USA - views from a foreigner

Observations

So some observations from my nearly 4 weeks in the USA;

1. iPhone with Tom Tom – Brilliant – door to door faultlessly all over the USA
2. Flags – Patriotism is high everywhere – ive never seen so many flags on porches, in gardens, over shops, car lots etc etc……I guess us brits are more reserved and ned a royal wedding to shake the union Jack
3. Mowing grass – I have never seen so many mowers operating….in gardens, on verges, in parks, on campuses etc. The grass ‘medians’ between freeway lanes are superwide and stretch for hundreds of miles – they top them frequently – I wonder if anyone has thought that they would make excellent hey!....also some of the front grass curtlages in front of some factories are larger than some of my cropping fields – I wonder If they would let me grow some onions on them???
4. Gas (petrol) is $3.90/ gallon c.60p/litre at the pumps – and they are moaning about price hikes! – I think climate change and dwindling oil reserves will come as a shock
5. No diesel cars in the USA – I believe it’s a Detroit conspiracy…..With the long distances you would expect lots of TDI cars…but no. Yes smaller cars being driven than 20 yrs ago when I last visited, cars are typically not much bigger than in the UK but all are large engine petrol cars which on a good day do 30mpg….many pickup trucks only doing 10-15mpg…..
6. Humidity at 95% in Georgia – takes some getting used to – Feels like someone dripping hot water over you and sticking you in an oven……
7. Corn and Soy beans in the mid west – Miles upon miles of nothing but corn and soy beans – Im only seeing them at 1-2 feet high but I bet by August it looks like a continual swathe of green. The endless prairies go on for ever but are not featureless or unlikeable…
8. Trees and hills in PA – I had forgotten how green and tree covered Pennsylvania was from visiting 20 yrs ago. Its very pretty with long high ridges and deep valleys with streams and rivers…50% of the state is covered by trees….beautiful.
9. Cinnamon – Other than a bit in apple pie we Brits don’t realy do cinnamon…In the USA however its popular. Cinnamon bread, toast, buns, breakfast cereals, coffee etc etc etc. Some supermarket Isles smell of cinnamon
10. Meal ‘sides’ – Im used to ordering a meal and that’s what I get….as ordered. In the USA you get a whole bunch of ‘sides’ as well….a side of fries, a salad, bread etc all accompany the main event….so I have to remember not to order too big a main dish as the meal doubles in size with all the ‘sides’
11. Supersize – The Germans have extra engineering chromosomes, the Indians and extra small biz chromosome, the Brits an extra queuing one…the USA…well I think they have an extra ‘supersize’ chromosome…
12. Wonderful hospitality -  I cant fault it. I have been treated so very well by so many people and made to feel so welcome. I have seen wonderful things, met great people, generated good contacts and made some truly special friends. I hope I get to see some of them again. I think the Christmas card list has expanded somewhat.
13. Thank you USA and all my hosts and new friends.

Final travel blog from USA soil

Wed 15 June

Said a farewell to Mike Jacobsen and his family, thanking them for their kind hospitality, hosting me the last two days. Went into Penn State University. The Uni has a student population of c.40,000 students at the ‘State College’ campus plus other campus sites. State College is truly a university town, around which everything revolves…The campus is immaculate and well laid out. The American Football field is massive and has a capacity of 110,000 people….as big as most premiership football teams in the UK, however only 6 games per year are played in the stadium and practise is elsewhere….Crikey!

Went to the forestry department with Mike Jacobsen and gave a presentation n EU and UK agroforestry including outlining what we are doing at Whitehall farm. Some useful discussion re ecological impacts and in particular use of different trees and biomas to benefit pollinators earlier in the season.

Filled the car with more inexpensive fuel (US$30 to fill the car c.£21!!)…and set out for route 80 east taking me through the heart of Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Newark Airport. Stopped for lunch and was unfortunate to be first on the scene of a motorbike/car accident…..poor chap got badly mangles and I helped by applying some pressure to a bloody wound. Thankfully the police came quickly and I departed – washed up / cleaned up. Thankfully I had already eaten my steak lunch….I may have thought differently had it been before lunch. Funny though, the Boy Scout training from 30 yrs ago kicked in….…….4.75 hrs later and after hunting for the hire car drop off for half an hour I arrive – seems the ‘hire car drop off’ signs don’t apply to Alamo hire car and I should have trusted my faultless Tom Tom on my iPhone….certainly the best purchase I made for the trip. It has taken me door to door everywhere without any problems – Im converted to iPhone and Tom Tom…..Technophobe goes all Tecky!!!

So now just the 8.5hr flight to London with Virgin Atlantic – Richard Branson better treat me well…..

Agroforestry in practice PA style

Tuesday 14 June

Bloomsburg with Mike Jacobsen for an agroforestry workshop with USDA staff. A workshop designed to provide a better overview of AF to technical staff. Useful for me as there was some very high quality presentations on land use in PA and attitudes to management as well as information on AF systems and options for non timber forest products such as Ginseng production. With 50% of PA in woodland its prob a difficult sell to many to adopt AF, but when landowners are looking at harvesting timber there is a real option to Thin woodland, create understorey grass and develop silvopasture systems with livestock….

