GreeneCounty FALL 2018
MAGAZINE
! k r o F o t m r a F l a u n n a d r i h T
e r o m & ic s u m l a c o l , e n i lw a c lo , d o PLUS! o f l a A century plant blooms Loc
Pennsylvania Livestock Auction The Izaak Walton League’s Harry Enstrom Chapter
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Contents fall 2018
Friends of the farm For many, the Pennsylvania Livestock Auction near Waynesburg is a family tradition
14
In bloom Check out Leigh Shields’ agave plant, which just bloomed after 46 years!
20
A league of their own
Learn how the Izaak Walton League’s Harry Enstrom Chapter looks out for Greene County’s natural resources
24
A local feast Get ready for the Third Annual Farm to Fork Greene County event – full of local food and fun!
26
In every issue From the editor
8
Calendar of events
10
Seasonal cooking with Dan Wagner
12
Have you met ... Billy Simms?
30 Health focus
32
Gardening in Greene
34
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Welcome from the editor
Fall, fabulous fall
Niche Publications Editor kgreen@observer-reporter.com
Fall is my favorite time of year. I absolutely love the crisp, cool mornings and evenings, and seeing the trees turn beautiful colors. In addition, I welcome a slower-paced time of year, where I feel OK about putting soup in the Crock Pot in the morning, chock full of seasonal ingredients from the farmers market. My early fall weekends are typically spent canning tomato juice that will be used to make spaghetti sauce through the winter, and there’s something nostalgic about the smell of the furnace turned on for the first time since last winter. But, I’ll be honest, a pumpkin spice latte is where I have to draw the line. For the third year in a row now, fall in Greene County means Farm to Fork at Thistlethwaite Vineyards in Jefferson. It’s a true local feast set to a soundtrack of local bands, complete with the beautiful backdrop of the Thistlethwaite property. I don’t want to give too much away here, though – turn to my story on page 26 for a full preview. With farming and eating local performing such a vital role in Greene County, regional editor Mike Jones’ story on the Pennsylvania Livestock Auction on page 14 is a must-read. Folks come from all over to auction off and bid on everything from cows, pigs and goats to eggs. Yes, even eggs. For some families, the auction is a tradition that has spanned multiple generations. On page 20, you will read the tale of a plant that has spanned generations. Writer C.R. Nelson tells the story of Leigh Shields’ 46-year-old agave plant. You read that right – it’s 46 years old. Also called “century plants,” agave, the same plant responsible for bringing us tequila, grows for decades, soaring well above our heads, before it blooms and then dies. Shields’ story of how he came to have the plant and how his life has evolved during his time nurturing it is quite interesting. Truly, there’s only one downfall (in my opinion) about fall – and that’s that winter follows it. But make no mistake, I will soak up as much of this season as I can! See you next time!
On the cover
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32 Church Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370, 724.852-2602 122 South Main Street Washington, PA 15301, 724.222.2200 2600 Boyce Plaza Road, Suite 142, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, 724.941.7725 www.observer-reporter.com
Publisher : Thomas P. Northrop Director of News: Lucy Northrop Corwin Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer: Matt Miller Editorial Director of Niche Publications: Katie Green Contributors: Mike Jones, C.R. Nelson, Bob Niedbala
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Events fall 2018 ONGOING Sundays through Sept. 30 Sunday Afternoon Concerts Thistlethwaite Vineyards 1-4 p.m. thistlegrape.com Wednesdays through Oct. 31 Waynesburg Farmers Market Downtown Waynesburg 10 a.m.-2 p.m. waynesburgpa.org First Thursday of the Month through Nov. 2 Essentially Yours: Thankful Thursdays Greene County Fairgrounds 6 p.m. 724-852-5323 First Tuesday of the Month Adult Book Club Flenniken Public Library 6-8 p.m. flenniken.org Second Tuesday of the Month Cornerstone Genealogical Society Meeting Cornerstone Genealogical Society 7 p.m. 724-627-5653 Third Thursday of the Month Warrior Trail Association Meeting Warrior Trail Headquarters 6:30 p.m. 724-998-1386 Fridays and Saturdays beginning Nov. 2 Fridays: Skate and Dance from 7-11 p.m. Saturdays: Open Skate from 7-10 p.m. Mon View Roller Rink 724-852-5323 Nov. 1-Dec. 14 Letters from Santa Greene County Department of Recreation 724-852-5323
SEPTEMBER Sept. 15 Murder Mystery Dinner Thistlethwaite Vineyards 6-9 p.m. thistlegrape.com 10 Greene County Living
Sept. 15-16 Washington & Greene Counties’ Covered Bridge Festival Carmichaels Covered Bridge & White Covered Bridge 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 724-627-8687 Sept. 22 Farm to Fork Thistlethwaite Vineyards 4-9 p.m. farmtoforkevent.com Sept. 22 Walk to End Alzheimer’s Wana B Park 9 a.m. 412-261-5040 Sept. 22-23 DC Vet Homecoming High Point Raceway highpointmx.com Sept. 22-23 Stone to Steel: Native American Heritage Weekend Greene County Historical Museum 10 a.m.-5 p.m. greenecountyhistory.org Sept. 25 “Welcome Fall” Distressed Wood Painting Class Greene County Fairgrounds 6 p.m. 724-852-5323 Sept. 26 AARP Frauds and Scams Class Greene County Fairgrounds 2 p.m. 724-852-5323 Sept. 26 Greene County Chamber of Commerce General Membership Networking Luncheon First Presbyterian Church 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. greenechamber.org Sept. 27 Unwind with Yoga & Wine Thistlethwaite Vineyards 6-7 p.m. thistlegrape.com
Sept. 29 Touch A Truck First Baptist Church of Waynesburg 11 a.m.-2 p.m. fbcwaynesburg.org Sept. 29-30 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Mason-Dixon Mathews Farm gnccracing.com Sept. 29-30 Lippencott Alpacas Open House Lippencott Alpacas 1-5 p.m. lippencottalpacas.com Sept. 30 Tick Prevention Program Greene County Fairgrounds 2 p.m. 724-852-5323 Sept. 30 Save A Horse Open House Save A Horse Stables Horse Sanctuary 11 a.m.-5 p.m. saveahorsestable.com
