Jeff Cassman

Bringing Farms to the School System

Many parents and educators support bringing farms to local school systems. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to make farm-to-school programs a priority.

Just a few months ago, the Trump Administration announced a USDA award of $12.1 million in grants to back these programs. Evidently, America is finally beginning to take a hint from Italy, Spain, and other European countries that serve nutritious, locally grown produce.

Ultimately, these programs benefit students, communities, and farmers across the country. Exploring the impact of bringing farms to school systems provides a deeper understanding of just how vital these programs are.

The Importance of Farm-to-School

As agtech, like artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, becomes more commonplace, human connection is beginning to disappear. Farmers are cutting staff and relying on machines to sort, harvest and package produce. Gone are the days of hand-planting and picking each berry and ear of corn. Most farmers don’t even sell their own crops anymore, instead opting to ship them off to supermarkets.

Consequently, people are losing touch with their food’s origins. Many children are unaware that milk comes from cows and 41% don’t even know eggs come from chickens. This troubling disconnect often translates to childhood obesity, malnourishment, and a lack of appreciation for planet earth and its resources.

If children understand where their food comes from, they may be able to reverse these negative trends and consequences. More importantly, the school system would raise up a generation of healthy, earth-conscious individuals who support local farms and the community as a whole.

How to Make the Connection

As a farmer, reconnecting kids with the earth and those who harvest rests on your shoulders. Even as the federal government grants schools money to support this connection, many educators don’t know where to begin when creating farm-to-school programs.

Moreover, unless they know about you and your farm, they won’t reach out to partner with you. Therefore, it’s important to take the initiative and begin making connections with the community you serve.

Participate in Farmers Markets

If you export most or all of your produce or livestock, consider shifting to a more local approach.

Collaborate with other farmers in the area and open a farmers market or community-supported agriculture program to encourage the consumption of more locally sourced foods. Hold community food events and network with organizations that focus on feeding kids and educating them about nutrition and conservation.

You might also partner with local schools to sell produce during sporting events or set up a farmers market in the parking lot on weekends. Doing so will allow kids to sample new foods and participate in hands-on education. Plus, you’ll create an opportunity for the school to begin using your produce in cooking classes or serving it to students for lunch.

Connect With Parents

As you participate in farmer’s markets and partner with schools, you’ll inevitably make connections with parents. Once they notice healthier behaviors in their kids and changes to school…

12 Tips for Buying Remote Land & 15 Questions to Ask Before You Do

[] 12 Tips for Buying Remote Land & 15 Questions to Ask Before You Do – 1; } /* Disable tracking if the opt-out cookie exists. */ if ( __gtagTrackerIsOptedOut() ) { window[disableStr] = true; } /* Opt-out function */ function __gtagTrackerOptout() { document.cookie = disableStr + ‘=true; expires=Thu, 31 Dec 2099 23:59:59 UTC; path=/’; window[disableStr] = true; } if ( ‘undefined’ === typeof gaOptout ) { function gaOptout() { __gtagTrackerOptout(); } } window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if ( mi_track_user ) { function __gtagTracker() {dataLayer.push( arguments );} __gtagTracker( ‘js’, new Date() ); __gtagTracker( ‘set’, { ‘developer_id.dZGIzZG’ : true, }); __gtagTracker( ‘config’, ‘UA-141700564-1’, { forceSSL:true,link_attribution:true, } ); window.gtag = __gtagTracker; ( function () { /* https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/ */ /* ga and __gaTracker compatibility shim. */ var noopfn = function () { return null; }; var newtracker = function () { return new Tracker(); }; var Tracker = function () { return null; }; var p = Tracker.prototype; p.get = noopfn; p.set = noopfn; p.send = function (){ var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments); args.unshift( ‘send’ ); __gaTracker.apply(null, args); }; var __gaTracker = function () { var len = arguments.length; if ( len === 0 ) { return; } var f = arguments[len – 1]; if ( typeof f !== ‘object’ || f === null || typeof f.hitCallback !== ‘function’ ) { if ( ‘send’ === arguments[0] ) { var hitConverted, hitObject = false, action; if ( ‘event’ === arguments[1] ) { if ( ‘undefined’ !== typeof arguments[3] ) { hitObject = { ‘eventAction’: arguments[3], ‘eventCategory’: arguments[2], ‘eventLabel’: arguments[4], ‘value’: arguments[5] ? arguments[5] : 1, } } } if ( typeof arguments[2] === ‘object’ ) { hitObject = arguments[2]; } if ( typeof arguments[5] === ‘object’ ) { Object.assign( hitObject, arguments[5] ); } if ( ‘undefined’ !== typeof ( arguments[1].hitType ) ) { hitObject = arguments[1]; } if ( hitObject ) { action = ‘timing’ === arguments[1].hitType ? ‘timing_complete’ : hitObject.eventAction; hitConverted = mapArgs( hitObject ); __gtagTracker( ‘event’, action, hitConverted ); } } return; } function mapArgs( args ) { var gaKey, hit = {}; var gaMap = { ‘eventCategory’: ‘event_category’, ‘eventAction’: ‘event_action’, ‘eventLabel’: ‘event_label’, ‘eventValue’: ‘event_value’, ‘nonInteraction’: ‘non_interaction’, ‘timingCategory’: ‘event_category’, ‘timingVar’: ‘name’, ‘timingValue’: ‘value’, ‘timingLabel’: ‘event_label’, }; for ( gaKey in gaMap ) { if ( ‘undefined’ !== typeof args[gaKey] ) { hit[gaMap[gaKey]] = args[gaKey]; } } return hit; } try { f.hitCallback(); } catch ( ex ) { } }; __gaTracker.create = newtracker; __gaTracker.getByName = newtracker; __gaTracker.getAll = function () { return []; }; __gaTracker.remove = noopfn; __gaTracker.loaded = true; window[‘__gaTracker’] = __gaTracker; } )(); } else { console.log( “” ); ( function () { function __gtagTracker() { return null; } window[‘__gtagTracker’] = __gtagTracker; window[‘gtag’] = __gtagTracker;…

