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Farmers, schools and students all benefit when partnerships form By GARY BROCK gbrock@recordherald.com

COLUMBUS — It is a natural partnership. More and more Ohio school districts and local farmers are finding there are big advantages to working together, for the farmers, for the districts and most importantly - for the students. That is where the Ohio State University’s “Farm to School Network” program comes in. Julie Fox, director of the OSU Farm to School program, sees many advantages to the program, and thinks the timing today could not be better for farmers and local school districts to partner in providing food and agriculture education for schools. “There are really two areas of the program,” she told Acres of Southwest Ohio in a recent interview. “First, there is the program to get local, healthy, fresh food in

our students’ cafeterias.” She said the program is a natural since new federal school lunch guidelines require more fresh produce be part of the school cafeteria student lunches. Schools are increasingly purchasing a variety of foods from local farmers and distributors because new school meal guidelines require an increase in the quantity and diversity of fruits and vegetables, Fox said. October was Farm to School month in Ohio and the nation, and OSU provided a wealth of information about the programs available to school districts and farm groups. “There’s a lot of good momentum right now going on in the Farm to School program,” Fox said in a release last month by the OSU Extension Service. “With the recent signing of the resolution of Farm to School month in Ohio from Gov. John Kasich to

the growing partnerships we are developing with schools and organizations statewide, the Farm to School program is benefiting more and more people.” Some of the new resources available to Ohio schools include $100,000 in mini-grants from the Ohio Department of Education to fund local Farm to School projects and a new Seed to Salad Tool Kit offered by the Ohio Department of Health, she said. Ohio State will also host a statewide Farm to School conference March 13, 2013, Fox said. Fox said one of the most important things for farmers to know is exactly what produce school districts need, how the food is packaged and how much the districts pay for their food. She also said it was important for farmers to develop key relationships with school officials such as superintendents and business managers at the schools.

In Fayette County, Miami Trace Superintendent Dan Roberts says that about 5 percent of the food served in his district’s cafeterias is produced by local farmers. He says this is not a lot, and hopes that this percentage will increase in the future. “That is especially true now with the new federal guidelines and the incentive programs available.” He said there is now “a greater emphasis on healthy foods, fresh fruits and vegetables” and the best way to meet this emphasis is from locally-produced food. “We have a great interest in increasing our partnership with local

farmers,” he said. He points out that Miami Trace has a strong FFA program for its students, and the Ohio Farm Bureau is very active in Fayette County in support of the schools. “By helping farmers understand how schools operate, the Farm to School connection can be easy,” Fox said.

Ohio Department of Education offering Farm-to-School mini grants The Ohio Department of Education, Office for Child Nutrition (ODE, OCN) is offering FarmTo-School mini grants to schools interested in starting a new FarmTo-School Program. Grants will be available for up to $5,000 to start a new Farm-To-School Program. Schools that currently operate the National School Lunch Program are eligible to apply. There are no requirements for a high percentage of Free and Re-

duced-eligible students in order to qualify for the grant. A completed application must be mailed to ODE, OCN no later than Nov. 30. Postmarks of Nov. 30 will be acceptable. Grant funds must be expended by June 30. School Food Authorities (SFA) will also be required to complete Project Budget, Request for Cash Payment, and Final Expenditure Report forms

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 4

Start a Winery

Daniel’s Home is Century Farm

Apple A Day

Horses are Great Therapy

Farmers Helping Farmers

Another Fall Harvest Down

In Defense of Lard in Cooking

Deer Farming

Helen Roe & Dunnright Goats

Ohio Seeks New Energy Option

Amish Cook

as a part of the grant process. Grant money may be used to purchase: Educational materials Gardening equipment, fertilizer, seeds, etc. Salad Bars Farm visits Cooking classes Other supplies affiliated with program activities. Please note that the grant monies cannot pay for food provided for meetings or gatherings. If you have any questions, contact Liz Solomon at 614-4669273 or 800-808-6325.

The real thrill of the hunt Hunters, farmers come together to feed hungry By JOHN BADEN johncbaden@gmail.com

Farming and hunting may be two important professions in meeting the eating needs of the world, but what might outweigh their significance alone is how they work together to meet this role. According to a 2012 deer hunter effort and harvest survey, more than 80 percent of hunters did their deer hunting on private land in Ohio. While not all of the private land is farmland, the state Division of Wildlife’s Executive Administrator Vicki Mountz, said that most of it is. Mountz, who identifies herself as a “serious hunter,” described the current relationship between farmers and hunters today as “pretty excellent.” “For the most part, the relationship has been a good one because the farmers primarily allow hunters onto their property because of deer eating their crops and things like this,” Mountz said. One of these farmers is Bud Runner of Miami County, who owns a 105-acre farm northeast of Troy. Runner recognizes that deer not only eat up the corn and soybeans out in the field but that its population can become “fairly dense” if it is not controlled by hunting. Coyotes also are another kind of animal that is commonly hunted on private land because of their ten-

dency to destroy livestock such as sheep and calves. Paul Gearhardt of Casstown co-owns more than 300 acres of farmland besides his 158-acre farm and allows hunting on all of them. “I can’t tell you a farmer in the area that is going to restrict somebody from coming on and hunting coyotes because they’re dangerous pests,” Gearhardt said. While Runner does give permission to hunters to be on his land, he tends to only give close friends the opportunity to hunt there. Continued on 3A

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

No ‘down time’ for farmers By GARY BROCK gbrock@recordherald.com

of Southwest Ohio “So,” people who don’t know what the life of a farmer is really like may ask, “what do farmers do during the winter between fall harvest and spring planting? Long vacation? Winter job? Catch up on TV?” The truth, of course, is that the life of a farmer doesn’t end after harvest and start again in the weeks before spring planting. A farmer’s life is 365 days a year. It is true that the winter months are different. But that is all. Just… different. Any farmer will tell you that from the time they finish the fall harvest until the day they begin to prepare the fields for planting in early spring they are working on some farm-related project. Maybe they are checking out new seeds, deciding what seeds will be best for the next season and what new hybrids are ready for the ground. Then they must

November 2012 Publisher — Pamela Stricker Editor — Gary Brock Layout — Jayla Wallingford

Sales Adams County (937) 544-2391 Lee Huffman, Publisher lhuffman@peoplesdefender.com Brown County (937) 378-6161 Steve Triplett, Publisher striplett@newsdemocrat.com Clinton County (937) 382-2574 Sharon Kersey, Ad Director skersey@wnewsj.com Fayette County (740) 335-3611 Sherri Sattler, Ad Director ssattler@recordherald.com Highland County (937) 393-3456 Mickey Parrott, Ad Director mparrott@timesgazette.com Subscriptions Brenda Earley, Circulation Director (937) 393-3456, bearley@timesgazette.com

Gary Brock is Editor-InChief of Acres.

place their seed orders. And they had better not wait until anywhere near the last minute or they might be out of luck. And they must order their fertilizer for the next year. Then there is all the farm equipment. Once harvest is done, the tractors, combines and other equipment isn’t just driven into a barn to sit for three or four months. Winter is the time to do repairs on the trucks and tractors and equipment. It is time to order and install replacement parts. It is time to refurbish everything and “winterize” all of that expensive farm equipment. And all that tender loving care takes lots of time. So the winter months may be as busy as any other time of the year for farmers.

dated to set crop and milk prices at “parity” — the purchasing power of those crops in 1910-1914, when, according to a 1930s study, a farmer’s earning power and purchasing power were equal. MILC, and other dairy support programs, have prevented imposition of parity. But it could be imposed in 2013 if a new farm bill isn’t passed. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that could raise the price of milk in stores to $6 a gallon. Here in southern Ohio it is about $3 a gallon average. The prices of milk, cheese and butter are all on the increase. So let’s hope that after the election, Congress will return for a “lame duck” session and include in it’s priorities passage of a new federal Farm Bill. Partisan concerns stalled it this fall. Let’s hope that will be put aside after the November election.

COSTLY FARM BILL DELAY? Speaking of winter issues, the failure to pass the expired federal Farm Bill may be costing to not only farmers but American consumers as well. The Tampa Bay Tribune recently reported that milk prices per gallon could skyrocket if a new bill isn’t approved this winter. When the Farm Bill expired Sept. 30, so did the Milk Income Loss Contract program. It was a safety net providing payments when national milk prices drop in contrast to feed costs. When the new farm bill did not pass this year, and the old one expired, the MILC program halted and was not replaced. And the paper reported that this will impact dairy farmers across the nation. The Tribune reports that without a farm bill by the end of this year, an old permanent law would take effect. The Congressional Research Service says the government would be man

(Gary Brock is Editor of ACRES of Southwest Ohio.)

Contact ACRES of Southwest Ohio: 761 S. Nelson Ave. | Wilmington, OH 45177 | (937) 382-2574

ACRES of Southwest Ohio is published monthly by Ohio Community Media, LLC and is available through the Georgetown News-Democrat, Hillsboro Times-Gazette, Ripley Bee, Washington CH Record-Herald, West Union People’s Defender and Wilmington News Journal. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is prohibited. ACRES of Southwest Ohio is available for purchase at each of the newspaper offices for $1/copy or contact us to subscribe. Subscriptions $19.95 per year.

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Protecting consumers, yourself Workshop to address microbial contamination on produce CANFIELD, Ohio — Ohio State University’s Fruit and Vegetable Safety Team will hold a workshop on preventing microbial contamination on fruit and vegetable farms on Nov. 14. Food safety and Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPs, are the focus. The program goes from 1-4 p.m. at Ohio State University Extension’s Mahoning County office, 490 S. Broad St., in Canfield. “The Food and Drug Administration should be releasing draft standards for safe production and harvest of fruits and vegetables as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act,” said Ashley Kulhanek, the team’s

coordinator. “So it’s a good time to learn about GAPs.” Leading the workshop will be OSU Extension educators and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center staff. Participants will receive a resource workbook, paper handouts and a certificate of participation. Attendees won’t actually become “certified in GAPs” by taking the course, Kulhanek said. That certification comes only through a farm audit by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or a third-party company. “Find out what your farmers market or buyers require,” Kulhanek said. “Some may be satisfied with

just a class on GAPs. Others may require the full food safety farm plan and audit, or both.” Many large grocery chains require their produce suppliers to have full food safety plans and audits, she said. Registration is $10 per person, payable by cash or check, with checks made out to “Ohio State University.” Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Payment will be taken at the door. Walk-ins are welcome. Contact Eric Barrett in OSU Extension’s Mahoning County office at 330-5335538 or barrett.90@osu.edu to reserve a spot in the workshop.

Kulhanek said the registration cost is lower than it was for similar programs last year thanks to a grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Program. She also said FDA’s draft standards have been delayed in the Office of Management and Budget and might not be released until after the November election. For growers participating in the voluntary Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement, the workshop may qualify as a participant’s required yearly attendance in a comprehensive GAPs class. Further details about the agreement are at http://www.opma.us.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

HUNTERS, from page 1 “I only give a few people permission to do so who won’t go back and litter and will respect the land, so I’m kind of choosey by who I allow,” Runner said. Mountz recognizes there are farmers and landowners who don’t give permission to hunters because of a past experience where a hunter behaved badly on their property and did not respect the land. “As a good sportsman and a good conservationist, that just makes me mad,” Mountz said. “For someone to open up their property to you, that’s a wonderful thing.” Another reason Runner is careful about which hunters he allows on his property is his son, a seventh grader who likes to take walks and ride his go-cart back in the area hunters search for deer. While there’s a possibility that hunters could mistake a human for an animal if not careful, Runner said that he makes his hunting friends aware of his son and trusts them. “The people I allow back there are season hunters,” Runner said. “They’re not just going to start unloading their M16 as soon as they hear a noise.”

November 2012 Besides allowing hunters on his property as a favor to a friend and to keep the deer population in check to protect crops, Runner also sees the opportunity as a way that helps manage wildlife through the fee hunters pay. The cooperation between farmers and hunters is more than just fees, permission slips and good sport. The nationwide organization, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH), is a result of this collaboration. FHFH works with hunters through contracts with local butchers to process donated meat at a discounted price. This meat is then distributed to local food banks and ministries and feeds the hungry by soup kitchens, pantries and shelters. FHFH was founded in 1997 in Maryland, and since then, Ohio has been one of the largest sources for meat donation with nearly 485,000 pounds of wildlife and livestock, including hogs, sheep and cattle. Mike Armentrout, a coordinator for West Central Ohio FHFH, is a hunter who works with farmers “to serve those less fortunate.” Like other hunters, Armentrout does what he can to help keep the deer

Submitted photo Sherri Good, an Ohio coordinator for Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH), shows off a buck she shot with a bow in October and donated to FHFH. With her is one of her grandsons.

population from getting out of hand and damaging crops. “In my opinion, this reassures the farmer of the decision to allow me to hunt the property and makes them feel good that they can help feed those who are hungry in their county,” Armentrout said.

Because of the teamwork between farmers and hunters across the county, this organization alone has donated more than 3 million pounds of meat, providing more than 13 million meals to those in need. For more information on FHFH, visit www.fhfh.org.

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November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

Want to start a winery? An upcoming workshop will show you how

Ohio wine industry has almost doubled in the last 15 years.

PIKETON – Wine grape growers, commercial wine operators, and those interested in becoming either one can learn the practical and essential skills needed to be successful in the industry at a workshop held by Ohio State University horticulture, viticulture and enology experts Nov. 15. The program is from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the OSU South Centers’ Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Road, in Piketon. The workshop is designed to help growers and winemakers, as well as to boost Ohio’s wine industry, said Gary Gao, an Ohio State University Extension specialist and associate professor of small fruit crops at OSU South Centers at Piketon. “It’s good for grape growers to talk to winemakers, because you have to have good fruit in order to make good wine, so it’s good to get them together in the same classroom,” he said. “This workshop is great for people in the business or those who want to get into the business.” Researchers with OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) will conduct the workshop, which will include information on the basics of grapevine propagation techniques; vineyard management; sensory evaluation of wines; critical aspects of white and red wine production; and identification of new invasive pests in Ohio. Focus will also be on grafting techniques, how to improve fruit quality through pruning and leaf removal, and how to manage insects and diseases, Gao said. “Participants will also get an introduction to winemaking 101, including the fundamentals of wine production,” he said. The workshop will include a sensory evaluation of Ohio wines, including aroma, acid and taste, Gao said, including some new wines and varieties as well as some popular wines. “Wine is a combination of art and science,” he said. “On the science side, you have to focus on acid and sugar levels and other technical things.

