Feeding the Dancing Bear

Over the years, I have had people comment that they would like to see more pictures of the farmers and workers on the blog or in social media. Pictures of pretty tomatoes, weeded rows of veggies, hens, cats and clouds are nice - but they don't have the same appeal apparently.

I actually understand where this is coming from, it can be a bit easier to feel a sense of connection if you can actually have visible evidence of the people from whom you are considering purchasing some food.  I also understand that many people would rather see one or two pictures than five hundred words - no matter how personal those words might be.

But, what do you do when you have a couple of people who are not inclined to pose for pictures or take "selfies?"  What the farmers are not inclined to stop work to take pictures?  Or, when the farmers finally think about taking pictures late in the day, they're tired and just need some food and rest.  Besides, I tend to find a picture of zinnias or frogs or butterflies to be more appealing - but I know not everyone sees it the same way. 

Well, the answer on our farm was often to host some sort of work day or host a gathering and ask someone else to take pictures.  When that happened, a few pictures of the farmers popped up now and again! 

But, that is not really the point I was hoping to make.  

Local food producers must also be dancing bears

It seems to me that expectations for farms that hope to sell locally are a bit out of whack.  It is almost as if we need to be performers more than we need to have quality product.  Being friendly and approachable is good (and necessary), but it often felt like we had to be the equivalent of a friendly, approachable, non-threatening, dancing bear - who just happens to grow some pretty incredible veggies.

Yes, I understand the realities of business.  If you have a product and you want to sell it, you must have salesmanship.  That's fair and expected.  Though I suspect many veteran growers would like their experience and solid reputation to speak for them a bit so they can have a little room to breathe!

Now, before some of you get too upset - let me acknowledge that there are wonderful folks who DO support certain farms and farmers consistently and faithfully.  We see you.  We recognize you.  And, we thank you.  And this is NOT about you.  It's more about the fact that there are so FEW of you.

But who do the bears dance for?

Over the years, I have noticed there are a subset of people who act as if they should be given an award for supporting a local foods.  "Look at me!  I went to the farmers' market and I bought $10 worth of produce!  Woo hoo!  Now I can tell everyone I support local food and rest on my laurels for... oh... a few years.  Then, I'll go back again... if they have some live music... and special sales.... and a food truck.  Because I think local food is important."  

The year prior to the pandemic, I had an "ardent local foods" supporter tell me that they were surprised that they did not see us at the farmers' market on some random Saturday.  In the past, I have been polite and conciliatory (remember - friendly dancing bear!).  This time, I was polite, firm and I did not brush it off.

I informed them that we had not been selling at farmers' market for the past five (or so) years, pursuing other, hopefully more fruitful, approaches to selling our product.

Did you really expect any farmer to consistently attend every Saturday, in all sorts of weather, year after year... waiting just for that moment when you tell yourself you might like a fresh tomato from a local farm...in May... when it is way too early in Iowa?  

Eventually, the bear stops dancing if there aren't enough people in the audience to applaud and toss it treats. 

My apologies if you were the person I talked to that day and I characterized you with this broad brush.  Perhaps you support local foods via a CSA or U-Pick or On-Farm sales - all things I could not know.  But, I suspect you would be the exception (good for you!) and I bet the person I am referencing will not read this and is looking forward to their next appearance at farmers' market in two years time - looking for spinach in August because they saw a neat recipe on some cooking show that told them farm fresh spinach is the best.

Evidence is mounting, the audience is growing thin again

So, what got me started on this rant?  Well, it has nothing to do with our farm specifically.  Instead, I am aware of several other small farms that sell locally throughout the Midwest.  Many of them are very engaging with their social media posts.  They hold events at their farms.  They reach out and interact in all sorts of creative ways.  Good, hard-working people.  Many of whom are far more outgoing and willing to photograph themselves than I ever was or will be!  They also don't write blogs that periodically chastise local food supporters! (oops)

They get plenty of reactions and "likes" on social media.  Lots of positive strokes from people who buy $10 of produce from them every three years so they can bask in the glow of doing something good.  But, I am sure these "local foods supporters" also tell themselves how much good they are doing for local foods by liking and sharing social media posts.

Folks -  your local farmers are often doing things to show their personal side - and you reward them with the most impersonal and the least useful support you can give - because hitting a "like" button is incredibly easy - and means so very little in the end.  What means more are personal recommendations for a product and your own patronage.

Do you really want to make your support worthwhile and personal?

• When a local business you support offers something do more than "like" their post.  Share it!  Link a friend to the post and publicly state "Hey *person I know*!  This is where I got those great tomatoes I told you about. It's easy to get them yourself - here's how you do it!"
• Every so often, give a specific piece of praise to your local grower.  Give it to them face to face, on the phone, text, email or social media.  "Hey *local business person we appreciate*!  I really like how clean your produce is, you must put a great deal of effort into that.  Thank you!"
• Honor them with kind and useful feedback - especially when it is requested.  "I liked it when you had lettuce nearly every week in the CSA, but I might like it better if you had two heads of lettuce every other week or every three weeks.  But, by all means, keep getting us that great lettuce!"
• Consistently support them with your own purchases for as long as the product fits your needs.  But, if life changes and you must move on - be forthright and honest.  Do your level best to promote that business to someone you know who is at a stage in their life where the product does fit so your loss for the local business is balanced by a new customer who could replace your support as you move on to a new phase of your life.
• Be persistent and consistent in your support.   
• Be honest with yourself.  How much do you actually purchase from local sources?  Could you do better?  Is it the right thing for you to be doing or is there something better you can expend your energy on?  In the end - do something good!
  
• Let the dancing bear have its human moments and extend grace when it is needed.  

Thank you so much for reading our blog.  I suspect, if you read this, that you probably already do some fine things to support local businesses of all sorts.  But, we can all do better in all sorts of things in all sorts of ways - myself included.

Let's all do what we can to take care of each other.  See - we even shared a farmer selfie with you all!  who says we won't dance for you once in a while?

