S-Wheat Farm Life

Tractor Tracks, Cowboy Boots & Glamin' it Up on the Farm!

2013-05-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

A few years ago when a female farm friend, Caroline and her farmer- husband Mark divorced, I remember giving her what I thought was the best advice ever. And what I told my girlfriend was “now that you are single, you can paint your whole house PINK if you want to!” (and she did just that!) But what I was really conveying was the fact that beginnings and how you choose to shape your new life are just like a farmer’s Spring work, in that what you sow is what you will reap, and the method of how you do that, will not only affect you, but will also affect those around you.

Note - my "pink shop door". Love my little tractor too!

My Red Boots!

A chandelier in my farmhouse kitchen. As I "girly up the farmhouse"

And this blog is again what I have learned from a wheat plant and what I am discovering about me and my new beginnings. I had the title of this blog for 3 or 4 months and didn’t know how I was going to integrate Tractor Tracks, Cowboy Boots and Glamin' it up on the Farm … all I knew was that one day I would know what to write, and then… it all came together yesterday as I took an early morning walk.....

Welcome to the S-Wheat Farm

Enjoying the quiet beauty of the fields, I started noticing the tractor tracks in the fields all around my farmhouse and ideas started forming. Farmers leave all sorts of tracks in their fields from the initial seeding of the fields, to doing the maintenance of the crops, and then there is a flurry of many tracks when it is harvest time, and again ending with more tracks when seeding winter wheat in the Fall. The tracks left in the fields are necessary. Depending on the stage of the plants, usually they will recover from being heavily trod upon, but sometimes not and their growth will be affected. It depends on much they are driven on. If it is often (say for a road through the field) then the plants will die out, but if it is once or twice, they will usually produce a good wheat head but their size may be stunted and the difference between rows of hard use and untouched are markedly different. Just like in life, people all leave tracks in our hearts and souls, sometimes tracks are barely noticeable, sometimes deep rutted tracks get left when going through a trouble spot (just like our personal lives) and then those kinds of tracks leave deep impressions, other times the tracks are noticeable but not problematic.

Light tracks in the field

A trouble spot in the field where deep tractor tracks (or ruts) are made.

Tracks in the wheat field, noticeable, but not problematic
I want to tread lightly and leave only the tracks that leave good imprints in the minds, hearts and souls of people I come into contact with. And as I pull on my cowboy boots each morning, I realize some of the tracks I have left on people were not the ones I intended, so sometimes I have “repair work to do” to mend those ruts, but hopefully the tracks that I leave are ones that will evoke fond memories of life and laughter from family, friends and those I come into contact with knowingly or unknowingly. And speaking of cowboy boots, I have never worn any (really) in my entire life until last Fall! And.....well I have become a boot collector… and I have black boots, brown boots, a pair of gray boots and my favorite, my red boots. I now think I need to get some PINK boots as well as turquoise boots. Then maybe my boot collection will be finished. And I LOVE cowboy boots and was almost sad as I have had to replace my boots with sandals for summer (but living in Idaho, summer really only lasts about 2 months- so I will survive).

YUP a very PINK front door PINK Flamingos go well with the PINK flowers

As for "Glamin' it up on the farm"… well I am changing up the house and grounds for me. I have never really been a “Pink kind of girl” but I am starting to really LIKE Pink and I painted my shop door PINK, and then I painted my front door PINK and I planted PINK FLOWERS all over. So in a sense, I am taking my own advice! I am in the process of painting and distressing my kitchen cabinets (that are NOT pink) and I put in a green chandelier that took the electrician and I about three hours to put on all the doo-dads and crystals & stuff…. And he seriously was begging me not to tell anyone about this job as it was way too feminine for him! Ha ha ha. So now you have the story about Tractor Tracks, Cowboy Boots & Glamin' it up on the Farm.

Plus I have some new recipes to put on the Cake of the Month page....

Carmel Nut Pound Cake

Did I mention I LOVE to bake.... all these cakes are found on my Cake of the Month page

Lemonade Cake, Coconut Lime Cake, Root beer Cake &

Carmel Nut Pound Cake

On a personal note... well after a couple of false starts, I think I am ready to start dating again, but apparently I must be sort of, for lack of a better word... socially inept when it comes to flirting... And how do I know this? Well after I related a minor interaction with someone of the opposite sex, I got the same reaction from not only my youngest daughter but the other girlfriend who was present... and it was the slap the forehead, roll the eyes and have them blurt, "I can't believe you said that!" Geez, now my girlfriend from Spokane is coming down to spend the night, as she says "she misses me", but she has never come down in the middle of the week in the 12 years she has lived in Spokane, so all I can surmise is that I must be in serious need of "Girl 101 talk" (my words not hers). So when she arrives, I will invite her to come sit on my deck, we will drink beer and I guess I will get lessons on how to flirt.... Lord help me! =) ha ha ha... I guess when it comes to talking to the opposite sex, there are other topics other than tractors, weeds, crops and insects! =) I will listen and take notes as I really do not want to be the "Erma Bombeck of the dating scene"... although it could be an amusing chapter in my upcoming book.

And with that, I hope all the "tracks that you leave in others lives" will be the ones that they cherish and are happy that you were there, just as I will forever from here on out be mindful of the kinds of tracts that I leave in other's lives. All my best, Gayle

P.S. you can always email if you have questions/comments at idahofarmwife @gmail.com .

Getting from Point A to Point B, a Life Journey

2013-04-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

“You should write a book about what you have gone through as a way to maybe help other women heal from bad situations” is what my wise friend, Jacie told me not long after those life altering events occurred last Fall. And you may have noticed my recent blogs have had a different feel and tone, as I not only try to paint with words what farm-life looks like, but I have started painting with words how this farm-chick’s heart & soul sees life in general. A sort of weird combination….. the healing process and my lessons learned from a wheat plant or farm-life on how to try and live a better life.

And from what I can see readers seem to like the new format too as my statistics on readership have increased. And this is a small taste of what the book will be about, plus lots more…. So I do have to thank you for being my unintended guinea pigs. Currently I have a title to my book and a basic outline, of which I shared with Jacie and she loved it! Now all I need to do is get myself marooned on a quiet island somewhere with Internet and a well equipped kitchen to finish the book. Cooking is such a big part of my life.... that it has helped me heal and become whole again.

With increased stats, this blog has started getting noticed by other companies wanting to promote either their products or advertise on my blog. And while I will not let the blog be used as a tool to promote a company or product, I will, however, share their products and do give aways if I feel they have a value to you. I will also do a link to the company if you want to check them out, but other than that, this blog’s purpose is and will remain a way to connect the consumer to the farmer.

And here is my “Wheat / Gayle’s Life Lesson”…..From its inception, the wheat plant knows what its purpose is. And unless outside factors strike it down, it will grow and fulfill its life cycle with the end game being a fully filled wheat head.

And like a wheat plant, every person has their own path and purpose with many choices of how to go down their life’s road. Watching the new wheat shoots coming out of the ground and making the rolling hills a non-stop look of a huge lawn... I felt connected to the land and to the new wheat coming alive after being dormant for winter.

Looks like a really big newly planted lawn

Kaitlyn and I have been experiencing the same thing, meaning that we are coming alive again after the cold spell in our lives, and now we are enjoying much brighter days filled with hope and joy. It in no way means we didn’t value our previous lives, it just means that we have chosen to take the path towards the sun, a warm and sunny place in life. We all have seen others who chose the not-so-sunny paths in their world, clinging to the bitterness of events that suddenly presented itself in their lives, unasked for, unwelcome, but still a change that shifted the world that was familiar and loved. Unlike a wheat plant that only has one path, we can choose our paths. Happiness is a choice.

This is what the new wheat will look like in a few

more weeks, a sea of green, blue sky, white clouds. I just realized my bedroom

colors are this exact theme....guess I love Spring!

Recently a publishing company wrote and asked if I would review a book, call “A North Country Life” written by Sydney Lea. This book is about the author's view of his own path in life and the lives of those he connected with, and I said yes ... To be honest, it took me a bit to grasp where the writer was coming from as his writing style was unlike any I’ve read…. But by chapter 3 I began to love his views and he tells stories about paths in his life from a very different perspective. It is almost like being inside his head and hear him talking to himself as he is walking along and comes across a familiar place he loved while as a young man, or that a sudden memory of a loved one who passed away, but left such an important stamp in his heart and soul. And for me, I believe the view from everyone's road of life has scenery that is special to him/her and we all have our own viewpoints. The publisher has offered to give me some books to give away and I want to share the book with you! So all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog about what you like about the blog (deadline is May 15), and I have a panel of un-biased people who will select the 2 winners. When you leave a comment, please email me your contact info so if you are selected, that I can send you the book!

As for what is happening on the Anderson Farm?? Well last Fall, Cody, our young hired man choose a new path in his life and the bright lights & big wages of a big city lured him to Las Vegas. And taking Cody’s place is Vaughn, a longtime friend of Farmer Joe’s, a recently retired mechanic for the State of Idaho DOT. Vaughn's expertise in the mechanical area will be an asset.

