The Wilkes Team

The effort, the time, the energy, Hmm… is cleaning garden beds really a profitable undertaking? Getting the hands dirty, pulling nasty weeds, transplanting, planting, mulching, working with the shovel and rake – why do it all?

This may be the thought crossing the worker’s mind when the garden beds look more like the green lawn, the weary mind is carrying too heavy of a load, and the tired hands seem to be covered with plump tiny cherries. The gardener considers: Why not let God’s creation take its natural course  – isn’t there such a concept as wild and natural beauty?

Yes there is beauty in God’s creation, but unfortunately the world we live on is controlled by a law from which deviations cannot occur. It’s titled the law of entropy: best defined as all things are moving from a state of order to disorder.

We, as a family, had an eye witness account of this law being enforced a couple days ago when observing the landscape of our home dwelling. For the flower of yesteryear was now a brown stalk, the once pretty green leaves now a welted gray heap, and the freshly laid mulch a sun bleached disappearing woody mass. This is why natural beauty is not enough. God’s creation needs the Godly stewardship of human brawn and thought. The eye witness account proves this and therefore resulted in good wholesome labor.

Now the question, “Spring cleaning – why?” is answered, but only in part. The rest of the answer lies in a particular period of the lives of Rev. James Bruce and his wife,  Eliza Bruce. Scottish folks from the 1600s were they: He, a faithful and powerful minister of the gospel: she, a mainstay and helpmeet.  Once, upon moving to a new pastorate, Mr. Bruce and his wife, as usual, took up the dwelling of the former pastor. It was an old run down place, broken glass was patched with boards and the landscape horrible; *”To the walls too, clambered the dock and the nettle…the little plot… was so overgrown with brushwood and weeds of every description… the inside of the house was in no better a state…spiders and other vermin had long taken up their abode…. (Yet,) under Mrs. Bruce’s care every thing about the manse soon assumed a livelier and more handsome appearance”

Here we see, while the husband was faithfully ministering to those of his church, his wife was faithfully preparing her home For what purpose? Why was she cleaning up her garden beds and beautifying the landscape? *”So…That the traveler would not have passed it, without wishing to see it’s inhabitants: and the weary wanderer would have approached the door, in confidence of a kind welcome to nourishment and repose. ” Here is the other part to the answer – hospitality.

So, next time the garden needs spring cleaning remember why it’s being done; to develop an hospitable atmosphere from which strangers would deem it a delight to be entertained by.  “For some entertain angels unawares” (Heb 13:2)

*Excerpts taken from The Persecute Family, a narrative of the sufferings of the covenanters in the reign of Charles II By Robert Pollock, A.M. (First published in 1859, last published by Sprinkle publications)

8 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101, Outdoor Adventures

Wheat is so important in today’s world. Have you ever pondered what life would be like without this crop?� It would be quite dreadful, to say the least. Think about it – no more cookies, cakes, muffins, Hotdog buns, spaghetti, Home made bread, cereals – Wow! Life would sure be different. Let’s take a quick look at Modern wheat production and consumption to better appreciate the work that goes into producing this needed grain.

To begin with I’ll first compare 2007 wheat production and consumption rate to two other crops:
(Production Rate = PR, Consumption rate =CR, Measuring unit – bushels)

Wheat
PR – 1.81 Billion
CR – 2.05 Billion

Corn
PR – 10.54 Billion
CR – 11.27 Billion

Soybean
PR – 3.19 Billion
CR – 3.07 Billion

With wheat particularly, 50% is exported, 33 percent is domestically consumed, 8% is livestock feed and 4% is used for seed.

Globally, America is the third largest wheat producer with China and India taking first and second and Russia fourth. It’s interesting to note that the annual world grain production rate will need to increase by 20 to 30 percent according to an Australian food report. The reason for this prediction comes from the fact that 12 Asian countries (representing over � the World’s population) will have a meat consumption increase by the year 2020: beef� 50%, pork- 30%, chicken� 40%, and diary� 55%. Wait a minute!… Might be the words your thinking… this is meat consumption not grain. But once you realize that for every pound of Chicken on the dinner table, it took two pounds of feed (grains) to get it there, your thoughts might change.

Now, don’t be aghast! This is not the worse.

