Storyboard week 13

I thought it would be neat to take one of Kendra's podcasts and have her speak over pictures of all the homestead blogs that I used in my paper. I am going to use the podcast in which she explains the many motivations of the modern homesteader. I am going to play it over a song by my friends (and also, homesteaders, the band Waterdeep) song, Cold. It feels organic and just seems to fit the vibe.

This is a screen shot of the first slide that will play. It will look like a photo album and then all the pictures will fade in , bounce in and out of the screen.

Archival Materials Week 10

I think I had a world of archival materials at my fingertips due to the nature of my fieldsite. Most everything I was digging into were blog posts anywhere from 2 months to 2 years old. I mentioned in my "intro" paper that I found a section on Kendra's website titles "The Adventures of Butterberry Farms" and it was amazing. It contained blogs that ran a course of 2 years and its documented the very beginnings of Kendra's journey into homesteading. It was really cool because I felt like I was witnessing her growth little by little as she became more literate in this culture. It was also really neat because when I first visited her website, I felt like she knew so much and she must have grown up that way or been doing it for so long so I think its an encouragement for her readers to have this on her blog. I think it helps them understand its a journey and a process and it takes time but that anyone can do it! All of the blog posts are pretty much archival items and our crucial to my research.

Lives on the Boundary week 11

Rose is speaking of a figurative boundary, a boundary that divides the poor and underprivileged from those with more resources. This book focuses on those who have been left behind, despite the huge amount of potential each one possesses, most times, simply, due to tests and evaluations that have assessed them as slow learners, problem students or remedial. 

Testing is one of the boundaries he talks about over and again. In his book he mentions a Hispanic student who failed first grade and after testing was put into the "developmental" classes for slow learners for the next 5 years. She said she couldn't even read and write. When her cousins, who had been in the country for awhile and could speak well, came over and asked her to read for them, she couldn't and they realized there was a real problem. All because of a test, one test, she was dubbed as remedial and she stayed there because her true potential as a learner and/or literate person was never tapped into, never given the chance to grow and develop. 

In regards to being "on the boundary," I think I have been privileged in being a student that, while we were typically struggling financially most all of my life, attended a great school. My dad made sure we were in one of the best suburban school districts in Central Columbus. I also am a Native speaker and I think because of both of these things I started off with an advantage in the school system. I am not sure that I really ever felt slighted or that I was "on the boundary."


I liked the book well enough but I think I felt pretty overwhelmed again. This is hard material to come face to face with. I think Rose is an encouragement of the potential that you can reach and that your ethnicity and socio-economic status shouldn't dictate your level of education because they don't affect whether a child has the capacity for learning. 

Update

Well, so far I have the intro and methods section done on my paper. I am beginning to write my "answers" section now as I am beginning to see some trends emerge. I think what I am ultimately finding in regards to motivation is that there is not just one but there are a lot of different motivators. Each woman has some sort of catalyst that kick started this journey but eventually each one of the those"motivators" is important/essential to "why" these women homestead.

I am still clueless as to what to use for a visual aid, I guess I am not completely sure I understand what is required and what exactly is expected??

Methods

Methods

The homesteading culture is a little bit different of a culture in that it exists collectively but not in one place. That being said I had to be creative with the methods in which I studied this culture. As previously stated, I happened upon a homesteading blog and from this blog I uncovered a whole world of homesteading blogs. I realized that these blogs were the community, this was where these homesteaders met and discussed. Rather than having a “club” or “meeting” time where they could exchange helpful hints and laughable stories, they could meet virtually in their kitchens over a cup of coffee and on their own time.

With this understanding in mind I realized that I would have to collect, observe and engage with this group entirely online (though I did some face to face interviews with local women who are interested in homesteading or are beginning on their journey). There were three primary methods I used to collect my information: interviews, books and following blogs, one blog specifically.