We viosited Fork Farm in the afternoon where just that is being undertaken with thinning of woodlands and grazing with Angus Cattle, followed by free range poultry and then Glos Old Spot pigs in rotation using ‘mob grazing’ approaches – ie very high number for veryt short periods. i.e 10-100 cows per ac for 5-10 hrs only before moving then resting pasture. The principle – graze 30%, trample, 60% leave 30% to regrow – plus dunging and Organic Matter trampling leads to improved soil life and better productivity. Interestingly an analogy to ancient Buffalo grazing – large numbers moving on quickly…

A strange occurrence was that we walked c.1-2 miles on the farm walk, over a road, up a hillside and down again. The host farmer was followed by a solitary gosling…who chatted all the way – a determined bird who was centre stage for all group discussions! A very good day. On the way back to mikes went shopping for T shirts and baseball caps for the kids and bough 3 pairs of levi jeans at £6 each!

Apples

Monday 13 June

Early start and said a fond farewell to Gary & Heidi. I thank them for the kind hospitality during a busy time. I drove the 3.5 hrs west to State College. I hadn’t realised that the town is called ‘state college’ and it really is a college town. Met up with Rob Cresweller an apple specialist and had lunch in town and chatted about research. Went to Rock Springs Farm with Rob and looked at Apple research including variety assessment for Organic Production. The highlights were finding that we are growing some of the same varieties, that they are growing a ‘ping flesh’ apple that when cut is pink inside and makes a pink apple juice !. They are also doing some pollination work with Japanese solitary bees that live in bamboo sticks plugged with mud in a pipe – they stay over winter and breed up. Not honey bees so no honey but still do the pollination job.

Late evening went to meet Mike Jacobsen at his house. He took me out for a ber and toi meet some friends at a local bar. Had a rely good Jambalaya dinner.

Pancakes and Bald Eagles

Sunday 12 June

Had a lazy breakfast of Spelt pancakes and maple syrup with Heidi, Gary & Heid’s dad – yummy. Whilst Gary and Heidi went to the farm to clear up after the festival I spent some time sorting my things and updating notes and blogs. We had lunch in downtown Stroudsbury, a nice town with lots of old buildings. In the afternoon we met some friends and went up onto one of the ridges near a quarry to spot some bald eagles…..spotted chicks in the nest and mother at a distance watching us watch the chicks…..but still thrilling. Now Ive seen a Bald Eagle….

Spent the evening with Skip and his wife who kindly cooked us all a chicken dinner. A thunderstorm accompanied our journey home.

Fun Farm Festivals in PA

Sat 11 June
Im Being hosted by Heidi Secord & Gary Bloss at the The Josie Porter Farm and the Cherry Valley CSA. They spotted a semi abondened farm with a long history of bio-dynamic farming about 5yrs ago and convinced the local community and district council to develop a shared vision.
The farm under the guidance, management and extreemly hard garft of Heidi and Garry is going into their fifth season of operation.  They provided 45 shares to the community in 2007, and have increased shares to over 100 for 2011 - feeding over 100 families for a share of $650 each per year!!!! - its remarkable on how much good local organic food camn be produced from just a few acres to fed so many families -its got me thinking about a CSA at home.
 
The farm operates on a portion of the former Josephine Porter Farm, which is owned by Stroud Township and was acquired as part of its open space initiative.
The farm, envisioned by Heidi Secord, focuses on the legacy of Porter, who made biodynamic agriculture preparations in this country for almost three decades. Biodynamic growers recognize the soil itself to be alive and that human health and vitality depend upon the health and vitality of the soil. The concept goes beyond the term "organic."
Aside from the fresh vegetables grown and harvested weekly at the farm, a buying club has been created to offer other healthy whole foods from local sources - including honey, meat, cheese, eggs, salmon, and more.  http://www.josieporterfarm.com/?itemCategory=29750&siteid=203&priorId=0

Today was the farms open day festival with music farm tours, arts and crafts stands etc.....rather a damp wet start but eveyone injoyed themselves. I was put to work and felt useful - "Josie Porter Farm" - its a fab place with lots going on including permaculture and bio-dynamic farming - seems it was the birth place for bio-dynamics in the USA. - I was put to work and spent the day grilling local free range sausages and Salmon burgers with Heids Dad Geg - Think I gave some of the festival goers a bit of a shock taking orders in an English accent - threw them a bit!!!...but I did hear "Gee I love your accent" at leat twice I think - perhaps it was more???

It rained a little but is pleasantly cool. Tomorow Im hoping to go and se some 'bald eagles' about 5 miles away in the woods on a ridge in the Pocono Mountains. Its very geen , mountainous and misty here this mornings. Its the first time ive ben in the mountains on this trip and its a nice change......The scenery reminds me of when I was in PA 21ys ago teaching on a kids summer camp.......PA is a lovely place, nice scenecy and mountains and people.....

Im very greatful to Heidi and Garry for letting me stay and participate in their farm festival.

GA to PA and trafic jams

Fri 10 June
Early start. 7am bus from Athens to Atlanta. Drove post the 96 Olympics park and on to the Airport. Checked in fine and a cple of hrs kicking about the airport befor the flight to Philly. The worst bit about traveling is all the waiting around at airports. Spoke with a contact at the USDA in Baltimore and was hoping to met up to further discussions. But it sems wer are heading in opposite directiosn to meetings etc. It may work out to meet up on wed.
Arriving Phildepphia Picked up a hire car and drove NW into the Penslyvania heartland. What should have ben a 2hr journey turned out to be a 4hr journey!!!!!! bad traffic, accidents, roadworks and everyone escaping the cities in the friday rush......I was tired when I arrived at Josie Porter Farm, Stroudsburg as a guest of Gary and Heidi Secord.

Things were in full flow when I arrived as they were having their yearly farm festival the following day. Despite being so very busy they kindly welcomed me into their house to stay. Treated me to home cooked Alaskan Salmon for dinner - yummy - prob the best salmon ive ever tasted.