tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39369769254496794412024-03-07T16:42:35.303-04:00For the Love of the SoilThe Adventures and Misadventures of a 500 ac Certified Organic Farm.Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.comBlogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-53308227973594037032024-01-11T15:46:00.000-04:002024-01-11T15:46:35.898-04:00'Nuffin' to see here<p> I thought I had worked through all my insecurities when I primed myself up to apply for a Nuffield Scholarship. It took me several months of thought and internal debate. Months of trying on the idea of travel and time away from the farm. It was the inspiration for my solo bike trip to the Maggies, proving to myself that I could do scary things. I filled several pages of a couple journals, working out all kinks in my confidence, convincing myself that I was worthy, clever enough, experienced and not just doing it to prove to everyone, but especially me, that I am a legitimate farmer. </p><p>That was 2022, 2023. Yet here I am in the early days of 2024, making real travel plans to places where I'll be sitting down with folks who might ask me questions that I probably should know the answers to and I'd rather crawl under a nice wide tree canopy and stay there. </p><p>As a young woman, in the final days of waiting for my first baby to arrive, for some reason I became fixated on having enough receiving blankets, those soft flannel, rectangular burp catchers and baby wrappers. My recurring nightmare in those last days was coming home from the hospital to not having any receiving blankets. Laughable even then, in the tornado of hormones and insecurities. </p><p>And now, in the final days of making plans, spending money, booking flights, finalizing connections here I am, worried about not knowing the answers to questions like :</p><p>PEI's average annual rainfall, our farm's soil type, the variety of clover in my pasture mix, seeding rates for everything, the number on the side of our grain drill, how many horsepower our tractors are, the current price for beef on the commodity market, average yield for grain corn in the Maritimes, going price per bushel for every crop, organic acres on PEI, and on and on. </p><p>The kind of easy, friendly chatter that creates a comfortable bond, a reciprocal sort of agreement between farmers that we're all in this together. But I don't know those things, not off hand. I'm not great at farmer small talk at all. I could easily find the answer to all those things in a matter of minutes, mostly by mining the mind of my very legitimate farmer husband. He sits comfortably in a room of farmers, able to chit chat with any of them. </p><p>And yet, I know both of us would claim I'm the people person. But farmers aren't regular people are they? They carry a library of facts that they've built over generations of working with the elements and they carry a certain reverence for those in the same boat, and a very quiet surprise that there are those who don't carry the same library. </p><p><br /></p><p>I know by the time this is over, those questions will feel as silly as a deficiency of receiving blankets but right now I'm entirely caught up in the minutiae of human relations at a farm level. I thought maybe putting this out in the world, it would help get it out of my mind and set me free, but maybe writing down just a few of those questions that so many farmers just unconsciously learned as barefooted kids only highlighted my foolishness. What am I doing on this adventure? How did I think having the Nuffield name to open doors would also lend me credibility when it comes to relating as farmer to farmer over a kitchen table? They'll see through me so fast, know that I love cattle, but don't understand the cost of production like I should, don't appreciate the depth of the current reliance on synthetic fertilizer in our globalized food system, don't know the first thing about equipment maintenance, am as debt-averse as it comes, am often confused by the lingo at annual accountants meetings, etc. </p><p>How did I fool Nuffield Canada so thoroughly that I'm at this point in the game? </p><p>And don't worry, I know I've got lots going for me, and that these things won't matter that much. It's more of a sign of this becoming real, this hyper fixation on foolish, irrelevant things.</p><p>Mostly I'm posting this so that future scholars who get themselves to this point, can see that they're not the only ones. And for me, to read later on and remind myself how far I've come. I'll probably never remember the model number of every (any?) tractor we own, but I can talk to anyone and my Mom always said I've got the kind of smiling face that makes people feel comfortable, so I'll just rely on that I guess? *laughing/crying/mostly laughing I think*</p><p><br /></p><p>Quite a post for my first Nuffield one eh?? Inspired to follow along or WHAT!? :)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-14543304337482347412023-04-24T22:22:00.002-03:002023-04-24T22:22:30.334-03:00When The Opposite of Popular is Depopular.<p> Renting hens is far from central to our business, but it is the most profitable thing we do. And even at that, it's not a make or break part of the farm. But it does fulfill a value I have of promoting food awareness and food security. It brings agriculture to those who would otherwise not know where to start, not have the opportunity. It builds confidence in people to try things like gardening, canning, try other livestock, start to notice the difference in the quality of food. It gets people thinking about the food their food is eating, which is something most people don't do. </p><p>Yes, renting hens is a cute story and a cool side hustle, but last year we opted not to do it because of the new threat of avian flu. </p><p>I had decided that this year, I would give it a go, on a smaller scale. Partly because the demand was SO high and because there haven't been any cases of the flu here in domestic birds. There were lots of wild bird cases in the sea around the Island last year, but none managed to infect the thousands of poultry that live here. So I felt like maybe it was ok to give it a try again. </p><p>Until we had a little visit from someone representing the perspective of the egg producers board. It was a very cordial visit and ended on good terms but it was clear that how we're farming is a threat to the livelihood of others, farming differently. We're within a couple kilometres of a couple egg farms who would be affected if my farm was affected. Although, similarly for me, should they get it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJg15x6VY3sdYIMHoVZ3ZlKN8JLfyfL46W6lPIDLz_syGdVQ_zB3Zl500D8qvB0y9T07BbwyBBI8NHPoZbeWtfuUHrjXVOjSatje5ysQ3F3SwL2ZmMCz9BjvvbOhVTIMd4ZS_HbEWsBvzubp5q5zOe2rt4w6rSnzI1YgFpcv9BuvcRsj8WL99bJ_v7/s3840/1159018-Joel-Salatin-Quote-Everything-I-want-to-do-is-Illegal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJg15x6VY3sdYIMHoVZ3ZlKN8JLfyfL46W6lPIDLz_syGdVQ_zB3Zl500D8qvB0y9T07BbwyBBI8NHPoZbeWtfuUHrjXVOjSatje5ysQ3F3SwL2ZmMCz9BjvvbOhVTIMd4ZS_HbEWsBvzubp5q5zOe2rt4w6rSnzI1YgFpcv9BuvcRsj8WL99bJ_v7/w640-h360/1159018-Joel-Salatin-Quote-Everything-I-want-to-do-is-Illegal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>And when I say affected, they could be forced to depopulate (euthanize) their flocks. Same as me, should they get it. Or similarly, if one of my rental hens should get it, it could be decided that my flock is a threat, even if the rental hen is in Souris and then we're all 'depopulating' (what an odd euphemism). </p><p>While renting hens may not be a cornerstone of our farm profitability, making feed is, and that business could be halted if avian flu is found here due to vehicles being unable to move on and off the property. Kind of hard to sell feed if it can't leave the grounds. Let's not even begin to talk about all the folks who come here to get their feed for their backyard hens. </p><p>So here I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. The pressure and risks of avian flu which may or may not happen and the potential to introduce the love to hens to a bunch of new folks this summer and foster a love of real food connection. </p><p>I lean more and more into libertarianism as I get older and if I lived in the states, I'd likely be laughing in the face of something like the egg board, renting more chickens than ever just out of spite. But I want to be a good neighbour. I want to ensure we keep our feed business going. I don't want to feel like a threat to an entire commodity. I also want chickens to live lives outdoors. I want folks to experience cracking a still warm egg for breakfast. I want kids to train a chicken to follow them around. I want folks to ask what's in their chicken feed and care about the answer. </p><p>I can't help but wonder if our egg and chicken industry in North America is so incredibly vulnerable to a disease because we've built it around breeding of chickens that are designed for one purpose and have no ability to cope with exterior threats? So much so that the barns are airtight, light-tight and so biosecure that workers have to change clothes to go in. What a surprise that they might be vulnerable to different pathogens. </p><p>I suspect that Avian Flu will become like Covid is for us now. Always in the background, a real threat to some and less concerning to others. Does it mean I will never rent hens again? I'm sure some would hope that would be the case. </p><p>So what do I do? Forego the few thousand dollars and share my values in other, less effective ways? Or snub my nose at the 'guidelines' and my neighbours and send my little hens across this sandbar, spreading the chicken love, one feather at a time?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6xM1NidCbFqYLDUeEvpk7rx3jjR1EM7KeIHYfmKQoj_Uoll2EFpcXljbznqP8hZMzIp5uHQd3Gqud4M1XSxDYJtdRNJu2hND6L_OWkpe6Dv3vsB4OyclX97bF1Q3T4ueRzOph1Kb9V5MJDkCvUHG5yP_iKGT8qAiGRRoCoRwgxGBFsZypr6C9l5S/s1020/sally-bernard-1-6346332-1680818296958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="1020" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6xM1NidCbFqYLDUeEvpk7rx3jjR1EM7KeIHYfmKQoj_Uoll2EFpcXljbznqP8hZMzIp5uHQd3Gqud4M1XSxDYJtdRNJu2hND6L_OWkpe6Dv3vsB4OyclX97bF1Q3T4ueRzOph1Kb9V5MJDkCvUHG5yP_iKGT8qAiGRRoCoRwgxGBFsZypr6C9l5S/w400-h225/sally-bernard-1-6346332-1680818296958.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-58261197618424709932023-03-31T08:47:00.001-03:002023-03-31T08:47:16.473-03:00Duplicitous DennyIn college, at the end of the year, we'd have a night called "Drink the Pub Dry" in the name of clearing out the fridges for the season, in the form of cheap liquor. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwZXsTYC8dfQI5lUHjLVN7pYXqrKz4_-dRShWLou1lRjh7e6LoTnx78QEL722ONr0lX9ZPnon5qN3D4lLqA9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /><div>In the agricultural debate that the PEI Federation of Ag hosted this week in the run up to the election, I was reminded of that night, for the first time in years. I listened as my premier bragged about the time he approved a Pump the Dunk Dry during a "drought that was as high as it's probably been" for farmers whose irrigation permits had been 'shut off'. He foolishly went on to compare the sprinklers being used in downtown Charlottetown to the watersheds of the potato belt here in "the middle part of the province".</div><div><br /></div><div>Denny King's own civil servants had to sit in committee and answer questions from concerned MLAs following that decision by the premier, that he was so proud of and those very civil servants agreed, time after time, that it was indeed detrimental to the watershed, it was against the rules and was a bad decision. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mLBjNf4n1tkNYA0MlFDnY5mPVN7FZDyelkx3KZsu3rxn87Zc4uhawThVdBx_I7kZeseTLZNnM9YAdqFP8lsUalLGQm_uO_3V-1DKypsYFFVMaahCVG6e3RcoiFRDY39Ego4OJ4bmjdrbfIuFR6ZMj9wSnp_R1q9HQuWeGFTOOwNd0R72lUYXoun7/s891/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-31%20at%208.21.40%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/dunk-river-pumping-would-have-contravened-water-act-regulations-pei-civil-servant-tell-committee-100574243/" border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="891" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mLBjNf4n1tkNYA0MlFDnY5mPVN7FZDyelkx3KZsu3rxn87Zc4uhawThVdBx_I7kZeseTLZNnM9YAdqFP8lsUalLGQm_uO_3V-1DKypsYFFVMaahCVG6e3RcoiFRDY39Ego4OJ4bmjdrbfIuFR6ZMj9wSnp_R1q9HQuWeGFTOOwNd0R72lUYXoun7/w400-h293/Screen%20Shot%202023-03-31%20at%208.21.40%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><a href="https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/dunk-river-pumping-would-have-contravened-water-act-regulations-pei-civil-servant-tell-committee-100574243/">https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/dunk-river-pumping-would-have-contravened-water-act-regulations-pei-civil-servant-tell-committee-100574243/</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Why the needs of a potato crop would be put before the needs of residential wells or the water needs of a livestock farmer would be difficult to fathom anywhere else in the world. But not here in the Potato Republic. Apparently thats exactly the kind of thing that you can be so proud of that it's central to your debate strategy against the other party leaders in a provincial election. </div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div>My main concern is not even the rash decision or the bragging about it. My primary frustration with this scenario is Denny's<u> duplicity.</u> You can be sure that his debate notes (spoiler, he doesn't really have any because he's so condescendingly confident and cocky) for the Environmental Forum didn't mention this wonderful decision he's so pleased to take responsibility for. Pulling from the handbag of tricks of the greasiest politicians of yore, King will say whatever it is that he thinks the people he's talking to want to hear. This was evidenced when he was recorded making statements about the drag and trans community, or even, for heaven's sake, CBC radio! He had to backtrack and pretend that they were out of context and apologize. But we all know that he is that kid in high school, so eager to be voted onto student council, that he'd sell cigarettes to the smokers, while simultaneously helping to draft the petition to get rid of the smoking area with the try-hard kids.</div><div><br /></div><div>I started this election as a sincerely undecided voter, but it's become increasingly clear to me that the current government has no interest in my opinion, my water security, land use, reforestation or any other number of topics relevant to voters here on PEI. To our faces, maybe, but once we're out of earshot, it's just an eye roll and a shake of the head, a dismissive snort and back to the game of selling PEI and her resources to the highest bidder and the best lobbyist.