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Good Meal Ideas That Keep Well on a Houseboat

If you are thinking about renting a houseboat for your next vacation, then you know that you will have to take into account additional logistics. From packing extra gear to make your stay more fun and extra safe to learning how to operate the houseboat, it’s an experience that differs in many ways from a traditional land vacation.

Another thing that you will want to consider prior to your houseboat vacation is your meals. At Forever Houseboats, we know that meal planning is an important part of planning your next houseboat vacation.

Here are a few meal ideas you may want to try:

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic Italian dish that is known for its affordability and its ease. This is a simple dish that only requires three ingredients — spaghetti noodles, meatballs, and a spaghetti sauce. It doesn’t take much to make a heaping pile of spaghetti that everyone on the houseboat will enjoy.

Sausage, Potatoes and Beans Tin Foil Meal

In a sense, houseboating is like camping on the water. Tin foil meals have long been a favorite among avid campers, and this one is particularly popular. Simply wrap grilled sausage, chopped potatoes and green beans in tin foil, and cook the concoction on the grill.

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs

This quintessential summer meal makes for one of the easiest and tastiest houseboat meals. You can grill hamburgers and hot dogs right on the boat, and everyone can top them with their favorite fixings. Simple sides like potato salad and corn on the cob can be brought on board.

Tacos

Tacos is another simple meal that is easy to make for a group. Cook up a couple of pounds of ground beef, add seasoning and serve to the masses. People can choose their favorite toppings, and chips plus salsa make…

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Massachusetts AG Presses Pharmacies About Collection and Use of Vaccine Patient Data

COVID-19 medical record privacy

Massachusetts AG Presses Pharmacies About Collection and Use of Vaccine Patient Data

The Massachusetts Attorney General, following up on a letter from EPIC and a coalition of civil society groups, wrote to major pharmacies today seeking details about their collection and use of personal data from COVID-19 vaccine recipients. The federal government is coordinating with retail pharmacies to facilitate vaccine distribution. But as EPIC and coalition partners warned last month, some pharmacies “are requiring patients seeking access to the vaccine to register through their existing customer portals, which in turn exposes patients to broad personal data collection and marketing.” The Massachusetts AG letter calls on pharmacies to explain what personal data they collect from vaccine patients, what disclosures they make, whether the pharmacies will use the data for commercial purposes, and whether the data is being stored separately from general customer information. “[A]ccess to life-saving vaccines should not be conditioned on a consumer’s consent to provide personal data not necessary for the vaccination administration,” the AG’s letter explains. “Nor can consent to such data collection or marketing be presumed based on a consumer’s desire to obtain a vaccination.” The CDC recently issued a directive prohibiting health providers “from using any data gathered in the course of their participation in the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program, including any Protected Health Information or other Personally Identifiable Information, for commercial marketing purposes.” EPIC and coalition partners also asked officials in California, Illinois, New York, and the District of Columbia to investigate and prevent pharmacies from putting vaccine patient data to commercial use.

Everything to Know About .22 Rat Shot (Snake Shot)

Ever hear of .22 rat shot (also known as snake shot)? People will often ask me what this seemingly odd cartridge is good for. Let’s take a look, but first – the shells themselves:

Also, if you find this article informative, consider my book:
Rimfire Rifles: A Buyer’s and Shooter’s Guide.

