Year End: The Cycle Continues

Quiet on the farm this week. We have been visiting family and celebrating Christmas. It's the first time we have been all together in six years. Very nice.

We don't get white Christmases here. But, sunrise on foggy mornings are beautiful. Indy makes sure I am up and out for a walk to see it all.

Year End: The Cycle Continues

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright December 2012

                Ruben and I were working in the shop getting ready for cotton harvest. Harvest is the culmination of the year’s work. If you think of time in a linear fashion, harvest is the end. As we kept talking we went from preparing the equipment to picking the cotton. Then there was that look in Ruben’s eyes as we talked about what followed. After harvest we would work the ground plant and start watering the wheat. It’s a cycle---just as we finish harvest we start all over again.

            One of the things I like about farming is it is seasonal. I can tolerate the mayhem of harvest because I know after cotton harvest it will slow back down to full speed.

            This was a pretty good year at VF Farms. We’ll take a break to visit family for the holidays. Then we will crank ‘er back up for a new season. The cycle continues.

I wish Y'all the best in the New Year.

Peace on Earth, Good Food for All!

Christmas Recipes

Things are still busy on the farm. We are trying to get the wheat irrigated up so we can take time off for the holidays. We are also busy pruning the almonds.

Below is one of the radio pieces that will be running this week. As promised I am posting a few favorite family recipes.

Christmas Recipes

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyrights 2012

                Christmas is about faith and family. When our family gets together there are favorite foods on the table. I don’t know about your family, but there are foods we only make at Christmas time. My brother-in-law’s fudge is fabulous. The only improvement I could make was adding some famous Ficklin port wine. Of course there is hot, spiced cider.  My daughter, Heidi, is lactose intolerant, but she always asks for my Bleu cheese spread. Glogg is a spiced Swedish wine that is served hot and will warm you to your toes on a foggy winter night.

            When we visit family we get to enjoy old favorites. I’ll never forget Mom making Grandma’s Christmas cookies or Santa Lucia buns. Sheryl loves Danish abelskivers. Some how they all taste special at Christmas time.

            I’ll make you a deal- I will post some recipes on my blog. What I would love to see is if you will post any of your favorite Christmas recipes in the comment section of the blog. 

Gene's Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 cups chocolate chips

     [Gene's preference is 2 cups semi-sweet and 1 cup milk chocolate]

pinch of salt

1 table spoon Vanilla

-Over a low burner mix milk and chips until chips are fully melted [careful not to burn.]

-Mix in salt and vanilla.

-Pour into wax paper lined square pan.

-Let sit for a couple of hours or over night

-Cut into bite sized pieces and enjoy

-Optional:prior to pouring onto wax paper mix in 1/4 cup of brandy. [Note this will lengthen the hardening time. Not for the kiddies.

Bleu Cheese Spread

4oz crumbled bleu cheese

8oz whipped cream cheese [or mascarpone cheese]

 2 TBS finely grated onion

 1TBS of Worcestershire sauce

 Dash of Tabasco sauce

Mix and let sit,

Preferably overnight

Serve on crackers

Glogg-(Warm Swedish Spiced Wine)

1.5l port wine

1/4 cup honey

2 sticks of cinnamon

8 cloves

2 pinches coriander

I look forward to reading some of your recipes.

Peace on Earth, Good Food for All!Merry Christmas Everyone!

My New Book Is Out and I Am Excited!

   The response already has been great! One friend in Sacramento bought ten copies to pass around. Another friend in Stockton has done the same. A friend in Chicago ordered his copy this week. The Fresno Business Journal had a write up last week.

   The official press release is below. In short, my thesis is we need a healthy environment and a healthy economy. For you producers out there I have  a word of encouragement; you're not crazy, the system is crazy.

   I look forward to hearing your responses. You know me. I am not one to pontificate and then close off dialogue. Let's talk about this.
   We are working on setting up a Facebook page for the book. I'll drop you a note when that is up and running. I just couldn't wait any longer.

California Farmer Betancourt Releases New Book

Ten Reasons:  Finding Balance on Environmental Issues

(Fresno, CA):  There is a lot of nonsense that goes on in the name of the environment.  Farmers and other producers regularly shake their heads at the red tape and Death of Common Sense experiences.  In Ten Reasons:  Finding Balance on Environmental Issues, family farmer and author Paul H. Betancourt seeks to find balance on the very environmental issues that often divide.

