Siouxland Magazine - Volume 1 Issue 4

A huge thanks goes to those who “garden on a much higher
level”, our farmers, who are so much more greatly affected
by pests and Mother Nature. Farmers plan for next year’s
crop a minimum of six months ahead of time. Most times
their cash outlay for the next Spring’s planting is paid six
or more months out. Some applications of nutrients or
pest controls are applied in the fall. Last year’s fall was not
conducive to this application in some areas. So the farmer
looks at Plan B. This spring threw more curve balls to
farmers than anyone needs to confront. Because it was too
wet, a different chemical combination of nutrients had to
be used. Physically (since most farmers hire the application
of nutrients done), there is simply not enough equipment
to get it done when a farmer might really want it done.
The farmer just “keeps working the plan” with the special
resilience they have to believe in the future.
Siouxland Magazine | Explore / 57
Planting may need to be postponed until all the parts fall
into place on a different schedule than planned. This year
with the major flooding, seeds that had been bought last
fall needed to be changed out for many farmers. A different
seed with a shorter growing season and other attributes
fitting the individual farmers goals had to be bought.
Just when things appear to be moving forward Mother
Nature continued to make her presence known. Late
planted crops became stripped by hail or laid flat by
excessively high winds just in recent days. Only time will tell
if those crops are a total loss or will regain for some harvest
potential. Resilience and learning what we can do to work
the problem are how we keep our focus and continue to
move forward.
Food (and the food to feed the cattle, hogs, chickens, and
more animal food sources for us) comes from farmers and
ranchers in their gardens or vegetable farms, fields, and
pastures.
Someone somewhere has to grow it or raise it (meat
products) before it can be sold at the grocery store. In
today’s society, it seems many people have forgotten this or
never understood it.
It is through the resilience, the “let’s-try-this-again” and the
“we-will-get-through-this” attitudes of farmers, ranchers,
and gardeners that we all continue to have food available to
purchase at stores and seasonally at our wonderful Farmers
Market.
Jenny is a Master Gardener and joined Up From the Earth
after retiring as a SC kindergarten teacher. She consistently
works to connect extra produce from home gardeners to the
community affected by food insecurity.
We need to help educate people to
understand where food truly comes from
and the wonderful resilience our growers
and farmers have to overcome and move
ahead keeping all of us fed.
4625 Singing Hills Blvd
Sioux City, IA
(712) 274-6622
Mark Raymond (aka the Zucchini Guy) joined Up From
The Earth after retiring from Mercy Medical Center’s
Neurophysiology/Sleep Lab. He is a Master Gardener and
likes to try at least three unique veggies each year.
Photos courtesy of Up From The Earth.
www.VernEideHondaSiouxCity.com