Sunday Walkabout 8-11

I’m real glad that this week is over!

The beginning of the week was incredibly stressful.  The whole worry over the “issues” of the Market had a much deeper effect on me than anyone (except the Boss) really knows.  But, it’s over and done with…on to other things.

It seemed appropriate to wear my new t-shirt to Market on Saturday...

We’ve reached that point in the growing season where it’s real easy to get discouraged or at least distracted.  

The weird weather patterns have given rise to disease and bugs…not to mention weeds of epic proportion.  Sometimes, it seems that every trip to the garden reveals a little more loss or yet another problem.  That can be a real downer.  However, if you look a little closer…there are lots of things to encourage us. 

August in the upper garden

The late season cucumbers and squash plants are looking good.

The fall crop of brassicas are doing incredibly well.

There is broccoli in AUGUST!

The corn is just about ready…(that may explain why we trapped FOUR raccoons and a possum this week!)

At first I was distraught to see that our beautiful winter squash patch was looking a “mite peaked”…when I took a closer look, I couldn’t believe all the squashes in there!  A couple more weeks and we will be harvesting a WHOLE LOT of squash.

...and lettuce...how could I forget the lettuce?

I thought I’d take you on a little visit to the animals, but they weren’t feeling particularly gracious.  It doesn’t look like this ewe wanted her picture taken.

  …and this chick has a definite attitude problem

 But here is one update from the ewe flock…

Tess went to the vet this week for some of her kitten shots.  We got a small reprieve from “cat-nado”, otherwise known as the "Stealth Ninja" as she slept for hours afterwards.

she's growing...but, so are her ears!

We had a downpour during the Saturday Market.  …and I DO mean a DOWNPOUR!  That’s definitely NOT something you need at an open air market. But, the customers took it in stride and it finally stopped raining…and we sold a bunch of stuff.

I’ve got a new toy I mean tool to learn how to use. Since today is a somewhat rainy Sunday, the timing is perfect.

Thanks for dropping by.

Happy Sunday!

Thankful Thursday 8-8

Well now, that was anti-climactic!

I’ll be real honest here, walking into that meeting last night was about the last thing I wanted to do.  I had anticipated all sorts of scenarios, and not one of them was pleasant.

After a number of hectic days when tensions ran high, emails were flying, the future of the Market seemed in jeopardy and I found myself reeling from my first encounter with cyber-bullies,
 it’s all over…

                           ...just like that.

I guess I should begin at the beginning.

I first heard about the Task Force policy proposals on Saturday at the Market.  I was struck speechless.

…and then the words wouldn’t stop. Writing is my coping mechanism, the therapy that gives me emotional release, and the way I figure out just where I stand on a subject.  Not only was I writing about it…every single conversation the Boss and I had centered on this whole ordeal.  Since the Market is such a big part of our life, we had to talk about it. There was no escaping it.

"Too Much Thinkin' " is the most widely read and shared thing I have written since I started blogging in 2009.  I was a little surprised at the level of interest.

But, I was completely taken aback that it elicited hatred. That post was “appalling”?  No, wait, it wasn’t just the post.  It was the Market, the Boss, me and the post. (and the fact that I call my husband “ the Boss”)

The diatribe of hate was full of accusations, falsehoods, gross exaggerations and personal attacks on the Boss.  Thankfully, comments to my blog have to moderated by me…so we were the only ones privy to the hurtful words.  The hateful, anonymous diatribe was not the only message received that day…there is a lot of anger and hate out there.  That scares me sometimes.

It seemed necessary to let our customer-friends know what was going on with the proposals concerning the Market. I mean, without them, it doesn’t matter how much food we produce, it doesn’t matter if it’s local, if it’s fresh…without them, we’re out of business.

The reaction from our customer-friends exponentially outweighed the opinions of the haters.  They (the customer-friends) took to cyberspace writing emails, posting on Facebook, making their voices heard.

When the local news covered the story, it began to worry a lot more folks.  Kudos to the Market Chair for remaining cool and collected during the interview---you did good, Susan!

The public meeting was scheduled for Wednesday night.  As of Wednesday afternoon, the phonecalls and emails were still flying and the task force was starting to put a different spin on things.  Those of us involved with the Market were more than a little concerned.