“We need a healthy environment and a healthy economy,” says the book’s author Paul Betancourt.  “My book explores how we have lost perspective and how we need to restore balance on environmental issues as we move forward.  As a farmer who faces the overwhelming environmental laws and opinions on a daily basis, I wanted to offer an alternative to the gridlock.   If we are going to do this, let’s do it right.”

In the forward by Congressman Jim Costa from California’s Central Valley those who want to “understand why American agriculture is so exasperated by many in the environmental community” are encouraged to read Betancourt’s book.  A book where the author works to help others understand that the two sides aren’t so different, he cares about the environment too.  In fact, Paul states that one of the very reasons “he became a farmer was to see if he could learn what nature had to teach him.”

While stating his case with great insight and candor for the Ten Reasons why he thinks the environmental movement is unreasonable, Betancourt concludes with those guiding principles he believes can unleash the gridlock and create a “safe and sane environmental policy” for the country.

Paul Betancourt was not raised on a farm, but was born in New York and now farms with his family in California’s Central Valley.  He is the first farmer in his family for more than five generations.  They currently grow Pima cotton, wheat and almonds.  In addition to being a sought after speaker and outspoken advocate for issues facing California farmers Betancourt is an instructor of ethics and political science at the University of Phoenix in Fresno, California and Madera Center Community College.  Betancourt’s observations on life and farming can be heard on 940ESPN radio every weekday in the Fresno area.  You can also follow him on his blog, This Week on the Farm at http://betancourtunlimited.blogspot.com/. 

Ten Reasons:  Finding Balance on Environmental Issues was released on November 20 and is currently available directly through the publisher Xulon Press at   http://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781624198168 or by visiting Amazon.com.  Barnes and Noble and Costco Wholesale in the Fresno area will have the books available in January 2013.

Food Safety

Sorry, not much to report this week. I have a really nasty head cold.
Always busy on the farm. The equipment is cleaned and put away. We are watering wheat and we started pruning the almonds.

Food Safety

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright November 2012

                I wish I could really tell you how maniacal producers are about food safety. If I told you everything- it wouldn’t  fit in this report and you might not believe me. I am not kidding when I say food safety is top of the list for the people who grow, process and cook your food.

            I have a friend who is an organic farmer. He’s ready to quit growing organic, in part because of the amount of time he spends doing paperwork to certify his produce is organic. Instead of being out on his farm every day actually working to produce food, he spends a significant amount of his time filling out forms to make paper-pushers happy.

            I was once asked by a reporter if I thought our food was safe. I said, “Of course. Think about it; if one child gets sick on milk it makes national news doesn’t it?”

            Restaurant owners take food safety to a whole new level.

            Farmers, food processors and restaurant owners are absolutely maniacal about food safety-and that is OK. We want you to be confident that the food you buy is safe. 

I hope Y'all have a great week.

Thanksgiving II

     The tractors work is done, so we are slowing down to full speed on the farm. The weather has bee fabulous. Cleaning the pickers is no fun when it is 50F with cold winds.
     We got the water started on the wheat. The goal is to get it all watered by Christmas so we can enjoy the holidays with our families knowing the work is done.
   We do have Fall colors here.

This is the view from our back porch yesterday as I sat grading papers.

Here is the second Thanksgiving piece I did for radio this week.

Thanksgiving Day II

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright November 2012

I think what C.S. Lewis says about praise also applies to giving thanks. It is, "inner health made audible."

Thanksgiving Day is important.

Thanksgiving Day is more than one day in the rush of 365 other days.

We have a lot to be thankful for. In the rush of life we, OK, I forget to say, "Thank you" too often.

You know me well enough to know I like that Lone Ranger, rugged individualism stuff. But even with all that I know I depend- a lot, on other people. Telling them Thank You wouldn't kill me and would begin to acknowledge how much I appreciate them. Giving thanks is "inner health made audible."

There is a certain grace and humility that comes with giving thanks. In giving thanks I am acknowledging I can’t do it all myself.

Even if you don’t farm, we can all give thanks-

For the harvest,

For the God who makes it possible,

And for the hands who produce our food.

The food on our tables didn’t get there by accident. It takes a lot of work, by a lot of people to feed us. I, for one, am thankful for all their work.

I hope Y'all have a fabulous week!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanksgiving Day I

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright November 2012

We have turned Thankgiving Day into a time for family, football and kickoff for the holiday shopping season.

