Archive for June, 2008
Revenge of “Grow Your Own”
by John Weckerle
It’s been a week since we last provided a photo-progress report on our sustainable gardening initiative, and it’s time for an update. The plants are growing fantastically, although comparison with the “control group” may soon be a moot point, as the rabbits have finally noticed it. Three of the four control brussels sprouts have been appropriated, and one cauliflower partially defoliated.
The actual garden beds, however, are well protected against such depredations. There are a number of small yellow squash that have developed, and the green and red bell pepper each have one growing fruit and plenty of flower buds. It is still not clear whether the golden bell pepper will recover from its frost setback.
Today |
June 6 |
Next week, we will introduce you to the second bed. Part of that bed was planted in seed, and many of the seeds have sprouted. The lettuce that was “planted as plants” is ready to provide us with some leaves, so next week we’ll also include a “salad report.”
Jack Thorp Centennial Celebration
About 100 years ago, Jack Thorp published one of the first, and possibly the first, collections of cowboy songs. The book, which contained 23 songs, was published at the Estancia News and Print Shop, right here in New Mexico’s real central valley. A second edition, published in 1921, was expanded to include 101 songs, a number of which Thorp wrote himself.
Born in New York City in 1867, Thorp was the son of a lawyer and real estate investor. He attended Harvard for three years, and moved to New Mexico at about the age of 19 (rangewriter.org). Thorp and other early collectors of cowboy songs are recognized for preserving a tradition of music and poetry that might well have been lost.
The Jack Thorp Centennial celebration will be held on Saturday, June 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Torrance County Fairgrounds in Estancia. Events include a silent auction, cowboy poetry, preview of the P.B.S. film “On The Trail of Jack Thorp,” an art show, a barbecue lunch ($8.00) and an evening dance ($5.00). For more information, contact Bobby Neeley at (505) 384-5232 or Babbi Baker at (505) 384-1858.
Post Turtles
by John Weckerle
Recently, an area resident sent me a new version of the old George W. Bush “post turtle joke,” reconfigured to focus on Barak Obama. While I may not have the same opinion as the sender regarding which of the two most resembles a post turtle, I didn’t think much of it; it’s election season and, as tired as we all are of it after the primaries, we’re bound to be seeing a lot of political humor.
I was, however, very surprised at the next message I got, which contained a response from one of the other recipients: “… i’m embarrassed for you. this is pure racism. never send me anything like this again.” »» Post Turtles
This Weekend Was For The Birds
by John Weckerle
Or, perhaps more accurately, part of this weekend was about the birds. Saturday morning, my mother-in-law and I attended the first half of Wildlife West Nature Park’s bird of prey handling class. Normally held on a single day, the class was split into two Saturday sessions this year due to scheduling imperatives. This year, the class’s first session was held by master falconer Tom Smylie of The Peregrine Fund. A class of about 22 people learned the basics of raptor identification, their position within their ecosystems, and the reasons for such attributes as wing structure, tail length, and other physical attributes that make birds of prey suited to their environment and their way of life.
We also learned a few interesting tidbits about birds in general, including: »» This Weekend Was For The Birds
Rain, rain…
by John Weckerle
Yesterday, I used the last of my harvested rainwater. Even though I have a 3,600 gallon capacity, the dry winter, followed by a dry spring, left me with far less than half of that to get through the season. With the second-year trees and shrubs associated with our ecological enhancement activities and the new vegetable gardens, plus the fountains/wildlife bubblers, that much only goes so far.