</div><div><br /></div><div>PEI is not a pub to be emptied of the old booze, and we're not a bunch of college students, all too eager for cheap drinks that we'll swallow whatever drivel you're feeding us. </div>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-72857964719330673672023-03-09T11:56:00.003-04:002023-03-09T11:56:38.135-04:00Questions for Candidates<p>The Canadian stereotype of politeness is often dismissed by some and certainly there is no shortage of examples to prove otherwise, but I think that Maritimers may be particularly polite, if not downright friendly, as a default. With the provincial election called here on PEI this week, it reminds me that sometimes folks find it hard to strike a balance between polite and assertive when party candidates show up at their door. </p><p>I've only ever had one politician come to our house and it was years ago, when nitrate levels were the topic du jour, particularly in our potato belt district. This particular politician tried to convince me that what had been overlooked in all the hullabaloo about fertilizers, was graveyards and the amount of nitrates coming from decaying bodies. Needless to say he did not get my vote and he remains a household joke to this day. </p><p><img alt="Here are the nominated candidates running in the P.E.I. election | CBC News" class="n3VNCb pT0Scc KAlRDb" data-noaft="1" jsaction="load:XAeZkd;" jsname="HiaYvf" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.5072429.1554313549!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/pei-provincial-map.jpg" style="height: 356.8282051282051px; margin: 0px; width: 634px;" /></p><p>Mark's family are not overtly political, unlike my roots. So I expected to have more politicians arrive through the years, vying for my/our affection. Then I made the move of outwardly supporting one party, which likely quashed any chances for candidate visits. *sigh*</p><p>But this year! This year, I'm a clean slate, a truly undecided voter. I'm certainly leaning but its not definitive like other years, so I'm hopeful for a door knock and an opportunity to be swayed. To prepare, I've made myself a list of topics from which I'd like to hear candidates' thoughts and figured maybe other polite Islanders might find useful as a reference.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If you could pick two main priorities for yourself as a candidate and also for your party as a whole, what do you think they would be?</li><li>How do you spend your leisure time?</li><li>If you had a significant surplus, can you think of a better way to spend it than to give everyone making less than $100,000, a $500 bonus at tax time? (hint, the answer should be yes)</li><li>Deforestation is a major concern of mine and there seems to be very little willingness to wade into the topic by government. What do you think should be done to address deforestation in the province? What can be done to encourage diverse plantings of native species on available land? Are you aware of the impacts of deforestation on a region and the greater community?</li><li>Just what the heck is going on with the GEBIS and the land down in Kings County anyway? The whole thing is shady and I want to know what your party has planned to address the issue of land limits and those who are skirting them with loopholes. This includes the Irvings. If your party is elected, how would you address conflicts of interest in land sales when currently final approval comes from Executive Council?</li><li>On a related topic, how do you feel about the water use legislation and the permitting process for new irrigation wells? What is your party planning for water conservation going forward? Does your party have anything in the platform regarding water use in this province?</li><li>What's your take on the rent control situation here on PEI? Has it been fair to both renters and landlords do you think? How could we do better?</li></ul><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This one is particularly for the incumbent candidate but regarding health care, it was nice to see some ideas and plans in the platform but why were these held off until an election? They seem like ideas that should have been implemented a year ago when it became clear that we were headed for disaster. Why wait until now and why should I believe that you'll implement anything now and not just decide to wait until the next time you need votes? </li><li>And if it's an opposition candidate, what are you most proud of from your party in the last term?</li></ul><div>That would probably take as much time as they could give me for that day, and the answers to the first couple might tell me everything I need to know to form an opinion. </div><div><br /></div><div>Feel free to make use of these questions when you get a knock at the door! This might be the only time you ever hear from your representative so you might as well make it count now!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-67835438266915788402023-02-23T18:24:00.001-04:002023-02-23T19:15:59.853-04:00Let the Games Begin<div class="separator"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I've been spending the last few days trying to figure out why I haven't been reading commentaries like the one I'm about the make. Is there some risk to one's social license? Is it politically dangerous or unpopular? There must be some reason because surely I am not the only one critical of the current wave of temporary green and blue garbage covering the Island in the name of the Canada Games. </p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">In a province crumbling under a health care crisis, dealing with their first real experience of a significant community of folks suffering from homelessness, still very much in recovery from a hurricane and shaking off the weights of pandemic restrictions, it is truly astounding that no opposition politician is asking a single question regarding the budget for the Games and how any (inevitable) overages will be managed. </p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tickets for P.E.I.'s Canada Games selling well, say officials | CBC News" class="n3VNCb pT0Scc KAlRDb" data-noaft="1" jsaction="load:XAeZkd;" jsname="HiaYvf" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.6363680.1645744197!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/2023-games-in-pei.jpg" style="height: 356.8282051282051px; margin: 0px; width: 634px;" /></p></div><p>One oil truck driver claimed that he has been dispatched to the nordic trails every day since November, to fuel up a generator for a snow-making machine, which made the snow onto a wagon that hauled it into the woods by a Games-purchased tractor, only to melt over the following days. Like some kind of manic, oblivious manifesting would keep this mild winter at bay and continuing to throw money at the problem would solve Mother Nature's shortfalls in the snow department. </p><p>That is but ONE tiny part of this massive undertaking, so lauded as the saviour to the local economy. A local economy that is seeing a VERY significant portion of its population gone to the tropics, taking advantage of the unnecessary extra week of holidays as a result of the Games.</p><p>But my questions about foolish choices and over-spending are nothing compared to the shock I'm experiencing from the lack of empathy or consideration for the folks hardest hit by this whole show of fiscal foolishness. Working parents who cannot afford to take one or two week's vacation and must now find child care that they also cannot afford for the extra time their kids have off school. And those lower and middle income kids for whom even the $10 entry fee to any of the events is cost prohibitive.</p><p>So essentially, we've asked the folks who are already hurting, to take on just a little extra financial stress in the name of the goddamned Games, that are not even accessible to them. </p><p>Perhaps the thing that irks me most, is that rather than standing up and giving me a hint that any of the politicians share even one of my concerns, they're all too eager to get big toothy photo ops with the Games mascot, Wowkwis, causing one to wonder which has more stuffing in their head. With the writ expected to be dropped before the green and blue banners have even been taken down, or the jackets taken to the Value Village bin, there is a drunken energy in the air around any incumbent, no matter the colour. The tone-deafness of politicians celebrating about taking in multiple events, during most people's working hours while for many families, even one event would exceed the entertainment budget of many households, rather than taking the opportunity to take the government to task is a bit of a shock. </p><p>If I have to see one more picture of a local politician with their arms around that fuzzy, big-headed fox, grinning like fools, expecting that their enthusiasm for this show of money and mismanagement will impress me, they can Wowkwis me arse.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Edna Flood - Chief Operating Officer - 2023 Canada Winter Games | LinkedIn" class="n3VNCb pT0Scc KAlRDb" data-noaft="1" jsaction="load:XAeZkd;" jsname="HiaYvf" src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E22AQHW3BR3wi9PQA/feedshare-shrink_800/0/1673809814848?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=lCnim3kFq8OvXJMO8S1sAAy-b1yeD5ZaDRT-zv_-d8Q" style="height: 382.4275px; margin: 0px; width: 574px;" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-15691560081740610832023-02-03T12:06:00.003-04:002023-02-03T12:06:23.282-04:00Extreme Cold Prep <p> Frigid. Arctic. Extreme cold. Whatever you want to call it, the weather is finally doing what it's supposed to be doing, which is to say, getting cold. Perhaps a bit colder than we'd all like and maybe for not quite as long as the traditional "two-week cold snap" we often encounter in January or February but at least this winter we're going to get temperatures cold enough to hopefully give some of those summertime pests a dent. Last year's mosquitos seemed more numerous and voracious than I ever remember (do I say that every year?) and I attributed it to the too-mild winter. So I'm hoping that when I'm walking out to water the bull on Saturday morning in -50 degree, 100km/hr winds, I'll remember those August nights of mosquito swarms while I shut in the hens. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugcNb1cPFYmYuQOjHLi16uSQibftPCSnYuZQmCKvg2zOKb5jfYPx-Z87dk2wbsG15RAr-KQXaLE3wuVNdsd9kGn-YZDCIov5Ms44Zh6GnszuTFvwTrgfs9l6GXWrkgDLXhucFEax7IHtImFwVcwySCOydgfQMWgpt2MSebCKiITPno_yXiT3QW5-6/s3024/IMG_4804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugcNb1cPFYmYuQOjHLi16uSQibftPCSnYuZQmCKvg2zOKb5jfYPx-Z87dk2wbsG15RAr-KQXaLE3wuVNdsd9kGn-YZDCIov5Ms44Zh6GnszuTFvwTrgfs9l6GXWrkgDLXhucFEax7IHtImFwVcwySCOydgfQMWgpt2MSebCKiITPno_yXiT3QW5-6/s320/IMG_4804.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curls on Beowulf, the Belted Bull. Doesn't he have the best head?</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div><span style="text-align: left;">I know the Galloway cattle are better prepared than most for cold temperatures. Their ears are covered in long, shaggy hair and they've got curls for days all over their heads. Their thick coat is lush, they're pretty fat and they've got pretty stellar instincts. Combined with the barn I shouldn't think twice, but of course I worry and wonder if there's more I should do. One of the girls seems to have shed some of her ear hair and I know when I'm laying in bed on Saturday night I'll be wondering about her ears. Oh #13, I hope you snuggle up close with #16 who seems blessed with especially long hair. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">We've had to designate one cattle barn as beef and the other as dairy, which is hilarious, given that only one inhabitant produces milk but "the cow barn" was leading to far too much miscommunication in a relationship that already has its fair share of communication mishaps.</span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">Anyway, the dairy barn is housing the beef heifers while they are weaned, along with Petunia, and their door is to the west so we're planning to shut it once things start to really cool off but the heifers have never really been in a barn, and are still a little worked up about the weaning so I hope they appreciate the warmth more than they're stressed about being shut in. </span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="text-align: left;">The other animals of concern are the hens, who will hopefully avoid any frostbitten combs. We put plastic over their windows and made alternative watering arrangements for when it inevitably freezes up. I'll give them some cracked corn the next couple evenings to warm them up from the inside out while they sleep and try to gather the eggs every hour or so in the mornings. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Other than that, I'll be curious to see if Hagrid, the maremma opts to head to the barn at night. He so loves the cold and snow that it's so rare to see him choose the indoors, but Lennox, the Australian shepherd has been sleeping in the barn at night for a few weeks now. </p><p style="text-align: left;">As for me, I'm off to NB to pick up our bacon and hams and sausage from our favourite butcher and tuck in with my parents in what we jokingly are calling the hottest place on earth, which is my Mom's kitchen with her sweltering wood stove working overtime at all times. Mark is going to hold down the fort, on pipe duty and Lucy is going to be on egg gathering and animal watering. </p><p style="text-align: left;">In unrelated news, I have been having a horrible week on the board game/card game front. I have lost miserably and I don't just mean not first. I mean, I've been bringing up the rear in the score of a 5 person game! I am not accustomed to this, nor comfortable with it. Last night after losing badly in Carcasonne, I insisted on Five Crowns, which I promptly lost as well by 200 points. I was tempted to insist on one more game of something in an attempt at redemption, but opted instead to go to bed, knowing if I lost another one I'd hardly be able to sleep. Ugh. Tonight is hockey, so let's hope my losing streak doesn't translate to the ice!</p><p style="text-align: left;">I'm trying to think about what my future self might want to read and I think they will feel like I'm already stretching it with board game stats, so I'll sign off for now. </p><p style="text-align: left;">May this find you putting up your thermal curtains and digging out your heaviest quilts and looking forward to the hunkering down.