Happy Friday Gentle Readers,
I hope this missive finds you well. This is my anniversary weekend, so I'm posting this a bit early before decamping with Mrs. Brown for a few days of no screens, no distractions, and absolutely no news.
Queer farming
Yeah, that's a thing. Or it will be soon. The Daily Signal notes that the Farm Credit Agency, which was created during the Great Depression to help farmers who had been clobbered during the Dust Bowl, is now focusing on DEI. The agency, which offers credit to ranchers and farmers has just released a newsletter titled “DEIA for All.” (The added "A" is for "accessibility.")
The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project managed to get a copy of the letter, which urges employees to perform the usual ritual of checking their biases. Along with that, they are also asked to learn about the LGBTQ experience in farming, and show pride in how the FCA "contributes to 'equity in farming.'"
FCA supports the System’s mission to serve young, beginning, and small (YBS) farmers, ranchers, and producers and harvesters of aquatic products. It’s not unlikely that a portion of LGBTQI+ farmers would be YBS borrowers. They would require constructive credit and financially related services from the System, so it’s nice to think that we can have a hand in the contribution toward their success
There is also a link to the article “The Queer Farmers Reimagining American Agriculture,” which talks about how LGBTQ farmers “can improve American agriculture in ways that their ‘straight, cis counterparts’ cannot.” Do you hear that, you straight, cis farmers? You guys aren't pulling your weight out there.
I don't know about you, but I smell a reboot of the beloved 60s TV classic, "Green Acres."
Queer Acres is the place to be!
Trans livin' is the life for me!
Rainbows stretchin' out so far and wide,
Keep your silos, just give me that DEI!
A drag queen brunch is where I'd rather stay!
I can't settle for just being gay.
I just adore some Bud Light Brews,
Dylan, I love you, so let's go protest the Jews!
I kid, I kid. Seriously, I wish the queer farmers nothing but success with their future agricultural endeavors. I'm sure they will be fine since they will be eligible for all sorts of benefits and subsidies that won't be available to regular farmers. I just wish I could be there when they have to cancel their cows for not using the preferred pronouns.
As Catherine pointed out, family farms and ranches are disappearing thanks to government regulations, the elite classes, and purchases by China. So farmers, queer or otherwise, are about to become obsolete unless, of course, the focus of the memo is DEI, not farming, in which case, I see what they did there.
Wine recommendation
While we have a nice bottle of champagne chilling, my wife and I won't open that until later. For the moment, I give you the 2020 Harlow Ridge Lodi Pinot Noir.
This wine was a little, well tepid, and I'm not referring to the temperature. It's okay, but to be honest, nothing particularly jumped out at me, either in the bouquet or the taste. Yes, you can taste some cherry, a little vanilla, and some blackberry. Other reviewers say the wine has some hints of cedar, but I couldn't find those hints to save my life.
Everyone's tastes indeed differ, but I was a bit disappointed and felt like the wine, or at least my bottle, underperformed. You can pair it with the usual red wine suspects, but make it something hot or a peppery cut of beef fresh off the smoker.
That's it for me. Have a great weekend, and I'll see you next time.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member