Four Decades of Farming Volcanic Soil

By Pamela Kleibrink Thompson

It was a dark and stormy day, which it was not supposed to be in August. We huddled under a shelter at Settlers Park in Meridian, determined to have fun at a picnic.

We thought we would need the shelter to protect us from the heat and sun, not from a downpour. I wondered if this was one of those sudden Idaho summer showers—a quick cloudburst with gale force winds followed by a gorgeous rainbow—but realized there was no sign of abatement anytime soon. It was surprising how many people had shown up for the picnic despite the precipitation. Maybe, like me, they anticipated a sudden weather change, too.

It did not come.