Fall 2012, My Indiana Home

my-indiana-home.com Fall 2012

Great Grains Get the whole story on this nutrient-rich food group with rice, quinoa and barley recipes

Meet the FFA of Today

A magazine for Indiana Farm Bureau members

my-indiana-home.com

Volume 3, Number 1

A magazine for Indiana Farm Bureau members

Connect to your food, your farmers and a uniquely Hoosier lifestyle Food Travel

Farms

Home & Garden

My Indiana

President Don Villwock Vice President Randy Kron Second Vice President Isabella Chism Chief Operating Officer & Treasurer Mark Sigler Editor Andy Dietrick Managing Editor Kathleen Dutro Marketing & Public Relations Specialist Mindy Reef Multi-Media Specialist Mike Anthony Web Designer/Developer Diane Brewer Administrative Assistant Charla Buis

Content Director Jessy Yancey Project Manager Blair Thomas Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinator Rachel Bertone Contributing Writers Carol Cowan, Kim Galeaz, Susan Hayhurst, Jodi Helmer, Colletta Kosiba, Laurie Wink Creative Services Director Christina Carden Senior Graphic Designers Stacy Allis, Laura Gallagher, Jake Shores, Vikki Williams Creative Technology Analyst Becca Ary Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Michael Conti

FOOD

Web Creative Director Allison Davis Web Content Manager John Hood

Awesome Apples Browse our collection of apple recipes, including Apple Walnut Salad, Maple Apple Baked Beans, BBQ Chicken Apple Pizza and Fresh Apple Cake, at my-indiana-home.com/apple-recipes.

Web Project Manager David Day Web Designer II Richard Stevens Web Development Lead Yamel Hall Web Developer I Nels Noseworthy Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan I.T. Support Technician Daniel Cantrell Accounting Diana Guzman, Maria McFarland, Lisa Owens Executive Secretary Kristy Duncan Receptionist Linda Bishop

FARM

Chairman Greg Thurman

Fall is the perfect time for a field trip to the farm!

Find information on Indiana pumpkin patches and corn mazes at my-indiana-home.com.

President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Sr. V.P./Operations Casey Hester Sr. V.P./Sales Todd Potter Sr. V.P./Agribusiness Publishing Kim Newsom Holmberg V.P./Sales Rhonda Graham V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.P./External Communications Teree Caruthers V.P./Content Operations Natasha Lorens Controller Chris Dudley

My Indiana

Distribution Director Gary Smith Senior Integrated Media Manager Robin Robertson

Schimpff’s Confectionery has crafted handmade chocolates and candies since 1891. Read about the business at my-indiana-home.com/schimpffs.

My Indiana Home (ISSN 2157-1465 USPS 249-880) is published quarterly by Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., 225 S. East St., Box 1290, Indianapolis IN 46206-1290.

Controlled circulation. Subscription price of $2 per year included in the dues of Farm Bureau members in Indiana.

Periodical postage paid at Indianapolis, Indiana and additional entry points.

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My Indiana Home is produced for the Indiana Farm Bureau

by Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (800) 333-8842. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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Indiana Farm Bureau

fall 2012 Features

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Meet the FFA of Today Organization promotes success for members both on and off the farm

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A Passion for Persimmons Grower Jerry Lehman strives to commercialize the seasonal favorite

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Rolling in the Doughnuts

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HighPoint Orchard serves up apples, agritourism and homemade desserts

Departments 6

IN Almanac

New coffee-table book honors Indiana food and farms

22 Eat IN

Get the whole story on great grains recipes

26 Travel IN

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Find fun things to do in the home of Purdue

31 INsurance

Tornado leaves IFBI customers feeling both sad and grateful

32 IN the Garden

Learn to prevent plant invaders

33 IN Focus

12 Fall 2012

Reader photos sent in by you

On the cover Curried Barley with Cranberries, Raisins and Pecans Photo by Jeffrey S. Otto my-indiana-home.com

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Favorite fall recipes

Halloween treats

From dinner plate to tailgate

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Indiana Farm Bureau

IN Box We love hearing from you, whether by email, comments on our website, my-indiana-home.com, or even a tweet or Facebook post. In many cases, your notes can help us improve the experience of other readers or website visitors, so please keep them coming!

My husband and I have been longtime customers of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, and we most certainly enjoy the new format of My Indiana Home. My parents brought me to Brown County on Spearsville Road near Bean Blossom, Ind., in the spring of 1936. My husband was born in his parents’ home in Helmsburg, Ind., in 1935. So you can see we are pretty much “down-home” Brown County folks! What I really would like to share with you is the wording of the article “Bluegrass in Bean Blossom” [Summer 2012]. I believe you will find Bill Monroe was born, one of eight, on the family farm in Rosine, Ky., in 1911. I would think Rosine would be his “hometown,” not Bean Blossom. Bill Monroe did not come to Bean Blossom until 1929. He purchased the Bean Blossom property sometime in 1951. Followers and fans of bluegrass started gathering in Bean Blossom about 1967.

Bill Monroe is certainly the recognized father of bluegrass, and rightly so.

Having lived in the area for 77 years, it is most amazing that Bill Monroe’s “hometown” is Bean Blossom, Ind. Adopted hometown of Bean Blossom would be more readable, in fact.

IN This Issue

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1. Join in the free fun at Dekalb County’s fall fair in Auburn.

2. Howl at the moon at the wolf

preserve in West Lafayette.