Now there is nothing wrong with family or football, but that wasn't the original intent of the holiday.

I know Farmers grumble a lot, but even we know we have a lot to be thankful for. We live in the Land of the Free, because of the Brave. We live in the country with the greatest freedom, opportunity and prosperity the world has ever known. We are living at the beginning of the 21st Century after a century of amazing technological innovation.

A hundred years ago an amazing man, half a world away wrote some wise words about giving thanks. Dr. Albert Schweitzer was a physician, theologian and world-class organ player. He was a man who lived out his faith as a medical missionary.

What Schweitzer wrote about thanks applies today.

   "The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live."

Happy Thanksgiving Y'All.

Wheat's in the Ground

Well it has been a busy week. We finished second picking. We got the stalks shredded and we got the new furrows pulled.

It may not be pretty, but we 'Gettin' 'er done.' The rain the end of the week slowed us down a little bit. But, we should still get it covered before Thanksgiving. Then we start the water and the whole cycle begins again.

I should probably take a picture of a lonely mail box for this, one of my radio pieces this week was on getting directions and it involved a mail box.

Country Directions

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

            When we moved up here it cracked me up when someone would give me directions: “go down the road to Uncle Ed’s place, turn left at the green mail box and then right where the big tree used to be.” Seriously? How could I possibly know where the big tree used to be? Just give me an address and I’ll find it.

            Growing up in San Diego we used city boy directions- you got an address and then drove to the address. If you needed a map you got a map out- and there you are.

            The funny thing is- can you guess how I give directions now? Yeah, you got it right. I don’t know anyone’s address. But, if you go down the road to Uncle Ed’s place, turn left at the green mail box and right where the big tree used to be…

            There just aren’t enough street signs out here in the country. Even with maps and modern toys like GPS and smart phones, sometimes the best directions are to navigate by land marks. A long time ago Solomon said there was nothing new under the sun. Maybe he was on to something.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Now to Get the Ground Work Done Before It Rains

First harvest of cotton was done a week ago.. We will finish second pick tomorrow. Then we will work the ground so we can get the wheat planted.

   I am not fond of second picking, but if I wait long enough for all the Pima to open I put the whole crop at risk of rain. Sustained rains can ruin the quality of the unpicked cotton fiber. So we get 90-95% on the first pass, let it open some more and go get the rest.

   We have heavy clay soils, so the next job is to turn the cotton ground around and plant the wheat. The machine above is a cotton shredder. It mows the plants, shredding the stalks into little bits so we can work them back into the soil. So this week we will have on tractor running day and night; two tractors running all day. There is some rain n the forecast, which is not unusual. The race is to see if we can get the work done before the rain hits and before we tear up all the equipment. I call this the demolition derby. I'll keep you posted on how we are doing.

In the mean time, here is the text for one of this week's radio pieces.

Country Directions

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

            When we moved up here it cracked me up when someone would give me directions: “go down the road to Uncle Ed’s place, turn left at the green mail box and then right where the big tree used to be.” Seriously? How could I possibly know where the big tree used to be? Just give me an address and I’ll find it.

            Growing up in San Diego we used city boy directions- you got an address and then drove to the address. If you needed a map you got a map out- and there you are.

            The funny thing is- can you guess how I give directions now? Yeah, you got it right. I don’t know anyone’s address. But, if you go down the road to Uncle Ed’s place, turn left at the green mail box and right where the big tree used to be…

            There just aren’t enough street signs out here in the country. Even with maps and modern toys like GPS and smart phones, sometimes the best directions are to navigate by land marks. A long time ago Solomon said there was nothing new under the sun. Maybe he was on to something.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Working Dogs

First pick of cotton is done. 

   It was a demolition derby. We had fits with one picker head on Monday and Tuesday. Finally got that ironed out.
   We will pick it a second time. I hate picking seconds because it tears up the equipment, but we can't afford to leave good cotton in the field. IF there was a year we could skip seconds this would have been it. The cotton was well open. We've picked a few days of seconds and, lo and behold, there is a fair amount of seconds. Weather permitting we'll finish seconds this week and get the ground turned around so we can plant wheat by the end of the month.

The subject of one of my radio pieces this week was working dogs-

Working Dogs

by Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

I have introduced you to my dog, Indy, and you know I think the world of him.  But the amazing dogs on the farm are the working dogs- sheep dogs and cattle dogs.

