“Let us put our minds together and see what future we can make for our children.”
–Sitting Bull
The holidays are behind us, but spring is in the future … this always feels like a “blah” time of year, doesn’t it? Caught in the middle of two busy seasons, what are we supposed to do? My first suggestion to anyone who asks is to read. Read books, blogs, magazines, and websites (yes, hello, it’s us). You name it, I say read it. This is the time of year to gather all the information you could imagine on your projects, get ’em planned out, and set ’em in motion. I’d love to hear from you about your winter and early spring projects!
Maybe you want to raise heritage pigs? Kenny Coogan spoke with the Choctaw tribe about their hardy breed (“Hardy Choctaw Pigs,”). Want to incubate some new poultry? Try peacocks (I’m a bit biased, they’re truly my favorite bird) and check out Successfully Incubating Peahen Eggs for some tips. Are you a budding beekeeper who wants to build hives in spring? Well, we’ve got a project for you to schedule in your annual beekeeping calendar. From goats to gardens, columbines to chukar hunting, Scouts to snow, and livelihoods to livestock, we hope you find something that speaks to you in this issue of Grit, and that sparks a desire to research more deeply during this “in-between” season.
While we’re looking forward, remember that a whole group of people out there are coming to fill our shoes, as it were: the kids. Growin’ Up Gritty is a spotlight for the youth in ag we need. Who’s going to raise food when the rest of us get to the point where we no longer can? Well, the youth. Grit has had a mission since 1882: to encourage community and inspire passion in the rural peoples of our country. The best way to do that is to encourage our kids. Let’s do the future a favor and set us all up for success.
