The Garden Chemical that turned out to be a Toxic Chemical

Rachel Carson wouldn’t be surprised. She wrote Silent Spring in 1962 to warn us about chemical pesticides like DDT that were in common use while ignoring the deadly side effects. Thanks to her, DDT was eventually banned in the U.S. Drugwatch is a free web resource committed to ensuring the safety of families and providing vital health information. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world by commercial gardeners. It is found to be highly toxic and can cause many short-term and long-term health effects. Not to mention it can be harmful to important pollinators such as honey bees.

To help educate those in the farming and gardening industries about this toxic chemical, we've created two comprehensive guides. They cover things like what it is used for, symptoms, and possible health risks. Please take a look:

drugwatch.com/roundup/glyphosate/
drugwatch.com/roundup/

Recalibrating with Local and Seasonal Food

 Here are a few tidbits about my experiences thus far:

 -       The food tastes so much better. The flavors and quality take me back to my childhood. Playing and working in my grandmother’s garden. Plucking fresh strawberries straight from the vine. Dusting off the dirt and taking a juicy bite. Sweet, succulent and still warm from the sun. Breaking off a stalk of rhubarb and biting into the crunchy stem because my grandmother always got a kick out of the face I would make when the sour juices hit my taste buds. Reuniting with both ingredients in a cobbler that my grandmother made in her cast iron skillet for dessert. Hot with some ice cream melting on top. It’s food with a story, rich in connection and nourishment for the mind, body and spirit.  

 -       My taste buds and my senses are recalibrating. Since I have started sourcing most of my food locally, I am “limited” to what is in season. The available ingredients change slightly from week to week and so what I am eating also changes. For this reason, I am getting more variety in my diet, or as I like to say, contrast.  I am learning to savor the flavors while they last. When ingredients have had their time to shine and it is time for them to make way for a new star, I get the opportunity to miss them. Knowing that their season will circle around once again, I have something to look forward to. When we are reunited once again, I will have the pleasure of enjoying them with a deeper sense of appreciation and attention. Take the strawberry I mentioned above. How sad it would be to do that so often that I no longer noticed the warmth or savored the sweetness. The strawberry deserves better and so do I!   

A few months ago, I made the decision that I wanted to start sourcing more of my food locally and start grounding more of my diet in foods that are in season. I started with signing up for a CSA and frequenting local shops and markets to restock my refrigerator and pantry.  When I made this decision, I had no idea it would have such a profound impact on my life.

It has caused such  a major shift in perspective and lifestyle all together. Not only have I become more inspired as a cook but I am feeling more grounded throughout the seasons and in my community. The longer I am on this journey, the fuller, richer and more nourished my life feels.

-       I am wasting much less and slowing down a lot more. Because this food is drenched in connection and care - I find myself paying much more attention and giving more reverence to it. One day at work, I took my lunch as usual. This day was not much different except that the leftovers I brought felt extra special. Almost every ingredient was sourced locally. From the vinegar, to the bread I used to make crumbs as a topping for my green beans. The potatoes and the chicken. As I sat to eat my lunch, I habitually reached for my phone. As I went to begin scrolling mindlessly, something stopped me. I thought, “ So much time, energy and care went into producing these ingredients. From the cycles and resources of nature, to the farmer’s that tended and harvested the crop. To the time I spent preparing a meal that tasted delicious and would nourish my body and my family…it deserves better. It deserves my attention. And I deserve to savor this meal. To get all of the pleasure I can from it.” So I took my time, noticing the flavors and textures, enjoying every bite. I was so full at the end… not just of delicious food. But of gratitude. And it changed the trajectory of the rest of my day.  

-       I feel richer. Both in the sense of what one typically associates with being rich but also richer in connection and community. It is true that I have started saving money by eating locally and seasonally. I believe this is due in part to visiting big supermarkets much less, if at all. There is less to be tempted by, especially when it comes to prepackaged and convenience foods. I am much less likely to buy things that I don’t need. When I go to the local markets, I end up only purchasing things that compliment what I am getting in my CSA box and ingredients that I already have at home. The money that I am spending feels as though it has a lot more purpose now too. It feels good to know that it is supporting these small businesses, farms and their families.

