Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2019 i Farm and Ranch Living

IT’S BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIME, so I imagine many of you are getting kids down the lane each morning to wait for the bus. I love this season and all its possibilities. Clean notebooks. New backpacks. Fresh pens. For ag teacher Jordan Leonard, whose farm diary begins on page 21, this season brings all of that—and another opportunity to get her students out of the classroom for some hands-on learning. Her dedication to teaching the next generation of agricultural leaders is impressive—she rents a farm close to school so her students can work with animals they can’t have on campus. Beyond growing up on a farm, there are a surprising number of ways to learn the fine art of agriculture. Traditional college programs exist, sure, but on page 34, you’ll learn about…

The name says it all. Our red heeler, Calamity Jane, is fearless, relentless and loving. She keeps dependable watch over the fields, and she is passionate about making sure the pesky mule and horses stay on their side of the fence. Sweet Calamity can run like the wind and turn on a dime. We adopted Calamity from a small rescue in Eden, Mississippi. The owner there said she’d been dumped at their doorstep, all skin and bones, with fleas, fly strike on her ears, and some hair loss. The shelter got her up to date on her vaccinations, spayed her and started her on the road to recovery before posting her for adoption. Until we met Calamity Jane, we didn’t realize how many homeless dogs were waiting to be adopted…

Welcome to my little slice of life here in Davidson County, North Carolina. I am Jordan Leonard, a first-generation farmer and an agriculture teacher at East Davidson High School. I’m also a National FFA Organization adviser and shooting team coach. I teach freshmen through seniors, among them honors students, those taking early college classes, and exceptional children with learning disabilities. Their farming experience varies, but they all learn within the same class. When I attended North Carolina State University, I started dating my now-husband, Casey, whom I knew from high school. He’s a mechanical engineer and, along with my parents, Jeff and Gaye Shipton, he is a major support in this crazy life I lead. I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to teach agriculture, but there was…

We dairy farmers receive 25-30% less for milk than we did five years ago. Prices have gone down for a number of r easons: • Overproduction • Tariffs • A decrease in milk consump tion • Fewer exports to European countries that have increased their own milk pr oduction • Reduced dairy product purchases by China • An embargo imposed by Russia upon foreign dairy products An average dairy with 180 cows produces more than 4.8 million pounds of milk per year. A loss of $4 per hundredweight (cwt.) equals $192,000 per year. We try to cut back on expenses, but eventually you run out of things to cut. Because other costs have gone up and the bank still needs to be paid, farmers produce more milk, which adds to…

1 SHALOM FARMS Founded with the mission to raise and distribute fresh, healthy food to communities lacking access to it, Shalom Farms is also busy teaching new generations of farmers. Tucked away in Midlothian, Virginia, they offer summerlong internships for high school and college students, as well as apprenticeships dubbed “The Farmer in Residence” that last all season and include housing and a stipend. And then there are the younger students, who come for educational visits and to volunteer. “These students learn a sense of sustainability and understand that they can actually take care of themselves if need be,” says Krissy Lull, a third grade teacher at Byrd Elementary school who brings her pupils to the farm. “One student, Lisette, is adamant she will be a farmer,” Krissy adds,…

Louisiana is the nation’s second-largest seafood supplier, and its fishing industry was already in decline because of competition with imports when Hurricane Rita hit the coast in 2005. In 2008, it was Hurricane Ike. The storms were devastating, but they also gave the region a chance to rebuild. In 2013, the Seafood and Farmers Market in Delcambre became part of that effort. Wendell Verret, port director and farmers market manager, says the port authority took advantage of a USDA farmers market development grant to create an outlet for local commercial fishermen. Held the first Saturday of the month from April through December, the Delcambre market offers seafood lovers the chance to buy fresh off the boat. Shoppers come equipped with coolers and line up on the docks to purchase shrimp,…

Mary Lentz of Plano, Texas suffered for over twenty years from leg and feet problems. Doctors prescribed one prescription drug after another. Then electrical stimulation. Then surgery. But after all these treatments – her legs and feet actually felt worse. Mary was fed up with suffering. She took matters into her own hands. At wit’s end, she discovered the best herbs for natural relief. She took them, and within just days, her leg and feet problems began to disappear. Now she walks her Golden Retriever Max every day (which she couldn’t do before), works in her garden and regularly plays tennis with friends. “If I kept listening to my doctors, I’d be a shut-in today. I’d be in a wheelchair or in a nursing home. I am so thankful for…

WHAT’S BETTER THAN A BARN that smiles back at you? For decades, folks who happened by the Smiley Barn in Delafield, Wisconsin, got to enjoy that experience. Today, they can again. The barn was built in 1897 to hold Brown Swiss dairy cattle on a 200-acre farm. Eventually the cows moved out, and a group of businesses that moved in during the ’70s added the plywood smiley face and, several years later, its signature yellow exterior. Since then, the barn has had various looks and owners. New paint covered the yellow, and the smiley face was removed. Current owner Maria Luther operates a candy and toy store out of the barn, and she has restored the outside to its former smiley face glory, ready to welcome new and old visitors…

