Weeds from the wildflowers

I planted some wildlflowers last year, and added some more this year, and much to my surpise, I got a truly outstanding stand of flowers. If you squint and stick your head in the freezer, and put a mountain where the back end of the camper is, it could almost pass for an "alpine" photograph.

Okay, maybe not. That's just the thought that came to me when I first looked at it. I may have had sunstroke at the time.

But, since ND Garden Girl got her mystery plant question answered by readers, I'm hoping that I can get the same. What is that large leafy, non-flowering green thing in the lower left-hand corner of the photo? Is it a weed or a wildflower?

I will tell you there is more than one of them, but they came up in a bunch, so I thought it was a wildflower. Now, I'm not so sure.

So.....do I tend and nurture or pull and pulverize?

Thanks for any insight you may have.

Happy identifying!

Dawn

The new Food and Farm Facts is here

Way back in March, I told you American Farm Bureau Federation was having a "fire sale" on its Food and Farm Facts publication. At that time, I said:

"They do the facts every two years. So that means we should be seeing the 2009 edition soon. I'm guessing by this summer."

I have to tell you that my guess wasn't really a guess as much as it was an indication of how long I've been here. They always release the new one in the summer!!!

But, ta-dah!!!! Here it is....the 2009 Food and Farm Facts



Here is just a sampling of what's in there:

Each U.S. farmer produces food and fiber for 155 people in the United States and abroad.

98% of U.S. farms, where all that food is grown, are still family owned and operated.

82 percent of all U.S. ag products sold originate on family farms.

And there is much, much more, like how many pounds of fruits and vegetables we eat, how much meet and all that good stuff. Plus there is a history of agriculture in there too.

So check it out and order your copy today.

Happy facting!

Dawn

Life rewind? Probably not.

Did you ever wish life had a rewind button or an undo button? I wished that today. I'd only have to go back about 15 minutes. That way I could stop myself from doing the dumb thing I did that caused me to delete a group of press contacts, which caused me to spend too much time finding an old e-mail to send from, which caused me to be late getting my hard copies in envelopes, which caused me to make the mailman wait for me for at least five minute as I folded and licked the last of the envelopes containing the editorial. He was very gracious, however, and I am eternally grateful.

You can undo all kinds of things in computer programs, but for some reason, when you accidentally delete a group, when you're really just trying to delete one contact (which, by the way I have done MORE than once), there is no undo. It's just gone and you have to rebuild it. (If you rebuild it, they will come? hee! hee!)

So that's why I was thinking it would be awesome if we had an undo or rewind button in life.

Wait a minute. Come to think of it, that very concept was addressed in an Adam Sandler movie, wasn't it? And it ended up causing him all kinds of trouble.

So I guess it's just better to smile and take your lumps when you do dumb stuff, and try not to do it next time. Some of us, it takes more than once, I guess, but sooner or later, we'll figure it out!

Happy moving forward!

Dawn

It takes the effort

My son and I had a great time, yesterday, shooting for an Ag Kids video I hope to have on our YouTube site within the next week or two, depending on my workload.

We already have two other Ag Kids videos up on the site, and they are by far our most popular videos. They are labelled as Virtual Farm Tours. Check them out at www.youtube.com/user/dawnpfeifer.

This next one is going to be about bison and horses.

On the drive home, my son said, "You know, I never know if I want to do these, but after every one, I'm always glad I did."

Isn't that the way it is with a lot of things? We drag our heels and dread putting forth the effort, but after we have, we feel pretty darn good.

So put forth the effort. Take the time to follow through. You'll be glad you did.

Happy follow through!

Dawn

Recommended links

It's all about the links.

From how to play Farm Town on Facebook to funny YouTube videos of milk commericals you can really get an education on what is happening, being said and the understanding of issues in agriculture.

Have you heard about First the Seed Foundation? I heard about that one from a link that someone shared on Twitter.

It's a great big web-wired world out there, I tell ya. And it's all free for the learnin'!

Happy surfing!

Dawn

My 100th post

Wow! This is my 100th post. It doesn't feel like I've done that many. I guess it really does help to have an exceedingly short memory, at least for some things. For other things, not so much. Like this morning it was approximately 12 steps to the other room to get what I needed, but when I got here, I couldn't remember what I was there to get, so I had to turn around, take at least six steps back to where I started from before I remembered what I forgot. And I have forgotten again what it was that I forgot, so I can't even tell you what it was that I remembered.

I like to think that my inability to remember things is that I'm just so darn busy and have so many things on my mind. But running around like a chicken with my head cut off most of the time hasn't helped me lose any weight, so I'm guessing the "too busy to remember" defense isn't going to hold up either.

