Renee went down to Miami for the Fairchild Botanical Garden Festival (I think that's the festival name) this weekend. So I have the farm to myself from Thursday morning until tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. I invited a good friend up to come see the chickens and help me out for a few days over the weekend... so naturally, it rained. No, not rained, poured. No, not even poured, more like the ocean dumped itself on us. The poor chickens were a wet mess (they are sort of like sad, wet kittens when they get rained on... very pathetic looking) and since there was so much thunder and lightening we lost power a few times, the coops became soupy poop boxes, and this morning - the road and property behind the farm (past the coops) became a new lake. I'll be putting up photos of it later today. Seriously, some intense rain. My friend, John, had to leave this morning so unfortunately he never really got to hang on Sunny Twin Oaks. We had an afternoon of sunshine on Saturday which allowed for a short walk but between fire ants and the chickens it was indeed just a short one. Now I have the place to myself once again and it is sunny and hot. Great - aside from the major storm cleanup I am now faced with;)
A few goals to accomplish prior to Renee's return (yeah, so much for party when mom's away, haha):
- clean both box coops (really my least favorite job by far)
- label and top the remaining mango chutney
- move the hoop coops (not sure if this will actually happen, they are big and I don't weigh enough for the tractor to stay running)
- demo the old box coops and organize all reusable parts
- begin construction of three 12' hoop coops
- clean the house... its not looking sparkly, to say the least
- (and if I am really feeling ambitious) drive the HUGE van to Tractor Supply and pick up 9 4'x16' cattle panels
Obviously, I have gotten a great start, seeing as I have been able write out a list of things to do and update everyone on this weekends rain festivities. "Off to work we go... er... I go... do de do do dooo de dooo"
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
NEW PHOTOS
I just uploaded a bunch of new photos. I am going to try to explain a few...
- Two chicks in the sunset on the porch: Germaine and Josephine
- All the chickens running up to the wheelbarrow or Renee: DINNERTIME!
- Germaine and Josephine in the kitchen to help make preserves;)
- The fried eggs in a pan: TWO were double yolks, and a huge yolk
- The lizard was upstairs inside the window by all the plants, so cool but the photos are poor quality unfortunately
- Red chicken outside the coop in the dark: THE PUNK! (the one who NEVER goes in when we try to close them up at night)
- Any of the HUGE eggs in photos are Josephine's - that girl works hard;)
Pretty sure the rest are self-explanatory but feel free to ask if you want to know who or what some of them are!
- Two chicks in the sunset on the porch: Germaine and Josephine
- All the chickens running up to the wheelbarrow or Renee: DINNERTIME!
- Germaine and Josephine in the kitchen to help make preserves;)
- The fried eggs in a pan: TWO were double yolks, and a huge yolk
- The lizard was upstairs inside the window by all the plants, so cool but the photos are poor quality unfortunately
- Red chicken outside the coop in the dark: THE PUNK! (the one who NEVER goes in when we try to close them up at night)
- Any of the HUGE eggs in photos are Josephine's - that girl works hard;)
Pretty sure the rest are self-explanatory but feel free to ask if you want to know who or what some of them are!
Monday, March 23, 2009
THOUGHTS FROM A FAR(M)
What I really wish I could do for this entry is just transcribe every single conversation Renee and I have here. Inevitably they all revolve around eating healthy foods, small farms, gardening, society, etc... chock full of information and experience. Having lived in the life of a small, organic farmer for the past two weeks I have begun to see how anti-small-farm the requirements and certifications are. Renee has had to literally call people and offices daily, print out entire books on requirements, and fight mindless inspector after mindless inspector to simply raise organic chickens and sell eggs and preserves to people who want quality food. I think it is good to have food safety regulations and inspections to make sure they are met. However, this is how ridiculous it has become:
Woman for Food Safety Labeling Regulations: "I'm sorry but your ingredients labels must be in a specific order: highest percentage ingredient to least."
Renee: "But my ingredients on the label ARE listed like that."
Woman: "You have FRUIT listed first in your preserves."
Renee: "Yes. My preserves are made with more fruit than anything else."
