Wholes and Holes and Holism
Over the last few days I have been following the Globe and Mail’s food and agriculture debate. Rolling out of bed and getting all hot under the collar reading a bunch of opinions on my livelihood and how it is perceived by so called experts is just what I need to start my day. Yeah right! I posted comments to try to make me feel better, but ended up feeling much like a prophet of old, “a voice crying in the wilderness”. One though, managed to hit the mark, as it was 5th of 194 comments. I felt there was hope yet in this world full of corn fructose syrup, artificial flavorings and “Twinkie bars”.
The trouble is we are in the age of “experts” were those with knowledge on very specific topics are able to share their findings and more often their opinion, and it is swallowed hook, line and sinker by media, reader and viewer with out question. Science and knowledge has become very specialized and compartmentalized with very little over lap between areas. This in turn creates misunderstandings and conflicts between the different fields, experts and scientists theories become more important than the truth of the matter. Then add in the needed profits for the corporations who are funding the research and you have the narrow minded, blinkers on, vision of where we are today.
The “Big picture viewpoint”, or Holistic thinking seems to be a thing of the past. Sadly this leads to Common Sense becoming an endangered species and Wisdom a thing only found in classic books. South African statesman-scholar Jan Christian Smuts coined the word holism (from the Greek holos) in the 1920s in his book ‘Holism and Evolution’. He came to understand that the world was not bits and pieces of stuff, but flexible changing patterns. He states “If you take patterns as the ultimate structure of the world, it is arrangements and not stuff that make up the world.” Thus every thing is connected and dependent on every thing else. We need to look at the big picture before making big or little decisions.
This then brings me back to the Globe and Mail debate. Containing lots of facts and opinions from many experts and journalists, with each article and video clip dealing with specific items of the food industry. The best though was complaining that many Canadian farmers were too small to compete and too many were lifestyle farmers instead of commodity producers. Over 50% of the beef in this country comes from herds of 100 cows or less, and as the powers that be say it takes 400- 500 cows for a farm to be viable, it means 50% of our beef industry is supplied by hobby/small farmers and is subsidized by farmers wives working off farm to keep the farm afloat. (Makes you wonder who is subsidizing whom?) You don’t see that in the news, but the statistics with Stats Canada bear it out. The same is true of the sheep industry and often times the grain industry. Why the Globe and mail feels these Farmers should become obsolete is beyond me. With only half the cattle most killing plants in Canada would shut down, as they would be no longer viable. This is part of the big picture; looking at all farms not just the ones an expert thinks is viable, the holistic view we talked of earlier. To look at the even bigger picture, view the rest of the world. 75% of the world eats food from farms 20 acres or less, thank goodness the economists are not closing those farmers down for being too small! As Yoda from Star Wars said, “Size matters not”. Small farmers all over the world are feeding people and here in Canada they are producing a good portion of our food and in some cases adding a large portion to the export market. At the same time most qualify for very little or none of the subsidies that are available, and most subsidize the system by working off farm for their own income. No one from the Globe and Mail mentions that good deal for the folks in Canada.
There were however some good points made in a couple of the video clips. The latest figure for the average family has it that they spend 9% of their income on food and that includes eating out! Which could mean that many families only spend 5-7% of their income on groceries, and then they have the cheek to complain about the cost of food. Many pay more HST per month than for food. By comparison folks in Moscow Russia spend 50% of their wages on food and that does not include eating out. Even if you buy organic and pay a premium for quality food you are still only spending 10-12% on food items, an absolute bargain compared to the rest of the world.
My favorite quote and a sobering thought was from a lady chef who pointed out that “we eat our future”. What we put in our mouths becomes us in the future, so we best pay attention to our food and where it comes from. If folks looked at their food in this manner every time they raised a fork to their mouth I imagine there would be some changes demanded by consumers. Small Farmers generally do a better job of caring for the soil and its fertility and fertile soil makes nutrient dense food and therefore healthier people. This is never more poignantly explained than at a funeral by the grave with the words “ashes to ashes, dust to dust”. A harsh reminder of the fact we are really made up of the same stuff as the soil, therefore, plants, animals and ourselves are just different arrangements of the same stuff, holistically speaking.
A Merry Christmas to all readers and I challenge you to see how “close” you can keep your Christmas dinner, mileage wise that is. Mine will be local as it will be grown by myself, but I will have to admit I will let the side down with Bushmills Irish whiskey and some nice South African port!
Rob Fensom farms in the city at Harmonious Homestead and ewe.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Farmers opinions make national paper website.
Below are a couple of my comments to The Globe and Mail, Canada's leading national newspaper. They had the cheek to do a week long series on food and agriculture by so called experts, most of whom have never worked for their "Daily Bread" much less know how to grow it!
Comments from the floor
• Most recommended Most recent Oldest first
1-20 of 98 comments
« First‹ Prev12345Next ›Last »
rancherrob wrote:
Dear Sir, I have been ranching/farming man and boy for 40 plus year. I have farmed organically ( the worlds term, not mine) and have worked within the bounds of the natural order, building soil and organic mater thus increasing my lands fertility and real worth over time and at the same time produced healthy crops and livestock to feed mankind.Modern agriculture revolves around an annual ledger so to keep banks and bean counters happy most farmers have turned to science and industrial farming practices. This works in the short term, but over time depletes that other bank account, the soils fertility. Poor soil produces low yields and worse, stressed crops or livestock which become diseased easier, causing the need for more inputs, chemical and medicinal, an expensive, harsh cycle. We humans are always after the quick fix, we lack vision but most of all understanding and patience.When we all accept we are part of nature and this planet and not the ones in control of it we will see we can feed and cloth ourselves with out all the chemical and scientific intervention deemed so important by none other than those that make profit from supplying them.
My comment on 1st November to opinion in Globe and Mail calling for the scraping of dairy and chicken quotas, by ‘wealthy bureaucrat’ Ray McLaren.
rancherrob
9:48 AM on November 1, 2010
As a red meat producer in this country for 25 years ( beef and lamb) it never stops amazing me how many 'experts' know so much about how farmers and ranchers could do better for them selves and the public by adopting free market ways. This while they have steady pay cheques and a good pension to collect. These experts have never had to make a living and feed their family by growing food. We are now getting the same price per pound for animals that we were 20 years ago, then by the time you factor in inflation we are getting half what we were 20 years ago. In fact Belize a young country in Central America is getting the same price we are for lambs and beef cattle with a third the production costs with year round grass and no winter. The free market farmers in this country are subsidizing your lunch Mr McLaren. We can all live with out cheap imported goods from factories, but food, much like water and oxygen is essential. Remember if you eat you are involved in Agriculture, so while you eat your meat today remember some one raised it for you who does not have an index linked salary or pension plan and would be glad of the chance to have a living wage supplied by the market place like the dairy and egg producers.
Comments from the floor
• Most recommended Most recent Oldest first
1-20 of 98 comments
« First‹ Prev12345Next ›Last »
rancherrob wrote:
Dear Sir, I have been ranching/farming man and boy for 40 plus year. I have farmed organically ( the worlds term, not mine) and have worked within the bounds of the natural order, building soil and organic mater thus increasing my lands fertility and real worth over time and at the same time produced healthy crops and livestock to feed mankind.Modern agriculture revolves around an annual ledger so to keep banks and bean counters happy most farmers have turned to science and industrial farming practices. This works in the short term, but over time depletes that other bank account, the soils fertility. Poor soil produces low yields and worse, stressed crops or livestock which become diseased easier, causing the need for more inputs, chemical and medicinal, an expensive, harsh cycle. We humans are always after the quick fix, we lack vision but most of all understanding and patience.When we all accept we are part of nature and this planet and not the ones in control of it we will see we can feed and cloth ourselves with out all the chemical and scientific intervention deemed so important by none other than those that make profit from supplying them.
My comment on 1st November to opinion in Globe and Mail calling for the scraping of dairy and chicken quotas, by ‘wealthy bureaucrat’ Ray McLaren.
rancherrob
9:48 AM on November 1, 2010
As a red meat producer in this country for 25 years ( beef and lamb) it never stops amazing me how many 'experts' know so much about how farmers and ranchers could do better for them selves and the public by adopting free market ways. This while they have steady pay cheques and a good pension to collect. These experts have never had to make a living and feed their family by growing food. We are now getting the same price per pound for animals that we were 20 years ago, then by the time you factor in inflation we are getting half what we were 20 years ago. In fact Belize a young country in Central America is getting the same price we are for lambs and beef cattle with a third the production costs with year round grass and no winter. The free market farmers in this country are subsidizing your lunch Mr McLaren. We can all live with out cheap imported goods from factories, but food, much like water and oxygen is essential. Remember if you eat you are involved in Agriculture, so while you eat your meat today remember some one raised it for you who does not have an index linked salary or pension plan and would be glad of the chance to have a living wage supplied by the market place like the dairy and egg producers.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Guy Fawkes, the man behind our farm family planning.
The 5th November is a big night in England, known as Guy Fawkes night. In 1603 Guy Fawkes a Catholic who was not happy with the new protestant way, wished to see his church free and made the national church once again. As things were not happening quick enough he and some friends decided to fill the basement of the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder and have a quick change of political direction, mainly upwards! History tells us he was caught in the act while lighting the fuse (just like in a Bond movie, saving the city from annihilation with 1 second to spare), poor fellow was tourtured and killed but did not give away his accomplices. So to rub salt in the whole Catholic /Protestant thing every 5th November all over England Guy Fawkes (like scare crows) are burnt on top of large open air bonfires. There are lots of fireworks and every one has a fun time. Most have forgotten the Religious and Political meanings behind it all unless they come from my old home county of Sussex. There it is serious business, many villages and towns have bonfire societies, which hold torch light processions (flaming wooden torches, not flash lights) with every one dressed up in fancy costumes, marching bands and walking jazz bands. Every one ending up at the village green or near by field to light a huge fire to burn the “Guy” and watch a fire work display. This goes on every weekend from mid October to December. The Glorious 5th though is reserved for the county town, Lewes. It has 5 bonfire societies of its own, the oldest and most notorious is the “Cliff”. Their fire and firework display is held against a huge sheer chalk cliff that towers above the fire and people reflecting the goings on.
This was where the real political statements were made. Many young student types would get on a soapbox and air their views, usually to be pelted with firecrackers. The main attraction though was the large paper Mache effigy of the Pope, which was blown up and burnt to remind every one what Guy Fawkes night was all about. So as not to be considered too inflammatory they also had a similar sized effigy of a political figure who every one despised that year and blew them up as well. I well remember in the early 70s they had one mounted on a lorry to parade through the streets along with the 50,000 people and flaming torches. It was a cage with a huge gorilla swinging to reach some bananas. The face though was that of Idi Amin the ruler of Uganda at the time. He was blown up to great cheering as we were inundated at that time with Ugandan refugees that he had thrown out of the country, (which was still considered part of the Empire). You can see from the preceding sentences that Political Correctness had not reached the shores of England in the 70s. Those days the closest any body came to it would be to abstain from passing wind whilst speaking in public!
After all this History and such what on earth does this have to do with farm family planning? Well over the years Shepherds worked out that if you put the rams in with the ewes on Guy Fawkes night you had lambs starting on April Fools day. By then there was plenty of grass in England and it was easy to remember these dates for illiterate farm folk. I am not so sure this worked near Lewes though as with all the fires and explosions the sheep were just too stressed for procreation until the next week when their nerves had settled down.
Here on our farm we keep up the tradition and this Friday 5th we will be sorting ewes and rams into their groups for 36 days of courting. With no fires and fireworks in sight all should go well. If you drive by though go easy on the throttle especially you two wheelers. May be I should make a new road sign, “Shh, rams working” with the obvious picture!
The 5th November is a big night in England, known as Guy Fawkes night. In 1603 Guy Fawkes a Catholic who was not happy with the new protestant way, wished to see his church free and made the national church once again. As things were not happening quick enough he and some friends decided to fill the basement of the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder and have a quick change of political direction, mainly upwards! History tells us he was caught in the act while lighting the fuse (just like in a Bond movie, saving the city from annihilation with 1 second to spare), poor fellow was tourtured and killed but did not give away his accomplices. So to rub salt in the whole Catholic /Protestant thing every 5th November all over England Guy Fawkes (like scare crows) are burnt on top of large open air bonfires. There are lots of fireworks and every one has a fun time. Most have forgotten the Religious and Political meanings behind it all unless they come from my old home county of Sussex. There it is serious business, many villages and towns have bonfire societies, which hold torch light processions (flaming wooden torches, not flash lights) with every one dressed up in fancy costumes, marching bands and walking jazz bands. Every one ending up at the village green or near by field to light a huge fire to burn the “Guy” and watch a fire work display. This goes on every weekend from mid October to December. The Glorious 5th though is reserved for the county town, Lewes. It has 5 bonfire societies of its own, the oldest and most notorious is the “Cliff”. Their fire and firework display is held against a huge sheer chalk cliff that towers above the fire and people reflecting the goings on.
This was where the real political statements were made. Many young student types would get on a soapbox and air their views, usually to be pelted with firecrackers. The main attraction though was the large paper Mache effigy of the Pope, which was blown up and burnt to remind every one what Guy Fawkes night was all about. So as not to be considered too inflammatory they also had a similar sized effigy of a political figure who every one despised that year and blew them up as well. I well remember in the early 70s they had one mounted on a lorry to parade through the streets along with the 50,000 people and flaming torches. It was a cage with a huge gorilla swinging to reach some bananas. The face though was that of Idi Amin the ruler of Uganda at the time. He was blown up to great cheering as we were inundated at that time with Ugandan refugees that he had thrown out of the country, (which was still considered part of the Empire). You can see from the preceding sentences that Political Correctness had not reached the shores of England in the 70s. Those days the closest any body came to it would be to abstain from passing wind whilst speaking in public!
After all this History and such what on earth does this have to do with farm family planning? Well over the years Shepherds worked out that if you put the rams in with the ewes on Guy Fawkes night you had lambs starting on April Fools day. By then there was plenty of grass in England and it was easy to remember these dates for illiterate farm folk. I am not so sure this worked near Lewes though as with all the fires and explosions the sheep were just too stressed for procreation until the next week when their nerves had settled down.
