A wild night with Lutheran ladies then lunch with the Governor.

My life is filled with contradictions. So much so, that some days I feel like I'm living a double-life.

For instance, here is a summary of the last 24 hours of my life.

- I attended baby shower for our Pastor's daughter last night.  Had only my baby boy in tow, because Jeremy had (thankfully) offered to stay home and put the girls to bed so I could have a "night out".  I don't know when toting an 8 month old along to a baby shower with the gals from church became a "night out", but it has, and I was grateful for the opportunity.  We played the typical baby shower games and I got to visit with some of my favorite women in our community.  I had two cups of punch. I know. I'm wild!

- The baby shower just so happened to be at the same apartment building where Jeremy's grandmother lives.  She's a Lutheran too! I skipped out of the shower a little early to visit with her a bit.  What was supposed to be a quick visit turned into two and a half hours.  I'm telling you, these Lutheran ladies are a bad influence :-)

Baby boy hangin' with Grandma E.

- I was so tired by the time I got home, that I didn't pull far enough into the garage and managed to shut the garage door on the back end of the pickup.  I assessed the situation. Thankfully, there was no damage and I toted my little guy and my prize for being one of the baby word scramble winners into the house.

- I awoke this morning 45 minutes late, only to see the alarm clock blinking and to find that the power had gone out last night.  This put our little family into a fumbling, chaotic version of warp speed.  Jeremy raced out the door to meet a friend so they could go to an auction sale in Fargo, 100 miles away, and I got all three kids assembled and loaded into the pickup.

- I turned the key in the pickup ignition and all I heard was "click". Apparently, after my little incident with the garage door, I was so flustered that I left the headlights on ALL NIGHT. I got all the children and their stuff back into the house, only to hear my oldest exclaim "AWESOME! Now we get to play!" Ah, to be a kid again :-)

- So husband, along with our second vehicle, were gone.  All the neighbors were at work.  Car repair/tow service man was on vacation.  This was looking pretty grim.  Eventually, a neighbor farmer and friend came to our rescue and gave the Hi Ho Silver a jump start and were on our way. Again.

- I got the two little kids off to daycare then swung by one of our fields that has a weather station in it that was slightly malfunctioning.  I annoyed my oldest daughter, who had been watching The Muppets on my iPhone, and took the phone back so that I could stand in the middle of the field and call the professor from North Dakota State University that is working with us on this research project and confirmed that a deer had NOT knocked the weather station over and the solar panel is fully functioning and we got the issue figured out. 

NDSU Weather Station. Part of a project with NDSU and the Natural Resources Conservation District and Soil Conservation Service.

Delighted to find this shriveled, decomposing purple top turnip in one of the research plot with cover crops.
It's doing it's job well by decomposing and leaving behind nutrients in the soil!

- I got the big girl off to school at by this time it was ELEVEN O'CLOCK.  I realized the pickup was nearly out of gas so I fueled up, tried my best to scrub the mud off of the headlights and brake lights while it was filling up and then I bolted home to clean up for a luncheon.

- I traded my jeans, hooded sweatshirt and stocking cap, for a nice cardigan and heels, and headed downtown for the annual Ag Week Luncheon the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce puts on.  I turned up the heat in the vehicle as high as I could get it and set the vents to blast in my face and fluffed/dried my hair on the way across town.

- I shook hands with the movers and shakers in our local ag industry, and sat down to have lunch, a few feet away from our Mayor and the Governor of North Dakota.

- After lunch, I discussed development of ag policy, leadership training for young people in agriculture, promoting agriculture through social media and a new multi-million dollar ethanol plant project with the Governor.

- I then headed home to get all the work done that I hadn't gotten done this morning, meanwhile contemplating my "double life".

- When I pulled into the garage I put up a sign in front of my pickup that says "Turn Lights Off!".

- That's my day in a nutshell.  How has yours been? :-)

  Sarah :-)

When Faith and Farming Collide: Part 3

At long last, the third installment of my coverage/opinions on the issue of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's development of a social statement on genetics. This has been an interesting journey of growth in my own faith, Jeremy and I studying the Bible together and growing together in our faith, discussion with MANY fellow Christian farmers and religious leaders, and one of correcting misinformation.

I would like to clarify for any who have heard the rumor that Jeremy and I are not "real farmers", that we receive the majority of our income from farming and we do not farm 30 acres, but over 3,000. I've always stood on the principle that "a farm is a farm is a farm", no matter the size or the business/family structure, but I did want to correct that rumor.

