinnias.

Sometimes, you have to set a goal you can have a really good chance of meeting.

Grow a Burgess or Marina Winter Squash in 2021

Here is a "shoot for the moon" goal for our farm.  We used to LOVE our Marina di Chioggia and Burgess Buttercup squash.  But, as we scaled up, we found they were largely incompatible with everything else we were trying to do.  

For 2021, I am not looking to grow these squash commercially.  I simply want to grow a dozen or so plants and harvest a couple dozen squash of one of these two types.  Perhaps, as we scale some things down, we can grow these varieties successfully again.  Or, maybe, our definition of success for the larger scale just didn't allow for the kind of success that is possible with these types on our farm?

It's hard to know - but that's why we make goals.  The results are not foregone conclusions.  

It will be interesting to see how they turn out in 2021.

More Foresight 2021

A week or so ago, we put a pair of postings that discussed the possibilities for the Genuine Faux Farm in 2021.  We have yet to be able to set aside time for a 'mini' farm retreat, so we don't have any huge revelations.  But, we can share some progress in the ongoing discussion.

For those who wish the background - here is our Poultry Prognostication post and our Predicted Production post.

The Individual Connection Quandary

We have maintained a connection with people via direct sales either at farmers' markets, through our CSA or via the farm credits program since 2004.  There are many people we have met and with whom we feel a connection to because of these direct sale methods.  Yet, one of the options we are considering is moving away from direct to consumer sales entirely.

The 'why' of it is not so hard for anyone to figure out.  The entire process of direct, individual sales of any sort requires a fair amount of effort and time.  Sure, you can create tools and processes to make it easier.  But, these tools will never remove all of the requirements, nor should they, because part of what makes direct sales what they are is the personal touch.  Get rid of the personal connection by overusing tools and you might as well save the energy and not do it at all!

So, here we are, trying to balance the new realities of time and energy that come with our new situations at the Genuine Faux Farm.  When you add in the reality that we are likely to continue to need to be applying pandemic strategies for several months into 2021, it opens up a whole host of considerations.  We're already more isolated than we were in the past.  We have already been cutting back our contact hours with customers over the past several years.  How do we balance a need for social contact with a need for balancing available resources?

Nothing is set in stone and nothing is decided - so if this worries you, please do not let it.  If you have input, however, we're always happy to receive that gift.

What to Grow?

We do not see 2021 changing the number of labor hours we will have available on the farm.  At the very least, we have learned what that means in 2020 so we are better prepared to plan for success in 2021.  With that in mind, one thing is very clear - we have to continue to simplify and adjust our scale to fit the available labor hours we anticipate that we will have.

After being stymied initially on this question - we started asking ourselves a series of questions that are helping:

• What do we enjoy growing the most?
• What do we enjoy eating the most?
• What grows particularly well on our farm with our established tools and methods?
• What will fit our limited labor resources the best?
  
• What could we find outlets for?
• What growing tasks have caused the most stress over the past several years?

For example, I (Rob) have personally enjoyed growing peppers, broccoli and melons.  I love eating green beans, snow peas and spinach.  Our farm has seen excellent success with cucumbers, garlic and onions.

If that were our only candidates to grow (and they are not), we then ask ourselves the next three questions.

Last year we took the opposite approach by identifying crops we didn't enjoy growing, the ones we typically didn't eat and those that did poorly with our farm and systems.  We pruned them from our growing list (in most cases).  In itself, that feels a bit more negative in approach.  Identify failures and things you don't like and remove them.

This time, we're turning it around and asking what we might like to do.  At the least it FEELS more positive.  So, we'll go with it!

Feedback Appreciated

Do you have feedback or ideas?  Feel free to share them with us - especially if you know who we are and what we do and how we do it (at some level).

Foresight 2021 - Predicted Production

We promised that we would outline some of our considerations at the Genuine Faux Farm for 2021 - so here we are, in the midst of it.  It does seem a bit odd because we have not really reported back on 2020 thus far.  But, we can be forgiven if we want to look forward instead of back at the moment, I think.

What do we want to grow at Genuine Faux Farm?

