International Year of Family Farming – Cluck, Tweet, Thumbs Up, and Belly Dance
If you’re a family farmer . . .
You ‘oats ‘n peas ‘n beans ‘n barley grow’
You raise pigs or chickens or turkeys or cows for milk ‘n cheese ‘n cream ‘n rump roast.
You may even have bees. And a few children along the way. Who are home-schooled.
Not the bees, the children.
And if you’re Tara, the family farmer . . .
A university graduate, intellectually gifted and borne of free spirit (kudos to Mel and Joan).
You also belly dance along the way.
A week or two ago
Gravel Roads published a series of posts, “What it Means to be a Rural Woman, I, II and III” — in honour of the United Nations International Day of Rural Women, 2014.
Seems fitting to recognize yet another rural woman — this time in honour of the United Nations International Year of Family Farming, 2014.
Tara.
‘Goddess of the sea’, Indian and American meaning.
In Gaelic, ‘from the crag of tower’ and in Irish, where the kings met, also halls where ancient Bards sang deeds of heroes’.
‘Shining’ in Sanskrit and a ‘hill where kings met’ in Scottish.
If you’re inclined to be even more idyllic, there’s always that mythical plantation of ‘Tara’ in “Gone with the Wind”.
There’s nary a sea or castle or scholarly ancient language. Even less a belfry or grandiose hall teeming with feasting kings.
In Wishart, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Where Tara and her family have chosen to nurture a way of life into a lifestyle.
No singing bards either. Just Tara in her garden, struggling to hold either a really big squash or a really green pumpkin.
At one time Wishart was a village bursting at the seams with a population of 400
A homesteader’s destination for provisions, training ground for fledgling farmers and home to Gravel Road’s favorite uncle, Maj. Edward Collis Watson Jr.
Those were the days, my friend. And they did end.
The value of crops disintegrated, triggering a seemingly unending, downward spiral. First the Canadian Pacific Railway left town followed on the heels by the United Grain Growers and Pool elevators, among others. Then the school. Then the Co-op, grocery stores, cafes, poolroom, repair shops, and filling stations.
And today? This video of Wishart was recorded three days before Orthodox Christmas (another post, entirely) January 2013.
Organic, sustainable farming is a lifestyle choice
Which some folks admire. Most folks envy. And all folks, including Gravel Roads, wish we had the hutzpa to even dream about.
- 98% of Canada’s farms are family-owned (Farms.com); and about 97% of U.S. farms are family operated (American Farm Bureau Federation).
- In Canada organic farms account for a mere 1.7% of the total number of farms with about 1,200 certified organic processors and handlers producing product (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada).
- State-side, we have 17,700 certified organic operations. Or around 0.7% of total agricultural land (USDA.gov).
Definitions and standards and certification criteria vary not only from country to country, but state to state.
‘Nuf said.
Far too mind-boggling for Gravel Roads to address and best left to those more expert and knowledgeable, presumably, in their respective “fields”.
No GMO or antibiotics or growth hormones here folks
Harvest time. Tara’s garden grows from selected new varietals and seeds gathered from the previous year’s harvest, then sprouted in a passive solar-heated greenhouse. (Don’t even get me started on the soil and natural fertilizer she concocts).
Then they’re planted. And in-between, hoed and weeded. No time for belly dancing — yet.
Presenting a slideshow with the fruits of the family’s labour (literally) and the fun that follows — finally.
Well hello there, Becky.
Was this really you? One of you?
Chica, you've grown so much.
Pumpkin pie on the way.
Make that a few pumpkin pies.
Si. Habanero.
Picture perfect.
Busy bees all around.
By the droves.
Honeycomb.
On the way to honey.
Saskatoon pie?
Yep. Homemade bread, too.
Canning.
Garlic by the gallon.
Liter just doesn't work here.
And finally
Miss Tara center stage.
Note from Gravel Roads — Coming up, sustainable farming in Canada and the U.S.; more about Tara and her family; their daily commitment to a rural way of life; and, eventually American Thanksgiving. Stay tuned.
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