Making the venture out to the local markets has become something that I very much look forward to and this is where I really feel a new wealth of richness in my life.  I enjoy visiting the local shops in my community, getting to know the people who work there and building relationships. My home feels even more like home now. I feel as though I have deeper roots and a place within it.

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Rachel Powers

Rachel Powers is a Chef, Certified Health and Nutrition Coach, Local Food Advocate and Soon to be Food Blogger. You can reach her at awholesomehelping@gmail.com and find her on instagram at a.wholesome.helping.

 Information about CSA’s :  

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a great way to participate in farming even if you don’t have the space or ability to farm yourself! By enrolling in a CSA you become a shareholder of the farm, paying money upfront that goes towards produce and provisions throughout the season. I purchased my CSA through The Farm on Central after visiting the farm, getting to meet the family who lives there and seeing their passion for producing healthy food that is good for us and for the planet. Many farms even offer delivery now, which makes it that much more accessible for people. I encourage anyone and everyone to visit at least one farm near them this year! Meet the people behind the food, connect with them and your food in a whole new way. Ask questions, make new friends and maybe even get your hands a little dirty. There is a lot of power in the community and by supporting our local farms, food producers and artisans - we will grow stronger and more resilient. Big supermarkets and grocery stores do not make it easy for small local farmers to sell their produce with them. If they are able to get their products on the shelves, the supermarkets keep the majority of the profit. It’s okay to take baby steps. Maybe you start with just a carton of eggs every week or some local honey or greens. A little is better than nothing at all and the more people we have just doing a little, the better off we will all be. The stronger we will all be. Building our community up one meal, one conversation, one carton of eggs at a time.  

Check out the CSA page in the CORV Local Food Guide.

Keeping It Local - Combating Climate Change by Shopping at Your Farmers Market (Copy)

When we think of climate change, we tend to look at the big picture. Large manufacturers, coal-fired power plants, deforestation, and large-scale agricultural operations are all examples found in most articles and documentaries that report on global CO2 emissions.

There are pieces of the climate change puzzle that are less obvious because they are not usually a topic found in mainstream media. An example that should be more obvious to all of us is how the food that we purchase at a grocery store gets there. The distances and methods of transporting produce to grocery stores, and ultimately to our table are often described in “food miles” when relating to climate change.

“The distances and methods of transporting produce to grocery stores, and ultimately to our table are often described in “food miles” when relating to climate change.”

To further explain food miles, I’m going to use an example that hit very close to home for my wife and me. We enjoy a side dish of steamed vegetables with every meal partially for the taste, but also the health benefits. The benefits of fruits and vegetable consumption are well known, understood, and supported by scientific evidence. Scientific studies show that a diet rich in Vitamin C increases the immune system properties and decreases oxidative stress and evidence of markers of inflammation.

Blueberries from Mexico

How the food arrives at the local grocery store became a question in my mind when I found that asparagus (one of our favorite vegetables to steam) was available throughout the year. Asparagus is an early-season vegetable, and in the Northern Hemisphere has been fully harvested by the end of June. When finding it on the shelf in November, I became curious as to its origin. The label on the package listed the country of Peru as the exporter.

This discovery led me to inspect the labels of other commonly purchased produce. I found that my beloved grapes were shipped from Mexico, my bananas from Guatemala, and my wife’s favorite snack, blueberries, from Fresno, California. 

Grown locally in the Midwest is a 400-mile radius

My interest was further piqued, I looked around the department a bit more and found signs in some areas touting “locally sourced” produce. If asparagus was being imported from Peru and grapes from Mexico, perhaps I could find more information on the company website with information. Generic phrases about fresh local produce were found, and there is a link to seasonal produce, but still no clear information on items that are locally sourced. A quick internet search found the information. My grocery store chain considers” locally grown produce” to be within a 400-mile radius!

I took on further investigation of the sourcing of produce and its impact on the environment by choosing the topic for a class project as part of Miami University’s Project Dragonfly master’s degree in Biology. Conservation issues and community voice are basic tenets of the program, and the topic fit the bill in that regard.