3. Taste the homemade doughnuts and fresh apple cider at HighPoint Orchard in Greensburg.

Oh, by the way, a friendly addition to your “Connect With Us” list would be your mailing address for those who still enjoy using the cursive writing way of life!

Guylia Bunge

Bean Blossom, Ind. Editor’s note: Thanks for the wonderful handwritten letter.

You are absolutely correct that Bill Monroe was born in Rosine, and Bean Blossom should have been more accurately worded as his adopted hometown. We’ve also added the mailing address below for any other readers who prefer to write us letters – and we welcome them, gladly!

Send questions, feedback and story ideas to myindianahome@ jnlcom.com or My Indiana Home, P.O. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1290.

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IN Almanac

Blog

Harvesting Stories

Spotlight

From Mess Hall To Bistro

Her kitchen is filled with bottomless pits in the form of a picky eater and a few garbage disposals. Jen Pinkston’s four kids and husband keep her cooking up a storm and sharing her culinary adventures with the world on her blog, From Mess Hall To Bistro.

More than 60 Hoosiers, including Indiana Farm Bureau President Don Villwock, were interviewed for Food for Thought: An Indiana Harvest, a soft-cover, coffee table book published by Indiana Humanities. Featuring first-person narratives and rich photography, the $24.95 book captures and explores this exciting time in Indiana food and agriculture.

A book tour, funded in part by Farm Credit Mid-America, will feature photographer Kristin Hess, author David Hoppe and book interviewees. Learn more at www.indianaharvest.com.

Farm Facts

Pinkston is a self-proclaimed baker, chef, hash slinger, mess sergeant, servant, short-order cook, culinary artist, stepmom, wife and blogger.

From soups, enchiladas and Baked Honey Pecan-Glazed Salmon to cakes, cookies and Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes, Pinkston has plenty of treats to share.

Read about her adventures at www.messhalltobistro.blogspot.com.

Give a Real Gift Sometimes it seems that a new gift is forgotten even before the wrapping paper is put out for recycling. Want your gift to be remembered for a lifetime? Then give the gift of life insurance to the children and grandchildren in your life. Buying now guarantees their insurability, locks in their current-age premium and builds cash value for emergencies. Give a real gift. Ask your agent about the “Gift Plan” Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance.

Pumpkins

indiana is among the top 10 pumpkin-producing states

3,246

acres were harvested by Indiana farmers in 2007. Source: USDA Census of Agriculture 6

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Pumpkins are a

Fruit and have edible flowers.

Pumpkins are

90% water.

Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites. Today, they aren’t considered remedies to either.

Pumpkins range in size from less than a pound to more than 1,000 pounds.

1,140 Pounds

is the weight of the largest pumpkin ever grown.

Indiana Farm Bureau

The World of Cowbilly George Entertain your children with the wild adventures of a 5-year-old hillbilly who dreams of being a cowboy in F.S. “Steve” Haltom’s children’s book series Cowbilly George.

Our Native Bounty Wildflower Workshop Let your green thumb run wild at a gardening workshop hosted by the State Garden Club of Indiana Central West District. Our Native Bounty Wildflower Workshop will show how to use native plants in your home garden.

Haltom is a former Indiana kindergarden teacher and full-time farrier who dreamed up the Cowbilly George character based on one of his adult friends.

Master naturalist (and My Indiana Home gardening columnist) Colletta Kosiba joins retired pathology and laboratory medicine professor Dr. Kathleen Hull and master gardener David Mow to discuss native plants and how to grow them.

“I was searching for a character that kids that age could relate to and laugh at,” Haltom says. “I have a friend who is a bit of a hillbilly, who wishes he was a cowboy. I just turned him into a child character.”

The workshop is scheduled for Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Canyon Inn at McCormick’s Creek State Park in Spencer. The workshop will also include native plant tours.

To learn more, call (317) 996-2147.

Haltom has penned several books about Cowbilly George, all for the preschool to emergent reader age group. He works with Missouri-based illustrator Amber Barnes, who is currently working on the pictures for the next books in the series.

Save the Date sept. 24-29

His books began as e-books available through Apple iBooks, Amazon’s Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. His first two books are now also available in print.

Visit www.cowbillygeorge.com to order Haltom’s first two books, Cowbilly George and Cowbilly George and the Greased Pig. And check back for the next adventure, Cowbilly George and the Mule Eared Boots.

Dekalb County Free Fall Fair Rides, live music, parades and more than 200 vendors – it’s no wonder Dekalb County’s Free Fall Fair calls itself America’s Family Reunion. Enjoy six days of carnival rides, entertainment, food, a petting zoo and more fun activities in downtown Auburn. All events are free, including concerts on the main stage at 11th and Union streets Wednesday through Saturday nights.

The festival takes place Sept. 24-29. To learn more and to get a full schedule of events and entertainment, call (260) 925-1834 or visit www.dekalbcountyfair.org.

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Indiana Farm Bureau

Meetof the FFA

Today

Organization promotes leadership and career success for members both on and off the farm

Story by Jodi Helmer | Photography by Brian McCord

The organization has grown to be more than cows, sows and plows; the modern FFA is about beakers, speakers and job seekers.

– Joe Martin, Indiana FFA

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nyone who has been in downtown Indianapolis in October over the last five years has witnessed a sea of blue and gold corduroy jackets streaming in and out of the convention center and the businesses that surround it. The National FFA Organization convention and expo has been held in the Hoosier capital since 2006, bringing more than 50,000 members to the city each fall. But beyond those blue jackets, what exactly does FFA stand for?

84 Years and Still Growing

When the Future Farmers of America was founded in 1928, the organization wanted to provide agricultural education and hands-on farming opportunities to its members.

