My True Colours Shining Through.

Please note: The opinions reflected in this post do not represent the opinions of Barnyard Organics
 or its employees.  Just me.

I love politics.  I don't shy away from the fact that someday, maybe, in a far away land, I wouldn't mind throwing in my hat in some capacity.  I grew up in a family that loved to discuss/argue/promote politics and never shied away from showing thier respective political colours.  In our house, it was the Tory blue that generally ruled the roost.  I know a couple of my brothers, if not most, still hold onto to that political heritage with white knuckles.  I think I have voted for every available party at some point in my voting life, but, like most adults have started to align with one, specifically based on party values.  What I've come to realize in the last couple of elections and in this one in particular, it has unfortunately become less about the party I support, and more about the party I do not.  I don't love the idea of strategic voting, but for this election I will be casting a vote for the candidate that stands the best chance of beating a Conservative candidate.
Besides following my intuition (that my mother always said counted for more than anything else) that causes me to shiver at Stephen Harper's dead shark eyes (ok...that's a bit petty, but not untrue!) and besides all the recent parliamentary gaffs that the Conservatives have headed up and besides all of the other issues that make me cringe, here are a mere two reasons to consider casting a vote against a Harper gov't. 

1) Bill 474 would have supported Canadian farmers by requiring that “an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted.”  This isn't about conventional farmers or organic farmers.  This isn't about yields or efficiencies.  This is simply about due diligence and science.  A child could tell you that before trying something for the first time, it's a good idea to check it out a little further.  What can be achieved by foregoing the step that sees the potential for harm investigated prior to permitting a highly controversial product?  The fact that this is such a basic concept makes me very concerned that the big-ag lobbying groups have a strong hold over the Conservative policy makers.  The bill isn't even asking the gov't to stop GMO's or reconsider their existence in the Canadian market.  The bill is simply saying that export markets (read: Europe, Asia where GMOs are a no-no) should be considered before GMO's are permitted.  And the vote on the bill was over a year AFTER the GMO fiasco in the flax markets.  So we already have one perfect example of the repercussions of ignoring export markets and the harm for Canadian agriculture in general.  The Conservatives held a united front in voting this bill down.  On behalf of Canadian farmers, thank you so much for such carefully considered insight into what is best for agriculture and our food system.  (choke, cough, barf.)

2) Citing budgets and lack of benefits, the Harper Gov't (as he likes it to be called) made the infinitely unwise decision to close the prison farms across Canada.  The only further explanation that was given, was Vic Toews (public safety minister at the time) citing that less than 1% of prisoners find work in agriculture after release.  (Apparently this isn't enough, despite the fact that anyone being able to find work in agriculture these days is a miracle given the state of it.) But that's hardly the point.  What Mr. Toews failed to report was how many prisoners landed jobs using skills gained from their farm experience- such as mechanical repair, operating large machinery, inventory tracking, teamwork, punctuality and a basic work ethic — that they picked up on the prison farms.  Not to mention the numerous psychological studies have proven the rehabilitation capabilities of livestock  for convicted criminals who learn patience and compassion, (ignore the previous post regarding hockey sticks and beef cows..haha) not to mention obligations and necessity when it comes to timely chores like milking and feeding.  The economics behind the decision are far from transparent and according to numerous sources don't actually work due to the fact that the cost of losing the production of food at the prisons will cost far more than maintaining the farms in the long run.

These are just two reasons to reconsider the leadership and decision making behind the current Conservative administration.  Nevermind all the other things that make me crazy, like the general lack of respect for Parliament,  the proroguing,  resisting proportional representation, the spending at the G20, the women's funding cuts, the environmental degradation and continued decline as they ignore the implications of climate change,  the 'regional complexes'/super prisons, and my least favorite move to eliminate funding for political parties, Stephen Harper is not the answer to the problems of agriculture, let alone, the rest of the country.  A degree in economics does not a leader make. 

The dead shark eyes don't help either.  hehehe.

I hope this finds you anticipating an exciting night on May 2.  Despite missing many things about home, there is something to be said for unsure ridings and the anticipation of a good race.  Wayne Easter may have held this one for 18 years, but he is being given a run this time.  Or at least that's what we're being made to think.  Oh well, he can count on my strategic vote and if PEI's general resistance to change can be counted on, he's safe.  Here's hoping!  As a point of interest however, the Green candidate here last time around, received the second highest amount of votes of any Green candidate across the country.   Is this riding possibly tired of drinking nitrate-contaminated water or watching asthma rates climb in a pesticide ridden environment?  Is there a message being sent about chemical and fertilizer use in the potato belt?   Too bad it's not being received by anyone in power.  The time will come.  And soon, I predict.

Now, I'm off to sit back and see what sort of comments I get from 'back home'.  If this isn't enough to bring out a comment from my Dad, I don't know what is.  haha.

