Monthly Archives: April 2010

Pasture Projects

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I love this time of the year; the expectation of our first nice spring season in some time tempts my mind into fantasies of cattle on pasture under sunny skies. This is a path that leads to thoughts of improving our farm and the projects that are the vehicle to that end. This week I want to talk about pasture projects.

“Every improvement is an investment” is the mantra I repeat to myself each time I embark on a new project. When the project develops the pasture where our cattle graze, the message is especially true. Last year the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helped us to develop an underground watering system for our cattle and a more permanent grid of interior fencing to make our rotational grazing system work even better. This year, we are doing more subtle projects to make our farm a bit more diverse and sustainable.

Our first project is planting a small portion of our ground into a pollinator mix. The plan is to take a little ground next to the river and seed it with plants that make a good dinner plate for insects, birds and other animals that help pollinate plants. I read in an NRCS pamphlet that one out of every three to four mouthfuls of food and beverage that passes our lips is due to pollination. Planting this mix will create a nice place to visit if you are a bee, bird or small mammal and possibly a good place to raise little ones.

I think the next project is my favorite; a water tank escape. This involves attaching hardware fabric or screen to the side of the tank then weighing the other end down into the tank of water with a brick. If some small animal, perched on the side of the tank for a drink, happens to fall in then it will have a way to crawl out. My dad always floated a board in cattle water for the birds and I have followed that lead, but this will be a little additional safety for the small and four-legged.

I like the idea of creating a good environment for helpful insects, however I would like to show the rest of them the door. I hope this year we can do that with fly predators. Fly predators arrive in a cocoon stage but come to life after distribution in the pasture. The fly predators seek out flies in their pupae stage and lay their own eggs with the immature fly. When the eggs hatch, they eat the pupae and greatly reduce fly population-at the least that’s what is says in the brochure. Seems I’ve been reading a lot of brochures lately.

Those are a few of my projects; all inspired by a need to improve and a spring that can be proud of itself. I will share pictures in the future as the projects come to completion; until then enjoy your spring and your own projects.
 

Thompson Bridge webcam

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Here is the link to the construction of the new Thompson, North Dakota bridge. I wrote about the bridge recently and thought you might like to watch the new bridge being built.

oxblue.com/pro/open/polkandgrandforks/thompsonbridge

Also, Rural Reflections Radio will be late this week as my computer is out for repair.

GRant

Letter to Dave

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Dear Dave,

Last week I wrote about our trip to see you which happened on a Monday. I couldn’t get enough of North Dakota in one sitting so I came back alone on Friday. I have been seeking out a skid steer loader for a awhile and Friday’s trip was in that pursuit. The end of my story found me in Bismarck, North Dakota with a relic of the seventies strapped to a trailer behind my pick-up; a John Deere skid loader. This letter will serve as that story’s prequel.

I left at three-thirty Friday morning bound for the wilderness. I love North Dakota, however the intelligence of me rolling through the darkness in my old, rusty pick-up on roads last traveled by Conestoga wagon could be questioned. North Dakota has the sort of distance between outposts that makes for good neighbors. I would guess no one cares how loud the neighbor’s car or music is as the geography and population density of North Dakota makes for an asset even greater than the Bakken oil formation; privacy.

One of my stops along the way was Cooperstown, North Dakota. Mark Allen is a local radio announcer who grew up near Cooperstown which makes him Cooperstown’s favorite son and greatest celebrity. I took a quick tour of the town to find that there is; a Mark Allen Boulevard, a Mark Allen elementary school, a St Mark’s hospital and that, although all the churches have regular names, they are all of the Mark Allen synod. There is also a large billboard with Mark Allen’s face on it which is nice except the eyes follow you wherever you go which is kind of creepy. The truth is, Dave, none of what I wrote about Mark is the truth-except I am sure Cooperstown is proud of him. Mark and I went to Broadcasting school together here in Thief RIver Falls, Mn. I like to tease him about the irony of how he started from humble beginnings but now has risen to become a high-level politician in Middle River and beloved announcer at KTRF radio.

Our breakfast together was real nice, I especially liked that you paid for it. I like to keep my overhead low and had packed cold hamburgers on buns for the trip but a huge breakfast made most of the burgers irrelevant. It’s always nice to get a little one on one time with you, Dave. I like to visit you at the shop but typically I have to get in line with the three mechanics and four farmers outside the door to your office, which is understandable.

After I left Carrington, I arrived is Bismarck 2 ½ hours and 3 wayside rests later. Give my compliments to the Governor as North Dakota really makes up for the lack of convenience store bathrooms with some of the nicest interstate rest stops I‘ve ever seen. I bought the skid steer, loaded it then received a tour of the little ranchette where the loader had spent the last fifteen years of its life from its former owner.