Let's just start by saying that we both still want to grow something at the farm.  Let's also include a statement that we're disappointed in 2020's production in a large part because we just could not come up with enough time and energy to do well with our crops after we split the resources we had on our jobs, marketing, poultry, personal health, farm upkeep and repair, and veggie crops.

But, that's not the question on our plate right now.  The question is what we WANT to grow.

Part of me says I want to grow a little bit of lots of things.  Part of me says I want to pick an even smaller set than we did for this year and specialize a bit more.  Once again, there are more questions than answers at this point in time.

One of the things I have done is look at some of the harvest pictures from prior years and see how I respond to those pictures.  I am surprised by how well I can 'transport' myself back to that moment in time and remember how I felt about that particular crop.  For example, we both have always loved having a hayrack covered with pumpkins and winter squash.  On the other hand, it has always been stressful trying to find shelter for all of them when cold weather moves in.  I can still very clearly recall hauling a few hundred winter squash down the stairs to our basement.  With a walk-in cooler/warmer and new stairs to the basement, it is probable that such an event would be much less traumatic in the future - but still.

I have always enjoyed growing peppers and we love eating our green beans.  So, neither of those is too hard to see growing more of those to share with others in some fashion.  We know that we have a good farm and a decent system for excellent broccoli and cucumber production.  Tomatoes love our high tunnels and we can be quite good with lettuce if we give it the time and effort.  Our onions are typically very good sized on our farm, with a good taste and garlic has been reliable in all but one season.  And - there will always be flowers among the veggies.

In the end - we're still not sure exactly WHAT we want to grow.  Just... something.

What are we able to grow at Genuine Faux Farm?

Here's where the question gets practical.

If we don't have any help beyond ourselves on the farm, then we are going to have some real limitations.  If the two of us can't find a balance between our jobs, the poultry, growing things on the farm and the rest of our lives, then should we even try?  If we can't continue to make progress on controlling water during wet seasons, then there are other limitations.  If there isn't a place for the production to go, then we have to ask what the point would be in making the extra effort to raise produce beyond what we will eat.

This is probably the root of all of the questions we are asking right now.

At present, we are assuming that we will both continue with our off-farm jobs, we will remain on the farm and we will only have periodic (and likely very rare) help on the farm.

With that in mind, a first blush looks like this:

• we will focus on growing in our two high tunnels (Valhalla and Eden)
• we will increase the diversity inside the high tunnels so we can cover all of the veggies we want to grow at some level
• we will continue to use our southwest plot as it drains the best for outdoor crops
• we will take the fields south of Valhalla out of production and into 'rehab' to bring up the soil health
• we may grow a couple of 'specialized' crops in the east fields if we find the right opportunity
• we will maintain our perennial veggie and fruit crops (apples, asparagus, grapes, etc)
• we will put in cover crops for unused areas and leave our options open for some or all of our tillable space.
  

How much will we grow at Genuine Faux Farm?

I CAN tell you that Tammy and I love our fresh produce and we will be growing enough of our favorites to feed our family regardless of what we decide. The question is how much of what will we grow and what might we make available to others.  

Just like the poultry - we are willing to consider everything from growing only what we will eat to something more than that.  Some of that answer hinges on the next question.

What will we do with what we grow in 2021?

Let's start by saying what we will NOT do.

• we will not return to farmers' markets
• we will not return to our old CSA model

The time for both of those things, our farm, and ourselves as farmers - is past.  The effort to do either of these things as we used to no longer fits our lives.   

Options we could take?

• refine the farm credit model from 2020
• donate to the food bank
• sell to larger 'bulk' outlets
• on farm sales
• larger amount sales to individuals
• grow crops for seed
• specialize growing for a multi-farm CSA we don't manage
• only grow what we need - no product shipped off farm

In other words, the options have a very wide range of possibilities. Fairly new to our list is the idea of growing crops out for certified organic seed production.  Also fairly new to us is the idea that we could be audacious and donate everything to the food bank - beyond what we keep for our own consumption.

Once again, if you have thoughts, input or wishes - this is a great time to let us know!