a very still pond

As we button down the strawberry beds and prepare the land for winter, possibilities for The Farm keep at the forefront of our conversations. Practical Farmers of Iowa’s Annual Conference on January 8-9 should help us exercise our planning muscles. The two-day “Jubilee” in Marshalltown will feature guest speakers, a white chili chowdown, seed swap, and informative workshops. Looks like Mom has her eye on Manure Handling, CSA Pricing and Major Pests and Solutions, while you’ll likely find me at A Diner’s Guide to Food Trends, To Market, Finding Success in Succession and Writing Your Farm. Who else is game for Jubilee? Register here.

I find great encouragement in my encounters with local farmers who are also reinvigorating their land. These connections occur wherever I go, including work (COSC), fundraisers (Great Outdoors Fund), dinner (Le Jardin), craft fairs (Market Street Media) and more. I met Carol from Cumming who is growing organic aroniaberries with her sisters. The berry grows especially well in Iowa and is known to be higher in antioxidants and other benefits than most fruit, including elderberries and the acai berry. Jenni Smith owns Butcher Crick Farm near Carlisle. She has received attention numerous places for her recent career change from insurance sale to farming tomatoes. Beth Kemp is a jeweler who has a 4 acre CSA farm with her father, and Ray from Escondido, California, owns 100 acres in Dallas County with his 6 children. It was nice to hear his excitement about revitalizing the land and its buildings. “The next generation has opened up our eyes to how we need to do things differently,” he gladly reported.

As for some recent physical work on the farm, Mom, Molly, Seamus and I tackled (sometimes literally) the trees on the hillside going down to the pond. We gave them a major buzz cut from ground level to 6 feet high. They look a lot healthier since we cleared the overgrowth, and now the pond is in view again. This may make sledding more interesting too… those discarded piles of limbs just might enable an adventurous crew to catch some serious air. ;o) Here are photos of the day, and of our first glimpse of winter (what a start!)

“Organic food is not only not better for the planet,” Mack said, in an interview at The New York Times building on Tuesday. “It is categorically worse.”  And he continues… stating it is the “productive equivalent of driving an S.U.V.” Way to push the proverbial anti-environment symbol, eh? Obviously, Mack means business.

And, who wouldn’t with an industry’s billions of dollars worth of pesticides, fertilizers and genetically modified seeds at stake? Not to mention an executive’s lifestyle.

Needing to feed the world’s fast-growing population is no joke, but excuse me while cast doubt on Mack’s one-sided coin as he states that pesticides “have been proven safe and effective and absolutely not harmful to the environment or to humans.” To question this, he claims, is to doubt our governments. Ouch! I don’t think I’ll ever recover from that left jab. You know, I have always believed spraying Raid on my tomatoes made perfect sense. Then, my naivete got me again when believing the cause of the Gulf Coast’s dead zone.

In case you’ve been spared this online viral hit – the post title references a more humorous (though poignant) awareness test:

damon winter, new york times

New York Times’ Charles Duhigg published a powerful story yesterday as part of their investigative series titled “Toxic Waters.” The dialogue between readers and Duhigg in the comments section is a bonus that adds validity to The Times’ dedication to the research. Agricultural runoff being the single largest source of water pollution in the nation’s rivers and streams is a serious matter, and it suffers from a familiar complexity. For instance, how do we: identify the source of the problem, which is rarely a straight shot; encourage innovation to address the excessive waste issue; enforce regulations that are in place so that the industry as a whole is held accountable instead leaving the abiders to carry the weight; find a holistic solution so that the problem isn’t just redistributed to a different segment of the industry; and keep prices affordable? 

One thing that stood out in the comments section is the lack of response to the farm association lobbying. Does this following quote sound asinine only to me? Maybe it’s the predictability of it that numbs the voice…

“But agriculture is among the state’s most powerful industries. After intense lobbying, the farmers’ association won a provision requiring the state often to finance up to 70 percent of the cost of following the new regulations. Unless regulators pay, some farmers do not have to comply.”

Read it for yourself at: Health Ills Abound as Farm Runoff Fouls Wells. Then catch their interactive map that may scare the bejesus out of you, but don’t go stocking up on bottled water on me. By now everyone knows that that isn’t a safe alternative and, besides, we are all responsible for the situation we’re in. How does throwing away a shiny new toy full of tap water after one use contribute to better health for our children? Let’s ‘suck it up,’ people, before our land spits us out.

With the lack of great chicken house designs online, the Eglu was a fun discovery, however, it doesn’t quite align with our priorities of conservation, organic and being innovative with the resources on hand. Hence, the search continues. If you’ve come across an inspiring coop, let us know!

Which reminds me… I believe it was my mother-in-law who made me aware of the Midwest’s use of the word “dirt.” She understandably associated dirt with filth, rather than something so potentially nurturing as soil. Perhaps it’s the result of “dirt” being the lifeblood of the Midwest – the locals seeking additional options for speaking about a subject that surrounds their daily lives. I realize I relate the word dirt to gardening, or more personal and casual interactions with the earth, and the word soil with technical aspects of growing crops… because, you know, that is quite technical in these parts.

