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K.O. Ogilvie: Runtastic Gardening Birdsperience

FOOLISH RECOMMENDATIONS

June 17, 2020

KO Ogilvie (Production Manager, Company Manager)

I’m not a very good gardener, but I keep trying! My thumb is pale green-ish, but I always have trouble. In the state of Idaho, gardening can be especially tricky with such a short season. Thank goodness for some local farms with community supported agriculture.

Squash Blossom Farms in the Wood River Valley has the best tomato starts specifically suited to this area. These starts are only available in the spring, but they do sell weekly shares of delish locally grown produce.
Kraay’s Market and Garden supports local producers at their market and online. Online ordering with delivery is like having the farmers market come right to your door.

University of Idaho Extension has great resources for high altitude gardening!

Out of state:

Soul Fire Farm located in Petersburg, NY is a BIPOC* centered community farm committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system. “We raise and distribute life-giving food as a means to end food apartheid. With deep reverence for the land and wisdom of our ancestors, we work to reclaim our collective right to belong to the earth and to have agency in the food system. We bring diverse communities together on this healing land to share skills on sustainable agriculture, natural building, spiritual activism, health, and environmental justice. We are training the next generation of activist-farmers and strengthening the movements for food sovereignty and community self-determination.” A terrific program and the website is full of information about how to donate to other BIPOC farms and BIPOC agricultural organizations. And there’s some really good recipes to be found there too.

Running… I love to run. No I don’t. Yes, I do. Okay, I have a love/hate relationship with running. The half marathons I signed up for this season have been canceled or postponed, so I’ve been looking into the world of virtual running events. No, you don’t sit at home and imagine yourself running, although sometimes that sounds appealing. Instead, you participate at the location of your choice, at the distance of your choice – 5K, 10K, half or full marathon. Complete with finisher medals! You run for the bling, right? Here’s a few current favorites:

Whiskey Run 5K Supports The Nickolas Ritschel Foundation, helping young adults 18-24 fight cancer with joy, with a “make-a-wish” approach.
Beer Run 5k I’m sensing a trend here…this event is open through June 30 and supports the American Red Cross.
Conqueror Runs Virtual runs from 21 to 2280 miles, complete the mileage at your own pace! Themes include the Grand Canyon, Hadrian’s Wall and Camino de Santiago.
Homeboy Industries 5K “What began in 1988 as a way of improving the lives of former gang members in East Los Angeles has evolved into the largest gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program in the world. Each year we welcome thousands of people through our doors seeking to transform their lives. Whether joining our 18-month employment and re-entry program or seeking discrete services such as tattoo removal or substance abuse resources, our clients are embraced by a community of kinship and offered a variety of free wraparound services to facilitate healing and growth. In addition to serving over 7,000 members of the immediate Los Angeles community in 2018, our flagship 18-month employment and re-entry program was offered to over 400 men and women.” I encourage you to check out Homeboy Industries website and discover the amazing work they do. They sponsor a 5K, held each year in L.A, but now has a virtual option. Sign up for their newsletter to get all the details!

Bird Watching! Bird watching is not just for being stuck at home, you can do it anywhere! My backyard has become not just a bird refuge but also a brain refuge for me this spring. Indigo buntings, goldfinches, western tanagers, just to mention a few, have all visited my yard. There are so many organizations dedicated to birds and birdwatching. And if you’d like to create a better habitat for birds, these sites can help too.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Check out the bird cams! And the have two fab apps for your phone – one to help identify by your photos, and one by your recordings of birds call. The bird’s calls, not you imitations of.
Audubon North American Guide If nothing else, the photographs on this site will make you want to become a birder.
The Great Backyard Bird Count Just what is sounds like. The next biirrd count is in February of next year