Uncommon Ground

Epistemology. What is it? Webster’s Collegiate Fifth, page 336—

“ the theory or science of the method and grounds of knowledge,

especially with a reference to its limits and validity.”

In other words, how you know what you know.

A couple of nights ago, I viewed a documentary on climate change, the geological speculations of Michael J. Oard . Historical climate change. Warm seas. Wet warm valleys. Cold, glaciated mountains. Millions of dead woolley mammoths, buried beside hippopotamii. Washington State’s Missoula Lake flood. Interesting ice age theories. Interesting stuff. Controversial stuff. How does he know what he says he knows?

Michael J. Oard, has a B.S. and M.S. degree in atmospheric science from the University of Washington. He was a research meteorologist for 6 years at the University of Washington. In 2001, he retired as a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in Great Falls, Montana.

As for myself, I grew up in Alberta, Canada. Cold, dry air winters were the norm. Maximum three feet of snow on the ground. Extreme temperature swings of 80 degrees were common, when arctic air was pushed aside by dry chinook winds from the west coast. Sidewalks with a ground temperature of -30 F built up a half inch of frost when air temps moved to +50F in a matter of two hours. Could this be called climate change? Three feet of snow was reduced to a half a foot in one day, and rivers of water flowed down sloping streets.

Then, the bitter cold came back with a vengeance, leaving streets and sidewalks a dangerous aggregation of frozen slush and lakes in various non-navigable patterns. The ground frost remained all winter to a depth of at least four feet. No one dug new foundations until the middle of May. Climate change! Yeah! Of sorts.

Our family moved to the West Coast 23 years ago. I love the mild winters where I can “play” in the dirt all year around. Granted, the gray, watery days keep things in perspective, but I love the ground here.

Uncommon ground. A very wise man once wrote, “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house”.

What creates commerce? Markets? Need! Some would say, desire.

We live in an age of specialization. The great majority of people do not produce their own food. They have largely forsaken the field, the ground. Silly city people hug trees and finger shells and pretend food independence. For them, growing food is uncommon, something to preach about and regulate for others, but not to do.

Soil is relatively heavy to a man. Opening the soil for seed, whacking weeds, training vines, turning in amendments and fertilizers, digging out the precious fruits—this takes strong arms and backs.

Fossil fuels (and electrical power conversions) have made possible this detachment from the soil. In Washington State, significant water power has been harnessed as well. Wind and solar power is a dream that moves closer, but (grind your teeth if you wish), it is oil that puts food on our plates.

Uncommon ground. In 1994 we purchased five acres as a family playground and homestead. In 1999 we purchased four milking sheep. Our family has grown to nine, that is seven children. This is uncommon ground. I get asked if I am a Mormon or a Catholic. I am neither. We see children as a gift, the seed of the next generation, a legacy of hope, not something to be flushed down the toilet the morning after, like many other “Christians” of our day.

Uncommon ground. Sheep take work. Children helping is a win-win situation. We had to weather several learning curves at once. Fieldwork. Animal husbandry. Farm shelters. Milking skills. Cheese and yogurt making. Ice cream making was not so hard! We did this on the cheap. No bank loans. Seasons of waiting for cash to build up. Seasons of trying to orient to government health rules based on large, quick capital infusions. We wanted our children to see how businesses used to be started when grants and loans were not the norm. We have enjoyed not feeling the bite of the bank.

Uncommon ground. We took the time to relate our heritage to our “farm”. Have you ever read what the Bible says about farming? About sheep? About milk? The Bible is a big thing in our larger family circle. Maybe not yours. Probably not, especially if you are one of the privileged, “educated” class who eats what other people grow. (I do have a college degree). We love to contribute in our local church fellowship. We share our soil’s produce and our Bible insights there.

Uncommon ground. You may notice that I will post to Whatcom Works less frequently in days ahead. I am working on another website which will be called UnCommon Ground. Whatcom Works is supposed to be a local “Drudge” page for news and conservative commentary. Digging up and writing stories and aggregating news has to take a back seat to earning a living. I do not have EPA grants to allow me to watch other people all day as they grow my food.

But, it is the uncommon ground that holds the potential for the future. Political process and public policy spring out of the community of people in their given locale. Neighbors actually have a lot of uncommon ground. How can we come together? A lot of acceptance is needed. Patience. Negotiating. When uncommon worldviews mix without trust or giving, there are wars.