The original blog I found was by the woman I mentioned earlier and was called New Life on a Homestead. I made a point to go to Kendra's blog a few times a week if not everyday. She was really great at posting at least three new blogs a week and she would also have guest posts from other homesteaders, bee-keepers or preppers, really anyone that she thought would benefit her readers. I also uncovered a section of Kendra's blog called “The Adventures of Butterberry Farms.” Butterberry Farms was the name her friend Ms.Addy gave to her homestead. This section of her blog is kind of “where it all began.” Kendra's very first blog was actually a blog committed to coupon-ing and frugal shopping, it gave tips on how to save money. But as she stated, once she met Ms. Addy she was forever changed. Butterberry Farms is where New Life on a Homestead begins to evolve and come alive. Kendra gives us a glimpse into Ms. Addy's life and how it shaped her, this is where she was introduced to homesteading and this is where the ideas and concepts that support and define this lifestyle begin to unfold.

Kendra has another section on her blog called “Prepping and Politics,” and under this section she has podcasts of a radio show that she hosted for about 6 months on Prepper Podcast. This was the first time in my research that I heard the term “prepper.” The term seems to be almost synonymous with homesteading but could also be defined as a survivalist or someone making preparations in advance in case of a change in normal circumstances or an emergency (i.e. economic crisis). Listening to these podcasts was a huge assest to my research. I transcribed parts of the first two podcasts. I only chose the first two because they were foundational ideas into understanding the homesteading movement and Kendra defines them as such. I also decided only to transcribe these two because these podcasts were anywhere from an hour to two hours and just transcribing 10 minutes took me almost a half hour, so it was tedious work to say the least (not to mention I had an hour interview with Kendra that I still had to transcribe). In her first radio show she actually lists the reasons/motivators of why people chose the homesteading lifestyle. When I heard this I felt like I found a buried treasure.

Apart from, but connected to, Kendra's blog I also conducted interviews. Kendra was kind enough to refer some other homesteaders who could help me with a couple interviews. This was incredibly gracious of her because I found when I contacted homesteaders for an interview I wasn't hearing back from anyone. But the moment I sent emails to the women that she suggested and I mentioned her name I was granted permission to interview them. I wondered if I just happened to email very busy women or if this community was skeptical of outsiders coming around asking questions. To that question, I have not found an answer, but I received some great interviews. I offered the women two ways to do the interview, skype or via email. All the women chose email and Kendra consented to both. I sent an email with a list of questions I formulated after studying Kendra's website and then once I received their responses I sent follow up emails with more questions that I had in connection to their answers. I also interviewed a neighbor of mine who has her own homestead here in the city. She grinds her own wheat, makes her own yogurt, grows her own food, makes her own beauty supplies (shampoo, deodorant, soap, etc) and is a stay at home mom. She seemed to be doing so many of the things that I was seeing on Kendra's and these other ladies websites, so it was a great way to have another interview from a different angle. I made sure to ask questions that were open ended and tried to make sure that they were clear and concise. I didn't want to be confusing or misleading and I really wanted to give them an opportunity to have their voice heard, I wanted this to be their interview. Most of the questions were about them, where they came from and how they got here (homesteading).

The last way that I collected data was from books. A couple of the books I have on hand are ones that really opened my eyes to homesteading in the first place. The Backyard Homestead and The Urban Homestead are two books that I checked out from the library this summer and that I have kept on hand now through this project. While these books didn't necessarily answer my question about motivations, it garnered my understanding of what homesteading is, means and looks like. According to these books, it's anything from raising chickens, to canning, to growing medicinal herbs, solar power, wood cook stoves and so much more. These books also teach about “how” to do these things and how to do them in the city which is a twist on homesteading. The Backyard Homestead even guides you in how to utilize all the space you have to provide food for your family for a year, which is pretty interesting. I did find a book though that was not only thought provoking but also could possibly play a role or maybe just influence or even solidify motivations for homesteading. The book is titled Henry and the Great Society. I found it through Kendra's blog as a recommendation from Ms. Addy and so I checked it out from the library. The library didn't carry it because it seems kind of like an “underground” book but they were able to get it for me through the inter-library loan system. The Cumberland books website describes the book as “the story of Henry, a man living in a cultural cul-de-sac, pursuing a way of life that was perhaps a hundred years behind the times, and what happens to him when modern living suddenly becomes a possibility. A series of seemingly inconsequential decisions, each one apparently beneficial in itself, inexorably destroys the self-sufficient, productive, peaceful, and satisfied Henry, transforming him into a thoroughly modern man—dependent, debt-ridden, unhealthy, overworked, worried. Henry's family is destroyed as his wife and children find lives to live outside the home. Because H.L. Roush (the author) barely fleshes out the characters of Henry, his wife Esther, and his children, it is that much easier for the reader to project himself into the story. Every time Henry takes another step away from agrarianism and towards The Great Society, your heart sinks and you want to shout out a warning—Don't do it, Henry! Don't you see what a high price you'll pay for such a trivial gain?—but all the while you know that you were just as prone as Henry to have chosen the same path.” It's a short read and a heart-wrenching story with a rather bleak ending but I think it resonates with so many of the families who are longing for a more simple and self-sufficient way of life. I think this book has the power to either reinforce belief systems that are already in place or to push those looking on from afar right over the edge, head first into homesteading.

