"We fear change." - Garth, Wayne's World

Blogger has changed.  I'm not sure yet if I like it.  I'm old, and set in my ways.  I prefer things to stay the same, for the most part, and change is something I really don't have time to deal with.  All these new tabs and links to figure out...*sighs heavily*.  Give me a year or so, and I'll have it down...just in time for it to be changed again.

Full house

My greenhouse is stuffed.  I need a bigger one!!  You can't tell by the pic, but the greenhouse is 10' x 20'.  That's 200 square feet of green!!

Or maybe I just need to organize it a little better. Eventually, there will be benches along the sides and back of the greenhouse, so the plants will be off the floor and easier to move around. Right now, it's a game of hopscotch just to get to the flats in the back.

Everything looks pretty good, though, despite the very cold nights.  

When the temps started to dip, I put the brooder light in the greenhouse to help keep the temp above freezing.  We had this lovely, eerie red glow at night.

Then the temps took a real dip, so we ran out and picked up a second brooder light.  They were out of the red lights, so we got the white.  I'm just waiting for the sheriff to stop by to see if we are growing anything illegal.  I hope they know tomato plants when they see them!

Just me, being a goob in the greenhouse. 

Thanks to Little Sis for the pics!!

Organic and the farmer's market

I'm often asked if my produce is organic.  No, I'm not certified organic.  I prefer no pesticides. Organic growers are allowed to use chemicals like Rotenone, which has been linked to Parkinson's disease, and Piperonyl butoxide, which has been proven to cause delayed mental development in children whose mothers were exposed to it during pregnancy.

Oh, no, Country Wife, you must be mistaken.  Organic means no pesticides are used.  


Sadly, many people believe that.  So did I, for a very long time.  It is, however, untrue.  Organic means the pesticides are not synthetic.  Many people feel that these have a lower environmental impact.  Keep in mind, however, that organic doesn't necessarily mean safe.  


But, Country Wife, if it's naturally derived, it must be safe.


I have plenty of 100% natural plants in my yard that you certainly wouldn't want mixed into your food.  Snake venom is organic.  So is cyanide.  Arsenic and lead occur naturally.


Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, a soil dwelling bacterium,  is an organic pesticide. Bt is the pesticide involved in genetically modified corn and other field crops.  Discussions with local beekeepers revealed that they are convinced Bt is responsible for Colony Collapse Disorder.   Never fear, Monsanto is on the case.  Once again, thanks to Theldara for that link.



Listen up, Country Wife:  Organic pesticides are not synthesized, and therefore have a lower environmental impact.


Organic pesticides must be harvested, processed, bottled, and shipped, which all have their own environmental impact.  Neem oil comes from the seed of the Azadirachta indica, native to India and Pakistan. It doesn't sprout from a seed planted in a backyard in Ohio, already bottled and ready to spray. 


In addition, because many organic substances require larger, or more frequent, doses than synthetic ones, the environmental impact can be higher.  


Ironic:  The government that okays those vaccinations many people won't allow their children to have... is the same government that says what can and can't be certified organic.  


I'm not saying organic is bad.  Pay attention to the previous sentence.  Don't send me a bunch of cranky emails because you believe I am saying it is.  What is bad is how little we know about our food.  Where does it come from? How was it grown?  How was it harvested?  How far did it travel to end up on my table? Organic or otherwise, if it came from the other side of the globe, there's definitely an environmental impact there.


I'm not saying that all organic growers use pesticides, or that all organic chemicals are unsafe.  There are a lot of organic growers that do their best to stick to a "No Pesticide" policy.  But when pests attack in full force, what do you do?  Close up shop and sell your home?  Or declare chemical warfare? 


I am saying that each person should do a little research before jumping onto the "it's organic = it's safe" bandwagon. Talk to your grower (the advantage of buying local), ask questions, and do your homework.