</p><p style="text-align: left;">-Sally</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNE_s4WDqMhHxMZeWvgGGgme4C_e4sniKw5RrQz7TVp2bMyOWVHxyXMyNbk05H2hiwRygnHe6Z5q7rKp8Vrh7u68S68rZK3MtN252TonAMUS7hCtQjAPfNKZ49ZjUEaes7cfgXrzEcE_Shso7wdWfAs5o_MMj7qwUSDp4Yfk-Osv4DgmADBhyar6Y/s3024/IMG_4828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNE_s4WDqMhHxMZeWvgGGgme4C_e4sniKw5RrQz7TVp2bMyOWVHxyXMyNbk05H2hiwRygnHe6Z5q7rKp8Vrh7u68S68rZK3MtN252TonAMUS7hCtQjAPfNKZ49ZjUEaes7cfgXrzEcE_Shso7wdWfAs5o_MMj7qwUSDp4Yfk-Osv4DgmADBhyar6Y/w400-h400/IMG_4828.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-35849124184683882182023-01-25T09:58:00.002-04:002023-01-25T09:58:35.734-04:00Dear Past Sally, thank you!<p> I've been struggling in this new year to really settle into my goal of reducing my use of social media in favour of working towards my goals of writing more, reading more, playing more guitar and just generally being more present in the now. That subtle addiction to short, intriguing Instagram posts and videos is unbelievably powerful. </p><p>After making an action plan for how to combat that omnipresent pull to pick up my phone, I decided to check out some old blog posts. when I used to share farm and family stories weekly, or even more frequently. Seems like 2010 was a banner year for posts on For the Love of the Soil and <a href="https://barnyardorganics.blogspot.com/2010/10/psa.html" target="_blank">this post</a> from October had me simultaneously laughing and incredulous that I have very little memory of the life detailed within. I know my house was fairly chaotic at that time and it's inevitable with little kids that things will be unruly, but I am so thankful that I documented all of it!</p><p>And thankfully, re-reading those old posts has inspired me to take back up the sharing of stories from the Barnyard. They're decent reading, but more than anything are an invaluable snapshot of life that I am so thankful to have to look back on. Future Sally will inevitably love these posts as much as current Sally is enjoying the old ones. </p><p>So here's a start:</p><p>Last week I picked up our pork and beef from our favourite butcher shop. Our three pigs, Destiny's Child, and Thor, the jersey steer came back in banana boxes and the 6 of us worked hard to get them all vac-packed and in the freezer quickly. That large vac-packer was probably overkill for the CSA at the time, but it's been incredibly useful, however infrequently. That said, I think I'd like to try wrapping some things in butcher paper next year. The roasts, and chops with bones don't do so hot with the vac-packer, often puncturing the bags and missing the point. </p><p>What a blessing and glorious fruit of our labour to have the freezers full of the meat we raised! </p><p>(No, we're not selling any. Seems we 6 humans eat an awful lot!)</p><p>We FINALLY got some snow after what felt like a never-ending mud season in January of all months! It wasn't a HUGE dump or a terribly nasty storm, but there's enough to cover the fields and make some drifts. The kids have been taking advantage of two snow days off school to wear the bottom off one of their (expensive) LL Bean snow tubes but hauling it behind the four wheeler and seeing how many of three can stay on while the fourth tries to whip them off by doing donuts. Lucy hit the frozen, heavy concrete planter by the front step hard enough to knock it over, so they're getting velocity and momentum!</p><p>The Belties are doing great and thoroughly enjoy their barn. One of the OGs, #25, came into heat late last week, but by the time we managed to get her in with the bull, we had missed the heat, so it's on the calendar for next month. I was torn about breeding her now as it'll mess a bit with the schedule for next year, but it seems more prudent to have her calf in October than let her get too fat all summer on grass, only to get bred in September. </p><p>I'm trying to take the positive out of this situation, which is to say that I THINK she's the only one who came into heat, which hopefully means that Beowulf, our bull, did in fact manage to breed the rest of the herd. </p><p>We castrated the little bull calf that arrived on New Years, Buster, which was a bit sad, given that he is purebred to fancy genetics, but my management capacity can't at this point manage two bulls with the mere hope of selling him as breeding stock. (That's one thing I was stunned at reading my old blogs. It seems we had unlimited optimism and confidence as younger farmers! Breeding sheep, getting a dairy cow for the first time, purchasing extra chickens, making first-time dairy products, all with multiple babies underfoot and almost no experience with any of it! I don't read much doubt or worry in any of the posts. Just a wide-eyed wonder and enthusiasm that seems to have more-than carried over any hardships. While I don't feel "old" I think that is a defining characteristic. Am I overthinking it all now or was I under thinking it all then? Good on ya young folks, you're what makes things tick along at break-neck pace!). So all that to say, Buster will likely be our first taste of Barnyard Organics beef at some point in a couple years!</p><p>Mark's new blue tractor is meeting all expectations and making him a very happy farmer. There's some talk about PTO problems or implements not matching the power of the tractor or some such thing, but generally things seem to be working fine. Here's to optimism for planting season!</p><p>Our farm hand, Browen, is away for the month of February, which adds some challenges in some ways, but also reduces Mark's mental load in ensuring valuable work for someone else. It also means I'll have to step up to be the feed miller more reliably, which is fine. </p><p>The kids are well. I'm really enjoying raising teenagers (which is incidentally the mantra I repeat when Lucy is particularly difficult to deal with). </p><p>I don't want to risk losing my audience (is anyone even out there?) too soon so I won't go on with further details just now, and I have to get out and make sure my bull has water on this chilly morning but I'm thrilled to be back! Stretching these particular writing muscles feels like a deep, delicious yoga I'd almost forgotten. </p><p>May this find you feeling some winter sun on your face and crunchy snow under your feet!</p><p>-Sally</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-51825018859153081352023-01-12T15:15:00.002-04:002023-01-12T15:19:07.361-04:00Eating Each Other's Food<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9HeYD-WQBaEQ5I__pEB6I1uzXZTJLvL85mf4cvMExi6T76jznEHuGcqMou3wMW2d7fyYCeQnO20purrahTOq49cZ4eDMfG_1T1lvE5ZSHNJbRSoaDfL7ZSgEz0f9gVJrPfqhyU_FX04mCJtVUQVHceaVK9m_N1D2r2Mui0Q_3DdukypSF_8u7v1K/s4032/IMG_2348.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9HeYD-WQBaEQ5I__pEB6I1uzXZTJLvL85mf4cvMExi6T76jznEHuGcqMou3wMW2d7fyYCeQnO20purrahTOq49cZ4eDMfG_1T1lvE5ZSHNJbRSoaDfL7ZSgEz0f9gVJrPfqhyU_FX04mCJtVUQVHceaVK9m_N1D2r2Mui0Q_3DdukypSF_8u7v1K/w640-h480/IMG_2348.JPG" width="640" /></a>Our household isn’t growing by numbers anymore, but our collective appetite is in a stage of exponential growth and one I expect to continue for a few years yet. Mark and I are not small people and neither are our offspring and we all love to eat. We acknowledge, nearly daily, how lucky we are to be able to raise and eat the food we do. We say the name of the animal and the part we’re eating, we talk about the farmer who grew the veggies, or the country from which some exotic ingredient came. We’ll research how something we’re not familiar with grows, how it might be harvested, how it gets to us. We’ll marvel over the colour and stain of a pickled beet, the yellowness of creamy, summer butter, the orange brightness of egg yolks from pastured hens and the flavour of the milk when the cow moves to fresh clover. We’ll all give a new cheese a deep whiff, gently poke at rising bread, nip some chilling cookie dough from the fridge and crunch into a sweet, cold carrot from the winter storage, gripping it with a mittened hand as we make our way back to the house with a bunch for supper.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYubtaBL7APHkaT_0PEyuSpxZGLC3xdtWmRfmlU-Ui2ABVcRLcvn0aDld8uDJuGXDl53RaKWhbQI4vH7wN7sxELlelIExBlPw3ahTy4qp3NKDVThmKMZi5Cy2yNUGYsClhpZ54kT5YLxdfI_BQXxJk5z2BeUUDdWHKiXh3NAYtg51VW6EQmpHBe0Ts/s3024/F6253BA5-838F-42A9-9032-2B655717E149.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYubtaBL7APHkaT_0PEyuSpxZGLC3xdtWmRfmlU-Ui2ABVcRLcvn0aDld8uDJuGXDl53RaKWhbQI4vH7wN7sxELlelIExBlPw3ahTy4qp3NKDVThmKMZi5Cy2yNUGYsClhpZ54kT5YLxdfI_BQXxJk5z2BeUUDdWHKiXh3NAYtg51VW6EQmpHBe0Ts/s320/F6253BA5-838F-42A9-9032-2B655717E149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">But that doesn’t mean I don’t get in a rut and tired of cooking. Some days, especially if I haven’t prepared anything in advance, it feels like drudgery and I start to resent this part of my job. I’ll mutter to myself about time wasting and hastily throw together a meal of relative convenience that checks bare-minimum boxes of completion and nutrition, but is hardly inspired or inspiring. Like, who decided that rather than just eat wheat, we should have to grind it up, make flour and then turn that flour into arduous pasta, or pie crusts, or bread or crackers. Why do we go to such lengths to put together some elaborate cream sauce when we could just eat some garlic, drink some milk, chew some herbs and save all the time and effort?</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUzG7zafk7gl-xIput3OVQF8hF1JGyKML2u0nsxmGSWEno9rDffM5MhrNYGD8lmaTni68J_SYWJV7j4rPiuYaMRtTRAPo2bc6hnHm9IdRN73tk6_7U94N40zAqEo6B52ecLDqSC0pobtkvuqWCCQ6aw7Ol7oIGGI_ECb0fFJv9enXtkcY2nBLFjTC/s2576/67752135188__C14F6F89-DAA1-42F6-A264-86B3D9BDA092.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUzG7zafk7gl-xIput3OVQF8hF1JGyKML2u0nsxmGSWEno9rDffM5MhrNYGD8lmaTni68J_SYWJV7j4rPiuYaMRtTRAPo2bc6hnHm9IdRN73tk6_7U94N40zAqEo6B52ecLDqSC0pobtkvuqWCCQ6aw7Ol7oIGGI_ECb0fFJv9enXtkcY2nBLFjTC/w311-h414/67752135188__C14F6F89-DAA1-42F6-A264-86B3D9BDA092.JPG" width="311" /></a></p><div style="text-align: left;">So this year, with my usual new years resolution gusto, I decided I wanted to avoid those occasional resentful moments in my kitchen. And I got to thinking about an idea I heard a couple years ago that suggests that at the most basic level, our entire purpose here, as humans on earth is to eat each other’s food. <br /><span lang="EN-CA">We might have grand ideas about the change we’re making in the world, or the importance of our careers, our goals, etc. But at the foundation of it all, at our very core as part of humanity, we’re here to be a member of a larger community and within that community, we eat. <br /></span><span lang="EN-CA">Why not make it awesome? Why not perfect that favourite sauce, why not make the fluffiest pancakes, use the sweetest cream from a cow on alfalfa pastures, find the best variety of corn for our garden soil, explore new flavours and interesting ingredients? <br /></span><span lang="EN-CA"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-CA">When I’m able to think about it in that context, I start to think that we’ve actually been tricked into thinking cooking is drudgery and the kitchen is a jail cell. It’s easier for the profits of food companies if we think that so that we’ll buy more convenience foods, we’ll rely more on others to keep us fed so we have less control over what we eat and how it’s made. If we believe the lie that food is complicated, expensive and better left to someone else, we’ve missed the entire point of being here. <br /></span><span lang="EN-CA"> <br /></span><span lang="EN-CA">To eat each other’s food.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQd0M-_jSpP4BgE0O3QJAV82TIboth5baGX1681wez4AQiQXJAS8mnbpt5Qx7XgG37z0KAbUevQ04V6cZu5dJAKG1XsiNb2CPxiQTkOYhK46fB_IZqK6LKN2d8fKzvcdLtiRQrC0Dna_mjoVq8QysY09B3N3lpZC8-_TybqvRyvCzCRXJ3S9dQ2i_g" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQd0M-_jSpP4BgE0O3QJAV82TIboth5baGX1681wez4AQiQXJAS8mnbpt5Qx7XgG37z0KAbUevQ04V6cZu5dJAKG1XsiNb2CPxiQTkOYhK46fB_IZqK6LKN2d8fKzvcdLtiRQrC0Dna_mjoVq8QysY09B3N3lpZC8-_TybqvRyvCzCRXJ3S9dQ2i_g" width="150" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">to be continued...</p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-37988987643069863612022-03-25T16:02:00.003-03:002022-03-25T16:02:57.936-03:00One Helluva Pipe(dream)<div class="separator"><div style="text-align: left;">Big numbers can be tricky to get ones head around. It's why they get kindergarten kids to bring in 100 of something on the 100th day of school. Our brains sometimes struggle to grasp the enormity of big numbers. </div></div><p> 340,000 is a huge number. I've been trying to get my head around just how big that number is in the context of litres.</p><p>A Boeing 747 uses 14,400 litres of jet fuel per hour. So 340000 litres would be enough for a 24 hr flight and then some. </p><p>A round, backyard pool measuring 15 ft across and 5 ft deep holds 25000 L. You could have nearly 13 pools in your backyard and still not have 340000 L of water in them. </p><p>A large milk truck holds roughly 20,000L. So you'd need 17 milk trucks to hold 340,000 L. </p><p>Yet, somehow last summer, a pipe moving liquid cow manure through a culvert and across a field burst and for three hours, gushed liquid shit at a rate of <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">340,000 L PER HOUR</span>. FOR THREE HOURS. That's a total of well over 1 MILLION LITRES OF TOXIC LIQUID MANURE in a matter of THREE HOURS. </p><p><img alt="" height="439" src="https://i.cbc.ca/1.5603278.1593190053!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/dead-fish-cousins-shore-p-e-i.jpg" width="598" /></p><p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-farm-fish-kill-manure-fined-1.6395209">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-farm-fish-kill-manure-fined-1.6395209</a></p><p>I keep waiting for this number to be corrected in the CBC article, thinking it simply cannot be correct. But it still stands, a day later and is based, presumably on court documents, so must be correct. It is little surprise then that the reported number of brook trout was 600 and that's just the ones they found. The nearby public beach was closed for the season and shellfish was limited in the area. </p><p>The take away from this article is not about this specific farm however. It's not even about the shit or the fish. It's the fact that we've designed a system to heralds the capacity and size of farms like this. We've placed efficiency and cheap food on such a high pedestal over the values of sustainability and ecological awareness that we shouldn't be shocked when disasters like this happen. </p><p>We can discuss the multiple dangers of liquid manure another time, but consider that a small farm wouldn't likely be moving manure so far. They wouldn't be moving it by pipeline. They wouldn't have such a large pipe or pump system. Manure wouldn't be a waste product to be rid of, but a valuable input to be managed and monitored closely. A small farm would never have found itself in the position of being in court for spilling liquid manure at a rate of THREE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND LITRES PER HOUR.