** Her ingredients list is as follows: fruit(whichever kind it may be), organic sugar.
In the few interactions I have listened to or seen first hand, it almost seems as if the people giving out organic certifications and selling licenses don't want her to be able to do anything. It is simply frusterating and financially exhausting to Renee. I can't imagine how many other farmers are going through the same thing. I really just wanted to write about it because it might not seem apparent but small farms have it really rough simply to operate and its sad to see it happening.
On the positive side, the farm is coming along fabulously. The egg count is going up daily, baby strawberries are emerging, compost bins are ... composting, and the buzz from pollinating insects is deafening. We started to transplant seedlings today and I met at least over 7 different kinds of spiders. (Didn't make friends with any of them but hey, its one step at a time) And the most fascinating event of the day: MistiGris. We are fairly certain he came across some catnip or something in his adventures in the woods because he was pupil-dialated hyper. Running back and forth like a demon, fighting with bags on the floor, trying to climb the cabinets... absolutely hilarious. I tried to get some of it on camera so if all goes well, I will get a video or two up for your amusement;)
Woman for Food Safety Labeling Regulations: "I'm sorry but your ingredients labels must be in a specific order: highest percentage ingredient to least."
Renee: "But my ingredients on the label ARE listed like that."
Woman: "You have FRUIT listed first in your preserves."
Renee: "Yes. My preserves are made with more fruit than anything else."
** Her ingredients list is as follows: fruit(whichever kind it may be), organic sugar.
In the few interactions I have listened to or seen first hand, it almost seems as if the people giving out organic certifications and selling licenses don't want her to be able to do anything. It is simply frusterating and financially exhausting to Renee. I can't imagine how many other farmers are going through the same thing. I really just wanted to write about it because it might not seem apparent but small farms have it really rough simply to operate and its sad to see it happening.
On the positive side, the farm is coming along fabulously. The egg count is going up daily, baby strawberries are emerging, compost bins are ... composting, and the buzz from pollinating insects is deafening. We started to transplant seedlings today and I met at least over 7 different kinds of spiders. (Didn't make friends with any of them but hey, its one step at a time) And the most fascinating event of the day: MistiGris. We are fairly certain he came across some catnip or something in his adventures in the woods because he was pupil-dialated hyper. Running back and forth like a demon, fighting with bags on the floor, trying to climb the cabinets... absolutely hilarious. I tried to get some of it on camera so if all goes well, I will get a video or two up for your amusement;)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
"PRESERVE" THE GNOMES!
I spent the day making fruit preserves, which I will go into detail about in a minute, but first I want to discuss the coolest group I have EVER heard about. EVER.
MOUVEMENT DE LIBERATION DU NAIN DE JARDIN
The movement for the liberation of garden gnomes... a group of society of people who go out at night and take gnomes from peoples homes, place them in open fields and such, then leave a note for the owner letting them know where their gnome was freed. There have been thousands of gnomes freed. I reallllllly want to join. It is hilarious and fabulous.
Also, something that has a similar guerrilla tactic that my sister recently informed me about is Guerilla Gardening - people in cities that go at night to abandoned lots and replant them to be beautiful or to make community gardens. Anyone interested??
Preserves. Okay... today was a long day. We started by boiling between 8 and 12 lbs of fruit (of the following: blueberries, mangoes, apricots, and figs) with almost an equivalent amount of evaporated cane sugar. The kitchen was HOT and smelled FABULOUS. Between making sure the pots didn't stick or boil over, I sterilized jars and once the fruit was cooked, Renee filled them. She literally just uses fruit and sugar, boils the jars to seal them and then it lasts for a few years, unopened (trust me, I have some on toast every morning and they are all delish!) After doing that all day we were tired so we had dinner and drank a few glasses of wine..... and then realized we had to go put in the single chicken that wouldn't go in her coop before dinner. So, guided just by Renee's headlamp we headed into the dark and proceeded to make tipsy fools of ourselves running and diving after this darn hen. We eventually managed to pin her down and giggled ourselves back to the house. Now I am tired and we start bright and early again tomorrow by moving all the coops to a new pasture...
MOUVEMENT DE LIBERATION DU NAIN DE JARDIN
The movement for the liberation of garden gnomes... a group of society of people who go out at night and take gnomes from peoples homes, place them in open fields and such, then leave a note for the owner letting them know where their gnome was freed. There have been thousands of gnomes freed. I reallllllly want to join. It is hilarious and fabulous.
