Although the unexpected passing of dear friend and neighbor Larry Glassburn has been a tragedy for our community their is some good news.
Larry was deeply into and very committed to organic farming and sustainable agriculture. His wife and children have decided to carry on with Larry's dream and run the farm. With the help of friends and neighbors, Trudy, Becca, Ross and Lindsey are going to give it their best shot.
This makes me happy for several reasons. His family isn't going to throw away his dream and his work. They understand all that his dream meant to him. My DH and I were beginning to toy with the idea of some organic farming, but getting more into fresh fruit and vegetable gardening to sell locally. I will still be able to look to them for advice.
And they aren't going to let anyone push them into just giving up. That's probably most important. A lot of folks would fold up and give up. Not these folks! What great people, filled to the brim with the American spirit!
Showing posts with label sustainable farming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable farming. Show all posts
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Larry Glassburn
Woof, what a week! Larry's untimely and greatly unexpected accidental death has rocked our little community.
I knew he had a lot of irons in the fire, but I had no idea. I knew he was deeply into organic farming and had a filing cabinet between his ears as big as the Pentagon. He was into so many things, I can't even begin to list them. He gave speeches at seminars, promoting organic/sustainable farming. He was very knowledgeable about soil and how to fix it without chemicals. He belonged to numerous organic farming organizations and was an officer in several.
As a neighbor and friend he was helping us with our pitiful little piece of farm ground, and I was really getting into picking his brain. I want to get into a local niche market with organics. In my mind I'm thinking fruit. Nanking cherries, raspberries, plums, chokecherries, etc. And maybe free range chickens and organic eggs. Goats milk is another thing I'm considering.
Anyway all of that aside. The funeral was huge, which I knew it would be. There were people from all over there. One gentleman who hauls Larry's organic hay back to Pennsylvania to the Amish Dairies had brought his family this trip to meet Larry, only to find out about his passing. Dave, another neighbor and good friend loaned them his pick up so they could leave the loaded truck at the farm and get a motel and they stayed for the funeral.
Trudy, Larry's wife spoke very eloquently, but truthfully about him. But then she's and English and Drama teacher.
The pastor was a bit windy in my opinion, but it happens.
Anyway on the the after the funeral party. The party was Trudy's idea. While all the friends, neighbors, classmates, relatives and people he knew from his organic endeavors were here, she wanted the kids to have an opportunity to visit in an informal setting and here stories about there dad. The kids are Rebecca, Ross and Lindsey, about 26, 24, 22. So being the good bunch of rednecks we are, a few of us got together and cleaned out his quonset, (aka big metal rounded roof shop), got some tables and folding chairs, wood for the stove and of course barrels to save all the beer cans in, gotta recycle you know. Also, Trudy had food running out of her ears and figured this would be a good opportunity to get it used up instead of wasted.
The party was a blast, but the food thing backfired as people kept bringing more food. And beer, and more beer, and more beer. Lots of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Larry's fave. I would guess that through the course of the evening probably 300 people wandered in and out. My hubby and I arrived early to help set up food and didn't get home until after 1:00 a.m. Thank god it's only about 200 yards home.
All I can say is what a testament to what he meant to the community.
I'm sure as more folks he worked with that aren't local find out, Trudy will get cards, etc. for a long time. In the mean time she has a lot on her plate, keeping the farm and organics programs going until they can decide what they're going to do. But friends and neighbors have all offered to pitch in and help. I know one field needs corn planted for sure, and organic certification filings and other forms need to be kept up. The farm is a corporation and she has a good lawyer, that will help her and Larry's sister work things out.
Luckily, Larry's friend Dave has a pretty good idea about what's going on and Ken Disney is another local organic farmer who can be of great help.
AS for some of the funny stuff. Toad said St. Peter is probably wondering what they were thinking. Larry arrives at the pearly gates and is already peering through, saying "this needs some phosphate, this needs some fish emulsion, this needs some potassium, let me in we gotta fix this stuff!"
Dave says he's going out to the cemetery and taking a soil sample and he's going to go back and spread all the proper nutrients on Larry's grave and sit back an giggle when the cemetery staff can't figure out why the grass grows like crazy there.
Barney figures Pabst Blue Ribbon is gonna wonder why they're only selling half as much beer around here now.
In closing this post, if I can be half the friend and neighbor Larry was, I'll be doing good.
I knew he had a lot of irons in the fire, but I had no idea. I knew he was deeply into organic farming and had a filing cabinet between his ears as big as the Pentagon. He was into so many things, I can't even begin to list them. He gave speeches at seminars, promoting organic/sustainable farming. He was very knowledgeable about soil and how to fix it without chemicals. He belonged to numerous organic farming organizations and was an officer in several.
As a neighbor and friend he was helping us with our pitiful little piece of farm ground, and I was really getting into picking his brain. I want to get into a local niche market with organics. In my mind I'm thinking fruit. Nanking cherries, raspberries, plums, chokecherries, etc. And maybe free range chickens and organic eggs. Goats milk is another thing I'm considering.
Anyway all of that aside. The funeral was huge, which I knew it would be. There were people from all over there. One gentleman who hauls Larry's organic hay back to Pennsylvania to the Amish Dairies had brought his family this trip to meet Larry, only to find out about his passing. Dave, another neighbor and good friend loaned them his pick up so they could leave the loaded truck at the farm and get a motel and they stayed for the funeral.
Trudy, Larry's wife spoke very eloquently, but truthfully about him. But then she's and English and Drama teacher.
The pastor was a bit windy in my opinion, but it happens.
Anyway on the the after the funeral party. The party was Trudy's idea. While all the friends, neighbors, classmates, relatives and people he knew from his organic endeavors were here, she wanted the kids to have an opportunity to visit in an informal setting and here stories about there dad. The kids are Rebecca, Ross and Lindsey, about 26, 24, 22. So being the good bunch of rednecks we are, a few of us got together and cleaned out his quonset, (aka big metal rounded roof shop), got some tables and folding chairs, wood for the stove and of course barrels to save all the beer cans in, gotta recycle you know. Also, Trudy had food running out of her ears and figured this would be a good opportunity to get it used up instead of wasted.
The party was a blast, but the food thing backfired as people kept bringing more food. And beer, and more beer, and more beer. Lots of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Larry's fave. I would guess that through the course of the evening probably 300 people wandered in and out. My hubby and I arrived early to help set up food and didn't get home until after 1:00 a.m. Thank god it's only about 200 yards home.
All I can say is what a testament to what he meant to the community.
I'm sure as more folks he worked with that aren't local find out, Trudy will get cards, etc. for a long time. In the mean time she has a lot on her plate, keeping the farm and organics programs going until they can decide what they're going to do. But friends and neighbors have all offered to pitch in and help. I know one field needs corn planted for sure, and organic certification filings and other forms need to be kept up. The farm is a corporation and she has a good lawyer, that will help her and Larry's sister work things out.
Luckily, Larry's friend Dave has a pretty good idea about what's going on and Ken Disney is another local organic farmer who can be of great help.
AS for some of the funny stuff. Toad said St. Peter is probably wondering what they were thinking. Larry arrives at the pearly gates and is already peering through, saying "this needs some phosphate, this needs some fish emulsion, this needs some potassium, let me in we gotta fix this stuff!"
Dave says he's going out to the cemetery and taking a soil sample and he's going to go back and spread all the proper nutrients on Larry's grave and sit back an giggle when the cemetery staff can't figure out why the grass grows like crazy there.
Barney figures Pabst Blue Ribbon is gonna wonder why they're only selling half as much beer around here now.
In closing this post, if I can be half the friend and neighbor Larry was, I'll be doing good.
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