Pre-dawn light.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

Sustainability

  • Returning to the Trail

    I view trail hiking with trepidation. Since entering a low-wage work world a few years ago, where standing for long shifts on concrete floors contributed to plantar fasciitis, I haven’t jogged and reduced the amount of trail hiking I do. Now that I’m semi-retired, my feet appear to be healing. I’d like to get back… Read more

  • The Clean Power Plan is not Killing Coal

    We’ve known the 45th president seeks to eliminate regulations on the fossil fuel industry so it’s no surprise he announced his intention to modify the Clean Power Plan developed by President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency. The plan was announced by the president in Charleston, West Virginia at a campaign-style rally on Aug. 21. Here’s what… Read more

  • Holiday Weekend

    Since 2013 I’ve worked at the apple orchard on Labor Day. The holiday coincides with ripening of Honeycrisp apples which is one of our most popular varieties. There are more than a dozen others, including Gala, McIntosh, Red Gravenstein, Burgundy, Cortland, Ginger Gold, Red Free and Akane, ripe and ready to pick. It rained on… Read more

  • Taking a Deep Dive

    It’s raining as I type on the keyboard. Rain is to relent and I hope it does because one of the farmers for whom I work is getting married today. In our small family there are not many celebrations. I’m not sure what to do at a wedding, although I’ll figure it out by 3:30… Read more

  • Newspapers Are Working – So Subscribe

    Despite significant decreases in staff and other expenses, many newspapers crank out stories relevant to our daily lives. For example, Jason Clayworth and Brianne Pfannenstiel published a full-page article about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell’s tenure at Younkers in the Gannett newspapers on Monday. I don’t know how many people will read the article but… Read more

  • Late Summer in Iowa

    A pall fell on Iowa as the family prepares for tomorrow’s funeral of Mollie Tibbetts, the 20 year-old college student who was murdered near Brooklyn, Iowa. Many of us feel a connection to her whether we knew her or not. She went jogging and never came back. We grieve with her family and friends. Many,… Read more

  • Writing in Summer Rain

    Thunderstorms have been rolling over all day bringing needed rain and a chance to get caught up indoors. I’m less freaked out about the amount of food processing ahead. There have been more cucumbers than normal and I canned the last seven quarts of sweet pickles this morning. That will be the last, I promise.… Read more

  • Irony About Climate Change in New Orleans

    It is no surprise the Heartland Institute hosted a conference called “The America First Energy Conference” for climate change deniers on Aug. 7 in New Orleans. Heartland is the libertarian think tank that teamed up with Philip Morris to deny the health impacts of tobacco use. Climate change denial is high on their priority list.… Read more

  • A Difficult And Strange Season Of Weather

    By Carmen Black (Editor’s Note: Iowa Farmers deal with an existential reality that is the weather. Regardless of increasingly polarized discussions about climate change, weather affects real people in tangible ways. Carmen recently wrote this piece to members of her Community Supported Agriculture project Local Harvest.) The weather has been consistently challenging from the late… Read more

  • Public Health Approach to Gun Violence

    On page A5 of Tuesday’s Cedar Rapids Gazette was the headline “75 shot in Chicago last weekend.” From 3 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Monday 12 people were killed and 63 wounded, mostly on the south and west sides of the city. It seems like a lot, even for a large city. Shootings in Cedar… Read more