Happy Ag Day 2014!

National Ag Day looks different to all of us. Some are celebrating the birth of Norman Borlaug with ceremonies in Washington, DC and Iowa, some are celebrating by volunteering at various agriculture events, while others are celebrating as they work on their farms and ranches. I want to take this opportunity to say “Thank You!” to all the farmers and ranchers for the hard work they put in so we are able to eat whatever we want, whenever we want.  I also want to give a shout out to all of those whose jobs in agriculture are forgotten about – seed salesmen and seed warehouse workers, plant breeders, agronomists, soil scientists, animal nutritionists…the list could go on for a while!  Thank you for your important role in farming & ranching!

Happy Ag Day, everyone!

CarolynCares Farmer

Kindness…

People are getting testy. Maybe it’s the weather, or maybe I’m just letting it get to me a little more. I’m not sure.

This past week, the new Farm Bill was finally passed by both the House and the Senate, and was signed into law by President Obama. Many in agriculture are breathing a sigh of relief…and many are whining and venting on social media. The Farm Bill is not perfect. There are areas where we still need to work with our elected officials to make changes as stand alone legislation. The key is, we need to WORK WITH our elected officials. Calling them names, shaming them on social media, and calling their offices in moments of anger is NOT working with them.

When kids at school were giving me a bad time, my mom used to tell me to kill them with kindness. There are even references in the Bible that talk about being kind to your enemies. Sweet words soothe crying babies, help comfort broken hearts, and bring calming to those who may be acting out in frustration. I have seen it work many times. I have also seen people shrink away and become defensive when angry words are hurled at them. The power of words is amazing.

I may not agree with, or even really like some of my elected officials, but if I want to have a working relationship with them, I must treat them with kindness and respect. That includes communications with them on social media, in emails, or in person.  I truly believe that burning bridges is one of the worst things I can do as an advocate for agriculture. Badgering public officials on something I don’t agree with is not going to make them jump to my aid if I need them to side with me on another issue.

The same could be said for belittling those who may not agree with your farming style, or your food choices. If we want our consumers to know that we have the safest, most affordable food supply in the world, why are we constantly fighting between ourselves in public? We are our own worst enemies. We spend so much time accusing the “other side” of using junk science, or emotion to justify their opinions, that we have failed to show just how good our farms are. We have failed to show the reasons why we raise our animals the way we do. We have failed to show how many families are out working every day so we all have plenty to eat. Just think of how awesome it would be if we stood up for one another, or promoted agriculture as a whole. Chipotle and Panera’s ad campaigns wouldn’t have a (chicken) leg to stand on.  Let’s not burn bridges between farmers. Farmers that need to come together to make changes in immigration reform, or mCOOL, or township ordinances…

The quote that I put on the photo below fit so well with how I was feeling this week watching my social media feeds. Instead of being frustrated or angry, I am going to focus on being kind. Maybe, just maybe, it will catch on! Want to join me?

CarolynCares Kindness

Don’t Be a Pringle – The Importance of Individuality in American Agriculture

We all read comments about how farming should be as it was in “grandpa’s” day. We need to look a certain way, or raise a variety of animals in order to be a “real family farm”.  They want us all to look the same…like Pringles.

CarolynCares Pringle

I don’t know about you, but I think that is boring! I also think it is rather foolish to insist that all farms look the same, and grow or raise the same things. My farm in Minnesota is not able to grow oranges or grapefruit. Nor are we able to raise onions or cabbage in January. On the other hand, farms in southern Texas are not able to grow field corn like we can. Climate, soil types, and rainfall are all things that affect how well certain plants are able to grow in an area.

I like to think that American agriculture is a lot like a bag of potato chips…

CarolynCares OriginalChips

When you open a bag of potato chips, there are all different sizes and shapes. The same holds true for American farms and ranches. If you look closely at the bowl of chips, you will see some that are large, some small, and some that are unique. Even though they are very different, they all taste the same. They are, after all, basically the same thing. Original flavor potato chips.

If you look at these chips as farms, there are all different sizes and shapes of farms. Some are large, some are small, and some are unique. If you put all these farmers in a room (bowl) together, you have a bunch of farmers who are farming for basically the same reasons – they love the land, they love their animals, and they want to take care of both so that they are able to pass their farm or ranch on to the next generation.

