Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

21 October

Maria Morning, Wednesday, the 21st Of October

by Jon Katz

Something new: Maria takes a photo here on the farm every morning as she goes out to check on the sheep, clean out the barn, tend to Kim, an old and sometimes sick sheep, and check on everyone. She and I take turns feeding Zip in the barn. She plans to do this almost every morning; she loves these chores.

The photo will be something that touched her or caught her eye.

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21 October

Flower Art, Wednesday 21, October. The Whirlwind Is Here. Pictures And Election Thoughts.

by Jon Katz

Zip paid no attention to politics; he is busy enough running our farm and keeping mice and rats away.

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A few thoughts about the election: I don’t want to delve much into the hysteria and hatred we know as electioneering. I think the country is waking up, and some good things will come of it.

I’ve been following candidates I find fascinating (as I feel about New York’s much-loved mayor), and panicked opponents, worried about their money, are savagely attacking them since they seem to have nothing relevant to offer.

I have no crystal ball, but just as I sensed Mayor Mandhami would win while being savagely and sadly attacked, mostly by my fellow Jews, I see that story repeating itself, thanks to the young, in other places.

The future is theirs, and if they don’t take it themselves, no one else will.

Mandhami signaled a coming revolution. He had an amazing energy, mostly from young people weary of greed and viciousness.

In politics, no one ever wins everything, but I can feel the change in the air.

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The same assaults are being made on Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and JamesTalarico in Texas, accused by Republican leaders (and the President of being traitors and terrorists or being gay (is that really a disqualifying crime?) and mentally ill.

There are a lot of amazing women shaking up the haters and the calcified old white men all over the country, especially the Midwest and Florida.

(Dr. Amy Acton of Ohio, running for governor) and Angie Nixon (Florida), running for the U.S. Senate, are both about to shake up the future, if not now, then soon.

Angie, an amazing person, was arrested for sitting in on the governor’s office, and Amy Acton was the target of perhaps the most vicious attack on a campaigning politician in American History this weekend.

I have no idea who will win the upcoming elections, but my intuition says Talalrico and El-Sayed will squeeze through or win safely. It seems fated to me.

Sadly, our President has led the cruelty himself, and people are noticing this time, because their food is getting too expensive, and the so-called war is a catastrophe now indefensible.

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I am even more certain that these elections are the first wave of a dramatic shift in the awful political crises tearing the country apart. People are awakening everywhere; new movements are being born. Help is on the way. If these people win, the great revolution II is underway.

I think it’s coming: the beginning of the great shift back to humanity, not just greed.

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21 October

Cambridge Pantry Support: Ramen Is Stacked, Betty Crocker Mixes, Baking Soda

by Jon Katz

Today, Sarah is seeking help in getting some Baking Mixes And Baking Soda back onto the shelves. These items relate to family closeness (they prepare them together) and quick and easy use. They also speak to dignity and morale. Their shelves have gone empty.

Ramen is stacked, thanks.

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Sarah’s requests for today, Wednesday, October 21, 2026:

Arm and Hammer Baking Soda, 12-pack, for Cooking, Baking, Cleaning, Laundry, and Deodorizing, $18.17.

Betty Crocker Cake Mix, 26 Cakes, $16.76.

Betty Crocker Ready-to-Make Fudge Brownie Baking Mix, ready in 3 easy steps, $8.66.

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Ramen is stacked, thanks.

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Update: Food Crisis in America: A Lexington, Kentucky group that serves free meals is raising $20,000. It’s a meal program, not a Pantry. This is happening all over the country, in communities with no food Pantry.

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You are bringing great Joy to people who need uplifting. Thank you.

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Unpacking the Food Depot truck.

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21 October

Update, Day 3, Go Fund Me: Getting Very Close: $6, 450.

by Jon Katz

Our GoFundMe update: As of 9 am today, we’ve raised $6,450 of the $7,000. We may be about to make a dream of mine come true. My blog has been the center of my universe for some time; I’ve learned to be honest, empathetic, and to love others more than I love myself. I learned who I am and how I could put a tangled life back together.

Maria has also built a blog, one that touches people and teaches them how to be creative and live the life they deserve and desire. She taught me how to live and love.

The blogs have become a love story, in fact: two troubled people finding themselves, coming together, exploring their creativity, and being supported every day by the other towards the life each one of us wants. I hope this blog’s idea lives on.

We are different, but come together in the same place. That will be the New Bedlam Farm, a testimonial to the wonderful people who follow us, and the great love we have for ourselves.

It’s not about one dominating the other; it’s about two people seeking their bliss and leaving pain behind.

One of the most beautiful things about this GoFundMe is that hundreds of people, most with $25 to spend, have rushed to support us, a vindication of our work and life together.

We are close to reaching the amount I insisted on before moving forward. All we need is $5,00. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The blog has taught me how to be a better man, and Maria’s blog is giving her the life she deserves and loves. She has taught me so much about love – of me, animals, people, cold and heat, nature and bugs, mushrooms and trees. She saved my life in many ways; I want to share our life now.

I took a great risk by going on that Hero Journey 20 years ago. Your support helped me know it was worth it, and Maria’s did too.

I always dreamed of Bedlamfarm.com lasting beyond my own life and falling into the hands of someone who understands it and is more gifted. I am thrilled about this opportunity and grateful to the people who made it possible, even though I don’t know most of them. But I can feel them. They have spoken to me. We don’t hate here; we work hard for empathy and, yes, love and good whenever possible. Please stick with us; a new chapter is coming. The GoFundMe is almost over. We are both committed to making this worth your while. All we can say is thank you.

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Here is what Maria and I wrote to explain the GoFundMe:

We are Jon Katz and Maria Wulf, two artists, writers, and bloggers seeking $7,000 to bring our blogs together. We write and share our lives on Bedlam Farm, a farm in upstate New York where we live and work.

My blog tells the story of a life; it was inspired by E.B. White, a famous New Yorker writer, and his life in rural Maine.

I write about rural life in Cambridge, New York, and more. As a journalist, I worked in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, then as a producer for CBS News’s Morning News. I’ve written 25 books, 5 of them NY Times bestsellers. I love blogging.

Maria began her successful blog before we married 20 years ago. I have thousands of readers every day. So does she.

Maria is a fiber artist who has a studio behind the house on our farm. She has sold thousands of quilts, potholders, pillows, and lately, meditation mats.

Our blogs have grown in parallel; it’s time to bring them together. That is exciting but complex and expensive.

We have many readers between us, and we are seeking help merging our two blogs.

Thanks for reading this, and if possible, helping. We have raised a score of wish lists and GoFundMe campaigns for others, and we are excited to ask for help ourselves.

We believe this will also benefit our readers, who can read our work in one place. They have urged us to do this.

We both write about our farm, our lives, and many other things. I am a photographer as well as a writer; Maria has her own interests: nature, our sheep and other animals, and, most importantly, her art, which people all over the country and some of the world have purchased.

We are happy to have a new famous Barn Cat named Zip, seven sheep, three dogs, two donkeys, and two hens. We write about them all the time.

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20 October

Flower Art, Tuesday, October 20, 2026. When The Sun Shines, The Flowers Do.

by Jon Katz

Update: The GoFundMe campaign is funding Maria and me as we merge our blogs into one, and it keeps growing. The name will be the New Bedlam Farm. As of 3 pm today, $5,900 has been raised since it was officially launched on Friday morning. We are both determined to share the site but keep our riding individual. We need $7000 to cover the full payment for the new blog, and we’re optimistic we’ll reach it. Thanks so much for your support.

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