Here are seven signs your farm manager is micromanaging:

1. They must know everything.
2. They don’t delegate.
3. They ask for frequent updates.
4. They discourage independent decision-making.
5. They dictate how tasks should be done.
6. They redo other employees’ work.
7. They don’t show trust in their teams.

Why do some Farm Dads dictate how tasks should be done? Why don’t they trust you?

These are good questions to ask your manager. There is a lot going on in the story your dad or mom is telling themselves about how the farm will be successful in the future. They are afraid, and they feel they cannot let you know their fears.

[MORE with Elaine Froese] How to reinvent your farm life as you age

What is it they’re afraid of?

1. They feel they are going to fail and lose everything they’ve worked for in the past four decades. This is fear of failure.
2. They are losing sight of who they are, their identity. If they are no longer the “person in charge,” who are they? When they are no longer the ultimate decision maker, who are they?
3. Equity and security of finances and income stream are important as they age. They are reluctant to sell you land as they need that security of income stream for the next three decades. They don’t want to lose wealth. How about buying out some equipment first?
4. Farmers with unhelpful beliefs are behaving the way they think things should be. You may have a different idea of how to do things and think, “different is not wrong, it is just different.” Culture is the glue holding your farm together — it’s how you behave, how you decide things and what you believe to be true. If Dad believes there is only his way of doing things, you are working with a very stubborn operator. If Mom believes she has no financial security, she needs a financial planner and accountant to help her navigate a new farm structure or agreements so you can start leveraging some of your own equity.

If you are arguing often and stomping away in frustration, it’s time for a new dance. This is not the conflict avoidance dance — this is getting folks to the table to create solutions.

Do you as the successor have a clear business plan and vision for how you want to gain more management skills and make more decisions independently of your founding parents?

Do you understand the need for more financial transparency? If you are not party to the cash flow or debt servicing picture, you are simply an employee, not a future business partner.

Can you give feedback in a respectful way to the founders when you feel you are being micromanaged?

Do you have a learning plan to gain more skill in farm management and human resources so you can start taking the lead with decision-making for your operation?

When folks need to know everything, is this a sign you are not communicating often enough to let them know what your plan is for operations or the strategy for transition? When people get cranky, it is wise not to make assumptions. It is smart to ask deeper questions like, “What is going on for you right now? Why are you needing so much information?”

A farm partner who is feeling overwhelmed may be having a hard time considering hiring a cleaning lady or outsourcing the grass-cutting duties. Letting go and learning to delegate tasks is an ongoing challenge for people who live by the code, “I should be able to do it all.”

Folks are more willing to let go of things when they have something wonderful to move toward. As farmers step back without stepping away, they want to know all tasks are well taken care of. If you have regular business meetings, you can implement a great accountability system of reporting, which keeps everyone on track.

If you want to build trust, you need to show care for the values of others, show up with competence and do your job well, and be committed by being reliable and trustworthy with integrity.

I suspect gaining more skills in conflict resolution will help you be braver and more effective in creating solutions with a tough manager.

Can you think about what your father is going through at his age and stage on the farm? Ask with the phrase, “I’m just curious, Dad, why is it so hard for you to share decision-making in this business? What are you afraid of?”

Share your feelings of frustration. Express your emotions and disappointment as you continue to wait for more opportunity to build your own equity and manage the farm operations.

Reach out to other peers for their support and suggestions of how they have found ways to encourage founders to let go.

Think reflectively about your timelines and business vision. What enterprise do you want to have total control over? By when?

Respect what each generation brings to the management team. Experience is a good teacher. New ways of doing things are not wrong. Have a ton of grace and forgiveness for mistakes when they happen and choose to find new solutions as a team. As farmers age they need to be respected for their wisdom and insights. Young farmers need to be heard.

Yes, you are a farmer. You are also a human being. Be kind and respectful to all. What you do for a living does not totally define who you are. What new things would you like to move toward?

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Celebrating matters more as we age — I think it’s the law of diminishing returns that shows us so clearly as our years diminish, we are moved to make the most of every celebration-worthy event, which naturally includes the season’s firsts. To that end, in our cellar, Dave and I have a bottomless supply of bubbles to mark firsts and other momentous occasions.

Last night’s supper is a case in point. On the surface, it was the essence of simplicity — my plate held a marble-loving alley’s worth of little balls, new potatoes drenched in butter, basil, chives and dill. Period. The first new potatoes, the first basil. The potatoes came by way of a trade with the gardener across from my mom’s home in small-town Saskatchewan: a bag of just picked saskatoon berries from Mom’s loaded tree for a bag of new potatoes just dug from her neighbour’s garden. That was some kind of yum — new potatoes have thin parchment skin, high moisture, creamy texture, sweetness and low starch content. All they need is not very much, as in last night’s supper — cooked whole, then rolled in minced herbs, melted butter and a sprinkle of salt.

