edible COLUMBUS | Winter 2013 | Issue No. 16

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Issue No. 16

Celebrating Local Foods, Season by Season

Winter 2013

Holiday Cookies ROOTS & SOUP NIGHT • WORLD TRADITIONS • EGGNOG • CENTRAL MARKET • SUNAPPLE KITCHENS PERRY CLUTTS • HYDROPONIC FARMING • WENDELL BERRY’S 17 RULES

Winter Contents 2013

Departments

2

Letter from the Publisher

38

The Original Public Market The story of the rise and fall of Columbus’s Central Market

By Nancy McKibben

Letter from the Editor The Seasoned Farmhouse

44 Delicious Collaborations

Sunapple Kitchens ARC Industries’s idea to sustainably connect communities

By Nicole Rasul, Photography by Jodi Miller

Local and In Season

53

Edible Reads

Wintertime Tomatoes Hydroponic farming provides a solution for year-round local produce

By Teresa Woodard, Photography by Catherine Murray

From the Kitchen Young Palates Behind the Bottle

RECIPES

Columbus Cooks Edible Nation Food Forward Local Foodshed Advertiser Directory Last Seed WINTER 2013

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18 25 27 27 27 28 28 34

Lentil Soup with Bacon and Orzo Carrot Ribbons with Sorrel Pesto and Crumbled Goat Cheese Apricot Bars Raspberry Bars Rascals Decorated Sugar Cookies Candy Cane Cookies Eggnog

COVER AND CONTENTS PHOTOS BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

4 6 8 10 18 20 26 30 34 36 41 48 59 62 64

Features

letter from the publisher

good Italian witch, La Befana. If you want to follow in Janet’s footsteps and incorporate new celebrations into your family’s holiday season, you can learn more about this special way of rejoicing on page 30.

As 2013 comes to a close, I must thank all of our loyal Edible Columbus advertisers and readers. We appreciate all of your support. It has made what we do possible and sustainable for the past four years. Going into year five, we are looking forward to continuing to help build bridges in our food community and encourage our readers to discover more special things grown and produced close to home. We are calling 2014 the year of big ideas—if you have any ideas to share, we are all ears. Feel free to contact me at tricia@ediblecolumbus.com.

edible

Columbus Publisher & Editor in Chief

Tricia Wheeler Managing Editor & Editor

Colleen Leonardi Copy Editors

Doug Adrianson • Susanna Cantor Editorial assistant

Leah Wolf Design

Melissa Petersen Business Development

I had the good fortune to meet someone recently who not only exudes warmth, but also has a twinkle in her eye and a goal of spreading cheer that lasts all year long. Her name is Janet Oberliesen and she shares her love of Christmas with her children and grandchildren through celebrating holiday traditions from other countries around the world. The number of traditions they celebrate in a single holiday season varies from year to year, but the intention stays the same.

Janet and her family share all the love and joy of the season as they pass on cultural traditions to the next generation with Scandinavian straw decorations, St. Lucia Day feasts, German St. Nicholas lantern parades and presents from the

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Stay warm!

Tricia Wheeler

Shelly Strange Contributors

Susan Ager • Wendell Berry Nijma Darwish • Lara Ferroni Claire Hoppens • Christine Hughes Sue Larson • Colleen Leonardi Nancy McKibben • Jodi Miller Diane Morgan • Catherine Murray Nicole Rasul • Nicolene Schwartz Maggie Stuckey • Teresa Woodard Leah Wolf Contact Us

P.S. We are cooking up lots of holiday cheer at The Seasoned Farmhouse, our new cooking school in Clintonville. We have a special lunch and shopping class on December 14 and 15, but if you’re interested in something simpler, come see us on December 14, from 3:30pm–5:30pm for a holiday open house. We will be serving cookies and hot chocolate and our retail area will be open for holiday shopping. We will have cooking class gift certificates available, as well as Edible Columbus subscriptions to give as gifts.

We will also have a selection of holiday-baked goods and sweet treats. We can wrap up something special for you! Come see us at The Seasoned Farmhouse, 3674 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43214.

P.O. Box 21-8376, Columbus, Ohio 43221 info@ediblecolumbus.com ediblecolumbus.com Edible Columbus

@ediblecbus

Advertising Inquiries

tricia@ediblecolumbus.com Edible Columbus is published quarterly and distributed throughout Central Ohio. Subscription rate is $25 annually. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

PHOTO BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

M

y daughter and I love it when we meet someone with such an infectious positive spirit that we can’t help smiling when they’re in our presence. We know it immediately when someone has this quality—we call it warmth.

This quality can come from good energy, optimism, excitement or something else entirely, but we label it all warmth. My 7-year-old daughter is going through the beginning processes of making friends and is learning a lot.

I tell her that she will know when someone is a good friend because they will make her feel warm and good inside when she is with them.

Have a wonderful winter. Take time to enjoy the peacefulness of the season, the gifts of nature and the company of a good friend.

Winter provides a pause for purity unmatched by any other season.

The Perfect Gift!

Subscribe to Edible Columbus and never miss a single issue with pristine copies delivered right to your door! Subscribe for yourself, or as a thoughtful gift for one of your favorite foodies.

It’s a gift that will last all year.

Subscribe online at: ediblecolumbus.com, or mail a check for $25.00 payable to: Edible Columbus, PO. Box 21-8376, Columbus, Ohio 43221

Edible Columbus, is supported by our advertisers and subscribers. With your paid subscription, you help support our mission to tell the stories of our local farmers, chefs, growers and food artisans.

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ess is more. I love what Elizabeth David writes in her essay “Untraditional Christmas Food” from her collected essays Is There A Nutmeg in the House: Essays on Practical Cooking with More Than 150 Recipes. “If I had it my way—and I shan’t—my Christmas Day eating and drinking would consist of an omelette and cold ham and a nice bottle of wine at lunch time, and a smoked salmon sandwich with a glass of champagne on a tray in bed in the evening.” While I would choose different dishes, I adore the sentiment.

Simple is splendid. Less is more.

L

Community that we share in this issue as well: “Always ask of any proposed change or innovation: What will this do to our community?

How will this affect our common wealth?” Both inquiries hold meaning for all of us. With so many forces at play inside and outside of Ohio for the right to land, water and food, those of us seeking changes for the health of the planet and, in turn, our food sources need to step back and look at everything we’re advocating for and ask ourselves, our families and our communities— What is this action doing? And is it what we really want?

In wintertime we get to practice what less looks like and how it feels. Winter provides a pause for purity unmatched by any other season. We can’t go outside as much, the harvest doesn’t offer as much, but inside our homes and hearts we can do so much more than we usually undertake at other times during the year.

We can’t have it all. Winter reminds us of that. As we continue to advocate for no GMOs, no fracking, no pesticides, no this and no that, each one of us also has to ask ourselves what it is we do want. And we have to get clear about that. And we have to find actions out in the world that reflect that clarity and intent. What can you say yes to in 2014 and how can you expand your yeses in enough directions that you increase your impact?

The stories in this issue speak to this notion of integrity. From the book Soup Night by Maggie Stuckey and the phenomena it captures—a whole neighborhood gathering regularly to share bowls of homemade soup—to our recipes for winter classics like cookies and eggnog, we’re reminded of what’s so basic and good about food this time of the year. Our feature about ARC Industries’s Sunapple Kitchens and their brilliant idea to re-use their commercial kitchens for rentable kitchen space to help support the growing local food producers’ community speaks to the value of working with what you have to increase your impact. And we hope the wonderful narrative by Susan Ager about why cooking demands cloth inspires a spark of intimacy between you and what you hold dear in the kitchen when it’s cold outside.

We also share the voices of farmer and advocate Perry Clutts, a man working to bridge the divide between farmers and politicians, and the owner of Village Bakery & Café, Della Zona and Catalyst Café in Athens, Christine Hughes, who is taking a stand and educating people about the agricultural ramifications of fracking. I really appreciate the question Perry presents—What do we really want? It echoes the questions posed by Wendell Berry in his 17 Rules for a Sustainable

There is a vein of deep gratitude that runs through me for all of those helping to make this magazine possible with their continued support and enthusiasm for each and every issue. Thank you for saying yes to us. As you rest and celebrate this winter, know that in 2014 you can expect even more from us and we, in turn, will expect even more from you.

And that, dear reader, excites me and is what— among other plain riches—will make my winter all the more bright.

Peace,

Colleen Leonardi

PHOTO BY © SARAH WARDA, SARAWARDA.COM

letter from the editor

the seasoned farmhouse will deconstruct and prepare a wonderful meal from Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook.

January 29: Crossroads of France: Provence and North Africa Explore the spicy exchanges between Southern French and North African cuisine as we take you on a digital tour of the region and cook up a meal featuring an original recipe for a Provençal Crêpe with Moroccan Lamb and Vegetable Tagine.

February 3: Foundations of Cooking: Eight-Week Series At The Seasoned Farmhouse we believe you only need two ingredients to be a great cook: an understanding of classic techniques and a selection of high-quality seasonal ingredients to cook with. Each three-hour hands-on class will yield new techniques and dishes for you to incorporate into your repertoire for home use.

February 5: Parisian Macarons In this hands-on class you will learn to make Parisian macarons, a gluten-free sandwich cookie traditionally made with almond flour.

We’ll work with different fillings for the macarons including jam, chocolate ganache and buttercream, as well as assorted colors for the shells.

Winter 2014 Cooking Classes January 5: Eight-Week Italian Cooking Series This series will teach you the techniques vital to mastering the art of Italian home cooking. Have a blast learning about the history of Italian food while making different pastas, meats, soups, salads and desserts each Sunday.

January 8: Homemade Pierogies In this class, we’ll learn to make potato- and cheese-filled pierogies. We’ll eat some boiled and sautéed in butter with onions, then take the rest home to freeze.

January 12: Yeast Breads 101 for Young Chefs Learn the fundamental techniques for mixing, kneading, rising and baking yeast bread while preparing a dozen delicious cinnamon rolls to bake at home. Ages 8–12.

January 13: Celebrate Italy: Olive Oils and Vinegars This class will teach you the subtleties of authentic Italian olive oils and vinegars with tastings and tips from The Oilerie. Have all your questions answered while tasting quality 8

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oils and vinegars and enjoying fresh Pasta Bolognese cooked up by our Italian chef.

January 18: Making Yogurt In this class, we will explore the history, tradition and health benefits of yogurt as well as have a hands-on opportunity to make yogurt for you to take home. As a bonus, you’ll also taste and learn to make kefir, a delicious fermented milk drink.

January 22: Healthy Eating for the New Year Start off the New Year right with a class that shares tips for healthy eating and an easy, healthy meal featuring pan-fried tilapia.

January 23: Back from Brussels Experience the magic of Brussels in the holidays with tastes of artisan items procured from a holiday trip to Belgium, accompanied by a memorable Belgian meal and shared highlights from the European holiday markets.

February 6: Winter Stew, Soup and Artisan Bread In this class, we will share one of our favorite artisan bread at home recipes from Andy and Jackie King’s book, Baking by Hand, and cook two soups and a stew for everyone to enjoy.

February 7: Cooking with Your Valentine Date Night Enjoy a relaxing, intimate dinner as you learn to make authentic Italian pasta alongside a fun romantic menu and specially chosen wine pairings.

February 12: Strategies for Healthy Living Keep your healthy resolutions strong with a delicious and nutritious meal featuring Almond-Flax Crusted Chicken that can transform your health and make you feel great all year long.

January 27: Eleven Madison Park Night

February 13: Warm Winter Vegetarian Recipes

Are you ready to channel culinary expertise from a restaurant that was ranked fifth in the world? In this advanced hands-on class, we

Spice up your winter vegetable recipes with this class featuring spices and dried herbs.

We will make a variety of vegetarian dishes

with greens, roots and grains all spiced with unique flavors perfect for cold winter nights.

February 16: Pasta 101 for Young Chefs Learn to knead, roll and cut fettuccini noodles using a hand-crank pasta maker, cook a red sauce and enjoy your pasta dish at the end of class. Ages 8–12.

February 19: Citrus Celebrations Learn how to turn fresh citrus fruits from Florida into preserves to enjoy year-round.

We'll sample salt-cured lemons, taste Meyer limoncello, candy grapefruit peel and make three-fruit marmalade to take home.