OCTOBER Oct. 5-6 Homecoming 2018 Waynesburg University waynesburg.edu Oct. 5-7 Thistlethwaite Vineyards’ 10th Anniversary Thistlethwaite Vineyards thistlegrape.com Oct. 6 Waynesburg University Homecoming 5K Run & Walk Waynesburg University 8:30 a.m. waynesburg.edu Oct. 13 Mason-Dixon Line Festival & Buckwheat Cake Breakfast Mason-Dixon Historical Park masondixonhistoricalpark.com
Oct. 13 Wags, Whiskers and Wine National Guard Readiness Center 5-10 p.m. greenepet.org Oct. 13-14 Harvest Festival Greene County Historical Museum 10 a.m.-5 p.m. greenecountyhistory.org Oct. 14 Children’s “Spooky” Pumpkin Painting Class Greene County Fairgrounds 2 p.m. 724-852-5323 Oct. 15 Ralph K. Bell Bird Club Public Meeting Bell Farm 6-7 p.m. 724-852-3155 Oct. 17 AARP Healthcare Fraud Class Greene County Fairgrounds 2 p.m. 724-852-5323 Oct. 20 20th Annual Membership Banquet Greene County Chamber of Commerce Waynesburg University greenechamber.org Oct. 20 4-H Market Swine Show & Sale Greene County Fairgrounds 724-627-3745 Oct. 24 Electronics Recycling Greene County Fairgrounds Noon-3 p.m. 724-852-5300 Oct. 25 Waynesburg Lions Annual Halloween Parade Downtown Waynesburg 6 p.m. waynesburglionsclub.org Oct. 26-27 Flashlight Fright Nights Greene County Historical Museum greenecountyhistory.org
NOVEMBER Nov. 4 Flenniken Library 50’s Sock Hop Carmichaels Fire Hall 6-9 p.m. flenniken.org Nov. 10-11 Christmas Craft Show Greene Academy of Art 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 724-966-2731 Nov. 11 World War I Memorial Dedication World War I Memorial 11:00 a.m.-noon raindayboys.com Nov. 15 Business After Hours Greene County Chamber of Commerce Hampton Inn greenechamber.org Nov. 17 Eva K. Bowlby Library 5k Turkey Trot Eva K. Bowlby Library 9 a.m. 724-627-9776 Nov. 17 Fall Craft Show Waynesburg VFW Post #4793 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 724-435-7213 Nov. 24-25 Christmas Open House Greene County Historical Society & Museum 3-7 p.m. greenecountyhistory.org Nov. 30 Holiday Open House Waynesburg 5-8 p.m. waynesburgpa.org Nov. 30 Tuba Christmas Goodwin Performing Arts Center, Waynesburg University 7:30-9:30 p.m. waynesburg.edu
DECEMBER Dec. 1 The Red Kettle Run 5K Run/Walk National Guard Readiness Center 8 a.m. 740-359-4467 Dec. 1 Breakfast with Santa Greene County Fairgrounds 9 a.m. 724-852-5323 Dec. 1 Waynesburg Christmas Parade Downtown Waynesburg 2 p.m. greenechamber.org Dec. 1 Carmichaels Area Chamber of Commerce Light-Up Night Carmichaels Town Square 5 p.m. Dec. 1-2 Christmas Open House Greene County Historical Museum 3-7 p.m. greenecountyhistory.org Dec. 2 Musical Mikes Craft Show Carmichaels Elementary School 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 724-966-5045 Dec. 6 Essentially Yours: Christmas Make and Take Class Greene County Fairgrounds 6 p.m. 724-852-5323 Dec. 8 Music Program Christmas Concert Roberts Chapel, Waynesburg University 7:30-9 p.m. waynesburg.edu Dec. 9 Holiday Craft Blast Greene County Fairgrounds 10 a.m.-5 p.m. natgreene.org Greene County Living 11
Seasonal Cooking
with dan wagner
A versatile feast BY DAN WAGNER At the beginning of every school year, I like to start off with a simple question for my students, “What are your favorite foods?” As a culinary arts instructor, students are always eager to share with me a wide array of dishes they favor. But last year, there was one student whose love of meatballs became a conversation not just for the day, but for the entirety of the semester. At times I felt like I was talking to Bubba from the movie “Forest Gump.” “Chef, we can make stuffed meatballs, lamb meatballs, turkey meatballs, Polish meatballs, Swedish meatballs, meatballs with a mint sauce. We can bake, boil, sauté and fry them. We can even place meatballs in soup.” It went on and on. His enthusiasm for meatballs inspired me to share the diversity of this international food. For most of us, when we think of a meatball, Italian cuisine is the first to come to mind. This type of meatball is made with quality ground beef or veal, a touch of garlic, fresh herbs, and breadcrumbs. It is traditionally covered in a marina sauce and topped off on a bed of pasta. However, this rounded, ground or minced meat product has an expansive history that can be traced back to 221 B.C. in the Chinese Qin Dynasty. The meatball has been found in the earliest Roman and Arabic cookbooks. It is a food that every culture shares with their own interpretation. A favorite of mine are keftedes – a small Greek meatball made with lamb or ground beef. When making them, I like to mix equal parts ground beef and lamb bought from local Greene County farms. From there, add minced red onion, fresh parsley, a touch of mint and oregano. If you like a bit of kick, add a pinch of cumin and a small hint of minced garlic. Keftedes are best cooked stovetop in a sauté pan for a crispy texture. These meatballs can be placed on top of a salad or served in pita bread with a tzatziki sauce (mix Greek yogurt, cucumbers and fresh garlic). A healthier alternative to the beef meatball is the turkey meatball. Although healthy, this meatball does not lack flavor. Mix fresh ground turkey, minced onion, parsley, garlic and eggs with some breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Complete the dish by placing the meatball on sage stuffing finished off with a light gravy. Ground turkey can be found at your local market year-round, making this dish perfect for every season. Before you get cooking, I do have a few personal tips to share on what makes a great meatball. First, stick to fresh ground meat that is 90 percent lean. Next, sauté onions until translucent and add garlic. Then add dry Italian seasoning and breadcrumbs into the sauté pan. In a separate pot, have beef broth on medium heat (just enough to moisten the mixture in the sauté pan). Pour the beef broth into the sauté pan to make a soft, pasty mixture. Add this to the meat with chopped parsley, mix thoroughly and season. You are now ready to bake. The broth, herbs, breadcrumbs and beef come together to create a moist, flavorful meatball. Enjoy!