Here on our farm we keep up the tradition and this Friday 5th we will be sorting ewes and rams into their groups for 36 days of courting. With no fires and fireworks in sight all should go well. If you drive by though go easy on the throttle especially you two wheelers. May be I should make a new road sign, “Shh, rams working” with the obvious picture!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
RETURN FROM THE WILDERNESS
Hello to you all. I am now back on line with a computer that works. I am now an I Mac user and wished I had one years ago. They say they are hard to use, and it depends on how you problem solve and think. Well it allows you to find out and do stuff visually not with masses of bloody orders from popup boxes. More a ranchers tool. It also has a screen big enough to use as a life raft so at least I can now read whats on the screen!
I have kept up writing in our local newspaper plus several farm publications here in Canada and the USA. But with the farm and summer the blog was left out in the cold. Below are a couple of samples of recent articles.
I have kept up writing in our local newspaper plus several farm publications here in Canada and the USA. But with the farm and summer the blog was left out in the cold. Below are a couple of samples of recent articles.
Interviewing Sheep
There is a nip in the air and the leaves are slowly going yellow as I write. We had our first frost here on the farm around the 22nd September; just enough to blacken the leaves of tomatoes, pumpkin and peppers, but not enough to stop the zucchini yet, darn it. With all the rain a week or two back there was no need to irrigate so I packed up all the pipes and hired an air compressor for the morning to blow out the lines in case we have a real winter which could crack water filled pipes. It’s the time of year where winter is still a way off but we know if we don’t start getting ready it will sweep down over the hill and catch us with our pants down. Not only is this a nasty sight but it does not slow the advance of winter in any way.
With the above in mind we have been slowly and reluctantly hunkering down for old man winter. (Talking of which why is spring and summer viewed in female terms along with Mother Nature but we guys get the blame for the cold and miserable weather.) Picking fruit and vegetables, putting things by in the form of freezing, drying and canning or storing in cool dark places is the order of the day right now. Typically, we have not had a frost since our first one two weeks ago, it was just a warm up to get us in gear, and Jack Frost is just sitting back chuckling at our antics.
On the animal side of the farm we brought the sheep home from the other side of the river and weaned them. This involves separating the lambs from their Mums as they are now teenagers and can look after themselves. Most two legged ones that I know would welcome the chance to separate from Mums watchful eye, but not these four legged woolly ones. We had them in the corrals and were serenaded by a sheep symphony twenty four hours a day for three days. Bleating and bawling constantly even though they could see each other and were all well fed. Thankfully it is now quiet; they have either got used to it or lost their voices! They now call to me as I am the new Mum, arriving twice a day with green hay and barley with their mothers a distant memory.
The ewes (mothers) are happy in the next pen free of their children, well fed and starting a new year in an old job after passing the interview. Interview? You ask. That’s right when we separate the flock they all come by the shepherds all knowing and all seeing eye. The ewes are checked and interviewed for the next years job. First of all, general appearance; fit not fat, and defiantely not too skinny. Twiggy’s rarely conceive let alone produce the twins we need. Next teeth, a full set are preferred, though a few short is ok so long as a svelte body condition shows adequate nutrition. Feet must be sound with no signs of lameness or stiffness. Lastly, the udder (mammary gland for those who remember biology, or boobs for those who slept through the class), there must be a minimum of two teats, no hard lumps, or cuts and scars as these can harbour mastitis and infections when feeding lambs. If she gets this far a quick check on the records to see she is giving us twins every year and if so she is hired on for another year. The only exception to this would be if she was wild and cranky, upsetting me when being handled and the rest of the flock around her due to her back to the wild behaviour. These particular cases make excellent sausage for the shepherd’s breakfast. ‘Revenge is best served cold’ as they say, but I prefer mine fried!
With the interviews over the girls that are hired are treated to a holiday until November when a tall woolly handsome stranger comes a courting and the whole cycle of life starts again.
Upon reading the article so far I wish to point out that the farms interview policy for hiring two legged staff is significantly different than that of four legged. I trust this will clear up any miss understandings.
On the world scene I see La Via Campesina (the Peasants way or road, the international organisation for peasants and small farmers, which our Farmers Union in Canada is a member) is declaring 16th October “International day of Action against Agribusiness and Monsanto”. They tell us that since 1900 we have lost 90% of the genetic diversity of our agricultural crops, which means loss of disease resistance and drought resistance in many cases. Monsanto now owns 25% of the worlds patented seed market and with the top ten seed companies controlling 70% off the worlds seed, Monsanto is eagerly buying them up to have full market control. Monsanto now also has the Bill Gates Foundation on side to help push the GMO seed onto African nations who have so far resisted it as a form of aid. I think this sound’s like the Haitian story I told you about earlier in the year, “we are from Monsanto and we’re here to help”, yeah right. To read more on this go to www.viacampesina.org . That’s it for this month; I’m off out side to prepare for those icy blasts, and build the wood pile so I can enjoy the cold weather whilst staying warm inside.
Rob Fensom farms in the city at Harmonious Homestead and Ewe and can be reached at
There is a nip in the air and the leaves are slowly going yellow as I write. We had our first frost here on the farm around the 22nd September; just enough to blacken the leaves of tomatoes, pumpkin and peppers, but not enough to stop the zucchini yet, darn it. With all the rain a week or two back there was no need to irrigate so I packed up all the pipes and hired an air compressor for the morning to blow out the lines in case we have a real winter which could crack water filled pipes. It’s the time of year where winter is still a way off but we know if we don’t start getting ready it will sweep down over the hill and catch us with our pants down. Not only is this a nasty sight but it does not slow the advance of winter in any way.
With the above in mind we have been slowly and reluctantly hunkering down for old man winter. (Talking of which why is spring and summer viewed in female terms along with Mother Nature but we guys get the blame for the cold and miserable weather.) Picking fruit and vegetables, putting things by in the form of freezing, drying and canning or storing in cool dark places is the order of the day right now. Typically, we have not had a frost since our first one two weeks ago, it was just a warm up to get us in gear, and Jack Frost is just sitting back chuckling at our antics.
On the animal side of the farm we brought the sheep home from the other side of the river and weaned them. This involves separating the lambs from their Mums as they are now teenagers and can look after themselves. Most two legged ones that I know would welcome the chance to separate from Mums watchful eye, but not these four legged woolly ones. We had them in the corrals and were serenaded by a sheep symphony twenty four hours a day for three days. Bleating and bawling constantly even though they could see each other and were all well fed. Thankfully it is now quiet; they have either got used to it or lost their voices! They now call to me as I am the new Mum, arriving twice a day with green hay and barley with their mothers a distant memory.
The ewes (mothers) are happy in the next pen free of their children, well fed and starting a new year in an old job after passing the interview. Interview? You ask. That’s right when we separate the flock they all come by the shepherds all knowing and all seeing eye. The ewes are checked and interviewed for the next years job. First of all, general appearance; fit not fat, and defiantely not too skinny. Twiggy’s rarely conceive let alone produce the twins we need. Next teeth, a full set are preferred, though a few short is ok so long as a svelte body condition shows adequate nutrition. Feet must be sound with no signs of lameness or stiffness. Lastly, the udder (mammary gland for those who remember biology, or boobs for those who slept through the class), there must be a minimum of two teats, no hard lumps, or cuts and scars as these can harbour mastitis and infections when feeding lambs. If she gets this far a quick check on the records to see she is giving us twins every year and if so she is hired on for another year. The only exception to this would be if she was wild and cranky, upsetting me when being handled and the rest of the flock around her due to her back to the wild behaviour. These particular cases make excellent sausage for the shepherd’s breakfast. ‘Revenge is best served cold’ as they say, but I prefer mine fried!
With the interviews over the girls that are hired are treated to a holiday until November when a tall woolly handsome stranger comes a courting and the whole cycle of life starts again.
Upon reading the article so far I wish to point out that the farms interview policy for hiring two legged staff is significantly different than that of four legged. I trust this will clear up any miss understandings.
On the world scene I see La Via Campesina (the Peasants way or road, the international organisation for peasants and small farmers, which our Farmers Union in Canada is a member) is declaring 16th October “International day of Action against Agribusiness and Monsanto”. They tell us that since 1900 we have lost 90% of the genetic diversity of our agricultural crops, which means loss of disease resistance and drought resistance in many cases. Monsanto now owns 25% of the worlds patented seed market and with the top ten seed companies controlling 70% off the worlds seed, Monsanto is eagerly buying them up to have full market control. Monsanto now also has the Bill Gates Foundation on side to help push the GMO seed onto African nations who have so far resisted it as a form of aid. I think this sound’s like the Haitian story I told you about earlier in the year, “we are from Monsanto and we’re here to help”, yeah right. To read more on this go to www.viacampesina.org . That’s it for this month; I’m off out side to prepare for those icy blasts, and build the wood pile so I can enjoy the cold weather whilst staying warm inside.
Rob Fensom farms in the city at Harmonious Homestead and Ewe and can be reached at
Choice, waste, and customer service.
With all the new shopping centres springing up in town we shall certainly not be short on choices. In fact one wonders if with so many places to shop we just might be short of shoppers! When one considers 50% of us are male and if like me shopping is strictly a walk in, buy it, and go home again affair, with window shopping considered the occupation of teenage girls and folks with too much time on their hands, I truly wonder if they will all survive when we get back to normal population levels in November. As that’s when we start recognising people on the street and for the next six months needs rather than wants affect the shopping priorities of most folks, with the exception of Christmas.
Along with choices there is always waste. You can only sell what you have in stock, so shelves are stocked with everything the heart desires. The most obvious place to see this is the produce and meat section of any large grocery store. Piles of produce, enticing the customer, all fresh and prime. I do not know the percentages but one only has to go behind the store to see the large volume of over ripe produce, or just unsold, along with meats and baked goods gone past their due dates. A good store manager lives and dies by the management and control of those waste numbers. Of course its not all dumped, some ends up in soup kitchens and the like, and I know more than a few pigs in their time have enjoyed baked goods for breakfast.
It seems choice and wastes are linked, we can not have one with out the other. The key is to use the wastes in other ways so they are not waste. The other place in town where I ran into this was at the Farmers Market. It seems the market managers feel there should be no more choices, (read produce vendors) until the present produce vendors sell out. This would mean no more produce grown by different vendors who grow different varieties and hit the market at different times giving you the consumer more choice. The existing produce vendors must sell out and go home empty before any new ones are allowed entry into the market. ! The only produce I have seen sell out in a store is in Soviet Russia where a lack of produce was the issue not the abundance we have in this valley. This means that you the customer would have to buy things you did not want to ensure vendors sell out so that other vendors are allowed entry and only then can you have more choices. The only produce vendor you ever see sell out is “The Peach Lady” but hey, that is the crack cocaine of the produce world. The trouble is in a free market capitalist society where choice and sales are every thing, the market management are denying choice to the customers and sales to the vendors. In the long run this stagnates the market and does a disservice to the community it is supposed to be serving. It appears a few want market control much like Monsanto and Cargill before they are willing to share, if at all. Perhaps they have not figured out what to do with the waste and end up just dumping it. As for us, any thing that comes home from the market it is either preserved and stored for our own winter consumption or fed to our pigs who become the middle men in the process. I always preferred bacon over veggies!
Rob Fensom farms in the city at Harmonious Homestead and ewe
With all the new shopping centres springing up in town we shall certainly not be short on choices. In fact one wonders if with so many places to shop we just might be short of shoppers! When one considers 50% of us are male and if like me shopping is strictly a walk in, buy it, and go home again affair, with window shopping considered the occupation of teenage girls and folks with too much time on their hands, I truly wonder if they will all survive when we get back to normal population levels in November. As that’s when we start recognising people on the street and for the next six months needs rather than wants affect the shopping priorities of most folks, with the exception of Christmas.
Along with choices there is always waste. You can only sell what you have in stock, so shelves are stocked with everything the heart desires. The most obvious place to see this is the produce and meat section of any large grocery store. Piles of produce, enticing the customer, all fresh and prime. I do not know the percentages but one only has to go behind the store to see the large volume of over ripe produce, or just unsold, along with meats and baked goods gone past their due dates. A good store manager lives and dies by the management and control of those waste numbers. Of course its not all dumped, some ends up in soup kitchens and the like, and I know more than a few pigs in their time have enjoyed baked goods for breakfast.
It seems choice and wastes are linked, we can not have one with out the other. The key is to use the wastes in other ways so they are not waste. The other place in town where I ran into this was at the Farmers Market. It seems the market managers feel there should be no more choices, (read produce vendors) until the present produce vendors sell out. This would mean no more produce grown by different vendors who grow different varieties and hit the market at different times giving you the consumer more choice. The existing produce vendors must sell out and go home empty before any new ones are allowed entry into the market. ! The only produce I have seen sell out in a store is in Soviet Russia where a lack of produce was the issue not the abundance we have in this valley. This means that you the customer would have to buy things you did not want to ensure vendors sell out so that other vendors are allowed entry and only then can you have more choices. The only produce vendor you ever see sell out is “The Peach Lady” but hey, that is the crack cocaine of the produce world. The trouble is in a free market capitalist society where choice and sales are every thing, the market management are denying choice to the customers and sales to the vendors. In the long run this stagnates the market and does a disservice to the community it is supposed to be serving. It appears a few want market control much like Monsanto and Cargill before they are willing to share, if at all. Perhaps they have not figured out what to do with the waste and end up just dumping it. As for us, any thing that comes home from the market it is either preserved and stored for our own winter consumption or fed to our pigs who become the middle men in the process. I always preferred bacon over veggies!
Rob Fensom farms in the city at Harmonious Homestead and ewe
Saturday, July 10, 2010
PPPPPPPPPPPPP
Today’s lesson is brought to you by The letter P.
Believe it or not we farmers do a lot of thinking, chugging up and down the field driving our tractors, especially now while making hay. That along with the whole G8, G20 thing going on I was reminded of Sesame Street, not just because of the childish antics of the politicians, police and protesters. Though I do feel that’s an insult to many bright well behaved children I know. I was reminded how the letter P shows up in all things political and economical, and how the Sesame Street Show was always sponsored by a letter and a number each time, and that they featured heavily in all the skits and cartons my children watched. So today’s article is bought to you by the letter P, and myself, musing on my tractor making hay. It’s darned tough bouncing over the mole hills and balancing the laptop on you knee!
Profit: What every one wants, few get it, and when they do it stays in their bank
account instead of being spread around for the common good.
People: Used to produce the goods to make Profit, also to buy the same goods that make
Profit. None of them get the Profit, except the ones that get the Profit and they don’t produce or buy the products.
Pleasure: The feeling a few People get when collecting their Profit.
Pain: What most People feel when not getting a Profit.
Power: What those that have Profit want.
Progress: What was supposed to happen with the Profit to make People Placid.