</p><p>$50,000 is a significant fine in the world of PEI agriculture and it might even lead to changes on that farm. But it doesn't do anything to move us toward a system of more, smaller farms with more farmers and happier neighbours. </p><p><br /></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-62294159073955378382022-01-27T05:50:00.003-04:002022-01-27T05:53:25.416-04:00The Dangerous Part<p> The argument over whether the trucker convoy headed to Ottawa is a bunch of hillbilly-anti-vax-white-nationalists or the most hopeful momentum of protest against government restrictions is a distraction from what I think is the real tipping point here, and it only serves to continue to divide the country even further.</p><p>This has grown into a much larger issue than just vaccine choices and while some will certainly frame the protest in such a light, given the scope of support it's seeing, I think it's important to consider that it is much more than a single issue movement (and in fact, some would argue is not about vaccine choice at all). </p><p>When Trump was elected, I was among those who was astounded and confused. And I stayed that way for the first months of his election, confused over the support such a deplorable leader could rally. But the more I paid attention to the kind of folks who were behind him, the more clear it became that it was less about him as a person and more about him as a boisterous voice, an attention getter. He was offering a very public and loud voice for a large segment of people who felt ignored and marginalized. Whether they actually were or not, is up for debate in a different article, but they FELT they were and they were angry about it. </p><p>I think we're seeing a glimpse of that with this Freedom Convoy. There are a lot of people who have kept their opinions to themselves about the rules and regulations over the last couple years. The risk of saying anything against the rules was to risk being labelled a careless, selfish bigot who doesn't care if vulnerable people die so rather than question a publicly supported narrative, a lot of folks have kept to themselves. Some, more vocal folks have fanned dangerous flames on the internet, spawning lots of questionable information and garnering support from some vulnerable folks. </p><p>But there are a lot of people who roll their eyes at the angry Facebook warriors and still have questions that they're scared to ask and are frustrated at the limited dialogue. Just as there were a lot of folks who didn't attend Trump rallies but who still quietly put their vote beside his name because they finally felt heard. Just as there are a lot of people in support of the convoy who have never posted a comment on the internet, waved a flag or complained to you about any of the rules. </p><p>So if you're someone who has been publicly critical, shared a dismissive article, maybe posted a clever meme or come up with a cynical new pun for the name of the movement, consider that there may be someone close to you who you assume has the same views as you, but has just been keeping to themselves because that is what is acceptable. Consider that by sharing your negative views of what is (thus far) a peaceful protest that is clearly supported by a lot of folks, you're making yourself yet one more unsafe place for that person to turn with their questions. </p><p>And if your reaction to that is, "Good! I don't want to be a safe place for 'anti-vaxxers'! They're not worth my time!" then it's time to consider that you're no better than the most vocal, unmovable protester and we'll never reach common ground as a country. </p><p>And the problem with that, is that we risk electing officials over ideologies and not policies. That's where things get dangerous. </p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-75911742891844346972021-12-21T10:36:00.002-04:002021-12-21T10:39:45.113-04:00Values Chain<p> I've been putting off writing this. For all kinds of reasons, but mostly because I just don't want to acknowledge what's in it. </p><p>We have to raise our feed prices. </p><p>Womp womp.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6krzRaQMlFAn-ZoTkbK-m1uk0PD8VpfBRM9A6o9DGagcYmYVxohhccnb5Jw7rOJQ1e6DOZBX6fNSfiQJrkfgDGCrgYUvhTzBqJLxEi9z29puoEoO2vNLrGZC0mUgjWXhpnPAxfWuf8zJvYWyikx-44wotOhRcxgMUCAAfcnA5BJ0dVRS5TNA_iBGf=s2048" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6krzRaQMlFAn-ZoTkbK-m1uk0PD8VpfBRM9A6o9DGagcYmYVxohhccnb5Jw7rOJQ1e6DOZBX6fNSfiQJrkfgDGCrgYUvhTzBqJLxEi9z29puoEoO2vNLrGZC0mUgjWXhpnPAxfWuf8zJvYWyikx-44wotOhRcxgMUCAAfcnA5BJ0dVRS5TNA_iBGf=s320" width="240" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>Sometimes we get teased that we're the vertically integrated Irving-esque organic farmers of the region. We grow much of our own seed for our own grain, for our own feed for our livestock that we process and market ourselves. We didn't start out that way, but I will admit the comfort I take in some of our food security here, to a degree. </p><p></p><p>And I think as a result of that vertical integration I thought we might be immune to all the wacky fluctuations happening *gestures wildly about*. I think I foolishly thought that because we knew our cost of production and our margins, we could to control the pricing and honour that crucial part of our values statement that says,</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ae594529-7fff-36be-7835-5dc6e3f9b04f"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Barnyard Organics is a diversified, family-friendly, soil-focused farm with a priority on organic integrity from seed to feed and <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">keeping products fair and accessible to the regional community</span>."</span></span></p></blockquote><p>I knew better. I know enough about our upside down global food system to know that no one is separate from the policies and politics that affect our food. Including us. </p><p>As East Coast Organic Grainery grew, we have had to purchase more and more grains from other farmers. And we're thrilled to do so. It says right on our bag how much supporting organic farmers matters because more consistent demand means more acres turning over to organic production. Which means fewer pesticides & chemical fertilizers and more emphasis on soil biodiversity and agroecology. But those same organic farmers have choices of where to send their product and we can't blame them for choosing the highest bidder. If a broker in Ontario will pay $1500 per tonne for raw organic beans, we can't expect them to take last year's price from us, just so we can keep our feed prices the same. </p><p>We saw organic field pea prices rise last year and a general shortage meant we had to source from outside the Maritimes for the first time which meant a subsequent rise in the price for peas. It was our first sign of things to come.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLFXR96GDVFHrufwC9Q1sFfm1Ts_yAtIPcxUYw8kdZaU7pEttqB2RUfef8Qght4urLhFp-qq66zjqp2WxAFzxTohaxxaKNLAO4QwzBIuVmfXMF6n_a4qJvZbJl4bs4gkw6X_UkDd_yODk2va92MlOEYWMeNDbrg8rwQRZ50HhBmaYo0vTx70tFgsBZ=s448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="448" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLFXR96GDVFHrufwC9Q1sFfm1Ts_yAtIPcxUYw8kdZaU7pEttqB2RUfef8Qght4urLhFp-qq66zjqp2WxAFzxTohaxxaKNLAO4QwzBIuVmfXMF6n_a4qJvZbJl4bs4gkw6X_UkDd_yODk2va92MlOEYWMeNDbrg8rwQRZ50HhBmaYo0vTx70tFgsBZ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Overall, this current price hike is due mostly to the significant increase in the price for soybeans, one of our main staple ingredients. But all the grains have gone up. Which means all of the feeds have gone up. Even the SoyFree options. </p><p>We know that choosing our feed is already a decision made based on values. Not the lowest value, but the highest valueS. Like wanting to support a local mill, Maritime farmers, soil health, non GMO, simple ingredients, organic grains, etc. And because we share all the same values, we absorbed the higher costs for a while, hoping this blip would pass and we could get back to ensuring our feed was accessible to all those who wanted it. But now, even after trimming our margins and having a hard look at all the excel sheets and data, we can't absorb it anymore. Prices are going up. </p><p>And it isn't easy. There are undoubtedly cheaper options out there. Some of you may be forced to switch based on dollar alone. We understand and hope that you will be back. We will still continue to insist on the best grains, simple recipes, high quality minerals and really great feed. </p><p> We're all swimming upstream against this strange and sudden tide of inflation that no one can make sense of and no one seems to be able to avoid or control. </p><p><br /></p><p>This is an outtake from an OLD Christmas card of ours, but it feels appropriate for the moment. Things are a little fuzzy, a bit confused, not quite aligned and we sometimes put on an overdone smile, but we still hold out hope. For it all.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSbfeRssPrcM-vjdJiwuaCa6XEYTlZxm16YtSqIOW6OL-YTmaMDi9-5hIZpAJ-48G3ttRZIcNsyKG5tz3CXZRHeORBHtq_Vy4NhgYR0UYvB1ZNtLq9fRpaInYK---kv29zhzfh1wbk90eKOKxyRsuUVdax8OgVmDW728ULdkj-y2lpZz31NUgkYIWe=s2848" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="2848" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSbfeRssPrcM-vjdJiwuaCa6XEYTlZxm16YtSqIOW6OL-YTmaMDi9-5hIZpAJ-48G3ttRZIcNsyKG5tz3CXZRHeORBHtq_Vy4NhgYR0UYvB1ZNtLq9fRpaInYK---kv29zhzfh1wbk90eKOKxyRsuUVdax8OgVmDW728ULdkj-y2lpZz31NUgkYIWe=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-9885352776796458592021-11-23T15:45:00.005-04:002021-11-23T15:45:55.375-04:00Warts 'N All<p> Well well well, three holes in the ground. Or in this case, just one big hole with a bunch of PEI potato farmers tossed in it by the Feds while politics plays itself out in the theatre of cross border posturing. And one "farmer" sitting up on the edge of the hole looking down, grinning and counting his money.</p><p>We all know how much I love to hate Cavendish Farms and the Irving oligarchs. But if this current situation isn't one in which to take a more critical look at them, I don't know what it will take. Of all the businesses and farms affected by the potato wart border closure, Cavendish farms is the one business that stands to BENEFIT from it all. As buyers of potatoes, they now rest as the closest and easiest market for all the potatoes from the fields with wart and now all the potatoes that won't be sold across the border. Desperate farmers who are watching their market go up in smoke will be looking for willing buyers and who will be gleefully rubbing their hands together at an abundance of local spuds at reduced prices? </p><p>Even if the potatoes DON'T go to them, what is their incentive to keep the wart in check? They are virtually unaffected by any fresh potato border closure and are always looking for more product so besides the hassle of extra cleaning of their gear at digging time, and some extra CFIA oversight (for which they have people hired to deal with), why would they be particular about keeping it contained? What is their inventive, as a business that buys potatoes that are not sale-able, and then buys farms that are no longer viable because of lost markets? </p><p>I know there are lots of farmers and employees on PEI who will never speak their mind on the Irvings for fear of retribution, loss of contract, loss of employment, etc. But until we look this exploitive monopoly in the face and call it what it is, we're just continuing to rail at the heavens, clutch our pearls and pretend we don't know any better. When we know better, we can do better and now we know. </p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-86471743065232043402021-06-20T12:37:00.003-03:002021-06-20T12:37:23.657-03:00VHA (vax hesitant anonymous)<p> My name is Sally and I am vaccine-hesitant. I'm here because I am scared about the reactions and expectations of people when they learn that about me and I thought if I shared it here, it won't be such a shock for my friends and family when they see me in person. </p><p>My concern is strictly on long term effects. I don't buy into any of the computer chip, anti-science rhetoric, but the companies producing the vaccines will be the first to admit that they have no data on long term effects. I understand how the vaccines work, both the mRNA and otherwise, and I understand the work that has gone on for decades prior to these being available today. Many will think that I have been influenced by radicals or extremists, but the truth is that I just want more information and time before making a decision.