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Bloom celebrating Valley women

gone

Country Lauren Arbogast goes from city gal to ag booster.

Spring 2016

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INSIDE BLOOM

A4 Columnist Christina Kunkle reminds us that it’s never too late to make the most of our time.

page 12

16 Growing awareness.

Blogger, advocate Lauren Arbogast brings agriculture education to the classroom and beyond.

your CAREER Valley women speak out on making midlife work changes. page 5

your STYLE Flat and fashionable, this season sees shoes trending toward comfort. page 14

your FAITH Catholic kids are connecting with Pope Francis. page 11

your HOME Do-it-yourself divas are keeping it clean and natural. page 20

The daffodils have arrived. Trees bud and bloom in vibrant whites and yellows. And kids linger later outside as the sun waits to make its slow descent in the western sky.

Despite the chill still in the air, spring is here. A time of renewal and change. And with that in mind, we present our Spring 2016 Bloom.

In this issue, we talk to three local ladies who made dramatic shifts in their lives. All midlife career changers, they examine what led them to make the move, and a Valley career coach offers tips for those who might be considering changes of their own.

And Bloom covergirl Lauren Arbogast knows about change. This city gal is living the country life in Lacey Spring and working to bring agriculture education into classrooms in the

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Valley and beyond.

Columnist Christina Kunkle also reminds us in this issue that it’s never to late. Make the most of what you have today.

We also talk to fashion bloggers about the latest shoe trends for the season. With relief, they say that heels are down, and putting comfort first is on the rise.

Also in this issue, we ask some Valley Catholics to reflect on recent changes within the church, local DIYers talk about ways to save a few dollars and live a little more naturally, and we look at places to get away from it all without going too far from home.

Thanks for reading ladies, and as always, keep blooming!

Kyleen Kendall, Editor

your TRAVEL Unplug this summer without leaving the Valley at these outdoor destinations.

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Bloom Staff Kyleen Kendall, editor

Aleda Johnson, staff writer Pete DeLea, writer Contributors

Christina Kunkle, columnist Luanne Austin, writer Bloom is a publication of Rockingham Publishing Co., Inc. Copyright © 2016 Rockingham Publishing Co., Inc. 231 S. Liberty St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801 For advertising information, call 540-574-6220.

A5 your CAREER

Taking

Leap The

Career changers talk about risks, benefits

R

Article by Pete DeleA

oughly five years ago, Regina Harlow was a newspaper writer, Diane Roll was a crime prevention specialist for a police department and Sarah Showalter was a teacher.

Now, the three women are among many in the Shenandoah Valley who have leaped in completely different careers.

Some women are doing it for necessity, some for passion and some for a little of both. Whatever the reason, Kyle Laver, owner of Harrisonburg Career Coaching, said that most will change careers at least four times during their lifespan.

“I see a ton of women that are trying to change their career,” said Laver, who spent five years at Blue Ridge Community College as a career counselor before she opened her own business about three years ago. “The majority are seeking a sense of purpose.”

Tragedy changes everything

Harlow was like most of the women, although her passion was sparked by a painful loss.

The 38-year-old Grottoes resident started her writing career as a freelancer with the Daily News-Record, reporting for the company’s weekly newspapers.

She was hired on full time in 2007.

See LEAP, Page 13

Regina Harlow, associate pastor at Mountain View Fellowship Church of the Brethren, greets members of her congregation on a Sunday morning in early April in McGaheysville.

Photos by Daniel Lin

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A6 your TRAVEL

Valley

Views

Maddie Janowak (foreground) and Jenna Kiser, both 16 and of Fenton, Mich., take photos from the top of Bearfence Rock Scramble in Shenandoah National Park. The girls, accompanied by Maddie’s father, Matt Janowak, were on a trip for their IB biology class.

Local destinations offer opportunities to unplug, unwind Article by luAnne Austin | Photo by DAniel lin “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

— Rachel Carson “Silent Spring”

P

lanning a vacation this summer in the great outdoors? Do you know that many people come to the Shenandoah Valley to vacation in our great outdoors?

Most of us are aware there are psychological benefits to being on a beach, paddling in a stream, or walking in a forest.

For those of us who live here,

those locations are just a short drive away.

“Research shows that spending time in nature and mindfully exploring the beauty of the world around us impacts our mental and emotional wellness in positive ways,” says Laura Copley, PhD., LPC, of Aurora Counseling & Well Being in Harrisonburg. “Not only are

we enjoying the moment, but we are literally changing our brains.”

Engagement with nature helps with emotional balance and alertness and makes us less likely to experience anxiety and depression, Copley says. Here in the Valley, we have so much See VIEWS, Page 8

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A8 See five counties from overlook Views

FROM PAGE 6

access to natural resources.

Between Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, George Washington National Forest and Virginia State Parks, there’s no excuse for not taking a walk in the woods.

But let’s start with a nearby West Virginia State Park. Less than an hour north of Harrisonburg, Lost River State Park gets about 25,000 visitors per year, according to Mike Foster, park superintendent. Lost River offers rustic cabins, 25 miles of hiking trails, horseback riding, a swimming pool, seasonal recreation building, and a gift shop. You won’t miss the internet or your cellphone.

“This is the perfect place to unplug,” says Foster, al-

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though Wi-Fi and a telephone are available in the park office.

“Families stay here because of the peace and quiet and safety of the park.”

He says that a hike to the Cranny Crow overlook is a “must-do.” The trail is 1½ miles each way.

“You can see five counties from the overlook,” he says.