When looking at the sourcing of any edible, it is important to determine as closely as possible where the point of origin might be. If that cannot be determined, a good point of reference might be the region of the US where that item is typically grown, i.e. potatoes from Idaho, apples from Washington state, or blueberries from Michigan. While researching my project, I had to make those assumptions in many cases.

It occurred to me that there might be a significant effect on climate change through the transportation of produce and other food items to keep store shelves stocked at a competitive price. To prove it, I decided to compare the transportation of common items from point of origin to market against the same transport of items to my local Farmers Market in Hyde Park, OH.

Fresh, local produce from our local Farmers Market

To ensure an “apples to apples” comparison, I chose common produce purchases we had been making that would also be available at the Farmers Market. My list included yellow squash, zucchini squash, asparagus, broccoli, grapes, blueberries, and bananas. Sources of each were determined as best as possible, and one assumption made was transportation by truck (payload of a 53-foot tractor-trailer versus a Ford F-150 provided a way to normalize my data, making it relevant) for both grocery store and Farmers Market purchase points. Mileages and emissions were calculated for each. There are emissions calculators available online, and when considering the amount of produce we purchase, the final numbers for grocery store food miles emissions, expressed in kg/Metric Tons came to 1,129.3 kg/MT per week. Our local Farmers Market can provide the same items to us for a total of 3.37 kg/MT per week, a much more environmentally friendly way to shop!

As the Hyde Park Farmers Market only offers produce that we would purchase until the end of October of each year, winter produce availability must be addressed. The Hyde Park Winter Farmers Market does provide some access to produce, but it is also an option to investigate methods of and costs associated with various methods of preservation. Canning, freezing, and pickling can all be options for maintaining a healthy diet of produce throughout the winter months.

 An interesting side note to my investigation is that by purchasing our produce at our Farmers Market, the mileage differences in “food miles” between the grocery store and Farmers Market produce options were equivalent to 17 fewer trips to the grocery store.

“While my study focused on how produce transportation miles affect climate change, there are many other benefits to “keeping it local.” ”

While my study focused on how produce transportation miles affect climate change, there are many other benefits to “keeping it local.” Farmers Markets provide benefits on not only the level of access to healthy food at a decent price, but also from economic and environmental perspectives. Financial support of local producers, playing a part in the revitalization of rural economies, and reduction of pollution through a decrease in the transportation miles (the distance from where the food is harvested through all processing and warehousing steps) that the food must travel to reach the grocery store and, eventually, dinner table are among the many good reasons for purchasing local produce from local producers.

Shopping locally may sound like a slogan, but hard science tells us that there are environmental, economic, and health benefits to be derived from supporting all of our local farmers and other businesses.

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Mark Plucinski is a retired safety consultant and a graduate student at Miami University’s Project Dragonfly program. His area of focus is pollinators, and his master’s project is to help people to increase pollinator habitats on public and private properties in urban settings. Mark and his wife, Dr. Karen Plucinski, live in Hyde Park, OH.

Pickin' Corn: Sharing the Bounty

Sister Judy told us of the Book of Ruth and gleaning as we finished a tour of the Bahr Farm. It was 2016. Read Ruth and you will feel the bonds of family, deep love and loyalty. By 2018, we found with who and where we could glean blueberries, lettuce, tomatoes, blackberries and kale. What about corn? 

We bought some ears, best in years, at a roadside stand near the corner of Sharon Rd and Rt. 42.  Went back, bought more, and found out where.  Went there, met Ashley and Karen and little baby Ruth.  We talked farms, the harvest, sharing and gleaning.  Their eyes, and my heart lit up.  I was invited to come back and help, so that I will know the set up.  It might not have happened exactly this way or that way, but I do know this story is true.  It was summertime 2019. 

Day 1 – Getting to know 

Before the crack of dawn, it's dark.  The chickens are just now wiping the sleep from their eyes.  Listened to 91.7 on the 19.2 mile ride to a new adventure.   Karen had let Bobby know I was coming.     