When you cruise down the snack aisle of the grocery store, there are a lot of choices between flavors, cooking method, potato type, and brand. We can look at those as being different types of farms. There are dairy farms, vegetable farms, livestock farms, crop farms…you get the idea.

I asked each member of my family what their favorite flavor of potato chip was, and they were all different. I’m pretty sure that differences in opinion within a family on how to do things on a farm or ranch is not that uncommon, either.

CarolynCares Different Flavors

This may seem overly simplistic to some, but I hope you get the idea. We need the diversity in agriculture in order for us to have the opportunity to eat a well balanced diet. A well balanced diet meaning a variety of foods eaten in moderation, not meaning a potato chip in each hand. 🙂 We need the diversity in size, in management style, in location, and we need both vegetation (crops), and animals to make our food system work as a whole. There is no one right way to farm or ranch. That should be an individual decision made by the farmers and ranchers who are on their land and tending to their animals every day.

Suddenly, I’m hungry. I think I’ll go eat a Pringle. I just won’t be one!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Benefits of Raising Pigs Inside

Livestock farmers all over the upper Midwest are bracing for a cold spell. How do we make sure our pigs are safe?

Over the last few days, Jonathan has made sure the stand-by generator is in working order. We would need that in the event of a power outage. He also made sure the LP tanks were filled, to ensure plenty of fuel to run the heaters in our barns.

We like raising our pigs in barns, especially during cold spells like these! When Jonathan does chores every morning and evening, he is looking at the health of the animal, the food and water supply, the high and low temperature swings, and the quality of air in each barn. Even with the temperature at -10, and windchills at -26, the barns never went below 73 degrees F last night. The heater is set to turn on at 72 degrees, so it never had to run.

I wrote more about how we care for livestock in winter storms in December 2012. Click on the title to read Blizzards and Caring for Livestock.

Another benefit of raising pigs inside is disease control. There is a horrible sickness that is spreading like crazy between pig farms. It doesn’t matter if you raise your pigs inside, or outside, they can catch it. All pig farmers try to keep their pigs as healthy as possible, but sometimes that becomes really difficult. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus has been found pretty close to our farm. By eliminating the ability for birds to land in their pens, and restricting the people who come into contact with our animals and equipment, we can hopefully keep them from getting sick. (To read more about PEDv, click here.) We hate when our animals get sick, just like we hate when our own kids get sick. We are thankful for a good veterinarian who will help us figure out the best treatment for our animals when they do get sick.  We treat our animals a lot like we treat our family. We keep them safe, warm, fed, and as healthy as possible. When they do get sick, we treat them according to the advice of the veterinarian. The difference is, we know we are raising the pigs for meat – meat that we feed our family, and meat that will feed many of our friends.

For us, climate controlled barns are a good way to raise pigs year ’round in Minnesota.

Happy Pigs!
Happy Pigs!

My friend, Janice, of A Colorful Adventure, has complied other storm related blog posts. Head on over and check them out!

2013 – A Photo Journey

I love looking back on our year and reflecting the good, the bad, and the excellent. This year, I thought a photo journey of highlights from our year might help you to see what happens on our farm and in our family over a years time.

January started out with a pretty good cold snap. When Laura was home on break, we tested out the “throwing water into the air” theory to see what would happen. We were pretty excited that it worked! And yes, it was really cold, and she was out in a t-shirt. She takes after her mom in that regard!

CarolynCares January
Laura tossing water into the air

February was still pretty cold. Last winter, we had snow 8 months in a row. It gets to the point where you just want to curl up with a hot cup of Russian Tea and a good book…and stay there until spring!

Russian Tea mix
Russian Tea mix

March brought Anna’s senior recital at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. She is a percussionist, so her recital covered many different percussion instruments, including clay pots. Many friends and relatives came to support her, and to share in the day.

Anna playing the toms
Anna playing the toms

April brought a bit of warmer weather, and some thawing. We started to plan our field work schedule and get equipment ready for spring planting.

Spring thaw
Spring thaw

By mid-May, we were finally able to see the growth of the barley. It is always exciting to see the plants emerge, and the landscape turn from brown to a gentle green.