Prosperity: What the People should have with sufficient Profit and Progress.
Poverty: What we always have, even with more and bigger Profits, it never disappears.
Propaganda: Used by Power and Profit to convince People that we have Progress and
Prosperity.
Proletariat: Those who Propaganda is aimed at and hopefully in the end Protest about it.
Powerless: How the Proletariat feel until they Protest.
Protest: Pastime of the Proletariat, when Peed off.
Pests: What Profit and Power call People that stir up the Proletariat.
Politics: The method by which change can come about Peacefully, or not.
Peace: What you get when we all learn to share and get along, you know like Play school.
Purge: A sometimes messy process to bring about a Paradigm change when Politics and
Peaceful methods fail.
Paradigm Change: Something the Proletariat want and Power and Profit fears the most.
Power to the People: Also Profit to the People.
Presented by the letter P.
Believe it or not we farmers do a lot of thinking, chugging up and down the field driving our tractors, especially now while making hay. That along with the whole G8, G20 thing going on I was reminded of Sesame Street, not just because of the childish antics of the politicians, police and protesters. Though I do feel that’s an insult to many bright well behaved children I know. I was reminded how the letter P shows up in all things political and economical, and how the Sesame Street Show was always sponsored by a letter and a number each time, and that they featured heavily in all the skits and cartons my children watched. So today’s article is bought to you by the letter P, and myself, musing on my tractor making hay. It’s darned tough bouncing over the mole hills and balancing the laptop on you knee!
Profit: What every one wants, few get it, and when they do it stays in their bank
account instead of being spread around for the common good.
People: Used to produce the goods to make Profit, also to buy the same goods that make
Profit. None of them get the Profit, except the ones that get the Profit and they don’t produce or buy the products.
Pleasure: The feeling a few People get when collecting their Profit.
Pain: What most People feel when not getting a Profit.
Power: What those that have Profit want.
Progress: What was supposed to happen with the Profit to make People Placid.
Prosperity: What the People should have with sufficient Profit and Progress.
Poverty: What we always have, even with more and bigger Profits, it never disappears.
Propaganda: Used by Power and Profit to convince People that we have Progress and
Prosperity.
Proletariat: Those who Propaganda is aimed at and hopefully in the end Protest about it.
Powerless: How the Proletariat feel until they Protest.
Protest: Pastime of the Proletariat, when Peed off.
Pests: What Profit and Power call People that stir up the Proletariat.
Politics: The method by which change can come about Peacefully, or not.
Peace: What you get when we all learn to share and get along, you know like Play school.
Purge: A sometimes messy process to bring about a Paradigm change when Politics and
Peaceful methods fail.
Paradigm Change: Something the Proletariat want and Power and Profit fears the most.
Power to the People: Also Profit to the People.
Presented by the letter P.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Seeds; Weapons of Mass Destruction
This is my latest offering in the Friday Am paper. Judging by the feedback on the street and folks talking to me at our farmers market stand it would appear it had the desired effect and got folks talking and thinking. I have had a lot of questions and was surprised how little folks understand of the issue, scary!
Seeds, weapons of mass destruction?
With the earth quake in Haiti but a distant memory for most of the world I noticed a small story in this week’s news which will be overlooked by most news syndicates and deliberately ignored by the larger politically sensitive ones. It concerns a series of protests by Haiti’s farmers and one in particular where 10,000 farmers gathered to protest the donation of seed from the American company Monsanto to the islands farmers. This seed, some 400 tons would be free and distributed to all the farmers to help them after the destructive quake.
Now at first glance these farmers may seem like an ungrateful bunch, as the world and relief agencies pour goods and money into the island, they seem to behave like a bunch of spoilt brats. Sadly this is no doubt the way main stream media will portray it, if they tell it at all. The truth, as always requires some digging in the dirt, much like looking for tasty sweet new potatoes.
The farmers should be congratulated for their stand as they set an example for us farming in North America. We should have done what they are now doing many years ago and perhaps Genetically Modified crops would have been left in the laboratory and forgotten about.
The seed, as Monsanto is quick to point out is not GM seed, but “regular hybrid” seed. They are not forcing any one into contracts or selling their seed, it’s just a friendly helpful donation of hybrid seed. To put this in simple terms remember the humble Mule, draught horse of share croppers, freed slaves and poor tenant farmers in the States. The mule kept these folks down, as when the mule was old and wore out you had to buy a new one. The mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey and cannot reproduce just like a John Deere tractor can’t make new little J D’s.
Hybrid seed is the same, a cross between two varieties which can not reproduce it’s self. Most corn and a large amount of vegetables are like this, the seed must be produced by the seed grower each year and the farmer has to buy fresh seed each spring. This has been the norm in main line agriculture for many years. Only the stubborn and old timers have used and saved open pollinated seed, which can reproduce year after year. This though is normal practice in many places in the so called “developing world” and ensures the survival of the farmer through easily accessible seed and varieties suitable to his area. In turn this gives a reliable food security to the nation as a whole. “Developing” my a__’ they are further along in their development than us! Huge tracts of land are seeded to hybrids and once the farmers were used to buying seed every year it was easy to sell them GM seed along with restrictive contracts and eventual draconian servitude to the one all powerful seed company that controls the seed, fertiliser, farmers, markets and end product at the retail level. This is the ultimate; you control all the land and the crops on it with out ever owning or paying taxes on the land. Coupled with monopoly in the markets and the backing of the most powerful nation on earth, it’s a dream come true for power hungry dictators, Genghis Khan would love it! To take it one step further and possibly into the realms of Science fiction. Once every one is eating GM food what’s to stop them putting “stuff” into the crop to make us sick so we buy medicine to help out the seed companies Pharmaceutical sister company with their profit margins. If elections are coming up and the populace seem to be unruly add a sedative in the corn to keep the masses subdued and manageable! It may sound crazy but sadly I can see this making “good business sense” to a group of ivory tower, profit hungry, bonus hunting CEO’s.
Back to the present in Haiti those protesting farmers know the score. After 200 years of outsiders controlling their island and its people, running off with the natural resources and easy money, leaving the locals perpetually poor and down trodden, they know the true nature of those seeds. They are weapons of Mass Destruction, a thin end of the wedge to pry away their freedom. They know that once they have lost the ability to grow their own food and save their own seed, they will be for ever at the mercy of the seed merchant and the country that backs him.
Here in Canada we are well down this road as government aids the “company” with confusing labelling laws, undisclosed ingredients and an almost open door policy to new GM crops. We farmers were slow to react when Hybrids showed up and are well down the dead end street of GM crop control. So what can you and I do?
I recently read Ernesto Che Guevara’s book Guerrilla Warfare, don’t panic, I am not heading to the hills with my shot gun to launch surprise attacks on the trains. It was interesting to see the heavy emphasis he places on getting along with the locals, helping them and forming community with them. It struck me we need to do more of this with consumers and producers of local food. Less talk and more walk so to speak at the local level. My last few weeks at the farmers market have been a great place to talk to consumers (as well as sell them some “freedom” food) about some of the issues and hear what they have to say. As for the walk, I produce natural grass fed meats and organically grow vegetables that are traditional open pollinated. I avoid corn and soy bean products in my animals feed and my own. The one thing my wife and I are doing more of is label reading in the grocery store. I strongly encourage you to read them and spend some time understanding what some of the “stuff” on the ingredient list is. True it’s scary and some times a little depressing, remember, knowledge is power and we are all in this together. Let’s work as a community of concerned consumers and become Guerrilla farmers and freedom fighter foodies!
So till next time, buy local as much as possible and read those labels, and remember to take your glasses shopping, that darned writing on the labels gets smaller every year!
Seeds, weapons of mass destruction?
With the earth quake in Haiti but a distant memory for most of the world I noticed a small story in this week’s news which will be overlooked by most news syndicates and deliberately ignored by the larger politically sensitive ones. It concerns a series of protests by Haiti’s farmers and one in particular where 10,000 farmers gathered to protest the donation of seed from the American company Monsanto to the islands farmers. This seed, some 400 tons would be free and distributed to all the farmers to help them after the destructive quake.
Now at first glance these farmers may seem like an ungrateful bunch, as the world and relief agencies pour goods and money into the island, they seem to behave like a bunch of spoilt brats. Sadly this is no doubt the way main stream media will portray it, if they tell it at all. The truth, as always requires some digging in the dirt, much like looking for tasty sweet new potatoes.
The farmers should be congratulated for their stand as they set an example for us farming in North America. We should have done what they are now doing many years ago and perhaps Genetically Modified crops would have been left in the laboratory and forgotten about.
The seed, as Monsanto is quick to point out is not GM seed, but “regular hybrid” seed. They are not forcing any one into contracts or selling their seed, it’s just a friendly helpful donation of hybrid seed. To put this in simple terms remember the humble Mule, draught horse of share croppers, freed slaves and poor tenant farmers in the States. The mule kept these folks down, as when the mule was old and wore out you had to buy a new one. The mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey and cannot reproduce just like a John Deere tractor can’t make new little J D’s.
Hybrid seed is the same, a cross between two varieties which can not reproduce it’s self. Most corn and a large amount of vegetables are like this, the seed must be produced by the seed grower each year and the farmer has to buy fresh seed each spring. This has been the norm in main line agriculture for many years. Only the stubborn and old timers have used and saved open pollinated seed, which can reproduce year after year. This though is normal practice in many places in the so called “developing world” and ensures the survival of the farmer through easily accessible seed and varieties suitable to his area. In turn this gives a reliable food security to the nation as a whole. “Developing” my a__’ they are further along in their development than us! Huge tracts of land are seeded to hybrids and once the farmers were used to buying seed every year it was easy to sell them GM seed along with restrictive contracts and eventual draconian servitude to the one all powerful seed company that controls the seed, fertiliser, farmers, markets and end product at the retail level. This is the ultimate; you control all the land and the crops on it with out ever owning or paying taxes on the land. Coupled with monopoly in the markets and the backing of the most powerful nation on earth, it’s a dream come true for power hungry dictators, Genghis Khan would love it! To take it one step further and possibly into the realms of Science fiction. Once every one is eating GM food what’s to stop them putting “stuff” into the crop to make us sick so we buy medicine to help out the seed companies Pharmaceutical sister company with their profit margins. If elections are coming up and the populace seem to be unruly add a sedative in the corn to keep the masses subdued and manageable! It may sound crazy but sadly I can see this making “good business sense” to a group of ivory tower, profit hungry, bonus hunting CEO’s.
Back to the present in Haiti those protesting farmers know the score. After 200 years of outsiders controlling their island and its people, running off with the natural resources and easy money, leaving the locals perpetually poor and down trodden, they know the true nature of those seeds. They are weapons of Mass Destruction, a thin end of the wedge to pry away their freedom. They know that once they have lost the ability to grow their own food and save their own seed, they will be for ever at the mercy of the seed merchant and the country that backs him.
Here in Canada we are well down this road as government aids the “company” with confusing labelling laws, undisclosed ingredients and an almost open door policy to new GM crops. We farmers were slow to react when Hybrids showed up and are well down the dead end street of GM crop control. So what can you and I do?
I recently read Ernesto Che Guevara’s book Guerrilla Warfare, don’t panic, I am not heading to the hills with my shot gun to launch surprise attacks on the trains. It was interesting to see the heavy emphasis he places on getting along with the locals, helping them and forming community with them. It struck me we need to do more of this with consumers and producers of local food. Less talk and more walk so to speak at the local level. My last few weeks at the farmers market have been a great place to talk to consumers (as well as sell them some “freedom” food) about some of the issues and hear what they have to say. As for the walk, I produce natural grass fed meats and organically grow vegetables that are traditional open pollinated. I avoid corn and soy bean products in my animals feed and my own. The one thing my wife and I are doing more of is label reading in the grocery store. I strongly encourage you to read them and spend some time understanding what some of the “stuff” on the ingredient list is. True it’s scary and some times a little depressing, remember, knowledge is power and we are all in this together. Let’s work as a community of concerned consumers and become Guerrilla farmers and freedom fighter foodies!
So till next time, buy local as much as possible and read those labels, and remember to take your glasses shopping, that darned writing on the labels gets smaller every year!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Finaly!!
Its been a while so I thought I would post some of my writings that kept me away from this blog. The first was published in The Canadian Friend a Quaker publication the rest were from my Farming Column in our local newspaper. There has also been an opinion article in The Western Producer and several sheep related articles in Canadian and American sheep publications.
Lambing went well and is now finished, all stock are out on pasture including sheep pigs chickens and rabbits. We attend our local farmers market which is going well seems we are selling chickens before they are hatched! They are proving popular and we will start a new batch soon.Pigs too, as we have had to buy more to fill orders. So the vegans are not left out I am also growing a market garden with a large planting of beans for drying. In effect we will be a "one stop protein shop"!
Lambing went well and is now finished, all stock are out on pasture including sheep pigs chickens and rabbits. We attend our local farmers market which is going well seems we are selling chickens before they are hatched! They are proving popular and we will start a new batch soon.Pigs too, as we have had to buy more to fill orders. So the vegans are not left out I am also growing a market garden with a large planting of beans for drying. In effect we will be a "one stop protein shop"!
Big Footprints Lead to Small Steps by Rob Fensom
One foot in front of the other, it’s the usual way to get around for most folks. Though many of us use cars, trucks, etc. which leave bigger footprints than a guy plodding along in his sneakers. Footprints are big news these days, at least carbon ones are, not my size nines. Our choices and lifestyles give most of us larger footprints than our feet need. Some time ago I answered a questionnaire and took a workshop on carbon prints. I was actually surprised how low I was compared to many of my classmates, even though my back yard is forty-five acres and my house is twice the size of most folks.
Yes, I am one of a disappearing breed, a farming, Christ-centred, conservative Friend. No, I do not wear braces, black wool pants and a straw hat. Blue jeans, western shirt and a cap do me fine. My horsepower is a diesel-burning tractor, and I love any machine that saves my back and is cost-effective on our farm. I run chainsaws, riding lawnmowers and a “Gator” (mini pickup) all of which burn fuel and give me black points on the carbon scale. So with some trepidation I set about working my way through the book at the workshop, calculating house size, heating system, car mileage for all vehicles, and air mileage per year. No stone was unturned.
When we had all finished I ‘drew the short straw’ and had to read mine out first. I read the totals in each column and felt shame and guilt. Finishing I looked up and was met with a circle of faces staring at me; many seemed to show disbelief and shock. Oh boy I must be a fuel hog. No one even offered a comment. I felt two inches tall.
