My Mom and My Life on the Farm

Mom and I With My "New" Farm Truck in 2010(?) - That She Bought For Me

My mom and I may have different views of what makes us happy, but, indirectly, at least, my mom can take credit (or blame, depending on the circumstances), for how I found my way into organic farming. Now she may not think she is a large part of it, but it was my mom who encouraged me to play outside ("I said, "Go out-side!"" LOL).  But seriously, as one of my Girl Scout leaders for many years, she both took me camping and sent me camping several times a year, which really awakened my love for nature and being outside; unless it was snowing. She wasn't altogether confident at first of my decision to venture into farming, ("You're not going to quit your full time job, are you?"), but today she is my biggest cheerleader and she says, she couldn't be prouder. Probably so long as I don't need to keep borrowing money from her.)

My mom kept a small garden in our mostly concreted backyard - and I mean small. There was a strip of dirt about 3 feet wide by about 20 feet long where she managed to grow a vegetable garden. It was capable of producing a wide enough assortment of veggies, that there hasn't been many of them I have met that I haven't liked. I can also recall her coaxing peas to grow on the chain link fence along the dang alley! I would eat those peas right off the vine on my way out of the yard, without ever thinking about how amazing it was she grew them in about 4 inches of dirt. Got to love that Midwest soil!

So not only is my mom large in part responsible for my addiction to playing outside in the dirt, she is also highly behind my obsession with trying to eat high quality, delicious and simple foods.

I really have no problem with this, as it has served me well, so far and on most days, anyway. It can be a bone of contention between us at times, however, as it seems that with no kids at home to cook for, she slipped out of some of the good habits she instilled in me. As the good health of my mom is very important to me, and having watched what a poor diet did to my late father's health, this has led to more than one or two colorful conversations about food, eating and the state of today's food industry. She is discovering some of the things that I have shared with her on her own now, and with my constant hint dropping and nagging. Role reversal, without the authority, I guess. She is sure to let me know when she finds a source for this or that organic something or another. Way to go, Mom!

But my mom in many ways isn't that much unlike many people today of her generation. When she went to the grocery store to buy food for us growing up, there was nowhere near the selection of what Michael Pollan refers to as "food-like substances" as there are today, nor did we know the extent of the dangers and long term effects of many of them. Unless you are obsessed with, or perhaps make your living from, food, you may not really ever realize much has changed. That is unless, of course, your daughter grows up and somehow decides to become a farmer in her mid-life. Then you hear ALL about it, sometimes ad nauseum, when all you want to do is enjoy your diet coke. Sorry Mom, I am calling ya out on that one. I am sending you a 6 pack of Zevia cola one of these days - when I can figure out how to get it there without exploding on the mailman.

Now I have my own personal food skeletons that come out from time to time. I am no stranger to the fast food world. When I was a teenager, in fact, my first "real" job was at a fast food restaurant 2-doors down from my house called Yankee Doodle Dandy, (think the early years of Jack in the Box). We fried frozen "potatoes" in a vat of hot grease, broiled "beef" hamburgers" on a conveyor belt, and even made "milk" shakes in 3 different flavors. I wouldn't have known better to have questioned ingredients at that time. It tasted like what a teenager's taste buds wanted I suppose and there weren't any decades of historical data showing the detrimental effects of eating this stuff. I can hardly believe us kids would go to BK for the broiled burgers and then across the parking lot to Micky d's for the fries. Although nowadays, just driving by a place like that during a busy time when it fills the air with its trademark stench, my nose reflects upon it with not so fond memories. (And just for the record, my folks split up about the time of the fast food explosion, and my mom had no idea how often I ate there. I am sure she never would have approved.)

My mom was a "stay at home" mom and I grew up on 3 square, home made meals nearly every day of the first 14 years of my life. That is something for which I will forever be both grateful and fortunate. None of us is born with a taste for cream filled pastries, chocolate covered candies, greasy and mostly water filled "meat" burgers or corn chips, (now, genetically modified). We ate these kinds of things so very infrequently as little kids, that we never really developed a "taste" for them, much less an addiction. For me, it was a treat sometimes or for holidays. That would be the candy for holidays, you know like Halloween, not the fast food. My mom made the most wonderful holiday meals, from scratch, and to this day some of those food traditions are my favorites.

