Get to know the new Colorado Education Commissioner.
Get to know the people who work behind the scenes and make important decisions.
The Colorado State Board of Education has a new Commissioner: Susana Cordova.
I saw the profile linked below and wanted to post on it (though I'm clearly way behind on the date of her appointment) for a couple reasons.
It's important to know who is running the little-thought-of departments in this state because their decisions have a more tangible and immediate impact on your life (and the life of your child/grandchild) than whatever the Feds are doing. Hell, even more than what Polis is doing day to day. Get to know them and what their goals/philosophy are. Reading the interview below is a good start. Signing up for updates and/or regularly checking out the Colorado Department of Ed website (linked second below the interview) is a good second move.
Also, this provides entrée into another reminder about speaking up and getting involved. At that very same CDE website below, you'll find the emails and contact info of the State Board of Ed and the Commissioner herself. Watch what's going on and toss your two cents in. If you see something noteworthy and don't see it here, please share with me.
By speaking up and sharing, we can start to make this state more fully reflect the viewpoints of all its citizens, and we can have a hand in what we teach out youngsters.
https://www.cpr.org/2023/06/14/susana-cordova-named-colorado-education-commissioner-state-board-of-education-vote/
https://www.cde.state.co.us/
Related: an interview with Ms. Cordova from another paper.
https://www.coloradopolitics.com/education/q-a-with-susana-cordova-colorados-new-education-commissioner-eyes-the-road-ahead/article_99f63d3e-1607-11ee-9732-0bcf84bae91c.html
No thanks, but if it's all you can drink (or you like to live on the wild side), go nuts!
The article linked below comes via the FencePost and details an operation in Colorado that is producing camel milk.
Yes, milk from camels. Here in Colorado.
Apparently, it's a viable alternative for folks who are allergic to cow's milk (or if you want to follow a different drummer).
Good on 'em I say though I don't think it's something I'm interested in trying. I salute any operator that can successfully find and occupy a niche in the market.
I also have to say that the photo of camels in Colorado is delightfully incongruous. See the attached screenshot.
One last thing. The talk about how the milk is pasteurized reminded me of my recipe for canning bread and butter pickles. The recipe (not of my devising) goes to great lengths to preserve the crispness of the pickles (and succeeds--I've opened cans a year later and they still have a crunch to them).
One part of that is that you process the pickles at 185 degrees for a longer time than you would if you did a traditional water bath method.
Unless I'm mistaken that was the method used here. Lower temps to help keep the milk's nutritional value and taste.
The taste of milk from a camel.
A camel.
https://www.thefencepost.com/news/fresh-milk-from-a-colorado-camel-dairy/
Don't know much about Central Pivot Irrigation.
Last one of the day and you know what that means: something for fun and not related to politics.
If you're like me and didn't grow up around Ag, you know there's a whole lot about it that you don't know. I see central pivot irrigation systems all the time on my drives around my home and back to Denver.
I am lucky enough to have friends in the biz and so I can always ask them. If that's not you (or if you already know a lot about central pivot irrigation and want to watch a video and experience the pleasure of nodding along to things you already know or critiquing the host's comments), have I got a deal for you.
Check out the video below.
One last thing before signing off for the day. One thing that I hope you take away from this (it's certainly been something I have repeatedly reflected on) is that even things you'd figured were simple like farming and sprinklers, are a hell of a lot more complex than you thought.
In that spirit, I'd like to open up the comments below to things that people who are in Ag would like to share with us, especially those things that most outsiders would assume are basic and easy but aren't.
Have a good Friday!