Adaptation

It is the first of August today and is set to be another day into the 90s.  Seems normal enough, being the heart of summer.  But within the context of the whole period, here in Pennsylvania, it has been another season of adaptation.  There have been above average temperatures and a June that acted quite a lot like August normally does.  In other words, it was up and down weather that made for some serious adaptation needed by farmers.

                 Adaptation is a part of life whether we like it or not.  When we adapt, we can grow and learn, and it can help us be better prepared for future obstacles that we just don’t see coming. 

                This season, I have seen farmers dealing with fly pressure and pink eye more than I ever have working in agriculture.  From late springtime up until now, there seemed to be heavy fly pressure and cases of pinkeye reported.  This was a situation in which many folks had to adapt to deal with something they had never really experienced on a high level.  Personally, I think it was a bad weather situation that really exacerbated the problem.  And this caused some folks to have to treat more, or even where they had never really done so before at all. 

                Mostly folks would feed Kelp Meal to help combat the pink eye.  And if one can get a hold of animal, Dr. Paul’s Super Wound Spray is often used as well.  And this year, folks had to adapt by moving animals and using higher rates and doses.  This was unprecedented for many folks too, “this is the worst it’s been in 10+ years milking cows organically,” said one dairyman.  He just wasn’t used to running into the problem on this scale. 

                Fertrell’s Fly Aside Mineral and Fly Aside Liquid are also great tools to help with the fly pressure.  However, the mineral should be fed early in spring or late winter to give the animals time to build up defenses.  It is not developed as a quick fix rescue remedy.  That is where the liquid would come into play.  This highlights again the importance of diversity when it comes to tackling problems in an organic farming setting.  The more tools one has on the belt, the better off they’ll be in fighting the toughest of problems.  This year, folks were using all the tools they could find.

                And again, it was an unprecedented season for dealing with these issues.  And people were challenged with having to take on these problems through adaptation and hard work.  Point being, there’ll always be new challenges coming head on.  And we are all always going to have to adapt and shift what we are doing to find continued successes. 

                Farming is a constant fight with weather.   And as it grows more unpredictable, agriculturalists are challenged every season with new difficulties.  And with adaptation, these challenges can be met and overcome.  It is really another reminder that none of us have it all figured out.  We only really know that there will someday be new challenges ahead, and that we always must adapt and persevere.