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Continued on 5A

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‘Co-op herds’ could benefit cattle farmers PIKETON – Looking for a new way to add value to your calf crop? Try raising someone else’s calves instead of your own, an Ohio State University Extension beef expert said. Producers interested in maximizing income from their calf crop while controlling input costs can consider using their commercial cows as surrogate mothers to raise calves for other producers, said John Grimes, beef coordinator for OSU Extension. The process, which is called serving as a “cooperator herd,” allows a herd of commercial cows to function as surrogate mothers for another herd whose owner wants to produce additional calves from a desirable female through embryo transfer, he said. The concept can be profitable to all parties involved. “It’s one of the easiest ways for a commercial producer to get the best price for their calves at weaning,” Grimes said. “You’re basically renting someone else’s cow and paying them to raise your calves for you. “Seedstock and club calf producers are often willing to pay a premium for calves produced from their genetics and raised by another operation.” The concept works by using embryo transfer, which is the process of removing 7-day-old fertilized eggs from a superovulated donor and placing them into recipient cows that have excellent fertility rates. The recipient cow should also be able to

deliver calves easily, have adequate milk production and good mothering ability, he said. “The goal is to basically try to get more animals out of your best cows by taking embryos from your genetically superior animals and raising them in a recipient cow,” Grimes said. “Then, based on a prearranged agreement, the producer buys the calves back, which allows producers to generate more animals beyond their typical resources.” These cooperator herds receive a premium for their calves above the market price at weaning in either cents per pound or a flat per-head price, Grimes said, with some premiums typically ranging from $100 to $250 per weaned calf. Producers can liken the concept to grain farmers renting crop ground, he said. “One producer is using the resources of a landlord to increase production,” Grimes said. “It’s not for everybody, but if you are willing, it’s a good way to generate extra income out of your calf crop.” Although there are risks involved with this kind of arrangement, when carried out properly, the cooperator herd concept can benefit both the commercial cowcalf producer and the seedstock producer, he said. “Commercial producers can receive a large premium for a weaned calf with a nominal increase in input costs,” he said. “The seedstock producer can produce more calves without investing in long-term resources such as additional land or cows.”

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November 2012

WINERY, from page 4

Memories and history:

“But on the artistic side, you have to use your nose and taste buds to know what is good and what is missing. This program is designed to help people learn that art and science.” Ohio’s wine industry has seen significant growth in recent years. In fact, the number of Ohio wineries has nearly doubled since 1997. And during the last 10 years, Ohio’s wine industry has grown significantly, said David T. Daniels, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. According to its 2008 Economic Impact report, Ohio’s grape and wine industry generates more than $580 million in economic activity that supports local communities while producing a superior agricultural product. The Ohio grape and wine industry also employs more than 4,100 people, providing a payroll of $124.2 million, Daniels said. The workshop will also include an overview of the challenges growers have faced with this year’s weather conditions, Gao said. “It’s been a very rough year for a lot of growers, from the early freezes and frosts in the spring to the record-breaking heat and drought conditions felt throughout the summer,” he said. “In addition, some growers also got hit with high winds and hail.” Registration for the workshop is $20 and includes the program, handouts, lunch and refreshments. Contact Jennifer Warfe at 740-289-2071 to register. The deadline to register is Nov. 12. “We are very grateful for the strong financial support of the Ohio Grape Industries Program for our research and extension programs,” Gao said.

Daniels’ family farm honored as Century Farm By JEFF GILLILAND jgilliland@timesgazette.com

Dave Daniels says his 170-yearold family farm being officially recognized recently as an Ohio Century Farm is more about the legacy of farming in Ohio than anything to do with his family. “It’s not about me, it’s not necessarily about my family,” the former state senator who now serves as director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture said at his family farm located at 11171 state Route 753, just outside of Greenfield. “It’s about the Century Farm Program in Ohio, all the people who are part of it, and what it means to our overall economy. Agriculture in this state is a $105 billion business.” “This is about the memories and history of these farms, the callouses on the hands, the sweat on the brow, and mud and other stuff on the boots,” said Howard F. Wise, assistant director of the Department of Agriculture, noting that agriculture in Highland County produced $75 million in cash receipts a year ago. Still, the history of a farm purchased in 1842, and still operating in the same family today, is of interest. Daniels said that his great-greatgrandfather, James Douglass, moved from Douglas, Pa., in 1842 and purchased a 196-acre farm just south of Greenfield. The original homestead off Paint Creek Road, still standing and still lived in by some of Daniels’ family, was completed in 1848. The bricks for the house, still plainly visible, were cut from clay on the farm. In those days the farm was fairly self-sufficient, with a variety of crops, including potatoes, and livestock. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Daniels said, farmhands lived in the upstairs of the original home and in a barn at the house less than a mile away where he grew up. “When you’re farming 196 acres with horses, they needed plenty of farmhands on deck,” Daniels said. James Douglass eventually passed the farm to his son, James Norman Douglass, who was extensively engaged in the stock business

Dave Daniels speaks during the recognition ceremony at his family’s home outside of Greenfield. In the inset photo below, James Norman Douglass, his wife Rose and daughter Laura pose in front of the family home. Laura is Dave Daniels’ grandmother.

as a breeder, feeder, buyer and shopper. James Norman passed the farm on to his daughter, Laura Lucille (Douglass) Daniels, who was Dave Daniels’ grandmother. From there it went to Dave’s father and his uncle, Jimmy Daniels. Dave said his grandmother moved into the house he spent most of his childhood at in 1899. As parcels became available over the years, the family bought them here and there, and today the farm has 469.5 acres. Dave said his parents moved their family from a home in Greenfield to the farm home in 1965, when he was around 7. He said his first memory of the farm is of walking to school from the home in Greenfield while

parents were in the moving process, then riding the bus out to the farm. He said that growing up, all he wanted to do was farm. “When you’re a young boy, this is your playground,” he said as surveyed the fall scenery around him. “There was the creek over there at the bottom of the hill that I played in as a kid, there was the woods over there, and over there across the road was where I tended to my 4-H animals and FFA projects. I don’t think I can step anywhere here where some memory doesn’t come up.” Dave said he was 12 when he started helping his dad with farm work, pulling hay in wagons and such. “Just like every family, dad wanted us to get to the place where

he thought we could handle the machinery and livestock,” Dave said. After farming for a few years, Daniels found a desire to serve the community he grew up in. He was Greenfield mayor, a Highland County commissioner, then a state representative and state senator. He said that when he started working in Columbus it became clear that the farm operation was going to change. “It’s pretty hard to chase cows from the floor of the legislature when they’re in Greenfield,” Dave said. The cows were sold in 2003, and for the next couple years the family did some crop and hay farming. Now they rent the land out for crop farming, but family still lives in the old homesteads. Today, about 930 Ohio farms are registered in the Ohio Century Farms program, including 13 now in Highland County. Dave said he encourages anyone who thinks they may have a farm that’s been in the family for 100 years or more to apply for the program by calling Cindy Shy at 614-752-9817 or visiting www.agri.ohio.gov-divs/cent farms/. While Dave no longer farms, he has found a way to stay close to agriculture. “My roots are in agriculture, and when Gov. Kasich asked me to lead the department of Agriculture it was like a chance to get back to those roots,” Dave said.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

Research shows an apple a day really is great medicine

The apples of our eye By The OHIO STATE EXTENSION

“When LDL becomes oxidized, it takes on a form that begins atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. We got a tremendous effect against LDL being oxidized with just one apple a day for four weeks” — Robert DiSilvestro, a researcher at the university’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center

COLUMBUS – Eating an apple a day might in fact help keep the cardiologist away, new research suggests. In a study of healthy, middleaged adults, consumption of one apple a day for four weeks lowered by 40 percent blood levels of a substance linked to hardening of the arteries. Taking capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples, had a similar, but not as large, effect. The study, funded by an apple industry group, found that the apples lowered blood levels of oxidized LDL — low-density lipoprotein, the “bad” cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol interacts with free radicals to become oxidized, the cholesterol is more likely to promote inflammation and can cause tissue damage. “When LDL becomes oxidized, it takes on a form that begins atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries,” said lead researcher Robert DiSilvestro, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University and a researcher at the university’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. “We got a tremendous effect against LDL being oxidized

with just one apple a day for four weeks.” The difference was similar to that found between people with normal coronary arteries versus those with coronary artery disease, he said. The study is published online in the Journal of Functional Foods and will appear in a future print edition. DiSilvestro described daily apple consumption as significantly more effective at lowering oxidized LDL than other antioxidants he has studied, including the spice-based compound curcumin, green tea and tomato extract. “Not all antioxidants are created equal when it comes to this particular effect,” he said. DiSilvestro first became interested in studying the health effects of eating an apple a day after reading a Turkish study that found such a regimen increased the amount of a specific antioxidant enzyme in the body. In the end, his team didn’t find the same effect on the enzyme, but was surprised at the considerable influence the apples had on oxidized LDL. For the study, the researchers recruited nonsmoking healthy adults between the ages of 40 and 60 who had a history of eating apples less than twice a month and who didn’t take supplements containing polyphenols or other plant-based concentrates. In all, 16 participants ate a large Red or Golden Delicious apple purchased at a Columbusarea grocery store daily for four weeks; 17 took capsules containing 194 milligrams of polyphenols a day for four weeks; and 18

took a placebo containing no polyphenols. The researchers found no effect on oxidized LDLs in those taking the placebo. “We think the polyphenols account for a lot of the effect from apples, but we did try to isolate just the polyphenols, using about what you’d get from an apple a day,” DiSilvestro said. “We found the polyphenol extract did register a measurable effect, but not as strong as the straight apple. That could either be because there are other things in the apple that could contribute to the effect, or, in some cases, these bioactive compounds seem to get absorbed better when they’re consumed in foods.” Still, DiSilvestro said polyphenol extracts could be useful in some situations, “perhaps in higher doses than we used in the study, or for people who just never eat apples.” The study also found eating apples had some effects on antioxidants in saliva, which has implications for dental health, DiSilvestro said. He hopes to follow up on that finding in a future study. The study was conducted as a Master’s thesis by graduate student Shi Zhao, and was funded by a grant from the U.S. Apple Association/Apple Product Research and Education Council and a donation from Futureceuticals Inc. of Momence, Ill. Also involved in the study were associate professor Joshua Bomser and research associate Elizabeth Joseph, both in the Department of Human Nutrition, which is housed in the university’s College of Education and Human Ecology.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

Preparing for tax time:

Can you defer your crop insurance check? By TONY NYE nye.1@osu.edu

The year has been of the wacky kind when we think back to what the growing season was and the now the results of the harvest season. Many areas of Ohio and other Midwestern states were hit hard by the 2012 drought. However, yields for southwestern Ohio as a whole I think were better than expected but there were reports of yields as low as 7 bushels to the acre for corn and 20 bushels to the acre for beans. The reduced yields will put some producers in a position financially that will cause them to rely on insurance and disaster payments to make ends meet. Due to the severity of this year’s drought, many farmers will be receiving a sizable insurance check which might put them in a unique tax bind. David Marrison, Associate Professor for Ohio State University Extension recently provided some good food for thought in a recent Ohio Ag Manager newsletter in regards to whether or not you as a producer could defer the 2012 crop insurance

check. Generally, farmers who use the cash accounting method must report income in the year in which they receive it. In 2012, this could create a bunching of income for farmers who would normally sell a portion of or their entire crop in the year following harvest. If they receive an insurance or disaster payment for their 2012 crop before the end of the year, this could lead to sizable taxable income because they already have reportable receipts from selling their 2011 crop in 2012. So what can farmers do? Marrison notes that thankfully, the Internal Revenue Service understands how farmers sell crops and allows for the postponement (for one year) of reporting compensatory payments received for crop loss under IRC section 451(d) and Treasury Regulation section 1.451-6. Generally, this exception applies when crops cannot be planted or are damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster such as a drought or flood. To qualify for the exception, a farmer must use the cash method for accounting and

must show that it is his or her normal business practice for crop income to be reported in the year following the year it was grown (i.e. sold in the following year). The election must cover all eligible crops from a single farming business, according to Marrison. If a farmer has more than one farming business, he or she must make a separate election for each farming business. The exception does not allow the taxpayer to postpone or accelerate reporting a crop loss payment if the payment is received the year after the year of the crop loss. So if the farmer receives his insurance payment in 2013 for the 2012 affected crops, it cannot be deferred. To choose to postpone reporting crop insurance proceeds received in the current year, Marrison suggests that farmers should report the amount received on line 8a of the Schedule F. However this amount is not included as a taxable amount on line 8b. Check the box on line 8c and attach a statement to your tax return. It must include the taxpayer’s name and address and

contain the following information: A statement that you are making a choice under IRC section 451(d) and Treasury Regulation section 1.451-6. The specific crop or crops destroyed or damaged. A statement that under your normal business practice you would have included income from the destroyed or damaged crops in gross income for a tax year following the year the crops were destroyed or damaged. The cause of the destruction or damage and the date or dates it occurred. The total payments you received from insurance carriers, itemized for each specific crop and the date you received each payment. The name of each insurance carrier from whom you received payments Marrison warns there may be possible snags to all of this. Some farmers receive compensation under revenue protection policies purchased from a crop insurance agency. These payments are based on the price, the quantity, and the quality of the commodity produced. Only the payment for destruction or damage is eligible for the deferral.

Therefore, a farmer who receives compensation from a revenue protection policy must determine the portion of the payment that is due to crop destruction or damage, rather than due to a reduced market price. Some farmers may also receive payments under group risk protection (GRP) and group risk income protection (GRIP) insurance. These policies pay an insured producer if the county average yield or average revenue falls below the specified level of coverage (typically 7095%). Because information on average county yields and the average revenues necessary to compute payments for corn and soybeans are generally not available until the year following the year of loss, these insurance payments are not eligible for deferral. As with proceeds from an revenue protection policies, proceeds from a GRP, GRIP, or other risk management policy qualify for the I.R.C. § 451(d) election to postpone the income to the following year only to the extent the proceeds are paid for damage or destruction of a crop. Because there is no

direct relationship between an individual producer’s yield and insurance payments under GRP and GRIP, insurance payments from those policies are not eligible for deferral. Marrison highly recommends that because of some of the potential ambiguities in the I.R.C. § 451(d) election, it is suggested that farmers meet with their tax accountant to see if this election is in the best interest for their operation. Tax practitioners will learn more about this subject at the OSU Income Tax Schools which will be held across Ohio this fall. More information about these schools can be found at http://incometaxschools.osu.edu. Sources: 2012 Land Grant University Tax Education Foundation Inc. Tax Work Book Internal Revenue Service. Find article at www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses&-Self-Employed/Crop-Ins urance-and-Crop-Disaster-Payments-AgricultureTax-Tips. (Tony Nye is Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator for the OSU Extension, Clinton County.)

