When you hear the words Fruit Loop, what comes to mind? For me, it is that sugary sweet bowl of breakfast cereal from my childhood. That box that would show up on special occasions or when you were able to convince your mom that you needed a break from the Puffed Rice. It was pure heaven! The reality of the Fruit Loop that I experienced for my fieldtrip was even better than the memory of that sweet cereal from my childhood. The Hood River County Fruit Loop in Oregon is a sweet treat along the Columbia River. Hood River is quaint little town about a half an hour outside of Portland. It has spectacular views of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River. One of the best parts of visiting Hood River are the orchards and vineyards that line the hills as you make your way up the hill toward the mountain. Rows upon rows of apple, pear, peach and nut trees. Blueberries, raspberries, grapes, and lavender. All cover the hills. The Fruit Loop Tour is a showcase of the bounty found in Hood River.

The Hood River County Fruit Loop was organized back in 1992. It was the concept of Kaye White, the owner of River Bend Farm and County Store. She modeled her idea around Apple Hill, which is located an hour outside of Sacramento. Like Apple Hill, Hood River County was an agricultural community looking to preserve their heritage and boost revenue. The Hood River County Fruit Loop was born.  The first Hood River Farmer’s Market and the first Fruit Loop map were printed through funds obtained by an agricultural grant, subsequent maps have been funded by the Hood River Chamber of Commerce Visitor Council.

There are 31 participating farms and vineyards on the 2015 Hood River County Fruit Loop. Most of the farms included on the Loop are family run farms. The owners of the farms are required to apply for membership and must meet certain criteria in order to be involved and put on the map. The Fruit Loop has a steering committee that the members select, but each farm is run independently. Each year the farms involved in the Fruit Loop must sign a contract that they agree to certain things. Some of the rules they must follow are following state and federal regulations, cleanliness, promoting other members of the Fruit Loop, and maintaining their stated hours. The Fruit Loop brings in thousands of visitors each year, which brings money into the county. The local shops, restaurants and hotels benefit from the influx of people brought to the area by this local treasure.

The busiest time of the year are the weekends of July through October. This is the time when the fruit is ready to pick. There are events all year long that still bring visitors to the area. I went on the tour in April and there was still a lot to see. Many of the fruit trees were in bloom. There was also a Blossom Festival that was being held at the county fairground. Some of the events that draw visitors to the orchards are the Blossom Festival in April, the Cherry Celebration in July, the Lavender DAZE Festival in July, the Summer Fruit Celebration in August, Pear, Peach and Apple Celebrations in September and October. All these events are a treat for visitors and help to promote the local farmers of Hood River County.

The Fruit Loop is a thirty-five mile loop through scenic Hood River Valley. There are many fruit stands, vineyards and U-Pick Farms. All of the stops offer a true farm experience. Many places you can actually go out into the fields and pick your produce right from the tree. It is farm-to-table in the most authentic sense of the word. You can pick pears off the tree for lunch, gather a relaxing bouquet of lavender for your house, and then make a stop at the Alpaca farm to pick up some yarn for your next knitting project. It is “…thirty-five miles of orchards, farmlands and friendly communities” (Fruit Loop map).

I had a wonderful day exploring the local farms and taking in the beautiful blossoms. Some of my favorites were:

Hood River Lavender Farms (www.hoodriverlavender.com): This is a little oasis in the middle of the orchards. The U-Pick Farm opens in May. They grow their own lavender, but also distill it to make a variety of lavender product that they sell. The little shop that they have on the property was heavenly. I walked in and immediately relaxed from the lavender scent. This organic farm is an example of what the Hood River has to offer.

Draper Girls Country Farm & U-Pick Orchards (www.drapergirlscountryfarm.com): It is a family run farm that is open all year long. The U-Pick opens up in June and you are able to pick cherries, apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, prunes, peaches and nectarines. Along with the U-Pick, they also have a farm stand and a farmer’s market. It is a fun farm experience.

Apple Valley Country Store & Bakery (applevalleystore.com): This old building was purchased by Bob and Kaye White in 1989 to serve as way to sell the produce that they grew on their farm. It has grown into a thriving business that specializes in jams, syrups and pie fillings among other products. It sponsored the Blossom Festival and Country BBQ that was going on when I was there.

The Hood River County Fruit Loop did not disappoint. All my senses were happy. The panoramic views were stunning. The smell of lavender and fresh blossoms was intoxicating. The samples were delicious. I really enjoyed being able to take part in this farm experience. It was the perfect example of agriculture and tourism coming together to create a symbiotic relationship that benefits visitors and farmers alike.

