Swirling Confusion

 

Last week, I followed a pattern I have followed for most days over the past three to four years.  Early in the day, I turned on the computer, made sure the daily blog had published as I had scheduled it, then I proceeded to share that blog on a few social media platforms.

Usually, the process is pretty quick and I don't allow myself more than a cursory examination of what is on those social media feeds during the process.  To be perfectly honest, these posts used to actually result in some readership for the blogs I wrote, but now I don't think they do.  The social media software companies have changed their algorithms over time to try to prevent people like you and me from seeing posts that encourage you to leave the social media platform - unless it's a paid advertisement.  You'll find those all over the place, of course.

Still, I go through this process most every day anyway.  And last week, I went through the process as I usually did and everything seemed fine.

Until I received a notice later in the day that led me to this:

First, let me be clear about something.  I do think social media platforms should have some moderation. The issue here is about the effectiveness of that moderation.

There are so many social media posts that it would be ridiculous, given the chaos that is the social media universe, to expect a horde of human mediators to be checking in on every post.  That might work if social media were truly segmented off into interest groups (as some of it is) that had mediators and a bit of a social contract to go along with it that most participants would naturally adhere to.  But, we don't have that.  It's a mass of swirling confusion (just as the image of Bree on a swirly blanket seems to convey).

Facebook, for example, has been relying on algorithms modified by artificial intelligence (more algorithms) for some time.  Apparently, I found some combination of key words that set them off and this post was removed.  And clearly, the post and the link to the blog, did not break any community rules.

Of course, I protested the removal of the post and the implied and direct threats of further removal/censure that came with it.  But, let me tell you, that process was unclear, generic - and generally unsatisfying.  And, as of this moment, the post has not been returned to the feeds I placed them in.  As far as I know, I'm still on some mysterious "black-list" kept by the Facebook software that encourages the algorithms to watch me more closely.

Irritating?  Yes.  Frustrating?  Yes.  Critical?  

No.

One of my pet peeves is being accused of something I did not do.  So, it is actually pretty difficult for me to let go.  If I'm going to be punished, then make sure it is for something I did.  It especially gets me going when I scroll through my own feed and find that at least a quarter of the posts probably deserved to be removed.

But, I got over it by reminding myself of how low the bar can be for what we think is acceptable work and accurate information.  Well, no... that actually made me more upset.  This does not appear to be working!

Here's a sample of what I mean.  There is an online board game playing site that I have used periodically over the past couple of years.  I took note that they include an area in player profiles that show the number of games and relative success the player has had with those games.  I had noticed something odd with the numbers and I decided to grab some of the most outrageous examples to make the point.

I don't know whose profile this is or when I looked at it.  But, I'd say we have some sort of problem either with math, or, well, something.

14 victories in 44 games and this person is said to have "won" over half of their games (half would be 22 folks, in case you didn't want to do the math yourself).  But, they actually had more wins than they played when it came to Cacao.  Um... good for them?

And then there's this.  

Social media tries to be "social" by encouraging interaction, of a sort.  In most platforms you can show the poster (and everyone else) that you "like" something with hearts or stars or thumbs up or whatever. 

I vacillate between thinking these are useless and mean nothing to feeling they might mean more than they should.  I do know that I wish we just had thumbs up or "no reaction" instead of all of the choices given to us on some platforms now.

The image I show above was attached to a post that focused on a young person's illness and the journey they were taking.  I did not see anything that might indicate there was any scam surrounding it and it was for a person only "once removed" from my acquaintance.  In other words, a few people I know were direct acquaintances with the child and their family.

I understand the message a thumbs-up or a heart might give.  It's a simple (and often empty) attempt to show support.  I'm okay with that because a little bit of positive energy is always needed during trying times.  As long as we don't fool ourselves into thinking it does much more than provide a small burst of "aw, look!  People actually sent positive thoughts my way!" - then we're fine.

But, what's with the small batch of laughing faces?

I've seen it before.  Some author shares a post that shows concern for an issue they feel strongly about and those who select the laughing face clearly disagree.  It's meant to be a mockery rather than a friendly belly-laugh because something was truly funny or mirth-inducing. 

Or maybe they just clicked on the wrong icon.  After all, there are so many social media posts you need to respond to in a day!

And now, I will set this blog to publish on Monday morning.  I'll get up and put out my obligatory social media posts letting everyone know the blog exists.  And I'll sit back and wonder if anyone other than the algorithms will take notice.

Farmers Do Halloween Differently

 Here we are in late October and Halloween is approaching.  While I am not big on celebrating this particular time of year, I can write "scary" every once in a while.  As you can see in this throwback post referencing the wet weather in 2018, my idea of writing scary may not be what most people expect.

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You shouldn't walk here became you cannot walk here.  The transition happened over a period of five days when the skies were leaden and heavy and the water that poured from it found itself trapped on the surface of our farm with nowhere else to go.

Meanwhile, many of our plants were disappointed to learn that they CANNOT walk either.  But, in their case, this was the status quo.  Walking had never been their strong suit and now that they might have really loved to have picked themselves up and moved somewhere else (perhaps anywhere else) they found what might have been a mere inconvenience was now a severe detriment to their health. 