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HIGHLAND H IGHLA HLAND ND COUNTY COUNTY OUNTY

Only an hour from the city but a step back to the simpler days of small town life.... On a recent stop in Hillsboro, the heart of Highland County, a visitor noted “this looks like the America I always read about”. From the 1842 court-house that is still in use to the locally owned shops and restaurants the city has retained the flavor of small town life while being firmly established in the 21st century. Within the borders of Highland County can be found a thriving Amish and Mennonite population as well as high tech companies that service the aircraft and auto industry. A high volume, automated candle works co-exists with locally made natural soy candles that are manufactured at their uptown store. Modern grocery merchants compliment the many local produce markets and butchers. Residents enjoy the best of modern life but in a peaceful, beautiful setting in the foot hills of Appalachia. From the city it is just a short, scenic drive out Route 50 into the center of the county or from Route 32 it’s a short drive up Route 62 to Hillsboro. At the intersection of Routes 50, 73, 124, 62 and 138 the journey is a pleasant one that avoids traffic and congestion while enjoying the sights of southern Ohio’s countryside. The communities of Greenfield, Leesburg and Lynchburg are minutes away from the main city of Hillsboro and each offer unique attractions for a day or weekend trip. Starting the day early could include a real country breakfast at one of the locally owned diners or a quick stop at the Amish bakery for donuts and coffee. A day might include visits to the numerous shops in the county or a day on one of the two lakes in the county. Nightlife is relaxed and friendly with a downtown theater offering local talent and a rural barn makes a great setting for nationally known blues and rock bands. Several locally owned hotels and bed and breakfast homes offer low cost accommodations as well as cabins and camping at the state parks. Your weekend trip to Highland County might be the best value around. More information can be found at www.highlandcounty.com

~ Calendar of Events ~ November 16th • Holiday Members Only Open House held at Highland County Historical Society, 151 E Main St. Hillsboro, Ohio 45133, 937-393-3392 November 17th • Heritage Music Series held on 3rd Saturday of each month at Highland County Historical Society, 151 E Main St. Hillsboro, Ohio 45133, 937-393-3392 November 24th • Hillsboro Uptown Business Association Christmas Parade 2pm, with floats and Miss Snowflake of 2012

December 1st • Childrens Holiday Tea Party 2pm, Pioneer Kitchen Gift Shoppe December 7th • Uptown Christmas First Friday Event, shopping, carolers, food and fun to start the season. Nativity display and petting zoo. December 15th • Heritage Music Series held on 3rd Saturday of each month at Highland County Historical Society, 151 E Main St. Hillsboro, Ohio 45133, 937-393-3392 2331779

November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

PASTURE FIELD DAY IS PLANNED

Upcoming event to showcase efforts to bolster grazing grounds By DAVID DUGAN dugan.46@osu.edu

Years like 2012 are hard on pastures. The months of June and July put pastures in a bad way for a while. The pastures recovered pretty well once the rains returned in late July and early August. Depending on how pasture ground was managed may affect the damage done. When pastures are overgrazed and severely stressed, some of the desirable forages die. When this happens weeds tend to fill in the voids. Weeds can be a problem in pastures without extreme dry periods, but when you consider the past few years we have had more than one dose of this. If my memory serves me correct, 2007 was dry and there have been a couple of other years since 2007 that we have seen prolonged dry periods that have put pastures into a stressful situation. The dry period in 2010 was later in the season and we were dry in September and October. With these years of stress coming so often recently, weeds are becoming more of an issue.

I have been working with someone who has brought some pasture herbicides to a local cooperating farmer. The farm is located just east of West Union on McNeilan Road off of SR 125. The Cooper Farm will be the location for the Field Day to be held Nov. 12. We will show some of the results from applications from a couple of weeks ago plus some other information about forages. Please call the OSU Extension Office in Adams County to pre-register for this free event. The office number is 544-2339. Please call ahead so plans can be made for planning for refreshments. The program will begin at 3 p.m. under a tent in the event of bad weather. Options for Feeders Following talking about pasture issues, I think it might be appropriate to discuss this year’s feeder calves. With some people talking about limited hay in the area, we know that there is not much hay available from the west. On top of that, we are definitely looking at higher corn prices. Some of the commodities are coming

down, but they are still higher than they were last year at this time. So, what to do? By weaning now you can reduce the pressure on your grazing ground and extend the time you can utilize it. This will reduce the need for hay. Cows need nearly 25% less nutrients once the calves are weaned. Plus the calves are consuming pasture, too. By removing the calves from the cows you could reduce the pasture use by 30% to 40%. So pasture that might last the entire group 3 weeks could hold the cows 5 weeks if the calves were weaned. So, if you wean them now, what are you going to do with them? Feeder prices are better than they were this time last year, and last year’s prices were historically good. We saw the price increase after the traditional weaning time of October and November. Will that happen again? Some people think it will, but maybe not as much of an increase as last year. If I knew I would tell you, but I don’t know. I do know it is something to think about. Now if you wean the

calves you could sell them as bawling calves. Bawling calves usually do not bring as much as weaned calves, but you may need to calculate the amount of gain and the cost for that gain. Weaned calves can gain at a pretty decent rate and be fairly feed efficient. If you want to take it a step further, consider preconditioning your calves. This would include castrating and dehorning, plus a vaccination program. This can, in some cases be worth the extra work. Can was the key word there. Though you will get no guarantees because the market can change while you are pre-conditioning these calves, check with your local markets. In other words, you veterinarian should be involved with the pre-conditioning and the stockyards should be involved in discussions about marketing your livestock. This is true regardless if you are selling calves, goats, sheep, or whatever. It is also true regardless if you are selling without weaning, selling weaned calves, or pre-conditioned. Your best chance to maximize your selling price is to do some ground

work before you show up at the stockyards. Large groups tend to bring better money, too. If you have several head to market and can only take one load per day. Sort and take like cattle. Like size, like sex, like color, etc. Again, talk to the people at the stockyards and get their input on what to bring that day. Large groups do not always mean a semi load of calves that are alike. Groups of 6 or more will often be more desirable to a buyer. Small Farm College This has become an annual event. We have been fortunate to host the Small Farm College in Brown County twice over the last 7 or 8 years. Last year it was held in Pike County and this year it will be just the west of us. The Small Farm College will be offered in Clermont Co. at the Clermont County Extension Office which is located on the fairgrounds in Owensville on Thursdays. The class will begin on January 10, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. The class is an eight week course that will help anyone interested in beginning a new farm enterprise. The flyer is available

at the OSU Extension Offices. You may call and have one sent by e-mail. The contact information is: Adams County (937)5442339, Brown County (937) 378-6716, and Highland County (937) 393-1918. You can also e-mail me at dugan.46@osu.edu or call my cell at (937) 515-2314. I will have more information about the Small Farm College and the Small Farm Conference in the coming weeks. The Small Farm Conference will be held at Wilmington College on March 8 and 9. Dates to Remember FAMACHA Program – Nov. 19 at United Producers in Hillsboro at 6 p.m. Call to register at 5442339. For more information you may log onto the Highland Co. Extension webpage at http://highland.osu.edu and go to Agriculture and Natural Resources. Small Farm College – Clermont Co. Extension Office in January. (David Dugan is Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ohio Valley Extension Education Research Area, for Adams/Brown/Highland Counties.)

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

Pickaway COUNTY AGRICULTURE SNAPSHOT

FAIRF

WAY PICKA TE ROSS

2007 CENSUS OF

Look for ulture more Agric in snapshots ns future editio! of Acres

AGRICULTURE County Profile

% 2007 2002 change Number of Farms ..............................................832......................791 ............+5 Land in Farms...................................288,905 acres .....275,029 acres ............+5 Average Size of Farm ..............................347 acres ............348 acres ..............0 Market Value of Products Sold .........$112,071,000........$58,583,000 ..........+91 Crop Sales $69,509,000 (89 percent) Livestock Sales $8,216,000 (11 percent) Average Per Farm..................................$134,701 ..............$74,062 .........+82 Government Payments..........................$6,366,000 .........$4,483,000 .........+42 Average Per Farm Receiving Payments........$11,922...............$12,150.............-2

Economic Characteristics

Quantity

Farms by value of sales: Less than $1,000 .....................................................................232 $1,000 to $2,499 .......................................................................77 $2,500 to $4,999 .......................................................................65 $5,000 to $9,999 .......................................................................76 $10,000 to $19,999 ...................................................................63 $20,000 to $24,999 ...................................................................22 $25,000 to $39,999 ...................................................................31 $40,000 to $49,999 ...................................................................19 $50,000 to $99,999 ...................................................................49 $100,000 to $249,999 ...............................................................77 $250,000 to $499,999 ...............................................................46 $500,000 or more......................................................................75 Total farm production expenses ($1,000) .............................80,953 Average per farm ($)............................................................97,299 Net cash farm income of operation ($1,000) ........................42,959 Average per farm ($)............................................................51,634

Operator Characteristics

Pickaway County – Ohio Ranked items among the 88 state counties and 3,079 U.S. counties, 2007 Item

State Quantity Rank

MARKET VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS SOLD ($1,000) Total value of agricultural products sold Value of crops including nursery and greenhouse Value of livestock, poultry, and their products

112,071 98,381 13,690

VALUE OF SALES BY COMMODITY GROUP ($1,000) Grains, oilseeds, dry beans, and dry peas 95,049 Tobacco Cotton and cottonseed Vegetables, melons, potatoes, and sweet potatoes 403 93 Fruits, tree nuts, and berries Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod 1,778 Cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops 56 Other crops and hay 932 23 Poultry and eggs Cattle and calves 3,200 Milk and other dairy products from cows 4,230 Hogs and pigs 5,850 Sheep, goats, and their products 123 Horses, ponies, mules, burros, and donkeys 216 Aquaculture Other animals and other animal products 47 TOP CROP ITEMS (acres) Soybeans for beans Corn for grain Wheat for grain, all Forage - land used for all hay and haylage, grass silage, and greenchop Corn for silage TOP LIVESTOCK INVENTORY ITEMS (number) Cattle and calves Hogs and pigs Sheep and lambs Quail Horses and ponies

Universe

U.S. Rank

Universe

20 4 52

88 88 88

783 389 1,831

3,076 3,072 3,069

3 58 72 36 31 48 82 54 45 25 41 43 55

88 12 88 88 87 84 88 88 88 86 88 88 88 53 88

238 1,167 1,434 853 575 1,599 2,085 2,017 783 497 945 1,060 1,392

2,933 437 626 2,796 2,659 2,703 1,710 3,054 3,020 3,054 2,493 2,922 2,998 3,024 1,498 2,875

110,046 108,157 16,638

5 2 16

87 88 88

124 250 545

2,039 2,634 2,481

7,039 1,262

54 44

88 86

2,028 870

3,060 2,263

29,111 8,824 1,048 1,015 972

19 55 69 50 21

88 88 88 88 88

431 2,094 1,585 1,375 775

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Quantity

Principal operators by primary occupation: Farming................................................................................................400 Other ....................................................................................................432 Principal operators by sex: Male .....................................................................................................710 Female..................................................................................................122 Average age of principal operator (years)............................................57.9 All operators by race: American Indian or Alaska Native ............................................................Asian ........................................................................................................2 Black or African American ........................................................................2 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander .................................................White.................................................................................................1,216 More than one race ..................................................................................5

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Land in Farms by Type of Land

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Other uses 11.02%

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10A

November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

Farm provides riding experience for those with disabilities By CARLY TAMBORSKI carlytamborski@gmail.com

Winston Churchill once famously said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” And that saying rings true for the staff at Cherry Ridge Farms in Georgetown, who all know the saying by heart. Although the farm does offer regular riding lessons, it’s also a therapeutic riding center for people ages 5 and up with disabilities who say they really receive the emotional, physical, behavioral, and psychological benefits of working with horses. The 138-acre farm was started in 2003 when Sherry and husband Jeff Mitchell purchased their historic farm. Their new property was equipped with an indoor arena and a stable barn, so they offered boarding and lessons. Then, in 2005, the couple’s oldest son, Dan, moved back to Ohio and got the farm involved with Ohio Therapeutic Horsemanship. “Ohio Therapeutic Horsemanship (OTH) is a non-profit therapeutic horsemanship program, which encourages healing through horses and creates a supportive and dynamic environment for the development of children from all walks of life ages 5-18, living in Brown and the surrounding counties,” Dan said. “Through the use of the horse, physical, psychological, cognitive, behavioral, and communi-

During an outdoor program, children cool off with their horses as they guide them into a local creek.

cational goals are achieved and personal strengths are emphasized.” Dan is the stable’s barn manager, lead riding instructor, and former OTH director. Other devoted employees include Sabrina Mignerey, the volunteer coordinator, instructor-intraining, and new OTH program director; Kelly Watson, the director of education for the Outdoor Classroom Program and a development associate for Ohio Therapeutic Horsemanship; and Kaitlyn Lehman, an instructor for

both the Therapeutic Program and regular riding lessons. “In college I went and combined my love of helping people with horses at the same time,” Mignerey said. “I did my research and I found out about therapeutic riding. I volunteered over at CTRH (Cincinnati Therapeutic Riding and Horsemanship) and then I just started networking with different people and then I found Dan. I started volunteering and he told me about the dream he had, and it took a

few years for it to come to fruition, but it did, and now we have two therapeutic riding classes and we’re growing.” Some may wonder what types of qualifications an employee must have to work in this program, and while credentials vary, experts suggest having medical or equine experience. “We go through Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) certification,” Lehman said. “So Dan is PATH certified, I am certi-

fied, and Sabrina is going to get PATH certified this winter. They ask when you do the PATH certification that you’re either a medical professional or that you’re a horse professional.” PATH professionals must also complete both coursework and fieldwork. Even the horses have to go through rigorous tests before the staff chooses them for therapeutic programs. Employees are also trained to handle emergencies should the child — or the horse — start to ex-

hibit behavior that would hurt themselves or the other. “When it comes to safety measures, we do an emergency dismount if the situation gets out of hand, and volunteers are trained in that,” Mignerey said. “We do a volunteer training one month before classes start, that way volunteers are briefed on the kids and they’re briefed on if there’s a certain situation or a certain case here that’s being exhibited, if it’s a danger to the child, or if it’s a danger to the horse and how to do an emergency dismount.” To provide additional safety and comfort, a sidewalker stays on each side of the horse while the child rides, and a horse leader walks in front of the horse. The side-walkers stay with the child throughout the whole exercise, even helping them tack up their horse beforehand and undressing the horse at the end. PROGRAMS “We have a menu of programs and have different areas around the farm,” Watson said. “In the barn itself we have regular riding lessons, and we have the Therapeutic Horsemanship Program for children with special needs whether physically or emotionally, behaviorally. And then we also we have some programs in the Spring — and those are separate from riding — that focus more on the natural environment and getting school kids out into it. Continued on 11A

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HORSES, From 10A This Outdoor Classroom Program is ecologybased and takes advantage of the different habitats we have around the farm.” Group classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays: The class on Tuesdays is for children with sensory language delay, ADHD, and different kinds of cognitive issues, while the Thursday class is for children with autism and various sensory disorders. Regular, individual riding lessons are also offered throughout the week. The organization also hope to grow and add classes for children with Downs Syndrome, provide equine assisted therapy for veteran and returning war personnel, as well as add a class involving equine assisted psychotherapy partnered with local mental health professionals. Lehman estimates that about 10-15 riders come to the farm each week. Yearly, the farm conducts three, six-week sessions. They typically begin in April and wrap up in October. The sessions aren’t labeled with different “levels” but the are more of a matter of continuing on. GOOD FOR THE BODY, GOOD FOR THE SOUL Watson has been working with Cherry Ridge for five years, ever since she moved from Maryland and needed a place for her horse. She elaborated on the positive effects working with horses can have on those with disabilities or behavioral problems, but recognizes that some of the benefits are harder to put a scientific label on. “Some of the benefits are quantified and some of them are more elusive to put into words,” Watson said, then citing the Winston Churchill quote.