Still, I do know how to chill once in awhile. Like this morning. I was feeling sorry for myself for all the things I have to do, places I have to be, and hats I have to wear, but as I'm taking the kids to their "day" place -- at 11 and 7 you just can't call it "daycare" anymore -- I noticed that the sky was awesome. In fact, it looked a little bit like a painting of an angry, black sky. You know how things look just a little too perfect in a painting? Like you'd never really see that in real life, just in paintings? But there it was. Life, imitating art. And me, with no camera.

By the time I got to the office, a lot of the stark contrasts were gone. But I'm going to share this picture anyway. Just because....hmmmm. I forget.



Happy remembering!

Dawn

P.S. Do you see a "pulled face" in this photo? Or do you see something else?

Lynne makes a good point

Lynne Finnerty of the American Farm Bureau Federation wrote a really good editorial that I would like to share:

Look Forward, Not Backward
Concerns about air pollution, a limited supply of oil and instability in parts of the world that are sources of petroleum have automakers developing alternatives to the internal combustion engine. Gasoline and diesel have successfully, reliably and, for the most part, economically fueled our vehicles for about 100 years, but it has become increasingly obvious that our reliance on these fuels is an imperfect system. Read the rest here.

Lynne Finnerty is the editor of FBNews, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s newspaper.

Happy reading!

Dawn

The global warming split

In an update to yesterday's climate change, post I thought this was very interesting:

According to Rasmussen Reports, "Republicans by nearly three-to-one say global warming is caused by planetary trends, while Democrats believe human activity is to blame by the same margin. Voters not affiliated with either party are almost evenly divided on the question."

Read more on the survey results here.

While I can't say I'm surprised by the results, I'm not sure why conservatism or liberalism has such a bearing on what people believe about this issue. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Dawn

A word on climate change

Will North Dakotans feel the "heat" of climate change as this article suggests.

Or is the whole climate change train woefully misguided as JoNova suggests.

I've made my decision.

Happy open-mindedness!

Dawn

Have you tried this one?

My cousin sent me this recipe for 5-minute chocolate cake for one (two if you are prone to sharing your chocolate) and, although I have not tried it yet, I thought I would share it, just in case it's really awesome. If you have tried it, let me know how it works (or how it doesn't work). It all sounds plausible, but then I don't actually remember if I've made a cake of any kind from scratch. I am the boxed cake queen!

5 Minute chocolate mug cake
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave-safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT!

Happy chocolating!!

Dawn

Wait a minute, the weather will change

I subscribe to a variety of North Dakota Ag Statistics reports and the one I received yesterday is worth mentioning.

We needed a little rain. In fact, the crop-weather update I received yesterday showed the topsoil moisture in the Bismarck area as "short."

Fast-forward a mere four hours from when I received the report in my e-mail inbox. The rain starts. And doesn't stop. The ditches fill. The thunder sounds like the continuous low rumble of a train, much to the chagrin of our daughter and our Springer Spaniel. By 10 p.m., we have nearly 2 inches in the rain gauge. Further east, there are reports of 5, 8 and even a foot of rain. The Apple Creek is expected to reach flood stage later this week.

That clap of thunder I just heard makes me think we're in for some more, and yes, as I look out the window, the downpour begins.

We're always fond of pointing out in North Dakota how we can go from below zero to 60 in a day. It would seem we can also go from "short" to "surplus" in a couple of hours!

Happy weather-watching!

Dawn

When only a flower will do

Yes, it's a chalk flower, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it? Flowers and good things and positive thoughts.

Just like the "Welcome Home" sign our-7-year-old cherub wrote in chalk for her brother who is at a scout camp all week, but doesn't mind rewriting if it gets washed off by rain this week. She just wants it to be there for him when he gets home.

It's the thought that counts, isn't it?

Happy thoughts to all of you!

Dawn

An addiction to the weather

The younger version of me would never have guessed it would come to this, but I am addicted to the weather. Actually, that's a misstatement. I am not addicted to the weather. I am addicted to knowing what the forecasters are predicting for the weather. I have been known to check out one local weather report, then flip to the other local station to see if THAT weather prediction agrees with the other one.

When I was younger I thought it would be cool to be a storm chaser. I was fascinated with tornadoes and bow echos, but that was more for the thrill of the chase than for love of weather. But somewhere along the time line between idealistic storm chasing youth and, well, the age I am now, I found it necessary to know what the weather-watchers predicted was coming next.

A few days ago, I missed BOTH the six and ten p.m. weather reports, and I was kind of at a loss. I had no idea how to dress the kids or myself. Do we need jackets? Raincoats? Can we wear shorts? Am I going to have to water my flowers this evening, or is Mother Nature going to take care of that task today?

See what I mean? This is important stuff.