Homestyle turkey meatballs with sage Yields: 8 servings Ingredients 1 /2 cup unseasoned dried breadcrumbs /4 cup milk
1
/4 cup chicken or turkey broth
1
3 cloves of garlic, minced /4 cup chopped fresh sage
1
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 extra large egg
2 pounds ground turkey
1
Directions 1. Combine the bread crumbs milk and broth into a bowl. 2. Add Parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, sage, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix ingredients together. 3. Add turkey into bowl and incorporate mixture thoroughly. Take 2 tablespoons of meat and roll into balls and place on sheet pan. Bake in oven at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Check internal temperature (165 degrees). 4. Serve with stuffing and cranberries.
Dan Wagner of Rices Landing has been the director of culinary arts at Greene County Career and Technology Center for 24 years. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Keftedes Yield: 30 meatballs Ingredients Olive oil, as needed 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced 3 cloves of garlic, minced into a paste 1 slice of bread, cubed /4 cup milk
1
1 pound ground meat /2 pound ground lamb or pork
1
2 eggs
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/4 cup minced mint leaves
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1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin /2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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Salt and pepper to taste 3 lemons, zested and juiced Flour as needed 1 1/4 cups chicken broth Directions 1. Take a large sauté pan and heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions, garlic and cook on medium heat till translucent. 2. Soak bread cubes in milk. Remove excess milk from cubes. 3. Place meat in bowl and add 1 egg, sautéed onion mixture, bread, mint, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, salt and pepper and incorporate to meat mixture. 4. Form into meatballs around a tablespoon, round and then dredge in flour. 5. Place balls into a sauté pan and cook till golden brown. 6. Remove grease from pan. Add small amount of chicken stock, lemon juice and whisked egg yolk into pan. Add meatballs and place pan on low heat for an additional few minutes.
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Friends of the farm
The Pennsylvania Livestock Auction near Waynesburg is a family tradition 14 Greene County Magazine
M
ost people who roll their shopping carts through the local grocery store probably don’t think twice about where their food comes from when they pick up a package of meat from the butcher. But for many farmers in the tri-state area, it all starts at the Pennsylvania Livestock Auction in Greene County. Here, at the massive auction house about a mile west of Waynesburg, dozens of farmers unload hundreds of animals such as cows, pigs and sheep that are then herded into holding pens while they wait to be sold to the highest bidder. The auction usually sells about 700 animals each Thursday during its busiest season, which begins ramping up at the end of the summer. Joe Friend, the auctioneer, moves animals out of vehicle transports and into the pens, calling out their breeds and slapping a yellow identifying sticker on their backs for the auction. “One thing about them,” he says to one farmer while pulling several ornery steers out of a trailer, “you grow ‘em big.” Friend’s family has owned this auction house for 45 years, and operates two other livestock auctions in Maryland. His grandfather, Blaine Friend, started their auction business in 1971, and his descendants have made sure that it continues to flourish. The family bought the Pennsylvania location near the spur of Route 18/21 from a group of farmers who had operated an auction since the 1930s.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY MIKE JONES nnnnnnn
“The kids really enjoy seeing all of the animals, and it’s good to get them out of the house. It’s exciting. We come to hang out and sometimes go home with a stray animal.” – Barbara Phillips nnnnnnn
Friend encapsulated farming in one word: “Livelihood.” “This is the true version of raising livestock,” he says. “We’ve been doing this all my life. Oh, it’s not easy.” Family traditions are immensely important to the auction, with generations of farmers returning year after year. Friend says the business relationships they’ve built over decades are “very valuable to us.” Jan Cox is one of those multi-generation farmers. When he was a child, Cox brought animals from his family farm to sell at this auction. Now 64, he brings goats he raises on his 125acre farm near Greensboro. “This is an institution,” Cox says of the auction. “It’s just a part of farm life most people don’t get to see.” After retiring from working in the mental health field in Washington, he’s been raising his goats for the past five years and is close to breaking even. At a recent auction in late August, he expected to sell 14 goats loaded in the back of his pickup truck for about $120 each. “It’s a way to make some money,” he says. “You hope so, at least.” But it’s more than just about the money, at least for Cox. He enjoys raising the animals and learning about himself in the process. “If you’re taking care of your animals, you’re trying to understand them,” Cox says. “Maybe I’m really trying to get to understand me.”
Jan Cox of Greensboro has been raising goats on his 125-acre farm near Greensboro for the past five years.
Greene County Magazine 15
Joe Friend, the auctioneer at the Pennsylvania Livestock Auction, counts sheep that will be sold at his auction house near Waynesburg.