The meeting was just starting as the Boss and I arrived.  As we found a spot to stand and listen, I noticed something odd.  There was a sheet that had a revised proposal on it.  They had changed the proposal!

Where it was full of concerning phrases before, now it was fairly benign.

Here, you read it.

6. Expand opportunities for public markets. REVISED

We propose to lift the current City of Staunton ban on the sale of artisan crafts at public markets operating in Staunton, leaving the decision on craft sales to the markets themselves.

-Benefit to City: Staunton City code Chapter 12.35 – City Markets- allows for the operation of one or more public markets within the city.  Lifting the current ban on the sale of artisan crafts would encourage more activity at public markets, whether a currently existing market or one that would be founded in the future.

-Benefit to markets and vendors-Takes the decision about craft sales out of City Hall and puts it back into the private sector, giving current and future public markets more control over their own offerings.

-Details- Modifies Staunton City Code 12.35.020 (2) “Purpose” currently reading “Art and crafts are not permitted” to “art and crafts are permitted.” Lifting this blanket ban would not require any market to sell crafts.  Lifting the ban would merely allow any public market to sell crafts, at the discretion of its management.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

There is power in the people!

So, for today’s “thankful Thursday”, I must say…I’m thankful for a lot of things.

Our customers- They are the BEST! This is not the first time that a number of them have supported us and stood beside us.  There are simply no words to describe what these folks mean to me---to us.

Social media- Facebook, our farm blog and emails made communicating with a great number of people easy and efficient.  We were able to “rally the troops” quickly when time was of the essence.  Cyberspace also made it possible for our customer-friends to make their voices heard.

The haters- yes, part of me is thankful for the haters.  Without them, I wouldn’t have felt compelled to ask for the support of our customers.  While I really wasn’t looking for that kind of reaction, at least I know that my words are creating strong feelings in my readers!

…and I’m thankful that this is behind us.  Oh, we’ll have to keep an eye on policy proposals…but for now, we can get back to the business of raising food.

      Happy Farmers’ Market Week!

Too Much Thinkin'...

Earl Bob and Taz 1985

Back in the day when the Boss worked for the power company, it was with a bunch of more than slightly red-neck, definitely blue-collar "band of brothers".  These guys had creatively derisive nicknames for everyone and the ability to put-down at the mere hint of a personal slight. They could be crass and crude and the hard physical labor of the job meant they got dirty, real dirty and sometimes…well, really smelly, too.  I take it back…they could be just plain STINKY. However, they were a tight-knit, talented bunch who put life and limb on the line to make sure that those in their jurisdiction had electricity in all sorts of situations.

Their nicknames and odd phrases will live on in infamy (at least in the lives of those involved).  I find myself quoting some of them YEARS after the fact.  There are phrases which defy definition, but ALWAYS fit the situation. When the “big boss” passed away some time ago, one of the “old crew” left a couple of quotes on our answering machine in tribute….and even our children knew their significance. These guys were like family, and while we’ve lost touch over the years, I am fairly certain if I made a certain type of cookies, pizza…and turnip soup…one or more of them would show up in the driveway. There are times when I truly miss the band of mis-fits.

However, things were not always sunshine and roses. There was always a bit of tension between engineering and craft.  The guys with the degrees occasionally thought they knew more than those “grunts” that had worked their way up through the ranks.  Often, discussion and debate wrangled on for hours, keeping any real solution from taking place.  Which, (and I’m guessing here)…led to the infamous, “….there’s TOO much thinkin’…and not ENOUGH stinkin’ …goin’ on!”  In other words, talking about the situation and possible, theoretical solutions was fine, but there were men with hard-earned experience that could fix the problem….so, cut the chatter and get to WORK! Do something…anything…RIGHT NOW! There were people in the dark, the cold, or the heat of summer…and they weren’t getting happier with the passage of time. In some cases, something had blown up and there was a huge mess that required cleaning hazardous material while switching the power load around so that electricity was available to the masses. It was stressful, hazardous work. If you don’t think those in the power company are in constant danger…let me tell you…

I realize you are wondering WHAT this story has to do with the farm, my life…well, just about anything…

The Boss learned a lot in that environment, so he and I tend to problem-solve on the fly.  One of us identifies a problem…we meet, discuss and get to fixing the problem, often while we are heading to the job.  When you live in a place where action can very certainly mean the difference between life and death, you learn to think fast…and IMPROVISE.  While it occasionally means that we have to go back and correct something we missed in the first analysis, we spend a lot more time “stinkin’” (doing jobs) that we do “thinkin’” (planning them out in great detail).