Years ago we went to the Grand National Rodeo up at the Cow Palace. It was pretty amazing

 watching the sheep dog trials. The human would stand on one end of the field, whistle and send hand signals and down to the other end of the field and the dogs would gather the sheep and bring them back in. This summer I watched the sheep dogs on the neighbors ranch help the shepherd gather in some sheep that had broken through the fence. Then the dog hopped on back of the four-wheeler and rode off with his human.

            When we used to work cattle the dogs would go out to the far end and bring the cattle in. Just amazing animals.

            Just another dimension to life on the farm. The animals are not just pets, or toys- they are part of the working landscape. There’s nothing wrong with pets. I love Indy and he doesn’t gather cattle. But, there is something special about working dogs.

I hope Y'all have a great week!

P

Cotton Harvest 2012

We are off and running. Typical cotton harvest. The first day or two we are getting the kinks out of the equipment.
   No matter how much we service and prepare the equipment, there are always things you cannot anticipate. Today and five cent cotter pin wore out down inside the shifter linkage---and there went an hour. Arrrgh.
   Of course, the week started off with rain. So, now we are a day behind. Rain happens. The weird thing is yesterday morning as I was checking the fields, I looked up and there was a rainbow over the coast range. No forecast of rain, but there was a beautiful rainbow.

   I look forward to seeing the awesome Fall sunsets. But, after thirty years of picking cotton, I have never seen a rainbow without rain.

   The cotton does look good.

But, there's a famous saying about chickens and eggs. We are only coming up on the halfway mark. There is still a long way to go. 

Counting Chickens…

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

                Right now we are watching and waiting for the cotton to open up. This time of year, my banker will ask what our yields are going to be. My father –in-law will ask what our yields are going to be. It is easy to start doing back of the envelope calculations trying to figure out how we are going to land this year.

            There is a famous saying about not counting your chickens before they hatch. Things look good so far, but until I get the last bale picked and ginned I won’t know how the year looks.

            Years ago I had a field that was picture perfect. The cotton was open all the way to the top, all the way across the field- it picked 1006 pounds per acre. A few years later I had a ratty looking Pima cotton field. The neighbors teased me, the banker asked what the fiddle happened to the field, my father-in-law shook his head. That field picked over 1800 pounds per acre. You couldn’t tell by looking.

So,  it’s just another reason you have to build up patience on the farm. You just gotta sit and keep from counting those chickens, or gotten bolls before they hatch.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Cotton Picking Has Begun!

We are off and running---like a heard of turtles.
   First day hiccups included an ignition switch that killed the picker on the road as we moved from one field to another. That was an hour and a half delay before we picked out first boll of cotton. Then there were the usual opening day disasters: a faulty power take off switch and air in the grease lines. But, we seem to have the kinks worked out---for the moment.
   Pictures can be deceiving. This cotton looks OK, but this field didn't even make two bales per acre. Not good. Fortunately, where we are picking now is doing much better.
   Of course, the next curve ball will be the weather. The first winter storm of the season is due the beginning of the week. Fortunately after that passes the weather man says things will clear up for a bit.

One of this week's radio bits is appropriate for this time of year-

The Loneliness of the Tractor Driver, Isn’t All That Bad

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

                There was an old book about the loneliness of the long distance runner. There is a parallel in farming- the loneliness of the tractor driver. At least that used to be true. My first summer up here I spent on the back of a D-8 Caterpillar- no air conditioning, no radio, no cell phone- I just spent a lot of time with my self, out in the field. And there is nothing wrong with that. It was kind of cool. I had just graduated college and it gave me a lot of time to process things. I don’t know about you but being in school can be a lot like drinking from a fire hose because I am a slow learner. The air conditioner is a lot more comfortable, a radio can be entertaining, and today we have cell phones so we can stay in touch with everyone.

            But, there is something to be said for those long days sitting on the tractor just thinking. Of course, there is that old saying, “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just thinks.” Life these days can get kinda busy. Sometimes sitting on a tractor working a field is a good way to spend a day and get a chance to unwind things. 

http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

I hope Y'all have a fabulous week.

I'm off to pick some cotton.

P

Almost Time to Pick Cotton

   As you can see, it's almost time to pick cotton. Another week and we'll fire up the beasts and start picking.  The equipment is almost ready. We are busy with all the last minute details. We'll finish repairs and servicing this week.

