Wearing it on My Sleeve

I actually find that I have quite a few "emotional" moments out on my farm. From watching a foal, just minutes after it was born, rise to its feet, to burying an old "friend" who's day came, to wishing my father would have been around to see our first, truly bountiful spring harvest and get to taste the fruit of my efforts, after watching me struggle for so long and not seeing the value in the "weeds" we harvested in the winter, such as bok choi - those moments are still tough - to the simple joys of needing to bring the tractor out to the gardens because I can't possible carry back all that I've harvested from seeds I'd sown with my own hands.

I don't generally share all of those moments on this blog, because, well, they are my moments and this is a farming blog. But it is about "Life on the Farm" and these moments are a part of this life I've created here for myself on the farm. So, at risk of boring anyone, here is a peek at today's "moment", and who knows, just maybe it will touch or inspire someone.

Susan and Brandon Pollard are beekeepers and friends of mine. They are the ones who dress up like honeybees and bee keepers and advocate on behalf of honeybees - rescuing hives and growing up new colonies and then fostering them out all over the Dallas area - zip code honey and Texas Honeybee Guild, you've heard of it, right? Well, a few months ago, I was very blessed. They decided to put 5 bee hives here at Eden's. Wow! I was so touched as I know there are a lot of other places they could be putting them, but I graciously accepted the bees and a learning colony for the training of apprentices was created here at the farm. It was a great day for Eden's Garden to say the least. (80% of your crops are bee pollinated!)

Today they came to the farm, apprentice in tow, to "check on the bees". I was working in the gardens and didn't go back to the hives with them - besides, they were going to "suit up" and I thought I'd just as soon not be part of that little party. Having met up with a red wasp and a bumble bee within 2 weeks of each other this summer, I'm feeling a bit, er, ah, cautious shall we say about purposely exposing myself to that environment at the moment. There are enough of them flying around my gardens and I love them - but I don't need to go knock on their front doors! The swelling on my arm just finally went down two days ago!

After they did whatever it is they do to "check on the bees", they stopped by the gardens on their way back. Susan handed me something and said "Marie, here is your first taste of your own land." She was giving me a piece of the honey comb, complete with a glob of honey oozing out of it. She repeated that this was what my land tasted like, as she invited me to suck on the comb and taste the honey on it.

As I tasted that sweet, earthy, richness - it brought me to tears. Indeed, I was tasting - Eden. Now, some of you know the story, so forgive the repeat. But for the rest of you to understand why the simple taste of honey would make what many think is a tough farm-girl cry, let me try to explain....

Several years ago in one of my weekly small group meetings from my church, a friend gave me a scripture out of the Old Testatment to encourage me. It starts in Ezekiel 36, where it is describing Israel of course, but often times we apply the lessons/messages to our own lives and I have no problem with that. (How often do we relate to a song?)!

Someone had shared the scripture with her and her husband as they were experiencing some of life's "issues" and she found comfort in it and felt led to share it with me - not having any idea what I was in the process of doing here on my ranch - but knowing I was hoping for some direction with my business ideas.

If you take a look at that scripture, starting in about verse 6 of chapter 36, and liberally change some of the language from nations to peers or mountains to pasture, etc., you might be able to see how it could help someone feel better about a difficult situation they found themself in. This place had once been a thriving business, no, not a farm, but nonetheless - work with me here - and many had told me how bad things were and that it was such a shame the place was so empty now, etc.

It goes on to say that, and I paraphrase again, despite all of the things I'd done wrong, or not done, etc., things would be ok - turn out right, I'd be shown mercy. And, when it gets to verse 34....it gets real personal. It was one of those moments when someone says exactly the right thing at the right time to you and you know, you just KNOW it was meant for you to hear it. Verse 35 named my farm - the name I had already picked out and was calling the recently opened community gardens;

v34"The fields that used to lie empty and desolate - a shock to all who passed by - will again be farmed. v35 "And when I bring you back, people will say "This godforsaken land is now like EDEN'S GARDEN!".

And as Susan handed me that peice of honeycomb and told me again to "taste your land, taste Eden's Garden." - I lost it. Talk about a "moment".

And Susan, I daresay, had not ever heard that story - but she will read about it soon.

Well, after that, we walked around as I showed them all what was growing, what their bees had help to pollinate, and we heard a squeaking - uh oh - was it a bird? No, in fact, it came running out of the brush towards us - it was......

Shall we call her, "Eden"?

and I've tagged her "Eden". At least for now, until I hopefully find her a good home and someone chooses to change it. Solomon and Eve are not likely to take too kindly to a youngster - Eve has already made it clear she wants no part of the little one. A shame she can't stay here, but I would feel badly for her to be isolated from my other 2 cats. This is a farm with coyotes and hawks, 4ft wing spanned owls that swoop down in the night (and cause your sturdy and wonderful guard-barn cat to disapear, yes, I'm afraid so...), and not a place for a loner kitty.

So, if you want your own little piece of Eden, and can convince me you'll let this precious little one live in your home, not declaw her but will have her spayed - just in case she gets out and to save your own sanity - she may just go home with you for a small donation to KittyCo (or your favorite low cost spay/neuter, no-kill shelter). See, I also have 2 male cats living in my house and needless to say, the chemistry is just perfect at the moment and if you've ever had male cats, you know what happens when you "upset" things....it isn't pleasant.


