Man Power

Today I'm here to write about man power. What is the man power that has brought us to this point where I'm looking at hummingbirds as pollinators in my garden? I hope someday to have lots of hummingbirds pollinating my garden but manpower doesn't start with the birds, that's for sure.

The first people in this equation are the people who used fertilizer on their plants. They found, probably through a process of years of trying and failing, that giving soil more nutrients would grow bigger plants fruits, than not doing it. Over time many stopped doing other things that were done for generations to keep soil healthy and alive. Putting manure into their soil, rotating what plants they planted where, overwintering with organic material that would give more life to their soil, simultaneously supplying nutrients.

Later they started looking for other easy fixes. They had weeds... Insect infestations... Plants seemed to beckon more and more diseases. They bought special powders and pellets and sprays to stop the insects, which introduce us to the second set of hands in our scheme of man power. Chemical researchers, the companies that pay them, and every person in the chain of merchandise, patenting, marketing, selling the pellets, powders and sprays to kill the weeds and get rid of the pests.

For a while this worked.

Over time, the powders, pellets and sprays accumulated in the soil and the insects started to develop defenses to them, as did the weedy plants and diseases. So new powders, pellets and sprays, stronger ones, were developed by new researchers to think more creatively about ways around natural defenses. Different classes of powders, pellets and sprays were developed. A flavor for each threat to the garden and grass, for each crevice of the home where insects were uninvited.

One of these flavors are called neonicotinoids. You've probably heard this word before. As it is used in infamous ways to describe a tragedy happening to the food supply. Enter in another force in our chain of man power. Every person, including bloggers, special interest groups, chemical companies, hippies, antiwar protesters and ecologists, who have written and influenced information regarding the chemical management of a life cycle, have contributed to this source of man power. Each different representation of perspective comes with it's own set of values. And unfortunately it's not always clear what the truth is about this source of man power.

It has been suspected for a long time but only in 2013 did we begin to see concrete evidence of negative impacts of this, the most popular class of pesticides. A study was published in European Food Safety Authority earlier in 2018 confirming the belief that Neonicotinoids are responsible for the fast occurring die off of our most prevalent pollinator, honey bees. And finally, the EPA is reviewing whether to ban them and where. Which brings us to today.

The time when we can no longer depend on our crops being pollinated by bees is fast arriving. Many growers and researchers are now looking for more ways to pollinate. Indeed we may find that the most unique source of this tiny manual labor is in scarce supply. Hands can't do what a few hundred pairs of wings might. Neonicotinoids don't only affect honey bees but native bees as well. The biodiversity that maintains our ecosystem may be at risk. New researchers are looking for different insects to pollinate and the man power in this arena has developed into city councils and local government to regulate neonicotinoids in their areas.

Of course, the original man power here exists in each person who enjoys observing nature and wishes our environment to thrive as we know it. Maybe someday hummingbirds will be identified as a great source for pollinating crops, not only for the spectacle of speed and color that calls to nature lovers and birdwatchers. If it does, I'll be ready for them.

References:

Clawson, Beth. Seeking Alternative Pollinators. Michigan State University Extension. June 14, 2012. http://www.canr.msu.edu/news/seeking_alternative_pollinators. Accessed October 29, 2018.

Environmental Protection Agency. Schedule for Review of Neonicotinoid Pesticides. United States Government. 2018. https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/schedule-review-neonicotinoid-pesticides. Accessed October 29, 2018.

King, Anthony. European risk assessment slams Neonicotinoids. Chemistryworld.com. 2018. https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/european-risk-assessment-slams-neonicotinoids-/3008725.article.  Accessed October 29, 2018.

United States Geological Survey. Native Bees are Exposed to Neonicotinoids and Other Pesticides. United States Department of the Interior. June 27, 2018. https://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/2015-11-04-pesticides_bees.html. Accessed October 29, 2018

Seed Savers

My next venture in life, and toward graduating from Utah State University will be to create a small farm store. Landscaping my home to be more ecological and inviting bees and hummngbirds will be a part of that process. The holding post is in essence, an online expression of parts of my vision already, as the name of my store will be el Palenquito, which translated is The Holding Post. I've been considering a long while how I would go about branding my store based on my experiences with marketing and networking combined with what I hope to bring to my community, wanting to make it an experience others would take a risk on.  This is a great place to start because I am a customer of this catalog and I hope to emulate them in some forms.

I Love Heirloom seeds. I've been sourcing my seeds online through small growers and through mail order catalogs almost since I started gardening about 14 years ago. My garden was all in containers on the back patio of my little basement apartment, in Logan. I'm pretty sure my upstairs neighbors thought I had a few screws loose, but where else was I going to garden?

I've grown more and more aware of people reactions to my different projects over the years. Not so much because I care what they think... there will always be haters... But to gauge their perceptions by their reactions for future purposes. In writing, there is always an unseen audience with varying degrees of known and unknown factors. Since I know that my future audience is the unknown public who will drive by my house, I am more aware of the piles of nicely cut wood (or uncut branches strewn across my would-be lawn) because I know that messiness doesn't invite.

Today I'm analyzing The Seed Savers Exchange catalog to better consider how I can present myself to my intended audience. I see myself and my audience. I see people that are looking for more connection to the land. People who want more connection to their food. People who want to work together for something they will all grow with and love.

www.seedsavers.org

Everything about this magazine calls to the common man, the base, the earthly, and especially the covered in dirt. The text is not made ambiguous by using strange or creative characters. It's written in white, with a simple symbol of seeds changing hands next to it.  The imagery is simple and accessible, a hand holding a small bouquet of radishes. The colors are bright and clean. A green background with bright white and red; on the side are a pare of blue jeans on an unspecific wearer. This communicates what is confirmed on the next page. There is something of community in the image and something of patriotism. The red, white and blue held strong by the land and the people who till it.

www.seedsavers.org

On the next page is confirmation of the real audience of this publication. Two dozen gardeners with an iconic red barn in the background, it shows a splash of blue shirted Americans standing among the garden beds communicating too the audience, they are blue collar common-folk. Hard workers. The green and idyllic scenary are not the scenary of mere uncultured farmers. They decorate their gardens with paintings of oversized cows and flowers to attract bees.


Seed Savers is saying something to their costumer base about themselves. They are smart and creative. They are intelligent enough not to accept the norm, but seek an elevated existence. Seed Savers seeds are organic, heirloom, non-gmo and they have a mission: to see seeds change hands. And you are part of that.