Then there’s the joy of greeting the season’s first apricots, first cherries, first peaches — by this time of the year we are so over asparagus and rhubarb! Move over spring, summer cooking has begun!

Come to think of it, those cycles of recurring firsts are true of parents too, especially parents who have recently become grandparents, or parents whose adult children have acquired their first home. Or any other milestone. My longtime friend Phyllis is a new grandmama, and her tales shared during a recent phone chat of helping her daughter with her twin babies triggered Phyllis’s — and my own — memories of being young mothers learning how to take care of our babies. What a scary project that is!

Likewise, when my sons and their partners bought their first houses, all of those firsts came flooding back. Learning how to edge a ceiling when painting. How to use a roller to avoid streaks when painting a wall. How to get heavy couches through doorways with staircases. How to get rid of unwanted shrubberies to make way for plants of your own choosing. How to dig a garden. How to — well, you can fill in the blanks yourself with all of your new and renewed firsts.

All that said, here’s a sweet and simple recipe for the first apricots’ metamorphosis into jam. Just imagine all of the memories that will emerge while eating it this winter in a chocolate cake or on toasted sourdough. So, first we eat, then we jam. Cue music.

Apricot vanilla bean jam

Vanilla’s floral notes are a warm counterpoint to the sweet-tart nature of apricots. Alternatively, add lemon zest — or, if you like the lemony-floral nature of coriander, finely grind some seeds and add them instead of the vanilla seeds and pods.

This jam is the bomb on vanilla ice cream and any toasted bread. In the baking kitchen, a thin layer of it up-levels a chocolate cake, nut torte or custard pie. Plus, this recipe is the ideal venue to utilize those forgotten hardened vanilla beans languishing in your cupboard. This jam darkens as it ages, so eat it within six months for the best colour. Makes six half-pint jars. 

• 3 lb. apricots, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 packet powdered pectin
• 4 cups white sugar or sugar alternative 1 vanilla pod 

Prepare the canner, then wash and sterilize jars and lids. Keep the jars hot in the canner’s boiling water. 

Combine the apricots, lemon juice and pectin in a heavy-bottomed pot. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit. Stir in the sugar. 

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Use the tip of a small knife to scrape the seeds inside the pod into the pot, then add the two halves of the pod as well. 

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Boil hard for two minutes, then skim off any foam. Pick out and discard the seed pods. Ladle into jars, add lids, seal and return to the canner. Cover, then process at a rolling boil for 15 minutes. Remove to a counter out of the breeze, cool and label.

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Trouble sleeping is all too common, and can occur for various reasons. Some of the more common reasons are pain, symptoms of stress, anxiety, demanding schedules, or chronic health complaints. The fascinating thing is that even though sleep can be disturbed by any of those things, it can also perpetuate any of those things. One of the first priorities of things like pain relief and stress management is finding a way to improve sleep quality, as it’s in quality sleep that our bodies are able to heal, recover and reset. 

When we talk about the ability to rest, one of the first places to take into account is the neurological state (a.k.a. the state of the nervous system). The easiest way to access this system is via our breathing, which is one controllable function that taps into most of our vital systems including the nervous system. 

In times of stress, pain, or environmental change, the nervous system will default to a reactive state known as the sympathetic state. This state is not conducive to rest and recovery. While given the opportunity, the body will ease out of this state when it feels safe to do so, we can mechanically shift the gears of the nervous system by tuning into our breathing. 

Think of it this way. What is the first thing we do when we are surprised, shocked or facing something unexpected? We take a quick inhale. What’s the first thing we do when we are relieved of stress, able to relax? We let out a sigh of relief, or extended exhale. 

Next time you’re struggling to fall asleep, try out a few rounds of one of these breathing exercises to help your nervous system wind down for the night. 

• Diaphragm breathing: Laying on your back with your knees bent and feet resting on the floor or bed, place your hands on either side of your lower rib cage with a little pressure inwards and practise directing your inhale into the pressure of your hands for four to five seconds. On the exhales, let your hands follow your ribs back in and add back a little pressure. Repeat this pro- cess for 10 to 20 rounds, working to increase the length of your inhale and exhale, or until you doze off. 
• Extended exhales: Do a couple of rounds of coherent breathing (equal length inhale and exhale) for four to five seconds in and out. Then practise inhaling for four to five seconds and exhaling for six to eight seconds. Repeat this for 10 to 20 rounds, or until you doze off. 
• Held exhales: Take a natural inhale breath and exhale all the air out. Hold at the bottom of the exhale for as long as possible. Eventually the body will force an inhale to happen. Allow it to, and repeat this process on your next exhale for 10 to 20 rounds. 
• Box breathing: Inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and hold for four seconds. Repeat this process for 10 to 20 rounds. You can increase or decrease the length of breath as desired or needed. Do what feels comfortable to start and you’ll increase your capacity from there. 

If issues with sleep are a recurring thing for you, it is important to seek out professional resources as to why that might be. From mattress upgrades, medical conditions, or chronic pain points there are lots of correctable reasons your sleep may be interrupted. For most people seven to nine hours of sleep is a significant factor in the maintenance of quality health and well-being.

