Petit Jean Farm
Weekly Farm Newsletter
May 18, 2009
Dear Folks,
Why did miners take a canary into a mine shaft? I don’t think they regularly stopped all their loud work just to hear an underground canary concert. The bird was their air quality control mechanism. If there wasn’t enough air for the canary to live, it was time to start getting worried about themselves.
Little creatures are still a very good indicator of bigger problems. Bugs are seemingly insignificant in our daily lives, but we should be very worried if they disappear altogether. That’s why the plight of the honey bees is so important. We still don’t know everything that is going on in their complex world or why so many of them have mysteriously vanished around the country. We do know that one way to support them is to eat real honey. Did you know that grocery store varieties of honey are legal to be labeled “pure honey” with up to fifty percent corn syrup? That’s outrageous! If the majority of the people buying “honey” are actually spending their financial vote on petroleum based, industrial scale, commodity corn, who is keeping real bees viable?
Another delightful indicator bug is a firefly. The field next to our house has been just filled with them lately. When I drive by it, the little insects look like mini shooting stars! I have talked to friends who live in cities, however, lamenting how many fewer lightning bugs they see now than when they were kids. Many cities routinely spray for mosquitoes and other pests. While I don’t know anyone who enjoys an itchy mosquito bite, I’m not convinced the tradeoff is worth it. Missing the fireflies is a small issue compared to the greater effect it could be part of.
Treat yourself to some bug-backing (and delicious!) honey this week. Of course, we also have a wide variety of beef, pork, and lamb to choose from too. Check out our inventory online at www.petitjeanfarm.com/farminventory.html before placing your order by phone (501-727-5659), e’mail (ed@gatewayfarm-ar.com), or online through one of the locally grown websites. Please get your order in by noon on Thursday, May 21 for this weekend.
Attention to all who live in Little Rock. This weekend is RiverFest. We will not be at the River Market Farmer’s Market. We will be at Christ Episcopal Church on Saturday from 10:00am to Noon. So feel free to order and meet us there!
We look forward to seeing you again at the market!
Your Petit Jean Farmers
Petit Jean Farm
1039 Winrock Drive
Morrilton, AR 72110
501-727-5659
www.petitjeanfarm.com
ed@gatewayfarm-ar.com
