EPISODE 100 BEST CROP IS FLAX…FOR THE MOVIE INDUSTRY
alan skeoch
August 2020
“OUR best crop is Flax.”
Friends and relatives often ask us what do we grow on our farm. I have
a standard answer…”Flax”…followed by fragment of explanation…”for the movie industry”
Now that makes us, Marjorie and I, sound like big time farmers. The truth is less exalted.
Our flax crop needed a little high powered marketing before we reached the big time.
Big time? What a load of hot air.
We grow about an acre of flax which fights for existence in a
field full of weeds. Flax is tough and succeeds here and there.
But to get rentals. Yes, rentals…we rent our flax. It is not a consumable unless the mice
get at it in the seed ball stage. Our flax never reaches the seed ball stage. We harvest it
just after the beautiful tender blue or purple flower drop their petals. Less attractive to mice. That is
our little trade secret. Do not copy.
Harvesting about 100 bundles of flax. Not a truckload. Maybe two wheelbarrow loads when its bound
with binder twine and looped for hanging. Then the flax is ready for the sales pitch.
“What you people need is a load of our flax to hang here and there
in your movie…maybe a market scene or a murder scene. Hanging
flax can make things mysterious. Your camera can move on one side
and presto … you have mystery.”
“Let me demonstrate”
“There are 44 bundles of flax now hanging in the workshop. Our target each year is 100.
the rest is left for the field mice or winter birds. We are generous farmers.”
Please do not look closely at our harvest. I would prefer you not see the binder twine looping system. Just look
at the pretty blue or purple flax flower.
We diversify our crop rentals with a bunch of hanging tobacco. The trouble with
renting tobacco leaves is that some never comes back. I suspect the movie
crews like to roll your own . Who cares? Loss is just the cost of doing business.
Now suppose you want the aged effect. Well we have a supply of aged flax…brown.
Some of it is in the ball stage because we were too slow in harvesting. That gives
the flax and even more mysterious appearance.
“Our flax is hand harvested. This dump rake is just a prop to make us look mechanized.”
“Can you find the flax among the weeds?…look for the little balls”
alan skeoch
August 2020
p.s. Do not call in the next couple of hours. We will be in the back field
hand harvesting and bundling.