Spring issue online

Paddling The Ozarks visits

Former World Ranked SUP Racer Heather Baus

Spring Issue!

Hiking The Ozarks with Dan Nash

Saving Our Pollinators in Science of the Ozarks

Mills & Springs in History of the Ozarks

Visit Ozark County, Missouri

Homesteading & Gardening Section Through The Lens READERS CHOICE SECTION And Much More! .com

OurOzarks

The Ozark Mountain region is made up of the St. Francois Mountains, Salem Plateau, Springfield Plateau & Boston Mountains. A gradient area of the Ozarks drifts across the Mississippi River into SW Illinois, and is captured within the Shawnee Hills.

Our Ozarks Magazine

Find Your Way...Find Yourself

Vol 1, Issue 2

March/April 2016

Editor/Publisher Jeffrey Haskins Staff Photography Jeffrey Haskins Carolyn Thornton

Mission Statement The mission of Our Ozarks is to help preserve the history, culture, beauty and all that is the Ozarks.

Our Ozarks Magazine is published bi-monthly. Any correspondence can be directed to the editor at:

Our Ozarks

266 Red Cedar

Ozark, MO 65721 or email us at OurOzarks@yahoo.com Find More Great Photos and Information on our website at OurOzarks.com!

In This Issue Visit With SUP Pro Heather Baus Page 2 105 Miles On The Current River Page 6 Bollinger Mill Page 8 Dillard Mill Page 10 Down The Road in Ozark County, Missouri

Page 12

I FIRST VISITED THE OZARK COUNTRY IN 1899 AND HAVE BEEN MORE OR LESS IDENTIFIED WITH THE REGION EVER SINCE.”

-Vance Randolph

Through The Lens Page 14

Walking Sticks of Creation Carvings

Page 20

Very Crafty Catepillars

by Virginia McDaniel Page 22 The Role of Pollinators

by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins Garden Tips & Quips

by Maredith Sisco Recipes

by Rene’ Sackett

Page 24

Page 26 Page 27, 29

A Small Farm Closes Shop Page 28 Hiking The Ozarks with Dan Nash

Page 30

Scan the QR Code with your smart phone or tablet to visit Ourozarks.com

Subscribe Today Only 19.95 per year (6 issues) Visit Ourozarks.com

OurOzarks.com Our Ozarks Magazine

Cover photography by award winning photographer, Mike Martin of Cave Spring, Arkansas.

Mike is a native Arkansan and has been an avid nature and wildlife photographer for over 20 years. His photos have been published by the New York City Park’s Department, the New York State Parks Department, the California Parks Department, and the Mississippi Wildlife Federation. He has also had several of his photos published by the Cornell University’s Ornithology Department’s award winning website “All About Birds”.

Mike is the author of a photography book entitled Arkansas Wildlife and Landscapes, published in 2010.

More of his works and information can be found on his website: http://www.ozarknaturegallery.com/

OurOzarks.com

Page 1

Returning Home To The Ozarks Pro SUP Racer Heather Baus A wood cook stove supplied the hot meals at the Relyea family home during the childhood of Heather Relyea Baus. Fast forward from those modest years in Mountain Grove, Missouri and other memories rack up for the once internationally ranked stand up paddle boarder. Memories of camping and boating, the family hair salon, her father being the town judge, her mother and running, good times at Pontiac Cove Marina on Bull Shoals Lake, and many more memories. The 44-year-old Baus has now come full circle, leaving a trail of learning to sail, fly and stand up paddle board.

What is stand up paddle boarding, most commonly known as SUP by those who participate?

Stand up paddle boarding has its origins in Hawaii as a spin-off on surfing. The sport began to take off around 2005 and has grown significantly since, and now finds its way inland to where boarders can be found on lakes and streams, not just the ocean. And Heather Baus cruised her way to top rankings before bringing her family back to the Ozarks.

Photo by Dave Chun.

2010 Battle of the Paddle in California

Asked about the early years in Mountain Grove, Heather notes that she was “just a simple girl” who loved the outdoors.

“My father was the catalyst behind all of our crazy weekend adventures. In the early years, we canoed and tent camped most weekends, and later in my teen years, we had this tiny sailboat that we spent most weekends aboard at Bull Shoals Lake. Pontiac Cove Marina was a like a second home. I had my own little run about and explored every inch of that lake!”

Heather has been restoring the old boat and getting ready to splash it for its “maiden” voyage anew.

Even though her father was the elected town judge, Heather notes that their family was far from being wealthy.

“Being a hairdresser in a small town made for some lean living. We cooked on a wood cook stove until my senior year in high school and I became pretty handy with a chainsaw and axe. We were the quintessential little hippy family, living large with not a lot of means.”

Heather Baus and daughter Savannah floating the North Fork River in January 2016.

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2011 “Get Up Stand Up” Race in St Thomas US Virgin Islands. Savannah Baus took 1st Place in the girls 5-9 age group and took 2nd in the Women’s Weekend Warrior. Heather captured 1st in the Elite Women.

Heather lost her father, Judge William “David” Relyea, in 2007 when his small plane crashed in Douglas County Missouri.

Always an athlete, Baus began running with her mother, LouDonna, at an early age and ran her first 10K at five years old. But the water always captivated the youngster, and she would learn to sail and water ski. Competition was in her blood as well and Baus participated in school sports and entered ski events at Bull Shoals Lake. Twice a year the family would trailer a boat to the Great Lakes or to Florida. To save money, they would sleep in the boat or on the trailer for the treks. Her mother reflected on those years and the SUP world:

“From the time Heather was born, she and her father were bound to explore the outdoors. She was under one-year-old when she took her first canoe trip on the North Fork River. Her only worry that day was that she could not suck her thumb because the life jacket was too big to get her hands around!”

“I am in total awe of her SUP career. She worked harder and trained tougher than anyone I know. She has a tenacity and ability to adapt to any condition and own it.”

In 1990, Baus graduated high school and two weeks later, moved to Stuart, Florida to pursue her goals of becoming a yacht captain. She completed her Chapman’s School of Seamanship course that year and began washing boats and making yacht deliveries to make ends meet. At the age of 19, she became a first mate on a 112 foot Hatteras yacht.

Like her father, Baus also had a passion for flying.

She left the sails behind for a time, and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to pursue training with the planes. She completed all the aircraft ratings within one year. Washing aircraft and pushing shopping carts on the local Sam’s Club parking lot helped pay the bills, as she worked to gain experience by flying larger corporate jets owned by Felix Sabates. Occasionally, Heather would also work as hostess on business flights for the company to gain flight time for larger aircraft ratings, or fly a small plane for the Sabates Racing Team, that included the likes of Kyle and Richard Petty.

“Kyle was a voracious reader and very funny.

His dad was more serious and very smart.”

Heather recalls, with a chuckle, a memorable flight that she hosted. Mikhail Gorbachev was passenger.

His drink of choice?

“Scotch on the rocks with a splash of water.

Then vodka.”

Baus would go on to captain a corporate and charter for Sabates Leer Jet in North Carolina, and later a Beechjet 400A for Raytheon. Passengers included Jerry Richardson during the early years of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. It was during one of her flights to Alaska in 1997 that she met her future husband, Jim Baus. She had flown Sabates there for a yearly fishing trip and met Jim in the hotel lobby. Four years later they would marry and Heather would move to his native Puerto Rico.

Soon afterward, they would have a daughter named Savannah.

Married and a mother, Baus was still a runner and athlete. A mishap during kite surfing led her to stand up paddle boarding. A ruptured C-4, 5 and 6 vertebra left her wanting for a low impact sport while she recovered. She had always been an avid canoer and Stand Up Boarding presented itself as an option, even though she first thought it would be boring. But, she was soon addicted and began enjoying the view of nature and the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean that SUP provided. The athletic and competitive spirit took over, and the view turned from leisure and exercise and focused on racing.

