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BY BECKY BROOKS news@gazettepublishingco.com

PHOTOS BY BECKY BROOKS

Applesauce ornaments are one type of decoration that families could make in the 1850s to celebrate the holidays on the farm.

Tin punch ornaments were common in families who had the ability to cut tin. RIGHT: The SchleaSwartzland cabin was constructed originally an 1874 and relocated in 2002 to White Star Park. It was constructed of multiple types of wood from the region and is named for the family who donated it to the park.

GIBSONBURG — Imagine a Christmas where your most cherished gift was a simple orange. For a young girl on a farm in Northwest Ohio prior to the Civil War, that may have been a gift from a suitor. Plus, it would have been shared with her whole family. Farm families who lived in Northwest Ohio during the 19th century truly knew a hard life — yet while many left the region — others stayed and conquered the Great Black Swamp. Debbie Haubert, education specialist for the Sandusky County Park District, shares the tales and a first-hand demonstration of life during a 1850s Christmas at the cabins in White Star Park during a series of dinners each Christmas season. The Christmas at the Cabins program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and the 10 dinners set for the Reineck and SchleaSwartzlander cabins were booked solid in under a week of reservations being opened for 2012. In late November, Haubert was decorating the Schlea-Swartzlander cabin for the upcoming Christmas dinners. That cabin was originally built in 1874, while the Reineck Cabin was built in 1950. Both were originally from the Gibsonburg area and donated to the park district, which moved them to 800-acre White Star Park. “Neither of our log homes had fireplaces when they were built,” Haubert said as wood cracked in a large fourburner cook stove. The entire floor area of the Schlea-Swartzlander cabin would fit in most of today's living rooms. Yet for a family in that region of the state, the cabin was kitchen, bedroom, living area and work space. Haubert said this cabin was the bigger of the two as it was newer and built at a time when families in the Great Black Swamp were seeing just a bit more prosperity by the 1870s. The swamp was starting to be drained just before the Civil War, she said. She also explained that the two log cabins at the park were built at a time when Ohio was modern enough that families could buy cast-iron pot belly stoves for their homes instead of building a fireplace into the wall. That stove would have set in the center of the cabin for heat with a stove pipe leading out a side wall instead of extending up through the loft where other family members would be sleeping.

Like others living at the time in Ohio — fires were always a concern for people living in log homes. Haubert pointed out that for much of Northwest Ohio — the Great Black Swamp was part of daily life until nearly the 1900s. The swamp stretched from midSandusky County near Clyde north to nearly Sandusky (then called Portland) and then west all the way to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Wood County, for example, the home of Bowling Green State University today, was completely covered in swamp. That swamp affected families who moved to the region to farm and how they celebrated Christmas. Just as people realized they could drain swampland for clearing and farming — the Civil War came and postponed improvements, Haubert shared. After the war, families used drainage pipes made from the clay under their feet and a system of ditches to change the landscape, she explained while sitting at a cabin table covered in oil lamps being cleaned and wicks trimmed for the upcoming dinners. Because of the Swamp, Ohio has a system of

drainage laws that remain in effect today, she added. The people who lived in the Great Black Swamp changed over the years in the 1800s — First it was trappers like the French who moved through the area, and then German families and others came to the area to claim land for farming. They discovered the difficulties of life in the swamp. Farming was not easy and the land quality was poor, Haubert said. “Life in the swamp was difficult,” she reiterated. Some city homes and a few farm homes from the same period in Northwest Ohio had more amenities. For farms, it depended on the type of land the family had to work — and on the geography. Some areas were higher and more workable. U.S. Route 20 that is a major east-west corridor — then called the Western Reserve Road — played a major role in Northwest Ohio. “It was one of the highest roads going through the swamp,” Haubert pointed out. Living in the swamp changed the way many families celebrated Christmas in the 1800s, she added.

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Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

Looking toward 2013 BY GARY BROCK gbrock@recordherald.com

Of Northwestern Ohio Publisher â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Devin Hamilton dhamilton@acresmidwest.com Editor-in-Chief â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Gary Brock gbrock@acresmidwest.com Editor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Gregg Rettig meditor@madison-press.com Graphics Manager â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jessica Cea graphics@acresmidwest.com Advertising: advertising@acresmidwest.com Delaware: 740-363-1161 Earl Smith, Advertising Director esmith@delgazette.com Serving Union, Marion, Delaware counties Bellevue: 419-483-7410 Rick Miller, Publisher Serving Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Erie, Huron counties Galion: 419-468-1117 Vicki Taylor, Publisher Serving Crawford, Richland counties Mt. Gilead: 419-946-3010 Vicki Taylor, Publisher Serving Morrow, Knox counties Wauseon: 419-335-2010 Janice May, General Manager Serving Lucas and Henry counties Roy Slater, Regional Advertising Consultant 419-295-1009 rslater@acresmidwest.com Serving Hardin, Wyandot, Hancock, Putnam, Wood counties

With just a few weeks to go before the end of the year, Ohioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farmers can breathe a sign of relief that 2012 will soon be over and their attention can turn to 2013. In fairness to 2012, most farmers are now saying that, while the extended drought this past summer was bad, and had a serious impact on many crops at harvest time â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it was not as bad as some feared and could have been far worse. What now has farmers concerned is the uncertainty of the future. What lies ahead in 2013 for Ohioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farmers? Right now, as of the end of November, a lot of things that affect our farmers remain cloudy. â&#x20AC;˘ First, there is the federal Farm Bill. It hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been passed, and if there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a resolution to the stalemate in Washington, all bets are off in 2013. That is because without the legislation in place, many regulations either end or revert back to earlier laws. This will effect farmers and agriculture producers throughout the United States and right here in Ohio. According to our ACRES article in this edition, the bill includes an array of policies that influence the price of agricultural commodities, ensure the availability of food, temper the cost of farming and provide

for agricultural research and conservation. The 2008 farm bill expired on Sept. 30, but many of its provisions will retain funding or continue to pay out until the end of the harvesting season in 2013. But the major worry is the safety net that many farmers receive either yearly or when needed â&#x20AC;&#x201D; farm subsidies. Will some or all of those subsidies expire in 2013 if there is no Farm Bill approved? â&#x20AC;˘ What will happen in 2013 with the corn industry and the ongoing need for corn in the production of ethanol? Just before Thanksgiving, the U.S. EPA reject a request from a coalition of states and special interest groups to roll the ethanol standard back because of the corn shortage this year. The EPA said no dice â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the standard is the standard. What that means is that millions of tons of corn will still be needed in 2013 for the production of ethanol. What isn't known is what impact that will have on corn prices and the prices of so many other products that use corn as its base. Supplies of corn will be scarce after the ethanol produces take their share. Will livestock owners take a major hit in 2013 in the cost of feed? â&#x20AC;˘ Then there is the possibility of new U.S. Department of Agriculture rules regarding health and food safety standards. Will those change next year? Will there

Gary Brock be increased pressure on more restaurant and supermarkets chains to tell suppliers that the animals used for meat they receive must have received more humane treatment than present standards require? On top of this is the new biodiesel tax incentive legislation. Will it be renewed? And the list goes on. As we prepare to welcome in 2013, there are plenty of questions from Ohio farmers about what kind of year '13 will be. Will it be a great year or an unlucky one as the "13" implies? Time will tell. Gary Brock is Editor of ACRES of Southwest Ohio.

Subscriptions B.A. Wells, Circulation Manager (740) 852-1616 circ@acresmidwest.com Contact ACRES of North Central Ohio: 30 South Oak Street / London, OH 43140 (740) 852-1616 ACRES of Northwestern Ohio is published monthly by Ohio Community Media, LLC and is available through the Delaware Gazette, Bellevue Gazette, Galion Inquirer, Morrow County Sentinel, Oberlin News Tribune, Fulton County Expositor and The Madison Press. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is prohibited. ACRES of Northwestern Ohio are available for purchase at each of the newspapers offices for $1/copy or contact us to subscribe. Subscriptions are $19.95 per year.

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PINEY

Monday, December 3, 2012

PARADISE:

Tree farming for the holidays BY MICHAEL CARTER

clydenews@bizwoh.rr.com NORWALK — Gary and Mary Bauer wanted all three of their children to attend college. They also realized that with three children to put through school they needed to figure out a way to help with that process. They came up with the idea of planting a Christmas Tree Farm and are now into the second generation of children who are working on that farm to help with their college tuition. “I planted my first seedlings in 1978,” Gary said. “We now have between 18,000 and 20,000 trees.” Piney Paradise Christmas Tree Farms has two locations. One is on Snyder Road just off of State Route. 61 in Norwalk and the other is located on Norwalk Road, also in Norwalk in Huron County. Gary said the farm was more than just a way to generate tuition funds for his children. “We wanted to help them but also wanted them to do a little of the work to get it,” he added. Gary, who has an education degree from The Ohio State University, also taught ag classes at both Sunbury Big Walnut and Monroeville High schools from 1967-81. He would later become an associate Professor at the Erie County Extension office of The Ohio State University until 2004. “All three of my kids play parts in the farm,” Gary said. “As far as that goes so do their families. We are now into the second generation of kids who are saving money for college.” Gary’s three children, Scott, Wendy and Robyn, who also have teaching degrees from OSU, all still

Piney Paradise offers free bagging of your trees to make them easier to haul home.

