Month: October 2025

ECONOGAL > 2025 > October

Overwintering Artichokes

Posted on by Econogal

Keeping Artichokes Alive

Artichoke growing in a garden row.
Artichoke before overwintering.

Once again, I am overwintering artichokes. The first try was a bust. I had read an article in a Front Range newspaper about keeping artichokes alive through the winter in order to reach their second year when the chokes are produced. But I did little research. Unsurprisingly, failure was the result.

This year I watched several how-to videos and read articles both in books and on the Internet. My hope is to succeed unless the winter temperatures are extreme. Here on the High Plains the thermometer can plummet to more than twenty degrees below zero using the Fahrenheit scale.

Process of Overwintering Artichokes

There are just a few steps involved in the overwintering process. The first step I neglected on my previous try. The celery-like stalks are trimmed down close to the ground.

Step Two is working a small amount of compost into the ground. The compost will help feed the plants while they are overwintering. I used a couple of handfuls per plant.

Then a heavy layer of mulch is spread across the plant. Since three artichoke plants are growing in the Big Garden, I experimented at this step. One of the plants was surrounded by pavers before spreading the straw mulch. Each plant has close to ten inches of straw atop.

Straw vs. Wood Mulch

We live in the heart of wheat country. So, wheat straw is easy to come by and economical. In contrast, the mulch often found at Big Box stores is not produced nearby and the cost is higher due to shipping from the point of origin. Both types of mulches have pros and cons. The biggest negative of wheat straw is that it can carry mosaic virus.

Plan B

In case the overwintering of the artichokes fails again, Plan B will go into effect late next winter. New seeds will be sprouted. And then they will be placed in a location where the temperatures will remain between 40° and 50° F. This should trick the plant into thinking it is in its second year.

Since the plants need to have some growth by this point, the seeds will most likely be started in January. It will be interesting to see if this works as well as the videos I watched. On the positive side, if the plants outsmart my maneuvers, I can always try overwintering again.

Clipping Artichokes

Clippers at base of artichoke plant.
Clip artichoke fronds close to the ground.

Artichokes after Clipping

Two artichokes after fronds have been clipped.
Fronds clipped off and compost worked into soil around plants.

Bricks around the Clipped Artichoke

Brick pavers circling single clipped artichoke plant
Circle the artichoke plant with bricks as an experiment.

Mulch Covered Artichokes

A mound of wheat straw over the artichokes
Mound a heavy layer of straw atop the row section of artichokes.

Technology and The Labor Market

Posted on by Econogal

Internet Repaired

Yesterday our new internet provider finished the installation. The two men travelled seven hours and were planning on installing five systems in three towns spread out over hundreds of miles. But the men’s labor did not include much that was manual. Instead, they used a  Vibratory Plow.

New Technology

Vibratory Plow Vemeer SPX25 digging a trenchThe digging equipment looks traditional in appearance. However, it is much smaller than the trencher forerunners. Furthermore, the equipment is “driven” by tablet. A human is still needed to operate the tablet, but an individual no longer sits upon the unit operating manual gears and steering wheels.

Of course, the original machines were men with picks and axes.

And even though the physical aspect is reduced, the customer service remained and was outstanding.

Trenching the Cable

A Vemeer SPX 25 was the unit involved in trenching my yard. Its technology went a step beyond just plowing through my topsoil. This machine pulled a cable casing underneath the ground while operating. So, the machine further reduced the effort needed to successfully install the cable line needed for Internet service.

However, the actual line then needed the two men to thread the line through the orange plastic casing. Human labor is still a small part of the process. But with the ever-increasing development of technology, it may not be long before only one individual is needed. Or perhaps none.

Cable Casing rising out of ground behind a Vibratory Plow.

Current Reading Tie-in

I am currently reading Could Should Might Don’t: How We Think About The Future by Nick Foster. The first few chapters offer a history of technological progress since the last Ice Age. The premise of the opening pages is that for much of history gains in productivity were slow and could be represented by a mostly flat horizontal line.

Now technological growth is accelerating exponentially. Thus the curve needs an almost vertical line. This raises many questions about growth and what kind of roles humans will play. Or will AI take over?

Technology and the Labor Market

The biggest surprise from the use of the Vibratory Plow was the speed. The two-man crew was here less than an hour. The distance trenched was nearly 75 feet. Technology was a huge time saver. But there are other impacts on the labor market. Ditch diggers of old did not necessary need any skills other than the physical ability to wield a shovel. Yet, the Vemeer SPX 25 needed someone with the skills to operate the remote control. Perhaps this a skill easily learned, but it is still more than manual labor.

As technology moves forward, how much will a kindergartener need to know? And each grade above that? Will everyone be able to code software before graduating from high school? And what if one can’t? And an old question I used to ask my students, ten years from now what jobs will be obsolete and what unheard of positions will develop.

These are truly interesting times we live in.

I Cheerfully Refuse Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Leif Enger has a Winner

Leif Enger’s I Cheerfully Refuse started out slowly. But I wasn’t ready for the story to end. The characters are compelling and the plot solid. This most likely made the futuristic sci-fi appealing to a reader that turns toward historical fiction. So, a great book to read if you are expanding your brain with different types of reading. And you might want a dictionary handy for the vocabulary.

Setting and Plot

I Cheerfully Refuse is set in the not-too-distant future in the vicinity of the Great Lakes. There were references to events taking place in the twentieth century. Also, the book alluded to lots of pollution and great storms. Finally, the stage is set between “haves” and “have-nots.”

The “haves” are the uber-wealthy and the ones that work for them. Perhaps there is a parallel with the billionaires of the early twenty-first century. The main villain of the story is a bureaucrat named Werryck. He and Rainy cross paths multiple times.

Protagonist of I Cheerfully Refuse

Ranier, known as Rainy, is married to Lark. Their marriage is solid and their lives happy even though they do not live among the astronauts. Apparently, those with money live on the coasts of the country and are referred to as astronauts. But money doesn’t buy happiness.

Rainy is a musician and Lark is a bookseller. She is the optimist and her upbeat way of looking at life while pushing the edges allows Rainy to get through the dark days of life. He is one to learn from others. Furthermore, Rainy is the person who is always there for others, even at a personal cost.

Recommendation for I Cheerfully Refuse

As stated before, I feel like the book started slowly. However, the author needed to lay out a backstory. Once in place, the plot moved quickly. This is the first Leif Enger novel I have read. The story manages to leave the reader upbeat even though the key characters suffered much grief. I highly recommend this book. Look for it at your favorite bookstore or library.