One of the young riders at Cherry Ridge Farms gives a “horse hug” to his mount.

The most obvious would be the physical aspects, which in turn relate to cognitive functions. “Riding a horse is a three-dimensional exercise, so for students who have problems with their muscle coordination, horseback riding builds the core muscles, it builds up a lot of strength in those deep muscles that other exercises have trouble reaching,” Watson said. “To compare it, the effects of horseback riding on would be similar to swimming. It works the whole body and those deep muscles.” “Also, horseback riding really improves your coordination, because again you’re using your body equally — not like on a court or field where you’re using one arm or one leg or your dominant side is being used more,” Watson said. “Horseback riding requires that you use both sides equally, so for people who have physical disabilities, that is very helpful.” Not to mention, the horse gets physical exercise, too! Emotional benefits are somewhat harder to measure, but definitely exist. “Emotionally — and

this is where you get to the parts of therapy that are harder to quantify — but, for instance, for a lot of children who have trouble engaging with other people, it’s less threatening to engage with an animal,” Watson said. “And for the autistic children in particular, the riding program builds up on a series of commands and it’s very repetitive and that helps to establish a routine.” Often times, children who exhibit positive emotional changes will also exhibit verbal improvements. Employees have especially noticed the program’s effects on the children who are mainly non-verbal. “A lot of kids come here non-verbal and after they’ve been through the program for several months, they start using words because they’re hearing or saying them over and over again in a very regimented way, like ‘walk on’ or ‘whoa,’” Watson said. “Just making that connection with speaking, this incredible animal, and this action — they realize they’re controlling this action with the power of words, and it becomes apparent to the child.”

Mignerey agreed. “This is my second year teaching and at first we had two children who came who were pretty non-verbal, they probably only said three words,” Mignerey said. “And now they can say the commands and every now and then they’ll look you in the eye. Last week — it stole my heart — one of the riders who was pretty non-verbal when he started, he ran up to me and said ‘up, pick up,’ and he wanted me to pick him up, and I picked him up and gave him a hug and he gave me a kiss and I loved it. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness.’” Even though the emotional and psychological benefits are harder to quantify, they’ve been documented in therapeutic programs throughout the world. Behavioral effects are easier to see. “It’s just amazing,” Mignerey said. “You watch the kids come out and at first they’re kind of, not defiant, but not exactly sure how they feel about it, and it’s just a matter of bonding with the horse and eventually that horse opens up lines of communication. It’s the rhythmic

motions of the horse that help them focus, that helps them be able to communicate to other people. And when it comes to the emotional and psychological, it’s an outlet for people who normally don’t have an outlet.” Parents have also noted the positive effects of the program. “OTH was a huge breakthrough experience for our autistic twins Mac and Sammi,” said Rick and Tanya Doyle. “The OTH program provided a list of things our children desperately needed and so many benefits that it is hard to list them all, but they included: A connection to animals, a sport that was perfect for confidence building, group participation, unique relationships with support staff like the leaders and walkers, an exciting class that became the highlight of their week and so much more. It helped with their communication, drawing, a sense of responsibility to the animals and working with new understanding faces to help bring them out of their shells and socially interact in ways they had not had before.” Staff members also shared some of their fa-

November 2012 11A vorite breakthrough stories. “I had a couple kids with behavioral disabilities,” Lehman said. “One little girl that I taught this summer had some physical disabilities — she had a man-made trachea and some different health issues — and she could walk and talk and communicate, but she had some behavioral issues. So she came for a sixweek session and we worked on that, patience. And the horses are really helpful with that because you can’t get mad and aggressive and it really helps. The parent noted the difference and in that time frame noticed a huge change in her daughter’s attitude.” “We’ve also had children with post traumatic stress disorder come through the program and come out on the other side very well,” Sherry added. Another benefit reaped by all participants is an increase in confidence. “I teach an adult who’s a double-amputee,” Lehman said. “She grew up riding and so she had that background, but it’s a confidence-builder for her to have that independence and to start doing that again, and she even showed at the fair.” Of course, the benefits don’t just apply to people with disabilities. Next year, the farm is launching its newest program for at-risk teens and troubled youth. “It’s actually Kaitlyn’s brainchild,” Watson said. “She wants to work with at-risk girls who are suffering from stressful situations in their environment. Whether abuse or neglect or addiction, or even a dysfunctional family — we’re working to develop that program now and get some grants and funding for that.” Continued on 12A

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12A

November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

HORSES, From 11A Lehman explained what inspired her to create the new program, and described how the therapeutic benefits of horseback riding even worked on herself. “It’s very personal to me — I wasn’t an at-risk youth, but I lost my mom when I was 11, so the horses are what we had together,” Lehman said. “They had allowed me to stay out of trouble when my friends were little trouble-makers, so it really helped me with my life. It was a big part of my life all throughout high school and after, it’s still my career choice. People don’t always realize what it takes having that connection. I saw the difference personally, even though I came from a structured family.” But the funding to keep these programs alive and well is definitely needed. FUNDING The tuition to attend a six-week course cost $180 per person, but the farm hopes to increase grants and funding to help pay for students’ tuition costs. “Right now, funding comes from individual donors and small organizations, and that’s one thing we’re really looking for: funding and volunteers,” Mignerey said. “We do have two riders who are on scholarship right now because the economic atmosphere in Brown County is just completely different than it is in Cincinnati. So we try to accommodate everybody. Some way, some how, we want to make a way.” Funding would mainly pay for the riders’ tuition, but after tuition costs, funding would also help cover the orga-

Focus turns to fall fertilizing By ADAM SHEPARD shepard.95@osu.edu

C.J. Munafo, Trusty Rusty the horse, Taylor Munafo, and stable owner Sherry Mitchell have fun and learn responsibility while working at the stable during its first years.

nization’s essential operational needs. “We’re using the farm’s horses, and we need to pay for their feed, their grain,” Mignerey said. “There’s also the insurance to run this program and it’s a pretty steep price.” Additional funding would also help pay for specialized riding equipment that fits the needs of disabled people. “For some of the disabilities you need specialized equipment and special saddles, so we can’t deal with certain physical disabilities,” Watson said. “But, for example, we do have one student who lost her legs and some of her fingers to viral meningitis when she was two, so she’s able to ride. She can balance very well on a saddle and even shows at the Brown County Fair.” “There are specialty saddles made, that’s one thing we’d love to have but we just don’t have them right now, we just have regular saddles,” Mignerey added. “And we have kid saddles that

we use for them.” REMEMBER “Therapeutic riding is definitely a type of situation where you have to see if it’s a good fit for your child,” Mignerey said. “If your child has some sort of disability, I would recommend coming out and observing and seeing if it’s a good fit. Horseback riding — I would love to encourage it because I’ve seen the benefits of therapeutic riding. Instructors are certified and design lesson plans for each student tailored to their ability level. Through a variety of horse-related activities, our students realize many benefits from working with horses that can include greater confidence, selfawareness, increased balance, muscle strength, increased self-esteem and so much more through our therapeutic healing through horses model.” For more information on Cherry Ridge Farms or Ohio Therapeutic Horsemanship, visit www.cherryridgefarms.org.

Since we spoke last there has been a lot of progress made at the Fayette County Demonstration Farm. Thanks to the support and donation of equipment from area growers, I was able to layout the design for our plots, complete all of our tillage treatments along with getting our wheat planted. As of today our stand of wheat is good and we have planted cover crops on some of our tillage treatments that have started germinating, thanks to recent rains. We are doing some demonstrations with alternating rows of Tillage Radish and Field Peas on the ground going to corn, and Cereal Rye on the ground going to soybeans. Hopefully we will get sufficient growth on our cover crops so we will have some good demonstrations for the field day next summer. As harvest winds down for another fall our focus turns to soil sampling and determining the need for fall fertilizer applications. With sporadic rainfall across the county and state there will be different strategies deployed depending on how much rainfall your area received. Soil tests are the best way to track nutrient levels in your fields to develop trends over a period of time when they are collected regularly. It is well documented that soils affected by drought will test differently than soils with near adequate moisture levels. If you are in an area that received limited rainfall this growing season, you may get more accurate soil test results by waiting for soil moisture to increase. Normally if you

UPCOMING EVENTS Upcoming programming for Fayette and surrounding counties includes: Annie’s Project, Managing for Today and Tomorrow (Ross Co.) Nov. 12, 19 and Dec. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Sheep and Goat Famacha Training (Highland Co.) Nov. 19, 6 to 9 p.m. Fayette County Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet Dec. 3, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Small Farms College (Pickaway County) Jan. 9, 6:30 to 9 p.m. and (Clermont County) Jan. 10, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

can get the soil probe in to the appropriate depth (68”) then soil moisture is usually adequate to give you more reliable results. Now that fields have been harvested and yields recorded we know that in areas of dry weather yields were lower than expected. Couple that yield information with the fertility program in the past and there are cases where the nutrient removal is less than the amount of nutrients added for the growing season. If we know our crop removal and the amount of fertilizer that we applied, we can determine if we have nutrients available for next year that could reduce our application amount for this fall. An article published in the Sept. 18-25, 2012, issue of the C.O.R.N. (Crop Observation and Recommendation Network) Newsletter by Greg LaBarge and Laura Lindsey reports that the amount of P2O5 removed / bushel of corn is 0.37 lbs. For simple math sake let’s say our corn averaged 100 bu./ac. Using this removal rate we know that through harvesting our corn grain we removed 37 lb/P2O5/ac. To continue with simple math let’s say we applied 100 lb/ac of P2O5 before planting our corn crop we

could expect that we would have a carryover of roughly 63 lb/P2O5 that our crop did not use. The same math can be used for K2O where the removal rate for corn grain is 0.27 lb/bu. of corn grain harvested. If we know our pH and CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) are in normal ranges (pH~6.5 and CEC~15-30) we should expect the majority of those left over nutrients to remain available for next year’s growing season. Unused Nitrogen is more difficult to estimate and is unlikely to remain available for next growing season. If wheat or a cover crop was planted following harvest there may be some nitrogen available for those crops but without testing the amount will be difficult to estimate. As always I like hearing from you all and how things are going for your operations. As winter programming schedules continue to take shape contact me with any ideas for topics you think might be helpful to answer any questions or concerns you may have. (Adam Shepard is an Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator for the OSU Extension, Fayette County.)

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FARMERS HELPING FARMERS

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

13A

Neighbors come to the aid of ailing farmer, family

By DEAN SHIPLEY dshipley@madison-press.com

Madison County farmers know when one of their own has a need. A farmer in Monroe township had a need and his agricultural brethren stepped up to lend helping hands. County farmers are presently harvesting their soybeans and corn. RLT Farms, operated by Rick and Andra Troyer, had crops which needed to come off their fields along Little Darby Road in Monroe Township. But they had a problem. Rick, 55, was still recovering from a serious illness he suffered earlier this year. It had drained him of most of his

strength and stamina to endure long hours in the combine. Their son, Jared, was faced with handling much of the job himself. Though dad has climbed back into the combine, he admits his stamina is not back to normal. “I’m taking it easy,” Rick Troyer said from outside the door of his combine. “The GPS makes it easy, but if I get tired, I’ll quit.” He said he was very appreciative of the help from other farmers. He said he has helped others in the past and for them to repay the favor is testament to their willingness to help one another. So as Troyer took it

easy in a long field on the north side of the road, Fred Hostetler, Chuck Harper, Bob Smith drove combines and a tractor with a cart to take soybeans of the field on the south side of the road. As they worked, Andra had prepared lunch for them. Next to a JD 4400 tractor, she had laden a table with hot pulled pork, macaroni salad, fruit, dessert and beverages. All they had to do was “come and get it.” She was glad to do it, a way to say thank you for their neighborly acts of kindness. While the aforementioned ran their equipment on Thursday, other farmers opted to help next week. Among them Mike

Above, Andra Troyer stands along the edge of unharvested soybeans while neighbors, below, help bring in the crops from her family’s fields.

Boerger, his son, Nick, Fred Yoder and son, Josh, and John Kramer. Boerger said farmers helping farmers passes from generation to generation “We have a long tradition of helping neighbors when they have problems,” said Mike Boerger, who was cutting his own soybeans on Friday. He had

heard of the Troyers’ plight and stepped up to help. They told him to come by next week, when another field of beans will be ready for the combine. Boerger said their business is “time dependent.” Planting and/or harvesting “has to be done, it can’t wait.

While Boerger and company do not hesitate to give help, he finds it more blessed to give than to receive. “It’s one of those favors I give others, but hope I never have to collect,” Boerger said. (Dean Shipley is a staff writer for the Madison Press.)