A happy family leaves with their Christmas tree they cut fresh from Piney Paradise.

play a role in the family business. “I pretty much do everything,” smiled Robyn as she helped her dad hang decorations at the South Norwalk Road farm. “Honestly we all have our parts and things run very smoothly around here,” she added. The two farms cover over 21 acres of trees in various stages of growth. The farm, first planted in 1978, was officially opened in 1984. “We sold a few trees those first few years, but it takes time to get to where we are today,” said Gary. The farm has evergreens trees ranging from Scotch and White Pines, to Blue and SUBMITTED PHOTO Norway Spruce as well There are plenty of photo opportunities for the entire family while at Piney as Douglas, Frasier, Paradise. Concolor and Canaan Firs. “Our pines are our easiest to take care of and grow the fastest,” Gary pointed out. “We don’t usually have to even water them most years. It takes about Wyandot, Streeter, Dennison seven years to get our pines to about 6 foot to 7 foot and that makes a very nice tree.” • Round-up Ready 2 Yield Seed Beans “The spruce and firs take longer and need • Seed Corn more maintenance,” he added. “It takes them 14564 St. Rt. 162 • Attica, Ohio 44807 • 419-426-1791 between seven and 10

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years to get to 7 feet,” Gary added. “I always tell people that this is harder work than my teaching job,” said Scott. “You don’t just plant seedlings and then start selling trees over night. It takes over 13 continuous hours just to mow the farms.” The process from seedling to a Christmas tree that is ready to cut is an extensive process - the first step being to plant the seedlings. “We get our seedlings from Van’s Pine Nursery in Michigan,” Gary shared. “It hurts me to say this, but they do us a great job,” the OSU alumnus smiled. Seedlings will be planted in their nursery in April for one year before they are dug up and planted on the farm. “I plant our seedlings between April 12 and the 15 every year,” said Gary. “Each time the tree is dug up and replanted, it actually makes the root system stronger in that tree.” The trees are then tended to or “sheared” once a year usually in mid to late June. “Shearing the trees, or shaping them, is one of our hardest jobs,” explained Scott. “Honestly you can only do it about 3 hours a day before your arms become like wet noodles.” Shearing the trees is the process of shaping them into what a Christmas tree should look like. It is a painstaking process of using a hand-held shears and just trimming the tree into shape. “We don’t let just anyone shear our trees,” said Scott. “You really have to know what you are doing in order to not hurt the tree or yourself.” The Bauers actually do almost all of the farm work themselves. “Each one of us does our own thing,” Robyn said. “We have maybe hired a hand full of helpers over the years, but this is truly a family operation,” Gary agreed. “All my kids — rather it be in the social media part of the business or the physical labor of it — all are all directly related to the process.” “I don’t want to leave out my wife, Mary,” said Gary. “She might have one of the hardest jobs of all. She handles all of our pest spraying every year. Although we don’t have a lot of problems with pests, there have been years that she has used a magnifying glass to look for pests to spray.” “This is not an easy business,” Gary said. “The average success rate of planted seedlings making it to adult trees is around 67 percent,” he said. “We are very proud however to have a much higher success rate. We see around 97 percent of our seedlings become adult trees.” Piney Paradise sells between 500 and 600 fresh cut-your-own trees each year. They also sell another 100 to 200 trees on the wholesale market. “Our focus is on the family experience,” said Robyn. “We want families to come and get into the Christmas spirit. We have horse and wagon rides and a visit from Santa himself every Dec. 1 at our Snyder Road Farm.” “I just think it gives our kids something constructive to do,” said Scott. “My son, Remington, is only eight but loves to come work on the farm. I think kids today are into to many other things like computer and video games that they don’t know what work is. I was very happy to have to come to work on the farm, and I love the fact that my children share that passion.” Piney Paradise can be found on Facebook and at www.piney-paradise.com for an exact location and times of operation as well as pricing for their trees.

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Scott Bauer put a freshly cut tree through the shaker to get rid of any excess needles before it is baged and sent home with its new owner.

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Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

WILL D.C. RENEW BIODIESEL INCENTIVE? BY PAUL COMSTOCK pcomstock@delgazette.com Elements of the agriculture and energy industries are watching the U.S. Congress to see if and when the biodiesel tax incentive is renewed. The incentive was in effect from 2005 to 2009, and again in 2011. During that time, reports the National Biodiesel Board, the incentive spurred biodiesel production to a level exceeding one billion gallons a year and helped increase to 39,000 the number of jobs in affiliated industries. That production consumed large amounts of soybean oil and animal fat. Even french fry grease could be used. The incentive was a $1 a gallon credit tax exemption, said Ben Evans of the NBB. It was such a boon to the biodiesel industry, he said, that the production and revenue it generated came close to paying for the incentive in terms of increased taxes to the federal government. The incentive “clearly works,” he said, and “we want to try to continue that momentum.” One problem, Evans said, is such tax incentives usually are temporary, particularly in the beginning. Now, he said, the incentive has been caught up in “a broader political dispute” over federal spending, including the anticipated fiscal cliff crisis. This has occurred despite considerable bipartisan support for the incentive in the House and Senate, he said. The incentive created “a lot of plants in rural areas with spinoff jobs. Now we are hearing reports many of the plants are laying people off,” Evans said. Forbes Magazine has predicted

as many as 75 percent of those producers might have to shut down. The loss of the incentive “is really catching up to the industry and really hurting,” Evans said. The NBB supports efforts to deal with the federal budget, he said, but “it will take a long time to deal with those issues.” The NBB would like to see Congress take immediate steps to renew the incentive. “We think if it came up for a standalone vote, it would pass with flying colors,” he said. Andrew Conley, program director for CleanFuelsOhio, agreed, “There is strong bipartisan support for this (but) Congress gets distracted. … Tax incentives are something that are on the chopping block. … My personal sense is nobody’s going to move on this until they settle the whole fiscal cliff discussion.” The soybean market faces uncertainty but is unlikely to be affected in the short term, said Adam Ward of the Ohio Soybean Council and Association One reason, he said, is an increased demand for U.S. soybeans in China. Another, he said, is the federal government is requiring large oil companies to continue biodiesel use at a rate that will match the record one billion gallons produced in 2011. That’s not the same, the BDD website says, as letting the biodiesel industry “continue to competitively produce” its products, which the incentive would allow. Evans said the oil companies are not happy, but they are able to purchase “Renewable Identification Numbers,” which reduces the amount of biodiesel

they must produce. Those numbers, or RINs, represent biodiesel produced elsewhere. Buying the RINs lets the oil companies produce less biodiesel themselves and the RIN sellers make money. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accused some companies of selling fraudulent RINs that don’t represent actual biodiesel production. Evans said those “isolated cases where a couple of bad actors came in and took advantage of the system … don’t implicate the entire program. … We are working very closely with the

EPA to make sure those cases of fraud don’t happen again.” Ward said extending the incentive would be a “win-win for the agriculture industry … creating investment in new technology and growth in current businesses.” Because biodiesel is not carbonbased, Conley said, it is a renewable resource that produces cleaner emissions than 100-percent petroleum diesel. For more on NBB’s efforts to extend the incentive, visit biodiesel.org/policy/fueling-action-center.

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Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

CENTURY FARMS OF OHIO

Spahr Century Farm Hancock County BY TAMI SCHMIDT tami.schmidt@gmail.com

Generation 1: E.Y. & Catherine Bright Spahr

Generation 2: E.E. & Gertrude Spahr

Generation 3&4: David, Paul, Lois Ann, Eugene, Betty, and Phil Spahr

FINDLAY — In the mid 1730s thousands of Germans escaped the country for economic reasons and to gain religious freedom. Johann Georg and George Michael Spahr, two brothers from Waldenburg, Germany, were a part of that movement. They had heard of dreams being fulfilled in America, and knew that their future in Germany would only get worse. After much deliberation they decided to take the chance. In 1737, the brothers gathered their families, left their homes, friends, and possessions, and made the perilous voyage to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, (later moving to York County, Pennsylvania). Around 1850, and three generations later, Johann Heinrich Spahr, “Henry,” and his family moved to Medina County, Ohio, where his wife’s (Mary Bower) family lived. His son (E.Y.) Elmore Yocum, came with them. Within the next four years Henry purchased some land near Findlay, which may have contributed to his son E.Y. meeting Catharine Bright (Findlay), who he married on Feb. 17, 1874. “Back then most people met at some sort of church function,” explained Linda Spahr, who cur-

rently owns that land with her husband, David Spahr. “So, we kind of figured that’s what happened. And at some point our last name was spelled “Sparr. We don’t know when or why it was changed, but I might find out if I keep digging.” After they were married, E.Y. and Catharine Spahr purchased 160 acres of land at $60 per acre in section 22, Marion Township, buying it off from a widow, Rachel Kring. This was the beginning of Spahr Jersey farm, and E.Y. is listed as the founder. Originally, a cabin was the only structure on the original farmstead. “It was probably built by the Kring brothers, and it’s gone now.” Linda noted. “But in 1879, not too long after they bought the land, E.Y. and Catharine had a 10room Victorian home built on a small hill on the east side and highest point on the property. “They also planted two Cottonwood trees about 50 yards in front of the house, which stood until 2008 and had to be removed because they were beginning to crumble. And one of those trees had been the tallest tree in Hancock County!” “The main barn used to stand east of the house and was closer to the road than the house,” Linda laughed. “But Catharine

See SPAHR, page 14

2340435

Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

CHUCK SCHEPFLIN:PRO CARVER

The Stihl Pro Carving Team sent up its tents at the Sandusky County Fair in August.

BY MICHAEL CARTER clydenews@bizwoh.rr.com Chuck Schepflin went to work at the family business 35 years ago and would have never imagined where that would lead him. Schepflin went to work with his father, Will, at his lawn and garden equipment business in the mid 1970s. “Dad owned and operated Willie’s Sales and Service,” said Chuck about the Fremont business. “I came to work for him in 1974 and have been here ever since.” Chuck, who graduated from Ross High School in 1979, has turned his job at Willie’s into a second full time career. “I started doing chain saw carvings back in 1977 behind our display tent at the Sandusky County Fair,” noted Chuck. “It was something that was just getting started back then. Only a few people were doing it, and it just really appealed to me.” Chuck entered his first

pro carving show in 1980. “I was part of the McCulloch company team at that time,” remembered Chuck. “I took third at my first show which was at the Paul Bunion show here in Ohio. I learned a lot about what the judges were looking for and worked hard the following year to change some things. I came back the following year and won that same competition in 1981.” The competition Chuck won was a 30-minute timed event. “The judges judged on accuracy, speed, design and attention to detail,” said Chuck. “The winner is chosen by how much their carvings collected at an auction following the event. We would carve for three days and the three day total of what you collected at auction determined the winner.” Chuck, who now is part of the Stihl Pro Carving Team, has won 19 national titles in speed and accuracy. “I was approached by

Stihl in 1989 to join their team,” said Chuck. “There are six of us on the Pro Carving Team and we travel the state year round. We are actually leaving Wednesday, Oct. 10, for the Bob Evans Fest in Rio Grand, Ohio.” Chainsaw carving had come a long way since its early beginnings. When Chuck started carving they carved basic shapes like crosses and geometric shapes. “I remember I learned one trick where if you cut up a log a specific way at the end when you cracked it all apart, it made a wood log chain,” noted Chuck. “The animals and all the more elaborate carvings did not start until around 1981 or ’82,” he added. “Today if you can think it we can carve it,” Chuck smiled. “I would say that for the bigger carvings if you want something elaborate carved into a tree stump or something like that you can almost figure about $100 per foot of tree. So if you have a 6-foot tree stump you want carved into something special you would be looking at about $600 worth of work.” Chuck uses a MS 250 Stihl for his detail work and a MS 441 for his block out work. Both his saws are regular stock chain saws. “I think this is what makes me such a good competition carver,” noted Chuck. “I can use my stock saw to carve anything I want. Most competition guys have special carving saws for their

Chuck Schepflin holds up one of his chainsaw carvings. detail work and that takes up time. I can use one saw the entire cut.” Chuck uses his knowledge about saws for more than competition. He gives demonstrations on chain saw safety to youth groups and

organizations all the time. “I just finished talking with the local Cub Scout Pack at Cristy Cabins here in Fremont,” he said. “I gave them a safety demonstration and actually showed them how (leather leg) chaps can actually stop a saw and save your life. I have been working with saws for over 35 years now, and I still have all my fingers and toes,” he smiled. “Safety is very important to our carving team,” he noted. “The competitions have actually stopped most of the speed events for safety reasons.” Chuck is still very much a

part of Willie’s Sales and Service. “This is my family business and I am extremely proud of that,” said Chuck. “Dad is still here every day doing this thing but it is now more of my responsibility to make sure things are run smoothly. “I do it all around here as far as what my responsibilities are. I work on the equipment, sweep floors and fix toilets,” he smiled. “I tell people I have two full-time jobs. One is running this business and the other is the carving team, and I’m just as proud of one as am of the other.”

