Reading your blog is exactly like talking to you in person... was the comment from good friends, Eric & Karen, of whom I dined with the other night. Both were raised on farms, and although no longer are involved in the farming industry, they still like to stay connected via my blog. And they are not the only ones who want to stay connected with those of us who raise America's food. So while I am working on my next blog, I wanted to share the following that I received as this is the exact reason why I take my passion for blogging and telling the Ag story, because I farm, you eat and want to know if what I grow is OKAY and SAFE. (As always, thanks for stopping by & if you have questions/comments, I am only a click away at idahofarmwife@gmail.com ) All my best, Gayle
And so... I am happy to share the following:
As much as we love food, less than 2 percent to the population is
connected to the people who grow it. But, talking to your farmer is not
as difficult as you think. Farmer marketing pioneer Michele Payn-Knoper
offers five ways foodies can spend 15 minutes a week engaging with
farmers.
HOW TO TALK TO A FARMER
Five Ways to Spend 15 Minutes a Week Engaging the People Who Grow Your Food
LEBANON, Ind. – March 14, 2013 – Do you know a farmer?
If the answer’s no, you’re not alone. Research shows we’ve never been
more disconnected from the people who grow our food. Less than 1.5%
percent of the nation lives or works on a farm, with the majority
several generations removed from first-hand farming experience. But,
farmer marketing pioneer and author Michele Payn-Knoper suggests it’s easier than ever to connect with a farmer.
According to a recent survey by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers
Alliance, “three in five Americans would like to know more about how
food is grown and raised, but don’t feel they have the time or money to
prioritize,” said Payn-Knoper, author of the recently released book No More Food Fights! Growing a Productive Farm & Food Conversation. “But in reality, technology can help fill the chasm between farmer and foodie.”
As the growing season begins, Payn-Knoper offers five ways to spend 15 minutes a week on average engaging with farmers:
Find them on Facebook. “Farmers are just as prolific
online as the population in general, and many are active on Facebook.
Like their pages, ask them questions and share your thoughts. They want
to hear from you,” Payn-Knoper said.
Read and comment on their blogs or websites. “Similarly, farmers have active websites or blogs they frequently update. Many offer opportunities for comments.”
Twitter up. “Farmers also are on Twitter and frequently engage in tweet-ups with each other or consumers.” Twitter groups like @foodchat and @agchat facilitate the conversation.
Plan a visit with three types of farms. “Farmers
increasingly offer on-site tours. Check their websites and take every
opportunity you can. But, mix it up. Visit a small farm, big farm,
produce farm, dairy farm, or ranch.”
Visit a farmers’ market during off-peak hours. “The
proliferation of farmers’ markets makes it easier than ever to literally
reach across the table to shake the hand that feeds us. But, plan your
visit for either the beginning or end of the market – when farmers have
the most time to talk one-on-one.”
No More Food Fights! is the first-ever book to speak to all
sides of the food movement. One of North America’s leading farm and food
advocates, she wrote the book after continuously witnessing the growing
divide between farmers and eaters that she believes is causing
confusion in the grocery aisles and placing the future of farming at
risk.
No More Food Fights! is available in print for $16.47 at www.CauseMatters.com,
Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other fine bookstores. Digital
versions are available for iPad, Kindle and Nook. Learn more at www.CauseMatters.com.
Idaho and it’s people are as diverse
as its landscape, and when traveling to Boise in mid-February for the
Governors’ award luncheon, I took a few pictures to show you what I
meant.
But first I have to share a very
sweet and funny (I thought) story that I had happen to me as I was trying to explain about the different race of people…. I had volunteered at our church to help the
4th grade Sunday school teacher in making chocolate chip
cookies. I can’t remember the exact reason I was pulled into this or what
the lesson was supposed to be, but as I was lugging my extra-large Kitchen-aid
mixer, all the ingredients for the cookies to the church kitchen, I had an
inspiration! As I love to bake I had all the various kinds of
baking chips on hand, not just chocolate. So as the kids and I were
adding in the ingredients, I explained sometimes when mankind
needs to do something really cool and good, that it takes all of Gods people to
do it, and with that I produced chocolate
chips that I compared to the darker skinned people, the butterscotch chips and
peanut butter chips that I compared to the various browner skinned peoples, and
the white vanilla chips that I compared with the Caucasian people.
