Ep 233 John Garcia: You’re In the Farming Now!

In the spirit of that impromptu moment that often happens in the Bowman universe, today we're going to bring you a quick conversation that occurred at the National Western Stock Show this January. You might know that the draft horses hold a special place for me, and there are very few things that are as majestic and glorious as a full hitch at speed thundering around the ring. One of those hitches this year was driven by a woman named Audrey Popoff, from Colton, California. And since March i...

23 Mars 202210min

Small ruminants are the bedrock of agriculture in much of this little ball of rock we humans inhabit. That said, here in North America they can be an afterthought for much of the population. We think that's going to change. Whether they're used for meat or fiber (or even as pack animals these days for a trek through the wilderness), we believe the time has come for us to rexamine the "lost category" of small ruminants. This year, one of the themes we'll be following at Back...

15 Mars 202222min

Today’s excerpt is from a now-public domain book called Everybody’s Standard Poultry Guide, Second Edition, Volume I. It was Published in 1919 by Everybody’s Poultry Magazine Publishing Company, Hanover, PA. The copy I have in my hand was a bit of a romantic present from my hubby, because he knows I love old books. This book is a beautiful thing, though. The pages are so old, they have a buff patina that looks like they have been dipped in tea, and every time I turn a page i...

9 Mars 202223min

We bring you another episode of our Fencepost Ruminations talk with Tammy White from Wing and a Prayer Farm in Shaftsbury, Vermont. It's March and Tammy is taking a few minutes from her day to share what's happening at her farm this month. Whether early in the morning or late at night, you’ll get an intimate glimpse into her conversation that occurs between a human and her animal. For all of you real and pretend farmers out there, this one’s for you. Links: https://www.wing...

2 Mars 20224min

This week we travel back to Indiana for the 2021 Future Farmers of America National Convention. There we met up with our good friends from the American Boer Goat Association, who loaned us a couple of roving reporters from the Junior ABGA, Logan and Alaina. They interviewed FFA Star Farmer Emily Acevedo from Bradford FFA in Florida who says her agriscience journey started in the sixth grade when her show goat unexpectedly gave birth at the Florida State Fair. Next up Elara spoke with Na...

22 Feb 202219min

Watching the Winter Olympics this week made us think back to last Fall and the Future Farmers of America's National Convention. Well, you might say to yourself, "What do the Army, the FFA and the Olympics have to do with each other?" You'll find out as we speak with Lt. Col. Quint and his associate Jane Tyler, as they introduce us to 2020 Tokyo Olympian Sgt. Phillip Jungman. Links: https://www.ffa.org https://recruiting.army.mil/army_marksmanship/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_...

16 Feb 202215min

When you’re the guardian of a living creature – human, livestock or other -- there are some really tough decisions to make. Do I homeschool or do the public option? Do I do surgical intervention or see how they do on their own? Do I breed, cull or slaughter (not on the human side, obviously). In these days of technical innovation, there are some fantastic tools out there to help us make decisions, but not only are they expensive, they’re sometimes hard to figure out.&n...

9 Feb 20221h 2min

Fencepost Flights of Fancy? Ruminations from the Field? Upside-down Bucket Talks? My Favorite Way to Ruminate? No matter what we end up calling these monthly segments, they’re bound to be interesting, and we hope you pitch in to give suggestions on your favorite name. We’re going to bring you a few moments from the lives of those in the agricultural community (read: farmers and ranchers and the like), in their own words. Whether early in the morning or late...

2 Feb 20224min