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Farm families are quite surprised to hear me affirm them with the words “you are not alone” in their journey of conflict. Many families across the country are quick to hide what is really going on inside the farm kitchen door. They are proud, independent, self-sufficient entrepreneurs who have no desire to “air their dirty laundry.”

The funny thing about iconic Newfoundland pictures, is you will often see an artist’s rendering of the laundry being strung out to dry with the sea winds.

On June 11 during our Farming’s In-Law Factor virtual event, a young mom told the story of her big breakthrough when she finally reached out to her mother-in-law and directly asked for help. She came to understand one of my coaching phrases, “Love does not read minds.” You can’t assume your spouse or parents know what you need. You don’t have to suffer alone. Ask!

Don’t let your family issues go on autopilot and drift. Use the thinking and reflecting time on the tractor to set up a game plan to embrace your farm team in a great strategic vision session. In July the rallying cry for many farm families is, “How do we block time for fun?” It’s going to take some intentional planning to take a few hours off to share rodeo memories with your young son, and really be present to create those memories. You might need to ask a neighbour to help swap time to do chores so you can stay a few hours longer at a wedding or family gathering.

Many young farm moms are venting their frustration on social media about the lack of time for family on farms. It would be great to check in with the younger farm parents in your area (male and female) to see how you might lend a hand in being an emotional support. You can also challenge the current thinking by saying, “Where is it written we have to work EVERY DAY on this farm?”

Who is your emotional support group beyond the farm? I find scrolling a time-waster when I get more support from actual conversations on my phone while I am walking down my lane to increase my steps for the day. As a young mom I shared a weekly date in helping care for my friend’s son every Thursday, and she returned the favour on Tuesdays. This gave us each one day a week to call our own for other projects and tasks without the extra stress of keeping young kids safe.

I challenge you to drop your pride filters and reach out to folks who can help you facilitate solutions to your conflict around “lack of family time.”

My grandchildren have a book called Dadurday which is a play on words for having Dad around on Saturday. The children in the story make lists of what they would like to do with Dad when he is not working. Farming can be a 24-7 demand, but you must draw some boundaries for self-care, marriage time, and family expectations. My grandkids sometimes make lists of the special things they would like to do with Dad on Sundays. On Sundays we rest, go to church, have family time, and let go of the farm work. We know this is not typical in today’s culture of agriculture. When our employee of 35 years was asked about why he liked to work on our farm he said, “52 Sundays off.”

If you need to jump off your hay mower to put kids to bed, tuck them in and read stories, you likely will get teased by the folks who don’t see it as important. As I was walking the lane, I checked my watch. YUP, 8:30, kids tucked in bed, and my son was headed to the field in the high-clearance sprayer. We have the technology to set timers and reminders on our phones. The currency of time in 2022 is likely as important as the currency of dollars.

Can you reach out and ask for help? When you get badly stuck during seeding, you quickly ask for help, because time is of the essence. Recall what it feels like to be stuck, frustrated, and feeling helpless to get out of the mess you are in.

The dance between work and play is ongoing on farms. Every season is a new opportunity to challenge how you have been doing things. Ask for help, and let go of what is not working.

Conflict is not bad; it just needs to be resolved. Being lonely and isolated is not good for your mental wellness. Working your body too hard will land you in trouble. You are not a machine. You need to block time for self-care, fun, and family relationships.

Strong families celebrate, communicate, and connect with their community. With Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn you may think you belong to many communities. Who really knows what is going on at your farm? It is time to be transparent with a mentor you can trust and reach out for creative solutions to “being alone.”

Pretending that all is well on the farm to protect your image and feed your pride is not helping you craft the healthy legacy that will sustain a profitable farm.

As agriculture producers, we are now less than two per cent of the Canadian population, which makes us a unique culture… and a minority.

Venting on social media about your family situations may create a fleeting sense of relief, but ultimately you need to act to adopt a new family pattern for your farm family.

You are not alone.

Help is a cellphone call away, and a click on the internet: www.elainefroese.com/contact.

Make the call. Build a campfire with your kids. Play.

Remember, it is your farm, your family and your choice. Make great choices this summer for family time.

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Ginger beef, now, there’s a thing. It arose in Calgary’s Silver Inn, owned back in the day by sisters Louise Tsang and Lily Wong. Lily’s husband George, a chef, introduced the dish soon after their arrival from Hong Kong in 1975, but the dish has roots in traditional Szechuan Chinese fare. Famous in Canada, ginger beef has earned a mention in The Flavor Thesaurus: Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook, by Niki Segnit (2010, Bloomsbury Press). In Segnit’s pairings index, ginger is partnered with more than 20 other ingredients as diverse as rhubarb (you bet, in crisps, cobblers pies, and old-fashioned shrubs), chocolate (in biscotti!) and cabbage.