</p><p>To be clear I'm not all-vaccine-hesitant. All my own and my kids' vaccines are up to date and I believe in the importance of herd immunity against diseases that we know have saved pain and strife for so many over the decades. I had hesitancy against H1N1 when it was all the stir, but ended up taking the kids in for that one as well. </p><p>I will not be supporting my children getting the Covid-19 vaccine in the near future. </p><p>I got my own first dose of Pfizer in early June and it was under duress and great anxiety, but I knew that my province would not allow me to freely visit my out-of-province family without it. Since long term effects is my concern, it is less of a concern for me than what I perceive for children. </p><p>When I compare the data of children contracting Covid as well as the data around children getting ill from Covid, to the data of myocarditis showing up in adolescents (particularly boys) following the vaccine, I cannot wrap my head around justifying the vaccine for kids. Some science suggests that children can pass the disease to others, but with vaccine rates so high, especially vulnerable populations, I continue to struggle to understand the pressure on 12 year olds to receive a shot that carries more risk than the risks associated with the extremely low rates of Covid symptoms in kids. </p><p>None of this opinion should matter, except that my home province of PEI has made it very burdensome to travel without vaccination. For example, my two children who are over 12 and have not been vaccinated will be required to isolate for 8 days upon returning from NB to visit their grandparents who they haven't seen in 7 months. This means they are not to leave the property to go to the beach, to go to sports, to see friends, etc. Given that we usually go to NB every second weekend, that would give them roughly 4 days every two weeks of 'freedom'. Their isolation includes multiple trips to the testing clinic 20 minutes away, and they cannot be tested at the check point at the border, so thats another special trip. </p><p>But again, none of this is even the greatest concern for me. It was a recent moment at a bonfire with friends when it became clear that one friend felt that vaccines should be mandatory and children without them should be kept separate from those who have the shot. I knew these opinions existed, but I foolishly assumed that it would be those on the fringes. Just as I'm sure she thought that those who weren't getting their kids vaccinated were on the fringes. I suspect we surprised each other and it was helpful to hear the perspectives of others. </p><p>But as I slipped away from the fire to take some deep breaths and consider what I was feeling, I realized that a lot of my anxiety about going home, finally, after all these months, lie in worry over the opinions I'll meet there. Will my assumption that family ties are stronger than emotions about vaccine choice prove true? Can I hug everyone without worrying that someone will turn away? Will I be invited to all family events, knowing that some in my small family have chosen not to vaccinate? Will anyone confront me and share anger over my choices? Will my 'home' be a safe place? </p><p><br /></p><p>It's this anxiety over what this pandemic has done to relationships that breaks my heart and keeps me up at night. I 100% support the choice of everyone to do what feels right for them. I am so glad that there is a vaccination that helps people feel safer and able to move around again. If it doesn't make me feel safer, and in fact feels scary, where do I stand with the people I love? Can we agree to disagree or is my family a perceived threat to those who feel vaccination is necessary? I'm at a loss to reconcile these parts of who I am and I am so tired of the all-consuming space its taken up in my head and heart. </p><p>So there it is. Are we ok?</p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-56780462335885954472021-04-20T21:16:00.000-03:002021-04-20T21:16:02.280-03:00The Barnyardigans Grow Up and Get a Schedule<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J42kN9GoCbJ4ImZlBLZqI4oVoW8-462yI_qvHnxKUT6G8wDCwgFMAD5_ZBQr45y-8EYD0WUrSBOndQrUiBP2CknlLLn_RXr3sCLtb4vtIGiA2eBQ6E-RQLjdz4F-2QUuMl3idcrCwA0/s1080/Hours+Update+2021.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J42kN9GoCbJ4ImZlBLZqI4oVoW8-462yI_qvHnxKUT6G8wDCwgFMAD5_ZBQr45y-8EYD0WUrSBOndQrUiBP2CknlLLn_RXr3sCLtb4vtIGiA2eBQ6E-RQLjdz4F-2QUuMl3idcrCwA0/w400-h400/Hours+Update+2021.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The closest we've ever come to a strict schedule around here is "No one works on Sunday (besides the mandatory livestock chores)".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But with planting season approaching and the feed mill busier than ever, we're testing the waters of a new scheduling system which is going to require a little more planning on the part of our customers. Any orders of feed being shipped directly to them, including retailers, should expect two delivery days per week. We have been, to now, shipping on demand, but to streamline things a bit for space and human resources, we're hoping that a regular schedule will help (and maybe even get us some better shipping quotes?).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for folks who pick up at the farm, please note the daily shut down from noon-1. This is going to be a tough one, since it seems that many customers like to come at meal times, but if someone comes between those times, they may have to wait until 1. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Behind the scenes of all this is a more scheduled feed mixing schedule as well. We're hopeful that Monday and Wednesday will be enough to complete the orders for the week. So for example, if you place an order on Wednesday night, it means that it won't be made until Monday morning and then shipped the next day, Tuesday. We recognize that this could pose some real challenges for folks who have gotten used to our on-demand service. We will be flexible for the first few weeks, but are hopeful that we can all transition to this schedule in order to ease the pressures on everyone at this busy farm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope that this does not create a difficult challenge for you, outside of a little added planning. Happier feed millers must make for better feed?!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thank you so much in advance for your understanding and willingness to give this a go. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sincerely,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mark & Sally</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-87102581398386429192021-04-15T10:41:00.005-03:002021-04-15T10:41:41.009-03:00Our Hideaway Homestead - Balcom Family Farm<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Farmer Feature</span></p><p>I'm hoping to start a new series where we highlight a customer of ours and feature their farm and products on social media, but I wanted it to also exist in a larger, more permanent format, so to the blog we go!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0FJ_-vxnQU_MsQAxUvavV-i0e9DqBU8BtkeoQzoWiAAeDEDx7LBpIOKKfijekY8ROT0_5nydYWYx0o0aToLhbomwi2SrZhgCrmdBEM2ZGqHbycBmgokqktDb6bJ_icGdEYbIvIcy1nc/s1081/IMG_8952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0FJ_-vxnQU_MsQAxUvavV-i0e9DqBU8BtkeoQzoWiAAeDEDx7LBpIOKKfijekY8ROT0_5nydYWYx0o0aToLhbomwi2SrZhgCrmdBEM2ZGqHbycBmgokqktDb6bJ_icGdEYbIvIcy1nc/w640-h640/IMG_8952.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>If you're a superfan, you might have noticed that the photos of goats on our website recently got a major facelift from the stock photos we were using (not having any goats ourselves), to having the sweetest faces of some beautiful Nubian goats that look like they're part of the most bad-ass band cover shoot ever!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngnouEPFfiAa-lDfVqQ1TX15NY5tbbMsEdZP3BknaoXZy7S1SqsyZ9KpraO7iYrQMP50htyj3uX0qrMy-gkxuknFHtov73xdhh_jQAp_YSieft30svoGo5AhFB7sVTO42ziki6xnuROk/s431/Screen+Shot+2021-04-15+at+10.10.22+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="431" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngnouEPFfiAa-lDfVqQ1TX15NY5tbbMsEdZP3BknaoXZy7S1SqsyZ9KpraO7iYrQMP50htyj3uX0qrMy-gkxuknFHtov73xdhh_jQAp_YSieft30svoGo5AhFB7sVTO42ziki6xnuROk/w400-h338/Screen+Shot+2021-04-15+at+10.10.22+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Those beauties spend their days in the beautiful area of Sundridge, NS, just outside Pictou. Our Hideaway Homestead is the dream of the Balcom family who nourish themselves and their community with the harvest of their thoughtfully raised products. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kMGpCmsZ1L5Vd4cNXrpzX_I-MYJBdQPPDXgX8CsRSFGEGjxZ7c3wl9X4osTzNBnC4LopQpfV5PqpU4pCoLeq-KOURY-8byPcNfcLbhbkN1XGUCCyyJmUKhgqe2i5sSDOFWvSt2Li1Bs/s960/IMG_8951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kMGpCmsZ1L5Vd4cNXrpzX_I-MYJBdQPPDXgX8CsRSFGEGjxZ7c3wl9X4osTzNBnC4LopQpfV5PqpU4pCoLeq-KOURY-8byPcNfcLbhbkN1XGUCCyyJmUKhgqe2i5sSDOFWvSt2Li1Bs/s320/IMG_8951.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHxBVKaUnzXI-a9YSle9plvxS1diJ8n0lM0h092Wg1oJKH0QnR9jHA2x6Boxps1nDQW1Vq-3DFSEPeDopSluJxefoTmWBGIiRphSOYftkkB1CfJLDVMEYMwNUfKiQVcj_17i6YCUPwUE/s960/IMG_8953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHxBVKaUnzXI-a9YSle9plvxS1diJ8n0lM0h092Wg1oJKH0QnR9jHA2x6Boxps1nDQW1Vq-3DFSEPeDopSluJxefoTmWBGIiRphSOYftkkB1CfJLDVMEYMwNUfKiQVcj_17i6YCUPwUE/s320/IMG_8953.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">You can find their Facebook page under </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ourhideawayhomestead" style="text-align: left;">Our Hideaway Homestead Balcom Family Farm</a><span style="text-align: left;"> and their photos will make you dream of your own little piece of paradise in the country. With their kids, Cory and Michelle raise pastured pork, beef and chickens. Michelle is passionate about her beautiful goats and is a Registered Nubian Breeder (CAE and Johne's tested herd). You might be one of the lucky ones to be on their list for their consciously raised meats and eggs. Or maybe you're looking to get into goats and want to make sure you start with the best breeding stock, in which case, there is no better first stop than the Balcoms who have kids available each spring. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF6WTYcNqUPqbj5EPlzVXV9b1rLPzg6lNH40p4w5nD9VXrdpkCx6hnBhFhyx1KP6DFLPk8kxbaLds1iVdWU8AUpA8x8zA3pRopq2baGwq9bVZ-Wo7nQo_bZ5wDsEJf4k7OiFDWNUlpGk/s961/IMG_8947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="961" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF6WTYcNqUPqbj5EPlzVXV9b1rLPzg6lNH40p4w5nD9VXrdpkCx6hnBhFhyx1KP6DFLPk8kxbaLds1iVdWU8AUpA8x8zA3pRopq2baGwq9bVZ-Wo7nQo_bZ5wDsEJf4k7OiFDWNUlpGk/w400-h225/IMG_8947.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're new to this sweet little farm and in the area, don't put off contacting them. Their products sell quickly and you'll miss it if you're not on the list!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXUzORzPL_a5wcyJh6d-GWuOo2cQWBzHGscTOfKmassST1q4XXHnsRfRDKMXAitgIH83h4r-oLIS6SM2avPXCuTvBJtAuzUKvME3HfTmMVYIvkkKSK3CUdYdrfZSZjwaFQKlEsovENWc/s622/IMG_8954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXUzORzPL_a5wcyJh6d-GWuOo2cQWBzHGscTOfKmassST1q4XXHnsRfRDKMXAitgIH83h4r-oLIS6SM2avPXCuTvBJtAuzUKvME3HfTmMVYIvkkKSK3CUdYdrfZSZjwaFQKlEsovENWc/s320/IMG_8954.JPG" /></a></div>If you needed another reason to love these hard working farmers, they recently won the $100 Barnyard Bucks contest that we held and opted to donate it back for us to provide a deserving family with... a surprise that will the topic of another blog. <div><br /></div><div>We're so pleased to count these folks as customers and we look forward to their updates and growth in the seasons to come!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc323KBcyFLLWfyEsQwQkXYDtrdOd2PSY5FStpIuyrRD46TI8j_6jXoj8glxUDu6mvmozWEA5nenTLr6VNCVcur1_61CbMaWdAw-yYzhgbvPfnft0Jm1meUNdN5t-kHvTLk5ljmAcG5k/s960/IMG_8948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc323KBcyFLLWfyEsQwQkXYDtrdOd2PSY5FStpIuyrRD46TI8j_6jXoj8glxUDu6mvmozWEA5nenTLr6VNCVcur1_61CbMaWdAw-yYzhgbvPfnft0Jm1meUNdN5t-kHvTLk5ljmAcG5k/w480-h640/IMG_8948.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-9266362948858457912021-03-13T10:06:00.003-04:002021-03-13T10:06:37.008-04:00High Capacity for Ecological Ruin<p> It's a sunny Friday afternoon and this rock of anxiety that has been sitting on my chest all week as the new Environment Minister, Stephen Myers, has bullied and forced his will on our PEI ecology with a certain disgusting kind of joy. So I do what makes me feel better. Write a pointed letter. </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"I’m writing today as a farmer in the Wilmot and Dunk River watershed. We farm 550 acres smack dab in the middle of the potato belt. In the last few years: </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">we’ve witnessed several new 'ponds' within a 2km radius of our farm (4 in the last 6 months), in addition to the ones built prior to that. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve had the land around and beside us bought up by the devious workings of lawyers and the ineffective enforcement of the Lands Protection Act. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The stream that we fish and play in and was pumped below safe levels after the approval of our government representatives during a severe drought this past summer. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The hedgerows that hold the snow and cut the wind, and the wooded areas that serve as wildlife habitat and corridors have been decimated and removed at incredible rates to make way for larger fields and bigger, heavier equipment.</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Premier King & Minister Myers, it is at your own political peril to let the lobbyists and CEO’s of food corporations convince you that the naysayers are merely a handful of pearl-clutching protesters who hold no influence. We live here and visibly witness the continued disregard for the ecology of this area, because the policies to protect it are either ineffective or non-existent. Our livelihood as farmers is threatened not by the climate as much as it is by weak leadership that makes it possible, and even paves the way for an exploitation of our natural resources and landscape. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The rising tide of land clearing, holding ponds, shady land deals, high capacity wells and a dismissal of public concerns is making for some very strong swimmers and we will not be drowned by your turning a blind eye and reminding us that we’re not the boss, as our newest Minister of the Environment is all too happy to share. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">A change in tone, a backbone and some policy with teeth (and shorter deadlines) would go a long way in ensuring not only a longer political career, but healthy soil, air and water for Prince Edward Islanders."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-8634994323339191712021-03-06T13:03:00.001-04:002021-03-06T13:03:50.797-04:00The Ageless Octogenarian<p> My strong-willed mother turns 80 today and as a way to honour her special day, I wrote a tiny, broad memoir as a tribute. Re-reading it, I realized it sounded like a long form, slightly irreverant obituary. So I contemplated not sharing it, wanting to avoid offending anyone, but I still think it's a decent story of a great life thus far (and I know Mom appreciates a well-written obit anyway-haha!) so here it is:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">Born March 6, 1941, few who witnessed the tiny jaundiced baby, struggling in the shoebox by the woodstove would have predicted the spitfire she would become. Never one to let her small stature determine her ability, she flourished as a middle child of four under the guidance of her strong and capable mother, Mabel, particularly during the years that her father, David, was at war. It is likely during those years that the seeds of a fierce independence and an unrelenting work ethic took root that formed the foundation of the determination to come in Winnie’s life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">She graduated early, and top of her class, but don’t be fooled into thinking she was a bookish wallflower. On the contrary, her quick wit, easy smile and smooth moves attracted the admiration of a certain tall drink of water from the country. Seen together at Frankie’s Dance Hall, rumours of Fred and Winnie’s dalliance soon proved true with an engagement and beautiful June wedding. (It’s a rare bride who can still wear their wedding dress at their 60<sup>th</sup> wedding anniversary.