A New Beginning
February 25th, 2006 by Northern FarmerAnother week is coming to an end around the farm, all in all a very good week. Winter is hanging tough here, the sun is gaining in power, but the temperatures aren’t. But if a person gets on the south side of a building outside it seems downright warm. I just got in from Saturday afternoon chores which consist of a lot of Sunday morning chores. I have to get everything in place for rapid chores on Sunday morning in order to make it to church on time. That, meaning, get up at four thirty AM, eat a huge breakfast, and get on out there.
There was a surprise in life here this week, and I’m still a little stunned. For years I’ve been the most radical, if you will, of the family, in wanting to get out of industrial agriculture. It was mostly my investigating different methods and farming practices over the last few years. Now, on a family farm, with multiple generations living and working on it, it’s hard to keep going if it’s a dictatorship, with one person in total control, or one generation for that matter. Everyone needs to have their input and nobody wants to, or should have to be just a worker.
But to make a long story short, it has been decided we’re going to be going organic. Three generations agreed, to my surprise, and I couldn’t be happier. This will not be much of a move really, seeing how our farming methods were getting dangerously close to organic in the first place; it’ll just take a few minor tweaks to have it in order. The proper crop rotations are already in place; in fact that’s what has been proving that we don’t need the non-organic inputs the last few years. The soil is getting healthier than any other time in my life here on the farm.
Now, I know this is not some earth shattering blog for folks out there, but to me personally, it’s one of the biggest events of my lifetime. This is like signing your name on the Declaration of Independence. It’s finally the official break away from industrial ag. We’ve been breaking away for some time now, but this seals it. In reality, for me, it’s like waking up to a brand new day, especially knowing the family is united in the effort. I guess it paid to keep on keeping on all these years.
So now I have to look at everything in a different light here. It’s like the chains have been unshackled. There’s so many options that we can look into in the coming years compared to the very limited commodity agriculture game. But we’re united now, have no debt to hold us back, and can see a future here on the farm that we would never have in the industrial system. A few days ago I was going back in the blog here to see what I have written in the past, I forget you know, and it floored me, the changes that have taken place here in the last nine months or so. The changes that affected every single part of our lives here. It sure is something, from the farm making an about face, to escaping the modern church, to being led by the Lord to a Spirit filled Church, to healings and new life. From joy to sorrow, and everything in between. I read that and was stunned at the changes like only keeping a journal can show. The mind forgets many things or files them away in the clutter, but the journal keeps the words as they were written. Not that the writing is any good at all, but it serves as a reminder to me where we’ve been and where we’re going.
So, that’s the news from the farm this week. We’ll be Praising the Lord and doing our best out here on the land we steward for God.
February 25th, 2006 at 9:42 pm
Wow!!! That is soooo very awesome!!!!
Applause!!!!—standing up first!
The enthusiasm in your voice—rrrr—words comes thru loud and clear.
So are you going to work towards ‘certification’ from whatever agency is out there in MN so you can market your home products as ‘certified organic’?
I’ve been ‘almost organic’ for most of my life after I left the farm but a random treated seed or a touch of ‘Miracle Grow’ sneaks past once in a while. Haven’t used pesticides in years but I do break down and spray that nasty DEET mosquito spray on my clothes and hat when them thar ’squito’s reach Biblical plaque proportions—nasty stuff….haning my head in shame……Have you ever tried to work in +90s dressed in the equivalent of bee gear in clouds of them lil critters? That’s like a self-contained sauna.
I’ve been using some organic liquid fertilzer that I add to my irrigation water for my garden that is incredible! It’s from a company from Park River, ND–my son-in-law used to work there and got me a ’sample’. It is a affluent from a bio-digester–sorta like a manure tea.
Now I’ve grown some really great gardens in my day but I can honestly tell you that the gardens from the last 3 years have been the best I’ve ever seen.
Are you going to be selling (for seed) some of the open pollinated corn and other seed that you will be growing?
May your light continue to shine brightly…………….
February 25th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
Wonderful news! I hope others will be able to follow in your footsteps. I’m amazed at where we have all come from, and yet are heading in the same direction. It has to be the leading of the Lord.
February 26th, 2006 at 2:45 am
Good for you(rs)Tom ~ me thinks! I have to tell you, to say I know a whole “hoot” about farming would be a stretch, to add to that “organic” farming is a whole different animal altogether. We are focused on doing what seems right & proper when it comes to how we plant and raise our products ~ whether animal, vegetable or mineral ~ and look toward the concepts of ‘whole foods’ as to describe our fare.
I was describing some of or process to one of my employs this morning as I brought several of the chicks to the work site to drop off to our farm friend. As we were talking I was saying how we were raising our first poultry and the various ‘feeds’ we are trying out from grain to vegetable to worms and how we employee our Company’s coffee castings & pulverized soaked cardboard as worm food to reduce costs and recycle.