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14A

November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

OSU study: ‘Food deserts’ found in rural areas too By OSU EXTENSION

livestock. So we wanted to study these folks who live in rural areas more closely to see how they operate, and what steps they take in gaining fresh fruit and vegetables.” Among the study’s findings: Most respondents, 74 percent, had a garden that allowed them to grow their own fresh produce. In all, 28 percent of the households grew at least one-third of their produce, and 43 percent grew at least one-quarter of the produce they consumed. The elderly were the least likely to have a garden and grow their own produce. “Many said they had gardened all their lives, but now their health doesn’t permit it,” Blaine said. “They just don’t have the mobility or endurance to get out and work in the garden.” Senior citizens also may have more challenges driving to the grocery store, he said, which presents an additional disadvantage to getting access to fresh fruits and vegetables. High-income households also were less likely to have a garden. Blaine suspects that these residents work longer hours than average, preventing them

from having time to garden. People who eat more produce are more likely to have their own garden. Households with more people are more likely to have a garden. “Not only do larger families need more food in the house, but they have additional labor to

keep the garden up,” Blaine said. Blaine said he hopes the findings of this study will raise awareness of rural food deserts and encourage more people to do gardening. “It’s a double-winner for people,” he said. “When you get out and

garden, you’re exercising, you’re moving. It’s a lot healthier than sitting around the house. “And you’re producing something that’s healthy to eat. If you can substitute a freshly grown green pepper or tomato for potato chips or doughnuts, you’ll be better off.”

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WOOSTER — “Food deserts” are normally thought of as low-income, blighted urban neighborhoods with little access to fresh, reasonably priced fruits and vegetables. But rural areas, despite their wide-open spaces and fertile farmland, can be food deserts, too. An Ohio State University Extension community development specialist worked with two student interns to examine this seeming paradox to discover more about people who live in rural food deserts and how they access fresh produce. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, rural residents who live at least 10 miles away from a grocery store live in a food desert, said Tom Blaine. “Participants in our study lived an average of 11 miles from a grocery store,” Blaine said. “Typically in more populated areas, you have a grocery store within a half-mile or mile. “For most people in Ohio, 11 miles from a grocery store would be a very long way.”

The 22-mile round trip equates to an average transportation expense of $735 a year, he said. The study involved phone interviews with 90 residents along the border of Wayne and Holmes counties to determine how they acquire, produce and consume fresh fruits and vegetables and to gather demographic information. For the study, Blaine led a brother-and-sister team, Sarah and Michael Pinkham, who were involved in the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Ohio Research Internship Program (ORIP) during summer 2012. The idea for the study originated with OARDC’s Parwinder Grewal, a professor of entomology who directs the summer ORIP program. “The lack of opportunity to buy fresh fruits and vegetables in rural areas can be an important barrier to a healthy diet, just as it is in the city,” Blaine said. “Many of us might assume that there is a lot of produce out there, but that’s not necessarily true. “Most agricultural production is not fresh produce, it’s grain and

Participants in study live an average of 11 miles from a grocery store — that’s an average of $735 a year in travel costs.

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2330693

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

ANOTHER FALL HARVEST DOWN By CHELSEA HALL

info@peoplesdefender.com

Ohio farm operators are harvesting corn, soybeans and planting winter wheat during this time of the year. Dry field conditions have enabled operators to rapidly progress with the harvest of row crops and winter wheat planting, according to the United States Department of Agriculture - National Agriculture Statistics Service. In the October 2012 edition of ACRES, farmer Alan Clough of Peebles said he was not very happy with what his crops looked like this year. After harvesting most of his corn, Clough said he will get about 35-75 bushels per acre of corn. He is 80 percent done with his corn and has yet to determine how many bushels per acre his soybeans will yield. Clough plans to hold onto his harvested corn to see if the market will go up. Peebles farmer J.P. Wheeler says he will average 68 bushels per acre this harvest of what corn he has run so far. So far what they have harvested has yielded about half of what it normally would. Also, he will be making an insurance claim on most of his corn. “For the past two years that field has averaged anywhere from 120-130 bushels per acre,” Wheeler said. According to David Dugan, the local OSU Extension Educator for Ag and Natural Resources, some farmers have mentioned yield monitors in the field hitting zero and 200 in the same field of corn. Averages are just as unpredictable throughout Adams County. Some producers have crops on different farms that could be 75 to 100 bushel different. Planting time and timely rains made for huge differences from community to community or even farm to farm. “I have heard of entire crop under 50 bushel per acre and I have also heard of entire crop averages nearing 200 bushel. One producer recently told me that his soybeans out yielded his corn by the bushel. Some producers have indicated that the corn crop is better than they anticipated, while others have been disappointed by the actual yield after earlier estimations,” said Dugan. “The soybean crop is good. Considering that we will always call 2012 a

A local farmer begins harvesting his corn along Hull Road in Adams County.

‘drought’ year, most people are reporting soybean averages in the 50 plus bushel per acre.” The tobacco yield appears to be very good, with favorable conditions for curing the crop this fall. Some that have started stripping the earlier harvested crop report very good quality to go with the high yield according to Dugan. So for Adams County’s harvest it appears the soybean and tobacco crops came in good despite the drought, however the corn yield varied by area. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers are only a few examples, according to their website at www.nass.usda.gov. As of Sunday Oct.14, 89 percent of corn was mature, which was 34 percent ahead of last year and eight percent ahead of the five year average. Thirtyone percent of the corn was harvested for grain, ahead of last year by 24 percent and the five-year average by seven percent in Ohio, according to the USDA-NASS. Also as of Oct. 14, 85 percent of soybeans were mature, 33 percent ahead of last year and two percent ahead of the five-year average in Ohio. As of Sunday Oct. 21, 50 percent of corn was harvested for grain, ahead of last year by 38 percent and the five-year average by 14 percent. Soybeans harvested were rated at 63 percent, compared to 37 percent last year and 68 percent for the five- year average in Ohio, according to the USDA-NASS. Corn was 53 percent in fair-to-good condition as of Oct. 22, compared to 50 percent on Oct. 17. Soybeans were 67 percent in fair-to-good condition as of Oct. 22, compared to 66 percent on Oct. 17 in Ohio. Winter wheat planted was rated at 67 percent, compared to 49 percent last year and 76 percent for the five-year average in Ohio. (Chelsea Hall is an intern for the People’s Defender in Adams County.)

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15A

16A

November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

900-pound bovines are stars at Young’s Jersey Farm BY SHARON SEMANIE editorial@dailycall.com

YELLOW SPRINGS — There’s a “Jersey Girls” production now playing in southwestern Ohio. Unlike the male vocalists who popularized the musical “Jersey Boys,” these 30 performers represent the “cream of the crop” with names such as Blondie, Bonnie, Kim and Snowflake. They are 900pound bovine beauties — Jersey cattle — who provide the main ingredient for dairy products made at Young’s Jersey Farm on Route 68 north of Yellow Springs. Chief Executive Officer Dan Young — who references his job title as chief ice cream dipper — has been instrumental in the success of the spacious dairy farm which prides itself in the motto “We create fun for our customers.” On an average day, more than 9,000 patrons visit Young’s to sample the nearly 100 mouth-watering flavors of ice cream along with the wide variety of farmstead cheeses produced on-site. Altogether, Young’s produces more than 70,000 gallons of ice cream annually along with 30,000 pounds of cheese varieties such as Colby and pepper jack, fresh cheddar curds, apple wood smoked cheddar and baby Swiss. Young’s history began in 1869, when relatives of the Young family built the red barn with its bark-covered beams still standing on the premises. Hap Young reportedly purchased the 60-acre farm and house shortly after World War II and, for the

Young’s Jersey Farm, located on Route 68 north of Yellow Springs, produces more than 70,000 gallons of ice cream annually along with 30,000 pounds of cheese varieties.

next decade, he and his three sons — Carl, Bob and Bill — farmed the acreage plus upwards to 500 additional rented acres where they grew grain, raised hogs and milked cows. It wasn’t until 1958, when the Young clan opted to sell Jersey milk directly to the public and opened its first sales room, a 10foot by 10-foot area adjacent to the milk room. Equipment, reports Dan Young and cousin Stuart Young, was “modest” and included glass jugs, a refrigerator, a cash drawer and the honor system. Customers could simply drive up, open the refrigerator, pick up a gallon of milk, leave an empty jug container and money and return home. Because there was a market for farm fresh

milk, the Youngs built and opened its first real dairy store in 1960 and began dipping ice cream plus other dairy products such as cheese and snack foods. The small building remains attached to the big red barn and represents the space where Youngs makes its luscious ice cream today. Young — a third generation family members — notes that milk and cream for the ice cream mixture is purchased from Reiter Dairy in Springfield. The Jerseys herd on site produce milk for the Farmstead cheeses also made in the former dairy store. “We make all of our own ice cream right here on the farm,” noted Young. The ice cream is made from a 15 percent butterfat mix (pasteurized milk, cream and sugar mixture) which

is very rich in taste and offers a “smooth, creamy texture and blends well with many flavors.” Staff make the ice cream with machines called batch freezers, which makes five to 10 gallons of ice cream per batch. Each batch reportedly takes 12 to 15 minutes to make. Different flavorings, fruits or candies are added at different stages of the process depending on how they want ingredients mixed. “The ice cream comes out of the machine at about 23 to 25 degrees and is immediately put into a specially built walk-in freezer that has a high wind velocity and an average temperature of 30 degrees below zero. Freezing ice cream quickly is one secret of making excellent ice cream, notes Young. “If

you allow the ice cream to freeze slowly, large ice crystals will form and a rough texture will result. After it is hardened the ice cream is ready to move into store freezers that hold the ice cream at about 10 degrees below zero.” Various cheeses also are produced in a large vat adjacent to the ice cream freezers in the former dairy store. The word “farmstead,” notes cousin Stewart Young, “means we produce the cheese on our farm using Jersey milk 100 percent from our own cows.” Stewart himself oversees the “closed herd” of cattle who are raised on the feed grown on the farm and are not treated with any growth hormones. To begin the cheese-making process, milk is pasteurized at 140 degrees for 45 minutes to make Colby,

Monterey jack, pepper jack and fresh cheddar curd varieties. “When we make our aged cheddar and baby Swiss we use non-pasteurized milk. We age these cheeses for a minimum of 60 days. The process of aging the cheese kills any harmful bacteria that may be present in the milk.” Subsequent steps call for cooling the milk back down to about 90 degrees then add the cheese culture before adding the rennet, which begins the process of coagulating the casein protein in the milk to make curds. After the cheese has set, the curd is cut into small pieces and the whey — liquid part of the milk — is drained. Each 100 pounds of Jersey milk yields about 13 or 14 pounds of cheese and 86 to 87 pounds of whey, which is saved and used as fertilizer on the field to help crops grow. Loose curds are then placed in “hoops,” which are either square or round forms. When filled they are placed in a cheese press overnight to eliminate the last of the whey and begin the process of curds forming cheese blocks or wheels. Cheeses are then vacuum packed and placed in an aging cooler for a few weeks or years depending upon the type of cheese. “Each time we make cheese we start with 1,100 to 1, 500 pounds of Jersey milk and get 130 to 300 pounds of cheese. It takes six to eight hours to make a batch of cheese. We make cheese four days a week on average or about 32,000 pounds of cheese Continued on 17A

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

17A

Where are all the hedge apples? By FAYE MAHAFFEY fhmgarden@gmail.com

This year a “first” has happened at the Mahaffey’s. Instead of tackling the chore of tossing hedge apples over into the tree line (last year I tossed around 750), I have thrown over a mere three! What has happened to all those hedge apples this year? I have asked several friends who have Osage-orange trees on their property and they report a bumper crop. The Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera), is a member of the Mulberry family. It can grow to a height of 30 – 40 feet. This ornamental tree was named after Osage Indians, who made bows and war clubs from the wood. Its dimpled fruit resembles a very rough, green orange, and has been called Horse Apples or Hedge Apples. OSUE Bulletin 700, Ohio Trees, explains that the Osage-orange is found distributed throughout the state, but does not as a rule occur as a forest tree. It

grows chiefly in open fields and along fence rows. It was widely planted as a hedge during the last century, as it could retain animals such as bulls and boars. This was the first tree sample Lewis and Clark sent back from the Louisiana Territory in 1804. The oldest living Osage-orange tree is estimated to be 350-400 years old in Virginia. The leaves are simple, alternate, and oval in outline. The leaf tip is pointed. Foliage is a handsome and lustrous green on the upper surface. Leaves are 2-5 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Foliage color is bright yellow in the autumn. Trunks on old trees are deeply furrowed and have dark orange furrows. The bark contains tannin and has been used for tanning leather. The wood is hard, tough and durable, being used largely for posts, sometimes for lumber, and fuel. Yellow substance from the roots was used to dye clothing and baskets. Now back to the mys-

tery of my missing Hedge Apples. I have to admit that I have never noticed the flowers blooming on my Osage-orange trees. After some research I have learned that the yellowish flowers (sometimes described as clusters of green-to-cream flowers) appear in May and are Dioecious. The male flowers are borne in a linear cluster or catkin. Since the male flowers are borne on separate trees, it is possible to select for fruitless trees. Female flowers are round balls that are 1 inch in diameter. The female flower yields the globular, 2-5 inches in diameter, Hedge Apple. Since the trees bloom around the same time, the male and female flowers rely on cross-pollination to help set fruit. Pollination takes place via the wind or by insects that carry the pollen on their bodies and feet from tree to tree. Did we experience a late hard frost last spring? The blazing heat of the summer months has dulled my memory. Did “Mother

Nature” cause my shortage of Hedge Apples? I will have to do further research before giving a definite answer. Or maybe I will stick with my favorite reply, “It depends.” Be sure to mark your calendars for the Nov. 15 gardening seminar at the Fincastle campus of Southern State Community College. Louis Mays, professor and librarian at SSCC, will speak about Edible Landscaping. Louis and his brother Tom maintain the Mays Garden at Lake Waynoka. All seminars are free and are held in the SSCC library from 6 until 7:30 p.m. I’m finally getting the tomato cages stored away. The last of the leaves have finely fallen and we are ready to chop them up with the mower and add them to the garden and composter. I have some bulbs I need to plant before the ground freezes, how about you? (Faye Mahaffey is an OSUE Brown County Master Gardener volunteer.)

Photo by Sharon Semanie Young’s Dairy plant manager Mike Randall oversees cheese making at the Yellow Springs dairy farm. The Jerseys herd on site produce milk for the Farmstead cheeses also made for the dairy store and restaurants.

