Categories
Animals

Confetti

Morgan mare and foal on pasture by a white fence; black-and-white photo from 1965
Photo by Sue Weaver
Confetti stands with her daughter Candy of Canterbury, in this photo from 1965.

This week, our mom is transferring material from her dinosaur Macintosh computer to her PC. While doing so, she found this article that appeared in the June 1980 issue of Horse Illustrated. It made her smile, so we asked if we could share it with you.

Confetti and Positive Thinking
Not everyone can say a horse changed the course of her life. I can.

Everything was going wrong. My marriage was failing. I was working long hours of overtime at a factory job I hated. I had no one to talk to. I had no faith in myself or my abilities. Life simply wasn’t worth living.

It was early August in 1972, and the 4-H fair was in full swing. There was an open horse show scheduled for that evening, and in better times, I’d have been eager to show my registered Morgan mare, Confetti.  But I’d been so down that summer that I’d had her bred and turned her out to pasture.

Confetti was my sole consolation in those dark days. I bought her two summers before as an overweight, aged broodmare, barely broke to ride. I schooled her and even showed her in western pleasure one time. But now she was just my friend. I spent many quiet hours with her, telling her my troubles. She listened. She understood. She was the only one who seemed to care.

I’d just finished reading Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking. Its message is that nothing is impossible, and there’s always hope if you can believe and have faith. I liked that idea, but it’s hard to have faith and believe when your world is falling apart.

A friend pulled into our driveway that evening. He wanted to know why I didn’t have Confetti over at the show. I explained that she hadn’t been ridden all summer, was 5 months pregnant, grossly overweight,  wasn’t cleaned up, and what was the use anyway?

Bill and I grew up together, and he knew me pretty well. He thought the show would do me good and wouldn’t accept my lame excuses. He helped bathe and clip Confetti, loaded my tack into the trailer, and before I knew it, I was at the fairgrounds.

Confetti was awestruck. She’d only been shown once before, at a sane, sensible afternoon affair. Now it was night with bright floodlights around her. An enormous Ferris wheel loomed right at ringside. Nearby, a merry-go-round carried laughing, shouting children. Carnival sounds filled the air.

Out beyond the parked trailers I found a relatively quiet spot to ride and reflect upon a thought that came to me. Maybe, just maybe I could do the impossible if I could believe. I breathed a little prayer, “Just let this horse go into the ring and work as well as she can. She’ll do her best if you let her know how important it is to me. If she does, under these circumstances, I’ll know it’s a sign from you that you’ll help me overcome my troubles.” I didn’t ask to win. That wouldn’t be right. But if Confetti showed her best, it would be enough. It would give me hope.

We entered just one class: open western pleasure. When we rode into the ring there were 33 entries … and us. The judge was a noted AQHA judge and we were the only non-Quarter Horse type entry!

What a tough class it was! The judge clearly liked a working horse! We performed on the rail, lined up, then the judge called his finalists to the rail. My heart skipped a beat when he pointed at Confetti and me! We finalists hand galloped, we reversed at a lope, we dropped our stirrups, we did sliding stops, and through it all, Confetti worked her heart out. It was like riding in a dream: the blare of the PA system, the blurred faces of spectators ringside and my little mare doing everything with total perfection, her short  legs pumping, long mane and tail flying, roaring along at a hand gallop and sliding into a beautiful square stop. What a ride! I patted her enthusiastically as we rode back into the lineup.

I will never forget the feeling that swept over me when the announcer called our number for first place! At that moment a horse showed me that if I had faith, if I had hope, if I could believe, things could be different.

Confetti is gone now and I miss her. She was the special horse in my life. Her trophy, unlike all of the others that are packed away in dusty boxes in the attic, sits proudly on my bookcase. It reminds me of a fat little chestnut mare who taught me the meaning of faith.

Because of the hope Confetti gave me that night, I had the courage to pick up the pieces of my life. Today, I’m happily married and my life is good. From a mare named Confetti, I learned that a horse can be more than “just a horse.” A horse can make life worth living again.

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Categories
Urban Farming

Milagro and the Purse

purse eaten by a horse

Photo by Audrey Pavia

Milagro, nudging the most delicious purse he’s ever tasted.