As everyone knows, there is always someone out there who wants to tell everyone else how to do things…and that someone rarely has the experience to back up all their theories and plans, but still expects everyone else to listen and implement their hair-brained ideas.    ….and, I don’t think I am alone in finding this truly aggravating.

Case in point.

There is a “food policy task force” in Staunton, the hometown of our Farmers’ Market.

 The original mission of the task force was to

“Make fresh, local food more widely available to Staunton citizens regardless of income, in order to foster local food security and support the prosperity and good health of all our citizens.” (proposal to convene food policy task force for the City of Staunton – Councilman Erik Curren)

That sounds good.  Honestly, I could support this in some way.

 But…recently, the task force presented its proposed policies to the public.  There were 6 recommendations, but one was a blatant over-step…

The “food policy task force” decided to propose changes to the Farmers’ Market.

The Farmers’ Market that has been a cornerstone of the downtown economy since 1993, the Farmers Market where the Boss and I have made our living for the past 16 years, the Farmers’ Market that has brought millions of dollars to our small town, the Farmers’ Market of which the Boss has been an integral part as manager since 2005. The Farmers’ Market that visitors compliment on a regular basis, the one with music and food and happy, cheerful shoppers and vendors.
The Farmers’ Market where none of the taskforce members even bother to shop on a regular basis.

Market shopping

Market friends

going upscale at the Market

ShenanArts performed Les Mis at the Market

Music at the Market

 They want to implement changes to that Farmers Market...OUR Farmers' Market.

Do ya think I’m bothered?

You better know it.    …and I am not alone.

As I said, the Boss and I have been making our living at the Market for the last 16 years from this little bit of earth.  It’s been harder than I could have ever imagined.  I have learned more than I ever thought possible. We’ve worked, cried, laughed, and had experiences of a lifetime. We have cultivated friendships in odd and random places…and I---no, make that WE---count ourselves incredibly blessed.

How dare someone with absolutely NO personal knowledge of the inner workings of the Market or any inkling of farming think that they can sweep in and demand some sort of change…some sort of “food justice”?!

Here is the current proposal.

Expand Opportunities for farmers markets

Benefit to City -

- modifies Staunton City Code Chapter 12.35: City Market to help any markets licensed by the City to better serve the public interest by encouraging citizen participation, encouraging outreach to underserved populations thus increasing food security and enabling markets to sell a greater variety of goods.

Benefit to markets and vendors –

Ensure fair treatment of vendors and more customer-friendly operation of markets with the goal of providing a greater choice of inventory, expanding customer base and increasing sales.

Details –

Drawing on models from other cities, allow markets to sell locally made crafts, ensure 51% representation on oversight board of Staunton residents and provide for clear and transparent governance and financial management. (see Market Makeover: 25 Best Practices for Farmers’ Markets from Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture project  want to read it? )

Have these people ever visited the Market?

Do they have any idea what the City was thinking when the City Code was devised?

Have they ever tried to make a living? …and farming, ever even heard of THAT?

Do they have even one iota of commonsense?

(SiL #1-the beermeister—keeps telling me that no one has any commonsense anymore.  You’re right, son. This one proves that!)

If you want to affect change…you should know your subject. 

KNOW YOUR SUBJECT!  REALLY KNOW YOUR SUBJECT!

Clearly, these folks do NOT.

I know I’m being redundant, but here we go…again.

The Staunton/Augusta Farmers Market has been a part of the Staunton downtown scene since 1993.  We have personally been a part since 1998, missing just one Saturday during all that time.  The Market has grossed over 4 MILLION dollars in that period of time, bringing countless folks and dollars into the downtown economy.