We went around the circle and I started to realize that my footprint was the lowest, and maybe all those shocked faces were started checking my results, as surely I must have done something wrong. Panicking I reread the calculations and worried all the more because mine was so low compared to theirs. As we carried on around the group I started checking my results, as surely I must have done something wrong. Panicking I reread the calculations and worried all the more because I could not find my mistake. When we had reached the end of the sharing I could see I must appear to lead a boring life. I claimed no airline flights, no RV, boat or motorised toys, no holidays or weekend get-a-ways, no foreign wines; just some out of season fruit and vegetables in winter. This guy was beginning to sound like a-stay-at home bore!
The instructor began asking me questions, no doubt to see why I had the lowest score. Well yes I walk to work, its only twenty yards across the farmyard. I walk to pick up the mail; the mailbox is on the corner by our pasture. When I was asked about food I began to feel like a lowly peasant. We grow all our own vegetables and fruit in season; have chickens for eggs, lambs and pigs for meat; and fresh milk for some of the year when the goats are lactating. We heat with a large out-door woodstove and I felt sure this would give me extra points, as we burn a large volume of wood. Turns out the print from the woodstove, even with my large volume of wood was still well below that of hydro, natural gas or oil, for the square footage of our house.
On the farm we rotationally graze our pastures. This sequesters large amounts of carbon due to the generation of humus by the die back of roots each time the grass is grazed. We only run the tractor when haymaking and feeding. With permanent pasture we do no cultivating; and farming organically means even less passes over the field with our tractor. As for travel, because we do not commute to work, it frees up mileage for our trips out of the valley. Even with those trips we ended up below average in that category, as commuting is the elephant in the room so to speak. Most attending the workshop drove to work, often using two vehicles, one for husband and one for wife.
I am not boasting my Eco Saintliness. Going into the process I was worried that I would be the one to be tarred and feathered for carbon crimes. The big lesson was not big at all but little; it was all the little things that accumulate into a large carbon footprint. It’s not any one thing, which at first made it seem hard to give up anything and change our habits. Then on reflection, I realized if we turned it around it would be easier to change or even give up a few little things. Then if lots of us did the same, chipping away little by little we could make a big difference.
We are all called to be good stewards of God’s creation, not just the farmers and those close to the land and sea. Many can grow a small garden or support local farmer markets. Some could walk or cycle to work, even if it’s only when weather permits. Also, any time you can buy food or items made within that hundred-mile limit, you are cutting large pieces off the carbon footprint of those items, while at the same time supporting more favourable labour practices. Think of it as Fair Trade locally. As a farmer I often chuckle over the keenness to use and be seen using Fair Trade coffee, tea, or chocolate, but no one gives a thought to Fair Trade wheat, lamb, chicken, or pork, produced here in Canada.
When George Fox and the early Quakers were forming the first Meetings the whole economy was small and local, many never left their villages or bought products from out side their county. Today we have the technologies and the know-how to drastically reduce our footprints, and the stuff and clutter we accumulate, without giving up our standard of living and going back to the horse and cart. The problem is will power, and worse yet, the worry of what other people will think of us. I realize now that was the reason for my panic at the workshop. First: the fear of being the main carbon culprit in the room, then second: the fear of making a silly mistake and looking stupid in front of every one. These are silly fears and they are the main reason we are scared to take the first small steps in a new direction. Other people will think we are weird, or more politely, eccentric. Yet Early Friends were strong and fearless even though they often took steps backward before moving forward, despite public opinion, ridicule, and often persecution. Our fears by comparison are trivial. To make a difference is fashionable now (though maybe not with Shell or Exxon). These days you will not serve time in the stocks or have your tongue bored with a hot poker for trying to make a difference to your personal carbon footprint. To be eccentric is not all bad. Remember early Friends were known as the Peculiar People, a badge they wore with honour.
I encourage you all to take a few small steps and reduce that size fifteen carbon print to a more human size eight. The Quaker call to simplicity does not mean braces, straw hats, grey bonnets and long skirts, unless you feel called to wear them. It does however mean a life of less, which will give us more. Good husbandry and stewardship is not just for the farmer, it is a burden and a blessing for all of us to share.
One foot in front of the other, it’s the usual way to get around for most folks. Though many of us use cars, trucks, etc. which leave bigger footprints than a guy plodding along in his sneakers. Footprints are big news these days, at least carbon ones are, not my size nines. Our choices and lifestyles give most of us larger footprints than our feet need. Some time ago I answered a questionnaire and took a workshop on carbon prints. I was actually surprised how low I was compared to many of my classmates, even though my back yard is forty-five acres and my house is twice the size of most folks.
Yes, I am one of a disappearing breed, a farming, Christ-centred, conservative Friend. No, I do not wear braces, black wool pants and a straw hat. Blue jeans, western shirt and a cap do me fine. My horsepower is a diesel-burning tractor, and I love any machine that saves my back and is cost-effective on our farm. I run chainsaws, riding lawnmowers and a “Gator” (mini pickup) all of which burn fuel and give me black points on the carbon scale. So with some trepidation I set about working my way through the book at the workshop, calculating house size, heating system, car mileage for all vehicles, and air mileage per year. No stone was unturned.
When we had all finished I ‘drew the short straw’ and had to read mine out first. I read the totals in each column and felt shame and guilt. Finishing I looked up and was met with a circle of faces staring at me; many seemed to show disbelief and shock. Oh boy I must be a fuel hog. No one even offered a comment. I felt two inches tall.
We went around the circle and I started to realize that my footprint was the lowest, and maybe all those shocked faces were started checking my results, as surely I must have done something wrong. Panicking I reread the calculations and worried all the more because mine was so low compared to theirs. As we carried on around the group I started checking my results, as surely I must have done something wrong. Panicking I reread the calculations and worried all the more because I could not find my mistake. When we had reached the end of the sharing I could see I must appear to lead a boring life. I claimed no airline flights, no RV, boat or motorised toys, no holidays or weekend get-a-ways, no foreign wines; just some out of season fruit and vegetables in winter. This guy was beginning to sound like a-stay-at home bore!
The instructor began asking me questions, no doubt to see why I had the lowest score. Well yes I walk to work, its only twenty yards across the farmyard. I walk to pick up the mail; the mailbox is on the corner by our pasture. When I was asked about food I began to feel like a lowly peasant. We grow all our own vegetables and fruit in season; have chickens for eggs, lambs and pigs for meat; and fresh milk for some of the year when the goats are lactating. We heat with a large out-door woodstove and I felt sure this would give me extra points, as we burn a large volume of wood. Turns out the print from the woodstove, even with my large volume of wood was still well below that of hydro, natural gas or oil, for the square footage of our house.
On the farm we rotationally graze our pastures. This sequesters large amounts of carbon due to the generation of humus by the die back of roots each time the grass is grazed. We only run the tractor when haymaking and feeding. With permanent pasture we do no cultivating; and farming organically means even less passes over the field with our tractor. As for travel, because we do not commute to work, it frees up mileage for our trips out of the valley. Even with those trips we ended up below average in that category, as commuting is the elephant in the room so to speak. Most attending the workshop drove to work, often using two vehicles, one for husband and one for wife.
I am not boasting my Eco Saintliness. Going into the process I was worried that I would be the one to be tarred and feathered for carbon crimes. The big lesson was not big at all but little; it was all the little things that accumulate into a large carbon footprint. It’s not any one thing, which at first made it seem hard to give up anything and change our habits. Then on reflection, I realized if we turned it around it would be easier to change or even give up a few little things. Then if lots of us did the same, chipping away little by little we could make a big difference.
We are all called to be good stewards of God’s creation, not just the farmers and those close to the land and sea. Many can grow a small garden or support local farmer markets. Some could walk or cycle to work, even if it’s only when weather permits. Also, any time you can buy food or items made within that hundred-mile limit, you are cutting large pieces off the carbon footprint of those items, while at the same time supporting more favourable labour practices. Think of it as Fair Trade locally. As a farmer I often chuckle over the keenness to use and be seen using Fair Trade coffee, tea, or chocolate, but no one gives a thought to Fair Trade wheat, lamb, chicken, or pork, produced here in Canada.
When George Fox and the early Quakers were forming the first Meetings the whole economy was small and local, many never left their villages or bought products from out side their county. Today we have the technologies and the know-how to drastically reduce our footprints, and the stuff and clutter we accumulate, without giving up our standard of living and going back to the horse and cart. The problem is will power, and worse yet, the worry of what other people will think of us. I realize now that was the reason for my panic at the workshop. First: the fear of being the main carbon culprit in the room, then second: the fear of making a silly mistake and looking stupid in front of every one. These are silly fears and they are the main reason we are scared to take the first small steps in a new direction. Other people will think we are weird, or more politely, eccentric. Yet Early Friends were strong and fearless even though they often took steps backward before moving forward, despite public opinion, ridicule, and often persecution. Our fears by comparison are trivial. To make a difference is fashionable now (though maybe not with Shell or Exxon). These days you will not serve time in the stocks or have your tongue bored with a hot poker for trying to make a difference to your personal carbon footprint. To be eccentric is not all bad. Remember early Friends were known as the Peculiar People, a badge they wore with honour.
I encourage you all to take a few small steps and reduce that size fifteen carbon print to a more human size eight. The Quaker call to simplicity does not mean braces, straw hats, grey bonnets and long skirts, unless you feel called to wear them. It does however mean a life of less, which will give us more. Good husbandry and stewardship is not just for the farmer, it is a burden and a blessing for all of us to share.
Names, Labels and Trust
As a food producer I like to keep up on all the food stores and retail flyers to see how my products are sold and marketed. It’s fascinating to see how a few knife cuts, different packaging, name changes and labels along with a few hundred or even thousand miles alters the image of a farm product and thus its profit margin. Image sells, and it’s no more obvious than at produce isles with fruit and vegetables symmetrically stacked and all blemish free. We expect the best and we want a deal, and the store delivers. I have no problem with this except the way in which many of the products are marketed. Name brands carry a lot of weight in the food industry, so does image and lately labelling. I don’t mean the ingredient list, but how a product is named.
Eggs are the classic example. “Free Range” or “Free Run” implies they are free to roam about and with the aid of a barn yard picture of loose hens on the egg box, or a video of chickens loose in a field much like the Real Mayonnaise ad, people think these chickens are free outdoors. In virtually ever case it means they are free to run about in a barn, but they will never step outside, see the sun or scratch for worms. Legally it is correct, but with our tricky language and suggestive pictures the truth is twisted significantly.
On my way to Kelowna the other day I passed a truck with the logo Sunshine Eggs, and chuckled as the only thing that came close to sunshine with the eggs would be the yolks. But only if the chickens were running outside with access to greens and bugs, then the yolk would be a nice orange and not the usually washy pale yellow one expects from regular barn eggs.
In a recent flyer I saw a classic, “Fresh Farm Fed Chicken”. Do they feed them somewhere else normally, and these ones were different because they were fed on a farm? Worse yet, if they are fresh are the rest of the products stale? OK, I know I’m playing with the words, but so were the guys selling you the eggs in the previous paragraph. With all the slick wording and imagery it is easy to be duped into buying something that is not all together what it seems.
Even in the organic produce section things can get tricky. With main stream agriculture entering the organic market, there are many feedlots feeding organic grain and receiving certification as all the rules are met. Also thousand acre lettuce and greens fields are now common down south and it arrives with the same carbon foot print as the commercially grown produce. We end up having to trust slick labels and cute pictures. Is this how you really want to buy the most essential thing you purchase, and your health and life depend on? When buying a new car, stereo, TV, or house we are encouraged to be informed consumers, researching, comparing and asking lots of questions. Yet when we go down the food isle all that goes out the window, price is everything, because there is no way of comparing products as there is no information about where it was grown or how, and if it has labels they are confusing, inadequate, or avoid answering what you need to know. They do not have to say if it is genetically engineered or even if it has been irradiated. It seems if it didn’t kill us last week we can keep buying it, trouble is these effects add up over along time and are difficult to prove. You have to eat, so you have to trust its ok, but people are starting to question and want to know more. Movies like “Fast Food Nation” and “Food Inc” are helping to lift the veil on our food supply and expose the true social cost of our food.
The farmers and people need to reconnect, to build the trust that has been lost. It would be great if you knew the names of the farmers that grew your meat, eggs, milk and produce, and where they lived. If you could ask them questions about how they grow your food and what they think about the food industry. The answers they give would help you decide if they are trustworthy to grow the food for you and your family. Maybe ask if you could visit their farm and see for yourself, chances are if they have nothing to hide the answer will be yes. Farmers also need this communication as the direct feed back from their customers helps them to produce what you want.
How and where can this happen you ask. Start at the Farmers Market, chat to the farmers on their stands, get to know them and ask the questions you wish answered. Learn about their products and why they are better for you and your family. Locally bought and consumed lowers the social costs of food and all the milage associated with most supermarket food.
Starting on the May long weekend I will be attending Salmon Arm Friday morning Farmers Market with our farm “Harmonious Homestead and Ewe”.
Come over and chew the fat about food, farming and feeding families, I’d love to meet you and tell you about us, and get to reconnect my gate to your plate.
As a food producer I like to keep up on all the food stores and retail flyers to see how my products are sold and marketed. It’s fascinating to see how a few knife cuts, different packaging, name changes and labels along with a few hundred or even thousand miles alters the image of a farm product and thus its profit margin. Image sells, and it’s no more obvious than at produce isles with fruit and vegetables symmetrically stacked and all blemish free. We expect the best and we want a deal, and the store delivers. I have no problem with this except the way in which many of the products are marketed. Name brands carry a lot of weight in the food industry, so does image and lately labelling. I don’t mean the ingredient list, but how a product is named.
Eggs are the classic example. “Free Range” or “Free Run” implies they are free to roam about and with the aid of a barn yard picture of loose hens on the egg box, or a video of chickens loose in a field much like the Real Mayonnaise ad, people think these chickens are free outdoors. In virtually ever case it means they are free to run about in a barn, but they will never step outside, see the sun or scratch for worms. Legally it is correct, but with our tricky language and suggestive pictures the truth is twisted significantly.
On my way to Kelowna the other day I passed a truck with the logo Sunshine Eggs, and chuckled as the only thing that came close to sunshine with the eggs would be the yolks. But only if the chickens were running outside with access to greens and bugs, then the yolk would be a nice orange and not the usually washy pale yellow one expects from regular barn eggs.