Most Popular

I tell myself it is perfectly normal to want to look back during the last week of a year and think about things - considering what went well and learning from things that did not.  It is also perfectly normal to want to do "countdowns" and other year-end summary writings.  I tell myself this, but I still sometimes wonder if people who read this blog like it much when I do actually do one.

Yet here I am, looking at the year's photos and finding the emotions that came with them jumping back up to the forefront.  This early photo of lettuce, beans, potatoes and peas soon after Valhalla (our bigger high tunnel) was rolled off of them.  We're still eating some of the bounty from these plants that we put up for ourselves and we hope to do so for quite a while yet.

So, I will indulge by looking at some of the things we put up for ourselves during the year.  Things that we can enjoy during some of the longest nights and shortest periods of daylight hours.

Today's task?  I thought I would share with you the most read entries in the 2021 Genuinely Faux blog according to the metrics provided by Blogspot.  

11. Matters of Competence

This list MUST go to eleven!  It's a tradition, don't you know? And, well, ok....  I wanted to include this one on the list, because I like it.  The great thing about this list is that there are four or five here that might actually have fallen into my own top ten list.  But, now that they're here, I don't have to put them in THAT list!  

Warning, the post above just might have some dirt on the potatoes.

10. What if? A Local Food Challenge

This blog led to a more refined version that was placed on Pesticide Action Network's blog in my professional capacity as Communications Associate.  So, this one got a decent amount of attention - and for good reason, I think.  This is a good "thought experiment" blog that needs to go beyond thought experiment and move towards "actual thing we consider doing."  

What do you think?

9. That Doesn't Seem Fair - Postal History Sunday

This will not be the only Postal History Sunday that makes the list.  I am still a little bemused by the attention PHS has gotten in various circles.  But, let's be clear here, it's not like any of these posts have thousands of readers or anything like that.  And, that's not the point.  The point is that people are still looking to learn something new and they are ok with having someone share something they enjoy - like postal history.

That alone, gives me hope for the future.

8. Fighting to Wake Up

This entry is an important story with an important point.  And it was painful to revisit and difficult for Tammy to read as well.  But, it is still good writing, I think.  And, it is STILL a very important point.  We must continue to properly fund and support our Emergency Medical Services - regardless of how rural or urban the space they serve might be.

7. Garden Sunshine

The funny thing about the tools that measure blog visits is... they're sort of funny.  Funny as in funny strange.  Frankly, I don't trust them terribly much because those that collect them are often not willing to be transparent about how they collect them.  And, there is no way for me to know for sure why a certain blog got attention and another did not.  

Case in point, this blog that features the Garden Sunshine bell pepper.  I've written on various heirloom veggies before, and they usually don't stand out for readership.  This entry is just as good as any of the other veggie blogs I've written, but not tons better.  I'm sure it will remain a mystery to me.  But, I'll help it out by linking it here so it will maybe get another hit or two!

6. Best Laid Plans

And here is an example of a blog that was better than I initially thought it was.  I'd like to think that a higher readership level means other people recognized that it was a pretty good entry.  This is part of what made this exercise interesting for me.  I wasn't entirely sure what I would find, but I had some preconceived notions as to which ones would be at top.  

I was right on some, wrong on others.  Ah, live and learn!

5. Burst of Energy

One thing I noticed about "readership numbers" is that they often cluster.  One strong blog often raises a few around the edges.  So, there is a cluster of blogs in late February into early March that did fairly well, it seems.  But, that's not just it.  I feel like my writing was getting pretty darned good through the first part of the year - until that ... thing... happened in late April.  But, we won't talk about that here, nope!

4. Pollinator Support in the Nooks and Crannies

This one was based off a "lightning talk" I did for the Practical Farmers of Iowa conference early in 2021.  Even I think it was a pretty good presentation and it translated very well to a blog.  It was good enough that my colleagues at PAN agreed that I should adapt it for the Honeybee Haven website that PAN maintains.  I still believe in everything I put there and I hope to live up to my own expectations to support the pollinators on our farm every year.

3. We Need to Consider the Real Value of Our Food

The only good writing is re-writing.  And this is an example of working on an item until it shines a bit.  I've written on this topic on and off for years on our blog.  Sometimes well and sometimes less well.  Some of that writing was used to put together a blog for PAN that was well received.  In fact, it was received so well, I put it on our blog too - where it apparently also garnered some attention.

It's another thing that I hope will move from good ideas in writing to reality in our world.

2. Thurn and Taxis - Postal History Sunday

C'mon!  This thing has a musical interlude AND bonus material, what more could you possibly want in a blog post?

This is one of those times when the blog received outside help with a "fifteen minutes of fame" event so to speak.  It was right about here that I was featured in a couple of interviews regarding the Postal History Sunday weekly feature on the blog.  So, there were a number of curious souls who had to take a look.

It doesn't hurt that I consider this to be an excellent PHS entry.  So, no gripes about its appearance here.

1. Business, Madness, and Social Betterment - Postal History Sunday

Perhaps it is unfair to put PHS blog posts up against the other entries because they have become the most consistently branded part of this blog over the past year and a half.  If I had continued with a Veg Variety Saturday or some such thing, would they have filled several slots?  Who knows?  I certainly don't.

It doesn't matter.  This post got the most attention according the Blogspot metrics - like them or not.  And, you know what?  This is actually a really entertaining post that has a little bit of everything.  I am pretty happy with having something of this caliber in the number one spot.

Hm... maybe those who read this blog have pretty good taste after all?

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

Thanks for reading the blog, providing positive constructive feedback and doing what you can to live an inquisitive, thoughtful life that recognizes the good things in this world.

Feedback Friday

It has been a long time since we have specifically written a blog post asking for feedback from those who read what is written here.  So I'll start with the request.

If you have a specific idea you want me to pursue or topic you want me to cover - ask a question or make a suggestion!  And we'll go from there.

Also, if there has been something specific you have enjoyed in this blog - it doesn't matter what it was or how you frame it - give us a quick response in comments if you are able to do so.  Otherwise, other communication methods are fine!  If there is something you would like to see more of... don't worry about 'less of' something - you can control that by encouraging more of what you like! 