   It's been a strange weather week. It cooled down and there was even a little rain. It's warming back up.

Another Death of Common Sense Experience

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

                In the interest of saving the environment I had to drive one of the ranch trucks an hour out of the way for a smog check. The reason for this was some computer in Sacramento said the shop where the truck had been tested multiple times before was not good enough this time.

            Can you understand why we get a little crabby about the nonsense that goes on out here?

On one hand the enviros want me to lower my carbon footprint by cutting back miles driven- then they make me drive an hour out of the way. Maybe in town there is a smog shop every other block, but that ain’t the way it is out here in the country. 

This is just another ‘death of common sense’ experience. I am all for clean air, just like the rest of you. I live here, I raised my family here. But, if we are going to do this-let’s do it right. Driving an hour out of the way for a smog test isn’t even close to doing it right.

For the record, the truck passed with flying colors.

There have been some changes at the radio station. We are now ESPN sports news, but they still want to hear from this farmer so you can find me at-

http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Homemade Tools

Another busy week on the farm. The weather finally cooled off. You know it's been hot when 81 feels cool. 
The pickers are almost ready. We have two weeks until harvest, so we have some wiggle room. Next week we have to clean and service the tractors and the module builders.

Homemade Tools

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright October 2012

                My favorite Clint Eastwood movie is Heartbreak Ridge. As Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway Clint teaches his Recon unit to “Adapt, Innovate and Overcome.”

            That’s a great slogan for farming too-“Adapt, Innovate and Overcome.”

            One place we adapt and innovate is in the shop. The other day I made a tool for Ruben to use on the cotton picker. It wasn't anything big. We needed a wrench with a little more reach.  So I welded an extension for him.

            I have custom also made some other tools. I made a bearing extractor for our cultivator. That beat beating old bearings out with a sledge hammer. I also made a gig to trim shear bolts for the ripper.

            Sheryl asked why I didn't manufacture tools like this for other farmers. I told her there wouldn't be a market. These are things any farmer could make in his own shop. We Adapt, We Innovate and We Overcome.

            Farmers can be short of money, or time, or water, but we are never short of challenges. We can adapt and innovate in many ways. This is just one example. The goal is the same; We adapt and innovate so we can survive, so we can overcome.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Defoliation!

Sorry I didn't have a post for you this past weekend. I was busy editing.
Here you go-

That is what we have been waiting for. Pretty isn't it?
     We started defoliating last week. It has been so hot we have had to cut back on material so we didn't burn the bolls shut. The warm weather does move things along though. My first few winters here we had already had two inches of rain and the temps were done in the 70's. This is better cotton weather. That being said I am waiting for things to cool off. It has been hot enough for long enough.

      In the Fall we also fertilize and irrigate the almond trees. This time of year they are getting ready to go dormant, so they are storing food. We put in some fertilizer now so they have food when they wake up in the Spring. The almonds also actually are putting out new growth right now and those are the fruiting spurs where next year' almonds will grow. So it is really important to keep the trees well watered.

The Satisfaction of Harvest
By Paul H. Betancourt
Copyright September, 2012

                You have heard me whimper and whine about a lot of farming and how tough it is. Sorry about that. This morning I want to talk about the satisfaction of farming. There is nothing like bringing in a good harvest: seeing the picker fill up p with cotton, seeing the wheat pouring into the trucks, seeing the almonds being swept up and shipped off. The satisfaction of a productive year’s work. That’s good stuff.

            Unlike many people farmers don’t see the daily result of their work. Right now we are waiting to see how this year’s cotton crop will turn out. We started working the ground last Fall. We planted in April. We have been tending the fields all summer, but we won’t know how it will turn out until next month.

            But, all that waiting has a payoff. I love Fall weather. It’s cool and crisp after the oven heat of the summer. And then we fire up the pickers and head into the field.

