We had a warm Easter by Minnesota standards. No snow o n the ground, sunny skies, and a hint of green in the grass. Somehow we managed to get everyone up and dressed in their Easter clothes and to church in time for the 8:00 a.m. service. Believe me, that is a first for us. Tyler wore shorts and Mackenzie wore a sleeveless dress in our balmy 58 degree weather. After the service, the youth group hosted a breakfast down in the fellowship hall. Back home, we changed into our farm clothes and presented the younger kids with Easter baskets, while Joe hid the eggs around the farm for an Easter egg hunt. How fun to actually be able to run around collecting eggs on a warm, dry, sunny day. That just doesn't' happen here very often.
After a lunch of candy and hard boiled eggs, we all went outside. I tilled the garden and planted those fruit trees I wrote about. In the midst of planting a car pulled up in the driveway. It wasn't a car I recognized and I couldn't imagine who it could be on an Easter Sunday. Two men visiting from Kuwait were driving around the countryside looking for a lamb to butcher and they wondered if we had any available. Our new friend and neighbor, Willis, had sent them to us and they probably saw the sheep in the pasture. We don't have any lambs available. And we tried to explain that we raise sheep for wool and because it is so cold here in Minnesota, we don't lamb early enough in the year to supply the Easter lamb market.
I ran inside and got on the computer, trying to find names, addresses, and phone numbers of local farmers who I thought might have a market lamb ready to butcher. While I was searching for information, Dennis and the kids had a nice chat with our visitors. It turns out they had just arrived in Minnesota and were here seeking medical care at the Mayo clinic in Rochester. even though they had only been here a short while, they had already observed that the people in Rochester weren't as open and friendly as the people out in the country. So they liked getting out of town and driving around the countryside. They teased us about being outside and working on a Christian holiday. We responded that the weather was just too nice and we all wanted to be outside enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. We talked about Halal markets and Muslim butchering practices. How important it is to kill an animal quickly so that it doesn't experience fear and pain, and to thank God for the sacrifice. We offered them some chickens we had in the freezer, but they declined. We said our good byes and they were on their way. What an unexpected gift of friendship and conversation.
Later that afternoon, we packed an Easter plate for our 89 year-old neighbor, Laurel. We included two different kinds of bread, Easter cookies, and some candy. Vincent, Tyler, and I drove down to her house to wish her a happy Easter. While we were visiting, Vincent invited Laurel to dinner at our house. I really respect his kindness and generosity. After taking a quick peak at her dairy goats and laying chickens, we returned home to get dinner ready. Laurel needed to eat by 5:30 so that she could get back home to milk the goats. We cooked a 22 lb. turkey that we'd gotten last fall from another farm, made mashed Yukon gold potatoes and gravy, steamed fresh asparagus, and fresh fruit salad. Pretty simple really. It was fun sharing a meal with Laurel. She's great company and we are all enjoying getting to know her. So this year three unexpected guests shared Easter with us and I have to believe they're our Easter angels.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Seeds and Trees
Growing up in southern California, we had a yearly pilgrimage to the apricot orchards two hours away. We would pick apricots and bring home lugs of fruit that my mom would make into jams a nd preserves. Of course we would eat apricots until we were sick. When I lived in Northern California, I continued that tradition. I have fond memories of standing on my tip toes in the crotch of the tree to reach just one more ripe apricot. I continued the tradition of making jams, preserves, and apricot butter. I even went a step further and made fruit leather and dried a year's worth of apricots on screens placed on the roof. After almost thirty years in Minnesota, its hard to believe there could be such an arid climate.
So I know a peach tree is not an apricot tree. I want apricot trees. In January, I ordered two very special apricot trees - a new variety developed by Rutgers University that is both sweet and hardy. "Sugar Pearls" is only carried b y Henry Fields and Gurneys (they seem to be the same company). It was in stock when I placed the order. But this past week, we got the notice to go down to the post office to pick up two oversized packages. Gurneys sent the two tomcot trees I orderd. But without any notice, Henry Fields sent two peach trees. They sent two peach trees that aren't even hardy here. I called customer service and talked to someone in India who has ablsolutely no idea how important these trees are to me. He informs me that Henry Fields is all sold out for the year, but they would be happy to keep my money and fufill the order next year. Are you crazy? Then he said they could refund me $69.00 which was the cost of the two trees. I had to point out to him that there was also a $13.95 shipping fee and my credit card had been charged $82.95. The call ended with him stating that Henry Fields would refund my money but that the refund wouldn't appear on my credit card statement for two to three weeks. What are the chances I'm really going to get a refund? I offered to send back the two peach trees. He said keep them. The biggest difficulty getting a new orchard started is getting the stock. Mail order companies can be wonderful to deal with and they can also be terribly frustrating. I am so disappointed. I could taste those apricots.
Luckily, there is a local company that helps make planting a spring garden a truly joyful experience. We now live an hour away from the Albert Lea Seed House. I used to drive three hours for their customer service and the experience. Every time I'm there, I imagine what it must have been like back in the early 1900's to go to town and pick up supplies. When you walk in there's a sign in desk for gardeners and one for farmers. In the past I was a farmer. This year, I'm a gardner. Yes, its busy like the best deli, or meat market, or bakery. You wait your turn. But then you get served.
Some people, like me come with their list all made out. Others wander the isles. There are farmers, amish, and garderners. We all have our favorite varieties. There's a huge chalkboard on one wall, listing the current prices and availability for corn, soybeans, grains, and grasses. Albert Lea Seed House is inclusive. They have conventional seed and they have an ever increasing line of organic seed. They also stock many of the soil ammendments I need. They individually pack vegetable and flower seed varieties in 1/4 oz. to 5 lb. packages. Its rows of seeds, soil ammendments, and animal supplies.