Also, something that has a similar guerrilla tactic that my sister recently informed me about is Guerilla Gardening - people in cities that go at night to abandoned lots and replant them to be beautiful or to make community gardens. Anyone interested??
Preserves. Okay... today was a long day. We started by boiling between 8 and 12 lbs of fruit (of the following: blueberries, mangoes, apricots, and figs) with almost an equivalent amount of evaporated cane sugar. The kitchen was HOT and smelled FABULOUS. Between making sure the pots didn't stick or boil over, I sterilized jars and once the fruit was cooked, Renee filled them. She literally just uses fruit and sugar, boils the jars to seal them and then it lasts for a few years, unopened (trust me, I have some on toast every morning and they are all delish!) After doing that all day we were tired so we had dinner and drank a few glasses of wine..... and then realized we had to go put in the single chicken that wouldn't go in her coop before dinner. So, guided just by Renee's headlamp we headed into the dark and proceeded to make tipsy fools of ourselves running and diving after this darn hen. We eventually managed to pin her down and giggled ourselves back to the house. Now I am tired and we start bright and early again tomorrow by moving all the coops to a new pasture...
GOD, GUNS, AND GUTS
... I saw a sign on the way down to deliver eggs in Seaside on Wednesday that said: "God, Guns, and Guts made America Free! We support our troops." ... just thought I would share that...
Annnnyways, Wednesday Renee and I drove down through Grayton Beach (where my family used to vacation) to Seaside to deliver 19 dozen - gorgeous - eggs. The whole time we drove by the ocean I wanted SO badly to dive in. The first stop was basically like a drug deal: we pulled over on the side of the road at an intersection and another car pulled over, we handed two cartons of eggs, she handed us some cash, and then we left. HAHA. The woman was actually super cool though and gave us some fresh arugula and red peppers too:) Then we delivered a cooler full of eggs to the restaurant Fish Out Of Water, then to the woman Kristin who owns a little juice bar. She is VERY COOL... she started a chapter of Local Wars here in the area. (they support local foods, volunteer, etc) Then we made several other deliveries, including one to a man who eats 8 eggs PER DAY! The sunset on the drive home was beautiful, as usual...
Annnnyways, Wednesday Renee and I drove down through Grayton Beach (where my family used to vacation) to Seaside to deliver 19 dozen - gorgeous - eggs. The whole time we drove by the ocean I wanted SO badly to dive in. The first stop was basically like a drug deal: we pulled over on the side of the road at an intersection and another car pulled over, we handed two cartons of eggs, she handed us some cash, and then we left. HAHA. The woman was actually super cool though and gave us some fresh arugula and red peppers too:) Then we delivered a cooler full of eggs to the restaurant Fish Out Of Water, then to the woman Kristin who owns a little juice bar. She is VERY COOL... she started a chapter of Local Wars here in the area. (they support local foods, volunteer, etc) Then we made several other deliveries, including one to a man who eats 8 eggs PER DAY! The sunset on the drive home was beautiful, as usual...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
POOP AND BEAUTY
Sunday night Lynn decided he needed to move on and do other things with his life, so we are down two hands... just in time to clean out the soggy coops yesterday. The first coops Renee built are not open on the bottom and therefore, when it rains, they become bogged down with wood mulch and tons of chicken poop. Let me assure you, you have never smelled such a horrific stench. Gag-worthy, to say the least. The two of us did manage to get them all scooped, sprayed down, and re-mulched though - just in time for the next rain. Haha. Today, with the help of Renee's friend Steve, we moved a new coop (open bottom, one of the ones I built) down to the pasture and so there is one less gross coop to clean.
That was the quick poop update portion of this post. The beauty part is a little more exciting to think about. Out here in the panhandle of Florida I am surrounded by so much beauty...(makes me think of the Weepies song with that name, "all this beauty, you might have to close your eyes, and slowly open wide...") The horses next door galloping, the incredible sunsets lighting up the fields and ponds of water, the green lizard I have made friends with upstairs, and the eggs. I am becoming more in awe everyday of how incredible the eggs are. First of all, the shells (brown from the Dominic and Rhode Island Reds and white from the Leghorns) are stunning. Some are spotted, some are light, some dark, the white ones are pristine. And then the intense red-orange of the yolks. Sometimes, even though I see first hand where they come from, I think they have been dyed. **Fun egg sidenote: our lesbians hens lay the BIGGEST eggs I have ever seen. They look like goose eggs... pictures coming soon.