My late dad spent many kitchen shifts working through ways to make ginger beef at home without a deep fryer or shallow pan of oil. Like my dad, I have spent time in the kitchen tinkering with dishes derived from ginger beef, but often I take left turns: I devise dishes that follow the original ginger beef’s flavour profile, but usually cut to the chase by deleting the batter, grilling or sautéing the protein instead, and drizzling the finished result with a sweet-tart lemon and ginger sauce. It works just fine, but ginger beef it ain’t.

I loved the Silver Inn’s ginger beef, and I love it still from my own stove — sticky, chewy, gingery, sweet and spicy, and utterly satisfying with nothing more complicated than a bed of rice or fat noodles. Recently after a day spent tending a garage sale with my mom, my brother and our neighbour, we were revived by the surprisingly good ginger beef served at the Chinese café in the small Prairie town where Mom lives. I decided to revive the ginger beef all-star revue as an occasional guest star in my omnibus of home-cooked dishes. Here’s my tweaked version. So first we eat, then let’s find some gingersnaps and ginger tea to share.

Ginger beef recipe

In this version, I dip strips of flank steak in batter, then shallow pan-fry them in hot oil. If
that sounds too messy or caloric, roast or grill the flank, slice it against the grain, then dress
it with the sauce, and garnish. Alternatives include shrimp, dense-textured fish like halibut,
chicken, squid, and cauliflower. Reheat leftovers in the oven. Serves 4.

Stir-fry:
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. minced or grated fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1 bell pepper, julienned
2 stalks of celery, julienned
1/2 c. shredded cabbage

Sauce:
2/3 c. light soy sauce
2/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. dark soy or kejap manis
1/4 c. rice vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp. hot chili flakes
1 tbsp. roasted sesame oil

Beef and batter:
Vegetable oil for the pan
1 lb. flank steak, sliced thinly
against the grain
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. all-purpose or gluten-free flour
1 large egg
3/4 c. cold water

Garnish:
3 minced green onions
1/4 c. minced cilantro
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Heat the oil in a wok or sauté pan, add the ginger and garlic, then sauté the vegetables to tender-crisp, adding 1 to 2 tbsp. water to the pan at several intervals.

Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients. Pour over the vegetables (or use a separate pot) and bring to a quick boil. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 3/4 inch into a heavy-bottomed wide, shallow pot. Heat oil to 350 F over high heat. Season the meat very generously with salt and pepper, then combine remaining ingredients into a batter. Mix well.

Dip one slice of meat at a time into the batter, coating thoroughly. Gently place the meat in the hot oil. Repeat with enough strips to form a single layer in the pan. Cook until very brown, covering the pan with
a mesh splashguard, turning the meat at least once with tongs. Use a slotted spoon to frequently remove
any debris from the pan.

Transfer the meat to the tray, drizzle sparingly with sauce and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the meat in batches. Reheat the vegetables and sauce. Pour over the meat, and garnish before serving.

The post The sweet story of ginger beef appeared first on Grainews.

I’m Proud to Sing O Canada’

O how much I love my country, let me be a sign to you,

May I demonstrate goodwill and let you be Canadian too.

We are citizens together, helping one another grow,

We have courage, strength and vision to achieve and pride bestow.

Refrain:

And I’m proud to sing O Canada,

For this country stirs my soul,

And I’m proud to be Canadian,

With a chance to reach my goal.

Will you work to build our country, proudly raise the flag on high,

Red for freedom, white for beauty, maple leaf and endless sky,

When we see what we’ve discovered, in each woman, child and man,

Born of all we’ve done together, we are all Canadian.

Repeat refrain.

Before proceeding further — it’s hat-tippin’ time. Welcome to all joining me on this Grainews page wherever you are. I’m a regular hat wearer and feel totally comfortable with some form of head covering but know when to remove it at appropriate times, too.

The best of ancient thyme

We’ve all heard expressions such as “time waits for no man, stop wasting time, and a stitch in time saves nine.” Then there’s the plant genus name, thymus. It’s derived from Greek words meaning soul or spirit. You may not know this but thyme has long been associated with burial practices going as far back as ancient Greece. Branches of fresh thyme flowers were strewn over caskets and planted at burial sites. In Egypt, thyme oil was used in preparing the body. Throughout history thyme has also been associated as a symbol of fortitude and strength of mind in the face of pain and adversity. It was used during the French Revolution to garner success in any righteous cause. Highland Scots concocted a beverage from wild thyme to give them courage. There are numerous accounts of people making both soup and beer from thyme that was regarded as a cure for shyness. If the soup didn’t work, thyme beer usually did the trick.