The kids listened intently and one little boy walks over to me, picks up a
white vanilla chip and solemnly says, “these could be Norwegian people”!
Oh my gosh! It took every ounce in my body to not laugh. And yes there
are quite a few Norwegian/Scandinavian people in Idaho, especially up North
where I live, but we are not all fair haired, and blue eyes… we also have
a few American Indian reservations in
Idaho and there are the Basque population down towards the Southern part of the
state and we tend to have dark eyes, dark hair and more of an olive skin
tone. Our colleges also bring in many foreign international students, so
we have a bit of international culture that gets added to the mix as well. While Idaho may not be a melting pot of different cultures, I think we are a fairly friendly State. Below are some stats on our population.
2010 resident census population (rank): 1,567,582 (39). Male: 785,324 (50.1%); Female: 782,258 (49.9%). White: 1,396,487 (89.1%); Black:9,810 (0.6%); American Indian: 21,441 (1.4%); Asian: 19,069 (1.2%); Other race: 79,523 (4.2%); Two or more races: 38,935 (2.5%); Hispanic/Latino: 175,901 (11.2%). 2010 population 18 and over: 1,138,510; 65 and over: 194,668 (12.4%); median age:34.6.
And now the pictures will show that from where I live you will leave the rolling hills of good farm ground, drop down to follow the Salmon River as the road snakes through the mountain valleys, then climb up in elevation towards scenic McCall, Idaho and once again drop down in elevation as you reach Boise and the landscape changes from high mountains to sagebrush in the high dessert. All different, but beautiful each in its own way. Just like the people in Idaho. So hope you enjoy the Idaho tour.
The "rolling hills of the Palouse area" where I live
Heading my house, about 60 miles is the White Bird grade, en route to Boise.The original grade was steep with hair pin corners and you can still opt to drive it too.
On White Bird grade is the site of an Indian battle site.
Below, this river is a fun one and attracts many rafters that like to float the river. A world class adventure. The town of Riggins boasts several whitewater businesses that cater to the tourists needs to play on the river.
Once past White Bird grade, you drop down and follow the Salmon River.
The as you climb up in elevation, the land scape changes once again to mountain, trees and
snow as you get closer to McCall, Idaho
Another view of the highway heading to McCall
Very scenic
McCall's lake frozen over
The annual Winter Carnival, with amazing snow sculptures
The town swells to around 10,000 people for this fun winter carnival
Heading towards Boise, the land becomes more sage brushes and high dessert
Boise landscape, sagebrush is the normal site in Southern Idaho
As always, glad you dropped by and feel free to email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment. I always love to hear from you. All my best, Gayle
Not too long ago, I was thinking about the number of "farm kids' in my kid's class, and here is what is happening not only in my small farming town, but across America. In the 1970s the farm kids made up about 2/3 or more of the class (based on Farmer Jay & Joe's class make-up). When our daughters were in school in 1999 and 2006, it was about 1/3 - 1/2 of the kids in the class were farm kids, and now that my grand-angel, Miss B is in 1st grade, well .....she is the only one out of a class of 21 that is related to a farm! The class below hers has 2 whose young daddies are full time farmers..... sortof scary... as our numbers are shrinking, but the demand for food is not. With that I had this amazing press release and YouTube video sent to me and I want to share it with you. So while I am writing my next blog, grab your favorite beverage or snack, put your feet up and take a moment. All my best, Gayle. idahofarmwife@gmail.com click here if YouTube is not visable
Young Farmers Mobilize For Their Industry
Farmers feed your family, then take a second job to feed their own. It’s a sad, but true, reality for those trying to make it in arguably the most noble of professions, as over 70% of young farmers work more than 40 hours a week off farm to support their operations.
“When did feeding the world become a pastime?” said Sarah Wray, a board memb er with the FarmOn Foundation. “Nobody would expect a restaurant owner to run his establishment, not even break even and then take a second job in the oilfield, just to make ends meet for his family. But this is exactly what is being expected of farmers. “
No more. Farmers feed this entire planet, and it’s time the world paid attention! The FarmOn Foundation is calling on young farmers to stand up, tell their stories and show people their own farming reality through the Farm Voices project. On April 22, Earth Day, the organization is rallying farmers to use the power of social media and post a photo and a thought to Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter about their experience as a farmer, attaching the hashtag #FARMVOICES.