Spring work is well underway and the crew moved their parade of farm equipment up to the Genesee farm, wherein hard white wheat is being planted along with garbanzo beans.

Improvements to the barn have been made to put a new concrete floor and pad out front for ease of working on equipment. (Gotta keep the hired man a happy camper) Can't view this video? click here.

With that, I am only a click away and hope you will always feel free to ask any questions about what is done on our farm and how it affects your dinner plate at Idahofarmwife @gmail.com. And a final personal thought from me to you is that I hope the path you choose is filled with goodness and grace of a life well lived (and if you have time, Rascal Flatts says it better than I ever could in his song," The Wish"). All my best, Gayle.

A New Season in Life... Spring!

2013-03-28T10:41:00.001-07:00

Farming the rolling hills in Northern Idaho is sort of like life, you have hills to climb up or climb down or go around to get where you need to go.

We all have those "hills" in our lives and it just depends on how you decide to view your walk in life. I've been reading some amazing books that talk about keeping a positive mental attitude no matter what. Sometimes it is hard to figure out which direction to go, and yes, the struggle to make it to the top of the hill isn't so much fun, but very much worth the effort in experiences and lessons learned along the way.

And so.... if you've read the past blogs about both my daughter and I suddenly finding ourselves single, well here is a brief update. Kaitlyn bought a cute new (but old-looking Craftsman like) farmhouse in a neighboring town and moved into it the last week-end in February. She is settling into her new life and home pretty well and is doing quite well in her MaryKay career. But to be honest, she (as well as myself) will trip over a poignant memory or a what should have been....and a wave of sadness will splash over us, but after shedding a tear or two both of us will usually end up laughing and once again brushing off the sadness and moving forward. As for me, well I have been focusing on "Girly-Up House Projects" & started a new page on some how-to projects found on the page "S-Wheatie Pie Projects" My other daughter, Jen and I are working to do a S-Wheat Farm Chick Vintage sale this Fall, so mostly I am found with a paint brush in my hand working on various projects. I even am taking Country Swing and 2 Step dance lessons to prepare myself for a cousin's wedding in Montana this summer. Just doing that all by myself was a big step out of my comfort zone and I have found it is really fun. Plus I get to wear my red cowboy boots! I also agreed to be a Marketing Committee Chair for Chicks n Chaps, a breast cancer fundraiser for an upcoming rodeo. In short, I keep myself pretty busy.

Both Kaitlyn and I realize that we continue to be so blessed with the wonderful readers who offer their love, support and sometimes their favorite quote to stay strong, such as, "Strength does not come from a physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will". Gandhi. Which was sent to me by blog friend, Cheryl.

The Rolling Hills of "Palouse"

And now for what is happening on the Anderson Farm.... well a couple of days ago as the ground was being worked, I finally "smelled Spring in the air" that heavenly scent of fresh dirt. Yup, I am a total farm-chick nut who likes to smell the smell of dirt over anything else, just wish I could bottle that smell....

Farmers Jay & Joe have finished planting Spring Barley and Soft White Wheat down at the southern Tammany farm, and have now moved up to the Genesee farm. This picture below is volunteer wheat from last harvest. As the field rotation will be garbanzo beans, the farmers need to prepare the fields by spraying out the volunteer wheat and any weeds.

Volunteer wheat from last year's harvest

And this is what was being done to the field. I wanted to share what it looks like for a tractor in the field as it goes up the hills, down the hills or around the hills.

Guessing this to be a 45 degree slope

Cresting the hill

Starting the decent of the hill

The decent and moving to reaching the other side

Being on top of the hill

Even though I share what a farmer does, we are all American Heroes who go about our lives and jobs. mostly unnoticed. So in my view, we are the great American workers, as we all do our jobs in different work forces, and here is a very worth while contest that I wanted to promote. The Great American Worker Contest by Brawny. So hats off to all of you who do your job, just as I do mine. Together we are what makes this country great. P.S. if you are a reader and win this pick-up, please share the news with me! And with that, MAKE TODAY COUNT! All my best, Gayle

2013-03-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today is National Ag Day and I wanted to share the following YouTube video.
if you can't view the video, click here)

And as you gather around your dinner table tonight, whether or not you personally know any farmers or ranchers, say a prayer for those of us in the business of growing America's food. And should you see or hear something that concerns you about how your food raised, go to your State organization and ask them the questions or ask them to put you in touch with a farmer that is in your area. Believe me, local and State organizations would welcome your questions. For a listing, you can check out my other blog, Farmer, Inc The Real Story. that has many blogs of the real life people who raise our food, plus a link to the local, national or state agencies that can give you the true information.

Again, thanks for stopping by and I am always just a click away at idahofarmwife@gmail.com All my best, Gayle

"How to Talk to a Farmer" 101

2013-03-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Reading your blog is exactly like talking to you in person... was the comment from good friends, Eric & Karen, of whom I dined with the other night. Both were raised on farms, and although no longer are involved in the farming industry, they still like to stay connected via my blog. And they are not the only ones who want to stay connected with those of us who raise America's food. So while I am working on my next blog, I wanted to share the following that I received as this is the exact reason why I take my passion for blogging and telling the Ag story, because I farm, you eat and want to know if what I grow is OKAY and SAFE. (As always, thanks for stopping by & if you have questions/comments, I am only a click away at idahofarmwife@gmail.com ) All my best, Gayle

And so... I am happy to share the following:

As much as we love food, less than 2 percent to the population is connected to the people who grow it. But, talking to your farmer is not as difficult as you think. Farmer marketing pioneer Michele Payn-Knoper offers five ways foodies can spend 15 minutes a week engaging with farmers.

HOW TO TALK TO A FARMER

Five Ways to Spend 15 Minutes a Week Engaging the People Who Grow Your Food

LEBANON, Ind. – March 14, 2013 – Do you know a farmer? If the answer’s no, you’re not alone. Research shows we’ve never been more disconnected from the people who grow our food. Less than 1.5% percent of the nation lives or works on a farm, with the majority several generations removed from first-hand farming experience. But, farmer marketing pioneer and author Michele Payn-Knoper suggests it’s easier than ever to connect with a farmer.

According to a recent survey by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, “three in five Americans would like to know more about how food is grown and raised, but don’t feel they have the time or money to prioritize,” said Payn-Knoper, author of the recently released book No More Food Fights! Growing a Productive Farm & Food Conversation. “But in reality, technology can help fill the chasm between farmer and foodie.”

As the growing season begins, Payn-Knoper offers five ways to spend 15 minutes a week on average engaging with farmers:

Find them on Facebook. “Farmers are just as prolific online as the population in general, and many are active on Facebook. Like their pages, ask them questions and share your thoughts. They want to hear from you,” Payn-Knoper said.
Read and comment on their blogs or websites. “Similarly, farmers have active websites or blogs they frequently update. Many offer opportunities for comments.”
Twitter up. “Farmers also are on Twitter and frequently engage in tweet-ups with each other or consumers.” Twitter groups like @foodchat and @agchat facilitate the conversation.
Plan a visit with three types of farms. “Farmers increasingly offer on-site tours. Check their websites and take every opportunity you can. But, mix it up. Visit a small farm, big farm, produce farm, dairy farm, or ranch.”
Visit a farmers’ market during off-peak hours. “The proliferation of farmers’ markets makes it easier than ever to literally reach across the table to shake the hand that feeds us. But, plan your visit for either the beginning or end of the market – when farmers have the most time to talk one-on-one.”

No More Food Fights! is the first-ever book to speak to all sides of the food movement. One of North America’s leading farm and food advocates, she wrote the book after continuously witnessing the growing divide between farmers and eaters that she believes is causing confusion in the grocery aisles and placing the future of farming at risk.

No More Food Fights! is available in print for $16.47 at www.CauseMatters.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other fine bookstores. Digital versions are available for iPad, Kindle and Nook. Learn more at www.CauseMatters.com.

A Portrait of Idaho and its people

2013-03-08T13:45:00.003-08:00

Idaho and it’s people are as diverse as its landscape, and when traveling to Boise in mid-February for the Governors’ award luncheon, I took a few pictures to show you what I meant.

But first I have to share a very sweet and funny (I thought) story that I had happen to me as I was trying to explain about the different race of people…. I had volunteered at our church to help the 4^th grade Sunday school teacher in making chocolate chip cookies. I can’t remember the exact reason I was pulled into this or what the lesson was supposed to be, but as I was lugging my extra-large Kitchen-aid mixer, all the ingredients for the cookies to the church kitchen, I had an inspiration! As I love to bake I had all the various kinds of baking chips on hand, not just chocolate. So as the kids and I were adding in the ingredients, I explained sometimes when mankind needs to do something really cool and good, that it takes all of Gods people to do it, and with that I produced chocolate chips that I compared to the darker skinned people, the butterscotch chips and peanut butter chips that I compared to the various browner skinned peoples, and the white vanilla chips that I compared with the Caucasian people. The kids listened intently and one little boy walks over to me, picks up a white vanilla chip and solemnly says, “these could be Norwegian people”! Oh my gosh! It took every ounce in my body to not laugh. And yes there are quite a few Norwegian/Scandinavian people in Idaho, especially up North where I live, but we are not all fair haired, and blue eyes… we also have a few American Indian reservations in Idaho and there are the Basque population down towards the Southern part of the state and we tend to have dark eyes, dark hair and more of an olive skin tone. Our colleges also bring in many foreign international students, so we have a bit of international culture that gets added to the mix as well. While Idaho may not be a melting pot of different cultures, I think we are a fairly friendly State. Below are some stats on our population.