Fast-forward 84 years, and while

agricultural education is still the foundation of the group, now known as the National FFA Organization, it has become so much more than a club for aspiring farmers.

“We are preparing young people to become the business and agricultural leaders of the future,” explains Joe Martin, program specialist for Indiana FFA. “The organization has grown to be more than cows, sows and plows; the modern FFA is about beakers, speakers and job seekers.”

FFA provides members with agricultural education, supervised learning experiences and leadership development that have led them to careers ranging from farming and food science to genetics and biomechanics. Its goal is to promote leadership, personal growth and

The Indiana FFA Leadership Center, located on 168 acres in Trafalgar, hosts leadership camps, judging workshops and other events for FFA members from throughout the state.

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FFA by the Numbers

1928

Year FFA was founded as Future Farmers of America

1969

Year girls were first admitted to FFA

7,487

Chartered FFA associations, including all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

192 520,000

FFA chapters in Indiana

Total members of FFA, making it the largest youth organization in the nation

Jeff Adkins

53,000

Members who attend the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis

Top, from left: Allison Skaggs, Laura Crosby, Kyle Mitchell, Emily Stern, Jonathon Dennison and Kenny Koy, members of the Southwestern Shelby County FFA chapter, attend camp at the FFA Leadership Center. Bottom: FFA members from throughout the country attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis to compete in national judging events, volunteer in the community and learn about careers in the agriculture industry.

career success – and the formula is working: Alumni are employed in high-profile companies, and former FFA members are also active in local and federal government, including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Since its inception, FFA has grown to include 7,000 national chapters, 42 state associations and 1,400 alumni affiliates. More than 8 million people have participated in the program.

“FFA alumni are leaps and bounds ahead of most college students because of their speaking and leadership abilities,” says Lucy 10

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Whitehead, national alumni program specialist for FFA. “We provide skills and experiences that are not available in traditional classrooms.”

FFA members from throughout the state learn some of those skills at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center in Trafalgar, just south of Indianapolis, where they attend camps, judging workshops and other events. “The majority of the FFA members come to the center to attend a state-organized leadership camp or a state-level contest,” says Joe Park, director of the center.

“Our 168-acre campground is a beautiful facility.”

Advantages of FFA

Justin McKain grew up on a farm and knew he wanted a future in agriculture. As a high school freshman, he joined an Indiana FFA chapter in 2003. The experience had a much bigger impact than McKain expected.

“Because FFA is a national organization, I made valuable connections and developed characteristics that have helped me in my job and my life,” says Indiana Farm Bureau

McKain, now a school technology assistant in Sullivan. “I have a true passion for FFA because I’ve seen the results of being part of the organization.”

McKain wanted to ensure that other FFA alumni from his hometown would continue to spread positive messages about the organization and use their collective impact to improve their communities, so he started an alumni chapter in 2009.

“I had such a great experience in FFA and wanted to make sure that those who came up behind me had the same opportunities,” he says.

In addition to an active FFA membership and growing alumni participation, the organization also offers a select group of college students a once-in-a-lifetime experience to participate in the state officer program. Martin oversees the program in Indiana, which provides a 12-month immersive learning experience for seven college students who serve as FFA ambassadors.

Their duties range from advocating for agricultural education and promoting FFA to local businesses to engaging with students in the program.

“The state officers don’t just serve as ambassadors for FFA; they are promoting the agricultural industry as a whole, reminding government officials, businesses and communities about how important it is to support local agriculture,” Martin says.

From student members and state officers to alumni and advisors, every level of FFA is active in the community.

In Indiana, chapters clean up parks or pack boxes for local food banks. Community projects, according to Martin, are a cornerstone of the FFA experience.

“We stress that community service is essential for our communities to thrive,” he says. “FFA members gravitate toward community involvement and leadership roles; they don’t just sit back and let things happen, they step up and make things happen.”

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Passionfor

Persimmons Grower Jerry Lehman strives to commercialize the seasonal fruit

Story by Susan Hayhurst | Photography by Jeff Adkins

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hen leaves start to turn brilliant colors in the fall, thoughts of favorite autumn foods come to mind. For many in Indiana, persimmon pudding and persimmon cookies are at the top of the list.

Terre Haute grower Jerry Lehman’s freezer is brimming with persimmon pulp always ready for his family’s beloved desserts. To say he’s passionate about persimmons wouldn’t be an exaggeration. In fact, Lehman is so enthusiastic about the globular, bright orange fruit that he has dedicated his retirement, nearly 15 years, to developing a persimmon tree that can be commercially produced in the United States.

From Farm to Orchard

Raised on a farm in Berne, Lehman’s family instilled in him persistence and patience, traits key to starting his orchard in southwestern Vigo County and growing it to nearly 1,000 trees.

Lehman and his wife, Barbara, use golf carts to traverse the orchards. He can cite the type of tree, planting date and fruit characteristics as if giving information about his grown children.

“Though there are about 20 farms producing persimmons in Indiana, there are no commercial Fall 2012

persimmon growers like there are commercial apple orchards,” Lehman explains. “In my experimental orchard, I’m trying to develop a viable American persimmon tree with hardiness and quality. My goal is not to mass produce the fruit but work toward commercializing the American persimmon to benefit consumers and provide another avenue of income for Hoosier farmers.”

Much of Lehman’s 85-acre orchard is planted in American persimmon trees, but Asian persimmon trees have also been grown from seeds and cultivated in open pollination. They, too, dot his landscape and have been backcrossed to American trees.