Nearby, a few youngsters gathered around one of the pens, looking between the slots in a fence as the animals were marched through the gates. Barbara Phillips wouldn’t be surprised if her children, Rylee and Lucas, eventually get into farming. “The kids really enjoy seeing all of the animals, and it’s good to get them out of the house. It’s exciting,” she says. “We come to hang out and sometimes go home with a stray animal.” Her sister, Nadean, especially enjoys the reaction of the children when they see the animals. “The cows! They mimic all of the sounds,” she says of the excitement the kids exude when coming to the auction. “Here, they’re in their natural environment. You get the real smell.” Experiences like that is what Patty Friend, who is Joe’s aunt, likes to hear. “People need food. This is the first step before they go to the 16 Greene County Magazine
nnnnnnn
“This is the true version of raising livestock. We’ve been doing this all my life. Oh, it’s not easy.” – Joe Friend, auctioneer nnnnnnn
(grocery) store. A lot of children, especially in today’s society, go to the store, but they don’t know where their food is coming from.” She runs the office and works to get “top dollar” for their farmers, shipping some of the animals to butchers out West. But it’s not the business side that makes their auction tick. “It’s the relationships with the people we love,” she says. “There is a backbone of this nation, and it’s the farmer. It’s a family tradition to hand down.” At that moment, Joe walks in with his blue shirt soiled with animal droppings. He asks his Aunt Patty for a change of clothes, and she rummages through the office closet for a clean shirt. He throws the shirt over his head and heads to the auctioneer stand at the center of a dirt ring. The auction is about to begin. g
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Leigh and Liki Shields
In bloom
After 46 years, Leigh Shields finally sees his agave plant flower BY TEXT AND PHOTOS BY C.R. NELSON
I
magine a freshly minted Waynesburg College biology graduate in 1972 checking out an impressive agave plant growing in a garden in Palm Beach, Fla. The huge succulent is fully mature, with a 30-foot tall spike about to bloom. At its base is a tiny offspring, growing from the mother plant. “Agaves are also called century plants – they live for decades, but once they bloom, they die.” Leigh Shields leans back in his chair, settling into the tale that neatly bookends his years as owner and tireless operator of Shields Greenhouse and Melomil Winery between Spraggs and the West Virginia state line. It’s an early August afternoon and I’m there to get a plant or two, then sit with Leigh in the gift shop to hear the story only he, with a huge grin, can tell. “I stole that pup, put it in my pocket and brought it here.” Now, 46 years later, that pup is ready to bloom. We’re sitting on antique metal bistro chairs in one dim, air-conditioned corner of the shop with its attached wine tasting room, surrounded by twinkling lights, wife Liki’s dried flowers hanging from the ceiling and rustic collectibles in every nook and cranny. Outside was a humid, summer-drenched maze of pathways between greenhouses, flowerbeds and tables of countless varieties of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Out of the torn plastic roof of one of those greenhouses is a 30-foot spike of green towers, studded with branches, bending under the weight of buds about to open. Friends and longtime customers had been coming by since May to watch the growth of the big plant that gives tequila and mescal their unique taste, that rooted itself into the soil under its pot in 1987 and hasn’t budged since. “That’s why I ended up heating that greenhouse year-round,” Leigh says with another 1,000-watt smile. Growing a business based on plants is a matter of working with what happens when nature takes its course. Leigh summed up his business plan in one truncated sentence: “Baby steps all the way – with a plan that you don’t know is a plan.”
Leigh Shields with his agave plant in May, as the stalk reaches to the top of the greenhouse. Greene County Magazine 21
When the little agave arrived in Spraggs, forest. “We had donkeys and workhorses, Leigh was already living on the land that slept in teepees, grew our own food with no would one day become what you visit today pesticides.” to buy Greene County hardy plants and honSolar panels, hand tools and natural ferey-infused fruit wine that he learned to make tilizers were great teachers for this new genfrom Hungarian refugee Ferenc Androczi, eration of farmers ready to get back to the who settled in West Virginia after World land and grow healthier food. “It pretty much War II. taught me everything I needed to know.” The kid from New Jersey came to WaynesAfter graduation, Leigh was off for a year burg College in 1969, following in the footabroad as a migrant farm worker, learning steps of older sisters Elyn and Diane. Buying traditional gardening and agricultural praca rundown farm in Spraggs seemed better tices in England, France, Greece and Italy than paying for a dorm room, so Leigh set and then on to Israel and Egypt. These farmdown his first tentative roots and settled into ers had been organic for thousands of years. college life. Leigh worked alongside them, slept in the “I wanted to live on the land ever since I fields and learned. was 2 years old.” Once back in Spraggs, “I bought a Jersey The Shields family had relatives with a cow for an alarm clock – it meant I had to three-acre parcel some 20 miles from their get up early to milk!” Leigh tackled his own home in the outskirts of Newark, and Leigh steep hillsides. A few seasons of clearing, was the kid who demanded to go there every plowing and planting, first herbs, then the summer. “They had chickens and a garden vegetables his neighbors wanted to buy, got and a cow, and I loved it.” the greenhouse going. He also planted some Waynesburg College also had something dried flowers, “but I didn’t really know what he loved – a world-class geology and biology to do with them.” department, taught by professors who were Alex Shields with his dad, Leigh Shields, discussing the Serendipity heard the call – on a visit to experts in their fields. “I checked them out Melomil wine produced in oaken barrels at the family the family in New Jersey, Leigh met Ljiljathe year before I graduated high school and I greenhouse in Spraggs. na “Liki” Miladinovic from Yugoslavia, who knew I wanted to learn from them.” came to visit her own relatives and stayed to College life in the early 1970s was freebecome his wife. Her degree in fabric and innnnnnnn wheeling, and Leigh was a happy particiterior design turned those dried flowers into “Agaves are also called century plants – pant. There were keg parties, adventures and a beautiful outpouring of wreathes, swags, they live for decades, but once they bloom bouquets and other decoratives that went roommates who never paid rent, but things got fixed, things worked out and Leigh gradfrom local craft and gift shows to nationwide they die.” uated in time to help put his aunt’s house in distribution. – Leigh Shields Palm Beach on the market. He came back to Son Alex was born in 1987 and Victor in nnnnnnn the farm with his agave, ready to settle down 1994. It was now a family business, the family and grow. farm that Leigh had always dreamed of. Unbeknownst to him and most of his neighbors, the coal industry was The dried flower craze lasted more than a decade before changing with on the move and the coal reserves were about to be extracted from the lands the times, but the greenhouse business, with its hardy, homegrown botanicals, around Spraggs. This would kick off years of undermining claims, road access continues to thrive. By the early 1990s, Leigh had met Ferenc – “everyone issues and water rights challenges – a big deal for any business trying to raise called him Frank” – and by 2000 was using his techniques to make honey plants commercially. But in those early years, Leigh was focused on learning wine, melomel, a favorite of those who like a flavor reminiscent of sherry or his craft and fixing up his old farmhouse that had a German log cabin, circa port. In 2008, Shields Greenhouse had the licenses to add winery to its name 1840, buried beneath generations of sidings and additions. and now offers more than two dozen varieties based on the fruits and herbs “After graduation, I worked at Fishers Big Wheel, which gave me the used to make each oak barrel-aged batch. money to do what I wanted.” Alex has become the family wine guru, tending to the distillation, bottling One of the things he got to do was buy his first greenhouse – a vintage and marketing of the family’s unique product. Victor, a recent West Virginia 1919 Lord and Burnam 50-by-12-foot redwood glass greenhouse rescued University grad, recently landed a job with the Smithsonian, and Leigh and from Mahle’s Greenhouse on Route 218, partially destroyed, with a tree Liki are hard at work every business day, which is every day someone is home. growing through one end. A couple of weeks later, I’m back, ready to witness the agave in full bloom Leigh hauled it home in his station wagon and stored it in the barn. When and hopefully, get a fine photo ending for my story. Leigh meets me with the reassembled in 1979, it connected to the house. He now had a year-round kind of news that only someone who understands nature can deliver with bit of the garden of Eden to call his own, but still wasn’t sure what or how to a grin. The 30-foot stalk of buds was broken by a burst of wind between grow. This was the year that serendipity came calling. thunderstorms last week and now lies nearly invisible, caught between two “I was on a train to San Francisco when I read a little ad about a new greenhouses. Squinting I can see a halo of gold peeking above the roof line, agricultural program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.” The Farm the glow of countless long stamens growing out of the countless stylus pods, and Garden project was rooted in the work started in 1967 by famed English now ready for bees to pollinate the seed ovules within them. gardener Alan Chadwick. He took five steep, graveled acres that were once “The base is dying back fast, but the stem isn’t severed, so it still has turgor. a road in the middle of campus and turned it into organic terraced gardens, The seeds should germinate and grow,” Leigh informs me. “I think I’m going using only shovels, hoes, forks, picks and eager student labor. When Leigh to leave it like that and see what happens. When Alex and Victor get back was accepted into the program and fell under the spell of Chadwick’s exper- from Europe, we’ll clear out the space between those greenhouses and get a tise, it had expanded to 19 acres of organic learning in the midst of a redwood good look. It should be something to see!” g 22 Greene County Magazine
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The official registration and financial information of the Community Foundation of Greene County, Pennsylvania may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
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PHOTO BY SCOTT BEVERIDGE
Fishermen stand in the water at the base of the dam along Ten Mile Creek in Marianna last year.