 Why am I asking?

The selfish reason?  Well, I may be a 'quiet person' but I do still need some interaction with others.  The isolation that comes from trying to keep others safe and prevent our health care workers from being overwhelmed impacts us all in one way or another.  And, yes, I appreciate periodic validation that what I am doing is worthwhile for someone other than myself.

But, as is usually the case, those reasons aren't enough for me to actually act on them.

The rest of the reason?  We still have some difficult weeks and months ahead where we need to continue to do things differently than we wish - simply because we care for each other.  I intend to continue to offer the gift of very regular blogs through the winter months.  It is my offering to you because it is something I CAN do that just might make a small difference in the lives of some few other people (and maybe a cat or two... though they don't like it when you catch them reading).

I could use a little help with topics, questions to answer, and ideas.  So, while I very rarely push for response from people when I ask for feedback - I'd really like some now to add fuel so I can keep this fire going.

Background to help you help me

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to talk to one of Dr. Wen's classes at UNI.  As a result of that conversation, they sent questions to me that I ended up answering in the form of blogs.  Actually - it led to five of them - of which this is the first.  I enjoyed that process very much and I think some of them liked the chance to ask directly and be answered!  

I've also had people ask questions of the critters on the farm.  Someone wanted to know what the roles of the Outdoor Farm Supervisors (cats) were and it led to this post (among others).  And, the Inspector will still answer questions - as long as I skritch him.  So, ask Inspector.  Ask Soup.  Ask Bree or Hobnob.  Ask the hens!  Ask Stu the rooster.  Ask Crazy Maurice, the weeping willow (though he is a little sleepy now).  You can even try to ask the turkeys.... but they won't answer for a while.

What's Been on the Blog Recently

I try to keep some variety on the blog because not everyone likes the same thing.. including me.  And, frankly, some are harder to write than others.  And, crazily enough, what is hard to write and what is easy actually changes from week to week.  I guess I'm moody or something.

In the past two plus months (Oct - Dec) we have had the following distribution of content:

• Genuine Faux Farm related material - 20 posts
• More philosophically inclined  - 13 posts
• Nature related - 11 posts
• Postal History Sunday - 9 posts
• Animals & Maurice - 9 posts
• A bit of humor - 7 posts
• "Revived" older posts from the blog - 6 posts
• Current event related - 5 posts
• GFF Stories - 4 posts
• Various entertainment (music, books, etc) - 4 posts
• Pesticide Action Network posts - 4 posts
• Local Food - 2 posts
  
• Veggie varieties or types - 2 posts
• Organic ag - 2 posts
• Weather - 1 post (can you believe that?!?)
  

So, Let's Hear You!

Ask a question of me.  Ask a question of one of the denizens at the Genuine Faux Farm.  Tell us what one of your favorite posts have been over the past year (or from whenever!) and if you'd like more of 'that.'  If you like the Postal History Sunday series, ask a question about that.  Want hints on growing a veggie?  Curious about what Rob thinks about ag policies in the state or nation?  Have questions about the number of fingers Rob has?

Be well!

Rob

Impersonal

I have had people periodically make a comment that they would like to see more pictures of the farmers and workers on the blog.  I don't hear it all that frequently - but often enough to take note of it.

I actually understand where this is coming from, it can be a bit easier to feel a sense of connection if you can actually have visible evidence of the people with whom you are hoping to make a connection.  I also understand that many people would rather see one or two pictures than five hundred words - no matter how personal those words might be.

But, what do you do when you have a couple of people who are not inclined to pose for pictures or take "selfies?"  What if you are not inclined to stop work to take pictures?  Or more likely, you think about taking pictures early and late in the day, but your mind is on other things at all points in between?  Besides, I tend to find a picture of zinnias or frogs or butterflies to be more appealing - but I know not everyone sees it the same way. 

Well, the answer in the past was to host some sort of work day or host a gathering and ask someone else to take pictures for you.  Amazingly, a few pictures of the farmers pop up now and again! 

But, that is not really the point I was hoping to make.  

It seems to me that expectations for farms that hope to sell locally are a bit out of whack sometimes.  It is almost as if we need to be performers more than we need to have quality product.  Being friendly and approachable is good (and necessary), but it almost feels like you must be the equivalent of a friendly, approachable, non-threatening, dancing bear - who just happens to grow some pretty incredible veggies.

Yes, I understand the realities of business.  If you have a product and you want to sell it, you must have salesmanship.  That's fair and expected.  Though I suspect many veteran growers would like their experience and solid reputation to speak for them a bit so they can have a little room to breathe!

But, over the years, I have noticed there are a subset of people who act as if they should be given an award for supporting a local producer of food.  "Look at me!  I went to the farmers' market and I bought $10 worth of produce!  Woo hoo!  Now I can tell everyone I support local food and rest on my laurels for... oh... a few years.  Then, I'll go back again... if they have some live music... and special sales.... and a food truck.  Because I think local food is important."  

Just last season I had an "ardent local foods" supporter tell me that they were surprised that they did not see us at the farmers' market on some random Saturday.  In the past, I have been polite and conciliatory (remember - friendly dancing bear!).  This time, I was polite, firm and I did not brush it off.

I informed them that we had not been selling at farmers' market for the past five (or so) years, pursuing other, hopefully more fruitful, approaches to selling our product.

Did you really expect any farmer to consistently attend every Saturday, in all sorts of weather, year after year... waiting just for that moment when you tell yourself you might like a fresh tomato from a local farm...in May... when it is way too early in Iowa?  Eventually, the bear stops dancing if there is no one in the audience to applaud and toss it treats. 

My apologies if you were the person I talked to that day and I characterized you with this broad brush.  Perhaps you support local foods via a CSA or U-Pick or On-Farm sales - all things I could not know.  But, I suspect you would be the exception (good for you!) and I bet the person I am referencing will not read this and is looking forward to their next appearance at farmers' market in two years time - looking for spinach in August because they saw a neat recipe on some cooking show that told them farm fresh spinach is the best.