Baus went on to compete locally and then internationally as a Stand Up Paddle Boarder and accumulated over 37 wins during more than 50 races. More than the racing, Baus is impressed at the logistics of getting Continued on Page 4

OurOzarks.com

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Heather Baus cont’d from Page 3

and challenging, the better in my book.

to races from Puerto Rico:

“Traveling with a board, paddle and all of the gear with the airlines that didn’t always let you take your board was stressful. We got very creative on board logistics!”

Mitzi Archer, Director of Marketing at YOLO Boards mirrored that opinion of Baus:

“Heather is fearless and always up for an adventure. We love her spirit, and the fact that she is showing her daughter how to live life to the fullest.”

Her most notable win was the 2012 Carolina Cup in Wrightsville Beach, NC. It is currently the largest paddling event and brings the top paddlers from the world. Baus also notes the following year as a top win. She paddled tandem with her 9-year-old daughter Savannah, and won the Unlimited Division.

The WPA “World Paddling Association” always had Baus ranked in the top 5 in the world. She would probably have ranked higher if the rankings were not a bit skewed. They are currently based on the number of events in which you compete, not necessarily all that you win. And Baus has stood on the podium for all her competitions, except the Battle of the Paddle surfing races in Hawaii and California in which she was always 6th or 7th (still not bad for a newbie surfer competing against the top in the world). Even with those lower finishes, Baus remembers the surfing as some of her favorite racing: “Pretty hard core, carnage kind of racing”

Baus has won overall in downwind races in Puerto Rico (including males). She has crossed the Kaiwi Channel (known by the locals as “the channel of bones”) for the prestigious Molokai to Oahu, Hawaii World Championship Downwind Race. That race is noted as the Super Bowl of SUP racing and takes place across 32 miles of open ocean. Baus finished those 32 miles of open ocean water in 6 hours and took 2nd place:

“Unlike a running race, where you would start off easy on a long run, paddling is the opposite. You go out literally as hard as you can to get clear water and get a lead. Once ahead, it’s very difficult to catch up, unlike running. My first race, I was shocked that everyone started so fast and never slowed down. You really have to plan the two hour races smart for currents, wind, clean water, swell, boats, other racers, hydration and nutrition. I personally loved challenging races that offer a bit of everything. The more grueling

Heather had a multitude of sponsors for her racing and is still currently a life style ambassador for Maui Jim Sunglasses and MHL custom race boards.

Greg Jaudon, partner and board designer at MHL, recalls meeting Heather for the first time:

“I met Heather at a stand up paddleboard race in 2010 in Puerto Rico. First impression was that she didn’t look so tough. Well, she kicked my ass solidly in that race and many to follow. Heather set the bar high and inspired all of us to dig deeper, and has been a major key to our success here at MHL Custom.

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But I think I might be able to beat her now, maybe.”

“No, Heather is the real deal. She was at the top of the heap of the best racing ladies in the world, but walked away and focused on her kid. She can school most younger competitors. Her fitness, combined with plain old fashioned good genetics, makes for a good cocktail.”

Jaudon also credits Baus, and others like her, to helping grow the world of SUP:

“Because of Heather, so many women and girls are into the sport.”

He also gives high praise to that daughter, Savannah:

“Yeah, she’s so amazing, cool kid!” “She was raised on the water and has a natural sea sense. The standup crowd is awesome, all inclusive…Dad, Mom, kids, everybody rides.”

Photo by Manuel Baez. Savannah and Heather Baus paddling the surf of Puerto Rico.

Savannah is now 13 years old and has accumulated numerous SUP wins herself, including tandem paddling with her mother. She is also an accomplished sailor. The young teen took 6th in her first Junior Sunfish North American Championship in 2013. She then went on to win the championship honors in 2014 and 2015. She looks toward the 2016 championship while training on Bull Shoals and Stockton lakes.

When asked why she has returned to the Ozarks, Heather responded:

“It’s home. If you are outdoor freaks like we are, it’s the perfect place to live. Not too crowded and loaded with adventure and tons to do year around.

We also love the small town vibe. We home schooled our daughter from Pre-K to the middle of the 8th grade. Another factor in our location was for Savannah to be the 5th generation of Baus ladies to attend Mountain Grove High School.

The early years of washing boats and planes helped Heather pave her way into an accomplished career sailing and flight career, and later to the SUP world, but life is sometimes not without its consequences.

She now suffers from skin cancers, and various effects of autoimmune illnesses that affect her thyroid and circulation, very likely a result of exposure to the chemicals of cleaning agents used on the boats and planes, as well as asbestos components of the older craft.

“I stay healthy and don’t over think it. One of the reasons I stopped racing, it was just wearing me out. I had a lymphoid removed, and a few other ailments, including miscarriages. Now they have to wear respirators and special clothing to do the type of

Photo by Jim Baus. Savannah Baus keeps the lead on her mother Heather. cleaning I did for ten years.”

Heather hopes to bring more awareness to the paddling in the Ozarks, and what the sport brings to the community. She notes:

“Healthy living. Paddling is not biased to age, size or athletic ability. Anyone can paddle. I find it especially rewarding seeing the women out there finding independence out on the water. Same goes for the kids.”

She hopes to help promote the sport through grass roots promotion of races and events, as well as offering private lessons:

“Not trying to get rich, just rich in knowing I’m changing someone’s life with a paddle in their hands. I’m hoping to organize some low key, FUN races for the kids, also provide boards for kids that Continued on Page 7

OurOzarks.com

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Where’s Malko

105 Miles On The Current River

Add two parts Malkowicz brothers, one-part Current River in the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways in Missouri and 105 miles of stand up paddle boarding to get a great adventure. In 2015, Thomas and Mark Malkowicz set out to paddle board the length of the Current River within the Scenic Riverways.

The Malkowicz brothers paddle in Cave Spring on the Current River.

While experienced with canoe and kayak, and familiar with long float trips after floating the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Charles (spread out over three summer trips), the pair had little experience with the paddle boards. So why attempt such a long trip with new equipment? Mark explained:

“Our Current River trip was the first time we had ever stand up paddle boarded on a river. We are both newbies to the sport and had only practiced on rivers a few times before our big trip. We simply got into it because it looks like a new, adventurous way to explore rivers we have always loved. We have been paddling canoes our whole life and have been going on long distance expeditions our whole adult lives. Everything from the Jacks Fork to the Missouri. We wanted to do something we love in a way that it had never been done before.”

er was too shallow for the fins on the board and it rained the whole first day. Paddling was amazing once we got past a few significant springs. As far as weather goes, for the rest of the trip we really only had to worry about keeping ourselves protected from the sun. I have been on mountaineering and paddle expeditions all over the country and have backpacked all over the world but I would still consider this one of my favorite trips. SUP (stand up paddle boarding) is an absolutely amazing way to travel Ozark streams. Literally standing on the water can’t be beat.”

Tom’s wife, Jolee, probably had the look that most of us men have become accustomed to having launched at us. Her two cents on the matter:

“When Tom came to me and said he was stand up paddle boarding on the Current, I thought to myself, ‘this is it, it’s not going to be a canoe that takes him down, it’s going to be a paddle board. I’m going to be a widow.’ What can they think of next. Thank God they put their energy and time into practice.

They’ll do anything to build awareness and show people it’s one (Current River) of our states recreational gems that’s under appreciated.”

The brothers were born and raised in the greater St. Louis, Missouri area and have been visiting the Current River for most of their lives. Tom Malkowicz is a video producer for Washington State University in St. Louis, so of course there is video footage of the trip that can be viewed at http://wheresmalko.com, a website the brothers use to blog their adventures.