February 20 and 21: Easy Entertaining: A Two-Part Series This hands-on two-part series will help you learn several strategies for easy entertaining, including making great hors d’oeuvres, setting up a beautiful buffet and cooking a memorable special-occasion meal.

hands-on event, we’ll cook and enjoy an unforgettable Irish menu of Colcannon (potatoes and cabbage), Guinness Lamb Stew, Shepherd’s Pie and Irish Soda Bread.

March 9 and 16: Back to Basics: Cakes and Cake Decorating Class one will cover simple tricks, hints and techniques to make the chemistry experiment of cake-baking come out perfect while in class two, we will demo three different kinds of icings, teach you how to master the technique of icing cakes and add flair to your decorating repertoire with added adornments.

March 12: From Scratch Snacks Crackers, spiced nuts, apple chips, granola bars and more are healthier and cheaper to make yourself than buy at the store, so come learn to make these snacks at home. We'll cook and package to take home a week's worth of lunchbox or afternoon healthy treats from whole ingredients.

February 21: Hearty Italian Feast Date Night

March 13: 25-Minute Meals: Building Blocks and Strategies for Family Dinner Planning

Add cheer to your winter dinners with a night of cooking with your loved one. We will make Fettuccini Carbonara, Osso Buco, Polenta and Italian Orange cake before sitting down to enjoy carefully paired wine with our meal.

Family dinners do not have to be difficult. In this class, we will share three 25-minute meals that will help you start thinking differently about how to organize, plan and prepare family dinner.

February 22: Vegetable Fermentation

March 14 and 21: Cheese-Making

In this class, we’ll show you how the fermentation process works and then you’ll make your own jar of kraut and beet kvass to take home and ferment. We will also sample a variety of fermented foods in class.

This two-part series provides a background on cheese, as well as everything you’ll need to know to start making cheese at home. We will discuss what makes a cheese in each of four categories and how they are aged before tasting cheeses from each category along with a wine pairing.

February 26: Sweet and Savory Cheesecakes In this class, we’ll teach you the classic New York-style baked cheesecake, an unbaked White Chocolate Grand Marnier Cheesecake and a baked savory cheesecake that is perfect for breakfast, brunch or an appetizer.

March 23: Middle Eastern Cooking Learn to cook the simple, exotic and vibrant cuisine of the Middle East in our hands-on class that will give you the confidence to recreate the experience at home.

March 6: French Bistro Date Night Bring your loved one to cook a delicious, hearty winter meal inspired by a classic French bistro menu. We will create Salad au fromage de chèvre, lamb stew (Navarin printanier d’agneau), Potato Gratin and Crème Brûlée for you to enjoy.

March 7: St. Patty’s Day Celebration Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at The Seasoned Farmhouse, where we’ll show off the culinary side of the holiday. In this

Thank you to our Pantry Sponsor

The Seasoned Farmhouse, created

by Chef Tricia Wheeler, is a recreational cooking school, learning garden, cookbook library, specialty culinary boutique and private event space located in Clintonville. The year-round cookery, gardening and educational programming celebrate seasonal ingredients from the bountiful farms and artisan producers throughout Ohio. The school’s instructors come from near and far to share their craft and their passions.

We believe nothing is more rewarding than cooking for those you love. The Seasoned Farmhouse is a place to learn and connect with our food and our community.

We hope you will join us for classes at our French Country-inspired cooking school at 3674 N. High St. near the Clintonville Farmers Market.

Email questions to classes@theseasonedfarmhouse.com.

For full class descriptions and to register, please visit theseasonedfarmhouse.com.

Private Events: The Seasoned Farmhouse is available for private events from corporate team-building to special birthdays. Whatever you’re looking for, we are here to help you create a memorable event. Our space is designed for groups to cook together, dine together and gather for private cooking and gardening demonstrations. We have plenty of options when it comes to customizing your event.

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delicious collaborations

Conrad Hive and Honey Beeswax Candles

By Nijma Darwish • Photography by Catherine Murray

B

arry and Carmen Conrad’s honey business, Conrad Hive and Honey, has been buzzing with warmth for more than 30 years. It began when Barry Conrad planted an orchid, realizing soon after that he needed bees to pollinate the plants.

The Conrads keep nearly 100 hives between their property on Wright Road near Canal Winchester and a few other properties located in neighboring counties. They are also the only full-service beekeeping supplier in Central Ohio.

After establishing their business, the Conrads began participating at the Ohio State Fair, showcasing their honey products. Carmen, the enthusiast she is, wanted to participate in the wax-building category where she soon developed a passion for making beautiful beeswax candles. The candles are now included in a collection offered by the Conrads’ line of “Barry Bees” honey products.

The 100% pure beeswax candles create a beautiful soft light and burn longer than regular candles. They also cleanse the air, according to Conrad. “When you walk into a room, you can tell the difference. The air is noticeably purer, cleaner and fresher.”

A beeswax candle made by Carmen and Barry contain no fragrances or coloring, so when it’s burning you’re exposed to an all-natural product. And expect to smell something sweet.

“The candles have a natural clean honey odor. Honey picks up its aroma from the type of nectar it’s being made from, so beeswax candles will have a variety of aromas,” Conrad said.

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Carmen also noted that beeswax candles are not a petroleum by-product, which means that unlike soy and paraffin candles, pure beeswax candles don’t let off a black smoke. The candles generate negative ions while burning, creating a similar effect as houseplants; negative ions neutralize bad positive ions such as allergens, dust and air-borne toxin, improving air quality. In fact, they are the only candles suggested by the American Lung Association to be used for anyone with respiratory problems.

The Conrads’ work alongside their bees every day being careful not to interfere with them and their vital role in agriculture. While extracting the wax and honey used for the candles, they pull from a surplus amount, leaving at least the 60 pounds of honey that are needed for the bees to survive during the winter.

Bees eat eight pounds of honey to produce just one pound of wax.

“We have to cut off the wax capping [a type of lid placed on honey by the bees to keep the honey fresh and clean all winter] and collect those and let the honey drain out,” said Conrad. They then melt the capping and place it through several different filtering processes to gather any extra honey or impurities that may have been left behind. E ach type of candle, whether it’s a column, pillar or taper, takes a different amount of time to solidify.

For the holidays, the collection will feature candles resembling harvested corn and fresh pinecones. The beeswax candles are available to purchase at Celebrate Local at Easton, Clintonville Farmers Market and Nature’s Barn (very limited) in Lithopolis. For more information, visit hiveandhoney.com.

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delicious collaborations

Tavern Vinegar

By Nijma Darwish • Photography by Catherine Murray

“When in doubt, the secret ingredient is vinegar,” said Chef Jonathon Sawyer, owner of Green House Tavern and Noodlecat restaurants in Cleveland.

Vinegar is the foundation of Tavern Vinegar Co., a growing line of handcrafted artisanal vinegars that were originally conceived and produced in Sawyer’s 170-year-old walled basement in his home in Cleveland. With a core belief in green principles, Sawyer began utilizing otherwise wasted beer and wine, all while creating a great local product made with pride and worthy of an “All-Ohio” ethos.

Tavern Vinegar Co. celebrates single-origin, single-varietal and barrel-aged vinegars with its flagship being an, all-Ohio malt vinegar aged in OYO (named after the original word for the Ohio River Valley [“O-Why-O”]) whiskey barrels.

Production of the new vinegars now takes place at Columbus’ Middle West Spirits (MWS) distillery, forming a joint venture between MWS (co-owners Brady Konya and Ryan Lang) and Chef Sawyer’s restaurant group, Northern Food Alliance.

Ironically, the desire to collaborate was sparked during a discussion about vodka cocktails, according to Lang. “We came to the realization that Jonathon was producing vinegars in a very small quantity basically in his basement…the opportunity moved back to Columbus about the coordination of us working together.”

The shared passion for handcrafted and locally produced products resulted in an automatic synergy between Sawyer and MWS. “We are likeminded artisans determined to make a difference in the industry, even if it was only one address at one distillery,” said Sawyer.

The idea of partnering was natural, added Konya, “taking those elements that each company does so exceptionally well and taking this organic idea of

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properly mothered and fermented vinegars up to more of a commercial level was very exciting for both of us.”

A prototype was instilled using MWS barrels and two test batches that were started simultaneously, one in Columbus and the other in Cleveland. “We used the same base and barrel, and a year later we compared our results. To much happiness, a new and entirely awesome vinegar had been born,” said Sawyer The line was re-launched in November 2013 to help institute the latest flavors and the relationship between the Northern Food Alliance and MWS. Blending culinary and craft is new, said Konya. “Nobody really has done this before, and certainly not at the level that we plan to.”

The collection features a line of epicurean wine- and beer-based vinegars that are presented in 200 ml potion flasks labeled with an off-center tab, distinguishing the artisanal vinegars from other commercial brands.

There will be seven products released across three categories; Classic, Premium/Select and Reserved, all being a reflection of both cost of ingredients and processing, with the principal being a crafted Ohio Witte product based on MWS’ mass recipes. The Ohio Witte will be seen the most, the most versatile and filled with tangy, citrusy flavor.

“If you ever had distilled vinegar as opposed to fermented vinegar, it’s like drinking an ice cold can of Coca-Cola to one that was sitting out on the counter for three days—flat. There is just no comparison between a distilled vinegar and one that’s been properly fermented,” said Konya.

Each bottle is an individually numbered batch with a specific single-origin varietal and available for purchase online, shipped nationwide or found at select retail outlets throughout the country. To learn more, visit tavernvinegar.com.

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delicious collaborations

Tulane M Road Pottery

eghan Howard never thought that slabs of clay would mold her future. What began as a hobby more than 12 years ago helped pave the path for Tulane Road Pottery in 2009.

“After doing some soul searching, I realized I enjoyed making pottery a lot more than my career,” said Howard.

Howard creates functional pottery inspired by the world around her, vividly incorporating her formal training in architectural engineering and her fascination with the structural elements of architecture.

“My most recent work has used drawings and photographs to create intricate images,” said Howard. “Several of my pieces draw influence from recent travels, such as in Rome where I came across beautiful metal work on a door, took a picture of the detail and made it into a pattern I put over a butter dish.”

By Nijma Darwish • Photography by Catherine Murray Tulane Road in Clintonville is the place where Howard’s home studio can be found and where she spends a great deal of time. “I wanted to include a sense of place in my work,” said Howard regarding how she named her business, allowing her to add a bit more of her everyday life into her art.

Each piece begins as a lump of clay thrown onto a pottery wheel. Howard then decides which shape and what direction she wants to take it. The surface of each one is then embellished with architectural details or images, using everyday items, such as lace pressed into the clay for a delicate design or an iron-oxide decal that she designed herself, to accomplish a look. The clay is then varnished with commercial glazes and washed to bring out the elaborate surface texture.

To help eliminate waste Howard uses sustainable practices in her studio by recycling boxes, clay and containers, and minimizes packaging and material waste.

Although she enjoys the solitude her creative process demands, she admits that collaborating with clients has been some of the most fun. “The process would begin with someone seeing a piece online or at an art fair, and then asking to incorporate a style or color to make it a one-of-a-kind piece.”

Then there are the collaborative projects that take a bit more time to perfect.

“Lots of drawings and photographs, sample glazed chips back and forth to really dial into what they want so it still has my style, my colors and a lot of what I do, but to really work with them to get exactly what they want and what they had in mind with what would go in their house,” added Howard.

For the holidays, unique seasonal pieces, such as Christmas ornaments shaped like the state of Ohio with a little cutout heart over the city of Columbus, will be available. Other practical items that make a beautiful addition to any holiday table are dinnerware sets and snowflake embroidered ceramics.

Tulane Road Pottery can be found for sale through tulaneroadpottery.com and at Howard’s Etsy shop. Parts of the collection can also be purchased at Celebrate Local at Easton Towne Center and Wholly Craft in Clintonville.

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delicious collaborations

The Gift of a Painting

By Nijma Darwish • Photography by Catherine Murray

A

ndy Patton has spent the past 10 years capturing family and friends’ memories with brushstrokes. Imagine having an heirloom object, recipe or important family event immortalized in an oil painting to be passed on to future generations.

Patton’s formal education in art began at the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD). A demanding commercial real estate career and busy life at home, however, left little time to devote to his craft. He painted purely for pleasure, managing to have a few gallery shows and sell several commissioned pieces.

His work serves as an opportunity for those interested in holding on to their own special moments. Patton and his wife, Stephanie, make the unique collaboration between the families and Patton enjoyable, memorable and simple. After reaching out to Patton about what they’re interested in capturing, he meets with the family to either photograph the subject they want painted or to retrieve an existing picture. Stephanie, a professional writer, provides a brief description of the painting to be included along on the journey of this one-of-a-kind piece of art. This ensures the family story won’t be lost over the years. In no more than four weeks, the painting is finished and a legacy is instilled in a unique object to be passed from one generation to the next.

