Climate Changes

Polar blasts…Flooding…

Tornadoes out of season…

It doesn’t take an Al Gore movie to tell you something is happening here. I don’t care which side of the political aisle you’re on. There’s something going on with our weather.

I gave up my political mic years ago and have zero desire to spark debate, but you spend any time at all watching the weather so as to know when to start planting and you too will be convinced. (I don’t care who you voted for.)

These days I’ve been interviewing more farmers than politicians, and I’m here to tell you…Strike up a gardening conversation and you’re going to get a nod and an “You’re tellin’ me” kinda response when you go to talking weather. As far as their politics (and this is not a scientific survey), it varies. Been my experience tat the older they are the more conservative; those newer to the scene are often are perceived as “tree-hugging” green, but since “tree-huggers” are all about conserving things, even that label gets confusing. Bottom line: Mother Nature doesn’t have a party. And if you don’t think something’s going on with her, well, you’re clearly not paying attention and you're certainly not growing gardens.

This year will mark year 3 that I’ve ventured into these uncharted waters of planting a garden (waters, being the operative word this season). First time out, I started in mid March. Last year, first plants went in the ground in April. This year, it’s May, and already we know it's going to be mid-May if you're planting by the signs. (Why? Because my garden is a mud pit, that’s why.)

Not one to fuel conspiracy theories by any stretch, but when Thurman calls to say “Sorry…not this weekend either; ground’s too wet.” we could not help but comment on how much later and later we’re starting things, (nor could we help but speculate on how much hotter and hotter it will be when the full planting begins, so winter crops are out for me this year).

I listen to peers from my former profession “poo-pooing” those spotting the obvious (as if I have reason to tell the world “The sky is falling!” To the contrary, I’m the most positive person I know…)

Which is why it’s easy to say “I am POSITIVE something’s going on... The weather is changing.  I’ve not been at this all my life as some have, but I have been at it a couple of years and even those two were as different as night and day when it came to the plants and as to what this one holds is anybody's guess. 

Case in point, first year, my corn was pathetic… I thought it was me. Turns out it was the drought. The lack of rain prompted me to investigate well digging, which I’ll be doing this year for sure. But then last year, it was too much rain, and my corn grew like Jack’s beanstalk. (Seriously. Even Thurman said, “That ain’t right” as some stalks reached 14 feet.)

Now, as to what we can do about it? That’s another story.

Less fossil fuel consumption…yes. (Less consumption period, I say.)

But more than stockpiling food, fuel or ammo to me the thing to stockpile is information…Not just “Can you grow a garden?” but “Do you know a farmer?” or “Could you make a meal from scratch without a can of something to get you going?”

No matter your political views…No matter your religious beliefs, “sustainable living” is a phrase that’s popping up more and more in my conversations these days. And if you’re not talking about it, you might at least want to listen, as mocking the notion or calling someone wacko for pausing to consider that we might not want to take our food supply for granted is not only wise, it’s downright respectful. Show me someone who doesn’t think sustainable living is a topic worthy of discussion and I’ll show you a person who’s naive, who takes too much for granted or has never grown a garden (and most likely all three).