Sustainability
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I made corn tortillas for the first time last week. They tasted okay, but weren’t the best. They served. A tortilla press is forgiving but my dough texture and portioning needs practice. The second batch was better than the first, so there’s hope of better fresh tortillas. Tortilla-making was not part of our family culture… Read more
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“January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.”~ President Donald Trump inaugural address It would be one thing if we had entered a new era of Jacksonian Democracy where the common man raised into prominence. Plain folk like me would apply common sense to problems… Read more
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Weekends at the apple orchard are as good as life gets. Families and individuals arrive to walk among colorful deciduous trees, drink a cup of hot, mulled apple cider and bag some apples for traditional uses in apple butter, pies, sauce and crisps. Like leaves on the trees, cold brings out the best in people.… Read more
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Regardless of winners, there are only two issues that matter on Nov. 6: climate change and nuclear weapons. They represent the only existential threats to society as we know it. Will Democrats or Republicans do a better job addressing climate change responsibly? I don’t know. Stakes have gotten higher. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change… Read more
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The phone rang as I was preparing for a shift at the orchard. Heavy rains had Rapid Creek flooding its banks and the nearby pumpkin patches. Apple trees on the south side of the creek would be inaccessible until the water receded, maybe Sunday, my supervisor said. We chatted a bit then I let her… Read more
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We don’t have mountains in Iowa. There are only so many cliffs. The idea of a landslide conjures something abstract and usage is mostly related to politics and the hope of a big win in the November general election. Politics is not what I have in mind. I’m on a bit of hiatus. Not sure… Read more
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What happened in September? We are in peak apple season at the orchard where I’ve been working more hours compared to August. Time at the home farm and auto supply store continues to be predictable work and a regular paycheck. I’m working more volunteer hours in politics as the general election is just six weeks… Read more
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We were busy at the orchard last weekend with perfect fall weather: sunshine and cooler temperatures. Throngs of people visited picking apples, buying apple products, and having fun with friends and family. We are at peak apple cider sweetness this week. Gala and Honeycrisp apples make the cider sugar content highest of the year. A… Read more
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Another week of summer and already I’ve turned to fall. This is Jonathan apple weekend at the orchard, marking halfway through the retail and u-pick season. When I think of a red apple, I think of Jonathan. We grow half a dozen varieties, including the heirloom. Except for the 89 degree ambient temperature yesterday it… Read more
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It’s down to eggplant, green beans, peppers, butternut squash and kale as the garden winds down in late summer. Four crates of tomatoes remain to be used, and the ice box, storage shelves and freezer are nearing capacity. The next project is planning the garlic patch for October planting. I think it will go where… Read more
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