THE LAND — DECEMBER 11/DECEMBER 18, 2020
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
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The swimming pool, the tree and Santa’s flight pattern If we had any inkling at all about how I should have gotten an Oscar award short childhood is while we are still chilfor my performance. They fell for the dren, we would have appreciated it so whole story. much more — instead of being in such a Three young faces looked towards the hurry to grow up. trees in utter amazement, maybe because Often when kids finally get there, it’s a I had kept this incredible secret for so bitter disappointment with all the long. How could a kid get to be in the responsibility and job commitments that first and third grades and not have come along with being able to do ‘whatevreceived this important, classified, North TABLE TALK er we want.’ Perhaps having to still Pole-based memo? answer to someone is the best-kept secret By Karen Schwaller After that day, summer pool-side afterof adulthood. noons in coming years often included conI am reminded of the magic of childhood versations about that tree top and how every year when I begin our Christmas preparations Santa and the reindeer had worn a hole in the tree —especially when I open totes and find tree ornatop because the branches were in the way of their ments made by the awkward and unskilled hands of flight pattern. our (then) elementary school children. We have years All too soon they knew the truth, and the magic of popsicle stick photo frames and Christmas stars that are the primary reason why glue factory workers can carry on yet today with complete job security; and other such creations which could have benefitted from an eight-year-old with a working protracWORTHINGTON, Minn. — University of tor and a good blackmail scheme. Minnesota Extension has scheduled several Zoom meetings to discuss some of the key issues and quesOne of the best stories that came out of the tions around crop production. Sessions run from 8:30 Schwaller Christmas was born one summer when to 9 a.m. on Wednesdays, Jan. 6 through March 24. our elementary-aged children were enjoying an afternoon in the fiberglass swimming pool I had set Sessions will be very informal and open to all interup and filled one hot summer afternoon. I was in ested. Each session will start with a brief presentathe pool with them when we got to talking about tion (about 10 minutes) followed by 20 minutes of the trees at our farm and how old they were, and discussion. how important trees are. Jan. 6 — Corn hybrid selection. Jeff Coulter, As we talked about the trees I looked up and hap- Extension corn agronomist, Dean Malvick, Extension pened to see a tree with a grouping of branches that plant pathologist and researcher Tom Hoverstad. had a very large ‘hole’ of sorts within them. It Jan. 13 — Soybean variety selection. Seth Naeve, almost looked as if some branches had been cut out to make way for power lines, though that never hap- Extension soybean agronomist and Malvick. Jan. 20 — Herbicide technology traits. Debalin pened. Sarangi, Extension weed specialist and Tom Peters, It was then that I thought I could use that tree — Extension Sugar beet agronomist and our conversation — to create some wonder, so I Jan. 27 — Broadcasting versus banding P & K. Jeff started in. “Hey you guys … do you see that tree over there? Vetsch, researcher and Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist The one with the big hole in the top?” I asked. Feb. 3 — Third crops ready to work for you. Jochum Sooner or later they all spotted it. Wiersma, Extension small grains specialist and “You know why there’s a hole in the top of that Craig Sheaffer, forage specialist tree?” I asked, trolling for their attention. Feb. 10 — The latest on cover crop research and Of course, they didn’t know why the tree top had a tools you can use. Axel Garcia y Garcia, Sustainable hole in it, so what followed was possibly the best Cropping Systems, Anna Cates, Extension state soil story I ever made up to advance the magic of health specialist and Gregg Johnson, Biomass Christmas. Or, for at least as long as they ‘believed.’ Cropping Systems “That big hole is where Santa flies in on his Feb. 17 — Adjusting soil pH to maximize crop prosleigh every Christmas. When Santa and his reinduction. Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient managedeer get to those trees they have to start to land so ment specialist and Jeff Vetsch, researcher they can end up on top of our house,” I said. Feb. 24 — The nuts’n bolts of on-farm research — How very lucky that the trees were northeast of Doin’ it right. R.L. (Bob) Nielsen, Extension corn our house, advancing the believability of the story specialist and Naeve. all the more as they grew and began to ask quesMarch 3 — Making every acre pay. Naeem Kalwar, tions. After all, every child knows Santa Claus Extension soil health specialist, Tanner Bruse, comes from the north. Minnesota Ag and Conservation Programs manager,
was gone. It’s sad when that happens. The hole in the tree top is still there. Today our sons live on that place, and someday maybe they can tell that story to their own children who could be living there someday. And the story will be just as amazing to them then as it was to our children on that very warm summer afternoon when they were first aware of how Santa and the reindeer were able to land on our roof top by pushing through the top of the trees on our farm. The only thing more breathtaking than Christmas magic is the very brevity of the childhood in which that magic exists. Karen Schwaller brings “Table Talk” to The Land from her home near Milford, Iowa. She can be reached at kschwaller@evertek.net. v
Extension to host ag topics on Zoom Pheasants Forever and Alan Lepp, NRCS March 10 — What insects are bugging your corn this year? Ken Ostlie, Extension entomologist and Bruce Potter, Extension integrated pest management specialist March 17 — SCN: So tough a threat, it warrants a coalition. Greg Tylka, nematologist, Naeve, and Samuel Markell, Extension broadleaf plant pathologist,. March 24 — Stand establishment for corn and soybean. Naeve, Coulter and Malvick. For details and to register, go to https://z.umn.edu/ strategic-farming. You need only register once for the whole program series. There is no charge to participate, and sessions will be recorded and posted for viewing later at your convenience. This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v
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