Many of the lettuce plants succumbed to the wet conditions while several others did not.  Perhaps the survivors looked at their reflections in the water and said, "I see myself in this water and I see possibilities.  I could fail, or I could find some way to succeed.  It might not be what I envisioned for myself at the beginning, but I can find a way to live and be productive even when conditions are difficult."

We grew some pretty smart lettuce on the farm this past season.  Too bad we cut them off at their base and gave them to people to be eaten.  Aren't you glad you aren't lettuce?

Not Clued In

I wonder sometimes if I live in a universe that is different from the one everyone else lives in.  I see something that was written or shared and I think, "Wow! That's really good and is deserving of some attention.  Maybe it could make a difference if a few people saw/read/heard that."  And then, it goes nowhere.  

Instead, I see things that are sensationalized getting all of the attention.  I see people who put themselves up as icons and influencers - perfection personified - and many happily follow them, much to our collective detriment.

But, I think everyone who has ever read anything I've written will recognize this about me.  I am often drawn to complexities and things that honor them.  I like to read informational pieces that present details and links to excellent resources and that can be verified.  I prefer opinion items that are balanced and recognize a wide range of viewpoints without belittling others.  I usually listen to music that includes neat little "fills" or musical details that aren't highlighted in the "front" of the song.  I enjoy cartoons that can be interpreted more than one way - or that interpret something in a different way.

I'm just not clued in, I guess.

I'm like Mr. Aubergine, I want to learn things AND I understand that there is always more to learn.  Always curious.  And the only thing I am certain of is that I don't understand much of anything perfectly.

And I live in a world where so many other folks appear to understand EVERYTHING perfectly.  And even if they don't (and even if they know they don't) - they'll still act like they do.

I'm not clued in.

I know a lot about postal history.  But, the subject is too large and I know there is so much I do not know.

I know a fair amount about adult education (that's part of what my PhD is in).  But, I've never managed to perform a task in adult education without an error.

I even have expended significant time learning about the pesticide problem and about Earth-friendly growing methods that work with nature.  And, I still stumble over a term or concept here and there and failure on our farm occurs on a monthly, and sometimes daily, basis.

I write fairly often and reasonably well, yet I still find errors in my text after proof-reading more than once.

Yet, there are all of these personalities showing us they KNOW exactly how everything should be - how it all should go.  Trying to influence us to be that way too.

Hiding the flaws that you and I actually know are there.

Well, folks.  I am not clued into that.  

I will actually allow myself to admit that I am pretty good at some things.  I have a fair amount of knowledge in a few things.  I am decent at learning.  I am willing to take complexities head-on.  There are times when maybe it would be good if others listen to my ideas or opinions.  Our farm has actually done pretty well over the years - even if it hasn't been perfectly executed.

And I am flawed.  I can be short-sighted at times.  I don't always have the energy to follow through with things I know I need to do.  I don't express my opinion sometimes when I should and other times when I shouldn't.  

Part of what motivates me to keep learning and continue to work on being a better person is my growing awareness of what I know and what I do NOT know.  My ability to recognize when I can and should speak or act with integrity continues to be a work on progress.

I am not perfect, but I will keep working towards that goal.  I will work towards perfection knowing I will fail, because I can't even begin to imagine exactly what perfection will look like.  But, I can visualize "better than I am now."  So, that's where I intend to go.

I AM clued into that. 

Best Laid Plans

The semester is going full tilt and Tammy has a list a few miles long of things that require attention.  I also have my own list of things that must be completed before a very real deadline in mid-March.  In short, there is a little bit of stress in the household as we try to hold it all together and get it all done.  

This is all part of a normal cycle for us. Academia always has its cycles with moments of hysteria and moments of... less hysteria.  Farming also has its cycles and its moments of frantic activity.  When things feel a bit out of control, the two of us try to make an effort to plan some things out so that important things do not get missed.

The Food Plan

We have gone through phases over the year with how we go about meal planning and our most recent approach has been to talk about it at the end of each week and come up with a tentative menu for the coming week.

Why tentative, you may ask?

Well, when we tried to call it an actual meal plan that we would follow, we were always disappointed when the whole plan was scuttled on the second day of the plan - for whatever reason.  Something took longer than we expected and we needed to create a meal that was simpler than the one that was planned.  We discovered, last minute that a key ingredient was not in the house, so we had to move on to plan B or maybe plan C.  Someone (who shall remain nameless - except it was me) either took out the wrong thing to thaw or forgot to take out ANYTHING to thaw.

Things happen.  While we might have been happy with the plan when we wrote it down and discussed it, there was next to zero chance we were ever going to follow that plan to the letter.  Life just doesn't allow that to happen.

We've actually come to embrace that a bit and we come up with a list of ideas and a tentative schedule as to when it would make sense to do those things.  Many meals are "leftovers," which allows us to take advantage of meals prepared largely in advance when other options aren't going to happen.  Hey!  If you're going to cook pork chops, rice and squash for dinner, you might as well cook up extras and put them in containers for a lunch in a day or two?  Right?

The Farm Plan

If you know me and you know our farm, you likely have some idea that each year's growing season is based on a fairly complex plan that is worked up in the off-season.  What you might not know is how upsetting it was for me in the first several years that those plans never came to fruition as I envisioned them.  

Yes, we grew things and delivered things and were generally successful.  And, yes, we knew there would be events we could not control.  But, it just seemed like Plan A, Plan B and Plans C-G were all scrapped by the time we got into April.  It was enough to make me question why I spent so much time planning.

