Chemical Agriculture 201: Farming is a Verb

Farmers will tell you that one of the benefits of farming is a sense of place to have their family rooted in the land. Wikipedia says, "A farm is an area that is devoted primarily to  agricultural processes in order to produce such commodities as fiber, grain, livestock or fuel. A farm is the basic production facility in food production.:" I have a few problems with this definition but let's just accept it for face value for now.

I totally agree with the "sense of place". We feel very grounded in our community because of our farming activites. Many families depend on us and we have gotten to know them at a much deeper level than if we were just casual acquaintances at school, church or neighbors down the street. Growing someone's food is an intimate act of friendship and community.

Farming is a verb. The discussion so far has focused on the "noun" definition of farm. Farming is a set of actions, it is those actions that make the differenced between a chemical farmer and an organic farmer.

Let's take a look.

Can You Help Me Accessorize My Tongue

One of our regular customers, a young lady, came up to me today at the farmers market and asked if I could help her accessorize her tongue.

We occasionally get weird questions at the farmers market, but this was the most unique request in a while. The tattoo and piercing shop is down the street a bit. This is a very conservative lady and it is unlikely she was talking about that type of accessory.

Here is the answer to the riddle.

Chemical Agriculture 200: Elucidation

When I was in high school I was the poster child for modern chemical agriculture. I grew up on a chemical agriculture farm and spent the first 25 years of my life being "educated" by a system that brought us the "green revolution" and I don't mean recycling. I was FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter president for three years and took 4 years of Ag training while in high school. I was an avid reader (still am) and read every book I could get my hands on how to grow corn, soybeans, oats, sorghum, alfalfa, and clover.

I also studied livestock husbandry. I wrote a 50 page thesis on bacterial diseases of livestock for my high school biology class. I was so interested in this that I borrowed all the books our local veterinary (a recent graduate of Iowa State University) had on bacteriology, biology, and livestock diseases. I read them cover to cover and then asked if I could use his micro scopes, centrifuge, stains and antibiotic sensitivity disks to identify various livestock bacteria. What newly minted PhD in veterinary science could turn down such a wannabe disciple. He and I had a great time my sophomore year in high school reviewing the basics of veterinary bacteriology. Looking back on it was probably a good review for him too. He was a very talented surgeon and was very good at diagnosing problems. By the time I was off to college I had inoculated and vaccinated thousands of head of livestock (on our farm) for various common and minor maladies.

I share this with the reader so you understand I'm not just an organic zealot (yes I am that), but I understand the other side of the coin pretty well.

Elucidation is a verb meaning to explain and make a subject that is hard to understand clear or easy to understand. The root of the word is from the Latin "lucid" to make clear. Let's look deeper...

Contentment

Contentment is one of the most powerful finanical principles in our lives. If we have learned to be content, it will be easier to understand and accept our position as the manager of what we have been given. This doesn't mean we need to be hands off on money issues. Contentment helps us focus on our goals for money and to resist temptation to overspend or borrow.

Here are four signs of discontentment...

Market Menu for February 21, 2015

Candy carrots with great flavor and sweetness. Just before the great freeze-up we had several hard frosts and that is just what the doctor ordered to turn normally sweet carrots into something magical. We will have a few bags of juicing carrots each week during the late fall and winter.

We will have about 5 pie pumpkins at market this week.

The squash varieties available this week:  Acorn, Carnival. Spaghetti, and Pie Pumpkins. 

Market Table this Summer (photo cred: Reed Petersen)

Reed took this picture of plants a while ago, and it's one of the best tasting crops we've had! I guess those minerals in the compost bring out the exceptional flavor and quality. The leaves are nice and big. As always, organic and fresh.

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, February 7, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)

Chipolini Onions
Sweet Spanish Onions
Red Onions
Leeks

Salsa: an array of different kinds
Pickles
Slawsa

Candy Carrots
Parsnips

Cabbage - Fresh Green, good for slaw, kraut or kimchi (see 8 delicious recipes on our website.)

Shallots
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes

Garlic

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

How to be the Best of the Best

If you lived in the nation of Israel in 1440 BC, Bezalel would have been a household word. Like Rolex watches, Mercedes cars, Waterford crystal or Petersen's Candy Carrots (well maybe our carrots aren't in quite the same class), Bezalel was famous among the people for being the best of the best.

Because he was the best he got to do something very special...

The Purpose of Generosity

From Abel to Malachi in the Old Testament and from Matthew to Revelation in the New Testament Scripture talks about generosity.

When the pastor preaches about giving or the church offers a class like Financial Peace University, the assumption is often that God is after your hard-earned cash. But scripture teaches the exact opposite of this. In reality, God owns it all and it is a bit presumptuous to assume that he needs our money at all. 

If the purpose of generosity isn't because God needs our money. Why does God ask us to be generous?

We Sold 200 Pounds of Squash on Valentine's Day

Most people get a card for their sweet heart and a dozen roses for their beloved on Valentines day.

I did something unique for valentines day today. I sold 200 pounds of squash.