Personally, I prefer to use no pesticides.  That seems to be what buyers at the market want, as well as what I want to eat.  However, many people have problems resolving the idea that no pesticides means there may be a bug or two in the batch.  That's one of the reasons I would never try to sell corn at the market (the other reason being that I am selfish and want all that delicious corn for myself).  Those worms don't bother me; I break off the end of the corn that is eaten by the worm, feed it to the chickens, and save the rest of the ear for us.  But most people, unfamiliar with how food is grown... um..no...they are used to those bug-free-chemical-laden piles of produce sold at the supermarket, shipped from Chile and Mexico and who-knows-where-else and that's what they expect.  That stuff looks and tastes like plastic, but it's bugless, so I guess it all evens out.  *rolls eyes*


I have to say, as our garden expands and we grow more and more of our own food, I'm not wholly against chemical warfare when it comes to my food supply.  I have to draw the line somewhere.  I don't think I can sit by and watch my entire year's sustenance go into little bug tummies without doing something.  Last year, I very nearly went insecticidal on the squash bugs, but research showed that most chemicals don't affect the adult bugs, so it would've been pointless.  I'm glad I checked before I sprayed.  This year, I have a LOT more guineas (there were four free ranging last year; now I have 30, plus the neighbor's flock stops by daily) and I'm hoping that will keep all of the bugs under control. If I do need a pesticide, I will do some research and choose the one that I feel is safest for myself and my family.  


Companion planting is helpful for some pests. Planting to attract predators is a good idea.  It is funny, though, to hear people say that they don't have aphids because they have ladybugs.  The ladybugs won't hang around if there's nothing to eat, so if you have ladybugs, you can be sure you have aphids, but at least the aphids won't get out of control.  


Planting resistant varieties is a good idea, unless everyone is doing it, in which case the pest or disease you are trying to outwit will evolve and you'll have to start from square one.


When visiting your local market, don't be afraid to ask questions.  But, please, be friendly.  Sometimes people approach with a militant attitude, "Are you organic?"  (Actually, yes I am...bite me.)  When I say no, my produce is not certified organic, they march right over the to Amish vendor and buy a bag full of beautiful, chemically treated produce without even grilling him as to its origins.  They just assume, because he is Amish, that his produce is free of pesticides.  Guess again.  I can't hold that against him; he's got 20+ acres of produce.  That's a lot of squash bugs to hand-pick.  


Even when your grower says they use no chemicals, be sure to wash your produce.  Sad to say, you just can't trust everyone.  Our market now has garden inspections for that reason.  Well, not anything to do with pesticides, really, although we do have to keep track of what and how much (of anything) we use on produce sold at market.  No, the inspections were brought about because our market wanted to get away from vendors selling produce they'd bought at auction.  Some vendors would complain about how bad their backs hurt from picking beans.  Yes, picking up the crate at auction and loading it into the truck.  Those of us that actually get sunburned, sweaty, and achy from real farm work...well, we resent that.  We know what happened to our produce from the time the seed went into the ground, yet people were showing up at market with produce that came from...where?...sprayed with...what?....and passing it off as the fruit of their labor, raised with love and pesticide free.  


If your local grower is certified organic, ask which pesticides are used.   I'd suggest staying far, far away from Rotenone.  But don't take my word for it. Do your homework.


The best way to know what you eat, as always, is to grow what you eat.

In the spring, a young worm's fancy turns to thoughts of love...

It is apparently mating season for earthworms.  Nothing like traipsing through a field of fornicating worms to get the critters put away.  Personally, I think worms are FRIGGIN' AWESOME!!  They aerate the soil, fertilize it, and are just darn cute little boogers.

My entire family thinks I'm nuts. 

 The pics show only a fraction of the worms I saw. 

 Most of them popped back into their holes as soon as the light hit them.  

They move surprisingly fast for things with no legs.