But, I continue to plan - always knowing these fantastic scripts I am writing will be filled with all sorts of participants who prefer to ad lib their lines.  

Why do I do it?  Because I have come to appreciate - even more than I did at first - that good plans prepare me to react more efficiently to all of the unexpected things that are going to happen.  It doesn't really matter if I need to take elements from Plans A through Z and throw in a few "off the cuff" things.  In the end, food was produced, sales were made, projects made forward progress, and we are still living and breathing.

Good enough.  And maybe better than good enough.

The Blog Plan

I actually started musing on this topic because I have, at various points in time, created a 'blogging plan' for myself.   Years ago, it was based on an idea that I could provide some consistent material with themes that might help us to promote our farm.  And, over time, plans came and went, themes were offered and then they faded away.  The only plan that worked over the long run was that I would continue to offer up something on the blog.

Frankly, I never was sure that it did anything specifically to help our farm sales or the farm's image.  But, I knew that it helped me to write things down and it reached some important family and friends so they could see what we were up to and some of what we were thinking.  I can live with that.

Perhaps that is not being fair to myself?  Just like the farm plan and the meal plan, the effort I expended became part of a pool of ideas into which I could dive when I was looking for something to put here.  More often than not, the preconceived blog post would not get written, but it would inspire me to write something else that was actually much better than the original!

It might seem odd that I would talk about a blogging plan.  After all, writing here pays no bills.  Those who read the blog don't NEED me to write (at least I assume you have other more important things in your lives than this blog).  This simple blog only wields a tiny bit of influence, if any.  

But now that writing is a larger part of my life (I do get paid to write for PAN now, you know) I am finding it, too, needs a bit of planning so I can be successful.  If I plan and develop a pool of options for myself, I am more able to come up with something when it is needed, even if it isn't anything I had on my original list

Just last week, I was able to put together a blog for PAN on short notice when it was needed.  Maybe I'm on to something here?

The Life Plan

So, how are you doing with the plan you made for yourself?  The one you made where you told yourself where your career would go, where you would live, how your family would take shape, and what important things you would accomplish?

Yeah.  Mine too.

Except, I find that my life plan has been very much like our food plans, our farm plans and my blog plans.  All of those plans provided me with a foundation that I could work from.  When I think a little harder I realize that there are parts and pieces from all sorts of plans for my life that have come together to make this life what it is. 

It makes me think that our plans for the future are not the important thing.  It's the act of planning for the future that IS the thing.

I plan on having a good and productive day - and I hope you are able to do that too.

The Joys of Being Different

 

When we moved to the farm in 2004, we had already lived in a couple of 'work-in-progress' houses.  While it is true that every building requires maintenance and home ownership implies work to be done, I suspect that not everyone is as willing as we have been to take some of these properties on.  For example, our farm house had all of one.... count it... one plug-in for the entire upstairs floor.  

Tammy and I do not pretend that we are the best at fixing up old houses, but we can hold our own.  Over time we have recognized that we will just be too slow at some projects and it is better to hire some help once we build up the funds.  And, other projects just go.... slow... because that's the way it is when you do it yourself.

In any event, one thing that has not been completed is the light for the back entry of the house.  To be perfectly clear, there never was a working light for this back entry that we know of... so it's not that we took one down and never replaced it.  Our solution has been a couple of battery powered lights that hang on the railing of the back deck.  They look pretty nice and give a little bit of light on the darkest nights.

And they also look pretty cool when they get covered in frost!

We are also, apparently, a bit odd in our choices for how we grow things.  You see, we have this tendency to want to add diversity to our plantings even though we have been trying to grow commercially since 2005.  

Simply put, adding diversity adds complexity.  Added complexity usually adds labor or introduces inefficiency.  And when labor is your premium resource, that would often be considered a poor choice.

Yet, we make that choice year after year, growing season after growing season.  

Why?  Because we believe that there are ways we can efficiently incorporate a diverse set of crops without completely giving up a reasonably efficient operation.  In fact, we have been willing to try things because we want to find some of those approaches and encourage others to do them as well.

One example of this is shown in the picture at the left.  This is in Eden (our smaller high tunnel), showing a path between two tomato rows.  If you look towards the base of the plants you will see sweet alyssum flowering.   This actually seemed to be a fairly good way to get a little diversity into the high tunnel's ecosystem without creating direct competition for the cash crop.

In fact, once these flowering plants were established, they actually helped to hold down any additional weeds that might want to get started later in the year.  There was more pollinator activity in the area and we kind of liked the fragrance as we harvested tomatoes.

The downsides?  Well, once they got into the path, they did have a tendency to try to trip us up.  But, that was handled by cutting them out of the way - or even pulling a plant or two if necessary.  The real issue was the following season when all of the volunteer sweet alyssum came up and competed with the non-tomato crops that went into these beds.  That was our fault because we suddenly had even less time this summer to do work on the farm.  A normal year and we would have handled it just fine.

Sometimes it is good to be different.  And in our case, I don't think we would have it any other way.

Meteor Shower Deleted!