So, what got me started on this rant?  Well, it has nothing to do with our farm specifically.  Instead, I am aware of several other small farms that sell locally throughout the Midwest.  Many of them are very engaging with their social media posts.  They hold events at their farms.  They reach out and interact in all sorts of creative ways.  Good, hard-working people.  Many of whom are far more outgoing and willing to photograph themselves than I ever will be!  They also don't write blogs that periodically chastise local food supporters! (oops)

They get plenty of reactions and "likes" on social media.  Lots of positive strokes from people who buy $10 of produce from them every three years so they can bask in the glow of doing something good.  But, I am sure these "local foods supporters" also tell themselves how much good they are doing for local foods by liking and sharing social media posts.

Folks -  your local farmers are often doing things to show their personal side - and you reward them with the most impersonal and the least useful support you can give - because hitting a "like" button is incredibly easy - and means so very little in the end.  What means more are personal recommendations for a product and, more important, your own patronage.

Do you really want to make your support worthwhile and personal?

• When a local business you support offers something do more than "like" their post.  Link a friend to the post and publicly state "Hey *person I know*!  This is where I got those great tomatoes I told you about. It's easy to get them yourself - here they are!"
• Every so often, give a specific piece of praise to your local grower.  Give it to them face to face, on the phone, text, email or social media.  "Hey *local business person we appreciate*!  I really like how clean your produce is, you must put a great deal of effort into that.  Thank you!"
• Honor them with kind and useful feedback - especially when it is requested.  "I liked it when you had lettuce nearly every week in the CSA, but I might like it better if you had two heads of lettuce every other week or every three weeks.  But, by all means, keep getting us that great lettuce!"
• Consistently support them with your own purchases for as long as the product fits your needs.  But, if life changes and you must move on - be forthright and honest.  Do your level best to promote that business to someone you know who is at a stage in their life where the product does fit so your loss for the local business is balanced by a new customer who could replace your support as you move on to a new phase of your life.
• Be persistent and consistent in your support.   
• Be honest with yourself.  How much do you actually purchase from local sources?  Could you do better?  Is it the right thing for you to be doing or is there something better you can expend your energy on?  In the end - do something good!
  
• Let the dancing bear have its human moments and extend grace when it is needed.  

Thank you so much for reading our blog.  I suspect, if you read this, that you probably already do some fine things to support local businesses of all sorts.  But, we can all do better in all sorts of things in all sorts of ways - myself included.

Let's all do what we can to take care of each other.  See - we even shared a farmer selfie with you all!

GFF 2020 Crops Revealed (First Draft)

The surveys are in and we have had additional time to research other outlets for product and lay out or initial farm plans for 2020.  There is still much more for us to figure out and plenty to share as we set up our 2020 growing season.  This post will focus on two things.

We Will Grow Food For You in 2020
We intend to raise veggies, poultry and some flowers in 2020.  Our products will be made available to you using pre-purchased credits.  Consider it a flexible CSA share that easily works around your travel schedule and allows you to spend your money on any of our products in whatever volume suits you.  We will flesh this out in future posts.

We can't quit - when would we get photo-ops like this one?

Our First Draft of Our 2020 Grow List
We have our first draft of the crops we intend to grow in 2020 and here they are!

Tier One - Yes, we're growing these!
When we put our survey out, we had already selected crops that we felt would be a sound basis for the 2020 season.  We selected these for several reasons.  In general, these are crops that typically either grow very well on our farm, are easy for us to sell and/or are crops we really enjoy raising.  In other words, if our situation forced us to grow only these vegetables, we think we could do fine.

********************IN**********************
asparagus, green beans, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, garlic, lettuce, onion, bell pepper, sweet pepper, curly kale, tomato, snack tomato, cherry tomato, butternut squash, tan acorn squash, zucchini, potato (red and blue flesh)

Also, not on the list, but going to happen at some level in 2020 - poultry (eggs and meat).  And, we do have various fruit (mulberry, black raspberry, raspberry, wild plum, apple) that depend entirely on the year and our inclination to harvest and offer.  These are perennial plants already on the farm, so they are harvested as opportunity allows.
********************IN**********************


We can talk about these more in a later post, but suffice it to say, this list has not changed, though the amounts of each are yet to be determined.  We do intend to grow a sizable amount of onions, lettuce, squash and tomatoes.  There will be varying amounts of the others.  Our broccoli and cauliflower, while they grow very well for us, will be cut down to about 40% of last year's plans to line up with the demand levels we are experiencing.  But, it seems wrong to give up on a crop that likes our farm and soil as much as they do.

Tier Two - We'll grow some of these.
Before I go too far here, we would like to remind all of you, but especially those of you who participated in the survey, that this is NOT a democracy.  It was a chance for you to convince us to change our minds and some of your voting did, in fact, influence us.  But, even if there was relatively strong voting for a particular crop, we may not have found it to be convincing enough to keep it on the grow list.  We are, of course, sorry if you are unhappy with these choices.  I suppose I could tell you we are growing them and then just inform you there was a crop failure later?  No?  Ok, let's take the high road here and unveil those that made the cut and those that did not.

1. We're good at these AND people want them

********************IN**********************

• Spinach selected by 75% respondents
• Snow Pea 56%
• Cucumber 56%
• Beets 52%

Spinach and peas were in question because they can be labor intensive with the harvest.  But, we are pretty good at growing these AND people seem to select them when we have them.  By reducing some of the other crops from our grow list, we should be able to absorb the additional labor to do these well.  Snap peas were separate from snow peas and received a slightly lower vote count.  We have space in our growing plan for one - snow peas it is.

Cucumbers are a special case.  They usually grow very well for us.  The problem has been finding homes for all of the cucumbers AND keeping them picked is also labor intensive.  Frost rarely kills these plants - it's the fact that we can't keep them picked, so they terminate with fruit that has gone to seed before the frost has a chance.  We also received feedback that we might be able to have a bit more of an outlet for our cucumbers beyond CSA members, that helps it get to the grow list.