References:

hoodriverfruitloop.com. Hood River County Fruit Loop. 2015. Web. 24 April 2015.

applevalleystore.com. Apple Valley Country Store. 2012. Web. 24 April 2015.

hoodriverlavender.com. Hood River Lavender. 2015. Web. 24 April 2015.

Drapergirlscountryfarm.com. Draper Girls Country Farm. 2015. Web. 24 April 2015.

Godfrey, Jean. Email correspondence. 21 April 2015.

The Gleaners is a painting done by Jean-Francois Millet. Millet grew up in Normandy, a rural area of France. He painted it in 1857 using oil on canvas. Its dimensions are 83.5 x 110 cm. It is housed today in Paris, France in the Musee d’Orsay.

The Gleaners, is an important work of Millet painted during the Realism art movement. Millet was raised in a farming community, his life experiences are expressed in his art. The painting depicts a common practice at that time of the poor villagers that would come and glean the fields after they had been harvested. The painting is a representation of the social classes of the time. He shows the great disparity between the classes. The wealth of the upper classes and the poverty of the lower classes. Through this painting, Millet shows the noble farmer. Even though the women were dressed in rough clothing and were engaged in menial labor, they were noble.

The three women in the painting are humble and hardworking. Their clothes are made of rough fabric. They have muddy shoes. They have aprons on and a kerchief on their heads. All these things point to their lower class status. Their clothes are humble, but they are working hard to provide for their family. Their purpose is noble. The women are all bent over, hard at their work. Even their posture alludes to their humility, yet at the same time speaks to their strength. Their strong backs carry a heavy load. Not just the wheat that they are gleaning from the fields, but also the responsibility of contributing to help provide for their families. When I look at these women I see strength. I love that Millet painted women. He gave them humility and strength. Character traits that define the noble farmer.

The disparity of the classes that was prevalent at this time in France is illustrated in this painting. The contrast of the towering wheat in the background and the small harvest that the women have gleaned from these fields tells the story of the humble circumstances of these peasant women. There is plenty of food, yet the hardworking peasants, who actually work in the fields, are left with so little. The slow back breaking work of the women is in great contrast to the bustling harvest going on in the background. The colors used even speak to this disparity. The women are painted in earth tones, they match the fields around them. They are standing in the shadows. They are earthy and simple. The background is painted in golden colors. The wheat is golden. The sun is shining on the harvesters in the background. The colors magnify the differences between the two groups. The sun is shining on the wealthy while the poor stand in their shadow and gather the scraps of their excess.

I thought this painting was an important example of all that we have been learning this semester. The idea of the essential role that the farmer plays in our communities. They embark in a noble profession, without which, the world would literally not survive without. I loved the strength and humility that Millet gave his farmers. These two character traits, above all others, I think define the farmer. He has the strength to work hard, a strong moral compass and the humility to work hard without seeking the praise of the world.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org, Jean-Francois Millet, 23 March 2015, web 27 February 2015

Jean-Francois Millet, The Gleaners, 1857, Musee d’Orsay, Paris, France, commons.wikimedia.org, web; 23 March 2015

Caddie Woodlawn

Author: Carol Ryrie Brink

Published: 1935, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York

The West, a place where men and women could go to start fresh, make a living and create a home for themselves. Carol Ryrie Brink paints a beautiful picture of the frontier settler through her character, Caddie Woodlawn. Caroline Augustus Woodlawn, or Caddie, is an eleven year old girl who is a mischievous tomboy. Brink uses this precocious character to tell the tale of the West and the rigors of farm life during this time period. Through Caddie’s adventures, Brink paints the picture of and attributes qualities to the farmer of the “Wild West.”  The journey of this little girl exemplifies the struggle of the farmer in his unique circumstances. The farmer not only had to build up his own farm, but also build up new communities in a budding country. Brink, through her storytelling, shows the strength of the family and community bond in hard times and the joys of working together to build a legacy.

Caddie Woodlawn came to the Wisconsin territory with her family weak and sick. Through her journey to health, Brink shows the strength of character of a frontier farmer. In her father’s own words, he says, “I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind.”(pg. 244). Caddie grows in strength and health as she is able to run “wild” with her brothers. The freedom of the West brings Caddie health back. Brink, through Caddie, tells the tale of the character of the western farmer. Caddie is adventurous, friendly, moral, loyal and maybe a little bit reckless. The character traits of this eleven year old girl define the character of those who moved west.