It took longer to get home loaded than my trip that morning but I stopped by your work on the way home. I know it was your greatest shame to not only have a piece of John Deere equipment on the Case/IH lot but to have that equipment introduced by a family member. I noticed you didn’t leave your office to look at it for fear someone would see “Mr Case/IH” standing next to something green. We did use the Case/IH can coozies you gave me to keep the beer cold the following Saturday night so I hope that makes things right.

Your little bro’

 

Carrington day trip

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I recently took a trip to see my brother in Carrington, North Dakota.
David is the brother to whom I write my monthly letters that are part of my
column; he would seem a convenient fictional creation or literary
device but he is neither. My nephew, Jamie, balanced my new van by
riding shotgun and here is a little about our trip.

I was happy to see Jamie bright and early Monday morning; he is good
company. We left my place headed for Crookston and our first stop
which was for coffee and snacks. Jamie had the good sense to pick up some
empty calories in the form of little candy orange slices. I performed
the gustatory equivalent of throwing myself on a live grenade by
systematically vacuuming up most of those empty carbs on my own.

I considered during the trip how there will soon be a historic experience gone forever; crossing the old Thompson Bridge. No longer will you be able to enter the bridge
on the Minnesota side and have real questions as to whether you’ll ever
make it to North Dakota. It is one of those old bridges designed when
two narrows lanes were enough and it will soon be replaced by concrete
and pillars and much of that construction is complete. Here is the Thompson bridge web cam link:oxblue.com/pro/open/polkandgrandforks/thompsonbridge

During our trip, I made a call to Lisa. I haven’t been off my own porch for awhile so I was pretty fired up. I was also neck-deep into a caffeine rush so I must have been a little loud and boisterous. I opened the conversation with one of my little phone pranks which Lisa noticed immediately and to which put a stop before I embarrassed myself. I like to call her from the road but sometimes I need some adult supervision.

About 85 minutes after we passed the Carl Ben Eielson cemetery in
Hatton, we arrived in Carrington. My brother David is the hub
through which much work and many decisions must pass, so he was busy when we arrived. He picked up a pizza for us and we had dinner together with his wife, Mary. Like most people, Dave and Mary remodel their house on a regular basis so we toured their recent progress. It was a nice visit.

Dave is famous for the tours he gives of his home town and directed our travel to the large dairy farm southeast of town. This dairy is beautiful and well run; less smell than a locker room after dinner and clean as a park. The owners are Danish and a bit hard to understand but it was quite evident that their success as a married couple extended into their business. Both were raised on dairy farms but came to the United States via way of Canada as our laws are less restrictive and more conducive to starting a dairy. The dairy has even held an open house to the public with tours of the facilities.

The trip home was quiet; the orange slices were gone and I was crashing from my caffeine rush. Jamie and I talked and listened to the Twins, enjoyed the stark beauty of North Dakota and tried to keep the van from being windswept into the ditch. It was a good trip.
 

I want to ride my bicycle

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I enjoyed bicycling as a young man. It was nice to slip out of the heat and get a little breeze; even if that breeze required some pedaling to create. I decided this year I want to ride my bicycle.

I bought a new bike several years ago. It is still new. The problem was that I purchased my first four wheeler the same year as I purchased the bike. The friendship with a four-wheeler is much easier than the effort required to chum with a bicycle. Hence, the bike sat in the garage with little use.

My main problem with riding a bicycle is that the seat is painful. It isn’t sudden pain but a more subtle numbing sensation that makes one uncertain of your own gender until blood returns to points located centrally. Lisa suggested a different seat, which I may try, but in the short term I think I will just try to balance most of my weight on the pedals.

Safety is always a concern but I believe I have thought it through. Lately, there has been a large suv that drives by our home fast and recklessly. This vehicle almost forced my wife off the road one day so I believe it will be the focus for most of my safety concerns. I believe most bicyclists wear a helmet and pads but I would like something a bit more proactive method to ensure my own safety; perhaps I can find something in the latest issue of “Guns &Ammo.“ I hear motorcycle gangs employ some interesting methods for protection from vehicles so perhaps I will give them a whirl also.

I plan to start with a ride around the block which for me means four miles-the distance around a section of land. I rode from Viking to Newfolden and back when I was young plus played baseball the same day so four miles should be pretty easy. I noticed that one of my tool and hardware magazines now sells a kit to electrify any bicycle. This really appeals to my need for gadgetry, however it seems to defeat the purpose of human-powered transportation. It is a fantastic way to spend money but not a fantastic way to spend calories which is another benefit I seek.

