The Locust Plague

2^ndUse - From Abstract Art to Comparative Biblical Story

Shelley has an abstract collage hanging in her office, and has recently confided in me that she saw grasshoppers in the image. I fully understood why.

My dear friend and chicken whisperer, Shelley, was hit big time this growing season by a grasshopper infestation. She lives with her wonderful husband Bill in a rural area of Longmont with several acres that are surrounded by fallow fields.

Shelley and Bill have worked very hard on their land and have had great success with chickens for eggs, which she refers to as the ‘French chicks’, as well as an ambitious kitchen garden, and the planting and nurturing of some fruit trees. They have been able to grow a great deal of crop.

This year started hopeful but early in the season I remember her telling me that she noticed a lot of small nymph grasshoppers, simply seemingly just to appear as if proof for pre-Darwin notions of spontaneous generation.

Then as mid summer progressed so did the stories of devastation and we began speculating and evaluating her attempts to try and find organic solutions to what was now an infestation.

By late summer, early fall, the infestation had become a full-blown plague of locust. It was heart breaking for Shelley to watch these animals grow in size and number and the green of the gardens disappear.

The only saving grace is Bill developed a method to herd this pestilence to the chickens where they were furiously eaten; getting their just deserts. But this was in no way a pest control activity; no it was a pure act of revenge.

All said and done what I learned from Shelley, who was faced with a plague of locust, is that one must remain hopeful and rely on the old adage, “It’ll be better next year.”

The following photos were all taken by Shelley.

Grasshoppers on Rose

Apple tree striped of vegetation by grasshoppers

Grasshoppers in kitchen garden beds mid summer

Kitchen garden bed with all vegetation eaten by late summer

My Shaman

2^ndUse Chance Meeting to Ancient Wisdom

I was out working on my beginning kitchen garden when I noticed a man on an old newspaper delivery bike coming up the street.

We made brief eye contact and I noticed him circling back and, stopping. He got off the bike and let it rest on the ground, and sauntered up to me. I noticed immediately that he was Native American in heritage, which is a bit unusual in my area.

He said, “looks like you are doing some farming, I used to farm.”

What a gift, someone that shared my interest, which is a bit unusual, in that I chose to grow produce in my front yard.

I gave him the tour. He didn’t say much but I knew he was listening.

As he left on his bike the same direction that he came from he shouted over his shoulder, “remember you must first feed the animals.”

I didn’t give this gift much thought. I mean, come on, I live in the city.

I have been humbled seeing the squirrels, skunk, raccoons, and a plethora of insects go after my crop. I have been amazed learning the roles of the microbes, worms, and ‘bugs’ in the soil. I have learned to feed and attract predators to my yard to control pest.

He was right, ‘my Shaman’- you must first feed the animals.

This is the first feeding station, a bird feeder, from my daughter Maddie's drawn designed.