Mom and I in 2011 at Bolsa - a Dallas Foodie Haunt of Mine

So things are coming full circle it would seem. My mom's early teachings did not fall on deaf ears. I may not have human children of my own, but I feed my critters as well as I can with what is available out there, and I teach my customers, of all ages, a lot of what my mom taught me, only with more information than she had available to her. I speak passionately to whoever will listen, about known dangers and unknown consequences for under tested experimental products passed off to the masses as food, and I am quick to share articles and reports, hopefully from reliable sources and not just alarmists, so as to help others learn and make more educated choices than the ads, commercials and pretty pictures on the containers would lead you to believe. There are just so many choices out there now, it can be overwhelming - and surely our government wouldn't allow anything bad for us on the store shelf, would it?

So my advice on this Mother's Day is to keep it simple and eat basic ingredients that you blend together, and not some scientists who are paid to create something you "just can't have one" of. Be a good example to your kids for eating healthy and good food habits, because even of they like to sneak over to some place with greasy fake food, made faster than it could ever be cooked if it was real and longer lasting than any living organism known to man, know that some day, with a little luck, they will probably look back and admit it, "Mom, you were right. Junk food gave me zits because it messed up my hormones worse than puberty was already doing." Or they might say something like that anyway. And who knows, maybe they will grow up to be a farmer, too. We can hope!

Thanks, Mom. I love you.


 Marie Eat Your Food - Naturally!

The Tax Man Cometh - But it's a Good Thing!

One of the biggest obstacles for young / new farmers is the ability to acquire land, pay for it and keep it while starting a farm that even once up and "profitable" runs on razor thin margins. Trying to do this in an urban area, within city limits, is even more difficult due to the property taxes that often accompany the land.

Having purchased land in the city limits over 10 years ago that was being used agriculturally (horses grazed), but that had never been classified as such for whatever reason, meant that full city and school district taxes still applied. Granted, they are less than many pay for in more affluent communities, but once I gave up my job and started farming for a living that tax burden became, well, a real burden due to the lower income I now had to survive on.

I had been initially told that leasing land for horses to graze on didn't qualify for ag valuation. I have no idea why not - and I didn't know enough to fight it back then even though I leased land to over 14 horses at a time sometimes. However, I was still working off the ranch/farm back then, so I was told I would still have had to wait 3 years to apply, even if I was grazing cattle. Then, upon the 3 year anniversary, I went on line to download the forms and noticed they said to submit a FIVE years history. Wait, what? So I called the offices and this time I was told  indeed, I had to show ag use of the land for 5 years in order to apply for ag valuation on it since I was still working off the land. Talk about disappointment.

Well, interestingly enough, about 2 years later, is when I started taking an interest in growing food on the land. I attended a farming conference where a speaker who represented a firm, supposedly specializing in helping farmers reduce their property taxes, stood in front of a room of people and told us that if your land was within city limits, and had not ever been grandfathered with an ag valuation, you would not ever be able to qualify for ag rates. WHAT? He even showed in his presentation what looked like legislation that attested to this. I was outraged and felt like someone had sucker punched me all at the same time. What difference did it make where the land was if it was being USED as agricultural, that is what it was. Why hadn't I been told this from my own county tax office?

Thank goodness for being stubborn and outspoken at times. (who me?) In conversation I was talking about this crazy chain of information and Judith McGeary of Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance said that the last piece about never qualifying was absolutely wrong. I couldn't recall the name of the outfit who had been at the conference but she encouraged me and told me to re-connect with the tax office after 5 years and apply.