Over time, more people began soliciting Patton to capture their own family stories and share the things that mattered most to them. “In the last 10 years, I have been doing these kinds of paintings. I would be getting more and more positive feedback from people who would come and see what I had been doing,” Patton said.

“They [the paintings] are the legacy I’ll leave to my children. And they’ll continue to tell our family’s stories long after I’m able to do so. It means a lot to be able to offer that gift to other families as well,” said Patton.

At the same time, he was rekindling his passion—trying to maintain his own legacy.

The cost of each painting is determined by the size, subject, technique and materials needed to complete it. Half of the painting’s total cost is due in the be-

“As I have been getting older, seeing the kids grow up and my father pass a couple of years ago, I have been getting more sentimental at my old age,” said Patton. “I have been doing these paintings for my kids that are going to be passed on to their house when they have their families, scenes that we share as a family, allowing me to hold on to certain moments.”

ginning and the remainder is due at pick-up. Contact Patton for complete information and cost. 614-371-5754 • andy@andypattonart.com

“They [the paintings] are the legacy I’ll leave to my children. And they’ll continue to tell our family’s stories long after I’m able to do so. It means a lot to be able to offer that gift to other families as well,” said Patton.

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local and in season Lentil Soup with Bacon and Orzo Recipe by Maggie Stuckey from Soup Night There’s hardly any trouble in life that isn’t made better with bacon, and it sure adds a wonderful flavor to this soup. Orzo, a pasta in the shape of rice, handles long slow cooking beautifully and doesn’t turn to mush like rice can.

Serves 6–8 ⅔ cup olive oil 5 medium onions, chopped 8 garlic cloves, minced ½ pound bacon, chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 5–6 carrots, peeled and chopped 3 parsnips, peeled and chopped 12 ounces red lentils, rinsed and picked over 8 cups vegetable broth ½ cup tomato paste ½ cup uncooked orzo 8 cups water 6 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced ½ cup chopped parsley 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, garlic and bacon, and sauté over medium heat until the bacon is cooked and the onions are well browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the celery, carrots and parsnips. Cover, and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, broth, tomato paste, orzo and water.

Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils and orzo are tender, about 30 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in the scallions, parsley and

Onions • Parsnips • Potatoes • Winter Squash Turnips • Cabbage • Microgreens • Sprouts • Carrots Maple Syrup • Cheese • Milk • Meats • Honey • Local staple crops, such as Shagbark’s Black Turtle Beans and Stone Ground Whole Flours

zest. Top each serving with grated Parmesan.

Make ahead? Yes, but stop the cooking just before the lentils and orzo are thoroughly cooked. Rewarm long enough to finish cooking. Don’t add the scallions, parsley or zest until serving time.

For large crowds: This is an ideal soup to double or triple.

Excerpted from Soup Night © Maggie Stuckey, photography © Lara Ferroni. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.

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For vegetarians: Skip the bacon.

edible reads

Soup Night

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By Maggie Stuckey Photography by Lara Ferroni

“The idea that people would openly share their food, their home with anyone who comes … it’s such a precious gift.”

A

t latitude 45°30’North, almost exactly halfway between the equator and the North Pole, it’s fully dark by 6pm in January. In Portland, Oregon, the streetlights have been on for almost an hour. A bit before 6, in an older, sedate neighborhood on Portland’s urban Eastside, front doors all up and down the street begin to open.

For the next 10 to 15 minutes, individuals, couples and families come out their front doors and stroll easily but with purpose in the same direction. They’re all heading toward the same house, just about in the middle of the block, on the left-hand side.

Everyone is carrying something. Some of the adults have gigantic salad bowls, or warm bread wrapped in dish towels or those familiar rectangular pans that hold the promise of homemade brownies. Some have a wineglass threaded through the fingers of one hand. Kids skip ahead, bright plastic cups firm in little fists or looped onto belts through the handle. Most people have spoons, wrapped in paper napkins and tucked into jeans’ pockets. One dapper fellow wears a cloth napkin folded just so in the breast pocket of his sports coat, like a fancy silk handkerchief; one soup spoon stands in the exact middle. And each person in this gentle parade carries a soup bowl. An empty soup bowl.

My First Soup Night

The Intimacy of Food

My brother and his family live on the Soup Night street. One day some months ago, my niece Meg (the most spectacular teenager in the Western Hemisphere) happened to mention Soup Night in the midst of telling me about something else. “Whoa,” I said, “back up.

What’s Soup Night?”

Throughout history, the sharing of food has been accorded significance far beyond simple sustenance. It is a way for enemies to acknowledge detente, for acquaintances to deepen their friendship and for those in the uncertain middle to demonstrate the possibility of peace.

As she started describing it, in the first five seconds I knew this was something very special.

So I contacted the next host and asked if I could come as a guest. That first evening, I was totally enchanted at the sight of the parade of people strolling down the sidewalk, carrying their empty soup bowls. When I arrived at the host house, people assumed I was new to the neighborhood.

They immediately shook my hand and introduced themselves, pointing out where their house was in relation to where we were standing.

It wasn’t long before I was able to make it plain how I was connected (my brother lives on your street), and why I was there (I want to write about you). But it was absolutely clear that if I had been a new neighbor, I would have been engulfed in a very warm, very genuine welcome.

Since that first evening, I have attended more than a dozen Stanton Street Soup Nights. Over and over, I have heard the families talk about, and have observed for myself, the almost magical sense of community that they have created on their block, and the many ripples of positive benefits that flow from it. I have been happy witness to some amazing scenes and heard some great stories, and together they form the core of this book.

In all cultures and all religions, noteworthy moments are celebrated with food. In our country, we use food to symbolize celebration or caring.

When a friend is sick or home with a brand-new baby, we bring food so she doesn’t have to cook.

When a family is gathered for a funeral, we bring food to console the grieving. When a new neighbor moves in, or a new colleague starts work, we bring food to break the ice. Food honors achievements, soothes hurt feelings and welcomes newcomers.

It is surely no accident, then, that the event that transformed a modern city block into a cohesive, caring community is built around food. Of course it’s not the food per se—although the food is darned good—but the implicit message that comes with sharing it. Everyone at Soup Night feels it, and when they talk about it they often echo each other’s words. Marty says, “The idea that people would openly share their food, their home with anyone who comes … it’s such a precious gift.” Joy adds, “There’s something about sitting down and sharing a meal that moves the whole thing to another level.”

It also has a very important practical benefit. As Lisa succinctly put it, “The simple act of eating soup together makes it easier to handle small problems.”

Excerpted from Soup Night © Maggie Stuckey,

It’s Soup Night on Stanton Street.

photography © Lara Ferroni. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.

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Finding Our Roots

By Diane Morgan

I

was young when the back-to-the-earth natural foods movement of the 1960s started. When Frances Moore Lappe’s seminal book, Diet for a Small Planet, was published in 1971, I bought it and read it cover to cover. To my mother’s dismay, I declared myself a vegetarian who only ate fish—what is labeled a pescatarian today. It was a valiant effort that didn’t last once I went to college.

I look back on those beginnings and think about where we are today, thanks to victory gardens, community supported agriculture (CSAs), a growing network of farmers markets, and everexpanding national chains of natural foods stores. When the big box stores promote packaged and fresh organic products, you know the message has trickled down. And the push toward healthier eating continues with schoolyard gardens and with educational initiatives coming directly from the White House.

Are we finding our roots? Are we going back today, to generations not so long ago, when our grandparents and great-grandparents ate seasonally and shopped locally because that was their only option? They ate roots because they were cheap, stored well and were nutritious.

They pickled and preserved and planted backyard gardens out of necessity and economy.

I remember fondly the tomatoes my father grew and the sinus-clearing horseradish my grandfather uprooted from his garden in preparation for Passover. My maternal great-grandmother “put up” pickles and canned beets, and turned summer fruit into preserves. The neat rows of filled and labeled glass canning jars lined her basement pantry. On a low shelf were the crocks of pickles covered with linen cloth.

What I think of as the revival of back-to-basics home cooking is what our forebears did out of necessity. Bread was baked at home, soup stocks were made from a mishmash of vegetable scraps and bones simmered all day on a back burner, cabbage was fermented and turned into sauerkraut, leftovers were eaten and nothing was wasted.

I love this sensibility, and believe root vegetables, more so than many other edible plants, reflect these earlier times of scarcity and economy.

Without the threat of war in Europe, my greatgrandparents on my paternal side emigrated from Munich, Germany, in the 1850s, prior to the American Civil War. They found their roots in Savannah, Georgia. My maternal great-grandparents emigrated from Lithuania in the 1880s.

Like most leaving Europe, they came to the land of promise and opportunity, living modestly as they built a better life. I know from my grandparents’ and parents’ love of family gatherings that their Jewish traditions and holiday foods thrived. Old World ingredients, cooking methods and recipes were passed down.

These family stories of uncertainty, travel and hardship from the Old World to the New World are not unlike the intriguing tales of a vegetable’s diaspora from its origins to scattered lands. It’s a lovely metaphor to consider.

Most root vegetables have curious lore and odd stories from antiquity. Stories range from how some roots were used medicinally as aphrodisiacs to how others were used to treat scurvy. The carrot common in every supermarket today was originally purple in color, native to Afghanistan, and can be traced back 3,000 years. However, upon arrival in Europe, its purple hue was not well accepted, and it wasn’t until it was hybridized in the Netherlands from its original purple color to orange that it found favor.

The Buddhists held lotus root sacred as a symbol of purity. It is native to tropical Asia, the Middle East and Australia, and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. By around 500 BC it was being grown in the Nile Valley for its exceptional beauty, though the poor found greater value in boiling, drying and grinding the seeds and rhizomes for food. In China, evidence of its cultivation dates to the Han dynasty (207 BC–AD 220). In India, a golden lotus flower is said to have grown from the navel of the god, Vishnu, and, in China and Japan, Buddha is often depicted either holding or seated on a lotus blossom.

An Old World vegetable popular in central Europe and the Netherlands, parsley root is just beginning to catch on in the United States, where it is most commonly found at farmers markets. It was grown and used in Germany in the 16th century and was introduced to England from the Netherlands in the 18th century, though it never really caught on with cooks there. In central Europe, parsley root was one of several vegetables and herbs known as Suppengruen, or “soup greens,” which were traditionally added to the water in which poultry or beef was boiled for use in a soup or stew. If you ask a grandmother of Jewish or Central European descent for a list of the essential ingredients in chicken soup, she is likely to include parsley root—my maternal grandmother did!

These tales of families and foods are intriguing and deeply interwoven—not to be forgotten, and in many instances revived. That was my hope in writing my cookbook Roots.

Diane Morgan is an award-winning cookbook author, culinary instructor, and freelance food writer. She is the author of 17 cookbooks including her newest cookbook, Roots: The Definitive Compendium with

more than 225 Recipes (Chronicle Books, 2012).

Roots has been included on lists of featured cookbooks for 2012 by the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, the Seattle Times, Epicurious.com, and The Daily Meal.com.

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Carrot Ribbons with Sorrel Pesto and Crumbled Goat Cheese From Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes By Diane Morgan (Chronicle Books 2012) Knockout gorgeous on the plate—I like to make this salad in the springtime, when freshly dug carrots are abundant at the farmers market and some farm stands have sorrel for sale. Sorrel isn’t always easy to find, so know that baby arugula or even watercress is a suitable substitute. Although basil is usually readily available and would work for the pesto, too, I want a bit of bite, an edge of sharpness to balance the inherent sweetness of the carrots. For the dressing, I adjust my pepper mill for a coarser grind, which delivers a welcome spice note, adding to the complexity of the salad.

Serves 6 as a first course

Dressing 4 tablespoons/60 millileters extra-virgin olive oil

To make the dressing: In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside until ready to serve.

1 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar ¾ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

To make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the sorrel, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts, lemon juice and salt and process until finely chopped. Stop the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube and process until the

Sorrel Pesto

sauce is combined. Set aside. (The pesto can be transferred to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving.)