Visitors spend evenings sitting around the fireplace, hiking, attending a naturalist program or star gazing.

Beyond the park boundaries, Hardy County offers more.

Three rivers run through it, offering fishing, canoeing and swimming.

Lost River is popular with Courtesy Photo kayakers during high water periods.

Less than an hour north of Harrisonburg, Lost River State Park gets about 25,000 visitors per year, according to Mike Foster, park superintendent. He See VIEWS, Page 9 says a hike to the Cranny Crow overlook is a “must-do.”

A9 Official says there’s very little light pollution in Big Meadows area Views

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The Lost River Artisan’s Co-operative features fine arts and crafts, and CDs of local bluegrass music. The Lost River General Store carries craft and gift items, specialty beers, local wine, hand-dipped ice cream and homemade barbecued pork.

Dining nearby is available at the Lost River Grill and on weekends, the Guest House at Lost River.

For more information, visit www.lostriversp.com.

Meadows and more

Heading east from the city, a 40-mile drive will get you to Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park. Big Meadows has much to offer a family that wants to get back to nature,

Photo by Daniel Lin

June Troyer (top) and her mother, Gigi Troyer, of Charlottesville, take photos of a controlled burn at Big Meadows across from the Byrd Visitor Center in Shenandoah National Park.

but is not without its modern amenities.

“Families can enjoy an escape from their everyday lives and visit the natural world,” says

Sally Hurlbert, acting management assistant for SNP. “There is so much to experience here that doesn’t require a plug!”

Hurlbert lists some things

to see and do at Big Meadows: the Byrd Visitor Center, ranger programs, three waterfalls, numerous hiking trails (including the Appalachian Trail), photography, bird watching, wildlife viewing, exploring the meadow, multitudes of wildflowers, picking blueberries in August, visiting the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, beautiful views, dark night skies and bicycle riding.

After the sun sets, evening programs are offered at the outdoor amphitheater located in the picnic grounds, as are hikes in the meadow.

“There is very little light pollution in the Big Meadows area, so night sky viewing is spectacular,” Hurlbert says. “Amateur astronomers will often set up See VIEWS, Page 10

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A10 Programs offered to help visitors understand nature, conservation Views

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their telescopes in the big meadow on clear nights.”

Many guests relax while reading a book in the lodge’s great room or enjoy local musicians play in the taproom downstairs, says Helen Morton, director of sales and marketing with Delaware North Corporation, concessionaire for SNP. Morton says about 30,000 people stay at Big Meadows annually, in the lodge, cabins and campground. Some visitors get good cell service at the lodge and amphitheater. Wi-Fi is available in the great room and public areas of the lodge.

“If they do want to do an activity that requires technology in the form of a GPS device, we have several Earthcaches in the park that people can enjoy ex-

ploring,” Hurlbert says.

Three gift shops on the grounds offer souvenir clothing and gifts, handmade crafts, Virginia wines and foodstuffs, educational items, books, toys and more.

Morton advises families to “pack for cooler temperatures in the early morning and late evenings … and be sure to bring binoculars, and be on the lookout for lots of deer and other wildlife.”

For more information, visit www.nps.gov/shen.

ia State Parks visitor specialist. The park sees more than 215,000 visitors per year.

“During the summer months, we often experience cooler temperatures than some of the other regions of the state, which makes a refreshing visit,” Atwood says.

In addition to camping and

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Douthat, in Bath County, is a popular destination for families, says Amy Atwood, Virgin-

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A11 your FAITH

Making Connections

Thinkstock Photo Illustration

Catholic youth inspired by Pope Francis

V

ictoria Blackstone, youth minister at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Harrisonburg, says the kids at her church love Pope Francis.

“That’s what’s so exciting,” says Blackstone, who became the youth minister in the fall of 2015. “We now have a religious figure that kids love.”

He’s impacted the spiritual life of young Catholics in the Valley and around the world. In anticipation of the pope’s September 2015 visit to the United States, the Barna Group found in just a single year, from 2014 to 2015, the proportion of American adults who say Pope Fran-

Article by Luanne Austin cis has caused them to make changes to their spiritual life has quadrupled, from five percent to 21 percent. The most significant shifts have been among millennials, ages 15-35, and generation X, ages 35-55.

Whether it’s opening up lines of conversation, fostering a more inclusive attitude or leading by example, the pope has had a palpable effect on the lives of both the young and old.

A humble approach

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God’s mercy, concern for the poor and commitment to interfaith dia-

logue. He is credited with having a humble, less formal approach to the papacy — which began March 13, 2013 — than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Vatican City guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace.

Blackstone says the pope’s willingness to talk about subjects that were formerly taboo has encouraged the young people at Blessed Sacrament to do so too.

That’s not often the case in religious institutions, where questions may be viewed as doubting and straying from the faith.

“Many people who never felt it was OK to ask questions,

they left the church; they put up walls,” Blackstone says. “With this new perspective, it’s OK to ask questions. As long as your end goal is truth, the church is open to that.”

These days, many youth have questions related to Catholic policies on marriage — particularly divorce and gay marriage — and the environment. Parents, Blackstone says, are recognizing it’s better to have these discussions in church.

“The youth are going to talk about it anyway,” says Blackstone. “They face it every day.”

See CONNECTIONS, Page 24

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A12 “Whether one is 20, 40, 60, or 80; whether one has succeeded, failed or just muddled along — life begins each morning! The greatest fact in life is that it is never too late to start again. However discouraging your days may have been, keep this thought burning brightly in your mind: Life begins each morning!”