The brothers gained confidence with the new paddling experience each day of the week-long trip. For those familiar with the Current River, the paddlers put in at Tan Vat access (due east of Montauk State Park), and took out at Gooseneck (about 20 miles downstream from Van Buren, Missouri).

The biggest adventure may have been packing for the trip. Getting camping and personal gear, as well as food, water and supplies for a week-long trip takes some

So how was the trip? According to Tom, it was great:

“The trip was amazing! Standup paddle boarding is a great way to explore Ozarks’ streams. My only advise would be to make sure you are paddling in water that is deep enough for the board, and inflatable boards may be the best for Ozarks’ streams.”

Mark agreed, but pointed out some of the obstacles the pair faced: “The beginning was tough. Above the low water bridge, the riv-

Tom Malkowicz encounters some of the wild horses that can be found along the Current River.

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planning. Meals were kept simple, with some fresh fruits and vegetables mixed in to keep dinner less boring.

The two are already eyeing other long SUP adventures, so stay tuned!

Find more information and photos on the Malkowicz travels at their website: Wheresmalko.com Or follow them on their Facebook Page: Wheres Malko

SUP Pro Heather Baus Cont’d from Page 5

cannot afford them.”

miles on the lake. Similar to a “runner’s high”.

She also participates in trail runs and in January was the Women’s 25k Overall winner in the David’s Run at Lake Norfork, held near Mountain Home, Arkansas.

As to safety, Heather states:

“Safety first. Especially in the colder months.

Always have a leash and a pfd (personal flotation device). Take a lesson if you have never paddled.

Form and a few tips are well worth it for enjoyable paddling.”

Heather states that at the peak of her racing and training, she was on the water every day for an average of 20 hours a week, but now finds herself limiting that to a couple times a week, regardless of the weather.

“Mostly for fitness and sanity” noting that it “beats the gym” She enjoys both the lakes and rivers of the Ozarks:

“I go through phases. The intoxicating smell of the river and the clear waters are my favorite, but then there are days I just want to go knock out 10

And those tips?

“Coffee and good tunes! Winning and racing are a very small facet of the many amazing things paddling has brought to our lives. Paddling is a lifestyle. I’m not paddling to win anymore, but paddling for the journey. Exploring new waters, observing nature, the quiet and taking in life. Just being. Paddling makes you in the now. It’s good stuff.”

The Mill and Spring Report Non-Profit Formed To Support Restoration Of Topaz Mill in Douglas County, Missouri Located south of Cabool, Missouri on the North Fork River one will find the remains of the old community of Topaz, MO. It was once a quaint community and hub of activities in the late 1800s where locals gathered at the old General Store and the Topaz Mill. The area there has been the privately owned farm of the O’Neal Family since 1957. They welcome visitors and give informative tours of the grist mill and the store. The family is dedicated to the preservation of the existing Topaz Mill, built in 1896, and to sharing the history of the area for future generations.

Joe Bob O’Neal, a third generation member of the Topaz community, and area friends have formed the Friends of Topaz Mill Foundation. The goal is to use all of the original equipment to make the mill fully operational. Individuals and groups are encouraged to come for tours and learn the history and the role of the Mill to the early communities.

Visitors are welcome any time the O’Neals are at home and they will gladly give unscheduled tours.

Tours are free of charge, but donations toward the preservation of the historic mill and store are accepted. All donations are tax deductible. There are no regular viewing times for tours at this time so we highly recommend that you call to arrange your tour in advance if possible.

The O’Neals can be reached at 417-948-0154

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Bollinger Mill

GPS Location 37.459162, -89.796608

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Probably one of the earliest noted histories of milling in the Ozarks came at the hands of George Frederick Bollinger. In 1797, Bollinger received his land grant from the Spanish government and moved his family from North Carolina to Missouri (Within what is now known as Burfordville, Missouri). Three years later, he would begin building a log dam and mill on the Whitewater River. In 1825, Bollinger would rebuild the mill and dam, this time using limestone. He passed away in 1842, but his daughter Sara Daugherty and her family continued to operate the mill until the Civil War, when the mill was burned by the Union army to prevent supplies to the Confederate army.

Following the Civil War, the mill site was sold to Solomon R. Burford and he had the current four-story brick mill completed in 1867, using the old limestone foundation of the previous mill. Burford owned the mill until 1897, when Cape County Milling Company took ownership. The mill continued to run until 1953. Relatives of George Bollinger, the Vandivorts,

then purchased the mill grounds and donated them to the Cape Girardeau Historical Society in 1961. The State of Missouri took over the mill holdings in 1967 as a state historic site.

Adjacent to Bollinger Mill is the Burfordville Covered Bridge, and is part of the historic site. Construction began on the bridge in 1858, but was not completed until 1868, due in large part to the Civil War. The covered bridge is the oldest of four covered bridges that still stand in Missouri.

Bollinger Mill is located in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri and is within the town of Burfordville along the Whitewater River.

The site is managed by the Missouri State Park Service and tours of the mill are available. Hours and days of operation are available at the website here: https://mostateparks.com/park/bollinger-mill-statehistoric-site

During the 1800s, mills could be found along most streams and springs of the Ozarks, and often more than one could be found within an area. Early mills were more primitive and had little resemblance to what we recognize as the iconic images of mills today.

OurOzarks.com

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Dillard Mill

GPS Location 37.820199, -91.224831

A mill was built in Crawford County, Missouri on Huzzah Creek in 1853 by Francis Wisdom and it was known as the Wisdom Mill. The mill would change hands several times, with one of the owners being Joseph Dillard Cottrell before eventually being destroyed by fire in 1895. In 1900, Emil Mische and his sister Mary purchased the property, and four years later began construction of a new mill. It was completed in 1908. The Mische Mill, rather than using a waterwheel, turned to a turbine to power the modern steel rollers. The Misches would also alter the bluff and shut-ins about the mill, altering the course of the Huzzah, as well as adding a new millrace to funnel the water to the underwater turbine.

Mary Mische would remove herself from the business and a few years later, the 66-year-old Emil Mische would finally marry after sending for a mail order bride. The new bride did not adjust to life at the mill and persuaded Mische to sell the mill and move to California.

In 1930, Lester Klemme purchased the mill and added the Old Mill Lodge which featured cabins that guests could rent while enjoying the waters and mill grounds. He also switched the output more towards cattle grains, rather than flour, in an effort to increase income. The mill continued to operate until 1956 and

the lodge continued to operate into the 1960s.

In 1962, Leo Drey, a timber magnate, conservationist and philanthropist formed the L-A-D Foundation.

The principal mission of L-A-D was to protect natural areas. and in 1964 Drey began making land donations to the Foundation. Many of these areas are important natural areas within Missouri, including the purchase of Dillard Mill in 1974. The Foundation then leased the mill to the State of Missouri in 1977 and Dillard Mill would be named a State Historic Site.

Dillard Mill is as complete a milling operation as you will find within the Ozarks. The original equipment has been restored and is operated for those who come to the park and take the tour (there is a small fee).

Information on fees, hours and days of operation are available at the website here: https://mostateparks.com/park/dillard-mill-state-historic-site An added bonus for those visiting Dillard Mill during the summer season is to also stop at the restaurant just up the road. The Traveller’s Table is located within a nondescript building that one might ordinarily pass by, especially given its location basically in the middle of nowhere. The rule is that you STOP here!

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Brittain Mill

GPS Location 37.275801, -93.724220

Read the history of Brittain Mill in Lawrende County, MO (top photo) and Hulston Mill in Dade County, MO (lower photo), as well as other mills and springs in our next issue of Our Ozarks!

Hulston Mill

GPS Location 37.541964, -93.746193

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Down the road in...