Everyone else is just grossed out by all those worms.  Me, I'm thinking I have some awesome soil out here in my garden!!  The USDA National Resources Conservation Service says that earthworms are a sign of healthy soil.  Heck, even most garden books suggest a worm census; hundreds of earthworms can't be wrong!

The worms were thickest in places the poultry pooped.  I could say "places we'd kept chickens, guineas, ducks, etc", but really, the worms are in it for the poop.  Must be like caviar or Domino's pizza for them. 

But could earthworms ever be considered pests?  Yes, according to an article from the University of North Texas, earthworms are bad news for golf greens and lawns, with their unsightly mounds of earth and squishy bodies that make most mama's boys run for cover, lest someone drop a worm down their shorts.  Ok, I added the last part, but still, who cares about golf or smooth lawns?  I can't eat grass and I don't play golf.  I noticed the article was from 1928, but golf is still around, and so are ridiculously manicured lawns...will we ever learn?

Surprisingly, though, there are legitimate arguments that earthworms are invasive species and are bad for forests.  Personally, I always thought earthworms were everywhere, including forests.  I just assumed they were under the leaf mulch, doing what worms do on a warm summer evening, maybe going out to dinner and a movie (Finding Nemo being a favorite horror flick of the worm population).  Turns out that most North American forests, especially sugar maple forests, evolved without the help of our wormy little friends.  And now those celebrities of the gardening world are being blamed for something called "Forest Decline Syndrome", as they wiggle their way into the forests of North America.  Check out the article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

The article says that earthworms move only five yards per year.  They must be just plain lazy, because I've seen them move when caught by surprise above ground, and like I said, those buggers are quick!

I'm thrilled to have them in the garden, and they'll always be my little, squiggly, wiggly, squishy heroes!

Not just my hero, I see.

All of this is true!!

I literally fell out of my chair laughing about this.  I snorted lemonade onto my keyboard and laughed till I cried.  If you've ever lived on a farm, you will find this hysterical.  If your only farm experience involves Farmville, this may show you why most of us think Farmville is as far from real farming as a person can get (never mind that you don't actually go outside or get dirty).

6 things no one tells you about living on a farm

Once again, hat tip to Theldara.  She finds the coolest stuff online.

My poor, neglected Blog

It's spring, so of course I've been busy.  But really, not as busy as I usually am this time of year, since I'm not working (outside the farm).  Still, I seem to lack time or energy to update here as much as I would like to.  I'll try to do better. I have a few posts in mind, just getting them out of my head and onto the blog is the tricky part.

So...lacking a decent post for tonight, how about a random update?  What, you are sick of random updates?  Ha! Too bad! :P

____________________________

• The plants are doing well.  As you can see, not a single surface has been spared; even the canary cage  has three flats on top.

I had to add a second tier.

• We went to TN to visit family over the Easter holiday.  It was our first visit in quite a while, and we enjoyed seeing everyone and just catching up.  PLUS I came home with some great treasures!! Did you know there's something I love as much as plants??  Yes!! Baskets!!! WOOT!!  And lucky me, my mother-in-law makes these amazing baskets!!

MIL also made that neat wine bottle lamp in the pic.  There are Christmas lights inside it.

I should've used something to indicate size; this first basket is HUGE!

The Snake Basket.  How cool is that??  The piece of wood is actually attached.

This one is just awesome!

Thanks to Eöl's amazing mom for the wonderful baskets!! I get so excited over these things, jumping around like a little kid when she shows them to me.  I try real hard not to drool on her floors. 

Oh, and of course a HUGE thanks to my mom for looking after my plants while I was gone.  Turns out she has a green thumb, after all.  I knew I had get it from somewhere!

• The trip was beautiful.  It is a little shocking to go from mountains to flatlands in just a few hours, though.  Thanks to Little Sis for these great pics.

More posts to come...I promise.