— L.M. Hodges

Metro Graphics Photo Illustration

Never too late Overcome challenges and change to make the most of life

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by

christinA KunKle, ctA certifieD life AnD Wellness coAch, r.n.

n this ever-changing world, there are only a few things I feel certain of. First, the only constant is change, so learning to quickly adapt is essential. Second, it’s not what happens to us but what we do with it that matters most. Third, whether we’re making the most of our time or not, the clocks will continue ticking away the seconds, minutes and hours of our lives without missing a beat.

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We all have dreams about the way our life will be, what we hope to accomplish and what our ideal life looks like. But very often, we find ourselves in circumstances that shatter our perfect plans, leaving us upset and worried.

Perhaps you develop a chronic health condition that prevents you from doing the work you love, or suffer the loss of a spouse, family member or friend. Maybe the company

you’ve given your heart and soul to for over 30 years takes a sudden downturn, and your retirement savings vanish.

The challenges we face may be different, but we share the need to accept and overcome them in order to move forward. Often we end up convinced it’s too late for us to recover from personal or professional setbacks. We may give up or sink into despair, fearful that we have nothing

meaningful left to contribute.

Believing it’s too late depletes our precious energy, leaving us unable to take action. We give our power away without realizing it by focusing on past regrets or future concerns, spurring self-doubt, fear and confusion.

Instead of saying “it’s too late for me,” I’d like to suggest a new perspective that offers renewed hope. No matter what See LATE, Page 13

A13 Franklin invented bifocals at 78 Late

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you’re facing, you can still fulfill your purpose and create a legacy to be proud of ­— one full of love, joy and service.

Right now, you may be asking, “How does she know for sure it’s not too late for me?”

Because I believe author Richard Bach was right when he said, “Here’s a test to see if your mission here is complete: If you’re alive, it isn’t.” So if you’re reading this, it means you have work to do, and the clock is still ticking.

Just look back at what these amazing seniors accomplished: Did you know that at the age of 65, Harlan Sanders used his first $150 social security check to start the now-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken? Or that Ben Franklin invented the bifocals at 78? Then there’s Michelangelo, who didn’t begin his work on St. Peter’s Basilica until he was 72.

Oh, and we can’t forget Grandma Moses, who sold her first painting after her 90th birthday.

And we can all take a lesson from Flossie, my dear friend, who at 98 years young, said, “I used to believe it was never too late; now I realize that sometimes it is. For example, I loved to hike and swim for the exercise and health benefits, but the facts are that it is too late for my legs to handle that anymore.

However, I can still be an outdoors person by sitting on my daughter’s porch, watching the birds and enjoying her beautiful garden.

“I also loved to write, and one thing I regret was not attending journalism school, so I could have written a book about the adventures of my life. Now I’ll just have to ask my family to put all my short stories together

in a book, so my memories can live on that way.”

Awesome. She’s adapting by doing what she can with where she is, showing by example how to make the most of your time.

■ To adapt quickly, take a deep breath, remembering where your power lies. It’s not in the past or the future, it’s in the present. You can change your life by giving your attention to handling what’s in front of you right now.

■ Make the most of what happens by being grateful for what you have, not ungrateful for what you don’t. Place your focus on what you can still do, not what you can no longer do.

■ Make the most of your time by sharing your creativity. What brings a smile to your face? Use your gifts, strengths and talents to help others; find a way to show up fully in your life exactly as it is.

The Chinese sum it up well: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But the second best time is today.” Remember, you are here to make the difference only you can make. And since the clock is still ticking, what about starting today?

Christina Kunkle, R.N. and CTA Certified Life and Wellness Coach, is founder of “Synergy Life and Wellness Coaching, LLC” and creator of the “Synergy Success Circle.” She helps busy women prevent burn out by promoting bounce-back resilience to stay focused, positive, and excited about the challenges of work and life. For more information, visit www.synergylifeandwellnesscoaching. com or call (540)-7465206.

Photo by Daniel Lin

Mama’s Caboose owner Diane Roll prepares food at her deli in Dayton. Roll, a former Harrisonburg Police Department Crime Prevention Specialist, opened the deli and food truck in 2011.

‘Have a good security nest’ Leap

FROM PAGE 5

Then tragedy struck. Her infant daughter, Sadie Rose Harlow, died June 20, 2007, after 17 hours of life.

Harlow started the Sadie Rose Foundation in 2008 to support families who have lost children.

She balanced the jobs for two years before leaving her newspaper career in 2010 to work full time with her nonprofit.

“I felt this call, I felt this pull … but how in the world do I make this work?” said Harlow.

But she had to take the leap.

“Everybody has a passion. To sustain and propel it forward, it takes a lot of determination, dedication and prayer.”

Harlow was nervous, having serious questions about finances since she would be transitioning from a two-income household to one.

Laver recommends coming up with a budget and saving money before making the change.

“Prepare ahead of time … have a good security nest,” she said.

As Harlow began to work with her foundation, she began taking courses through the Christian Growth Institute to work in ministry.

After school, she became the interim pastor of the Dayton Church of the Brethren, where she served from February 2014 to April 2015.

In January, she was named associate pastor of Mountain View Fellowship Church of the Brethren in McGaheysville.

Harlow recommends following what the heart wants.

“Go for it. If you’re feeling it, go for it,” she said. “My calling is to offer hope to people that are hurting for all reasons.”

Searching for passion

For Roll, her passion is food.

The 49-year-old grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.