Milagro’s back has been bothering him, evidenced by the way he flinches when I run my hand over the muscle just in front of his hip. So, I scheduled a visit for him with an equine chiropractor.

The chiropractor could only come during the week when I was at work, so my roommate, Michelle, graciously offered to take Milagro to the boarding stable down the street where the chiropractor would also be treating some other horses.

Later that day, when I got home from work, Michelle gave me a full report on what the chiropractor had to say. She then told me she needed to show me something.

Michelle went into her room and came out holding a gray leather purse that was torn to shreds.

“Guess which one of your animals did this?” she said, grinning.

Horrified that one of my creatures was responsible for this destruction, I said the name of the most obvious culprit, Cheddar. Ever since Michelle moved in, my orange tabby, Cheddar, has been hell-bent on breaking into her room. He managed to do so twice already, starting a fight with Michelle’s cat, Elvis, both times.

“Nope,” Michelle answered with a smile. “Bigger.”

The only other animal bigger than Cheddar in the house was Nigel. The perfect dog, Nigel has never torn up anything in his life, but there’s always a first time. I reluctantly said his name in response.

“Not Nigel,” Michelle said. “Bigger.”

I must have looked at her with such confusion that she decided the guessing game was futile.

“Milagro,” she finally said. “Milagro did this.”

She then proceeded to tell me the story of earlier that day when she had walked Milagro down to the boarding stable for his back adjustment. While he was waiting his turn to be seen, she tied him to a hitching post under a giant pepper tree. She then hung her purse from a bridle hook that had been nailed to the tree.

Michelle walked away to go tend to her horse and was gone for several minutes.

When she returned to check on Milagro, she found him very busy. He had apparently contorted himself in a way that he was able to reach Michelle’s purse. He had it on the ground in front of him and was holding it down with one hoof while he ripped the pockets off with his teeth.

Michelle managed to wrestle the purse away from him but there wasn’t enough intact purse to salvage.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry over this. Milagro was notorious for being destructive, but this one seemed over the top, even for Milagro.

I could tell Michelle didn’t really care about the purse, but I felt awful. I asked if it was a good purse.

“Nah,” she said. “I’ve got a million purses.”

Relieved that my annoying horse hadn’t taken apart a Gucci bag or something, I slunk into my room like the mother of the bad kid in class. My wayward “son” had embarrassed me yet again.

Categories
Recipes

Vegetable Stuffing

Ingredients

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 T. minced fresh sage leaves
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram or thyme
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 7 cups fresh, soft bread cubes
  • 1½ cups peeled, grated carrot (use the large holes on your grater)
  • 1 cup grated zucchini
  • 1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, heat oil, melt butter, and sauté celery, onions and shallots until tender. Stir in parsley and sage leaves, marjoram or thyme, salt and pepper; sauté additional 1 minute.

In large bowl, combine bread cubes, carrot, zucchini and mushroom; toss lightly to combine. Stir in onion mixture. Pour vegetable broth and wine onto mixture, and stir until moistened. Place in buttered 2-quart casserole and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender and top is browned.

Serves 10 to 12.

Categories
Recipes

Chile-pecan Stuffing

Chile-pecan stuffing with parsley garnish on white plate
Photo by Stephanie Staton

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
  • 1 T. minced fresh garlic
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
  • 6 cups dried bread cubes
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In heavy-bottomed skillet, melt butter and sauté onions, peppers and garlic over medium heat until vegetables just begin to get tender. Add cilantro, chili powder, salt and oregano. Stir to combine, and sauté additional 2 minutes.

In large bowl, combine bread cubes and pecans. Add onion mixture and stir lightly to combine. Pour over chicken broth, and stir to moisten. Place in buttered 2-quart casserole, cover with lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid or foil and bake additional 20 minutes or until top is browned.

Serves 8 to 10.

