April Friday AM article, election special!

Seeds of Promise, Visions of Veggies.

My seeds arrived in the mail the same day the election was called. The sad part is we have new seeds every year and we have almost matched that with elections, 4 in 7 years and that doesn’t include provincial or municipal. If we could only weed out the nasty critters in the political landscape the way we do in our gardens and cast out those deep-rooted nutrient-sucking parasites. Then compost them into something useful, our country would then bloom and produce like our gardens and become something we could once again be proud of. Remember how we feel after weeding the garden? Loathing to do it but once the task is finished our sore backs and weary bodies are blessed with the promise of future abundance. Some how elections just don’t have the same effect, headaches and high blood pressure from endless TV debates and reports. Promises we know will be broken however sincerely given as soon as the election is won. Worse yet the utter helplessness of it all knowing who ever gets elected, taxes will go up, services will go down, and very little will change except the talking heads and the colour of the banners.
Remember the old saying, “ you can keep some of the people happy all of the time, and all of the people happy some of the time, but not all of the people happy all of the time”. Oh Canada, many of us question the need and the reason of voting when little seems to change, but if you don’t do it you can’t gripe afterwards. So get out and vote so you can hold you head high and complain later!
On a lighter note and still on elections go to the CBC website and try the Vote Compass, it’s a series of questions that show where you are compared to the five main political parties. The result is on a four axial graph much like a large crosshairs and much to my surprise (tongue firmly in cheek) I discovered I was equal distance from all major parties, about as far from them all as could be physically possible on this type of graph. I took great pleasure in printing the result off, as I shall frame it as proof positive of my Politically incorrect curmudgeonly ways. As to whom I should vote for it would appear I should form a new party for myself and the many other millions of disenfranchised voters across the country. With yet another party to choose from I doubt this nation would ever see a majority government again!
Now to the more important news, seeds, dirt and critters! The land is starting to stir with the warmer temperatures and the city farmers are busy planting in their greenhouses, or greasing up the machinery to go to the field as soon as it is dry enough. Newborn calves can be seen in barnyards and fields, some already several weeks old. Our goats have finished kidding and Xerox our new Billy goat did a great job of producing many copies of himself, half boys and half girls. The sheep will start lambing soon, around the first week in April, apart from one who visited one of our black rams before the breeding season and who has already produced a fine set of twins. The orchardists have been busy pruning, some thing that is still on my to do list, and the bee keepers are watching their hives and wishing for sunnier warm weather so they can stop feeding the bees. It is still too early to be out cultivating or rotor tilling but it is always interesting to see who can get on their fields first. Most of us are now armed with seed and I saw many of you at Seedy Saturday. I wish you ever success over the next few weeks getting dirt under your fingers and planting promises to fill your dinner plates.
On 16th April noon till 5.00pm Harmonious Homestead and ewe will host their 3rd annual Knee Deep in Spring event so folks can see the new born lambs, goat kids, piglets, chicks and baby rabbits. It’s a good chance to chase away the winter blues and celebrate spring and a fresh start. Politicians are most welcome so long as they kiss a piglet for the photo op!
Rob Fensom farms in the city at Harmonious Homestead and ewe.