Through these various methods of research I feel like I was able to gain invaluable insight into this virtual yet very tangible community of homesteaders. I was also able to begin to feel like a part of the community and more importantly uncover some of the key motivators that led these women (sorry gentlemen but your presence wasn't felt) to this new yet old type of lifestyle.  

Reflective Memo

Reflective Memo #1

My whole field site is an online community, so everything I am reading is extremely important and imperative to my research of this community. It is my only access really to my community of research as most women who have a homestead are living on land in the country, typically. And seeing as how I am in the city, it makes it difficult to find/know homesteaders.

I have found in my observing up to this point that reading different blogs, two in particular are incredibly insightful into the attitudes, beliefs and positions of homesteaders. I have recently discovered trend in homesteaders, they mostly tend to be Christians. I think I found a profile of one follower who neither professed nor denied their faith, so that is more ambiguous but every other blog or website I have read has a scripture on the main page or they talk about their Christian faith in the “About” section of their site. I thought this was very interesting. I myself am a believe and I know how my faith plays a role in my interests and desire for homesteading but it was really neat to see that theme in theses women's lives, yes they are all women. This is another trend I have noticed. All these sites are run by women, not that their husbands don't play a role but they are the ones blogging. So I wonder if men would refer to themselves as homesteaders or how they view their role on the homestead? These are good questions to ask in more upcoming interviews. Most of the sites are dedicated to helping one another with handy tips on home remedies, raising children, gardening, etc. They are for the new and experienced homesteader. The goal seems to encourage each other in more sustainable living and helping each other learn from their mistakes or to learn short cuts, that way they can still have time to spend on what is important to the homesteader, family.

I have loved what I have been reading. I have been learning so much and I feel like there are so many aspects to homesteading from house cleaning, budgeting, raising kids, raising chickens, laundry, gardening, canning, preserving..the list goes on and on and these women amaze me! One woman on her blog said, and I love this quote, “ going back to a simpler way of life (is what they have chosen) but simpler isn't always easy...making things from scratch takes time and money. Finding good resources takes time and loads of effort (it's) hard work. I am here to try and help.” This I think sums up what the homesteading community is about, at this point in my research. It seems to be about helping one another because it is a lot of work and if they can learn from another they can save each other from some headaches and have more time to spend on what's important to them. Each of these women are uniquely invaluable resources to the greater homesteading community.  

GLOSSARY

Glossary of Terms

homestead- a place where one makes their home and lives off the land. connected to sustainable living. 

bee-keeping- a way of farming honey from honeybees on your homestead.

homemaking-housekeeping, housework, household management including but not limited to raising children, cooking and cleaning. 

lasagna method- also called sheet composting, its a way of creating rich soil in you garden without tilling, you layer compost-able material such as grass clipping, newspaper, old fruits/vegetables, manure, etc. 

tilling-preparing, cultivating land for crops. it's like loosening the dirt to make it fluffy, so its good for drainage and so the roots can grow deep.  you can do it by hand with a shovel or hoe or use a machine. 

crop- fruits or vegetables that are grown/harvested, can also refer to amount of that fruit or vegetable. 

season- certain time of year when certain crops are planted/harvested. 

10-10-10- a kind of fertilizer containing 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphate and 10% potash.

raised beds- a form of gardening where you create a 3-4 ft. box on top of the ground and fill it with nutrient rich soil/compost, it helps to prevent/control weeds, extends growing season, and reduces need to use poor native soil. 

water bath- a method of canning where you place sealed glass jars with new lids into a big stock pot of hot water and boil for a certain amount of minutes depending on elevation .

canning- a method of food preservation where you take the harvested crop and jar it and use hot water bath or pressure canner to heat it and seal it to prevent botulism or bacteria. 