2½ cups/65 grams lightly packed, roughly chopped sorrel 2 large garlic cloves, chopped ⅓ cup/40 grams freshly grated Parmesan cheese,

To prepare the carrot ribbons: Fill a large pot three-fourths full of water. Add the garlic and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water and a pair of tongs to remove the carrots quickly after blanching.

preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano ¼ cup/35 grams pine nuts 1½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt ⅔ cup/165 millileters extra-virgin olive oil

Using a vegetable peeler, preferably one that is sharp and serrated, firmly peel each carrot lengthwise to create long ribbons, rotating the carrot so the ribbons are all the same width. Stop peeling when you reach the core, then discard the core. Add the carrot ribbons to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer the carrots to the ice water to cool, about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly and then wrap the carrots in several thicknesses of paper towels to dry. (The carrot ribbons can be wrapped in dry paper towels, slipped into a lock-top plastic bag and refrigerated for up to 1 day before continuing.)

2 large garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons kosher or fine sea salt 5 large carrots, about 1½ pounds/680 grams, trimmed and peeled 4 ounces/115 grams fresh goat cheese

To assemble the salad, place the carrot ribbons in a bowl. Give the dressing a last-minute shake, pour over the carrot ribbons, and toss to coat evenly. Make a pile of carrot ribbons in the center of each salad plate.

Drizzle a spoonful or two of the pesto in a circle around each plate. Divide the goat cheese into small dollops and scatter the dollops evenly over the carrot ribbons. Serve immediately.

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from the kitchen

Holiday Cookies Recipes by Sue Larson • Photography by Catherine Murray

What holiday season is complete without cookies and treats? Sue Larson of le Gateau was kind enough to share with us several of her family’s special holiday recipes. Sue combines her love of chocolate and sugar with her background in art and design to craft cakes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. From wedding cakes to gingerbread houses, Sue never backs down from a challenge—she uses her extensive international training to produce stunning desserts that showcase her creativity. Making everything from scratch, Sue works with great ingredients to produce professional results. When making these recipes, make sure to use high-quality ingredients because, as Sue said, “You can have all the skill in the world, but if you don’t have good ingredients, it’s useless.”—Leah Wolf

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Sue Larson of le Gateau

Raspberry Bars Makes 24 bars

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 2 egg yolks 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, divided ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts 1 12-ounce jar of raspberry jam 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (¾ cup) ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Apricot Bars

Mix ½ cup of the butter and ½ cup of the

Rascals

sugar and the vanilla, then add the egg

Makes 24 bars

Makes 3 dozen cookies

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon lemon extract

½ cup vanilla sugar *

Preheat oven to 350°. Set aside ¼ cup of

2 eggs, separated

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

the dough and spread remaining dough on

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk

½ teaspoon salt

Jam (raspberry, blackberry or apricot)

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Confectioners sugar (for sprinkling)

yolks. Mix in 1½ cups of the flour, the salt, baking powder and ¼ cup of finely chopped walnuts to make a dough.

a 9x13-inch sheet pan that has been covered in parchment paper.* Parbake 8– 10 minutes.

1 12-ounce jar of apricot jam

Remove from the oven and spread rasp-

½ cup chopped walnuts

berry jam over dough.** Sprinkle the semi-

Combine first five ingredients in food

sweet chocolate over the jam. Add 2

processor. Mix until a ball forms, wrap and Mix butter, ½ cup of the sugar, lemon ex-

chill for one hour. Roll dough to ⅛ inch thick

tract and egg yolks. Then add flour, salt

and cut out with a cookie cutter. Half the

and baking powder; mix well. Spread onto

cookies should be cut normally and the other

9x13-inch sheet pan covered with

half (the top cookie) should have the center

parchment paper.* Parbake for 10 minutes

cut out using a smaller cutter.** Bake 12–20

at 350°.

minutes at 325° on an ungreased cookie bottom cookie and spread with cool jam.

over dough.**

Place top cookie over jam. Using a sieve,

butter, ¼ cup of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of coarsely chopped walnuts to the reserved ¼ cup of dough. Make a crumble and sprinkle over the chocolate layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and cut in bars to serve.

sheet. Cool on the sheet. Flip over each Remove from oven and spread apricot jam

tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of

*Kitchen Tips: *You can also use a greased 9x13-inch

dust cookies with confectioners sugar.

pan.

Whip egg whites with remaining ¼ cup of sugar until stiff. Spread over jam, then

*Kitchen Tips:

sprinkle ½ cup of chopped walnuts on top.

*Vanilla sugar is sugar flavored with a

Bake 325° for 20 minutes until meringue is

vanilla bean for an extended period of time,

golden brown. Cool and cut in bars to

usually two weeks. You can also purchase

serve.

vanilla sugar at a specialty store or combine

**Using an offset spatula helps spread the jam evenly.

1 teaspoon of vanilla with 2 cups of sugar,

*Kitchen Tips

stirring it in well and using as needed.

*You can also use a greased 9x13-inch pan.

**A linzer cookie cutter will make cutting

**Using an offset spatula helps spread the

out the center easier. This cookie cutter can

jam evenly.

be found at many cooking supply stores.

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Decorated Sugar Cookies Makes 2 dozen 2-inch cutout cookies*

½ pound sugar 1 pound unsalted butter 1½ pounds all-purpose flour 3 egg yolks 1 small egg or ½ jumbo egg ½ tablespoon vanilla 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Add flour and mix to form a ball. Wrap and chill dough for one hour. Roll out be-

Candy Cane Cookies

tween two rods to get the cookies an even thickness.** Bake in a 325° oven on parchment-covered cookie sheet for 7 minutes. Turn pan and

Makes 36 cookies

bake 6 more minutes, until the cookie edges turn light brown. Cool on 1 cup unsalted butter

sheet.

¾ cup sugar

*Kitchen Tips:

1 egg

*A stand mixer is helpful for this large quantity of dough.

1 teaspoon vanilla

**Dough should be rolled to about ⅜- inch thickness.

2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder

Icing Glace

¾ teaspoon red food coloring *

1 pound confectioners sugar

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

4–4½ ounces light corn syrup

1 egg white Sugar crystals

60–90 milliliters water 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla; mix. Add flour and baking

Food coloring paste

powder; mix. Divide dough in half and add red food coloring and peppermint flavor to half of the dough. Mix well. Wrap and chill overnight.

Blend all four ingredients. Divide into containers and use food color paste to color icing. Add extra confectioners sugar to stiffen icing for detail piping. Frost cookies as desired.

The next day, roll one teaspoon of each cold dough into 4-inch logs. Roll the red and white logs together so they are twisted. Form the twisted dough into a candy cane shape and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush with one beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Bake in a 375° oven for 8–10 minutes. Cool on sheet.

*Kitchen Tip: *Use paste food coloring for best results.

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young Palates

Around W the World

ith each new holiday season comes an opportunity to experience the spirit of celebration. While that spirit can sometimes be hard to find, Janet Oberlieson captures the authentic essence of the holidays with her unique spin on traditions. Janet and her family incorporate aspects from different countries’ traditions into their holiday season in a way that not only adds to the fun of the festivities but also expands her children’s understanding of the world.

One glance around Janet’s Worthington home and her holiday decorations reveals clues as to how her holidays are different. With a wide grin worthy of a Christmas elf, Janet shows me German gingerbread hearts and a towering Norwegian kransekake, pulls out Scandinavian straw decorations she and her children made and points to a row of little “Christmas Santas” from different countries—each figure reflecting the unique aspects of its culture’s traditions.

Celebrating old traditions in new ways

By Leah Wolf • Photography by Catherine Murray

A longtime history buff and lover of the holidays, Janet celebrated different cultures’ Christmas holiday traditions when her five children were young, and has continued sharing the magic with her grandchildren. Time and energy limitations have reduced how many traditions she usually celebrates with her grandchildren in one year, but with the urging of a grandson who wanted to extend their Christmas celebrations, the family celebrated more than a dozen different traditions during the 2011 holiday season.

“My joy is sharing meaningful, fun experiences with my family,” Janet said.

And she does. From looking for the surprises in an Epiphany king cake and putting out shoes for gifts from St. Nicolas and La Befana to participating in the St. Lucia Day procession led by a granddaughter with a candle-lit wreath, the children have fun while learning about the different traditions.

One of the grandchildren’s favorite traditions is their German St. Nicholas

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lantern parade, where they hold lanterns made from LED lights and old coffee cans and march around the neighborhood to the beat of drums.

interest in other cultures,” Kerri said. “I was more accepting, interested in people who came from other cultures.”

Another favorite tradition arose from the family’s desire to celebrate Christmas together even though they could only get together with their family from the East Coast for Thanksgiving. To let St. Nicholas know to come early, the family marched around the house ringing bells and waited for him to knock on doors and windows to let them know he heard their summons and had left them presents.

A big part of Janet’s fascination with these different traditions comes from her love of history. In fact, one of the family’s celebrations includes the Ohio 1840s Children’s Christmas Party at the Worthington Historical Society Orange Johnson House, which Janet helped start in 1980 with fellow docents Donna Hahm and Justine Lehay.

The spirit of adaptation is part of Janet’s secret to happy holidays. She is unabashed about her family’s take on these traditions—in everything from the date the family celebrates each tradition, to menu adaptations and decorative changes. She stresses the importance of involving children in the planning and staying flexible—the kids have great ideas and can provide a refreshing perspective. The grandchildren are taught about each new tradition and are quizzed on what they learn, from why St. Nicholas leaves presents, what the lighting of Hanukkah candles symbolizes to why the French celebrate Fête des Lumières.

“Although our Christmas events are framed in researched information garnered from the customs practiced in other countries, we amend and adjust portions to fit our family schedule and abilities,” Janet explained. “Nothing fancy, but hopefully capturing the essence of each tradition. We are all learning and experiencing together.”

Janet’s own childhood was touched by different cultures. Growing up in Minnesota with Norwegian cousins and Swedish neighbors, she enjoyed Swedish rosettes and Scandinavian traditions. Janet encourages others interested in expanding their family’s holiday traditions to find inspiration from loved ones from different cultures, as well as their own heritage, and to incorporate interesting pieces from those celebrations into the traditions their family has already established.

“It expands your vision,” Janet said, “and you can understand that there are all of these people all over the world who have some of the same feelings you have.”

Leah Wolf is a freelance writer whose love of food and nature is only surpassed by her love of words. In addition to working as an editorial assistant for Edible

Columbus, Leah is an assistant at The Seasoned Farmhouse, where she’s excited to learn about food while helping the new cooking school grow.

Janet’s daughter, Kerri Kaya, an elementary school teacher in Columbus, credits her mother’s unique approach to the holidays with shaping her perspective of the world. “Being exposed to the different traditions as a child sparked my

Janet Oberlieson’s holiday figures representing different traditions from around the world

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Holiday Traditions What images tug at your inner child with the first biting winds of winter, announcing the approaching holiday season? What memories make you smile at the sight of homes festooned with evergreen decorations and twinkling lights? If you’re looking to add memories and traditions to your holiday season, perhaps you can find inspiration from one of these.

December: Advent from the Christian Tradition Advent starts four Sundays before Christmas and involves the lighting of one additional candle each week symbolizing prayer, good works and the birth of Jesus.

December: Children’s Christmas Party at the Orange Johnson House, from 1840s Ohio This Worthington event invites children to participate in Ohio Christmas traditions from the 1840s, including cooking food over the fireplace, playing games, reading stories and visiting with Santa Claus from that time period.

December 6: St. Nicholas Day from Europe St. Nicholas is celebrated for his kindness and generosity to children. On the night of December 5, children leave shoes outside their doors, sometimes con-

December 24: Révellion from France

taining hay or carrots for St. Nicholas’ horse, to be filled with small gifts and

Révellion is a French tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve with a big feast

treats from St. Nicholas.

ending with 13 desserts representing Jesus and the 12 apostles.

December 8: Fête des Lumières from France

December 26: Boxing Day from Britain

Dating back to the 1600s, this “Festival of Lights” pays tribute to the Virgin

This holiday comes from Britain, when wealthy families or their guests would

Mary for the citizens of Lyon, France being spared from the plague. The entire

give their servants boxed gifts the day after Christmas. Today, Boxing Day is

town places candles on their windowsills in a beautiful display.

sometimes still marked by delivering gifts to others, but has become a big shopping day in Britain and former British territories.

December 13: St. Lucia Day from Italy and Scandinavia St. Lucia Day involves many traditions that vary slightly from country to country,

January 5: La Befana from Italy

but most involve a girl in a white dress and red sash with a green wreath of

Legend says that La Befana was a cranky old lady who refused the Wise Men’s

candles who represents St. Lucia. In Sweden, the eldest daughter dresses as

offer to visit baby Jesus because she had too much sweeping to do. She later

St. Lucia and wakes early on December 13 to bring coffee and St. Lucia buns

regretted her decision, so every year she flies around on her broom and leaves

to her family. In Italy, St. Lucia often brings presents for the children.

gifts in the shoes children have left outside their doors.

