Just For Fun

Yesterday Claire and I didn’t have much going on.  The sun was out and both of us were enjoying the day outside.  For a change of scenery we drove to see Claire’s Uncle’s cattle.  Claire just loves cattle; always mooing and pointing at them.  But, when we get up close to them she isn’t too sure about them.  As time goes on I am hoping she will get more comfortable with the cattle.  Right now she seems more brave around the calves, probably because they are more her size J

Here are a few pictures of some of the cows and new calves.  Claire isn’t in any of the pictures since she was nervously clinging to me while I was shooting pictures, haha!

Safe Travels

Someday soon the rain will stop, the sun will shine, and we can begin planting!  It’s so exciting for us to get started with one of the busiest times of our year.  Most modern farmers in our state don’t have the luxury of having all of the land they farm located in one area.  This means that farmers spend a lot of time traveling from field to field with their equipment on the roads.  



Farmers take all precautions to make traveling on the roads as safe as possible, but vehicles that meet farm equipment also need to be observant.  So I wrote this as if you were driving a car down the road and came into contact with farm equipment.

If you have come across farm equipment on the roads before you know that most farm equipment is large and may take up an entire lane or on narrow roads may take up most of the road!  Not only does farm equipment take up the majority of the road, but generally equipment can go 25 miles an hour or less.  So you may get frustrated when meeting farm equipment on the roads since you have to slow down and move over.  I assure you, farmers don’t drive their equipment down the roads to frustrate you.  It is a necessity to get from field to field. 



You can see the triangle slow moving vehicle sign
on the back and the lights on the cab of the tractor.

As you approach farm equipment from behind you will see a slow moving vehicle sign and usually some flashing lights too.  That is making an effort to alert you that you will momentarily have to slow down.  Don’t take this lightly.  If you are going 55 miles per hour, it will take about 300 feet of braking distance to avoid colliding with farm equipment moving 15 miles per hour! 



·         What should you do?  Slow down, and watch for an opportunity to safely pass the equipment.   Be wary not to follow too closely; farm equipment may change speed or direction with little warning. 

·         What not to do?  Get mad at the farmer, and tailgate.  Even though following cars closely is a technique used by many drivers to get a slow car to speed up, that will not work for farm equipment since the equipment cannot go any faster than it already is.

You can see how if you met this equipment on the road you would only see
the front of the tractor, but the implement behind the tractor is very large.

As you approach farm equipment coming toward you in the opposite lane you will see flashing lights.  What you may not see is a large implement that may be trailing behind.  Sometimes the equipment behind the tractor is larger and wider so take extra care when approaching this equipment; you may not see the whole picture initially. 

·         What should you do?  Slow down, and watch to see what the farmer is doing.  The farmer may pull over to let you by, or if the road is wide enough they may just continue on.  If you choose to generously pull over to let the equipment pass the farmer will appreciate that!  But, be mindful that you don’t pull over while positioned across from a mailbox, bridge, or something else that may narrow the path the equipment can pass through. 

·         What not to do?  Don’t continue on without slowing down; this could be dangerous for you and the farmer.

Other food for thought is that often several pieces of farm equipment are moved all at once by many people in caravan style.  This may make it extremely difficult to safely pass.  It is very dangerous to pass just one piece of equipment then cut into their line. 

·         What should you do?  Be patient and wait for the opportune time to pass all the equipment in one sweep.

I know that most of the time you aren’t just out for a joyride; a specific destination and time are in mind.  But, I encourage you to keep your eyes open, slow down, and be safe when approaching farm equipment.  Farmers are just trying to get their job done, not inconvenience you.  So I hope that information makes you feel more comfortable as you meet farm equipment on the roads this spring.

Splish Splash

I often chuckle to myself about the weather.  As farmers we are rarely satisfied with the weather.  It’s too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, and the list goes on and on.  Though the weather does directly affect our livelihood we have to remember we cannot do anything about it.  That being said, it is difficult not to get frustrated when the weather doesn’t cooperate with our plans.

But, Claire rarely gets frustrated with the weather.  Rain or shine she is just happy to be outdoors!  Since we have been getting lots of rain lately I had to update her wardrobe to include some mud boots.  Here are some pictures of her trying them out a few days ago while splashing in the puddles.