YOUNG’S, From 16A each year,” said Dan Young, who points out that Young’s baby Swiss and apple wood smoked cheddar varieties were gold medal winners in the North American Jersey Cheese Awards presented in 2011 in Wisconsin’s own “dairy state.” Visitors quickly discover that Young’s Dairy is more than peach ice cream and dill cheddar cheese curds. Families enjoy feeding goats and petting the farm animals, honing their skills at the batting cages or driving range or playing one of the two miniature golf courses on site. Barnaby’s Walnut Grove is a serene spot for a company picnic, family reunion or other get-together and, according to Dan Young, can accommodate groups of more than 5,000. There are two restaurants including the Golden Jersey Inn for great “comfort food” and the Dairy Store for fast food orders and a scoop of the “flavor of the week.”

Dan Young and his “family” constantly strive to plan events which bring customers to their rural environs. Whether it’s a wool gathering show, pick your own pumpkins, haunted wagon rides, support the troops weekend, or choosing and cutting your own Christmas trees, there’s no end to their savvy marketing skills. Young likes to think his forefathers would be “proud” of the family’s accomplishments over the decades and especially the capacity to bring visitors from around the world to their dairy farm. “There was a time when only five people would visit the first dairy store,” he recalled. “Yesterday we had 9,000. It’s just a different business.” When asked if this year’s draught has severely impacted the business, the chief ice cream dipper simply smiled and responded “It was great for selling ice cream.” To learn more about Young’s Jersey Dairy visit their website at youngsdairy.com.

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18A

November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

IN DEFENSE OF LARD By MARIBETH URALRITH maribeth2@hotmail.com

For years lard has been blacklisted in the nutrition community as a health risk believing that it led to an early grave by contributing to heart disease, strokes and other health issues for those who consume it in their eating, however in recent research, lard is making a comeback as it is now considered a healthier choice over butter and oil-based butter which contain trans fats. Lard has gotten a bad rap over the years. Mention that you use lard in your cooking and people begin to choke up, feel their arteries closing up and get a disgusted look on their face but this fourletter word is not as bad as we have been recently educated that it was. It’s worth noting that the powers that be – the ones who are the very people who so ballyhooed the benefits of factory margarine – which we now know caused considerably more harm than good – are the same people who denounced lard and denied its natural allure. Replacing lard with hydrogenated vegetable fats – that doesn’t make too much sense if you are looking to eat healthier. Lard is rendered pork fat and for hundreds of years even centuries has been used for frying and baking. Assuredly most people that have been around for a while can remember mothers, grandmothers and even great-grandmothers using lard in the kitchen. Cooking with lard makes for light and airy qualities in foods that cannot compared to other types of fats. Shortening replaced lard as a common cooking fat for home use in the 1950s after research alleged that the saturated fat in lard led to heart attacks, clogged arteries and strokes. Many restaurants, feeling pressure from the health providers ceased using it in the 1990s. But lard has been wrongly demoralized for years when compared to what we have been using in recently. And with recent studies trumpeting the benefits to using lard - lard has come out as the winner over our current choices. The main fat in lard – oleic acid – is a monounsaturated fat linked to decreased risk of depression, says Drew Ramsey, MD, coauthor of The Happiness Diet (Rodale, 2010). Those same monounsaturated fats, which make up 45 percent of the fat in lard, are responsible for lowering LDL lev-

els while leaving HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels alone and lard is rich in vitamin D. Lard also is tolerant of high cooking temperatures and is often recommended for frying and has a long shelf life. Health provides who now are proponents against the trans-fats products are seriously looking back to lard as a healthier choice than the trans fat products that we have been pressured into using over recent years. Lard is 39% saturated fat and butter is 60% whereas palm kernel oil is 80%. Lard contains 45% monounsaturated fat (the good fat) – Butter has only 30%. One huge advantage to cooking with lard is that pork fat contains no trans fats. The main alternative to lard is shortening, which is a product that is made with partially hydrogenating liquid oil that turns it to a solid, a process that infuses shortening with high levels of trans fats. Trans fats are one of the most dangerous forms of fat on our tables. They can raise total blood cholesterol levels and contribute to arteriosclerosis. The American Heart Association recommends avoiding completely if possible. The saturated content of lard is what originally scared heath providers away from lard and recommended discontinuing it. But only about 39% of lard is made up saturated fat considerably lower than butter at 60%. Surprisingly, the majority of the fat in lard, about 45%, is the good kind of fat – monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is championed as the heart healthy fat which can also be found in olive oil. Today many professional chefs are turning back to using lard in their restaurants saying it is a far superior cooking fat due to its applications. Lard is considered an incredibly versatile fat and can be used in place of butter and shortening. Nothing makes fried foods crisper, biscuits fluffier or pie crust flakier. But remember not all lards are created equal. There are some grocery stores which carry lard that has been partially hydrogenated to keep them uniform and to increase shelf life - those types of lard should be avoided. Many brave cooks are making their own lard. The process is relatively easy and can be found on several internet sites. If the obvious health benefits don’t convince you that lard is a better choice, the taste alone will convince you. (Maribeth Uralrith is a contributor to Acres of Southwest Ohio.)

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

19A

Wild about Whitetail Clarksville farm cashing in on new livestock industry By ROSE COOPER rcooper@wnewsj.com

When he was five years old, Dustin Goldie began tagging along with his father when he went hunting. Those hunting trips developed into a great love for whitetail deer and three years ago he began operating a whitetail deer farm near Clarksville. “We’ve (family) always had a fascination for whitetail deer,” he said. With the help of his family, Goldie operates the GoldieWorkman Whitetail farm on a 25-acre farm at 5749 Templin Road, Clarksville. “We want our kids and our friends to see the beauty of the whitetail deer, but also know the economic benefits of the whitetail deer,” Goldie said. He said his children love feeding the deer carrots and apples. A teacher at Kings High School, Goldie said whitetail deer farming is becoming a very fast growing alternative livestock industry. The bucks he raises will be sold to game ranches when they get big enough — within three to four years, Goldie said. The market will also include selling them for the meat and collecting and selling deer urine,

Photos by Rose Cooper Pat Goldie feeds carrots to the deer on her son Dustin Goldie’s farm in Clarksville.

which is used by hunters as an attractant for other deer. The Blanchester High School graduate said deer meat is very lean and is a good alternative for anyone who does not like beef or pork. Velvet from the antlers can be used for medical research and is being studied by scientists for possible uses. Assisting Goldie in starting his business were Robert Shumaker of Clarksville, and

Workman Whitetails in Indiana. Also offering help was Don Bickel of Sabina. Goldie said he began his operation with eight deer, some of which he got from Shumaker, and others from Workman Whitetails. “They have been so instrumental in getting me started,” he said. Today, Goldie has 22 whitetail deer on his Templin Road complex. Before starting the opera-

tion, Dustin said he had to convince his wife, Tracy, a city girl from Sharonville. “So, convincing her to raise whitetail deer, we had to do a lot of thought process about the financial implications, how much the startup costs were going to be and what the market would be for selling the deer. It probably took six months before we decided to try it,” he said. Goldie said Tracy is very supportive of the deer farming

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operation and helps out with the animals. “I think she thought I was crazy when I told her about deer farming, but she was very supportive. Without her support I wouldn’t be able to do it.” Goldie’s farther, Rick Goldie also helps feed and care for the animals. “He is very good at setting up structures and taking care of the animals,” Dustin said. Goldie said he has a fiveyear business partnership agreement with Workman Whitetails. “The Workman’s showed us the way and let us know what to expect. We have a detailed forecast plan. Right now we’re meeting those goals every year in regards to what we want to accomplish, what we want to spend and what the hope is for the future in regards to selling them,” Goldie said. “The bucks we will sell together (with Workman’s) and we will split the profits,” he said. Goldie said he has a fiveyear partnership with Workman Whitetails so he will have so many more business contacts. “With their leadership, they are introducing me to all of the contacts.

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20A

November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

Grice, Anderson to be inducted in Fayette County Ag Hall of Fame By RYAN CARTER rcarter@recordherald.com

Two longtime contributors to local agriculture are being inducted this year into the Fayette County Agricultural Hall of Fame. At the 12th-annual banquet held Dec. 3 at the Mahan Building on the Fayette County Fairgrounds, Russell Grice and Tony Anderson will be honored as part of the Class of 2012. Russell Grice, also known as James Russell, was born in Highland County on June 17, 1907, and passed away on Aug. 28, 1995. Russell’s father, James Grice, purchased Perry Township land that had previously been a part of the Jacob S. Cockerill and John G. Doster farms from Mabel C. Blessing. His father became sick and succumbed to illness in 1939. In the meantime, Russell became respon-

WHITETAIL, From 19A They’re guiding me and helping me along until I go out on my own,” he said. Next year Goldie said he plans to begin the deer urine collection process. Deer urine is an attractant for deer hunters. “I need to do some research. I will probably have to go to deer farms in Pennsylvania, Michigan or Indiana to see these type of facilities,” he said. He plans to begin selling the deer in two years. “The reason for that, you have at least a three or four year span to sell the deer because of the antler size. It takes a while to get their antlers big enough.”

sible for the farming operation. Grice spent one year as a student at Ohio State University. He and Cora Leona Stratton, a daughter of Harley and Letitia Stratton, were married on Jan. 16, 1939. They continued to live on the home farm and became involved with the many activities that farm families typically were involved in. Both Russell and Cora were members of the Forest Shade Grange, the first such in Fayette County. He also served as a township trustee for 21 years. Grice’s activities in farming showed his appreciation of wellcared pastures. He practiced rotational grazing to an extent. He believed in good feed and good bedding for his sheep of 50 Western ewes that he kept on pasture of about 100 acres. When the Western ewes became unavailable, Grice kept Dorset ewes. He spent many hours

Goldie said farmers pump millions of dollars into local communities and deer farming will do the same. “We buy our deer feed from local feed mills, hay and straw from local farmers and deer fencing from local fence companies,” Goldie said. “We also work closely with local veterinarians and animal health clinics.” He said deer farmers are held to the same standards as farmers who raise cows, pigs or other livestock. “We are monitored by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).” Goldie said the ODA “does an amazing job” working with deer farmers to make sure the animals

studying the ewes and could match up ewes and lambs in the pasture and barn. His attitude about feeding was, “To feed by the eye and not always by the book.” Grice’s knowledge of sheeppasture farming won him two awards, the Ohio Sheep Improvement Award for Meritorious Achievement in Lamb and Wool Production in 1951 and the Commercial Ewe Flock award in 1962. After Congress passed the resolution and established the Rural Electrification Administration in 1936, Grice started securing rightof-ways for poles and electric lines in Perry, Wayne and Green Townships by 1937. By March 18 of that year, Russell and Cora had their first electricity turned on in their home, regardless of the inadequacy of the light bulbs. Grice was elected to the Board of Directors of the Inter County REA in 1951 with its office in

are healthy and safe. The ODA, with the assistance of local veterinarians, do an annual checkup to monitor for chronic wasting disease and they require a rigid testing program for tuberculosis and other diseases, he said. Anyone interested in starting a deer farm should first educate themselves, he said. “Reach out to local deer farmers. Go visit several deer farms before you start your own. Come up with a detailed plan and budget correctly. A lot of people start out and then realize they made mistakes, very expensive mistakes.” Goldie called deer farmers in Ohio “amazing” people. “I have gotten random

Hillsboro. Over the years, mergers occurred and the rural electric cooperatives continued to grow and service a larger area in south-central Ohio. Russell and Cora had one child, John Grice, who continues to farm the family farm. Tony Anderson initiated Anderson Farms, a state of Ohio partnership, in 1983, and Anderson Equipment, a state of Ohio corporation, in 1986. The management practices consisted of conservation tillage/no-till; waterways and filter strips; pond; and CRP. As member of the State Ohio Soybean/Corn Association, Anderson served as treasurer, membership chairman, and president. As member of the American Soybean Association, he served as board member, treasurer, vice president, president in 2001, and chairman in 2002. While as president of ASA, he visited with many directors and

phone calls from other deer farmers offering assistance and help in my operation,” he said. “It is a very cooperative business because deer farmers are trying to work together to promote the industry as an alternative livestock program.” He is a member of the North American Deer Farmers Association which promotes the uses and economic benefits of deer farming. He called deer farming “a very fun industry.” But, like all businesses, you must be willing to take a small financial risk to get started, he said. (Rose Cooper is a staff writer for the Wilmington News Journal.)

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dignitaries both at national and international destinations promoting soybean usage and marketing. Anderson even spent time in a small meeting with President George W. Bush regarding the U.S. soybean industry. As member of County SWCD, he served as treasurer in 1998, on the Fayette County Land Use Planning Committee, and as Madison Township Clerk from 1983 to 2003. From 1998 to present, he has served on the Ohio Livestock Coalition and was on State Technical Review Committee of NRCS briefly in 1995. He served as secretary in 2001 and vice president in 2002 of Ohio Top Farmers. Anderson, who has been a Fayette County resident for 50 years, attends Grace United Methodist Church and works with Fayette County Probate Court on indigent guardian cases.

Photo by Rose Cooper Dustin Goldie, shown above with some his livestock, calls deer farming “a very fun industry.”

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2318810

B Section

of Southwest Ohio Issue 9

November 2012

WOMEN ON THE FARM:

GETTING IT DUNNRIGHT: By PAT LAWRENCE patlawrence@cinci.rr.com

Almost thirty years ago, Helen Roe chose teaching as her profession, but over the years, she’s added another livelihood – breeding, raising and selling goats. At times Helen and her husband Bill have shared their Leesburg farm with almost 600 goats and although the herd has been purposely reduced lately to fewer than 300, she still has plenty of goats.

Helen didn’t plan on running a goat business, though she grew up around farming. “My dad farms and my grandfather farmed. I grew up in 4H, but focused on cooking, sewing and livestock. I’d wanted a goat but my dad didn’t. Our two sons were in 4H and FFA and they were the ones who got into goats. They bought ten goats between them - Nubians to begin with, but they kept adding breeds. Josh and Jacob both graduated with degrees in Ag Business and have gone on to careers involving agriculture, but the goats are still with me.” Helen started goat farming in 1999, but in 2003 she took advantage of the USDA program that helped tobacco farmers replace their income source. “We got a grant to diversify the farm. We read up on bloodlines, did our homework and used the money to buy 100 Boer goats. We had them shipped from Texas, then went to Texas and selected some full-blood bucks. Over the last nine years, we’ve used the tobacco funds for goats, feeding equipment and a new goat barn.” Helen says, “We put in four roomy Porta-Huts so the new goats would be protected from the elements.