SPIDER SOLUTION I noticed in the February/March issue of Farm & Ranch Living, on page 58, that a reader was having trouble with spiders. We have found that if you spray with chrysanthemum flower juice, also called pyrethrins, it will eliminate spiders for six months to a year. You can either hire a professional to spray it or purchase the solution and do it yourself. We have used it for many years. I am 91 years old and enjoy the magazine very much. WAYNE SISSEL TIPTON, IOWA A TINY CONTENDER We are “entering” your tractor contest, with an explanation: My husband, M.E., has owned and liked Farmall tractors since the late 1940s. I make ornaments with repurposed wine corks as a hobby, so I made this tiny Farmall tractor for…

As a teenager, I was fortunate to live with my grandparents for several years on their farm in rural Illinois. My time with them gave me a true understanding of life on a farm. Every day, Grandma Marlene prepared the noon meal for up to 10 people, mostly grown men. For some people that may seem like a daunting task, but Grandma was well prepared. After all, she grew up with 12 siblings. My time with them gave me a true understanding of life on a farm. The men were hired farmhands and family, there to help plant, care for the farm and bring in the harvest. Grandpa Tom and my Uncle Sam grew sweet corn, strawberries, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes and more, and extra hands were always needed (and…

Like many National FFA Organization teachers, Jordan Leonard quizzes her students on the FFA Creed to help them learn the philosophical statement written by Erwin Milton Tiffany in 1930. “My favorite paragraphs are probably the last two because they embody the need for us to work together and help each other, but also learn to stand on our own two feet,” Jordan says. I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so—for others as well as myself; in less need for charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me. I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the…

Every Saturday morning from mid-May through late October, Fernando Aguiar or a member of his family can be found standing behind the Aguiar Farm produce stand at the Prescott Farmers Market in Arizona. This market is the closest to their family farm, which is in Paulden, 25 miles away. The Aguiar family has been selling its peppers, chiles, cabbage, greens, corn and other produce at markets in the region for six years now; all are grown without pesticides, herbicides or chemicals. Fernando spent 30 years working as a plumber around Phoenix, but farming had always been the dream. He grew up on a farm in Mexico, and as he and his wife, Margarita, raised their family in the States, he craved a return to the land. So at the end…

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S’WHEAT EDUCATION My daughter Brynnleigh had her first combine ride at 5 months old. Kirk Otto, whose farm I help out on, took this photograph to document the occasion. MICHAEL GASPER NEW LOTHROP, MICHIGAN 1 DUCKS...ER...PIGS IN A ROW Summer entertainment is sitting on the patio watching the pigs graze on the lawn. When they’re full, we entice them to the barn with treats. Here my friend Carol lines them up so everyone can get a bite of apple. JODY DADISMAN WEST DES MOINES, IOWA 2 MOO! I LOVE YOU My granddaughter and her friend were having fun with their heifers while waiting to go into the show ring at the state fair. I think this picture sums up the love and trust shared between a child and…

Everyone has a favorite potato salad, and this is mine. As a young bride, I was eager to learn how to cook and make things that my new husband would love. I combined my mom’s and his mom’s recipes, and this is the delicious result. ANGELA LEINENBACH MECHANICSVILLE, VA PREP: 20 min. + chilling COOK: 20 min. + cooling MAKES: 12 servings 4 lbs. medium red potatoes (about 14), peeled and halved 5 hard-boiled large eggs 1 cup chopped dill pickles 1 small onion, chopped 11/2 cups mayonnaise 1 tsp. celery seed 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Paprika 1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes and cool completely. 2.…

FARMSHARE AUSTIN Situated on a 10-acre certified organic mixed-produce farm 20 miles from Austin, Texas, Farmshare educates tomorrow’s food producers today with its Farmer Starter program. “The class meets Tuesday through Thursday for about 18 weeks with two sessions a year—one in spring and one in fall,” says Andrea Abel, Farmshare’s executive director. “We concentrate the program to three days a week to enable students to have other jobs or to ease commuting. Students also have the opportunity to live on the farm during the class.” Hannah Beall, who recently took over Hairston Creek Farm, outside Burnet, Texas, is a Farmer Starter fan. “It was a very enlightening, immersive experience that laid the groundwork for me to feel confident enough to venture out into my own farming career,” she says.…

TELL YOUR STORY Vendors should take advantage of social media. “Storytelling is a powerful tool,” says Kathleen Yetman of the Prescott Farmers Market, which features profiles of its farmers on its website. Storytelling can help build intimacy between producers and their customers, which fuels this connection. NETWORK Tap into the knowledge that fellow market farmers and producers hold. By talking to one another, vendors can learn how to best organize the truck for speedy unloading, how to attract more customers, and even general business management tips. “You never know how other people are going to be able to help you, or how you’re going to help them,” says Shelburne Farms’ Andi Wandt. PRESENTATION MATTERS Stall design is critical, and most markets offer advice. Burlington Farmers Market, for example, hosts workshops…

We hid a drawing of a horseshoe like the one above on page 43 of the June/July issue. Then we drew names at random from all the readers who found it. Each winner received a year’s subscription to Farm & Ranch Living. We hid another one in this issue. It could be hidden anywhere, so keep a sharp eye out. Enter the contest on our website at farmandranchliving.com if you find it. From those submissions, we’ll draw additional names and send those readers a year’s subscription or subscription extension to Farm & Ranch Living. No purchase necessary to enter to win. Purchase will not improve your chances of winning. The sweepstakes is open to legal residents age 18 years or older of the U.S., its territories and possessions, or of…