Just A Thought

Brad and I spent the weekend with a great couple for their joint bachelor and bachelorette party.  I am so excited for them to be married.  Marriage brings so many blessings to life.  We had a great time with our friends and had the chance to meet some friendly new people.  While we were enjoying the festivities I thought to myself that even though Brad and I haven’t been married long, life sure has changed since then!  It feels like yesterday that we were young, and carefree. 

 In 3 ½ short years we have grown up a lot, grown closer every day, and been extremely blessed to grow our family.  I couldn’t be happier with all that has happened since we have been married.  I do wish that time would slow down a little!  I am having way too much fun for my whole life to fly by like the past few years.

Brad and I were just talking last night about how life is so unpredictable.  How scary it is that you could leave the home for a routine day and an accident could happen and life could change forever.   As quickly as time does go by, I believe it’s so important that we focus on and appreciate the small things in life.  After all, isn’t that what is most important?

Stand Up For Agriculture Today!

 

Is this picture what you think of when you think of modern day farming?  I was on Facebook and was so disappointed to see this picture and the comment on it! In addition to the comment on the picture the status update said “and we wonder why there is so much cancer and why so many Americans are sick”.  I couldn’t believe what I was reading!   So as an advocate for agriculture I’d like to shed some light on the situation.  I do agree that every person is entitled to their opinion…this is mine and I hope it helps you form an EDUCATED opinion backed by facts!

So let’s start at the top of this picture.  Why is Monsanto being labeled in the first place?  Do people even understand what Monsanto does?  Monsanto is committed to “producing more, conserving more, and improving lives; that’s sustainable agriculture”.  In other words Monsanto does lots of research to find better ways for the environment, consumer and farmer to continue to thrive.   But Monsanto isn’t the only company who does this.  There are many others including:  DuPont, Dow Agri Science, and Syngenta just to name a few. The work these companies do is extremely important for the world’s future generations.

The world population is estimated to swell to 9 billion by 2050!  As that many more people are coming into the world, an increased amount of agricultural land is being lost to development.  So therefore farmers have to push land harder and harder to increase yields or else the world will go hungry.  The only way to feed the world is by utilizing science with agriculture which is done with the help of the companies listed above.

The next point on the picture talks about poisoning our food.  I have to disagree.

Our family farms conventionally; not organically.  My family doesn’t poison your food and if you say that I do take offense to it and give you some facts that show you otherwise!  I am not saying organic farming is bad.  I believe it is good for people to have choices when consuming food.  That being said it is impossible to feed the world organically.  It’s just not efficient enough.

At the turn of the century it’s safe to say we were farming organically.  We didn’t use any chemicals and no plants were genetically modified.  Science was not yet integrated into agriculture.  Yet people died at a younger age.  In 1900 the average expectancy for a man was only 46 years old, in 1950 it was 65 years old, and in 2012 a man was expected to live to be 76 years old. 

Why did people die at a young age many years ago if we farmed without chemicals and genetically modified plants?  Many deaths that long ago were of unknown origin.  Could those deaths have been cancer cases?  Of course some of those deaths in the early 1900’s could have been caused by cancer that just went undiagnosed!  Cancer is a terrible thing that affects many families, but there aren’t any valid facts or research that tie conventional farming practices with cancer.  I hope with continued research cancer will be a thing of the past one day!

The next point of concern on the picture is how the chemicals are being applied. 

Chemicals are sprayed on crops pre- emergence or post- emergence.  A chemical can only be applied to a plant within a certain time frame before harvest for safety to consumers.  You have to remember, a farmer is a consumer as well; they want to produce safe products!  They want what is best for their families since they eat the same food as you and drink the same water as you.  The picture shows chemicals being applied to soybeans that are almost ready to harvest; nothing is applied to soybeans at this time.

A chemical isn’t applied to the field unless there is an absolute need for it.  Chemicals help to maintain plant health.  Farmers don’t waste or use chemicals excessively; they are extremely expensive!  All chemicals have a detailed usage label, are bound by strict laws, and monitored by the EPA and FDA.  A chemical cannot be released for use without many years of extensive studies which includes the impact on humans and the environment. Farmers use chemicals appropriately!   After all farmers are the best stewards of the land since that is where their livelihood stems from.

