Winner, Winner...

...Salmon Dinner!

Cold weather and the over abundance of noise that passes for news nowadays has lately opened my world to a welcome retreat to the kitchen.

After group and the running of Friday errands I fed my sourdough starter children and made a third batch for a possible experimental bake over the weekend.

There was a dozen of my signature blueberry muffins to bake followed by our weekly imported salmon; pan-seared with rice pilaf and sautéed spinach.  Remind me to extol sometime about the virtues of browned butter sauté. 

A word about the muffins.

Growing-up, blueberries were a rare seasonal item and rarer still in our household. Likely a consequence of scarcity-induced pricing. 

In case you missed it, blueberries nowadays are available year-round as a result of advances in Peruvian agriculture. And these blueberries grown at altitude in the Andes are mutant things of fruity deliciousness..

Anyway, raising a toast to global supply chains and 2-3 extra minutes of daylight delivered with every sunrise. 

 

The Joy of Giving

Over the recent holidays we were the recipient of any number of stocking-stuffer gifts; many of them edible. Cookies, brownies, candies, popcorn, a selection of fine English teas and much more.  Most interesting was a one-pound bag of dried, pitted plums.  Evidence of it being more blessed to give than receive?    

An interesting gift for sure and knowing I would need some time to figure-out how to incorporate them into our diet I placed them on a shelf in the pantry aside the nuts and other baking ingredients.  However, there was something about them that was different.  Sort of off.  I couldn't put my finger on it.  Time passed.

Then, while watching a movie comedy on a recent evening I had a Eureka Moment.  Fetching the bag I produced it for the Missus and asked if she noticed anything unusual?  Nope.  Anything odd?  Nope.  Anything missing?  Such as branding, like Del Monte, Sunkist, etcetera?

Yup.  That bag was devoid of any evidence of who produced and packaged it.  Prominent in the generic packaging was a missive extolling the nutritional virtues of dried, pitted plums, a government website and a big, honking, USDA Logo.  I'm no fool, I'm a tree farmer.  And just like any other farmer or rancher I know the USDA all day long.  

From all outward appearances we had come into possession of a one pound bag of genuine USDA surplus commodity dried pitted plums the likes of which find their way to school lunch kitchens, supplemental meal programs for seniors, children, qualifying families and food pantries.  

This was nowhere near as exotic as being on the receiving end of a twenty pound block of surplus commodity pasteurized process American cheese food product but since we don't share surplus food commodities with poor nations any longer my dried, pitted, plums were clearly unworthy of needlessly languishing in my pantry; or worse yet - a landfill.  

Ecstatic with solving the origin mystery of our bag of deep purple wrinkled fruits I was motivated to put them to good use.  So I asked ChatGPT what to make with precisely one pound of dried, pitted, plums.  Suggestions included all manner of cakes, tortes, braised meat dishes and more.  Looking for easy I replied in clarification with one word:  Jam.

I was going make some jam.  Fortunately, I had everything necessary in the pantry so I put my prunes (that is what they are after-all) to soak overnight and ran a full dishwasher at bedtime to wash and sanitize a half-dozen half-pint jars in preparation for an easy-peasy recipe for prune jam the following morning.

Here it is...

Prune Jam — Water-Bath Canning Instructions

Why this is safe

• Prunes are naturally acidic
• Added lemon juice ensures pH stays safely below 4.6
• Water-bath canning is appropriate (no pressure canner needed)

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried pitted plums (prunes)
• 2½–3 cups water
• 1½–2 cups sugar (do not reduce below 1½ for shelf stability)
• 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice (important for acidity)
• Optional:
  
• 1 tsp vanilla or
• ½ tsp cinnamon or
• Orange zest

Equipment

• Water-bath canner or large deep pot with rack
• 4–5 half-pint jars (or 2–3 pint jars)
• New lids, bands
• Jar lifter, funnel, bubble remover

Step 1: Prepare Jars

1. Wash jars, lids, and bands.
2. Keep jars hot (simmering water or dishwasher).
3. Heat lids in warm (not boiling) water.

Step 2: Make the Jam

1. Soak prunes in water 8 hours or overnight (or simmer 20 minutes if short on time).
2. Transfer prunes and soaking liquid to a pot.
3. Simmer 20–30 minutes until very soft.
4. Blend smooth or chunky. (I used a stick blender for slightly chunky)
5. Add sugar and lemon juice.
6. Simmer 10–20 minutes, stirring often, until thick and glossy.
7. Optional spices go in during the last 5 minutes. (I chose vanilla)

Jam should mound on a spoon and wrinkle on a cold plate.