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Miracle plant or next kudzu nting director Sam Brake pla ing “10 percent lar dec ies el iet pan var r fou of ls ed test plots that at the nonprofit Biofue in 10 Years” — meaning in gh risk” for invasiveness. ina “hi rol Ca rth of sorghum. No D of EE r BR nte the G. Ce er BY ALLEN 17, a decade aft 20 by n iso Many are comparing par com But for hardiness, ease of als Oxford, hates the ici off , on ati ch cre rea , ’s ter can cen ich Arundo, wh cultivation and maintenance with “the weed that ate the e will be her OXFORD, N.C. (AP) — ies gle sin pan a e, in com t acr pe fee ho per 30 ld of yie heights htand, above all, of a South.” It’s fast-growing and droug producing the equivalent to another aggressive , son for t sea rke ma of no none comes even close to s e’s ton g aher “T liquid transport tolerant, producin the the voraof — t th lan ten nsp tra is o ian wh As s Arundo donax. kudzu,” says Conlon, biomass per acre. It thrive fuels consumed in the e. n vin tio dzu ku us a g cio tin mo “Wow! Exclamation n among those pro even in poor soil and is a te annually, or 600 millio sta n 200 scientists tha re Mo 20 n, llio ,” says Burke, who, in so mi , int ial po 70 proposed $1 e biofuel abl ew the self-propagating perenn ren to of s ter lon let a gal t sen l ano recently nt his matching gray suit and million-gallon-a-year eth es it requires little investme nci ite r. age l yea a era fed of ’s ds do hea shirt and with his snow-wh project here — and Arun raordinarily audaonce established. ext onmental n vir “A En the the kes evo ing son lud rd, rea inc bea hair and rke, role in it. “There’s no To people in the renewcious goal,” W. Steven Bu tection Agency and the own Pro thr s wa It do evangelical preacher. un it. e Ar nag ry, ma ust and to ind able fuels center’s president Agriculture of the s ent tm u par yo De ces pla Believed to have sprung rst out in the wo ly. t ud no pro donax — also known as m s the say ent, ing O, urg CE y, and Energ from the Indian subcontin can think of and left there.” le of the dd al mi rci “giant reed” — is nothing me the ar com d Ne the un e aro rag ou ead to enc Arundo has spr er His message about short of a miracle plant. An e timeline is this: “Novemb s ng of known invasives thi nti ent pla fer dif kbe the globe. Europeans hav l loo is It’l : nt do pla ss un Ar Oregon power -acre energy gra 50 in : 11 ies 20 . tur do cen un Ar for e it lik it. ng l stibeen usi e. We can contro abtim est ry rse nu st ing at it as a potential sub on mo s ati ay’ pag for tod pro “Many of the production of reeds .” But Mark Newhouser, tute for coal, and North invasive plants lished with Arundo donax tic ma ble 20 pro rly tnea iva woodwind instruments. nt sal who has spe staff has ’s ter e Carolina boosters are rpl cen e pu to Th dzu ku m — fro Like kudzu, which came years hacking this “nasty iety of biofuel ionvar ing over the prospect of an ent a int ed re t of lor we exp — e trif erses riv loo to the United States as par plant” from California’s ethanol bio-refinery that eased terials, from food rel ma 76 and 18 raw d rte the po at t im his y ibi all has exh s s, lJapan’ ts banks and wetland horwould bring millions of do crops like corn, sugar bee into the environment for s zen Centennial Exposition in do , and ts. nt oes ub me tat do po est inv eet sw l con lars in ria , ust ral d ind ltu icu and agr ticultural, g Philadelphia, Arundo arrive “Why take a chance?” he loblolly and rod pu of high-paying jobs to ho wo ry ton est th cot for 19 e to and lat , to ion servat here in the midm asks. country. dzu, pine trees. Even pond scu ,” they wrote Oct. 22. ses po and century. And also like ku ists ent _ sci __ But to many eed. All were ckw du that we learn as a or e — ted ativ tou per ce im on is s “It the wa Arundo ie back wall of Th ant qu in se rai to by environmentalists, Arundo d kes har sta eroher mi eit from our past than perfect crop to help stem rth Carolina biofuels cen re No mo or ive rolooks less like a miracle ens int al exp as, ion too ent Tex ty, int by a preventing sion. In California and ter’s lobby is dominated uses. er t oth tha a nightmare waiting to hap ps for le cro ern uab rgy gov val ene and of duction ee farmers, ranchers large timeline, beginning o studied sove als asi pen. Officials in at least thr ff inv sta y t e all Th nex stic the sia ate hu ’s cre ent y rs ma ment worke with the General Assembly states have banned the bam called “energy grasses” — cies catastrophe particuspe the of us ion planted it along waterways xio nit og “no a rec as l 06 ss 20 boo-like gra scanthus, coasta ions are Mi uct nt rod gia int en ls wh ly fue lar bio a nt s. state’s potential as rs.” weed”; California has spe Bermudagrass, switchgras funded by taxpayer dolla ing See SWAMP, page 15 try n llio . mi mder 0 far lea , $7 n ter tha cen sithe more pre e ind vic beh t n, Ou nlo Co Mark l The display ends with a to eradicate it. The federa for sector development t den a it d ele lab government has

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Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

CLIMATE CHANGE

A warmer Ohio doesn’t mean the end of crops BY DAVID J. COEHRS exponews@ohcommedia.co m The stifling, relentless summer heat that devastated area corn crops has some farmers concerned that changing global weather patterns may cause a repeat during the next growing season or beyond. But an Ohio State University agronomist said with foresight, proper planning and research into hardier corn hybrids, hope remains for adequate corn yields despite extremely hot weather. Peter Thomison said good yields begin with a balanced fertility program, something farmers don’t always consider. He said a corn after soybean rotation has much less an impact on soil than continuous corn planting. “We suggest practices that will buffer the grower from drought. Continuous corn planting will exacerbate it,” he said. Farmers often grow corn after corn in order to provide feed, but Thomison said that arrangement has left many Ohio fields lacking in

potassium. “Bottom line, potassium is an important nutrient in preventing drought stress,” he said. “(Farmers are) hearing about new products, new trends, and sometimes tried-and true techniques get lost in the shuffle.” He also advised against excessive plant populations. The more plants that share space and soil, the more crowding in fields, which can lead to higher plant loss, he said. Too much tillage in the spring can also cause problems, Thomison said. That can occur when farm equipment leaves deep track marks in the field, which farmers try to level out. But that can remove too much moisture from the soil. Many farmers instead practice conversion tillage to minimize the number of trips, Thomison said. The effects of drought can also be lessened by the farmer’s care in selecting corn hybrids. Those exhibiting high yields in a wide series of locations are better suited to dry conditions and can cut the number of irrigation trips, Thomison said. “It’s by no means sure-

proof, but you increase your odds if you follow that approach,” he added. He said drought resistant hybrids — which involve the difficult and complicated task of breeding multiple genes into plants — are being widely tested by companies, who nonetheless are careful what claims they make. “I don’t think they’re going to promise yields that are double what you’re getting, but these drought resistant corns will reduce the risks of drought and provide a modest increase in yields,” he said. Thomison recommends farmers use hybrids ranging in maturity, an important factor. “By using hybrids with good drought resisting and insect resisting traits we protect that crop from potential damage,” he said. “You’re trying to limit your exposure. If you use a range of hybrid, your range of vulnerability is lower.” Because the genetics are much different than those of 20 years ago, there are hybrids presently that are remarkable in the amount of stress they can take, Thomison said. “If the

The drought and extreme heat took a toll on corn crops this year.

corn plant tolerates high plant population and can handle stress, it can handle high temperatures,” he added. He said the trick is to plant early in the season, preferably April 20 or later, so growth isn’t inhibited by a later planting. As agricultural technology and practices have improved, soil can actually become more resistant to dry conditions, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation spokesperson Seth Teter said. No-till farming, updated equipment and planting cover crops can all be used to fight drought and mitigate losses. The unrelenting heat last summer stressed the state’s corn crop at a critical point of development,

resulting in damaged ears holding, in some cases, only a few kernels, Teter said. In anticipation of next year’s growing season, farmers are looking at improved seeds and crop varieties that can better tolerate moisture or heat stress, he said. Dupont Pioneer spokesperson Jamie Butz said the company is offering growers a product called Optimum AQUAMax, which helps benefits corn yields in water limited environments. “We’ve been the leader in the development of this type of product,” she said. In addition, the modern agricultural infrastructure that wasn’t available during the Great Dust Bowl of the 1930s “has

New tax limitations for 2012 continue to provide provid de significant tax benefits to o small business owners.2 Now when you purchase vehicles 12/31/12, deduction N h purchase h qualifying lif i GM vehicle hi l s ffor your b h business i b before f 12/31/12 you could ld earn a tax t d d tion of up to $139,000. Plus you increase yo ou can stack other available e incentives to really increa ase your savings. GM VEHICLE DEDUCTION DEDU UCTION ELIGIBILITY

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made us more tolerant, more resilient to drought,” Teter said. He added that vegetable crops benefit greatly from irrigation where water is available, but said the equipment is often cost prohibitive. Still, Teter said, “It was certainly a noteworthy year in terms of weather conditions, but the mood in the countryside doesn’t reflect how bad conditions could have been. No one is throwing in the towel. You have a lot of infrastructure and technology that wasn’t in place before that is helping the farmer weather the drought.” David J. Coehrs, Expositor Features Editor, can be reached at (419) 335-2010 or exponews@ohcommedia.co m.

Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

Purchasing the perfect Christmas tree BY PENNY SMITH Editor, The Knox County Citizen

Before you gather the family and head to your local Christmas tree farm, knowing the size of tree you will need is key. How big a tree should you purchase? Measure the height of the room and the width of the space where the tree will be located. Take your tape measure with you to measure the actual tree you have picked out to fit your space. Trees appear much smaller out in nature than in your home. Next, you will need to select a type of evergreen. There is no right or wrong choice here, it is a personal preference. The biggest decision for the typical consumer is long or short needles. The majority of Christmas trees sold in Ohio are Scotch pine, White pine, Blue spruce, Fraser fir, Canaan fir and Douglas fir. The Scotch pine is the most popular Christmas tree sold in Ohio and the United States. Its needles grow from 1 to 3 inches in length and it retains its needles well. Sturdy branches can support heavy ornaments. The Fraser fir has become known as the cadillac of trees in recent years. The blue/silver underside of its needles are highly desirable. This very fragrant tree species has a one

inch soft needle length and has excellent needle retention. Blue spruce trees have one-inch sharp needles with branches that support heavy ornaments. The moderately fragrant tree is often purchased as a live tree and planted after the holiday as well as a cut tree. The blue spruce tree has an average needle retention. White pine trees are the second most popular Christmas tree in Ohio. Their two to five inch long soft needles are very flexible. Its feathery looking branches will be pulled down by heavy ornaments. Needle retention of the White pine is very good. Canaan fir is very similar to the Fraser fir tree. Its needles are more blue and slightly longer than the Fraser fir. A fragrant tree with soft needles and very good needle retention, the Canaan fir tree supports ornaments well. The blue-green Douglas fir has soft, one inch long needles that are relatively flat and is highly fragrant. Needle retention of the Douglas fir is very good. So now that you have selected your perfect tree, how do you know if it is fresh and will last the entire Christmas season? Cutting your own tree, or having the owner cut the tree for you at a tree farm is the

best way to ensure a quality tree. If you purchase a tree from a retail lot check for excessive needle loss, pliability and color of the needles. Once your get your Christmas tree home, put it in a bucket of water in a cool location if you are not going to set it up promptly. Trees drink a lot of water. If you purchased your tree from a retail lot you will want to cut a half-inch from the trunk before placing the tree in an appropriatly-sized tree stand. The most important thing to remember for a Christmas tree that will last all season, is to ensure a constant water lever above the base of the tree. This means you may need to check the water level daily, especially if your container is on the small side. Now you are ready to decorate your perfectly-selected Christmas tree. Be sure that your lights are inspected and intended for indoor use. And remember, never leave a Christmas tree unattended while the lights are plugged in. Disposing of your real Christmas tree is the final phase of its life. Being biodegradable, trees are commonly chipped and used for mulch or as cover in fish ponds. Communities often offer curbside pick-up or a location where trees can be dropped off to be recycled.

TOP 100 DEAL DEALER! LER! HG VIOLET IS YOU YOUR UR SOURCE FOR WOODS ODS EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT Front Row: Stacy Rellinger, O.D., Susan E. Smith, M.D. Back Row: Jason Kolodziejczyk, O.D., Dale Solze M.D., Greg DeRodes, O.D.

NOW OPEN NEW Fostoria Office

2341253

Accepting New Patients Fostoria Office Fremont Office 419-435-3482 419-334-8121 632 Parkway Drive 2311 Hayes Ave www.eyecentersofnwo.com

Seventeen 3 point snow blowers on hand from 54” to 108” wide. Shop now while selection is the best

AM SHARP LONDON OH DECEMBER 14TH 10

Fllail shredders Flail o n hand, 15’, on 2 0’, & 30”, 20’, in n stock and re eady y to g go ready

OVER $4 MILLION IN INVENTORY THAT MUST GO! n for complete auction list ion ctio uct /au .com/a visit jdequipment.com

From now until December 8th, 2012 we will continue to sell auction equipment. No reasonable offer will be refused on posted auction equipment. Buy now and save thousands!

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www.jdequipment.com

London (614) 879-6620 Easton (614) 475-0707 Hilliard (614) 527-8800 Lancaster (740) 653-6951 Marion (740) 389-5458 Washington CH (740) 335-2071 Wilmington (937) 486-5211 Zanesville (740) 450-7446 2341430

Large supply of choppers, 15’ and 20’ batwings, rigid choppers from 5’ thr u thru 12’

Give us a call or visit www www.hgviolet.com w.hgviolet.com for our complete inventor inventory y including pallet forks, f backhoes & landscape pe equipment equipment

H.G. Violet Equipment 2103 North Main St. Delphos, OH 45833 Phone 419-695-2000 www.hgviolet.com

Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

PRESERVING THE HARVEST

Supplies It doesn’t have to be expensive to can food. I obtained an old 1946 National Model 7 Pressure Canner from my husband’s buddy Mike in 2009. We ordered a new sealing ring (gasket) for the lid and a Ball canning guide from the Presto company, who stock hard-to-find parts for Presto, Mirro and the now-defunct National Pressure Cooker Co. The old dial gauge was in working order so we didn’t replace it. A jar lifter, a magnetic lid lifter and a funnel (I prefer stainless steel) are really about all I use in the way of specialty tools. The rest you have right in your own kitchen. The majority of the canning jars I have used so far have come out of friends’ basements or barns, garage sales and second hand stores. Most I got free or paid very little for and, after a good soaking and scrubbing, they’re good as new if they aren’t chipped. All they need are new lids and occasionally new rings, which is much less expensive than buying new cases of jars all the time. Jars range in size from halfgallon to 4 ounces, so there’s always a size to suit your needs. I prefer wide mouth jars when I can get them because solid foods, such as meats, are much easier to remove. For liquids or soft foods, the regular mouth jars are just fine. Canning fruits and high acid foods: Water bath canning Apples, peaches, plums, tomatoes, jams and jellies

BY RANDA WAGNER editor@newscolorpress.com

BY RANDA WAGNER/MORROW COUNTY SENTINEL

Though green beans are more time consuming to prep for canning than some vegetables, they aren’t difficult to pack or process and are one of my favorites to preserve.

There was a time when I thought canning food in mason jars was something country women and grandmothers did because they thought it was noble to spend hours paring fruit or vegetables, stand over a hot stove on an even hotter day and ‘put up’ 12 quarts of tomatoes or peaches. Why would anyone work that hard, I wondered, when all they had to do was go to the supermarket and buy a can of tomato sauce or peaches? Now I know. It took a long time but, in 2009, the canning ‘bug’ took hold and I’ve been hooked since. What started as a campaign to become less dependent on electricity for food preservation turned into an attempt to preserve anything that could be safely canned at home, because I could and because I knew exactly what was going into that jar. No chemicals, preservatives, ‘guar gum’ or modified this and that… just fruit and sugar and water. As I researched canning methods, techniques, ideas and recipes online, my most pleasant surprise was how many younger adults — women and men alike, are doing the same thing. Gardening and canning is hard work, and that is why I am so impressed by the number of folks out there rolling up their sleeves and taking it on. It also tells me people are concerned about what’s in their food as much as the rising price of groceries.

Looking to diversify your commodity risks?

The FDA and Ball don’t approve home canning of dairy products, so it’s one of those do-it-atyour-own-risk projects. I’m using butter I canned from 2009 that’s still fine and, once it’s opened, requires no refrigeration if it’s used promptly. are just a few foods most commonly processed in a water bath canner. High acid foods and recipes using vinegar (as in pickles and sauerkraut) can be safely canned at 212 degrees. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy summer and fall fruit all winter long, not to mention relishes, pie fillings, jams, jellies and sauces. In the winter, you can take advantage of holiday sales on oranges or citrus; late spring brings strawberries. If you buy fruits on sale at the grocery, you can process them year round. I save most of my canning for fall and throughout winter because it warms up the kitchen and I have more time, since I am not occupied with flower gardens or other outside activities. Pressure canning: vegetables and meats The device I used to fear has become an irreplaceable aide to me. We’ve all heard those “pressure canner horror stories” through the years:

canners blowing their tops, imbedding jars in the ceiling; how dangerous they are, etc. It may have happened once out of a million canner loads 80 years ago, folks, but it just doesn’t happen anymore. Models made before the 1970s were heavy-walled kettles with clamp-on or turn-on lids. They were fitted with a dial gauge, a vent pipe in the form of a petcock or covered with a counterweight, and a safety fuse. Most modern pressure canners are lightweight, thinwalled kettles; most have turn-on lids fitted with gaskets. Modern pressure canners have removable racks, an automatic vent/cover lock, a vent pipe (steam vent), and a safety fuse. As intimidated as I was by the very name of the device (PRESSURE canner) I was equally determined to master it. Another friend of my husband’s, a devout canner of vegetables and meat, helped me test an initial load in the old canner and got me started on my way. I cannot remember what I first canned; I just know that I got so hooked my relatives just shake their heads now and sigh, “There she goes again” and joke about what I’ll try next. The best discovery I have made from pressure canning is: meat is the easiest thing of all. You don’t have to peel it, blanche it, or make a syrup for it. Just trim the fat off your raw chicken, ham, pork, beef, venison, fish, etc, slice it to fit the size of jar you’re using, pack it with as few air pockets as possible, and stick it in the canner.

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Phone (419) 893-7550 • Fax (419) 893-7044 Disclaimer: The risk of loss in trading futures and options on futures can be substantial. Each investor must carefully consider whether this type of investment is appropriate for them. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

2337696

1446 Reynolds Road, Suite 206 Maumee, Ohio 43537

Prescription for Health

December 2012 COM MU N ITY H E AL TH PR OG RA MS

Dec. 3

Morning Health Break

Ext. 6610

8:00 am-11:00 am Cholesterol (fasting test, $10); Free BP checks Conference Rooms A&B Glucose (fasting test, free); A1C Diabetes Test (no fasting, $10)

Dec. 10

Look Good, Feel Better 1:00 pm-3:00 pm

Dec. 13 Dec. 13

Free

Beauty techniques for cancer patients

888.227.6446, Ext. 2 Admin. Conference Room

Red Cross Bloodmobile

Ext. 3067

9:30 am-3:30 pm

Conference Rooms A&B

Open to the public. Walk-ins welcome

Mature Audience Luncheon

Ext. 4899

11:30 am-1:00 pm “Songs of the Season” BSHS Choraliers 815 Northwest St., Building B Lunch fee waived in exchange for two non-perishable food items to be donated to food pantry

Dec. 15

Diabetes Review/Stay for Lunch 9:00 am-11:00 am 11:30 am-1:30 pm

Free

Questions & answers about diabetes Lunch provided. Topic: Holiday Meals!

Ext. 4303___ East Conference Room

FAM ILY B IR TH I NG C EN T ER

Dec. 12

Breastfeeding Basics 6:00 pm-8:00 pm

$10 The benefits of breastfeeding your baby

Ext. 3067 Conference Room A

SU PP OR T G RO U PS

Dec. 4

Cardiac ComeBack 6:00 pm-7:30 pm

Dec. 12

Diabetes 12:30 pm-1:30 pm

Free

Ext. 4303

“Stories With Eileen Hay” Conference Rooms A&B Annual Cookie Exchange! Bring a dozen cookies to share!