Now, on to…

My Chipmunk Problem

It was a mid-March morning. Spring had nearly sprung. The day dawned clear and cold, but the sun was still strong enough to ease the chill. Stepping out onto my front porch, a few robins had reappeared and the taste of spring was indeed in the air. Life was good – that is, until I spied… “The Hole.”

The Hole – again. Time for lethal measures…

At first I thought, I was seeing things, but nope, it was for real. Fresh dirt was strewn around the small garden beside the house foundation, and a cavernous new excavation had materialized – again!

The latest gopher shenanigans had shades of the old Caddyshack film. In theory at least, my hole-digging nemesis had been terminated the previous fall. That hit had taken some planning, too. Turns out chipmunks become elusive once the “wanted” posters go up.

My wife and I exercised our share of tolerance, refilling the fresh hole that appeared like magic several times each day. Although normally more of an aggravation, the overriding concern was its location. Chip’s front door was hard up against the foundation of our house, directly above the flexible water line that runs from our well.

After a week of tolerance, the prospect of a noshed line and expensive excavation nixed what little compassion remained. It was time for Chip to contract Swiss cheese disease. The trick involved avoiding any collateral damage!

Operation Chip Shot

A rat trap or poison would’ve been hard on our loyal Labrador so I settled on a more discriminate solution: the same .22 Marlin Model 39-A lever-action that had served other permanent eviction notices. Why not a modern airgun? That’s a good pick, too, but chipmunks are furtive little rascals that seldom sit still for long.

Also, this one was apparently sneaky, having never been spied in the act. The numerous others on our property caused no harm, so a total chipmunk cleansing was ruled out. Instead, the plan involved a stakeout at the crime scene. The adjacent concrete foundation and a stone walkway did raise concerns over ricochets, so I went with a proven close-range enforcement solution – a shotgun – but for this purpose, the Marlin would stand in – with a particular type of shell.

I positioned a lawn chair on my porch a few yards from Chip’s doorway with a gas grill serving as my “blind.” The next morning, shortly after sunrise, I slipped into position with a .22 LR rat shot cartridge chambered in the Marlin.

B after an hour of shivering, there was no sign…

Investing in the Future of Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture has a bright future for investors as it could quickly become the top industry to feed the world. By 2050, it is estimated that this world will contain nearly 10 billion people — that’s over two billion more people than the population today and over two billion more mouths to feed.

Farming practices today, however, aren’t all up to sustainable standards. As environmentalists advocate for eco-friendly farming, farmers are trying to keep up with the demand to produce sustainably-sourced food. As more agricultural businesses and farms trend towards sustainable measures, investing in the future of sustainable agriculture could be a smart move.

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture aims to meet society’s present nutritional and textile needs that don’t compromise the future generations of their needs. Anything related to sustainability integrates the environment, the economy, and society. Anyone involved in the food system can help to reach that goal of sustainability in agriculture.

Implementing sustainability into agricultural practices can look like a lot of things. Farmers can decrease the amount of water they use and find ways to use renewable energy to power their farms. Consumers can look for and only purchase foods that were processed sustainably.

The future of sustainable agriculture should be able to feed the growing population. Practices are now increasing the rate of climate change, and climate change is hindering agriculture now, so it is an ongoing cycle. However, changes to create a sustainable agriculture industry overall will have promising results.

Develop Eco-Friendly Machinery

One step towards a sustainable future in agriculture includes machinery built to benefit the environment rather than deplete it. An investment opportunity could consist of putting funds toward sustainable machinery.

Equipment for farms nowadays can do more. One machine could cover many jobs that are necessary to keep a farm running. Sustainable machinery can help farms be more efficient and less expensive than what farmers are purchasing now.

Eco-friendly equipment can help increase productivity so more mouths can be fed with the increasing population. Additionally, less expensive machines will allow farmers to purchase more equipment to increase their production rates. The goal with farm equipment is to have farmers use efficient, less costly, and sustainable equipment.

Invest in Agroecological Farming

Agroecology addresses the root cause of hunger and aims to make the most use of what nature offers for a sustainable future. Part of agroecological farming reduces the need for harmful chemicals. Instead of using hazardous fertilizers and other pollutants, it uses the existing land’s shape and function to manage agricultural systems.

Cover crops and livestock are two ways of farming sustainably. They help restore the land and soil function without the use of chemicals. Chemicals may still be used, but they are used less frequently.

By investing in innovations and research for alternatives to harmful fertilizers or other chemicals, agrochemical companies can move forward in the future of sustainable agriculture.