I should mention that I frequently check throughout each day, the desktop weather app I have on my computer. And, by the way, it is currently 74°F, with a west wind at 7 mph and the humidity is at 29%. Which begs the question, "Gosh, why am I inside?"

But I can claim a personal victory because I dressed the kids right this morning, because I watched the weather last night! And I will have to water those flowers today, tomorrow and Sunday, if the extended forecast is correct. But that's okay.

At least I know what to expect.

Happy weather watching!

Dawn

Wrestling my righteous indignation

Yesterday, I spent a little time with a group of educators, who were learning more about water and soil conservation through the Food, Land and People workshop program. More info at Food, Land and People.

Part of the workshop involved driving to a nearby farm to learn about the conservation measures they have undertaken and how they have learned to build soil health over the years. It was enlightening.

But you know what really struck me? How much urban development had occurred since I last drove east of Bismarck along 43rd Avenue. "It can't have been that long that I drove this way," I said to myself. But many rural roads were now suburban roads, leading to developments. You can still see cattle grazing on 43rd Ave., but with land for sale signs posted, I'm guessing it won't be long before those are gone.

My son has lamented that soon, there won't be any country between Bismarck and where we live. And he's right. But then I think, "We moved out here to have more space, to give the kids a place to run, to dig a little more dirt. How can you pooh-pooh other people's desire for the same?"

So I wrestle my righteous indignation into submission and hope that those who are moving "to the country" have respect and admiration for those who worked the land and provided the food and so many of the other comforts we take for granted before it became a paved gateway to suburbia.

And I share this outstanding blog post from Nevada FB executive VP Doug Bussleman because I figure we all need more food for thought on this issue.

Happy thinking!

Dawn

Pheasant run....make that amble

I had to share these pictures of a pheasant amblin' through our backyard on Saturday during the drizzle. He came through the trees, strolled through the yard, checked out Deborah (the maple) then headed back through the trees. I see those pesky jackrabbits out there in broad daylight, but not so much other critters. So it was kind of fun to watch.

Milk and ice cream are favorites

We did a poll on our social networks last week asking what dairy product people likes best. It was a tie. Thirty-six percent liked milk. Thirty-six percent liked ice cream, and 27 percent liked cheese. I know. I did the math. That only adds up to 99 percent, but that's what the stats told me. So we're gonna go with it. And just so you know, the other two choices, yogurt and cottage cheese, didn't get any votes at all.

All that reading about dairy products got me thinking about food, so I thought, hey, why not feature a "milk" recipe in this, week two of June Dairy Month, from the Midwest Dairy Association's featured recipes web page. I found one that sounds so darn good -- a Peanut Butter and Banana Breakfast Shake -- I feel like going home and making it right now, and it's not even close to breakfast time. But we always have bananas around the house, and peanut butter, so this could be an easy, yummy breakfast idea! (Pardon me, I'm drooling!)

Ingredients:
1 cup of fat-free or 1% low-fat chocolate milk
1/2 cup frozen banana slices
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Serve in tall glass or on-the-go drink container.

Nutritional Facts:
Nutritional Facts Per Serving: Calories: 270
Total Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Sodium: 220mg
Carbohydrates: 35g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 15g
Calcium: 35% Daily Value

Give it a try. I will too. Let me know what you think. I'll let you know too!

Happy recipe trying!

Dawn

Working smarter

I think I've figured out why farmers are so darn good at problem solving. When they're sitting in their tractors, acre after acre, they have a lot of "in their head" time. I remember reading a study a few years ago that indicated people actually do their best thinking when they aren't concentrating on the job at hand. If you've ever stressed out trying to come up with a solution, only to come up blank, completely forget about it, and then have the solution hit you while you're washing the car, you know what I mean.

Interestingly, I find that most of my best thoughts -- or at least thoughts -- happen while I am in the shower. It's also when I remember the things that I forgot to do! I am not sure if it's because of the symbolic washing away of the grime and stink of the day (oh, it's not that bad, I'm being overly dramatic), or if I just don't think about anything in the shower, so it gives my mind an opportunity to roam its recesses (And I think there are plenty of recesses up there!).

Turns out, it's probably the latter. While trying to get rid of some old files on my computer and make more space for new files, I ran across an on-line article I saved from Fortune magazine that was dated from 2006, and it noted that a team of Dutch psychologists discovered, "the unconscious mind is a terrific solver of complex problems when the conscious mind is busy elsewhere, or, perhaps better yet, not overtaxed at all."

Although I can't say I've ever solved a complex problem in the shower, I have definitely had a few "aha" moments followed quickly by, "Well, THAT'S pretty simple. Why didn't you think of that before?"

At least now my kinder, gentler voice can respond: "Because showering isn't really a multi-tasking event, like most of the rest of your life." And while there is a certain amount of multi-tasking that goes on while tractoring, it's also alone time to think about stuff.

