Morningsun Herb Farm

The Mint Edition

Morningsun Herb Farm's newsletter for herbal enthusiasts

Spring/Summer 2009

 

by Dan Sale

 

It's a different world than a year ago.  What isn't different though is that MORNINGSUN HERB FARM IS BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF FARMING BUSINESS.  Yes, it's true, with a few adjustments (we'll call them "upgrades") here and there, the farm is beginning the gradual process of thawing out from the cold post-holiday doldrums, and on Jan. 23rd we once again opened our doors to the plant craving public.

 

A lot of you are new to our website and The Mint Edition newsletter.  So, a little background info is in order.  Those of you that have been with us for this long journey will nod your heads knowingly as I attempt to explain things.  Maybe you will even learn something new about us and the business that is Morningsun Herb Farm.

 

First, yes, that is a picture of me up top, taken probably two or so years ago.  You may ask yourself, "What's with the hair?"  And my answer to you is, "Yeah, I'm an AARP member with hair.  Lot's of it!  If you got it, flaunt it, right?"  But, don't be misled by my looks.  I'm actually a fairly conservative, meat-eating, flag-saluting, ex-republican.  I rarely eat granola or tofu, and I've never referred to anything in seriousness as "groovy".

 

My spouse, Rosemary Loveall-Sale, and I are the owner/operators of Morningsun Herb Farm.  Rose's education and work background is horticulture, and mine is engineering.  Rose is the plant expert, and she expects me to be the expert in everything else.  Everything about Morningsun Herb Farm is a DIY effort.  Rose and I created the whole thing from a lump of clay.  I'm your typical "Jack of all trades, master of none, though often better than a master of one", I will proclaim proudly.  I always thought this was a good thing, but it turns out that similar expressions over the centuries in other languages would suggest otherwise (thanks, Wikipedia).  The exact counterpart in the Lithuaniun language is "devyni amatai – dešimtas badas" ("when you have nine trades, then your tenth one is famine/starvation"), there is also a term "Barbė šimtadarbė (Barbie with hundred professions).  In the Greek language, a similar phrase is "Πολυτεχνίτης και ερημοσπίτης" (literally, "he who knows a lot of crafts lives in an empty house"; the empty house – without a spouse and children – implies poverty and lack of prosperity).  I guess this pretty much means I should forget about applying for those jack-of-all-trade jobs I was considering in Greece and Lithuania.

 

So, here's the deal with this article, View From The Culvert, by Dan Sale.  If you've read my article before, you probably already know what the "deal" is.  If you're reading my article for the first time, the deal is, there is no deal.  I'm not a plant expert, so it would be a disservice for me to spew plant wisdom of any type.  I'll leave that to Rose and the other experts.  I don't want anyone to think I'm not willing to try.  I am, but I would be faking it for the most part.  I just don't want to run the risk of inviting even more famine, starvation, poverty, and lack of prosperity into my life, if that's OK with you.

 

What can I offer you, the reader of my article, that is of substance, and not just filler and fluff?  Be honest with me, but more importantly, be honest with yourself.  Is substance what you really want?  Or, would you find a heepin' helpin' of nothing but filler and fluff (the high-grade kind!) to be more satisfying?  I think we both know the answer.  Say it out loud and proud in a public place.  Say slowly and clearly, "I would rather be entertained than informed!"  Walk up to a stranger and say it again right in their face.  Now grab them by the shoulders and force them to look directly at you and say, "I would rather watch 20 hours of American Idol than a 1 hour PBS special on Global Warming."  Doesn't that feel good?  Of course it does!  Why?  Because it's the truth!  And the truth will set you free.

 

Well, the time has come for me to get back to my chores here at the farm.  The cows need to be plucked and the hens need to be milked.  I've done enough harm here for now, but the great thing about an online newsletter is that I can change it and add to it whenever I want.  Trust me, I have much more to say!