December 21: St. Thomas Day and the Winter Solstice Although some traditions have changed the official date of St. Thomas Day, it

January 5 & 6: Twelfth Night, Epiphany and King Cake from Europe

originally landed on the Winter Solstice. In England and many other European

Epiphany or Twelfth Night commemorates the Wise Men’s visit to baby Jesus

countries, people give to the poor and needy in honor of St. Thomas, as well as

and marks the end of the Christmas season—some traditions say it is unlucky

dance and sing to help pass the time in the shortest day of the year. Girls

to leave Christmas decorations up after this date. The day includes a huge feast

sometimes sleep with their head at the bottom of their bed in hopes of

with a king cake that holds a bean or pea. Whoever gets the bean or pea in

dreaming of their future husband.

their slice has to host the next celebration.

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behind the Bottle

A Classic

By Nicolene Schwartz • Photography by Catherine Murray

The many ways of eggnog hen the seasons change, the cocktail puts forth its most memorable culinary thrills. In the spring, it’s the heady dose of mint topping the Mint Julep; for summer it’s the Moscow Mule and its sweet-spicy ginger; and for the winter—the holiday season in particular—it is undoubtedly the eggnog.

W

taste of the finished product. If you’ve ever had a barrel-aged Manhattan, you’re likely familiar with this territory: After some time in oak, the bourbon, bitters and vermouth are so enmeshed that the Manhattan tastes more like a naturally occurring substance than a combination of others.

With a couple of months in the fridge, the same goes for eggnog.

While other egg-inclusive classics like the Ramos Gin Fizz and the Angostura Sour became famous in Prohibition times for the malty, lofty texture that only an egg white can impart—and are enjoying a recent resurgence in popularity—eggnog has by far the sturdiest and longest-standing place in culture.

And that’s part of the fun of the cocktail: The little things are big. A texture or flavor that might be lost in the process of a full meal becomes a cocktail’s salient feature. When making eggnog, a little experimentation with the proportions of cream, milk and egg (whites, yolks or both) yield some notable differences in thickness and mouthfeel and by playing with the spices, you can personalize the concoction as much as you’d like.

Said to have been developed as far back as medieval Europe, eggnog was favored by the British aristocracy in the wintertime, when it was served warm and made with brandy or sherry to ward off spoilage. In Colonial times, because of the high tax on brandy and sherry, rum was the booze of choice; then, faced with dwindling access to rum after the Revolutionary War, the newly minted America began making eggnog with bourbon. Today, though food scientists can describe in detail the chemical reactions taking place among proteins and sugars and enzymes, we seem no less enamored of the still mysteriously alchemic result.

As with any recipe so long-enduring and widely loved, there’s a bevy of thought as to proper construction. The use of raw eggs is, of course, compulsory—and can inspire some nervousness—but using pasteurized shell eggs is a foolproof option for taking the risk out of eggnog. (When serving an elderly or immuno-compromised individual, pasteurized eggs should always be used.) If you prefer to use a local product, keep in mind that only the shell can potentially harbor bacteria—not the egg inside. Some bartenders soak the eggs in a (food-safe), commercially available sanitizer solution; lemon juice works as well. As always, when working with raw foods, be sure to keep bowls, utensils and work surfaces very clean.

Of course, there’s the school of thought that contends the bourbon will kill whatever’s in there. Alton Brown confirms that if your final mixture nets at least 20% alcohol and is stored below 40° for a minimum of a month, no microscopic offenders will be left viable. Beyond the benefits (however counterintuitive) to safety, during the process of aging the eggs, cream, bourbon and sugar, the chemical reactions taking place do an invaluable service to the

Depending on whether you choose to age your eggnog for how long, you’ll notice how enmeshed the flavors become as time goes on. As a jumping off point, start with 4 egg yolks and beat them by hand or using a stand mixer until they begin to lighten in color. Gradually add ⅓ cup white sugar plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar and mix until it is completely dissolved. Add 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cups whole milk and a ¾-teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg.

If you plan to age the eggnog, add about an inch-long length of cinnamon or cassia stick, broken into small pieces, and an inch-long piece of vanilla bean, slit lengthwise. For eggnog that will be served immediately, use ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract. In either case, I like the tiniest pinch of clove. Two ounces of a rye whiskey or spicier bourbon balances the sweetness nicely (for a local option, try OYO Michelone Reserve bourbon); an ounce of black rum adds some complexity.

Editor’s Note: Leftover eggnog can serve as a nice substitute for milk in a morning latte or creamy coffee drink by reheating it and whisking it into a nice frothy base.

A graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, Nicolene Schwartz moved from New York City to Columbus in 2008. She consults and develops cocktails for a number of local outfits, including Rigsby’s Kitchen, MoJoe Lounge and Watershed Distillery. When not working, Nicolene is rehabbing the medical-officeturned-unusual-home she shares near Franklin Park with partner, Scot, and dogs Mavis and Trout.

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columbus Cooks

Kala Namak salt

Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt

Fleur de Sel

Black Sea Salt

Q&A WINTER 2013

The Drake

Aqua Caiaiedhemon

Q: What are some of the main sources for salt? Where is it produced and harvested?

with Ben Walters from North Market Spices

A: The two main sources of salt are the sea and rock salt, which resulted from seas drying up. Salt is produced all over the world by either mining it or by evaporation from the sea, or from brine from solution mining.

By Colleen Leonardi Photography by Catherine Murray

During the winter season when spices can add the right amount of warmth to a dish, we find playing with different types of salts just as rewarding and nourishing. So we asked Ben Walters of North Market Spices about the basics of salt and what his favorites are for winter dishes.

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Pink Himalayan salt

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Q: What makes iodized (table salt) different from other salts?

A: Basically salt is mixed with very small amounts of salts of iodine. This was done to prevent iodine deficiency, which has various consequences from thyroid problems to mental deficiencies. In short, iodine is, in small amounts, very important to our nutrition.

Q: Why is salt so important to our diet?

A: It helps our bodies retain water, is a great source of minerals, stimulates muscle contraction and contains nutrients vital to the digestive system.

Q: What are some of your favorite salts to work with and why?

A: Himalayan Pink is my favorite salt to work with, as it has the saltiest taste with lower amounts of sodium. It also naturally contains iodine, sulphate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, bromide, borate, strontium and fluoride. Though it may be mined from the mountains, it was formed by a sea that was covered over and is widely considered to be the purest of sea salts.

I also enjoy working with our Sonoma sea salt, as it lends itself very well to being infused and is about as coarse as kosher salt.

Q: How many different kinds of salts do you carry at North Market Spices?

A: I basically have eight different salts at heart: Sonoma, coarse Mediterranean, Hawaiian alaea, black lava, kala namak, fleur de sel, Himalayan Pink and pink curing salt (table salt dyed pink to indicate that it has had nitrites added to it). We also carry more than 20 different infused Sonoma sea salts.

Q: What are some of their flavor profiles and what dishes do they best complement?

A: Himalayan Pink is great for just about everything and can be used in smaller amounts, as it has a very salty flavor. Black lava and Hawaiian alaea are great as finishing salts, as they make flavors explode and add color. Fleur de sel, I find, is perfect for roasting and for seafood, as it is very delicate and will usually have a residual moisture content of 5% to 8%.

Q: What is a must-have salt for any cook as we move into the winter season?

A: I would say no cook should be without Himalayan Pink or fleur de sel.

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The Original Public Market The story of the rise and fall of Columbus’s Central Market

By Nancy McKibben

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or 116 years, Central Market was the busy, flourishing center of meat and produce marketing in Columbus, and more than 40 years after the wrecking ball laid it low, you can still find citizens who mourn its demise.

grow and in 1847, under Mayor Lorenzo English, the City Council’s handwritten notes declare:

It stood approximately where the downtown Greyhound Bus Station now stands and was actually the Market’s third iteration. The original was a wooden structure built in 1814 on High near Rich Street. Three years later, Columbus was incorporated as a city, and the City Council contracted with Irishman John Shields for a new, two-story market building, which was constructed on West State Street.

Shields sold that building to John Young, who used the upper floor as a gaming and pool hall—the first in Columbus. But the city continued to

“Resolved that the Committee on the subject of the New Market space be instructed to ascertain the best terms as to the price and terms of payment upon which two lots on the west side of Fourth street between Town and Rich streets can be purchased for of Thomas Asbury for a market space.”

Central Market Rises The city purchased the land for $2,000, and Central Market was completed in 1850. The new Market was again two stories, surmounted centrally by a bell tower. Below were stalls for fruits, vegetables, flowers, meat and poultry.

Additional vegetable stands, many horse-drawn, did business on the sidewalks around the Market. The early market offered fare that sounds exotic to us: squirrels, pigeons by the barrel, doves, quail and rabbits.

The upper floor housed a new City Hall, where City Council met in chambers. Mayor Lorenzo English presided over a Mayor’s court in the new courtroom (there were two handy jail cells attached) and the Ninth Battalion Band rehearsed there.

Business boomed. The opening bell rang at 6am; farmers set up their stalls at three or four in the morning. An anonymous farmer’s daughter recorded her winter memories of the market in the 1920s: “There wasn’t much market in the winter… but as your business grew you had to be there. Rain or shine, snow or heat, just like the mailman on his rounds.

Winter would be so miserable—wind whipping through, chilling you to the bone. The stand would be draped with canvas and you would sit on the chicken ice box as close to the charcoal or coke stove as you could get.”

“There wasn’t much market in the winter… but as your business grew you had to be there. Rain or shine, snow or heat, just like the mailman on his rounds.”

Boom Years

PHOTO BY © CATHERINE MURRAY, PHOTOKITCHEN.NET

In 1930, to the delight of vendors and customers, Central Market was remodeled by architect Thomas Tully with heating and refrigeration inside, and dormers, half-timber trim and quaint new roof lines outside.

The market was a bustling enterprise in the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, providing fresh meat and produce to a population that did not have refrigeration and needed to buy frequently so that food would not spoil. It was open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6am to 6pm and Saturdays to 9pm, when shoppers haggled for the best bargains as vendors prepared to close their stands.

At the height of its boom, Central Market drew 20,000 shoppers on Saturdays and boasted 65 meat vendors. Smaller markets sprang up around the periphery of Downtown: West Market in Franklinton; East Market in KingLincoln; and North Market, at the Spruce and High intersection. These markets were all lost to fires by the late 1940s. Only North Market managed

A painting of the Central Market by Harvey Gilliam entitled “Market Day”

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to hang on in a Quonset hut, and today is a burgeoning success in the former Advanced Thresher warehouse.

In 1950, Central Market celebrated its centennial. Governor James Rhodes later declared: “Central Market will not be touched in any urban development plan. The market is of too much historic value to Central Ohio to eliminate it.”

The Battle for Central Market In the l960s, Central Market fell prey to the buzzword on the lips of every progressive: “urban renewal.” It was a time when more women were working and shopping for groceries in the suburbs, where large chains offered frozen meats and produce. The idea of traveling downtown just to buy local fresh meat and produce seemed, well, passé. Out of touch. Not in the zeitgeist.

The Market itself was old and in need of repair. The number of tenants was in decline. While City Councilman Ronald E. Devore and a few preservationists fought to save the Market, Mayor James Sensenbrenner led the charge for the Market Mohawk Redevelopment project that would demolish it.

The battle raged for six years, with hard feelings on both sides. Vendors complained that the city had torn up sewer lines on both sides of Rich Street in order to make the Market look “shabby” and suggested that the city build them a new market at another location. Opponents retorted that the city should not be subsidizing the food business.

City Council dithered, reviving the market at one meeting and eliminating it at the next. The June 9, 1966, Dispatch headline tolled the Market’s death knell: Judge Refuses to Spare Market; Demolition Scheduled for Monday.

Albert Thurn, proprietor of Thurn’s Specialty Meats, a Central Market business since 1850, recalls: “We had our last market on Saturday, and on Monday, Mayor Sensenbrenner sent in a wrecking ball and punched holes in the roof.” By June 21, there was only a pile of bricks and timbers where Central Market had stood for 116 years. Today we have the Greyhound bus station and a commemorative plaque.

Albert was 11 when the Market was razed. He remembers the pulsing vitality of Market Saturdays and can recite a litany of vanished butchers and produce vendors. Even today he is angry at the Market’s demise.