Rows of barley
Rows of barley

We had a very eventful June. We hosted the final stop of our county Farm Bureau’s I Met a Farmer tour. The tour participants traveled to a dairy farm, pig farm, beef farm, and then to our crop farm. They had supper in our newly built shop (finished that day!), and then were brought back to the starting point. Most of the participants have no agriculture experience, or are at least 15 years removed from the farm. They are business people and leaders in their communities across our county. This is an excellent way to teach them about agriculture in their area, and it puts a face on farming. I’m looking forward to our 3rd Tour in 2014!

Jonathan explaining our farm to tour participants
Jonathan explaining our farm to tour participants

The other major event in June was our Century Farm Appreciation Party. Click on the link to read more about the day. It was so nice to be able to celebrate this milestone with those who have helped to make our farm what it is today – family, friends, neighbors, grain buyers, seed dealers, co-op employees, elevator employees…the list could go on, but so must this post!

CarolynCares June Celebration
The invitation

In July, I took a leap of faith, and signed up as a vendor at the brand new Cottonwood Central Park Market farmers market. I started CO Baked Goods, bringing homemade baked goods like scones, caramel and cinnamon rolls, and pound cakes to the Market. It was a fun adventure, and I hope to continue this year with an expanded selection of baking.

Maple Bacon Scones
Maple Bacon Scones

I love attending the Minnesota State Fair. This year, we had the opportunity to work at the Farm Bureau building for a few hours one morning. We brought Flat Ryan along for some fun. He met many of our Farm Bureau friends, including Eric Kuehl from St Cloud. After our shift ended, we explored the fair grounds and found friends to visit, foods to try, and animals to admire.

Eric and Flat Ryan
Eric and Flat Ryan

Our crops were growing well, we had cover crops planted on the harvested small grain fields, and were anticipating the dry down of the soybeans when a major storm blew through on September 19th. The sunrise was beautiful that day, but soon, it was as black as midnight. We had rain, hail, and wind gusts in excess of 60 miles per hour. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach the whole time. It was a farmer’s nightmare. After the storm passed, it was time to assess the damage. Most of our corn had been affected, as was our neighbors. It wasn’t laying flat, like that of friends a couple miles away, but it was messy. We could only hope that the stalks were simply leaning, and not broken. This would allow the corn to continue to mature without heavy yield losses.

Black skies at 8:17 am Sept 19
Black skies at 8:17 am Sept 19

October means harvest in our part of the world. Despite the storm in September, our yields were good. Harvest was going well, with only a few bumps along the way. We ended up combining our corn mostly one direction due to the winds, so it took us a little longer than normal. We were thankful for no injuries or illness while putting long hours in. We also remembered to take the time to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. Our office during harvest has great views of beautiful sunsets and full moons.

Full Moon Rising
Full Moon Rising

November is a time to give thanks for the blessings, the trials, and those things that make you who you are. We were fortunate to be able to host Thanksgiving this year. We had 17 people around the dining room table, and I am thankful for each and every one of them. We missed those who couldn’t be there, but they are loved just as much. It has been a few years since my family and Jonathan’s family have been together for a holiday. We thought it would be fun to introduce Anna’s boyfriend to as many family members as possible while he was here. The entire family welcomed him, and we all hope he stays around for awhile!

Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving Dinner

That brings us to December. What a busy time of the year! It is easy to get yourself stressed out, and to try to keep up with all the cool pins on Pinterest. This year, my decorating was minimal, as was my baking. I know that next year may be different, but for this year, simple was better. My family was okay with the simple approach this year. They realize that Christmas is more about the family time and the miracle of Jesus’ birth than the decorations or the cookies. I am blessed!

Happy New Year from our family to yours!
Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Here’s looking forward to 2014, and another great year of farming, faith building, family, friends, food, and fun!

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Perfection is Overrated

Have you ever uttered the phrase, “I’ll be happy when…”? Have you felt discouraged when looking at all of the cute home decorating pins on Pinterest, while you struggle to just keep your house dusted and your floors clean?

We live in society that is so judgmental. You need to look like this to be pretty. You need to wear that to be popular. You have to decorate your house this way to impress your guests. I am 40 (something), yet I still feel like I am in high school. I will never be an “it” girl, and quite frankly, I am thankful. I have spent enough years trying to be something I’m not, in an attempt to be accepted by people who will never give me the time of day. Even articles about how to be this or that in 10 easy steps make many women feel inadequate. Why do we do this to ourselves?

