The farmer, Kate Donald, from Stout Oak Farm (formerly from Willow Pond Farm) taught me a great deal about farming. The day she announced, "Today we will be squishing bugs," my nose instantly scrunched up and I thought, "Hmm, I don't do that." She did at least give me the option to wear gloves, or pick them off and step on them, or drop them into a bucket of water. I chose gloves and proceeded to watch in amazement as Kate, fearlessly squished a multitude of bugs with her bare hands. This is the day I knew what it really took to be a farmer.
I am proud to say I have been able to move on to squishing a few bugs with my bare hands. I can handle cucumber beetles and adult colorado potato beetles no problem. I don't even think twice of putting them between my index finger and thumb, and giving a good squeeze. I still have my limits though, and I have some room to grow before I call myself a "real" farmer. I still have to use my foot to step on cut worms, and cabbage loopers. A good rock does the trick as well. And I fear people will worry about my sanity, if I reveal my method of eliminating a tomato hornworm.
The insect that is haunting me right now, is the colorado potato beetle larvae (see picture above). They are covering my potatoes right now, and I end up spending a good 30 minutes every week, lowering the population. I can not bare to enter into the potato patch without a thick amour of gardening gloves. I think next time I will add face mask and sports glasses, because today, two of them squirted me right in my eyes.
Now I have friends that will be completely appalled by this blog, and a Buddhism practicing cousin who studies with the Dali Lama, who I'm sure will have other definitions of who may be a real farmer, but in organic farming, if you want your crops to survive, squishing bugs is a perfectly reasonable farming regimen. So if anyone would like to become a "real" farmer, come on over. I've got some bugs to squish!