The buzz in the barn is ears.  500 dozen or 1000 dozen.  Ms. Kathy was clearly in charge, Bobby was at her side.  The harvest crew was Reed, Marc, Jude, Michael, Tim and me.  We had greeted each other with smiles and nods.  Some wore rain pants and some steel-toed shoes.  These were neighbors and friends, old and young and one FNG.  Tim was the wise owl.  Worked there eight years part time.  He and Bobby were in the know.  You could hear their brains sync as Bobby fired the engine, just when the sun poked its head up.   

The stories started when we took a breath, and there was a pause in the action.  Something about somebody in the corn mafia.  One year they had an eleven-year-old girl on the crew good enough to drive the tractor.  One year a fifteen-year-old girl could do more push-ups than anyone in the city except a boy from St. X.  One of the crew, Michael, worked for a landscaper one county over.   He had just switched from pharma to AG / landscaping at UC and loved helping with this harvest. 

It was the end  of the corn harvest season.  We picked and threw, bagged and hauled.  I got to see up close how this farm helps feed lots of people across counties, across borders, at roadsides and stands.  We ended up with 110 bags holding five dozen each.  I went home tired and very much at peace. 

Day 2 – Trust and Confidence 

Did it again.  One week later.  Dry and cool.  Drove down into the valley, across the Big river or was it the Little one?  Passed through a tiny town, where at that hour there is no room to, you know, do your business.  Pulled in a quarter hour before sunrise.  Once again Ms. Kathy came first, then Tim, then Bobby and Ryan and Jude then Stephanie.  It was quiet in the barn, but alive, just like right before you leave the locker room for a big game.  It was another crack of dawn.   

Farm Stand

Sunrise at the farm

The math makes my head spin and I love math.  Practical math is spoken in plain English.  .  30 bags.  .  90 or was it 100 acres.  500 dozen.  1000 dozen.  Do five rows at a time or three.  Depends on what Bobby thinks and Tim says.  Depends on the crew.  While sitting on the big red machine or was it green, Bobby said it was just right for the late afternoon rain yet to come.  The Firestone tire, or was it Goodyear, came up to my chin.  The engine fired.  We climbed aboard the trailer.  I needed a little help getting up and in.  We drove and bounced around to a far field toward the rising sun.                     

They carefully eyed and scoped five rows to pick as clean as we could.  Bobby lined it up and Ms. Kathy took the wheel.  Five pickers with Bobby picking up the rear.  We covered the floor of the trailer with maybe fifty or was it a hundred dozen ears and climbed on top of them on to another field.  We passed soybeans and pumpkins just blooming.  I know ‘cause I asked what are those.  Heard that Stephanie had a baby at the sitter, Jude had a farm and a stand not far away just over the hill two towns over. 

Field of corn

We went down and back to another field.  We snapped each ear and tossed or threw, hitting most and missing a few.  Harvest as much as we could.  “Move up”.  “Move up”.  “Move on up”.  The snap of the wrist needed a twist and sometimes that ear did not want to give up.  Bobby knew how to clean up what I missed and gently nudged me forward.  They let me be one or two rows from the trailer.  Watch out for that wheel.  The experts were five rows away.  Every now and then there was a shout “HEY – your throws are missing”.  So be careful.  We filled that trailer.  A huge pile of corn stacked tall, just about ready to spill over. 

We climbed aboard the heap of corn and rode in.  Jude lost his niece to cancer or he wondered, if it was her love of diet pop?  Her funeral was the next day.  She was 63.  We pull back in the barn.  Bobby and Tim drop the rails.  It was time to count to fifteen with each drop of four ears and fill each bag with five dozen.  Three of us counted together so we knew.  Not too loud, cause the crew on the other side were doing the same thing.  We filled each bag that day to the tip top.  Last week the ears were smaller and the bags got ¾ full.  Little ears one week.  Big ears the next.  Just depends. 

Wholesale customers in pickups parked right next to the barn and loaded up.  Heard a guy from Michigan comes in the middle of each July and buys 2000 dozen.  Barb, Alexia and a big tall guy in a red shirt came and went as we wound down.  Karen came to help finish the bag and drag.  She helped me load two bags into my SUV to share, one for Jacque and Jerry at Tryed Stone and one for DJ, LaVerne and Carmen down in the Valley at Friendship Baptist. 

