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