“The Asian fruit is really good and sweet and red in color,” says Lehman, the first fruit producer to import the Asian-American hybrid to the United States in 1992. Two years later, he became the second to grow and test the viability of the hybrid.

“My zest for growing persimmons comes from my mentor, the late Jim Claypool of St. Elmo, Ill.,” Lehman says. “He was considered the most prolific persimmon grower in the world.”

Claypool had some 2,400 hand-selected, pollinated trees and was looking for someone to carry on his work.

When he died, his family allowed Lehman to move about 100 of Claypool’s trees to his Hoosier farm. my-indiana-home.com

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Growing and Storing Persimmons

Persimmon trees should grow in full sun and be spaced 25 feet apart, Lehman says. They are somewhat self-pruning and ideally should top out at 20 to 25 feet high. “You don’t want persimmon trees to grow too high because the fruit falls to the ground when it’s ripe and goes ‘splat,’ ” he says.

The trees, which can be purchased through catalogs for about $25, typically include varieties for early ripening, large and nearly seedless. Planting to fruit production takes about five to six years.

According to Lehman, the best fruit harvest happens in mid-September to the end of October. Fully ripened fruit drops to the ground and should be picked up frequently. He warns persimmon lovers that the American fruit is not instantly edible.

“It is known to be ‘astringent’ – needs to ripen fully before it is fit to eat or be used in cooking,” Lehman says.

“Not often can you pick persimmons and eat them right

off the tree.” However, he notes that many Asian varieties are ‘non-astringent’ and can be eaten from the tree.

Remember, he adds, that persimmons must be pureed to create the pulp for end use in recipes such as pudding, bread and cookies. The pulp should be stored frozen unless it’s being used immediately.

Persimmon pulp must be processed in federally inspected kitchens to be available at farmers markets, specialty groceries and gourmet food vendors. The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, low in calories and is known for its antioxidant compounds, such as vitamins A and C, beta-carotene and lycopene.

“I know persimmons are healthy for you,” Lehman says. “But I know what I enjoy, and persimmon pudding is my favorite dessert. And I’m just as happy eating persimmon cookies and bread.”

Read on for Lehman’s recipe for persimmon pudding.

For more information or to request a tour of his orchard, contact him at (812) 298-8733 or jwlehman@aol.com.

Jerry Lehman grows nearly 1,000 Asian and American persimmon trees on his 85-acre farm in Terre Haute with the goal of commercializing the fruit.

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Persimmon Party The merits of persimmons are heralded each fall at the Mitchell Persimmon Festival in Lawrence County, located 35 miles south of Bloomington in a town billed as the Persimmon Capital of the World. The late George Bishop, a local educator, launched the hometown celebration in 1947 to celebrate the little-known fruit that grows abundantly in the southern part of the Hoosier state.

The 2012 festival takes place Sept. 22-29, with Main Street activities kicking off on Sept. 24. Thousands flock to the festival that celebrates everything persimmon with crafts, food, a community-wide yard sale, a carnival and live entertainment, culminating with the grand parade on the closing Saturday.

For more information, call the Lawrence County Tourism Commission at (800) 798-0769, or go to

www.limestonecountry.com.

Mitchell Persimmon Pudding 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup persimmon pulp 1 egg 1 stick butter 1 cup sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¾ cup buttermilk ¼ cup blackberry wine* *Can substitute an additional ¼ cup buttermilk for the wine.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Combine the persimmon pulp, egg, butter, sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add some of the flour mixture to the persimmon mixture and then some of the buttermilk.

Continue to alternate until all the ingredients are combined, stirring well after each addition. Add the wine and stir to mix.

Pour mixture into a greased and floured baking dish or aluminum pan, and bake for 1 hour. Serve warm from the oven with ice cream.

Note: Reduce baking time if batter is less than ¾-inch deep. Increase batter depth in pan to produce a more pudding-like product.

Barbara Lehman, Jerry’s wife, prepares his favorite dessert, homemade persimmon pudding using pulp from the fall fruits grown on their farm.

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in the

Rolling

Doughnuts HighPoint Orchard serves up apples, agritourism, and homemade desserts Story by Laurie Wink | Photography by Jeff Adkins

If You Go

Greensburg

The high point at HighPoint is the orchard’s annual Apple Fest, which takes place the second weekend in October. It’s a fun, family event featuring activities such as a pumpkin roll, apple pie bake-off, wagon rides and those famous fresh doughnuts. Learn more about the festival, or plan your visit the farm, at www.highpointorchard.com or by calling (812) 663-4534.

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rom August through November, apple season is in full swing at HighPoint Orchard & Winery near Greensburg. Visitors pick from dozens of apple varieties, which along with peaches and Asian pears are grown on Randy and Karen Cyman’s 18-acre fruit farm.

Fall brings hundreds of school kids to the orchard to learn all about apples and sample cider made using an antique press.

HighPoint also draws out-of-towners, many of whom arrive on tour buses to soak up the country ambience and the historic location, Pleak’s Hill, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008.

In fact, the Cymans live in an 1858 house built by J.E. Pleak. Randy Cyman was drawn to the house at first sight and liked the idea of preserving a piece of history.

“I get satisfaction out of improving something,” he says. “We pride ourselves on the beauty of the grounds and historic nature of the house.”

The couple established HighPoint Orchard in 2005 and opened the following spring. Its name comes from the property’s status as the highest point in northwest Decatur County. The elevation protects the fruit from damaging spring frosts, and the nearby upland reservoir supplies plenty of moisture.