Who cares if you don’t have time to fully decorate your house for every holiday? Celebrate the holiday how YOU want to celebrate it, not how some magazine says you should. There is no way that I would ever think of making turkeys out of cupcakes, cookies, and candies. It’s not my style, and would only stress me out. I’d rather focus on the meal, and the guests at the table. Last Christmas, I didn’t get around to putting any ornaments on our tree. If it wasn’t a prelit tree, it probably wouldn’t have gotten any lights, either.

Who cares if every meal is not presented a la Martha Stewart? When my kids were young, we just tried to get a hot meal into them without tears, spilled milk, or something breaking. Feed your kids a variety of foods, and they’ll be happy. It doesn’t matter what brands you use, or where you shop. The important thing is sitting down together as much as possible to eat as a family. The conversations around the table are so much better when we are not stressed out about everything being perfect. It is totally acceptable to use paper towels as napkins at our house!

Who cares if you do not look like a supermodel? I have spent many years hating my body. Has that made me look any better? Nope. My self image issues have been noted by my daughters. It makes me sad that they have some of the same insecurities that I have, because that is what was modeled to them as they were growing up. Am I happier when I’m thinner? Yes and no. Being thin didn’t make me happy because I was thin. I was happy because certain body parts didn’t hurt as much, and I was able to do things that I couldn’t while heavy. After a couple of knee and foot injuries, I am no longer thin…but I’m not beating myself up over it anymore. I am working to reduce my weight, but not because I think that is the key to happiness. I know I need to do it for my long term health. Being healthy is important. Being skinny is not.

Who cares if you are a stay at home mom, or have a job outside the home? Every person’s career choice is based on their personal situation. Yes, there are times we are forced to make a decision based on factors outside our control, but it is still based on your situation.  The whys of your choices should not matter to anyone else. Our value isn’t determined by how much money we make a month. What should be valued is making a difference in the lives of other people. If that means staying home, great. If that means working outside the home, great. Don’t let anyone else tell you what you “should” be doing…unless it’s your boss.

Who cares if you are married, or if you have children? Having a child is not the end all be all of life. There are plenty of couples out there who are unable to have children, as well as those who choose not to have children. There are a thousand reasons why that may be, and to be frank, it’s none of our business. Same goes with those who are single. It really isn’t our business as to why someone is single. Some like it that way. Others would like a relationship, but haven’t found the right one yet. That doesn’t mean we should treat them any differently than anyone else.

Who cares if you don’t meet societies standards of the perfect farm wife or farmer. I may do many things on our farm, but I draw the line at things I consider yucky. I get reallly squeamish when it comes to spiders, mice, and snakes. If I see any rodents, I am outta there faster than you can say, “but they are more scared of you than you are of them.” Not possible! I admire women who drive grain trucks, who can back a trailer straight, and are not afraid to jump in a grain cart and just go. Admiring them for their abilities does not mean I think less of myself. I know my limitations, and I know what makes for a good working relationship with my husband. The role I have on our farm is one that Jonathan and I have worked out between the two of us. I don’t make perfect field meals, I don’t plan ahead enough to make freezer meals, and sometimes we’re lucky if we eat supper by 10:00 pm. You don’t have to be a man to be a farmer! The number of female farmers is increasing every year. If farming is what you want to do, do it!

Perfection is so overrated. We spend so much time chasing it that we forget to be happy with who we are, where we are right now. We are humans – crazy, flawed humans. We will never fit into the airbrushed molds of perfection. Love yourself, love your neighbor, love your crazy flawed life. Then, you will be happy.

 

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 7: Farmers

CarolynCares Farmer

I learned to be thankful for farmers by watching and listening to my grandpas. One was still actively farming with an uncle when I was growing up, and the others had retired. (I had three sets of grandparents, due to my birth mother’s death when I was 2.) Watching my one grandpa come in from feeding the animals in the morning, washing up with the Lava soap at the sink just inside the kitchen door before sitting down for breakfast, all with a smile, made a huge impression on me. We were given jobs to do when we stayed with grandpa and grandma, which helped to teach me a tiny bit of the work that goes into farming. Our jobs were easy at our grandparent’s, since we were from the city. We learned a little more about taking care of farm animals from our cousins who lived a couple of miles away. They had dairy cows for awhile, as well as pigs. We learned how to take care of calves, and how they milk the cows. I was always fascinated by that, and wanted to be able to take care of my own animals some day. That wish came true when we started raising pigs in 1989.