“Young people have been at the forefront of every great social movement in history,” noted Wray. “The power of social media means that we now have the opportunity to effectively and powerfully speak for our own industry, directly to the audience we’re trying to engage.”
Too often, the agriculture industry has sat back and allowed others to have a more powerful voice with the public, rather than stepping up and telling their own story in a way that will truly speak to others. With the launch of Farm Voices, FarmOn hopes to mobilize a movement led by young farmers to create change and awareness with consumers.
“Currently, 80% of the content found online about agriculture is not favourable,” said Wray. “That’s ridiculous and has a lot to do with the fact that farmers are not speaking up and being vocal about the industry they love. That has to change.”
While farmers have proven amazing stewards of the land, they have left the story of their industry for others to tell. But it’s truly critical for sustainability and success that this trend does not continue.
“I don’t know about other farmers out there, but I’m sick and tired of groups like PETA trying to tell my story,” said Wray. “We take pride in our operations and the handling of our livestock, treating them with the utmost respect and care. It’s our turn. The world needs to hear the reality of the family farm.”
My role on the farm evolved from being the rookie truck driver to turning our everyday life into a story. As all stories go there are beginnings and endings but they almost always contain a lesson. And as this blog is a story in progress of how one farm helps to feed America, I again extend my offer to email me or leave a comment on topics or interests that you would like to see on this blog. But to get back to the story and lesson.... the thing that I learned about a wheat plant can be applied to humans, so let me explain....
Looking out the window of my farmhouse a few weeks ago, I saw the snow protectively covering the wheat that was planted last October as it is in a semi-dormant state waiting for Spring. And it struck me that there were a few similarities of its growing season and how we all grow (emotionally) as people. The wheat responds to the outside factors such as the sun, the right amount of moisture, & nutrients to help it grow and reach maturity. If the Spring conditions are perfect wherein the plant gets ample rain & nutrients, the roots don’t have any reason to reach deeper and develop. So if weather conditions turn harsh, then the plant suffers, sometimes fails to thrive or grow to its potential as roots haven’t had the hard times to develop a good root base to seek out life sustaining nutrients (especially in our clay based soil). Through the hardships that have come along in our lives, hopefully we have all developed a good root system to help each of us seek out what helps and nourishes us. Would I rather have it easy? Well yes, because I’m human, but I wouldn’t have had to grow and get out of my comfort zone had I been given everything on a silver platter. The recent series of adverse events have made me reach even deeper to ground myself and what I have found is that my friendships with our family and many women friends have grown to a much deeper level. Together we have opened up more than we ever have, shared some brutally painful insights and we all know that none of us leads a "perfect life", but our “roots systems” are strong and deep. And this strong support system is what helps Kaitlyn and I get through each day as well as surviving the first major holidays or special days. While it wasn't easy to get through the first few months, we are finding we have a new zest for life and getting on with the business of life.
As I was telling you about some of these amazing women in my life, well some of them accompanied me to Boise as I accepted the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Ag. It was a bittersweet experience, being recognized for my work in Ag advocacy, but doing it as a newly divorced farm spouse. None the less, still a bright spot for me! =)
Here is the presentation from the award ceremony & I must say rendered me speechless, literally!
And as the snow protectively has covered the wheat plant, the kindness shown in comments, emails and acts of kindness from so many have been my "protective cover" during this winter in my soul.
So I’ll leave on this final note that the lessons we learn we on a daily basis, are that we all need to honor the past, live in the present and create a future no matter what life has in store for us. As ultimately whether the lessons that come along in life are good ones or hard ones, each offers the wisdom of how to grow and survive. My motto, Grow Strong and Live On!
All my best, Gayle
And as a side note, again thank you to all who have left heartfelt comments or sent me an email and called me, as they lifted my spirits in a way that I can't find words to describe. Drop me a line at idahofarmwife@gmail.com .
