FARMERS AT THE CROSSROADS

Farmers’ worlds have changed. Gone are the days when you looked out over farmers’ fields and saw only corn, soybeans, wheat, oats and hay. Changing weather patterns, economic issues and different lifestyles have all changed the role of a farmer. The crops are more varied now, specialty crops like tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, kale, potatoes and others have encroached on the traditional farm crops.

Part of the reason for this is that machinery has gotten bigger and more sophisticated. What once took a week to do can now be accomplished in a day or two. I remember my Dad’s two-row corn picker and now sometimes the norm is 16-row corn heads. Sometimes you wonder how they can even turn the big machinery around in a small field.

Another reason that farmers are diversifying is that they want to keep the farm in the family and that means adding new income sources. Gone are the days that Mom and Dad just turned the family farm over to the kids. They now need more acres and more sources of revenue to support more than one household.

It also used to be just a fact that kids would follow in their folks’ farming footsteps. Many are leaving farms today to seek careers in other fields. New technology and challenges and more opportunities are needed to entice them to stay on the home place.

So, many farmers are at a crossroads these days. They need to diversify or die. The truth is sad but true. The good news is that there are some exciting and creative ventures out there to give new life to old acres and to bring added income to the family farm. Sometimes these new ideas can coincide with mainstream farming with only a few tweaks.

Here in southern Michigan on a drive through the country, you can see almost as many specialty crops as you can corn and soybeans. This year there are cabbages in the field west of me. In this particular area, water is hard to find so irrigating crops is challenging. Cabbage does not require as much water as other crops so it is a good fit. It takes a number of years for farmers to recoup the benefits of installing an expensive irrigation system so planting crops that will turn a profit off the land without installing irrigation is enticing.

A prime example of farmers being creative in using their acres to add to their “regular” farm income was spotlighted in a recent article in SUCCESSFUL FARMING magazine and reported by Raylene Nickel. Andrew Dixon graduated from high school in 2006 and wanted to find a way to make room for him financially on the family farm near Tullahoma, TN. At the time, the main income was from growing soybeans, corn and wheat and raising cattle.

Their search led them to the University of Tennessee’s Center for Profitable Agriculture (CPA). The brainstorming led to the family selling decorative cornstalk bundles. When Andrew was a senior in high school, they were selling 5000 bundles a year, making profit from a by-product of the corn that was already planted on their farm. Who would have thought!

Today, their farm’s agritourism business, named Granddaddy’s Farm, incorporates a 4 1/2 acre corn maze, 18 acres of pumpkins, 1,600 mums, winter squash and gourds and square straw bales along with the original cornstalk bundles. Although their season is short, from mid-September thru November 1, it supplements the farm’s revenue stream enough to employ Dixon, his brother Philip, his dad, grandfather and a full time employee. A little ingenuity can go a long way!

There are many other opportunities for farmers to supplement their farm income without re-vamping the entire farm. Here are a few:

WOODY ORNAMENTALS

Woodies are trees and shrubs whose branches are harvested and sold to florists for arrangements. They need not be planted each year and can be harvested over and over again for decades so there is no additional capital spent on them. Different varieties are ready for harvest at different seasons so, if forethought is put into the varieties planted, this venture can provide additional farm income all during the year.

TREES AND SHRUBS

A large number of container plants can be grown in a small area. One thousand square feet can support 1500 2-gallon potted trees or shrubs. Seedlings are usually available for around a dollar each and you only need fifty cents more for pots and soil. After two years’ worth of growth, they sell for about $15 each. That is a 750% markup. This year, and most years, that would definitely beat the price of corn and beans and it only takes a small space.

WILLOW TREES

Shoots from willow trees are in great demand for use in arrangements, wreaths, baskets and willow furniture. The trees are trouble-free and easy to maintain. The University of Kentucky reported that growers could harvest four to five tons of willow shoots per acre. At $7 per pound, that’s $56,000 per acre and that’s not too shabby!

MUSHROOMS

Gourmet mushrooms can be referred to as “little brown nuggets of gold” because they provide a very handsome return for little investment. It only takes six weeks from planting to harvest so multiple crops can be grown throughout the year. Many restaurants will buy directly from the producer and oyster mushrooms are some of the more popular and profitable. A 100 square foot growing area can produce 2400 pounds per year and, at $12 per pound, that adds up to $28,800 for an area that is no larger than a small bedroom.

GARLIC

 It is hard to lose a crop of garlic because it tolerates a wide range of soil and weather conditions. Some growers even call it “the mortgage lifter” because one acre can yield 15,000 pounds. At the low end of $6 per pound, that is still quite an added gross income of $90,000 per acre.

HERBS

Herbs have come into the spotlight lately. Not only are they stars in the kitchen, but they are also making waves in the medicine world (something our forefathers knew before modern medicine) and in the essential oils market. They are relatively disease resistant and don’t require a lot of attention.