Given the favorable growing conditions, Randy decided to indulge his passion for winemaking by carving out an acre to plant multiple varieties of grapes. At a prestigious winery in France, he learned about operating a vineyard. He plans to follow the French model by developing a small boutique winery, though it won’t be fully operational for a few years. Still, the Cymans see it as another piece of the firstclass agritourism experience they want to provide for visitors.

A key ingredient in the couple’s success from the outset has been Karen Cyman’s culinary prowess. She makes all of the food from scratch for their Orchard Café and Ole Mill Barn, except for the pies,

Randy and Karen Cyman established HighPoint Orchard in Greensburg in 2005. They harvest acres of apples and other fruits and run the Ole Mill Barn, a renovated 1854 structure that hosts special events. Open seasonally, their Orchard Café serves deli fare and Karen’s popular homemade doughnuts.

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which are made by another chef and baked on site. Customers rave about her signature chicken salad sandwiches, but her homemade doughnuts draw early visitors. In season, she makes an apple crisp doughnut mix, with the finished products iced or topped with cinnamon and brown sugar. “We also do a pumpkin and a vanilla with different toppings,” she says.

Salads, wraps and other items are served in the cafe, which opens every June along with an adjacent gift shop. Just a few days after opening the cafe this summer,

Karen says, people were already asking for her doughnuts.

In 2009, the Cymans renovated the two-story barn, built in 1854, and began year-round food service that accommodates more than 100 customers at a time. Karen says guests love the “cozy lodge feel” inside and the expansive views from the spacious outdoor deck.

“With any small business, you’re determining what do people really need,” she says. “It has turned into a year-round business, which is good because the bills come around every month.”

Karen Cyman makes sugar-dusted doughnuts from scratch. These sweet treats are available at HighPoint’s Orchard Café, which is open from June through December.

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The Mill Barn is popular with area residents who want a special place to celebrate milestones such as weddings, bridal and baby showers, class reunions and retirement parties.

“We live in a rural area with a lot of fast food,” Karen says. “One of the needs for our community was to have a charming place to hold different events. We fill that niche.”

Randy has a management position at the nearby Honda automotive plant, but still finds time to care for the orchard grounds and trees. His wife handles menu planning, food preparation, supplies and customer relations with visitors to the farm, the cafe and those renting out the property for weddings and other occasions. After a nonstop week of hosting multiple events, she paused to reflect on the agricultural adventure she and her husband embarked on just a few years ago.

“This has been such a journey for us,” she says. “It has encouraged and surprised us. We keep putting our best foot forward and opportunities develop.”

Fall 2012

Randy Cyman rides his tractor through the orchard, where he grows apples, peaches and Asian pears, bottom left, along with grapes for a future boutique winery at HighPoint.

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Member Benefits Did you know that your Indiana Farm Bureau membership comes with exclusive savings? As a member, you can take advantage of the discounts on products and services listed here.

For more information on member savings and benefits:

Medicare Supplements Identity Theft 911

1-800-777-8252 www.infarmbureau.org

It pays to be a member.

Free Identity Fraud Resolution Service The goal of Indiana Farm Bureau Member Benefit Programs is to provide discounts, value-added benefits and convenience to you, our members. Indiana Farm Bureau does not endorse these products or services. Indiana Farm Bureau and the companies offering these programs do not guarantee that program discounts will be the lowest available price at any given time.

Farm Bureau members should provide the ID number if applicable or identify themselves as members of Indiana Farm Bureau when calling any program. Programs are subject to change or termination without notice and some rules and restrictions may apply.

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Whether you have a fullblown crisis or simply need to take preventative measures regarding a lost or stolen wallet, you receive unlimited one-onone expert assistance.

Call 1-800-723-FARM.

Indiana Farm Bureau Introduces LowCost Medicare Supplement Insurance from MHI Compare rates at mhinsurance.com or call toll-free at 1-888-708-0123.

Indiana Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau Bank

Financial Services for Members Call 1-800-492-3276 or visit www.farmbureaubank.com for details.

Fall 2012

Estate Planning

Free Confidential Estate Analysis from Farm Bureau Insurance Contact your Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance agent for details.

Pet Partners, Inc.

Special Member Savings Health-care plans for your cat or dog. Visit www.fbphp.com or call 1-877-738-7888 and mention your Indiana Farm Bureau membership.

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EAT IN

Great Grains

Get the whole story on this nutrient-rich food group Story and Recipes by Kim Galeaz | Photography by Jeffrey S. Otto | Food Styling by Mary Carter

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H

ave you ever wondered which grains are really considered whole? Are you baffled about gluten and whether you should avoid it? Let’s look at some of the common misconceptions about this nutrient-rich food group, then get in the kitchen and make your favorite grain-rich salad for the next tailgate party or Friday night pitch-in.

Myth: All my grain choices every day should be a whole grain.

Fact: The goal is to make at least half of your grains whole every day, not all. White grains are perfectly OK to enjoy, but whole grains have many more benefits: They may help reduce risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and help with weight loss and weight management.

Myth: Grains that are high fiber are always whole grains.

Fact: While most whole grains do contain significant fiber, that’s not what determines a whole grain. Whole grains contain all three parts of the grain kernel: bran, endosperm and germ (where all those health benefits are!). Common whole grains include brown rice and whole-wheat flour in a variety of grain products, such as bread and cereals. Quinoa, though considered a whole grain, is technically a protein-rich vegetable related to beets and spinach. Quick-cooking and pearled barley aren’t technically whole grains (their hull and some of the bran has been removed), but barley is a fiber powerhouse.