Ms. Kathy and Bobby have a mind meld and I heard 120 or was it 240?   Wait, aren't we done?  We went back out.  Ms. Kathy, Bobby, Tim, Karen and me.  Karen made it clear she preferred being with customers at the market stand.  We went not far, just across the road to the nearest field.  This small catch was not bagged up.  The ears just laid loose on the trailer that Bobby then drove a mile or two to the market stand. People were waiting.  It was about 10:20.  There was a rush to grab a dozen or two.   

Corn at Farm Stand

Behind the farm stand, I saw a white box.  Inside that was breakfast.  Donuts and sweet treats.  I was one happy boy.  Some had Mountain Dew with half a cinnamon bun.  We talked rural fire departments.  How much corn?  Workers. Twelve steady, reliable high schoolers.  75% don't make the cut.  Come back next July.  Three crews.  Right there across the highway.  People line up to watch the action.  Handpicked is way better than machine picked.  Special seeds and family tradition.  This is a third-generation farm setting the stage for the fourth. 

Not many left anymore.  Brown’s down to 20 acres.  This farmer gone.  That farmer gone.  Garver's since 1963.  The Amish guy.  The Mennonite guy.  Grandpa.  100-year celebration.  Jobs, food, and farm stands. 

Finally, “Ok.  Come and glean on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning.  In the field right next to the road across from the barn that we picked earlier.  Come and take what is left.  Then we'll plow it under.” 

Day 3 – Glean and Share 

Corn Glean Team

Nine came on real short notice.  We were just some of the gleaners of southwest Ohio.  Michelle and her niece.  Rosalind and Anthony.  Levi.  Mike.  LaVerne, her granddaughter and Hazel.  That day it was for HUGS, JEE Foods and Valley Pantry.  We began to arrive about 2pm.  Bobby walked over from his house with a welcome smile and friendly handshake.  It was a little muddy, 80 degrees.  Not bad for Labor Day.  We gleaned 25 or 30 dozen on foot and by hand, into bags that came up to our waist.  The gleaners loaded the bags into their trunks and back seats and shared those ears with neighbors in need.  Ms. Kathy stopped by right before we left.  We thanked her for her family's gracious invitation to glean at their farm.    

May God bless the Burwinkel family and all of our local farmers in the Central Ohio River Valley.

(CORV Guide) 

To learn more about the gleaning movement in southwest Ohio – click here  

Gleaning in southwest Ohio was originally inspired by VITALITY Cincinnati

Mike Eck retired after a 40 year career in information technology sales and business development. Refired as a volunteer at places such as VITALITY Cincinnati, Gorman Heritage Farm and the Princeton Education Foundation. Collaborates with others to help launch new initiatives, such as the Gleaning movement and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program in southwest Ohio. Enjoys journaling, writing essays and getting ink. Married to Denise, father and grandpa. Residents of Butler County, OH.                                                                   

Eating local and healthy - from Cincinnati to Kenya

Not long ago, I had a 25-year-old Kenyan housemate. After he completed his Master’s degree in IT at University of Cincinnati, I got to be his American “mom” while he got some work experience on a student visa. My young friend proved a great role model in healthy eating. Shunning the standard American diet of processed and fast foods, my housemate took time daily to prepare beautiful meals from whole, fresh ingredients.  

The tug between traditional and modernized ways of living in Kenya has led to changes in diet.  In Kenya, Hannington told me, most young people gravitate toward the city for a modern lifestyle and better paying jobs. Expensive meat is considered a status symbol. Those who eat the traditional foods - beans and vegetables - are judged as being backwards or poor. In his home village in Kenya, his parents run a mom-and-pop business.  (It is the same village that was home to Barack Obama’s father.) They are neither backwards nor poor. While Hannington’s family embraces technology and modernization, they stay healthy by eating local, chemical-free food. His family has chickens, a cow for milk, and his mother tends various orchards and gardens. I was jealous to hear of the family’s 1000 tree papaya orchard!    