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">Winnie never questioned her desired future and happily jumped at motherhood with enthusiasm. Never one to do things half-arsed, she dove in headfirst and had her first four babies within 2 years. Decidedly in the thick of things, she maintained a pace of bread-baking, diaper washing and face wiping to sustain 8 babies in 10 years. One might think that that would be sufficient, but evidently Winnie and Fred disagreed, proving their agelessness with one more baby a meagre 12 years later, just as their first (of 23) grandkids were beginning to arrive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">Maybe it was her strenuous start to the world, but Winnie is ever-reluctant to show a moment of weakness. A volleyball knee injury in the 80s was the target of a mean-spirited ram a decade later, which brought her down, but only temporarily. Another nasty sheep some years later levelled his tender shepherd with a direct smash to the nose. None of this hardened Winnie’s heart to her livestock and she is always at the ready to fend off even the fiercest beast by whatever means necessary, firearms included. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">What she lacks in patience, she makes up for with quick judgement and decisiveness and it has served her well. In turn, she serves her community well, playing leadership roles at several levels of the church, at school committees and boards, at the local agricultural fair and within the sheep breeders organizations. Specializing in the role of secretary, any organization is lucky to have her ability to sift through the extraneous (BS), give a well-timed, murmured piece of advice to a chairperson and keep everyone on task. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">She honed the skills as the captain of her home ship, delegating tasks with the expectations of a small but mighty army general. With a low tolerance for laziness, unfinished work, deceitfulness and adult men in gym pants, Winnie suffers no fools. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">Some of her greatest joys include looking out at rolling pastures with bouncing lambs, lilac bushes bustling with a rainbow of busy birds, reading a good book beside a sweltering stove, being in the middle of a spirited get together of her kids and tightly-knit grandkids and enjoying a glass of sweet, cold wine while winning at a game of cards. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">Some of her skills include, but are not limited to puzzling out connections from the obituary section, shooting a deadly and well-aimed stink-eye, listening to multiple conversations at once, turning a meal for two into a meal for 8 in 30 seconds flat, identifying medical ailments of strangers at 50 paces and in her semi-annual swim, floating effortlessly with her feet out of the water and never getting her hair wet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;">A woman whose cookbooks have dirty pages on the best recipes, who can quilt a perfectly straight line while discussing the new babies in the community, whose bread and pie crusts are renowned, who is as likely to have tail docking bands in her pockets as pink peppermints and whose squeeze in church can say either “This is lovely” or “You better sit down and be quiet you little bugger” as clearly as words, is as proud of her kids as she is of their partners, but not nearly as proud as she is of her grandkids and great-grands, who all know her as perhaps her favourite title of all, <b>Poohie</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span><p></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-24055836741954824422021-02-10T16:34:00.000-04:002021-02-10T16:34:25.415-04:00I Dissent<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">What does Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the late and celebrated American Supreme Court Justice have to do with agriculture on PEI? Perhaps not much, but her famous dissentions have inspired this letter. Because like Ruth was, I am a member of a collective in which I am often the minority opinion, and likewise, my opinion is rarely represented or supported by the collective, in this case the PEI Federation of Agriculture. I am a farmer and I support other farmers, which is why I continue to support farm organizations and hold membership with them, expecting them to represent my voice and values to higher authorities. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Sadly, I’ve watched my representative organization continue to rally around decisions that support economy over environment, corporations over small farms and commodities over communities. The most recent push to remove the moratorium over high capacity wells and increase the capacity for irrigation has me feeling like a very small voice in a large room. <br />I receive newsletters encouraging me to contact my MLA regarding “the water issue”, assuming I will rally support for increased irrigation and water usage. But as I work in the buckle of the potato belt, waking to the whine of sprayers most mornings, watching soil wash into our deteriorating waterways, washing blowing red dirt off my siding, I struggle to get behind the chorus for measures that would facilitate even more industrialized exploitation of our resources.<br />Three new ‘ponds’ have been constructed within 5km of our farm in the last few weeks and while I of course do not support the use of high capacity wells for golf courses or leisure activities either, I cannot allow those objections to prevent me from acknowledging the short-sightedness of further loosening of regulations around our water. And while I abhor the pressure that farmers feel to take perfectly arable land out of production to build huge well-water-fed ponds, I again cannot let my empathy for their position overshadow my concerns for the water the future farmers and generations will be able to access. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">So while my farming organization calls on politicians to consider the plight of drought-affected producers, with irrigation as the solution<b>, I dissent.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-size: 14px;"><i>Escarpment Blues by Sarah Harmer</i></span></span></p><p><i><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If they blow a hole in my backyard</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Everyone is gonna run away</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The creeks won't flow to the Great Lake below</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Will the water in the wells still be okay?</span></i></p><div class="PZPZlf" data-lyricid="Musixmatch1308146" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge">We'll keep driving on the Blind Line</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">If we don't know where we want to go</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Even knowledge that's sound can get watered down</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Truth can get sucked out the car window</span></i></div><div class="bbVIQb" jsname="WbKHeb"><div class="ujudUb u7wWjf" data-mh="-1" jsname="U8S5sf" style="line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge">We're two thirds water</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">What do we really need?</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">But sun, showers</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Soil and seed</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb xpdxpnd" data-mh="88" data-mhc="1" jsname="U8S5sf" style="line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 12px; max-height: 88px; overflow: hidden; transition: max-height 0.3s;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge">We're two thirds water</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The aquifers provide</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Deep down in the rock</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">There's a pearl inside</span></i></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc xpdxpnd" data-mh="88" data-mhc="1" jsname="U8S5sf" style="line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 0px; max-height: 88px; overflow: hidden; transition: max-height 0.3s;"><i><span jsname="YS01Ge">If they blow a hole in the backbone</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The one that runs across the muscles of the land</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">We might get a load of stone for the road</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">But I don't know how much longer we can stand</span></i></div></div></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-26648346074916044952021-01-19T15:03:00.000-04:002021-01-19T15:03:00.618-04:00Digging Our Heels Into Hardened Soil<p> Ya know how when Trump first garnered attention as a wild card in the various races to become President and everyone thought he might tone it down once at the top? And then once he was president, with each passing day, we continued to be surprised, and then slowly not at all surprised that he continued to act a bit unhinged and certainly unlike any politician seen or heard before? And next thing we knew, nothing could surprise us and we hardly lifted our heads at the latest headlines, hardly gave his antics much attention at all?</p><p>I'm worried I may have arrived at that point with genetic science in agricultural crops. I'm almost not even surprised when even the craziest research has been funded and the latest 'solution' developed, suddenly staring at me from my computer screen, from a CBC Quirks & Quarks article no less. </p><p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/jan-16-snake-lasso-climbing-seeing-gravitational-waves-with-pulsars-soil-compaction-and-more-1.5873142/heavy-machinery-is-compacting-agricultural-soils-can-we-persuade-plants-to-put-up-with-it-1.5873151">https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/jan-16-snake-lasso-climbing-seeing-gravitational-waves-with-pulsars-soil-compaction-and-more-1.5873142/heavy-machinery-is-compacting-agricultural-soils-can-we-persuade-plants-to-put-up-with-it-1.5873151</a></p><p>Go on. It's not a terribly long article, you've got time to give it a quick perusal. (If you REALLY don't, the Cole's Notes is that plants do not do well in compacted soil -surprise!- and scientists have identified one reason this might be; ethylene, which does not diffuse through compacted soil. Fear not young reader, genetic modification is here and will create plants who ignore the ethylene and literally punch through the hard soil.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoUbeqXRJcIc_bmpa8K6rmd0Za7Dnrwk70RuF99Z6IympDdCPN43wODc2zK0A4om1BNOnkUM1K7lz9i7VLGBCjHsM_-c7DZ9Lw19ISY_zuhjk-Visq9c-350a-iYtY9w-qPaq-4c4gT4/s783/Screen+Shot+2021-01-19+at+2.31.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="783" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoUbeqXRJcIc_bmpa8K6rmd0Za7Dnrwk70RuF99Z6IympDdCPN43wODc2zK0A4om1BNOnkUM1K7lz9i7VLGBCjHsM_-c7DZ9Lw19ISY_zuhjk-Visq9c-350a-iYtY9w-qPaq-4c4gT4/w400-h356/Screen+Shot+2021-01-19+at+2.31.02+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I almost, for a second, thought it was a joke. Perhaps there's now The Manatee or The Beaverton for farming? No, the linked scientific journal would suggest otherwise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm finding it difficult to form my thoughts coherently around this topic and yet I've been sitting with it for several days now. Rather than bore you with a long article outlining my dismay, here's some bullet points instead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Isn't the most important thing we know about soil at the moment, that we know so very little about soil? Is it possible that this one, singular conclusion about ethylene is missing some other important pieces about how compaction affects the soil biology AROUND the plant and not just the plant alone?</li><li>Are we now accepting that soil compaction is simply a necessity of our food production system? That rather than researching better technologies to reduce compaction, we're throwing money at genetically modified crops to better muscle their way through rock?</li><li>Is it conspiracy theory to suppose that the same companies that sell the chemicals and fertilizers needed to grow these crops that require heavy, compacting equipment, might also hold the patents for the specialized crops that can grow in those conditions? </li><li>Has every consideration been made for how stopping the plant from detecting ethylene might affect the rest of its life, or the life of the soil biology around it, or the animals/humans who might consume it? Are there other roles that the ethylene plays in the soil and in the air that might be altered by mucking about with the plants' detection of it?</li></ul><div>I've mentioned before that many years ago I had seriously considered creating a blog entirely about the silliness of various "solutions" created in agriculture that are in fact just treatments for the symptom. This could be the textbook example to beat all examples. Rather than treating the problem of compaction (huge equipment, short rotations, lack of cover crops, lack of organic matter, erosion, a focus on building soil and encouraging soil biology, etc. etc.), let's turn our attention to how we can fix the symptom (plants struggling to emerge in compacted soil). </div><div><br /></div><div>Can you hear that?</div><div><br /></div><div> It's my head banging against the wall. </div><div><br /></div><div>Please agriculture. Read the room. We need to move in another direction, not dig in our heels. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sincerely,</div><div>S.