It is so exhuberating to be at a seed store. Look around and you see the farmers sitting on stools at the barrels. This is their livelihood. Maybe their favorite variety of corn isn't avaialable. Do they risk trying something new or wait for the old standby to come in. It is serious business on that side of the store, but there is also time for chit chat. On the vegetable seed isles, I exhange places with an amish man. Everyone on this isle is serious too. In these difficult economic times, these little seed packets will provide our family with most of our food. It's not the year to make many "fun" choices. But I managed to slip in a small packet of Dill's Atlantic Pumpkin into the basket. (They're the giant pumpkins)
Once we know what we want for soil ammendments, Tom tells us what's in stock and Randy pulls the 50lb bags for us, neatly stack them on big old fashioned wooden dollies, and loads them into our car. They are even willing to break those 50 lb bags and sell customers like me, 2 lb. of white dutch clover. There's been years when I've put together my own mix of beneficial plants to edge the garden and they cheerfully oblidged my request for a little of this and a little of that. To top it off, they offer my kids a piece of candy as we leave. This is customer service and this is a company that knows how to change with the times. Bravo!
On the way home, I can't help but notice the empty grain elevators. They're in business, but they're empty. When I call the elevators around us, asking for diatomacious earth, kelp, Redmond salt, blood meal, bone, meal, dolomite, greed sande, and rock phosphate - all they can say is "What's that? I've never heard of it." They only know how to serve the big farmers using traditional methods. Albert Lea Seed House even carries Mycorrhizal fungi. I couldn't ask for more.
So I know a peach tree is not an apricot tree. I want apricot trees. In January, I ordered two very special apricot trees - a new variety developed by Rutgers University that is both sweet and hardy. "Sugar Pearls" is only carried b y Henry Fields and Gurneys (they seem to be the same company). It was in stock when I placed the order. But this past week, we got the notice to go down to the post office to pick up two oversized packages. Gurneys sent the two tomcot trees I orderd. But without any notice, Henry Fields sent two peach trees. They sent two peach trees that aren't even hardy here. I called customer service and talked to someone in India who has ablsolutely no idea how important these trees are to me. He informs me that Henry Fields is all sold out for the year, but they would be happy to keep my money and fufill the order next year. Are you crazy? Then he said they could refund me $69.00 which was the cost of the two trees. I had to point out to him that there was also a $13.95 shipping fee and my credit card had been charged $82.95. The call ended with him stating that Henry Fields would refund my money but that the refund wouldn't appear on my credit card statement for two to three weeks. What are the chances I'm really going to get a refund? I offered to send back the two peach trees. He said keep them. The biggest difficulty getting a new orchard started is getting the stock. Mail order companies can be wonderful to deal with and they can also be terribly frustrating. I am so disappointed. I could taste those apricots.
Luckily, there is a local company that helps make planting a spring garden a truly joyful experience. We now live an hour away from the Albert Lea Seed House. I used to drive three hours for their customer service and the experience. Every time I'm there, I imagine what it must have been like back in the early 1900's to go to town and pick up supplies. When you walk in there's a sign in desk for gardeners and one for farmers. In the past I was a farmer. This year, I'm a gardner. Yes, its busy like the best deli, or meat market, or bakery. You wait your turn. But then you get served.
Some people, like me come with their list all made out. Others wander the isles. There are farmers, amish, and garderners. We all have our favorite varieties. There's a huge chalkboard on one wall, listing the current prices and availability for corn, soybeans, grains, and grasses. Albert Lea Seed House is inclusive. They have conventional seed and they have an ever increasing line of organic seed. They also stock many of the soil ammendments I need. They individually pack vegetable and flower seed varieties in 1/4 oz. to 5 lb. packages. Its rows of seeds, soil ammendments, and animal supplies.
It is so exhuberating to be at a seed store. Look around and you see the farmers sitting on stools at the barrels. This is their livelihood. Maybe their favorite variety of corn isn't avaialable. Do they risk trying something new or wait for the old standby to come in. It is serious business on that side of the store, but there is also time for chit chat. On the vegetable seed isles, I exhange places with an amish man. Everyone on this isle is serious too. In these difficult economic times, these little seed packets will provide our family with most of our food. It's not the year to make many "fun" choices. But I managed to slip in a small packet of Dill's Atlantic Pumpkin into the basket. (They're the giant pumpkins)
Once we know what we want for soil ammendments, Tom tells us what's in stock and Randy pulls the 50lb bags for us, neatly stack them on big old fashioned wooden dollies, and loads them into our car. They are even willing to break those 50 lb bags and sell customers like me, 2 lb. of white dutch clover. There's been years when I've put together my own mix of beneficial plants to edge the garden and they cheerfully oblidged my request for a little of this and a little of that. To top it off, they offer my kids a piece of candy as we leave. This is customer service and this is a company that knows how to change with the times. Bravo!
On the way home, I can't help but notice the empty grain elevators. They're in business, but they're empty. When I call the elevators around us, asking for diatomacious earth, kelp, Redmond salt, blood meal, bone, meal, dolomite, greed sande, and rock phosphate - all they can say is "What's that? I've never heard of it." They only know how to serve the big farmers using traditional methods. Albert Lea Seed House even carries Mycorrhizal fungi. I couldn't ask for more.
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