Hannington is the third of six children, and the third to achieve a graduate degree. He held to healthy eating while here in the US.  His meals always looked colorful and balanced -  whole foods, freshly prepared. Organic wherever possible.  His staple protein was a pot of dry beans prepared from scratch, soaked overnight and then seasoned well.  Starch was a central part of the diet: yams, or cassava, or a thick cornmeal porridge called ugali, baked plantains, or a staple frybread called chapatis. Occasionally he’d dip out a bowl of the dried minnow sized fish from a mesh bag his mother sent and would soak them overnight and then dry-fry a pan of the traditional omena. He told me that many Kenyans dislike the strong fishy flavor, but for him, it was the taste of home, as his father had been a fisherman before going into business.  

A staple of Hannington’s diet was fresh greens, and he cooked up a big pot every week. It was a mix of anything in season: kale, collards, spinach, sweet potato leaves, beet greens, nightshade (a familiar green from home.) Hannington did not miss a day of cooked greens. Being used to the fresh fruits and veggies grown by his own family, my friend was thrilled when I introduced him to the weeds growing in my own yard. He happily incorporated stinging nettle, lambs’ quarter, amaranth into his greens pots. He carried large harvests of nettles to his sister and brother who lived in Indiana, and even brought home some seeds to grow in Kenya. He said it made him happy to eat something growing right outside the back door. 

Now Hannington is back home, working for the moment in the family business. His dream is to open a smoothie shop and sell healthful fresh juices and smoothies in a Kenyan college town. And I treasure my Kenyan-flavored locavore perspective. Thanks Hannington!

 Karen Arnett, local Mt. Healthy gardener and weed eater

Reconfiguring Our Farms

Regenerative agriculture is a trending topic and part of this conversation that revolves around reconfiguring our farms to be more ecologically friendly. When we reconfigure/replant our farms, we provide woodland habitats that serve as productive crops, shelter, and food for livestock, as well as increasing biodiversity, improving habitat, and expanding ecological services. Basically we combine sustainable agriculture practices with forestry and ecology.

The main idea is to embrace regenerative techniques, where trees and bushes are planted alongside crops and within livestock fields. In reconfiguring our farms, we recognize the environmental impacts and local ecology in the farming space. We utilize natural and intentional integration for a more holistic solution.

How?

Reconfiguring our farm landscapes involves looking at the physical layout to seeing where adding trees and shrubs can promote diversity and productivity. For example, I have a seven-acre field where I typically allow a mixed livestock herd to graze. On one side, but blocked by fencing, is a creek and three acres of woods. A small overgrown area of trees and brush is within the field. In the past, I have had no management scheme for this area.

To make this space more biodiverse I am doing two projects. The first is to clear out the existing wooded plot so that my animals can have access to shade and fodder. The second project is to plant a variety of trees and bushes within the field to encourage biodiversity. Typically farms may have planted windbreaks or trees on the peripheries of the property. When we use regenerative agriculture we want to include these habitats within planting or grazing zones.

Why?

Why should farmers take action to plant native trees and bushes? Biodiverse farms are more productive and are ecologically sound. In addition, to being environmentally friendly, a biodiverse farm can be more productive financially. For instance, the farmer plants a diverse group of trees within a pasture area. Locust, walnut, apple trees, elderberry, pine, and cedar. All of these trees may provide some sort of income for the farm in addition to providing food and shelter for livestock and wildlife.

Planting Trees

Planting trees within crop and livestock areas has many advantages. Many farmers have a woodlot and some even use those for growing forest crops such as shitake mushrooms and ginseng, as well as harvesting lumber. However, stating that you will be planting a wooded area mid-field often will bring about raised eyebrows (within conventional circles). Studies have shown that tree and crop species interact on a mutually beneficial level. According to the text, Sustainable Food and Agriculture under half of all agricultural land had only ten percent tree cover.

Companion Planting/Intercropping

Companion planting or intercropping is a popular trend in home gardening and agriculture. These are methods of planting that place compatible plants near each other. They can provide pest resistance, act as a catch crop for unfavorable insects, or provide shade for cool loving plants.