Pressure canner- another way of canning that gets heat up higher than water bath by sealing in pressure, need to use this for canning things such as carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. 

tattler- a brand of reusable canning lids

guinea fowl- a type of egg laying fowl 

fowl- bird kept for its eggs. 

menu planning- way of organizing meals for the week/month and a way of budgeting in attempts to live more frugally. 

hull- to remove the outer covering of a seed or fruit 

 

My first impressions of the farmers market were that this was a really big place and the fact that it had a permanent structure, made me a bit skeptical. The farmers markets I was used to in Columbus were help on the “Main St.”of the city or suburb and was comprised of lost of make shift tents and long plastic foldable tables. The farmers came each saturday to sell their produce, meat, etc. So, to see a structure that stayed open every day of the week, made me hesitant to take the seller's word that this was really from a local farm and not some commercial farm that was shipping in it's produce. Even as I walked by tables laden with packages of “fresh” berries, I noticed that they were from “California,” now I am not sure how “fresh” berries can be coming in from the other side of the country.

The farmers market also seemed to sell a lot of goods that I wouldn't have thought to be typical of a farmer but seemed to fit in better at an artisan market. Such as specialty dog treats, flavored popcorn (which smelled amazing), sugar coated nuts, and even clothing. Maybe I am just narrow-minded and only think of food and food that can be grown or fresh food. But I wasn't expecting this. The smell of the popcorn seemed to follow me around the whole market, it was a great smell, just not what I had expected to smell at a farmers market.

I felt comfortable in this place as a consumer but the second I sat with a pen and paper to take in my scenery, I immediately felt eyes on me, cynical eyes. And I felt like I needed to defend myself. What if I had just been journaling for personal reasons and it had nothing to do with a research project. I wonder if I would have felt the same need to defend myself? It was a gorgeous day, brisk air with the sun shining, and a temperature of about 72 degrees out. I am nervous to continue to return to this space and fearful of my interviews with consumers/sellers. I don't want them to be on the defense but I feel like based on my experience this past saturday that it may be inevitable. I am already thinking of ways to record my information less conspicuously. Maybe, I'll use my phone and speak into my headphone which have a built in microphone or I can just take a smaller notepad?

I knew I was an outsider and could be recognized by the fact that I had a huge backpack on with my pen and paper in hand. Everyone around me was either actively selling or carrying plastic bags, recyclable bags or wheeling smaller coolers around. The fact that I was not a seller and had nothing that I had bought in my hands was a dead giveaway that I was an outsider. My husband had dropped me off and taken our goods back with him. I was thinking while I was sitting there that maybe I should have kept my bags or maybe I should buy something else. So even if I cause suspicion, I am still supporting the market.

I interviewed Smiley, of Smiley's produce and he confirmed a lot of my suspicions saying, “There's only a few people here who are actually farmers. Half the people that sell here are just one step away from being on the streets.” And when I asked him why people should support farmers market, he replied with, “You know why you should eat local...cheaper, fresher, tastes better.” And I replied that yes, I knew why and that was exactly why I did.

(These were just my first impressions after my first day at my site interviewing. However, this site will be changing to following an online blog on homesteading.)

I drew a picture of the 2 barn like structures and labeled some of the places that stuck out to me most. I noticed that the back barn was fairly empty and that most of the sellers were using trailers, foldable tables and tents to house their products. Whereas, the first barn looked like most of the sellers areas were permanent fixtures with electric registers, walk in coolers and heavy shelves and furniture. This led me to believe that these sellers are here most of the week and have staked their claim on the land.

I also had suspicions, that were confirmed during an interview, that most of the sellers were not farmers but rather were selling produce from commercial farms most of which were not even local. Kind of defeats the purpose of my attending a farmers market, local farmers? So I kind of saw a trend, based on a local farmer selling there, that the actual farmers stayed to the left side of the front barn or in between the barns or in the half empty back barn. On my first trip to the market this local area is where I hung because it's what I knew, these are the vendors that I buy from for my family, so I thought why not start with what you know?! This coming week I hope to venture over to the "other side."

"Look at your fish!"

