As we sit down to enjoy our Thanksgiving meals let's not forget the American Farmer for their role in growing and raising what we eat.
Nowhere else in the world is there such and abundance of fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats as there is in our country . . . We are truly blessed and should never forget how fortunate we are to have a viable agricultural environment.
To date there are about 2.2 million farms in the U.S. About $547 billion is spent annually by American consumers for food grown on farms in the United States. (http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/CollegeRelations/AGRICU.htm)
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Early Blizzard Could Mean A Hard Winter For Midwestern Farmers
When you're a farmer and live a life connected to the land you don't need almanacs and weather forecasts to predict longterm weather.
It's only November 18th and we are under blizzard conditions here in southwest Michigan. We already had eight inches of snow last week, and with another ten inches last week, below 20 degree temperatures and winds to match - there's no need for a weatherman to give a heads up for the winter season to come.
I've seen the signs since late summer and we worked like crazy people to get our farm buttoned down for the winter. It actually started in July when I started to see those Woolly Bear Caterpillars (you know the ones with the black and tan bands). Normally I don't see them until September. Furthermore, most of them were solid black. . . . the thinking is that the wider the tan band the milder the winter will be . . . Then, when my garden pretty much gave up the ghost around Labor Day, I said "um". Our horses also haired up early and heavy. Even my show mare, who was blanketed until October, put on her winter coat in days after pulling the blanket off. Last, but not least, when most of the leaves were off of the trees by Nov. 1, I said, "yep, we're in for another long winter".
The bad thing about an early, hard winter is the toll it can take on our perennial crops like fruit trees, grapes, hay, lavender, and herbs. Snow, unless we get a very hard and deep snow pack, isn't as much of a problem as is sub-zero temperatures and wind chills. Unfortunately there isn't much we can do about it except prepare for some winter kill and the replacement of some of our trees, vines, or plants, etc.
It's only November 18th and we are under blizzard conditions here in southwest Michigan. We already had eight inches of snow last week, and with another ten inches last week, below 20 degree temperatures and winds to match - there's no need for a weatherman to give a heads up for the winter season to come.
I've seen the signs since late summer and we worked like crazy people to get our farm buttoned down for the winter. It actually started in July when I started to see those Woolly Bear Caterpillars (you know the ones with the black and tan bands). Normally I don't see them until September. Furthermore, most of them were solid black. . . . the thinking is that the wider the tan band the milder the winter will be . . . Then, when my garden pretty much gave up the ghost around Labor Day, I said "um". Our horses also haired up early and heavy. Even my show mare, who was blanketed until October, put on her winter coat in days after pulling the blanket off. Last, but not least, when most of the leaves were off of the trees by Nov. 1, I said, "yep, we're in for another long winter".
The bad thing about an early, hard winter is the toll it can take on our perennial crops like fruit trees, grapes, hay, lavender, and herbs. Snow, unless we get a very hard and deep snow pack, isn't as much of a problem as is sub-zero temperatures and wind chills. Unfortunately there isn't much we can do about it except prepare for some winter kill and the replacement of some of our trees, vines, or plants, etc.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Strong Connecton Between Local Chefs & Farmers Seen in New Mexico
On a recent trip to New Mexico I was pleasantly surprised to see the strong connection between local farmers and chiefs of the area restaurants. There appears to be a great "field to fork" movement going on within the state.
This trend for restaurants to capitalize on making dishes using locally grown produce appears to be very successful. Not only are several of the local magazines promoting this connection - featuring chefs and their specialties, many restaurants avidly market the use of natively produced vegetables and meats in their dishes in their menu descriptions. The results are apparent by the high number of patrons at these eateries. It's obvious that the public wants to eat locally produced foods.
If New Mexico, a state that we don't normally think of when we think of as an agricultural leader in produce, could sustain such a movement other states like Michigan, California, Florida, Washington (all of which produce vast amounts of fruits and vegetables) should be able to do the same.
Hats off to New Mexico. It was a pure delight to eat dishes featuring the state's chili pepper, raspberries, and pinion seeds as well as grass fed beef and buffalo, and fresh caught trout.
Check out some of their great magazines devoted to the "field to fork" movement:
Edible at http://ediblesantafe.com/
New Mexico Magazine at http://www.nmmagazine.com/
This trend for restaurants to capitalize on making dishes using locally grown produce appears to be very successful. Not only are several of the local magazines promoting this connection - featuring chefs and their specialties, many restaurants avidly market the use of natively produced vegetables and meats in their dishes in their menu descriptions. The results are apparent by the high number of patrons at these eateries. It's obvious that the public wants to eat locally produced foods.
If New Mexico, a state that we don't normally think of when we think of as an agricultural leader in produce, could sustain such a movement other states like Michigan, California, Florida, Washington (all of which produce vast amounts of fruits and vegetables) should be able to do the same.
Hats off to New Mexico. It was a pure delight to eat dishes featuring the state's chili pepper, raspberries, and pinion seeds as well as grass fed beef and buffalo, and fresh caught trout.
Check out some of their great magazines devoted to the "field to fork" movement:
Edible at http://ediblesantafe.com/
New Mexico Magazine at http://www.nmmagazine.com/
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