Saucing and Synching

Its been an interesting week on the farm. We are getting ready for the downtown DM Harvest Market, so there has been much jam-making, produce harvesting and root-crop cleaning.

On top of all that it has gotten COLD! So cold that the outdoor cooler where the apples are stored is at risk of freezing, so that means its applesauce making time. So far we've put up approximately 30 quarts of applesauce for our own consumption and for making into apple butter to sell. I love applesauce made from Jonathan apples, its wonderfully tasty and a beautiful color to boot!

How did I ever make applesauce before the Squeezo!?!

I also had another recording session for the storytelling program at the radio station on Thursday. This was a particularly fun one as we started learning to engineer our own program. Its been a long time since I ran a sound board, but with this technology, the computer does a lot of the fiddly work for you. So really it is more learning the software, than learning about the equipment. Big thanks to Ron Sorenson for nursing this program along until we can manage it on our own.

Recording studio at KFMG

Storytelling on the Radio

In addition to growing things and spinning things I also spend a fair amount of time 'telling things.' More specifically, during the off season, I work as a storyteller. One of the fun projects that I've been working on recently is a new radio program on KFMG 99.1 called 'Trading Tales.'
It features a small group of local storytellers sharing their tales for listeners ages 3 to 103. The program aires at 9am on Saturdays and if you aren't in the immediate Des Moines area you can listen to it online at http://www.kfmg991.org/

Its a real treat to get to work with these talented storytellers on a regular basis. I have to tell you though, it can also be a real challenge. Imagine being 'trapped' in a small recording studio with 4-5 other people and trying to stay quiet as a skilled storyteller tells a real whopper of a tale. I'm just amazed that you can't hear the muffled hoots, choked-back snorts and stiffled hee-hees that are whirling about the studio at such moments. What fun!!