Step 3: Fill Jars

1. Ladle hot jam into hot jars.
2. Leave ¼ inch headspace.
3. Remove air bubbles.
4. Wipe rims clean.
5. Apply lids and bands finger-tight. 

Step 4: Water-Bath Process

1. Place jars on rack in canner.
2. Cover with 1–2 inches of boiling water.
3. Once water returns to a full boil, start timing:

 Processing Time

• Half-pints or pints:
  10 minutes (0–1,000 ft elevation)

Adjust for altitude:

• 1,001–3,000 ft → 15 minutes
• 3,001–6,000 ft → 20 minutes
• Above 6,000 ft → 25 minutes

(I processed five half-pint jars for 30 minutes)  

Step 5: Cool & Check Seals

1. Turn off heat, rest jars in water 5 minutes.
2. Remove jars; cool 12–24 hours undisturbed.
3. Check seals (lid should not flex).
4. Remove bands, wipe jars.

Storage

• Shelf-stable: 12–18 months
• Store cool, dark, dry
• Refrigerate after opening                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
  
                                                                                                                                          The yield was five half-pint jars and a sixth scant half pint that went into the fridge for immediate use.  My jam was definitely very prune-like with a satisfying sweet and tart finish.  The vanilla I added was a keeper.  Aside from putting this on a toasted English muffin this jam could also be used like a chutney with pork or poultry.  It would make a fine glaze on braised pork, duck, chicken or a baked ham.  A tablespoonful in a fruit smoothie would add sweetness and beneficial fiber; same for plain Greek yogurt.  If you're making your own BBQ sauce from scratch or simply want to amp-up a bottle of store-bought this is just the ticket to add some depth.                                                              
   
   
  The USDA leaves much to be criticized; nevertheless, the agency's food and nutritional programs serve to feed needful citizens and make use of the bounty of surplus food generated by America's efficiently-productive farm sector.  Someone got those prunes from a channel completely out of my league.  And they were thoughtful enough to gift those prunes. Perhaps prunes are evidence of largess and therefore a prized gift.  Perhaps they don't care for dried fruit or were stumped over how to utilize them.  I'll never know the answer to these questions.  Thankfully, they weren't pitched into the kitchen garbage. The virtue of frugality is not lost on me.  Just goes to show - never question the value of a gift.  Be grateful and put it to good use - Acts 20:35. 

Quote Of The Day

This relief will provide much-needed certainty to farmers as they get this year’s harvest to market and look ahead to next year’s crops.  We’re going to make them so strong it will indeed be a golden age for farmers.

-President Donald Trump 

 

*Speaking about the latest farm bailout resulting from White House tariff policy 

More Agricultural Surrealism

President Trump announced yesterday a $12 billion bailout for struggling farmers as he looks to shore up the finances of some of his most loyal supporters whose financial fortunes have been hurt by his trade war.

During his first term, Mr. Trump directed more than $20 billion in economic support to farmers after China boycotted U.S. products in response to Mr. Trump’s tariffs.  Everything Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is enumerating are higher in price today largely as a consequence of import taxes.  You know - tariffs. 

 

This bailout is not a rescue. It is the predictable outcome of a policy cycle that begins with tariffs, produces retaliation, and ends with federal money used to shield a loyal constituency from damage the administration created.  This is absolutely exhausting. 

 

Tariffs were sold as strength. They functioned as economic self-harm. China responded exactly as every trade economist predicted, and farmers absorbed the shock. Now public money is used to steady a group valued for its political loyalty while other sectors harmed by the same policies are left to navigate the fallout alone. 

 

This selective insulation needs to be called-out. When government protects one constituency from the costs of its own decisions while allowing others to bear the full impact, accountability collapses. Policy becomes performance. Consequences become optional for some and unavoidable for others. Neither an economy or a democracy can function for long on that kind of asymmetry.

Create a problem, then drop $12 billion on the people who voted for this problem. Then blame Biden.

After all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over NYC Mayor-Elect Zorhan Mamdani; Trump and MAGA are going full on socialist. 

Surreal.

 

Of course, we've been to this rodeo before.... 

 

 

Giant Mountain Of Corn

While out of town earlier this month to chase pheasants in South Dakota I couldn't help but notice all the corn in eastern South Dakota and all across Minnesota.  Mile upon mile of standing corn, silage bags stuffed with hundreds of yards of corn and so much corn that the elevators have nowhere to go with it resulting in monstrous corn mountains and sometimes covered with a blue tarp.