Recently a kind blog reader asked that I write about Idaho and my perspective of it. And so this blog is dedicated to Karla who said even though she lives in New York City, that when she reads my blog, somehow she feels a "connection" to Idaho and the land. If that isn't the best compliment ever, I don't know what is. Blogging has helped me slow down and focus on the amazing kinds of things that are within reach of my fingertips ....everyday. As I began this special blog, I realized there is so much to show, and so I will do a blog on Idaho each month in hopes of capturing its true essence. But for now this will be an overview. Writing not only helps me, but hopefully helps foster a picture in others of what farm-life and Idaho looks like, feels like and smells like. And when I can't find words to describe it,then I use photographs and with that..... Idaho as seen through this farmerette's eyes:
Blue sky, white clouds and green fields
In 1969 I came to Idaho from Montana and it March. The day we left Montana, there was still several feet of snow and ice, so when we reached Moscow, Idaho 7 hours later, I remember it was a beautiful sunny day complete with blue sky and white puffy clouds, and even though I was a young girl, I fell in love with the gentle rolling hills that had a glimmer of green. I didn't know what the green fields were, but I knew I had arrived in a place that I would forever call home.
Karla went on to ask if would I share what was my favorite and not-so-favorite things about Idaho, from its landscape to its people. So sitting in my cozy chair by my fireplace in the deep chill of winter, I will attempt to paint with words what I live each day and every day. Because for me, it is where my rainbow ends and where all the riches I seek in life are family, friends, faith and life-style.
Photo taken one evening in 2012 on "the Palouse"
The basic facts about Idaho is that Northern Idaho is vastly different from Southern Idaho and halfway down the State the scenery changes from farm fields to sage brush and more desert looking landscape. We also have a mountain range that is breathtakingly beautiful and that probably explains why some of the movie stars have a home around the Sun Valley area. I have had the good fortune to raft down the 3 branches of the Salmon river, which is a world class adventure. We are a rural state and one that is mostly Agriculture based. During certain times of the year, I can guarantee that you will come across a combine or a tractor on the highway.....
Traveling to get to get it's destination point during harvest
Up North where I live also called "the Palouse", the farms rely on Nature to provide the timely rains for crops and the kinds of crops raised are the cereal grains (wheat, barley, oats) and legumes (garbanzos, lentils or peas). In the Southern part of the State, mainly potatoes and sugar beets are raised and those are irrigated crops. Idaho has seen an increase in dairies too.
Around here, we don't really have a rush hour, more like having to sit occasionally through a stop light during a busy time is more like it. I like to think we have a slower pace of life and a better work/life balance and for the most part, I find my fellow Idahoans friendly, helpful and kind. But as in the past two blogs that I have written about, life in a rural area is not perfect in any manner. We have the same kinds of concerns/problems that others throughout the USA have, but on a much smaller scale.
Today as I write this, it is January 19th and it was a spectacular day with a bright blue sky, white snowy fields that sport the occasional tracks of wildlife and the cold temperature has left the snow with a rough texture that sparkles in the sun. A sunny day in winter is a gift as most days are gray and sometimes it is hard to distinguish where the sky ends and the land begins. The air has a crisp smell though, but not much in the way of a scent, just clean and cold. In the country, winter is quiet.
Springtime is sort of elusive and regardless of what the calendar says, I know Spring has officially arrived when I catch the first heavenly scent of the earth. Usually it is mid March - late April, and as the days grow longer, the feel of the sun is stronger- it is when the farmers start getting the ground ready for planting. When I breath in the smell of freshly tilled dirt- there is no other smell like it on earth and one that I have always loved.
Seeding Spring Wheat
Summertime will find the non-farmers camping, fishing or playing in the many rivers or lakes. Many Idahoans are out-doors enthusiasts who like their toys (campers, 4 wheelers, bicycles, motorcycles and boats). Farmer's however, don't get to play as much because this is our busy time, but we will squeeze in a fun week-end if we can. Humidity is not an issue here and we can always count on nice warm weather right about the 4th of July, but it seems like mid-August the nights will cool down and I always keep a sweater handy.
Mid-summer to early Fall on the Palouse is marked by harvest and pre-harvest has a smell to the air . I guess it is when Mother Nature says to the farmer, your crops are done and ready to be harvested!