Categories
Recipes

Wild Rice Stuffing with Apricots and Almonds

Wild Rice Stuffing with mushroom garnish on yellow plate
Photo by Stephanie Staton

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup wild rice
  • 1/2 cup brown rice
  • 2½ cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 cups sliced fresh white button mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup snipped dried apricots
  • 6 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rinse wild rice in strainer under cold water for about 1 minute. In large saucepan, combine wild rice, brown rice, broth and nutmeg. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add water, mushrooms, celery, apricots and green onions. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for additional 10 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are just tender, stirring frequently. Stir in toasted almonds. Transfer to a buttered 2-quart casserole, cover with lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid or foil, and bake additional 20 minutes or until top is slightly browned but stuffing is still moist.

Serves 12.

Categories
Recipes

Cornbread Stuffing with Bacon, Apples and Onions

Ingredients

  • 4 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread
  • 3 cups dried bread cubes
  • 1 cup peeled, grated apple (use the large holes on your grater)
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In heavy-bottomed skillet, cook bacon, celery, onion and garlic over medium heat until bacon is crisp and vegetables are tender. Do not drain.

In large bowl, combine eggs, parsley, poultry seasoning and pepper. Add cornbread, bread cubes and grated apple; toss lightly until mixed. Add bacon mixture and broth, stirring lightly to moisten. Place in buttered 2-quart casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture is firm and top is browned.

Serves 8 to 10.

Categories
Farm Management

How to Grow Cool-season Pastures

Black and white cows on pasture
Courtesy Hemera/Thinkstock
Winter pastures have many benefits, including reducing hay in livestock diets and saving money.

A cool-season pasture can dramatically reduce your need for stored feed and extend your grazing season through the winter months. The key to having winter grazing is stockpiling or saving forage for winter, picking hearty cool-season forage to plant, and practicing rotational grazing. With adequate rainfall, you’ll be set for success this winter.

David Wright has 65 cows in his dairy operation in Alexandria, Ala., and his cattle graze throughout the winter, eliminating his need for stored hay.

“I can have high-quality winter forage through my ryegrass from November until May,” Wright says. “The only time I’ve had to feed hay is during drought years.”

In the 1990s, dairy farming across the U.S. changed, with large commercial dairies replacing small family-owned-and-operated dairies. Wright realized that competing with commercial operations was possible by downsizing his herd and feeding only grass to his cows.

“Our cows were healthier and happier, the milk was higher quality, the tractors were in the fields less, and my wife, Leianne, and I had more time to spend with our children,” he says.

Wright’s operation centers on dairy cows, but the principles he’s learned can be applied to winter grazing for any type of livestock. His search for the best forage-management practices has led him overseas to places like New Zealand, Africa and Ireland.

“When you look closely and walk through the fields in other countries where rotational grazing is truly effective and stored-feed expenses are high, you see the importance of making grazing available through the winter,” Wright says.

He adds that by establishing winter pastures, rotating grazing and stockpiling forage, winter hay can be virtually eliminated from livestock diets, as long as fertilizer and rainfall amounts are adequate.

Stock Up on Forage
Stockpiling fescue can extend the grazing season up to 60 days, according to Gary Bates, PhD, forage specialist with the University of Tennessee.

Tall fescue
Courtesy John Randall/The Nature Conservancy
Stockpile fescue to extend the grazing season.

“Fescue stockpiling is simple,” Bates says. “About the first of September, either graze or clip the pastures to remove all the mature forage. Then apply 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre after the fall rains begin. Then allow the fescue to grow as long as possible without grazing, even up to a killing frost.”

Bates recommends rotationally grazing fescue when possible so that less of the forage is trampled and wasted by the cattle.

“Tall fescue that is stockpiled for winter forage can be grazed down to 2 inches since the plant is dormant and not trying to grow,” Bates says. “It will lose some quality over the winter, but research has shown that the protein content will remain at 10 percent, even into February.”

The only time stockpiling fescue doesn’t work is during periods of limited rainfall.

“Stockpiled fescue makes substantial growth during autumn, and the waxy layer on its leaves makes it resistant to frost damage and weathering,” says Auburn University professor emeritus and retired extension agronomist Don Ball. “In addition, tall-fescue forage accumulates a high concentration of soluble carbohydrates in the fall and maintains its quality through the winter.”

Ball says that producers should closely examine the relationship between stockpiled fescue and other cool-season forages versus hay-production costs.

“Many cattle producers in the South, for instance, are feeding hay for 120 days or more,” he says. “However, some producers have developed approaches, such as stockpiling and planting additional cool-season forages, that allow them to feed little or no hay in some years.”