Free “Meal Planning” Patti Keller, RD LD

Ext. 4303 East Conference Room

2342572

2341242

Is Your Heart Set on a Vette? The Bellevue Hospital Foundation Corvette Raffle. Tickets $100. Prize: 2013 Corvette Convertible or $50,000 cash! Only 1,500 tickets sold. To purchase at ticket visit: www.VetteRaffle.com or call 419.483.4040, Ext. 4319

The Bellevue Hospital, 1400 W. Main St., Bellevue, OH 44811 www.bellevuehospital.com 419.483.4040 – Bellevue

419.547.0074 – Clyde

419.639.2065 – Fremont, Green Springs, Republic

419.483.0400 – T.D.D.

Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

FARM BUREAU ENDORSEMENT PAYS OFF FOR CANDIDATES

MA XIMIZE DEPRECIA YOUR TION DEDU Consult your CTION. tax ad

visor regard bonus deprec ing the first iation and Se year ction 179 ex deduction.† pensing

SEE US TODAY! OFFER ENDS DECEMBER 31, 2012.

GIBBS EQUIPMENT, INC. GIBBS EQUIPMENT, INC.

1385 EAST MAIN STREET (ROUTE 20 EAST) 1385 EAST MAIN STREET (ROUTE 20 EAST) P.O.P.O. BOX 8989 BOX BELLEVUE, BELLEVUE,OH OH44811 44811 419-483-4970 419-483-4970 www.gibbsequipment.com www.gibbsequipment.com * For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Capital America LLC. See your participating Case IH

dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Down payment may be required. Offer good for a limited time. Not all customers or applicants may qualify. CNH Capital America LLC standard terms and conditions will apply. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. † CNH Capital and Case IH dealerships do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Customers are strongly encouraged to seek their own professional advice on the proper treatment of these transactions.

CNH Capital and Case IH are registered trademarks of CNH America LLC. www.caseih.com

2342702

Give Your Kids A John Deere Christmas!

COLUMBUS — Ninety five percent of the candidates who received the endorsement of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) won their races on Election Day. In total, 121 of the 127 candidates approved by OFBF’s Agriculture for Good Government Political Action Committee (AGGPAC) won their races after being named either “Friends of Agriculture” or “Friends of Farm Bureau.” AGGPAC is Ohio Farm Bureau’s political action committee that routinely monitors the voting records and political campaigns of Ohio’s elected officials and candidates. Funding for AGGPAC comes from voluntary contributions by Farm Bureau members and is governed by a committee of bi-partisan Farm Bureau leaders. The “Friend of Agriculture” designation applies to state candidates and “Friend of Farm Bureau” applies to congressional candidates. In congressional races, all 13 of OFBF’s endorsed candidates won. In the Ohio Senate races, all 18 endorsed candidates won. In Ohio House races, 89 of 94 endorsed candidates won. One of OFBF’s two endorsed Ohio Supreme Court candidates won. OFBF stayed neutral in both the presidential and Ohio’s U.S. Senate races, but assisted the Obama, Romney, Brown and Mandel campaigns in their efforts to engage with Ohio’s farm families. The high success rate of Farm Bureau endorsed candidates is a point of pride for the organization, according to OFBF’s Executive Vice President, Jack Fisher. “Our members understand the importance of political involvement. They work hard to find the best candidates Ohio has to offer, and then support them in their campaigns. It’s a great feeling for our members when voters agree with our opinions,” Fisher said. Fisher added that Farm Bureau will work closely with all of the state’s elected officials to develop policies that benefit the state’s economy and communities.

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John Deere Toys Make The Holidays Magical! COMBINES – - Prices Reduced!! COMBINES PricesReduced!!

COMBINES & ATTACHMENTS 30 MONTHS, 0% INTEREST ON SELECT USED COMBINES

SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE!

MANYCOMBINE COMBINE HEADS HEADS AVAILABLE AVAILABLE MANY For details go to

www.AppleFarmService.com GRAIN HEADS GRAIN HEADS CASE IH IH GRAIN HEADS CASE GRAIN HEADS 2020-30 1020-25 2020-30 1020-25 1020-30 1020-20 1020-30 1020-20

2162-40 2162-40 2020-35 2020-35

NEW HOLLAND GRAIN HEADS NEW HOLLAND GRAIN HEADS 84C-36 73C-30 73C-30 84C-36 74C-35 73C-25 74C-35 73C-25 74C-30 73C-20 73C-20 74C-30

973-30 973-30 973-20 973-20 88C-36 88C-36 CASE CASE IH IH 3408 3408 3406 3406 3208 3208 3206 3206 2408 2408 2208 2208

CORN HEADS CORN HEADS NEW HOLLAND NEW HOLLAND JOHN DEERE 996N8 996N8 JOHN DEERE 1293 986N8 986N8 1293 843 98C8 98C8 843 893 98C6 98C6 893 643 974N6 974N6 643 693 96C96C 693

VERTICLE TILLAGE TILLAGE VERTICAL CASE IH True Tandem Turbo 330-25' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$42,500 330-34' . . . . . . .$50,000-$54,500 330-42’ . . . . . . . . . . . . .$68,000 LANDOLL Vert Till 7431 Disc, 31' . .$59,000 McFARLANE Vert Till RD4035RB . . . .$37,500

GREAT PLAINS Turbo Chopper 24' . . . . .$39,000 Turbo Till 30' . . . . . . . . .$49,500 Turbo Till 24' . . . . . . . . .$39,500 Ultra Till 30' . . . . . . . . . .$34,000 Ultra Till 52' . . . . . . . . . .$35,000 SALFORD Vert Till 570RTS . . . . . . .$32,500

PLANTERS PLANTERS '02 - '08 Case IH 1200 16R30" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$44,950-$85,000 '04 Case IH 1200 12R30" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$48,000 '10 Case IH 1250 24R30" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$140,000 '06 Great Plains Yp1625 16/32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$85,000 '98 John Deere 1750 6R Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23,900 '97 John Deere 1760 12R Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34,500 '98 John Deere 1770 16R Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$43,500 '02 JD 1780 16/31R Corn/Bean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$46,500 '03 JD 1790 16/32R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$79,000 JD 7200 6R30 Conserv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,900

DRILLS DRILLS GP 1500/CPH . . . . . . . .$18,500 JD 1560, 15’ . . . . . . . . .$24,000

'10 8120 '09 8120 '12 7230 '12 7120 '11 7120 '11 7120 '10 7120 '09 7120 '09 7120 '08 7010 '08 7010 '07 7010 '09 6088 ‘10 6088 '10 5088 ‘07 2588 ‘02 2388 ‘01 2388

CASE IH . . . . . . . . . . . .$310,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$269,900 . . . . . . . . . . . .$290,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$298,500 . . . . . . . . . . . .$259,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$285,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$260,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$225,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$245,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$189,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$220,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$209,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$218,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$239,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$208,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$169,500 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$98,000 . . . . . . . . . . . .$110,000

JOHN DEERE '08 9670STS . . . . . . . .$215,000 '02 9650STS . . . . . . . . .$79,500 '97 9600 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$55,000 '05 9560STS . . . . . . . .$135,000 '95 9510 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$80,000 '98 9510 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$61,900 GLEANER '98 R62 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000 NEW HOLLAND ‘11 CR9070 . . . . . . . . .$290,000 '07 CR9070 . . . . . . . . .$210,000 '08 CR9060 . . . . . . . . .$225,000 '10 CR9060 . . . . . . . . .$260,000 '05 CR960 . . . . . . . . . .$165,000 Also Earlier Models To Fit Your Budget

TRACTORS TRACTORS THESE AVILABLE JAN. '13.... CALL '12 CIH Steiger 350, 4WD '12 cih Magnum 110, fwa '12 CIH Magnum 190, fwa '05 NH TM190, FWA '11 CIH Steiger 435 4WD . . . . . . . .$259,500 '12 CIH Steiger 350, 4WD . . . . . . . $255,000 '12 CIH Magnum 315, FWA . . . . . .$238,000 '10 CIH MAG 210 CVT FWA . . . . . .$149,600 '10 CIH MAG 225 CVT FWA . . . . . .$169,500 '12 CIH MAG 235 FWA . . . . . . . . . .$182,500 '08 CIH MAG 275 FWA . . . . . . . . . .$150,000 '08 CIH MAG 275 FWA . . . . . . . . . .$155,000 '09 CIH MX125 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . .$56,500 '06 CIH MX215 FWA . . . . . . . . . . . .$118,000 '06 CIH MX255 FWA . . . . . . . . . . .$127,500 '03 CIH MXM140 FWA . . . . . . . . . . .$65,000 '04 CIH MX175, 2WD . . . . . . . . . . .$60,000 '03 CIH MXM190, FWA . . . . . . . . . .$69,500 '06 CIH JX1100U FWA . . . . . . . . . . .$39,950 ‘11 CIH Farmall 85C . . . . . . . . . . . . .$47,500

‘93 CIH 595 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,900 ‘99 Allis 5660 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,900 ‘94 Allis 9690 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45,000 '09 CAT Challenger MT545B FWA . .$89,500 '06 JD 5525 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$32,500 '97 JD 6300 2WD w/Ldr. . . . . . . . . . .$28,000 '95 JD 6200 FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . . . . .$31,500 '04 JD 8120 FWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$134,000 ‘08 MF 5445 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000 ‘89 MF 390 FWA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$17,500 '08 NH TL100A 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . .$33,500 '03 NH TN65 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,500 '04 NH TS100A 2WD . . . . . . . . . . . .$30,500 '00 NH TC35S4 FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . .$13,500 '06 NH TN75DA FWA . . . . . . . . . . . .$26,000 '08 NH TN75SA FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . .$29,500 '04 NH TS100A FWA w/Ldr. . . . . . . .$39,900 '10 Kubota BX2660 Compact, 4WD ..$12,900 '08 MF 5445, 2WD . . . . . . ... . . . . . .$25,000 CIH 580D TLB, 2WD, New Tires . . .$12,500 NH 655A TLB, Ext Hoe . . . . . . . . . . .$12,500

GRAIN CARTS GRAIN CARTS 09 JM 1151-22D . . . . . . .$46,000 ‘09 JM 875-18 . . . . . . . .$31,500 JM 500 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10,500 ‘09 KB 1200 . . . . . . . . . . .$9,950

‘08 KZ 1050 . . . . . . . . . .$52,500 ‘08 KZ 800 . . . . . . . . . . .$18,000 ‘08 KZ 840 . . . . . . . . . . .$27,500 ‘07 KZ 850 . . . . . . . . . . .$42,500