I do love most aspects about Idaho, but there are a few things that are not so great
Our main highway that runs through the state is still mostly a 2 lane road. (I remember overhearing a truck driver talking to his dispatch and swearing that he was sure the back of his trailer was going to touch the front of his truck on some of our nasty curvy roads.)
I do not like the small group of white supremacists who sometimes spew their ugly propaganda, and give the rest of Idaho a black eye, as the majority of the population find their actions reprehensible and in no way do we condone what they think or do
I do not like Indian casinos that are sprinkled throughout Idaho. I feel any kind of gambling industry is unhealthy and that does more harm to our state than good.
As I like to end on a positive note, the good of our state far outweighs the negative and I have put together a short snap shot of Idaho and some of it's people. I hope you enjoy it. This doesn't even cover the other parts of Idaho, so I will try throughout the year to capture more of the essence of Idaho. (click here if unable to view the video)
I again, extend my invitation to tell me what you want to see on the blog and I'll do my best to make it happen, so drop me an email or leave a comment. All my best, Gayle. idahofarmwife@gmail.com.
P.S. Thank you to all who left those wonderful and heartfelt comments on my blog or who emailed me directly. The love and hugs felt through those messages were felt and were so appreciated by me and my family. =)
Sometimes there is a rare occurrence that happens with wheat,
and one year our farm had a beautiful field of golden wheat.It was “picture perfect”, the wheat-heads were
flawlessly formed, uniform and lush looking. All the right things were done, such as obtaining
good quality seed, planting it in the rich earth, getting the proper nutrients
on it, welcoming Mother Nature’s timely rains, it should have yielded
well....
But when the combine pulled into
the field to harvest it, there was nothing in the wheat- heads. They were empty
as the wheat kernel didn’t form due to something having happened in the development
stage.So while it looked perfect to the
outside world, it was not.
Sadly, I have
had to compare my marriage to this wheat phenomenon, where it looked picture
perfect, but when tragedy struck our family with our new son-in-law’s untimely death
last September, I leaned on the strength of my marriage and it crumbled.Somewhere along the line, I guess the magic
faded and I didn’t know it.I thought I
had tended to the marriage by doing the right things, saying the right things, nurturing
it, but despite those efforts, my farmer husband didn’t get the right dosages
of what it takes to keep love in a marriage and has opted to end it. Looking
back, I can see where perhaps I should have done a few things better or
differently but it takes two to keep up a relationship and I have my faults and
farmer Joe has his, so I am not placing blame on anyone.The sudden turn of
events shortly after Andrew’s death as well as the death of Joe's dad just 13 days later seemed to prompt this action and it could have
been that when the grief is so raw and devastating that it made farmer Joe
realize just how short life is and it made him yearn for a different
kind of life and/or partner.All I know
is after almost 28 years of being a farmwife, I have found myself single. As I
pen this, I will be the new sole owner of my own small farm and will lease it back to
farmer Joe and farmer Jay. So I will
still be reporting on the Anderson Farm activities, but it will be different. In case you are wondering why I am sharing this with you, well let me explain that when I talk to my urban friends & readers, they tend to "idealize farmers and our farm life". While the picturesque setting of country life looks effortless and perfect, farmers are not exempt from life's ups and downs. And that is the “why” that I am sharing my personal pain,
not to garner sympathy, but to share that we are not immune to some of the hardships that come along in life. Through all this I have found that I am stronger than I thought and I have the good fortune of having supportive family and friends who have been at my side during these hard times. Our daughter, Kaitlyn, moved back home and lives with me in my farmhouse. She is an amazing and strong young woman as well, and together we have shed tears, drank red wine and vowed that while difficulties may impact us, they do not define us. We have picked ourselves up, brushed ourselves off and are moving on. And so a new chapter begins in both of our lives. As 2013 will be a year of new beginnings, I wish everyone the best! As for me, my personal goal is "living an ordinary life in an extraordinary manner". All my best, Gayle.
A recent Mom & daughter get away
P.S.
