As I came up to the bend on Triumph Road, I saw the helicopter around the next, and as I slowed down I saw the kestrel in the field to my left, hovering the way they do, waiting for the vole to emerge from the tall grass. I took this as fitting, although more as a loose sort of metaphor or good omen.
I was up on a ridge that I had been on several times while shooting the field burns. It offers a nice vista just another 100 yards from where I pulled over. Again, I haven't scrutinized the photos, but I did get the below video. Watch the bale of trees. I knew I should have brought my tripod...
9 comments:
Little wonder Christmas trees can go for a whorehouse price. It must be cost effective but copters don't have a low hourly rate.
If I got a new slr, I would do the same sort of repeat shots. Fun.
Ken, you might be surprised to know that the farmers get around $2 per tree. The cost isn't on their end. The loss is. There is a glut.
New farm bill in congress. New bigger commercial units coming. 2 and 5 hundred acre spreads are going to be marginalized.
TM - That has been the trend for years. Small guys don't have enough support in Congress. For most farmers I know, farming is at best a break-even proposition. Could be worse, I guess.
Hmm, funny this should come up today.
I got an email today from my renter (corn&soybeans.) He said he had a great year and offered to pay more rent next year, unsolicited by me.
I know times are tough, but here is what I see, for this type of farming:
Long-term investment is important-
Our families have been working together for 3 generations. We invested in buying, clearing the land, and tiling. His family invested in machines and their labor and expertise. After a while, it works out.
He uses modern farming techniques such as minimum tillage, chisel-plowing, and minimum if not organic chemical use.
We give each other a human break now and then.
There are many failures, but many successes.
This in no way reflects on bastin's experience with organic produce farming, a very different animal.
I'm always glad to hear a success story, Crash. At this juncture, if I can help the family I mentioned the other day not make the same mistakes we did, and lend them a hand now and then, I'll be happy with where we've ended up.
Your end of it feels good for me. Maybe you could post, now and then, how they are doing.
And, as always, it would be nice to hear about the goings on with your place.
And I see you have been doing quite well at PAO, you bad boy! New talent be damned! Well-done.
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