Beets?  Well, there were some who wanted gold, some who wanted striped and some who wanted red.  We'll grow some beets because they help balance out our crop rotation and they can be stored.  A crop that stores allows us to take a lower demand and spread it out over time.  They are easier to clean than many root crops as well, so it suits our needs.

2. Never Mind

********************OUT**********************

• Buttercup squash 20%
• Tatsoi .04%
• Romanesco 12%
• Lima Beans .08%
• White flesh potatoes  28%

Rob loves limas, but if we're growing them, they belong to him and only him!  Bwa ha haaaaa!  We also love our buttercup squash, but they fail nearly every season.  There isn't enough interest to fight the battle, so we'll take the frustration off of our grow list.  Tatsoi grows just fine - but if no one wants it - and we do not need it to fill a share - then it is off the list.  Romanesco can be a bit testy some years and the seed costs more than most, so we're not crying here either.

The white fleshed potatoes have not been as happy with us since Rio Grande disappeared and became unavailable.  Again, we gain something by removing an item with insufficient support to encourage us to take on the struggle.  Maybe sometime in the future they could return.


3. We'll have that because there are other reasons to grow it

********************IN********************** 

• Basil 40%
• Herbs 24%

We love having basil as a companion crop and for pollinator attraction on our farm.  We'll be planting basil and it isn't so hard to pick a few stems when people want them.  If no one asks for them, we still grow them because they smell great!

The herbs fall into the same boat and many of them are perennial plants that are already established.  We'll have them.  What we should do, it seems, is offer them to people a bit more often.  Maybe it will work better to offer them and the people who love them can get all they want through the new program.  It's a different ballgame than when we felt we had to have a bundle for every share (not knowing who really wanted them and who knew what to do with them).  

4. We want to grow a few and if there are extra, you can have some

*****IN - ish, OUT - ish***** 

• Watermelon 12%
• Pie Pumpkin 16%
• Papricka pepper 16%
• Romano Beans 20%
• Roma tomatoes 32%
• Hot peppers 16%

These are probably mostly *OUT* for all intents and purposes.  If we have space and inclination, we'll plant some.  If time is short and something has to go, these will go or we will only plant enough plants to satisfy our own needs.  Most likely to survive in that instance are the Romano beans and the Papricka peppers. 

5. Reduced Availability

*************IN (reduced availability)************ 

• Eggplant 24%
• Yellow flesh potatoes 40%
• Melon 44%
• Napa Cabbage 42%
• Summer squash 24%
• Komatsuna 16%

The Minnesota Midget melons from the high tunnel are consistently good producers and they rarely go begging for attention, but the days of growing an additional 800=1600 row feet of melons are over.  We'll grow a few of our favorite field varieties in the field and share as they are available.  Summer squash have some other demand other than individuals in the CSA, but we don't see a reason to be pushing quite so many of them at people.   Komatsuna stays because it provides an opportunity for something green when there is very little else, but we won't push its season outside of that window as we have in the past.

Eggplant are an odd case.  Those who love them want a nice batch of them on a semi-regular basis.  It's not so hard to put 30 plants in the ground to cover that demand.  We also have heard that the longer "pintung' style eggplants are favored, so we will drop the larger Italian style purple eggplant from the grow list and stick with the variety people have said they prefer.

Then, there are the Napa cabbages (Chinese cabbage/Korean cabbage, etc).  They grow fairly well for us and they store for a long time in the cooler.  When you consider there is a devoted group of people who want Napas, you have to consider keeping them in.  In fact, this might be one crop that will increase over the past year's production numbers, but they are unlikely to reach the heights of three to four years ago.

Tier Three - Chopping Block List
We presented this list as those items we were inclined to drop unless we were swayed otherwise.  Items appeared here for various reasons including the possibility that our farm is not all that good at growing them.  Another option is that we felt as if the labor demanded for the crop in question was more than we could expend unless demand were much higher.

1. Okay, okay... we'll THINK about it.. Maybe someday, but not today 

********************OUT********************** 

• Brussels sprouts 28%
• Delicata squash 24%

We weren't overwhelmed by the responses here, so we aren't growing them next season.  For our production system, Brussels are a bit of a pain.  Not only that, when we did grow them, we were left with an awful lot that did not go to homes.  We can't eat that much Brussels sprouts.  Delicatas seem like we could grow them, except they just don't produce well enough for the space they take.  If the response were higher, we would investigate a way to improve production by trialing cultivars to see which ones like us the most.  But, it wasn't.  So, we won't!

2. Done thinking... just no

***********OUT, OUT, OUT, OUT************ 

•  Bunching onions, arugula, leeks, dinosaur kale, rutabega, spaghetti squash, okra, flat-leaf kale, pok choi, radish, turnip, mustard greens, parsnip, collard, daikon

None of these even came close enough to make us consider changing our minds.  Our apologies to those who did select them.  But, here is the interesting thing - EVERY veggie listed got at LEAST one vote.  The other interesting thing?  We HAVE grown every item on this list at some point during our career.  Some, like parsnips and rutabega, have been off for a while with no complaints that we know of.  Parsnips are hard to grow on our farm and rutabegas were hard to find homes for.  Each of the other items have been grown as recently as 2018/2019.  Some, like the radish and arugula, take more labor than we can afford to spend on them for the limited reward they might bring.  Others, like pok choi, bunching onions, flat-leaf kale, turnips and mustard greens, are useful for making sure we can provide CSA shares with enough quality items for the entire season.  We know they are not people's absolute favorite, but they gave us all something fresh during times of the year when other items just weren't available.  Leeks take forever to clean for sale/distribution.  Okra have given a rash to other harvesters other than Rob and Rob has too much else to harvest that is more popular.  Etc. etc.

In short, they all have good reasons for being off the grow-list.  

3. They might appear by accident

*************OUT, unless they aren't************ 

• cilantro
• parsley
• rhubarb
• swiss chard
• dry bean
• watermelon radish 
• turnip

Mostly out means they're still somewhat in.