 

No wonder corn prices are hitting the skids; US farmers are simply too efficient for their own good.

And I guess the problem extends to here too.  From WFRV in Green Bay there is this: 

More Soviet-Style Economics

Beef prices are up 15 percent over the past year according to federal inflation data released Friday.  One contributing factor is low supply and high demand.  The herd has shrunk as a consequence of recent droughts and high feed costs.  The second contributor is trade taxes (tariffs) on imported beef.  The high cost of beef has been a primary contributor to a price increase for groceries of 3.1 percent this year.

 

In another unsurprising example of his on-again, off-again trade policies - president Trump threw American ranchers under the bus with the announcement that he was unilaterally quadrupling beef imports from Argentina - tariff-free.  And that domestic beef producers should lower their beef prices in response.

 

The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil, Trump wrote on social media.

It would be nice if they would understand that, but they also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking, also!

Soybean farmers were among the first to find themselves in the crosshairs of Trump’s tit-for-tat tariffs with China. Since May, China has effectively boycotted American soybeans as a response.  And now it's the cattlemen.  This is absolutely exhausting.

The domestic agriculture sector is already struggling with the rising cost of fertilizer as a consequence of tariffs and labor shortages driven by the president's immigration agenda.  The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) suggested; The result is not merely a short-term disruption, it could signal a sweeping reconfiguration of global agricultural trade stretching from Latin America to Europe and Australia.  

I'm not a big fan of conspiracies although I'm not surprised if some ranchers believe this is driven by the president's desire to help out his buddy, Argentina President Javier Milei.

It likely is some of the foregoing along with an extra helping of old school centralized economic planning at the whim of one guy.  You know; Soviet-Style.

Exhausting

Depending on your priorities a lot can be done with $30 to $40 billion.

President Donald Trump has prioritized his friendship with the president of Argentina.

Javier Milei, nicknamed El Loco for his eccentric manners, is one of the few world leaders who attended Trump’s inauguration. Now, with his country facing a dire economic crisis, Trump is sending El Loco $40 billion in a not-at-all subtle effort to help him win reelection later this month.  Given the fact that Argentina's credit rating is basically junk you can kiss our money good bye.

And here’s the conundrum:  during Trump’s first term in office he started a trade war with China. When China responded by buying soybeans from Brazil instead of American farmers the resulting bailout cost all of us more than $35 billion.

Now, Trump’s doing it again, and another ginormous bailout will follow. 

America’s soybean crop is worth at least $30 billion. And once again, China pulled back and hasn’t bought any of our soybeans. Not a single, solitary, bean; much less the $12.6 billion they would have purchased from us at this same time a year ago.

So, where did China get their soybeans? 

Argentina.

The country now getting $40 billion from us.

Trump might have used that $40 billion to reinstate health insurance premium tax credits he insists on letting expire. So the government is shut down, Americans are seeing skyrocketing health insurance bills and farmers are hoping for a bailout check because the president wants to help a friend in a country that’s taking our spot in the global marketplace.

If you're still convinced this puts America First or if Argentina is ever going to pay us back you might just be El Loco. 

I don't see how any of this advances your and my prosperity and general lot in life.  For you readers who are Trump devotees I'm waiting for the explanation.  Meanwhile, all this winning is exhausting....

Bean Counter

President Trump's recent proposal to prop-up the troubled economy of his pal, Argentina President Javier Milei, with a $20 billion aid package his raised the hackles of Democrats and Republicans in farm states as farmers struggle under the burden of the president's on-again, off-again, tariff policies.  

China hasn't purchased a single soybean from the United States since May of 2025.  And following Treasury Secretary Scott Bissent's announcement of the aid package for Argentina the Chinese flipped us the bird and purchased 2.66 million tons of Argentinian soybeans after Argentina waived their grain export taxes.  

Naturally, American farmers who voted for Trump and elected Republican officials who represent them are becoming grumpy. 

In case you're wondering what this means in dollars and cents, a year ago China had already placed orders for 40% of our soybean exports.  This year; not a single shipment.  Not a single, solitary bean.  And because China retaliated for Trump's tariffs with tariffs on soybeans, US exports of the crop are already down 51% and $3.4 billion from 2024. 

I suppose I have to wonder if this is more about propping-up a Trump ally or a mercurial trade policy directed by executive order?  Your guess is as good as mine. 

