Day 71, July 28, 2010

In a little under an hour, Elizabeth will be leaving on a field trip to the Heifer Learning Center at the Overlook Farm in Rutland, Massachusetts. The kids will learn about the Heifer International empowerment program that provides livestock to third world villages. I believe that the kids will likely do volunteer work on the farm, and I am glad that Elizabeth has had an opportunity to work a couple of times on my farm garden, especially before leaving for the big leagues!

I believe that the Heifer Farm, no matter how primitive its premise, will have proper facilities for the comfort of the campers. At the same time, my farming experience is one of sustainability. I was told that deer are frightened by coyote urine, and so being the wily farmer I am, decided that since we have no comfort facilities at my host farm, I would spray my bladder contents along the perimeter of the garden. To date, no fences, and not a chomp from Bambi. In fact, yesterday, we delivered over 250 pounds of two varieties of cucumbers to a customer, along with basil, dill weed, bush beans and green peppers.

Early American farmers must have had to be a rather immodest lot. Matters of comfort had to likely give in to urgency. And so it is with me, Mr. Sustainability, especially when a stomach rumble interrupts my normally disciplined digestive schedule. First I wonder, can I make it back home, or to my office? When my intestines tell me, "not likely," and they have told me this a few times this season, then I have to note my location, which is normally near the field's edge, preferably away from picking rows. And then there is a glance about the property.

Even contemporary farmers crave some privacy. I rationalize this compromised moment by deciding the same would be no big deal to one of my many role model farmers. I decide that it would be such a minor event, that none of them would even Blog about taking a dump in a farm field. And yet, I must! I pledged to share all, or as many facets of my farming experience.

Relief comes quickly to my gut, flashbacks of camping as a kid come to my mind. And flies come quickly, too. It's amazing how fast flies gather. Of course, there is no roll of paper anywhere, and so I find grass and non-poisonous leaves, thankful that I don't have to be a Total Man, and "Wipe if with my Hand," as the old "Stranded" kid song goes.

After pulling up my shorts, I find a sharp medium stone and dig a little trench. The product goes into the trench. Cat-like, a few scoops of soil, tamp it with the stone, and back to the fields, lighter!