Some fescue carry endophyte fungus, which can affect the health of your livestock. Look for endophyte-free fescue to avoid fescue toxicosis in cattle as well as birth defects and premature labor in pregnant mares.

Seed Your Pastures
Once warm-season forage goes dormant, seeding cool-season, annual forage in the pastures can extend the grazing season.

“Ryegrass is normally broadcast or drilled into dormant sods of warm-season species,” Ball says. “Small grains and ryegrass, often with an annual clover, are planted on a prepared seedbed.”

Cool-season clovers provide winter forage and reduce your fertilizer bill. Red clover—nicknamed cow clover—is a hearty variety that germinates well and is adapted for growth in the eastern half of the U.S. White clover varieties also provide hearty growth and produce nitrogen in the nodules of the root system, delivering nutrients back to the soil.

Clover can be planted on a prepared seedbed, drilled or even frost-seeded. Frost-seeding, the least labor-intensive method, requires no equipment other than a hand sower. Simply sow the clover on top of the grazed forage or seedbed, and the frosting and heaving of the soil in cold weather will create the seed-to-soil contact necessary for germination. Some producers frost-seed and allow the livestock to trample the seed into the ground via hoof traffic.

Cool-season grasses, such as ryegrass, wheat and oats, germinate well and provide plenty of winter grazing. Before purchasing seeds, check with your local extension office or university agronomist to find out which cool-season grasses and clovers grow best in your area. Also, check with fellow hobby farmers in your area to see what species have performed well for them in seasons past.

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Categories
News

Washington Gets Support for “Fruitful” Industry

Apple-tree orchard
Photo by Rachael Brugger
An investment by apple and pear growers will boost tree-fruit research and extension activites at Washington State University.

Apple and pear growers throughout Washington have agreed to make a historic investment of $27 million over the next eight years to support tree-fruit research and extension activities at Washington State University.

This investment comes at a time when Washington’s $35 billion food and agriculture industry continues to increase its contribution to the state’s economy. Annually, the Washington tree-fruit industry accounts for more than $6 billion in economic impact, with more than a third of that derived from exports.

“Washington growers support research and extension because they know it’s important to invest in the future of the industry,” says Dan Newhouse, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “We grow the best-quality tree fruit in the world, but we need to be ready to respond to a changing marketplace, unknown pests and diseases, and other uncertainties we can’t anticipate. This agricultural research at WSU will be a valuable tool as we seek to manage future risks.”

Specifically, the funds will be spent as follows:

  • $11 million to create six endowed chairs to provide perpetual support for the tree-fruit research program
  • $11 million to create an endowment to establish new WSU extension positions in tree-fruit production regions to accelerate the transfer of new information and technologies for Washington growers and shippers
  • $5 million to create an endowment to support dedicated research orchards in Prosser and Wenatchee and enhance development and evaluation of cutting-edge technologies and practices

Jim Doornink, chair of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, says approval of the investment speaks to a rich legacy of partnership between tree-fruit growers and WSU, though he acknowledges there’s still much more work to be done.

“The Washington tree-fruit industry is a global competitor today in part due to the partnership and close collaboration among growers and scientists at WSU,” says Doornink, who raises cherries, apricots, peaches, pears and apples in the Yakima Valley. “The results of that relationship show up every day in the orchard, the packing house and the market.”

Research and innovation have always been at the heart of the industry’s success, says Bruce Allen, a Washington tree-fruit grower and shipper as well as a member of the volunteer leadership team that helped spearhead the tree-fruit campaign.

“The Washington tree-fruit industry’s investment in WSU has always paid big dividends,” Allen says. “We, as growers, benefit economically from the partnership; this investment guarantees that will continue.”

Dan Bernardo, dean of the WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, agrees. Over the past decade, WSU has made significant and strategic investments in all areas of tree fruit research and extension, he says. Leading up to the investment decision, WSU worked closely with tree-fruit-industry representatives to ensure their dollars are spent where they’ll have the most impact.

Bernardo also noted that he’ll work directly with an advisory committee appointed by tree-fruit industry organizations to ensure industry-endowed programs perform at the highest level and produce results for the growers and shippers of Washington.

