Volunteer for Local Food

Interesting opportunity for those interested in local food issues in the Portland-Metro area:
http://cnrg-portland.org/content/interested-local-food-food-access-enjoy-volunteering-get-involved-august

Un-Farm

Back from a visit to "the farm" for the 4th of July. It was a fabulous visit full of everything a 4th of July holiday should be filled with. Swimming, hours of fire works, home cooking, catfish, paddle boating, silliness with the kids, and even a water park excursion. Yes, it was good! Super hot, fireflies, family time.

Also while there we had the chance to tour "the levee." This is a multi-million dollar levee system along the Missouri River where my dad, brother, and others farm. This year the levee is holding back record flood waters. Not the highest waters in history, or even recent history, but what promises to be one of the longest lasting floods.

Record rainfalls and release miscalculations upriver have created flooding along the entire river system. Recreational interests compete with farming and flood control in cities. Decisions have to be made over what areas to save, attempt to save or give up on. Already waters have broken through smaller levees where my family farms. Fields planted late due to long and heavy spring rains, just starting to produce, appear to be natural lakes or extensions of the river.

The biggest threat in the levee system dad and Aaron farm in is from sand voles and other creatures that like to burrow into the levees. Day in and out, farmers scan the length of the levee for signs of damage to the earthen mound that separates them from total losses. When a lighter sand colored spot is discovered, they rush to begin the process of sandbagging the area, slowly and carefully piling them in order to collapse the burrow. Upriver there's been a break already so the National Guard is there and a twisted form of relief in an outlet for the river creates hope downstream.

In anticipation of a summer of high, unrelenting water levels made by continual water releases from reservoirs upstream, "it is only a matter of time before there's a break," they breath. My brother, along with others that have the means, has moved his entire family to higher ground. My sister-in-law swears she will never return, will never go through this again. Others wait, precious items stored at the ready to move quickly.

While I wax nostalgically about the 4th and all the comforts and serenity of a holiday "at home." While others salivate at the "downhominess" of my stories, farmers and bottom dwellers stew in an exhausting broth of anticipated disaster. There are so many advantages to being an urban "farmer."

Random Connections

Spent the weekend at the coast courtesy of my friend Nani with a group of four other women. We spent the weekend talking about our "career bliss." It was a fabulous, intense, supportive and challenging time.

Two of the ladies I got to know work for the Food Alliance. They are extremely intelligent, funny, and passionate people. One grew up on a farm in the Midwest and, like me, has maintained a strong interest in agriculture. She also has that feeling of being pulled back to the farm and calls the Midwest home still.

The Food Alliance itself sounded fascinating to me. I'm excited to look into it little more.

I am so glad Nani brought us together.

Portland Food Policy

If you are in Portland city limits, you might be interested in the comment period for the city's food policy. This includes policies related to urban gardens, chickens, and bees.

http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?c=53834

Last of Spring Flowers

InFARMation Meeting Tuesday at Holocene

This meeting looks interesting - especially as most of us do these urban farm things in our free time after a 40 + -hour a week job:
InFARMation this Tuesday - 21st Century Householding

Tues 6/14 – 21st Century Householding

Preserving, planting, planning, partnering with farmers, buying in bulk, buying locally, gardening, budgets, cooking from scratch, DIY – these are all aspects of incorporating “sustainable” values into running a household, but they all take skills, time, effort, and knowledge. Join the discussion about “householding” and how that fits into the large picture of supporting family farmers and ranchers, but also supporting the bigger sustainable food system and balancing a sustainable life for ourselves and our families. How does anyone do it all with just 24 hours/day and 7 days/week? We’ve got some great folks on tap to lead this inter-generational discussion and lend their experience, tips and advice: http://cnrg-portland.org/content/infarmation-tuesday-21st-century-householding

Spring Cabin Fever

OK, when will I ever learn that fall is the time to prep the garden for spring planting? I'm sitting here wishing desperately that I could plant the starts that are withering away on my back deck. I have access to a big beautifully sited piece of empty land just on the other side of my neighbors' and I can't plant it. It's too wet. We tried to till it a few weeks ago. Normally, after 3 days of sunny dry weather you can till a virgin plot. This puppy hasn't been tilled since I've lived here for almost 8 years and it has had grasses growing on it this whole time. I thought for sure after 3 dry days we could get in there. Nope. Well and it doesn't hurt that it's a lot of clay. The land still just sits there. If we had done this in the fall when things were dry, we could have added some lime to break up the clay. We could have worked in the dozen bags of manure that sit in the back of Jovi's truck, waiting. Waiting.

The up side is that our front yard looks fabulous! The best ever. All the rhodies are in full bloom with lusciously deep purple blooms and vivid pinks. The absinthe green of new growth on the natives lights up the overcast afternoon. Parker Palmer writes about the winters of our days both metaphysically and physically. He says the key is to "get out in it." Bundle up and embrace the season so you don't go crazy avoiding it or waiting it out. There is some serious wisdom to that.