Also Many Grain Augers and Gravity Wagons Available

JD 1690, AIR, 30’ . . . . . .$55,000 ‘10 JD 1990 CCS, 30’ . .$85,000

10120 W. Versailles Rd. Covington, OH 45318 937-526-4851 • 800-860-4851 19161 Kentner Rd. 10120 W. Versailles Rd. • Covington, OH 45318 Botkins, OH 45306 937-526-4851 937-693-3848 • 800-646-1092 AppleFarmService.com • 800-646-1091 800-860-4851 2342508

SALE From Nov. 23 thru Dec. 31 (Year End)

2342393

Check Our Prices! Upper Sandusky 10264 Co. Hwy. 121 Call 1-800-472-9554 or 419-294-2349 Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-5 p.m. or Sat. 7:30-noon

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Kinze 2600,16R30, Corn/Bean, several available ...............$36-$47,000 ʻ01 Kinze 3600,16/32, No-Till Turbo, AirBoom, BoxExt ...............$59,500 19161 Kentner Rd. 10120 W. Rd. Keetons ʻ02 Kinze 3600, 12 RN, No-Till, LiqVersailles Fert, Insect, ...........$52,000 Botkins, OH 45306 Covington, OH 45318 937-693-3848 937-526-4851 ʻ03 Kinze 3600, 16RN, Box Ext, 2Yrs on Rebuild........................$56,500 800-646-1091 800-860-4851 AppleFarmService.com ʻ03 Kinze 3600,12/23R30 Interplant, No-Till, Insect ....................$60,000 USED KINZE PLANTERS ʻ05 Kinze 3600,16/31,Bean,KPMIIMon........................................$68,500 ʻ10 Kinze 3650,12/24R, Vac, Vision, Res, Liq Fert Mon ..............$95,000 USED KINZE PLANTERS ʻ06 Kinze 3650, 16/32R, Mech Box Ext Res, Ytr Inj. Keetons .....$89,500 19161 Kentner Rd. W. Versailles Rd. ʻ10 Kinze 3660, 12R30, Air10120 Seed, Edge Botkins, .....$92,500 OH 45306 Covington, OH Vac, 45318No-Till Residue 937-693-3848 937-526-4851 ʻ09 Kinze 3800, 24R30, Edge Vac, GPS1500 ...........................$135,000 800-646-1091 800-860-4851 USED KINZE PLANTERS

Kinze 2600 16R30, Corn/Bean, several available . . . . . . . . ‘01 Kinze 3000, 15/30R, Corn/Bean, Insect, KPMII . . . . . . . ‘01 Kinze 3200, 12R, Econo-Fold No-Till, KPMII Mon, Corn ‘01 Kinze 3600, 16/32, No-Till Turbo, Air Boom, Box Ext . . . ‘02 Kinze 3600, 12 RN, No-Till, Liq Fert, Insect, Keetons . . ‘03 Kinze 3600, 16RN, Box Ext, 2 Yrs on Rebuild . . . . . . . .

. . . . . .

.$36-$47,000 . . . .$29,500 . . . .$39,500 . . . .$59,500 . . . .$52,000 . . . .$56,500

‘03 ‘05 ‘10 ‘06 ‘10 ‘09

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planted with energy grasses, chiefly coastal Bermudagrass. In terms of yield, Arundo far outpaces the competition — up to CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 20 dry tons per acre, versus 3 to 6 tons for and drainage ditches. Shallow rooted, the Bermuda. So planting Arundo would canes would break off and move downrequire far less land to supply Chemtex’s stream, starting new stands. fiber needs. The problem is, the fields’ Arundo has become “naturalized” in owners also need to worry about absorb25 warmer-weather states, according to a ing the nitrogen in the manure and the USDA weed risk analysis released in jury is still out as to whether Arundo June. would be a good fit. In banning it, California, Nevada and “If it’s not, it’s not where we need to Texas have said the plant crowds out be on the swine farms,” Crouse says. native species and consumes precious Brake and his colleagues in Oxford are water. trying to figure that out. The Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant On a farm a few miles from the biofuCouncil lists it as a “Significant Threat.” els center, a dense patch of what look like Virginia officials have labeled it “moderanorexic palm trees waves in the light ately invasive.” The West Virginia autumn breeze. They tower over the 6Division of Natural Resources has catego- foot-2 farming director. rized giant reed as “occasionally invasive.” Brake planted this quarter-acre plot of But that might change if it were to be pro- Arundo donax in 2010. He’s been applymoted as a commercial crop, says ing fertilizer at four different rates — zero Elizabeth Byers, a vegetation ecologist to 120 pounds per acre — to gauge the with the agency’s wildlife diversity unit. plants’ nutritional needs, as well as their “I certainly wouldn’t want to see any ability to absorb nitrogen. invasive species used as biomass,” she Even in the tightly packed, red-clay says. “Because they can escape.” soil, they have thrived. Brake steps into North Carolina is keeping an eye on the thicket and struggles to wrap his arms Arundo, but the folks in Oxford say past around a clump. need not be prologue. “It’s about maybe 3 foot in diameter,” Earlier this fall, Chemtex International he says. christened the world’s first commercialSo far, yields from North Carolina test scale cellulosic ethanol plant in the northplots have averaged from 5.8 dry tons per west Italian city of Crescentino. Turning acre at the Oxford site to just over 11 tons inedible biomass into sugars, the company in the sandy loam soils in which most hopes to produce up to 20 million gallons Chemtex suppliers would be planting, of fuel a year. though NCSU soil scientist Ron Gehl By mid-2013, Chemtex wants to break notes these are not yet “mature stands.” ground on a like-sized plant that would Brake grabs an Arundo stalk and walks employ 67 people in North Carolina. It until it’s parallel with the ground. Tiny has set its sights on the little city of seeds cascade to the ground, clinging to a Clinton, in the heart of hog country. visitor’s wet shoes. David Crouse, a soil scientist at North “You afraid of becoming Johnny Carolina State University, says energy donax-seed?” he asks with a chuckle. The grass production and the Tar Heel State seeds are sterile, he says reassuringly. are “a logical match” — depending on Brake points to a joint on the stalk which grass it is. where a small sprout or “node” peeks out. Spread across the state’s coastal plain “Each node is a potential plant,” he explains. “That makes it easy to propaare about 100,000 acres of so-called gate.” sprayfields, onto which industrial farming And that’s what gives so many pause. operations pump millions of gallons of In the 16 years since Arundo was first hog and chicken waste per year. In order to comply with federal clean water regula- identified in California’s Sonoma Creek Watershed, Mark Newhouser has develtions for runoff of nutrients such as nitrooped an attack strategy. gen, many of those fields are already

First, workers spray the mature cane with herbicide, then move in with the large flail mowers. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s time for chain saws. “And then you’d still have all of these stumps of cane sticking up everywhere,” he says. “You can’t even walk through there.” The cost: Up to $25,000 per acre. To address such concerns in North Carolina, state agriculture officials teamed up with the biofuels center last year to craft a set of “best management practices” for energy crops. Among them are not planting directly adjacent to streams and irrigation canals, and establishing buffer zones of at least 20 feet around production fields. They are listed as “voluntary.” But anyone wishing to do business with Chemtex would have to sign a contract agreeing to certain ground rules, says executive vice president Paolo Carollo. He points out that a $99 million USDA loan guarantee announced this spring also came with certain mitigation measures. Noting that Chemtex has already made conditional agreements to plant 10,000 acres near Clinton, Carollo points to a factory near Venice, Italy, that, from 1937 to 1962, used Arundo grown on 12,000 nearby acres in the production of fabric, including Rayon. “And they never had issues of spread,” he said in a phone interview from the company’s headquarters in the coastal city of Wilmington. When production ceased, he said, those acres were converted back to pasture land. Attempts to commercialize Arundo donax in other parts of the U.S. have met with limited success. When a company proposed to use Arundo for power generation in Florida, the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services drafted regulations requiring permits for plots larger than 2 acres. Although some permits have been issued, the large-scale project that prompted the regulations never materialized. And when Portland General Electric decided to convert a power plant from coal to biomass, Oregon state agriculture officials conducted a risk assessment for Arundo. Last year, the state authorized a 400-acre “control area,” prohibiting plantings within a mile of water bodies and requiring growers to post a $1 million eradication bond. In a statement released last March, the Native Plant Society of Oregon accused the state of understating the

risks. It cited research suggesting that Arundo’s sterile seeds might, through “genetic modification,” become fertile. When Chemtex announced its plans for North Carolina, the Environmental Defense Fund and others petitioned the state to have Arundo declared a noxious weed, and to ban it. Officials expect to make a decision by early next year. Federal action could take longer. In January, the EPA gave Arundo preliminary approval under the federal renewable fuel standard program — meaning producers could qualify for valuable carbon credits. When environmental groups complained that the decision was at odds with an executive order aimed at preventing the spread of invasive species, the agency agreed to reevaluate the crop. Without the EPA’s renewable fuels designation, Arundo would be less profitable to grow. And without Arundo in the mix, says Conlon, “I would be greatly concerned” about the Chemtex project — and the state’s grand plans. “North Carolina’s on the precipice of becoming an economic powerhouse around this whole idea of advanced biofuels,” Conlon says. “There’s room down there to build five or six of these facilities, if and when we can figure out the right balance between environmental concerns and economic viability.” Burke notes that Arundo has been sold in the state for years as an ornamental, without any problem. To him, it’s a no-brainer. But EDF Southeast Director Jane Preyer wonders if a hurricane-prone state like North Carolina is the smartest place to grow such a crop on so large a scale. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd caused widespread flooding that put much of eastern North Carolina under several feet of water. Arundo, she says, appears “not worth the risk.” It’s naive to think man can truly control nature, says Newhouser in California. “You know, that’s the thing with weeds. They know no boundaries, and they don’t recognize fences. They don’t follow rules.”

Allen G. Breed is a national writer, based in Raleigh, N.C. He can be reached at features@ap.org. Follow him on Twitter at /twitter.com/(hash)!/AllenGBreed

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On-farm weddings a growing niche business BY COLLEEN NEWVINE TEBEAU APExchange Robert Pollock started hosting weddings at his Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa as a fluke. He bought a 1764 house on about 100 acres in the Hudson Valley, north of New York City, and one of the guys he hired to do work on the property needed a place for a wedding, so Pollock agreed. “Of course it poured rain but we got through it,” he recalled. Pollock accidentally became part of a trend — couples planning weddings with locally sourced menus and taking place at farms. In Chicago, Paul Larson is a farm-to-table chef in the truest sense; he’s both executive chef at Blue Plate caterers and owner of a farm in Cassopolis, Mich., where he grows microgreens and heirloom tomatoes. “When I moved out to Michigan, they all laughed at me because I was a city boy wanting to be a farmer,” Larson said. Now, with the growing popularity of locavore dining, he finds it an advantage to offer catering clients produce he’s grown, or the meat and dairy of his neighbors. Because wedding clients tend to book far in advance, Larson can order seeds and grow an item to order. He grew butternut squash and leeks specifically for one menu last year, for example.

