Sunday, December 9, 2018

Where do we go from here?

There is never a dull moment on the homestead.

Even in the winter, we chop wood, devise ways to keep our animals warm and watered, move snow, haul hay and most importantly for places like the Holding Post, we plan.

With the experiments we've had so far with this blog, this expression of what drives us and where we want to go, we've discovered an inkling of a voice. It's a voice that draws from the traditions of generations before us. From the Homestead Act of 1867 to the ever changing farms bills that pump life into our countries agriculture and flow like blood from the heart, we are looking to the future.

Our voice comes from being a multicultural and bilingual family. It comes from traditions that we've learned and pass down to our children to tell them where they come from. Our voice comes from the feeling that our unique micro climate, giving harbor to the birds and bees, should be added upon. We know our voice will be in tune with others as we build a business, spread our tiny hummingbird wings, and take flight.

The hummingbirds are far South in their warm winter perches while the doves search the apple trees for unplucked fruit and owls hunt in the dark and snow. I am tucked in a chair in front of a fire after a long days work in the cold, perusing seed catalogs and planning what is to come.

In the next year we will support the biodiversity of our farm by placing beehives to make sure our squash get pollinated. We'll be planting ARP rosemary, the only type that can withstand the cold here, and planting honeysuckle so that our farm will thrive under the careful tending of multiple pollinators with plenty of nectar to drink. 

As the first order of business for our tiny farm we'll be setting up a small greenhouse to grow vegetable seedlings for spring sales. We're taking advantage of the winter to make soaps and hand salves to tend to the weary hands of other farmers who might tend toward simple unadulterated remedies. Lastly we're giving our tiny shop on the highway a face lift, planting shrubs and flowers and landscaping to welcome anyone who passes. To give them a visual inkling of our rich history and values.

Through all of this, we'll be taking full advantage of the resources available through the Extension services both on the inter webs and in a yearly urban and small farms conferences in Utah and across the country. This dream has been long in the making and we hope that we're in time to catch the train that has been driving through the country full steam with support for living healthier lives, in tune with a greater picture of our world.

My goals for this blog, The Holding Post, are to use it as a place to let my inspirations take root. I've gained some experience in providing substance to support my words and give a credible face to who we are. I'll be sharing here what we are doing and what we learn along the way.

Resource:

Farm Bill 101. May 22, 2018. https://www.farmaid.org/issues/farm-policy/farm-bill-101/. Accessed December 2, 2018.

Beauraeu of Land Management. Patent Document, David Candland. https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=UT0070__.410&docClass=STA&sid=3alomx3t.axl#patentDetailsTabIndex=1. Accessed December 8, 2018.

Ruud, Shelby. USU Extension Sponsors Urban Small Farms Conference. USU Extension. Published January 19, 2018. https://extension.usu.edu/news_sections/agriculture_and_natural_resources/small-farms-conference-2018. Accessed December 9, 2018.

http://www.wasatchaudubon.org/utah_checklist.htm

Sunday, December 2, 2018

My Tiny Farm and the Farm Bill

At the Holding Post, we share a dream with farmers across the nation in providing healthy fresh food with an eye to conservation. Farm Bills have been around since the era of the depression, in 1933. The United States Government recognized that without a little boost, millions of destitute citizens would continue in squalor and the fate of our country would be just as desperate and poor. 

About every 5 years since then, a new farm bill has been put to the voices of the people through their elected officials with diverse parts of our one economy in mind. Funding for areas of agriculture and everything it touches are weighed and discussed for their ability to boost individuals and farms who would in turn boost the economy and ecology that keeps our country afloat, healthy, strong, and well fed.

Our farm, though in it's infancy and tiny in size, is not without a big vision for our future. We sit on a spot that is unique in it's geography, with a strong history of providence. It holds within it's wire and post borders a great abundancy of possibilities. We want to feed ourselves and feed our community with the richness that the soil of Chester has to offer. Once considered the bread basket of Sanpete, we believe that we have something to offer that will inspire goodness and wholesome eating and foster goodness for our country for generations more.

We appreciate our great nation's commitment to healthy eco-systems in promoting diversity in agriculture. The farm bill passed into law in 1985 contained a strong element of conservation and we seek in our farm to represent a healthy farm, not just in growing the most tasty vegetables, but also in creating a place of life.

Our tiny ecosystem, with flowing natural waters, native berries, thriving fruit trees and soon to come beehives, is also a haven for hummingbirds. In the years to come we hope to create an environment that will allow these alternative pollinators to thrive in the hills and valleys of Sanpete.

The Migratory Bird Treaty act, first enacted in 1916, works in unison with Mexico and Canada to protect migratory birds like the hummingbirds that visit us in the warm months, and the bats that eat thousands of insects on our farm every night until they migrate South.

We're proud of where we are and of where we want to go and hope you'll come share in the journey with us as we delve into our dreams for our Holding Post.

References:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. August 20, 2018. https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php. Accessed December 2, 2018.

Farm Bill 101. May 22, 2018. https://www.farmaid.org/issues/farm-policy/farm-bill-101/. Accessed December 2, 2018.

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