Things coming together

11/11/07 Sunday
It is two in the morning right now. I woke up with much on my mind so, unable to turn it off and go back to sleep, I am writing this. Cherie came home bothered about a phone call. There are new pressures or worries that come with my starting to farm for real. Cherie has her share of fears and insecurities when it comes to having relationships with others and they are rising up now, I think because I plan on asking for help. Her back pain has been back for days now but she never called the chiropractor despite my urging. When I asked why not it was because of those fears and insecurities. She thinks her friend doesn’t want to help out with that anymore and has no basis for that fear. I will have her call the friend tomorrow to clear her thinking. Our relationships are not based on what others do for us, a friend is a friend without strings attached. I understand fear and uncertainty as they are foes I personally struggle with so I know how they taint your thinking, how fear makes one imagine what is not there. Communication best fixes that.

Yesterday things went great. We met Steve at his farmer’s market along with his parents. It was a good time of visiting and getting to know them. We talked of farming, what to grow and how to grow it, and lots of other stuff. Early on in the introductory phase Steve exclaimed “You’re the photographer”. That caught us by surprise. They had seen the pictures Jimmy Patterson published in the newspaper and put two and two together. That felt really good, thanks Jimmy.

I told Steve that Matt Harmon had told us about him as well as Skyler Wyght (the rancher we met but I can’t remember how to spell his name). Steve went to school with Matt so that’s how they know each other. As we talked Cherie went off with Steve’s mom over to the garden. They hit it off well, which I was glad to see.

Skyler had told me Steve works on old tractors (and I suppose newer ones as well) and they had three antiques setting out there. They were all restored and looking good so I was surprised when he said that he still gets them out and uses them. I asked if he knew of any that were for sale but he didn’t seem to. That’s just as well I suppose because we couldn’t get one anyway no matter how cheap. Strangely enough it’s easier to get the new one because of the financing. I just can’t cough up a couple grand for an old used one that would probably need work done on it anyway.

We’ve already used most of the CRP check despite being real careful and frugal with it. Tilling the five acres was a must as the rye cover crop should have been planted in September. We are really stretching it this late but had been hoping to get the check early in October instead of November first. Putting down the rye is the best way to beat out the weeds, especially the grass burrs, but you have to beat the freeze. I know there was a farmer who said he would till for us but that was a few months ago and we haven’t heard from him. It could well be too late now and nature doesn’t wait so I had to get it done.

I brought up our difficulty finding Rye seed with Steve and he and his father both chimed up saying they have plenty at the co-op. Not being from here I presumed they meant the Stanton Co-op and said “no, they don’t have any”. Well it was the Midland Co-op they were referring to. I guess Steve and maybe his dad work there. Steve’s dad said that the co-op closed at 12:00 and it was already 11:30 so we excused ourselves and, after getting directions, rushed to get there.

Yep they have Rye. After looking online for days the best price I could find was $128 for two hundred pounds and we need two fifty minimum to seed five acres so I figured that’s what I would have to do. We got two hundred and fifty pounds of Rye seed for $79.00 at the Midland Co-op. What a savings and blessing that was. Once again things seem to be coming together. There is a possibility of rain Monday so I will be spending the next two days seeding, raking it under, and pressing down the soil by hand. We bought seed and fertilizer broadcaster that is designed to pull behind a riding lawnmower at Lowe’s. I’m going to fix up a harness to pull it with behind me. With the freshly tilled soil a riding lawnmower would just get stuck anyway. I’ve got a three foot tall plastic fluid container I picked up from the landfill that I plan on putting an axle in so I can pull it behind me as well and compact the soil. That greatly enhances getting the Rye seed started. So I’m going to be pretty busy and probably pretty sore for the next couple of days. It’s 3:30 now this morning. I would love a cup of coffee but know I need to try and get some sleep so that wouldn’t be good