Larson estimates that most of the couples booking Blue Plate for weddings are interested in food issues on some level, from dabblers to those serious about sourcing the entire meal from small farms within a 100-mile radius, donating leftovers, recycling wine corks and the like. Blue Plate tries to accommodate couples wherever they are on that spectrum, Larson said. That means communicating clearly about a couple’s priorities and about what’s in season, and accepting the need to adapt if a particular item comes in early or late. Jane Eckert, who consults with farms on tourism as owner of Eckert AgriMarketing, in St. Louis, Mo., has seen an increase in farms wanting to host weddings but says “it’s the brides who are driving it.” “Brides are looking for unique destinations and farmers are looking for ways to supplement their income,” she said. Weddings are still a niche business for farms, Eckert said; pumpkin

patches, hay rides, apple picking and corn mazes are more popular. But once a farmer has invested in the infrastructure to make visitors comfortable, such as putting in bathrooms and a big parking lot, weddings can be a logical next step. “This appeals to the next generation (of farmers) that’s coming in. They have an opportunity to build a new business on the farm,” Eckert said. “It takes the right personality,” she added, since hosting weddings means working with sometimesdemanding brides, working into the night, and dealing with the commotion of big parties. Other examples of the locavore wedding trend around the United States include the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va., which uses local Rappahannock oysters, Manakintowne Farms lettuces, Dave and Dee’s locally grown oyster mushrooms; and produce from the hotel’s own garden on wedding menus. The hotel recently installed beehives on its roof and plans to harvest

memory of childhood and how good it felt to run around,” Murphy said. “People want to bottle that feeling and give that to their guests.” She recently helped her publicist, Elana Free, plan her wedding, with a farm-like vibe that drew on Free’s childhood memories of visiting her grandparents’ ranch. “We would pick mulberries for hours during the summer from which my grandma would make delicious jam and pie. We gathered persimmons and walnuts, eggs from the chickens, pulled carrots from the garden, milked the goats, and even went scouting for arrowheads,” Free recalled. Free said her wedding menu featured local peaches and watermelon agua fresca at the welcome table; locally sourced chicken on the family-style, build-yourown-tacos dinner menu; locally roasted coffee at an espresso bar; local wine; and a dessert bar with family favorites made by relatives. Buttermilk Falls, in Milton, N.Y., typically

the honey next spring. Grande Lakes Orlando resort in Florida is preparing to open an outdoor farm and event space called Whisper Creek Farm with 7,000 square feet of fruit and vegetable gardens on the 500-acre Grande Lakes estate, which also includes The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels. Wedding guests will be encouraged to peruse the garden, and even pick and taste. Mary Ellen Murphy, owner of Off the Beaten Path Weddings, in Napa, Calif., has been a wedding planner for about two decades. Although northern California has long been a food-focused place, she said, she sees couples increasingly interested in making good food a focus of their celebrations. Farms appeal to couples getting married, she thinks, because so many people work indoors and are nature-deprived; it reconnects them to the earth. “Seeing elegance out in the middle of nature brings back some fond

hosts about 10 weddings a year, getting some menu items from its nearby Millstone Farm — 10 acres of organic herbs, vegetables and fruits — and its restaurant, Henry’s Farm to Table. Pollock said a wedding on the property is low key and natural. “This is not a heels place,” he said. “I tell people, don’t wear your Jimmy Choos, wear your Merrills.” ___ If you are considering a farm wedding, some tips from experts: — Keep the food fun and familiar. You can accommodate less adventurous diners (and vegetarians) with a baked potato bar, for example. — Plan for the season but stay flexible. If you want peaches and tomatoes on a locavore menu, that probably means July, not February. But weather conditions the year of your wedding could speed up, slow down or wipe out a particular crop. — Prepare for outdoor conditions. Have extra wraps for cool evenings, and cheap sunglasses. — Have a bad-weather contingency plan. If you’re outside, have a backup like a tent, and if you’re in a barn or other farm building, don’t assume there’s heat or air conditioning. — Remember that guests might think of a wedding as dressy. Either spell out a casual dress code, or think about how you’ll keep high heels and fancy dresses clean.

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Spahr Century Farm Hancock County CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Linda laughed. “But Catharine had it moved back away from the road, because she didn’t want to live behind the barn. “It’s interesting to know how it all came together,” Linda reflected. “We know that E.Y.’s wife, Catharine, was the daughter of Levi and Catharine Bright, descendants of Major Bright and Edward Bright, (Findlay). They owned thousands of acres in Hancock County and because of Catharine; I believe that 160 acres of that is ours. They were such a prominent family that Bright Road in Findlay was named after them.” The original Victorian home where David’s brother, Paul, currently resides, hasn’t changed much through the years. Indoor plumbing was added in 1927 and the two front parlors were combined into one large room. But prior to that, the house still had running water. In one of the upstairs rooms was a lead-lined cistern that supplied them with soft water. Electricity was added in 1920s and the gaslights were turned off. The ceilings were lowered and all windows were replaced. The

wrap-around porch was crumbling and had to be removed. E.Y.’s son, Elmer Ellsworth Spahr, had been five years old when the house was built in 1879 and was still living in it as it was being remodeled. The cookhouse and a chicken coop, which stood on the east side of the house, were razed so they could add an attached garage and breezeway. The original slate roof survived until 1990 when it began to deteriorate and was replaced with fiberglass shingles. In the east end of the barn the ceiling beams and hay mow floor were replaced and cement floors, automatic waterers, and self-locking head gates were installed. A heated calf barn was erected in 1954 and was nearly destroyed in a fire in January 1991. “It was terrible,” Linda sighed. “We had heat lamps over the calves, because they needed the extra heat. I don’t know if something was overloaded or what, but the fire started from the lamps. “The hay and straw caught fire, and then to make matters worse the wind was blowing the fire against the next barn so we hurried to get all those cows out,” she shared.

“I think every volunteer fire department in county showed up. They did their best, but the fire spread too fast. The barn was totally destroyed except for the cement floor and cement block sides, and six calves died. A few years later, a 200-head, free-stall barn with a double 8, parallel New Zealand-style milking system was added. “That was so you can milk from rear,” Linda explained. “And now we also have a California style, walk-thru wash area. It can be used down to 25 degrees so when the temperatures get close they’re always checking it.” In 2000 they built another new section for two hundred cows in the main barn and dug out a large lagoon. That gave them two lagoons, one for each section. Manure is pumped into the lagoons and incorporated once a year. “On June 29 this year, our barn that’s near the Findlay reservoir blew down in that Derecho that came through,” Linda recalled. “So, we built a new building to store hay and straw and other equipment east of the main dairy barn.” Eugene and Betty Spahr,

David’s parents, both deceased, operated the farm previously. They had brought the first tractor on to the farm, trading three horses for a Massey Challenger. They fed beef cattle until 1940 when they sold them off and began milking Jersey cows. Eugene and Betty never regretted that decision and became deeply involved with the Jersey breed, which has since become a family tradition. “In 1961 we incorporated the farm operation, which was the only way to keep the family in and the taxes out,” Linda explained. “So, all of the land is now owned by the corporation. Our son, Brian, manages the farm, Paul does most of the farming, and David is semi-retired and still runs a lot of the errands, drives the trucks, things like that.” Spahr’s currently own 400 head of dairy cattle, each a registered Jersey. The farm has expanded to 730 acres, which produces corn, wheat, beans, straw and hay. A decision made nearly 300 years ago continues to affect the Spahr family today as they are busy working on the very land cleared by their ancestors.

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C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 1 In the cities and in years prior to the Civil War era, Christmas was a community event or celebration where people would come to the square of a village. “By 1874, Christmas had evolved to a family tradition,” she pointed out. Especially in Northwest Ohio, traveling to cities was a day-long journey and traveling at night was just dangerous, according to Haubert. “We did still have wolves in Ohio,” she commented about the dangers. “You faced natural dangers by being out.” “Things revolved more

about the family and you stayed in your area,” she added. German families were already known for being frugal — for any farm family in the Black Swamp that was doubly so. Haubert said families on the farms in the region would decorate for the holiday with greenery hanging in the cabin by the mid1800s. In the cities — families put up tabletop trees adorned with candles — a tradition brought with the German immigrants. “Families out in the swamp — you're not going to waste candles,” she said

about having setting up a tree with candles. “And it's a fire hazard, and you're living in a wood house.” Homes in the cities had finished walls unlike cabins homes on most farms then. Haubert said that the idea of using greens to decorate actually came from Greens and Romans. Evergreens were the only thing that would show life in the darkness of that time of year. The greens were also viewed as a protection from illness and bad spirits, she added. Plus since families lived in log cabins the evergreens could be put up for a day or two during Christmas and tossed outside. “It wasn't a huge fire hazard,” she pointed out about greens. Besides greens in the cabins, German families influenced what type of gifts and decorations were being used in the Black Swamp after the 1850s. “Your decorations could be a gift you could give away,” she said about the frugal ancestors of the region. One of the most expensive gifts someone could

Sandusky County Park District education specialist Debbie Haubert sits at one of the tables as she prepares for Christmas at the Cabins in Gibsonburg at White Star Park.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Evergreens would have been a common decoration in the 1850s in Northwest Ohio. Garlands of paper dolls also would have been used when paper was available.

give in the Swamp was a piece of fruit, like an orange, the park district official said. “It was hard to get and expensive,” she said. While less frugal city dwellers might take an orange and pepper it with cloves for a hanging decoration, in the swamp that orange was a gift between a suitor and his lady and was properly shared with family for its health value, she said. In the city in the mid1800s, more glass ornaments were becoming part of the Christmas traditions. Those traditions were slow to move to the farms of the swamp, however. In cabins like the Schlea-Swartzlander home (named for the family who donated it) most gifts would have been handmade. What gifts were given would have depended on the skills people had — smithing, sewing, or cooking. There would have been tin-punch ornaments, tin ice cycles, fabric stars, dolls of cloth, applesauce dough ornaments and dried apple garlands ornaments. Apples were a fruit that was available in the region, and they could be kept nearly year-round

with the aid of a fruit cellar. “They did have access to some spices,” Haubert said about families. “If you had a relative who sent you some fancy paper,” she said that could be turned into a paper doll garland. Haubert said the German culture also used marzipan as decorations, which could be shaped into fruit and colored — then eaten later. The Christmas dinner on the farm would be different than most people might expect for the times. In the swamp — livestock was kept for its value not as a meat product. Chickens produced eggs, cows milk and oxen were needed to pull the plow and wagons. Horses were for single person travel and did not handle mud well. An old laying hen could be saved for a holiday dinner — or wild game like turkey, deer or pheasant served. Haubert said even muskrat was used for a meal. Desserts were few, because sugar was expensive. Farm families may have had access to maple syrup — but it would be difficult to make it last until Christmas. Haubert said they would have access

to honey, but collecting that had its own challenges. Dried fruits could be used for special occasions — apples, cherries and wild fruits. As for a holiday drinks — Haubert said whiskey was kept on hand for its dual purpose of medication and drink. There could be cider, milk, plus tea and coffees. The latter were most likely made from locally grown items like herbs or chicory. Haubert said chicory and dandelion root — common for the time — are very strong. After hanging some of the period decorations on the greenery in the cabin, Haubert said that her Christmas in the Cabin program includes food being cooked in the cabin stove and that the meals are a little more modern — with beef roast, carrots and onions plus cherry cobbler. The cabin holiday visitors today also have a chance to make their own ornaments, and they string popcorn and cranberries. Compared to the 1850s, the visit to cabin is a somewhat plush event. “Their traditions were quite simple,” Haubert said about old farm families of the region.