In a recent flyer I saw a classic, “Fresh Farm Fed Chicken”. Do they feed them somewhere else normally, and these ones were different because they were fed on a farm? Worse yet, if they are fresh are the rest of the products stale? OK, I know I’m playing with the words, but so were the guys selling you the eggs in the previous paragraph. With all the slick wording and imagery it is easy to be duped into buying something that is not all together what it seems.
Even in the organic produce section things can get tricky. With main stream agriculture entering the organic market, there are many feedlots feeding organic grain and receiving certification as all the rules are met. Also thousand acre lettuce and greens fields are now common down south and it arrives with the same carbon foot print as the commercially grown produce. We end up having to trust slick labels and cute pictures. Is this how you really want to buy the most essential thing you purchase, and your health and life depend on? When buying a new car, stereo, TV, or house we are encouraged to be informed consumers, researching, comparing and asking lots of questions. Yet when we go down the food isle all that goes out the window, price is everything, because there is no way of comparing products as there is no information about where it was grown or how, and if it has labels they are confusing, inadequate, or avoid answering what you need to know. They do not have to say if it is genetically engineered or even if it has been irradiated. It seems if it didn’t kill us last week we can keep buying it, trouble is these effects add up over along time and are difficult to prove. You have to eat, so you have to trust its ok, but people are starting to question and want to know more. Movies like “Fast Food Nation” and “Food Inc” are helping to lift the veil on our food supply and expose the true social cost of our food.
The farmers and people need to reconnect, to build the trust that has been lost. It would be great if you knew the names of the farmers that grew your meat, eggs, milk and produce, and where they lived. If you could ask them questions about how they grow your food and what they think about the food industry. The answers they give would help you decide if they are trustworthy to grow the food for you and your family. Maybe ask if you could visit their farm and see for yourself, chances are if they have nothing to hide the answer will be yes. Farmers also need this communication as the direct feed back from their customers helps them to produce what you want.
How and where can this happen you ask. Start at the Farmers Market, chat to the farmers on their stands, get to know them and ask the questions you wish answered. Learn about their products and why they are better for you and your family. Locally bought and consumed lowers the social costs of food and all the milage associated with most supermarket food.
Starting on the May long weekend I will be attending Salmon Arm Friday morning Farmers Market with our farm “Harmonious Homestead and Ewe”.
Come over and chew the fat about food, farming and feeding families, I’d love to meet you and tell you about us, and get to reconnect my gate to your plate.
Old Ways, New Learning Curve,
Going Organic On The Farm.
With the recent visit of Percy Schmeiser and the movie ‘Food Inc’ many consumers are thinking about GM (Genetically Modified) food and food products in the things they eat. The truly annoying and scary thing is that there is no labelling so folks don’t know what they are eating; is it GM or not GM? There is a way to avoid the GM conundrum though. Organically certified foods are GM free as no GM crops are allowed in the certification rules for farmers. With this in mind I was interested when I heard of a local Dairy farmer who was converting to Organic. In Canada most organic dairy producers have smaller scale operations, and many make cheese, yogurt and bottle milk much like Gort’s Gouda here in Salmon Arm. They produce and market their product, which is a major undertaking and keeps them very busy, as milking is a year round, 24/7 occupation. So you can imagine, not a decision to take lightly.
The McLeods, Ken and son Jack farm next to Foothill Rd under Mount Ida and milk 125 cows which make’s them mid sized dairy farmers. As I sat at their kitchen table I learned of the changes and challenges of their new venture into Organic Farming. It takes three years to transition into Organic certification from regular farming, and Ken and Jack are well on the way with two years under their belts and one more to go. This ensures any chemical and artificial fertilizer residues are out of the soil and the animal’s environment, so as to avoid any contamination. During that time all organic rules are observed, use of organic seed and feed, only recognised cleaners and medications may be used. This means cost of production is increased while the price of the end product does not, the organic price premium does not come till the three years are completed.
The corn grown for silage is a major part of the cows ration and is now organic seed. It is planted later to ensure the maximum amount of weed seeds germinate so they can be cultivated under thus giving less competition to the corn. Ken and Jack were pleased with the yield as there was less of a drop than they had expected with the shorter growing time.
Timing as they are discovering is everything and attention to details very important. Making a mistake in regular farming can be cured with a spray or medication, but with organic management, prevention rather than cure is the goal. Ken and Jack realise they are now using knowledge that their father/grandfather used and wish they had more farming books of the 1930s 40s and 50s with tips and remedies to help them in their management practices. So you can see, it’s not just plastic and cans that get recycled.
Besides growing organic forages and sourcing organic grain for feed, bedding for the cows and calves also has to be organic. The milking cows lie on sand in individual stalls known as free stalls. This is actually very comfortable and during my visit most of the herd were comfortably snoozing and ‘cudding’ before afternoon milking. The cows that were soon to calve and the young calves were bedded with organic spelt straw; this is a kind of grain and was grown in Armstrong.
Probably the biggest change and by far the toughest learning curve will be adapting to summer grazing the milking herd while maintaining production. The organic rules insist that all stock receive four months grazing. Most all of the dairy herds in Canada never graze, you may see them out in an exercise area for a leg stretch, but never to earn their keep grazing, all are fed at a feed bunk. The McLeods need 70 acres of pasture and this was a worry until the neighbour, Ken’s brother John, agreed to rent them his land and buildings. Now you can see new fencing in fields adjacent to the road and next year there will be the photo opportunity of contented cows grazing and snoozing in the fields, making for a truly pastoral scene. This will require a new skill, that of rotational grazing one which Ken and Jack are keen to learn. The obvious advantage is healthier animals but also money saved as the animals harvest the crop and feed themselves, meaning a third less hay and silage making for the McLeod’s. In turn this means a smaller carbon footprint on the milk as less fuel is used to produce it. A win-win for everyone and the environment.
Once they are fully organic the milk will be handled separately to keep its organic status. The milk will be picked up by a truck that only handles organic milk, and will be added to milk from another organic producer from Mara, then sent to the coast for processing. It would be nice to see it stay here and be made into cheese, yogurt and fresh bottled milk, but Ken and Jack say they have enough on their plate for the moment. (Of course if you would like to start a dairy and process their milk I am sure they would be glad to talk to you.)
The big question I had to ask was why go organic? Especially with all this extra expense and three year transition period along with a mountain of stress and paper work. There was silence around the table, then some smiles and nods of heads. The main reason they both explained was they had come to a point when they realised there had to be a better way. All the expensive chemical inputs and fertilizers, none of which Ken’s father and grandfather had used and they farmed just fine. They were tired of the ‘agribusiness’ way and were wanting to do the right thing. With modern trends and consumer thinking they feel happy they have made the choice to go organic. With their obvious dedication, determination and enthusiasm I have no doubts they will reach their goals and I look forward to talking to them when they are fully certified.
Going Organic On The Farm.
With the recent visit of Percy Schmeiser and the movie ‘Food Inc’ many consumers are thinking about GM (Genetically Modified) food and food products in the things they eat. The truly annoying and scary thing is that there is no labelling so folks don’t know what they are eating; is it GM or not GM? There is a way to avoid the GM conundrum though. Organically certified foods are GM free as no GM crops are allowed in the certification rules for farmers. With this in mind I was interested when I heard of a local Dairy farmer who was converting to Organic. In Canada most organic dairy producers have smaller scale operations, and many make cheese, yogurt and bottle milk much like Gort’s Gouda here in Salmon Arm. They produce and market their product, which is a major undertaking and keeps them very busy, as milking is a year round, 24/7 occupation. So you can imagine, not a decision to take lightly.
The McLeods, Ken and son Jack farm next to Foothill Rd under Mount Ida and milk 125 cows which make’s them mid sized dairy farmers. As I sat at their kitchen table I learned of the changes and challenges of their new venture into Organic Farming. It takes three years to transition into Organic certification from regular farming, and Ken and Jack are well on the way with two years under their belts and one more to go. This ensures any chemical and artificial fertilizer residues are out of the soil and the animal’s environment, so as to avoid any contamination. During that time all organic rules are observed, use of organic seed and feed, only recognised cleaners and medications may be used. This means cost of production is increased while the price of the end product does not, the organic price premium does not come till the three years are completed.
The corn grown for silage is a major part of the cows ration and is now organic seed. It is planted later to ensure the maximum amount of weed seeds germinate so they can be cultivated under thus giving less competition to the corn. Ken and Jack were pleased with the yield as there was less of a drop than they had expected with the shorter growing time.
Timing as they are discovering is everything and attention to details very important. Making a mistake in regular farming can be cured with a spray or medication, but with organic management, prevention rather than cure is the goal. Ken and Jack realise they are now using knowledge that their father/grandfather used and wish they had more farming books of the 1930s 40s and 50s with tips and remedies to help them in their management practices. So you can see, it’s not just plastic and cans that get recycled.
Besides growing organic forages and sourcing organic grain for feed, bedding for the cows and calves also has to be organic. The milking cows lie on sand in individual stalls known as free stalls. This is actually very comfortable and during my visit most of the herd were comfortably snoozing and ‘cudding’ before afternoon milking. The cows that were soon to calve and the young calves were bedded with organic spelt straw; this is a kind of grain and was grown in Armstrong.
Probably the biggest change and by far the toughest learning curve will be adapting to summer grazing the milking herd while maintaining production. The organic rules insist that all stock receive four months grazing. Most all of the dairy herds in Canada never graze, you may see them out in an exercise area for a leg stretch, but never to earn their keep grazing, all are fed at a feed bunk. The McLeods need 70 acres of pasture and this was a worry until the neighbour, Ken’s brother John, agreed to rent them his land and buildings. Now you can see new fencing in fields adjacent to the road and next year there will be the photo opportunity of contented cows grazing and snoozing in the fields, making for a truly pastoral scene. This will require a new skill, that of rotational grazing one which Ken and Jack are keen to learn. The obvious advantage is healthier animals but also money saved as the animals harvest the crop and feed themselves, meaning a third less hay and silage making for the McLeod’s. In turn this means a smaller carbon footprint on the milk as less fuel is used to produce it. A win-win for everyone and the environment.
Once they are fully organic the milk will be handled separately to keep its organic status. The milk will be picked up by a truck that only handles organic milk, and will be added to milk from another organic producer from Mara, then sent to the coast for processing. It would be nice to see it stay here and be made into cheese, yogurt and fresh bottled milk, but Ken and Jack say they have enough on their plate for the moment. (Of course if you would like to start a dairy and process their milk I am sure they would be glad to talk to you.)
The big question I had to ask was why go organic? Especially with all this extra expense and three year transition period along with a mountain of stress and paper work. There was silence around the table, then some smiles and nods of heads. The main reason they both explained was they had come to a point when they realised there had to be a better way. All the expensive chemical inputs and fertilizers, none of which Ken’s father and grandfather had used and they farmed just fine. They were tired of the ‘agribusiness’ way and were wanting to do the right thing. With modern trends and consumer thinking they feel happy they have made the choice to go organic. With their obvious dedication, determination and enthusiasm I have no doubts they will reach their goals and I look forward to talking to them when they are fully certified.
Robot Milker’s, Star Wars on the Farm.
Those of us who went to school in the 60s and 70s may well remember being told how grand life would be when we were older. Robots were to do most of the work and we would only work 3 or 4 days a week, our biggest job was going to be what to do with all the spare time. Yeah, right! Now we have less sleep and work more hours than we did 30 years ago and are lucky if we find time to put our feet up for a quick nap let alone pursue enjoyable pastimes and hobbies. The only robots I see are us being turned into them.
Then the other day over coffee I learnt that our neighbour Brad May who dairy farms down the road had installed a Robot milker in his barn and was now living the good life watching his clock turn 6.00am while still lying in his bed. This I had to see and so made an appointment to see this marvellous mechanical beast. “Come any time” Brad said as its always working.
Brad has a new barn for his operation and work crews are still there doing the finishing touches. The cows though have moved into their palace already and look happy and contented. It is a spacious, airy, light easy to clean barn and is bird proof so there are no pigeons (winged rats!) and no droppings to dodge! The robot milker is actually a stall at the end of the barn which cows can walk in to when ever they feel like it. While they are milked they receive a measured amount of grain which is controlled by a computer in the office. It reads the chip in the cow’s number tag around her neck, so it does not under or over feed her. The cows can go in as often as they like but are only milked 3 times a day with milking’s no closer than 4 hours apart .The stall is actually one wall of the milking parlour and the robot is on the parlour side of the stall. The robot is a large sensitive arm much like the mechanical welders in car factories. They have been around for 20 years but with all the bugs ironed out of them they are now gaining popularity with farmers building new barns and parlours. The cow’s teats are washed first with the aid of a laser eye which guides the arm. A suction cup with circulating water is placed on each teat to wash and dry it. Then four separate milk cups are put one on each teat. The udder has four quarters and they each milk at different speeds. The robot senses when each one is finished and then removes it leaving the others milking until they are finished. This eliminates the damage done by over milking that can happen with regular machines where all four quarters are milked at the same time, all on all off so to speak. The milk is held in a receiving jar and is pumped to a refrigerated holding tank where it is kept till the milk truck picks it up to haul it to the dairy. The computer tallies each cows milk yield daily which aids and simplifies the management of the herd.
Brad tells me the cows adapted to the new system quickly and only one or two of the old girls need help to use it. Like some of us older ones, they don’t do change! Many of the cows go to be milked in the middle of the night while Brad is asleep and because they are happy their milk yields are improving and Brad is happier with a more normal lifestyle. It means he has more time for his young family and for his other job, coaching a hockey team. He thinks the robot will pay for itself in 10 years, so as you see, they don’t come cheap. They also work all day without complaining, don’t need holidays, and don’t show up hung over! Brad grows all the herds feed on the farm and this means that the robot allows him to stay in the field to complete the job instead of stopping for milking half way through the afternoon. Sounds like a win- win to me.
Now for a little secret, Brads milking parlour is the only one I know of with a chesterfield in it so you can get comfortable while watching the work at hand. What a photo op. Brad watching hockey on the TV, supping beer lounging on the sofa while the cows are being milked. “No way” said Brad. “I would never live it down; folks would get the wrong impression and think we were all lazy out here.” Well Brad I could see you are not lazy and many of us are green with envy as you have found a way out of farming’s biggest “chore”. All the best with your robot, and as you farm in the city it’s good to see you living a more normal time table. I wonder if they make those robots ‘goat’ sized as I will soon have milking chores to do.
Good News.
