Teenytinyfarm’s Weblog
A learning farmer’s blogArchive for January, 2008
Super Tuesday in Florida…
So today is Super Tuesday here in the Sunshine State….
It is my belief that voting is a huge honor and responsibility. It should not be taken lightly nor should it be avoided.
I will not forget those denied a vote in this country at one time or another in it’s history. Quakers, Jews, Catholics, people of color (15th Amendment), women (19th Amendment) , and young people (26th Amendment)- and I will not forget the fights they fought so that I can vote.
Having said that, I loaded the kids up today (awful colds and all…) and headed off to vote. I always take the kids- always have. I think it’s important for them to know what voting is, and why we do it. We had a lively discussion on how great it would be if you were the only one that made choices and decisions. Then we talked about how not so great it would be for everyone else to have to follow your whims. They got it. I explained how your vote may not be what “wins”, but that you threw in your thoughts.
I know the system isn’t perfect (“pregnant” chads ring a bell?! Lobbyists, vote buying…)- but it still works pretty well- and if you want change, you have to do something about it.
Not Dinner Table Conversation…
This area may not appear at first glance to have much to do with farming, but upon closer inspection, I think that you will find my ramblings here relevant to what we are trying to accomplish on our farm and in our lives.
Topics covered here, politics and religion for example may not be polite dinner conversation…then again, you may find that they lead to a more thought proving meal!
Irish poet Oscar Wilde said it well- “a man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” I also agree with French philosopher Voltaire- “Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.”
How to Prepare the Garden…
Here’s how we used to prepare a patch of ground to become garden space, ready?
Step 1. Pick spot- should be sunny, and well drained.
Step 2. Go get shovel.
Step 3. Begin digging up grass.
Step 4. Stop to stretch back and wipe sweat! This is Florida- it’s hot!
Step 5. Go get tiller.
Step 6. Try to start tiller.
Step 7. Realize tiller needs gas.
Step 8. Go get gas.
Step 9. Fill tiller.
Step 10. Start tiller.
Step 11. Slowly pull tiller through soil, being careful not to compress soil. All around desired area.
Step 12. Put tiller away. Try to shake the vibration feeling from hands!
Step 13. Go to pig pen and chicken coop with cart.
Step 14. Gather “organic” material from each spot.
Step 15. Push cart back to garden area.
Step 16. Dump “matter” and work into soil with rake.
Step 17. Smooth area with rake.
Step 18. Plant!
Wheww….. takes a loooonnnggg time.
Then, we began to think…hmmm…maybe, perhaps, there is a better way!!! And there was!
Preparing the garden plot now goes like this:
Step 1. Set up electric fence in area to be gardened.
Step 2. Let pigs come into said area.
Step 3. Toss a bit of corn on the ground and allow pigs to root up all the grass. This doesn’t take long at all! Also allow pigs to deposit “organic matter”.
Step 4. Call the hens, toss more corn. Allow hens to eat and deposit as well.
Step 5. Move pigs to new area.
Step 6. Go get rake.
Step 7. Rake freshly “tilled” area.
Step 8. Plant!
A much easier method! And, as a bonus- the pigs love, love, love to root. They also use no gas! And the grass the dig up can be used to patch where the dogs have dug up! I think this method is much better for the Earth, the pigs, and my back!
A few good books….
Here’s a list that you may enjoy- I’ll add to it!
Some of the books vital to our farming and living:
Farming:
- Backyard Livestock by Steven Thomas- all about small scale livestock. A great beginners book.
- The Storey books- check storey.com for a great selection of books on do it yourself topics from cooking to gardening and from animals to knitting.
- Make Your Small Farm Profitable by Ron Macher- all about doing instead of dreaming.
Parenting/home school:
- The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer. Fantastic read.
- The Sears and Sears Parenting book- great attachment style parenting books.
- Feed Me, I’m Yours! By Vicki Lansky Great cookbook for making baby food, toddler snacks, and for big people too!
- The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer. This is a great book for home school! Pick and choose the parts that will work best for your child. Excellent history ideas.
- Usborne, Kingfisher, and DK usually have very nice kid books.
Home school…
We began homeschooling when our oldest was born! Seriously. Education and learning are a way of life for us- not something that occurs between 7:30 and 2:30 five days a week. We think of our children in terms of the adults we’d like them to be. Compassionate and passionate. Giving and growing. Happy and healthy.
That said, what do we do? There are as many ways to home school as you can imagine. I know families that do traditional school at home, religious based schooling, unschooling, unit studies…you get the idea. We pick and choose. Some days we do a very traditional school day, some days we may do a unit, some days we follow whatever we’re interested in at the time. Some weeks are very, very full of learning- we work fast and furious. Then we may break for a few days…we really like the flexibility.
Home schooling has been a fabulous gift- a wonderful time at home to enjoy our kids, to be inspired by them. We hope to be able to continue, but with as expensive as everything is, it may not be something we’re able to do much longer. We’ll see and hope for the best!