-Sally

  

Sprung

 Although there's still lots of snow around the edges and todays sun was very deceiving, spring is undoubtably on its way.  I finally managed to get the camera over to the barn for this shot of the latest crop of lambs, only to have my batteries calve out immediately after. 
Everything else is pretty quiet around here.  We finished up our certification application paperwork so that is away, which is always a nice job to have taken care of.  Mark and Wendell dug out the grain drill today while the frost is still in the ground to start tinkering with it.  We're looking at some new nutrient sources this year and are considering some fish fertlizer as one option.  I've always considered it a nutrient source for market gardeners or small scale operations but we've recently discovered some ways and products that seem like a good option for us to add some unique micronutrients and a good crop boost. 
Thayne has given us a couple long nights this week and my foggy, dry contact lenses are telling me that I need some sleep, so I'll keep this short.
I'm concluding this one with some shots of our church being torn down.  Summerside Presbyterian is building a new church and a big crowd came out to see the old being torn down.  I have to admit it was pretty cool and I was really glad that we bundled up the kids to go in and see it.  Wilson was pretty amazed by the big machines and Lucy loved the crash of the roof coming in. 

-Sally

Lessons in Organics

Here's my presentation that I did at the Local M.E.A.L.  Please keep in mind that it followed the Pecha Kucha format of 20 slides for 20 seconds each. For some reason the editor chose to show more of me speaking rather than all my slides, but the message is still pretty clear.   Basically I was trying to encourage people to see that there exists some serious differences between so-called 'natural' and 'organic'.  This has been a real bee in my bonnet as of lately when it seems that everyone is on the 'natural' bandwagon, which means absolutely nothing.  There are no natural regulations.  Conventional agri-food realizes that and sees a huge opportunity to take a regular product, slap a green label on it and put it beside organics at a cheaper price.
On a more local level, my main competition in marketing my meat is our 'natural' neighbours and fellow farmers who for the most part are giving their livestock a very natural way of life.  I just wanted to show some of the differences that sets organics apart from natural.  That said, I have every respect for farmers who are raising ethical, natural products and getting a fair dollar for them.  Just don't say they are the same as mine. Harumph.  So there.
:)


A Local M.E.A.L. - Sally Bernard from nick battist on Vimeo.

If you feel like watching- enjoy!  My mother will enjoy seeing how my french 'heritage' shows through as I'm speaking with my hands.
Erm....forgot to mention that everyone in my family is actually featured in the first slide.  Forgot to get their permission I guess. haha.

-Sally

Digesting a M.E.A.L. and General Updates

 

Anyone need an extra chin? (He'll hate me for this one someday.)

I did a quick review of my latest posts and realized that I haven't given a very indepth update of things going on.  Upon further reflection however, I feel like I have little to report.  Not only because I'm more of a house resident than a farm participant, but because winter hasn't really left yet in the sense that the farm is still enjoying some down time before the spring rush hits.  

Mark was down with a couple bouts of the flu or 'the diabolicals' as we call a certain symptom thanks to the colourful vocabulary of my brother.  At one point I made a comparison of Mark's ailments to Old Man Winter's case of the...er...dumps.  Then Mark went into a few days of the sweats as his body rid itself of the bug, the same point at which Old Man Winter happened to be warming things a little too quickly- hence the water in the basement.  (OMW has since gone on the warming strike however and we're back in frigid temperatures again.) 

I kept wondering why Mark was taking so long to recover and didn't seem to get completely over it the first time before it hit again.  Then I found this picture of him during a day of 'recovery' here at the house.

We're pretty much done lambing with two old girls holding tough and who may or may not be just fat rather than pregnant.  This is my first batch of lambs from my new ram and I had hoped to be able to sell some registered polled dorset breeding stock since quality breeding stock is in high demand around here these days.  Of course of the five lambs I've had up to now, only one is a girl.  I have my eye on one of the rams as potential breeding stock, but since I had wanted to keep a ewe or two for myself, this looks like a bit of a 'growing year' as they say. Thankfully I've had a number of requests for lamb lately, so when I ship these ones that were born at Christmas, I shouldn't have much trouble selling them.  

 As for that Local M.E.A.L that I attended, I am still shocked at how much fun it was.  I don't usually get very stressed about public speaking, but the format for this was really wearing me out.  I got there a bit early in order to get my bearings.   I was under the impression early on that it would likely be a small group of concerned young people so when I settled near the front with my friend and fellow presenter, Jen Campbell, we grew increasingly concerned as we kept turning around to a room getting fuller and fuller.  The organizers kept digging out chairs from all over the building and the noise level grew.  As the room filled up, we kept catching glimpses of pioneers in our respective agricultural fields who we felt had far more to contribute than either of us.  When I stood up to speak I would estimate that more than 200 sets of eyes were watching my pictures and trying to keep up with my quick words (I did warn them that I would be speaking fast so they better be ready to listen fast).  I was aiming for an overall message about the importance of organics using our farm as a reference and although I was obviously preaching to a choir of concerned eaters, the energy in the room was invigorating and impressive.  Apparently the presentations will be available online sometime in the future. 