I sometimes wish I was quicker with pulling out my notepad and pen when amusing things get said or done around the farm.  Given the right mood, the two of us have the ability to take discussions in all sorts of absurdly wonderful directions and I sometimes wish I could remember them well enough to report them and then play with them further on the blog.  After all, if they amused us, won't they amuse you? (ok - don't answer that one - you don't want to hurt our feelings do you?)

Why don't I remember them, you might ask?  

Well, if you fall into a giggle fit, your brains fall right out of your ears and you have a case of temporary amnesia. 

However, I do remember one specific conversation that started with the observation that we could see the stars.  This discussion was particularly noteworthy because it had been very cloudy for some time AND it was forecast to continue to be cloudy.  To top it off, temperatures were forecast to be higher than usual in mid-December.  Sadly, the sun was not forecast to show itself during the daytime hours and the couple of moments we were going to get of clear skies was 9:00 at night - the very moment we were having this discussion.  Not helpful when you were hoping for some sunshine to do outdoor tasks.  

After the expected and understandable lament that we would have liked a few moments of sun versus the continual fog, drizzle and overcast/cloudy skies during the day, Tammy mentioned the fact that there was supposed to be a meteor shower at some point during this week.  But...

She DELETED it.

Ooops, you missed one.

This is one of those cases where I know Tammy heard what she was saying.  She just wanted to get to the point sooner without all of the connections that get a person from point A to point B.  I mean, I DID understand that she was referencing an email she deleted that had the INFORMATION about the meteor shower.

But, WHY would you want to let something like that go?  I mean, she just said "There's supposed to be a meteor shower at some point this week, but I deleted it."

We didn't let it go - we had fun with it.

So, for everyone out there who was hoping to see a meteor shower recently.  You didn't see it because Tammy DELETED the meteor shower.  It had nothing to do with incessant cloud cover.  So there!

Rob was particularly disappointed because he felt it was about time to take a shower.  So, if the next time you see him and you feel that he is stinking up the place - blame Tammy.  She deleted the shower he was going to take.
 

I don't care if she deleted it, take a shower anyway!  I, the Sandman, have spoken.

For those who have interest in things like meteor showers, Tammy gets email posts from the Space Weather site.   But, remember, don't delete emails about meteor showers, that will make Rob stinky.

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ed note: this post is an edited version of a blog that was originally posted on Dec 15, 2014 - it was worth a new look and a little extra sauce - enjoy!

 

Up-Mixed

It's only natural that we should err.  That we might offend.  That we will mislead.  Hopefully all without intending to do so and also hopefully with the desire to change and fix things when we do.

Someone shared the following with me.  For those who do not know.  JRR Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy was published in 1954.   The first Harry Potter book was first published in 1997.  The people shown here are the actors/characters who starred in roles for the film adaptation of Lord of the Rings released beginning in 2001.

If you can not easily read the review, here is the beginning: "Overall, I like 'Lord of the Rings.' However, I do feel that Tolkien kind of rips off 'Harry Potter' in many ways...."  The commentary goes on to mention other things that make me wonder if the person writing this is just pulling everyone's leg here.  Even so, I have met or witnessed numerous cases where someone who CLEARLY does not know what they are talking about takes their partial knowledge and goes on a tear with it...

Just because YOU saw the Lord of the Rings movie after you saw a Harry Potter movie, it certainly does not mean that they were created in that order.  Yet, people often assume their experience of the world is the ONLY experience of the world.  Then, they make of facts and explanations that fit that experience and reject all others - and the natural response of those who might know better (even if they don't) is to respond by putting their head in their hands...

This is a reminder to me that we do not enter this world with immediate and complete knowledge of all that has gone before our time.  It is also a reminder to me that everyone has blind spots.  Everyone gets lazy sometimes and many people get lazy and still decide to make definitive statements that are flat out wrong.  What's worse is that other people take those statements as truth and.... away we go.

I still have some hope:

• I hope that we can extend grace to those who need to learn more by finding a supportive way to help them to gather the knowledge they are missing and integrate it into what they know.
• I hope that we can find ways to say 'no' and not ignore these instances because continued ignorance is certainly not bliss.
• I hope that those who are told they have a hole in their knowledge will have the strength to explore, learn, and change what they understand.  It's called growing.  And it can be hard.

As a person who has been an educator, who has presented at conferences, who has been asked to speak at various events and who has written for various things over the years, I can tell you one thing for certain:

I am certain I have said or written numerous things that were inaccurate, faulty and probably down-right embarrassingly wrong.  With that knowledge, I put forth these hopeful thoughts.

1. I hope that I did not cause any harm.
2. I hope that I have learned better and made changes to do better since that moment and I hope I have done what I need to in order to make things right.
3. It would be great if the people who witnessed me at my worst would give me a little feedback, grace and forgiveness.

What we think we know at any point in our lives is certainly not the whole truth.  If we believe that is the case, then we are mistaken.  Not only are we mistaken, but we are short-changing ourselves and the world we live in.  This world and its inhabitants are wonderfully complex and often beyond our complete understanding.  Instead of reacting as if you were a large, very bitey rattlesnake (as tempting as that may be) when someone points out that you might be mistaken, perhaps we could be a bit less "bitey" and a bit more reflective.  This is true EVEN IF it turns out you were correct in the first place. After all, someone reacted the way they did for some reason - and you may actually hold some of the fault for that.  Own it and adjust.

Be firm / Be kind:
I try to live by a two-side principle with varying amounts of success.  "Be harder on myself and be kinder to others."  

