Daily observations of my simple life.

Rain, baking and movies:

The rain continues. Frank and Shirley head for a day in town and I'm enjoying a day alone without interuptions. Still housebound, mulling over going to see a movie but opting for a movie theater at home. Thankfully there were several movies that were worth watching on. 7 years in Tibet with Brad Pitt. My kind of movie, not just because of Brad Pitt but because of the content.  Wonderful presentation of the gentle colorful life of ancient Budhist practices. I often like movies that have background areas and cultures  that reflect lifestyles other than ours in the stories.  Later I watched  a movie called Blackrobe about the early comings of a priest to the Americas and the Indian culture.

Also, during the day I watched a show on one of the independent stations about the North Dakota Farmer /College Professor who is growing organic and heads up an alternate farming association. Wish I could remember his name and the name of the org this morning but I remember the message. It came from my stronge belief that we must share and care for the earth with creatures, which means more complex farming. He gave an example of a rice farmer in Japan. He noticed he was not making anything from his farming efforts. Everything he made went right back into his farming efforts and his crops harvests were becoming smaller. He began to ponder whether he should remain in farming. While pondering he heard stories that in generations past rice farmers raised ducks in there rice paddies. He decided to give that a try using a mix of wild and domesticated ducks in his rice paddies. He noticed that the ducks started eating the insects and snails that normally plague the crops. His crops were increasing and he had ducks and duck eggs as crops on the same amount of  land. Then he wondered if maybe he could also raise fish in the rice fields. First he tried some little fish in a tub of water to see if the ducks would eat the fish. They did. Then he thought maybe if the fish are less visable the ducks won't eat all the fish. He added some dirt to the fish tub and found that the ducks no longer ate the fish as quickly. He then added fish to his rice paddies. A weed that is often very distructive to the rice fields due to it's choking out of the plants was now kept under control by the ducks and fish. The rice was fertalized and had larger yields year by year. The ducks produced eggs and meat, and the fish produced meat. Now he planted figs around the perimeter of the rice paddies due to the fertility of the soil and he has added fruit to his marketable products all on the same land that he was barely making a living. It provides food for himself and his family and many others.

Another example was an Iowan farmer who is using intergrated crops. He tried raising corn among his grape vines. The corn shields the grapes from winds and sun. Both crops have sturdy stems and height so then he added chickens. The chickens kept down the insects and dead fruit that causes desease and fertilized the grapes and corn. Meat and eggs, corn and grapes all on the same acreage, then he added pheasants, a wild species. This diverse ecosytem is surviving and producing food and income.  Another farmer in Iowa has added chicken tractors to his diary herd. His cows pasture on rich greens, not grains. He has chicken houses on wheels that he moves from pasture to pasture with the cows. Eggs are produced and free range meat from chickens living happy lives.   The chickens eat the fly larvae keeping down fly production. Their scratching digs the fertilizer into the ground and so the circle of production and the soils enrichment is being increased.  I'm very much in favor of what is called permaculture, diverse ecosystems that increase the soils health and those who live on that soil.

Feeling full with these good things to watch , I also kept to my healthy eating plan. I cooked a pot of brown rice to have as a staple, baked another walnut fruit loaf and made flour torteas.

Today, I woke to fog. Watching out the window I could see my animals waiting before 8 for their morning meal. Carlos whose feathers are growing long and beautiful again was walking toward the barn with Lenny. They waited patiently until Lenny decided to take matters into his own hands. He ran back to the garage, flew to the roof and began his loud potarack, a loud call. I put on my hooded jacket over my jammy's, pulled on socks and shoes and mittens and padded out to the barn to divey out the feed.  Back in the house , a cup of hot tea, early morning tv and the internet while I look out my window at the sun coming out on the green wet desert. Subtle colors and beautiful.

I will go to town today.

Posted by: cactusandquail at 17:30 | link | comments

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