After receiving an undergraduate degree in secondary education and a graduate degree in Earth science from California University of Pennsylvania, she began a 13-year career in retail, See LEAP, Page 23

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A14

Walk On Foot-friendly shoes surging for spring

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This spring, shoe trends no longer force women to sacrifice comfort for style. Designers are fed up with the blisters, responding with trends that allow the lay person to get excited about fashion again.

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Article by AleDA Johnson Photo illustrAtion by niKKi fox

eauty is pain and being fashionable means sacrifice.

We hear it time and again when dressing for a night out or wanting to feel powerful at work.

“I know they make my feet hurt, but they’re so cute,” we exclaim as we choose heels over flats and men roll their eyes in confusion over our contradictory decisions.

But this spring, shoe trends no longer force women to sacrifice comfort for style.

Designers seem to be as fed up with the blisters as we are, responding with trends that allow the lay person to get excited about fashion again.

Ginna Baker, who moved from Harrisonburg to New York City in 2009, is so entrenched in the comfy-chic shoe lifestyle because of health problems, she dedicated an entire blog, FeetChic, to chronicling fellow lowheeled New Yorkers.

And what she’s seen lately on the New York streets would surprise some: sneakers.

Since the resurgence

of Nike woven sneakers and Adidas Stan Smiths on the feet of fashion elite during the 2014 “normcore” boom, the rubbersoled trend has been slowly gaining momentum.

Even the fancier fashion bloggers now pair black sneakers with their outfits, Baker said.

Ever since Birkenstocks got a fur-lined, metallic-studded makeover in 2012 by French design house Céline and Italian designer Giambattista Valli, the sartorially savvy have begun breaking down some of the social barriers to women wearing comfortable shoes.

See WALK, Page 15

A15 Blogger: ‘It’s a really nice balance of the girly with the sporty’ Walk

FROM PAGE 14

“People feel like, ‘Hey, I can be comfortable and still be taken seriously,’” Baker said. “At my job [at a midsize advertising startup in Silicon Alley], high-heeled pumps would be viewed as the aberration, not the other way around.”

It’s no surprise the trend caught on in a city where people walk everywhere, but the trend is just as prevalent in the Friendly City, according to Veronica Garcia, a blogger representing James Madison University on CollegeFashionista.com, a fashion website featuring styles from college campuses across the country.

“I didn’t see them last semester, but everyone

has Adidas sneakers now,” Garcia, 20, said. “Hopefully, the trend will continue and people get to be comfy all the time.”

Black, white or neutraltone kicks seem to be the goto colors, but they aren’t just paired with the obvious jeans or casual slacks.

Almost like becoming the new ballet flat, tennies go well with knit dresses, drapey sweaters and leggings.

Garcia, in keeping with her mixture of elegance and grunge, would pair hers with jean shorts and a chunky sweater or a feminine dress with loud jewelry.

“It’s a really nice balance of the girly with the sporty and just playing with both of those trends,” she said.

But for those who want

a little more ballroom and a little less gymnasium, sporty laces meet feminine charm for lace-up sandals and flats.

The trend, especially the pointed-toe variety, lace across the tops of feet and up to the ankle — or even the calf — lending stability to the burst of speed needed

to make it to work on time.

In addition to her own blogging, Garcia follows the unique style of a number of British fashion bloggers on YouTube like Samantha Maria, and they’re picking up the trend as well.

See WALK, Page 29

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A17 Digging in On the farm or the job, Lauren Arbogast gives it her all

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Article by AleDA Johnson PhotogrAPhy by holly MArcus

t was a warm afternoon at Arbogast Farm in 2008 when a bull pushed through the broken latch on a fence, deciding he would look for greener pastures.

Over the hill, playing with her two sons in her large, white 19th-century farmhouse, Lauren Arbogast got two phone calls about a roaming bull: the first from her husband, Brian, and the second from her mother-in-law, Sharon.

Word travels fast on the 300acre farm in Lacey Spring.

With no one else around to solve the problem, Lauren threw her boys in the family truck and set out to herd the bull back where it belonged.

As if driving a large, metallic border collie, Lauren corralled the stubborn bull back toward the gate after extensive horn honking and fist waving.

Once the bull was home, she dug through tool bins in the truck looking for a quick solution to the gate’s broken latch.

Coming up with a handful of

zip ties, Lauren secured the gate and then called the most important person back first — her mother-in-law — before heading back to the house, having been quick on her toes and handling the problem like any seasoned farm hand would.

While events like this are common being married to a farmer, one might be surprised to learn it had only been three years since Lauren jumped on a tractor for the first time.

Now, 11 years later, Lauren has fully immersed herself in the agricultural lifestyle, helping around the farm, raising two “mini farmers,” writing a blog called Paint the Town Ag{riculture}, and advocating for agriculture education, first at the elementary school level and later on a national level.

‘City girl’ to ‘farmer’s wife’

Although she was a member of 4-H club and rode horses, Lauren lived in Newport News See DIGGING, Page 18

Lauren Arbogast lives in Lacey Spring with her husband, Brian, and two boys, Branson and Jackson. They farm beef cattle, chickens and field crops.

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A18 ‘[Lauren] loves to give and looks for any opportunity to do so’ Digging

FROM PAGE 17

until college, considering herself a “city girl.”

She would see tractors and farm animals at the Rockingham County Fair every year when visiting relatives, but never thought about where her food came from.

“If you would have asked me what agriculture was or how it pertained to me, I would have given you a completely blank stare,” Lauren, now 33, said. “I had knowledge, but I didn’t apply it at all and didn’t care to.”