Ozark County, Missouri was organized on January 29, 1841. In 1843 it was renamed Decatur County by the request of the citizens, of which the numbers of those from Georgia had greatly increased, and thus likely renamed after Decatur, Georgia. In 1845, the name was restored to Ozark County by the state legislature. It is the only county in the United States to bear this name.

It was the second largest county in Missouri until 1857, when Douglas and Howell counties were formed from its lands. Rockbridge, Missouri was the original county seat, but the town of Gainesville became more centrally located after the land reduction, and thus renamed the county seat. Other communities within Ozark County are Almartha, Bakersfield, Brixey, Dora, Hardenville, Howards Ridge, Isabella, Lutie, Mammoth, Nobel, Nottinghill, Ocie, Pontiac, Romance, Souder, Sycamore, Tecumseh, Theodosia, Thornfield, Trail, Udall, Wasola, Wilhoit and Zanoni.

Others town names of historical note were Birdtown, Althea, Ambrose, Arp, Barren Fork, Bayou Township, Benner, Big Creek, Birda, Dawt, Dellia, Dimock, Dugginsville, Elijah, Foil, Grabel, Hammond, Igo, Jackson, Lawndale, Locust, Longrun, Luna, McCabe, Oak Mound, Osta, Paddy, Pond Fork, Prestonia, Richland, Sharp, Somerset, Thuroy, Toledo, Trail.

Historical Society The Ozark County Historium can be contacted at: Email: ozarkco1@ozarkcountyhistory.org (417) 679-2400 P.O. Box 4, Gainesville,MO 65655 Major waterways are the North Fork River, Bryant Creek, and Lake Norfork and Bull Shoals Lake.

Antiques Candles Flowers Seasonal Wreaths Gifts

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Ozark County, Missouri There are a multitude of springs. Largest are: • Double Spring (4th largest in the state) at 137,000,00 gallons.

• Hodgson Mill Spring (15th largest in state) at 28,900,000 gallons.

• Blue Springs........................19,400,000 gallons.

• Althea Springs....................17,500,000 gallons.

• Rockbridge’s springs.........15,500,000 gallons.

• Wilder Spring.....................12,900,000 gallons.

• Zanoni Spring..........................226,000 gallons.

Sections of the Mark Twain Forest are found in Ozark County, as well as the Caney Mountain Conservation Area. Trout Fishing can be found on North Fork River and at the Rockbridge Rainbow Trout & Game Ranch.

Our Picks of the County Best Fine Dining (casual)

Rockbridge Rainbow Trout and Game Ranch

Best Pizza

Antler’s in Gainesville

Best Burgers, Sandwiches & Shakes Deb & Lou’s in Gainesville

Best Breakfast

Roy’s Store in Dora

Best Pie

Roy’s Store in Dora Many folks are drawn to the mills of Ozark County.

Mills found are Dawt, Hammond, Hodgson, Rock- Best Live Music bridge, and Zanoni.

Dawt Mill Hootin and Hollarin Festival Each year, starting on the third Thursday of September and lasting through Saturday evening, Gainesville hosts the Hootin and Hollarin Festival that hosts crafts and quilting, food, music and games. Games include outhouse and bed races.

Rockbridge Mill GPS Location 36.799428, -92.420264

Most Fun

Hootin and Hollarin Festival

Best Fishing Hole We’ll never tell

Hodgson Mill GPS Location 36.712238, -92.266643

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Are you a photographer in the Ozarks?

Want to be showcased in THROUGH THE LENS? Contact us at OurOzarks@yahoo.com to discuss.

Through The Lens This issue we take a look at the work of two photographers from the extreme borderlands of the Ozarks, one from Fort Smith, Arkansas and another from Columbia, Missouri. Mark Chitwood was born in Van Buren, Arkansas, which forms the southwestern marker of the Arkansas Ozarks. Steve Eichelberger lives in Columbia, Missouri and you will often find him shooting photos in the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, which forms the north central boundary of the Missouri Ozarks along the Missouri River.

STEVE EICHELBERGER

MARK CHITWOOD

Lives in Columbia, Missouri and works for the City of Columbia.

You can find other examples of his work at: https://seichelberger.smugmug.com

Lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas By day works as an Industrial Supply Sales Professional and by evening and weekends, works as the man behind the lens at Mystic Rhythms Photography.

Steve is a lifelong Missouri resident that has always loved the Ozarks.

Mark states his style of photography is nature/ landscape (specializing in waterfalls).

“I am an Adventure motorcycle rider that loves exploring the Ozarks via gravel roads and searching out hidden scenic treasures. Recently my motorcycle adventures have turned into photography adventures and then into wildlife photography adventures. Every day is different from the last when viewed through the lens of a camera, and I am fortunate that the Ozarks provide endless possibilities for an adventure seeking photographer.

Find other examples of his work at his Facebook Page: Mystic Rhythms Photography or at his website: http://www.mysticrhythmsphotography.com/

Find his work on page 18

Mark’s desire with his photography is “To produce elegant art photos for home, office and personal spaces”.

Find examples of his work on pages 15, 16 and 17.

Enjoy!

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Copperhead Falls GPS 36.053488, -93.283156

Natural Bridge Falls GPS 36.018763, -93.356859

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Natural Dam Falls (Above) GPS 35.649428, -94.394787

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Bridal Veil Falls (Below) GPS 35.467974, -92.038777

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Photos by Steve Eichelberger. Above, juvenile eagles are going through ritual called “cartwheeling”. Usually, but not always a mating ritual, the cartwheeling can involve a male and female eagle flying into the thermos where they grasp talons then glide in dramatic fashion back down, then break apart when they’re nearing the ground. Below, a turtle basks in the sun.

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Steve Eichelberger The cemetery at Potosi, Missouri holds an unique beauty. Moses Austin, a mining magnate and father of Stephen F. Austin, is buried here. Stephen F. Austin is known as the Father of Texas.

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Creating The Magic That Is A Walking Stick David Egesdal at Creation Carvings There is a magical transformation that occurs when one picks up a stick while they hike, or to carry an old wooden friend along as they head into the wilderness. It is no longer a walk, nor a hike. It becomes an adventurous trek.

Walking sticks grip the hand and put some stability to your steps, but throughout time they have brought much more. They infused the bearer with increased power and charisma. The wooden staffs became weapons, or symbols of authority and power. Whether it be a shillelagh of Ireland, or a more gentlemanly version in the form of a cane, or the jewel encrusted staff of a king or wizard, the walking stick conjures a clear path for our journeys.

David Egesdal is a creator of walking sticks. A student of theology and teacher of mathematics in public schools, Egesdal is known by the name Creation Carvings for those who seek out his works of art at the point of a stick. Egesdal was born in the northern lands of Iowa, and raised throughout the small towns of the state, and notes himself as hailing from Ottumwa-the land of Radar O’Reilly of M*A*S*H fame.

David moved to the Ozarks in 2001 to study at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri and now lives in Sparta, Missouri with his wife Lacy and three boys: Hunter, Carver and Finn. (You’re already buying into the magic of his work, are you not?)

David, Lacy, Hunter, Carver and Finn Egesdal and gained an appreciation for creating something useful from raw materials. My hopes for my carvings are simple - I hope to provide my family and I hope to satisfy my customers with a quality hand carved walking stick at an affordable price.”

David’s wife Lacy helps with the business and lists the sticks on their website and Etsy shop.

They also attend craft fairs and shows in the area to display their wares.

Egesdal can recall many “favorites” that he has carved, and remembers customers with fondness.

“I have carved a lot of favorite pieces over the years but the one that towers over the rest was a carving of a Cobra that curled around the stick and flared out at the top. There are many favorite people I have carved for from my grandparents and parents, during knee surgeries to veterans who have been wounded, to children who were captivated by the carving.”