“North Market is nothing compared to what Central Market was,” he said, meaning no disrespect to the city’s last surviving public market. “They should never have knocked it down.”

Nancy McKibben is happy to combine her loves of eating and writing with the opportunity to advocate for local food in the pages of Edible Columbus. Her suspense novel, The Chaos Protocol, the first book of The Millennium Trilogy, was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award for Fiction in 2000. The second, Blood on Ice, followed in 2012 and the third is in the works. (The series is set in Columbus, and the books are available at amazon.com.) She is also a poet and lyricist, the mother of six, and the wife of one. View her work at www.nancymckibben.com; contact her at nancy@nancymckibben.com.

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edible nation

Cooking Needs Cloth

By Susan Ager

I

t was in my grandma’s kitchen that I first fell in love with dishtowels.

They gave me purpose in a circle of women for whom purpose was most important.

After holiday dinners, as the men sidled off to the living room to play pinochle at folding card tables, we females took to the kitchen to clean up.

The eldest among us washed. The middle-aged women dried. The girls—my cousin and I—shuffled our feet and looked at our hands until, finally, someone asked us to help carry dishes back to the pantry. Just two plates at a time, please.

One day, though, my grandma handed my cousin and me clean, dry dishtowels. She was handing us her trust. We stepped into maturity drying my grandma’s best china.

I do not exactly remember my grandma’s dishtowels, but I am sure they did not feature appliqués of cherries or poodles. They were not brightly striped in purples and mauves. She was practical and of modest means, from “the old country.” I suspect they were muslin, probably made from old flour sacks.

Fifty years later, I keep in my own dishtowel drawer several towels much like those that my mother stitched for me from flour sacks that we discovered in a dead relative’s basement, neatly pressed and stacked and forgotten in a cupboard.

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One day, though, my grandma handed my cousin and me clean, dry dishtowels. She was handing us her trust. We stepped into maturity drying my grandma’s best china.

Now they are on active duty. But I am sentimental about them, so I choose them only for clean jobs—drying wine glasses, for example, after a dinner party at our house.

Other dishtowels do the dirty work. In the spring, that includes patting morels dry. In the summer, dishtowels wring the moisture from shredded zucchini or cooked spinach. In the early fall, the tomato harvest is washed in the sink and then arranged on a blue or green towel to dry. In the winter, I rub toasted hazelnuts with a towel to swiftly remove their stubborn skins. Or I cup a steaming chunk of butternut squash on a towel-lined palm while scooping out the sweet flesh with a spoon.

And bread, when I dare it, always rises beneath a clean dishtowel.

I know someone who keeps no dishtowels but wipes her hands and everything else with paper towels. This is sacrilege. Cooking needs cloth—cloth that you can drape over your shoulder or tuck into your waistband for readiness.

In my dishtowel drawer, which is right opposite my sink, I keep 45 dishtowels. That means there are plenty more if too many get damp or dirty at once. One friend who comes often for dinner likes to lay out almost a dozen towels on our butcher block counter before she hand washes and dries each dish and glass and pot.

When a towel is almost ready for the laundry, I also use it to wipe down my beloved patch of granite countertop, sprayed first with Windex. Voilà— shine! And when any towel gets so badly stained that it makes me sad, into the rag box it goes.

I have standards for dishtowels. They must be 100% cotton. None of this modern microfiber. A good dishtowel will dry a glass without leaving any specks of water on it. A good dishtowel also has a loop on one edge or corner, so you can hang it from a hook. My favorite dishtowels are not gaudy. Simple plaids or stripes are best. No appliqués, no words. A good towel is at least 16 by 24 inches. (Exception: The smaller tarp-blue shop rags a contractor left behind—beautiful!) A good towel ages well, growing softer with each washing, its edges never rolling. And dishtowels must be cheery. A certain relative’s towels are all black and beige, which makes doing her dishes a gloomy chore.

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An objective observer would say, I suppose, that I am a collector of dishtowels.

Everywhere I travel I seek them out, although the pickings these days in this country have become predictable. But not long ago I bought one, for $7, that was handmade on a loom in Berea, Kentucky. I should have bought two.

Two dishtowels, in autumn colors, were gifts from my old friend Marty, whom I rarely see. I think of her every time I use one. A couple of towels were included with a Christmas gift from my brother in Minnesota; I’ve forgotten the gift, but cherish the blue towels, especially the one with the moose on it. A couple of big, square, white cotton ones, so lightweight you can almost see through them, were bought at a Mennonite general store in mid-Michigan. And one bright green-and-white towel is the only one left from a batch I bought 20 years ago to use at our old lakeside cottage, when drying dishes while watching dusk fall on the water was as good as it gets.

I must confess, though, that one of my favorite dishtowels is stolen.

We had leased for a week an apartment in London in a century-old building.

It was quaint as could be, with an ample, well-appointed kitchen. It had not a towel drawer but a whole towel cupboard, overflowing with towels both virgin and stained.

I developed a fondness for one unlike any I own. It was deep rose and white, with the image of an urn overflowing with fruit. Its tag read “Made in France.”

I used it every day of that week, and before we left, I tucked it in my suitcase, telling myself the household still had several others like it, that the owner would never miss it.

Now I am contrite. If someone stole it from me, I would be devastated. But then again, anyone who appreciates a beautiful, functional dishtowel is a special soul, and could (I hope) be forgiven.

Do I own too many dishtowels? Can a day have too many kisses, or too much sunshine? Can a person have too many friends?

All I know is this: The holidays and dinner parties that end with a full laundry basket and an almost empty dishtowel drawer are the very best.

Susan Ager is a Leelanau County writer and former Detroit Free Press columnist who grew up in metro Detroit. She’s always looking for tips on finding good towels. Contact her at susan@susanager.com.

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Sunapple Kitchens ARC Industries’s idea to sustainably connect communities

By Nicole Rasul • Photography by Jodi Miller

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n a kitchen on the West Side of Columbus the sweet smell of a bakery fills the air. Pots and pans clatter, oven doors creak to life. A young woman named Sasha works in the background, preparing diligently for the day.

Sasha is an employee of ARC Industries. Every workday at 7:30am she arrives and begins to measure out ingredients for recipes supplied to her by the bakers at Columbus-based Bake Me Happy and Pattycake Bakery. Sasha then bakes cookies, scones and piecrusts. She packages the products and cleans, leaving the kitchen spotless.

Three days of the week she bakes beside Wendy Miller Pugh and Letha Pugh, owners of Bake Me Happy, which is a gluten-free operation. The other two days Sasha and her ARC Industries instructor, Doreen Bailey, bake two types of glutenfree cookies for Pattycake Bakery.

Sasha has worked in a few kitchens before this.

She’s never enjoyed them, however, as much as she enjoys this one. She sees this as her destiny.

ARC Industries is a Central Ohio nonprofit that works in collaboration with the Franklin County Clockwise from top left: Baking assistant, Sasha Spikes prepares chocolate chip cookies at the Sunapple Kitchens West; Sasha peels apples for apple pie at the Sunapple Kitchens West

Board of Developmental Disabilities (FCBDD).

The organization has a proud 50-year history of providing employment opportunities for individuals living with developmental disabilities in Central Ohio. Today, the organization’s four locations have more than 1,200 employees and 300,000 square feet of space.

ARC Industries contracts with partners to fulfill their business needs. These tasks include services conducted onsite at the four Central Ohio ARC Industries workshops, such as assembly and packaging, and staffing services at partner locations, such as janitorial work and data entry. Just last year, the nonprofit was contracted to provide services to 250 organizations in Central Ohio.

In 2012 a new door opened for the organization with the arrival of ARC Industries CEO and FCBDD Adult Services Director, Teresa Kobelt.

When Teresa arrived, FCBDD had recently decided to close the commercial kitchens in its four ARC Industries locations. For a number of years the kitchens had been used to cook meals for ARC Industries employees. With declining need for the spaces, however, FCBDD decided to halt their use for daily onsite meal preparation.

“When I joined the organization we were in the midst of a re-visioning exercise. The kitchens

had just been closed but we knew we wanted to use them for another purpose. We also knew that we wanted to further link ARC employees with the community and make the work of ARC Industries even more relevant to Central Ohio,” Teresa noted.

Also in 2012, ARC Industries commissioned the services of Susan Weber and Sandy Frey, owners of Integrity Sustainable Planning and Design, a Columbus company that works with communities to implement sustainable design solutions.

The two were hired to work with ARC Industries on a market garden project at FCBDD’s Northeast School, which operates the organization’s school-age program. When they visited the ARC Industries North and West locations and saw up-to-date, large commercial kitchens that were not in use, a light bulb flipped on for the two veterans of the Columbus food scene.

“We asked Teresa, ‘do you have kitchens like these in all of your facilities?’ We were completely amazed at the find, as commercial kitchen space in Central Ohio is lacking,” Susan said.

Susan and Sandy were engaged to launch the kitchens as rentable commercial space, complete with ARC Industries staffing, for use by established producers in the Central Ohio food com-

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munity. The two not only connected ARC Industries with potential partners in the food scene but they also helped the organization obtain various licenses and certifications. As part of this initiative, ARC Industries resurrected a brand once affiliated with the organization—the Sunapple Company.

Earlier this year the newly minted Sunapple Kitchens opened its first facility at ARC Industries West to selected partners in the community.

The kitchen is a certified gluten-free baking facility. This is where Sasha works side-by-side with the owners of Bake Me Happy and Pattycake Bakery.

Partners contract with ARC Industries for both use of the space and labor. Sasha not only earns an income but gains skills in an environment that she finds fulfilling. An added incentive for the bakers is the fact that Sunapple Kitchens’ gluten-free certification is passed on to their products.

ARC Industries is working with Integrity Sustainable Planning and Design to launch rentable facilities with ARC Industries staffing at their three other Columbus locations.

“Each kitchen has a theme tailored to a different set of clients. Sunapple Kitchens West will remain a gluten-free facility with bakery and frozen foods licenses. Sunapple Kitchens North

will focus on canning and bottling of high-acid foods—barbeque sauce, salsa and salad dressings, for example. Sunapple Kitchens East and South will service a broader clientele. These kitchens will have bakery, frozen food and catering licenses where producers can make foods onsite that will be transported elsewhere or packaged for sale,” Sandy explained.

Partners who have already committed to these facilities include New Albany-based Ella Restaurant, which plans to use Sunapple Kitchens East to expand into catering, as well as CaJohns and Urban Chefs, both Central Ohio fiery sauce makers who plan to use Sunapple Kitchens North for bottling of their products.

“A benefit to using this facility is that producers can make smaller batches of product, allowing us to scale in production size as our businesses grow.

This is unique as most facilities have a batch size requirement to use their spaces,” said Anthony Frazier, owner of Urban Chefs.

The planners of Sunapple Kitchens have a longterm vision of an expansion of the resources available at the facilities. In time they hope to offer partners ARC Industries’ garden and studio resources for use in their food production and assembly processes. ARC Industries staff will be engaged to help grow ingredients as well as label, package and ship products produced onsite.

“The use of the kitchens and staffing at Sunapple Kitchens by the local food industry is sustainability at its finest—it’s making a really rich use of the resources available. These kitchens were underused. With their reincarnation as Sunapple Kitchens we know that they will develop into a deep asset for the community,” Susan said.

The addition of Sunapple Kitchens to the Central Ohio local food community has not only provided more commercial kitchen space for producers, but Sasha and other ARC Industries staff who work in the kitchens have found new meaning in their occupations.

“I’ve always wanted to work in a bakery,” said Sasha, describing how her grandmother is a baker, the best cook in her family. Growing up, Sasha’s grandmother encouraged Sasha to cook beside her.

“My grandmother always told me ‘I want you to follow in my footsteps.’ This has always been my dream. I just love it.”

Nicole Rasul loves all things related to food and is especially inquisitive about food history and culture.

She and her husband recently moved back to Ohio, her home state, after many years on the East Coast.

They live in Clintonville where they enjoy the farmers market and their backyard garden.

Many types of food entrepreneurs will benefit from contracting with Sunapple Kitchens to produce their products, from caterers to packaged specialty food producers. At this time, the gluten-free commercial kitchen at Sunapple Kitchens West is open for business; the other three commercial kitchens are in final development and should be operational shortly.

Sunapple Kitchens West This kitchen currently has bakery and frozen food licenses, is a dedicated gluten-free commercial kitchen and is pursuing certification as a gluten-free copacking facility. This facility works with gluten-free producers.