It wasn’t until graduating from James Madison University in 2004 and finding a job in Harrisonburg that Arbogast took her first step into the ag world.

Her then-office manager Sharon Arbogast convinced her to spend time at the Arbogast farmhouse and meet her son Brian.

Arriving at the farm, Lauren was surprised to see Brian Arbogast driving toward her on a tractor instead of meeting him at the house.

“He said, ‘If you want to talk, you’re going to have to get into the tractor because I can’t stop right now to go on a date,’” Arbogast said. “I remember pausing for a second, being like ‘OK,’ hopping in the tractor and away we went like something out of a country song.”

Eight months later in November 2005, the couple was married, and the following months of adjusting to farm life were a learning experience for Lauren.

She adopted the mantra of “fake it until you make it,” jumping on tractors, driving 18-wheelers and helping with

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Photos by Holly Marcus

ABOVE: Yearling heifers munch on silage at Arbogast Farms in Lacey Spring. RIGHT: In November 2005, Lauren and Brian Arbogast were married. The following months of adjusting to farm life were a learning experience for Lauren.

newborn calves, but her husband insists she was a natural. “[Lauren] had a lot of wise questions about why we were doing this or that,” Brian Arbogast, 33, said. “Other than that, she fell right into it like she knew what she was doing.”

It helped that the transition from “city girl” to “farmer’s wife” fit her creative problem-solving personality as a life-long learner to a T. “You have to have a spirit of resilience and stubbornness, and for me, this was the perfect match for my personality,” Lauren said. “I love to solve problems and love the outdoors, so it all came together like a perfect storm.”

After spending almost 11 years with Lauren on the farm, Brian Arbogast thinks his wife is a pro.

“I think if I was to leave the farm today, she’d pick right up

and take off,” he said. “She can run equipment, tractors and trucks, haul cattle or whatever we need to do.”

But it wasn’t just her resilience that helped Lauren fall seamlessly into her place on the farm.

Angela Mayfield, who first met Lauren during her elementary school teacher days and is now her boss, classifies Lauren as a cheerful giver. “[Lauren] just gives constantly,” Mayfield said. “She loves to give and looks for any opportunity to do so, whether it’s her time or her talent.”

Bringing ag to the classroom The mixture of her giving personality and resilience on the farm led to Lauren’s focus on agriculture education.

After earning her master’s degree in education, Arbogast began teaching early childhood special education in Staunton

in 2007.

By the time she relocated to Keister Elementary School in 2009, Arbogast was looking for a way to give her students experiences she missed when growing up in the city.

While her aim wasn’t originally set on agriculture education, she looked into the curriculum and found her students responded better to the tactile learning of being in the natural world.

Then when designing plans, Arbogast integrated what she knew: agriculture.

“I found out that not only were the preschoolers more engaged when you’re outdoors, the kids in the classroom that had special needs responded more,” she said. “They respond so much better when you’re talking about a sheep if they’re petting a sheep.”

See DIGGING, Page 19

Program has expanded Digging

FROM PAGE 18

It wasn’t long until Lauren had engineered weekly Farm Fridays, with small farming lessons, and Keister’s first Farming in the City day, where students from all grades pet sheep, learned how to milk a cow and how erosion affects farmland.

She used her contacts in the farming community to bring the farm into the city, educating students about agriculture while adhering to Virginia’s Standards of Learning.

Brian Arbogast brought farm equipment to the first Farming in the City, while his brother, who is a farrier, brought a horse to shoe for students.

And the students loved it.

“Until Lauren started doing [Farming in the City] day, I don’t think the kids really had any idea what a farm was or how their food was produced,” Brian Arbogast said. “It was really something that the city needed, and just seeing the excitement on the kid’s faces of what they’re learning is neat for me to see.”

Worried that the program would fall apart if she stepped away from teaching, Lauren enlisted the help of fellow teacher Patti Studwell to continue the program.

And continue it has, expanding to five city and county schools this year.

Other educators soon began approaching Lauren about her approach to ag education, and she felt the need to create another platform to help others understand what agriculture can mean.

Not long after, Lauren began her Paint the Town Ag{ri-

culture} blog, which has teacher-specific resources as well as anecdotal accounts of life on the farm with her husband and two “mini-farmers.”

The blog’s content creat-

ed engaging relationships and positive feedback just as Lauren hoped.

“It’s one of the most rewarding things,” she said. “I don’t have a huge blog, but

if I can grow one meaningful relationship out of that and alter someone’s perception positively about agriculture, See DIGGING, Page 22

Spring 2016

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your HOME

A20 The DIY lifestyle Article by Luanne Austin Photo by Nikki Fox

S

he calls it her witches’ brew.

Dianna Chandler of Port Republic has been concocting laundry soap in her own kitchen for almost 10 years.

She puts in a little of this, a little of that, stirs it all together, boils it and … ta-da. Laundry soap that gets her clothes clean and saves her money.

“Plus,” she says, “I enjoy doing it.”

Chandler, 63, began making her own detergent when she found out she could. A friend

Dianna Chandler makes laundry detergent with four ingredients at her Port Republic home in March.

told her about it and shared a recipe. Chandler always had to avoid perfumes in laundry detergent because of her

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Spring 2016

husband’s sensitive skin.

But DIY (do it yourself) was already part of Chandler’s DNA before she began making

detergent. Years earlier, because of a chronic problem with body See DIY, Page 21

A21 Clark: ‘What we put on our skin matters’ DIY

FROM PAGE 20

odor, she started making her own deodorant.