We still have work to do and bills to pay. But, there is a real sense of satisfaction seeing how the year’s work turned out.
http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

The View from My Office

Wildlife on the Farm

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright July 2012

                Our environmental friends say that the presence of wildlife is the sign of a healthy ecosystem. In that case my farm is doing OK. From my back patio I can see and hear rabbits, coyotes, squirrels, mourning doves and blue jays. At night owls screech and bats squeak overhead. One day I looked up from my desk and there was a Cooper’s Hawk perched on the wisteria outside my office door. A while back there an adult Bald Eagle spent a few days camped out in the orchard behind our home. We have also had tri-colored blackbirds, herons, egrets, Western Meadowlarks and white pelicans on the ranch. Our farms do not suffer the Silent Spring of Rachel Carson’s fears. In fact, I wouldn’t mind a little quieter Spring; the sparrows wake me up at first light and that gets earlier and earlier as summer progresses. And, I know Spring is here because those blasted mockingbirds will not shut up.

            I appreciate the concern of those who are worried about our wildlife. I know we should accept our responsibility as caretakers of this planet and that requires constant vigilance. But, I can report that on our farm the critters are doing fine. Maybe too fine, when the budgies wake me up ‘by the dawn’s early light.’

This was on the radio last week. You can find the audio on the link below.

http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Living in the Country

Living in the Country has its down side. Generally we love living out on the ranch. Our guests are amazed by the peace and quiet and we treasure it. But a couple of days a year I am not so happy about living on the ranch. This was the view out the kitchen window the other day.

The almond sweepers were going through and they blew dust every where. It took half of Saturday to clean the roses, the trees, the patios, the windows and the cars. Uff da.
   It's my crop and it's how we make a living, but it is still a pain. But, the almonds are up and off to the processor. Some day, in the not too distant future we'll start get a check and we can start paying bills. That will be nice. Remember, farmers get paid once a year. That can be a little nerve wracking.

from the radio this week-

We Do This to Ourselves

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright July 2012

We tie ourselves I knots don't we?

Let's use Highway 99 as an example.

We all agree that 99 needs to get fixed up. That's going to cost some money. The best way to get it fixed is have it declared an Interstate, which it is functionally, then we could use federal highway money. But, apparently to qualify to get federal money we would have to fix 99 up first! Excuse me?

We need to spend state money to get federal money?

Don't they'll work for us?

I don't know about you, but when I pay my fuel tax I pay state and federal taxes. Can't our tax dollars be used on our roads? The situation on 99 would look like some kind of comic standoff if it wasn't so sad.

The real target is 99 is only one example of us tying ourselves in knots. In Arizona the federal government sued the State of Arizona for enforcing federal law. Really ? Environmental and safety rules often conflict each other and common sense? We tie ourselves up in knots.

The Founding Fathers believed in divided government because they feared the concentration of power like they had under King George III. But, divided government shouldn't be stupid government. And, there are times we are getting stupid government.

http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

In other news, I have signed with a publisher and my book on environmental issues should be out in December. I'll keep you posted.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

This Is What We Wait For

Isn't that a pretty picture? Can you see those pretty open cotton bolls?
There is still a long way to go, and plenty of time to screw up. White flies can infest the field and cover the open lint with honey dew. The mills don't like that. The weather can shift and start raining. I have seen some very wet Septembers. The cooler weather is nice, but it is hard on a cotton crop. But, for the moment things look nice.
   For the record, there are three open bolls in this picture. It takes a lot of bolls to make a bale of cotton. It takes over 125,000 bolls per acre to make one bale of cotton with Acala varieties. For Pima cotton, like you see in this picture it takes more.So, three look pretty, but I need a lot more bolls to open in the next six weeks to make a crops- millions more bolls, and that's just in my field.

Ill try to be a little less crabby than usual with this weeks radio post.

Covering Up
by Paul H. Betancourt
copyright September 2012

                When I first moved up here my father, with his fatherly advice, even though he’d never lived in a climate like this, said, “Make sure you wear a floppy hat and long sleeves.” I always have because we started working cattle so I wore cowboy hats and long sleeved western shirts.

            It’s easy to tell the difference between the people who work outside and those who play outside. People who work outside do cover up. People who play outside wear tank tops and shorts.

            Years ago my son asked, “Dad, why don’t you wear t-shirts to work. You would be much cooler. That week he actually came out to work for us.  After his first day out in the field he came home, BBQ’d,  and even before he took a shower he went upstairs took two of my new works shirts out of my closet. I never did get those shirts back.

            There’s nothing wrong with playing or enjoying the sunshine. You just have to remember sunshine in our area is strong. The same sun that turns grapes in to raisins can turn us in to raisins too. So, if you don’t want to turn into a raisin- cover up and keep hydrated.