I anticipate I will start featuring other farm families and this blog will be a “work in progress” as I fine-tune what I want to convey about how food is grown in the Northwest. I do love to blog and connect with the outside readers, as it is a way for me to paint with words what farm life looks like, but I also blog for you. With that said, I welcome suggestions of what you would like to see on my blog as well. So please take a moment and send me your thoughts either by comment at the end or to my personal email at idahofarmwife@gmail.com , either way, just drop me a line or two.
And to show that I am on the road to recovery, take a peek at a new recipe I created.... Cranberry Chocolate Cake.
As always, glad you stopped by and last but not least..... you had better check out the other newest yummies on the OMG Desserts page. Plus I am getting the recipes slowly converted to being printable! Yahoo.
Note: You may have noticed that the blog has a new title, but it will still be located as www.idahofarmwife.net as this is how it is registered.
It was a “fairytale courtship and wedding” but disaster has struck and our wonderful new son-in-law, Andrew, had his life end unexpectedly just a few days after their 2nd month of wedded bliss.We are all devastated and our hearts are broken.As we are trying to make sense of this tragedy and pick up the pieces, we still have Fall wheat crops to get in the field….. and so next week, with a heavy heart Farmer Joe with the help of Farmer Jay will begin the process of planting the winter wheat. Grief knows no season and we will get our crop in the ground because our job is to feed America.With that, this broken-hearted farmwife will take a break from blogging about our farm and focus on helping our family find a way to heal the big hole that has occurred with Andrew’s death.So once winters icy grip has ended and when Spring emerges and fills the air with the promise of new life, I will revive my blog. As I write this, my heart is warmed by the outpouring of comforting words, prayers and kind acts that our friends within the community have provided us. During the happy time of the wedding and this sad time of planning a memorial service, we have gotten to know and love Andrew's family, so in that we are thankful to have had the privilege of calling these wonderful people "family". As I write my last blog for 2012, I did want to share some of the magic from the wedding just a few short weeks ago. I wish you well, Gayle
P.S. Please make sure and hug your loved ones as time is precious and sometimes short. G
Groom's parents
Step-Dad Ron, Kaitlyn, Andrew, Suzanne
(Biological father Bert & wife, Maria not pictured)
Bride's parents
As always, please feel free to email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com if you have questions or comments. Thank to all you have left sweet and comforting comments. G
Have you ever felt like life is on fast forward??? Since Labor Day it seems like I have been on a fast sprint with all the activity going on.... So first things first, we finished harvesting garbanzo beans yesterday and once all the crops are safely in the bins, we heave a collective sigh of relief.
So what have we been doing besides harvesting? Well here is a quick update, the Friday after Labor Day I picked up friend and reporter Pam Fretwell from Farm Journal Media who spent the week-end with us. Pam came to report on our Dinner on the Farm, and also incorporated a few more stories around our area which I believe will be showing up on her AgWeb Radio show in a few weeks. Pam is used to a fast pace, so when I picked Pam up at the airport, we were on a sprint with not a down-time moment, plus I drug her around to family events as well (she was a very good sport about it too - but then again, I supplied beer and she supplied the laughs!). And here is what I mean being busy....
As we drove around our area, the rolling hills were fascinating to Pam, who refers to herself as a "flatlander" and could not imagine farming on these hills as we do. In our travels, Pam would have me pull to the side of the road so she could take copious amounts of pictures - of which by now have found their way to her staff back in Illinois.
With harvest over, we are now wanting some rain to soften the fields as we have not had any moisture since July ( I'm hoping Mother Nature reads my blog so she will take the hint and send some moisture our way). We have begun the process of getting the fields ready for the Fall planting by chopping up the wheat stubble with our "stubble-buster" which basically breaks down the straw. The straw residue will protect the new crop that will be planted by helping keep moisture in, controlling erosion and the straw nutrients are good for the soil health (think of it as mulching on a really large scale).
Come October 3 we will be hosting the Japan Trade team in our home for dinner. The buyers love connecting and meeting some of the growers and it is equally fun for us to meet those who buy what we grow. So make sure and come back to read about that event. =)
Well take care and send me an email if you have questions or leave a comment too. All my best, Gayle idahofarmwife@gmail.com.
"Your Dinner on the Farm is different from what I had imagined it would be like" was the observation from Pam Fretwell of Farm Journal magazine . Chatting as we both were cleaning up after the dinner, Pam went on to say the overall feeling of the evening would be hard to convey into words. How do you write about rapport and relationship building without it sounding sappy? But we both had zeroed in on the bond of mutual trust and respect that developed between our guests and us.