Why so dry? Part of the answer lies in the state of the El Nino – Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that affects weather on a global scale. It involves temperature anomalies in the surface waters of the central tropical Pacific Ocean. El Niño represents a period when surface waters are 0.5o or more warmer than normal, and La Niña represents a time during which temperatures are 0.5o or more cooler than normal. ENSO neutral conditions exist when surface water temperatures are within 0.5o of normal. During the El Niño part of the cycle, our area tends to get more rain, while dryer conditions persist during La Niña. During ENSO neutral conditions, there is an equal chance of having normal, above average, or below average conditions. We are currently experiencing the La Niña effect, which is currently weakening. »» Rain, rain…
Hey, Central New Mexico – Want To Take A Ride On the Space Station?
by John Weckerle
Well, you can’t – but you can watch other people do it for you. According to NASA, there will be some great observation opportunities from points within our area over the next few days, and at some times, both the International Space Station and the space shuttle will be visible at nearly the same time. For more information, check out the Moriarty Space Station sighting schedule.
Return of the Son of Grow Your Own
by John Weckerle
Given the interest everyone has shown in the concept of sustainable gardening, we think it appropriate to give another progress report on the raised-bed project. Our last update was June 1, and we’re pleased to provide a “then and now” photo comparison of one of the beds.
June 1 |
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Today |
It is important to note here that none of these plants has yet been in the ground three weeks. They all appear to growing extraordinarily well, and have recovered from the minor frost damage that hit them a couple of weeks ago. There has generally been noticeable growth between morning and evening every day. The cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts (second row from the left and top of the third row) were relatively tiny “six-pack” plants when they went in. One of the squash plants already has its first blossom. In the other bed, the lettuce is already capable of providing at least sandwich quantities (and maybe even a small salad) without overly damaging the plants, and the green pepper plant has a fruit on it that is nearly as long as my thumb.
And “thumbs up” it is to this inexpensive, space-saving gardening technique, at least thus far. We’ll keep you posted! (pun intended)
The Farm Bill and New Mexico
Editor’s Note: In addition to her many other community service efforts, Margarita Mercure Hibbs is a leadership specialist for the My Rural America Action Fund, which addresses issues important to rural Americans. In her transmittal of this article, which was also submitted to various newspaper organizations, Ms. Mercure Hibbs notes that, due to a clerical error, the veto override was delayed until this week, and that Representatives Udall and Pearce supported this bill, while Representative Wilson did not.
by Margarita Mercure Hibbs
The Farm Bill, officially known as the Food, Conservation and Energy Act, is not perfect. That does not however, diminish how vital it is in our efforts to feed the world, supply energy for our nation, conserve our resources, assure a cleaner environment, improve our water quality, and advance the quality of life for millions of Americans. There are realities for rural Americans that should not be forgotten as we peer into the future strengthening our state and our nation. With the ongoing anxiety of a deepening recession, exorbitant gas prices and local families who lost their homes in the Trigo fires, the larger question is, are we a nation that cares for our rural people, or is this merely lip service paid during political campaigns? »» The Farm Bill and New Mexico
Not Just An I-40 Corridor Blog
The publisher of the Mountainair Arts blog expressed a concern this weekend that NM-Central.com was not interested in stories and information from the southern part of the region – Mountainair, Tajique, Torreon, Punta, Manzano, and others. We certainly are – and we’re interested in Willard, Encino, and all the other communities in the region. If you know somebody who has a story to tell from any of those areas, or anywhere in the region, please let them know about this blog, and we’ll work to get their news, views, etc. posted.
We’ve gotten things straightened out, and welcome Mountainair Arts as the first link on our blogroll!
Grow Your Own…Revisited
by John Weckerle
Let us turn our thoughts for a moment away from the winds of political intrigue and conflict and contemplate once again the simple joy of growing things. Especially edible ones.
During the First and Second World Wars, the U.S. government asked citizens to plant gardens (Victory Gardens) to help reduce pressure on the food supply and support the war effort. Millions of people in all environs – rural, suburban, and urban – planted gardens in the name of patriotism, growing food to feed themselves. This lessened the need for domestic food distribution and freed up resources to feed the troops fighting abroad. It is somewhat unfathomable, therefore, that today – with gas prices nearing $4.00 per gallon and substantial military efforts abroad – the U.S. government is not once again calling on the people to start growing at least small gardens and take some of the pressure of the food production and distribution system. »» Grow Your Own…Revisited