Take time to plant kitchen thyme in your garden

English thyme (thymus vulgaris) sometimes called French thyme is among the most popular and indispensable of herbs in the kitchen. Plants are often available at garden centres that have a herb section. Most thymes have similar growing requirements such as lots of sunshine and well-drained, almost gravelly soil. There are dozens of varieties, some of which are half-hardy perennials in Zone 3 with protection, and others that overwinter in Zone 4. They start easily from seeds, and readily grow from root cuttings or softwood cuttings taken from upper stems. Thyme gives a hearty flavour to poultry, meat and vegetarian soups, gravies, sauces and herbed vinegars. Garden thyme is the source of thymol, an ingredient often used in dental hygiene products due to its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Thyme leaves can be made into a beneficial tea to treat coughs and upper respiratory complaints and thyme oil is made from a distillation process. Some beekeepers have successfully grown thyme plants near beehives as a food source. The flowers are said to contribute to an excellent honey product. Thyme oil or mashed thyme leaves gently applied to bee stings are said to alleviate the pain. We’ve all heard of mites devastating bee populations. Has anyone among our readership anything to offer from their personal experience that might be beneficial to bees and apiarists in that connection?

Cakes and country music

Yours truly was quite the baker at home when graduating from puberty into teen years. I made umpteen cakes and lathered them heavily with Seven-Minute Frosting. My brothers were my cake-tasting testers. They rarely gave me a thumbs-up but I knew from the empty cake plates with very few crumbs remaining that my frosted cakes passed their taste test.

If you were exposed to classic country music as I was, the name Kitty Wells will be familiar. Besides hundreds of recordings, she included a collection of down-home recipes in her “Queen of Country Music” cookbook and I have a copy. It’s signed in dark-black ink on the inside front page: Sincerely Kitty Wells 3-12-91. That’s about 31 years ago now. Besides her traditional music, Kitty exemplified cooking and baking. She spent countless hours between musical engagements in her kitchen preparing her favourite dishes and many of those recipes are in her cookbook. They range from appetizers and beverages to salads and soups. In the cake section, recipes such as: Hot Milk Cake, Hummingbird Cake, Sock-It-To-Me Cake and Cinnamon-Buttermilk Coffee Cake are provided.

I used to spin a lot of Kitty’s 78s when I was a country music DJ with my own program on radio. Out of the hundreds of songs she recorded, a couple of her favourites are: “Making Believe” and “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” What I appreciated about Kitty’s songs is I could always understand the words she sang — unlike so much of today’s songs with hard-to-decipher lyrics that prompt me to switch frequencies.

Seven-Minute Frosting

1 c. white sugar

1/3 c. water

2 egg whites

3 tsp. light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine and mix well first five ingredients in a double boiler. Beat with a rotary beater until blended. (I call it a hand-held egg beater.) Place upper part with ingredients over boiling water in bottom section of double boiler and beat constantly until mixture will hold peaks. Remove from heat, add vanilla and beat until cool and thick enough to spread over the cake. Sprinkle top of frosting with toasted, sliced blanched almonds. Makes enough to cover 2 layers of an 8-inch cake.

What is wild lettuce?

Some could actually be growing in your yard right now. This vegetable tranquilizer plant grows up to 1.5 metres (four to six feet) tall, has spiny leaves, tiny yellow flowers and mini seed puffballs similar to dandelion puffballs. There are two types of wild lettuce that are common over much of Canada and elsewhere throughout North America. Lactuca canadensis is commonly called tall lettuce or horseweed and is found from Nova Scotia to B.C. Prickly lettuce (Lactuca scariola) is commonly called compass plant that came from Europe and can be quite bothersome in cultivated fields. Both species seem uncertain deciding whether to be annual or biennial. Sometimes flowering and seeding occur the first year and other times the next step is delayed until the following year. Lactuca means “milk juice” and refers to the milky substance called Lactucarium which the plant bleeds out when cut. Said milky substance contains the natural chemicals lactucin and lacttucopicrin. Most people don’t know these substances contain deep painkilling properties. For folks just getting started with foraging and interested in natural remedies, wild lettuce is one of the most useful plants to easily recognize and learn about. There is so much to tell about wild lettuce so I’m saving the rest for next Grainews column and beyond if necessary.

Got a summer cold?

This may help. Here’s a recipe that traces its roots to both Mexico and Canada:

1 tablespoonful flaxseed and 2/3 cup chopped or minced onion. Simmer aforesaid flaxseed and onion in 3 cups of water until reduced to half volume (that is about 50 per cent of original). Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup honey. Once cooled, add 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or the juice of one whole lemon, straining out the seeds. Except for the lemon juice, it’s very Canadian.

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Yellowing of lower leaves on tomato and pepper plants can sometimes be a sign of over-acidic soil in which case a soil test is recommended to confirm. This can be corrected by applying some dolomite lime from a garden centre over soil and working it in (a source of calcium and magnesium).

Another gardener reports dramatic yields from a drink of skim milk given to his tomato plants using reconstituted powdered skim milk and water. Each tomato plant receives four cups of such skim milk when plants begin to blossom. Avoid using 2% or whole milk as tomato plants can’t handle butterfat. You might want to experiment giving pepper plants a one-time drink of skim milk as well and comparing results with peppers that received none.

