Ed was transformed in the sun, at the end of the day, chopping corn for hours and transporting it to his huge silos. He said he is stung by criticism of farmers by animal rights groups. “We take good care of them,” he said. “It’s our livelihood. I’ve been to farms where farmers lose their cows. It isn’t pretty.”
Ed Rouse was in the field all day chopping corn for sileage until a tooth broke on the chopper. Thirty acres to go. He asked me if I wanted to go up into the cow pasture – where the cows spend the night, and sleep, looking out over the valley. It is impossible to get Ed to sit still for the camera. He is always moving. He was exhausted, but he got me onto the ATV and we went up to look over the morethan 300 acres his family has owned fo rmore than five generations. He was transformed up on the hill, smiling, talking, pointing out every tree and pasture.
He talked about how he would feel if he ever had to send his cows off and shut down his dairy operation. ‘”I bet I would shed a tear,” he said. I bet he would. I am surprised at how much I have come to like and respect Ed Rouse and the strength and determination with which he fights for his farm, and in honor of his parents and grandparents and all of their hard work and memory. It was hard to haul me and all my camera gear back down the ATV and so I walked and he motored back. “You shouldn’t leave your camera bag by the road,” he said. “Got to take care of your equipment.” Amen. I was very appreciative of the trek. Five inches of rain tomorrow, he said. The barn would be a mess.
Help me celebrate the American Family Farm. I’m told they are vanishing all across America, and I can see that that is happening around here. That would be a great and tragic loss. They work hard, love their families, care well for their animals and they are from one of the proudest traditions anywhere. They are struggling, and so I am photographing some family farms – especially the Big Valley Farm in Jackson, N.Y. These signed notecards are being sold exclusively by Christine Nemec of the Redux Galllery in Dorset, Vt. They are for sale now (802-867-4211) and will soon be up on her website. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit family farm aid groups. And…ahem..nice photos, too. They are $15.
We were feeding the donkeys apples from our one apple tree, but they looked wormy and sour, so I got some fresh apples at the market. They approve. It doesn’t take much to make a donkey happy. Much love in these creatures, and like most animals, they love who feeds them.
Got a message from Gail Saunders Dewey, who grew up on a farm in Washington County.
“I so enjoy reading your Bedlam Farm Journal postings every morning,” she wrote. “They are like a relaxing tour of my memory lane. Your eye for all that’s good and comfortable in life is magical.” That’s one of the loveliest reviews I ever got. Thanks, Gail.