“I could knock down a buffalo at 50 paces,” she jokes. “I was bad. I even got a prescription deodorant. It didn’t help.”

Melissa Clark of Elkton had the same issue. She attributes the problem to a “stinky gene.”

“I used the best deodorants I could find and nothing worked, so I tried making my own,” says Clark. “The day after I started using it, I was working out in the garden and I realized I didn’t stink.”

After she and her husband, Len, experienced skin cancer, she gained an awareness of taking care of her body’s largest organ and began making her own bar soap.

“So many people have gotten

skin cancer,” Clark says. “What we put on our skin matters. But I can’t read the ingredients on the bar soap packages.”

While she doesn’t claim to know everything about commercial soap, she says her brush with skin cancer made her more aware of what she puts on her skin.

“Maybe the problem with some of these ingredients is how they leave us more susceptible to disease by stripping away normal defense mechanisms in the body and on our skin,” Clark says.

Since she raises cattle, Clark began rendering the tallow, which is made from animal fat, to make soap. To the tallow, she adds olive oil, cocoa butter, lye and water.

“Then you can grate it and add other things,” says Clark. “Honey and cocoa butter make it softer.

Ground corn makes it exfoliating.

And I don’t want to smell like a hamburger [from the tallow], so I add scent to it.”

Speaking of skin, Chandler says using white vinegar in the washing machine rinse cycle instead of fabric softener — which she read about in the Heloise newspaper column — has also helped her husband avoid

problems with his skin sensitivity.

“And fabric softener leaves a film on clothing,” Chandler says.

“It makes it dull and also so soap won’t penetrate.”

Doing all these things for herself makes Chandler feel less dependent on grocery stores.

She realizes not everyone has this option, but it doesn’t take much time. About 10 minutes See DIY, Page 25

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A22 Integrated tech into teaching Digging

FROM PAGE 19

it’s all worth it.”

Taking the next step

In recent years, Lauren has taken her goal of educating the masses about agriculture to a whole new level.

From arranging Farming in the City days, Lauren made new connections and expanded her reach as an ag educator in 2014, first working as a farm-to-table coordinator for Virginia Cooperative Extension and then an independent contractor for Mayfield at Vivayic, a learning solutions design agency.

Now working full time as a learning designer at Vivayic, Lauren has control over a broader spectrum of ag education.

She went from teaching elementary school students about farming to writing agriculture-based curriculum for entire school districts and other agronomic companies, including John Deere and the American Farm Bureau Foundation.

One of the ways Lauren began changing the landscape of ag education was integrating technology while teaching about farming.

As the first test pilot of the American Farm Bureau Foundation’s “My American Farm” learning platform while at Keister Elementary, Arbogast realized the program, created

by Vivayic, was an important resource.

“These are computer games and apps organized by grade level and tied into national standards of learning with lesson plans and videos to go with the games,” Lauren said. “The kids can play them

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Photo by Holly Marcus

Lauren Arbogast holds a four-day-old chick from her and her husband’s farm in Lacey Spring.

on their own and choose the type of agriculture they want to participate in.”

For example, the “All about Beef ” app mixes agriculture and math by having the player learn how quickly calves grow and calculate the differences in weight.

After working with her for Farming in the City implementing “My American Farm,” Mayfield couldn’t wait to get Lauren on her team, looking for opportunities to engage with her at any turn.

“Lauren is passionate and driven, and from a professional standpoint, those are two things that hit me so hard,” Mayfield said. “This woman gets things done, and when she has something she believes in, she makes it happen.”

Transparency is highly valued by consumers according the research from the Center for Food Integrity, so Lauren’s transparent nature makes her an asset to Vivayic and the ag community.

When approached by an inquisitive person, Lauren is willing to have a conversation and answer any questions they have.

“Consumers really want transparency in where their food comes from, and I look at Lauren as someone who completely embodies that,” Mayfield said. “With her blog and everything she does, she constantly has an open door.”

More than a stereotype

But the biggest struggle Arbogast still has in her pursuit of ag literacy is breaking down society’s misconceptions about agriculture.

As Lauren learned in her first few years in Lacey Spring, agriculture is more than the corn and beef on a plate at supper time.

“It’s not just the three meals a day and the snacks,” she said. “It’s the cotton jeans you put on and the leather belt you’re wearing. It’s literally everything.”

Agriculture varies regionally as well, something Lauren, who just returned from a work trip to Vietnam, can attest to.

“The way we do things in Virginia is different than the way they do things in Colorado or Africa or Australia,” she said. “Whether you have chickens in your backyard or eggs for your own consumption or 10,000 acres of strawberries, all that is agriculture.”

The people behind agriculture are also not always as tradition would dictate.

While living in the country is a different lifestyle than living in the city, living on a farm or owning chickens doesn’t make someone a “hick” or a “redneck,” wearing dirt-stained overalls and a straw hat.

“That gets under my skin a little bit because farmers don’t always wear overalls, have a straw hanging from their mouth and are dirty,” she said.

See DIGGING, Page 28

A23 ‘Everybody has a passion’ Leap

FROM PAGE 13

working in pharmacies.

Later, she spent several years teaching GED classes at a prison in Maryland and a semester teaching an Earth science class at Frostburg State University.

In 2005, she moved to the Shenandoah Valley, where she worked as crime prevention specialist for the Harrisonburg Police Department.

While she enjoyed helping people, she didn’t feel it was her passion.

Toward the end of her stint at HPD, she realized it was time to pursue her dream.

“You get a slap in the face,” she said. “I knew for forever that I wanted to have my own business.”

