Gene Logsdon's Blog, page 20

An Old Tightwad’s Thoughts On Planting Old Seeds

From GENE LOGSDON Most farmers and gardeners stand by the rule that new seed should be purchased every year. They believe that all the work and cost of preparing the soil and planting means that what little money one saves using old seed that might not germinate is not worth the risk involved. Since I […]

Too Many People

From GENE LOGSDON One of the most frequent comments I hear in private conversation is that there are “too damned many people” on earth. Publicly however you will not win any popularity contests or get elected to public office if you say that. After all, if one believes there are too many people on earth, […]

Using Food As Medicine

David Fast Food From GENE LOGSDON I will probably get beaten over the head with one of the best-selling diet books, but I really doubt that we can eat our way to good health. I don’t want to sound opposed to the idea of food as medicine. I just don’t believe it anymore.  I made […]

Lawns Of Purple and Gold

From GENE LOGSDON Rain and good old-fashioned laziness kept us from mowing the lawn until the first week of May this spring. By then the yard was so beautiful with wild flowers, I didn’t want to mow, but if I waited any longer I’d have to make hay out if it. As the photo above […]

Once A Farm Boy, Always…

From GENE LOGSDON I was sort of shocked by an ad in a recent New York Times Sunday magazine which I read regularly. It showed photos of a magnificent new high rise apartment and the surrounding skyline of the city, also magnificent. The building’s form was awesomely grotesque with the floors seemingly piled on top [...]

Can Wee Little Businesses Save the Nation?

From GENE LOGSDON Both political parties and both capitalism and socialism spout lots of support for “small business.” Maybe this is where we can bring the country back together again. But I put quotes around “small business” because the Census Bureau and the Small Business Administration have exceedingly murky notions about what “small” means. By [...]

Sacred Springs

From GENE LOGSDON A clear spring bubbling up to the surface of the earth was once one of nature’s greatest gifts to humans, holy wells by whatever meaning you give those words. Having your own clean, unpolluted water “on tap” without much effort or expense was a priceless treasure. Significantly ancient sacred springs honored in [...]

Unexpected Good Results Make Me Look Smart

From GENE LOGSDON Over the years, gardening and farming have taught me to be pessimistic. I’m the guy who invariably says, when a really nice day arrives, “we’ll pay for it.” We are not in control. How often I have seen two farmers do the same thing but on different days. One makes a profit [...]

Another Shoe Drops In The Global Warming Debate

From GENE LOGSDON Despite the scolding some of you have given me, I still don’t think science has explained worldly global warming any better than religion has explained otherworldly hell. But the debate has taught me something. While scientists like to point out, correctly I think, that theologians are influenced more by ideology not facts, [...]

Big Farms Going Belly Up Again?

From GENE LOGSDON I often wonder if the people who read my meanderings through the pastoral world care about news about big farmers going broke. We probably should care, but I wouldn’t blame those who didn’t. Big business, big government, and big farmers have forged an agricultural economy that is not sustainable. Everybody knows it. [...]