Additionally for the safety of the environment, consumers, and farmers, anyone who applies chemicals has to be certified and licensed.  This isn’t a one- time deal; continuing education and re- licensing every 3 years is mandatory.

The next point of concern on the picture is the “new style of clothing for farmhands”.  When chemicals are handled in large concentrated quantities proper personnel protection is necessary.  But, when chemicals are applied to fields it is a light mist of diluted chemical in a carrier, such as water.  Modern farmers wouldn’t walk through the fields with a hand sprayer.  That would take an absurd amount of time and is totally unrealistic.   

So in conclusion, I hope you feel confident to stand up for agriculture, and when you see inaccurate pictures like this you know that farmers are always striving to do what’s best for consumers and the environment!

Lazy Rainy Day Advice

It has been raining all morning and according to the meteorologist it is supposed to continue all day.  I was productive this morning but now after lunch I hit a wall.  As Claire was napping I was sitting around even though I should have been taking advantage of my alone time and been cleaning.  Instead I was wasting time on Facebook and happened to come across a friend’s shared link that talked about wise advice from an old farmer.

I thought it was cute and great advice.  So here are a few of the things the old farmer advised:

·         Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

·         Words that soak into your ears are whispered….not yelled.

·         Forgive your enemies.

·         Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

·         You cannot unsay a cruel word.

·         When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

·         Remember silence is sometimes the best answer.

·         Don’t interfere with something that isn’t bothering you.

·         If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging.

·         If you get to thinking you are a person of some influence, try ordering someone else’s dog around.

And my favorite:

·         Live simply.  Love generously.  Care deeply.

So even though I thought I wasn’t being productive this rainy afternoon I do enjoy coming across things like this.  I love these short bullet points that make me stop and think!

Sticky Sweet Easter

Claire hunting for Easter eggs

This year we enjoyed all of the traditions of Easter, but also got to observe an old tradition not usually thought of during Easter.  This year we didn’t go to church Easter morning.  Claire is just at a hard age to be at church and doesn’t enjoy her time in the nursery.  Instead, to keep our minds focused on what the Easter holiday is all about we watched a History Channel episode about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  Then we spent the afternoon with family.  Stuffing ourselves with lots of yummy food and watching Claire with her first Easter Egg Hunt was a blast.   We hid the plastic eggs and filled them with treasures such as candy, Easter socks, and stickers (which Claire loves right now).  I think it’s safe to say that she really enjoyed the holiday even though she doesn’t know the true meaning behind Easter yet.

Claire sampling the maple syrup

After we got home that afternoon we did something that isn’t a normal tradition our family has during Easter.  We drove the ATV down to a neighbor’s sugar shack and watched as they finished boiling and bottling maple syrup for the day.  Of course Claire had fun with this because we were out playing in the woods, but what she didn’t expect was to have a sample of the syrup.  Like she hadn’t had enough sugar that day anyway, with all the Easter candy, but I let her enjoy it none the less.  And she loved it!  She guzzled that syrup out of the Dixie cup as fast as she could!  And when it was all gone she grabbed the cup from me and tried to lick out every last drop, ha-ha!

I thought the process of making maple syrup was very interesting so here is some info for you.  The maple syrup season starts in Michigan usually around the end of February or beginning of March when the night temperature is freezing (best in the 20’s), and the day temperature reaches 40 degrees.  Sap can be collected from sugar maple trees a few different ways.  Sap can be caught in a bucket, run through tubing, or caught in a bag hanging on the tree.  A 7/16 inch by 1 ½ to 2 inch deep hole is drilled into the sugar maple tree and a spile (tap) is placed in the hole.  Then with ideal weather the sap will drain from the tree.  Depending on the tree size and weather, one tree may give up to 1/3 gallon of syrup yearly.  At the end of the season, which is when the trees begin budding, the spiles are removed from the tree and the tree continues to grow without harm from the tapping process.

Sap is a clear, watery substance that comes from the tree.  It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon of syrup.  The water is boiled out of the sap until it becomes a syrup consistency.  Then before the syrup can be bottled the sugar sand (minerals) is strained off the syrup.  The result of all this work is pure, yummy, sticky, sweet maple syrup.

So there you have it.  A quick overview of what goes into the making of maple syrup J