Helen Roe raises, loves her goats

Goats don’t especially need heat, but they do need to stay dry. I thought I knew goats, but those Texas goats absolutely refused to go into the shelters - they had never been in one before.” The goats only occupy about 22 of the farm’s 145 acres. Helen says, “They’re separated, somewhat, by breed. We have LaManchas, Toggenburgs and about a hundred Nubians in dairy goats plus about another hundred Boer goats, the meat goats that are a big favorite for 4H and Fair projects. Bill does a lot here, but when new customers try to do business with him, he’s quick to point out they’re my goats!” Even though most of the Dunnright goats are pure-bred, Helen has developed a deep appreciation for goats of mixed lineage. “They have better mothering qualities. It makes a big difference in raising healthy kids. Also, each breed has certain desirable qualities to contribute. Toggenburgs are a hardy, friendly breed that originated in Switzerland. They’re brown and white and often have wattles, small nubs of skin on each side of their neck. Continued on 2B

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Farmers seek new ways to get affordable energy

By KEVIN DYE

kdye@madison-press.com

New alternative energy systems offer small farms a way to reduce or eliminate some of their energy costs and help make their farms more profitable in the long run. Purdue University extension educator Ted Martin spoke to a group of farmers at the Farm Science Review near London in September about the range of energy systems during the program Alternative Energy Options For Small Farms. Advances in technologies are making renewable energy options more efficient and more affordable. There are also state and federal grants and tax credits that help to ease the financial burden of adding one or more of the renewable energy options to a small farm. Martin said that one of the most popular renewable energy options today is wind energy and the use of wind turbines to create electricity. “Wind energy is a very popular type of renewable energy,” Martin

said. “Gas and electric bills continue to be a challenge for a small farm, so wind energy can help with those costs.” Martin said that a bit of planning needs to go into installing a wind turbine on a small farm. “The very first thing is have you talk with your utility company,” Martin said. “You need to get them involved early on in the process.” The next thing to do is to find a good location on your property for a wind turbine. Martin said that a small farm needs to decide what their land access is for a wind turbine. The ideal location will be a location that is away from any farm buildings and trees. “You need to get your turbine away from buildings and trees and get them up into the good clean wind,” Martin said. Martin said another good reason to locate your wind turbine away from structures, especially your home, is due to the amount of noise the turbine is capable of making. The most important decision is locating the turbine in the optimal placement on the farmers’

property to receive the most access to clean winds. “The last thing you want to do is to put up a wind turbine and not get any of the benefits for doing so,” Martin said. “You don’t put a wind turbine where the wind doesn’t blow.” Martin said that it is a good idea to study your electricity usage over the past year and also compare those figures with past years for your farm. While the costs can be high for adding a wind turbine, there are incentive programs available to help with the startup costs. “There are incentive programs for small businesses and for small farms,”

Martin said. “The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) has a grant to cover twenty-five percent of the cost of installing equipment as part of the recent Farm Bill. That has been a very successful program for several farms and businesses.” Continued on B3

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HELEN ROE, From 1B Their milk has 2-3% butterfat content. LaManchas are a sturdy, naturally healthy American breed. They have distinctive tiny ears, like a gopher or very small elf. Their milk has a butterfat content of about 4.2%. Nubians aren’t heavy producers but their milk has an average butterfat around 4.6%. The best dairy goats aren’t necessarily purebreds, and since we keep accurate records on the purebred parents, the kids can still be used in showing.” The results of unplanned breedings, what Helen calls “whoopsies”, might maintain their paper pedigree under certain circumstances, “But”, she says, “if not, they often make the best pets.” Helen says the rising price of feed has made downsizing the right business decision for her. “Corn was $3 a bushel when we started, now it’s skyrocketed to $8 a bushel. We’ve reduced the number of goats since feed costs make the business less profitable. We buy corn from our neighbors and grind our own feed plus we buy some feed from Garman. We brought hay in from the fields and many goats were on pasture, but in winter we’ll feed 10-12 bales a day. We disc our own bales, but we’ve used a lot this year. Because of the drought, we didn’t have any grass and had to start feeding early.” Downsizing has another advantage, Helen says. “I’m getting older and want to focus on showing goats myself.” She has shown at the Ohio State Fair, in Hillsboro and is planning to show in Kentucky. “I’ve only shown dairy goats so far. The problem is, I have so many

goats at home it’s hard to leave.” Making certain 300 animals have feed, water and hay, keeping them dry, wormed, and immunized, trimming their feet and maintaining accurate records keeps her busy. Helen says, “Some days it just takes a couple of hours, but it’s not unusual for me to be in the barn till 10 or 11 at night.” And, she still has a few goats that need milking, “Goat milk can be used for baking or drinking but also to make cheese, butter, ice cream and candy. Products made with goat milk are smooth and creamy. I like to make soap with it. I don’t sell it, we use it ourselves.” A veterinarian once told Helen goats must be protected from parasites and predators. She administers most of the parasite medications herself, but Helen has help with the predators. Five Great Pyrenees keep watch on the farm, patrolling the pens and guarding against the coyotes that have become a growing problem. The dogs are well-loved pets as well as working dogs. Helen buys dog food in fifty pound bags, five at a time. “It doesn’t last long!”, she says. The farm’s tack and feed building is filled with supplies, feed, antibiotics and additives for the goats. “We use a lot of natural worming, like garlic and diatomaceous earth, and add kelp as a nutrient.” She orders kelp by the ton, often reselling it locally by the bag. Helen keeps her microscope set up since she performs many of the exams for parasites and other potential problems on the spot. In addition to the goats, Dunnright Farm is home to “a ton of chickens - Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshires, plus a few I can’t remember what they are - and about a dozen

ducks.” Helen gathers the eggs for the family’s use, but sometimes she sneaks a few fertile ones back into the nest so the hens won’t be disappointed. Dunnright Farm is certainly a business, but Helen can’t escape the personal connection that accompanies raising such gentle, often personable animals. Two years ago, she and Bill had fifty baby goats in their home during the cold winter. “We plan for January kidding since the 4H participants really need January goats and we heated the barn, but when it got to 10 below zero, we brought the newborns in and put them in plastic storage tubs. We had baby goats in the living room, the laundry room, the hall, all over the house. They just weren’t going to survive outside.” Helen doesn’t bottle feed often, she prefers to raise good nurturing does, but it’s hard to deny that relationships can develop from the experience. “We have one goat, Pibb, born in 2003 that would come into the kitchen to get her bottle. She always won grand champion. Another one, Annie, will jump over the panels to get attention. Some are friendly, some are wild, and you generally get tamer goats with bottlefeeding, but it depends on the goat. Actually, any goat can be spoiled rotten! ” Helen majored in education at Ohio University, then continued with a Master’s degree from Wright State. She still teaches Family and Consumer Science, “formerly, Home Ec!” to 7th and 8th graders in Greenfield. She was a 4H advisor for over twenty years. “I don’t participate officially anymore, but I still work with 4H kids, helping them sell their goats and getting their ani-

mals ready to show.” She’s also still involved in Cub Scout and Boy Scout activities, started when her sons were younger. And, she’s still learning about goats and the people who raise them. She’s a member of the American Boer Goat Association and the American Dairy Goat Association and says, “Dairy goat farmers are like a big family.” Helen started collecting books about goats after reading “Beatrice’s Goat”, the story of an impoverished young African girl whose life was changed when her family acquired a goat. “It’s an amazing story.” Helen maintains a basic website, but doesn’t really advertise her goat business. “It’s a word-of-mouth busiPhotos by Pat Lawrence ness, but I’ve been doing it The goats’ interest appears to be piqued as Helen so long people know me. I makes rounds on the farm. usually have more people who want goats than I have goats for sale.” She sells to youngsters for 4H projects, but also to other goat farmers, some new, others who want to improve their bloodlines. One entrepreneur last month bought 40 of Helen’s goats to start a goat farming venture. Helen spent two days selecting and assembling his new herd. “It’s hard to give up forty of your family members at one time!” Boer goats breed year Helen shows some love to one of the goats in her care. round, but most of the other goats are seasonal breeders. Goat kids start arriving in October and the numbers increase through the new year. Helen is hoping for a mild winter, but the storage bins are stacked and ready, if temperatures drop and the newborns need a cozy bedroom in the house. Standard business practice or not, Helen says, “I love my goats.” (Pat Lawrence is a contributor to Acres of Southwest Ohio.)

One of her Great Pyrenees, Bonnie, nuzzles up to Helen.

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ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

OSU Extension offering green energy workshop

ENERGY, From B1 Martin said there are other tax incentive programs and exemption rebates available that can help to reduce the start-up costs for a wind turbine system. Solar energy systems

“Our speakers this year include OARDC researchers and OSU Extension specialists involved in various renewable energy projects, representatives from green energy companies, and representatives from businesses that have decided to include a renewable energy component in their operations,” said Yebo Li, an OARDC biosystems engineer who specializes in renewable energy, fuel and products. Morning presentations include: “Biobased Energy Opportunities and Challenges,” Li;“Case Study: CNG (compressed natural gas) for Vehicles,” Clemens Halene, vice president, quasar energy group; “Wind Energy: Opportunities and Challenges,” Eric Romich, energy development specialist, OSU Extension;“Case Study: Wind for Power,” Greg Courtney, Wind Turbines of Ohio;“Solar Energy: Opportunities and Challenges,” John Drouchard and Barry Romich, Wayne County Sustain-

are also a very popular option for a small farm or business. Martin advises finding and using a certified company to install your system. “Solar hot water systems are very helpful for those using propane heating systems,” Martin said.

For a small farm using propane to heat water, a solar heating system can drastically cut costs and save energy. A solar hot water system can pre-heat water before it goes to a traditional type water heater to be heated, using less overall energy.

able Energy Network; Fred Michel, biosystems engineer, OARDC; “Case Study: Solar for Power,” Roger Geiser, G&S Titanium. After lunch, workshop participants will tour three locations: G&S Titanium, which in March 2012 installed a 65-kW solar array at its Wooster plant. Cedar Lane Farms, home of an openpond algae pilot project for production of biofuels and bioproducts. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the project is a collaboration between West Virginia-based Touchstone Research Laboratory and OARDC. The quasar energy group, a Cleveland-based company that produces biogas for energy and fuel. The company operates a 550,000-gallon anaerobic digester at OARDC that provides more than a third of the campus’ energy needs. For more information, contact Li at 330-263-3855 or li.851@osu.edu.

“A solar heating system is a great idea for a dairy farm for reducing its energy usage,” Martin said. “Michigan State University has already installed such a system for the school’s dairy program.” Geothermal is another renewable energy source

The photo below shows a sample of hundreds of wind turbines located in farm fields along I-65 in central Indiana north of Lafayette. Photo by Gary Brock

that can help a small farm that needs heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. Martin said the systems can be fairly costly, but in some applications the system works very well. He stressed that not all systems work for all operations and it is a good idea to have your current utility usage surveyed by a professional. “It is good to have a professional look at your overall utility usage as it stands right now,” Martin said. “Are things working as efficiently as they could right now. That’s a good thing to know before investing in a new alternative energy system.” Whatever alternative energy system you decide to use on your property, Martin said that it is a good idea to use a professional in the industry to purchase

and install your new system. It is also a good idea to check with your insurance agent to make sure that the new equipment that you just purchased is also covered in any situation that may arise. One area that garners a lot of attention from prospective purchasers is the payback period for adding a renewable energy source. “We find that for a wind turbine with a ten kilowatt with a good air source, the payback period is somewhere in the range of ten to fifteen years,” Martin said. “If you can get tax incentives and REAP help, you can reduce it to where you can reach payback before you create your first kilowatt.” (Kevin Dye is a staff writer for the Madison Press.)

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November 2012

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

The Amish Cook BY LOVINA EICHER

For more recipes, Amish stories, and videos visit amishcookonline.com and sign up for the free twice-weekly newsletter.

Try this delicious cole slaw recipe!

October 18, today is daughter Elizabeth’s friend Timothy’s birthday. So birthday greetings go out to him. For this week’s column I am going to do a daily diary of yesterday: 3:15 a.m. I get out of bed and pack Joe’s lunch and fill his water jug with ice and water while he gets ready for work. 3:55 a.m. Joe leaves for work. I go back to bed for about 45 minutes. 4:45 a.m. I get up again. Daughter Elizabeth, 18, is awake and getting her lunch packed for work. She eats a little something for breakfast. 5:15 a.m. - Elizabeth leaves for her job at the factory. I read until it is time to get the children up. It doesn’t work so well and I doze off. 6 a.m. I wake up and then wake the children up to get ready for school. They ask if I will make them coffee soup for their breakfast. This year the school serves free breakfast to all the students when they get there. I think the children are hungrier after they have been up awhile so some of them eat breakfast at school. 7 a.m. The bus comes and the children leave for school. 7:10 a.m. Loretta’s handicapped bus

comes to pick her up so I take her out to the bus. Steps are a little hard for her still with the heavy air casts on her feet. She takes her wheelchair to school in case she gets too tired walking through the day. We did get her fitting for her AFO braces and those should be ready in two weeks. 8 a.m. After eating some breakfast, Susan and I fold the laundry that finished drying in the house overnight. We wash dishes and sweep the floors. Susan goes out to do the morning chores and I add coal to the stove in the basement. Joe started the stove Saturday evening and it felt good to have heat the first couple of days. The temperatures have warmed up into the 60s allowing us to open some windows. 12:45 p.m. After a light lunch of sandwiches, Susan and I head to the basement to start cleaning it. Things have accumulated down there again so we have a lot of sorting to do. 2:15 p.m. Loretta comes home with the handicapped bus. Joe is also home from work already. 3:30 p.m. The children are home from school and Elizabeth is home from the factory. We were glad to see son Benjamin getting off the bus again after not seeing him since Sunday evening. He went home Sunday with Elizabeth’s friend Timothy. He went to and from school from Timothy’s house for those 3 days. He was helping

him with some small jobs around his place at night and also went bow hunting for deer. He was very excited about being able to stay there and sounds like he had an enjoyable time there. It seemed really empty around here with one missing and I was glad to see him come home again. The rest pitched in to help us finish cleaning the basement and we had quite some excitement. The girls and I were sorting some stuff on the floor when a mouse jumped out of a bag. We have never had a mouse in this new house so we were surprised. We all grabbed something close for protection, some had baseball bats, some had brooms, and some had the stove poker. The chase began but the mouse outsmarted us all and crawled out a small hole by the walk out doors. We were glad to see where it came in from and Joe filled the hole now. Now we hope that there are not any more down there but every body keeps on the look out. I imagine we all looked pretty funny running after the mouse. 6:30 We had a quick supper of hamburger sandwiches. 8:30 Everyone is cleaned up and getting ready to call it a day.

