How Great The Yield From A Fertile Field

Random musings from an old farmer about life, agriculture, and faith

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Weather report

We have received 4.5 inches of rain in the last 5 days. Everything is wet, everything is soggy, but everything is a very healthy green. The grass and weeds are growing better now than they were in June and July. The days are a little cooler, the nights a lot cooler, and I saw the first hint of a soybean field starting to "turn". The apples are maturing and we hope to make some cider soon. Students are back in school(less help on the farm). Summer is coming to an end.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Packing Plant Tour

Today I toured the Meadowbrook Farms Co-operative pork packing plant in Rantoul, IL. We received the complete tour from end to beginning. They take you from the end first(clean part) to the beginning last(dirty part) for food safety reasons. We had to wear hairnets under hardhats, ear plugs, white lab coats, cotton gloves, and shoe covers. We looked rather strange to ourselves at first, until we realized that all the employees were outfitted the same way. The tour lasted 2 1/2 hours and we experienced the full gamut of climates. The blast chiller starts the morning at 40 degrees below zero( it was about 30 below while we were in it) and the de-hairing chambers where they use pressurized steam to loosen the hair on the carcasses was like being in a sauna.

Perhaps, before I proceed, those of you with weak stomachs might want to find something more pleasant to do instead of reading this. Perhaps the Precious Moments websight would be nice?

OK. This is a very high tech plant with the latest robotic processing equipment from Europe. There are lots of computerized monitoring, weighing, and recording equipment so that each pig and its meat can be identified and followed thru the plant. The receiving area and kill floor were designed by Temple Grandin, a world renowned expert in humane handling of livestock. By the way, we don't kill pigs anymore, the politically correct term is to "harvest" them. When they say they use every bit of the pig except the squeal, they aren't kidding! As we walked along we saw tubs of hearts, livers, tongues, feet, etc. all sorted and being boxed for shipment to buyers. The ears are saved to be used for doggie chew treats. The eyes go for research. the tails are a delicacy in some foreign countries. The blood is caught in drip pans and saved to be sold. I saw them rinsing out intestines for reuse. They even save the bungholes! They remove them with a hole-saw and catch them in a tub. We were told that the Japanese pay 50 cents per pound for them.
The best part was watching them de-bone hams and loins, watching them trim slabs of bacon, and seeing them cut out the baby-back ribs.
And thinking of honey glazed spiral sliced ham, smoked bacon, butterfy pork chop sandwiches, barbequed ribs, and liver sausage with fried mush! . . Ahhh . . . .mmmmm. .

And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Try this

Try this at the office or wherever. The Old Farmer doesn't usually have anybody around when outstanding in his field to try it on.

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Some one Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"
7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8. Don't use any punctuation
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."
12. Sing Along At The Opera
13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Night

I just finished reading the book Night, by Elie Wiesel. He was the winner of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize.
From the cover: "Night, a terrifying account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an agonized witness to the death of his family...the death of his innocence...and the death of his God. Penetrating and powerful, Night awakens the shocking memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again".
And yet today thoughout the world there is still ethnic cleansing, religious persecution, and political genocide taking place - sometimes on a fairly large scale. Christ told us that we would face persecution, and Bible prophecy reveals that a lot of terrible things are yet to take place here on earth. It sobers me and scares me thinking about how I might react if put in some of these awful situations. I am thankful that the Lord is merciful and his Grace is sufficient.
It's a good book. And it's short.
I also highly recommend visiting the Holocaust Museum if you are ever in Washington D.C. It's eye-opening and very moving.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(I Cor. 10:13)

Thursday, August 17, 2006

The Boys Are Back

Our boys got back from their canoe/fishing trip to the Boundary Waters/Quetico Park yesterday morning at about 5 A.M. They covered about 50 miles round trip in canoes and enjoyed good weather( it only rained one day) and good fellowship. In the 3 full days that they fished they caught 120 walleyes! They didn't count the smallmouth or northerns because they just wanted walleye. I have to admit to being a little bit jealous because the best tasting fish you can eat are fresh caught walleye fillets fried lakeside in the northwoods. They ate all they wanted and released the rest. They shared the bay with 2 bald eagles and 4 otters. It was fun listening to their trip stories . . . and because there were 3 Kellenbergers along, there were stories! On hearing the details of their trip,the old farmers wife even waxed a little nostolgic for a campsite on a pristene wilderness lake. Will we make it back to the Boundary Waters for another family trip???

