Quick hits: Rural towns wave the flag; fresh charcuterie; farmers and mental health; hauling stuff; eating seeds . . .

Successful Farming photo

Rural towns have beauty, diversity and a lot of national pride. "Rural areas wave the flag proudly all year, but the colors shine extra brightly around Memorial Day, Flag Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day," Jessie Scott of Successful Farming reminds us. "Sixteen percent of the U.S. population is from rural America, yet 40% of the U.S. military is from those same rural communities. . . . They have a deep love of the flag. . . . Rural residents will find any excuse to proudly display the flag. Wrapping up harvest is certainly one of them."

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Summer is a time for snacking on all sorts of garden treats, from crisp carrots to zippy jalapenos; add cheese bites, summer sausage, and ta-da! You have the beginnings of a charcuterie board. Reminiscent of coffee parties and fondue parties, "charcuterie (pronounced 'shar-koo-tree') boards have caught my eye in recent years. This is another example of an old way of serving that has been adapted for modern times," writes Julie Garden-Robinson of AgWeekly. Here are simple steps to build your own.

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Farmers can't control the rain or shine, but can help each other weather the stresses of living off the land. "Today's farmers are dealing with increased stress, risk of suicide, and other mental health concerns," reports Allee Mead of the Rural Health Information Hub. "However, experts who work with farmers and farmworkers are seeing increased interest in mental health programming and decreased stigma around mental health, which may make it easier for healthcare providers to provide the care that farmers need." Alongside this increase in openness is more programming to support the interest.

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Life can feel cluttered. It also can be filled with clutter. Items we intend to give, pack or put away, but never quite find the time. Consider repurposing those cluttering corners. Is there a donation place for those still-wrapped sheets? The Fence Post columnist Peggy Sanders looks at how clutter might have more purpose than we give it credit for. We might want to take it more seriously.

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Kayaks loaded for a 250 mile trip on (mostly) two-lane
roads. (Photo by Donna Kallner, The Daily Yonder)

Summer and early fall are full of packing, hauling and moving. Whether it's hay to a horse farm, pies to the county fair or 4-H fair, or finally getting to take that kayaking trip, rural America is busy with loads, writes Donna Kallner for The Daily Yonder. "Back when my husband and I sold canoes and kayaks, we heard all the standard lines used by people hauling stuff: My favorite is I'm not going far, followed closely by I'll keep it under 100. So we taught lots of impromptu lessons on how to tie down a load. And most people were grateful. We learned some lessons, too – like to back away slowly when you hear I thought YOU checked it. That marriage ended in our parking lot."

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Seeds are crunchy, nutritious and easy-to-pack snacks, but not all seeds are created equal. See how experts rank the top edible seeds.

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Commandy in her new studio
(Photo by Jamie Larson, Rural Intelligence)

Consider the life of ceramicist Ramah Commanday, whose life as a Napa Valley artist underwent an extreme transformation. She was "dramatically reforged by the intensity of California wildfires," reports Jamie Larson for Rural Intelligence., a mostly online publication for rural areas west of the Hudson River. "Now resettled into her new home and studio in Germantown, the 72-year-old climate refugee saw her home, studio, and decades of creative output destroyed by the Glass Fire of September 26, 2020 – named for Glass Mountain, which she used to see out her former bedroom window. After the fire, as she sifted through the wreckage of her home, she says she felt like an archeologist, unearthing the artifacts of her own life."

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Planning to dig? Call 811 first. "The consequences of cutting buried utility lines can be high. That's not just in the cost of repairs and fines. . . . There's also the risk of injury," Kallnet reports Donna Kallner for the Yonder. "We call Diggers Hotline to get lines marked before digging. . . . Every state has an equivalent service you can call to mark the location of buried utility lines. You can find your state's info online or call 811. After you place your request, workers come to mark the approximate location of buried utilities."