Yes, that is what I said, especially when the messenger can't "Get It Right".
A Bad day in El Paso/Lower New Mexico is better than a Good day here.
FINALLY someone is trying to step up and get a farmers market set in and advertise it Here in Central Texas, And they BLOW IT by BLAMING the Producer for their (the market coordinator) lack of knowledge of How to go about setting up a market.
WHO in the hell tries to set up an open air farmers market in the LATE fall (first weekend of December), without FIRST contacting potential producers in ADVANCE, by this I mean MONTHS advance??????
WHY does this even matter? Because we farmers can't just pull plants and products out of our ass's (land) at a moments notice. We have to have Growing Time to Produce products.
Yes, we were contacted a couple of weeks ago about attending a new farmers market. Our hot house items are not ready yet, all of our ground plants have either already quit producing or didn't make with the conditions we have been in. Had we known in ADVANCE, say back in September, that this market was going to start taking place, we could have set things IN to be Ready for now- as with all the Other Producers in the area, in the same boat. Now this coordinator wants to cry over Not having people to fill market spaces with.
Well, with the government "regulations" the way they are now, you are no longer allowed to bring in "homemade" items without having a "certified kitchen"/ legal mumbo jumbo for having to shell out many dollars to get licensing to produce home cooked things from your house. So, What are we suppose to bring to this last minute market? If you don't already have a "legal" kitchen to cook in then it takes TIME And Money to set in place. If you don't have plants ready with vegetables on them, well- ya know what?- You can't "rush" them either. You already get THAT product at the store. There are only So Many people who are going to come buy eggs.
Markets are GOOD. Yes. Producers are CRITICAL. Yes. Consumers are the REASON. Yes. But, so is GOOD, REASONABLE PREPARATION.
In other words- "Get Your Ducks In Order" before asking me to Bring Mine!!!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
In Despair There Is HOPE
Hello dear followers,
yes, I haven' t written in a while and it Is because of "farm Life". We have had death here and a miraculous
happening. Due to the drought we are in, we have not only Lost a lease place to house our animals, but we have lost our dear precious water sources- our 'tanks", some call ponds. Our water sources. They are, and have dried, to a non-existence. And the one left is only a quicksand sorta of existence. I rescued a goat, that I hold most dearest to my heart, from there only a week before; then our worst fears, a first calf heifer of ours found the same spot. She was a half jersy half holstien, BEAUTIFUL cow, just over 2 years of age. We found her. After pulling her out, haning her, feeding her- well, it was just too much for her to over come. We lost her. In the grief of it all, was her 6 month old heifer. My "K K", a 1400+ pound Reg. Jersey, had lost her only heifer calf (400lb heifer) a couple of weeks before to a group of malicious coyotes we have been battling, so she took up with the recent orphan heifer and accepted her as her own. So good came of bad. A cow in neeed of a calf and a calf in need of a momma. I now have no milk here for myself as I have dried off my last goat thinking I had "KK" milk. Well, it was a good trade off knowing she took in the newly orphan in need. I will have fresh milk again within a month. All is good. This drought has been hard on So many a farmer, so many an Animal; If only you could Really Understand the implications. Of course, I am , can we say- emotionally connected, right now- but all the same, everyone is So Devestated from this- Human, Animal........ Like I said before, the resounding ablity to survive- the farmer/dairyman.
That does bring me to a topic new- I have been approached by the local "government" to list myself under tax exempt status because of farm use, now I have to fill a form and disclose "WHAT" I am, do business as- The choices are ONE only, like- grow veggies, you dairy, you sell beef cattle and so on. Well, I do ALL. We are "THE ORIGINAL FAMILY FARM", so we Do It ALL. NOPE, no such category. Sad, when we HAVE To DEFINE ourselfs under a governmental "status of".Can't we just "be ourselfs" in this day and age???????? And in this case, well, we ARE,"Just, A Family Farm". Thank You, Rafannette Dooley
yes, I haven' t written in a while and it Is because of "farm Life". We have had death here and a miraculous
happening. Due to the drought we are in, we have not only Lost a lease place to house our animals, but we have lost our dear precious water sources- our 'tanks", some call ponds. Our water sources. They are, and have dried, to a non-existence. And the one left is only a quicksand sorta of existence. I rescued a goat, that I hold most dearest to my heart, from there only a week before; then our worst fears, a first calf heifer of ours found the same spot. She was a half jersy half holstien, BEAUTIFUL cow, just over 2 years of age. We found her. After pulling her out, haning her, feeding her- well, it was just too much for her to over come. We lost her. In the grief of it all, was her 6 month old heifer. My "K K", a 1400+ pound Reg. Jersey, had lost her only heifer calf (400lb heifer) a couple of weeks before to a group of malicious coyotes we have been battling, so she took up with the recent orphan heifer and accepted her as her own. So good came of bad. A cow in neeed of a calf and a calf in need of a momma. I now have no milk here for myself as I have dried off my last goat thinking I had "KK" milk. Well, it was a good trade off knowing she took in the newly orphan in need. I will have fresh milk again within a month. All is good. This drought has been hard on So many a farmer, so many an Animal; If only you could Really Understand the implications. Of course, I am , can we say- emotionally connected, right now- but all the same, everyone is So Devestated from this- Human, Animal........ Like I said before, the resounding ablity to survive- the farmer/dairyman.