Tomorrow I get to help Renee deliver a batch of eggs. That will be fun to see exactly where the eggs actually end up:) I'll be sure to let you all know how that adventure away from the farm goes...
That was the quick poop update portion of this post. The beauty part is a little more exciting to think about. Out here in the panhandle of Florida I am surrounded by so much beauty...(makes me think of the Weepies song with that name, "all this beauty, you might have to close your eyes, and slowly open wide...") The horses next door galloping, the incredible sunsets lighting up the fields and ponds of water, the green lizard I have made friends with upstairs, and the eggs. I am becoming more in awe everyday of how incredible the eggs are. First of all, the shells (brown from the Dominic and Rhode Island Reds and white from the Leghorns) are stunning. Some are spotted, some are light, some dark, the white ones are pristine. And then the intense red-orange of the yolks. Sometimes, even though I see first hand where they come from, I think they have been dyed. **Fun egg sidenote: our lesbians hens lay the BIGGEST eggs I have ever seen. They look like goose eggs... pictures coming soon.
Tomorrow I get to help Renee deliver a batch of eggs. That will be fun to see exactly where the eggs actually end up:) I'll be sure to let you all know how that adventure away from the farm goes...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
NATURAL FRIENDS
I have weekends off, which means I sleep in until around 8:00! On Saturday I decided to take a luxurious walk down to the barn towards the end of the property... where I promptly layed down in the grass and took an afternoon nap. That adventure was followed by a solid amount of reading a diddling around on Yammie. Rough life, eh? And then today I did pretty much the same thing - except we recieved a gorgeous torrential downpour so I stayed inside for more of the afternoon. As a result of such ample amounts of time and conversation with Renee, I have started to open my eyes to even more ways to introduce and implement natural "friends" into daily life. And I think I should share these, in the hopes that you too will be inspired:)
HERBS:
Namely, Rosemary and Thyme. Brewed as a tea, they are fabulous for getting rid of a cough for the evening. Added bonus, they smell and taste incredible.
BAKING SODA:
In the past several months I have started using baking soda for more and more. It is a great toothepaste, vegetable wash (just a sprinkle, when you wash your veggies will get rid of any little pests), makeshift scrubber/drain cleaner/peroxide (mix with vinegar and it bubbles!), and deoderizer (for spaces like the fridge, in your wash, or under arms, especially when doubled with a natural deoderant).
OLIVE OIL:
Already great in foods, I have found a tiny bit is fabulous as lotion. It might feel a little heavy or greasy in the beginning but it soaks in and is so much better for your skin than other chemical filled things. I even use it on my face every couple nights and it hasn't yet clogged my pores or irritated me.
VINEGAR:
This is the big winner so far. It is one of the most incredible, useful things to have in the house. Here are just a few of the vast amount of things to use it for: soothing sunburns, as a conditioner for hair, to clean countertops (and sinks, bathrooms, floors, etc), as a glass/mirror streak-free cleaner, as a fabric softener in the last rinse cycle (also, doing this removes the excess soap from clothes, as well as keeps colors fresher), to fight toenail fungus, mixed with baking soda to remove stains in carpet, for plants like hydrangia, splashed in boiling water for almost any cooking - keeps colors bright, mixed with honey and hot water for a cold remedy... I could go on and on. Basically, go buy some vinegar (there are so many kinds too!) and start to use it for everything. I am going to for sure.
I am on information overload here. It is fabulous. As I gain more knowledge about... well, anything... I will continue to share. Please, tell your friends! And perhaps, one drop in the bucket will turn into a bucket full of earth concious people!
HERBS:
Namely, Rosemary and Thyme. Brewed as a tea, they are fabulous for getting rid of a cough for the evening. Added bonus, they smell and taste incredible.
BAKING SODA:
In the past several months I have started using baking soda for more and more. It is a great toothepaste, vegetable wash (just a sprinkle, when you wash your veggies will get rid of any little pests), makeshift scrubber/drain cleaner/peroxide (mix with vinegar and it bubbles!), and deoderizer (for spaces like the fridge, in your wash, or under arms, especially when doubled with a natural deoderant).