2010 resident census population (rank): 1,567,582 (39). Male: 785,324 (50.1%); Female: 782,258 (49.9%). White: 1,396,487 (89.1%); Black:9,810 (0.6%); American Indian: 21,441 (1.4%); Asian: 19,069 (1.2%); Other race: 79,523 (4.2%); Two or more races: 38,935 (2.5%); Hispanic/Latino: 175,901 (11.2%). 2010 population 18 and over: 1,138,510; 65 and over: 194,668 (12.4%); median age:34.6.

Read more: Idaho: Map, History, Population, Facts, Capitol, Flag, Tree, Geography, Symbols | Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108207.html#ixzz2MEcFZeG9

And now the pictures will show that from where I live you will leave the rolling hills of good farm ground, drop down to follow the Salmon River as the road snakes through the mountain valleys, then climb up in elevation towards scenic McCall, Idaho and once again drop down in elevation as you reach Boise and the landscape changes from high mountains to sagebrush in the high dessert. All different, but beautiful each in its own way. Just like the people in Idaho. So hope you enjoy the Idaho tour.

The "rolling hills of the Palouse area" where I live

Heading my house, about 60 miles is the White Bird grade, en route to Boise.The original grade was steep with hair pin corners and you can still opt to drive it too.

On White Bird grade is the site of an Indian battle site.

Below, this river is a fun one and attracts many rafters that like to float the river. A world class adventure. The town of Riggins boasts several whitewater businesses that cater to the tourists needs to play on the river.

Once past White Bird grade, you drop down and follow the Salmon River.

The as you climb up in elevation, the land scape changes once again to mountain, trees and
snow as you get closer to McCall, Idaho

Another view of the highway heading to McCall

Very scenic

McCall's lake frozen over

The annual Winter Carnival, with amazing snow sculptures

The town swells to around 10,000 people for this fun winter carnival

Heading towards Boise, the land becomes more sage brushes and high dessert

Boise landscape, sagebrush is the normal site in Southern Idaho

As always, glad you dropped by and feel free to email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment. I always love to hear from you. All my best, Gayle

A Guest Post on Young Farmers

2013-03-05T13:41:00.002-08:00

Not too long ago, I was thinking about the number of "farm kids' in my kid's class, and here is what is happening not only in my small farming town, but across America. In the 1970s the farm kids made up about 2/3 or more of the class (based on Farmer Jay & Joe's class make-up). When our daughters were in school in 1999 and 2006, it was about 1/3 - 1/2 of the kids in the class were farm kids, and now that my grand-angel, Miss B is in 1st grade, well .....she is the only one out of a class of 21 that is related to a farm! The class below hers has 2 whose young daddies are full time farmers..... sort of scary... as our numbers are shrinking, but the demand for food is not. With that I had this amazing press release and YouTube video sent to me and I want to share it with you. So while I am writing my next blog, grab your favorite beverage or snack, put your feet up and take a moment. All my best, Gayle. idahofarmwife@gmail.com
click here if YouTube is not visable

Young Farmers Mobilize For Their Industry

Farmers feed your family, then take a second job to feed their own. It’s a sad, but true, reality for those trying to make it in arguably the most noble of professions, as over 70% of young farmers work more than 40 hours a week off farm to support their operations.

“When did feeding the world become a pastime?” said Sarah Wray, a board memb
er with the FarmOn Foundation. “Nobody would expect a restaurant owner to run his establishment, not even break even and then take a second job in the oilfield, just to make ends meet for his family. But this is exactly what is being expected of farmers. “

No more. Farmers feed this entire planet, and it’s time the world paid attention! The FarmOn Foundation is calling on young farmers to stand up, tell their stories and show people their own farming reality through the Farm Voices project. On April 22, Earth Day, the organization is rallying farmers to use the power of social media and post a photo and a thought to Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter about their experience as a farmer, attaching the hashtag #FARMVOICES.

“Young people have been at the forefront of every great social movement in history,” noted Wray. “The power of social media means that we now have the opportunity to effectively and powerfully speak for our own industry, directly to the audience we’re trying to engage.”

Too often, the agriculture industry has sat back and allowed others to have a more powerful voice with the public, rather than stepping up and telling their own story in a way that will truly speak to others. With the launch of Farm Voices, FarmOn hopes to mobilize a movement led by young farmers to create change and awareness with consumers.

“Currently, 80% of the content found online about agriculture is not favourable,” said Wray. “That’s ridiculous and has a lot to do with the fact that farmers are not speaking up and being vocal about the industry they love. That has to change.”

While farmers have proven amazing stewards of the land, they have left the story of their industry for others to tell. But it’s truly critical for sustainability and success that this trend does not continue.

“I don’t know about other farmers out there, but I’m sick and tired of groups like PETA trying to tell my story,” said Wray. “We take pride in our operations and the handling of our livestock, treating them with the utmost respect and care. It’s our turn. The world needs to hear the reality of the family farm.”

Stories & a Lesson Learned

2013-02-22T11:10:00.001-08:00

My role on the farm evolved from being the rookie truck driver to turning our everyday life into a story. As all stories go there are beginnings and endings but they almost always contain a lesson. And as this blog is a story in progress of how one farm helps to feed America, I again extend my offer to email me or leave a comment on topics or interests that you would like to see on this blog. But to get back to the story and lesson.... the thing that I learned about a wheat plant can be applied to humans, so let me explain....

Looking out the window of my farmhouse a few weeks ago, I saw the snow protectively covering the wheat that was planted last October as it is in a semi-dormant state waiting for Spring. And it struck me that there were a few similarities of its growing season and how we all grow (emotionally) as people. The wheat responds to the outside factors such as the sun, the right amount of moisture, & nutrients to help it grow and reach maturity. If the Spring conditions are perfect wherein the plant gets ample rain & nutrients, the roots don’t have any reason to reach deeper and develop. So if weather conditions turn harsh, then the plant suffers, sometimes fails to thrive or grow to its potential as roots haven’t had the hard times to develop a good root base to seek out life sustaining nutrients (especially in our clay based soil). Through the hardships that have come along in our lives, hopefully we have all developed a good root system to help each of us seek out what helps and nourishes us. Would I rather have it easy? Well yes, because I’m human, but I wouldn’t have had to grow and get out of my comfort zone had I been given everything on a silver platter. The recent series of adverse events have made me reach even deeper to ground myself and what I have found is that my friendships with our family and many women friends have grown to a much deeper level. Together we have opened up more than we ever have, shared some brutally painful insights and we all know that none of us leads a "perfect life", but our “roots systems” are strong and deep. And this strong support system is what helps Kaitlyn and I get through each day as well as surviving the first major holidays or special days. While it wasn't easy to get through the first few months, we are finding we have a new zest for life and getting on with the business of life.

As I was telling you about some of these amazing women in my life, well some of them accompanied me to Boise as I accepted the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Ag. It was a bittersweet experience, being recognized for my work in Ag advocacy, but doing it as a newly divorced farm spouse. None the less, still a bright spot for me! =)

In the event you are unable to view, click here

Here is the presentation from the award ceremony & I must say rendered me speechless, literally!

And as the snow protectively has covered the wheat plant, the kindness shown in comments, emails and acts of kindness from so many have been my "protective cover" during this winter in my soul.

So I’ll leave on this final note that the lessons we learn we on a daily basis, are that we all need to honor the past, live in the present and create a future no matter what life has in store for us. As ultimately whether the lessons that come along in life are good ones or hard ones, each offers the wisdom of how to grow and survive. My motto, Grow Strong and Live On!

All my best, Gayle

And as a side note, again thank you to all who have left heartfelt comments or sent me an email and called me, as they lifted my spirits in a way that I can't find words to describe. Drop me a line at idahofarmwife@gmail.com .

