Day: September 8, 2016

Every since the economists and politicians decided the family farm was no longer an efficient element in the new economy, the family farm has been vanishing, beset by low milk and produce produces, suffocating government regulation, rapacious corporate farms with hundreds, even thousands of dairy cows.

Every family farm is a struggle, every one on edge. I love to visit Bejosh Farm, it is a real place, built and run with love and grueling work and commitment. There, I find true values of friendship and honesty and the pride of good and hard work, done every day.

I’m sorry that farmers are too busy to organize or post much on Facebook, perhaps they could have made their lives easier. As it is, I cherish every one that I can see and photograph and write about. Hang in there.

If any of you know farmers, you know how hard they work, every day, and in all  seasons. Ed Gulley spent the summer milking and haying, and there is no rest for the weary.

Today, he was building a sileage container to contain the corn he is about to out and cut down for the cows to eat all winter. It will take him nearly a month to do his corn and also help his family and friends with theirs. Ed spends a lot of time in and on tractors.

On the other hand, there are small victories. A groundhog was eating the Gulley’s vegetables (they sell them at their stand) and Ed took his tractor over to the vegetable garden and dug down until he uncovered the groundhog’s den. The groundhog made a run for it, but was intercepted by one of Ed’s dogs and eaten.

Bejosh Farm is the real thing, real life and real animals.

Carol Gulley is a person of great devotion – to her husband Ed, to her animals on Bejosh Farm, to her children and grand-children, whose photographs she so proudly displays to almost anyone who will look at them. Her life is rich, full of life and love and meaning. She is important to us. She also helps published a wonderful blog with Ed, the Bejosh Farm Journal. I love her smile and her way of laughing at the absurdity in the world.

She is on of the portraits in my portrait show.

We went to Bejosh Farm to visit Ed and Carol Gulley and bring them invitations to my portrait show at the Round House Cafe. There are always wonderful photographs to take there, and I was drawn to Itsy-Bitsy, who is anything but, watching me through ta gate.

My daughter is a self-sufficient and independent person, I can count on the fingers of one hand the times she has asked me for help. Last night, on the phone, it seemed quite clear to me that she could use a hand, she would love a visit from me. Being needed is a gift to any father in a way, it is what we are about.

I don’t recall hearing the fatigue in Emma’s voice before, I think I can help.

I called Emma this morning and asked her if I was hearing need in her voice, or was I misreading it. She said I was reading it correctly, things were going fine, but she was exhausted and at times overwhelmed and would love for me to visit. I don’t know what my  relationship with the bright-eyed Robin will be, but she has already brought Em and I closer together.

But here is where reality occurs.

This is an insanely busy time for me, and there is no room at Emma’s space, they are crowded with baby gear. I checked several hotels – they were $300 a night and up, even in Brooklyn. Too much. I checked airnb, but there was nothing close enough or right for me. Visiting New York City is not simple.

Em said no sweat, I can come in a few weeks, but that doesn’t sit well with me. She needs help now, so I will be scrambling to figure out how to get down there for a day or so next week, even if it turns out to only be one long day. I think every little bit will count.

I’m in a book negotiation, the Open House is looming, the portrait show is going up. Life is rich and full. But when you are needed, you have to find a way to go.