For every pound of pork 4 pounds of feed entered the pig’s digestive system and for every pound of beef a record seven pounds disappeared from the feeding trough. If you start thinking exponentially here there is a magnificent amount of grain consumption. It seems to me an Agricultural crisis is looming in the hazy future. Will the world be able to properly prepare for it? It remains to be seen.

There are many reasons we might not be ready with the continual decrease in good soil for growing the crops and apathy ruling in certain spheres.

A Southern Virginian farmer, Joel Salatin, truly understands the fearful position of U.S farm life. He clearly sees the problem, but what’s even better is that�he has proven solutions.

1. Increase organic matter, through compost piles, crop rotation, animal rotations and manure, etc.

2. Have less grain-fed animals and more grass-fed animals.

These are very general and broad, it could be said they are a summary of some of his major points. He’s written several books all on the subject of agriculture.

I believe if Americans and the rest of the world can better understand how God made this world to work there will be better farmers and more� capable individuals. We’ll be able to meet the near future crisis in global agriculture. It’s incumbent upon us to understand God’s principles and how they work into his creation. In addition we must also have purpose, for it says in the Bible: “my people perish for lack of knowledge” and also “without a vision the people perish”. If were not careful their might come a day, where there will be life without wheat. There will be no cereal, cake, or hotdog buns. Gratefully, it has not happened yet and we still have time to prepare.

7 Comments » | posted in Farming 101, On the Issues

The weather has been very cold here in Virginia. Daniel decided to start tapping the maple trees outback. We began last week. I went with Daniel and Kenan and watched them drill holes into the maple trees. We have begun with eight or nine trees and are hoping to tap more. A couple days ago, the temperatures were so cold (like 10 degrees all the way down to below zero) that our small pipes were frozen full of sap. The best conditions for tapping are when temperatures are below 20  degrees at night and around 36-40 degrees in the day.

We boiled down about 1 – 1 1/2 gallons of sap on our wood stove. When done boiling, there was about 1/3 cup of tasty maple syrup. We had to watch the sap very carefully towards the end.

I am so glad the Lord has given us maple trees for making syrup. I am looking forward to having fresh Virginia maple syrup on my pancakes.

Maple Syrup Resourcs:

 How to make maple syrup and tap your own maple trees

 Here is a slightly different set up

 Maple Syrup facts

 To beware of when storing maple sap

 Backyard Sugarin: A Complete How-To Guide

8 Comments » | posted in Farming 101, Outdoor Adventures

Ssshhhhh!!! We don’t want to scare the deer!

Some of the Wilkes team woke up real early Thursday morning to go bow hunting on the land.

Others came out later and as we drove up to the land I was encouraged by some other eager hunters in the car to drive as quietly as possible and to stop before I reach the top of the hill.

Communication between those out on the property hunting and us in the car was made through walkie talkies. This was just the beginning of a great day!

We dropped off some at the land and picked up others and went and met with our builder. We are still in the paper stages but getting closer!!

We came back to the land and had a great picnic lunch. Hoping that maybe someone got a deer but, not this time.

It was such a beautiful day! The farmer who takes the hay off our property had just gathered the hay in bails. And there is nothing prettier than seeing a field of green grass and bails of hay sprinkled throughout it!

Daniel and Kenan checked on the bees. They are doing great.  Dad did some finally mowing for the year.  And the younger ones had a blast in the hay fields!

It was a wonderfully relaxing and joyous day together!

4 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101

(First read The Conventionalism of Agriculture)

It twas a fortress.

It twas unique

It twas Polyface farm.

Instead of a drawbridge it had a car bridge over a creek.

Instead of walls there were fences.

Instead of soldiers there were farmers.

Instead of chariots and horses there was a hay ride and a tractor.

Though perception makes it out to be more of a farm then a fortress, it is a bulwark in the war of ideas. With mainstream American agriculture plummeting towards highly sophisticated farming, demanding huge cost and debt,  Mr. Salatin is advancing with a different approach. One which we as a family were able to experience after a short road trip and during a information packed tour.

At 10:00 am (or close to this time), a hay ride started with Joel Salatin directing it on the tractor. At this time, we embarked with around 50 other individuals on a fantastic tour with Mr. Salatin being the tour guide.