Brink’s narration invokes a feeling of freedom that epitomized western farm life.  This freedom is described one evening as Mrs. Woodlawn and the traveling clergyman discuss Boston and a longing for civilization. Mr. Woodlawn, Caddie’s father, “was entirely happy on the outskirts of civilization. Here he could breathe freely as he had never done in the narrow streets of Boston.” The Woodlawn children listen in astonishment too, “for how could anyone prefer Boston to this enchanting place of adventure, of lake and river, prairie and forest?”(pg. 20). This sense of adventure and longing for freedom that the characters exhibit personify the farmer of this time.

The land also plays a huge role in this story. In all of Caddie’s adventures, Brink is able to describe a land that is beautiful and essential to the Woodlawn family’s survival. The gathering of nuts and fruits, the hunting and fishing all speak to the land’s central role in the farmer’s life. In the end, the land becomes a part of Caddie. She is the land, wild, free, full of adventure. “There were some new pine slashings that filled the air with perfume. Like the birch smoke and the smell of clover, the pine smell was a Wisconsin smell, and because she loved them so, they were a part of Caddie Woodlawn.”(pg. 205). The land becomes so important, that when faced with the choice of leaving Wisconsin and inheriting a Lordship in England, the family unanimously decides to stay in Wisconsin. The land has become a part of them. Brink, in her descriptions of the land and all that it did to help this family thrive, conveys the symbiotic relationship that a farmer has with his land.

Storytelling is also an intricate part of the story. The children love a great story. Storytelling becomes a way to pass the time, pass on knowledge, or bond the family together. Brink is able to depict the Woodlawn family folklore, much the same way that her family stories were passed on to her. Caddie and her brothers, by way of passing the time as they plow the field, make up a funny story about Pee Wee the farmer. The story became family folklore. “How many times she was to hear it again! For that became the Woodlawn children’s favorite story. Many years later Caddie, herself laughing and protesting, had to tell it over and over to begging children and grandchildren.” (pg. 200). Through this innocent act of passing the time, Brink is able to depict the integral role that the story has to farm life. The story helps to pass the time, but it also became a part of the Woodlawn family’s folklore. Brink portrays many instances where words, whether in a letter, a song or a story get woven into a family’s tapestry. The story is what bonded the Woodlawn family through their adventure in the Wisconsin woods.

The strength of family and community is important to this western family’s experience. Brink’s characters reinforce the idea of the strength of family bonds. “The long winter evenings in the farmhouse were very pleasant times. Grouped about the fire and the lamp, the Woodlawns made their own society, nor wanted any better.” (pg. 84). The Woodlawn children play together, get into mischief, and are loyal to each other. In a schoolroom tussle the Woodlawns showed their loyalty to each other. “… Tom and Warren, sensing danger to Caddie, began leaping over the benches and desks to get to her tormentor. But, if the Woodlawns were clannish, so were the Jones.”(pg. 64). Brink shows that loyalty runs deep in farming families. This holds true for the community as well. When the farms around Dunnville are under a suspected threat of Indian attack, all the nearby families come and gather at the Woodlawn farm. Although the rumor proved to be untrue, Brink shows the bond that exist between farming families. This idea of a community family was prominent in rural farming communities, especially during this time period when neighbors were few and far between. Families had to rely on each other to battle the dangers of the frontier and alleviate the loneliness of frontier life.

Caddie’s strength of character and her indomitable spirit is the centerpiece of Brink’s novel. Caddie personifies the farmers that went west to find a place where they could breathe freely and make a home out of the wildness of the frontier. Caddie’s character becomes the embodiment of all that Wisconsin represented for the Woodlawn family.  It was freedom and strength. It was loyalty and adventure. It was hard work and joy. Caddie’s journey ends in the appreciation of life in her Wisconsin woods. “The late afternoon sun flooded her face with golden light. Looking toward the approaching rider, her face was turned to the west. It was always to be turned westward now, for Caddie Woodlawn was a pioneer and an American.” (pg. 275). Caddie Woodlawn represents the western farmer. Through Caddie’s journey, Brink expresses the true spirit of the frontier farmer.