STAY CRISP COLE SLAW 1 medium head of cabbage, shredded 2 carrots, shredded 1 green pepper, chopped 1 /4 cup onion, chopped 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1 /4 cup cold water 2 /3 cup sugar 2 /3 cup vinegar 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 1 /2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 / 3 cup vegetable oil Mix cabbage, carrots, peppers and onions. Sprinkle with half cup cold water. Cover and refrigerate to crisp, about 30 minutes. Soften gelatin in 1 /4 cup cold water. In saucepan combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in gelatin. Cool until dressing is slightly thickened. Beat the dressing well and gradually stir in vegetable oil. Drain vegetables and pour.

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October 2012

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son. Hours: 2 - 10 p.m. Location: Downtown Wilmington, Main St., Wilmington Contact: (937) 3839090 www.hometownholidazzle.com Christmas By Candlelight : Dec. 1 - Dec. 25 Marion’s only drive-thru holiday light display featuring animated characters. Week of Christmas open every night. Phone for live nativity dates. Admission $6 per car. Hours: 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday - Sunday Location: Marion Co. Fairgrounds, 220 E. Fairground St. Contact: (740) 3822558 www.marioncountyfairgrounds.com Christmas Parade : December 01, 2012 Kicking off the holiday season with bands, ponies, floats and, of course, Santa! Come join in the festivities. Cookies with Santa will be in City Hall. Hours: noon - 1p.m. Location: Downtown Marion, Center St. Contact Phone #: (740) 382-2181 www.downtownmarion.com WMRN Peanut Push : Dec. 1 Watch people actually push a peanut across the street with their nose. A King and Queen are crowned. They are chosen by how much money they raise for the Junior Service Guild Christmas Clearinghouse to help those who are less fortunate for the holidays. Hours: 10 to 11 a.m. Location: Downtown Marion, Center St. Contact: (740) 3831131 www.wmrn.com Lebanon Carriage Parade & Christmas Festival : Dec. 1 Historic Lebanon Ohio sets the perfect backdrop for the 24th annual Lebanon Carriage Parade

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2181 www.mariondowntown.com Five Nights On Campus - Lone Raven : March 14 An eclectic blend of traditional music from various areas of the world, as well as their own original compositions. Over 20 instruments on stage. Hours: 7:30 p.m. Location: OSU Marion, 1465 Mt. Vernon Ave., Marion Contact: (740) 7256341 www.osumarion.osu.ed u/5-nights Night at Heritage Hall Gala Opening & Progressive Dinner : March 21 Step back in time and dine while on this historic tour and dinner package. Enjoy this culinary and visual feast with periodthemed entertainment and costumed interpreters. Ticket $25 per person. Hours: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Location: Heritage Hall, 169 E. Church St., Marion Contact: (740) 3874255 www.marionhistory.com Flat Bread Friday’s : April 26 Enjoy an evening in the vineyard with flat bread, wine and entertainment for $15 per person. Reservations accepted. Hours: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Location: Shamrock Vineyard, 111 Rengert Rd., Waldo Contact: (740) 7262883 www.shamrockvineyard.com Flat Bread Friday’s : May 24 - May 22 Enjoy an evening of flat bread, wine and entertainment in the vineyard, $15 per person. Reservations accepted. Hours: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Location: Shamrock Vineyard, 111 Rengert Rd., Waldo Contact: (740) 7262883 www.shamrockvineyard.com

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& Christmas Festival. Over 100 horse drawn carriages decorated for the holidays parade thru downtown Lebanon for an afternoon parade and evening parade. Horses include adorable minis, ponies, Belgians, Percherons and the notorious Clydesdales. Hours: Festival 10 am - 8 pm, Parades 1 pm and 7 pm Location: Downtown Lebanon Contact: (513) 9321100 Expected Attendance: 175 www.facebook.com/leb anoncarriageparade Holiday Open House : Dec. 1 A Holiday Open House featuring “A Taste of the Market”— food samples from the deli as well as from some of our local vendors. Enjoy unique home-made items from our more than 100 local vendors, free coffee, cider and hot chocolate, activities for the kids, sounds of the season and more. The Market is a non-profit supporting more than 100 local charities…20 percent of your purchase goes to the charity of your choice every time you shop. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Location: The Delaware County Community Market, 222 E William St., Delaware Contact: (740) 6100091 Expected Attendance: 100 www.dccmc.com Marion Popcorn Popn-Drop : Dec. 31 - Jan. 1 A night to remember as you bring in the New Year. Everyone gather at the park at 11:30 p.m. to party and watch the popcorn ball drop at the stroke of midnight. Hours: Varies Location: Busby Park Downtown Marion, corner Center St., and Prospect St. Contact: (740) 382-

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State Route 605, Sunbury Contact: (614) 4992958 www.glassroostercannery.com Woodland Stewardship Options and Opportunities : Nov. 15 Come learn about the various options you have with your woodlands. Mark Wilthew from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division will present you with options and answer any questions you have. Hours: 6 to 8 p.m. Location: Ohio Sportsman Farmers League Contact: (800) 6545158 Expected Attendance: 50 www.summitcountyfarmbureau.org Christmas Ornament Felting Class : Nov. 17 This class will be an introduction to needle felting. No experience necessary - no knitting or crocheting required! We will be felting Christmas Cookie Ornaments and Christmas Ball Ornaments. All materials are included. Tools and foam forms needed will be furnished for the class, and available for purchase for more felting fun at home! Class size is limited and advance registration in necessary. Online registration is available or call (419)529-8152. Hours: 1 - 3 p.m. Location: Alpaca Meadows Contact: (419) 5298152 http://alpacameadows.c om/fiber-art-classes-2/ Hometown HoliDazzle Illuminated Parade & Festival : Nov. 24 Downtown Wilmington closes its streets and opens its doors for everyone to see our hometown all lit up, from the twinkling decorations to the thousands of lights decorating the nighttime parade. Santa Claus, indoor carnival games, delicious food and strolling musicians help bring in the holiday sea-

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nect with other community advocates as we share ideas and cultivate leadership skills. Discover resources and partnerships that can help you solve local problems and accomplish what’s most important to you. We’ve surveyed leaders to identify topics that will help you be successful. Whether you’re passionate about social/economic development, philanthropy or other community improvement efforts, event will provide a unique networking opportunity for you and your leadership team. Cost is $25 (non-Farm Bureau member) and free for Farm Bureau members. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location: Maplewood Career Center, 7072 Ohio 88, Ravenna Contact: (614) 2468277 Open House/Preserved Food Exchange : Nov. 10 Join us for a Preserved Foods Exchange to celebrate the opening of the Art Gallery Barn! Filled with repurposed art, homemade crafts and antiques, the Art Barn is the perfect place to shop for a unique item for your home or a gift for someone you love. Come see the many one-of-a-kind gifts and furniture just in time for holiday shopping! Swap your extra canned goods for fun and expand your pantry’s winter selections. Enjoy a tour of the farm with refreshments available. Watch a master carver produce works of art on the spot with his chainsaw. Glean ideas from gardening and food to home decor. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location: Glass Rooster Cannery, 1673 South

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Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival : Nov. 9 10 Bluegrass and acoustic music have outsold and outgrown all other American music forms in the past decade, and Ohio has always been home to many great outdoor music events. However, this event is the area’s only indoor Bluegrass festival. Hours: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Location: Roberts Centre, 123 Gano Rd., Wilmington Contact: (937) 3725804 www.somusicfest.com Fabulous Food Show: Nov. 9 - 11 Ohio Farm Bureau and Our Ohio are proud to sponsor the Midwest’s largest “Taste, Try and Buy” culinary event for the seventh year. The 2012 celebrity chefs include Michael Symon, Jeff Mauro, Guy Fieri, Anne Burrell, Jacques Pepin, Sara Moulton and Mary Ann Esposito. Taste, try and buy specialty and gourmet foods, plus kitchen gadgets in the Market Place. This year’s event features six demonstration stages, the Grand Tasting Pavilion and Belgian Beer Garden, and the Cleveland By Hand Fine Art and Craft Fair. Hours: Fri. and Sat 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Location: I-X Center, Cleveland Contact: (216) 265COOK www.fabulousfoodshow.com Connect. Lead. Succeed. : Nov. 10 Join Ohio Farm Bureau in a daylong discussion about opportunities to work together to make our Ohio communities better places to call home. Con-

ACRES of Southwest Ohio

November 2012

The Truth behind Thanksgiving By MATT ECHELBERRY mechelberry@galioninquirer.com

o you know what was on the menu at the first Thanksgiving? Are you even sure you know when and where the first celebration occurred? Few official records detailing an exact account of the “first” Thanksgiving in 1621 have been discovered, leading historians and Thanksgiving enthusiasts to speculate on the origins of the holiday, as well as what was on the menu. According to Mayflower History, the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts in the late fall of 1620. During their first winter in the Americas, 46 of 102 of the Pilgrims died. The following year resulted in a plentiful har-

vest, with the help from a local native tribe called the Wampanoags. The pilgrims decided to celebrate with a three-day feast that would include 90 natives who helped the pilgrims survive during that first winter. It began at some unknown date between September 21 and November 9, most likely in very early October. There are only two contemporary accounts. The first comes by way of Edward Winslow in a letter dated December 12, 1621: “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the

company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.” The second description was written about twenty years after the fact by William Bradford, the first governor of Massachusetts, in his “History Of Plymouth Plantation.” Those primary sources only list a few items that were on the Thanksgiving “menu.” This contested list of cuisine includes: five deer, a large number of

A Thanksgiving timeline: • 1541 - Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, led a thanksgiving Communion celebration at the Palo Duro Canyon, West Texas. • 1565 - Pedro Menendez de Aviles and 800 settlers gathered for a meal with the Timucuan Indians in the Spanish colony of St. Augustine, Florida. • 1621 - Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. • 1630 - Settlers observed the first Thanksgiving of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England on July 8, 1630. • 1777 - George Washington and his army on the way to Valley Forge,

stopped in blistering weather in open fields to observe the first Thanksgiving of the new United States of America. • 1789 - President Washington declared November 26, 1789, as a national day of “thanksgiving and prayer.” • 1800s - The annual presidential thanksgiving proclamations ceased for 45 years in the early 1800s. • 1863 - President Abraham Lincoln resumed the tradition of Thanksgiving proclamations in 1863. Since this date, Thanksgiving has been observed annually in the United States. • 1941 - President Roosevelt established the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

turkeys and waterfowl, cod, and bass; plus the harvest, which consisted of wheat, corn, barley, and perhaps a few peas. “To that list,” Mayflower History continues, “we can add a few additional things that are known to have been native to the area and eaten by the Pilgrims: clams, mussels, lobster, eel, ground nuts, acorns, walnuts, chestnuts, squashes, and beans. Fruits and berries…were available growing wild. Pilgrim house-gardens may have included a number of English vegetables and herbs, perhaps things like onions, leeks, sorrel, yarrow, lettuce, carrots, radishes, currants, liverwort, watercress, and others. “ However, American History points out that the feast shared with the Wampanoag Indians and the first mention of Thanksgiving are really not the same event. “The first actual mention of the word thanksgiving in early colonial history was not associated with the first feast described above. The first time this term was associated with a feast or celebration was in 1623. That year the pilgrims were living through a terrible drought that continued from May through July,” the website explains. The pilgrims decided to spend an entire day in July fasting and praying for rain. The next day, a light rain occurred. Further, additional settlers and supplies arrived from the Netherlands. At that point, Bradford proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to offer prayers and thanks to God. However, this was by no means a yearly occurrence. It would take over

Some little-known facts: • The famous pilgrim celebration at Plymouth Colony Massachusetts in 1621 is traditionally regarded as the first American Thanksgiving. However, there are actually 12 claims to where the “first” Thanksgiving took place: two in Texas, two in Florida, one in Maine, two in Virginia, and five in Massachusetts. • Oddly enough, most devoutly religious pilgrims observed a day of thanksgiving with prayer and fasting, not feasting. Yet even though this harvest feast was never called Thanksgiving by the pilgrims of 1621, it has become the model for the traditional Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. • Now a Thanksgiving dinner staple, cranberries were actually used by Native Americans to treat arrow wounds and to dye clothes. • President Jefferson called a federal Thanksgiving proclamation “the most ridiculous idea ever conceived.” • Held every year on the island of Alcatraz since 1975, “Unthanksgiving Day” commemorates the survival of Native Americans following the arrival and settlement of Europeans in the Americas. • In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. But did you know that seven other nations also celebrate an official Thanksgiving Day? Those nations are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Korea, Liberia, and Switzerland. • Americans eat roughly 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving. • Thanksgiving football games began with Yale versus Princeton in 1876. two centuries for Thanksgiving to become the national holiday that we know and love today. Sarah Josepha Hale is an important figure in accomplishing that task. Hale wrote the novel “Northwood; or Life North and South in 1827.” One of the chapters in her book discussed the importance of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. On September 28, 1863, Hale wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln to have “the day of annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival.” Then on October

3, 1863, Lincoln proclaimed a nationwide Thanksgiving Day as the last Thursday of November. Today, our Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November. This was set by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941). Since then, many cherished traditions have been created, but Thanksgiving’s central theme of celebrating gratitude with a feast has remained constant. (Matt Echelberry is a staff writer for the Galion Inquirer.)

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Brothers Choose Ross County The three brothers that own and operate The Old Home Place in Frankfort have lived in Ohio their entire lives. They lived in Wayne County, Jackson County, and Perry County. Then in 2003, the Mennonite church they were a part of grew large enough to begin a new congregation. They prayed and looked and the Lord led them to Ross County. In 2005, Mose, Dave, and Andy built a brand new bakery and bulk food store with meat and cheese. It opened in November of ’05 and has been running ever since. With time, they add new lines and make other changes. But there are some things that they want to keep the same. The owners are very involved in daily operations. They work on keeping the store clean. They do their best to keep the food fresh. And it’s very important to have friendly, helpful employees.

The brothers and their families love Ross County and the surrounding area. The people are friendly and down to earth. It’s never far to a good road if you want to travel. And the bike trail from Chillicothe to Washington C.H. is wonderful. 35 leads you to the best Amish store in Ross County. Stop in next time you’re through. The entrance and parking area work for everything from a bicycle to a semi with a grain trailer. Only 15 minutes east of Washington C.H. At Frankfort (CR87) exit and St. Route 35 Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30-5:30 Sat. 8:30-4:00; Closed Sunday Exit CR 87 Washington CH

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