His 650 acre farm is situated with mountains surrounding and forests covering two-thirds with the remaining being pasture land.

Something Mr. Salatin spoke of quite frequently while giving the tour was the need for diversity. One of his goal is to create a very diversified landscape using forest, pasture land, water, and animals. Some of his ways of doing so we were able to experience while others were only mentioned. Many modern farmers live on solitary faced farms. As examples; They have acres and acres of  land for only one crop, or they are dairy farmers only. Mr. Salatin doesn’t see this method as effective. That’s why he named his farm Polyface (the farm of many faces). He doesn’t just have cows but also chickens, turkeys, pigs, and rabbits. He has pasture land for animals, forest lands and many ponds dotting the landscape.

This is just the beginning of his diversity plan. For example:

1. His cows move through a field, and then he has the chickens come through afterwards in their mobile shelters eating the parasitic bugs and spreading the cow patties. 

2. Instead of leaving the woods to only wildlife he is taking dominion of it by fencing off areas with a single strand of electrical wire wrapped around trees and has his pigs eat the nuts on the ground and dig for grubs. Then on a frequent basis he moves this simple fence with the pigs to other parts of the forests. This creates a two fold benefit: Pigs our living the way they were made to and the forests are becoming healthier with the upheaval of the ground.

3. Both turkey and chicken youngsters grow up together in the same building. Conventionalism states this is horrible and counter productive but Mr. Salatin has found that the difference between turkeys and chickens actually worked together smoothly.

Polyface farm is now producing food for hundred’s of restaurants and families. There is an incredible movement in America to obtain food locally. Mr. Salatin is meeting the need and he is encouraging other farmers to do the same.

Mr. Salatin speaks about utilizing the great technology and information available but not to the point where incredible money expenditure and debt is necessary and where God’s creation is totally severed from the natural ecosystems they were made to be a part of.

After seeing his farm, we as a family have become proponents of many of his ideas and hope to implement them in the near future. If you ever have a chance we recommend visiting this Polyface fortress and truly experience an incredible way to farm; using technology and inventions while never compromising the God given ecosystems. It truly is a unique experience!

Go to www.Polyfacefarms.com to learn more about Mr. Salatin’s farm and books he has written.

4 Comments » | posted in Family News, Farming 101

Conventionalism is sweeping the agricultural landscape. The small farmer is dwindling in significance while the grandiose mega farms are dominating and being modeled with their chemically pumped, genetically engineered, and denatured animals and crops. It is thought that in modern times we are definitely better educated and therefore don’t need to learn from the past as much as focus on the future. Furthermore, we’re extremely capable of developing an incredibly vast panorama of new ideas. Such as:

Pump your farm animals with antibiotics and other important chemicals; it will bring better sanitization and less death.

Get rid of ponds. They are problematic because of their possibility of attracting a bird flue carrier.

End your other agricultural pursuits and become a soybean/corn producer, because there is the $$$.

The chickens grow best when fed dried poultry pellets,

The cows are easily sickened creatures and demand incredible vet bills

The larger the building or machine = greater efficiency

The greater the governmental involvement = a guarantee of greater success.

Now this is just the top of ice berg! The incredible list of innovative ideas and theories are endless and it just continues to grow. In magnificent proportions, this army of mighty conventionalism is breaking down barriers and infiltrating all levels of farming.   As this army moves in, bringing its message and results, there are certain fortresses situated in places which are close to impregnable. They stand in  opposition to this moving army, have prepared for battle, and are actually in the conflict. One of these fortresses occupies a space in the Bread basket of the Southern Confederacy also known as the Shenandoah Valley. It’s a farm run very efficiently and unconventionally by a farmer named, Joel Salatin. You will hear more about him soon as we give account of our recent visit to his farm!!

Oh, how needful these fortresses are. For, in the end, the conventionalizing of American Agriculture is bringing some serious problems. The dire results will not be truly realized for a couple more years.  It was thought excellent to convene upon certain venerated ideas but it has turn into a  conventionalizing of agriculture which will not bring an enjoyable conclusion. Why so? The answer for this question will be shared in a following post entitled:

A Solution – The Farm of many faces.

6 Comments » | posted in Farming 101