That does bring me to a topic new- I have been approached by the local "government" to list myself under tax exempt status because of farm use, now I have to fill a form and disclose "WHAT" I am, do business as- The choices are ONE only, like- grow veggies, you dairy, you sell beef cattle and so on. Well, I do ALL. We are "THE ORIGINAL FAMILY FARM", so we Do It ALL. NOPE, no such category. Sad, when we HAVE To DEFINE ourselfs under a governmental "status of".Can't we just "be ourselfs" in this day and age???????? And in this case, well, we ARE,"Just, A Family Farm". Thank You, Rafannette Dooley
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
When Love is Not Enough
In this day in age when people go on about being disillusioned with thier lives and jobs and not happy doing what they are doing it is easy to get caught up in the "fantasy" of quit and do what you love and enjoy! You may not make the $'s you are used to but you will be Happy!
What a Load of Pollyanna Crap.
I AM doing what I love, Dearly Love- yet I am not making Any headway and right now I am Not even Happy.
Yep, I know, just ride it out- it is all you can do; except when you can't afford to ride it out.
I am talking to SOOO many people who are Trying,( just as we are, to make a differnce in our Own lives much less trying to help produce and provide for others who want to be "green and healthy"), that are on the verge of not only losing all they have but on the mere edge of mental Breakdowns. The whole time I am thinking in all of this that what we are trying to keep and preserve is the only thing that will matter in Not the Future but NOW. Not being able to go to the grocery store because of not only price but fear of becoming ill or worse yet Dying from what you eat because of contamination.
The fear and realization of not being able to hold on to what you have, not just the tangible things, but the "ideal" of you life is more than what some can bear.
I feel for those because I Am one of those.
PEOPLE out there who want to be mindful of where their food comes from and what they are eating don't just "thank" those who you buy from, or don't think you need to pay more or "donate" to them, but think Outstide of the box also. We are all in this box of economics together so instead of $ payments think about Barter. If you have any grain or access to some or hay offer it. If you have goods to trade such as you buy your milk from me and you have honey- offer honey in trade for milk. An so on and it doesn't have to be food items; you can offer serivces like you do electric work, see if who you buy from needs any work done or you have extra yarn, you get the picture. Yes, we Do need money to support the farm but we also need other things to so if you are in a position to do some trading don't be "afraid" to approach your farmer/dairyman and Ask/Offer.
To those who Have to sell- I am one of those having to sell out of some of my stuff right now, just to try and hold on to a few- try not to loose yourself. SH#(*$@#) Happens, more often than not. You ARE in a volitile business- you are at the mercy of mother nature at all times and she is a real bitch. But, keep in mind, that things can get worse and they can also get better; we just don't know the order or when. That is the BEST thing about farmers- our resounding ablity to ReBuild from nothing or mere nothing. That remarkable nagging voice telling us, it Will Be Better. That is Ok, Let it Nag!!! It keeps us going!!!
What a Load of Pollyanna Crap.
I AM doing what I love, Dearly Love- yet I am not making Any headway and right now I am Not even Happy.
Yep, I know, just ride it out- it is all you can do; except when you can't afford to ride it out.
I am talking to SOOO many people who are Trying,( just as we are, to make a differnce in our Own lives much less trying to help produce and provide for others who want to be "green and healthy"), that are on the verge of not only losing all they have but on the mere edge of mental Breakdowns. The whole time I am thinking in all of this that what we are trying to keep and preserve is the only thing that will matter in Not the Future but NOW. Not being able to go to the grocery store because of not only price but fear of becoming ill or worse yet Dying from what you eat because of contamination.
The fear and realization of not being able to hold on to what you have, not just the tangible things, but the "ideal" of you life is more than what some can bear.
I feel for those because I Am one of those.
PEOPLE out there who want to be mindful of where their food comes from and what they are eating don't just "thank" those who you buy from, or don't think you need to pay more or "donate" to them, but think Outstide of the box also. We are all in this box of economics together so instead of $ payments think about Barter. If you have any grain or access to some or hay offer it. If you have goods to trade such as you buy your milk from me and you have honey- offer honey in trade for milk. An so on and it doesn't have to be food items; you can offer serivces like you do electric work, see if who you buy from needs any work done or you have extra yarn, you get the picture. Yes, we Do need money to support the farm but we also need other things to so if you are in a position to do some trading don't be "afraid" to approach your farmer/dairyman and Ask/Offer.
To those who Have to sell- I am one of those having to sell out of some of my stuff right now, just to try and hold on to a few- try not to loose yourself. SH#(*$@#) Happens, more often than not. You ARE in a volitile business- you are at the mercy of mother nature at all times and she is a real bitch. But, keep in mind, that things can get worse and they can also get better; we just don't know the order or when. That is the BEST thing about farmers- our resounding ablity to ReBuild from nothing or mere nothing. That remarkable nagging voice telling us, it Will Be Better. That is Ok, Let it Nag!!! It keeps us going!!!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Nature's Jokes
So, life as it is it trying to say the least. We all know, farmers or not, that we are in the most severe drought in years. We had a glimmer that Lee (?) was going to give us some relief, but no, Mother Nature thought that Louisiana/ New Orleans was the one in need. I think she (Mother Nature) must be dyslexic or maybe even ADD.