Sunapple Kitchens North This kitchen has a commercial cannery license. This facility will work with producers that make canned and bottled high-acid foods.

Sunapple Kitchens East This kitchen has bakery, frozen food and catering licenses, is an all-purpose and commercial catering kitchen and is pursuing meat Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification. This facility will work with producers that are caterers or that produce packaged products.

Sunapple Kitchens South This kitchen has bakery, frozen food and catering licenses, is an all-purpose and commercial catering kitchen and is pursuing meat HACCP certification. This facility will work with producers that are caterers or that produce packaged products.

For more information on contracting with Sunapple Kitchens, please contact 800-734-7007 or info@arcind.com.

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food forward

Bridging the Gap Dairy farmer and advocate, Perry Clutts, brings farmers and politicians to the table

By Claire Hoppens • Photography by Jodi Miller

E

very other day a milk truck makes a slow turn into Perry Clutts’ gravel drive, kicking up dust and spiking curiosity in the youngest cluster of cows.

and it gets confusing for consumers because they don’t really know what to believe,” Perry said. “That’s what I like about the OTA’s Farmer Advisory Council. It’s not a new group—it is bringing groups together.”

“They’re social animals,” Perry said, standing at a crux of three fenced pastures and a herd of nearly 200 dairy cows. “One thing that’s really cool about a grass-based dairy is just watching the cows come in,” he said, with a broad smile.

Utilizing his roles as farmer, board member and advocate, Perry is in a unique position—with diverse responsibilities—to bridge connections and shed light on the plight of organic farming today, from labeling to bureaucracy to benefits.

A two-lane road divides the property. On one side sits a cherished, aging farmhouse, flanked by a hay field and old growth trees. On the other, acres of forage, a milking parlor and barn, some slight rolling hills and the cows, Jersey and Holstein, which are preparing for an afternoon milking.

“Farmers like Perry play a role in the political process by telling their stories, and they tell them with authenticity because they live them every day. When farmers can engage with the political process, they sound a call to others for action, to challenge the policies that hold them back and advocate for those that will advance them,” said Carol Goland, Executive Director of OEFFA.

First and foremost, Perry is a dairy farmer. But he didn’t start out as one, and he didn’t set out for an organic certification. Before converting his family’s 115-year-old farm from growing grain to grass in 2007, which he said the soil is more apt for, Perry was a general contractor.

Starting out on the farm, he and about 20 other dairy farmers comprised the Milky Way Graziers of South Central and Southern Ohio. Intrigued by organic methods, the members researched three major milk companies in the area: HP Hood, Horizon and Organic Valley. Perry signed his initial fouryear contract with Horizon and had milk on the truck by June 2007. “For my choice—the way I like to farm and the food I want to eat—its not just non-GMO [genetically modified organisms]. Organic encompasses a lot of things,” Perry said. “No hormones, no pesticides—just clean things up.”

But there was more to be done than the act of organic farming itself. There was the politics of organic farming, and all the opportunities that existed among farmers to communicate, collaborate and improve. So Perry dove in.

He was simultaneously appointed and voted into the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) Board of Directors in the summer of 2012 and acts as chair of the OTA’s Farmer’s Advisory Council. He also joined the Organic Research and Promotion Steering Committee while also sitting on the board of the American Forage and Grassland Council and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association (OEFFA).

It’s a balancing act, but one with great potential in its interconnectedness.

“We have a lot of groups out there that want to represent farmers, so, on some level, it’s kind of watered down. I think it gets confusing for legislators

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Between the hay bailing, milkings, repairs and day-to-day farm operations Perry attends, on average, three meetings a week. He’s interested in changes to organic policy and eager to participate in the collective groupthink of farmers who, though they might not share an end product, cannot effect change without starting a conversation about what’s working and what’s not.

“The really interesting thing for me is up until this point I’ve only really communicated with other dairy farmers. So now I’m communicating with other vegetable farmers, egg farmers—we’re all learning,” Perry said. “Farmers really do need to have a voice. We need to all communicate because there’s a lot of negativity about companies that are getting big and selling organic products.

On the flipside of that, there are a lot of farmers that supply those companies.

So what would happen to those organic farmers that all of a sudden don’t have a market to sell to if those companies disappeared?”

Only 5% of organic goods are sold directly from production to retail, like at farmers markets, Perry explains. Eighty percent is sold at a wholesale level.

That 80% of organic farm products go through companies that are most likely members of the OTA. The need exists on both sides to be transparent and informed.

Perry’s goal on the OTA’s Farmers Advisory Council is to have 20 groups of farmers—growers of produce, livestock, grain, etc.—join, widening the “If there are so many people telling farmers what they are, farmers need to be engaged. And I really feel strongly that we need to step back for a second and just think about what we do want.”—Perry Clutts

“The stories that Perry and farmers like him can tell may describe the struggle to fulfill the simplest of human needs, the unintended consequences of policies, the ways that hopes and aspirations have gone unrealized despite easy fixes or the injustices of the system.� edible COLUMBUS.com

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breadth and types of conversations to help combat what he sees as the biggest problem: the organic label competition and consumer confusion, particularly the findings that “natural” is superior to “organic” among consumers. GMOs and non-GMO labeling are hot topics, too.

“In discussions with people from within the state, like Brandon and Michelle [from Shagbark Seed and Mill in Athens, Ohio], how do we make the label become a non-GMO indicator, just like we don’t produce with antibiotics or added hormones?” Perry asked. “If consumers shift to wanting non-GMO, then farmers will have a whole new certification layer to go through. I just heard from a grain producer up in northern Ohio. After more than 20 years of growing organic grain, he’s had enough. He’s going to be conventional next year. Frustration over paperwork, and he sees there’s a non-GMO market where he might be able to do better. That’s pretty problematic.”

A call for increased GMO labeling from the public has stirred confusion. For farmers that have already established a certification, seeking another because of a consumer trend is time consuming and expensive.

“While organic is still growing I don’t see an immediate need to jump on something right away, but as market share erodes, consumer choice moves, we need to make sure the consumer knows what organic stands for” Perry said. “I feel as though consumers think that non-GMO is more important than organic. The problem is you can be non-GMO, but you’re still spraying herbicides and insecticides.”

It’s a potentially dangerous mindset—overlooking the broad benefits of organic production for a niche market, and it’s something Perry aims to conquer in his work among various groups.

“What often moves people to action and changes decision-makers’ minds are the stories of the real-life experience of others,” Carol said. “The stories that Perry and farmers like him can tell may describe the struggle to fulfill the simplest of human needs, the unintended consequences of policies, the ways that hopes and aspirations have gone unrealized despite easy fixes or the injustices of the system.”

Perry’s voice is strong and his intentions are clear: to increase transparency to farmers and those who represent them; to engage in discussion; and to shed light on issues social, agricultural and legislative for fellow farmers of all types. “We have a lot of groups out there that want to represent farmers, so on some level it’s kind of watered down,” Perry said. “I think it gets confusing for legislators and it gets confusing for consumers because they don’t really know what to believe.”

For Perry, the balance between advocate and farmer comes from a place of passion. “If there are so many people telling farmers what they are, farmers need to be engaged. And I really feel strongly that we need to step back for a second and just think about what we do want.”

Raised in a nomadic and adventurous family, Claire Hoppens called five states home and attended three colleges before earning her degree in magazine journalism from the Scripps School at Ohio University in 2011. Claire is currently in training as a Managing Partner for Northstar Cafe, one of the many Columbus mainstays to solidify her love of people, food and our vibrant city.

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Wintertime Tomatoes Hydroponic farming provides a solution for year-round local produce

By Teresa Woodard • Photography by Catherine Murray

It was a cold Saturday morning in November when Beth Ramsey picked up her CSA (community supported agriculture) share from VanScoy Farms. She peaked inside the box and was delighted to find locally grown lettuce, bok choy cabbage, sweet potatoes, peppers, red and white potatoes, apples and her husband’s and daughter’s favorites—tomatoes. At VanScoy’s hydroponic greenhouses in Ridgeway, just 30 miles northeast of Marysville, it’s no surprise to find tomatoes and other produce growing indoors as late as November.

“Hydroponics [growing plants in greenhouses in a solution of mineral nutrients in water, without soil] is a great solution for a hungry, growing world,” Bill VanScoy, owner of VanScoy Farms, said. “It produces great yields for the space, is more convenient to tend and harvest by hand, conserves water and isn’t dependent on the fertility of the soil.”

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“Hydroponics [growing plants in greenhouses in a solution of mineral nutrients in water, without soil] is a great solution for a hungry, growing world,” Bill VanScoy, owner of VanScoy Farms, said. “It produces great yields for the space, is more convenient to tend and harvest by hand, conserves water and isn’t dependent on the fertility of the soil.”

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Introduced by German botanists more than 150 years ago, hydroponic farming techniques are increasingly being adopted near metropolitan areas worldwide as a solution for providing locally grown produce, particularly in places with poor soil, limited land or challenging growing conditions.

There’s even a hydroponic greenhouse aboard a retired river barge in Yonkers, N.Y.

“We are constantly looking for new varieties because the old standbys wear out,” he said. “None of the tomato, lettuce or cucumber varieties are the same varieties we started with.” Instead, he and his sons find new ones that are more productive to keep up with the demand and the costs of production, especially the high energy bills. And here, the production costs are closely measured per square foot versus per acre.

The growing interest in hydroponic farming is also evident in Ohio, according to Peter Ling, greenhouse engineering extension specialist with The Ohio State University. He points to two driving forces. First is the local food movement and how hydroponic farming helps keep up with the demand for locally grown vegetables, especially during off-seasons. The second force is the increasing environmental concern about water runoff from traditional vegetable farm production.

The VanScoys sell 80% of their produce directly to retail customers through CSAs and local farmers markets. The remaining 20% is sold to wholesale customers like Green B.E.A.N. grocery delivery and the Greener Grocer at North Market. They offer 20- and 30-week CSA programs with share pickups at farmers markets in Worthington, Bexley and Dublin. Recently, they expanded the variety in their CSA boxes by increasing their outdoor vegetable production and partnering with other farms that have similar farming practices. Last season, they offered spinach, okra, heirloom tomatoes, summer and winter squash, personal melons and potatoes from their outdoor vegetable fields; products from Sara Bee Honey; apples, peaches and berries from Hirsch Fruit Farm; and asparagus, sweet corn and melons from Hurley Farms.

As a customer of the farm’s CSA program, Beth said she appreciates the environmental benefits of their approach, but more importantly likes buying local for health and community involvement reasons.

“The fact that I can get local produce past season I know is beneficial to our families,” she said.

Bill said he decided to venture into hydroponics as a way to expand his conventional crop farming business, especially since there was limited land available in his area, and the farming industry was moving from highvolume field crops to more specialized ones.

“Instead of investing in more land and tractors, we spent money on greenhouses and a computer system,” he said.

“Farmers do better by partnering with others than by doing things by themselves,” Bill said. For example, Hurley has specialized equipment for handling sweet corn, while Hirsch brings an expertise that he says he doesn’t have as a “vegetable guy.”

While he expects the CSA market to continue to grow, he said its success is contingent on two factors: encouraging consumers’ demand for high-quality, locally grown food from farmers they personally trust like their family physician and offering convenient options for pick-up and delivery.

Working with his wife, Sonie, and three sons, Wesley (24), Matthew (22) and Phillip (20), they set up a 3,600-square-foot greenhouse and worked for two years to put together a system that worked. Now in their 14th season, the VanScoys manage 51,000 square feet or approximately one acre of greenhouse. The greenhouses are equipped with a sophisticated hydroponic system in which 10,000 emitters are connected to plants to send a continuous flow of nutrient-enriched water to each plant. A computer control system manages precise amounts and timing for each, whether tomato, cucumber, pepper, green bean, lettuce or strawberry plant.

“We’ve got to stay connected with consumers and educate them on how things grow, what is local and seasons for various produce,” Bill said.

“Hydroponics yields three to four times greater yield per acre than traditional farming,” Bill said. “Plus, the water is recirculated, so we use only 10 percent of the water used in traditional farming.”

“You’ve got to be willing to change with the market,” Bill said.

For the tomatoes, the VanScoys begin planting the seeds in January. Weeks later, they transplant the seedlings to a soil-less mix of cocoa coir (ground cocoa husks) and grow them under the greenhouse’s hydroponic system.