Specialty crops and other alternate farming out of the norm are ways to supplement income using little acreage. You don’t have to give up all of your acres to try something new. It is worth looking into although it is not for everyone. If you have to invest in expensive diversified machinery, then it probably isn’t worth it unless you are in the venture for the long haul. For others, it may be a way to ease the financial deficit in bad years.

It all boils down to your personal comfort zone. As one farmer put it, “Farmers have their up and down years. Do what you know and stay in the realm.” It is hard to step into a new venture after years of doing the same thing but it is also good to know that there are other options out there.

               

HALLOWEEN IS MORE THAN CANDY AND COSTUMES

Boo! Tis the season for pumpkins, candy corn, wickedly scary costumes and the big one…trick or treating. Halloween is the fun holiday, when we love to hear things go bum-in-the-night and to be scared…in a good way. Tis also the season for bright decorations and to celebrate the harvest.

But, how did black cats, witches, bats and other scary symbols of the season become representative of this festive holiday? Here are a few explanations:

BLACK CATS

The bad reputation of black cats dates back to the Dark Ages when witch hunts were common. Elderly and solitary women were accused of witchcraft and their pet cats were their “familiars” or demonic animals that had been given to them by the devil.

Black cats in particular have always been thought to be evil spirits. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed that people could disguise themselves as black cats and they became associated with witchcraft.

Another myth has it that Satan turned himself into a cat when socializing with witches. However, black cats are not always synonymous with bad luck. In Iceland, England and Scotland, when a black cat crosses your path, it is actually a sign of good luck.

JACK-O’-LANTERNS

Our festive orange, round-faced pumpkins turned into lighted faces has its roots in a sinister, tragic fable. In Celtic folklore, the story tells of a drunken farmer named Jack who tricked the devil but this trickery resulted in him being turned away from both heaven and hell after he died. Wandering as a lost soul, he fashioned a lamp from a turnip and a burning lump of coal that the devil had tossed from hell. Jack used the lanterns to guide lost souls. The Celts believed that putting Jack-O’-Lanterns out would guide lost souls home when they wandered the streets on Halloween.

BATS

Bats have gotten a bad rep even though they eat tons of mosquitoes. There is just something eerie about them. Add the fact that you only see them at night, adds another aire of mystique. Medieval folklore described bats as witches’ familiars and seeing a bat on Halloween was an ominous sign. One myth has it that if a bat was seen flying around a home three times, someone would soon die. If a bat flew into a home on Halloween, the house was believed haunted because ghosts had let the bat in.

SPIDERS

Most folks perceive spiders as creepy, crawly anytime they are sighted and are a common source of fear. As Halloween staples, the fear factor is doubled. Joining black cats and bats, they are evil companions of witches. One superstition has it that if a spider falls into a lit candle and is consumed by the flame, witches are nearby. If a spider is seen on Halloween, it is believed that the spirit of a deceased loved one is watching over you.

WITCHES

Ahh, witches, they are the epitomy of Halloween. The image of a haggard witch with a pointy black hat with a warty nose stirring a magical potion in a cauldron stems from a pagan goddess known as “the crone.” Ironically, the crone was also known as “Earth Mother’ who symbolized wisdom, change, and the turning of the seasons. Today, the good witch image has been replaced by the menacing, cackling and spell-casting wicked witch.

CAULDRONS

The Celts believed that, after death, all souls went into the crone’s cauldron which symbolized the mother’s womb and the earth. There, souls awaited reincarnation. The goddess stirring the contents of the cauldron allowed new souls to enter and old ones to be reborn. Just like with the bad witch replacing the good witch, the good image of the cauldron of life has gone by the wayside and been replaced by the ominous, steaming brew of evil.

WITCH’S BROOMSTICK

In the early days, elderly and introverted women who were accused of witchcraft were often poor and could not afford horses. Thus, they went through the woods on foot assisted with walking sticks. Sometimes these were substituted with brooms, hence the witch’s broomstick.

TRICK OR TREAT IN COSTUMES

It was believed that the veil between our world and the spirit world was the thinnest around this time of year. Ghosts of the deceased would mingle with the living and these visiting ghosts would disguise themselves in human form as beggars and would roam the streets begging. If they were turned away, they risked a curse. The actual act of trick or treating evolved when people dressed as ghosts and demons would dance around a bonfire and received treats to appease evil spirits.

ALL HALLOWS EVE

Eventually, what started as a fun day for kids, Halloween became rowdier and pranks became more mischievous, sometimes bordering on destructive. So, adults began to hand out treats to curb the pranks, the evolution of trick or treating. So, the destructive troublemakers chose the night before Halloween, All Hallows Eve, as the night to wreak havoc.

COLORS

The colors orange and black have long been symbols of autumn pagan celebrations. Orange symbolizes the crops and the turning leaves while black represents the death of summer and the changing seasons.