It’s tip-of-the-hat time when I again like to say hello, howdy and welcome to everyone throughout my Grainews family. In western societies during the 19th and early 20th centuries a hat tip was a common non-verbal greeting between acquaintances and friends while walking or meeting at a social gathering. The term ‘hat tip’ was often abbreviated and rose to prominence as “HT,” “H/T” or “h/t.” Two men (female hat tipping was rare) would lift or tip their hat to each other, rather than exchange words of greeting. Later it was introduced that the hat tip be used for greeting a lady or stranger. Thanks again for coming by.

An edible snap pea variety

Take a look at the picture of Cascadia in flower and pods forming on this page. This delicious snap pea won the Royal Historical Society Award of Garden Merit. The dark-green pods are crunchy, juicy, sweet and a nice size at nine cm (3-1/2 inches) long on vines that grow to only 60 cm (24 inches). When picked early — after two months growth or less — Cascadia produces excellent edible snow peas and later can be left to size up for shelling when mature. You can use tree twigs or small branches to support the short vines. 

Alderman has exceptional flavour

If you’re seeking a pea variety that grows quite tall on a trellis, wire or fence — 2.5 metres (eight feet) — then Alderman will meet your need. Huge pods with eight or nine peas each have a long harvest window within 2-1/2 months or less and are easy to pick and shell with little or no bending. Make sure the pods are well filled first. See picture on this page. Alderman is sometimes known among some pea growers as Tall Telephone.

Seeds for planting of peas mentioned and other pea varieties plus a free 2022 gardening guide catalogue are available from West Coast Seeds, Delta, B.C., www.westcoastseeds.com — phone toll free 1-888-804-8820.

Things to know about growing

Peas are a cool-weather crop that can withstand some frost. Sunny spots will be the first places to thaw in spring, so get peas into soil as soon as possible. Peas planted in the shade will take longer to grow and the sugar content will be low. Edible-podded peas prefer cool weather and moist soil. We live in a northern-tier country so peas can be grown almost all summer in some parts of Canada. Try planting peas every three or four weeks ’til end of August for a fall crop. Pea plants growing in areas under relentless heat and direct sunshine for long periods will benefit from thick mulches at ground level.

If your soil is less than perfect you’ll want to build its nutrient value. A good motto to garden by is: the healthier the soil — the healthier your vegetables. The best method to improve any type of garden soil is by incorporating organic matter into it such as all discarded veggie and fruit parts from the kitchen, whole and shredded dry leaves, chopped old hay, green and dried grass clippings that have never been sprayed with any type of chemicals to control weeds. Organic matter will serve as a glue, holding particles together when added to sandy soils. By contrast it will wedge in between particles loosening and lightening clay soils, allowing moisture and air to reach plant roots. There’s no special season for working organic matter into your soil but do not disturb plant roots when using it as mulch. Keep a working compost heap at one edge of your garden by adding organic matter, some moist soil and turning it frequently all season long.

pH — the degree of acidity or alkalinity of soil

You can buy test kits at garden centres or have it professionally done for a fee. Check with your ag rep how to access such service. The test will indicate your soil’s present pH and give recommendations for addition of lime or sulphur to bring the soil into proper growing range. Dolomite lime and garden sulphur are available at garden centres. Lime sweetens the soil and sulphur makes it more acidic. Wood ashes — a subject unto itself — also sweetens the soil and may be substituted for lime by working some into the top three to four inches of soil. Peas prefer a soil that has a pH range of about 5.8 to 7.0. On a pH scale of 0 to 14, 7.0 is neutral with 5.8 leaning toward the acidic side.

Nitrogen is one of the three most important nutrients in plant growth. One way to get as much of it into soil as possible is to grow peas and other legumes. They have the unique ability of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in their roots consorting together to draw elemental nitrogen from soil and fix it into a usable form. You can ensure this by inoculating pea seeds with a nitrogen-fixing bacteria just before they’re planted. Inoculating seeds has shown to increase the number of nitrogen nodules with a positive effect on yield. Inoculant in the form of a wettable powder is available at garden centres and via seed catalogues. To inoculate pea seeds place them in a pan and add enough water to moisten. Sprinkle a small amount of inoculant to the water. Stir with a stick until a little powder coats the seeds then plant them.

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To my delight, I found furled red knobs in the rhubarb patch, and sprigs of chives and green onions taking in the sun. As I raked and tidied and turned the compost, I mourned again the lost pop-up springtime bravery of my asparagus bed — the 2011 flood that had surrounded our home took my garden, the garden my mom and grandmother had planted and tended for decades.

These days, the asparagus patch, black currants, strawberries, and raspberry canes are buried beneath the berm that surrounds and protects our house. I now garden in raised beds and containers, which pose a whole new set of challenges in extremely hot and dry summers such as last year’s. Maybe this year, if my time and energy allow, I’ll dig a new bed, banish the quackgrass, and plant some asparagus crowns.