A league of their own
Izaak Walton League’s Harry Enstrom Chapter looks out for Greene County’s natural resources
F
BY BOB NIEDBALA
or more than 75 years, the Harry Enstrom Chapter of the Izaak Walton League has been involved in efforts to conserve Greene County’s natural resources. But it wasn’t until concerns about the conditions of the river and local streams became an issue following the Dunkard Creek fish kill in late 2009 that the group really became active. The group’s efforts shifted from being “reactive to proactive,” chapter president Ken Dufalla says. And chapter membership increased as concerns grew about the quality of water in local waterways. “We’ve always been low-keyed, to be honest with you,” Dufalla says. “But when Dunkard Creek hit, we said enough is enough, it’s time for us to become proactive and find out what’s going on.” The group became more outspoken on local environmental issues and developed a citizens’ water-monitoring program to track the conditions of area streams, a program that continues today. The Izaak Walton League was formed in 1922 by a group of sportsmen who saw the need to protect the nation’s waters, forests and wildlife after 24 Greene County Magazine
observing the damage caused by industrial wastes, untreated sewage and poor land management. Founding members named the group after Izaak Walton, a 17th-century English writer who wrote the “The Compleat Angler,” a book celebrating the art and spirit of fishing. The league worked for the passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which protects exceptional rivers and their environments, and the 1972 Clean Water Act. It has pushed for green energies, land conservation, outdoor recreation, sustainable farming and fish and wildlife conservation. The Greene County chapter was formed in 1942 and was later renamed after Harry Enstrom of Rices Landing, a former bank manager and founding chapter member who died in 2001. “He was the heart and soul of this organization,” Dufalla says. The conservation of water resources, education and promotion of outdoors activities have remained the focus of the local chapter, says Dufalla, a member of the group for about 34 years and chapter president, on and off, for 15 to 18 years. In its early years, the chapter primarily served as a forum for community
A man fishes for muskies from a boat in Dunkard Creek in June 2014.
COLLEEN NELSON
members to meet and discuss issues pertaining to the environment. It offered some programs, like one on fly tying, Dufalla says. “But that was it. We weren’t really active.” That changed following Dunkard Creek and the resulting increased concerns about the conditions of area streams and potential impacts of mining and natural gas drilling. Membership jumped from 19 before the fish kill to 147 about two years later, Dufalla says. Membership now stands at about 70. To get a better idea of what was going on in local waterways, the group developed the citizens’ water-monitoring program, under which it began testing area streams for pH, water temperature, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids, factors that could indicate water-quality problems. Information the group obtains from its tests is now forwarded to the West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University, which maintains a water quality monitoring system on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers. The institute does not monitor headwater streams, Dufalla says. But when it receives a “bad reading” on one of the rivers, it can refer to data from local volunteer stream monitoring groups, like the Izaak Walton League, to “pinpoint” a source, he says. The program has been a success. Other groups have asked the chapter to help them develop similar programs, according to Dufalla. Water-monitoring programs have been implemented by other chapters, including the Monongalia, W.Va., chapter and the Mountaineer Chapter based in Elkins, W.Va. Along with the testing program, the local chapter also became more outspoken on issues, testifying at public hearings involving environmental permits impacting water quality, Dufalla says.
Several years ago, the chapter took the lead in prompting the state Department of Environmental Protection to test water in Ten Mile Creek at the former Clyde Mine water discharge, after the group’s own testing had revealed water-quality problems. Initial DEP tests conducted in April 2014 revealed levels of radioactivity in the water above normal levels. More comprehensive testing by DEP conducted later contradicted those initial findings.