For those of you who follow this column I have good news following our vet’s pregnancy check visit. Charles did his stuff! All the goats are bred. The rams did a good job too as all the ewes are bred with the exception of two old girls, which was no surprise as they remember the first George Bush presidency! So we are shearing in the first week in March and then its full steam ahead to April lambing.
Those of us who went to school in the 60s and 70s may well remember being told how grand life would be when we were older. Robots were to do most of the work and we would only work 3 or 4 days a week, our biggest job was going to be what to do with all the spare time. Yeah, right! Now we have less sleep and work more hours than we did 30 years ago and are lucky if we find time to put our feet up for a quick nap let alone pursue enjoyable pastimes and hobbies. The only robots I see are us being turned into them.
Then the other day over coffee I learnt that our neighbour Brad May who dairy farms down the road had installed a Robot milker in his barn and was now living the good life watching his clock turn 6.00am while still lying in his bed. This I had to see and so made an appointment to see this marvellous mechanical beast. “Come any time” Brad said as its always working.
Brad has a new barn for his operation and work crews are still there doing the finishing touches. The cows though have moved into their palace already and look happy and contented. It is a spacious, airy, light easy to clean barn and is bird proof so there are no pigeons (winged rats!) and no droppings to dodge! The robot milker is actually a stall at the end of the barn which cows can walk in to when ever they feel like it. While they are milked they receive a measured amount of grain which is controlled by a computer in the office. It reads the chip in the cow’s number tag around her neck, so it does not under or over feed her. The cows can go in as often as they like but are only milked 3 times a day with milking’s no closer than 4 hours apart .The stall is actually one wall of the milking parlour and the robot is on the parlour side of the stall. The robot is a large sensitive arm much like the mechanical welders in car factories. They have been around for 20 years but with all the bugs ironed out of them they are now gaining popularity with farmers building new barns and parlours. The cow’s teats are washed first with the aid of a laser eye which guides the arm. A suction cup with circulating water is placed on each teat to wash and dry it. Then four separate milk cups are put one on each teat. The udder has four quarters and they each milk at different speeds. The robot senses when each one is finished and then removes it leaving the others milking until they are finished. This eliminates the damage done by over milking that can happen with regular machines where all four quarters are milked at the same time, all on all off so to speak. The milk is held in a receiving jar and is pumped to a refrigerated holding tank where it is kept till the milk truck picks it up to haul it to the dairy. The computer tallies each cows milk yield daily which aids and simplifies the management of the herd.
Brad tells me the cows adapted to the new system quickly and only one or two of the old girls need help to use it. Like some of us older ones, they don’t do change! Many of the cows go to be milked in the middle of the night while Brad is asleep and because they are happy their milk yields are improving and Brad is happier with a more normal lifestyle. It means he has more time for his young family and for his other job, coaching a hockey team. He thinks the robot will pay for itself in 10 years, so as you see, they don’t come cheap. They also work all day without complaining, don’t need holidays, and don’t show up hung over! Brad grows all the herds feed on the farm and this means that the robot allows him to stay in the field to complete the job instead of stopping for milking half way through the afternoon. Sounds like a win- win to me.
Now for a little secret, Brads milking parlour is the only one I know of with a chesterfield in it so you can get comfortable while watching the work at hand. What a photo op. Brad watching hockey on the TV, supping beer lounging on the sofa while the cows are being milked. “No way” said Brad. “I would never live it down; folks would get the wrong impression and think we were all lazy out here.” Well Brad I could see you are not lazy and many of us are green with envy as you have found a way out of farming’s biggest “chore”. All the best with your robot, and as you farm in the city it’s good to see you living a more normal time table. I wonder if they make those robots ‘goat’ sized as I will soon have milking chores to do.
Good News.
For those of you who follow this column I have good news following our vet’s pregnancy check visit. Charles did his stuff! All the goats are bred. The rams did a good job too as all the ewes are bred with the exception of two old girls, which was no surprise as they remember the first George Bush presidency! So we are shearing in the first week in March and then its full steam ahead to April lambing.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Baby Rabbits
We had our rabbits early as we wanted them weaned for Easter when we open up the farm. Two does obliged but the other Mopsie would not breed and so is about 2 weeks later. The top photo shows Mopsie's nest. We think there are 6 or more "kits " under the hair which the doe's pluck of their bellies to line the nest and keep their young warm.They are born bald and blind but in 10 days have hair and by 2 weeks their eyes open . At that time they are warm and all the hair is tossed aside as shown in bottom two photos. Turns out the does only suckle once a day but look how fat those little bunnies are. Rabbits milk is 3 times richer than cows milk. At the time of writing the little ones are just starting to come out of the nest and explore their pen.
The latest thing, it must be from Europe.
Yes you are seeing what you think you are! My wife taking our rescued rabbit Mr Whiskers for a walk. He showed up around Christmas time looking for groceries and judging by how friendly he was we felt sure he had been dumped as an unwanted pet.One of the hazards of living 5 miles from the concrete jungle. So to earn his keep we thought we would let kids take him for a walk on a cat lead during our open days. So Clare said she would train him ( just as well , you wouldnt catch me doing it) and he loves it. He likes to check out the sheep in the corrals and even the cats don't bother him as he likes to chase them.Shearing done but Lambing starts in 12 days
In the photo above you can see in the back ground I have been busy putting up the lambing "jugs" in the maternity ward. The girls are now "Bagging up" and looking rather wide. With our open days starting Easter weekend I have also made some people friendly "jugs" in the yard with easy access for children to say high and pet new born lambs.
We sheared the ewes back at the begining of March. The top three photos shows the crew , Clare skirting the fleece, and Rod shearing. Rod our shearer did a fine job and with less to do this year it was a pleasant days work and a good visit. His wife came along and went to shearing school the next week so may be next year we will be done twice as quick!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Same Day, Different Year
24th January 2009 Approx 2 - 3 feet of snow, a normal winter.
24th January 2010 So you still dont believe this Climate Change thing?
My Latest Friday AM article
The Secret Life of Goats
With goats on the silver screen thanks to Mr Clooney I thought it was time to bring them to print media. We have goats at our farm to supply fresh milk at lambing time to feed any orphan lambs or ones not getting enough from their mothers. This means the goats need to have their young three to four weeks before the sheep so they are in full production with enough milk for their kids as well as spare for any lambs in need. This requires knowledge of goat reproduction cycles and careful planning with a calendar to ensure timely arrival of kids and milk. With an October breeding the goats will birth in March and our sheep start in April, so all will be well.
We have Toggenburg goats, the oldest of the Swiss breeds. They are hardy milk producers who have good winter coats and do well here in Canada. Their downfall is they tend to mature later than other breeds. We were using a very young buck and I had some concerns he might be “firing blanks”. So thirty days after the last day the buck and does were together our Veterinarian came armed with an ultra sound scanner and pregnancy checked the does. They were all empty (not pregnant). What were we to do? We wanted to keep our Toggenburgs pure but there were no Togg bucks for sale, and the thought of using a Heinz 57 buck from the stock yards was totally out of the question.
It was time to get into the “oldest profession” and rent a buck if there was one available. After phoning around I found “Charles” was ready, willing and able as he had finished his work for the season and was ready to go freelance! I drove to Lumby where he lived to negotiate the deal and pick him up. The exchange was done under the barn light (white, not red) and we loaded him up in the back of the truck. $100 bucks for one buck seemed expensive, but divided over forty five days and six females I could see we had a bargain! Charles has had a good Holiday season, forty five days of good food and good company, but like all good things it comes to an end, and as the contract is up I will drive him back home to his owner. The girls all seem quiet and content so I hope Charles has done his thing. We will have to wait till early February when our Vet comes again with his scanner to check both the sheep and the goats to see who has been naughty and who has been nice (or maybe both). Even if the goats are pregnant the delay in the breeding date means they will birth after the sheep. Any orphan lambs will have to have milk powder until the goat milk arrives. To ensure we do not have a repeat of this fiasco I have a buck ordered for next Fall, kind of like a mail order groom.
With my experience in goat match making and seeing how the internet has gone maybe its time for me to launch Eharmony for goats, a one stop shop for caprine partners!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Cutting back and posting more!
Yes it does actually make sense. I have four Blogs and lately they all seem to get little attention from me. So I have decided to shut two of them down and slip them in here at the Folly. Hence the following are my articles to date that I have written for the Friday AM. My apologies to those of you who have read them on the old site, and to those who are new enjoy, or surf on to something more to your liking! I will still update our happenings on the farm as well as give my unsolicited opinions and inner mental ruminations, political, religious and none of them correct!!
My Friday AM columns
Farming in the City
My name is Rob Fensom and I am a resident of Salmon Arm. I have been here for the last four years living and working in this fair city. This is something I never dreamed of saying, as a country boy like me would never live in a village let alone a city. On our old ranch in Manitoba it was a thirty mile trip to get the mail and a lot further to find a city. I am a farmer you see, living in the city but thankfully this city is bigger than Vancouver in area. So although I am five miles from down town in the middle of a lovely valley filled with farms, I am a ‘city slicker’.
The title Farming in the City got me thinking of Sex in the City, though frankly the only time its hot and steamy around here is when I am working under a blazing sun moving irrigation hand lines. As for beautiful women, I am regularly surrounded by 100 ewes and their lambs along with a slim young thing called ‘Rosa’ who is their guardian dog keeping stray dogs and coyotes at bay.
Now with all this talk of eating locally and one hundred mile diets I hope to take this opportunity to bridge the ever widening gap between Urban and Rural folks. You need us for the milk, meat, eggs, fruit, and veggies we produce. We need you for gas bars, liquor stores, fishing tackle and gun shops, oh and of course ‘Tims’. All the usual stuff Hollywood depicts us local yokels coming to town for, along with curling rinks, ice arena’s, libraries, doctors clinics etc.
The farm we live on has the Salmon River flowing through the middle of it. This makes for a beautiful setting but with that comes responsibilities for Riparian areas and the plants and animals that call these areas their home. We have to farm wisely and profitably to be able to meet our responsibilities and stay on the farm. This day and age that is a major task with every one watching you over the fence to see its done right and you comply with the mountain of Provincial, National and City laws and regulations. It also seems to me that every one is an expert on the environment and has a point to make. With this in mind last Fall we completed an Environmental Farm Plan whose sign we now proudly display along with our farm sign. We also at the same time did a Biodiversity Farm Plan which catalogues the animal and plant life on our farm along with wild life corridors to and from the river. This gives us a snap shot of the farm and a starting point to monitor future improvements.
We have always farmed organically though at this time we are not certified. We produce lamb and wool from our flock of sheep along with breed stock. This year we opened to the public for the lambing season so folks could pet the lambs and watch and learn about a working sheep farm. This was very popular as one can rarely walk through a field of 260 lambs and ewes, stopping to pet sleepy lambs and friendly ewes. The big hit was watching them at feeding time, as once all the ewes have their noses in the trough the lambs form a large group and run up and down the field.
With our market close at hand and interest in local food production I have had to step back and take a long hard look in the mirror. No longer am I a rancher producing animals for feed lots and packing plants two provinces away. I am your neighbour producing food for you in your back yard. This has meant a paradigm shift in thinking and doing around our place. Not only do consumers need to connect to farmers but also farmers to consumers, something many of my kind are slow to do as we are naturally a shy bunch.
One way of doing this is keeping you the consumer up to date on happenings on the farms in your area to give you a better understanding of what all us guys are doing out there.
The year so far has been dry; no doubt your lawns are telling you this. Along with the cool spring it meant for a slow start for any new seeded crops and poor yields for the first cut of hay. In my vegetable garden I could not get carrots or parsnips to grow if my life depended on it. Our first cut of hay was half the usual size and pastures were slow growing and poor yielding. We irrigate from the river but can not pump water until June as the river is high and full of sand which can wreck the brass impellers on the pump. I switched the pump on the 4th June and could have sworn I heard a large Ahhh sound from the fields, not unlike me after a hot day and drinking a cold one. With steady watering our second cut of hay looks much better and we hope to make up for lost bales. The story is the same from many area farmers, those with newer ‘stands’ ( fields of two or tree years old) did better than the older thinner ‘stands’, much like my hair. Market gardeners that I spoke to had similar concerns, though mainly about the colder weather slowing up crop development.
Our lamb crop is doing well, with some lambs approaching 50-60 lbs this is putting pressure on the grass as the growing lambs eat almost as much as their mums. Instead of 100 ewes and 160 lambs, we have 260 ewes and the grass is disappearing fast. We move our sheep to fresh pasture every two days and use electric mesh fencing to keep them in. As the whole system is portable we move the sheep around in a box, building a new one for them to enter as the old one comes down. This gives them fresh tasty grass, and allows the pasture time to recover for the next grazing. Most pastures are grazed every 21-35 days, so I am busy taking down and erecting fence, moving sheep and irrigation pipe most of the summer. Keeps me out of trouble and you in lamb chops!
My name is Rob Fensom and I am a resident of Salmon Arm. I have been here for the last four years living and working in this fair city. This is something I never dreamed of saying, as a country boy like me would never live in a village let alone a city. On our old ranch in Manitoba it was a thirty mile trip to get the mail and a lot further to find a city. I am a farmer you see, living in the city but thankfully this city is bigger than Vancouver in area. So although I am five miles from down town in the middle of a lovely valley filled with farms, I am a ‘city slicker’.
The title Farming in the City got me thinking of Sex in the City, though frankly the only time its hot and steamy around here is when I am working under a blazing sun moving irrigation hand lines. As for beautiful women, I am regularly surrounded by 100 ewes and their lambs along with a slim young thing called ‘Rosa’ who is their guardian dog keeping stray dogs and coyotes at bay.
Now with all this talk of eating locally and one hundred mile diets I hope to take this opportunity to bridge the ever widening gap between Urban and Rural folks. You need us for the milk, meat, eggs, fruit, and veggies we produce. We need you for gas bars, liquor stores, fishing tackle and gun shops, oh and of course ‘Tims’. All the usual stuff Hollywood depicts us local yokels coming to town for, along with curling rinks, ice arena’s, libraries, doctors clinics etc.
The farm we live on has the Salmon River flowing through the middle of it. This makes for a beautiful setting but with that comes responsibilities for Riparian areas and the plants and animals that call these areas their home. We have to farm wisely and profitably to be able to meet our responsibilities and stay on the farm. This day and age that is a major task with every one watching you over the fence to see its done right and you comply with the mountain of Provincial, National and City laws and regulations. It also seems to me that every one is an expert on the environment and has a point to make. With this in mind last Fall we completed an Environmental Farm Plan whose sign we now proudly display along with our farm sign. We also at the same time did a Biodiversity Farm Plan which catalogues the animal and plant life on our farm along with wild life corridors to and from the river. This gives us a snap shot of the farm and a starting point to monitor future improvements.
