Archive for November, 2009
November 30, 2009 – Mark Gets Month-Long “Sabbatical”
The month of December I will be collecting my regular Wells Fargo paycheck, but working for the Practical Farmers of Iowa. Wells Fargo has a volunteer leave program where employees can work for a non-profit in lieu of coming into the office. I look forward to the time with PFI. one year ago…”First Real Snow”
November 29, 2009 – Putting Bees Away for Winter
It’s time to tuck the bees in for the winter. By the end of this week, the highs are supposed to be in the 20s. Martin and Linda add the insulated cover to the hive. Here, they pose after finishing the job – the black cardboard has been slipped over the hive and we wait ...Read more.
November 28, 2009 – Emma on the Hardwoods
Emma switched school districts this year to attend a larger school with more opportunities. She’s getting into the swing of things with a new basketball team. She plays on the 9th grade team and also has been getting a minutes on JV. Here, Emma listens to the coach during a TO. #50 is starting to ...Read more.
November 27, 2009 – Thanksgiving Meal
So, I’m a bad boy and didn’t even take any pictures of the baked turkey. Here cousin Erin displays the vintage server holding the stuffing. Julie looks forward to the mashed potatoes year-round. one year ago…”Thingamajig Thursday #143″
November 26, 2009 – Thingamajig Thursday #186
Here’s this week’s thingamajig Thursday. Also check out the last thingamajig answer. As always, put your guess in a comment below. Hold mouse over this sentence to pop-up answer. one year ago…”Tractor Repair”
November 25, 2009 – Turkeys Ready to Go
Today’s the day. The day we butcher turkeys on the farm for the first time. Here are some toms showing off their handsome looks. It was a cold day – in fact snowing by the time we finished. We set up under the newly constructed porch in the hog barn – it blocked the wind ...Read more.
November 24, 2009 – Lemons at High Hopes
Who says you can’t grow tropical fruit in Iowa? This is Panda, the lemon tree offering her first blossoms ever. The tree lives outside in the humid summers and inside in the winters. Panda was hand pollinated and will be culled back to a few fruit. one year ago…”Loading Turkeys”
November 23, 2009 – High Hopes in Sunday Paper
The headline of this article in the Marshalltown Times-Republican is “Area Family Works to Rely on Renewable Resources.” Here’s a link to the story, and in case that ever goes stale, the story is reproduced below. Self-reliance. Mike Donahey That is the lifestyle Dr. Linda Barnes and her husband, Mark Runquist, have aggressively been working ...Read more.
November 22, 2009 – Beer and Soap Day
This afternoon we went over to Morning Sun Farm to make soap and beer. It was set up as a nice learning experience for me, as I saw two important steps in beer brewing – the initial ingredient mixing and cooking, and the bottling of a batch previously prepared up to the bottling stage. The ...Read more.
November 21, 2009 – Morning Wake-Up
The last few mornings have been foggy. Haven’t had many days when we’ve had to chop ice off the turkey water yet and Thanksgiving is almost here! The weather chat on the Weather Underground is that following the coldest October on record, November has been warmer than October – and that has never happened. It ...Read more.
November 20, 2009 – Bobcats Reach State Championship
After having never made the state football playoffs – ever – and coming off a 3-6 season, this year’s 13-0 record and berth in the state championship game was a big treat for Marshalltown. Twenty minutes before game time, this is what the Marshalltown side of the UNI-Dome looked like. This is what the Iowa ...Read more.
November 19, 2009 – Thingamajig Thursday #185
Here’s this week’s thingamajig Thursday. Also check out the last thingamajig answer. As always, put your guess in a comment below. Hold mouse over this sentence to pop-up answer. one year ago…”Tractor Repair”
November 18, 2009 – Eggo Shortage – Oh the Horror!
A story on the newswire today details the implications of an “Eggo” shortage. Evidently, two Eggo factories are off-line and there is a nationwide shortage. People are taking it hard and exacerbating the shortage by stocking up. Here’s part of the story of the Eggo shortage from USA Today: Stay-at-home mom Joey Resciniti says she ...Read more.
November 17, 2009 – Corn Caddy
Here’s the latest piece of fun farm equipment – a corn caddy – essentially a small silo on wheels. We can use this unit to get chicken food from the co-op and move it where ever it needs to be – whether it needs to be by the layers over the winter or broilers over ...Read more.