This year's dinner conversation flowed just like the wine, where we talked some about farming, shared stories and we were never short on laughing (a lot)... although that could be attributed to Farmer Jay & Lisa's witty personalities, but I did notice this year's dinner guests seemed to share a deeper than normal rapport with us.
The guest list included 2 of the 3 person management team from the Moscow Food Co-op along with their spouses, 2 University of Idaho college students, and a new neighbor whose family moved in just down the road from Farmer Jay and Lisa. Besides Pam, Farmer Jay & farmwife Lisa, was our daughter, Kaitlyn and son in law, Andrew.
Dinner on the Farm Menu for 2012
Below Farmer Joe and Pam were visiting after she had interviewed him, of which the live radio link is below.
Farmer Joe and Farm Journal reporter, Pam Fretwell visiting
Highlight from the Dinner on the Farm.... click here if unable to view video
Well we are still in the midst of harvesting garbanzo beans, although Farmer Joe's combine has had lots of breakdowns this past week (& expensive ones too...eeek) so as it was being repaired, Farmer Joe (who is the President of the Idaho Grain Producers Assoc) took a couple of days off to fly to our nation's capitol to attend and represent Idaho farmers for the Farm Bill Rally that took place on Wednesday.
Farm Bill Rally
As always, thanks so much for stopping by and drop me an email or comment at idahofarmwife@gmail.com. All my best, Gayle
P.S. I wanted to expand on my guest list as we not only welcome all those interested in where their food comes from and who is growing some of what we all eat, but my rational is I do tend to target the clientele from
our local vibrant Moscow Food Co-op.Why? Because their customers tend to care deeply about where their food
comes from, they want that connection to the farmer, they have the disposable
income to buy organic, and they are the ones who tend to watch the “Food, Inc.”
kind of movies.Plus they are typically
highly educated & they vote.So
what better way to connect to this type of consumer to share the why and how’s
of what a conventional farmer does (we do not grow organic crops).Thus, at least they have a better
understanding behind what we do and the
guests then have a personal farmer contact to ask questions if they see/hear something when
they read/watch something from one of those kinds of movies. Because if we do not tell our story, then the anti-Ag unfriendlys who try to portray the family farm in an unfavorable light will try to tell our story their way. Plus I really try to cultivate a good rapport
with the Food Coop management because together we can help their customers
understand American Ag methods and together keep a common ground and
conversation going about the people who grow America's food.G
Crisp mornings and cool evenings are Mother Nature's announcement that summer has ended and her Fall colors will soon be arriving here in the region we call "the Palouse". The ending of wheat harvest is also the unofficial signal that summer is over as well and all the fields are now sporting their "cropped look" as pictured below.
Wheat stubble
Here is the last wheat video from yesterday that Farmer Joe shot harvesting on one of our steeper hillsides.
Farmer Jay is harvesting garbanzo beans at the Southern Tammany farm and Farmer Joe is hoping to get started on the garbanzo beans at the Genesee farm today (Thursday) - so I'll hopefully have more photos and videos soon on that.
We have saved a small patch of the hard red wheat by our home so our Dinner on the Farm guests can get a ride in the combine and see it for themselves. This week (besides my off the farm job) has been a mix of cleaning, decorating and getting ready for our 4th annual dinner, so let's just say I've been a tad bit busy. I'm almost ready tho, so here is a peek of what the outside Fall decorating looks like.
Once the mums are planted in the bucket, it will be a nice look
I have 3 tubs of Fall decorations and this is what it looked like before I started.
Summer is officially over for me once the Fall decorations come out
Menu for the dinner at the front entry table
The fireplace mantel shows my love of the Fall things
The table is ready to be set
Tomorrow I pick up Pam, the reporter from Farm Journal magazine, and she will be doing the story on our dinner for her publication. So let the fun begin! I'll be posting more, so I hope you will come back to see what this year's Dinner on the Farm event looks like. Again, thanks so much for dropping by and be sure to email me if you have any questions or comments. All my best, Gayle idahofarmwife@gmail.com
