Monday, January 30, 2006, 21:56
Foods Resource Bank
Randy is now on the committee for the Foods Resource Bank project in our parish this year. He went to his first meeting Sunday night.
The Foods Resource Bank is a project in which farmers from rural parishes donate the use of some of their land to raise a crop, most often corn or soybeans. Other individuals, churches, and companies donate the seed and fertilizer. In the spring, volunteers work up the land and plant the crop. In the fall, the crop is harvested by volunteers and then sold. The money is sent overseas to help farmers in underpriviledged areas, either by providing seeds, or by teaching them how to grow better crops, or even by providing goats for needy families.
Our parish had our first project last year and raised 14 acres of corn. It was not a very good growing year for corn because it was much too dry. But still, we managed to make $2,800 that we were able to donate. The project in our parish was only one of two projects in the state of Wisconsin, as I understand it.
This year, it is possible that we may have 50 acres of corn for the Foods Resource Bank project. Time will tell if it will all work out or not. We will have to wait and see how many acres we actually end up with and whether the weather cooperates.
But you know what the really sad thing is? From what I have read and heard in discussions, there should be no such thing as famines and people starving in other countries. There is plenty of food in the world for everyone. The problem is distribution, either because of political policies, or civil wars or greedy governments or other factors.
We have to look no farther than ourselves to know that there is plenty of food in the world. The number of obese and overweight people in the United States is rising at an alarming rate. Many Americans probably have two or three times the amount of food they actually need. We truly do live in a land of plenty.
Be that as it may, the Foods Resource Bank project is trying to make a difference in the world. And our little parish is trying to make a difference in the world.
If you would like to find out more information about the Foods Resource Bank, visit --
http://www.foodsresourcebank.org/demo3.html
Going Away Party -- I ended up not going to the going away party Saturday night for Miss Rodeo Wisconsin. Randy went. I stayed home and finished up some work I needed to do. Miss Rodeo Wisconsin 2005 will be leaving this Thursday for her new job with the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs. Best wishes Cara!
LeAnn R. Ralph
Saturday, January 28, 2006, 22:04
Rainy Day Saturday
It is raining here today.
It is not supposed to be raining. It ought to be snowing. It *is* January in Wisconsin, for crying out loud.
The forecast says it will rain this afternoon and then start snowing, ending with two or three inches of accumulation.
Promises. Promises.
At this rate, we might as well put away the snowshoes. The poor things are down in the barn, waiting for snow. I have used my snowshoes maybe three times this year. Randy, I think, has had his on once.
So far, we have gotten 20 inches of snow for the season. Most of it has melted now, especially after the last two days of 50 degrees and rain today.
Our average snowfall for the season is 54 inches. To reach the average, we would have to get 8 inches of snow every other week from now until the end of March, or else 4 inches of snow every week from now until the end of March.
Unless the weather pattern turns around quickly, we are not going to get close to our average for snowfall this year.
As Randy said the other day, "this does not bode well for our growing season."
And indeed, it does not. Without enough snow to recharge the ground water, it's possible that our hayfield will not produce much hay this year. And we need all the hay we can get! Isabelle eats everything I put in front of her. She's growing. She needs everything I can put in front of her. I do, after all, want her to grow up to be a nice, big, strong horse.
But enough of complaining about the weather. I can't do anything about it, anyway. And besides, if the weather is all I've got to complain about, I am extremely fortunate.
On a brighter note, we are going to a going-away party this evening -- if the weather does not deteriorate to the point where the roads become slippery.
Earlier this year I wrote a blog entry about Miss Rodeo Wisconsin, a girl named Cara who happened to be someone we knew who was a neighbor of ours.
Miss Rodeo Wisconsin ended her reign by competing in the national Miss Rodeo America Pageant in December and was voted Miss Congeniality by her peers. After that, Cara was offered a job by the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs as their exhibit designer/coordinator and director of their archives. So, she is moving to Colorado Springs.
As long as the rain does not turn to freezing rain, or as long as it doesn't start snowing hard enough to make the roads slick, we'll be "good to go."
LeAnn R. Ralph