We have some friends from the farmers market that sell to restaurants in the Twin Cities. They noticed we had a lot of squash at market last weekend and wondered if we had some extra we could sell. Most people are out at this time of the season.

We were blessed with a bumper crop of very high quality squash and so we have about 500 pounds left in the middle of February. That has never happened before. We are always out by this time.

I'd have to say this is one of the most unusual Valentines Day things I have done.

What is it?

The next time someone points as baby zuchini, arugula, chipotle peppers or tomatillos as says, "What is it? I'm gonna tell them it is manna.

Remember in the Old Testament clear back in Exodus...

Glorify

The word glorify is not a common one in everyday conversation except maybe at church on Sunday, where the context would be in relationship to glorifying God.  A word used in reverence toward God is a good reason to have a word even if it isn't used much beside that.

I found an interesting definition of  "glorify" that I think is worth considering.

Glorify - (verb) to aim our lives at a purpose

That definition caught my eye because I have been thinking a lot lately about my legacy and what would be the best use of my time at this stage in my life. This is a little personal but here are my thoughts.

Market menu for February 7, 2015

Candy carrots with great flavor and sweetness. Just before the great freeze-up we had several hard frosts and that is just what the doctor ordered to turn normally sweet carrots into something magical. We will have a few bags of juicing carrots each week during the late fall and winter.

We will have about 10 pie pumpkins at market this week.

The squash varieties available this week:  Acorn, Butternut, Carnival. Spaghetti, and Pie Pumpkins. 

Wonderful Garlic Crop This Year

Reed took this picture of garlic a month ago, and it's one of the best tasting crops we've had! I guess those minerals in the compost bring out the exceptional flavor and quality. The heads are nice and big, with cloves about the size of your thumb. As always, organic and fresh. Reed planted the garlic for next year during MEA break.

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, February 7, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)

Chipolini Onions
Sweet Spanish Onions
Red Onions
Leeks

Candy Carrots
Parsnips

Cabbage - Fresh Green, good for slaw, kraut or kimchi (see 8 delicious recipes on our website.)

Shallots
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes

Garlic

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

God's Solution - Elisha and the Widow's Oil - Lesson 4

In our last lesson about Elisha and the Widow's Oil we saw that a widow was in distress because of a debt, and she reached out to the church for help.We looked at her situation and the main points to consider for us today:

1. She does not have any close family and so she comes to Elisha as her pastor and in the role of kindsman redeemer. Leviticus 25 describes this process.
2. Her husband was a Godly man, "one of the sons of the prophets" part of Elisha's team. Bad things can happen to godly people.
3. The young couple had gotten into debt, perhaps student loans to tide them over until he could get a job as a prophet, or a home loan that was underwater. 
4. The seriousness of debt hits home. The children are to be sold to pay the debt obligation.
5. The young husband did not have adequate life insurance or an emergency fund to care for his young family.
6. Elisha asks the widow to identify her need. 
7. Elisha asks what resources she has inside the house. He asked her to make a simple budget. 
8. Elisha asks the widow to go outside the house for part of the solution. Seems like an odd request. Go get some empty containers from your neighbors
9. She is responsible for both the searching the house for resources and for going outside the house to find vessels. 

In this lesson, let's look at  how God provides for the widow.

Elisha's Identifies the Need - Elisha and the Widow's Oil - Lesson 3

In our last lesson about Elisha and the Widow's Oil we saw that a widow was in distress because of a debt and reached out to the church for help.We looked at her situation and the main points to consider for us today:

1. She does not have any close family and so she comes to Elisha as her pastor and in the role of kindsman redeemer. Leviticus 25 describes this process.
2. Her husband was a Godly man "one of the sons of the prophets" part of Elisha's team. Bad things can happen to godly people.
3. The young couple had gotten into debt, perhaps student loans to tide them over until he could get a job as a prophet or a home loan that was underwater. 
4. The seriousness of debt hits home, the children are to be sold to pay the debt obligation.
5. The young husband did not have adequate life insurance or an emergency fund to care for his young family.

In this lesson let's look at  how Elisha handles the situation.

Debt In the Old Testament - Elisha and the Widows OIl - Lesson 2

The cultural parallels to young people today who are deeply in debt are stark and startling in the story of Elisha and a young widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7. Debt is as old as history itself and legally has had serious consequences, including enslavement of the debtor. The young widow's husband was in seminary in Elisha's "school of the prophets" he was under Elisha's authority and was Elisha's "servant or apprentice". She does not have any close family and comes to Elisha her pastor and as a stand-in for the role of "kinsman redeemer". He is not obligated legally in this role but he has a moral obligation as the young man's mentor and calls on God to help.

Israel had a revolutionary set of laws, given by God, about debt that were a much more civil approach than the oppressive laws of the countries around them. Let's take a look...

Provision - Elisha and the Widow's Oil - Lesson 1

I have been doing some study on one of my favorite topics generosity and the provision of a loving God. I was reminded of the story back in 2 Kings 4:1-7. The story is about Elisha and the widow's oil.

It says...