Before you go jumping to conclusions here, let me clarify.

When I say I should "be harder on myself" I am not saying I shouldn't forgive myself, nor am I saying that I should make myself suffer for perceived and real sins. What I am saying is that I need to force myself to expect more when it comes to figuring out what is true and what is the best course of action.  I do not want to tolerate being lazy when it comes to responding to criticism either.  If someone offers me criticism, there is a reason for it.  At the least, I should consider the criticism on its own merits - even if the actual words of the criticism don't accurately reflect the truth.  Perhaps the problem was in the delivery?  Maybe it was the word choice?  Is it possible I didn't look like I meant what I said?  It is entirely possible that there is another way to deliver what I was saying that will reach the person who responded badly?  And, you know what?  It is entirely likely the criticism holds some grain of truth I can incorporate in the whole of what I know - it is not required that I come away from the experience with a complete reversal of what I once new.  It is only required that I grow, learn and adapt for the better.

In short - I have responsibility for what I say or what I write.  It is important that I own up to how well I support my own learning and how carefully I consider the facts and circumstances and I how I interpret them.  And, as they say, the only good writing is re-writing.  Well, I am coming to believe that the only good combination of belief and knowledge is one that is constantly under revision.  And that, my friends, is also hard.

And as for that 'being kind to others' stuff?  It certainly doesn't mean you keep your mouth closed when someone is doing something or saying something that isn't right.  It means you give them to gift of constructive criticism and you give them the space to process rather than standing over them to achieve 'maximum shaming.'  Your job is to help someone grow and become better here.  To make things more difficult, there is also the idea that there are times when not engaging is the best answer.  Last I looked, finding ways to build resentment or destroy all self-esteem were two excellent ways to prevent improvement.

And yes, I need to be kinder to those that offer me criticism by not immediately responding as the 'bitey rattlesnake.' 

And I can tell you, a leash won't work.  It's really hard to find a neck on a snake.

What Did These Photos Have In Common?

For our Saturday post this weekend, I thought I would have a little bit of fun and take you all along for the ride.  I hope you enjoy it and you might learn a thing or two at the same time.

Oh.  You're not interested in the learning part?  Well, what are you doing here then?  We're ALL about learning here!  Every second of every day!  Round the clock learning.  Yessir!  Learn learn learn.

The problem is - we're also doing a lot of the forgettin' stuff too.  That's why we have to keep learning.  It's like the opposite of a sinking boat.  In that case, you keep bailing to get the water out, knowing that more water is going to come in.  You just have to bail enough to keep the level of water low enough to stay afloat.  The learning/forgetting goes the other way.  If you keep leaking out knowledge, you have to keep pouring more in just to keep the knowledge levels high enough for you to stay afloat.

So - here is our mental edge exercise today.  How are the following pictures related to each other?  While you peruse them, I shall attempt to entertain you with my clever prose.

Or, at least I shall writ some werds on this here blog fer y'all to view or not.  But, we'll still inklude the perdy pichers.

A local food lunch!

The first photo is from a field day from several years ago that we hosted.  There was an educational (uh oh, there's that werd agin) event regarding programs for alternative crop insurance.  We provided the turkey, lettuce and tomatoes for these sandwiches.  The whole event was worth it just for the lunch.

Now I'm getting a bit hungry (it is supper time here at the farm... I hope).

An attempt at beds of rhubarb

 A year or two later, we tried to use the field space to the North of Valhalla, our larger high tunnel.  We thought this would be an ideal place to put in some rhubarb and maybe some grapes.  We hilled the rows a bit so we could deal with possible wet conditions and add some compost for the plants.  Despite the wilty leaves in this picture, we had about 95% survival rate after transplant. The few that failed were probably marginal to begin with.

It turns out that rhubarb is not terribly fond of our farm and its soil.  If you are wondering if it is just this area, we've tried more than one location.  It's either us or the farm.

From our perspective, the biggest loss is the time and effort it took to try to get them established.  Neither of us are big fans of rhubarb (apologies to those that love it).  Ok, let me revise.  Rob REALLY doesn't like it - they may be worse than carrots for him.  Tammy is ok with them but doesn't find them to be worth her time if she's the only one eating it.

Suddenly, I am less hungry... until I think about what we're having for dinner tonight.  Hungry again.

Gotta fence those cukes in or they might get away.

With the event of our farm down-sizing a bit over the years, we find ourselves looking at a year where there will be much less of this sight.  Cucumbers typically grow pretty well for us - so that's a good thing.  We often have trouble getting them all picked and... in recent years... haven't been able to get them all moved.

Our incentive for growing them like we did in the past is just not there.  We were looking at growing cucumbers for events at the Diamond Event Center this year, but the pandemic is likely not going to encourage all that many events.  So, never mind.

You see, cucumbers - to keep them this clean (weeded) AND to keep them harvested - can be pretty labor intensive.  Since it is really only the two of us this year, we're not sure spending a great deal of effort on them is wise.  We actually get a better return for less labor from melons and winter squash.