Meanwhile, American soybean growers are struggling with balancing their checkbooks while White House trade policy has jacked-up the price of fertilizer (most of which comes from Canada), increased the cost of farm machinery and pretty much vaporized a significant segment of our agricultural export market.

What next?  The administration has already floated a plan to have US taxpayers bailout domestic farmers with billions upon billions of dollars for soybeans they cannot sell.   

Of course, we've been to this rodeo before; so I can predictably tell you how it likely plays-out.  Don't believe me?  Type: soybeans in the search box in the upper left corner of the blog homepage and you'll be privy to a walk down memory lane of Trump 1.0 agriculture policy.

Maybe some day we should have a discussion of old-school, Soviet-style, centralized economic planning.  Meanwhile, If you honestly believe any of this makes sense I'm all ears.....

What To See In The June Sky

There is an old saying about making hay while the sun shines - a recognition that farm chores last as long as there is daylight.  The last four weeks have been witness to my neighbors fetching their first cutting of hay; along with spreading manure, tilling, discing and planting.  It has been a busy place here in flyover country. 

We know that the summer solstice tomorrow marks the longest day of the year yet the latest sunset of 2025 doesn't occur on that date.  Let me explain.

Solstice Stone - Stonehenge, UK

The solstice marks the farthest point of advance in the sun's relentless march to the north, delivering the maximum daylight hours of the year for the Northern Hemisphere and the minimum daylight hours of the year for the Southern Hemisphere.  The solstice this month marks the beginning of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter in the Southern Hemisphere.  

The word solstice literally translates to: sun standing still.  Following this event the sun begins to march in the opposite direction and heads south with our daylight hours getting shorter.  Daylight will continue to dwindle until December 21 - The dark days of the winter solstice - and the first astronomical day of winter after which the process reverses and repeats itself.    

All of this aside, there is a curious paradox in play as a few evenings immediately following the solstice seemingly and inexplicably get brighter.  

If you were to check your Farmers' Almanac sunset tables on pages 150 and 151 you would note that at latitude 40 degrees north the sunset occurs at 8:33 every day from June 21st thru July 3rd.  On June 27th it will set a few seconds later compared to the 26th or 28th.  

What gives?

We all know that following the solstice the days grow shorter so logically the sun should be setting earlier, no?

Here in the northern hemisphere, where you live halfway between the equator and the north pole, on the 27th of June the sun will set just a few seconds later.  While this would seem to defy both logic and the science about days getting shorter; as a consequence of our elliptical orbit around the sun and the phenomenon astronomers call analemma the earth is several million miles farther from the sun and moving at the slowest speed around it. Which would explain the hiccup in the sun setting.

Most of you may not be making hay today; nevertheless, on Friday of next week enjoy a couple of extra seconds of sunlight as you take-in another sunset.

Cheers! 

Tour de Ferme

Only a few minutes from where I live is Brey Cycle Farm, LLC.  Recently I had an opportunity to pay a visit and receive a tour of the dairy operation.

Cycle Farm takes its name from the cycle of sustainability which is central to what they do.  All of their beef and dairy animals are born and raised on the farm here in Door County.  

Cycle Farm was established in 1904 by George Brey Sr., great-grandfather of Tony and Jacob  who purchased the farm from their parents Bill and Clarice Brey in 2016.  Today about 1,500 cows are milked and calves and heifers are raised.  Cycle Farm also raises Angus/Holstein crossbred beef animals along with custom heifers for other farms.  As stewards of the land high quality forage crops are grown on 2,000 acres of owned and rented land for livestock feed.  In addition to family members there are an additional twenty full-time employees and several part-time employees.

Cycle Farm is a  member of Peninsula Pride Farms, a farmer-led conservation group, and are participants in the Door-Kewaunee Demonstration Farms Network. 

Calves are fed mother's colostrum at birth to provide immunity and nutrition.  Housed in individual hutches for individual attention and health they are fed pasteurized milk twice a day along with fresh water.  After a week a grain mix is introduced to supplement the milk.  Calves are weaned after 60 days and moved to a group pen.  Feed is a total mixed ration (TMR) of forage, grains, minerals, vitamins, minerals and protein for balanced nutrition.

Maternity ward

Couple of hours old

Cows like moderate temperatures so they are housed in in freestall barns keeping them shaded and cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  This set-up allows the animals to eat, drink, move-about and lie down as they please while protecting them from inclement weather.  Cows are fed a custom TMR and have access to fresh water all the time and their pens are cleaned each time they are in the milking parlor.