Then, about a year ago, I ran into the father of a friend of my boyfriend who also specialized in helping people reduce their property taxes. (A cool job if you think about it.) He asked a few simple questions, like, did I house honeybees on the land? And apparently there is new legislation that helps people who are helping raise honeybees for commercial use to qualify for ag valuation, too. So, I filled out the paperwork, accompanied by a copy of this relatively new category, and sent it in. And it came back - denied.

Now, I didn't know exactly what they wanted in the way of back up for honey bee production. Maybe a sample of the honey? But it came back asking for 5 years of history for agricultural use. And, as government papers often do, the information didn't exactly make sense regarding what they wanted. So, I had to call them and ask for more info.

The man's name who was stamped on the letter, apparently, had retired. So I was transferred to someone else, who then transferred me to Mr. Burrell. I must say that he has been most helpful and pleasant to work with. He very clearly stated what I needed to provide, empathized with the lack of consistent information I had received over the years, and listened to my whining without hanging up on me. I shared with him a bit of the farm's history on the phone and explained that I had over a ream of paper copies if he really wanted all of the invoices, receipts and work orders generated in 5 years, but that I would try to put something together that showed a history of use that would qualify my land for an agricultural valuation.

It was fun going back through the old newspaper articles, both ones I had written and those written about the farm, digging through my old farm journals, seed orders, tax forms (ok, that wasn't much fun), pictures and putting together a chronological history of how this place got started.  What a long row this has been to hoe!

I hand delivered the packet of copies to Fred Burrell at the tax offices, and he seemed pleased with the contents. Whew! I could have kept digging and found more, but I was hoping I had provided enough samples of what I was doing here to be sufficient for the requirements. Now all that is left is the site visit. And folks, today is the day. I've been waiting for this day for 10 years. Never before have I been happy to welcome a visit from the tax man!

I'll let you all know how it goes - and I encourage anyone with land who is farming in city limits to do a diligent job of keeping records, even if they're not as detailed as you think they should be, keep them - in folders by year - so you can have them together when your day with the property tax man comes. (or woman) There is legislation in Austin being mulled over now to help urban farms, like mine, speed up this process of paying higher, and in some cases, full, property tax rates on land that is being used for food production. HB1306, a current bill proposed to provide for fair property tax treatment for small farmers, urban farmers, vegetable farmers, and diversified farmers, had a hearing before the House Agriculture Committee. I've not heard an update on this one yet, but it's an important step for small, urban farming's future. Stay tuned to FARFA and your local government representatives to help urge them to support small farming - not work against it by lumping them in with big ag. We may need both to supply everything to everyone, but we sure don't need to be treated the same as large factory-type operations when it comes to food safety and handling, animal id and yet, on taxes, they want us to be different. Interesting.

But, it appears that there is help on the horizon. All of the media attention on organic foods, local foods and small farms seems to be reaching people. This is a good thing for everyone.

Now, it's time to get outside to get things ready for my visit. This is one of the most important farm tours I've ever had to give!

 

 Marie

Eat Your Food - Naturally!

Some of Life on the Farm's Harder Lessons

The other morning, after a very long day and evening of reflecting, I sent out what has been the toughest note to my CSA members to date.  Granted, our CSA is primarily a veggie farm, you have seen the tag line; REAL, CLEAN, FRESH, LOCAL, FOOD! However, part of my goal here is to also be a fun, educational, interesting and sustainable small, urban farm, so I've got a handful of chickens running around laying eggs (hey, that's food.). The chickens were becoming prey though, so a thoughtful couple of members of my CSA sponsored some LGD's (livestock guard dogs). Then, a friend was fostering a pair of heritage sheep. I thought, cool! I don't have to milk them, or feed them (they eat grass and browse), they are pretty well self sufficient and the LGD's can look out for them which gives them something else to do; and we can shear them and enjoy their beauty. (That spoke to the sustainable, educational and interesting key words.)

So, last month my boyfriend, and partner in some of our farming endeavors, headed out to Glen Rose to adopt this momma and daughter pair of Icelandic sheep. I had put the question up to my CSA members, who overwhelmingly supported the idea and contributed to the purchase of the pair as well as the fencing that would be needed - Icelandic sheep are not that unlike goats you see. Escape artists.