She first talked it over with her family and friends, which is a crucial step, according to Laver.

Besides immediate family and friends, Laver said, it’s also important to talk to someone neutral. This will take the emotions out of making a decision.

She said a career counselor can help with that.

“It’s important to have people to bounce ideas off of,” she said, adding that a counselor will help by focusing your ideas and suggesting resources.

“They’re not going to tell you what to do.”

In 2011, Roll left her job and opened Mama’s Caboose, a food truck that serves a variety of dishes at festivals and wineries throughout the Valley.

She later expanded to catering, serving up to 1,000 people at a time, and last year, she opened a deli in Dayton.

While making the move was risky and took a lot of determination, she said, there’s one

Photo by Austin Bachand

Sarah Showalter, co-owner of Showalter’s Orchard, stands for a photo at the Timberville orchard on Feb. 26.

big question those considering making a career change should ask themselves: “Are you willing to make mistake after mistake and not let it get you rattled?”

She said that will happen, but it’s part of the process.

“You have to get out of your comfort zone,” she said. “You have to be willing to fall down.”

Facing a new world

For Showalter, falling down was something she was scared of, but she took the risk anyhow.

Mostly out of necessity.

The 45-year-old Timberville resident received an undergraduate degree in secondary education from Eastern Mennonite University and studied to be a reading specialist through a graduate program at James Madison University.

During her 15-year career teaching in Rockingham County Schools, she worked at Elkton, Fulks Run, Linville-Edom and Plains elementary schools.

During that time, she and her husband, Shannon, along with

his parents, owned Showalter’s Orchard in Timberville. In 2002, they bought the 40-acre orchard, which features pick-your-own apples, outright.

Over the years, the couple began to think of ways to expand their farm.

“We were trying to figure out how to make the farm relevant and sustainable for our children,” said Showalter.

They turned to hard cider.

While in the planning stages, they realized they were going to need a manager but couldn’t afford to pay someone.

That’s where Sarah Showalter came in. In 2010, she left her teaching career and began working at the cidery. She focused on marketing, human resources and compliance with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Tasks she thought she knew nothing about.

“It’s scary to go from a world you know to a world you don’t know at all,” said Showalter. “I went from being really confi-

dent to not being confident at all.”

When transitioning to a new career, especially one that appears to be completely different from what you were doing, Laver recommends looking for ways to transfer the skills used in your previous job.

Showalter did just that. She soon learned many of her skills transferred over to her new career. Her ability to research, teach and encourage others all came in handy running the cidery.

In 2012, Old Hill Hard Cider opened.

What started out as a necessary career move became her passion. The passion led to success.

Whatever the career, she said, the key is making sure you love doing it.

“If you get up loving what you do, it gives you the energy and resolve to make you be successful,” said Showalter.

Spring 2016

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A24 ‘He’s not trying to change the church but create a dialogue’ Connections

FROM PAGE 11

Francis maintains the traditional views of the church regarding homosexuality, but believes that people who are gay should be treated with respect and love. He is changing how the Catholic Church handles divorce, making it faster and easier to get an annulment. He has declared 2016 as a Year of Mercy, when divorced Catholics are forgiven and welcomed back into the fold. As for the environment, he opposes consumerism and irresponsible development and supports taking action on climate change.

Nathan Hearne, 17, of Harrisonburg, started asking his own questions as he prepared for his confirmation around the same time Pope Francis was inaugurated.

24

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“He raised topics that I was seeking guidance on,” says Hearne. “Like, a lot of people think, ‘this is how the church sees this,’ but the pope asks, ‘what do you think?’ He’s not trying to change the church but create a dialogue. He listens to people.”

Embracing diversity

Hearne believes Pope Francis has had a good influence on many teens. He’s noticed, when the pope speaks, teens sit up and take notice.

Megan Cunningham, 16, of Harrisonburg, is one of them.

She even enjoyed listening to one of the pope’s speeches in youth group.

“He tells us to love others, to love ... the people you may not want to pay attention to,” says Cunningham, who’s attended

Blessed Sacrament all her life.

Hearne and Cunningham serve on the church’s youth council. Hearne says there used to be two youth groups at the church, “one for whites and one for Hispanics.” But the pope’s embracing of people of all colors, religions, races and socio-economic status has inspired

the youth group to do likewise.

For instance, in March, Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of 12 refugees at a migrant center in Castelnuovo di Porto outside of Rome, Italy. The ceremony took place as part of the observances of Maundy See CONNECTIONS, Page 27

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A25 Chandler: I do it because I can DIY

FROM PAGE 21

for the deodorant and 20 minutes for the laundry soap.

“Really, I do all these things because I can.”

Homemade Natural Deodorant ¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot ¼ cup coconut oil ¼ cup baking soda Mix ingredients until creamy.

Store in an airtight container. To apply, use your fingertips.

No additives, all natural. May cause some redness under the arms.

From Gretchen Baugher via Dianna L. Chandler Laundry Detergent 1/3 cup Fels Naptha soap bar ½ cup washing soda ½ cup Borax powder Water

In a blender put the 1/3 bar of soap and put on blend until like a fine powder. Or you may use a grater and grate the soap.

Place the blended soap, washing soda and borax powder in a large sauce pan. Add six cups of water. Heat on mediumhigh heat until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Pour into a 5 gallon bucket.

Add 1 gallon, 2 quarts and one pint of boiling water to the soap mixture. Stir until blended.

Let cool until you can handle and pour into containers.

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A27 At Blessed Sacrament, 170 youth enrolled in religious education says Blackstone.