Unlike traditional vegetable gardening, these transplants are not dependent on the soil to gain nutrients. Instead they are fed a continuous nutrient supply through the hydroponics’ watering system. By May, the VanScoys begin harvesting their first crop of tomatoes and continue hand picking into December. These indeterminate or vining varieties grow as much as 40 feet on trellises and produce 20 to 36 pounds per plant, depending on the summer’s heat that can slow production.

He’s counting on a bright future for the farm and the family’s next generation of growers. Forever the pioneers, the VanScoys are evaluating a new strawberry stacker growing system, reviewing results from this year’s initial turnip crop, expanding his offerings for the growing greens niche and weighing options to efficiently heat or air condition the greenhouse to further optimize growing conditions.

No doubt, he welcomes change and has become a champion for hydroponic farming. He’s even lending advice to other farmers starting new hydroponic operations.

“I think the local food movement is here to stay, so that being said, we need operations like this one near every major market.”

Teresa Woodard writes, scouts and produces home and garden stories for regional and national magazines, including Columbus Monthly, Ohio Magazine,

Ohio Gardener, Midwest Living and Country Gardens. She blogs about Midwest gardening with two other writers at heartland-gardening.com. She’s

Bill said they grow three varieties of beefsteak tomatoes—one “dependable workhorse” and two newer trial varieties.

also a master gardener and gardens on two and a half acres along the Little Darby Creek in Madison County. She and her husband Brian have three teenage kids, a cat Shadow and a dog Tucker. Most mornings, you’ll find Teresa writing or looking for inspiration as she walks Tucker in a nearby preserve.

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Hydroponics 101 Definition: Growing plants in greenhouses in a solution of mineral nutrients in water, without soil.

History: According to Successful Hydroponics, German botanists Julius von Sachs and Wilhelm Knop are considered the pioneers of hydroponics. In the mid-1800s, they discovered a standard formula for a nutrient solution that could be added to water in which plants could be successfully grown. In more recent years, NASA has studied hydroponic gardening to supply food and oxygen for lengthy space missions.

Soil-less medium: The plants are either grown in a natural material (cocoa husks, bark, sawdust, rice hulls or gravel) or directly in a nutrient solution.

Ideal plants: Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, strawberries Benefits: •

Green farming (efficient use of water and space)

•

Local produce off-season

•

Improved taste and nutritional content by supplying the ideal nutrients to plants

•

Minimized soil-borne diseases

•

Opportunities for urban farming in small spaces and agriculture in countries with poor soil

Challenges: •

Managing costs to make hydroponic farming profitable

•

Educating customers and building a loyal following

Learn more: Visit vanscoyfarms.com, follow VanScoy Farms on Facebook or meet the VanScoys at the Worthington, Dublin and Bexley farmers markets.

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local foodshed

Our Ohio Businesses The threat fracking poses to local food in Athens, Ohio, and beyond

By Christine Hughes

“All men are, by nature, free and independent, and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and seeking and obtaining happiness and safety.”

—Ohio Constitution

A

griculture in Ohio is in jeopardy.

Ohio farmers have lost the right to keep private land safe for food production. The desire of an out-ofstate corporation to drill and dump their contaminated wastewater in our state trumps Ohio landowners’ constitutional rights. Shale pirates are having a field day.

For almost 20 years, I have treasured living, working and doing business in Southeast Ohio.

As a restaurant owner in a town with a strong agricultural heritage, I’m able to support our workers and provide our neighbors with foods from close-by fields and pastures. We depend on many local businesses for ingredients that we prepare daily. Many farms I buy from have been in business for generations, with roots deep and vigorous, and they aim to keep farming for generations more.

The people we serve share our long-term commitment to the community. Like calling in a big family to eat with us, we can count on our customers’ returning again and again. For example, when Teresa M. comes in to the Village Bakery, we know she’ll be ordering the Mediterranean Salad with Feta Dill dressing, and we know she’ll be back.

We also count on fellow business people like Kip and Becky from Green Edge Gardens, who grew the lettuce, and Michelle and Chris from Integration Acres, who made the feta for Teresa’s favorite salad. They take pride in growing their crops, caring for their livestock and crafting quality ingredients, knowing that our customers

will enjoy the results of their hard work. Our businesses build each other’s reputation for integrity.

We’re reminded daily how many pieces fit together to keep this remarkable local economy growing stronger. Goods, services and money that are exchanged circulate close to home, so money made from the community goes back into the community.

In order for this to happen, there are certain things that we count on: We need clean air, water and soil to grow healthy livestock and crops.

Roads need to be safe. Farmers live where they work, so the countryside needs to remain a safe and enjoyable place to live.

Now, all that we’ve worked for is at risk. The oil and gas industry has come into our region as though our food and farming businesses don’t exist, and they act as if they have more right to do business here than we do. Ohio’s land and water are being used and abused, while businesses that depend on the community’s economic wellbeing feel powerless to protect it.

Farmers I talk to are at a loss. Their property values can plummet, and their reputations for safe, quality food can be destroyed. To be treated in their own state like second-class citizens, after contributing their hard labor to conserve farmland and enrich Ohio’s economy for generations, is unconscionable.

In Athens County, we are getting truckload after truckload of toxic waste from the shale drilling industry. It’s not mentioned in the green-washed hype about fracking, but this industry produces millions of gallons of wastewater at every drilling site. This waste is often radioactive, and contains cancer-causing chemicals.

Athens County is the unhappy recipient of much of this toxic waste from drilling sites in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The six waste sites in our

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county include an open pit, on a pretty country road in a rural residential area, where the toxic liquid sits in a large swimming pool-sized pit and evaporates into our air. There’s no sign informing the neighbors what this stuff is, but after standing on the road for five minutes looking over at it, I got my first migraine headache ever and a sore throat that lasted for days.

One of the farms I have been purchasing from for seven years has been badly hurt by the shale drilling industry. Matt and Angie Starline currently grow fields of organic grains on 40 acres of land that they rent. Five miles away sits their old farm and homestead, 50 acres where they created a beautiful, bio-diverse farm of organic vegetables and mixed pasture to produce lamb and pork for the local market.

Angie speaks passionately of her dream to share their food and farming knowledge with the next generation, giving children a taste of where their food comes from, and inspiring more young people to take up farming as she and Matt have.

On their old farm, they provided guided tours, with a special focus on engaging the children who visited.

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When the drilling industry came into Athens County, Matt and Angie learned as much as they could about their mineral rights, tracing deeds back more than a hundred years, to be sure they would be able to make their own decision about the industrialization of their farmland. Like many farmers, they have a strong sense of responsibility for their land, and they want to conserve it for future generations.

But two years ago, on the small road next to their 50 acre homestead, tanker trucks of “brine” besieged them. One after another, day and night, the trucks began unloading drilling waste into “injection wells,” which are disposal sites owned by someone else. If an injection well is leaky, the poisonous waste can travel into drinking water supplies. If it isn’t leaky, the poisonous waste is put very deep underground. But there is no bottom to this well, and the waste can rise back up into drinking water supplies through natural cracks in rock or old oil and gas wells.

The industry does not test well or surface water in areas surrounding injection wells, so Matt and Angie paid thousands of dollars for their own testing, testing that must be done three to four times a year, so they could know when their

farmland became contaminated. The fumes and noise from the diesel tanker trucks are another gift from the industry, which Starline Organic Farm had no right to refuse. They sold off all their livestock soon after the industrialization of their neighborhood began and children no longer visit.

The industry and our government predict that the shale “boom” is just beginning, and that means billions more gallons of waste for Ohio.

Late last year, Angie and Matt decided they had to shut down their farm and homestead. They still grow organic grains on the rented land that is not near injection wells, but both Angie and Matt have also had to take full-time positions, working for others.

How is it that one business has the right to invade the neighborhood and make neighboring landowners feel like prisoners on their own farms? Farmers I talk to are at a loss. Their property values can plummet, and their reputations for safe, quality food can be destroyed. To be treated in their own state like second-class citizens, after contributing their hard labor to conserve farmland and enrich Ohio’s economy for generations, is unconscionable.

These out-of-town corporations contaminate millions of gallons of our fresh water, polluting it so completely that it must be removed from the cycle of water farmers depend on. Holding the wastewater in open pits pollutes the air, and injecting it into the earth has been linked to manmade earthquakes and widespread leaking.

Those of us who work the land and serve the food from it are doing business in our community for the long haul, so the land can continue to feed generations of Ohio families. Why should our businesses and communities be sacrificed for out-of-state corporations that have little regard for the future?

These modern-day pirates get away with the goods and leave a permanent, unfixable mess behind for the rest of us to deal with. I can tell you, if a local company generated the kind of pollution that this industry does with each well, it would be zoned out of business. But this business doesn’t have to follow those laws, or many other laws that we all abide by—common sense laws created to protect public health.

Communities fall behind economically, shouldering the expense of increased emergency and hospital services, truck traffic and keeping the roads in shape to try to avoid contamination from the drilling pollution being trucked into our towns.

While the hydrocarbons obtained from shale drilling mostly go to fuel the petrochemical industry, the drilling waste stays here in Ohio.

More drilling waste—permanently destroyed water—is brought in from other states and injected into land surrounding Ohio farms. How can we be confident investing in our farm-based business when these intruders can come in and treat the land like garbage?

It’s time to wake up to the reality of the looting and trashing of our state, and take a stand to protect our only home. Even if you live in the city, if you enjoy having access to locally grown food, you are part of this food chain, too, and we need you to fight with us. Talk to the farmer who grows your fruits and vegetables, or the producer of your favorite Ohio milk, ice cream, meats and cheeses.

Are drillers getting close to their land? Is polluted water being dumped next to their pastures? Find out what they think about it, and whether they have any choice in the matter. Because the funny

thing about this business is that it can set up business wherever it fracking well pleases.

Don’t let Ohio farmers be harmed by an industry of invaders. Join with Ohio’s local businesses committed to keeping Ohio’s agricultural heritage strong. American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) has published a letter businesses in Ohio can sign to support a moratorium on fracking in Ohio. You can read ASBC’s fracking position paper and statements opposing fracking

by OEFFA (Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association), Ohio Farmers Union, Organic Valley Cooperative and Organic Consumers Association. Athens County Fracking Action Network (acfan.org) is a grassroots website many of our local farmers look to for ways we can work together to protect our foodshed from fracking.

Ohio’s future needs to stay in our hands.

Christine Hughes is the owner of the Village Bakery & Café, Della Zona and Catalyst Café in Athens, Ohio.

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last Seed

Wendell Berry’s

17

Rules

for a Sustainable Community

If the members of a local community want their community to cohere, to flourish and to last, these are some things they would do:

1

Always ask of any proposed change or innovation: What will this do to our community? How will this affect our common wealth?

2

Always include local nature—the land, the water, the air, the native creatures—within the membership of the community.

3

Always ask how local needs might be supplied from local sources, including the mutual help of neighbors.

4

Always supply local needs first. (And only then think of exporting their products, first to nearby cities, and then to others.)

5

Understand the unsoundness of the industrial doctrine of “labor-saving” if that implies poor work, unemployment or any kind of pollution or contamination.

6

Develop properly scaled value-adding industries for local products to ensure that the community does not become merely a colony of the national or global economy.

7

Develop small-scale industries and businesses to support the local farm and/or forest economy.

8

Strive to produce as much of the community’s own energy as possible.

9

Strive to increase earnings (in whatever form) within the community and decrease expenditures outside the community.

10

Make sure that money paid into the local economy circulates within the community for as long as possible before it is paid out.

11

Make the community able to invest in itself by maintaining its properties, keeping itself clean (without dirtying some other place), caring for its old people, teaching its children.

12

See that the old and the young take care of one another. The young must learn from the old, not necessarily and not always in school. There must be no institutionalized “child care” and “homes for the aged.” The community knows and remembers itself by the association of old and young.

13

Account for costs now conventionally hidden or “externalized.” Whenever possible, these costs must be debited against monetary income.

14

Look into the possible uses of local currency, community-funded loan programs, systems of barter and the like.

15

Always be aware of the economic value of neighborly acts. In our time the costs of living are greatly increased by the loss of neighborhood, leaving people to face their calamities alone.

Excerpted from the essay “Conserving Communities,” from Another Turn of the Crank, by Wendell Berry © 1995 by Wendell Berry, Counterpoint Press. Used by permission of author.

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A rural community should always be acquainted with, and complexly connected with, community-minded people in nearby towns and cities.

17

A sustainable rural economy will be dependent on urban consumers loyal to local products. Therefore, we are talking about an economy that will always be more cooperative than competitive.