After some grumbling and growling and pecking order establishment, the sheep won out "top dog" position in the little mini-pasture area where they were to live until the grass needed mowing elsewhere and more fencing was up. I listened to advice on some rotational grazing - get them to eat the grass down before letting them on to another area and let them graze the higher protein, mature parts, etc.  Well, in order to do this, I had to move some of the existing electrical fencing around that I used to keep the dogs away from the chickens. Yes, I know they're LGD's but they're still learning that chickens are livestock. Come on, most city officials don't even recognize them as livestock - give the dogs a break. At least they're learning.

The poultry netting worked fine with the dogs - a few zaps and they never messed with it again. The chickens seemed content with their large backyard of grass, bugs, dead tree wood, seeds and such, and rarely, if ever that I saw, ventured over it. And, at first, the sheep recognized it as a barrier as well. A safety net between them and these two rookie LGD's if nothing else.

However, apparently, more than one time, the fence didn't go "ZAP" when it should have or when Smoke nosed it anyway, and she got brave. I found her and her momma Butterscotch one afternoon on the same side as the dogs - they'd gotten underneath the netting. It wasn't that they didn't have plenty of tall grass where they were - they just wanted to go over "there".  I enlisted a new, freshly charged battery. Dogs got zapped. I got zapped. Zap was working. Or so I thought. The events that followed the next morning, led me to the letter from which the following excerpts are from. If it serves as a lesson for others in life, in fencing or just in general, it is an event not wasted.

Life on the farm, I am always learning, is about a lot of things. First and foremost, mostly, it is about life. The hatching of numerous chicks and ducklings, baby bunnies, even two foals born here on my farm are the warm fuzzy side of "life" on the farm I love to witness - along with the thousands of lives that come to be as I sow seeds that become the bounty on our tables. Abundant, beautiful and renewing of itself, life on the farm is my favorite part of farming.

In order for it to renew itself though, there must be the opposite of life; death. This is the part of "life on the farm" that I don't know any farmer really "gets used to" - much less a city girl who grew up raising animals as pets. And I certainly never really grasped the understanding of some of the untold gifts that animals bring us, because my food, much like most of yours I suspect, came from a grocery store as a kid. I don't know if I'll ever progress past this mindset, and so long as there are those who have the understanding and mindset, not to mention the skills, that I lack; I won't have to become a vegetarian.

However, I have seen a lot of death on this farm as well. The seasons bring sudden death to tender plants I've tirelessly nurtured for a long season; dogs, raccoons and skunks, snuff out lives of "prey" I call friends in a large swath leaving me with red eyes and a broken heart as I struggle to wrap my head around what seems a senseless part of nature. And, I've had to learn, yet still find it difficult to accept, that sometimes "these things happen", when an animal will find itself in a predicament that causes its own death. I've seen squirrels and chickens drown in water tanks, cats not come home at night falling prey to the inevitable bobcat or coyote in the "circle of life" of which we are all a part, and baby chicks getting their tender selves stuck in "chicken wire". It always seems there was something I could have done, should have known to do to prevent - but my farmer and rancher friends have always consoled and reminded me "these things happen". In the best of life's situations, death happens.

So yesterday, when I returned from fertilizing our crops out in Terrell, I came home to my latest lesson in "these things happen", when I found our newest beloved life here on the farm tangled up in fencing meant to keep her safe and grazing lush, tall grass in a responsible, rotational style. Butterscotch had tried, what most animals do from time to time, to get to the other side of that fence. She apparently was unable to do anything other than entangle herself, hopelessly. She was gone when I found her, what seemed like just a few hours after she lost her struggle. The dogs were calm, laying in the shade of their lean-to, and Smoke was not too far away, though on the wrong side of the fence as well, continuing on with what animals do in the face of death, what they seem to understand far better than I do - living.