Despite the stream receiving a clean bill of health, Dufalla says he remains concerned about mine discharges and is worried drilling waste water may be finding its way into water in this area’s closed underground mines. The chapter, more recently, has been working with other organizations to address water-quality issues. It is currently working with others groups to address abandoned mine discharges that have
Dunkard Creek from a bridge over Gas Company Road in Dunkard Township
always been a problem on the lower portion of Dunkard Creek. The group also remains focused on promoting the use of natural resources and instilling in others the love of the outdoors, Dufalla says. The chapter sponsors an annual trout-stocking program in Ten Mile Creek, offers educational programs, including programs on fly tying, and holds an annual ladies’ and kids’ fishing day. It also is working on developing kayak and small boat launches on Dunkard Creek and Ten Mile Creek. In regard to the group’s approach to issues, Dufalla says the group has tried to rely more on common sense. “We take the data, analyze it and compare it to show where the problem is,” Dufalla says, adding that the group is always open to working with DEP or industry to resolve any problems. However, at times, he admits, the group has been at odds with those same interests. He makes a distinction between his group, which focuses on conservation, and those considered environmental groups. He explains with an example: “An environmentalist says don’t touch that tree, don’t use it, don’t use anything; a conservationist says use the tree when it’s ready to be used, and when you take it out, plant another in its place.” The group is not opposed to the development and use of natural resources, he says. “We’re not anti-industry. People think we are, but we’re not. We want good jobs, but at the same time, we don’t want to sacrifice the environment. We believe we can have both.” It’s part of the mission of the league to preserve the land for those who follow after us, he says. “Basically, our philosophy is ‘take what you need, but leave it better for the next generation.’” g The chapter meets at 6 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at Hot Rod’s restaurant in Waynesburg. For more information, visit www.iwlaharryenstrom.org.
BOB NIEDBALA Greene County Magazine 25
A local feast
Guests sample local cheeses by Emerald Valley Artisans.
BY KATIE GREEN
The Third Annual Farm to Fork event is set for Greene County
M
ore than a decade ago, our collective consciousness began to shift. We began paying more attention to what we were fueling our bodies with, where it was coming from and how it was sourced. We began paying attention to ingredients, to fresh, clean and real food. We began composting in our backyards, growing more of our own food and signing up for CSAs. Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” hit the shelves in 2008, and the mantra of “eat food, not too much, mostly plants” became a rule for many. Of course, there are folks who have always lived as locavores, lived off 26 Greene County Magazine
their own land and paid attention to their carbon footprint. But this movement – this shift – is more than a hipster trend. It’s how we are now living. In 2018, convenience doesn’t mean popping a frozen TV dinner in the microwave – it means plucking fresh cherry tomatoes off the vine, tossing them together with fresh mozzarella cheese (quite possibly cheese made from your very own cows’ milk), and drizzling it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar purchased at a local farmers market. Here at Observer Publishing Co., we wanted to celebrate that movement. In 2016, our sister publication, South Hills Living, hosted the first
Farm to Fork Event at Bella Sera in Canonsburg. “It was so wonderfully successful that we thought, ‘Where better to have this event than on the beautiful landscape of Greene County?” says Observer Publishing marketing director Carole DeAngelo. “There is something so appealing and inviting about Greene County, and this was the perfect way to highlight sustainable living that occurs so much here.” For the third year, Farm to Fork Greene County will take place on the beautiful grounds of Thistlethwaite Vineyards. “We have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of businesses throughout our four-year event period,” DeAngelo says. “I attended a wedding at Thistlethwaite years ago and sat in a tent in the pouring-down rain, and looked out and thought, ‘This place is simply magical.’ It speaks to what and who Greene County is. They believe in the farm-to-fork movement, and they live it.” First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County has been the presenting sponsor for all three events, and concurs with DeAngelo’s sentiment of Thistlethwaite being a stunning venue. “This is something that First Federal of Greene County considers a true community event, because we have the venue being a wonderful and beautiful place to spend time, we have our neighbors involved from Washington County relative to food vendors, and it just gives members of the community and us, being a financial institution, an opportunity to spend a different kind of time with our friends, neighbors, and customers, where we can relax and enjoy the beauty of that landscape and great food,” says Charles Trump, executive vice president/secretary of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County. “It’s important that a home town bank like us supports a home town event like this.” With every Farm to Fork event, attendees will have the chance to not only sip on the stunning wines of Thistlethwaite Vineyards, but they’ll be
The 208-acre farm in Jefferson has been in the Thistlethwaite family since 1892. nnnnnnn
“We have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of businesses throughout our four-year event period. I attended a wedding at Thistlethwaite years ago and sat in a tent in the pouring-down rain, and looked out and thought, ‘This place is simply magical.’ It speaks to what and who Greene County is. They believe in the farm-to-fork movement, and they live it.” – Carole DeAngelo, Observer Publishing marketing director nnnnnnn
treated to a local feast. Doug Krency of Krency’s Restaurant in Washington will be roasting a pig sourced from Willow Tree Farms in Greensboro. Scenery Hill’s Emerald Valley Artisans will be crafting a surprise menu specially prepared for this event. The newly opened Dapper Doughnut in Waynesburg is providing sweet treats, as is the Waynesburg-based Five Kidz Kandy.
“Our goal is to pair whatever the chefs are preparing with a wine – we have literally tried to hand-pick local restaurants and local chefs to partner with us and make sure that the menu is as exclusive as Thistlethwaite is,” DeAngelo says. The Corner Cupboard Food Bank in Waynesburg is again the beneficiary. “Corner Cupboard Food Bank is grateful to have been involved with the Farm to Fork event, and as a beneficiary for the past few years, the contributions of this unique event have helped us to continue our mission of providing food security to the residents of Greene County,” says executive director Candace Tustin. Whether you are an avid locavore, an oenophile, or just love good food and music, Farm to Fork has something for everyone. Farm to Fork takes place 4-9 p.m. Sept. 22 at Thistlethwaite Vineyards in Jefferson. Tickets are $30. Two VIP sessions are also available, which cost $60 each and include a one-on-one session with the wine-maker at Thistlethwaite. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit farmtoforkevent. com. g
Thistlethwaite Vineyards’ first acre was planted in 2000. Today, they grow 10 varieties of French-hybrid grapes on more than five acres. Greene County Magazine 27
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The evening includes exclusive sampling from local restaurants, entertainment, shopping, hayrides & bonfires
VIP Receptions at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Meet the winemaker, k tour the h winery, receive speciall VIP gifts, enjoy live entertainment and sample an exclusive pairing courtesy of Emerald Valley Artisans
Entertainment: Dan Baker 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Robin and Bob 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
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Have you met?