In fact, it’s loaded with soluble fiber, the type that can help lower cholesterol and LDL “bad” cholesterol. Make a batch of Curried Barley with Cranberries, Raisins and Pecans for your heart today.

Fall 2012

Myth: Whole grains don’t taste good and/or take forever to cook.

Fact: There’s a whole grain variety to suit everyone’s taste buds, practically from A to Z, such as amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, farro, oats, quinoa, spelt, whole wheat and wild rice.

Many take less than 20 minutes to cook, like the quinoa in Cinnamon-Spiced Quinoa with Apples and Sweet Potatoes.

But the best thing about these grains is that their flavor is enhanced with fall harvest fruits and vegetables, from apples, pears and cranberries to sweet potatoes and winter squash.

Myth: Grains with gluten should be avoided and/or are bad for your health.

Fact: The only people who really need to avoid gluten are those with a reputable medical diagnosis of a gluten allergy, gluten intolerance or the very serious celiac disease. People with celiac disease must avoid gluten altogether to avoid destroying the small intestine and possibly leading to more serious diseases, including cancer. Gluten is the generic name for certain types of proteins found in common cereal grains like wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, triticale, rye and all their derivatives. Oats may or may not contain gluten. Rice and quinoa are two of the most popular gluten-free grains; try Brown Rice Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Gorgonzola.

If you don’t have a gluten issue, these nutrient-rich grains provide an essential source of calories. While there may be a lot of hype about them, there isn’t any solid science to show avoiding gluten will lead to better health, prevent disease or help you lose weight.

About the Author Registered dietitian Kim Galeaz is an Indianapolisbased writer and culinary nutrition consultant to the food, beverage and agriculture industry. She’s passionate about blending good taste with good health in every culinary creation – even decadent dessert – and balancing with daily power-walking. A link to her blog, “The Dietitian Does Dessert ... Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Too” is at www.kimgaleaz.com.

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Brown Rice Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Gorgonzola

3½ cups cooked medium- or long-grain brown rice*

1 large red Anjou pear, cored and diced (¾-inch pieces) 2

/³ cup chopped green onions

½ cup chopped toasted walnuts

2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about ½ to 2/³ cup crumbles) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar ¼ teaspoon salt

Brown rice – and all rice – is gluten-free.

¼ teaspoon pepper

*For 3½ cups cooked brown rice, you’ll need roughly 1¼ cups dry rice and 2½ cups water. Measure out 3½ cups cooked rice after cooking.

In a medium bowl, combine rice, pear, onions, walnuts and cheese. Whisk oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl and pour over rice mixture.

Toss lightly to blend all ingredients.

Serve immediately.

Yields 8 servings of about 2/³ cup each

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Indiana Farm Bureau

Cinnamon-Spiced Quinoa with Apples and Sweet Potato 1¼ cups quinoa 2½ cups water

2 teaspoons roasted Saigon cinnamon* ¾ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons canola oil

Be creative and try all kinds of dried fruits in a barley salad: cherries, dates, apricots or peaches.

Curried Barley with Cranberries, Raisins and Pecans 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1¼ cups diced onions 2-3 large garlic cloves, finely minced 1½ teaspoons curry powder ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon salt ¹⁄8 teaspoon pepper 3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 1½ cups quick-cooking barley ¹/³ cup golden raisins

1¾ cups peeled diced (½-inch dice) sweet potato 1 cup finely chopped onion 1½ cups unpeeled diced red apple

1½ cups unpeeled diced Granny Smith apple

*In a pinch, simply substitute regular cinnamon – or the plain, nonroasted Saigon – if the roasted isn’t available in your grocery store’s spice aisle.

In a large saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all water has evaporated and quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cinnamon and salt. Pour into large mixing bowl and set aside.

While quinoa cooks, heat canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and sauté 5 minutes. Add onion and sauté an additional 3 minutes. Add apples and sauté until sweet potato is slightly soft and apples are crisp-tender, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add cooked mixture to spiced quinoa and stir lightly to blend.

Yields 10 servings of about ¾ cup each

½ cup dried cranberries ½ cup chopped pecans

Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until barely tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onion is crisp-tender, about 2 additional minutes. Stir in curry, turmeric, allspice, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; add barley, raisins and cranberries. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until barley is tender and all liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat, and let stand covered 3 minutes. Stir in pecans and serve immediately.

Yields 8 servings of about 2/³ cup each

Fall 2012

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Indiana Farm Bureau

Travel IN

things to do

Purdue i n

th e

h o m e

o f

A visit to Lafayette-West Lafayette promises fun for everyone Story by Carol Cowan Photography by Jeff Adkins

P

erhaps the Lafayette-West Lafayette area is best known as the home of Purdue University, and there is plenty to see and do on the historic, culture-laden Boilermakers campus.

But the attractions don’t end there. Parks and historic sites, a wolf sanctuary and a zoo, sports events and golf courses, museums and performing arts venues, fun festivals, diverse dining and topnotch shopping offer exciting options for every visitor.

About 5 miles north of downtown Lafayette in Battle Ground lies one of the area’s most unusual attractions: Wolf Park. The 75-acre research, education and conservation park is home to dozens of adult wolves and puppies, along with several foxes, coyotes and a bison herd. Howl Nights on Friday and Saturday give visitors an opportunity to see the

wolves up close and lend their voices to a chorus of wolf howls.

Park educators give lively talks and visitors can walk the half-mile-loop trail after dark. The park offers lots of daytime events and activities, too.