The carver stated he first got into the art as a substitute to video games and television. He learned quickly that carving came easy to him and continued to refine his craft. In 2009, David began carving walking sticks after having been taught by a family friend, Dennis Wilson of Iowa.

Dennis had made a modest living selling walking sticks until his passing, and Egesdal feels the The carver uses a variety of materials and has a friend’s carvings live on through his own. friend who helps him acquire the sticks and kiln

“I first got a taste for woodworking while in high school. For three years, I took shop classes Continued on Page 33

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Very Crafty Catepillars

by Virginia McDaniel

Butterflies are the charismatic megafauna of the insect world. Who doesn’t admire the stripes on an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), the eye spots on the Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus), or the amazing journey of the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), who flies from Canada to Mexico to return to a place only known to its great grandparents.

Their effortless flitting from pretty flower to pretty flower performs an essential function, pollination, without which many plants would be unable to form fruits and seeds. This is obviously important, not

Photo by Michael Weatherford.

The bright coloration of Monarch caterpillars warn of their toxicity as they feed on their host plant, milkweed.

Weatherford is a retired, professional forester residing in Warren, AR. Born and raised in Western Kentucky and worked for several forest product companies throughout the Southeastern USA. His activities include nature photography, master gardener, president of the Arkansas Native Plant Society and, along with wife Nancy, are converting their eight-acres which we are converting to wildflower meadows and wildlife habitat.

Virginia McDaniel works for the United States Forestry Service in Arkansas.

Special thanks to botanist Jennifer Ogle for article critical review & input.

only to natural ecosystems, but to our own croplands as well (though bees and other insects also play a significant role in pollination of native plants and crops).

But what I would like to discuss now is the less showy part of a butterfly’s life cycle, the larval stage, and give you a look into the lives of these charismatic caterpillars whose crafty ways enable them to survive to become beautiful butterflies.

At a glance, caterpillars seem like “sitting ducks” for, well, ducks, other birds, and a host of predators. But a closer look reveals that these innovative creatures are anything but helpless easy targets. Caterpillars have a number of tactics and strategies to evade predators, in both appearance and behavior. One strategy is to hide. Many caterpillars feed on the undersides of leaves or at night when many predators are not active. This explains why we don’t see them as often as we think we should, given how abundant they are, and provides insight to keep those Tomato Hornworms (Five-spotted Hawk-moth/ Manduca quinquemaculata) from giving you the slip while they munch on your nightshade crops (tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant).

Another strategy is to hide in plain sight (e.g., camouflage). Many loopers look just like twigs or plant parts, but a particularly ingenious one is the Camouflaged Looper (Wavy-lined Emerald/Synchlora aerata). David Wagner, author of Caterpillars of Eastern North America, calls it the “Mardi Gras caterpillar” because it attaches bits of flowers and plant parts to its back to blend in with the plant on which is resides.

One of my favorite camouflaging caterpillars is the Orange Dog (Giant Swallowtail/Papilio cresphontes),

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which resembles bird poop.

A third strategy is to be showy but toxic, as exemplified by the Monarch. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) which contain toxic glycosides. The Monarchs are not poisoned by these toxins (called cardiac glycosides), but instead sequester them in their wings and exoskeletons and basically become poisonous. The caterpillars’ bright yellow, black, and white stripes are essentially a warning to birds and other predators: eat me and you will die (or at least vomit). Susan Halpern noted in her book Four Wings and a Prayer that even the dumbest bird figures it out by the second taste. The strategies go on and on, from harmless caterpillars who mimic the toxic ones, to those that have armor of stinging hairs, to others whose “eye” spots make them resemble a snake (see Spicebush Swallowtail/ Papilio troilus), but I will stop here.

All these survival strategies, however, are for naught if caterpillars don’t have a place to live and food to eat. Habitat loss, pesticide use, and non-native invasive species are the three main threats to butterflies and other pollinators. These three threats decrease area available for native plants to grow and the diversity of those plants. But why are native plants so important? Most butterflies are host-specific, meaning they have a particular plant genus or family that their larvae need in order to survive.

Continued on Page 25

Photo by Michael Weatherford. Spicebush swallowtail lays eggs on its host plant, spicebush.

Photo by Virginia McDaniel. Giant Swallowtail larvae resembles bird poop to hide in plain sight from predators.

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The Role of Pollinators

by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins

When talking to people with Ozark family histories, someone will usually say they remember stories about a grandfather being a beekeeper. Keeping bees has not only been a part of the history but made farming in the Ozarks possible.

European settlers first imported bees to North America in 1622. The black German bee apis mellifera soon established themselves, along with orange daylillies and other imported plants and became a farming staple. Bees are nature’s matchmakers and as such, move pollen among plants to increase fruit and vegetable production.

We still depend on these insects for our varied food supply. One out of every three bites of food we eat are courtesy of honeybees. Of the 100 crops that provide 90 percent of the world’s food, 75 percent are pollinated by bees.

Charlotte Ekker Wiggins is a certified gardener and beekeeper living in Rolla, Missouri blogging at gardeningcharlotte.com and homesweetbees.com.

Contact Charlotte at chargardens@gmail.com Charlotte has been gardening since she was 2 years old, if you count planting coffee beans in her mother’s favorite Peruvian orchid. She is a certified gardener and has been following non-chemical gardening practices for decades on her one-acre Missouri hillside certified wildlife garden and Monarch Way Station. In 2010, she added honeybees, something her uncle said was part of the family tradition going back to their days as Hungarian strawberry farmers.

In North America, honey bees pollinate nearly 95 kinds of fruits such as almonds, apples and cranberries, not counting garden, meadow and forest plants.

According to US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, bee pollination is responsible for more than $25 billion dollars a year in increased crop value. US farmers produce an abundance of food that is both nutritious, and safe, due in great measure to bees.

Honeybees are the main pollinators, but native bees are important pollinators as well. There are 20,000 native bee species worldwide. Of that total, 4,000 are native to North America; Missouri hosts 400 unique species.

Tomato and pepper crops are bountiful because bumblebees shake pollen out of vegetable flowers and move it around on their furry coats. Butterflies pollinate flowers that are unique to Missouri’s natural communities and play a unique role in keeping ecosystems healthy.

In 2015, 40 percent of all US honeybee colonies died.

That is an improvement over a couple of years ago when the mortality rate was closer to 50 percent. Historic mortality rates have been closer to 5-10 percent Colony collapse disorder, first identified in 2006, recognizes that bees are dying in record numbers. The

Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, has three beehives to help pollinate the nearby Kemper Center for Home Gardening. Bees are responsible for pollinating one out of every three bites of food we eat.

(Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

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latest theory is that a combination of loss of habitat, over use of pesticides and colony-infiltrating pests such as the vampire mite varroa are contributing to their losses.

Asclepias tuberosa is a species of milkweed, commonly known as Butterfly Weed because they are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. It is also the larval food plant of the Queen and Monarch butterflies.

Home gardeners are the main culprits in the overuse of pesticides. The nicotine-based ones may be safe for human exposure but disorient tiny bees enough that they can’t find their way home. EPA plans to restrict the use of these products starting the end of this year.

As an alternative, we as home gardeners can help by planting compatible crops to minimize insects; encourage beneficial garden predators and spray dish soap in water with a little hot sauce to discourage plant insect damage.

As human development expands, pollinator habitat is also disappearing. In the Ozarks, we take our green spaces for granted, but even those public lands have been replanted and continue to be managed for habitat restoration to maintain healthy native populations.

The good news is scientists confirm when we help one species, we help the others, including ourselves.

Painting by botanical artist Linda Ellis. Find more examples of her work at her website: http://www.lindasellis.com/

Cagey Caterpillars cont’d from page 23 You may notice some butterflies or their caterpillar larvae have names that are associated with plants.