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40 year warranty Painted Galvalume with true 20 yr steel warranty Lumber, Insulation, Windows, Doors, Sliding Door Hardware, Gutter, and More

419-347-1414

Visit our NEW Web Site! ZimmermansMetalAndLumber.com

2341866

2842 Shelby Ganges Rd. • Shelby, OH 44875 Agro Chem East Wilmington, OH 1-800-438-4489

Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

that work .com JobSourceOhio.com

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE-24/7

DEADLINES/CORRECTIONS:

www.acresmidwest.com www.madison-press.com www.morrowcountysentinel.com www.expositornews.com

www.delgazette.com www.gallioninquirer.com www.theoberlinnewstribune.com

500 - Merchandise

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8-5 POLICY: Please Check Your Ad The 1st Day. It Is The Advertiser’s Responsibility To Report Errors Immediately. Publisher Will Not Be Responsible for More Than One Incorrect Insertion. We Reserve The Right To Correctly Classify, Edit, Cancel Or Decline Any Advertisement Without Notice.

740-852-1616

We Accept

All signs lead to you finding or selling what you want...

515 Auctions

www.acresmidwest.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

Liner deadline: 3rd Thursday each month Display Deadline: July Edition: June 20 Aug. Edition: July 18 Sept. Edition: Aug 22 Oct. Edition: Sept 19 Nov. Edition: Oct 24 Dec. Edition: Nov 19 Jan. Edition: Dec 19

Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Erie, Huron, Seneca,Wood, Henry, Putnam and Hancock counties

REAL ESTATE AUCTION

77+/- ACRE MIERKE FARM with 3 BEDROOM HOME & OUT BUILDINGS - Selling as 1 Tract Tues., Dec. 18, 2012 @ 11:07 am 2399 SR 20, Fremont, OH Across from Amish Connection

The VILLAGE RESTAURANT

Central Ohio Farmers Co-op, Inc.

Green Creek Twp., San. Co. OPEN FOR INSPECTION: Tues, Dec 4 @ 1-5pm Tues, Dec 11 @ 1-5pm FARMERS CO-OP

Auction Location:

;5%8672 $60725, $90( *-"1 !# /2)2% /2#& ;5%8672 #$-"*+ !,%/- &/"*." 0*')( 4)25:':) +)2367&

435 N. Warpole St., Upper Sandusky, Ohio Phone: 419-294-2945 Banquet

Green Camp Branch 604 Elevator Rd. Green Camp, OH 43322

Open Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

•Residential, Commercial & Agriculture 00183655

Propane Customers Welcome 2289233

/0''%3365 .5032%%

Asst. Auctioneers: Dean A. Smith

Andy Kluding

www.bakerbonnigson.com 535 Farm Supplies/Equipment

that work .com

600 - Services

that work .com

2289345

Insurance DAN WILHELM Insurance, dba Ottawa County Agency, LLC

Phone: 419-849-2711 800-589-9711

Don’t delay... call TODAY!

Auto/Home/Business/Life Insurance

Direct Phone Line: 419-849-2114

1200 W. Main Street P.O. Box 217 Woodville, Ohio 43469

1515 Main St. • Genoa OH 43430

Extensions are listed on back of card

Phone: 419-855-9089

Fax: 419-849-2720 Grain Recording: 419-849-2876 Web: www.luckeyfarmers.com 800-589-2711

2289398

Email:dan@ottawacountyagency.net Web: http://ottawacountyagency.net

Engine Rebuilding

615 Business Services

Room and Carryout Available

Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

740-528-2211 800-432-8427

Seed and Feed Luckey Farmers, Inc.

2289395

7-SHANK BUSHHOG, chisel plow, front disk. 419-684-7520.

by using

2342458

WM BAKER & KEN BONNIGSON, CAI

Agri-Commercial-Residential

THAYER Engine & Machine

Civitas Media

Reach more than ONE MILLION OHIO READERS for only $275!

Hours: Weekdays 8-5 • Sat. 8-Noon 18039 N. Dixie Hwy., Bowling Green, OH 419-353-5271 888-440-5271

Butler Steel # *Design BuildBuildings # Post Frame *Butler Steel Buildings Site Development # *Concrete Work *Site Development # Concrete Work 00186824

2289408

00176636

Farm • Auto Truck • Industrial 19 20 years experience experience 2331810

615 Business Services

Dining/Restaurant

Propane Service

58.7+/- ACRES TILLABLE & 10.6+/- ACRES WOODS

Passenger & Farm Tires Contact Roy Slater for details

CALL (419) 448-1365

clouse@acctiffin.com www.clouseconstruction.com www.clouseconstruction.com

Consignment Hay Auction

All Auctions Start @ 10:00am Auctioneer Fred Wolfe

Hay and Straw Auctions Sat.,

Scott Weininger • Steve Howard

Jan 26th • Sat., Feb 23th

Owners 300 N. Warpole St. 14889 St. Hwy. 31 Kenton, Oh 43326 Upper Sandusky, Oh 43351 (419) 674-4715 (419) 294-4981

2289296

(419) 295-1009 rslater@acresmidwest.com rwslater711@sbcglobal.net

1775 S. CR 1 Tiffin, Oh 44883 (419) 448-9850

Hrs: Mon-Fri 8am - 5:30pm; Sat 8am - Noon 2341060

Utility Vehicle

2342461

2941 S. State Route 100, Tiffin Phone 419-447-1828 | Fax 419-447-8437

www.ewaldfurniture.com Ohio’s Favorite Dealer Co Rd 99 at I-75, Exit 161 - FINDLAY

Find it

866-302-9253

2331792

2289403

The Polaris RANGER, general purpose off-road utility vehicle, is not intended and may not be registered for on-road use.

- HOURS Mon. & Sat.: 10:00-5:00, Tues thru Fri.: 10:00-8:00

Insurance

Field Tiling

Meister Insurance Group

Nancy Homan, CISR, CPIW Agent nancyhoman@hotmail.com

Emch Bros.

in the

2289410

2289390

Drainage Contractors Est.1975 • 1902W.Main St,Woodville,OH 43469

PHONE 419-270-0560

New Homes Additions - Garages Pole Buildings and Old Barn Restoration Replacement Windows and Doors Complete Residential and Agricultural Services

Mike Freeh, Owner

In Business Since 1973

Mike Freeh Construction, General Contractor Fremont, OH 43420

Free Estimates • Pre Engineered Post • Frame Buildings • Farm, Horse, Residential, Commercial

567-201-9398 - Business 419-463-0330 - Residence

Bloomville, OH 419-983-5972 • 800-552-2772 Cell 419-618-0839 www.jpwardconstruction.com

2331818

Wolverine Vinyl Side Solid Vinyl Siding

115 W. Washington St. • Napoleon, OH 43545 419-592-5059 419-592-934 Fax

Buildings

Siding

2310584

We’re here for all your Insurance needs

Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

Pole Barns

Custom Baling

We Sell Hay & Straw • Hay and Straw • We Do Complete Custom Baling, Cutting & Raking For You.

Forry Custom CustomBaling, Baling,LLC LLC J.E. Forry 00185384 2289239

2289220

327 S. Hazel StAda, • Upper OhioSandusky, OH 567-230-0031 567-230-0031//740-225-1502 740-225-1502

THE ERLIN TRADERS

Quality Fuels & Lubricants

aMAZEing finds in

701 Main St., Clyde 419-547-0441 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 12-5, Closed Thurs.

Amish Made Flat Screen TV and Entertainment Centers •Dining Room Hutches •Tables & Chairs •Amish Bedroom Suites

•Roll Top Desks •File Cabinets •Bookcases •Glassware •Clocks

JIM BOWMAN, MANAGER

•China Cabinets •Bar Stools •Antique Items 2341195

Lots More To Choose From...

CELL PHONE: (740) 225-3190 BUS. PHONE: (740) 382-9610 TOLL FREE: 1-888-498-9880 FAX: (740) 387-8863

Farm Repair Parts

Chainsaw & Small Engine Shop Repairs made on all Brands

• J & M • KILBROS • YETTER • UNVERFERTH • REMLINGER, ETC.

• Snapper • Jonsered • Kohler • Kawasaki • . • Briggs & Stratton 2331797

BRENEMAN EQUIPMENT 2294159

517 PARK BLVD. MARION, OHIO 43302 E-mail:marion_oil@yahoo.com http://www.centraloilfarm.com

TATE’S

• Custom Hydraulic Hose • Tillage Wear Parts • Wheel Bearings • Combine Cutter Bars • DMI Truck Hitches • All Makes & Systems

• 800-499-8494 • 419-757-5012 ONE MILE E. OF ALGER • CO. RD. 90 Visit us @ brenemanequipment.com

that work .com 2289225

MARION OIL CO. Quality Fuels & Lubricants

“The Perfect Gift for Christmas”

388 E. Perry Street • Tiffin • (419) 443-1530

Auto Body Service

•Salt Sale - 2nd Sat. Monthly •Salt & Bottled Water Delivery - Home Or Office •Sale Or Rent Water Treatment •Service On Most Brands

Owner, Dave Wonderly Manager, Andy Wonderly

2331801

3875 St. Rt. 6, Helena, Ohio 43435

PHONE 419-638-3311

2341204

2301586

507 Tiffin Ave., Fremont • 1-800-888-9077 www.hallswater.com

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Acres of Northwestern Ohio,

Monday, December 3, 2012

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