Billy Simms
West Greene’s softball coach has athletics in his blood
TEXT AND PHOTO BY C.R. NELSON Billy – who would ever dream of calling him William?! – Simms has the physique that any coach would recognize. The square stance of a wrestler, the solidness of a football player, the movements of a power hitter on the diamond. Add it up and you have the farm kid who graduated from West Greene High School in 1987 as a three-letter team player, then returned to coach the sons and daughters of his high school friends and neighbors. When the Lady Pioneers single-A softball team won two state championships in a row in 2017 and 2018, parades and honors were in order. But behind all the commotion is a coach who never misses a chance to stay out of the limelight and whose big, happy smile tells you he likes it that way. Billy invited me to his office at West Greene High School this summer to talk about softball and the girls he’s been coaching for nearly 20 years, some since they were playing T-ball as second graders. In between praise for his players – “a good kid makes the coach look good” – come snippets of his life. “I was born and raised on Aleppo Road, six houses down from Centennial Church, second oldest of four boys. I live on Iron Rock Road now, just up from the school. If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, I’ll be back at the farm baling for my dad.” His office is papered with newspaper clippings and photographs of the team wins and athletes worth celebrating. Equipment squares off with rows of desks – this is the inner sanctum of Mr. Simms, athletic director. He tells me he left Aleppo Elementary in 1982 when seventh grade was moved to the new middle school wing of the high school. His teachers and coaches would be both his friends and his peers when he returned to teach and coach himself. “Brian Jackson was my history teacher and my wrestling and football coach. He was a good athlete, and we hunted together. Now he’s the superintendent and I teach history and social studies. I went to Waynesburg College because I wanted to work here,” Simms says. “I never wanted to do anything else.” It was in middle school that Billy and the rest of the community realized the girls varsity softball team could play to win. Varsity teams were still relatively new – until 1975, girls were relegated to the Girls Athletic Club, playing intramural games. It didn’t take too many seasons for the varsity players of West Greene to show their stuff. “I was a freshman on the team in 1983 when we made it to the state playoffs,” middle school math teacher Shelly Carter Richardson remembers. “Back then, we didn’t have T-ball or any other organized teams before high school. We were just country kids; we got together and played because we loved it. Our parents played men’s softball in
Graysville, so the kids in the neighborhood played throw-tag-pitch, nothing serious. By the time we got to ninth grade, we could throw and catch and were ready to play.” Family involvement is a tradition that, happily continues, Billy assures me. “Our parents and grandparents are the driving force. They get them involved early and they’re always there for them, coaching the teams, raising money through the boosters, doing whatever needs done. We couldn’t do it without their support.” After getting his dream job at West Greene, Billy split his schedule between coaching and teaching. When his high school baseball coach Larry Piper retired in 2001, the position of athletic director was a natural next step. Billy’s own love of softball lead to 16 years playing in the International Softball Congress, taking on teams from Moundsville, New Martinsville and beyond, to the World Softball competitions in Kimberly, Wis., in 1998. At school, he became assistant softball coach in 1999 while continuing to coach football and nnnnnnn
“Good kids make a coach look good.” – Billy Simms, head softball coach at West Greene High School nnnnnnn
baseball, but by 2005 was coaching softball full time. Kids he’d gone to school with were raising families. In time, he would be coaching that next generation, going to games, bringing up his own girls to take their first real pitches from the coach as they transitioned into the live action of a ball coming at them. Little League softball teams play in divisions that match their ages, starting with under age 10 and moving up in increments of two years until age 18. Now, West Greene has Little League ball teams, and home games are played in Rogersville. “I like to attend Little League games, see the young players coming up, pitch to them, give them tips,” Simms says. “My own daughters play and everybody knows it’s performance over entitlement. We play teams from everywhere, most are from schools much bigger than ours. Our girls have this competitive attitude of seeing other good teams as a model of something to aspire to.” So what’s the secret sauce that makes the Lady Pioneers so special? Coach Simms uses the word symbiotic to describe the way players support each other to be their best, the sisters, cousins and classmates who have been playing together since
preschool who are now a formidable force. Add to that the coaches and families working with them, making sure the resources for success are there, making sure everybody gets to play as often as possible and the symbiosis is complete. For five years now, the boosters have raised the thousands of dollars it takes to finish out the spring season at Myrtle Beach with four days of games for the starting lineup and junior varsity games for the rest. No one sits on the bench, “reserves push the reserves, competition breeds success.” The sound of the ball hitting Coach Simms’ glove is like a rifle crack. It makes me jump. Beside me, in the shade of the dugout, Jade Renner’s mom, Misty, laughs. Yes, that was a fastball. Now for the change-up. It will look the same, but … There’s a surprisingly softer thunk as the next ball smacks leather. Behind the chain link fence that surrounds the field, 11-year-old Payton Gilbert, head tucked inside a web of protective gear, watches intently. Jade, a junior this year, is having her pitching movements critiqued by a private coach who stands nearby, watching every move, stepping in between pitches to teach a lesson that Payton is happy to suss out from the sidelines. “You see, same motion, different grip,” Simms informs her as he throws another ball back to Jade. “Stick around, you can pitch to me next. I’ll show you.” We’re at Rice Energy Field in Rogersville, with its Home of the Pioneers banner stretching across the front fence. It’s the end of the first day of school and my chance to get a photo of Simms in his element, working with varsity and Little League players, helping them be the best that they can be. Jade taps the ground with one cleated toe, smacks her leg with her mitt, winds up and her left arm turns into a blur. Jade and her teammates have a summer of recreational softball under their belts already and more games coming up this fall, games that will run through October and keep her on the road playing teams from other schools, honing her pitches with each throw, with each batter she faces. She has this in common with Payton – they both began playing at age 5, and their families are with them every step of the way. Jade’s sister Madison, who helped pitch the Lady Pioneers to two championships, just moved into her dorm room at California University of Pennsylvania, Misty tells me. “She switched schools at the last minute because she saw the campus and liked it. Cal U. over the years has had a consistently good program. Maddy met the coaches and liked them. Now she wants to play.” That’s the difference a coach makes. g Greene County Magazine 31
Health focus in greene county