References:

Brink, Carol Ryrie, Caddie Woodlawn, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, New York, published 1935

The Farm Bill was first passed back during the Great Depression when excessive crops made prices drop and struggling farmers needed assistance to help keep their farms running. The Farm Bill, known at that time as the Agricultural Adjustment Act, also helped to ensure that food supply was adequate. This legislation has been helping farmers and ranchers since then as the agricultural market fluctuates.

One aspect of the legislation to help subsidize farmers is dedicated to the fairly new area of organic farming. Today there are 18, 513 organic farms and businesses now in the United States. This growing aspect of farming is becoming more mainstream as citizens are becoming more concerned about where their food is coming from. The USDA secretary Tom Vilsack commented to this saying, “Consumer demand for organic products has grown exponentially over the last decade. With retail sales valued at $35 billion last year, the organic industry represents a tremendous economic opportunity for farmers, ranchers and rural communities. New support in the 2014 Farm Bill will enhance USDA’s effort to help producers and small business tap into this market and support organic agriculture as it continues to grow and thrive.” Money for programs that support organic farmers and businesses is a part of the new Farm Bill.

In the United States about 814 million acres are dedicated to farming, of that less than 1 %, 4.7 million acres, is used for organic farming. Even though the organic food industry is growing the support for it has been small. In his Tedtalk, Ken Cook attributes this to the fact that, “we haven’t invested to help farmers to solve some of the problems that farmers have to farm organically. We haven’t done as the Europeans have done to help farmers convert from a chemically intensive agriculture to an organic.” The latest Farm Bill has programs that hope to address this issue.

An important program for organic farmers is the Certification Cost Share Assistance. The organic farmer must undergo an annual certification process which can be restrictive because of the cost, especially for smaller farms and businesses. Money from the Farm Bill was set aside for the Cost Share Assistance program which helps farmers and businesses by reimbursing up to 75% of the certification cost. There are many other aspects of organic farming programs that programs funded by the Farm bill have helped. Organic research and data collection, which will help determine crop value, meet production needs and help farmers make wise marketing decisions among other things. Organic crop insurance will help farmers insure their crop at a higher value than conventional crops. Finally the Farm Bill provides a one-time capital investment to the National Organic Program (NOP) to help modernize this program to be able to grow with the organic market. All these programs that are being funded by the Farm Bill are helping the organic food industry to grow to meet the demands of this growing market.

References:

Tedx Talks, youtube.com, Turning the Farm Bill into the Food Bill, by Ken Cook, tedxmanhattan, 1 March, 2015, web 3 April 2011

USDA, youtube.com, What the Farm Bill means to new farmers with Deputy Secretary Harden, 1 March 2015, web 9 September 2014

En.wikipedia.org, United States Farm Bill, 1 March 2015, web 16 February 2015

Farmfutures.com, The Farm Bill: What’s in it for Organic Agriculture?, 1 March 2015, published 21 March 2014

Rafiusa.org, 2014 Farm Bill: Organic Agriculture by Steve Etka, 1 March 2015, published 24 February 2014

The farm is all about traditions. From the recipes passed down from mother to daughter to the coming together at harvest time to work and celebrate. In the book, A Study of American Folklore, Jan Brunvand said, “Folklore comprises the unrecorded traditions of a people; it includes both the form and content of these traditions and their style or technique of communication from person to person. Folklore is the traditional, unofficial, non-institutional part of culture. It encompasses all knowledge, values, attitudes, assumptions, feelings and beliefs transmitted in traditional forms by word of mouth or by customary examples.” All these traditions are a part of the farm culture and make up its unique folklore. All farm life is steeped in tradition. Customs passed down from parent to child. Songs and stories that are told when families get together. Techniques that are taught for the smooth running of a farm.

The first spring after my husband and I were married, we decided to plant a garden. We tilled a little plot in our backyard to prepare for planting. I was excited to get started planting. We had found an awesome nursery on our honeymoon and had brought home a car full of starts for our garden. Before we started my husband declared, “We need steer manure! You can never have too much steer manure!” Being new to gardening, I was agreeable, but thought it was funny that he was so emphatic about steer manure. We bought what I thought was an excessive amount of steer manure and dumped it into our garden. We had a beautiful garden and my husband convinced me of the merits of steer manure. I no longer argue about the amount we buy each year for our garden.