To say that I was heartbroken would be an understatement. I felt responsible, guilty, ignorant. The latter is probably most accurate as I am an admitted rookie to all of this. Keeping sheep, horses, chickens and LGD's is not anywhere near the same thing as keeping a pet cat, (of which I've done for nearly 30 years and recently experienced a first in even doing that.) or inside (mostly) dogs. These are pets too in a sense, but yet they are FARM animals first and foremost. Something I'm slowly learning to distinguish is there is a difference. They are far more unpredictable, curious and prone to accidents than say, that cool fish that blows up its gills when seeing its own reflection in a mirror. Yeah, I had one of those, too. The worst experience as a kid with pets was my little brother's pet hamster - eating its young. That was pretty traumatic. Especially for a little kid. But we lived through that, too.

Something very important and refreshing (compared to the competitive, corporate dog-eat-dog world) that I've come to learn from many phone calls, emails and in-person conversations with my peers in small farming, is that you can always count on other small farmers for words of wisdom and support - no matter the situation. Someone else has already done, seen, undone, or forgotten that they have, anything that I have done or thought of doing. Farming is as old as dirt itself - I'm probably not going to make any new mistakes or discoveries - not new to anyone other than me, anyway. So in my peril of that early afternoon, I reached out to my peers who were, as always, ever supportive. Even farmers I've never met reached out in a caring, wise way. It got me through the day and helped craft that letter I knew I needed to write. The letter itself was a type of therapy for me. Explaining even to myself what needed to be learned.

Several farmers/ranchers have extended their loving, understanding and wise words and hugs to me both in person, via phone and emails as I reached out for answers and help in what felt like one of my darkest days here at the farm; certainly one of confusion, pain and frustration. I do know it's a part of farming, as they do, but it's not something I yet accept as part of my day with the same practicality as someone who grew up with these life experiences. It still takes me awhile to process these things.

In the minutes after I sent the letter, and in the days that followed when I saw members for our CSA pick up this weekend, I was again surrounded by support and caring words. My mom cried on the phone with me as I told her the news and my always there for me loving boyfriend dug a hole and lovingly sang a little song while we buried the magnificent creature. Some would scold me for this "waste", but I'm fine with it. I have yet to "process" any of my domesticated pets either. I don't see the two as much different, except we will have some wool products in the months to come, whereas I don't have any dog hair or cat hair blankets. I didn't bring them to this veggie farm as a food source. I had told my members that when they pledged support in acquiring them - I wasn't about to announce a special on lamb chops this week. That's just not who I am.

I'm pretty much ok now, although still sad of course, especially for the surviving daughter sheep who bleats more than usual, looking for her companion I suppose. She is getting on better with the LGD's now though, as if her momma may have been somewhat more leery of them than she. They snooze together under a tree and sniff at each other as (hopefully) only animals do. It helps some, too, when Smoke now trusts me to scratch behind her ears a bit - for about 3 seconds anyway. She herself got tangled up in the fencing the very next day, even though I'd removed all but the small circle of it around the chicken pen area. I saved her, thankfully, as I was home, and Molly, our more veteran LGD, alerted me as I almost passed by not noticing a problem. That afternoon I penned up the dogs, and took the rest of that netting down - not wanting to ever again have this happen. I am not sure if she'll ever respect this kind of fencing in the future, and I don't dare risk it unless I get some good advice on how to retrain her to it. Maybe a bigger charger, larger battery, something. I don't know - but I don't want my ignorance to hurt her, too. So for now, she grazes where she wants and me and my CSA are putting up metal fencing for the chickens.

So, as I have said to some, onward I must go - my farm will, with or without me. It gives us moments to pause and reflect, but not for long. Plants still need to be watered for the lack of rain; the living animals need attention of their own, and I have a wonderful, warm and supportive CSA family to grow a summer crop of vegetables for.

I once described farming as the most consuming, disappointing, educational, interesting, monotonous, satisfying, uplifting and worthwhile things I have done for a living.

And I can't think of anything else I'd really rather be doing.



Eat Your Food - Naturally!
Marie