This is not coincidental, as butterflies are often named after their host plant. For example, one of the Spicebush Swallowtail’s common host plants is, you guessed it, spicebush (Lindera benzoin).

Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly visits Sweet William to collect nectar and, in the process, moves pollen that collects on its feet to the next flower.

Pollinators are nature’s matchmakers ensuring that plant species proliferate.

(Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Some caterpillars are specialists in one genus, while others eat a variety of plants, but the main theme is native. Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home, reported that native oak species (Quercus spp.) host to over 500 caterpillar species, whereas the non-native ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) hosts less than ten caterpillar species. In a time when pollinator numbers are in decline, we need to be cognizant of the relationships native plants and insects have made with each other over millennia of interacting. The more habitat destroyed for development, the more pesticides used, and the more invasive plants planted, the less habitat there is for native pollinators. As pollinators decrease, so does the food supply of the natural world (many of our crops included). While the very hungry caterpillar in Eric Carle’s book ate everything from strawberries to lollipops, he felt best after eating a plain green leaf of its host plant, probably the moonseed (Menispermum canadense). So we too need to make sure our very hungry native caterpillars have lots of native host plants to feed on so they can grow up to be brilliant butterflies and make food for the world!

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Garden Tips & Quips

by Maredith Sisco

Maredith Sisco is an Ozark’s storyteller, veteran journalist and author, teacher, singer and musician and student of folklore. Sisco was a music consultant and feature singer in the award winning feature film “Winter’s Bone” and a member of the Blackberry Winter Band.

Ah, March. The month, not the verb. Although both are fitting, for this is the month in the garden year when last year’s garden collides with the garden-in-waiting. There’s likely so much undone, unfinished, walked away from after the first killing frost that it seems daunting. Or not.

You may be one of those OCD gardeners who tidied up, put everything in its proper place and order, and have absolutely nothing to do but peruse the seed catalogs over coffee while glancing back and forth between the clean patch of earth outside the window and the unblemished garden planner on your laptop, as you lazily order up the future.

If so, this garden commentary may not be for you. It may have some helpful suggestions as to varieties and amendments. But the rest of us still have some serious work to do. And we’d best get to it. With any luck, we’ll have found a suitable sunny day this winter to get garden hoses drained, if not rolled up and stored, and get the tools gathered up and stowed, and if we were diligent, got them cleaned, sharpened and oiled.

But if you’re like me, which is to say living with the twin demons of being old and lazy, you’re still looking for a trowel or hoe-head whose handle broke last year on a rock and that you hung on a fencepost to deal with later. It may still be there, but if not, it must be found before it murders your sweet little tiller.

Then there’s the general garden detritus. The young and/or ambitious will have long since raked and composted the deceased plant matter. But there are beds to make or shore up, paths to lay or remodel and all those derelict squash and tomato vines to unwind from fences, arbors and trellises.

What’s that, you say? It’s raining or worse, and no fit day to be out there? Good! Because if you’re brave enough to start your own seeds of favorite and hard

to find varieties, there’s no time to waste. Onions should already be in pots under the grow lights and possibly ready for transplant. The seeds are so tiny and we are so sure of incomplete germination that if they’re bigger than a thread, they’re already overcrowded. And tomatoes and peppers, especially peppers, should be planted now, and I really mean now. Little single-cell pots are best, because when you transplant, the whole root ball will come out more or less intact and with less transplant shock. It also forces you to transplant rather than just put a seed or two in a larger pot and wait for it to fill. Why? Unless you’ve a greenhouse or a large indoor apparatus for raising lots of plants, it’s nearly impossible in these early gray days to get enough light close enough to prevent them from becoming leggy, if not downright spindly. So when transplanting, plant them deeper, and let that leggy stem grow roots and take in more food, and generally be happier. Happy plants always make for a happy gardener.

Whatever kind of garden you fancy, now is the time to get serious about it. Ozarks’ gardens need every chance they can get in order to succeed.

The only things you should be putting in the ground outdoors this month are potatoes (and multiplier onions if you haven’t already done so) and possibly peas. Peas are risky yet, but a short row is worth a try, and snap peas are generally the sturdiest.

As for potatoes, Yukon Golds are becoming more readily available and are by far the tops in taste. As for reds, you’ll likely find Pontiacs or Norlands at the grocery or farm store, and they’re equally good. If you really want to go out on a limb and order your starts from a catalog, give German butterballs a try. They’re a long season potato and longer to get to full size, but they’re delish and worth the wait. Gurney’s carries them (http://www.gurneys.com), as does the Maine Potato Lady (https://www.mainepotatolady.com) As for other nightshades, I should put in a word for Black Krim tomatoes and Chervina Chuchka peppers.

The Krims are becoming popular so you can probably find suitable plants at local outlets in May. The awkwardly named pepper, which is thick meated, conical shaped, sweet as candy and superb for frying or roasting, not so much. If you’re not set up for growing them from seed, best bet is the Spring festival at Baker Creek (www.rareseeds.com), the first weekend (Sunday-Monday) in May at their farm just north of Mansfield, Mo., where several growers carry it and it’s generally bedding plant heaven.

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As for amendments, there’ll be time for that in future columns, except as concerns potatoes. My habit is to cut them into pieces at least an inch in size and with at least one “eye”; roll the cut sections in a mix of equal parts bone meal for calcium and phosphorus and sulfur powder to prevent fungus, and plant under at least one inch of dirt if covering with straw mulch, or four if not mulching. Straw is better and less work but remember to please maintain a heavy cover (at least eight inches) to prevent any sunlight

from touching the developing tubers. If they “green up,” they become inedible and actually dangerous.

It’s a nightshade, after all.

So that’s it for March. We’ll take up the main garden later. But for now you’ve plenty to do. So get busy.

The gardening year starts now, and you’re about to be late for the party. If you’d like a longer visit, look for me on my Yarnspinner Media Facebook page, or at my blog: https://crosspatchgardener.wordpress.com/

Spring Green Salad with Honey Dressing

Let’s start with a basic formula for making any oil and vinegar based dressing 1-part vinegar to 3 parts oil Then add emulsifier, sweetener and seasonings.

Emulsifiers keep the vinegar and oil mixed together. Common examples would be mustard, honey, preserves or egg yolk.

• If using honey, jams or preserves, they will be both the emulsifier and the sweetener.

• If using mustard or egg yolk as an emulsifier, then add honey or preserves as well.

Salt and pepper would be the most common seasoning, but fresh chopped herbs can be used as well. As you continue to make your own oil and vinegar based dressings, you will find some combinations that will become favorites. Jot them down, so you don’t forget the proportions.

I like to use a small jar with a lid. I save a few non-canning jars to use for storage and saving leftovers OR if your jar of preserves is almost gone, use it as the salad dressing jar. Every last drop of preserves will get used as you keep making your dressing and shaking the jar.

In a small jar add:

¾ cup good olive oil

¼ cup vinegar (you can get creative with the vinegar)

1 TBLS. Dijon mustard

2 TBLS. raw, local honey or

1 TBLS honey with 1 TBLS preserves

a pinch of salt and a grind of fresh pepper Put the lid on the jar and shake well. Taste and adjust to your liking. If it’s too sweet, add more a touch more mustard. If it’s not sweet enough, add more honey or preserves. It’s best not to adjust the vinegar and oil.

For Salads: Use any and all fresh garden greens, wild foraged greens and herbs. Wash, tear (if needed) and dry thoroughly. I always use a salad spinner. My little granddaughter helps spin. If you use a knife to cut greens, they will oxidize and turn brown faster.

Missouri Pecans toasted lightly. In a skillet with a little butter or olive oil toast the pecans and then let cool on a plate. Our pecans are small and sweet!

Fresh Spring Goat Cheese (Chevre)- local farms or farmer’s markets may have varieties of goat cheese. If no goat cheese is available, find what you like as a tasty substitute.