Idaho, Home Sweet Home

2013-01-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Recently a kind blog reader asked that I write about Idaho and my perspective of it. And so this blog is dedicated to Karla who said even though she lives in New York City, that when she reads my blog, somehow she feels a "connection" to Idaho and the land. If that isn't the best compliment ever, I don't know what is. Blogging has helped me slow down and focus on the amazing kinds of things that are within reach of my fingertips ....everyday. As I began this special blog, I realized there is so much to show, and so I will do a blog on Idaho each month in hopes of capturing its true essence. But for now this will be an overview. Writing not only helps me, but hopefully helps foster a picture in others of what farm-life and Idaho looks like, feels like and smells like. And when I can't find words to describe it,then I use photographs and with that..... Idaho as seen through this farmerette's eyes:

Blue sky, white clouds and green fields

In 1969 I came to Idaho from Montana and it March. The day we left Montana, there was still several feet of snow and ice, so when we reached Moscow, Idaho 7 hours later, I remember it was a beautiful sunny day complete with blue sky and white puffy clouds, and even though I was a young girl, I fell in love with the gentle rolling hills that had a glimmer of green. I didn't know what the green fields were, but I knew I had arrived in a place that I would forever call home.

Karla went on to ask if would I share what was my favorite and not-so-favorite things about Idaho, from its landscape to its people. So sitting in my cozy chair by my fireplace in the deep chill of winter, I will attempt to paint with words what I live each day and every day. Because for me, it is where my rainbow ends and where all the riches I seek in life are family, friends, faith and life-style.

Photo taken one evening in 2012 on "the Palouse"

The basic facts about Idaho is that Northern Idaho is vastly different from Southern Idaho and halfway down the State the scenery changes from farm fields to sage brush and more desert looking landscape. We also have a mountain range that is breathtakingly beautiful and that probably explains why some of the movie stars have a home around the Sun Valley area. I have had the good fortune to raft down the 3 branches of the Salmon river, which is a world class adventure. We are a rural state and one that is mostly Agriculture based. During certain times of the year, I can guarantee that you will come across a combine or a tractor on the highway.....

Traveling to get to get it's destination point during harvest

Up North where I live also called "the Palouse", the farms rely on Nature to provide the timely rains for crops and the kinds of crops raised are the cereal grains (wheat, barley, oats) and legumes (garbanzos, lentils or peas). In the Southern part of the State, mainly potatoes and sugar beets are raised and those are irrigated crops. Idaho has seen an increase in dairies too.

Around here, we don't really have a rush hour, more like having to sit occasionally through a stop light during a busy time is more like it.  I like to think we have a slower pace of life and a better work/life balance and for the most part, I find my fellow Idahoans friendly, helpful and kind. But as in the past two blogs that I have written about, life in a rural area is not perfect in any manner. We have the same kinds of concerns/problems that others throughout the USA have, but on a much smaller scale.

Today as I write this, it is January 19th and it was a spectacular day with a bright blue sky, white snowy fields that sport the occasional tracks of wildlife and the cold temperature has left the snow with a rough texture that sparkles in the sun.   A sunny day in winter is a gift as most days are gray and sometimes it is hard to distinguish where the sky ends and the land begins. The air has a crisp smell though, but not much in the way of a scent, just clean and cold. In the country, winter is quiet.

Springtime is sort of elusive and regardless of what the calendar says, I know Spring has officially  arrived when I catch the first heavenly scent of the earth. Usually it is mid March - late April, and as the days grow longer, the feel of the sun is stronger- it is when the farmers start getting the ground ready for planting.   When I breath in the smell of freshly tilled dirt- there is no other smell like it on earth and one that I have always loved.

Seeding Spring Wheat

Summertime will find the non-farmers camping, fishing or playing in the many rivers or lakes. Many Idahoans are out-doors enthusiasts who like their toys (campers, 4 wheelers, bicycles, motorcycles and boats). Farmer's however, don't get to play as much because this is our busy time, but we will squeeze in a fun week-end if we can. Humidity is not an issue here and we can always count on nice warm weather right about the 4th of July, but it seems like mid-August the nights will cool down and I always keep a sweater handy.

Mid-summer to early Fall on the Palouse is marked by harvest and pre-harvest has a smell to the air . I guess it is when Mother Nature says to the farmer, your crops are done and ready to be harvested!

I do love most aspects about Idaho, but there are a few things that are not so great

Our main highway that runs through the state is still mostly a 2 lane road. (I remember overhearing a truck driver talking to his dispatch and swearing that he was sure the back of his trailer was going to touch the front of his truck on some of our nasty curvy roads.)
I do not like the small group of white supremacists who sometimes spew their ugly propaganda, and give the rest of Idaho a black eye, as the majority of the population find their actions reprehensible and in no way do we condone what they think or do
I do not like Indian casinos that are sprinkled throughout Idaho. I feel any kind of gambling industry is unhealthy and that does more harm to our state than good.

As I like to end on a positive note, the good of our state far outweighs the negative and I have put together a short snap shot of Idaho and some of it's people. I hope you enjoy it. This doesn't even cover the other parts of Idaho, so I will try throughout the year to capture more of the essence of Idaho. (click here if unable to view the video)

I again, extend my invitation to tell me what you want to see on the blog and I'll do my best to make it happen, so drop me an email or leave a comment. All my best, Gayle. idahofarmwife@gmail.com.

P.S. Thank you to all who left those wonderful and heartfelt comments on my blog or who emailed me directly. The love and hugs felt through those messages were felt and were so appreciated by me and my family. =)

Endings are a New Beginning

2012-12-31T14:26:00.001-08:00

Sometimes there is a rare occurrence that happens with wheat, and one year our farm had a beautiful field of golden wheat. It was “picture perfect”, the wheat-heads were flawlessly formed, uniform and lush looking. All the right things were done, such as obtaining good quality seed, planting it in the rich earth, getting the proper nutrients on it, welcoming Mother Nature’s timely rains, it should have yielded well....

But when the combine pulled into the field to harvest it, there was nothing in the wheat- heads. They were empty as the wheat kernel didn’t form due to something having happened in the development stage. So while it looked perfect to the outside world, it was not.

Sadly, I have had to compare my marriage to this wheat phenomenon, where it looked picture perfect, but when tragedy struck our family with our new son-in-law’s untimely death last September, I leaned on the strength of my marriage and it crumbled. Somewhere along the line, I guess the magic faded and I didn’t know it. I thought I had tended to the marriage by doing the right things, saying the right things, nurturing it, but despite those efforts, my farmer husband didn’t get the right dosages of what it takes to keep love in a marriage and has opted to end it. Looking back, I can see where perhaps I should have done a few things better or differently but it takes two to keep up a relationship and I have my faults and farmer Joe has his, so I am not placing blame on anyone. The sudden turn of events shortly after Andrew’s death as well as the death of Joe's dad just 13 days later seemed to prompt this action and it could have been that when the grief is so raw and devastating that it made farmer Joe realize just how short life is and it made him yearn for a different kind of life and/or partner. All I know is after almost 28 years of being a farmwife, I have found myself single. As I pen this, I will be the new sole owner of my own small farm and will lease it back to farmer Joe and farmer Jay. So I will still be reporting on the Anderson Farm activities, but it will be different. In case you are wondering why I am sharing this with you, well let me explain that when I talk to my urban friends & readers, they tend to "idealize farmers and our farm life". While the picturesque setting of country life looks effortless and perfect, farmers are not exempt from life's ups and downs. And that is the “why” that I am sharing my personal pain, not to garner sympathy, but to share that we are not immune to some of the hardships that come along in life.

Through all this I have found that I am stronger than I thought and I have the good fortune of having supportive family and friends who have been at my side during these hard times. Our daughter, Kaitlyn, moved back home and lives with me in my farmhouse. She is an amazing and strong young woman as well, and together we have shed tears, drank red wine and vowed that while difficulties may impact us, they do not define us. We have picked ourselves up, brushed ourselves off and are moving on. And so a new chapter begins in both of our lives. As 2013 will be a year of new beginnings, I wish everyone the best! As for me, my personal goal is "living an ordinary life in an extraordinary manner". All my best, Gayle.

A recent Mom & daughter get away

P.S.

I anticipate I will start featuring other farm families and this blog will be a “work in progress” as I fine-tune what I want to convey about how food is grown in the Northwest. I do love to blog and connect with the outside readers, as it is a way for me to paint with words what farm life looks like, but I also blog for you. With that said, I welcome suggestions of what you would like to see on my blog as well. So please take a moment and send me your thoughts either by comment at the end or to my personal email at idahofarmwife@gmail.com , either way, just drop me a line or two.

And to show that I am on the road to recovery, take a peek at a new recipe I created.... Cranberry Chocolate Cake.

Cranberry Chocolate Cake

As always, glad you stopped by and last but not least..... you had better check out the other newest yummies on the OMG Desserts page. Plus I am getting the recipes slowly converted to being printable! Yahoo.

Note: You may have noticed that the blog has a new title, but it will still be located as www.idahofarmwife.net as this is how it is registered.