Allied industry members have made additional gifts of more than $500,000 in support of tree-fruit research at WSU, and efforts will continue to secure an additional $10 million in gifts from other businesses associated with the tree-fruit industry over the next year.

 

Categories
Recipes

Whole-wheat Bread

Wheat bread in basket with three ears of wheat
Courtesy iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Who says you can’t make bread with 100-percent whole-grain flour? With the right yeast and a dose of vital wheat gluten, whole-grain yeast breads turn out perfectly, even without added bread flour or all-purpose white flour.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups 100 percent whole-wheat flour
  • 1⁄2 cup wheat germ
  • 2 Tbsp. raw sugar or honey
  • 2 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten
  • 1 package (2¼ tsp.) active-dry yeast
  • 2 cups hot water (from the tap, not boiling)
  • 1½ tsp. salt

Preparation
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, wheat germ, sugar (if using) and vital wheat gluten.

In a separate bowl, add the yeast to the hot water, and stir. If using the honey, add it, and stir until dissolved. Add the hot water to the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine until the dough is too stiff to stir easily.

Knead the dough with the dough hook on your stand mixer for five minutes, or turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough remains sticky, add a little more flour as you knead.

Spray the dough with cooking spray, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until double — about one hour.

Punch down the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the salt, and knead for two or three minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise again for about
30 to 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough again, and shape it into a rectangle. Roll it up, and shape it into a loaf by pinching the ends and folding them under. Spray a standard loaf pan (about 9×5 inches) with cooking spray, and place the dough into the pan, seam-side down.

Let the dough rest for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Also preheat a cast-iron pan or other oven-proof pan on the bottom rack of the oven. When the oven is fully preheated, pour 1 cup water into the pan on the bottom rack. Quickly place the loaf on the top rack, and close the oven door.

Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Cool the loaf completely. Slice, and serve. Yields one loaf.

Categories
Urban Farming

Jerusalem Artichokes

two men who cut wild sunflowers

Photo by Rick Gush

These two scofflaws went down to the creek and picked these wild flowers.

Our Jerusalem Artichokes, Helianthus tuberosus, which are in bloom in the creek that runs in front of our house, have produced an impressive amount of flowers. Hardly anybody climbs down into the creek during the year, but when the girasole, or sunflowers, are blooming, several different adventurers head down to the creek to cut armfuls of the yellow flowers. Today’s photo is of a couple of the friendly neighborhood ne’er-do-wells with their swag from the creek.

We’ve tried growning some of the tubers harvested from the creek in our garden, but growing them in dirt didn’t make them bigger. Using some big, fat artichokes we had bought at the market, we now have a commercial variety planted. I cut the tubers up just as one would cut up a potato to make a bunch of planting eyes and planted those on the edge of one of the upper terraces.

The clump has been growing there for two years now, and I’m going to harvest it a month from now, after it stops blooming. While the wild plants in the creek are up to 10-feet-tall, the cultivated variety in the garden is only about half that size. I’m not worried because I’ve already tested them by digging up one tuber, which seemed to be plump. Hopefully, we’ll harvest enough tubers for a few meals and then replant the remainders. I think the plants will grow more enthusiastically if I move some of next year’s artichokes to a better-watered bed.

Here in Italy, the roots of Jerusalem artichokes, topinambur, are commonly sold in limited quantities at the fresh vegetable markets. In our home, we eat them a number of times each season, usually steamed then served in a broth. I’m quite fond of the flavor and the somewhat-crunchy texture. This vegetable would be great with a steak or pot roast, which we don’t make in our home, but we do sometimes mix the topinambur with other steamed vegetables, which works quite well.

Jerusalem Artichokes are native to the eastern half of the United States, and both wild and cultivated varieties are harvested somewhat frequently. However, consumer use is low, and there isn’t a large market demand for the crop. There was an amusing “boom” in Jerusalem artichoke planting in the 1980s, but the optimism actually turned out to be a fraud that fooled some Midwestern farmers into planting large areas to this crop. Nonetheless, this sunflower cousin consistently appears on many “perhaps we should be growing more of this” lists, including mine.

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