Category: Environment

Climate Change, Community, Down On the Farm, Environment, Neighbors, Opal's Farm, Service Organizations, Service to Others, Texas, Thoughts From the Porch, Unity Unlimited, Inc., Urban Farming

West Texas Winds

gregoryjoel

Good morning to our Opal’s Farm family. We’ve had a great week down at the farm. We been busy with Spring planting and most of the farm didn’t even blow away! Some empty rain barrels were blown about a quarter-mile down the farm but other than that we suffered little wind damage. I hope you all (and all your patio furniture) stayed grounded during this March outburst.

Folks may place Fort Worth in north central Texas but it is where the west begins. We got a reminder when the wind brought West Texas to us in the form of a major dust cloud. The haze in the air reminded us of old sepia-toned photographs of Fort Worth. When I took my wife to her son’s house in Haslet Friday it was scenes from the Dust Bowl. Given the looming threat of higher prices and possible recession we might be reliving the thirties. History may not repeat itself but it’s definitely circular.

It all reminded me of a song I thought I’d share this Sunday morning. I think of it on windy west Texas days like we’ve had this week…

Community, Environment, Heroes, Quotes

Thought for the Day

gregoryjoel

“Join with the Earth and each other, to bring new life to the land, to restore the waters, to refresh the air, to renew the forests, to care for the plants, to protect the creatures, to celebrate the seas, to rejoice in the sunlight, to sing the song of the stars, to recall our destiny, to renew our spirits, to reinvigorate our bodies, to recreate the human community, to promote justice and peace, to love our children and love one another, to join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery, for the healing of the Earth and the renewal of all life.” – Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

Autumn, Community, Environment, Events, Faith, Farmers Markets, Food Equality, Food Justice, Gratitude, Neighbors, Non-Profits, Opal's Farm, Regeneration, Service to Others, Simplicity, Social Justice, Thoughts From the Porch, Unity Unlimited, Inc., Urban Farming, Volunteers

Just An Update

gregoryjoel

Greetings to you all. I haven’t written much this month. I’m still trying to process the Election night results. I had thought people might’ve grown tired of the circus that is forty-five and now forty-seven-elect. I’ll leave that to the pundits to deal with. The farm doesn’t much care about politics. It just keeps on being Opal’s Farm – food grows, people are fed, and life goes on.

Things have just been incredibly nuts at the farm (in a good way mind you). Every time I think its’s going to slow down the “to do” list gets longer. We are having bumper crops this Fall, and the weather has been absolutely wonderful, making me somewhat sad when the day is over. It’s just too nice not to be working.

We held the Second Annual High Strides Against Diabetes 5K and Fun Run and the after-party last Saturday. We had such a great time with awesome food and fun. Next year, the race will be held in Dallas at Joppy Momma’s Farm. We alternate years for the race. Kim High, the Founder and Farm Manager for Joppy Momma’s has a great team that did so much to make this a successful event. I, on the other hand, should not have Event Planner on my resume. This was so much work! Thank you Kim, Joppy Momma’s, and all the folks from Dallas who worked so hard to put this together. It’s already time to start planning for next year!

We had a special luncheon at the farm with our friends from Houston, the Black United Fund, Inc. this Saturday. We discussed ways we can continue to grow and empower our communities to grow all over this great state. We believe in taking care of each other and building our communities through the medium of good healthy food that we all need so desperately. It was a honor and a privilege to host the event and we’re looking forward to our future collaboration.

The biggest thing going on at the farm right now though is the amazing amount of fresh produce we’re growing this Fall. We’re experiencing record yields and beautiful, fresh wholesome produce. We’d love to see you at either Cowtown Farmers Market or at Opal’s Farm Stand (at the entrance to the farm) every Saturday morning, rain or shine, from 8 AM until Noon. We accept SNAP-EBT benefits at both locations and be sure to look for our weekly specials.

We’d love to see you at the farm. Volunteers are always welcomed and appreciated. We’d never have the success Opal’s Farm has seen if it weren’t for all the volunteers who have helped us grow over the last six years. We’d love to have you come out, get your hands dirty , and enjoy the great Fall days with us.