As the site of the momentous clash between the Indian confederation led by Tecumseh and U.S. military troops led by Gen. William Henry Harrison in 1811, Battle Ground is also a mecca for history buffs. At Tippecanoe Battlefield Park, you’ll find a detailed history museum and a historic chapel, along with picnic shelters, hiking trails and a swimming pool.

Historic Prophetstown, a 300-acre living history attraction within Prophetstown State Park, features a re-created Woodland Indian village and a working Belgian draft horse farm. Guests can participate in farm chores every day, or check

Clockwise from top right: Visitors can learn about the Battle of Tippecanoe, which took place in 1811, at the battlefield historic site; the Arts & Market district in downtown Lafayette bustles with shops and restaurants, including galleries, spas, brewpubs and candy shops; more than a dozen wolves live in Wolf Park, an animal sanctuary located just north of Lafayette in Battle Ground.

Fall 2012

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Clockwise from top right: Guitars hang in music shop in downtown Lafayette; Historic Prophetstown, a living history attraction within Prophetstown State Park, features a re-created Woodland Indian Village and a working Belgian draft horse farm; Prophetstown’s livestock manager Lauren Eastman shows 3-year-old Colette Booth how to milk a cow.

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out workshops, special events and the annual September horse pull.

Prophetstown State Park also offers 2,000 acres of adventure, such as camping, hiking, biking and bird watching amid prairie grasses, wildflowers and wetlands that are gradually being restored to their original state.

Adventure at a different pace can be found among three distinct downtown districts. In the Arts & Market district, from Fourth to 12th streets and South to North streets in Lafayette, boutique shops, art galleries, antique stores, museums, live music venues and unique local eateries line the streets. The John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge is the centerpiece of the Wabash Riverfront district. The bridge joins the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette and is perfect for a stroll to enjoy the fall colors along the Wabash River.

The Riverfront district also features shops, restaurants and historic architecture and hosts some of the area’s largest outdoor festivals. The Chauncey Village district in West Lafayette borders Purdue University and caters to the college crowd with bustling nightlife and Purdue memorabilia.

Beyond Chauncey Village stretches the Purdue University campus, replete with historic buildings, gardens, outdoor sculptures and fountains. A Tree Trail winds throughout the grounds, and visitors can stop in at the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, explore art galleries in the Stewart Center, Pao Hall and Purdue Memorial Union, or take in a live theater production or concert at one of several performing arts venues.

The school also boasts numerous sports venues, including Ross-Ade Stadium, home of the ever-popular Boilermakers football team.

Kids will love Columbian Park Zoo with its nearly 200 animals, or northwest Indiana’s largest corn maze at Exploration Acres, which also has a pumpkin patch, hayrides, pedal cars and more.

Indiana Farm Bureau

Feast of the Hunter’s Moon Lafayette-West Lafayette hosts many festivals throughout the year, but the local favorite is Feast of the Hunter’s Moon. The 45th annual feast will take place Sept. 22 and 23, 2012, at historic Fort Ouiatenon Park, located just south of West Lafayette on the banks of the Wabash River.

Fort Ouiatenon, a 1700s-era fur trading post, was the first fortified European settlement in Indiana. The festival commemorates the annual fall gathering of French traders and American Indians with a full-scale re-enactment of frontier life in the mid-18th century. More than 3,000 participants dress in costume and demonstrate crafts, such as chair caning, basket weaving, barrel making and blacksmithing, using authentic tools, materials and methods.

Following the opening ceremony, attendees are treated to the sight of the Voyageurs – French traders that transported furs – aboard birch bark canoes landing and unloading as they would have when the trading post was in its heyday.

The festive, family-friendly atmosphere bustles with Highland games, American Indian dancing and the hubbub of soldier encampments.

No feast would be complete without an abundance of food, and Feast of the Hunter’s Moon does not disappoint. Some of the foods prepared over an open fire include bison burgers, bison stew, corn on the cob and fry bread.

Merchants offer for sale replicas of blankets, period clothing and jewelry, leather goods, pewter, toys, American Indian items, woven goods and packaged foods.

Kids’ activities include a Tall Tale trading booth, a place where they can try on traditional clothing, and hands-on crafting.

Find more details at my-indianahome.com/feast.

Fort Ouiatenon, home of the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, is open May to September.

Fall 2012

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Connect to your food

Your farmers

Take the trip of a lifetime you’ve always wanted! from

$1,998 *pp includes tax/service fees

alaska Plus West Coast Train Tour

And a uniquely Hoosier lifestyle

(13-Day Cruise and Tour from $1,998) DEPARTS MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2013 Fly to Seattle and board Norwegian Cruise Line’s Jewel for your seven-night cruise to Ketchikan, Juneau, Sawyer Glacier, Skagway and Victoria, B.C. before disembarking in Seattle. Enjoy a city tour before boarding Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train. Travel through the Pacific Northwest to Napa Valley and San Francisco. *Price per person, based on double occupancy. Includes taxes and services. Airfare is extra. Add $150 for May departures, $250 for June departures and $450 for July and August departures.

For more information and a brochure, call:

YMT Vacations 800-888-8204

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m y - i n d i a n a - h o m e . c o m

Indiana Farm Bureau

INSURANCE

When Storms Strike March tornado leaves IFBI customers feeling both sad and grateful Story and photo by Carrie K. Patterson, Public Affairs Specialist, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance

P

aul Walden usually ignored storm warnings. He liked instead to go out on the front porch of his Henryville house and watch the storms pass by. “I always felt safe at home,” he says.