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Conference

I attended the Apostolic Christian Church General Conference friday in Goodfield. Some observations:

1. What other denomination is there where you greet Jesus Christ's Brothers(from all over the country) with a Holy Kiss . . . before you even know there name?

2. I forgot how beautiful and powerful a spirited 800 voice all-male choir sounds!

3. There must be a tremendous amount of logistical planning, organizing, and volunteering that goes into putting on a conference. Good job, Goodfield.

4. We don't have "controversial issues" like the major denominations have at their conferences(priest sexual abuse, inerrency of scripture, ordaining women, ordaining homosexuals, homosexual marriage, etc.). We need to be thankful.

5. Every speaker always put the focus back on the foundation; Jesus Christ and his shed blood. Christ is the head of our church.

6. The Elder body has a genuine love and concern for the spiritual welfare of the brotherhood. We can't let human weaknesses and personalities interfere with our support.

7. There is no comparison between being at the conference in person(feeling the work of the spirit) and listening to the tapes later.

8. You see lots of people you know(and relatives) from all over the country, but because of the crowd and the structured agenda, you rarely get to talk to many of them.

9. It was a blessing!

Church: A gift from God. Assembly required.

When we pray to God, we should ask for direction - not permission.

If you worry, why pray? If you pray, why worry?

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Christian Classics

I like to read and I like to collect good books. Here is a non-exhaustive list of Christian Classics that I have read. I think that it would be good for anyone to read these. They are in no particular order.

--Martyrs Mirror, Thieleman J. van Braght - This is a big history book that will make you appreciate our religious freedoms and make you question the depth of our own faith. A shorter alternative would be Fox's Book of Martyrs.
--In His Steps, Charles M. Sheldon - This is the original WWJD.
--My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers - A daily devotional.
--The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozier
--A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller
--The Pilgrims Progress, John Bunyon
--The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom
--Tortured for His Faith, Haralan Popov
--The Persecutor, Sergei Kourdakov - Like the Apostle Paul, the persecutor becomes converted.
--God's Smuggler, Brother Andrew
--Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
--The Holy Bible KJV, Holy Spirit - The most important, of coarse!

This is a short list. Am I missing any good ones?

Books are the compasses and telescopes and sextants and charts which other men have prepared to help us navigate the dangerous seas of human life. ~Jesse Lee Bennett

The oldest books are still only just out to those who have not read them. ~Samuel Butler

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot

Friday, August 04, 2006

Walkin' Beans

This evening after supper I walked a field of soybeans to cut out weeds. It is a field of non-GMO soybeans being raised for a premium. We don't have to walk beanfields much anymore because of the modern herbicides that do a very good job taking care of the weeds. My thoughts went back to the "good old days" when we walked every field every year. Back in the 70's and 80's we used to hire all the Jr. High and High School kids from our church that were willing(or there parents made them). There weren't as many summer jobs available to teenagers then as there are now, so they were glad for the work. We'd start our crew of about 10 - 15 people at 8:00 sharp each morning and work til noon with a snack and water break in the middle. We didn't work afternoons because of the heat. It would take about 3 weeks in July to get all the fields weeded. We would walk thru mud, heavy dews that soaked clothes, heat, humidity, and drought. We used whatever tools worked best for the weeds we had to deal with; hoes, hooks, or hands. They wore boots, tennis shoes, barefeet, long pants, shorts, swimsuits.There was a lot of camaraderie, practical jokes, girls trying to get tans, guys trying to catch critters, and hard dirty work. I think we built a lot of character(at least my Dad told me that when I was growing up)! I used to hate to walk beans when I was a kid, but its funny how you change when it becomes your responsibility. I think we also convinced a lot of kids that college was not a bad option over being a laborer. We still talk about those days when I meet some of these now grown-up "kids" 20-30 years later. Good times and good memories.

I also thought about why we have weeds and hard work. Sin.

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.