Its still warm out there.

http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Harvest

This is the kind of view a farmer waits all year to see-

-the orchard floor covered with almonds.
We have been nurturing the crop, praying, worrying, sweating and freezing all year and now it's time to bring in the crop.

The Satisfaction of Harvest
By Paul H. Betancourt
Copyright September, 2012

                You have heard me whimper and whine about a lot of farming and how tough it is. Sorry about that. This morning I want to talk about the satisfaction of farming. There is nothing like bringing in a good harvest: seeing the picker fill up p with cotton, seeing the wheat pouring into the trucks, seeing the almonds being swept up and shipped off. The satisfaction of a productive year’s work. That’s good stuff.

            Unlike many people farmers don’t see the daily result of their work. Right now we are waiting to see how this year’s cotton crop will turn out. We started working the ground last Fall. We planted in April. We have been tending the fields all summer, but we won’t know how it will turn out until next month.

            But, all that waiting has a payoff. I love Fall weather. It’s cool and crisp after the oven heat of the summer. And then we fire up the pickers and head into the field.

We still have work to do and bills to pay. But, there is a real sense of satisfaction seeing how the year’s work turned out.

I hope Y'all have a good week.

P

Indy's Birthday

By now most of you have met my dog Indy. Today is Indy's third birthday, that is 21 in dog years.
He's the best dog I have ever had. He cracks me up every day.
He's good for my health. He is very insistent about our daily walks. It is pretty hard to skip a walk when you have a hundred and ten pounds of bouncing puppy dog thinking it is W-A-L-K time.

   Is that one relaxed puppy dog, or what? When he is really happy every molecule of his body is spread out as far as possible. He is a Zen Master, or at least a NAP Master.

   It's hard to explain the sense of contentment for Indy and I when I am working in my office and he is sleeping at my feet. I don't think cat people get to experience anything like that.

   We have been everywhere together. Not only does he come to the ranch with me [when he wants], we have gone hiking and even to Shakespeare in the Park. The folks at church probably remember when I brought him one Sunday when I was preaching. [I still think there is a pretty strong parallel between God's unconditional love for us and Indy's unconditional love for me.]

   I didn't have a pickup dog for twenty years. It was time and I couldn't have asked for a better furry friend.
Thanks Big Guy! Many happy returns on your big day.

Meanwhile-back on the farm:
   This will be the last week of irrigation on the cotton. Next week we'll pick up all the irrigation equipment and head for the shop. Time to go through all the equipment and fix all the dings from the season.
   We got one orchard ready to sweep up almonds and the other field ready for shaking.
I was really struck this week with how much is going on in farm country. There are crews, harvesting equipment and trucks everywhere. Almonds, grapes, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, and onions are being harvested...and that's just in my neighborhood. Busy times. Fortunately the weather is cooling off a little. Much more civilized.

You can find this week's radio pieces at-
http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

I hope Y'all have a a great week.

Cut Out

The heat is finally starting to break, a little. You know it has been hot when the high 90's feel good. Talking to a dairyman the other day he said we had 12 days of 105 plus weather. That is just too hot.
   The first summer we were up here, the very first three weeks I was on the farm we had three straight weeks of 100 degree plus heat. I was driving a D8 Cat and in those days there was no air conditioning on the big tractors. This little ole San Diego boy was wondering what he had gotten himself in to. Trying to be helpful a neighbor kept saying there were usually only two or three 100 degree days then things cooled off. After the second week I was beginning to get suspicious that someone was pulling my leg.
   But, the heat is part of farming. We need sunshine to make the crops grow.

   Speaking of growing, what you want to see now in the cotton is what we call cut out. If we have managed the crop right it stop growing, run out of fertilizer and water and then next month we can start defoliating. The first step is to get it to bloom to the top, it is a sign the plant is maturing. In the picture above you can see we are right on schedule. The fields are blooming to the top right on time.
   Of course, the banker and my boss are asking if we have a three bale crop out there. There is a saying about counting chicks before they hatch. I think the same thing applies to cotton. It looks good, but there is still plenty of time to screw it up. We'll know when it is picked, ginned and baled and not before.

Hard to Explain It to Your Kids

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright July 2012

You want to teach your kids that If they work hard, pay attention to details and put in the extra effort you can succeed in life. And, I think that is true. But, it is hard to prove it in farming. You can work hard, put in the extra effort and pay attention to the details and… a hail storm hits or rain fall soaks your cantaloupes or it’s just a bad year and the weather for the season as a whole is not conducive to growing a bumper crop.