It is possible that we will grow some cilantro or parsley as companion and habitat plants and they could show up as an offered 'herb' in the future.   We also use dry beans as a companion or to fix some nitrogen in the soil.  That will be the focus of those plants and any available dry beans will be a side effect of that.

We do have rhubarb plants, but they do not particularly love our soil.  If they recover this Spring and do well, we'll offer rhubarb.  If they die or do poorly?  Oh well.  They will then be entirely out.

We know we said "no" to turnips, but we have a BUNCH of seed.  Maybe we'll plant them out for a Fall batch.  If we do, we'll offer them.  They could be incorporated into a cover crop mix in the Fall where the main purpose is to cover the soil and prevent erosion.  The same might be said for the watermelon radish and Tammy likes to eat one or two of them in the Fall.  Once that seed is gone, we likely won't spend money for more.

We both prefer swiss chard to kale and we'll probably put a couple plants into a high tunnel for the late Fall.  If they exceed expectations, we can offer some.

4. The "Surprise!" group

***************IN - limited************** 

• Cabbage 20%
• Kohlrabi 16%

Both are not hard for us to grow.  Both store well.  Both can handle cooler weather.  Now, don't expect us to grow as much of these as we have in the past, but I expect we'll meet the anticipated demand we will have for them without an issue.

The GFF 2020 Foresight Survey

The Genuine Faux Farm 2020 Foresight Survey

We are looking for feedback from those who have purchased products from the Genuine Faux Farm or those who are considering doing so.  We are looking for feedback from those who would buy from us locally. 

Thank you for providing us with your guidance as we look for ways to navigate our farm’s future in a changing world. We have paper copies at our distribution sites, but if that does not serve you, please feel free to print this out or copy/paste to a word processor and fill it out.  You can email it to us, give it to us at a distribution or even mail it to us.

1. What is the best way to contact you with announcements about farm produce or farm news?

___ Email     ___ Text    ___ Social Media                

Other ____________________________

2. Which do you prefer when ordering productions from the Genuine Faux Farm?

___ Pre- Order      ___ First come first served   ___ pre order with some add-on

3. Which do you prefer for selecting product from the Genuine Faux Farm?

___ A la carte (choose what you want and how much)

___ Farmers' choice package (predetermined)

4. Which payment option appeals to you most?

___ Pay as you go  

___  "credits" system (pay in increments and use the credits to purchase)

5. Which payment method do you prefer?

___ Cash     ___  Check    ___ Electronic payment method

6. How often would you prefer to have available product delivery?

___  Once per week at a given location     ___  Once every other week at a given location

7. Which locations would suit you for product pick up?  (check all that apply)

___   St Andrew's Waverly     ___  Jorgensen Plaza Cedar Falls   

___  Hansen's Outlet Cedar Falls   ___  On farm Tripoli        ___ Deliver

Other _____________________________________

8. Which day(s) of the week do you prefer for delivery?  (check all that apply)

___ Mon   ___ Tue    ___ Wed   ___ Thu    ___ Fri    ___ Sat

9. How long would like a delivery session to run?  If you have a time range preference, please share that with us here.


10. Check each of the products below that interest you.

___  Plant starts for the garden

___  Cut flowers

___ Eggs

If eggs, about how many dozen per month? _____________________

___ Turkey

___ Broiler (Meat) Chicken 

If chicken, about how many per month? _____________

___ Vegetables  (see next questions for preferences)

11.  Do you have other product suggestions you would like to see from our farm?


12. Vegetable Grow List for 2020

Tier One:
The following are vegetables that we intend to grow in 2020.  You do not need to give us any feedback on these unless you wish to.

Asparagus, green bean, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, garlic, lettuce, onion, bell pepper, sweet pepper, kale (curly), tomato (slicer, snack and cherry), butternut squash, tan acorn squash, zucchini, potato (red and blue flesh)

Tier Two:
The following vegetables require feedback to help us make choices on what and how much to grow.  If you print this out, circle the veggies you want us to grow.  Put an "X" through any veggie you really don't want to see.  If you don't have an opinion about a particular crop, don't make a mark.  If you are doing an electronic copy, somehow indicate your choices in a clear fashion.

Basil     Golden Beet     Striped Beet    Red Beet   Romano Bean     Eggplant    Herbs     Melon   
Napa Cabbage    Hot Pepper     White Potato    Yellow Potato       Romanesco     Spinach    
Tatsoi     Summer Squash      Komatsuna      Watermelon     Pie Pumpkin     Snow Pea     
Snap Pea     Lima Bean     Cucumber      Buttercup Squash       Papricka Pepper      Roma Tomato

Tier Three:
The following vegetables are on the 'chopping block.'   We do not intend to grow these commercially unless we get feedback that convinces us to change our minds.  Indicate veggies on this list that you really want us to consider growing again next season.

Dry Bean     Cabbage (white)   Cabbage (red)       Chard      Daikon        Kohlrabi       Pok Choi
Radish         Turnip        Spaghetti Squash       Delicata Squash        Rutabega     
Mustard Greens     Arugula       Rhubarb         Brussels sprouts      Parsley      Cilantro       
Parsnip        Collards      Shell Peas       Kale (flat leaf)       Kale (dinosaur/lacinato type)      
Okra        Watermelon Radish         Leeks         Bunching Onions   

If you wish us to know who filled this particular survey out, please give us you name here.

Thank you! If there is someone else you think should participate in the survey, take an extra copy and a Genuine Faux Farm business card for them.

Where Did the Waves Go?

ed note: Tammy ends our month of one blog post per day.  We hope you enjoy it!

Tammy: "Where did the waves go?" 
Rob: "Don't worry, they'll be back."

We had this exchange during our last full day on Kaua'i and it made me wonder how much of a metaphor this could be for our life on the farm, work, etc.  We were watching the surfers and those who seemed to be most successful seemed to know how to be patient.  They were actively looking for the right waves and put themselves in the right position to ride that wave.  Sometimes, as they paddled back out, they would dive under a wave rather than be pummeled by the surf.