As an adult, I’ve learned that farmers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, religious, and political beliefs. Their farms are very diverse, growing everything from apples to zucchini.  The one thing they have in common, is an appreciation for the land and animals in their care. Some days the work is difficult, and some days pretty easy. Even with all of the uncertainty with weather and commodity prices, farmers are a pretty optimistic bunch. There’s always tomorrow (sorry if you are now thinking of the song from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), or there’s always next year are common phrases. I believe it is an attitude that is passed down through the generations. In the photo above, Jonathan’s great-grandfather, Daniel Olson, is working in the field. He moved his family up to our farm from Iowa in 1913. His wife and children probably had no idea what they were moving into. As we celebrated our farm’s 100th Anniversary this summer, we all were very thankful for that optimistic attitude that prompted them to seek a better farm.

In the 25 years I have lived and worked on the farm, I have learned how to communicate with other farmers. Many times, as I’m interacting with farmers from around the world through social media, I learn about a way of farming that I had never witnessed before. The food that they grow is one I like to cook or bake with, but had no idea how it was grown. I love when those farmers take the time to share their way of farming, and I am thankful that they care enough to share their stories.

To read more blogs written by farmers, check out Holly Spangler’s page, where she has compiled a list of other 30 day challenge bloggers.

Introduction to the 30 Day Challenge

Day 1: Family

Day 2: Harvest

Day 3: Music

Day 4: Bacon

Day 5: Flowers

Day 6: Coffee

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 2: Harvest

CarolynCares Harvest Home

We are very thankful that we wrapped up harvest for 2013 on November 1st. This year was a tough corn harvest for us. We had a wind storm in September that blew down quite a bit of corn. We were more fortunate than some of our neighbors, and less fortunate than others. By the final day, we were down to a few acres of corn that just didn’t want to go through the combine. In spite of the annoyances that corn harvest brought, we are so thankful that the harvest was brought safely home.

Be sure to follow Holly Spangler, and the rest of the 30 Day Bloggers by clicking here.

Introduction to 30 Day Challenge

Day 1: Family

Agriculture is Not One Size Fits All

We all like things neat and tidy. We want everything to fit into the box we see as ideal. Our perceptions as to what is right, true, and good are shaped by our experiences and the people around us. Funny thing is, even those who have grown up in the same family have very different opinions on how they do things.

There are 5 kids in my family. Three of us have three children. Even though we were raised the same way in the same house, we parent very differently.   We all remember family things differently. What sticks out in my sister’s mind as a significant event, I may have totally forgotten about. We each see the same things in a different manner.

When Jonathan and I went on our first date, I can remember what I wore, but I can never remember where we went to eat. Jonathan has a great memory for the details & places of significance in our relationship, but I tend to remember the emotions. It’s part of what makes us work together well. We can help to fill in each other’s gaps.

What does this have to do with agriculture? Everything. We each bring our unique perspectives to our farms and ranches. We have certain ways we like to do things, for reasons we probably cannot explain. Does that make me wrong if I do something a different way than you do? Absolutely not. The diversity in agriculture helps to fill in the gaps. We can’t all grow cotton or rice or soybeans or tomatoes. Consumers are asking for choices, and we have the ability to provide that.

We farm our crops organically. We like the process. The management, the record keeping, the constant assessments in the field, the soil management, the relationships with our buyers – we like it all. It suits our land, and it suits our personalities.  Neither one of us thinks that everyone would be good at organic farming. We’re okay with that. We just want the opportunity to be the best organic farmers we can be. If your passion is raising cow/calf pairs in South Dakota, that’s awesome. Be the best rancher you can be. If your passion is raising vegetables and running a CSA, more power to you. It’s not where my passion lies, but I’m glad it’s yours – especially when I want a BLT.

The point is, agriculture is not a one size fits all you have to do it this way everything is black and white industry. Find your passion, and run with it. Just remember, my passion is going to be different from yours, and that’s okay. Just concentrate on being the best you can be in whatever you choose to do. Everyone should be given that opportunity.

Related posts:

Who Am I To Judge – For Farmers and Consumers

What Does it Mean to Love Our Neighbor?