  The precision timing required meant that I could not get off on a tangent or cut myself off prematurely.  And given the topic (organics) it was difficult for me to stay reigned in.  I actually made three different presentations before I settled on the one I went with.  I am happy with what I ended up choosing and got a great response from the crowd.  I had sort of asked to go early on and I'm glad that I did, because I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the presentations (8 in all).  And as a listener, the Pecha Kucha format is really ideal.  Six and a half minutes is just the right amount of time because if you don't like the speaker or the topic, it's only 6 minutes and if you do enjoy it, you're intrigued and wanting more.  There are no questions from the floor at the time of presentation, so it means the discussions afterward and very one on one and personal.  It was really an excellent night.  The organizers did an amazing job and I can't help but think that this event was more successful, attendance wise, than if it had been organized by farmers.  That's a whole other post though.

Despite the temperatures not really climbing, apparently the maple sap is running a bit at home and that always makes me wish I was in West Branch this time of year, sipping warm syrup from a bottle with a whittled wooden stopper and re-learning the rules for 45's, again.  I hope for a trip home soon, but with various church activities tying up our weekends and the weekdays starting to ramp up it's never a sure thing.  For the sake of family here's a few pictures of the kids. 

Climbing trees is much easier in the winter!  Hard to believe this was only taken a few weeks ago. 

 I had asked Wilson to go entertain Thayne one day as I was trying to do something in the kitchen.  This is the sweet scene I found when I peeked around the corner. 

 

Some smiles from my boys. 

Hope this finds you eating some locally produced, free range eggs purchased from your favorite farmer.

-Sally

Hockey sticks as a farm implement

This is a disclaimer to any of you animal activists out there who've never dealt with cattle- you won't like this post.

When I first came to Mark's farm, maybe even for a visit before we were married, I remember seeing a broken hockey stick being thrown out.  I promptly said, "Don't throw that out if you really plan on having cattle someday! You'll need it!" 

Growing up, when we moved the cattle way up the back road to the summer pastures, we were all equipped with various sticks and shovel handles and placed strategically to prevent cattle, by whatever means necessary, from going where they weren't supposed to (into to the graveyard, or Grammy's house, or the wrong drive way, or down the big hill, etc.)  Probably when we were smaller, the hockey sticks were meant more as a security tool for our peace of minds rather than an implement of cattle discipline.  But as we got older, it became apparent that something about the shaft of an old hockey stick is a very effective means of moving a large beast.

When I showed my dismay at the tossing of the old stick at the Bernard farm, I was met with a face of utter dismay and the statement, "We'll NEVER use hockey sticks on cows here." 

Now let me be clear, it's not like I grew up beating cows and calves for fun.  We weren't put through any sort of cattle beating training and we didn't use them unless we had to.  But until you've tried moving a big Charolais steer into a shute, or separating a Hereford from her calf or teaching a stubborn Angus calf to lead, you cannot possibly understand the strength and stubbornness that comes with 1200lbs of refusing muscle.

Anyway, the point of this story is that Poppy escaped yesterday afternoon while Mark was mucking out the barn before feeding.  Up at the front barn I heard him whistling to the dog and looking a bit disgusted standing at the barn door while Poppy ran at high speed through the muck and the mud going everywhere but near the barn and near her bawling mother.  While trying to keep Rosie in and coral the wild beast, the dog was being of NO assistance (read:being a royal pain). But between the two of us we somehow got her close enough to the door to grab her; with me behind twisting her tail and Mark holding onto her collar, trying to drag her in.  Mark is not used to not being able to move something with sheer strength. 

I'm pretty certain that if I could have seen into his eyes they would have been saying loud and clear, "Dammit, I could really use a broken hockey stick right now."

The moral of the story is to watch those things you say you'll 'NEVER say'.

Hope this finds you looking for signs of spring around every corner- it's coming!!!

-Sally

Alive and Dry

I have been itching to get a post done for what feels like weeks now. Between a couple rounds with the flu, some water in the basement, a trip to the ACORN conference, a night owl baby and the daily rigors of life, leisure computer time has fallen pretty far down the list, if not off the list completely.

But I just wanted to let you know that Barnyard Organics is alive and well.  The aforementioned ACORN conference was really great, again, and it was a special treat to have a two night stay in a hotel room with only one kid in tow! A big thanks to Poohie and Grampy for that vacation!

I am working on a project right now for a night called A Local M.E.A.L. (Meet, Eat And Learn) involving chefs, farmers, sellers and eaters where I will be presenting a talk called, "Why Organic Matters", using examples from our farm.  This is a particular challenge for me in that there is a very specific format for the talk called, Pecha Kucha, which is new to me.  It means that each speaker provides 20 photos/slides with each timed for 20 seconds so that the entire presentation cannot be longer than 6 mins 40 seconds.  It has been a real challenge for me to reign in my words and make each one really count, since 20 seconds is NOT VERY LONG!  Especially when it's something that I'm so passionate about.  So that has been eating up any spare computer time, but I think I've started to get it wrapped up.

Well, according to the kids, time is up, so that's all you get from me for now.

Our website and email is back up and running so life goes on.  I hope to post more soon.
Lambs have started to arrive and spring feels like it's on its way after all.  Whew.  Life goes on.

-Sally

Notice

Please note that our email (info@barnyardorganics.ca) and website (barnyardorganics.ca) is currently down.  Our alternative email contact is sallywb@gmail.com.

Looking forward to figuring out our technical problems and getting back on track.

Sally