Trees and bushes can do all of these things as well. In addition, trees such as black locusts, redbuds, autumn olive, and the Kentucky Coffee Tree all fix nitrogen in the soil. Their roots can be far-reaching offering an exchange of nutrients. Trees planted within agricultural fields help to reduce erosion and conserve moisture. During periods of heavy rain, the trees help to break and divert the rain so that it slowly enters the ground. This reduces runoff and the leaching of soil nutrients.

Companion Wildlife

While that may sound like an oxymoron, many types of wildlife benefit agriculture. Birds in particular eat numerous insects. In one study, birds reduced pests in an alfalfa field by thirty-three percent. This reduces insect damage but also diseases that are spread by insects. By planting trees and bushes within field spaces you can enlist a variety of birds to become pest eradicators.

Livestock and Wildlife Benefits

There was a time in our country where the family cow and pig were encouraged to roam forested areas and forage. This allowed them to have access to a greater diversity of food and lowered the feed bill. Conventional agriculture states these two can’t co-exist. However, with proper management, this is very possible.

Trees provide shelter and food for livestock and wildlife. Trees such as fruit and nut trees, mulberry, oak, locust, and willow have desirable forage benefits. Many farmers plant forage crops under the trees to provide additional grazing areas. This can also help to minimize the eating of trees when they are younger and still vulnerable to browsing. Trees also provide shelter from cold winter winds and hot summer sun. Farms often plant a line of evergreens for a windbreak. Planting a diverse mixture of species will benefit the farmer and the animals.

Studies have shown that cattle on grasslands and open ranges are healthier and have fewer deaths when provided with a grove of trees to seek shelter within. Likewise, hogs raised in the field, benefit in the summer from having a cool location to get out of the sun.

Management

The management of farms is the key. We can manage our farms in such a way that ecosystems degenerate, or we can manage farms in such a way that farms become an integral part of the ecosystem. By selecting the right trees and planting them with proper spacing you can efficiently use your land.

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Ame Vanorio is the director of Fox Run Environmental Education Center and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Ame teaches classes locally and online about organic gardening, herbs, homesteading, green building, living off-grid, and wildlife conservation. In addition, she is a freelance writer and writes for several gardening, pet, and green building websites. She lives a sustainable life on her Kentucky farm with a myriad of domestic and wild animals.

Time to join a CSA

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a plan where community members become shareholders, pay an upfront fee, possibly exchange some work, and in return get a share of the harvest and/or other products during agreed upon times of the year. Shareholders are taking some risk by participating in the “adventure of farming” and what is successful that season; shareholders are also getting the benefits of regular connection with a grower and their land. Some of the varied structures of CSAs that have developed are: ownership by a co-op or community, not just a farmer; work and non-work shares available; can extend throughout the year, not just summer and fall; products can include not only vegetables and fruits, but meat, eggs, milk, mushrooms and herbs. Some even ask  for preferences or offer a choice of products. Here are a few of the CSAs/herdshares in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

OHIO

Brown Co.

Back Acres Farm
513-405-4379

Butler Co.

Double J Farm
doublejfarmohio.com

Just Farmin'
williscrg@aol.com

Schaefer's Farm Market & CSA, LLC
schaefersfarmmarket.com

Clermont Co.

Farm Beach Bethel
facebook.com/FarmBeachBethel

Clinton Co.

That Guys Family Farm
thatguysfamilyfarm.com

That Girls Flowers
thatgirlsflowers.com

Webb Valley Farm
webbvalleyfarm.com

Hamilton Co.

Carriage House Farm
carriagehousefarmllc.com

Eden Urban Gardens
edenurbangardens@gmail.com

Gorman Heritage Farm
gormanfarm.org

Greenacres Farm
green-acres.org

Our Harvest Cooperative
ourharvest.coop

Turner Farm
turnerfarm.org

Highland Co.

Fair Ridge Farm
fairridgefarms.com

TS Farms
tsfarmsoh.com

Montgomery Co.

Hungry Toad Farm
facebook.com/hungrytoadfarm

Preble Co.

Boulder Belt Eco-Farm
boulderbelt.com

Warren Co.

The Goodlife Farm
goodlifefamilyfarm.com

KENTUCKY

Boone Co.

Dark Wood Farm
darkwoodfarmstead.com

Kenton Co.