So much of what I have written has been published in "soundbytes", so please take the time to read all that I have written in my previous posts on this issue (When Faith and Farming Collide: Part 1 and Part 2) as well as the related comments, so you have a sense of the full discussion.

I also hope that you will take the time to read Romans, chapter 14 and 1 Timothy, chapter 4. It's up to each of you to interpret as you see fit, but for me these verses mean that we should not be judging/condemning each other on what we choose to eat, and therefore how our food is farmed, but we should be GRATEFUL "for everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving..."

I recently wrote a letter to the Dakota Farmer, in response to this column by Janet Jacobson.










Here is my letter:

In response to Janet Jacobson's letter in the October issue of the Dakota Farmer, entitled "ELCA right about GMO warning", I would like to clarify a few things.

Ms. Jacobson said, "I found the Dakota Farmer's coverage of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's draft social statement on genetics profoundly one-sided". The coverage of the issue was spot-on because the synod hearing in Gackle on August 8th was indeed profoundly one-sided. Concerns with the statement were expressed including questioning why the statement was being drafted in the first place, the expense of developing the statement (approximately $200,000), the impact of the statement (Yes, it will be used as a background document when communicating with legislators), the length of the document (63 pages), the scientific language which makes it somewhat difficult to read and the suggestion was even made to cleave apart some of the issues with human genetics and agricultural genetics. If anyone has further questions about the synod hearings in Gackle, a recording is available through the ELCA, so you can see for yourself what was said. I would also gladly provide anyone who is interested with my talking points from the hearing as well.

As a Christian conventional farmer I have, like Ms. Jacobson "spent countless hours studying...the science of genetics as well as the agricultural and social impacts of genetic modification."

I am told the intention of the ELCA is to write a statement that is a "guide for the faithful use of GMO's", than we should be embracing just that, the USE of genetic technology, meanwhile respecting the fact that some choose not to use the technology. It is unfortunate that it seems the ELCA's statement on genetics has opened yet another door to polarize farmers and once again put us in the stalemate of the organic vs. conventional argument. There is no right answer and there never will be.

I respect the fact that there are likely folks who disagree with my take on things and everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, but I believe it is the responsibility of each individual Christian farmer/rancher who is utilizing genetic technology to analyze the impact of each of their management practices, especially considering God's command for us to be stewards of His creation. This individual analysis cannot be achieved through a social statement. I also believe farms are as unique as fingerprints and to have a vast array of farm management tools and method available and the freedom to choose which ones to utilize is a blessing in itself.

I also hope I am wrong on my prediction that this statement will be twisted by activist groups to fit their agenda because many red flags have gone us as I have been researching this issue and I believe they are chomping at the bit to use this statement against conventional agriculture.

When I said that the ELCA had been infiltrated by the environmental and animal rights movement, I wasn't making that up. I have serious concerns about the direction of the ELCA because on their Rural Ministry website, under "Farming/Ranching Resources" , I found the link to the Humane Farming Association and the statement that the HFA "Gives information on how animals are currently inhumanely raised and slaughtered for human consumption". At the HFA website, I found they are leading a boycott against veal and promoting a vegan diet.

On the ELCA's page on "Caring for Creation" (scroll all the way down, right side), they advertise "The Green Bible: Check it Out Today". This may seem benign, but the Green Bible is published in conjunction with the Sierra Club and the Humane Society of the United States. In fact, a statement from the HSUS director for Animals & Religion Christine Gutelben, is on the jacket: "There has never been a more important time for a resource like the Green Bible. It is essential for anyone interested in a Biblical basis for humane and sustainable living." Sounds harmless, but I think most of us in agriculture are already aware that HSUS is a radical animal rights group with a pro-vegan agenda. Whether ELCA leadership realizes it or not, the ELCA is being targeted by HSUS through their "Faith Outreach" program. The last paragraph of the HSUS page on the ELCA talks about "Luther on why we shouldn't eat animals."

I want to make it very clear that all of my research has been done on my personal computer, and the phone calls to my home I have taken, the presentations I have given, the blogging, has all been done by me on my own dime as an individual because I feel it is important for the future of North Dakota agriculture and the future of the ELCA.

I would like to correct Ms. Jacobson's statement that Farm Bureau has a position on this issue. Yes, I am a proud fourth-generation Farm Bureau member and North Dakota Farm Bureau staff member, but I was not compensated for the time I have spent on this issue and Farm Bureau does not have any policy regarding this issue.

The ELCA's statement on genetics is now on its way to its final form, as the public comment period ended October 15th. In February 2011, the statement will be published at http://www.elca.org/ and in August the Churchwide Assembly will consider the recommended proposed social statement and will implement resolutions for its adoption.