Personally, we have raised our family, built our business and grown our farm on our earnings…no loans, no grants, just a lot of really hard work.  …and somebody wants to think that we don’t understand customer relations and increasing sales?  Give me a break!

I know there are other vendors who make more money than we do, who work more hours than we do…who have done the Market longer. ( so, I’m guessing they’re even madder than I am)  But, the Boss and I came to this empty piece of land in ’97, desperate, broke and scared out of our wits.  We knew we had to do something.  While I may never be able to explain why, with no previous marketing experience, no idea what we were doing, we chose the market….but, choose the Market we did.  We earned just $66.50 that very first day.  But, we felt a connection with the customers.  The challenge of learning to market and learning to grow…making friends, understanding food trends, growing beyond our comfort zone and being appreciated for our efforts…that was exhilarating. In addition, our daughters learned some amazing lessons and valuable life skills. I have written numerous articles detailing the importance of the Market on oh, so many levels. But, this is probably my favorite.

In the past 16 years, the Market has controlled our lives.  I don’t mean that in a bad way.  Okay, some days…it was bad.  But, when you know that folks depend on you…that you have some control over your own destiny…you got friends of all walks of life who will be there when you need something/anything (yes, we know from personal experience) and you eat the most awesome food ever…life is good.  But, not a day goes by that we haven’t done something for the Market.  Planting, weeding, harvesting, hauling lambs…hay…feed, doing research, writing, consultation and so on…

We end up doing the thinkin’ and the stinkin’ in this operation! 

As the Market manager, the Boss handles the weekend operation, attends meetings, answers endless questions, takes photos and maintains the Market’s facebook page and website in addition to our personal farm stuff.

So, for someone with NO personal knowledge to think they can make proposals and changes….I say NO! Back off…’cause this is NOT yours…and you just don’t care. 

You don’t even have a clue.

For the record, every single suggestion in that “Market Makeover” has been done in Staunton.  I know…this is my business, this is my life. You want transparency and openness? It’s there. Try checking out the Market on the internet. Here's the web address. www.safarmersmarket.com

Don’t you dare sit in  your office…your board room…your ivory tower…wherever…and think and think and THINK, coming to some silly conclusion with absolutely no personal interest, investment  or effort and assume that you have the right to change my business and my way of life.

If you want to affect change…you get down in the trenches…you work and you sweat and you worry through sleepless nights and events demanding superhuman effort…when you’re tired and dirty and …yeah…STINKY…then…then…will you have earned the right to even suggest change.

However, the difference between the power company story and the whole Market situation is this…the Market isn’t broken, nothing is wrong, and help was not requested or required.

In this case, there’s no need for thinkin’… (or stinkin’)…

'cause...

                          …if it ain’t broke…don’t try to fix it!

Sunday Walkabout 8-4

So…this past week didn’t have the greatest start...

But, we got on with life and Ellie Mae and I are slowly adjusting to the “Jed-less” farm.  I have to admit, I miss him more than I thought I would.  It’s so quiet…he’s not constantly in my way…and we don’t have that early warning system for traffic on the lane, the UPS man or any type of thunderstorm.  But, the Boss found a farm over on the other side of the mountain that will have puppies ready the first week of September.  A month from now, we will start a new friendship and have new stories to tell.

Since the rains finally held off…we actually got to dig the red potatoes that we planted back in March.  The crop was fairly good, despite getting frozen several times, attacked by bugs and overtaken by weeds.  As we finished the job, we could see the clouds rolling in for yet another round of storms.  We claimed victory and headed for the house.

There was a message on the phone.  “Hey, Tom…got a load of hay out in the field for ya!” Now, normally I’m thrilled when the hay guy calls.  But we were hot and tired and hungry…and it looked like rain.  There was no way we could go get it, haul it, and stack it prior to the storm.  A quick phonecall was in order…the hay was tucked into a barn and we picked it up the next day.  It’s gorgeous. 

So, the barn is full of hay…the reefer loaded with potatoes...Here's the story of the "reefer".…and the wood guy dropped off the first load of firewood.

  Looks like we’re making progress in preparations for winter!

The okra is blooming and the corn is showing silk.  That means we will have at least some of both of those crops. 

see the pollen on the silk?
that means there will be corn kernels

okra blossoms are probably the prettiest thing in the garden

 …and check THIS out!  Broccoli in August. 