If there are any fresh berries (wild or cultivated) available, slice and add. Small Spring onions are also good on this salad.

Toss with dressing JUST BEFORE serving. You may or may not need all of the dressing.

Recipes are provided by Rene’ Sackett, President at Missouri Farmers Market Association, Market Manager at Wildwood Farmers Market and owner, licensed massage therapist and market master at Healing Hands Wellness Therapies OurOzarks.com

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Finding Open Doors...

When The Sun Sets On A Small Farm Amongst the growing trend of local food and ever increasing numbers of vendors at farmer’s markets across the United States, the general public often forgets that small farms are still a very tough business.

Years ago, the demise of the small farm took center stage in the mainstream media. The romance of urban farms and community gardens sometimes veils the harsh reality of small farms. Nowadays, it seems the cameras focus in on the delight of the local produce, but not the calloused hands working after the tables and tents are packed away.

Echigo Farms has been a mainstay at the local farmer’s markets of Springfield, Missouri and vicinity since 2010. What began as a dream of introducing produce grown through traditional Japanese practices, may seem a distant memory in the near future.

Mark Frank, owner of Echigo Farms, will tell you that there are no regrets, but admits it is time to move on.

“We have been happy farming full-time here these past five years, but upon reflection, would like to find some work that would allow us the flexibility to move back and forth between the United States and Japan, since we have family and friends there as well.

I would probably transition back into education, with agriculture and local food being one of my themes.”

Mark Frank, and his partner and wife, Kumiko, and their two children, will likely no longer be at the markets with vegetables that so many in the area have come to love. The farm is up for sale, and the family turns their attention to a different future.

Frank was born and raised in Eastern Kansas, in LaCygne. His father was a carpenter, but most of the relatives worked in farming to some extent. The Franks would move to Ozark, Missouri during Mark’s junior high school years, and he would later attend Missouri State University in Springfield and study literature. His original plan was to be a teacher, and he moved to Japan to teach English initially. But while there, Mark got into traditional, small-scale agriculture and he was hooked.

Mark met Kumiko in Japan. She was born in Niigata city and attended college there. Mark turned her to farming, recalling “She worked mainly office jobs

until we met. I was the one who (reluctantly at first) got her into farming.”

“While in Japan, I discovered the writing of Fukuoka Masanobu, who wrote the famous book One Straw Revolution. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of permaculture and natural agriculture.”

Not only did the works of Masanobu call to Mark on the agricultural level, but also to his philosophical and literary senses.

“As chance would have it, the introduction to the English language version of his book was written

by Wendell Berry, which was my first exposure to him. I soon found The Unsettling of America and read that. We happened to be in the middle of a local farming renaissance at that time in Japan (mid-2000s), so Berry’s writing, though based on an American experience, really fit in. I am also inspired by the essays and poetry of Gary Snyder.”

The Franks have two children. A son, Kouta is 11, and the daughter, Momoko, is 8. They now live just outside Seymour, Missouri and near the local Amish community. Echigo Farm got its beginning when the couple began taking edamame to the local market (edamame is a particular, crisp soybean that is boiled or steamed and served with salt). Echigo is a province in Japan, and in 2011, the Franks began operating the market business under that name. Mark notes that it was at this same time that the local food business began to flourish in the U.S.

“In a general sense, it has really exploded since 2011. The number of small-scale farmers and other food related value-added business has increased greatly; business and networking opportunities be-

A January 2015 USDA report noted that while more farmers were selling directly to consumers, local food sales were losing momentum.

So have the markets been saturated from the growth in the numbers of local food markets?

What are the future trends for farmer’s markets?

We’ll dig into that in upcoming issues of Our Ozarks Magazine and we’ll tour the farm markets of the region!

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tween restaurants and retail shops has increased; and perhaps most importantly, the general level of interest and education about local food among the general public has developed. That said, it still feels like it is at a watershed moment and it is difficult to say what will come next. Realistically, a true local food movement cannot be supported completely by farmers like us. We need more medium scale farmers and distribution points like food hubs to really make local food a part of the average consumer’s daily diet. I think those things are coming.”

Lane Baldwin McConnell, Executive Director at Farmers Market of the Ozarks, echoes those sentiments in discussing the sales trends for vendors.

“There are some that have expanded and others that will need to revamp their brand and salesmanship at market to obtain that extra price profit.

This year we are specifically focusing on increasing individual vendor sales with new programs like a market personal shopper program, change in weekday to Wednesday morning, Branson addition, coupon booklets and more. Market is also working with outside parties on the building of a food hub.”

McConnell also commends the Franks on the effect they have had locally.

“The Frank family has made a profound impact on local foods in the Ozarks region-both with their customers and the farmers they work with. We wish them the very best in their next endeavor. Going to miss them dearly!”

The Franks also brought another product design of Japan with them to the United States. Mark explains:

“I got into sake making through a friend’s brewery in Japan, and became the local representative for a national sake tasting contest in 2001. From that time, my interest in brewing began, and I worked for short periods of time in three different local breweries. In 2007, my college class produced a college original brand sake in conjunction with a local brewery.”

Mark looks to the sake production as one possible open door in the future. With the growth of local breweries and distilleries trending upward, it might be a wide open door.

Recipes with Honey Honey Roasted Carrots Preheat oven to 450 degrees Put a little olive oil, lard or bacon grease (about 2 TBLS) in cast iron skillet, let melt in hot oven Add 2 lbs. small, fresh, garden carrots- clean, cut off green tops and leave whole Sprinkle with salt and pepper ¼ cup chopped spring onion, stir together and roast for about 10-15 minutes until barely fork tender.

While carrots are roasting, heat up 3 TBLS honey with 2 TBLS apple juice, white wine, chicken or veggie broth. Pour over carrots and roast 5 more minutes. Carrots should be tender and browned.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped herb of your choicethyme, tarragon, mint are good choices or a combination

Honey Fruit Dip

Mix local, raw honey with plain yogurt or sour cream, sprinkle in some ground cinnamon. Great dip for fruit or to stir into fruit salad • 1 cup of yogurt or sour cream • 2-3 TBLS of local, raw honey • sprinkle of cinnamon I prefer to add a little vanilla extract as an option.

Vanilla yogurt tends to have too much sugar.

Add more honey or cinnamon to taste.

Recipes are provided by Rene’ Sackett, President at Missouri Farmers Market Association, Market Manager at Wildwood Farmers Market and owner, licensed massage therapist and market master at Healing Hands Wellness Therapies

We wish the Frank family well as they prepare to close the barn doors at Seymour, and turn to find the many other doors that life will open, or the beckoning call of the Rising Sun in Japan.

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Hiking The Ozarks with Dan Nash Dan Nash grew up hiking, fishing, hunting, camping and exploring the outdoors in and around the family farm outside Reeds Spring, Missouri. Later in life, that love of the outdoors would transcend into a love of hiking. In 2007, Nash would decide to give back some of his experience and share that love with the Ozarks’ community. He states it this way:

“I wanted to expose and excite people about the outdoors and the wonderful opportunities that we have in the Ozarks. Unfortunately, at the time there were no training opportunities for people to build a foundation for outdoor skills, no one to teach these skills and no one to take people into the outdoors and

teach these skills, so I decided that I should create these opportunities. I also felt strongly about making these opportunities affordable so that everyone could have this exposure and chance to experience the Ozarks.”

And Hiking The Ozarks was born. Nash would lead hiking trips, conduct training and motivational sessions. Later, Nash would began looking for a bigger challenge and headed west to explore the Rocky Mountains:

“I climbed several mountains in the Rockies, but my first big mountain experience was Mt. Rainer in Washington State, and I loved it!”

