Air's Wild Acres
Small goats and small batch cheesemaking on a small farm, all with big laughs.
Category: Sustainable Agriculture
-
2021 is an existential crisis.
The first time I remember feeling like I had an existential crisis, I was 16. I had just read The Stranger for my high school English class, and had one of those “Wait, so I’m supposed to go to school for a long time, go to work, then have a couple of kids and take…
-
It’s not my turn anymore.
Of my many faults as a human, my tendency towards nostalgia is probably one of my traits that annoys me the most. I am so easily sucked into a photo album or an old blog, and can then spend hours, or days even, thinking about whatever experience and how much I miss that particular time…
-
How many quail are too many quail for a first time quail farmer?
Probably significantly less than the number I recently acquired. When I first moved back to my family’s property a few years ago, I was traveling at least two weeks a month for work. Free dog care, which can easily add up when you are gone half the month, had a great deal of appeal at…
-
Earth Week Action Items: Partnering to Motivate Change
I need to start this post with a disclaimer: I make a lot of mistakes. I’m human, and we’re subject to a variety of outside forces that will affect our likes, dislikes, personal biases, economic situation, decision-making processes, etc. etc. Too, I recognize that everyone has different value sets and priorities, and what works for…
-
“I’m going to be a good food farmer,” but with the help of my friends
As an extrovert, I thrive on the type of informal exchanges I can have via good conversation with people: the sharing of good ideas and excitement, gaining motivation to continue in fields that can be somewhat daunting at times, getting feedback on how to move forward on a project, etc. Having the opportunity, then,…
-
Soil, water, and ranch life: new job for the new year.
The first time I ever presented in front of a group of strangers to advocate for agriculture, I was 10. The Alameda County Fair Board of Directors proposed an elimination of the Junior Livestock program at our annual fair, and the leader of my 4-H sheep project asked my mom to allow me to present…
-
#TheNextBeWhom/WhateverYouWantWhenYouGrowUp
Sometimes I love my job, but sometimes it frustrates me. Not just because science is fucking hard, but because every scientist is subject to a series of outside pressures; pressure to be the best, pressure to do it all, pressure to forget that you like doing anything other than your research… While many of these…
-
Money isn’t everything when it comes to conservation
Lately, there has been a great deal of coverage on pollinator health in the media, and the need for conservation of bees in particular. Obviously, as a conservationist and an interdisciplinary agricultural professional, I am strongly in support of conserving any species, especially those with huge economic impacts in agriculture, like the pollinators. However, I…
-
#NerdHigh: Another year, another AIARD!
Every year, the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD) holds an annual meeting in Washington, D.C. around this time of year. As a professional society, made up of individuals from all aspects of the international agriculture and development scene, AIARD’s meetings are always wonderful for gaining inspiration, and being reminded of the reasons…
-
Camel spiders for the win!
Since I’m writing and analyzing my data these days, and haven’t spent hardly any time in the field since 2013, I figured it would be a nice time to have a #flashbackfriday to a video I took of a Solifugid eating a waxworm. Solifugids are amazing little animals, something I could have only dreamed of…
Air's Wild Acres 