I guess there is a benefit after all to the weird and funky weather patterns that we have experienced this year.

On the other hand, the hoophouses are looking like jungles again.  The weed growth all around the farm is unbelievable this year.  I guess weeding/tilling/replanting will be job #1 this week. 

the crops are in there...really!

In addition to the weed growth, the bugs are incredible.  I did learn about the life cycle of cabbage loopers this week, managing to capture a number of stages of development in one shot.

ewww....just ewwwwwww!

  …and then there are the grasshoppers…I am trying NOT to think about biblical references to the scourge of locusts…

One of our favorite experiences is to watch the sheep when we move them to a fresh, lush paddock.  They just put their heads down and mow.

  They have all adjusted to having Waylon back in the flock, so we’re just waiting to see some progress on the Lambchop Crop of ’14.

barnyard breakfast on Sunday morning

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Sunday!

Oh Happy Day!

***today I am writing on the behalf of Waylon (the ram) who finds keyboard skills somewhat cumbersome.  You know, big hooves and all…and then there’s the fact that he is NOT coming in MY house!***



August 1st is the absolute best day on the farm!

Hellooooo Ladies!

(or somewhere near it…I’m not one to keep track of dates)

I cannot tell you how happy (and thankful) I am that it is finally the first of August. The next month or so will be the most enjoyable months of my time here on the hill.  Today the “work” of getting the lambchop crop for 2014 begins.  This is my big moment.  This is the reason I am here.

I am the single most important animal on this place.

While it may sound a little cocky… it is definitely true.

Oh, the ewes are important. The lambchop crop is important. The chickens are important. The Boss really appreciates the hens and loves the chicken dishes that the broilers make it possible to enjoy…but, I…WAYLON…am 50% of the entire sheep flock!  50%!  No matter how many lovely ladies they might have.  There would be no lambchop crop if it was not for ME!

I am awesome!

Overstatements aside, I really am important.  It is true that my genetics have an amazing effect on the annual lambchop crop. My offspring are some of the best produced here on the hill. I joined the “farm team” in 2011.  You can read about it here.

I was chosen for my form, anatomical correctness and length.  Not to mention that I am indeed a true “stud muffin”.  Just ask Mama, she wrote "Stud Muffin" a couple of years ago.  It's all about ME! 

Each and every lamb born here on the hill is a direct result of my genetics in combination with the lovely ladies that I service.  They’re not a bad lot.  A couple of them even did a few show-lamb gigs in their youth.

the ladies

I am big, I am virile, I am a fine specimen of Suffolk ram-liness.  …and yeah, I eat dandelions! (you got a problem with that?) Read about my penchant for dandelions here.

By introducing me to the ewe flock on August 1…there is a very real possibility that Homestead Hill will see lambing season commence by Christmas.  Sometimes it takes a bit longer.  But, I am proud to say that last year I bred ALL the ewes within a THREE week period. (most within THREE days...yeah, days) There was only one single in that bunch and TWO sets of triplets.  See, no brag…just fact. 

I am, indeed, awesome.

After breeding season, I must confess, my life is pretty boring.  But, I can’t complain.  I am greatly appreciated and treated well.  I have a lush paddock with a nice view of Mbrook Road.  I can see my ladies walking by…and keep tabs on my offspring if I like. Honestly, the lambs are pretty boring, I’d much rather “talk” to the ladies or watch traffic.  I get my meals catered, twice a day.  I have plenty to eat and a real nice shady spot to sleep and ruminate.  I kind of like the solitary life.  A rabbit visited me a couple weeks ago and nearly scared me to death!

Today, I have been outfitted with my harness and a nice yellow crayon.  

In a couple of weeks, they’ll change the color so that Mama can keep track of which of the ladies gets bred and when.  This takes the guesswork out of lambing time.  It also makes it possible to know if there are any breeding anomalies (there shouldn’t be more than one color on a ewe) If there are, corrective action can be taken.

So, I am THANKFUL (if that is possible) that it is indeed August 1st!

While it’s been nice chatting with you…you'll have to excuse me...

                                              I’ve got “work” to do.