</div></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-70162848788542625672021-01-10T13:23:00.001-04:002021-01-10T13:23:09.573-04:00The Chicken That Keeps on Giving<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCczAlsCjKUIJBtqNQw8SM96AoUlz-wnMhW2g6RwTxVHCjNpX6qvUboHaxsOGYDX46PD7YO6Glc4L3qhtzbxmWRJL20wUAFoQWbnYvfeRgvFEN9xV3Ms7nQ-B-ckCtbL_OV7vo2lCavwU/s2048/IMG_8279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCczAlsCjKUIJBtqNQw8SM96AoUlz-wnMhW2g6RwTxVHCjNpX6qvUboHaxsOGYDX46PD7YO6Glc4L3qhtzbxmWRJL20wUAFoQWbnYvfeRgvFEN9xV3Ms7nQ-B-ckCtbL_OV7vo2lCavwU/w300-h400/IMG_8279.JPG" width="300" /></a> On my Instagram this week, I shared how I get the most out of a chicken, starting with using the breasts for fajita night, simmering the rest for stock and stripping the meat from the bones for other dishes. I ended up making noodle soup and chicken pot pie with the rest of it. It ended up feeding 22 people!!! I had a bunch of requests for the recipe for the pot pie so I thought I'd put the recipe here. </p><p> I should include a note that I don't really follow exact amounts very often. I'm a bit of a 'feel it out as you go' kinda gal. So forgive my wishy washy instructions. You Culinary A-Types won't enjoy the following.</p><p>It would be helpful to watch <a href="https://fb.watch/2VE_iHK3Jr/">this video</a> of me cutting up a chicken to start with. This is how you get the most out of a whole bird, 100%. Once I had it pieced up, I separated the breasts and tenders, and then put the rest on to simmer in the dutch oven for a few hours with a whole onion and celery. Once it was cooled, I pulled all the meat off the bones and strained the stock. I stored them both in the fridge until I was ready to use it. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b>Chicken Pot Pie</b></h2><div>Peel and dice carrots and potatoes. Put em on to boil until tender-crisp. </div><div>Meanwhile, fry diced onions and celery in lots of butter, in a heavy pot. Probably like a 1/4 cup-ish. You deserve it.</div><div>Fry until softened and smelling irresistible. Add some seasoning of your choice. A generic "poultry seasoning" will do the trick, or summer savory, or thyme and sage, etc. </div><div> If it seems like it needs more butter now, go for it. There should be some butter that hasn't been absorbed by the veggies.</div><div>Add the equivalent amount of flour. You'll know it's the right amount if its fully absorbed by the butter but not looking too dry. Whisk around while it cooks through and starts to smell a bit nutty. </div><div>Whisk in some of the stock until thickened, adding more until you've got lots of thick, flavourful stock. </div><div>Stir in your chicken. I had about 1.5 - 2cups of chicken, but any reasonable amount will do. </div><div>Gauge how much stock you've got. You don't want it too wet, or you'll end up with chowder, but you want everything coated. Adjust accordingly. If you need more stock, this time add milk/cream.</div><div>Now add the potatoes and carrots that you boiled. Stir as little as needed, to get everything incorporated. </div><div>Last thing to add is frozen peas. I add them right at the end, so they cool things off and stop everything from getting too mushy. They'll cook once they get to the oven, and hopefully stay a nice bright green. </div><div>So now, if the ratios of food to cream seem ok, I set aside and get busy on my crust. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsiK2f9JlcUNJ2dM9Bik9UGnQ8LvjUKhuJyBHaz1o7mFNMfVEf32BASb_T2544LYP9UU-csdMcsF_s1tT0i_d3tCXDzxkYrAuQE76XhdAZY7bUaS1G10zFTRCuHAS05IfpfmHEZh6ZyA/s2048/IMG_8272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsiK2f9JlcUNJ2dM9Bik9UGnQ8LvjUKhuJyBHaz1o7mFNMfVEf32BASb_T2544LYP9UU-csdMcsF_s1tT0i_d3tCXDzxkYrAuQE76XhdAZY7bUaS1G10zFTRCuHAS05IfpfmHEZh6ZyA/w400-h400/IMG_8272.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Ya'Basic Pie Crust</h2><div>If this is for a sweet pie, add a tablespoon of sugar. Otherwise, omit.</div><div>This is not some super flaky superhero pie crust. It ain't gonna win ya no blue ribbon at the county fair, but it'll do in a pinch and is perfect for simple pot pies, quiches, etc. </div><div>1 1/3 cup flour (don't kill yourself trying to use too much whole wheat in this. You'll just be annoyed.)</div><div>1/4 tsp salt</div><div>1/2 cup cold butter (cubed, or frozen and shredded)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_a6Qzf90NzRh4HeorXIXs30yN1da-RAPiTLxp9u2uG9Xhl_3H-soUmhTqFfUxCgqXq29XOD0Uv9wr4VXk1i2ffeogwdZBDN6Gp4cAleb6kachM4-cO2Br2sbaFuDzKvPOvEVlUaZZosE/s2048/IMG_8280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_a6Qzf90NzRh4HeorXIXs30yN1da-RAPiTLxp9u2uG9Xhl_3H-soUmhTqFfUxCgqXq29XOD0Uv9wr4VXk1i2ffeogwdZBDN6Gp4cAleb6kachM4-cO2Br2sbaFuDzKvPOvEVlUaZZosE/s320/IMG_8280.JPG" /></a></div>3-4 tbsp ice water (I find with our flour it takes a bit more water, but don't get too excited about it. Just add a bit at a time until your dough forms a nice ball.)</div><div><br /></div><div>It says to chill in the fridge, but I almost never leave myself enough time for that, so I just get rolling. This recipe gives me enough for a this bottom and top crust in my large dutch oven brasier pan. </div><div>My mom always makes her pie crust in her food processor, and she makes the nicest pie crusts known to humankind (and her recipe is from the Tenderflake box), but I do mine in a bowl, by hand and it turns out fine. Getting that butter mixed in nicely is the ticket.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, toss a bottom crust in your dish, add the chicken mixture and throw the top crust on. I was making apple crisp at the same time, so I had the oven at 350 and kept it in there until golden brown (probably 30-40mins?), but otherwise, might have turned it up to 400 for less time. *shrugs*, who knows?</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for coming to my terrible-at-recipes TedTalk. Follow me for more difficult to follow culinary instructions. *eye roll*.</div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-86376919460911980792020-10-29T10:23:00.000-03:002020-10-29T10:23:38.485-03:00An (Anti) Love Letter<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Dear Organic Certification,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Do you remember when we first met and we hung out as a group of farmers? We shared all our challenges and successes, yields and input information over coffee and cookies at a kitchen table? Remember how we would read our organic plans to each other and ask questions to ensure that organic principals were being followed? I was so nervous at that first meeting, with my stack of paperwork and over-prepared presentation. But it was so lovely, so warm and inspiring. I learned so much those first couple meetings and eventually I fell in love with you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br />But then things got serious and you made formal standards that meant our farmer meetings didn’t matter anymore. A stranger started coming in and double checking everything. And that was ok for a while. Until the strangers got more serious and cared less about the farm and more about the paperwork because their bosses told them so. As if the paperwork makes the food safer or the farm healthier or the environment stronger. The records to track a single soybean that comes onto the farm, moves to a tank, moves to a roaster, onto a different tank, eventually ending up in a bag of feed, all while intermingling with other soybeans from other places, is enough to make even the most stringent bean counter’s head spin. The paper trail for that organic chicken I traded for veggies is prohibitive to actually certifying it. The fees themselves are high, but not as high as the cost of my time to generate, assign, track and input new lot numbers every time a tonne of grain moves (with its own certificate) from a truck (clean truck affidavit) to to a tank (new lot number) to a dryer (which needs an attestation) to a cleaner (a second attestation) to a different tank (new lot number), to a tote for sale or a feed mill to a bulk truck or bag (new batch number). Oh, and be sure to have all those weights recorded along the way of that journey so you can double check that we have exactly what we brought in and sold. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">I’ve always defended you, organic certification. I’ve been known to say, “The paperwork isn’t anything more than what any good farmer is already keeping.” But that’s just not true anymore. You’re a time suck and if I felt like all the time was being spent on things that made the certification stronger or our products safer or better, it would be easier to swallow. But as it stands now, you’re a necessary pest and I will stop praising you in front of others. I will do the work, the bare bones required to pass your tests and I will certainly always grow my crops and raise my animals above your basic requirements but I am sad. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">The hardest part is that I feel like you might actually be prohibitive to succession. We’re working so hard to build a future for the next generation, but I’m genuinely afraid that when they understand the required paperwork to farm this way, they will balk. They will resist and find another way to do things or leave farming entirely. And I wouldn’t blame them. If we hadn’t had those sun dappled kitchen table meetings back at the beginning and we had to partner with you as you are now, I can almost assuredly say we wouldn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">You’ve broken my heart. It’s not me, it’s you. You changed. You became a business and turned your face to big corporations and left small farms to tread mud. I can’t completely cut ties with you, but I thought you should know that I can no longer praise you and recommend you for others. The spark is gone and its your fault. I hope you gain the capacity to recognize your failures and limitations and see a way out of this depressing and devastating mess you’ve made.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-CA">A disheartened farmer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-82901721491790663002020-09-18T14:54:00.000-03:002020-09-18T14:54:04.425-03:00Second Week of September 2020<div style="text-align: left;">I tried drafting a newsletter on a fancy newsletter platform but it wouldn't turn my photos right side up, so that's off the table for this week. Maybe I'll try a different platform next week and who knows, maybe make a habit of this. But for now, here's my first newsletter attempt, in blog post format. Hmmm...not quite the same is it? Ah well. Better than nothing maybe?</div><h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bolder; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0.83em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Canning</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P50oSbURBLiCerYQkwYv-1cjArDt7YV2HsO6SN7YgBUc_ZEbcpGQqFITBRpHkcvTWdJdaZxqO_KU5klyCCd5GK6Lt8KCGJ6jnUD4n5wgjYPCDyyArYQrgtqyE9E17tA7HJzbmKysz8Y/s2048/IMG_7491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P50oSbURBLiCerYQkwYv-1cjArDt7YV2HsO6SN7YgBUc_ZEbcpGQqFITBRpHkcvTWdJdaZxqO_KU5klyCCd5GK6Lt8KCGJ6jnUD4n5wgjYPCDyyArYQrgtqyE9E17tA7HJzbmKysz8Y/w400-h400/IMG_7491.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Every year I've canned something. When I was pregnant with four littles running around, it might have been one batch of salsa. Or throwing some beets in a jar with a sweet vinegar brine. But as the kids have gotten older, and my garden has slowly expanded, I've canned more things, with the intention of actually feeding us year-round. And the last few years have been pretty successful. I think I had buy tomatoes last year, at the end of the season to make enough salsa, but mostly it's items from our garden, put away for the winter, like a good little ant. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5 !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">And this year is looking pretty successful. Lots of relish made (probably too much), some new bread and butter pickles I'm trying out (ripple cut thanks to my mandolin- no big deal guys), and salsa. My garden is still pumping out tomatoes so I might try some simple canned, diced tomatoes, but we'll see. Still have my beets left to go, but those are good ones to do later. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5 !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">But I was thinking the other day about why I even bother. I have a Costco membership. There's no way that if I count my time (including inevitable clean up!), the jars, the produce, etc. it makes any fiscal sense whatsoever. And then I remembered that most of my life doesn't make a lot of fiscal sense. I raise pigs each year for our freezer, I milk a scowly Jersey, I raise her calf for beef, I grow chickens for meat and eggs, but I'm pretty sure I could make a lot more money buying all that food for cheap somewhere and working off the farm for a pretty little paycheque. So why don't I?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5 !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I know where those tomatoes come from and who picked them and if those people are living a healthy, fair life. I know how that pig was raised and that it rooted in the sods and had Jersey milk for breakfast. I know what the cow ate and how satisfying it is to watch her cream turn to butter before my eyes in the KitchenAid. There is no dollar figure for those peace-of-mind parts and that's ok. If it feels good and I'm able to do it, I will. And I gotta say, it feels pretty darn good. </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5 !important;" /></p><p><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">(I also couldn't figure out why I was running low on jars, when I haven't needed to buy any for years. Then I went to the freezer for a roast and saw my jars and jars of ghee and remembered where all my jars went. Ooops. Not a great year to run out, but a great reason to!)</span></span></p><h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bolder; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0.83em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></h3><h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bolder; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0.83em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Return to School</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJ78DBUBZjRHW5adxbuYppHp7SeOy8rbYJY3z8Xuy6nSt0G4NB-1JtZgo26Q2pVcjp3_8P8rY5qa3ri0HYbSO2Bd83pTlwrkSsSvLiAleui0YbBHk-BROthPCHzKf6yEUdLwCe0f78Bc/s2048/IMG_7395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJ78DBUBZjRHW5adxbuYppHp7SeOy8rbYJY3z8Xuy6nSt0G4NB-1JtZgo26Q2pVcjp3_8P8rY5qa3ri0HYbSO2Bd83pTlwrkSsSvLiAleui0YbBHk-BROthPCHzKf6yEUdLwCe0f78Bc/w400-h400/IMG_7395.