We have always farmed organically though at this time we are not certified. We produce lamb and wool from our flock of sheep along with breed stock. This year we opened to the public for the lambing season so folks could pet the lambs and watch and learn about a working sheep farm. This was very popular as one can rarely walk through a field of 260 lambs and ewes, stopping to pet sleepy lambs and friendly ewes. The big hit was watching them at feeding time, as once all the ewes have their noses in the trough the lambs form a large group and run up and down the field.
With our market close at hand and interest in local food production I have had to step back and take a long hard look in the mirror. No longer am I a rancher producing animals for feed lots and packing plants two provinces away. I am your neighbour producing food for you in your back yard. This has meant a paradigm shift in thinking and doing around our place. Not only do consumers need to connect to farmers but also farmers to consumers, something many of my kind are slow to do as we are naturally a shy bunch.
One way of doing this is keeping you the consumer up to date on happenings on the farms in your area to give you a better understanding of what all us guys are doing out there.
The year so far has been dry; no doubt your lawns are telling you this. Along with the cool spring it meant for a slow start for any new seeded crops and poor yields for the first cut of hay. In my vegetable garden I could not get carrots or parsnips to grow if my life depended on it. Our first cut of hay was half the usual size and pastures were slow growing and poor yielding. We irrigate from the river but can not pump water until June as the river is high and full of sand which can wreck the brass impellers on the pump. I switched the pump on the 4th June and could have sworn I heard a large Ahhh sound from the fields, not unlike me after a hot day and drinking a cold one. With steady watering our second cut of hay looks much better and we hope to make up for lost bales. The story is the same from many area farmers, those with newer ‘stands’ ( fields of two or tree years old) did better than the older thinner ‘stands’, much like my hair. Market gardeners that I spoke to had similar concerns, though mainly about the colder weather slowing up crop development.
Our lamb crop is doing well, with some lambs approaching 50-60 lbs this is putting pressure on the grass as the growing lambs eat almost as much as their mums. Instead of 100 ewes and 160 lambs, we have 260 ewes and the grass is disappearing fast. We move our sheep to fresh pasture every two days and use electric mesh fencing to keep them in. As the whole system is portable we move the sheep around in a box, building a new one for them to enter as the old one comes down. This gives them fresh tasty grass, and allows the pasture time to recover for the next grazing. Most pastures are grazed every 21-35 days, so I am busy taking down and erecting fence, moving sheep and irrigation pipe most of the summer. Keeps me out of trouble and you in lamb chops!
Local Food, Old Ways
Back to the Future: The 100 Mile Diet.
I had the pleasure recently of attending a tea for past and present residents of the Mount Ida area. This is the area that was the old school district around Mount Ida Hall on the Salmon River Road. It starts at the first bridge south of Gort’s Gouda farm and continues south and west to Blanchflower road. I am a resident of the area so I hoped to learn more of the areas history and any snippets about our farm.
Many of the folks there were past retirement and could tell tales of the 1920s and 30s. Those with good memories could also recall tales of their parent’s younger days in the valley during the turn of the last century. It was interesting to see how close knit the community was. This changed after the Second World War, as people moved away and travel became more common.
The other significant change I noticed was how agriculture had shifted after the war and how the pace had quickened into the 50s and 60s. In the pre war days most of the produce from these local farms was eaten locally in Salmon Arm with the excess being put on train or truck to Kamloops or Vancouver. Today nearly all the product is shipped to Vancouver or out of province with only a small fraction staying in town. The area of farm land is about the same and the population of Salmon Arm is doubtless ten times what it was in 1930s, so in theory we should be eating all we produce and bringing in the extra we need. Instead nearly all we produce is shipped out and virtually every thing we eat is trucked in. So what went wrong?
We now have single purpose farms which are production orientated and one farm can produce more eggs or chicken than our town can consume. The same goes for milk and a lesser extent beef. Modern processing factories require more product than our bountiful valley can supply so our farm produce is trucked away to bigger centres, sometimes out of province. All of which has led to 1000 plus mile diets and huge carbon foot prints within the food system.
Back in the early part of the last century all the farms were mixed farms and the folks I was sipping tea with produced milk, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, fruits and vegetables, all or any combination of these. This provided a steady cash flow for the farmer (unlike today’s once a year pay cheque when you ship the calves) and with a variety of products a degree of security was in place because if one thing did poorly you had several other products and crops to pull you through. Many more folks would be living on the land and more folks would be employed in town to process the farm product if we went back to this style of rural economy. Our city would be more food secure and maybe more of our young folk would stay in the community if there were more employment opportunities due to a local food production, processing and consumption.
I know, you think I have my head in the clouds and I am dreaming, or you are beginning to wonder what was in the tea we were drinking, another home grown product! Seriously though, what I am proposing is all the rage and in the news most days, it’s the 100 mile diet. Actually it’s nothing new and was about for several thousand years but has been out of circulation for the last sixty or so, hence we think it’s sexy and new. In parts of the world where fuel is expensive or transport rare it is still the normal way of food production. With climate change, rising fuel prices and transportation costs it is the logical solution, especially in a climate such as ours. We can grow food in three out of four seasons, and some are breaking new ground and growing salads in winter in unheated greenhouses, ask Wild Flight Farms from Mara. In theory we should only be trucking in out of season fruit and vegetables along with tea, coffee, sugar and flour. (Oh, my wife just reminded me to add chocolate to that list!) The dollars would stay within the community from farm gate to your plate, and that would bring about security and sustainability for lot of people. A new leg on our wobbly economic stool which would help stabilise the seasonality of tourism and the ups and downs of lumber. This to me should go hand in hand with Smart Growth, sensible urban growth and local food production is a new paradigm that needs to be explored and acted on. It’s up to you the consumer, hunt out and buy the local product. Encourage the farmer, not just with your dollar but with a thank you for a job well done. Learn about your local food and feel proud that your actions are keeping your dollars circulating in the Shuswap as opposed to going out of province, or worse, off shore to a large corporate entity.
They say things go in cycles and after talking about days gone by with some locals I wonder if its time for them to come around again. I did learn that my barn is probably one hundred years old and in good shape for the next two hundred. Now if only I could find a hardy Cacao tree to make my own chocolate, I could eat lots because it was grown local, right!
I had the pleasure recently of attending a tea for past and present residents of the Mount Ida area. This is the area that was the old school district around Mount Ida Hall on the Salmon River Road. It starts at the first bridge south of Gort’s Gouda farm and continues south and west to Blanchflower road. I am a resident of the area so I hoped to learn more of the areas history and any snippets about our farm.
Many of the folks there were past retirement and could tell tales of the 1920s and 30s. Those with good memories could also recall tales of their parent’s younger days in the valley during the turn of the last century. It was interesting to see how close knit the community was. This changed after the Second World War, as people moved away and travel became more common.
The other significant change I noticed was how agriculture had shifted after the war and how the pace had quickened into the 50s and 60s. In the pre war days most of the produce from these local farms was eaten locally in Salmon Arm with the excess being put on train or truck to Kamloops or Vancouver. Today nearly all the product is shipped to Vancouver or out of province with only a small fraction staying in town. The area of farm land is about the same and the population of Salmon Arm is doubtless ten times what it was in 1930s, so in theory we should be eating all we produce and bringing in the extra we need. Instead nearly all we produce is shipped out and virtually every thing we eat is trucked in. So what went wrong?
We now have single purpose farms which are production orientated and one farm can produce more eggs or chicken than our town can consume. The same goes for milk and a lesser extent beef. Modern processing factories require more product than our bountiful valley can supply so our farm produce is trucked away to bigger centres, sometimes out of province. All of which has led to 1000 plus mile diets and huge carbon foot prints within the food system.
Back in the early part of the last century all the farms were mixed farms and the folks I was sipping tea with produced milk, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, fruits and vegetables, all or any combination of these. This provided a steady cash flow for the farmer (unlike today’s once a year pay cheque when you ship the calves) and with a variety of products a degree of security was in place because if one thing did poorly you had several other products and crops to pull you through. Many more folks would be living on the land and more folks would be employed in town to process the farm product if we went back to this style of rural economy. Our city would be more food secure and maybe more of our young folk would stay in the community if there were more employment opportunities due to a local food production, processing and consumption.
I know, you think I have my head in the clouds and I am dreaming, or you are beginning to wonder what was in the tea we were drinking, another home grown product! Seriously though, what I am proposing is all the rage and in the news most days, it’s the 100 mile diet. Actually it’s nothing new and was about for several thousand years but has been out of circulation for the last sixty or so, hence we think it’s sexy and new. In parts of the world where fuel is expensive or transport rare it is still the normal way of food production. With climate change, rising fuel prices and transportation costs it is the logical solution, especially in a climate such as ours. We can grow food in three out of four seasons, and some are breaking new ground and growing salads in winter in unheated greenhouses, ask Wild Flight Farms from Mara. In theory we should only be trucking in out of season fruit and vegetables along with tea, coffee, sugar and flour. (Oh, my wife just reminded me to add chocolate to that list!) The dollars would stay within the community from farm gate to your plate, and that would bring about security and sustainability for lot of people. A new leg on our wobbly economic stool which would help stabilise the seasonality of tourism and the ups and downs of lumber. This to me should go hand in hand with Smart Growth, sensible urban growth and local food production is a new paradigm that needs to be explored and acted on. It’s up to you the consumer, hunt out and buy the local product. Encourage the farmer, not just with your dollar but with a thank you for a job well done. Learn about your local food and feel proud that your actions are keeping your dollars circulating in the Shuswap as opposed to going out of province, or worse, off shore to a large corporate entity.
They say things go in cycles and after talking about days gone by with some locals I wonder if its time for them to come around again. I did learn that my barn is probably one hundred years old and in good shape for the next two hundred. Now if only I could find a hardy Cacao tree to make my own chocolate, I could eat lots because it was grown local, right!
Ready for Fall?
4 seasons no better than 3.
Extra Season Does not Help
With cooler nights and shorter days we all think of winter. Like you folks with yards to clean up and leaves to rake we farmers are no different. Thankfully I don’t rake leaves as my pasture is usually knee deep in Black Cottonwood leaves, but I do have much preparation to do before we have our blanket of snow. The corrals need cleaning, manure spreading and barns made ready for winter guests. All items on the ground around the yard need to be stowed away so we can push snow into piles and not get a flat tire on the tractor, when we still have the yard and lane to clear. Been there, done that!
To top it all we have about fifteen cords of silver birch all in tree length waiting to be cut and split then hauled and stacked by the wood stove. My excuse is I am waiting for cooler weather as its hot work. I have often wondered which produces more BTUs, the burning wood or me working up a “muck sweat” cutting, splitting and stacking it.
On our old ranch in Manitoba, Fall was always a mad rush, we had many more animals and more wood to cut, yet we always got finished in the nick of time, just before the minus 20 and blowing snow. The prairies you see have 3 seasons, Snow, Mud and Dust, so we did well to get every thing done in a shorter year. Here in BC we have the traditional 4 seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, yet with the extra season how come its still a mad rush and I only just make it before the first cold snap.
You may well ask, is it just this guy, maybe he’s slow, or lazy. Well no, having talked with other ranchers and farmers and watched them from my pickup truck as I drive by, we all seem to be in the same hurry. So watch out for farm equipment on the road over the next while, and be safe. Trucks and tractors hauling hay, corn silage and manure to and from the field as well as livestock to market will all be about in greater numbers during the end of September and October. So if your commute to work or home is slowed up by one of our farm machines, just remember you had a good lunch and the guy in front is carrying your next one!
Extra Season Does not Help
With cooler nights and shorter days we all think of winter. Like you folks with yards to clean up and leaves to rake we farmers are no different. Thankfully I don’t rake leaves as my pasture is usually knee deep in Black Cottonwood leaves, but I do have much preparation to do before we have our blanket of snow. The corrals need cleaning, manure spreading and barns made ready for winter guests. All items on the ground around the yard need to be stowed away so we can push snow into piles and not get a flat tire on the tractor, when we still have the yard and lane to clear. Been there, done that!
To top it all we have about fifteen cords of silver birch all in tree length waiting to be cut and split then hauled and stacked by the wood stove. My excuse is I am waiting for cooler weather as its hot work. I have often wondered which produces more BTUs, the burning wood or me working up a “muck sweat” cutting, splitting and stacking it.
On our old ranch in Manitoba, Fall was always a mad rush, we had many more animals and more wood to cut, yet we always got finished in the nick of time, just before the minus 20 and blowing snow. The prairies you see have 3 seasons, Snow, Mud and Dust, so we did well to get every thing done in a shorter year. Here in BC we have the traditional 4 seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, yet with the extra season how come its still a mad rush and I only just make it before the first cold snap.
You may well ask, is it just this guy, maybe he’s slow, or lazy. Well no, having talked with other ranchers and farmers and watched them from my pickup truck as I drive by, we all seem to be in the same hurry. So watch out for farm equipment on the road over the next while, and be safe. Trucks and tractors hauling hay, corn silage and manure to and from the field as well as livestock to market will all be about in greater numbers during the end of September and October. So if your commute to work or home is slowed up by one of our farm machines, just remember you had a good lunch and the guy in front is carrying your next one!
New Organic Dairy Farm
Old Ways, New Learning Curve,
Going Organic On The Farm.
With the recent visit of Percy Schmeiser and the movie ‘Food Inc’ many consumers are thinking about GM (Genetically Modified) food and food products in the things they eat. The truly annoying and scary thing is that there is no labelling so folks don’t know what they are eating; is it GM or not GM? There is a way to avoid the GM conundrum though. Organically certified foods are GM free as no GM crops are allowed in the certification rules for farmers. With this in mind I was interested when I heard of a local Dairy farmer who was converting to Organic. In Canada most organic dairy producers have smaller scale operations, and many make cheese, yogurt and bottle milk much like Gort’s Gouda here in Salmon Arm. They produce and market their product, which is a major undertaking and keeps them very busy, as milking is a year round, 24/7 occupation. So you can imagine, not a decision to take lightly.
The McLeods, Ken and son Jack farm next to Foothill Rd under Mount Ida and milk 125 cows which make’s them mid sized dairy farmers. As I sat at their kitchen table I learned of the changes and challenges of their new venture into Organic Farming. It takes three years to transition into Organic certification from regular farming, and Ken and Jack are well on the way with two years under their belts and one more to go. This ensures any chemical and artificial fertilizer residues are out of the soil and the animal’s environment, so as to avoid any contamination. During that time all organic rules are observed, use of organic seed and feed, only recognised cleaners and medications may be used. This means cost of production is increased while the price of the end product does not, the organic price premium does not come till the three years are completed.