            Perhaps it is true that the successful farmers  who work hard, and pay attention to the details are more prepared  to take advantage of the good years and survive the bad years. But, it is hard to explain it to your kids when they are growing up.

            Please don’t get me wrong- I think farm kids have some great experiences and great advantages in their lives. The work ethic they learn growing up on the farm will stay with them all their lives. But, I think some of them leave the farm because they figure there just might be a more sure way to make a living.

http://www.940kyno.com/index.php?c=68

I hope Y'all have a great week!

P

The Original Solar Power

Do you remember the grapevine photos from last Spring?

This is what the grapes look like these days. Almost time for harvest. We turn sunshine in to yummy goodness.

It has been wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too hot this past week, and the coming week doesn't look much better.

While it has been too hot, we do get a lot of sunshine. Below is a recent radio script about how we use that sunshine.

Farming: the Original Solar Power

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright July 2012

                If you look at it in its simplest form what I do on the farm is convert solar energy into food energy. That would make farming the original solar power.

            There is a whole lot of hoopla about alternative energy these days and that is fine. But, let’s not forget what farmers are really doing out there. We are turning sunlight into food through the process of photosynthesis. I remember learning about photosynthesis in elementary school. I didn’t know I would be making my living by photosynthesis and I sure didn’t understand everything we see and do, our whole society depends on this amazing process.

            Modern agriculture is amazing. I know food prices are climbing, but we still spend a historically small percentage of our income on food. We also spend a fairly small amount of our time preparing food. It wasn’t too long ago it would take all day prepare, cook and clean up the meals for a family. But, all our modern wonders wouldn’t happen if we didn’t have sunshine to turn seed, soil and a little water into the food we all eat. Pretty amazing isn’t it?

I hope Y'all have a great week.

Careful out there in the heat.

Almost Caught with My Pants Down

It's almond harvest time again!


Even though I had everything ready a week ahead of usual, the first field was a little too dry and we had a lot of almonds stuck up in the trees after the shaker went through. The second field is better, but we are going to have to hand pole to clean up the first bloc. Arrrgh. I was ready a week ahead of time and I was still a week behind.


In other news-We are watering the cotton and working the wheat ground. A little more water and fertilizer and the cotton will be done. We'll open the wheat ground and leave it for a few weeks then bed it back up next month.

Community Gardens

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright July 2012

                First Lady Michelle Obama sparked a renewed interest in school and community gardens. You know me—I support anything that re-connects people and their food.

            In this case I absolutely support school and community gardens. I think when kids work all summer watering and weeding their school gardens and all they get is a salad they will have a new appreciation of what farmers do. When they watch bugs eat up their garden or find worms in those nice big ears of corn they’ll have a new understanding of why farmers use those ‘nasty’ pesticides.

            This is no joke and I am not just being a smart a—leck. I really hope every community and school garden flourishes. Growing food is one of the essential activities of life itself.

I am not sure I can explain why but, Corn is sweeter when we grow it ourselves. Tomatoes are tastier when they come from our garden.  There is a sense of satisfaction that is---priceless.

So, I salute all those community gardeners. My hat is off to every student working in a school garden. As a guy who make his living growing food I wish you all the very best.

I hope Y'all have a great week.

P

Bone Yards

Bone YardsBy Paul H. BetancourtCopyright June 2012

                Before the price of scrap iron spiked a few years ago, every farm had a ‘bone yard’ where old equipment and broken bolts went when they died. They were kind of picturesque. As a photographer I could find interesting shapes and colors to shoot. The rusted equipment looked good in color or black and white.

            The enviros want us to recycle. Well the price of scrap went up a few years ago and it was finally worth the gas to load stuff up and haul it in. We had over 20 years of stuff piled up in the bone yard. I hauled over three tons of stuff to the recycler before we got serious and got a dumpster out there and really started tossing junk out.

            Now the yard looks a lot cleaner. Even the neighbors noticed. But, wouldn’t you know it? Cleaning up the yard is like cleaning out the junk drawer in your kitchen, no sooner do I finally toss something and I can think of a dozen ways I need it.

So, the yard is cleaner, but I can’t find anything! And I have to look harder to find interesting pictures.

Hope Y'all have a great week watching the Olympics
USA! USA! USA!