What happened this year?

This year is simply a blurr.  Nothing but a hard fought war and I feel that I survived but took quite a beating.  Let's review,
1. Winter record-temps in Jan. took the strawberries.
2. Late Spring freeze took the fruit trees. (peaches, plums)
3. Summer heat wave took Apples, Pears, Tomatoes, Pumpkins and virtually all fall crops.  Even many      grapes were literally raisins on the vine.

What is a farmer to do?
Plant for late fall crops and build a hoop house!
Though fall broccoli is about four weeks behind it looks terrific!!
 Hoop house will help me moderate the Oklahoma weather as best I can.  We are planning and scheming for 2012.  What should we be looking for in weather?  How will the water wells hold out?  How will economy effect sales?  After we answer these questions we'll have it all together and coast to never land. 

A little frozen faucet......

So what if a faucet froze?  Then you'd probably have a leak when you watered some plants outside.  Of course the way to find the leak is to walk into the bedroom and feel the soaking carpet with your feet (you can also identify by listening for that noticeable squish).  Then you call the plumber who charges you a reasonable amount to cut a hole in the wall and repair the leak.  All in all not too bad. 
Then you wash all those towels you used to mop up the water and accidentally launder a glue board.  Those little strips of paper with the stickiest stuff ever made.  They are used to trap mice, not that I'd ever admit to having a mouse in my house.  Since we don't have mice we use them to catch our recluse spiders.  I'm glad we have them but I do not recommend washing them.  After the drying event you pull off a glob of stretchy, sticky gunk.  Of course there are the tell-tale paper pellets to cleanup.  After you realize you can't clean it off with alcohol you resort to mother www.  She informs you mineral spirits do the job.  Of course I do not own mineral spirits so, back to mother www.  She tells me WD-40 is 50% mineral spirits.  This I own, which enables me to stick my head in a dryer and enjoy some special time while enhaling 50% mineral spirits for 15 minutes.  I somehow lack the imagination to enjoy this special time. 
Now for the bad news.......the weather of 2011 claimed virtually all the strawberry plants.  Bad news for the taste buds and the farm income this year.  That means no more strawberry jelly or frozen berries available for me next January.  This is why I plant grapes and peaches but I'll sure miss those cute little red berries. 

So, it seems to be a might white.

If you live where I live, history was made and we got to participate whether we liked it or not.  What a storm!!!! I found myself scurrying home from southeast Oklahoma with my newly acquired grain combine.  It is practically brand new.  Built in 1957, at least it is younger than me.  Of course it needs a little restoration or I wouldn't own it.  If I can get it running, I'll use it to harvest barley this June.  Back to the trip home...I roared down the highway at 50 mph (if I was going downhill.)  It seems the old '91 pick-up didn't appreciate the wind in her face. Evidently, the combine on top of the trailer was similar to hauling an open parachute with accompanying anchor.  I arrived at the farm and began placing my 50' tarp over the trailer and combine, especially the canvas conveyor to protect it from the moisture.  I found the tarp application simple except for the oh yeah, 30mph wind!!!!  After an hour and a half, success, if not triumph, was achieved.  The lightning and sleet hit as I was wrapping up and heading for the house.  Tuesday morning I found myself literally dragging the dogs into the barn for their own well being.  As the evening temperature was 10 degrees, I found all the water troughs frozen solid, so I began hauling some sort of trough or container and then water to dogs, cats, geese, and chickens. Of course they all needed feed so I obliged accordingly.  I felt a little like Pa Ingalls in those "Little House On the Prairie" books, then I thought of what those Mt. Everest climbers might think about blizzard conditions. I went into the house to watch the thermometer. Sheesh is it cold!

Testing one, two...

The importance of good food is evident to me, though not every one sees it my way.  What else is new?  As an organic farmer, I see the value of sustainable farming methods and am happy to enjoy my relationship with nature.  If I didn't think it was the right thing to do, I'd find something else to do, though I'd hate having to because, I simply love what I do.    I enjoy the challenge, but I admit often times I gripe about those very challenges.

Because they visit on occasion I'd say my grandkids have a better understanding of the value of food than near 'bout anyone else's grandkids.  I'm not talking about money (though I certainly appreciate what it can do) rather I'm talking about more important things than mere money.  They have some understanding of what food is supposed to do for us, not simply nutrition and joy but helping us to be at peace with ourselves.

Demanding the earth provide for you is a might more stressful than the alternative of doing what you can to help, then living in peace with the results.  There is satisfaction is waiting for this year's peaches.  It sure makes me proud of what those grandkids can become with such a good start.