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Well, by now the kids have completed two weeks of school and so far so good. I know parts of the world are really struggling with the virus, but we're so blissfully ignorant here, it feels ominous, but far away at the same time. The kids have done well to remember their masks (it helps that they need them on the bus), and don't really have much to say about any of it when they come home. Their stories are pretty normal and it sounds like the staff are doing an incredible job of making everything feel as business-as-usual as humanly possible. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">PEI is doing a really amazing School Food Program and it's a local chef prepping ingredients from local farmers and it's pay what you can, up to $5. I treated myself and bought the kids' lunches today. It's supposed to be PEI Beef burgers (I think they were squeezing in some lentils as well, but don't tell the kids.) so we'll see how that goes over. My prediction is that 3 of 4 will be really happy. Guess who the 1 unhappy camper will be. (hint: starts with a T)</span></p><h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bolder; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0.83em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lucy's Awful Good Pumpkins </h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr1TniVyM7ROJ1mIhRQUaWjoAGBPlWux3OoNhplZkIgq51yLJwV50yoAx7IydUtN_KtxpghCkNhU2w7gPJoW8Q1Z5QKW_kM58q7kYBkOY7uXUqGFVQ-smBfjmG1P9tyrvhqoVMwgaqvw/s2048/IMG_7457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr1TniVyM7ROJ1mIhRQUaWjoAGBPlWux3OoNhplZkIgq51yLJwV50yoAx7IydUtN_KtxpghCkNhU2w7gPJoW8Q1Z5QKW_kM58q7kYBkOY7uXUqGFVQ-smBfjmG1P9tyrvhqoVMwgaqvw/s320/IMG_7457.JPG" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;">Soon enough these'll be piled up at the farm gate, ready for sale!</p><h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bolder; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0.83em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Recipe </h3><div style="text-align: left;">I'm too tired this week to share an original recipe, but I've got a humdinger that we've been living off of a few times over the last month and I think everyone needs to know about it. Here's a link to the Lazy Genius Change-Your-Life-Chicken. We can't get enough. (I make a spice rub of random herbs and spices, including a little brown sugar that is different every time and never measured, so use some artistic license and make that part up). It's SOOOO good! And the PERFECT use of those darned ol' chicken legs!!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/blog/change-your-life-chicken">https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/blog/change-your-life-chicken</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Photo From Phone</span></h3><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKp0d2mmAWFj8FwEp6CSV25JTVRqg9GFRbXWFsx7r2A8TwGx4gfAGAgA7RVDftUa487my6Z9ECLuywvdYjQR08OVb0ZydchOr4JLEMINuHHPsckY4zIl5An25iJ_mU2XKteAnaKJG5qQ/s2048/IMG_7442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKp0d2mmAWFj8FwEp6CSV25JTVRqg9GFRbXWFsx7r2A8TwGx4gfAGAgA7RVDftUa487my6Z9ECLuywvdYjQR08OVb0ZydchOr4JLEMINuHHPsckY4zIl5An25iJ_mU2XKteAnaKJG5qQ/w480-h640/IMG_7442.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #555555; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This week's PFP is the boys at the Dunk River trail. It's one of the coolest trails on PEI (I think but I'm biased because it's just down the road) and it changes so dramatically with the seasons, but this time of year when everything is lush, a little overgrown and heavily laden, it's pretty magical. Accompanied by the imaginations of young boys, it's even more so. Every low hanging branch creates a tunnel. Every obstacle is keeping us from our destiny. Every side route, is a passage to safety. Every turn in the brook holds some mystery, likely an armed foe around the corner. I am doing my best not to take for granted these moments of wonder, curiosity and downright foolishness because I know one day I'll miss them. </span></div>Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-56878729059788056382020-06-08T21:30:00.000-03:002020-06-08T21:53:12.552-03:00Early June 2020It's been days of taking a deep dive into my own racism and sitting with it, recognizing it and examining my white privilege a little closer than usual. Lots of learning and being uncomfortable, which feels like a good place to be at the moment. And while I work on my own, my concurrent resolution to ensuring my kids don't grow up with prejudices and understand white privilege before they're in their 30s is the focus of my anti-racism legacy for now.<br />
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On top of all that heady internal work, we've all been toiling in the second best season on the farm, thriving on the anticipation and hopefulness of spring. A quick tour perhaps?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq3gYyLKpex_lRylN_UxR0d19R4ENrPg3lZyvsPym9Ce1Mf3nU8mQrCBb691wdrf45vag6a_DNDa3iWoDJa4VhDwm-QJCIngkil3P0fEILbPLJQV9tWm9RCbIjceWZBlZkWbkJBdWmpk/s1600/IMG_6191.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq3gYyLKpex_lRylN_UxR0d19R4ENrPg3lZyvsPym9Ce1Mf3nU8mQrCBb691wdrf45vag6a_DNDa3iWoDJa4VhDwm-QJCIngkil3P0fEILbPLJQV9tWm9RCbIjceWZBlZkWbkJBdWmpk/s320/IMG_6191.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Harry, Ron and Hermoine have settled in quite nicely. We're still shutting them in at night, just to be safe and we let them out in the morning after we've separated the milk and brought them the extras. Milk is the best way to make friends with pigs and these ones are no exception. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwURcHgbY6LGLnvaR5BqnZt5saBwOXeyRkkFb70JAE7psTnvjaqGiCZnKbfNhQT5auxfAqI3bjLGdpkyPn5JKGD6iL6WCGp1IinoFMSysEJG9NSoC6XknzCSybjv7QzFSWnqMPCv0x2cw/s1600/IMG_6282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwURcHgbY6LGLnvaR5BqnZt5saBwOXeyRkkFb70JAE7psTnvjaqGiCZnKbfNhQT5auxfAqI3bjLGdpkyPn5JKGD6iL6WCGp1IinoFMSysEJG9NSoC6XknzCSybjv7QzFSWnqMPCv0x2cw/s400/IMG_6282.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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As you can see they're pretty enthusiastic about their dairy intake. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71nSVoei1W5OVzHTKbrnm-GvwW3iTaUU_mlbo3O6mKAEjdpHvPyWT1DN5Srzb-MkIbKy_mWIzEyk2XGYTFRwiRQcJHS5clE-1irxzoqKoTuJZuBvTeWoopCgoJSMoGoYFtLT12RzUp3E/s1600/IMG_6213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71nSVoei1W5OVzHTKbrnm-GvwW3iTaUU_mlbo3O6mKAEjdpHvPyWT1DN5Srzb-MkIbKy_mWIzEyk2XGYTFRwiRQcJHS5clE-1irxzoqKoTuJZuBvTeWoopCgoJSMoGoYFtLT12RzUp3E/s320/IMG_6213.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Petunia's cream has taken on it's lovely yellow hue for the season and ya can't help but wonder what extra nutrients we're getting this time of year when the cream alone is about 10 shades darker.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj4JTo-O0u5VjyFlHiKOFl-EPSjjRBNyz595fmm83KfESYUkm8IRG9R4POlj7CdlYiAj8EmUGumdsSbvXfosBx_7ZcDMXpYnow4DGEvbgJjwMGJ1E_4BrzV0YX3qsrKBOmLb-_tmOsFw/s1600/IMG_6286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtj4JTo-O0u5VjyFlHiKOFl-EPSjjRBNyz595fmm83KfESYUkm8IRG9R4POlj7CdlYiAj8EmUGumdsSbvXfosBx_7ZcDMXpYnow4DGEvbgJjwMGJ1E_4BrzV0YX3qsrKBOmLb-_tmOsFw/s320/IMG_6286.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My new culinary challenge and kitchen staple: Ghee. A step past clarified butter. Butter without the lactose. A higher smoke point so it's good for frying, unlike butter. Flavour city. Countertop stable for months. SO GOOD!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtdg7_KIIlPUOZNUmk-ZLbAKSZ5Z61PVjqpBQqorsZHHzCDR2D0v4S8b9lO6Z9Gyg8Zy8OtHSMcCL0toKyIqoD5rJBQriclIyUPjuR6H5-TsYLEl9YiYzSf5yoxCbau3h3GN1m51RELM/s1600/IMG_6233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtdg7_KIIlPUOZNUmk-ZLbAKSZ5Z61PVjqpBQqorsZHHzCDR2D0v4S8b9lO6Z9Gyg8Zy8OtHSMcCL0toKyIqoD5rJBQriclIyUPjuR6H5-TsYLEl9YiYzSf5yoxCbau3h3GN1m51RELM/s320/IMG_6233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The layers are enjoying their summer pasture and since there's only 30 of them now, after renting out the rest, they're quite content in one spot for a few days, as opposed to the daily moves we used to do. Soon enough to new pullets will be here and needing more frequent moves but for now it seems we're all happy with this set up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrcwjtR7-ld2gLb4V9fBaNEV6Kq8_n1Z9taYSCCCqN_62xchZfWO1ocsLTDSd10_XCpv1F-0hMmjBzuULRelXL01dhwyLZSUEEATU2Po6kq7mzfASUzaD2NbG4oUHMzVInGGj4EQa0tQ/s1600/IMG_6292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrcwjtR7-ld2gLb4V9fBaNEV6Kq8_n1Z9taYSCCCqN_62xchZfWO1ocsLTDSd10_XCpv1F-0hMmjBzuULRelXL01dhwyLZSUEEATU2Po6kq7mzfASUzaD2NbG4oUHMzVInGGj4EQa0tQ/s400/IMG_6292.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The meat birds made the move to pasture a couple weeks ago and have been doing great. It hasn't been without its challenges as the neighbourhood fox and her kits have been about, but after a night of me sleeping in the truck with a gun in the pasture, we tightened up the fence, heated up the fencer, added a second layer of fence around the shelter and knock on wood, have slept mostly pretty soundly since. </div>
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Wilson has been stewarding some giant pumpkin seeds from his grandfather. He and I built these little tents for them and tonight he covered them with the frost warning in the forecast. Fingers crossed!</div>
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We managed a lovely beach day last week and it was exactly what the soul ordered. Low tide on the south shore is the best beach on PEI, hands down. Don't come at me with your north shore beaches, I won't be swayed.</div>
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After finger weeding, there were some windrows of couch grass rhizomes gathered at the bottom of the field where the weeder had been lifted. Some of them edged out into the field so we went around and gathered them up with pitchforks. Although we're not scientifically convinced that this physical removal of roots helps reduce the weed pressure, it is so cathartic and satisfying to dump several large tractor bucket fulls into the woods. </div>
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I've been contemplating if people are still reading blogs. It feels to me like it might be a communication method of the past, since I personally only remember to check a blog if it's linked directly from something else. A weekly newsletter might be a solution? I receive a Sunday morning newsletter each week from a local author that basically briefly tells a quick story about a few photos from his phone that week (or from the past). It's become one of my favourite parts of Sunday mornings. Maybe we could do the same? </div>
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<br />Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-41392020588955694582020-03-30T12:00:00.000-03:002020-03-30T18:24:47.626-03:00Grace in the time of Covid<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
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Some of us have guarded ourselves against this uncertain time with a thick sweater of fear. It’s got a big hood that droops over our eyes and a wide, heavy neck that lets us sink our heads nearly out of sight. Sometimes the fear manifests as anger, indignant condescension or rarely, pure rage. Rage at folks who so plainly don’t understand the simple rules of staying home and keeping physical distance, or worse, don’t seem to care. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA">But if we reach down into the bottom corner of the pocket in that heavy sweater maybe we can find a small thread of grace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Grace for the alcoholic whose meetings are cancelled and because he’s older and on a limited income, doesn’t have a computer or internet to participate in the online check-ins with his sponsor. And for who the stress of being home all day is exacerbating the risk of falling off the wagon without a short chat with a couple of his fellow addicts in a quiet place. </div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Grace for the single mom struggling with food insecurity and has a quiet agreement with an overwhelmed farmer with kids at home during planting season who needs her house cleaned in exchange for some vegetables and seedlings. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Grace for the co-parenting father with his young kids in the grocery store, who has no one to leave them home with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Grace for the cashier who forgets to sanitize the counter between customers because her mind is on the lost income of her partner who is home struggling with depression and needs support they can’t afford or access.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Grace for the wife living with an abusive partner for whom that trip to the grocery store is her only real freedom during a time of quarantine and lost income. Grace for her spending too much time perusing the flower section, seemingly in no rush to leave. Grace for her feeling, guiltily, like a hospital stay might be a welcome alternative to the life waiting for her at home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Grace for all those who are doing their best with what they know. Guilt-inducing social media posts about the carelessness and ignorance of folks who don’t stay home, who take too long in the stores, who take their kids with them, who don’t achieve appropriate social distancing, who simply don’t do what seems so black and white to you, in your heavy sweater of privilege and fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">So maybe instead of sharing yet one more opinion on the failures of others or calling the telephone reporting line on a stranger, choose to tug on that small thread, unravel that heavy, fearsome sweater, let it fall away and slowly knit back together a lovely, cozy comforting blanket of humanity, empathy and most importantly, grace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3936976925449679441.post-37972801774455675752020-03-17T18:43:00.002-03:002020-03-17T18:43:52.806-03:00Hatching and Dispatching Barnyard Organics Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8sAZseVjs5m7JGpxo-3xSoT1d08S1Bgb5bcm9e55tJCqlnIaqc_j-2bVehoT_PG5z80grNiO9qHI2aa7vE6mCky0aUfirBKbDSZvDs4ny5nDolPJPRDBuHlK-VCxM8H3RQsktfkyyDQ/s640/Starter+to+Finish+Chicken+Kit-3.png" width="480" /></div>
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Need something different in your newsfeed these days? Looking for some real food security and thinking of raising your own chickens? Let us help!</div>
<br />Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02719926135655834359noreply@blogger.com0