KEVIN YOUNG, DIRECTOR
60822 Creek Road
Niles, MI 49120
269-684-3870
kevin60822@sbcglobal.net
JULY/AUGUST 2019 GRANGE NEWS
Wow July!? Where did the first 6 months of 2019 go to? It sure doesn’t feel like July weather though. Too cool and wet during June so who knows what July will bring! With this weird weather means our garden isn’t growing very well. Everything is behind where it should be at this point even though we didn’t get it planted until Memorial Day. We have yet to plant out potatoes and at this point we are not doing the 5 gallon bucket method. Instead we are doing the Ruth Stout Method of gardening on them. This method will require basically very little watering and no weeding when done correctly. It is a system where you are “composting” the materials back into the soils during the winter months including the plants/vines from the growing season! No more need to use the rototiller. I hope this works well! Google Ruth Stout method of gardening. There are videos and everything on the internet on this form of gardening plus others as well.
Wow July!? Where did the first 6 months of 2019 go to? It sure doesn’t feel like July weather though. Too cool and wet during June so who knows what July will bring! With this weird weather means our garden isn’t growing very well. Everything is behind where it should be at this point even though we didn’t get it planted until Memorial Day. We have yet to plant out potatoes and at this point we are not doing the 5 gallon bucket method. Instead we are doing the Ruth Stout Method of gardening on them. This method will require basically very little watering and no weeding when done correctly. It is a system where you are “composting” the materials back into the soils during the winter months including the plants/vines from the growing season! No more need to use the rototiller. I hope this works well! Google Ruth Stout method of gardening. There are videos and everything on the internet on this form of gardening plus others as well.
We are a few short months now from our 2019 State Session that is being held at the Lenawee County Fairgrounds in Adrian this year. Remember the dates have been change for this year to the week after our normal set dates.
Fair season is here with the start of the month of July. Lots of hard work by the youth all over our State of Michigan will be on display when your local County Fair is going on. Please take some time to attend your County Fair to show support of our Youth. They are the future of our State and Country and we need to encourage them to do the best they can. The pigs and goats are just about on schedule here for weight gain for our County fair. They let me know every day that they see me and want their dinner! LOL I love having them around and will miss the noises they make but will enjoy fewer chores I will have at the end of August.
Fair season is here with the start of the month of July. Lots of hard work by the youth all over our State of Michigan will be on display when your local County Fair is going on. Please take some time to attend your County Fair to show support of our Youth. They are the future of our State and Country and we need to encourage them to do the best they can. The pigs and goats are just about on schedule here for weight gain for our County fair. They let me know every day that they see me and want their dinner! LOL I love having them around and will miss the noises they make but will enjoy fewer chores I will have at the end of August.
Here is hoping your gardens are growing or will be and that your harvest is bountiful. Until the next MGN….
AGRICULTURE
MAY/JUNE 2019 GRANGE NEWS
Is it Spring, Summer, Winter?!? This spring has been very crazy for weather so far. I wonder what Summer will be like here in Michigan this year. My area of Michigan didn’t have much late snow like some areas but we sure are seeing the abnormal cooler temperatures for Spring time. Now the rain is coming to usher April out and bring May in.
Is it Spring, Summer, Winter?!? This spring has been very crazy for weather so far. I wonder what Summer will be like here in Michigan this year. My area of Michigan didn’t have much late snow like some areas but we sure are seeing the abnormal cooler temperatures for Spring time. Now the rain is coming to usher April out and bring May in.
How many of you have planted anything in your gardens yet? Things that could have been planted by know would be seed potatoes, onion sets, cold crops (cabbages, etc) and I even think carrots but not sure so please check before you plant them! When planning your garden spots, keep in mind the new Ag Classes that you can enter at this year’s Annual State Grange Session. Each class is open to Junior members on up to Subordinate members. Please check the Program Booklet for more details. Be sure to check out the Family Activities section as they put in a neat class in their Department having to do with Antique Agriculture items. Speaking of seed potatoes, we are going try growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets this year! What a cool way of growing potatoes without having to worry about having enough land to do it in. We are going to be following a video that was found on the internet and they do a step by step process on how to do this type of growing. More to come later on how this goes once we get them planted.
How many of you have planted anything in your gardens yet? Things that could have been planted by know would be seed potatoes, onion sets, cold crops (cabbages, etc) and I even think carrots but not sure so please check before you plant them! When planning your garden spots, keep in mind the new Ag Classes that you can enter at this year’s Annual State Grange Session. Each class is open to Junior members on up to Subordinate members. Please check the Program Booklet for more details. Be sure to check out the Family Activities section as they put in a neat class in their Department having to do with Antique Agriculture items. Speaking of seed potatoes, we are going try growing potatoes in 5 gallon buckets this year! What a cool way of growing potatoes without having to worry about having enough land to do it in. We are going to be following a video that was found on the internet and they do a step by step process on how to do this type of growing. More to come later on how this goes once we get them planted.
We are running behind at getting things done around the little farm this spring due to the crazy April weather. I have yet to get the chicken coop cleaned but that is because when I have the time it is either not nice weather or I am too tired and need to just rest! The pigs for my nephews and niece will be coming to the farm on April 27th and there is still things to prepare before they can come to the farm. The market goats have been here since April 14th and are adjusting well. The Young family has added to the family this spring. We brought to the farm 8 baby chicks! This is a new venture for us as they are in a brooder box in the garage with a heat lamp. They are so cute and we can’t wait for them to get big enough to move them to the “chicken crate” to finish growing into young pullets that can be safely put in with the 13 adult laying hens.
Please be mindful that this is the time that the country roads and some State Highways will have slow moving farm vehicles on them. If it wasn’t for those farmers and their employees we wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to farmers’ markets or the grocery stores to get the needed foods to feed our families. Please give those big vehicles and tractors as much room as you can without causing problems for yourself or others.
With all this technology going into modern farms, the demand for skilled workers in the agriculture sector is rising. In 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that jobs in food and agriculture outnumber degrees granted in those fields nearly two to one. Of those job opportunities, 27 percent are in science, technology, engineering or math.
Remember whenever possible please buy Local or Locally Grown / Made products! You are helping small farm families most of the time.
Well that is it for now. Good luck with your garden planning and happy growing until later!
