Comments on: Enough with the rain already…

By: Annie

Annie — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:51:24 +0000

Thanks for the timely and important reminder. I’m going to try and be mindful about cutting back in some areas so that I can spend a little more at farmer’s markets this summer.

By: gesikah

gesikah — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:00:59 +0000

Half of one, six dozen of the other.

Here in the Gulf area, we’ve been suffering through near record-breaking heat and abnormally dry conditions.

If only they could figure out a way to ship sunshine and rain.

By: The Domestic Soundscape » Blog Archive » Woolfest

The Domestic Soundscape » Blog Archive » Woolfest — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:27:28 +0000

[...] dash of Internet Bingeing before July Offline commences, and I read the following line on this post, lamenting the damage that constant rains are doing to the Hay crop in the US at the moment: I make [...]

By: Jan

Jan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:57:22 +0000

Hi Susan,
This is a GREAT post and I hope that those who read it take it to heart about the need to support our local family farms…or we will be buying all our food from overseas and how secure is that? The weather has been screwy here in Idaho too. I had planned to turn my flock out on the new spring grass around the first of April this year. I bred my ewes for a May First lambing, that would come after a month of eating the rich, spring grass. This spring, though, there was 5 inches of snow on the ground on April First. Talk about a terrible April Fools joke! No grass for my girls! I had to find some more hay to feed– me and all the other folks who were running low on feed for their animals. I also decided to bite the bullet and send off some wool to be processed into yarn. The bill for that will arrive at the same time that I need to be buying *next* winter’s hay. I hope that knitters will prefer my yarn from my own sheep to the mass produced, commercial yarn or I will be borrowing money to feed my flock this next winter. I know that life and finances are rough on everyone right now. But if you buy yarn (or vegetables, or fruit etc.) from a local farmer, the taxes they pay goes back to support the local economy, the feed they buy allows another farmer to support the local economy and the mill workers in the small custom wool mill have a livable wage and safe working conditions, ditto, the local hardware store, the veterinarian etc. So our economy grows, literally, like the grass, from the ground up. You may save a few bucks buying a mass produced, factory product, but the money you spend supporting a small farmer will pay back a lot more in the long run. Sorry for the long post, but you struck a cord.

By: Felix

Felix — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:11:21 +0000

Thanks for this superb post. We have had very different weather here in the UK, but the point about buying yarn and food from local producers remains just as relevant here as in the US.

At Woolfest this weekend the whole party of knitters I was with decided to buy mostly UK wool from rarebreed sheep and smallscale producers because meeting with farmers – like this great post you have written – shows us urban-based knitters how we can invest directly in local farming practises and economies by giving local producers our business.

Knitting comes from the land and your blog is always amazing for showing this connection…

…but this sad post got the point across more poignantly than usual. Well said.

I hope the rains stop already.

By: woolies

woolies — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:00:39 +0000

wow, I didn’t know all of this, and I feed hay to my horses. I learned something important, thank you!
We can’t grow hay here in Arizona, no rain. too damn hot. So we pay up to $15 for a bale of bermuda hay. Which is why I give riding lessons – to help pay for the hay. wow.

By: turtle

turtle — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:30:42 +0000

i remember those days when living on the farm in NE. We have been lucky out here on the west coast this year and have had it extra dry, our gardens are thriving after 2 years of complete molded gardens. I do love that green you have chosen! (my mom is in NH and has been trying to get her roof finished as well, maybe it will just be a late summer!)

By: jamie

jamie — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:31:08 +0000

your last paragraph is so POWERFUL!!! and true!

By: qutecowgirl

qutecowgirl — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:12:52 +0000

It is heartbreaking. My brother lives in upstate NY where many of the farm around him grow hay. One farm may fold I hope they do not their farm is a family farm for generations. Even local farm stands have slim pickings because of all the rain and low temps. My thoughts are with all farmers.

I also totally agree with you buy local! (well in my case as locally as one can)

By: Jenni

Jenni — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:20:53 +0000

And here in the UK, all we have had for the last month is hot sunshine – very unusual this early in the year and not good for the farmers either as the young crops are drying out and dying. Global warming or a shift in the earths axis – who knows for sure. Send us some of your rain and we will send you some of our sun.

Jenni