A Sad Chapter on the Farm

2012-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

It was a “fairytale courtship and wedding” but disaster has struck and our wonderful new son-in-law, Andrew, had his life end unexpectedly just a few days after their 2^nd month of wedded bliss. We are all devastated and our hearts are broken. As we are trying to make sense of this tragedy and pick up the pieces, we still have Fall wheat crops to get in the field….. and so next week, with a heavy heart Farmer Joe with the help of Farmer Jay will begin the process of planting the winter wheat. Grief knows no season and we will get our crop in the ground because our job is to feed America. With that, this broken-hearted farmwife will take a break from blogging about our farm and focus on helping our family find a way to heal the big hole that has occurred with Andrew’s death. So once winters icy grip has ended and when Spring emerges and fills the air with the promise of new life, I will revive my blog. As I write this, my heart is warmed by the outpouring of comforting words, prayers and kind acts that our friends within the community have provided us. During the happy time of the wedding and this sad time of planning a memorial service, we have gotten to know and love Andrew's family, so in that we are thankful to have had the privilege of calling these wonderful people "family". As I write my last blog for 2012, I did want to share some of the magic from the wedding just a few short weeks ago. I wish you well, Gayle

P.S. Please make sure and hug your loved ones as time is precious and sometimes short. G

Groom's parents
Step-Dad Ron, Kaitlyn, Andrew, Suzanne
(Biological father Bert & wife, Maria not pictured)

Bride's parents

As always, please feel free to email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com if you have questions or comments. Thank to all you have left sweet and comforting comments. G

A Collective Sigh of Relief

2012-09-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like life is on fast forward??? Since Labor Day it seems like I have been on a fast sprint with all the activity going on.... So first things first, we finished harvesting garbanzo beans yesterday and once all the crops are safely in the bins, we heave a collective sigh of relief.

Harvesting garbanzo beans is a dusty job

click here if unable to view the video

Mother Nature's packaging, a bean in each pod

Out of the pod, this is what they look like

So what have we been doing besides harvesting? Well here is a quick update, the Friday after Labor Day I picked up friend and reporter Pam Fretwell from Farm Journal Media who spent the week-end with us. Pam came to report on our Dinner on the Farm, and also incorporated a few more stories around our area which I believe will be showing up on her AgWeb Radio show in a few weeks. Pam is used to a fast pace, so when I picked Pam up at the airport, we were on a sprint with not a down-time moment, plus I drug her around to family events as well (she was a very good sport about it too - but then again, I supplied beer and she supplied the laughs!). And here is what I mean being busy....

As we drove around our area, the rolling hills were fascinating to Pam, who refers to herself as a "flatlander" and could not imagine farming on these hills as we do. In our travels, Pam would have me pull to the side of the road so she could take copious amounts of pictures - of which by now have found their way to her staff back in Illinois.

With harvest over, we are now wanting some rain to soften the fields as we have not had any moisture since July ( I'm hoping Mother Nature reads my blog so she will take the hint and send some moisture our way). We have begun the process of getting the fields ready for the Fall planting by chopping up the wheat stubble with our "stubble-buster" which basically breaks down the straw. The straw residue will protect the new crop that will be planted by helping keep moisture in, controlling erosion and the straw nutrients are good for the soil health (think of it as mulching on a really large scale).

Come October 3 we will be hosting the Japan Trade team in our home for dinner. The buyers love connecting and meeting some of the growers and it is equally fun for us to meet those who buy what we grow. So make sure and come back to read about that event. =)

Well take care and send me an email if you have questions or leave a comment too. All my best, Gayle idahofarmwife@gmail.com.

Dinner on the Farm 2012

2012-09-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

"Your Dinner on the Farm is different from what I had imagined it would be like" was the observation from Pam Fretwell of Farm Journal magazine . Chatting as we both were cleaning up after the dinner, Pam went on to say the overall feeling of the evening would be hard to convey into words. How do you write about rapport and relationship building without it sounding sappy? But we both had zeroed in on the bond of mutual trust and respect that developed between our guests and us.

This year's dinner conversation flowed just like the wine, where we talked some about farming, shared stories and we were never short on laughing (a lot)... although that could be attributed to Farmer Jay & Lisa's witty personalities, but I did notice this year's dinner guests seemed to share a deeper than normal rapport with us.

The guest list included 2 of the 3 person management team from the Moscow Food Co-op along with their spouses, 2 University of Idaho college students, and a new neighbor whose family moved in just down the road from Farmer Jay and Lisa. Besides Pam, Farmer Jay & farmwife Lisa, was our daughter, Kaitlyn and son in law, Andrew.

Dinner on the Farm Menu for 2012

Below Farmer Joe and Pam were visiting after she had interviewed him, of which the live radio link is below.

Farmer Joe and Farm Journal reporter, Pam Fretwell visiting

http://player.delvenetworks.com/preview/?m=c414154f86a74f9e9b766765def8835d

Highlight from the Dinner on the Farm.... click here if unable to view video

Well we are still in the midst of harvesting garbanzo beans, although Farmer Joe's combine has had lots of breakdowns this past week (& expensive ones too...eeek) so as it was being repaired, Farmer Joe (who is the President of the Idaho Grain Producers Assoc) took a couple of days off to fly to our nation's capitol to attend and represent Idaho farmers for the Farm Bill Rally that took place on Wednesday.

Farm Bill Rally

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and drop me an email or comment at idahofarmwife@gmail.com. All my best, Gayle

P.S. I wanted to expand on my guest list as we not only welcome all those interested in where their food comes from and who is growing some of what we all eat, but my rational is I do tend to target the clientele from our local vibrant Moscow Food Co-op. Why? Because their customers tend to care deeply about where their food comes from, they want that connection to the farmer, they have the disposable income to buy organic, and they are the ones who tend to watch the “Food, Inc.” kind of movies. Plus they are typically highly educated & they vote. So what better way to connect to this type of consumer to share the why and how’s of what a conventional farmer does (we do not grow organic crops). Thus, at least they have a better understanding behind what we do and the guests then have a personal farmer contact to ask questions if they see/hear something when they read/watch something from one of those kinds of movies. Because if we do not tell our story, then the anti-Ag unfriendlys who try to portray the family farm in an unfavorable light will try to tell our story their way. Plus I really try to cultivate a good rapport with the Food Coop management because together we can help their customers understand American Ag methods and together keep a common ground and conversation going about the people who grow America's food. G

A Flurry of Work & Fun on the Farm

2012-09-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Crisp mornings and cool evenings are Mother Nature's announcement that summer has ended and her Fall colors will soon be arriving here in the region we call "the Palouse". The ending of wheat harvest is also the unofficial signal that summer is over as well and all the fields are now sporting their "cropped look" as pictured below.

Wheat stubble

Here is the last wheat video from yesterday that Farmer Joe shot harvesting on one of our steeper hillsides.

Farmer Jay is harvesting garbanzo beans at the Southern Tammany farm and Farmer Joe is hoping to get started on the garbanzo beans at the Genesee farm today (Thursday) - so I'll hopefully have more photos and videos soon on that.

We have saved a small patch of the hard red wheat by our home so our Dinner on the Farm guests can get a ride in the combine and see it for themselves. This week (besides my off the farm job) has been a mix of cleaning, decorating and getting ready for our 4th annual dinner, so let's just say I've been a tad bit busy. I'm almost ready tho, so here is a peek of what the outside Fall decorating looks like.

Once the mums are planted in the bucket, it will be a nice look

I have 3 tubs of Fall decorations and this is what it looked like before I started.

Summer is officially over for me once the Fall decorations come out

Menu for the dinner at the front entry table

The fireplace mantel shows my love of the Fall things

The table is ready to be set

Tomorrow I pick up Pam, the reporter from Farm Journal magazine, and she will be doing the story on our dinner for her publication. So let the fun begin! I'll be posting more, so I hope you will come back to see what this year's Dinner on the Farm event looks like. Again, thanks so much for dropping by and be sure to email me if you have any questions or comments. All my best, Gayle idahofarmwife@gmail.com

Farm to Fork, Harvest Report Late August

2012-08-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

You have a beautiful life and family is what one person wrote in their email to me….. this person went on to say he was raised on the East coast where life was filled with jaded people in a hurry to go nowhere and he wanted a better life for his family. It made me thankful once again, that I found my path in life to be beside my 4^th generation farmer where we raised our family in our small farming community.

The grand-angels & Farmer Joe & the Idaho Farm Wife

Yes, we do have a slower way of life in rural America, our lives revolve around the crop cycles, and our interactions with others have a shared respect and trust, but it is far from an idyllic picture. While we love our way of life, farming is not without our own share of pitfalls. Joys or heartaches in our daily lives are all part of life regardless where we all live, but what sets a farmer apart from the non-farmers is that our livelihood is dependent on the good graces of Mother Nature and the market prices, and it is a gamble every year. Sometimes that gamble doesn’t pay off and risks taken by the farmer can result in a deep debt that takes years to climb out from under. As I have said before in my blog (it’s from something I read a long time ago), but hits home to so many of us in this livelihood – “ that many farmers will borrow more in one year to get their crop in than what most non-farmers will borrow in their lifetime, and a farmer will do this year after year. “ This year’s drought shows us just how vulnerable our food system is and just how many farm lives it has affected.