The object I chose was an empty glass milk bottle that I got from the farmers market. My husband and I go every Saturday to get our favorite milk, amongst other things, from JD Farms. The glass bottle has their logo on it, its a little barn and silo with a cow and the words "JD country milk" Russellville, KY. It also says it's all natural grade A milk, low temp pasteurized at 150 degrees and non-homogenized. At the very bottom of the bottle is a bible scripture "This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." The bottle says its 64 oz but it looks bigger, that's probably because of the shape and the thick glass. It has grooves in one side of it to grab for easy pouring. The top has a plastic handle for transporting milk to the car and into the home if you have multiple jugs. On the back of the bottle it tells a little more about the farm, who they are and what they believe. It tells you that this is a family business (which my husband and I know, because its the sons who make the trip every saturday from kentucky to nashville,tn.), that the milk is natural and fresh. It tells you a little about the cows too! The cows roam on green pastures of chemical free grass and have been injected with no artificial hormones or antibiotics. They make a promise to the consumer to "treat our cows with respect. Happy cows produce healthy milk." The bottom of the bottle says "stanpac" which when I researched is an Ontario based company that sell packaging for dairy products, one being these half gallon glass bottles. The glass bottle is a great option for packaging milk for many reasons. Glass bottles can be sterilized and re-used. Helping reduce waste produced from plastic milk jugs. Another is it is more friendly to the enviroment, one site states that "Plastic is made from petroleum, and its manufacture is highly polluting. In fact, making one 16 oz bottle out of #1 plastic generates 100 times the toxic emissions as making the same bottle out of glass." Another benefit is the flavor, it locks in the same farm fresh flavor, without the free of chemicals seeping into your milk. The same website states that, "Some people have raised concerns about chemicals leaching from plastic. And nowhere is this more worrying than when the plastic is used to hold our food. Glass, on the other hand, is known to be safe." And lastly, the glass milk bottle is nostalgic. But more than nostalgia, I think this is pointing to something greater. The idea of doing things as they were done before technology, consuming food the way our grandparents did, is what I think this generation is heading towards. The milk is not only from a local farmer who you can know, in a glass milk bottle but the milk is pasteurized at a low temperature. High temperature pasteurization helps extend a milks shelf life but kills the good enzymes and bacteria that your body needs. But who wouldn't rather have fresh milk every week that tastes better and is better for you? When you buy locally you don't have to think about extending a shelf life because of the transport from a big factory many states away to your grocery. This is something else we can learn just by examining the bottle.

There is a new trend of farmers markets popping up all over the country and in Nashville, it is now possible to attend some sort of farmers market somewhere in the city Monday through Friday. Now,\ that's pretty sweet if you ask me. 

Mini-study

I spent my time at Bongo Java watching and taking field notes. I chose this location as my field site for a couple reasons. One is that I love coffee and I could drink while I watched and secondly, it's a close location for campus, making it easy to visit often.

I made myself comfortable each time on the outside patio. I visited twice for this study and both times, it was a gorgeous outside. The sun was shining , the temperature was around 70-72 degrees, though it felt warmer with the sun on you. I longed to take in a lungful of fresh fall air but was choked up by all the smoke. It seemed that over 50% of people sitting on the patio outside were smokers. Due to Nashville laws about smoking inside restaurants, that includes coffee shops, it made sense that people would be smoking outsides. However, we are on a college campus, so the majority of people at this coffee shop were students, evidenced by all the bookbags and backpacks propped next to their owners. Again, it made sense then that there would be smoking at this location since Belmont is a smoke-free campus. Still, I couldn't help but be taken back by the fact that these smokers were so young. With all the literature and advertisements about the harmful effects of smoking, I am perplexed. Could it be the pressures of school? Is it a casual thing? Whatever the reasons, I am sure they are vast and I was just observing and not asking questions.

Bongo seems to be the hub of social activity for campus students. A way to feel away from campus but still close enough to take a quick coffee/cigarette break. Most of the people I watched on the patio were talking, there were a few people reading or on their computers, but this seemed to be a time to catch up with old and new friends. There was a couple, on my first visit, sitting right next to me, who appeared to be on a first date of sorts. She sat very closed off, upright with her hands in her lap and her legs crossed. They bounced back and forth with stories of where they were from, interests, etc. He seemed more comfortable and he leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

Another trend I noticed at Bongo was all the plaid. There was literally one table of 5 young men, all in plaid, not to mention the other plaid strewn across the patio like a splatter of paint. It felt like 6th grade all over again for me, I could hear Nirvana playing in the background of my mind.