My husband grew up working on his grandfather’s farm. Every year, as he tells of the experience, they would dump large amount of manure on their fields to prepare them for planting. My husband and his cousins would come together at their grandfather’s farm and would shovel manure onto the fields and then mix it into the soil. As he tells the story with a smile, I can see him as a young boy knee deep in poop and absolutely loving it!. This tradition that was passed down from grandfather to grandson, now is passed along to our children. It is a fun part of the process of planting our garden each year. This one aspect of farm culture has been passed down to our children and is a part of our family tapestry. We will never take steer manure for granted in our family. This farm tradition is a part of our family’s folklore.

References: 

Jan Brunvand. The Study of American Folklore: An Introduction, 2nd Edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 1978

It all began with a school project gone awry. My sister-in-law’s sister and her friend had a school project where they were required to carry around an egg. All was going well, the eggs had made it without a crack, until one day they hatched and two little chicks emerged into the world. They needed a home and my parents could provide them with one. So, two roosters, Kevin and Richard Parker, came to live at the family farm. Needless to say, they were very noisy. I don’t know if this is normal for all roosters, but they crow all the time! After a while my parents felt that maybe the roosters were lonely, that they might like some company.

Five hens were adopted from my uncle. The five girls came to live in the roost. We helped build a hen house for the girls and so began our journey to fresh eggs.

The chickens are fed layered pellet food, which is a mixture of grains and then my dad sweetens it with a little corn. When my mom comes out to the coop, the girls get very excited because she always has some vegetable scraps. They are sure thank her profusely for such a treat! These five hens are very productive. In the summer, when it is warmer, the girls provide eggs for five families, we have fresh eggs all summer long. When it cools off, we can depend on fresh

eggs about once a month.

I like knowing where my eggs come from. The idea that I can go out to the hen house and gather eggs that I will use while I cook is very appealing to me. My family and I can be a part of the production of what food I put on our table. It is always an adventure for my two year old when we go to grandma’s house.

She is anxious to walk out and see the girls and greet them. This little enterprise that started out as an accident, has become a true blessing for our family. The chickens have become important members of the family!

Memories of a farm

As I think back on my childhood, it is filled with many great memories and adventures. Some of my most treasured memories are summers spent on my great grandparents farm in Sandy, Utah. Yearly we would make the trek down from Washington, oftentimes in a caravan with my grandparents, to spend two weeks to a month just soaking up the atmosphere. Idyllic days spend traipsing around in the tall grass. My siblings and I would explore the old barn, hide in the coolness of the root cellar, laugh at the two person outhouse and race the old wagon down the steep driveway. The best part, the old chicken coop, where we slept at night, laughing and jumping on the old beds until we fell asleep. The farm we knew as children was a remnant of my great farming heritage.

My grandparents, Ira and Lucy Proctor, moved to the farm after my great grandfather came home after World War I. Their farm was part of the family homestead, that they had settled when they came to the valley in 1847. The first years were hard. Ira had come home from the war sick with the flu. He was a victim of the influenza pandemic that affected millions worldwide. He was unable to work for a while. They were able to live off money Lucy made selling butter she made at the local store.

Their life and income was affected by the changing economy. As the depression hit the country, the Proctors tried to adjust. Ira grew alfalfa to help feed his brothers cattle. He was in charge of the irrigation ditches, to make sure everyone was getting enough water. He was finally elected as the superintendent of roads and bridges for the county. He helped build bridges and roads that improved the transportation in the area.

Their family life was affected by the hardships of farm life. Lucy and Ira had no children. In the mid 20’s as the recession began to hit, tragedy struck Lucy’s sister Nora Van Valkenburg. The Van Valkenburgs had a farm down the road. Nora’s husband was suddenly killed when trying to remove an electrical line that had gone down in order to protect his cows. Nora, who was pregnant and had four children, came to live next door to the Proctors. Nora’s 18-month old, Louise, came to live with Lucy and Ira. They raised her as their own. She is also my grandma. The time period and a sense of family that was prevalent in a farming community influenced the actions of my family.

The up and downs of farm life had a great effect on the lives of my ancestors and the community that they lived in. The economy, the war, the tragedies of farm life all had an impact on life at the Proctor farm. As they weathered each storm, they built a legacy of values that was passed down to the next generations. When I think about farmers, I think of those glorious days spent on the Procter farm. A remnant of its former glory, it instilled in me a sense of hard work, integrity and family.

Sources:

Interviews conducted by Kathryn Powell with Diane Fish, Murland Fish and Wesley Richard Fish

Heritage and Future of Willow Creek Stake: Part 1, pgs 14-16. Loretta B. Derrick. dianestokoe.com/stakehistory