Harvest Sunrise

As for what is happening on our farm??.... well it has been a rather low key harvest so far as we are still waiting for the wheat to ripen. Which means we harvest only the parts of the field that are ripe and leaving parts of the field to finish ripening and will have to go back to in a few days - so we are "field hopping". This year's harvest pace has been more like a stroll rather than a sprint. Sunny skies are forecast and that is a blessing for us as we continue this process.

So while I’m telling our local farm family story, it is always my hope that this blog will reach someone in some way to assure them that the Anderson Farm, as well as the thousands of other farmers throughout the USA work hard to maintain the safe and abundant food sources that we have all have come accustom to. And after this harvest is over, that we all will start the process over again.

Lastly, 2 of the grand-angels were helping me bake up some magic, after all we need to support our efforts by using some of that flour that Papa harvests. As always, thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day week-end. We will be harvesting, but maybe will get a day in to play, sort of depends on if the crops are ripe enough to harvest. All my best, Gayle idahofarmwife@gmail.com

A messy kitchen mean lots of cooking memories for these two little bakers

Farm to Fork, Harvest Report on Combine Technology

2012-08-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

The other day, daughter Jen was telling me that the grand-angels really do listen intently to Papa (Farmer Joe) when he tells them about what he is harvesting as they are riding in the combine. She said as they were heading into town that Miss N (who is almost 4) and Miss B (who is 6) were "having a discussion about crops" and pointing out that fields of wheat are either winter wheat or spring wheat and that those other fields are "bonzo" fields (i.e. garbanzo bean). Jen said they knew that the wheat was used for flour when making cookies with grandma (me) and they like those little round bonzo beans that are put in soups..... so out of the mouth of babes. What can I say? =)

The different colors of wheat, golden and the red variety

The farmer explains about the monitor in his combine cab....

(click here if unable to view)

The next video Farmer Joe talks about the soft white wheat variety. Wheat varieties are important to the farmer and we will try to choose the best varieties that we hope will yield well, plus many varieties are bred to respond better to different weather conditions. So it is all sort of a guessing game and you won't know if you guessed right until the end. The yields will be the determining factor if that wheat variety was the best one for that particular field. Whew, sometimes I have a hard time deciding what I'll wear to work, but at least it doesn't affect my financial statement if I make the wrong choice. =)

And here is today's video of Farmer Joe harvesting the hard red wheat.

There is still a lull around our area as most of the farmers have finished their winter wheat and are waiting on the spring wheat to ripen. We just got back into the field but we are just on the verge of the spring wheat not being ripe enough, so we are thinking we may have another day or two before we are in full swing of wheat harvest again.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you will stop on back. Thanks and all my best, Gayle. idahofarmwife@gmaiil.com

Farm to Fork Harvest Report Days 20-25

2012-08-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

As dusk settles on the farm tonight, it is with a good feeling knowing that we have finished all of the winter wheat on both farms. We have been harvesting now for a little over 3 weeks and with the adrenalin running on high for that long, the 3-4 day lull until the spring wheat ripens is a welcome respite. Farmer Joe is taking a couple of "motorcycle therapy days" and for me, I'm taking advantage of the lull to putter around the farmhouse and tend to some outside projects as we have a busy Fall schedule ahead of us. In our commitment to try to connect the consumer to the farmer, we are hosting our 4th annual "Dinner on the Farm" event on September 8th wherein we invite "city folks" to come out to the farm to see what we do, ask questions and enjoy a hearty meal. This year is extra special as Farm Journal magazine will be coming out to do an article on our event and what makes it extra special is that they are sending the reporter, Pam Fretwell to cover the story. Pam and I have gotten to be good friends after she interviewed me a couple of years ago over the phone, and we always try to get together for a cup of coffee or enjoy a cold beer when we see each other at one of the farm conferences. On October 3 we are hosting the Japan Trade team for a dinner in our home. The buyers love to get to come out to a farm and again, meet some of the people who grow what they buy.

So let me get you up to speed on what we've been doing out in the fields.... A couple of days ago, I rode around with Farmer Joe and shot this video to give you a view of what the guy in the driver's seat sees for 9 or 10 hours (or more) a day. (if unable to view, click here)

The Genesee farm has rolling hills, so the video narrated by Farmer Joe explains how we have to handle unloading on a steep hillside.

Then this video below shows the combine unloading its bulk tank into the grain cart. If the wheat yields are good, it takes 3 combine bulk tanks (which can be done in about 45 mnutes) to fill up one of our semi-trucks (today's combines can harvest at a rate of 1,000 to 1,200 bushels of wheat per hour). I thought that was interesting and wanted to share that with you.

It is an unusually warm evening and I'm taking advantage of the warmth to sit outside and finish my blog. Our weather is fickle and in one short day it will go from summer to Fall, basically overnight. And as much as I don't want to stop, my computer is warning me that it needs some recharging. As always I am so glad you stopped by. I'm just a key stroke away at idahofarmwife@gmail.com if you have questions.

P.S. While attending a fun barn yard sale yesterday at a farm down the road, my sweet neighbor graciously offered up 2 monster zucchini as she reads my blog and took pity on me and my lackluster garden. ( Thank you Sheila). That must have been the turning point as today my little garden is now producing zucchini and spaghetti squash. Yay! I wanted to experiment with the Zucchini Cobbler Bars and try to make a "gluten free" version for my brother who is gluten intolerant. Once I get the recipe perfected, I'll post an addendum to the original recipe on the OMG page. Till then, hope all is well with you and yours. All my best, Gayle.

Farm to Fork Harvest Report, Days 18 &19

2012-08-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Wheat harvest is well underway all around us here in North Idaho, so come take a peek. On Sunday, the little grand-angels wanted to get their first combine ride of the year with Papa (Farmer Joe) and here is a video (click here if unable to view) that I took while waiting for the combine to get to an area where we could safely stop for the little riders.

Me driving our diesel pickup out in the field, the girls loved the bumpy road and going up the hills

The product coming out to the combine into the grain cart will end up in the grocery stores
as flour or in crackers, cakes/cookies, bread & so much more!

A video to give you an idea of what harvesting on a hillside looks like on the rolling hills of the "Palouse area" in North Idaho. The grain cart waits in the field until the combines bulk tank is full and ready to unload.

The first ride in the combine is always an exciting event!

Papa and Miss N

Mama, (daughter Jen) helping Miss N down after her ride and Miss B
will take her ride with Papa

A picture shot while in the pick-up while waiting for Jen and Miss B

Jen and Miss B after her ride. Wheat stalks are scratchy on bare skin as well as
slick, so nice to hitch a ride in Mom's arms

Miss N wanted to eat some of the wheat kernels

Miss B, our fashion diva, picking up wheat spilled on the ground

Hanging out with grandma while the big sisters rode with papa

Miss M was just more interested in her cookie

The crew was really excited to see us because it meant I was bringing out cold drinks and peanut butter bars.

Cody, Ryan, Miss M, me and Miss B

We were short a tractor driver, so our new son-in-law took a couple of days off from his job and came out to help on Monday and Tuesday (today).

Andrew enjoying getting to play with the big "Tonka" toys

As I was heading through Genesee, the warehouse was starting to get busy with lots of trucks and semi-trucks getting unloaded.

And remember yesterday's blog about the Zucchini Cobbler Bars??? Well, here is a picture of them and the recipe will be posted on the OMG page, along with picture instructions. After I made the first batch and gave them away, I couldn't help myself and had to make another batch, so this time I took pictures of the process.

Zucchini Cobbler Bars ( a double yum factor)

Well again, thanks for stopping by and I'll be posting more, so hope you will make it back. =) As always, you can reach me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment, I love both. All my best, Gayle.

Farm to Fork Harvest Report Days 13-17

2012-08-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

We've had a few relatively minor breakdowns on Farmer Joe's combine, and unless the repair is really bad, the service repairman comes out to the field to do the repairs. Farmer Jay has also experienced a breakdown or two as well and thankfully nothing catastrophic.

This truck is like a mobile shop on wheels

The repairman must have nerves of steel, as he knows
that the farmer can't harvest until he gets the combine running again

Here is a video (click here if unable to view) that Farmer Joe took that shows what lodged barley looks like in the field.

The wheat at the Genesee farm was ripe enough to begin harvesting, so this meant the the crew would be split up, and Farmer Joe moved his combine along with one tractor, grain cart and 2 semi-trucks up to the main farm. Farmer Jay along with the other half of the crew will remain down there until they get the rest of the wheat harvested at the Southern Tammany farm. Below is a video that Farmer Joe took while making the move. Normal driving time between the farms is one hour, but with slow moving equipment, we usually plan on 2 1/2 hours - so a good chunk of traveling time.