Uncommon ground. He who sits above the circle of the earth walked uncommon ground with men 2000 years ago. Christmas has roots. So does Easter, or Pasqua, or Passover. If you don’t like religion, don’t read our work at Uncommon Ground. But then, don’t brag about being a tolerant liberal.

Thanks for your time. Have a good Whatcom work day!

--- JK

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The Great Ice Age – Awesome Science Media

Michael J. Oard, B.S., M.S., University of Washington

Whatcom Works Has Legs.

We have readers, and are getting affirming feedback. Thank you! It looks like this local “Drudge Page” has value. In conjunction with the theme of value added dairy, we want to say hello.

Whatcom Works  is produced by members of the John Kirk family. We live near Sumas, Washington, where we raise dairy sheep. Dad works a full time day job, and we are not being funded by any outside entity. We want to speak to multiple issues in local elections and public policy. Whatcom County has more needs than getting or denying a coal terminal.

We believe in the value of hard work, admire writers of well thought out works, and think that many Whatcom County traditional values work well.

We are publishing/editing with an eye to what we perceive as a intentional denial by local radio and news print outlets of local news and commentary that highlights and challenges recent local socialist initiatives and public policies that have failed so obviously in other parts of the world.

As a working family, we want to draw others into working for a happy life, with a focus on being net givers, not net takers. Thank you for your interest in our local “news”.

Dairy! Anyone who milks domesticated animals knows work. Anyone who leaves the urban refuge and acquires milking stock has several learning curves going simultaneously—a lot of home work.

After living with livestock since 1996, we think we understand the value of family members working with each other.

I remember attending a Sustainable Connections Seminar on local farm to institution food marketing opportunities several years ago. It was a great chance to network and find out how others were doing.

I came away with a sense of having met four distinct groups of people. There were the starry eyed 40 to 50 year olds, early retirees, having dropped a large portion of their assets into small farm acreages. They were so eager to get going with vegetables and “save the planet”.

There were the veterans of market gardening, more or less well beaten up, not wanting to ooze too much grimness, but having a hard time fantasizing with the newbies.

There were the local value added dairy farmers, some with big marketing bruises, some doing quite well, but for the most part making their dreams work.

Finally, there were the “operatives”. College types who smiled and ran the event, but were not farming. More like community organizers, shepherding “children” and setting up larger goals only marginally related to food, farming or sustainable land use.

Farm labor is expensive. In my discussions with other grow local/eat local value added food producers, there is a common haze of fatigue over trying to do as much as possible one’s self to make financial ends meet.

Some quit. Some finance. Some join co-ops. Some super specialize. Some take every grant that comes down the road. We all grapple with work loads.

A major benefit for our family has been an improved quality of life in food products. We really like the superior ice cream, yogurt, cheddar/manchego, cream cheese, feta—you name it. We also grow various fruits and have a good sized vegetable garden.

And, because we share the work load, life is good! However, for us, after a decade of learning and working, we still are not WSDA certified. We do not sell milk, or cheese to the public, or anyone. That may come very soon.

Our experience with local government officials has been mixed. The local WSDA dairy inspector has been very helpful. The Whatcom County planning and development department had a staff retraining program that almost took us out. We appealed and together found a solution.

Everyone wants to bring a good value to their community. In the debate of sustainable living and rural vision at the local level, I do not first question motives. However, I do usually keep an eye on local activists knowledge, experience and character.

Attending County Council Meetings over the last two years has made me a lot more cynical. There are deeper currents and quicksands than I thought possible.

Money and grants is a huge issue. Not just for farmers, but even more for the local integrating organizations and elected/appointed officials who manage them.

Wise use of grants is very good. But when grants and LIO institutions create dependency, innovation is stifled, prudent management of land and water is constricted, and timely farm to market adjustments are put off. 

Do socialism and market interventions really help? Can pencil oriented college type “stewards” and “baykeepers” really be trusted to keep their hands off the grant monies? When does a huge flow of grants cut off the legs of elected overseers and put unelected adventurers in the public policy driver’s seat.

Thank you for reading articles we recommend. Building a good local community takes constant education. Inattention to local public policy issues is deadly.

Read on! Share articles! Take heart! Take time! Take action!

John Kirk, Whatcom Works.