HEAVENLY CROWNS

Heavenly crowns, also known as feather crowns and angel wreaths, is a regional belief that is rooted deep in the Ozarks. When a good and saintly person sleeps on a feather pillow for years and it comes time for them to pass, feathers in the pillow form themselves into a crown. These crowns are symbolic of the heavenly crowns that a person will wear in heaven. Variations of this tale are heard in many places over the length and breadth of Ozark country.

There you have it, a little history behind the customs of our Halloween celebrations. Some can be a little eerie and on the dark side, but when taken all in fun, they can help make for a spirited night of celebration. So, give me the candy and the costumes along with a little sprinkling of these scary customs.

MAKING IT YOUR OWN SPACE

In this modern world people are more transient than ever. It seems wherever you go lately you see homes with “For Sale” signs in the front yard. It’s not the norm anymore for people to stay at one job for their whole career, sometimes they move several times to climb that corporate ladder. More and more people are downsizing, moving to different climates or re-locating to be by family.

Even if the move is positive, we are all creatures of habit and no one likes to leave the familiar. Many times homeowners will either completely or partially remodel their place before putting it on the market to make it more enticing. So, new owners are finding themselves moving into a perfectly lovely home that doesn’t feel like home.

Even though it seems a shame to “undo” a remodel, there are subtle things you can do to make it your unique space when you settle into a new abode. After all, a man’s (or woman’s) home is his (her) castle and home should be some place you look forward to coming back to. Here’s a few things you can do to make that castle your space:

11.  Paint. Even though it isn’t always cheap anymore, it is one of the more inexpensive fixes to give a room a totally different look. Don’t be afraid to change it up. Gone are the days when all four walls have to be the same color. It makes a room come alive when one or two walls are painted an accent color compared to the other two. Don’t forget about special effects. Ragging or sponging one color on top of another can give you the look of wallpaper without the struggle. 

22. You don’t have to be an accomplished artist to be a little creative. With a little black paint you can paint a simple tree on one wall. Just start with a basic trunk and go wild with the limbs, making each branch a little thinner as you go. Be sure to go big. When you are done, you can put family photos on the branches, creating a “family tree.” Guaranteed this will make at least one room very personal, after all your family tree is unlike anyone else’s!

33. Speaking of photos, there is not a better way to individualize space. Just by hanging some family photos on a wall will create that cozy atmosphere that everyone wants to come home to. Think outside the box on this one too by not always making them the usual “headshot” family photos. Vacation photos can be enlarged and grouped to remember a special time or dig out your funny face photos. These will be sure to pick-you-up no matter how dreary the day.

44.  Some people think new home equals new furniture. Provided you have money for both, this is a great idea. However, be sure to bring at least a couple pieces of the old, maybe that favorite chair that is sooooo broken or that little table that sets at the end of the hall that catches everything. By doing this, you will be bringing a little of the familiar and making the transition smoother. After your new home really feels like home, you can always ditch these older pieces if you want.

55.  The same holds true for accent pieces. That cookie jar that always sat on the old counter will be just fine on the new counter even if the colors really don’t match. For us, it is a pumpkin dish kept full of M&M’s. It’s orange, our kitchen is red and white with apple décor, not a designer combination. But that orange pumpkin jar is the first thing the grandkids go for when they come over. The dish stays.

The same holds true outside the house, it’s not too hard to make that personal too. First, take a       look at the landscaping. Even if it has been upgraded recently, you can always find a spot to add a shrub or flowering plant. By the same token, you can always pull out a shrub or tree if it doesn’t suit your liking. Many times this decision will have to do with how much maintenance the plants require. Some prefer a maintenance-free yard while others like to “dink” with things. A great low-maintenance choice is ornamental grass. It comes in many different varieties to suit your individual tastes.

 

Sometimes a little goes a long way. Maybe a new, but small, flower garden will work to add a little “pop” in an otherwise large lawn. If you are feeling brave, try a installing a fish pond. But be warned, this tends to be a project that keeps on growing. First you have the pond, then you add fish, then you add plants around the pond, then you add a bench to sit and watch the fish…guys be careful when your wife asks for one of these. I really think they are responsible for many a divorce!

Yard accents like rocks and driftwood can be fun to collect and make for unique landscaping.  The new solar-lit yard art is a fun and easy way to personalize a yard. It not only looks great at night when it is lit up but also by day.

A while back, my cousin Vicky and husband Dick decided to paint their dining room. They chose “Autumn Royal” to give the room a nice fall ambiance. I stopped in after they had painted just one wall. Whoa! Bright orange jumped out at all of us. Being the adventurers they are, they decided to go on and try it since they already had the paint. Amazing! It brings out the warm glow of all their wood furniture and actually adds a homey, autumn touch to the whole room. Who would have guessed!

This just shows that anything goes when it comes to personalizing your space. Sometimes it can be fun to live a little on the wild side and see where it takes you. The best part is that there are no right or wrong choices when it comes to making your home your home. What makes it right is what feels right to you.