As the cellulous structure and glues employed in the construction of the boxes provide the nutrients for the worms. Then how the worms provide their castings & ‘manure tea’ as a highly engineered soil amendment to improve the clay like soil structures of our land (as well as a generous portions of cow dung) to which the discarded vegetable mater and stalks are recomposed throughout the winter as soil starter to be mixed with worm tea for our seed starts of OP & heirloom seed products.
Not to mention a good dose of our favorite “GM Avoidance News†and its affects coupled with hidden taxes to produce cheap but sketchy foods for the big AG markets.
We’ll you’d’ think they were staring at “Bill Nigh the Science Guy†and Lee Iacocca and Billy Sunday with the information I hit them with, to the exclamations of “Gee Scott you gonna’ be a millionaire†to which I quietly & humbly thought to myself: “Poor as church mice………”
(Where did I hear that?)
My second thought was, hey we are worth way more than that, for ‘we we’re bought with a price’ (I Corinthians 7:22-24) to which gold or no fiat currency notes could master or persuade us, rich in blessings and having all needs met as to accommodate that which provisions require us to meet.
Rejoicing with you Tom.
“gaudeamus igitur!â€
February 26th, 2006 at 6:08 am
Congratulations! What an exciting time for you and your family.
I have to disagree with you on one small point in your blog today: You said,”Not that the writing is any good at all…”
I LOVE your writing! It’s as if I’m right there on the farm with you, getting to peek over your shoulder as you go about your daily life.
I could sit here and read all day.
February 26th, 2006 at 9:04 am
Hi Tom:
It is exciting to witness with you the transformation you are undergoing in your life. Thank you for taking the time to share publically all you are doing. You continue to inspire us here in Kansas.
It is neat to see all the transitions that everyone is going through. Witnessing the triumphs over trials is equally rewarding.
Our next step is to get Brian home full time. It really is probably more simple than we realize. It just feels like a large jump off of Mount Everest. My agenda for the day is to sit down and begin planning what we can do to become more independent. I would like the family to start living as though we are already reducing our income more, in preparations for the transition. I think I may go blog about it. Again, thank you for your words of inspiration and encouragement.
February 26th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
Tom,
How exciting for your family! If you decided there is a need to certify, there is an alternative to the USDA organic program….check out Certified Naturally Grown….farmer run, farmers inspecting farmers and on a donation basis only! It is a great program - like organic used to be before Uncle Sam hijacked it!
To have the whole family on the same page is truly a blessing! A sure sign of unity in Christ! I certainly look forward to reading your blog as your lives continue to shine forth the glory of God!
cheri
February 26th, 2006 at 6:42 pm
Steven,
Thanks, and where we live I do know what skeeters are, believe me.
As far as seeds this coming year, I hope to have three varieties of field corn and several homestead friendly varieties that will stand the test of the north country. Both meal corns and sweet corns, all open pollinated. Besides around eight different varieties of dry beans, op squash, pumpkins, etc. As time goes on this year I’ll keep you informed and I figure I’ll just give starter seed to bloggers and commentors that I am familiar with.
Lynn,
You folks are always an encouragement to me!
Scott,
Thanks for the comments,and I will be acting on the CD you sent me, it’s an eye opener. “Seeds of Deception” Wow! Keep up the education of the masses!
Becky,
Thanks, and I hope spring comes to your area one of these days, and here too for that matter.
KSMM,
I think you folks are going to do just fine, even though it might not look like it at times. Your family has grit and determination. That’s what built this country!
February 26th, 2006 at 6:45 pm
Cheri,
Thanks, and I do know about Certified Naturally Grown, in fact I’ve had it on my links since last summer. We might go that way, but I’m looking over everything for Minnesota. But whatever happens I’m sure it will work out.
Tom
February 27th, 2006 at 8:54 am
Hey Tom
Thats crazy, We have just had the same thing happen out here! I’m planning on blogging on it, but have not had a chance to collect all my thoughts on it yet. I never in a million years thought my Dad would ever hear of such “nonsence”, but man oh man, God is good! Stay tuned and I’ll fill you in on some of the details the next day or so over at my blog.
Congratulations from someone who understands what your talking about!!!!!!
February 27th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Tom,
It’s great news. AND it is another huge inspiration. If I’m the Aspiring Agrarian, you must be the Inspiring Agrarian.
PS … You, too, Scott!
February 28th, 2006 at 9:35 am
A little late, but wanted to give praise to wonderful news! Three generations agreeing to do organic farming!
If you want to know about flax seed as part of the rotation, let me know…been doing alot of research on it…and I’m going to try a little lot!!
God bless you and your family,
Christine
February 28th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Scott,
And congratulations from us to yours! Now some folks might not understand this but it’s really something how there are so many things happening the same with our two farming families. So many times when you blog I almost shout YES, THAT’S IT!! If I’d comment everytime I’d be hogging your blog, so I just read with satisfaction and wish you and yours well!
JFC,
This Inspiring thing is pretty new to me, believe me. I always figure you folks down your way are pretty Inspiring yourselves. Thanks!
Christine,
After Lent I’ll look into that with your help, I know they grow some flax in the north country but not right around here. It would be an interesting crop for me to experiment with, and another step in self sufficiency.
Tom