The hiker, turned climber, began getting requests from others interested in going on adventures and wanted him to help put the trip together or go with them. As he stated, “it just seemed a logical next step to start a business.”

Satori began in 2008, after clearing a few obstacles:

“My first guided trips via Satori were in South America with Peru being the crown jewel of mountaineering on that continent. When operating in foreign countries obstacle become just part of the everyday experience, but I am lucky to have such great guides and management people that things usually run pretty smoothly.”

And the danger?

“I tell people all the time, a guide’s job is not to get you to the summit, our job is to get you home, so thank goodness no catastrophic events for us, but close calls do happen in the mountains. In 2011, in Peru, I fell through an ice bridge I was crossing and fell into a crevasse. I was roped, so only went about 15 feet down, but had to be removed by the other guides and clients. In 2014, in South America I contracted a parasite during an expedition and had to walk two days to get to a road and then drive one more day to a hospital where I received medical attention.”

There was another close call, just a year ago.

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A group of hikers travel with Dan Nash during a “Bushwhacker” excursion into the backwoods of the Mark Twain Forest in Arkansas. Same excursion pictured on facing page.

“On April 25, 2015, I was at advanced base camp (18,600 feet) on Cho Oyu, the 6th tallest peak in the world (26,907 feet) on the Nepal/Tibet border when the earthquake occurred. I was guiding a group on Cho Oyu and attempting to become the first person from Missouri to summit Cho Oyu.”

“When the earthquake occurred I was not sure what it was since I expected it to feel like a shake, but it actually rolled, unlike what you see on television.

The earthquake immediately caused several small avalanches and I was worried that a large block of ice the size of a football field that was suspended above our camp might come loose. If it did, it would have killed us all. Fortunately, it did not and we only had to contend with the snow avalanches, which were scary enough. After the quake, some members of the team left the camp and went home, while the rest decided to continue. A few days later after we were attempting to set up camp at 21,000 feet, the Chinese government revoked our permit and forced us off the mountain. It took us 5 days to get off the mountain only to discover the border with Nepal had been closed and we had no way to get home. Eventually, we traveled via Jeep to Lhasa, Tibet and after 3 days

there were able to obtain a Chinese permit to fly to Beijing and then to the United States.”

Hiking the Ozarks has 12 to 15 guides that work for them during the Outdoor Rendezvous, and 3 to 4 that help teach classes throughout the year. Satori has numerous guides that work for the company during the busy climbing seasons in Nepal and South America.

Nash is a member of the American Mountain Guides Association, a board member of the American Hiking Guides Association and hold certifications as a Hiking Guide, Backpacking Guide and Mountain Leader. We asked about the importance of the certifications and organization affiliations, and using a guide in general when hiking the more rugged parts of the Ozarks.

“Certifications don’t make you a great guide, but what it does do is ensure a basic foundation of skills and experience in the outdoors. This is no different than any other education, just because you graduate from medical school does not make you a great doctor, but you cannot be a great doctor with having the

Continued on next page

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Satori offers approximately 50 trips in 22 countries, including backpacking, trekking and mountaineering adventures with skill levels for the beginner to the expert. Two partners help handle the Satori climbs. One partner is located in Kathmandu Nepal, and manages the Satori office there and handles the logistics in Nepal and Tibet. The other partner is in Peru and manages the logistics in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina.

Hiking The Ozarks cont’d from page 31 foundation of medical school and the proper skill set.

The rest will come with experience and time. A guide will allow you to explore and go places that may not be safe to go yourself, due to the navigation and other skills needed to compete the trip safely. Each year several people are killed hiking in the Ozarks, and many of those accidents are due to being inexperienced in the wilderness and over estimating one’s own abilities.”

Hiking the Ozarks offers several free backpacking trips during the Ozarks hiking season, October to April, as well as educational classes like Land Navigation, Survival Classes, Wilderness First-Aid, Basic Backpacking, Hiking and Backpacking Guiding Classes and Outdoor Gear and Equipment.

The signature event, the Outdoor Rendezvous, is held every October and is a 3-day event that involves guided hikes, outdoor classes, adventure film, guided rock climbing, mountain biking and gear raffles. This is the only event of its kind in the Midwest and is a great opportunity to have fun, get some great education, go on guided hikes and meet people from all over the Midwest. Hiking The Ozarks also provides American Hiking Guides Association certification classes each fall as the official provider of the training in the Midwest.

Nancy Probstfeld of Kimberling City, Missouri started out as mostly a day trail hiker. But after a friend turned her onto Nash’s hiking group three years ago, she was hasn’t turned back.

“I haven’t missed one hike since then. Bushwhacking is my ultimate favorite thing to do. I am gaining a love for climbing mountains. Last year, I climbed Pisco in Peru and I am going back with Dan to climb Pisco as an acclimation and then onto Huascaran, the tallest peak in Peru.”

“Dan is one of a kind. His presence is immense. His willingness to help others reach their goals and gain a love of the outdoors is unmatched by anyone I know.”

Daniela Liscio is the official health coach for Satori Expeditions, as well as working as an attorney in Missouri. Originally from Ontario Canada, Liscio met Nash while climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. She worked as an attorney in New York City at the time, and moved to Missouri a couple years later to begin her company, Eat For Sport. Liscio notes:

“Satori is a unique expedition company in that everyone who decides to do a trek or expedition with Satori is provided a complimentary health coaching session with me. I work with clients during those sessions to better prepare them in terms of their fitness and nutrition and give them a better idea of what to expect on the mountain. Dan is not only interested in selling trips-he is interested in giving people a memorable or even life-altering experience and that can more easily be achieved when clients are better prepared. We have brought the services of our two businesses together to best ensure that happens.”

Liscio is also a certified hiking guide and still practices law. Liscio defines Eat For Sport as a health coaching and food development business.

“I work with recreational athletes who are managing busy careers, but still have a deep desire

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity” ― John Muir,

Our National Parks

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to improve their sport performance, maintain better weight and generally live a better life through more effective fitness, improved dietary habits to maintain optimal weight long term, better deal with stress and generally feel more energetic and happy to get the most out of their everyday lives. Eat For Sport’s life-transforming approach helps busy adults better achieve their short term goals with a long-term healthy life in mind.”

Hike of the Day

Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area near Witts Springs, Arkansas GPS Location 35.738808, -93.017631

Nash will be heading to Peru in June to attempt Mt. Huascaran, the tallest mountain in Peru at 22,215 feet.

However, Nash is anticipating his return trip to Cho Oyu as his big adventure for the year. He hopes the area is free of earthquakes this go around and thus be able to become the first person from Missouri to reach its summit.

What is the best advice Nash can give hikers?

“Get fit. Good physical fitness will enable you to enjoy the outdoors at a much higher level and add to your personal safety in the outdoors. I am always sad when people struggle to get to a nice waterfall or vista and are so tired or exhausted they cannot enjoy it.”

More information on Hiking The Ozarks, or Satori, can be found at their websites: • http://www.hikingtheozarks.com/

• http://satoriexpeditions.com/

Creation Carvings

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dries them so they will not split.

“I use a variety of local Ozarks wood that is harvested selectively to encourage good forest management.”

Other products created by Creation Carvings are pipes, canes, Christmas ornaments and other ornamental displays.

So does the creator also carry a walking stick?

“I love to get out and hike with my walking sticks. My favorite hiking stick was carved from my mentor Dennis and was given to me by my Dad when I was 16. It’s a walnut wood spirit walking stick and it has seen many a miles of trails.”

The work of Creation Carvings can be found at its Facebook Page under Creation Carvings, or at the company’s website: http://www.creationcarvings.com/

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Our Ozarks Magazine 266 Red Cedar Ozark, MO 65721

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Special Thanks To This Month’s Guest Sponsors: Steve & Jody Thornton of Marshfield, Missouri