To put it all in perspective, the above shows three 200 foot rows of 5 varieties of cucumber.  There are fences for peas on the left (they have finished by the time of this photo) and dry pole beans at the right.  We could easily harvest 500-700 cukes in picking from this plot - harvesting 2 to 3 times per week for three or four weeks.  We would do two successions with this many cucumbers in a season.  This year, I seeded two trays (140 plants) for early cucumbers.  We had to make a decision as to what got planted before the rains came and the cucumbers didn't make the cut.  They are now past the quality where it is worth planting them, so we will compost them.  There will be ZERO cucumbers in the field in June.

Before you get too sad, we are seeding new trays, so we will have some cucumbers.  But, it still isn't going to be any more than 140 plants.

This did NOT happen in June (or May for that matter)

Just a reminder that we, in Iowa, do have cold days and warm days. Whichever you prefer, remember that you get to go back to them when it isn't what you prefer now.

Evening colors are a highlight at the farm

And, say what you will about Iowa, but we get some really nice sunrises and sunsets.  It is important to the two of us at the Genuine Faux Farm that we remind ourselves of that.  We often just think of sunrise as time to let the birds out, give them food and water, etc etc.  And sunset is putting birds away, putting away tools and closing up buildings.  These darned shows that nature keeps putting on only distract us from doing our work.

Thank you.

We still get surprised how nice things look that we don't think are supposed to look nice.

No one that I know of plants chive because they want to see the flowers.  And yet, there they are, every season, looking good.  They attract some pollinators and give us some early color.  Even if we have failed to keep their bed weeded, the chive remind us every season that they are still there with this colorful display.

We used to try to offer chive as a part of our CSA shares every so often, but it didn't seem like people were all that interested.  Yes, we know a few of you were, but we would often come home with lots of bundles that people would leave behind and we don't recall anyone asking for more than one bundle.

It doesn't matter.  We still like them.  And a little chive on a baked potato is still a treat.

Reconnecting with good friends

The Gang of Five has seen significant changes over the years in how each of them is going through life (the farms and the people).  Yet, we still are finding ways to stay connected and maintain our friendships.  We haven't gathered since this past Winter, but we have had a couple of 'zoom' meetings to check in with each other (including one just this Thursday).

We are trying to remind ourselves that physical distancing does not have to mean social distancing.  When you have a lot to do, it can be hard to make the effort to make sure the physical distancing doesn't become the same as being socially distant.  We hope the blog helps some.  We hope we can reach out to others more (and regularly) and we hope to start using the nice days to safely gather in the outdoors.

So - what do these photos have in common?  Can you tell?  We'll wait and see if you can figure it out.

A Dollar Short

Welcome to our "Dollar Short" blog post that is clearly a day late.  Before we say anything else, Hobnob, one of our Indoor Farm Supervisors, would like to have a word with you.

A rare Hobnob appearance in the blog.

Hobnob would like to point out that all the humans out there are improperly using throw rugs in their homes.  THIS is how a throw rug should be placed and arranged.  See, even our blog gets delayed by ads... in this case, it is a public service announcement.  Perhaps we can be forgiven for that?

Farmers Considering Hydroponic Chickens in 2019

 
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  When Mother Nature gives you excess moisture,  you consider altering your production techniques to fit what is given to you.  We've been noticing that both hydroponics and aquaponics have gotten a great deal of attention lately.  In fact, it has gotten to the point that 'x-ponics' are down-right trendy.

Well, just like TV shows and movies, once someone comes up with what looks like a new idea and others decide it could be a good thing to do, everyone else copies the basic premise and dresses it up differently.  So, of course, we have noticed all sorts of off-shoots from the basic hydroponics idea.  A fairly recent development has been the 'hydroponic poultry system' that has been getting significant attention in poultry productions states that dealt with excess rain in 2018.  Apparently, poultry producers were noticing that flood waters broke into feed bins and mixed the feed into the water.  The birds were quite adept at finding the food and water mix, stationing themselves on perches that allowed them to dip their beaks into the water and getting everything they need nutritionally at one time.  The other positive was that their droppings could be moved away by flowing water, which meant the farmer did not have to clean out a coup.

Apparently, the new system features a recycled water system with a series of perches placed at the water surface.  Automatic feed distribution systems place a nutrient-rich feed mix on the 'supply end' of the 'pond' and filters on the other end collect the 'back-end product' (yes, that would be poo) which can be composted and used for fertility in fields.

We thought we'd skip the perches and get the birds inflatable life rafts.  Or maybe we would just do ducks...

Rhetorical Farm Cart

If a 'rhetorical question' does not require an answer, then it makes sense that a rhetorical farm cart does not need to carry any payload.  Sometimes, it is all about the existence of the item and the point it is trying to make - at least that's what we've been told.   We purchased this new cart at an auction recently for $15.  Why did we buy it?  Well, we were running short on cash and needed an influx of money somehow...

Now, hear us out on this.  Usually, a little cart like this, in good shape, with good tires, would cost a minimum of $100.  Heck, we've seen a pile of tires go for $15.  In fact, we've seen another running gear without a deck with similar characteristics go for a couple hundred dollars.  At the very least, we figure we saved $50 on this rhetorical farm cart.  So, technically, we are in the positive by $50 or more.  We're still working out why the balance in the checking account went DOWN however.

Volunteers Defeat Invasive Plants on the Farm

Invasive species are a problem in nature, but human tendency towards cultivation and other modifications of the landscape actually increases the odds that invasive species can take hold in every environment.  Our farm is not immune to the problem.  We have had a number of "Rogue Sunflowers" popping up through the snow drifts in March.  Happily, we often have service trip groups from Wartburg come out the farm each year and this year's task was Rogue Sunflower removal.  Nice job ladies!