TMR Cuisinart

 

Girls returning from milking parlor

Speaking of which, cows are creatures of habit consequently they are milked three times at the  same time each day.  The parlor can handle 26 cows at a time and machines keep track of pounds, temperature and quality with each animal producing an average of 10 gallons of milk daily.  Milk is shipped to Agropur in Luxemburg, WI for the production of mozzarella and provolone.

 

Bulk milk storage

Acreage is routinely tested for pH, organic matter, phosphorus and potassium.  Manure from the animals is stored in a pit until conditions are appropriate for application by spreading, injection or drag hose.  Testing is GPS managed, collecting 1 sample per 2.5 acres to determine nutrient levels impacted by soil types and previous crops grown.  An agronomist determines application rates depending-upon soil needs.

In 2021 - 140 acres were converted to paddocks for grazing heifers and beef cattle.  Management-intensive grazing is a flexible approach to rotational grazing influenced by paddock size, stocking density and length of grazing.  Adjustments are made throughout the grazing season balancing forage supply with animal demand.

In 2024 a screw-press separator was acquired to recycle manure solids for bedding instead of purchasing sand.  The device removes undigested fiber in the manure from the liquid and through a simple drying process produces green bedding to keep the animals comfortable in their stalls.

You won't find Brey beef sold in a local grocery; you can call or order online for pick-up at their farm store located at 2190 County Road O, Sturgeon Bay.  They offer Bargain Bundle and Freezer Filler packages for a volume discount or you can purchase a package of burgers, wieners, or a steak or roast.  Breyfamilybeef@gmail.com or (920) 639-4742.   You can learn more on Facebook and visit Brey Family Beef. 

French Vosgienne breed - solitary animal

 

 

First Tractor

In my life I've owned two of these; a 1950 and a 1952 8N.  They're both gone now; but they were my workhorses in the early years.

The Ford N-Series refers to a line of tractors produced by Ford from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. These tractors revolutionized farming with their affordability, reliability, and ease of use. The series includes some of the most famous tractors in history.

Key Models:

1. 9N (1939-1942)

   • First model in the series, introduced in 1939.
   • Featured a 3-speed transmission.
   • Used the Ferguson three-point hitch system, which became a standard in the industry.

2. 2N (1942-1947)

   • Introduced during World War II with minor improvements.
   • Had steel wheels and magneto ignition in some versions due to wartime material shortages.

3. 8N (1947-1952)

   • The most popular of the N-Series, with over 500,000 units produced.
   • Featured a 4-speed transmission and improved hydraulics.
   • Increased horsepower and other refinements made it one of the best-selling tractors of its time.

Impact of the N-Series:

• The Ford N-Series tractors were pivotal in mechanizing small farms across America.
• They introduced affordable, easy-to-maintain tractors to a broader market.
• The success of the N-Series helped establish Ford as a major player in the agricultural equipment industry.

Thankfulness

As per usual the Thanksgiving Holiday falls during deer camp.  This year it’s just Jill and I as nobody wants to be with us.  Which is just fine.  It’s a relaxing day of filling the wood box, drinking coffee, stuffing and roasting a big, fat chicken, maybe chilling-out in a deer stand for a couple of hours followed by sitting by the fire.

I've been counting my blessings because I've got a great deal to be thankful for.  My family, my friends, neighbors, reasonably good health, my marbles, a comfortable retirement, a new hunting dog and the great outdoors.  Let's face it - we live in the best country on planet earth.

 

An additional ray of sunshine is this bit of news:   According to the American Farm Bureau Survey this year's Thanksgiving dinner will see a dip in price for the second year in a row.  Thanksgiving dinner for ten will set you back $58.08, down 5% from last year; yet still 19% higher than five years ago.

 

Over the 39 years the Bureau has kept records the turkey has accounted for an average of 43% of the total dinner cost.  This year is no different - a 16-pound turkey accounts of 44.2% of the 10-person feast.  2024 brought a 6% decrease in turkey prices - a surprise considering  the USDA reported that growers raised 6% fewer birds this year and the lowest number since 1985.  In further evidence that presidents do not set the price of your turkey dinner contributors to the decline in turkey numbers have been the highly contagious avian influenza along with a drop in consumer demand.  This drop in demand has caused prices to fall.

 

There is some stuff in our world that can be improved-upon; yet on balance this is a terrific time to be alive.  If you glass is half-full like mine take a moment to count your blessings.  We have much to be thankful-for.

 

The staff here at The Platz extends their best wishes to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.   

Gobble, gobble...