Archive for the ‘Farm – All’ Category
August 29, 2010 – About Those Eggs…
I thought I should chime in on the factory/commodity egg recall. To our customers, the stories from the Iowa egg factories do not come as a surprise – hens in cages so small they cannot even spread their wings, piles of manure 8 feet tall leaning on the doors of the buildings, maggots crawling on ...Read more.
August 28, 2010 – Linda Recognized as Outstanding Ag Educator
On the heels of the successful opening of the Ag Incubator building at MCC, today Linda was recognized by the Iowa Farmer’s Union as the ag educator of the year! Here she is giving some remarks to the conference attendees. Once again, congratulations to Linda! one year ago…”Dr. Suess Flower”
August 27, 2010 – Ag Incubator Building Ribbon Cutting!
Today was a milestone for local foods, Marshalltown Community College, and Linda. It was the ribbon cutting for the new ag incubator building adjacent to the college and serving the farmers renting some of the land on the adjacent 140 acres of certified organic land. Participating in the ribbon cutting are Linda, Rep Latham, Sue ...Read more.
August 25, 2010 – You May Feed ME Now.
Here’s Steeeve! (pronounced like that, with much excitement) the cat hanging out by the cat feeder, waiting for dinner. He looks a little crabby, as in, where’s the food, I’m not in the mood to get my picture taken. one year ago…”Craigslist”
August 24, 2010 – East Side of House Done (well, almost)
The late summer project to remove the old garage and reside and reroof the east side of the house is complete, except for some door frame painting, caulking, screen door and window screen installation. We’ll get around to the rest of the hose at a later date. An added bonus is the new patio where ...Read more.
August 23, 2010 – Moon and Stars Watermelon
It has been a good year for watermelon. It’s the first year we’ve successfully raised a bumper crop of these guys! This is an heirloom variety that we bought from Seed Savers. Now we can indulge in watermelon! one year ago…”We Know People”
August 22, 2010 – Moldy Plums
Not every crop is a success every year. This year’s constant rainfall, along with high humidity and heat when it wasn’t raining caused the plums to mold on the tree. They’d mold before they ripened. We managed to pick a few before they were ripe, but the conditions were not conducive to plums this year. ...Read more.
August 21, 2010 – Canning Raspberries
When the berries come on fast, in addition to freezing, we like to can some whole berries – they are great in the winter in yogurt, cold cereal, and pancakes. they are easy to can as well. First heat some water and sugar for the liquid to a boil – add sugar to taste. Heat ...Read more.
August 20, 2010 – Bees Keeping Cool
In this hot weather, the bees also have to keep busy. Here a bunch of them are hanging out on the front porch of the hive. When you are this close to the hive, it sounds a bit like the roar of a distant waterfall from the sound of the bees vibrating their wings to ...Read more.
August 18, 2010 – A Tale of Two Deliveries
Today there were two deliveries at high hopes. A pair of Birkenstocks for Linda delivered by Fed Ex and the package was left in the mud room attached to the house. And this box of thin balsa-wood like unassembled berry boxes delivered (in a manner of speaking). For some reason the UPS driver thought that ...Read more.
August 17, 2010 – Linda at Roundtable with US Ag Secretary Vilsack
Linda was invited to be part of a press conference/roundtable discussion of rural issues at the Iowa State fair with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. Like a “good” Secretary of Agriculture, Vilsack listens as Linda makes her points about the importance of local infrastructure, rural broadband issues, and local foods. Like a “better” Secretary ...Read more.
August 16, 2010 – Pie Filling
The raspberries are just starting to bear heavily. With all the rain, they are prolific. We picked a couple of gallons from a 70 foot row today (after picking for market two days ago). The apple pie filling was such a hit last year, that we thought we’d try raspberry pie filling. We also had ...Read more.
August 15, 2010 – Fruits of the Season
The garden is in full production now. This is an heirloom cantaloupe. It’s the first year we’ve nursed them to juicy completion! one year ago…”Atlantic Whale Watching”
August 14, 2010 – Why Are the Soybeans Turning Brown so Early?
There have been large stretches of certain soybean fields that have been turning brown. Some fields seem to be getting worse every day. Some fields just have a tinge of brown. The beans are suffering from what is known as “Sudden Death Syndrome.” There is no spray to stop it. The beans are not mature ...Read more.