Anyway, back to Orr in Bloomington, Indiana. One of the most interesting segments cited the fact that farmers eat at his restaurant to see how he’s preparing their products. It’s an indicator that various stakeholders along the food production chain may be gaining a greater understanding of how they’re all connected and that it’s in everyone’s interest to join the dialogue.

Orr’s enthusiasm, knowledge and involvement in Indiana’s local food industry is inspiring. Besides knowing about what type of pastures produce the best grass-fed beef, he acknowledges that health and the environment are important factors in the growing interest in food production and preparation. He even claims that the Midwest’s reputation for unsophisticated food may be waning as his friends from New York and Brazil compare their Midwest visits to Napa Valley. Orr specializes in spices (including an espresso chili rub) and has a regular radio program titled Earth Eats.

I am further intrigued with his informal group of friends, the Male Chauvinist Pigs, who are raising pigs this summer and plan a ceremonious luau to compare flavors. The way he speaks of cooking a whole pig may sound rude to some, but I found it refreshing to hear someone talk comfortably, with up-close-and-personal knowledge, of their role in an animal’s path from pasture (if they’re lucky) to plate. For the industrial farmer the language is usually all business and, for the consumer, discussing anything beyond the freshness date and marbling can make them queezy.

FARMfood will soon be mine.

O’Brien hit her stride, however, when addressing the subject of women and farming, of which she has a particularly keen understanding. My favorite statement being, “If land use matched the 50% of women ownership, the use of land would be much more diverse.” She voiced her frustration with the slow progress of increasing Iowa’s biodiversity and realizes it takes risk takers on the forefront who put themselves in uncomfortable positions to invoke change. O’Brien is providing leadership by doing just that with steadfast optimism. 

Keeping this all in mind, I attended three workshops afterwards with an overwhelming majority of presenters being women. The Community Supported Agriculture session provided a wealth of information that was tough to fit in the allotted time frame. Amy Brucker of Good Earth Food Alliance in Illinois, Rebecca Graff of Fair Share Farm in Missouri, and Joanne Roepke Bode of Algona, Iowa spoke of the importance of community, the need for profit, working collaboratively, the value of doing apprenticeships, options for distribution and the surprising importance of not overloading members with food. The subject of diversity arose again when Rebecca told of bringing back her family farm. A common story these days: in the 80′s their farm implemented monoculture and conventional farming systems as they emptied the chicken coop and let the out buildings cave in on themselves. After reinvesting in equipment, building maintenance and planting, Fair Share Farm is now providing its community with a variety of healthy produce. 

Next was the agritourism session, where I learned that farm stays have yet to catch on in the Midwest. Day trips and outings are much more common. Art and Vera Gelder run a lively Walk About Acres and Kathy from her successful Kathy’s Pumpkin Patch boasts a 10-acre corn maze, which was recently featured in the Des Moines Register. I wonder if there will be a day when the region could support something in the same vain as Stoney Creek Farm… but Iowa-style, of course. The state’s agritourism offerings can be found at visitiowafarms.org

Perhaps it was the time slot, but the online marketing session was a snoozer. They basically told of two or three website that could be useful to local farmers (marketmakeriowa.com, missouriexchange.com). Great to know, however, the current liveliness possible online was not represented. The session would have benefited from having a ‘youngin’ in the presenters’ crew.

Overall, it was a valuable convergence. The lunch featuring 100% local foods gave the conference added authenticity – it was delicious! When’s the last time you heard someone say that about a conference meal? And, Fairfield proved a perfect host with its art walk, harvest festival, healthy eateries, sustainable building efforts and cultural diversity.

"Howdy! These here virtually modified sheep don't bother your crops!"

When my Los Angeles urbanite friend questioned my farming abilities based on the delinquent status of my Facebook FarmTown acres, the virtual pressure was on. As I step up efforts to harvest my crops on time and progress through the experience levels, I see how it vaguely mimics reality.

Though crops grow extremely quickly, they don’t hesitate to over ripen and die if I don’t harvest in a timely manner. The game also encourages community. You gain points by lending a hand to your farmer friends and gain insight into other ways of farming (Tracy makes great use of space, and Peter needs fencing… his cows are out!). It’s entertaining to inch my way up the farming ladder, however, the “Apprentice” level seemed to last forever and I see with envy that Laura is at “Green Ace.” …admittedly, also not unlike reality.

What’s missing in The Dirt On The Farm playground is the REAL dirt, of course. There’s no substitute for getting it under your fingernails to reap the rewards of fresh air, tactile productivity, therapeutic exercise and a kitchen counter full of candy-like tomatoes.

I met up with her later to lend a hand and offer moral support. The evening’s raging thunderstorm was perfect backdrop to a small, but somewhat dramatic, mishap. Luckily the Spain’s tried-and-true resourcefulness saved the day once again and the project turned out beautifully. Then, Molly being Molly, finished the job with style by creating top-notch labels. She makes it so easy to envision the future’s possibilities.

Meanwhile, back at The Farm, I fill another three bags with beans.