Sept. 2, 2024

Sep 03, 2024

In this edition: My backyard bug-watch, a pop-quiz on the National Flood Insurance Program, Leadership Brownwood Kick-off, and getting ready to plant garlic.

Clumsy Buzzing Beetles

Last Friday’s late afternoon downpour cued the emergence of the low and slow-flying, noisy green June beetles Saturday, at our place on the south side of Brownwood. Over the years I’ve noticed that they usually appear after a summer rain, maybe because the rainwater softens the soil, making it easier for them to crawl up and out. Then, here come the lizards, darting out to ambush the beetles mating on the ground!

These beetles are the adult forms of the white grubs you may find when digging in your yard or garden. According to the Texas Bug Book, “There are over 100 species of June bugs in Texas. Green June bug larvae are primarily organic-matter eaters and actually beneficial. According to entomologists, only one in 100 grubs is destructive to plant roots.” Since we have lots of trees around our yard, the constantly falling twigs and leaf litter create a great store of organic matter in the soil, hence lots of June bug grubs, then beetles.

The grubs are decomposers who burrow through the soil as they eat, so they aerate the soil, and fertilize it with their own waste products, as well as becoming food for insectivorous animals like opossums, skunks, and armadillos. If you find an especially large white grub, it is likely the larva of a rhinoceros or ox beetle, which look like huge June bugs with horny heads.

If you want to know all about your own backyard bugs, and natural organic pest controls, when necessary, be sure to get a copy of the Texas Bug Book. It will be a handy reference for many years come:

https://www.dirtdoctor.com/garden/Texas-Bug-Bongok_vq1250.htm

NFIP: True or False?

1. The National Flood Insurance Program was established by Congress in 1968 to provide reasonably priced flood insurance coverage.

2. The NFIP is the largest flood insurer in the U.S., with 4.7 million policyholders, and protecting $1.28 trillion in assets.

3. The NFIP has been continuously authorized and in effect since its founding.

Answers below, at the end of this section.

Regular readers of this newsletter may recall me mentioning that I live in the Willis Creek floodplain. We have been insured by NFIP since 2011. I’m sure there are many others like us in Brownwood. Prior to that, we had flood coverage in our State Farm home insurance.

We had just received our annual renewal notice from NFIP recently, when I spotted an article that caught my eye. A summary of key points below the headline stated that Congress has until Sept. 30 to reauthorize the NFIP. According to the article, since 2017 “Congress has extended the NFIP authorization 30 times, but it has also lapsed briefly three times in that period.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/26/how-national-flood-insurance-program-deadline-may-affect-home-buyers.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

While the main focus of the article was on the impacts to home buyers and sellers if Congress fails to reauthorize, it also recommended that policyholders with renewal dates around Sept. 30 (like us) renew early, just in case. Yes, we did.

How affordable is our NFIP policy? It has doubled since 2018, and nearly tripled since 2011. This year’s renewal premium is $725 for $110,000 building coverage, with a $2,000 deductible, and $42,000 contents coverage, with a $1,000 deductible. Our policy receives an Annual Increase Cap Discount of $224. If our policy lapses, we lose that discount and our premium will be higher.

Answers: 1 and 2 are True. 3 is False.

Perpetuating Plutocracy?

Leadership Brownwood is a series of classes and on-site visits sponsored by the City of Brownwood and the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce, “designed to foster and promote the development of community leaders.” This annual program has been around a long time, and the curriculum introduces the business and governmental “powers that be” in and around Brownwood/Early.

The next class starts Sept. 10, and meets monthly through next April. Since this newsletter is dedicated to inspiring broader civic awareness and participation, I am including this link, in case you are interested:

https://web.brownwoodchamber.org/events/details/leadership-brownwood-kick-off-28434

The single paragraph class announcement (linked to above) had three typos/misspellings in it, including one in the first sentence! Pretty poor advertising for a leadership class.

I have always been put off by the price tag, which has gone up over the years, along with everything else. Now it’s up to $595, or about $75 per class. The high cost tells me the aim is to recruit from the already affluent, reinforcing income inequality and class divisions in our community.

If you are reading this, you have already found a simpler alternative path to local leadership in this newsletter. Scroll down to the Civic Calendar, see what meetings might interest you, and start showing up. Bring a friend too.

Garlic Garden Planning

Last June, as I finished up harvesting my garlic, I promised to remind you when planting time was approaching. That time is now. One sign is the fast-approaching autumn equinox. Another is the recent rains, which finally broke the long, hot, late summer dry spell.

You will need to consider three factors: site, soil, and varieties. Your site will need the same features as any home vegetable garden: at least 6-8 hours of direct sun daily, a water supply for irrigation, and close enough to the house that you can easily watch and tend it. Fortunately, garlic is unappealing to most garden pests, be they insects or deer.

Your soil just needs reasonable fertility. For a quick boost, I recommend the compost sold at the Recycling Center at the city landfill on FM 45. Be sure to call them at 325-641-8832 to check when staff will be available to load your truck or trailer. Find more information here:

https://www.brownwoodtexas.gov/410/Recycling

I usually mix some bagged compost or manure with the city’s product, to bump up the nitrogen content a bit.

As far as which varieties of garlic to plant, there are so many to choose from! Even store-bought garlic will do. Last year I planted garlic I bought at ALDI and Brookshires. Look for the biggest bulbs. You will be breaking them up and only planting the biggest cloves. Each clove will grow into a new bulb.

If you are going to shop for mail-order garlic, find a grower closer to Texas if you can. Last year I ordered some from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in Missouri. Here is their growing guide:

https://www.rareseeds.com/blog/post/how-to-plant-and-harvest-your-best-garlic-crop

Ideal fall planting dates around here are mid-Sept. to mid-Nov. If you think planting by the phases of the moon and stars will give an advantage, you will want to order an astronomical planting calendar like Stella Natura:

https://www.stellanatura.com/order.html

Support Your Green News

Your feedback is always welcomed, especially updates and corrections to keep the Civic Calendar current.

If you like this newsletter, forward it on to someone else, and ask them to subscribe. Send correspondence to beemonster@verizon.net, or use the comment button at the very end of this newsletter.

Send story leads anytime, or drop by to see me at the Brownwood Art Center, 215 Fisk, weekdays, 2-6 pm. I’ll be the Gallery Guy greeting you at the front desk.

Civic Calendar: Your shortcut to citizenship and political participation

Brownwood City Council 501 Center Ave City Hall

9 am every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday

https://brownwoodtexas.gov/150/City-Council

City of Brownwood Agenda Center posts agendas for Boards and Commissions including:

City Council, Airport Board, B’wd Municipal Development District Board, Building and Standards Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Planning and Zoning Commission and more….

https://www.brownwoodtexas.gov/AgendaCenter

Early City Council 960 Early Blvd. City Hall

6 pm every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday

https://www.earlytx.net/96/City-Council

Blanket City council 718 Main St. Blanket Lions Club

5:30 pm Third Monday

https://www.facebook.com/cityofblanket/photos

Bangs City Council 109 S. First St. City Hall

6 pm 2^nd and 4^th Monday

https://cityofbangs.org/government/city-council/

Brown County Commissioners 200 S. Broadway County Courthouse

9 am most Mondays confirm on county calendar