Orange Memories Musings: Not just a farmer
By Beth Robertson
Most of the crop is in. The seeds are going into moisture, but these 30+ days have been brutal. As I write this, we are having a beautiful rain shower. It looks promising, but as they say, "It's not in the bin yet!"
I am, no doubt, biased, but I think farming and growing food are the noblest and most important occupations in the world. Food is the bottom line. Without food and, of course, sun, water and soil, life would not exist. We learned that in Grade Three. Yet we build factories, dig mines, abuse water use and cover up productive land as if these things were plentiful. Only a tiny piece of our planet is productive land, and a good chunk of that is here on the Canadian prairies.
There is a demonstration that shows how little productive land there is in the world. McKenna and I will do that demonstration at the next Java Junction, Wednesday, June 3rd, at 2:30. To be an active part of the demonstration, bring an apple and a paring knife. You don't want to miss this month's gathering that is, to quote our posters, "an opportunity for socializing and communicating with the elderly."
Thirty years ago I wrote a poem about farmers. Read it once just for pleasure, then read it again to spot the differences in farming then and now. How many can you find?
Just A Farmer
"He's just a farmer," someone said, as the man walked down the street,
With dust on his hands, his face, his clothes, and dust of the fields on his feet.
My mind drifted back to days on the farm, as I watched him walk away,
And I thought of the things that, on the farm, he laboured at each day.
When springtime came, the fertile soil he'd till with craftsman's hand,
He loved and knew and understood what it meant to work the land.
A mechanic skilled, each machine was repaired with patience often tried,
He knew the ache and hurt inside when one of his animals died.
A carpenter, too, he built the sheds and the bins to store the grain.
With anxious eyes he scanned the skies for signs of approaching rain.
At night when darkness descended and machinery all was still
He'd take his books to figure out what next he'd need to till
Or harvest, repair, or buy or sell to keep the family farm.
He'd listen for news of drought or storm that could bring his crops to harm.
He'd take time to be with his family, the ones he loved so well,
And time to do community work and maybe read for a spell.
Then into bed with body spent to sleep the night away
To wake at dawn and carry on with work for another day.
A mechanic, carpenter, businessman, a weatherman, engineer,
A man who knows the risks and joys of farming from year to year.
And so to you my farming friend, stand tall, a job well done,
Not "just a farmer" but a giver of life. You've earned your place in the sun.
— Beth Robertson, 1996
My earliest recollection of spring planting is riding on the wooden platform at the back of a seed drill with my dad and brother. The drill was pulled by four beautiful Clydesdales. Dad was setting out to plant about two-thirds of the half section that he and Mom owned. A necessary one-third was summerfallowed. It was a far cry from today's massive farming operations.
My earliest recollection of gardening was watching my eldest sister riding a Clydesdale pulling a single furrow plough to plant the necessary potato crop. Dad controlled the plough and someone must have tossed in the seed potatoes.
The women in our building were treated like royalty during the week preceding Mother's Day. First was a visit on May 7th from two friendly radio station staff members, Jenny and Shianne, from West Central Online. They brought greetings from the radio station, joined us for coffee and presented each of us with a lovely flower. They had worked with the students in Grades Four and Five at Walter Aseltine School to design a Mother's Day card for each mother. Thank you to all.
The GOTG band from Meadow Lake visited that afternoon. They started the afternoon with a beautiful solo by Erin and then swung into their hillbilly/bluegrass music. The band has fun and they bring fun to us. Two asides: GOTG stands for Get Off the Grass, and Bea Parratt's son, Rob, is one of the musicians. Thanks for the fun!
Next came the annual Mother's Day brunch mc'd by McKenna. Eighty meals were served. Morgan involved all in a "How Well Do You Know Your Mother?" questionnaire. It brought lots of laughs. Thank you to Morgan, McKenna, kitchen staff and servers for making this a fun and successful brunch. Thank you to our family members who came to visit and support the event.
It was "big band day" on May 13th. The Grade Seven band from Swift Current stopped by to treat us to an hour of music. There was big sound in our dining room! We do enjoy the young musicians.
There were chuckles and laughter in the dining room for a Comedy Hour on May 13th. McKenna kicked off the event with some great jokes, then turned it over to the attendees. Lots of laughter. Since we are told that laughter is the best medicine, all should be in better shape.
The four and five year olds from Kid Kare and their teachers visited us on May 14th, this time with a difference. We spent a delightful time colouring and chatting together. When they left, we felt like we had made new little friends and I think the feeling was mutual. Let's do that again sometime.
Music is good for the soul and the Senior Choral group gave our souls a boost at their monthly visit on May 20th. They presented the second half of their gospel program that they had prepared for public performance. Lovely! Their songs are always joyful and the harmonies get better and better. We enjoyed a very noisy and fun coffee time following the performance.
We have said goodbye to our dear friend, Doris Clark. Doris will be remembered for her friendly ways. She was always a fun participant at activities, a cheerleader and a quiet friend. Rest in peace, Doris. You lived the good life and fought on courageously.
Good news! Landscaping of our bare property will begin this spring, and you can be a part of it. Info will be emailed to families. Posters will be put up around town. Read how you can help. There is more and more information about the health benefits of being in nature, to hear the birds, see butterflies and gain all the benefits from trees, flowers and insects. Maybe we can even plant bee-friendly flowers to help the struggling pollinators.
The Canada flag is our boast and pride, but here it is also our weather vane. The nasty wind took it down. There were happy comments all around when we saw it flying again. Thanks, Gord!
The annual meeting with management, residents, family members and the Board of Directors was held on May 28th. About thirty people attended to hear reports and give feedback.
Monthly thanks to all those who make our lives better: Morgan, McKenna, the kitchen staff, all the friendly workers and those who bring us spiritual thoughts each week. Special thanks this month to Carlotta who takes our dirty laundry and brings it back clean and beautifully folded.
Now on to the beautiful month of June.