“We have a lot of immiThursday, the Holy Thursday grants, an immense amount of before Easter. In a powerful diversity,” she says. “Looking demonstration of interfaith ac- at the religious education proceptance, the pontiff gram in this light, knelt down before a it’s not so much The one group of eight men about learning facts thing and four women, but about forming among whom were that brings us relationships across Muslims, Coptic together is our the diversity, getting Christians and one love for the to know each other Hindu. and overcoming our pope.

“So what the pope struggles together.” is reflecting and VicFrancis has a ■ Nathan Hearne, toria [Blackstone] is 17, of Harrisonburg way of reaching out to individuals that doing is bringing didefies the norm. versity to the youth group,” Hearne says. “The one Hearne was impressed with thing that brings us together is something the pope did while visiting the United States last our love for the pope.”

With 170 youth, grades 6-12, fall. In Chicago, 17-year-old enrolled in religious education at Valerie Herrera was chosen to Blessed Sacrament, there’s po- speak to the pope in a satellite tential for a lot of involvement, town hall meeting. Herrera,

Connections

FROM PAGE 24

“

who has a skin condition called vitiligo, which causes splotches on the skin, told Francis she’d been bullied in middle school for her appearance and had turned to music as an escape.

“So he asked her to sing for him,” Hearne says. “In a traditional Catholic setting that wouldn’t happen. It built her

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Hearne sees the pope’s love for people as a reflection of God. “He and God care for everyone the same,” he says, “no matter what race, religion or political view.”

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A28 Focuses on how to be proactive and erase stereotypes Digging

FROM PAGE 22

But it isn’t in Lauren’s nature to get angry about the misconceptions. Instead, she focuses on how to be proactive and erase these stereotypes.

When speaking or visiting classrooms, she considers what she’s wearing and how that represents being a farmer, and the most common response she gets from children who learn she is a farmer and take in her contrary appearance is confusion.

Just like farmers don’t always adhere to stereotypes, farmer’s wives can be just as diverse.

Some farmer’s wives are stay-at-home moms who cook for the farmhands and keep the farmhouse clean — which is still a full-time job, Lauren points out.

But others, like Lauren, work in the city and help on the farm during evenings and weekends.

Lauren raises her children beside her husband and feeds the hands when they work late, but her motivation is more from being a copilot than filling a certain role.

“If I know the guys are working late baling hay or in the field, I will put a meal together,” Lauren said. “It might be ham sandwiches. It might be a casserole.”

The only thing that all farmers and farmer’s wives have in common is their ability to adapt to the unexpected, whether it’s an alarm going off in the poultry house, a combine that stops working or a bull roaming the farm.

Jumping feet first onto the

tractor behind Brian like she did 11 years ago was just Lauren Arbogast’s first step to teaching others the facts of farm living.

She took her husband’s passion for agriculture, turned it into her own and brought it into classrooms across the country.

“Not only am I helping out the students and teaching them

essential life skills, but [Brian] can say his wife completely embraced agriculture and farming,” Lauren Arbogast said.

“What this means for us as a family and then for the nation when you’re talking about food production is a win/win.”

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A29 Designers trying to incorporate fur into shoe trends this spring Walk

FROM PAGE 15

In one of the videos, Garcia saw one blogger with a pair she described as her latest fashion “haul.”

“She said they were so pretty, and I’ve been seeing all those fashion bloggers buying them,” Garcia said. “They don’t address [the trend], saying it will be a big thing, but they’re buying them all over YouTube right now.”

What heels that do exist for Spring 2016 are chunky and relegated to the Western front as cowboy boots or almost nonexistent as kitten heels make a reappearance.

Instead of keeping both trends simple like

when they originally graced the runways, many of the designers are taking it to the next level.

Marc Jacobs glamorized his pointed-toe boots with sequins and beaded fireworks, and Phoebe Philo at Celine turned hers into a wedge adorned with braided black leather.

Maison Margiela’s white kitten heels seemingly walked

right off a spaceship with their sleek yet unusual shape.

“I’ve seen kitten heels that have little pompoms or a little decoration on them because fur has been a huge thing this winter, and they’re trying to incorporate that into the shoes because you can’t keep wearing faux-fur coats in the spring or summer,” Garcia said.

Baker and Garcia both

hope that the comfortable styles stick around and become more acceptable in classrooms and board meetings alike.

“I’d love to see sneakers become more common as professional footwear because they’re so much more comfortable than traditional high heels or even ballet flats,” Baker said. “You’re not going to sprain your ankle or need foot or back surgery from wearing sneakers.”

After all, Marilyn Monroe may have had it right: “If you give a girl the right shoes, she can c o n quer the world.”

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A30 More than 43 miles of hiking Views

FROM PAGE 10

store, and more than 43 miles of hiking, mountain biking and bridle trails. Plus, there are playgrounds, an amphitheater, picnic areas, tent and trailer camping and a restaurant overlooking the lake.

“Family getaways are our business,” Atwood says. Programs, available each day during the summer months, “are designed to help visitors better understand nature and conservation. Visitors may even learn a new skill such as kayaking/canoeing, orienteering, or tree and wildflower identification.”

Evenings at Douthat offer night hikes and canoe tours.

Each cabin has a fireplace, and each campsite a fire ring.

“Douthat is an excellent place to unplug,” Atwood says.

“To access cell service or Wi-Fi, Mady Borkaw (front) and visitors will have Alex Wagner to intentionally of Atlanta seek it out at the hike at Dark office or restau- Hollow Falls in rant.”

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