Rains & Sun Hilltop Farm
rainsandsun.com

Pendleton Co.

Fox Run Environmental Education Center
foxruneec.org

Scott Co.

Elmwood Stock Farm
elmwoodstockfarm.com

INDIANA

Franklin Co.

Michaela Farm
oldenburgfranciscans.org/csa/

Jefferson Co.

The Eaton Farm
theeatonfarm.com

Ripley Co.

Easter Rising Farm
Easter Rising Farm Facebook

Making Hickory Syrup: Barking up the Right Tree.

The woods are secretive this time of year. Many old friends become anonymous without their leaves, at least to us novice tree people still learning our barks. One tree, though, declares itself loudly during all seasons, and that is the shagbark hickory.

Best of all, at a time when not much else is available, you can use its unmistakable bark to make a delicious and distinctive syrup. The process is simple, requires no tools or special expertise, and only takes about two hours of intermittent effort. This is foraging suited to sluggish winter blood and energy levels.

If you set out to find a shagbark, I find that eventually one will announce itself to you. They enjoy sunny edges and aren’t usually found in the deep woods. I found a whole grove of youngish trees around the corner from me in College Hill, at the edge of a large meadow. Look for a distinctive and, well, shaggy trunk outline. The shagbark is continually sloughing off its skin as a fresh layer is generated, and you will often find old bark scattered around the trunk as it sheds: smokey-gray on the outside, and often a beautiful rusty color on its underside.

Once you’re sure you’ve found your tree, break off a few strips – about five of medium length are quite enough. It won’t hurt the tree, as it isn’t affecting the cambium layer. The bark has no particular smell at this point. As with hickory wood used to smoke meat, the aroma needs to be coaxed out with heat.

Now to the kitchen

1. Preheat the oven to about 325 degrees. Give the bark a scrub under water with a brush to take off any dirt or larval nests. If you use a bucket, don’t let them soak in there for too long. After each piece is fairly clean, transfer it to a baking sheet. Break the bark into pieces small enough that they will fit into the pot you will eventually use to simmer the toasted fragments.

2. Put the bark into the oven. Within a few minutes, an intoxicating smoky, caramel scent will fill the kitchen. If, like me, you have an ancient, temperamental gas oven, monitor the heat and follow your nose. If the temperature climbs much past 350 degrees, that wonderful smell will turn horrible and acrid, and you will regret ever beginning this process. So: toast carefully for about 30 minutes. Then put the bark into your pot. Be grateful that they are already the right size, and that you are not burning your hands trying to break them now. Some silly person has made these mistakes for you in advance.

3. Cover the bark pieces with water. I used about eight cups, which finally resulted in four cups of syrup. Bring the water to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Another element of hickory flavor, less obviously pleasant, will become apparent now – more leathery and complex, as the wine sophisticates might say.

4. Strain the liquid through a cloth and see how much you have – I had four cups. Pour into a saucepan, and add an equal amount of sweetener. Some people suggest maple syrup or honey, but these already have their own distinctive flavors. To appreciate the hickory taste, I added four cups of a cheap sweetener with no character of its own: good old table sugar.

5. I simmered the liquid for about 30 minutes, occasionally stirring and skimming any dark foam that gathered at the edges. Finally, I had four cups of dark, sweet, smoky, leathery hickory syrup. I’ve read that the brew is full of magnesium. I am assuming this is a good thing. Whether you happen to be in need of magnesium or not, the result is highly delicious.

Washed shagbark ready to be toasted

Homemade Shagbark Hickory Syrup

I love it in the usual syrupy places – pancakes and oatmeal. It also harmonizes beautifully with coffee. I can imagine it in cookies and ice cream and glazes. You know, all of those bad things. Still, with months to go before the sap starts running, it is a lovely winter gift, one to be grateful for.

Sources:
Many thanks to Leda Meredith, whose excellent recent book, The Skillful Forager, is the one that informed me that making hickory syrup was possible and gave me the basic process.

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Akshay Ahuja writes locally about food for Cincinnati Magazine and others. He also writes for the Dark Mountain Project in the UK, where his most recent essay looks at the removal of invasive species and what it says about our relationship with wild places.