These visits just touched the surface but two trends I noticed were plaid and smoking. I would be curious to see if those two were connected somehow; if it has anything to do with image? Curious.

Research Ideas

Homesteading (Urban?)

I think I would like to investigate, locally, the recent resurgence of homesteading in our country. Possibly follow a couple blogs, online groups and possibly meet with a couple local women who have their very own homestead. I think the question here would be what is the motivation? Or why have a homestead? What are the benefits of a homestead? Something along those lines. 

As of now, I don't know of another idea of something I would be interested in researching. I think I am pretty sure I will go the homestead route. That could all change but it's something I am very interested in learning more about.


***I am now considering changing my topic because it may prove to be rather difficult to study my fieldsite via the web. I am not exploring the idea of the farmers market and why to shop locally. I would attend the Nashville Farmers Market on Saturdays during their busiest time and watch listen smell and also, dialogue with the farmers and the consumers. 

Double Entry Notes from the Bongo (Java that is)

What surprised me?
I was surprised by the fact that I couldn't even smell the fresh air let alone much else due to all the cigarette smoke. I did get a whiff of a yummy smelling breakfast burrito for about 20 seconds before it was vaporized by more smoke.

What intrigued me?
What intrigued me was the girl who walked by me with the crazy mohawk-ish hair. It was like a curly wad of hair in the middle of her head, it wasn't sticking up like a mohawk just the same central theme on the head. I've seen a lot of crazy hair, this was just bizarre.

What disturbed me?
What disturbed me was how many smokers there were, I noticed only 10 people out of 30 on the deck of bongo java who weren't smoking.

FDA keeping us safe?

I posted this link because I believe that you can see two very distinct discourses at work. You have the discourse of the FDA telling us that our food is safe. The fact they have put their stamp of approval on products at our local grocers can ensure that what we are consuming is safe and uncontaminated. And for so many Americans,  we have believed this to be true. It hasn't been until as of late that a new voice is rising up with a different belief system. There is a new movement in America of people who want to shed light on the truth about food, where it comes from, and more importantly, whether it's safe or not. This is the second discourse that we see which is being sounded out by filmmaker by Robert Kenner in this documentary, Food, INC.

Never ever....

One of the rules I was taught early on as a writer, and managed to never follow, was in regards to run-on sentences. I think I was either misinformed or I just simply misunderstood what a run-on sentence was. My belief was that it was a sentence that was very, very long; it was a sentence that had two different ideas. (Kind of like that, maybe?) That idea is close to the truth but not completely correct. So as a young writer I tried my very best to keep my sentences short and to the point. The only thing was that writing like that didn't feel natural for me. I am a big talker and an outward processor, so I constantly have many ideas coming forth onto my paper; ideas that I think make sense in one complete thought or sentence. (Kind of like that. I can't help it.) Then, after a couple more English courses in my academic career, I had my "aha" moment. I realized it wasn't that I couldn't have the very, very long sentences that I loved so dearly, I just needed to punctuate it right! Maybe that was why the teacher was always writing "run-on" in red pen on so many of my papers? I began to punctuate and the red began to disappear.  Alas, all was right in the world; I could have my cake and eat it too.

This is a good rule and I think it should be followed. I think the lack of punctuation in these sometimes long,and sometimes short, run-on sentences causes the thought to lack clarity. It can be rather confusing and also distracting. I have no examples of times that you can/should ignore this rule but I guess anything is possible?

Another rule I remember being taught was one that we read about. "Never, ever start a sentence with 'and' or 'because.'" This too troubled me in my youth because I felt like there were appropriate times in which it was essential to start with "because." I felt that it helped emphasize my point more clearly. I am convinced now that it was just my teachers intention to help us understand writing in a more simplistic way. It's possible that it was easier to just say "don't start a sentence with 'and' or 'because,' than to explain sentence fragments and complete thoughts. Maybe it's because there are so many rules and so many exceptions to rules, that this seemed like the best method? Whatever the reasons, I don't believe that it is wrong to start sentences with "and" or "because." However, I do think it is necessary to have a complete thought and not sentence fragments.