Encourage Education

Ultimately, to invest in the future of sustainable agriculture, one must…

Trillions Of Brood X Cicadas Are Preparing To Emerge

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Lake-Billy-Chinook-Central-Oregon-Paradise

Lake Billy Chinook is the confluence of three of Oregon’s great rivers: the Metolius, Deschutes, and Crooked River. Only a 45 minute drive north of Bend, OR near the town of Culver. With 72 miles of cliffed shoreline, Lake Billy Chinook is the perfect backdrop for houseboating and any other water activities your heart desires.

Explore with your houseboat among the volcanic basalt cliffs that tower 500 feet above the water. The water is deep and crystal blue, perfect for kayaking, paddling, waterskiing, or jumping off the houseboat.

We rent houseboats from two marinas:

Billy Chinook Marina is on the northwestern end of the lake, and offers open shoreline. It adjoins the Warm Springs Indian Reservation where you can see rock formations like Balancing Rock.

Cove Palisades Marina is on the southern end of the lake, and offers a completely different view. Billy Chinook Falls is just two miles south of the marina. Or for some wildlife viewing, take your houseboat to the end of the Metolius arm for a peek at some wild horses running along the beach, or keep your eyes peeled to the treetops, you may spy an eagle’s nest.

Fishing is exceptional. Known for record Bull Trout (the three largest in Oregon were caught here). Other popular species are the Kokanee Salmon, Smallmouth Bass, German Browns, as well as Bull and Rainbow Trout. There is the occasional Atlantic Salmon or Catfish. Crawdads/Crayfish can be caught in the Crooked and Deschutes Rivers.

If you’re up for some hiking, don’t miss the Tam-a-lau Trail. It’s a moderate hike with a 600 feet elevation gain, a 6 mile loop hike from the…

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Canning meat plus how to use your canned meat

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson

Although we have a big freezer, I can up most of our meat. We raise beef cattle, turkeys, chickens, and we hunt, so we have a lot of meat. (Besides that, I am always on the lookout for sale prices on various meats from ham to whole boneless pork loin.) Why the heck do I bother canning it when I have a freezer, plus three upper freezer units in our propane refrigerators? Well, many years ago my fairly new chest freezer suddenly quit working for no apparent reason. It left me the huge job of canning up pounds and pounds of meat before it thawed completely and went bad plus (it seemed like!) tons of vegetables and fruit.

Things went well the first day. And night. But by the second day I was getting tired, racing to save our much-needed food. At that time I had eight kids at home and not a whole lot of income. By covering the chest freezer’s top with heavy quilts and only opening it to yank out a new box of half frozen food, I managed three days and nights of canning. But by the fourth day I was exhausted and the food was getting past prime. We carried out buckets of soggy vegetables and fruit to the pigs and chickens. But I had saved nearly all of the meat. It took me a week to recover and I swore that would never happen again. So I started canning my meat. Once it is well sealed and in the jars, that meat is good for decades. No more worries about freezer burned food, power outages, or defunct freezers for me!

Venison canned in chunks and ground

Another advantage is that canned meat is very tender, tasty, and handy. You don’t have to plan your meals around the freezer. If you decide on having a roast beef dinner, you just head to the pantry and pull out a quart or two of beef roast, some potatoes, onions, and carrots or other vegetables, dump them in a covered roasting pan and turn on the oven. In short order you have your dinner, fit for surprise company or your family who has been working hard all day. So easy!

And, best of all, canning meat is very simple. You just need your basic canning equipment and supplies: canning jars, lids, rings, a pressure canner, lid lifter, jar lifter, and canning funnel. Don’t forget, most important of all, your canning book! Even though I’ve been canning all my life, I look at the recipes and instructions every time I can anything.

Luckily, nearly all meat with the exception of fish and seafood is canned about the same way so, in order to save space here, I’ll just give you some general directions on canning meat so you’ll get the hang of it and see for yourself just how easy it really is.

No matter what anyone says, you must…

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EPIC, Coalition Urge Spotify to Abandon Speech-Recognition Technology

In a letter to Spotify, EPIC and a coalition of over 100 recording artists, 69 non-profit organizations, and 10 prominent individuals urged the streaming service to publicly commit not to explore a newly-patented voice-recognition feature. Spotify’s new patent would allow the company to identify individuals’ “emotional state, gender, age, or accent” to recommend music. The coalition letter identified major concerns with the potential technology including emotional manipulation, discrimination, massive privacy violations, and increased inequality within the music industry. Spotify recently stated that the company has not implemented the technology, and claims to have “no plans” to do so. EPIC leads a campaign to Ban Face Surveillance and through the Public Voice Coalition gathered support from over 100 organizations and experts from more than 30 countries.