Straight Line Genetics

We have been working on breeding vegetable crops that have a 'straight-line' trait to help us control competing weeds.  Anyone who farms agrees that rows and seed beds that run in parallel lines are much easier to cultivate AND it makes it possible to run drip line for irrigation.  Can you imagine running drip line for rows that look more like a snake than a ruler?

Plants with the new 'straight-line' trait operate a bit like some of the Computer-Assisted Design software products.  Plants "snap to grid" and correct their position within the established row, making up for human fallibility when it comes to planting.  We are noticing that the genetics have had a tendency to drift away from the target plants, however.  Did I mention that the Rogue Sunflowers seemed to be in a straight line?  Hm.

There is one obvious issue with the seeds from this new breeding program - we have to be careful how we orient the seed when we plant it in the ground.  If they get turned in the seeder, the plants won't be able to agree on WHERE the row is supposed to be.  Needless to say, we're working on a seeder to make sure each seed goes into the ground in such a way that all of them understand where the row is supposed to be.

Now, if we can get the weeds to grow in straight lines, that might a good thing too - as long as they don't choose the same line as our crops.

Tiny House For Felines


You probably have noticed the 'tiny house' concept for humans - well, here is the next new thing for pets - the litter bucket tiny home!  We read about cat lovers in a Chicago suburb placing litter buckets in the alleys and other locations where feral cats tend to be found.  After all, those poor critters suffer in the elements too!

There have apparently been a few issues with this approach that have yet to be addressed.  We have addressed one of them with Soup's personal 'tiny home' on the farm.  You see, most of the buckets in Chicago were put out with the lids on.  People were forgetting that cats do NOT have opposable thumbs and opening a lid is not likely to be easy for them.  When asked about this, one person said they were worried that the open side would result in the cat getting wet in a driving rainstorm, so they wanted to leave the lid there as a 'door' that the cat could shut.

Our solution allows the cat to get in and out just fine.  We figure if there is a driving rain coming in the opening, the cat can jump out quick and spin the bucket around in another direction.

There were several other problems noted with these tiny homes, but we'll let you figure out that bucket list on your own.

Some Assembly Required

Used kitchen for sale - some assembly required.

Figured It Out Yet?
We're always a 'day late and a dollar short' for our April Fool's posts.  So, if you hadn't figured it out by now - this is your official notice!  We hope you enjoyed it.

If you'd like to see prior year installments, here they are!
2018 April Fool Post
2017 April Fool Post
2016 April Fool Post
2015 April Fool Post
2014 April Fool Post
2013 April Fool Post
2012 April Fool Post

How to Roll Up an Electric Fence

The following is a public service blog post for all of those people who have always wanted to know how to roll up the electric poultry netting that is commonly used by producers on small, diversified farms.  The following is done by professionals, do not attempt at home without a good sense of humor and a friendly cat.

The following TEN STEP PROCESS was compiled by Farm Supervisor Mrranda.

1. Let the human gather the fence and place it on the ground for rolling up.  This is the easy part and is not in need of illustration.

The remaining steps will each have a corresponding illustration.  Please observe carefully.  A badly rolled fence can reflect poorly on a good farm supervisor (cat).

2. Place yourself squarely in the center of the fencing.

3. Demand appropriate attention from the human.

4. Stretch out to cover more surface area on the fence

5. Make sure paws are clear of the roll of fencing as it moves toward you.

6. Retract claws and hold feet up to avoid snagging

7. Allow fence roll to push you onto your other side

8. Remove yourself prior to completion of the roll

9. Help pack the roll down in the center

10. Step forward to help roll the fence up the rest of the way

Well done, you've just rolled up an electric poultry netting fence!

Low Energy Blog Post

Creativity is currently at low tide.  Therefore, I decided to grab some recent pictures and use them to construct a blog post.  Apparently, picture taking energy is also currently at low tide.  So, here is what we have to offer.

Monarchs in bloom?

We are extremely pleased that we got some very strong zinnia and borage plantings in our fields this season.  In particular, the zinnias in the melon and tomato fields are doing very well.  As a result, we have seem alot of hummingbird, monarch and bumblebee activity.  And, there must be a wild hive of honey bees in our area because they are making a strong appearance right now.

The monarchs and the hummingbirds are an interesting contrast.  The monarchs lazily float around the zinnias and will take their time on a flower if left undisturbed.  This is why we were able to get a series of monarch on zinnia pictures a few days ago.  On the other hand, below is one of my attempts at capturing a hummingbird on film.

Do you see the hummingbird?  Neither do I.

Ya, we failed in the attempt.  The hummers are apparently very concerned that another hummer might infringe on the 200 foot row of zinnias, so they are frequently participating in aerial duels.  As I am picking in the field, it is not uncommon to hear their little chirps, followed by some loud buzzes that go right by my head.  I did have one hummingbird inspect my hat ever so briefly.  It decided I was probably the wrong kind of stinky for a good flower.

The one moment I could probably have caught a hummingbird on film was the moment the camera was about 100 feet away.  Never mind.

The melons were GOOOD this year.

