Dear Friends,
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM HERE. Dr. Charles Goldman and I discuss human longevity, CO2 pipelines, the NFL, Donald Trump’s tax returns, and using human hair to grow food (for real — Kathy joins me for that discussion).
To kick-off the year, I thought I’d share the holiday greeting Kathy and I sent out a few weeks ago. Throughout 2022, we’ve felt blessed by Five Golden Things (to paraphrase a popular Christmas song):
YOU. In whatever capacity we’re able to share our lives with you, we’re thankful you’re here, there, or wherever. We were particularly excited in October to welcome Ed’s new granddaughter, Gemma Leigh, into the world. We got to meet her in November. She’s already doing basic math and playing accordion (kidding). We delight each day in all of our kids and grandkids!
EACH OTHER. Yes, every day, often throughout each day, we are grateful for the love we share. We hope that all our coupled friends experience the joy we find in each other’s company. In fact, we made it official in March with a pop-up wedding in Kathy’s dad’s living room! And when people ask how we met, it’s fun to tell them (and this is true) that the first time we held hands we got arrested.
MEANINGFUL WORK. Some friends our age are cutting back. We didn’t get that memo. Perhaps we have no complaints about our busy life because it’s filled with diverse activities and amazing people, as we work to have a positive impact on the world around us. (See below for details.)
FOOD. And water, of course. And air. But the food! We are often in awe at how well we eat. The richness and bounty of our urban farm continues to amaze us. It’s all due to the combination of maintaining rich, healthy soil, working hard (but not overdoing it), and having great friends who help us out.
THE EARTH. Where would we be without this beautiful gift of a planet we all share as our home? More people are realizing that we are not on this orb to dominate it, but to nurture it. 
Here’s the work that keeps us busy, happy, well-fed, and motivated to contribute positively to the world:
BIRDS & BEES URBAN FARM. We were blessed this year with excellent students for our 9-Month Yard-to-Table Workshop Series. We also gave talks and had all kinds of people come by our non-profit farm for tours – farmers from Burundi, a girl scout troop, a local garden club, and many more. We’re now preparing our basement to start nearly 2,000 heirloom seedlings.
THE FALLON FORUM. Our weekly program has run continuously for more than 13 years and airs on eight stations in six states. It’s also available as a podcast, and Ed religiously cranks out a blog to accompany each week’s program. We’re grateful for the rest of our production team: Shari, Forrest, and Charles.
BOLD IOWA. The non-profit Ed founded continues to provide an important voice on eminent domain and climate concerns, particularly the three proposed CO2 pipelines. Bold Iowa also continues to track the Dakota Access Pipeline, which even four years after construction negatively impacts soil and crop yields on hundreds of Iowa farms.
CLIMATE MARCH. At least a couple times each year, an individual or group launches a march focused on the climate crisis, and we’re there to consult and help promote it. Also, Ed’s memoir, Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim, continues to attract interest.
KATHY’S BOOK. With the help of family and others, Kathy has begun work on a historical fiction about her grandpa, Louis Raymond, who arrived via Orphan Train in Iowa in 1891. The story will feature 19th and early 20th Century issues such as immigration and classism, and will highlight the brave and generous women who made Louis’s amazing life possible.
ED’S MUSIC. Ed’s got two music projects in the works. First, he’s memorizing and recording all 21 Chopin Nocturnes. Second, he plays Irish music at least once each week with the Des Moines Irish Session.
As always, we send our very best wishes to you and yours for a joyous holiday season and a blessed new year. ~ Ed and Kathy
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LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PODCAST:
(02:16) House leader: action on CO2 pipelines, eminent domain, likely;
(23:27) Damar Hamlin’s injury raises deeper concerns about the NFL;
(39:28) Trump’s taxes revealed. Should we even care at this point?
(54:18) Hair today, food tomorrow, with Kathy Byrnes, Birds & Bees Urban Farm.
You can also catch the Fallon Forum on these affiliates:
– KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames, Iowa)
– KICI.LP 105.3 FM (Iowa City, Iowa)
– WHIV 102.3 FM (New Orleans, Louisiana)
– KPIP-LP, 94.7 FM (Fayette, Missouri)
– KCEI 90.1 FM (Taos, New Mexico)
– KRFP 90.3 FM (Moscow, Idaho)
– WGRN 94.1 FM (Columbus, Ohio)
– KKFI 90.1 FM (Kansas City, Missouri)
Please support the local businesses and non-profits who make this program possible. Click on their logos on the Fallon Forum website and in our weekly email, and visit Dr. Drake Family Psychiatry, Story County Veterinary Clinic, Bold Iowa, and Birds & Bees Urban Farm. Thanks for supporting the civil alternative to the shock jocks!
Ed Fallon