Last week, my blog caught the eye of 2 different people and I was invited to do a guest blog for Faces of Agriculture. This site features other farm bloggers like myself who all tell their Ag story in their own way. A great collective spot to see the other faces of those whose job is to feed the world. The other was a writer, Heather Villa, for Inland Northwest magazine who was doing a story on "highlighting the people behind farms, how food connects people, and seasonal/local eating". A few of the questions she asked were did we export our crops? And if so, how many people did we think we feed (millions)? Both myself and Pacific Northwest Farmer's Co-op (PNW) didn't know how to quantify the numbers fed, but we agreed that yes, we do feed millions of people, and PNW advised they anticipate exporting 70 million pounds of legumes and 12 million bushes of wheat to 20 different countries. Some of the USA's best wheat buyers like Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines are loyal customers who demand and expect high quality products (a good comparison would be like the Nordstrom or Saks Fifth Avenue customer) and then there are customers like Egypt who are more price conscientious rather than quality driven (more like the Walmart customers) and will buy what they need from whomever will sell at the lowest prices. USA's crop quality is consistently excellent, but farmer's do not get to set their price for the crops, the market conditions do that, and for the last 3 or 4 years, they have been good, but that is not always the case. As one farmer friend put it, "It is like working all year long, tallying your hours that you put in and then the buyer will tell you what he will pay you for all your year-long work."

As for my baking addition... well my impatience with the zucchini in my garden forced me to go ask a neighbor if they had any.... I wanted the really big kind (you know the monsters that you will jokingly put in a friends unlocked car??) =) So with a monster zucchini in hand, I tried out the Zucchini Cobbler Bar recipe that I swear tastes like apple pie. I also tried out a White Zucchini Cake that still needs a few tweaks - but both will be shared with my favorite public office (local Sheriff's Office, of whom I've dubbed my "taste testers" ). The Zucchini Cobbler will show up on my OMG Dessert page in the next day or two and once I get the desired results from the White Zucchinni cake, I will post that one as well. (Note: it's good to have friends smarter than myself - as my friend Kristi found a way that I can make "printable recipes" so that will help those of you who want to print them out.) So keep checking those pages as I work on that little conversion project.

I still have more pictures to upload/videos on our harvest progress so hope you will make sure and stop on by. In the next 2 or 3 days Farmer Jay and his crew should probably be finished with the wheat down at the Southern Tammany farm and then will move up here to help Farmer Joe. Talk to you soon, and I'm just an email away at idahofarmwife@gmail.com so drop me a line or leave a comment. All my best, Gayle

Farm to Fork, Harvest Report Days 8-12

2012-08-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

What we grow (along with the rest of the USA farmers) will end up in some version on your dinner plate.... so come along and read how one farm family is growing some of the food you and your family will eat

Long days mark the harvest season, so as Farmer Joe heads out the door to meet the rest of the farm crew, we, in the Northwest, are aware that we have been extremely blessed with abundant rains and we have crops to harvest. Our hearts go out to our fellow Ag partners who have been affected by the unfavorable weather.

Here is what has happened in the last few days since we chatted... the mechanic was out last Friday and after a 4 hour service call, a simple fix was done on a few loose bolts that was causing the combine monitor to alert the driver that something was not okay. Whew, that was a relief and so far the rest of the days have been going along smoothly and unproblematic (no fires, no breakdowns, no crazy weather). =)

Here Farmer Joe explains that we did some of our own "test plots" with some different kinds of fertilizer and will compare how they yield to see which one worked the best and we will then use that formula for next year's planting. Click here if problems viewing the videos.

We have finished winter wheat and Farmer Joe took a quick video (below). If you listen carefully you can hear one of the "Star Wars" sound effects that I was talking about earlier, this is what it sounds like as the combine gets ready to unload the wheat into the grain cart. This is just one of the sound effects and I'll see if more can be recorded.

Next we are working on Barley fields. Just the mention of that crop makes me think back to when I drove grain truck and no matter how tightly you closed the windows to the 2 ton trucks- that the chaff would somehow seep in and barley dust is very itchy. The worst was getting the mornings first load of barley dumped into your truck... so yup, you guessed it, you were itchy then all day. In today's harvest scenario, the tractor drivers don't have that problem as the tractor cabs have much better seals to keep fine chaff and dust out.

Oh, I did try out the Lemon Coconut bars and all I can say is yummm. You can find this easy tempting treat on OMG Dessert page. It only took about 10 minutes to make if that, not counting the baking part.

Lemon Coconut bars, good and easy

And on that sweet note of tempting you with an easy dessert, I'll be bringing you more on how the Anderson Farm harvest is going. As always, drop me an email at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment. All my best, Gayle.

Farm to Fork, Harvest Report 2012, Days 6-7

2012-08-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

What we grow (along with the rest of the USA farmers) will end up in some version on your dinner plate.... so come along and read how one farm family is growing some of the food you and your family will eat.

Thursday found the Anderson Farm crew not harvesting winter wheat, but doing last minute equipment updates and repairs. I had made a parts run for Farmer Joe on Wednesday night, so Thursday was spent doing last minute things to the trucks and combines that had not been found earlier during routine maintenance checks. Also Farmer Joe said some kind of strange code was showing up on his combine monitor - so the mechanic was going to meet him out in the field on Friday morning to take a look. Hopefully it will be a minor fix..... The new combines (when sitting in the cab) have sounds that are exactly like something from a Star Wars fighter jet. My personal thoughts on all the sound effects is that some young kid who grew up watching the Star Wars movies became a design engineer for Case IH ( the kind or brand of combines we drive) and integrated the "sounds" into the controls when the operator is doing different tasks within the cab.... I swear if you heard the sounds, you would think a Jedi was shooting his laser guns at something.... so have I piqued your interested in this??? Well good, and I'll make that a "honey do task" for Farmer Joe to record the sounds that his combine makes. =)

Repairs are made directly out in the field if possible

Farmer Joe posing just before moving the combine to another field to continue
harvesting the winter wheat

Another harvest video from the first day of harvest, but it is what we are encountering each day and it is narrated by Farmer Joe, so it gives you an up close and personal view from the seat of the combine. (click here if unable to view)

As added interest, this is what test plots in a farmer's field looks like when companies (or universities) are testing out new crop varieties in real life conditions. Each little cute square is a different variety. Wheat research is an on-going effort to be able to find the best grain varieties for our area. I guess I would compare it to always searching for that perfect purse or pair of shoes, some are good, others are great - but the search for the best one is always an on-going effort. Farmer Joe will probably roll his eyes over my comparison - but as I think most of my readers are women (right?) you can appreciate what I am talking about. =)

Test field plots

As always, thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to check in on how the progress of our wheat harvest is going. As always, I'm just an email away, so drop me a line at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment. All my best, Gayle

P.S. I'm experimenting with a new dessert and if it's blog worthy, then I'll tempt you to mess up your kitchen with this newest recipe that has lemon and coconut.....yummmm. Talk to you soon.

Farm to Fork Harvest Report 2012, Days 3-5

2012-08-01T10:08:00.001-07:00

What we grow will end up in some version on your dinner plate.... so come along read how one farm family is growing some of the food you and your family will eat.

Breakdowns and illness are not welcome events during harvest and while you can't plan for these kinds of things, you try your best to deal with them if they do happen.

On Monday our crew got started in the field after having the week-end off to allow the hot sunny weather to help ripen the winter wheat. The guys are still having to harvest only parts of each field due to the uneven ripening of the grain, so it means they are having to move from field to field to only harvest the ripe wheat. On Monday afternoon, while doing some grocery shopping, I got an emergency text and call from Farmer Joe asking if I could pick up a part for him, as he was broken down.... eeeeh, I was in another town so farm-wife Lisa was able to run to the parts dealer and meet Farmer Joe to get the needed item to him. Whew! Teamwork is a great thing. =)

Later Monday night Farmer Joe told me Farmer Jay had come down with bronchitis, but was able to get into the medical quick-care office and the doctor had prescribed a good dose of antibiotics to get him well. On a farm and especially during harvest you just don't call in sick (unless it is really bad and/or you get admitted to the hospital). Many a time we all have felt under the weather during harvest and the crops don't have a "pause button" and the wheat has to get harvested, so you "suck it up" and out the door you go and do what you need to do. Luckily those things have been far and few - and most of the time we are running on Adrenalin and it's a high energy state of mind.

This is what wheat kernels look like from the wheat head and as I said
before, this is our paycheck

From yesterday's blog, I mentioned the great improvements that science and biotechnology have done in helping farmers feed more people. And here is an excellent video about that and I hope you will take a moment to view it as there are many misconceptions about the use of technology in the production of our food supply - if anything I hope it will ease your mind on the safety as well as benefits in utilizing the innovations that will help the 2% of us whose job is to feed our world.

At the end of the day, keeping the equipment free of chaff and dust are critical as chaff/dust on the hot equipment can lead to an equipment fire, so throughout the day the excess debris will be monitored, blown off and a thorough blowing off of the equipment will be done.

Cody blowing the chaff and dust off one of the combines at the end of the day.

