Easter Blessings From the Anderson Farm

Easter is traditionally the unofficial start of Spring work around this area here on the "Palouse" which is where our main farm (Genesee Farm) is located.  As we have two farms in different locations, we can usually start about 2 weeks ahead of the main farm as the southern farm (we refer to it as the Tammany farm) is South and a little warmer plus the soil is sandier and drier.  Farmers Joe and Jay along with Cody have been able to get a day in here and there to begin the planting of the spring wheat, and while we would love to be able to start, get everything planted and them move on up to the Genesee farm... the weatherman has not been too co-operative.  Spring weather has crazy patterns so we basically have to be ready to go and work like crazy to get the seed in the ground as the weather can radically change from one day to the next as you will see later on in this blog.......  The videos shown below are from Farmer Joe and Cody as they are in the field planting a hard red spring wheat.  The weather was gorgeous, 61 degrees and sunny.

What Has Agriculture Done For You Today?

What has Agriculture done for you today?  Well I'm glad you asked!   While our Spring work has been at a stand still due to lots and lots of rain, I thought I'd share some really cool videos on what the Ag industry is doing.

First, here is a picture of what many of the fields around our area looks like with lots of standing water on the fields. We have been out of the field now for over two weeks and are waiting for drier weather. =)  So grab that cup of coffee and take a peek at the videos further down the blog.  Also if you are in a baking mood, better check out the Coconut Lime cake too!

The snow has since left and we are pretty soggy around here

I saw this sign on a farmer's fence in rural Washington state and it said, "if you eat, you are part of agriculture" and it is so true,  we are all in this together. 
"Agriculture is one of the few remaining industries that still has emotion in it, These people don't just farm to make a living, they live to farm." A quote from an article from the Hand that Feeds Us. 

click here if unable to view the videos

Media, Food & the Mom

Miss M enjoying fresh fruit



Miss N eating yogurt and an egg



Do the kinds of foods you buy define you as a good or bad mom?

If you only buy organic food, does that make you a better mom than the mom that does not?

Personally, it is a resounding NO from this farm-wife, but I do understand how media and famous Home-making Divas are influencers and that they want to shape YOUR buying habits. So who do you believe, the media/famous folks or the farm-wife? IF I didn’t live farming day-in and day-out I’d be confused as to what to buy for my family too because every mom I know wants the best for her family.

A Glance into Farm Life, Part II. Helping Our Fellow Farm Family

Community, friendship, helping your neighbor,  Caring

The magic of living in a small rural farm community is hard to explain unless you have experienced it for yourself.   For some, they were born and raised in that small town, and for others like me, we joined the community by marrying a hometown local.   When I started writing this blog, my thoughts took me back to when our daughters were growing up and how they couldn't wait to leave our small hometown after high school graduation to see the bright lights of the big city.  So off to college they went and what happened??  Well one came back right after college and the other one has a five year plan in place to get back around this area as well.  Why? Well, it is a nice place to live, good place to raise a family and the bonds of a small community are strong.

Technology+Modern Farm Methods=Safe Food

On our farm, we are a Food Alliance Certified Farm, which means we use today's technology and methods to produce the best and safest crops possible.  It also means we take our commitment to protect our valuable land resources as well as our social and environmental responsibility very seriously.  We are among thousands of farmers and ranchers who have become certified to assure you, the consumer, we care about how we produce the food that we all eat.  But whether a farmer & rancher is certified or not, I believe we share the same practices and beliefs because it is our livelihood and heritage for our next generation.

Lunch Box Season! Also known as the Start of Spring Work

It is National Agriculture Day and the start of  "lunch box season" for this farm family.  From March through November, Farmers Joe & Jay and Cody will all be working lots of long hours and packing a lunch as they work in the fields.  On a farm, unless there is a break down, you don't go into town... so packing your lunch is a must.

Trust the Farmer but not the Ag Industry??

What does a farm-wife & her family have in common with a famous concert pianist (Wayne McEvilly) or a fan (Janice Person) who wrote a blog post about  making hummus from the garbanzo beans (also known as "chickpeas") that I sent her? 

Well... we all met through Twitter and now "I am their personal connection to our farm, I am the face behind the food they eat, and I am "their farmer". 

Field Trip to the Port of Lewiston

How does the grain from our farm and many others on the "Palouse"  end up reaching those far away lands across the ocean?  Well, last Monday I was able to get a quick tour from Arvid Lyons, Manager of the Lewis Clark Terminal located in the Port of Lewiston. 



A Glance into Farm life, Part I

Have you ever walked by someone’s house, perhaps glanced in the window and it made you wonder about what that person’s life was really like?   I admit that I am fascinated how other people live, and that is why I started this blog, to give you a front-porch view of what life is like for this farm-wife on the Anderson Farm.  

American Living, Small Town Style: Chapter One

The moon says Hello!

It is 4:07am and my cold & flu ridden body has announced that it’s time to get up because it feels better. Geez, I’m a morning person, but this is a tad extreme (I’m sure the dairy farmers are up long before this so I’ll quit whining) …. And so on this cold dark February morning let me catch you up on what has been going on at the Anderson Farm. 2 days after getting back from the Hawaiian field trip, Farmer Joe had wheat industry meetings to attend, both in Boise and then a few days later in our national’s capitol. This year he is the president of the Idaho Grain Producer’s Association (IGPA) and his volunteer duties include lots of winter meetings as the farm fields lie in wait for the warmth of spring to come.

Yup, the farmer cleans up pretty good! =)