A working option Washington Health System’s Occupational Medicine office is open in Waynesburg BY EMILY KING Looking for a one-stop-shop occupational medicine department close to work and home? Washington Health System is pleased to announce the opening of its newest office in Greene Plaza in Waynesburg. Dr. Scott Leslie, MD, MPH, Kenneth Diddle, PA-C, and Michelle Herbster, PA-C will head up the practice. This may be a new office to the Waynesburg area, but Washington Health System has been offering superior occupational medicine services to this community since 1984. Occupational Medicine is a multifaceted mix of urgent care for injured workers, acute/subacute treatment of work related injuries, toxic substance surveillance examinations and a broad variety of employment/fitness-for-duty examinations. Because of the practice’s ties to a large community based health system, they are prepared to add a wide offering of occupational health services. This list includes respirator fit testing, spirometry, audiometric screening, chest X-rays, physical capabilities testing, drug/alcohol screening, DOT testing, FAA testing and more. WHS’ Occupational Medicine Practice helps take the confusion out of Worker’s Compensation. With their deep knowledge of OSHA and MSHA and the laws of other regulatory agen-
Dr. Scott Leslie examines a patient
Dr. Scott Leslie cies, the medical staff understands the impact on businesses and aims to get workers back to work, safely. A thriving occupational medicine department benefits not just individual workers, but also the community as a whole. WHS’ Occupational
Medicine Practice is helping to foster a healthy and productive workforce in Waynesburg and beyond. It’s also a conduit for employees without a healthcare provider to obtain one. The practice also provides a variety of support services to keep employees and businesses thriving and healthy. These services include CPR training, weight loss, dietary, stress management and smoking cessation programs, Wellness Programs, Work Hardening and Functional Capacity Evaluations. Washington Health System also strives to build lasting partnerships with area businesses. The creation of the Employee Advisory Board offers local businesses the opportunity to network with each other and also help provide guidance to the Occupational Medicine practice and the services it offers. Has one of your workers had an after-hours emergency? This is also why it pays to have the convenience of being part of a larger healthcare system. Any patients can be seen at Washington Health System’s emergency department, with next day referral to the Occupational Medicine practice. These services include after-hours urine drug screen collection and breath alcohol testing in the case of suspicious accidents. g
For more information, contact Washington Health System’s Occupational Medicine department at 724-223-3528 or visit whsoccmed.org. 32 Greene County Living
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Gardening in greene county
Fall bulb planting for spring enjoyment! BY ALISA HATCHETT, PENN STATE MASTER GARDENER, GREENE COUNTY Fall is a great time of year to look at your landscape and decide what you want to see growing there next spring. Planting bulbs is a great and cost-effective way to turn a piece of lawn into a masterpiece, because the one thing that I love about bulbs is that they are easy to plant and they multiply. Bulbs are usually perennials that bloom in the spring, die back and return the next spring. They are roundish-oval in shape with a pointy top and a root like base known as the basal plate. The bulb is planted with the basal plate down in the soil and the point facing up. Bulbs are asexual. They do not need to be romanced into reproduction. An individual bulb can, over a period of several years, clone itself by creating baby bulbs known as offsets. Offsets are genetically identical to the original bulb. A bulb is a complete plant. The basal plate cradles the bud, which sometimes resembles a small flower. This bud is cradled by white fleshy scales that are the bulb’s source of nourishment. The bulb appears brown and scaly because it is covered in a protective tunic. An onion is a great example of a bulb – an edible bulb. However, if you cut a flower bulb in half, you can see all the parts of the plant. When you cut an onion in half, it just looks like an onion! Most bulbs propagate naturally. You can separate large clumps every three to five years for larger blooms and to increase bulb population. Smaller bulbs may not bloom for a couple years, but large bulbs should bloom the first year after dividing. This separation process gives them adequate breathing room underneath the soil so that they can continue to expand their family plot. In the proper environment, one that is low in humidity and cool, packaged bulbs can be kept past a growing season but ideally should be planted six to eight weeks before the first frost. These bulbs must go through a cold dormant period for at least 16 to 18 weeks before they can produce
the nicest blooms. This brings a clearer perspective to the phrase “Just chillin” or “chill out!” Wholesalers package bulbs by weight and sell the bulbs in see-through air flow bags, which you want to keep in a cool dry place until you are ready to plant. The pictures on the bag are pretty accurate as to how your plants will look when in bloom. They can come in a variety of colors to allow you to go with a theme or mix-n-match. Each type of bulb requires varying degrees of depth when planted – some require several inches while others require less than an inch of dirt. If you’re not sure what you want to see growing in your garden next spring, you can take a walk through a local lawn and garden center to get ideas and you can usually get some expert advice from those folks that work there; or for those of you that are computer literate, search for information on bulbs using any search engine on
the world wide web; and lastly, for those of you that have gardening books sitting on your book shelves, blow of the dust and start leafing (no pun intended) through the pages. My gardening books include color illustrated pictures, how to plant, how to fertilize plants, how to cut and display the flowers and how to create a happy living space below ground for your bulbs to thrive. The most popular bulbs to plant in the fall are crocuses, hyacinths, irises, tulips and daffodils. Preparation is vital to having a successful garden. So before buying and planting, here are some things you should know: 1. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has divided the United States into growing zones. Plant packaging, gardening books and magazines all refer to these zones when recommending plants that will thrive and be productive. Greene County is Zone 6. This means that the average annual low temperature ranges between 0 degrees F to -10 degrees F. 2. Decide where you want to plant the bulbs. If your location is too wet, your bulbs will drown. Spring bulbs prefer a well-drained sunny area of your yard. 3. Buy some bulb fertilizer. The only way to know for sure that your plant is in a nutrient rich environment is to get your soil tested. (Your Penn State Extension office should have kits.) If you don’t get it tested, use a little fertilizer. 4. Use a spade or a bulb planter, which is great for determining the depth you are to plant your bulb. 5. Gently water your bulbs after planting. 6. Mulch with straw. 7. Wait patiently for spring! For more information, call the Penn State Extension office at 724-627-3745. You will participate in training and projects with other likeminded adults, and if you pass the test, you too can add the title “Master Gardener” after your name! g
Alisa Hatchett moved to Greene County in the spring of 2016. She has always been interested in becoming a Master Gardener and when she noticed the sign at the Penn State Extension Office on West High Street in Waynesburg, she didn’t hesitate to go in and introduce herself. That fall, she was excepted into the training program, where she and three others participated in an extensive training process. It was fun and interesting and they all completed the program in March 2017. Not just anyone can use the title “Master Gardener,” but Alisa earned it. She recommends that if you have a desire to learn something, go for it! Applications are being accepted for our fall Master Gardener classes, deadline is Sept. 20. 34 Greene County Magazine
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