Yellow Moon & Stars Watermelon

In addition to all of that, I picked nearly 100 lbs of watermelon today - ok, so 1 weighed in at 24lbs by itself, but still! As well I picked over a half bushel of costata romenesco zucchini, 2 more Arava melons, some cucuzza, (warning - if you Google that, be sure to turn down your volume a bit, you'll be serenaded by Louis!) and a handful of little fingers eggplant and some assorted peppers. So, it was quite the day on the farm today.

I think it is time for some lemon basil pesto on market day bread, a wild summer greens salad with some of my stray, but hardy, cherry tomatoes that are hanging in there and wash it down with some lavender sun tea and one of Farmer Mary Gilstrap's peaches for desert!


I hope you had a great day, too. I know I did - and it is only 4 o'clock.


Marie
Eat Your Food - Naturally!

A Stroll Through the Garden

Just thought I'd update the videos. This was of course before the rain - now it is wet and everything is happier still! The carrots will pull out nice and easy, the onions and garlic can be dug up without breaking a soil fork and the potatoes might actually finish growing.



This week we'll have a nice little variety for everyone. Bring any extra herbs you want to thin out and share with each other - seems you all grow so many, we need to inventory what all you need me to grow for you. The Lemon Basil and cilantro are coming up and the new rosemary is rooted and slowly growing. The English Lavender is now in bloom and there are still plenty of dried blooms from the Spanish for your lavender tea, lavender brownies or whatever you can use dried lavender for. The dill is about done. Hatched a couple of swallowtails - it has done its job.

Enjoy the stroll through Eden's Garden and I'll see you Saturday!


Marie

Eat Your Food - Naturally!

When the Farm Meets Reality

Life on the farm is usually "kinda laid back", to quote a famous song. However, it has its moments. Like this morning at 4:23 when I was awakened by the hysterical screeching of one of my hens outside my bedroom window. Something was after her or her nest most certainly as it was not courting time and that was not a cry of "leave me alone dear, I'm not in the mood right now!".

So I went flying out the front door, not sure what I thought I was going to do empty handed and barefooted, but I could quickly tell, she was still on the inside of the backyard fence line and not as far away as she had sounded. So back inside through the house I ran, this time picking up a flashlight and shoving my now freshly cut grass covered feet into a pair of muck shoes, out the back door to the huge oleander where she must have been hiding prior to her being accosted.

My glasses were not in the bathroom where they normally were, so I was half blind, but there is not much question in my mind that the white furry flash I saw in the corner dragging off my hen was that of the tail of a skunk that used to compete for my barn cat's dinner every night. (my barn cat has disappeared, by the way, and now I'm wondering if Pepe had something to do with that, too!)

I had a stick in my hand, as my gun was in the barn from having just recently chased off a stray dog who had come sniffing around looking for lunch the other day. And without anything else all I could do was hope to scare the skunk off into leaving my sweet hen to possibly recover from whatever damage he may have done to her so far. No such luck....he dragged her off under the house where I heard her final gasp of a half screech. My poor girl. I was too late to help her.

They won't always stay up close to the barn where they are much, much safer. It is these renegade chickens that brave the cold, cruel urban world of reality outside of the safety of their farmyard that I often lose in the still of the night. Either to an animal catcher, y'all remember the rooster's tail story back a year or so ago, or to a hungry four-legged predator. Even the snakes that patrol the barn are more interested in rats, eggs (which I try to find every day) and scaring my horse boarding customers than taking on a full grown chicken.

Now the race was on to see if I could perhaps save her nest of eggs, as I didn't hear any chirping babies left behind, and I had a broody hen who would surely adopt and incubate them the rest of their way. While mosquitoes surely fed on my bare legs and arms, I pushed aside the thick branches of the old mature where I figured she'd been nesting just moments earlier. Thick, heavy coverage - no wonder she thought she was safe in there. No dog would have ever found her, that is for sure. But the only thing I could find, even after returning to the house to hunt down my glasses so I could actually see, was a surprised mouse staring back into my flashlight glare.

This is the part of farming that is not enjoyable. I treat my chickens like pets, many are named, and it is much different to lose one of these than when one of the thousands in a flock of nameless birds disappears and no one even notices, except maybe the dog on duty who had fallen asleep on the job. Not that most all farmers with a heart don't dread the loss as I do, and I've come to accept that I can't always protect all of them, but it is harder to tell one is missing when they are not part of the handful of critters joining you for lunch outside by the house or greeting you at the back door for breakfast several times a week - hoping you drop a crumb of that sandwich or toss them a stale cracker or some of dinner's scraps. Because, don't ya know, there isn't enough for them to eat on the 2 or so acres they roam all day.....

Well this was in much contrast to the potential winner of a funny home video contest from an event the other day when the trailer turned into a spontaneous see-saw as I pushed down on the trailer hitch from the neck of the trailer....and the tiller and tractor implement became partially airborne, along with my water bottle and a few other things....thankfully, I was solidly standing on the ground and did not join them in a heap on the tailgate of the trailer. I didn't hear any distant laughter so I don't think my moment was witnessed by any of my next door neighbors who surely often get a chuckle out of my moments of learning curves....another thing about urban farming - you more often have an audience than when your farm is surrounded by other farmland, so many of your farm escapades are not just your own to muse over. Oh well, keeps me and my neighbors amused.

I suppose I'll get an extra early start today, now that I'm extra wide awake. Maybe make myself a fresh batch of blueberry muffins for breakfast since I have an extra hour or so before the sun comes up and I break the news to Nobutt that one of his companions is gone. And I'm not much of a skunk hunter....but I see a call to the wildlife management group later today, I've had about enough of Pepe and his gang, he better hope they find him before I do.


Marie

Eat Your Food - Naturally!