We hope one take away from this trip is that we remember how to manage the waves that come with farming and teaching, figuring out when to wait for the next wave, deciding when to dive under as the wavers break and looking for ways to ride the wave into shore. 

A Queue of A's

This is the final installment of answers to questions posed by Dr. Wen's Capstone class at the University of Northern Iowa.  I realize there were more questions posed by those who submitted reflections, but this is what I was able to get to in a reasonable amount of time.  If you are wondering why I might have limited the answers to this set, consider that I am aware that the semester for the students in this class is coming to a close and I wanted to get responses to them while they were actively involved in the class.  I hope everyone who has read this series has enjoyed it.

Early season in 2017.

This series of questions and answers will be a bit shorter and less detailed than maybe they deserve, but I didn't want to ignore them either.

Lower Organic Standards:

One thing that I would have enjoyed further discussion on in your presentation is the big companies lowering standards of organic products. What could happen as a result of this? If you do not change the quality of your product, but the term certified organic becomes looser, does that make your product a separate category or would you have to identify as certified organic even if the government takes away the meaning behind that term?

A short answer for this is that we are considering Rodale's Regenerative Organic Certification process for the future at our farm.  The focus for this certification is placed on the goals that National Organic Standards were based on, but it is not subject to some of the same pushing and pulling that the economic factor has brought to the National Standards.  We would easily be able to qualify for the National Standards if we meet the Regenerative Standards.

There is certainly much more to this answer.  To really understand what is going on, a person needs to get a feel for the structure that oversees what it means to be certified organic in the United States.  It is not necessarily a bad structure, but it does have to withstand significant pressure from larger producers that would prefer less strict standards while still enjoying higher prices a certified organic label often enjoys.  In short, the guidelines for organic certification are likely to be a battleground simply because they hold some importance.  We have to expect to have some push and pull for anything that seems to be worthwhile.

Early kale and broccoli in the 2nd high tunnel

Who is in Your CSA?
So, a question I would have is are there several young members in your programs or is it fairly broad?

We have had members who are students in college and members who have been retired for many years.  There have been groups of people who have shared a membership and split what they receive.  In one instance a group of four college students joined and used the produce to make shared meals.  Some people find it suits them very well and others like it well enough but move on to another option that fits their life better (like growing their own garden).



What Makes Your Product Different:

Other than taste and texture (your primary focuses), what other differences might us as consumers see in your products compared to the products in grocery stores?

Perhaps the biggest difference is that people who buy from us have the opportunity to interact with us.  I am not saying that as if we think we are super cool and people should WANT to be around us.  What I am saying is that our customers have an opportunity to actually learn about how their food is raised.  They have a chance to participate in the process AND have a say in what we do.  Do you get that at a grocery store?

Covering transplants during a cold snap

Monoculture in a high tunnel? One question I do have comes from the idea of high tunnels or the covered plots you have and that question is, with all those diverse plants you grow in these is there ever a time where you would want to plant only one crop in them? LIke if you have a bad year for say lettuce, would you consider just planting only lettuce in there and not intercropping in them?

Farming is full of choices, opportunities and temptations.  One temptation is to respond to circumstances and go all in with one crop.  This is especially true in high tunnels since there are opportunities to control the environment a bit more which could potentially increase returns.  However, our short answer to the question is "no."  We believe so much in diversity on our farm that we would not go completely with a single plant type in a high tunnel.

However, that doesn't mean we wouldn't simplify the diversity in a high tunnel if the situation arose where that was our best option.  Let's say I opted to focus on tomatoes and lettuce in the high tunnels.  I would still maintain a more diverse environment by including some flowers and by being sure to have a variety of types within those crops.  And, remember, I can actually grow multiple successions of crops in these buildings during one year, so I can add diversity over time!  Here is an example of our 2017 growing in one of our high tunnels.

Convenience:


all people care about is the convenience and how much money and time they are spending. What are ways we could make organic farming more convenient? Or what are ways we can help people prioritize environmental and safety concerns rather than convenience?

This is a fantastic question that I wish I had good answers for.  If people have ideas, please let us know!

One answer, of course, is for farms such as ours to change our models to try to make access easier for potential customers.  But, with already full work days, how do we find the time to do that?  Feel free to comment on this one.

Learning to Farm:
I am very curious in knowing how did you learn to farm? Did you have some expertise, or any sort of knowledge? Did someone teach you? You mentioned you have gotten better at what you do, but did somebody helped you getting started?

We did have some experience as gardeners, but that didn't always translate well into being professional growers.  We've learned a great deal by trial and error, reading, performing research on the farm and by identifying other farmers we could trust that we could converse with about what we do.  At the point we started this farm, there were very few organizations that were prepared to mentor people like us as we learned the ropes.  At present, there are many more groups providing support for new producers.  We have served as mentors for some of those organizations such as Practical Farmers of Iowa and MOSES. 

More Queue and A!

Starting soil must also be approved for organic operations

The series of posts answering questions from Dr. Wen's Capstone class continues with this post.  It's a rare thing to have this many posts dedicated to one thing on our blog.  But, it's hard to pass on what is a such a good thing.  So, here you go!

Organic and Taste/Quality:
I’m not sure how I feel about organic costing more just because it requires more work. Isn’t it basically the same product? What is the actual difference? Is what they are doing differently that important? I would rather pay more for something if I can tell an actual difference in the taste and quality.

This question or something similar to it actually showed up in a couple of reflections, so I apologize to the others who asked it as well that I didn't copy paste their versions of the question as well.


This question if a fair one and it deserves to be answered well.  After all, people who grow certified organic foods WANT you to believe the product is good.  I grow certified organic veggies so I also want you to believe there is good quality to be had.  But, I also want you to consider what I have to say without skepticism, so I am very careful with my claims.  I wrote a post a couple of years ago that highlighted a research meta-study that considered all of the existing research regarding organic production and food quality.  If you are really interested in what I believe is a solid answer to this question, go to that post and read it.  It's worth the time.