Food for thought

From Takepart.com
Article linked here

Many thanks to Theldara for the tip

Last Saturday afternoon, retired Air Force veteran Mark Baker whisked his wife and eight children to a safe location away from their Marion, Michigan, farm, and spent a stressful night awaiting a raid by state officials. Baker had been tipped off by a fellow farmer that agents were planning on eradicating his herd of heritage pigs.

Why? Because as of April 1, a controversial ruling by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) transformed the 13 Russian sows Baker breeds with his heritage Mangalitsa boar into an invasive species. He was suddenly in violation of the law and at risk for having the hogs on his farm wiped out.

“I couldn’t leave the place. I’m a nervous wreck right now,” Baker tells TakePart.

According to the Michigan DNR website, the state is home to 1,000-3,000 feral pigs, which officials have deemed a problem, pointing to concerns over disease and damage they can do to natural habitat and to local crops. At the heart of the controversy is the language used in the DNR ruling that identifies certain traits that would be used to classify feral swine, regardless of which side of the fence the pigs lived. These include dark coloration or striped coat patterns in juveniles, erect ears, and straight tails. Pigs that fit the description are now considered an invasive species and can be shot on sight.

Calls and emails to Michigan’s DNR special projects coordinator, Shannon Hanna, for an interview for this story were not returned.

Unfortunately for Baker, plenty of those descriptions—and only one is needed—apply to his domesticated herd and to pigs found on game ranches, including rocker Ted Nugent’s Sunrize Acres. Nugent is outraged by the order, and is adamant there is no raging feral pig problem in Michigan

“Some of Michigan's ag community is clearly behind this, and by all logical reasons, one can only guess why. The ridiculous claims that thousands of pigs are running around MI spreading disease is a boldface lie,” he writes.

Indeed, according to the DNR, only 340 feral pigs were counted in 72 of the state’s 83 counties, and 286 were killed, compared to 140,000 wild deer that were taken by hunters. Nationwide, it’s estimated that there are 4 million feral pigs at large, with a heavy concentration in warmer states like Texas, California, and Florida.

ome, like attorney Pete Kennedy, president of the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, say another agenda is at play here, and points the finger straight at big ag.

“[The DNR] is an agency that regulates hunters and fishers, and all of a sudden they’re regulating farmers?” says Kennedy. “The Michigan Pork Producers have gotten assurances that they would not be affected by this, or they wouldn’t have lobbied for it like they have. In effect, it’s an attack on small farms. It’s prying away market share through the force of law.”

Sam Hines, executive vice president of the Michigan Pork Producers Association does not deny his organization’s involvement in the DNR ruling. The state’s hog producers ship 10,000-25,000 pigs weekly across state lines to places like Indiana or Ohio for finishing.

“Our organization is very involved in this. It’s one of the few issues that has the potential to shut down the Michigan Pork Industry,” he says. 

Hines says they’ve trapped a number of feral pigs and have tested them for diseases, including pseudorabies. 

“It’s not something that humans would get, but it’s devastating to some species of livestock. If that virus gets disseminated to the domestic or commercial swine herd in this state, we would become quarantined. It would be economically devastating to our producers,” he said.

But so far, he admits, the transfer of pseudorabies from feral pigs to domesticated hogs has not occurred.

“This is a serious threat to all of agriculture. There are whole hosts of states waiting to pursue it. In fact, Pennsylvania last week announced an executive order to do just what we did in Michigan,” he says.

What’s happening in Michigan certainly could have ramifications for other states, including Kansas and New York. That worries Rep. Frank Niceley, chairman of the Tennessee House Agricultural Committee, and prompted him to reach out to Kevin Daley, chairman of the Michigan House Agriculture Committee. 

“When one state passes something, other states pick up on it, and it seems to be a push from the commercial swine producers to eradicate these old varieties of hogs,” Niceley says.

For Mark Baker, the swine on his small farm mean he’s currently committing a felony. That’s hogwash, he says.

“What this comes down to is the food cartel. They want control of the food,” says Baker.