So the next time a farmer says, "Hey, I thought of something while I was in the tractor," listen very carefully because chances are, that "something" is a keeper.

Happy farming!

Dawn

The dinosaur production

My daughter will soon be seven. Her birthday party will be a production. For the last three years, it has been a production. And I have to tell you, it's not because of me. When I was growing up, birthday parties were always family deals. Of course family, in my case, was anyone in the community who lived within 5 miles (and back then that was a bunch of us), most of which were related anyway. Those Swedes, I tell ya!

ANYWAY, when my daughter first asked to have a friends birthday party, it kind of took me by surprise. I mean, after all, my son, who is five years older than my daughter, never really cared about birthday parties with anyone but family. (Or if he did, he never said anything.) But I think I actually did ask him, after my daughter's first "invite friends instead of family" parties if he wanted friends or family and he said family. Of course it does help that he has at least three cousins very close to his age. My daughter, poor thing, is the youngest of all the cousins, and is very often left out of the "big kid" stuff.

So I understand where she's coming from. And we're going to have another friends party. This weekend.

This year it will be a dinosaur theme. For the last two years, there has been a bouncy castle, but different themes (princess and kitty). There will be no bouncy castle this year. Turns out that's probably a good thing, because the weather is supposed to be cold, so they probably aren't going to want to spend a lot of time outside anyway. But she requested a dinosaur hunt, so we'll have to make at least one journey outside so they can find the 30-plus plastic dinosaurs that will be hiding in and around shrubbery and flower pots.

If it's raining, I'll have to go to Plan B. I just haven't figured out what Plan B is, yet. (Hint: Dinosaur-themed game suggestions for a rainy day are welcome if you have them!)

Ahhhh, birthday productions. You gotta' love 'em.

Happy dinosaur hunting!

Dawn

Three out of four of us garden

I picked up a South Carolina Farmer magazine -- a publication of the South Carolina Farm Bureau -- the other day because, well, quite frankly, the flowers on the cover caught my eye. And the table of contents indicated they had a Green Thumb Gardening column, so I quickly paged to it.

The first line read, "About three out of four American households are engaged in some kind of lawn and garden activity, according to the National Gardening Association."

I had to giggle. We're engaged in "some kind of lawn and garden activity." Notice they didn't say, "good gardening activity," just "some kind."

I'm at the "some kind" level, but I am willing to learn. And there is all kinds of information out there to learn from.

Because the statistic came from the National Gardening Association, I, of course, had to check out that website. It's at www.garden.org. You should check it out too, if you're looking for ideas.

Man-oh-man, I got lost for a little while in the plant-finder section. See, I planted a bunch of alyssum this spring. Exactly ZERO of it survived. So I figured, "Let's not go through this again. Let's try a perennial instead." But I wasn't really aware of any low-growing and spreading perennials. But the handy-dandy plant-finder lets you search by type, hardiness, zone, moisture, light and height. So I did. And it turns out Baby's Breath is probably the best option for the soil (clay) and the adaptability.

I was also intrigued by the "Planning a Low-Maintenance Landscape" how to. With two kids, a husband, a dog, a full-time job and two acres to "prettify" the lower-maintenance, the better. Well, after reading it, it is obvious that I did not plan, nor pick, the right stuff to be low maintenance.

So I guess I'll just be content to be "some kind" of gardener. Not horrible. Not great.

Now I just need to go out and get some Baby's Breath.

Happy garden adventures!

Dawn

Dairy did you knows...

Since it's the first day of June Dairy Month, I thought I'd start with some interesting bits of information from the Midwest Dairy Association.

The number 1 cheese eaten in the United States is cheddar, with a 34% market share. Mozzarella is a close second with 31%. My daughter LOVES them both. In fact, she will eat that cheese in a can -- we call it squeeze cheese -- right out of the can.

My favorite cheese is the Colby/Jack mixture. I will consume mass quantities of it on chips, melted of course, and actually did so when I was pregnant with my cheese-loving daughter. Hmmmm. Do you suppose there's a link? And gosh, but I'm making myself hungry!

The United States is the world's largest producer of cheese, and we eat a pile of it too. In 2000, Americans consumed just over 30 pounds of cheese per person, more than double the consumption from 25 years ago. Using the 30-pound rule, my daughter is approximately 62.5% cheese! : )

And here's a comical one. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was truly the first "Big Cheese"? The phrase was coined when a cheesemaker gave a 1,235-pound cheese wheel to President Jefferson in 1801. Passers-by were amazed by the spectacle and dubbed it "the big cheese."

More fun facts on the Midwest Dairy Association's Trivia Questions page.

Happy dairy trivia"ing"!

Dawn