If you want the short version, I will give it to you here.  The meta-study, after looking at all of the results and adjusting for study design flaws, etc etc came up with these three points:
1. fruits, vegetables and grains grown using organic practices have less chemical residue
2. fruits, vegetables and grains grown using organic practices have more antioxidants - which are good for you.
3. there is so much more to learn.

Veggies from a September share

These are the FACTS that have been established by research as I see them.  It is up to you to decide if they are sufficient to make a decision based ONLY on food qualities.

Then, I'd like you to consider three more points:
1.  Local production typically has better quality. There is additional research that shows fruits and vegetables that are purchased from local producers typically have better quality.  So, if you can't get organic, perhaps you should consider local production?  Remember, I can harvest a tomato that is closer to ripe than someone who needs to ship a tomato from Mexico.  They are concerned about growing product that has shelf-life rather than a pleasing taste or texture.
2. Certified Organic products are traceable.  If you are worried about food safety (see the recent romaine lettuce issue) you should consider that a large part of organic certification is traceability.  Where the product goes and what is done to it is carefully recorded, this is a benefit for better food safety.  If you can't buy local, the certified organic provides you with an extra layer of food safety.
3. Many of the benefits for Certified Organic products have nothing to do with taste and food quality.  Many of the organic growing processes focus on damaging our environment less than other growing methods.  It's a long view of growing food that considers how we impact our water, soil and wildlife.  In the end, if certified organic produce tastes the same as other produce and if they cost the same thing or a tiny bit more, why wouldn't you select certified organic?

If you are interested in some of the specifics regarding organic certification and our farm, I encourage you to view these:

• Certified Organic at GFF (part I)
• Certified Organic at GFF (part II)

GMOs:
By genetically modifying any seed, we essentially make the plant better at some things that we want. For example, the could be more resistant to pesticides, maybe have higher yields etc. If I understand correctly, this reduces the need for using very toxic pesticides or the use of fertilizer that have massive environmental effects. Knowing a little
bit about GMOs, I still don’t have any problems with consuming any GMO. Do you think GMOs make our diets less healthy? Do you think controlling the use of GMO is a fair regulation as a part of the certification process? Do you personally care?

Another great question that is complex and difficult to answer simply.   I will try to keep it from getting too complex here, but I may get motivated to write more on it in the future. 

Grasses (and corn) are wind-pollinated, making trait migration easier.

First, I want to clarify something.  Humans have participated in genetic modification for centuries by selecting seed to propagate.  Even I participate in this when I select 'seed garlic' or when I collect seed from our zinnia flower plantings to use the next year.  If humans were to die out tomorrow and the world was able to self-select surviving plant types, very few of the cultivars we favor would make it.  The issues surround modifications that are created by genetic engineering.  Here is a fantastic overview of that process that might clarify the issue for you.

I have absolutely no problem with the absence of genetically modified seeds in certified organic processes at this time.  In fact I prefer it that way.  Why?  Well, once again, I feel that a holistic approach that includes a broader range of solutions and tools is preferable to one that relies on a single solution that lies entirely outside of the farmers' sphere of influence.  Let me give a you a quick rundown of the issues I have with GMOs right now:

1. Traits currently selected to be edited into crops promote poor farming practices.  The most widely used GMO crops introduce traits that allow a crop to tolerate and survive our most widely used herbicides.  You've probably already read that I think we have built an over-reliance on chemicals into our farming system.  This only makes it worse.
2. Trait migration can happen, and we are not certain how bad that can be.  Here is another good short article that summarizes the issue as it is know right now.  From a practical farmer standpoint, cases have been documented where traits in corn have migrated to nearby corn crops and 'infected' the seed in a non-GMO crop.  So, migration happens.  The problem is, we have a tendency to allow use of a technology before we are sure we can contain the unintended consequences of using that technology.
3. Genetic modification is usually motivated by making money rather than making things better.  If it were really the latter, we'd be much more patient with figuring out the unintended consequences.

Lettuce bolting (sending up seed stalks)

4. Our farming systems ignore natural processes so much that we are heading towards limiting our choices to produce food.  Genetic modification isn't evil by itself.  But, if we keep backing ourselves into a corner where we have no choice other than genetic modification, then I don't see a benefit.  Wealth and health come with choices, not the other way around.
5. GMOs take even more control away from the farmer.  Increased use of products like Dicamba-ready soybeans and Round-up ready corn only promotes reliance on a limited set of outside sources for farming inputs and reduces the ability of farmers to choose to be self-reliant if they want to collect and use their own seed. 


What Keeps Us Going:
You go on to say that you are awake when the chickens go to sleep and you are awake when the chickens wake up. For the things that you give up, how is it that you still like to farm? I feel like I would be so sleep deprived that I would want to take personal days all the time but you just do it everyday. What keeps you going?

Just when I think the questions can't possibly encourage me to cover more ground, I get this one.  Wow.

Truth in advertising.  We wonder about this ourselves sometimes.  This season's trials have really given us pause and we actually revealed how difficult it was to keep going in our blog.  In fact, every season has its moments.  But, we're usually philosophical about it.  After all, every job or profession has its negatives, doesn't it?  But, if you read a bit later this year in our blog, you'll find that I'm ready to rededicate myself to the coming growing year.

You might recognize that the first post linked above probably shows my state of mind at the point I presented at UNI.  I was NOT in the best place I could be with respect to the farm.  And, I assure you that if I find myself in that place all of the time, I will move on - because I can't do anyone any good if I can't see positive ways forward.

Borage is a favorite flower companion on the farm

In any event, I may not have conveyed enough of the benefits, both tangible and intangible, that I receive by working on the farm.  Let me give you insights as to some of the things that keep me going by providing some links:

• The Farmers Dream - I was just reminded of this post by someone else.  It's a great post and gives you plenty of pictures and looks into what we enjoy at our farm.
• Realm of Peace and Content - maybe a little Tolkien reference interests you? 

What keeps us going?  In the end, it's the belief that we are doing something worthwhile and we appreciate the challenge of doing it as well as we are able.  We have a purpose.  We have goals.  We have opportunities to reach for those goals.