I guess we may even suffer from the same afflictions as we are gearing up for Fall Garden and crops. Like I said, a damned lifestyle. Starting to get the picture? Yep, here we are in the worst of growing situations and we are still trying to figure things to stick in the ground and sweat over to come back up out of the ground.
I guess we may even suffer from the same afflictions as we are gearing up for Fall Garden and crops. Like I said, a damned lifestyle. Starting to get the picture? Yep, here we are in the worst of growing situations and we are still trying to figure things to stick in the ground and sweat over to come back up out of the ground.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
I Do This Why??
So, damned if I do or don't!
I might as well LOVE what I am doing otherwise it would just be sadistic to stay in this life of farm/dairy.
My husband says that farmers are the most optimistic people on the face of the earth - they have to be or else there would be nothing But hospitilized depression patients who were former farmers.
We are also like a bunch of addicts - you can never wait to get that next goat or buy that next seed!!
That brings me to today- I have decided to downsize my goat operation and help finance our move back out there - so today I sold Five goats! Then ended up with Another goat that I brought back home.Are you starting to see the whole one step forward and two steps back thing??
Well, thought it would be best to put her into the milking shed with my other girls I am milking just for her to settle in before I turn her out since she is only bred and not milking. Well, my girls decided that they were Not going to play nice and the next thing I know one of my milkers- Jupiter- is in front of the house. I go out to see what happened and the corner of the shed had been knocked out. I like to call my goats , instead of a herd or group, a Coven cause they are all a bunch of witches. Give her a couple of days and she will be teaming up with them against anyone new coming in. grrrrr goats.
I might as well LOVE what I am doing otherwise it would just be sadistic to stay in this life of farm/dairy.
My husband says that farmers are the most optimistic people on the face of the earth - they have to be or else there would be nothing But hospitilized depression patients who were former farmers.
We are also like a bunch of addicts - you can never wait to get that next goat or buy that next seed!!
That brings me to today- I have decided to downsize my goat operation and help finance our move back out there - so today I sold Five goats! Then ended up with Another goat that I brought back home.Are you starting to see the whole one step forward and two steps back thing??
Well, thought it would be best to put her into the milking shed with my other girls I am milking just for her to settle in before I turn her out since she is only bred and not milking. Well, my girls decided that they were Not going to play nice and the next thing I know one of my milkers- Jupiter- is in front of the house. I go out to see what happened and the corner of the shed had been knocked out. I like to call my goats , instead of a herd or group, a Coven cause they are all a bunch of witches. Give her a couple of days and she will be teaming up with them against anyone new coming in. grrrrr goats.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Support Local Food Source and Your Health
Yep, that is the thanks a farmer/dairyman gets alright. We are a society conditioned so much to the cheapest and least that we can't even accept the explantion of the "why" of the price factor we just shoot the people down as trying to get as much as they can. And then justify the shooting because you just can't afford to pay that much for food.
Ok, so thanks America for sending everyone straight to hell in a handbasket. Thanks for shoving low quality foods at us at low cost and prescriptions to make up for the ill effects of those products in our lives.
We are Killing a tradition, life and source all at one Whack! The Local Farmer/Dairyman.
Growing food Is expensive. You do have to have the right "stuff" down in the ground to make things grow and thrive. It does take more than time and a little effort to get plants up and going and producing. It is expensive to take care of animals.
BUT - that is WHY the local farmer/dairyman is the place to go to First. Because we ARE the only caretakers of our products and it IS the (for Dooley Family Farm) The Only source of income we have. So you do really think, that local farmers/dairymen Want to spend ALL that TIME, MONEY, SWEAT and PAIN to give you an inferior product? No, and the price that it comes down to is Not to cover the time, sweat and pain- but to cover expense and upkeep and being able to make something to pay those bills so that we are able to Keep bringing you fresh, clean, healthy products.
Ok, so thanks America for sending everyone straight to hell in a handbasket. Thanks for shoving low quality foods at us at low cost and prescriptions to make up for the ill effects of those products in our lives.
We are Killing a tradition, life and source all at one Whack! The Local Farmer/Dairyman.
Growing food Is expensive. You do have to have the right "stuff" down in the ground to make things grow and thrive. It does take more than time and a little effort to get plants up and going and producing. It is expensive to take care of animals.
BUT - that is WHY the local farmer/dairyman is the place to go to First. Because we ARE the only caretakers of our products and it IS the (for Dooley Family Farm) The Only source of income we have. So you do really think, that local farmers/dairymen Want to spend ALL that TIME, MONEY, SWEAT and PAIN to give you an inferior product? No, and the price that it comes down to is Not to cover the time, sweat and pain- but to cover expense and upkeep and being able to make something to pay those bills so that we are able to Keep bringing you fresh, clean, healthy products.
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