It Smells Like Ladybuy Pee?

If people every worried about ladybugs going extinct, they could rest assured the population that exists in our house could probably replace the wild population. They have a very healthy residence in very peculiar rooms in our house. In particular, they like to inhabit my son's room, our master bathroom, and the laundry room. I rarely see one in our living room, but walk into H's room and it is like a ladybug metropolis. I can vacuum them up, get every last one, and the next day they reappear, by the dozens, as if by magic.

Luke orders live ladybugs to help control aphids in the greenhouse. It works wonders. No chemicals involved, and the ladybugs really do their job. Sometimes I wonder if Luke accidentally released them in the house, with how many we have. He swears he didn't, but I have to wonder. There have been many occasions where he brings one or two into the house by accident. They travel aimlessly on his Carhart pants, only to find themselves in some new paradise, most likely Henry's room. I find them to be a mild annoyance, Luke finds them to be an essential farm employee.

Luke orders ladybugs by the quart. How many ladybugs is that?  About 20,000!!! (If you ever want ladybugs for your own purposes, check out http://www.thebeneficialinsectco.com/aphid-control-ladybugs.htm ). He releases them into the greenhouse; a location that he himself spends countless hours. Needless to say, he knows the little creatures well. I had no idea how well he knew them until a recent candlelight diner.

It was a peaceful night. Henry was in bed, dinner was made, and the wine was on the table. Lights were out, candles were lit, and we were conversing about our days. Out of nowhere Luke says "It smells like ladybug pee."

"What?" I ask, confused. The dinner I made smelt delicious, delicious aromas of pork filling our house and enticing our tastebuds. How on earth could it smell like ladybug pee? What does ladybug pee even smell like?

Luke said "Didn't you tell me that when a ladybug lands on you, it pees?"

I think my face let him know I had no idea what he was talking about.

Luke continued, "Well, whatever it is, it has a distinct smell. Trust me, I am with them all the time. I know."

My face, still blank.

Luke went on further, "Seriously Mel, I mean it. I bet there is a ladybug by us." He seemed like a lunatic, but being a scientist myself, I had to check the theory. So, I started looking around. I stood up, walked behind him, and sure enough, crawling on his left shoulder was a ladybug.

I know my profession well. I know the ins and outs of my students, and can read many of them like a book. But to recognize the excrement smell of an insect - well that is just beyond me. Impressive, to say the least.

Growing in Antarctica

At this very moment in Wisconsin, it would be easier to grow in Antarctica than it would here in Wisconsin. A continent covered in ice 100% of the time - and our greenhouses would be doing better if we moved them down there.

Okay - sure, we can ignore the obvious fact that it is summer there, and winter here. But still, it is crazy to think about. They have warmer conditions and 23 hours of daylight - our greenhouses would do awesome.

Allow me to demonstrate via picture:

This first image is a screenshot of current conditions at Camp Esperanza, Antarctica:

And here we have a screenshot of current conditions in Green Bay, WI:

So, if we look at the windchill, we can compare -32 in Green Bay to 13 in Antarctica. Anyone up for a vacation? Because 13 sounds balmy :)

But seriously, I will admit I have been questioning the value of keeping our greenhouses alive. Luke currently has a fire going in each greenhouse wood furnace, and the propane furnaces haven't turned off either. Combine that with the propane shortage that puts propane at $4.50/gallon, and we are basically throwing money up into those 30 mile per hour windgusts!

I am certain any customer eating our kale, spinach, or salad mix will appreciate the healthy, delicious, local product this time of year, but I can't wait for 20 degrees. Positive 20, that is.

It's Simple: DIY

Have you ever tried a DIY project? "Do-it-yourself." What a simple sentence. As I was writing this blog, I realized we have a DIY lifestyle. You know,  when you are a young couple living on a farm, you get all sorts of opinions about your lifestyle. Some people think we are hippies (so not correct), others think that we are work-obsessed and trapped by our lifestyle (a little correct), but the number one thought I hear is something like "It is so neat what you do; I wish I could do something like that." Even if they don't say they wish they could be farmers, they tell us how "neat" it is what we are doing. And today I realized I want to figure out why that is the comment that I got twice at farmer's market today.

So, I started to ponder - why would everyone say what we do is so neat, so intriguing? What a simple thing to say, but the reality is (and I'm not bigheaded) that this lifestyle is not for 99% of people. I don't know that I am even one of the 99% of people that this lifestyle is for, but I give it my best effort! The fact of the matter is, it is so easy for people to say, but not do. I remember back to when Luke told me he wanted to be a farmer, and I too thought it was simple.

If I flashback to that moment, I remember it quite clearly. We were walking to Picnic Point in Madison, Luke a college sophomore and me a college junior. We were in a very long distance relationship - six hours apart and seeing each other once a month. Luke told me that he didn't think he was happy with his major, that he was thinking of making a change. And then he said it,

"Mel, I want to be a farmer." A simple sentence - and yet how could I ever know the complexity, the adventure, the journey it would bring me. We talked about his plans, his dreams, and the passion in his voice shined through in that moment. That may be the thing I love most about Luke - his passion; he can intoxicate people with his passion for what he does. The rest of that day, our talk of the future, was clouded by learning that Luke would need to transfer closer to me in school.

And that summer, the farm began. The roots of our DIY life. Luke interned on another organic farm, but he also started his own. Twin Elm Gardens was born in 2008. I can't believe where the time has gone - from a small vegetable garden to where we are now. Meager beginnings: our first farmer's market we had zucchini and some greens - I think we made $75 total. And now we have a farmhouse that we can call our own, a family, a dog, two greenhouses, pigs, chickens, ducks, a barn, tractor - all a simply beautiful farming life. And we provide local food for people all over the Green Bay region, from our restaurants, to our CSA program, to farmer's markets.

I think in this complex, money-ridden, fast-paced society, what people are truly enthralled by is the simple concept of providing for ourselves. Slowly but surely, the shift in perception is to support local, to "do-it-yourself." I used to spend hours on pinterest, looking up DIY craft projects. I never stopped to realize that right there in front of me, our farm is the best DIY project we ever took on!