We've been enjoying the melons this season - and we hope our CSA members have also enjoyed them.  Each of the past three years has found us making advances in growing this crop that have resulted in more melons for our members.  We realize there are some who do not like melons at all, but we suspect that many melon haters have never had a truly ripe melon.  If all you've had are the tasteless, out of season, unripe melons, then we think you need to give some in-season heirloom varieties like these a try.  Top left is Hearts of Gold, top right is a Pride of Wisconsin and bottom is Oka.

Each of these varieties have their characteristics for taste, texture and growing habits.  We're hard pressed to pick a favorite of these three because we've enjoyed each of them.  And, if you add in the small number of Ha'Ogen melons we've managed to grow and nice number of Eden's Gem and Minnesota Midgets...  Well, we've been happy.  I don't know how we'll react when we don't have any more melons for breakfast on the farm.

Then, there is this.

One of the great things about getting produce from a local producer is the probability that you will have a chance to take home an odd-shaped veggie once in a while.  Thank you Sam Larimer for taking these photos of Carrotman!

Carrotman with cape - still could not save his fellow veggies from the fry pan!

Carrotman came from Jeff Sage's fields this year and Sam was quick to identify him and pull him out of the bin.  Last we heard, Carrotman still resided in the fridge.  If we only had time, we'd put together a whole series of pictures and come up with a blog post for it....  But, two pictures will have to do for now.

One of THOSE Days

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ok, I didn't do that.

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

It Really Shouldn't Be This Hard

There it is.  The hose reel.  Doesn't seem like a terribly complex contraption.  Also, it seems like a pretty good idea on our farm when we are often dealing with 300-400 feet of hose at a time.

Since I am also an academic (read in, thinks he has to know more then he should before he acts and believes such information is findable), I had to do some reading and researching to find the best made hose reels for 400+ feet of hose.  All this within, of course, normal monetary and time constraints.  We settled on a particular model with "no-flat" tires and heavier gauge steel construction.  It seemed pretty good on paper.  So, we made the order.

First thing of note - we made this order early in the growing season so we could put them together and get used to using them throughout the growing season.  Every tool has a learning curve, even something as simple as this.  For example, if all 400 feet are 'played out' and you want to roll it all up, you would do well to drag it back towards the reel *first*.  Why?  You're trying to pull *alot* of weight otherwise and the cart is not heavy/stable enough to stay still while you try to turn the wheel.

But, that's not really a part of the story.  The real story goes something like this:

Early May: We make the order with a company that shall remain nameless but will (in the future) be orderless from us.

Mid to Late May: Two boxes (with two reels) arrive two and a half weeks later.  Allow 10-14 days delivery.  Ok, we can forgive that.  Boxes look a little rough, but it is the contents that count.

early to mid June: We were ready to put these together  about a week prior to their arrival.  Now, other things are taking our time.  So, it is two+ weeks later when we have a rainy day and time to put these together.
Box #1 is opened.  Instructions are found.  I begin to lay parts out and compare to the parts list in the instructions.  I give up when I realize the small parts do not match the list.  But, it seems like the parts do match the instructions for assembly.
Assembly begins.  The base is assembled, wheels put on .  The hose reel drum is assembled.  The handle is assembled and put on the base.
Now, to put the reel drum onto the base you need the handle that serves as the crank.  The picture doesn't show it well, but it is on the right end of the pictured item.
Where is the crank?  What?  Really?  No crank?!?
Really.  And no way to put the drum on the base without it.
Box #2 is opened.  All parts removed and inspected.  No crank.
Right.

Next Day in June:

Phone call made.  We request cranks.  Two to be exact.
"Sorry, the cranks are on back order.  But, we will ship two more reel kits.  You can take out the cranks and then have the remainder shipped back to us. "
We suggest they just take the cranks out themselves, save on shipping and just send those cranks.
"No. We can't do that.  It's the whole box or nothing."
We suggest they OPEN the boxes before shipping to be sure there are cranks in each box.

Mid to late June: Ten days later.  Two boxes arrive.   Better timing.  Boxes still look pretty rough.
We open one box.    There is, in fact, a crank.  We finish the first cart.
We open the other box.  There is no crank.  But, the packing list *does* say "open boxes to make sure crank is in the box."  Before you say someone only opened one of the two, consider that this packing list with the instruction  to open boxes was INSIDE the box without a crank.

Next Day: Phone call #2.  We inform them of our case number and ask them to arrange to pick up two boxes.  We also inform them that we are still short one crank.  So, maybe they could either:
a. open a box and send us a crank
or
b. pick up three boxes and leave us alone with only one working hose reel and refund our money for one of the two reels.

They choose option c - pick up two boxes and send us another full box with the whole assembly.

Some point in July:
Two boxes go away and a new one appears.  It is immediately opened while the UPS guy watches.  It has a crank.  We suggest he can take the other crankless one too, but he cannot do so.  He only has an order to ship two.
Cart #2 gets put together at some point thereafter.

We also were good people and made a call to get the company to arrange another pickup for the 3rd box with a crankless reel.    We kept the box where we could get to it easily and, in fact, put it prominently in front of the garage when we went somewhere so UPS would see it if they came when we were not around.   I think I only tripped over it a few times.

It's December.  I moved that box into the granary for the Winter.   I suspect they have enough inventory on hand for the crankless hose reels already.