Piano lessons

Typical Saturday activities around the farm include chicken and fox parades in the back yard, dehorning calves, a good goat wrangle, and of course, piano lessons.

I only allow one animal disaster per day, and we honestly haven't had one in a good long while, so I should have know one was coming.

Piano teacher was on her way to leaving, lesson completed. Heidi was trying to put the goats back in the pasture since they apparently had gotten out when they heard her latest rendition of a C scale. Scrappy goes back on in no problem. Sweet Grass, however, always has a problem with everything. Heidi fetched a bowl of feed. Heidi ordered brother to fetch the rope. Well, it is actually several ropes and a chain all hooked up together. The rope/chain was tied around Sweet Grass' neck in a series of farm-kid knots that later proved to be very difficult to untie. Note to self: the most important aspect to tying knots is knowing you will be able to untie them when the time comes.

With the knots in place, Heidi was able to lead Sweet Grass back to the series of gates that we have which allow the other crazies to stay in the pasture while you put the rebellious one in. Heidi had some problems at this point, which involved a lot of yelling, spanking, and clenched fists. I tried to help, really I did. I got a gate shut that needed shutting. Then, the piano teacher, who hadn't left yet but stayed on observing our Saturday afternoon romp, offered her assistance.

She climbed in, grabbed the goat by the horns, pulled and tugged and shoved, and then proceeded to attempt to untie all the knots...all while trying to keep the goat where he wouldn't escape back out again. Seriously folks, this was intense.

Me: "Be careful. He's not the friendliest."
Her: "That's OK. Neither am I."

Knots were untied. Goat locked up. Goodbyes (and THANK YOUs)said. And lesson(s) learned.


This photo was taken many moons ago, probably May 2009. I don't take many photos of the goats so this was the only one I could find of Heidi and Sweet Grass. And that's Tony of course, Sweetums' part-time-lover.

Who us? Sustainable?

Loaded questions, slippery slopes, and hasty generalizations.

That is about all I remember from Ms. Huba from Cuba's 10th grade English class.

Don't these logical fallacies annoy the pants off you? Then why does this pretty much sum up every piece of info we are fed by the media?

Believe you me my friends, Agriculture is one of the most misunderstood industries in America today. Which is why this blog was started in the first place! But I digress...

In the December issue of Southern Farmer, I read an editorial that really hit home. Pam Golden titled it, "Sustainable agriculture? It's your farm" and friends I just couldn't resist writing my own version of it here.

Sustainable agriculture is a loaded word. It means several things to people and nothing to others. Does it mean organic? Does it mean environmentally friendly? Does it mean small farm?

I could go on and on and on about this, but I won't. I want you, the world out there, to realize that this word means exactly what it sounds like it means. To sustain means to support, to supply with necessities, to nourish.

SUPPORT: making a profit on our farm puts us in the realm of "KING CORN" and "FOOD INC" like we're the bad guys because our farm happens to be our business. Making a profit is what businesses do. Agriculture is a business. If you like living in a 1st world country, then I suggest you stop taking offense at this simple fact. Our farm financially supports 4 families. It is our passion, our livelihood, and thank you Lord---it pays our bills.

SUPPLY WITH NECESSITIES: The crops we grow literally feed the world, not just the foodies. Remember! Wheat, corn, peanuts, soybeans are what most food is made up of and is what most people around the world live off of. Like it or not, that is 2010. Most of the world doesn't live off $3/cup yogurt and fair trade coffee.

NOURISH: Farmers were the first environmentalists. They will always nourish their crops and their land. They take great and painful measures to protect their greatest resources of soil and water. Please, consider this: If the land and water were SO abused by agriculture as the media wants people to believe....how would we continue to be able to provide the safe, affordable and abundant food supply to the US that we do? Why does the earth continue to give us what we need? Because she is nourished and protected by those who tend to her.

So by golly, I think I've pretty much signed us up for a sustainable farm! GO TEAM FARMERS!

Please please please....promise me you'll think. Promise me you won't get on the slippery slope with a pair of skis and fly to the bottom of the hill believing everything along the way. Support American farmers, big and small. Organic and conventional. Sustainable and sustainable :)

A new leaf

With about 3 weeks left in the calendar year (which coincidentally is our farm year as well), here are the stats:
Grain Sorghum planted:check
Soybeans planted:check
Green Peanuts planted:check
Dry Peanuts planted:check
Cotton Planted:check



Green peanuts harvested and sold:check and check
Grain Sorghum harvested and sold:check and ongoing
Soybeans harvested:half check
Dry Peanuts harvested and sold:double check
Cotton harvested and sold:half check and check




As we round out the year, I always look forward to seeing my husband again. Family dinners at a normal hour, house projects worked on, small vacations taken, date nights beoming a semi-reality...oh, how sweet it is to be a team again.

But we aren't there yet! Still plowin' up, still heading toward the light at the end of the row, still runnin' the machines, still at it.



But it's close ya'lls. Real close. And me and all these other ladies are super happy... there's this one in VA, this one in KS, this one in GA, and this one in AL... because like us, they turn the dirt too. Providing food and fiber to America and the world...safe, affordable, and abundant. That's your food supply!



Oh, the new leaf, in case anyone was wondering...is that I'm going to start trying to post more. TRYING.

News!

How do ya'll like the new photo at the top?

Too over the top?

Didn't think so! HA! It makes me laugh. Partly because I thought The Farmer was going to do a silly face, and as it turned out, he didn't. But I did!

Now for the news...

Yesterday, I get this text from the Farmer:
We're having a baby?

Yea, that's what I said! EXCUSE ME?!

Then another text comes through:
Wrong punctuation. Meant to put !

Whatchu talkin bout Willis?

Then, right there in the middle of the therapy gym (some people gotta work around here) I start jumping up and down because my brain kicked in and remembered what in the world he is talking about...

SWEETUMS IS PREGNANT!WE'RE HAVING A BABY!

Totally forgot that Tony was coming yesterday to preg check. So, I forgot to worry that she wasn't pregnant again, which made it all the more exciting when I found out that she acutally was pregnant because it caught me totally off guard. I know, I know, my thought processes are staggering.

We are uber happy, and July will be a hot and glorious month to deliver a precious calf. Mooooooove over Bit-Bit! You are going to be a big brother!