OLIVE OIL:
Already great in foods, I have found a tiny bit is fabulous as lotion. It might feel a little heavy or greasy in the beginning but it soaks in and is so much better for your skin than other chemical filled things. I even use it on my face every couple nights and it hasn't yet clogged my pores or irritated me.
VINEGAR:
This is the big winner so far. It is one of the most incredible, useful things to have in the house. Here are just a few of the vast amount of things to use it for: soothing sunburns, as a conditioner for hair, to clean countertops (and sinks, bathrooms, floors, etc), as a glass/mirror streak-free cleaner, as a fabric softener in the last rinse cycle (also, doing this removes the excess soap from clothes, as well as keeps colors fresher), to fight toenail fungus, mixed with baking soda to remove stains in carpet, for plants like hydrangia, splashed in boiling water for almost any cooking - keeps colors bright, mixed with honey and hot water for a cold remedy... I could go on and on. Basically, go buy some vinegar (there are so many kinds too!) and start to use it for everything. I am going to for sure.
I am on information overload here. It is fabulous. As I gain more knowledge about... well, anything... I will continue to share. Please, tell your friends! And perhaps, one drop in the bucket will turn into a bucket full of earth concious people!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
PHOTOS
Sorrie, just realized it is going to take some time to get my photos up so... maybe tomorrow I will have them!
CHICKEN LADY OR EGG WOMAN?
... those were the nickname choices given to me by my father. I choose "silly sunburned farmer girl." Yup, two days into my farming experience and I have burned shoulders/neck/arms and a ferocious farmer's tan steadily developing on my thighs. Attractive, to say the least.
After about a 30 hour bus/truck ride from Boston to Bonifay, FL I was exhausted and greeted by Renee Savary (my wwoof host) who is a very warm, welcoming woman from Genoa, Switzerland and Lynn (short for Lyndell, my co-wwoofer) who is a really interesting, sweet man from Madison, Wisconsin. We ate a scrumptious meal together, talked passionately about organics and society and everything in between and around. Each morning I wake at about 6:30am to a fog covered farm and we eat breakfast together before going out to wake the chickens. She has about 200 birds - three different varieties (Dominics, Rhode Island Reds, and Leghorn Greys). We open each of the five coops, check for eggs in the laying hutches, fill their feed and water bins, and then head back up to the house for other projects. The first two days were mostly constructing a different, larger coop. (There are pictures in my slide show!). Today was a little abnormal in that we moved all the chickens (in their pens - aye yaye) to a new section field. It took a quite a while but eventually we got everyone situated. Chickens, I have learned, are hilarious creatures who have a whole lot of personality. They make funny sounds, move in silly ways, and are chock full of SASS! Looks like we are getting along fine so far;)
The other few friends I have made are MistiGris (the cat who comes in for meals and nap time), The Rooster (the lone rooster who lives all by his lonely self, fattening up for a meal soon), and Germaine & Josephine (the lesbian hen couple who have their own personal coop by the house because they don't like the other hens).
The weather is gorgeous, the days are long, but it is fun and interesting so far - I feel like I can't even keep in all the information that flies around all day. I will try to post more often and give some more specifics about my day to day activies but for now... I am ready for my pillow!
After about a 30 hour bus/truck ride from Boston to Bonifay, FL I was exhausted and greeted by Renee Savary (my wwoof host) who is a very warm, welcoming woman from Genoa, Switzerland and Lynn (short for Lyndell, my co-wwoofer) who is a really interesting, sweet man from Madison, Wisconsin. We ate a scrumptious meal together, talked passionately about organics and society and everything in between and around. Each morning I wake at about 6:30am to a fog covered farm and we eat breakfast together before going out to wake the chickens. She has about 200 birds - three different varieties (Dominics, Rhode Island Reds, and Leghorn Greys). We open each of the five coops, check for eggs in the laying hutches, fill their feed and water bins, and then head back up to the house for other projects. The first two days were mostly constructing a different, larger coop. (There are pictures in my slide show!). Today was a little abnormal in that we moved all the chickens (in their pens - aye yaye) to a new section field. It took a quite a while but eventually we got everyone situated. Chickens, I have learned, are hilarious creatures who have a whole lot of personality. They make funny sounds, move in silly ways, and are chock full of SASS! Looks like we are getting along fine so far;)
The other few friends I have made are MistiGris (the cat who comes in for meals and nap time), The Rooster (the lone rooster who lives all by his lonely self, fattening up for a meal soon), and Germaine & Josephine (the lesbian hen couple who have their own personal coop by the house because they don't like the other hens).