Community, Connection, Creation, Down On the Farm, Environment, Faith, God's Economics, Gratitude, Neighbors, Non-Profits, Opal's Farm, Regeneration, Relationships, Service Organizations, Service to Others, Simplicity, Spirituality, Thoughts From the Porch, Urban Farming

The Gang is Back

gregoryjoel

July is almost over, and this may well be only the second time I’ve posted this month. We’ve been unseasonably cool (and wet!) off and on this summer. We are below our twenty-four triple digit days average. We’re enjoying the cooler weather, since August is right around the corner. It’s the hottest month of the year here so anytime it’s below a hundred degrees it’s a pleasant cool summer day…

The national news and the upcoming General Election have garnered the public’s attention over the last couple of weeks. I’d love to chime in on that front, but lately I’ve found I simply need to concentrate on what’s right in front of me and turn off the political noise that surrounds me – for my own sanity. I still plan to exercise my civic duty and vote – which I hope each one of you does – but I need to step back, turn on the music instead of National Public Radio, and spend my days working and enjoying the beauty of the farm, friends, and family.

We get to see some beautiful birds at the farm. A Great Blue Heron couple has made their nest somewhere on the overgrown sandbar south of the farm. Snowy Egrets frequent the banks of the Trinity looking for fish and small marine animals. We have a Cooper’s Hawks that lives close by (that eliminates the bird threat to our tomatoes) and even a Bald Eagle that comes around (although extremely infrequently).

Twice a year, usually during Spring and Fall planting, the Cattle Egrets, the Cowbirds as we always called them, drop in to eat the small insects that preparing for planting and turning beds usually brings out. They are much smaller than their Snowy brothers, and always come in groups – sometimes three or four groups on different areas of the farm and they’re always entertaining. Their little tan mohawk pops up and their jowls vibrate every time I come close.

Inevitably, there is always one outlier, one whose curiosity outweighs his fear, and always sticks around when the rest of the flock (which seems to be more like a gang!) flies away. He’ll follow me to see what’s going on and often looks at me as if saying “What’s up?”. I am under no illusion – I anthropomorphize our feathery friends – and it’s probably all in my imagination, but hey, I worked alone at the farm for a long time before Joey, Greg, and the guys came. I found my community amongst my wild feathery and furry friends.

One of the things I love about Opal’s Farm is the relationship we have with the wildlife on and around the farm. I take pride in knowing that our animal friends fit right into the environment we labor in. Each has an important place in how the farm operates – even what most consider to be pests. Don’t get me wrong: a pest is a problem, but nature has a way of dealing with them if we just let it take its course.

We have a ton of field mice at the farm. Most are field rats, but I call them mice because that’s what our volunteers would rather hear. There’s nothing more frustrating than picking a gorgeous watermelon or cantaloupe and finding a large hole in the bottom where a mouse had dinner. However, we lose more melons to two-legged predators than we do to mice and rats because we have coyotes, bobcats, rat snakes, and hawks that keep the rodent population manageable. When the ecosystem is in balance it takes care of itself.

We choose regenerative agriculture precisely for this reason. Nature does a far better job of keeping things in check than any chemical pest or weed control can ever do. It doesn’t have negative consequences either. Most of all, I get to enjoy it every day and be thankful to a creator that already took care of any problems I have in this regard. What a way to live life.

I’m getting ready to head to the farm again. I’m grateful for the rain we’ve had in July, but the reality is that it just isn’t enough during any North Texas summer. I’ll run the irrigation, prep a couple of beds, and hope my Egret friends drop by…

(An important aside – my wife’s father passed away on Friday. I’ll most likely be gone a couple of days this week. If you’re a praying person, please offer some prayers for my wife, Margaret, and her family.)

Community, Creation, Down On the Farm, Environment, Faith, Fighting Poverty, Food Equality, Food Insecurity, Food Justice, Gratitude, Non-Profits, Opal's Farm, Peace, Relationships, Service to Others, Simplicity, Social Justice, Spirituality, Spring, Thoughts From the Porch, Tractors, Unity Unlimited, Inc., Urban Farming

Spring Visitors

gregoryjoel

Our tomatoes are in! They loved all the rain this Spring and the May sun was the perfect topper for a great first week of tomatoes. We’ll have big harvests over the next few weeks so come out and see us at Cowtown Farmers Market and Opal’s Farm Stand.

I had company at the farm this week. We think she’s one of the coyote pups from last Spring. (Sorry I’m such a lousy photographer but I was on a running and vibrating tractor!) This young lady came and spent most of the day with me as I made way for the last succession planting of watermelon and cantaloupe. She stayed about ten feet away all day but was fascinated by the tractor. She kept a sharp eye out for any field mice that ran out as I prepared the beds.

I’m so glad we have a symbiotic relationship with the wild animals that come to the farm. Moreover, I’m really happy they feel safe enough to be there. It speaks to me of the peaceful spirit that exists there. Have a great week!