Working Hard?

So, obviously the blog posts have gone by the wayside. Sorry about that! The summer is the busiest season. There is weeding and watering, harvesting and replanting for fall crops, and all the livestock. No matter how much you love what you do, there are days when you need a little more to keep you going. My (the almost witty daughter) favorite way to keep inspired is to listen to podcasts while doing field work. I thought I'd share a couple of my audio crushes right now.

If you are feeling like food is boring or you just don't really care anymore, try The Food Craftsman. It's new and has so far focused mostly on California creators. I have hope that as it continues and its audience expands we'll hear more from around the country. The show is short and sweet with great quality. I finish an episode feeling inspired and energized on all the awesome things we can do with the food we eat, not to mention exploring niche business markets!

Scott Mann is brilliant and has created a vast network of very talented people working in permaculture and agriculture. The Permaculture Podcast features interviews with some of the brightest and most entertaining people. It focuses mostly on permaculture which is the agricultural system focusing on care of people, care of earth, and care of surplus. This is manifested in everything from solar power to food forests to local banking. This podcast serves as both an introduction to the many varied world of permaculture and expert details found no where else. It has also quadrupled my reading list, which is an impressive feat! Our farm isn't necessarily a permaculture farm but many of the tenants cross over to our mission and work.

Pat and Les will be back soon with more pictures and updates on the farm. In the meantime, let us know what your favorite podcasts are. How do you stay inspired to use local foods and organics?

Summer Stargazing

When it's too hot to do anything outside all day, you'll want to enjoy the fresh air at night. Our family rarely gets the opportunity to rest on hot sunny days (too many weeds to pull!), we still like to enjoy the cooler nights outside. One of our favorite things to do is stargazing.

Les used to get the kids up in the middle of the night to go out and see meteor showers. There was usually some grumbling about getting up or not knowing where we were going. I especially remember my older sister, Heather, being quite frustrated with Dad's mysterious answers to queries about our destination. But once we saw the beautiful sky, it was all worth it.

Now, if you live in the city or around street lights, it might be difficult to see all the stars. However, a quick car ride to your nearest country road will open the sky to you. We are lucky in southern Wisconsin to have less light pollution than say, New York or California. Just be careful around the road and look up!

There are plenty of websites that will explain what you're seeing, but sometimes knowing which constellation is which isn't as much fun as making your own up. Bring black paper and glow in the dark chalk (stick them under a lamp for 2-3 hours right before you head out) if you have kids. They can find a few stars and draw their own constellation. Our family also likes to look at the Milky Way (that bright, long clump across the sky) and for meteors. On or about August 12 is Perseids. It's one of the biggest meteor showers in the northern hemisphere. It last for days and usually has one night in the middle with hundreds of visible meteors. We highly recommend checking it out! It's our family's summer tradition.

What does your family do during the hot weeks in the summer?