In the meantime, I wait patiently for local asparagus to arrive at the farmers’ market. Asparagus is not a good keeper, so cook it the same day as you buy it. If it has to wait in the fridge for a day or two, stand it upright in a shallow glass of water. Prior to cooking, thick spears may require peeling, but thin stalks do not. Just bend the bottom ends, and they will snap off where the stalks turn fibrous.

Simultaneously grassy and sulphurous, asparagus stalks are a great finger food, and deserving of their own course at the table. Let everything else wait while you enjoy them — their season is so short, so sweet. How to dress up your spring fling is up to you and the degree of flash you want to inspire. Here are a few suggestions.

Instead of steaming, try roasting or grilling asparagus. Pop them onto a hot grill, and turn several times. They just take minutes, so don’t go far! Oven roasting — a single layer on a parchment-lined tray — is almost as quick in a very hot oven. In either case, oil lightly before cooking, then season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of lemon juice as soon as they emerge from the heat.

For high-flash value that’s good with champagne or a grassy Sauvignon blanc as party food, wrap raw asparagus spears individually in slices of prosciutto. Up your game by adding a smudge of Boursin cheese, herbed goat cheese, or a thin slice of Jarlsberg inside the packets before you roll them up. Roast quickly in a single layer in a hot oven. Drizzle with lemon juice just before serving.

Asparagus has a natural affinity for butter and eggs — what doesn’t? — and the licorice notes of tarragon or anise seed. To keep with the finger-food motif, make a tarragon-blasted Béarnaise sauce, the classic brunch accompaniment. Add poached eggs and English muffins topped with bacon or smoked salmon, and you’ll hit a home run, albeit in knife-and-fork outfielder’s territory. Or combine the flavours in a tart, quiche style, or in an omelette.

For a simpler, quickie version, crack a pinch of anise seed in a mortar and add to browned butter along with minced chives, lemon juice and zest, and drizzle over asparagus, poached egg optional.

Other flavour matches for asparagus include smoky-salty smoked salmon or BBQ/smoked pork, and mushrooms, especially meaty, musky morels. The spears also pair well with potatoes, and high-mountain Alpine cheeses like Emmenthal, Gruyere, and Compté. Lots of possibilities with those variants!

Toasted almonds chopped and sprinkled on asparagus spears in olive oil are also delicious. If you have any meat juices left over from a succulent roast, combine it with some good chopped black Nicoise olives and a squeeze of lemon juice, then spoon the mixture over cooked asparagus. Yum. Lots of choices, so short a season. First we eat, then we tend the garden.

Asparagus with Korean peanut sauce recipe:

Serve this dish alone or with jasmine rice, or with grilled salmon or pork. Serves 4.

• 1 lb. asparagus
• 1/3 c. sunflower oil, divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 c. lemon juice and zest
• 1/4 c. orange juice and zest
• 1 tsp. grated ginger root
• 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. roasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. minced cilantro or chives
• Hot chili paste to taste
• 1 c. chopped toasted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 400 F or turn on the grill to medium-high. Brush the asparagus light with oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining oil with all the other ingredients except the peanuts. Cook the asparagus for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on thickness, turning as needed. Dress Immediately with the vinaigrette and top with the nuts. Serve warm or hot.

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Recently during a family meeting as we passed around the talking stick (my beanie baby bull) a family member said, “You really don’t understand what it is like to be me do you?”

The talking stick is a tool I use to help folks share their perspectives without interruption. You may laugh and think it is silly, but I have a dairy farmer who grabs an empty plastic water bottle out in the barn when he calls a decision-making meeting on the fly.

When you can respond to conflict by trying to put yourself in the other person’s position and understand the other person’s point of view you will have many insights.

• You may become aware of new information.

• You might have new ways to interpret information that you would never have perceived otherwise.

• You will increase your knowledge base.

• You will make the other person feel you are taking their concerns seriously which results in the other person feeling understood. (Daughters-in-law would love this!)

• You will often be seen as agreeable, open minded and an effective farm team member.

How do you get better at making the other folks on your farm feel understood?

1. Identify the weaknesses in your own position or approach. Prepare folks for meetings without interruption. Don’t try to have important conversations when you are intensely trying to get farm work done. Block time for a meeting in a quiet space. Approach the conversation with:

“I have some things I would like to get your input on. When can we sit down and figure this out? What time would work for you? I’ll need an hour.”

2. Imagine how and why the other person came to hold their position. Farm dads are aging in place and may have some unspoken fears. They also carry stories about how things should be in their heads, and you may have to ask some powerful questions to pull their thoughts out into a conversation you can unravel. Are they afraid of failure? Do they have a scarcity mindset? Do they have very low emotional intelligence and are not aware of their poor listening skills?