On March 2, his wife, Patty, and daughter, Heather, both at work, called to warn him about an approaching tornado. Paul went outdoors and saw a “gray wall tearing up the neighbor’s property.”

He quickly got himself and the dogs in the closet beneath the stairwell and struggled desperately to keep the door closed against the suction

Fall 2012

from the storm. The cat had hidden under the bed and would have to fend for himself. The tornado “sounded like a freight train inside the house,” Paul says.

Suddenly, all was quiet again. Still in the closet, he looked up and saw the sky. The roof was gone. Most everything the Waldens had acquired during 37 years of marriage was gone. Then the hail began.

Southern Indiana, particularly Henryville and vicinity, was hit hard by tornadoes, and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance claims personnel worked long hours to help clients as

quickly as possible. Property field claim representative Scott Jones visited the Waldens’ property and, recognizing the devastation, immediately provided funds for necessities such as clothing, food and shelter. The very next day, Jones delivered a check to the family to rebuild their home. “We’ve always been loyal to Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance,” Patty says. “Our daughter is a third-generation customer!”

“We’re better off than so many others who didn’t have insurance.

And we’re so grateful that our family, including all our pets, survived.”

One tree is all that remains on the acres that were once a tree-filled, park-like setting. Countless volunteers spent days cleaning up branches, debris and trash. A local designer donated the blueprints for the Waldens’ new house. A woman in Ohio, who found some of the family’s photos there, transported by the storm, will give the Waldens some flowers to plant in their yard.

“It’s heartwarming how generous complete strangers have been,” says Patty.

The family is ready to rebuild, desperate for a sense of normalcy.

“Our new house will have a basement for safety during storms,” Patty notes.

“And I’ve always wanted a window over the kitchen sink so I can look out over our property. It’ll take time, but we’ll have trees again,” she says. “One day it’ll be home again.” my-indiana-home.com

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IN the garden

Plant Invaders Alien species overtake landscapes across Indiana Story by Colletta Kosiba

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Garlic mustard flowers can harm spring natives.

About the Author Colletta Kosiba of Hendricks County has been a naturalist at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis for 15 years.

She is an advanced Master Gardener, Master Naturalist and past president of the Hendricks County Master Gardeners’ Association. “Colletta’s Gardens” have also been featured on Channel 8 television in Indianapolis.

The Door to QualiTy, SafeTy and SecuriTy

emember the old movie The Blob? It ate everything in its path! Though it may sound like science fiction, we have alien plants doing just that – choking out everything in their paths and destroying our natural areas. Called exotic or alien invasives, these plants come to us not from outer space but from other continents.

Emigrating Europeans inadvertently included some weedy plants in grain seeds and animal feed when bringing them to the United States. Kudzu was brought to control erosion, but now it climbs over trees and shrubs, growing so rapidly it kills them by heavy shading. Other alien vines, such as Japanese honeysuckle and Oriental bittersweet, do same thing.

Wanting cheap, easy-care plants, some landscapers use alien Asian bush honeysuckles, burning bush and privet, which have no disease or insect enemies in the United States and will outlast their warranty.

These shrubs often spread outside of regular cultivation and devastate native plants.

Maxim um

Clearan ce

8070 castleton rd. • indianapolis, iN 46250 (317) 570-5436 • (317) 577-4996 fax www.accessgarages.com 32

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Purple loosestrife and dame’s rocket were originally used as ornamentals in gardens. Now known to choke wetlands, purple loosestrife is illegal to buy, sell or plant in Indiana. Dame’s rocket, a member of the mustard family, is toxic to Pieridae butterfly larvae, resulting in great loss to that species. The same goes for garlic mustard, a container plant herb used in cooking that often escapes into the wild and harms our spring natives.

Another problem over the years was caused by errors in plant advice.

Autumn olive was sold in wildlife packets (it was thought to be good for birds, but the berries are actually low in lipids – they’re just junk food to them). Multiflora rose was hailed as an impenetrable fencerow plant.

Now, these two shrubs roam freely as the birds spread the seeds everywhere.

Our government spends millions of dollars each year to eradicate the alien invasive plants from our forests, wetlands and prairies. We landowners are faced with the same problem.

Fall is a great time to attack. The undesired invasive aliens remain green long after our natives have gone dormant in autumn. Effective measures include spraying with an herbicide or cutting the shrub and painting the stump with herbicide.

Fortunately, most alien plants are well behaved and blend into our landscapes. But before you plant new landscaping, be a good steward and choose a native alternative to the bad boys. Our ecosystem needs a balance where plants, insects, birds and animals can thrive from a diversified habitat.

Indiana Farm Bureau

IN Focus

Photo submitted by Jenny Behnke, Terre Haute, Indiana

Photo submitted by Scott Hawkins, Springville, Indiana

Photo submitted by Julie Bullock, Camby, Indiana

Submit Your Photos Indiana Farm Bureau members are welcome to submit photos for this page. To submit a photo via email, send a high-resolution JPEG (4x6 inches at 300 dpi), along with your name and location, to myindianahome@jnlcom.com. You can upload your Indiana photos to our website at www.my-indiana-home.com/photos.

To submit a photo via mail, send the photo to: My Indiana Home, Reader Photos, P.O. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1290.

Photo submitted by Debra Sheets, Lafayette, Indiana

Due to the high volume of photos we receive, we are unable to include every photo, and if you mail your photo in, we will not be able to return it. So make sure you have a spare – we don’t want to lose one of your family treasures!