My hopes for the bicycle and I is a better relationship. I also hope to enjoy the benefits of peace and health derived from bike riding. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “ Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance you must keep moving.” That sounds like just the kind of enlightened, heady experience I am looking for-that and not becoming one of those signs you see along the road.
 

I want to ride my bicycle

Posted on by
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I enjoyed bicycling as a young man. It was nice to slip out of the heat and get a little breeze; even if that breeze required some pedaling to create. I decided this year I want to ride my bicycle.

I bought a new bike several years ago. It is still new. The problem was that I purchased my first four wheeler the same year as I purchased the bike. The friendship with a four-wheeler is much easier than the effort required to chum with a bicycle. Hence, the bike sat in the garage with little use.

My main problem with riding a bicycle is that the seat is painful. It isn’t sudden pain but a more subtle numbing sensation that makes one uncertain of your own gender until blood returns to points located centrally. Lisa suggested a different seat, which I may try, but in the short term I think I will just try to balance most of my weight on the pedals.

Safety is always a concern but I believe I have thought it through. Lately, there has been a large suv that drives by our home fast and recklessly. This vehicle almost forced my wife off the road one day so I believe it will be the focus for most of my safety concerns. I believe most bicyclists wear a helmet and pads but I would like something a bit more proactive method to ensure my own safety; perhaps I can find something in the latest issue of “Guns &Ammo.“ I hear motorcycle gangs employ some interesting methods for protection from vehicles so perhaps I will give them a whirl also.

I plan to start with a ride around the block which for me means four miles-the distance around a section of land. I rode from Viking to Newfolden and back when I was young plus played baseball the same day so four miles should be pretty easy. I noticed that one of my tool and hardware magazines now sells a kit to electrify any bicycle. This really appeals to my need for gadgetry, however it seems to defeat the purpose of human-powered transportation. It is a fantastic way to spend money but not a fantastic way to spend calories which is another benefit I seek.

My hopes for the bicycle and I is a better relationship. I also hope to enjoy the benefits of peace and health derived from bike riding. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “ Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance you must keep moving.” That sounds like just the kind of enlightened, heady experience I am looking for-that and not becoming one of those signs you see along the road.
 

Springtime in Five Acts

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Act I Spring is here

I don’t get too excited about the official, calendar first day of spring just as I don’t put too much stock into Groundhog day. I mean if several men in tuxedos pulled me from a deep sleep to inquire about whether there was to be six more weeks of spring, I’d want back into my hole-shadow or not. The meaning of spring is different for everyone; for some it may mean first green grass, maybe the first robin or like me, renewing cattle fence.

Act II Fence renewal

I am proud of my fence and what makes me most proud is I don’t have to do much maintenance to keep it working. I do , however, have a short piece of fence along the Black River that ends up on the ground as the water recedes and leaves heavy, wet grass hanging on the wire. The whole process is kind of aerobic exercise in that you bend over, lift up and pull for several hundred repetitions. It makes me wonder what attracts people to rivers and water frontage. I guess maybe most people consider aesthetics and not fence cleaning aerobics when they choose where to live.

Act III Geese

This week a large flock of geese showed up in the Fargo, North Dakota area. They came seeking large fields of water from which to fuel up for their trip. I’ve read several accounts that estimate numbers into many thousands although nothing I could call official. If you are a birdwatcher, this is an annual celebration. If you are living bird food, this is a bummer.

Act IV A dry summer

I am not a meteorologist; considering some of the poor weather forecasts, I say that proudly. What I am is an observer of weather and what nature whispers on the wind. I was able to pound a three foot rod into the ground about ten days ago so apparently the frost is gone which may explain why things have dried out quickly. I also noticed that while we have much subsoil moisture, the pastures are already dry enough that I leave no track with my tractor. One good rain storm will make me look foolish, but I sense a dry year in 2010. Again, I am not a weather forecaster, just a sleepy groundhog.

Act V The sweet smell of spring

There is no indication of spring quite as overbearing as the smell that comes from the sanitary lagoon near Thief River Falls, Minnesota. If you expect spring to arrive on little bird wings, then the first nostril-filling, open-handed slap that arrives with a good west wind is a wake-up. This little lagoon spends most of its life quietly and efficiently working however in late March it clears it’s throat and announces to all an official change of seasons with a stench that you can actually taste. It really made me feel sorry for the people up by the dairy north of town who unfortunately enjoy the announcement of spring each morning. It all kind of makes one appreciate winter.