I love this bumper sticker from the I love Farmers. org It says it all, I wish it was available on a T-shirt. =)

As Farmer Joe left this morning, he said they would know by about 2pm today if we would be able to harvest any more wheat - and may have to be out of the field a few more days to let the sun do its job and finish the ripening process of the wheat. So for now, you have the scoop on our wheat harvest.
Many thanks for stopping by and come on back to see how our harvest is progressing. If you have questions, email me at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment. Talk to you soon! All my best, Gayle

From the Combine to your Dinner Table, Harvest 2012

2012-07-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

What we grow will end up in some version on your dinnerplate.... so come along read how one farm family is growing some of the food you and your family will eat.

Hello America! The Anderson farm has been busy, first as you know with a wedding on the farm and a short couple of weeks later harvest has arrived. So before I show you what will be ending up on your dinner table, I have to tell you a funny story on Cody our hired man... But first to preface this, Cody was the town kid who at age 11 started hanging out at the farm. He would show up in morning and would ride in any piece of equipment that he could, ask lots of questions, fiddle with things if no one was looking and always wanted to know how things worked. So when he was old enough we hired him to begin working on the farm and he is now our full time hired man. Anyway... back to Cody at age eleven, I always thought maybe he had a "crush" on the farmer's daughter (our youngest - Kaitlyn) as she was 15 and our tractor driver. But while preparing the barn for Kaitlyn and Andrew's wedding reception, I overheard Kaitlyn teasing Cody about him hanging around the farm so much when he was little and he said he didn't have a crush on her, he just liked her tractor. It just shows that you don't have to be born into a farm family to have a love for farming and the equipment.

And.... speaking of equipment, as America's farms have become more efficient and feed more people today than in the past, the equipment has had to grow to accommodate the increased crop yields. Last year, we purchased some farm ground from a neighbor who hadn't farmed in many years and his outdated equipment had sat in an old outbuilding on his place. Just to show you the progress made in the last 50+ years to present day.....

The "open air" model meant lots of dirt, chaff and dust for the driver

My bike gives a reference point to see just how short the old header
is ( 14 or 16' header)

The old combines used by the farmer (pictured above) fed about 26 people and through research and improved biotechnology, today's farmer feeds about 155 people, all on less ground and using less natural resources than in the past. Here is a picture of Farmer Joe's combine and as you can see, the 40' header doesn't fit in the lens of the camera

It's a big job to feed America and big equipment is needed to get the job done

As combines grew so did the need for bigger trucks, here is what was used for the smaller combines and it would have had racks on them to haul the grain or legumes. This is the kind of 2 ton truck that I drove during wheat harvest.

But now semi-trucks are needed and this farm-wife didn't want to learn to drive these big monsters (which is probably a big relief to the warehouse men at the grain terminals! ) =)

This was my truck when we used it to haul in the crops, now it is used as a water or fuel truck

Big trucks for big combines

Sometimes I do miss not being in the field with the guys, but it was my choice to not learn to drive the tractors, combines or semi-trucks - and by doing so, it allows me the time to share what we do with you. So as the first few days of harvest started last week down at the Southern Tammany farm, here are videos and pictures. Click here if unable to view the video.

The combine dumping directly into the semi trucks that are lined up in the wheat field
Usually the combines will unload while moving into the grain cart, but it depends on
how many body's we have in the field, so if we are short a tractor driver & the field is level, we can
dump into the semi- trucks directly if needed

A view of the full bulk tank just before it gets unloaded

Usually the combine will unload into the grain cart and then the tractor driver will
drive over to unload the wheat into the semi-trucks

A view of the tractor and disk for a fire break

And here is a video of Farmer Joe explaining about creating a fire break, as the heavy wheat chaff mixed with hot equipment can start a fire in the fields....

And as the grain was just a bit too green (meaning the moisture content was too high for the warehouse to accept it), we shut down for the week-end, our collection of equipment was parked on a green spot to let the grain ripen over the week-end.

So as Farmer Joe, Farmer Jay, hired men, Cody & Ryan bring in the crops, I'll be giving you almost daily a harvest report. As always, thanks for stopping by, drop me an email at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment too. Either way, I love to hear from you. All my best, Gayle

Round II with Mother Nature

2012-07-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well our crops have survived our 2nd hail storm once again with minimal damage, especially at our Southern Tammany farm. This new round of nasty weather from Mother Nature has ratcheted up the nervous level among us and our fellow farm pals. On Friday, just days after posting my blog about sitting on pins and needles as we wait for the crops to ripen so we can get them safely in the grain bins, we witnessed a fast moving thunderstorm that dropped pea size hail for 1-2 minutes! Here is a short video (as I ran out of battery power... oops) that barely shows the intensity of the storm. Golf ball size hail was reported around the area and that sent Farmer Joe down to check our fields down at the Southern Tammany farm. There he noted that a neighbor about a mile from us had the golf ball size hail wipe out about 50% of his field. Yikes.

I'm just wondering if "Tums" and beer will help me get through this harvest (just kidding) but yes we feel like we are in a race to get the crops in before some other crazy weather pattern hits our area. Unfortunately, it is going to be a late harvest due to the cold spring...... big sigh. Here is picture of what the fields look like all around us at the Genesee farm.

Spring wheat is the green field and the winter wheat field behind the spring wheat
is ripening - but is a few weeks away until ready to harvest (at the Genesee Farm)

In preparation to begin harvest at the Southern Tammany farm (which is usually 2 weeks ahead of the Genesee farm), we have begun having our own personal parade of farm equipment make its 37 mile journey. It takes a lot of big equipment to feed America. So far one combine, 3 semi-trucks, and 2 tractors along with the grain carts are down there.

Moving the combine down the road on a 2 lane highway. Just shows how big the combine is

A picture of what the farm parade looks like

This combine is next to be moved down and it travels without it's header

The 40' header will be towed behind the pick-up on a trailer

This tractor with the disk will also go as it is for fire prevention... cuz there is dust, chaff and hot equipment and farm fields are miles away from fire departments so extra precaution is a must. After the opening round of wheat is harvested, someone will jump in the tractor and disk up the ground as a "fire wall".

Do you notice the "Red" theme among the equipment?

One more semi that will be sent down, and here the hired man, Cody and seasonal help, Ryan are checking lights, brakes lines, and other fun under the truck tasks to make sure everything is working okay. Just so you know, I sped off on my trusty bike in case they had a really yucky job that they would try to pawn off on me (not really, they know to keep in good graces with the one who supplies the cookies) =)

Cody on the left and Ryan under the truck

Once again, thanks for stopping by and I will keep you posted as we begin our harvest season. In the meantime, I am still working on the blog to showcase the faces of the other fine folks who keep our nation fed - so come on back soon. Besides quality time with the back pack sprayer, I'm becoming quite chummy with the computer as I work on the farm wedding blog too. Hope all is well for you, and I'll sign off for now. All my best, Gayle (oh and if you have farming questions you want to ask, please drop me an email at idahofarmwife@gmail.com)

Sitting on Pins & Needles

2012-07-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Last week we gained another great son-in-law into our family, and while I'm working on doing a blog about what a farm wedding looks like, I wanted to give you a "dinner plate update" (i.e. crop report).

If your mom was like mine, you most likely heard the phrase “don’t count your chickens until they have hatched” …. And that is why I titled my blog “Sitting on Pin and Needles” because our carefully tended crops are susceptible to weather destroying them in one fell swoop. And are we nervous?? Yes, but always optimistic.

So far, we have received adequate rain and the wheat looks good.....

But it also meant that the wheat was susceptible to a disease called "RUST" and therefore, extra expense was incurred as we had to have it sprayed by the crop duster to keep it healthy.... click here if unable to view the videos

The crop duster drops a white paper flag to mark where he has been in the field

For all you garbanzo fans, the plants are doing okay, blooming and hopefully producing lots of pods.

This is what a mustard and/or canola crop looks like, bright yellow in contrast to the rest of the various green fields growing around our area.

Although we don't have hay, here is a short video of it being bailed just a few miles from our farm

By now most of the hay has been bailed and picked up out of the field

Here is a video of the spring wheat as a storm was blowing in. I was standing on my back deck filming the swaying wheat... watching it is sort of like watching a fire in the fireplace, mesmerizing

While the thunderstorm missed our home farm, we learned this morning that the wind and rain "lodged" the barley that Farmer Joe is shown (below) standing in down at our Southern Tammany farm. As you can see, it was chest high, now the crop was knocked down to the ground. Although it can still be harvested, it means that the combine header will have to be ground level and that is not the best as it means the header could pick up a rock, which would damage the equipment.

Even with the threat of crop diseases and thunderstorms, we know we are blessed, and that many other farmers (even in the very Southern part of our State) and all across the USA have not been so lucky and have had to helplessly watch their crops wither and die in the parched soil. We have all experienced drought, hail and other crops hazards, so that is why the Farm Bill is a critical part of keeping our farmers with a financial safety net, because in a split second we may have our paycheck completely wiped out by a force of nature. So as harvest approaches in the next few weeks, we will be anxiously watching over our crops and keeping that eternal flame of hope in our farming hearts as, call us crazy, but we love what we do.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and by all means shoot me an email at idahofarmwife@gmail.com or leave a comment. All my best, Gayle.