3. Imagine what the other person is trying to accomplish. Many farm dads and moms just want family harmony. Unfortunately, they have not taken responsibility for showing favouritism to one farming child while shutting other farm partners out. If the family is just trying to show the community how wonderful they are without doing the work of resolving inner family conflict, the pretence will not hold. Ask, “What is it you truly want? What are you trying to accomplish? From my perspective you are making assumptions about what I want because you have not listened to my wants and needs, and you have not asked me what I want!” The ebb and flow of conversation needs to go both ways. It also helps to reframe or recap what you thought who heard the other person saying and get them to confirm you caught it correctly.

4. Imagine what the other person thinks you are trying to accomplish. “What do you really think about what I want? Are you perceiving me as selfish and entitled? Are you aware your inability to step back and give up the reins of control for this farm are keeping us stuck, and in turmoil? I just want to have some degree of control to make management decisions and ultimately to have a plan for our future equity as partners in this farm business. I want to accomplish a better way of communication in a more formalized setting with regular meetings. I don’t want the uncertainty of our future to continue. I want to celebrate being a family without your demands around how we all should be behaving. We are all adults here. We need to be accountable for our bad behaviour and choose to be curious about what other farm team members are wanting and needing.”

Give the other person your full and undivided attention when they are speaking. Do not turn your back or sit sideways. Observe the eyes and face, as the eyes are the “window to the soul.”

The mouth, eyebrows and forehead give you clues about emotional states.

Instead of offering your opinion quickly, dig deeper, asking questions that invite the other person to explain the reasons behind his or her position. Be curious. “I am just curious what you meant when you said… tell me more!”

If you don’t understand, admit it, and ask for further explanation.

Acknowledge the other’s position without agreeing with it by saying, “That’s an interesting point of view,” or, “Many people have that same position.”

Never interrupt. Use the talking stick to hold the floor and pass it on when you are finished sharing your perspective.

As a Hudson Institute trained coach, I use the age and tasks map to help families understand the various perspectives of different decades.

In your 20s you need to become independent, experience management styles of other farms.

In your 30s you need to master success and navigate your exhaustion raising your family.

In your 40s you need to own equity to have power and control over your destiny on the farm.

In your 50s you need to simplify your life to pay attention to the quality of your life.

In your 60s you start over again as the “helping labour” and work on new roles, shifting management to the next generation. Pay attention to health issues.

In your 70s you focus on mentorship and stepping back without stepping away.

In your 80s you have done wealth transfer and earn respect as a wise elder.

In your 90s you appreciate your legacy and enjoy seeing your impact and influence because you let go decades ago.

Work on walking through the front door of your conflict and seek to understand the other person’s perspective. Sign up for our in-law event at www.iowafarmerswife.com/events.

The post The power of perspective appeared first on Grainews.

Technically a vegetable, rhubarb forms a virtual bridge from winter to spring, and then into early summer. But think of it as a bridge between sweet and savoury too: simmered rhubarb makes good chutney, flavoured with ginger, dried fruit, apple or pear, citrus and onion, a bit of hot chili. This makes it a good accompaniment to curries, spring rolls, or meats such as pork, beef, duck and salmon. Alternatively, use simmered rhubarb as a starting point for a lime-and-ginger-enhanced vinaigrette.

In the sweet kitchen, many cooks find rhubarb’s tart nature easier to bear in the company of less demanding fruits. Try mixing cooked rhubarb with raw strawberries, or with apples or pears, or apricots and peaches later in the season. But in spite of its acid bite, the taste of rhubarb is surprisingly mild, so don’t overwhelm it. Spearmint and lemon thyme are good herbal accents, if sparingly used.

When facing a particularly prolific rhubarb plant, make buckwheat crepes, galettes, chutney, tarts and jams, crisps and cobblers, buckles, muffins and sweet loaves. And pie. Rhubarb was known for generations as “pie plant,” and makes stellar pie, especially when paired with strawberries and/or apples and cranberries. Stewed with sugar and perhaps another fruit, served with heavy cream, it’s called a fool. Try rhubarb slushies, made with stewed and frozen rhubarb mushed up in ginger ale. Add ice cream for a refreshing float. Or simmer and strain sweetened rhubarb seasoned with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, peppercorns, and ginger. Give the syrup to your favourite bartender, or use the resulting syrup to make an old-style non-alcoholic shrub, a surpassingly spring-like refreshment.

Regardless of what you plan, choose firm ruby stalks for the best colour. The colour will fade during cooking, but returns if you partially simmer the stalks, whole or sliced, and leave the rhubarb to finish softening in its own liquid. Peeling or not peeling depends on the thickness and fibre of the stalks. Adding the minimum of honey, maple syrup or sugar to tame its astringency helps rhubarb keep its shape, as does cutting it into longer lengths or leaving it whole during cooking, without stirring.

Whatever direction you go with this Prairie favourite, remember there’s no place like home. Rhubarb holds pride of place in Prairie kitchens. So first we eat, then keep that fork. There’s pie. Or cobbler. Or crisp. Or buckle.

The post Canadiana classics — Part 2: Rhubarb, a great spring fever tonic appeared first on Grainews.