The corn grown for silage is a major part of the cows ration and is now organic seed. It is planted later to ensure the maximum amount of weed seeds germinate so they can be cultivated under thus giving less competition to the corn. Ken and Jack were pleased with the yield as there was less of a drop than they had expected with the shorter growing time.
Timing as they are discovering is everything and attention to details very important. Making a mistake in regular farming can be cured with a spray or medication, but with organic management, prevention rather than cure is the goal. Ken and Jack realise they are now using knowledge that their father/grandfather used and wish they had more farming books of the 1930s 40s and 50s with tips and remedies to help them in their management practices. So you can see, it’s not just plastic and cans that get recycled.
Besides growing organic forages and sourcing organic grain for feed, bedding for the cows and calves also has to be organic. The milking cows lie on sand in individual stalls known as free stalls. This is actually very comfortable and during my visit most of the herd were comfortably snoozing and ‘cudding’ before afternoon milking. The cows that were soon to calve and the young calves were bedded with organic spelt straw; this is a kind of grain and was grown in Armstrong.
Probably the biggest change and by far the toughest learning curve will be adapting to summer grazing the milking herd while maintaining production. The organic rules insist that all stock receive four months grazing. Most all of the dairy herds in Canada never graze, you may see them out in an exercise area for a leg stretch, but never to earn their keep grazing, all are fed at a feed bunk. The McLeods need 70 acres of pasture and this was a worry until the neighbour, Ken’s brother John, agreed to rent them his land and buildings. Now you can see new fencing in fields adjacent to the road and next year there will be the photo opportunity of contented cows grazing and snoozing in the fields, making for a truly pastoral scene. This will require a new skill, that of rotational grazing one which Ken and Jack are keen to learn. The obvious advantage is healthier animals but also money saved as the animals harvest the crop and feed themselves, meaning a third less hay and silage making for the McLeod’s. In turn this means a smaller carbon footprint on the milk as less fuel is used to produce it. A win-win for everyone and the environment.
Once they are fully organic the milk will be handled separately to keep its organic status. The milk will be picked up by a truck that only handles organic milk, and will be added to milk from another organic producer from Mara, then sent to the coast for processing. It would be nice to see it stay here and be made into cheese, yogurt and fresh bottled milk, but Ken and Jack say they have enough on their plate for the moment. (Of course if you would like to start a dairy and process their milk I am sure they would be glad to talk to you.)
The big question I had to ask was why go organic? Especially with all this extra expense and three year transition period along with a mountain of stress and paper work. There was silence around the table, then some smiles and nods of heads. The main reason they both explained was they had come to a point when they realised there had to be a better way. All the expensive chemical inputs and fertilizers, none of which Ken’s father and grandfather had used and they farmed just fine. They were tired of the ‘agribusiness’ way and were wanting to do the right thing. With modern trends and consumer thinking they feel happy they have made the choice to go organic. With their obvious dedication, determination and enthusiasm I have no doubts they will reach their goals and I look forward to talking to them when they are fully certified.
Going Organic On The Farm.
With the recent visit of Percy Schmeiser and the movie ‘Food Inc’ many consumers are thinking about GM (Genetically Modified) food and food products in the things they eat. The truly annoying and scary thing is that there is no labelling so folks don’t know what they are eating; is it GM or not GM? There is a way to avoid the GM conundrum though. Organically certified foods are GM free as no GM crops are allowed in the certification rules for farmers. With this in mind I was interested when I heard of a local Dairy farmer who was converting to Organic. In Canada most organic dairy producers have smaller scale operations, and many make cheese, yogurt and bottle milk much like Gort’s Gouda here in Salmon Arm. They produce and market their product, which is a major undertaking and keeps them very busy, as milking is a year round, 24/7 occupation. So you can imagine, not a decision to take lightly.
The McLeods, Ken and son Jack farm next to Foothill Rd under Mount Ida and milk 125 cows which make’s them mid sized dairy farmers. As I sat at their kitchen table I learned of the changes and challenges of their new venture into Organic Farming. It takes three years to transition into Organic certification from regular farming, and Ken and Jack are well on the way with two years under their belts and one more to go. This ensures any chemical and artificial fertilizer residues are out of the soil and the animal’s environment, so as to avoid any contamination. During that time all organic rules are observed, use of organic seed and feed, only recognised cleaners and medications may be used. This means cost of production is increased while the price of the end product does not, the organic price premium does not come till the three years are completed.
The corn grown for silage is a major part of the cows ration and is now organic seed. It is planted later to ensure the maximum amount of weed seeds germinate so they can be cultivated under thus giving less competition to the corn. Ken and Jack were pleased with the yield as there was less of a drop than they had expected with the shorter growing time.
Timing as they are discovering is everything and attention to details very important. Making a mistake in regular farming can be cured with a spray or medication, but with organic management, prevention rather than cure is the goal. Ken and Jack realise they are now using knowledge that their father/grandfather used and wish they had more farming books of the 1930s 40s and 50s with tips and remedies to help them in their management practices. So you can see, it’s not just plastic and cans that get recycled.
Besides growing organic forages and sourcing organic grain for feed, bedding for the cows and calves also has to be organic. The milking cows lie on sand in individual stalls known as free stalls. This is actually very comfortable and during my visit most of the herd were comfortably snoozing and ‘cudding’ before afternoon milking. The cows that were soon to calve and the young calves were bedded with organic spelt straw; this is a kind of grain and was grown in Armstrong.
Probably the biggest change and by far the toughest learning curve will be adapting to summer grazing the milking herd while maintaining production. The organic rules insist that all stock receive four months grazing. Most all of the dairy herds in Canada never graze, you may see them out in an exercise area for a leg stretch, but never to earn their keep grazing, all are fed at a feed bunk. The McLeods need 70 acres of pasture and this was a worry until the neighbour, Ken’s brother John, agreed to rent them his land and buildings. Now you can see new fencing in fields adjacent to the road and next year there will be the photo opportunity of contented cows grazing and snoozing in the fields, making for a truly pastoral scene. This will require a new skill, that of rotational grazing one which Ken and Jack are keen to learn. The obvious advantage is healthier animals but also money saved as the animals harvest the crop and feed themselves, meaning a third less hay and silage making for the McLeod’s. In turn this means a smaller carbon footprint on the milk as less fuel is used to produce it. A win-win for everyone and the environment.
Once they are fully organic the milk will be handled separately to keep its organic status. The milk will be picked up by a truck that only handles organic milk, and will be added to milk from another organic producer from Mara, then sent to the coast for processing. It would be nice to see it stay here and be made into cheese, yogurt and fresh bottled milk, but Ken and Jack say they have enough on their plate for the moment. (Of course if you would like to start a dairy and process their milk I am sure they would be glad to talk to you.)
The big question I had to ask was why go organic? Especially with all this extra expense and three year transition period along with a mountain of stress and paper work. There was silence around the table, then some smiles and nods of heads. The main reason they both explained was they had come to a point when they realised there had to be a better way. All the expensive chemical inputs and fertilizers, none of which Ken’s father and grandfather had used and they farmed just fine. They were tired of the ‘agribusiness’ way and were wanting to do the right thing. With modern trends and consumer thinking they feel happy they have made the choice to go organic. With their obvious dedication, determination and enthusiasm I have no doubts they will reach their goals and I look forward to talking to them when they are fully certified.
Fair Trade
Monday, December 7, 2009
Fair Trade
This is a little rant about politically correct coffee. You know fair trade coffee that costs 2 or 3 times the price of regular coffee and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside because you did the right thing. Here in British Columbia , 9 times out of 10 if you are at a public meeting on any community, church or environmental issue it’s a given the coffee is fair trade.
Every one knows Juan Valdez and his donkey need all the help they can get as they receive but a few cents on a pound of coffee. The fact that a family of four down there can live on $5 a day seems to escape the average person here. Stats Canada has a family of four in Canada needing about $45,000/year or $123.29 / day. I wonder if any one has worked out the return on investment for a Juan Valdez family coffee farm compared to the return on investment for a family ranch or grain farm in western Canada. I have the sneaky feeling that Juan see's a bigger return than our local boys. Of course it’s fewer dollars than ours, but compared to his over all investment, a 5% to 20% ROI would not surprise me. Having graduated from the Ranching for Profit School (yes, for real, I have the certificate) I know that the average ranch in North America runs at a loss even in good years and most run on a plus or minus 2% ROI. Seems to me like the guys keeping your country side looking nice and producing all that local food for your consumption, well maybe they are the charitable ones. We family farmers keep and protect the pastoral scenery you all enjoy and for some reason that does not show up in our wallets. So when you think of Juan Valdez and Fair Trade coffee think about John Smith and ask why there isn't Fair Trade beef, pork, lamb and wheat available too. Demand Fair Trade Food and watch rural Canada blossom, and put an end to farmers looking for supplementary income as greeters in big box stores!
Fair Trade
This is a little rant about politically correct coffee. You know fair trade coffee that costs 2 or 3 times the price of regular coffee and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside because you did the right thing. Here in British Columbia , 9 times out of 10 if you are at a public meeting on any community, church or environmental issue it’s a given the coffee is fair trade.
Every one knows Juan Valdez and his donkey need all the help they can get as they receive but a few cents on a pound of coffee. The fact that a family of four down there can live on $5 a day seems to escape the average person here. Stats Canada has a family of four in Canada needing about $45,000/year or $123.29 / day. I wonder if any one has worked out the return on investment for a Juan Valdez family coffee farm compared to the return on investment for a family ranch or grain farm in western Canada. I have the sneaky feeling that Juan see's a bigger return than our local boys. Of course it’s fewer dollars than ours, but compared to his over all investment, a 5% to 20% ROI would not surprise me. Having graduated from the Ranching for Profit School (yes, for real, I have the certificate) I know that the average ranch in North America runs at a loss even in good years and most run on a plus or minus 2% ROI. Seems to me like the guys keeping your country side looking nice and producing all that local food for your consumption, well maybe they are the charitable ones. We family farmers keep and protect the pastoral scenery you all enjoy and for some reason that does not show up in our wallets. So when you think of Juan Valdez and Fair Trade coffee think about John Smith and ask why there isn't Fair Trade beef, pork, lamb and wheat available too. Demand Fair Trade Food and watch rural Canada blossom, and put an end to farmers looking for supplementary income as greeters in big box stores!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
New Year
Yes I know, we are well into the new year and I haven't posted for ages. All my children and grand children came for Christmas and we all had too much fun to bore you with blog posts, so be glad of a rest from my waffle!
We now have our eldest daughter her with her two children as she needs rest and help with the children while she recovers from a recent bout of illness. Its been 18 years since I have had to worry about toddlers so I am trying to get back in my "Mr Mum" mode. Cooking the odd meal, mostly breakfast, reading bedtime stories (my favorite), washing more dishes, and having little helping hands tag along while doing chores.
The good thing is we are in a warm spell now with temps hovering around freezing but often in the pluses. That makes it easier for the children but does mean more mud about to get into!
It looks as though I will have to buy some hay as we will run out before green up. We sold down some ewes in the hope of not buying feed, but I refuse to sell any more as we now have a nice looking flock with no obvious culls to sell. Even feeding some barley didn't help as we will still need some hay. This will not happen again as with lower numbers we will be able to produce more hay. The good thing is it helped us in the decision making and we did not get soft hearted and keep ones that should be let go. Empty hay barns = Tough Love!
Our rabbit numbers increased by one after I spotted a small pet type Bunnie hopping around our yard. It went into the barn and let me pick it up, as it was a young female we popped into a pen and will breed it along with the others. It is very friendly and has been called Miss Whiskers, it will make a good addition to our petting area when we open in the spring.
I am now reading through seed catalogues deciding what to plant in our new market garden. We are some what limited as I wish to stick with Organic Heritage seed only. On our way back from returning our rented billy goat to his owners we stopped at the local machinery dealers and bought a rototiller. Although second hand it is in very good condition and an excellent make, a BCS from Italy powered by a Honda engine. It is a professional machine prized by market gardeners the world over. The tiller drops off and the tractor unit can power a huge list of attachments as well as run the plow that also came with it. I now cant wait till spring to play with it. Trouble is its still winter and there is a pile more paper work to do.
Our shearer is booked for the 3rd March and now I will have to get on and book the vet for pregnancy checking in mid February to make sure they are worth keeping and shearing. There is that Tough Love again!
We now have our eldest daughter her with her two children as she needs rest and help with the children while she recovers from a recent bout of illness. Its been 18 years since I have had to worry about toddlers so I am trying to get back in my "Mr Mum" mode. Cooking the odd meal, mostly breakfast, reading bedtime stories (my favorite), washing more dishes, and having little helping hands tag along while doing chores.
The good thing is we are in a warm spell now with temps hovering around freezing but often in the pluses. That makes it easier for the children but does mean more mud about to get into!
It looks as though I will have to buy some hay as we will run out before green up. We sold down some ewes in the hope of not buying feed, but I refuse to sell any more as we now have a nice looking flock with no obvious culls to sell. Even feeding some barley didn't help as we will still need some hay. This will not happen again as with lower numbers we will be able to produce more hay. The good thing is it helped us in the decision making and we did not get soft hearted and keep ones that should be let go. Empty hay barns = Tough Love!
Our rabbit numbers increased by one after I spotted a small pet type Bunnie hopping around our yard. It went into the barn and let me pick it up, as it was a young female we popped into a pen and will breed it along with the others. It is very friendly and has been called Miss Whiskers, it will make a good addition to our petting area when we open in the spring.
I am now reading through seed catalogues deciding what to plant in our new market garden. We are some what limited as I wish to stick with Organic Heritage seed only. On our way back from returning our rented billy goat to his owners we stopped at the local machinery dealers and bought a rototiller. Although second hand it is in very good condition and an excellent make, a BCS from Italy powered by a Honda engine. It is a professional machine prized by market gardeners the world over. The tiller drops off and the tractor unit can power a huge list of attachments as well as run the plow that also came with it. I now cant wait till spring to play with it. Trouble is its still winter and there is a pile more paper work to do.
Our shearer is booked for the 3rd March and now I will have to get on and book the vet for pregnancy checking in mid February to make sure they are worth keeping and shearing. There is that Tough Love again!
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