The weather is gorgeous, the days are long, but it is fun and interesting so far - I feel like I can't even keep in all the information that flies around all day. I will try to post more often and give some more specifics about my day to day activies but for now... I am ready for my pillow!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
TWIN OAKS FARM
The first destination on my list (and first taste of WWOOFing life!) is located in Bonifay, FL. The WWOOF farm I decided on is called Twin Oaks Farm and it is owned and operated by a really sweet woman named Renee Savary. She was incredibly warm and welcoming when I asked her about coming to work on the farm - she convinced me that her organic farm was a great place to start out because she herself is still learning; she has only had the farm in operation for about a year. Renee, myself, and one other wwoofer will be working together for 5 or 6 weeks. The farm itself consists of egg producing chickens, a vegetable garden, and fruit trees. According to Renee, the days are always exciting, never the same... I cannot wait to expand my repertoire of skills with all the new lessons farm work has to offer!
Check out the farm at their website:
www.twinoaksfarm.net
Check out the farm at their website:
www.twinoaksfarm.net
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
ADDING IT ALL UP
Just a quick post: I decided to keep track of all the gear and expenses associated with this endeavor - for my sake and for anyone who is curious about what this whole thing actually costs. Everything is listed under "Gear & Expenses" on the side of this page.
I went to REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc) in Boston for all of the initial big purchases like the tent, sleeping bag/pad, and pack. Everything else is pieced together as I go from various stores - but a good amount from REI. Lastly, I am not including discounts/gift cards/etc (but I have had some good luck and savings on some things). **REI Lifetime Membership = 10% off purchases!
I went to REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc) in Boston for all of the initial big purchases like the tent, sleeping bag/pad, and pack. Everything else is pieced together as I go from various stores - but a good amount from REI. Lastly, I am not including discounts/gift cards/etc (but I have had some good luck and savings on some things). **REI Lifetime Membership = 10% off purchases!
WWOOF USA
The real basis for this blog are my plans to travel - which at this point are made possible by a fabulous organization called WWOOF (World Wide Organization of Organic Farmers). Basically, being a "wwoofer" allows you to stay at organic farms all over the USA (and other countries if you join their wwoof programs). In exchange for about 35 hours of work per week wwoofers receive a place to stay, food, and occasionally a small stipend. I have met a few people on various train and bus rides who participated in this and had nothing but great things to say.
Once I decided to really get serious about seeing the rest of the country and learning about sustainable farming practices (and having taken a sad look at my bank account) I decided to join WWOOFUSA. The fee for a year is minimal ($20) and for that you receive your WWOOF Directory - a complete list of all the farms looking for workers in the next year. As soon as my (bright orange!) directory arrived in the mail I called about 20 farms before I landed on one that was a good match for me. (More about that farm in a soon-to-come blog, I promise!) The great thing about WWOOFing is that it is all up to you and the farmer - the organization just works as an information storehouse - the rest of the specifics and contact are up to you, the farmers and your enthusiasm.
So now I am an official WWOOFer, ready to learn about farming, sustainability, and culture! And of course, eat some really great food...
Once I decided to really get serious about seeing the rest of the country and learning about sustainable farming practices (and having taken a sad look at my bank account) I decided to join WWOOFUSA. The fee for a year is minimal ($20) and for that you receive your WWOOF Directory - a complete list of all the farms looking for workers in the next year. As soon as my (bright orange!) directory arrived in the mail I called about 20 farms before I landed on one that was a good match for me. (More about that farm in a soon-to-come blog, I promise!) The great thing about WWOOFing is that it is all up to you and the farmer - the organization just works as an information storehouse - the rest of the specifics and contact are up to you, the farmers and your enthusiasm.
So now I am an official WWOOFer, ready to learn about farming, sustainability, and culture! And of course, eat some really great food...
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