Farm Indiana

OCTOBER 2014

Rural Living & Local Food

Farm to Freezer Indiana business owners aim to revolutionize our food system

ALSO INSIDE: RAISING GOATS | FOOD HUBS | INDIANA AGRITOURISM | COVER CROPS

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PLAY today Call orWORK visit ourOR showroom find the PolarisYOU that isWANT. just WEtoHAVE WHAT right for you.

CALL OR STOP BY OUR SHOWROOM TODAY TO FIND WORK OR PLAYRIGHT THE POLARIS THAT'S WE FORHAVE YOU. WHAT YOU WANT. CALL ORWest STOP BYRoad OUR56 3778 State Salem,TODAY IN 47167TO FIND SHOWROOM SCHAFSTALL, INC. THE POLARIS THAT'S 3778 WEST STATE ROAD 56RIGHT 812-883-1005 FORwww.schafstall.net YOU. SALEM, IN47167 Offers good on new and unregistered units purchased between 7/1/14-8/31/14. *On select models. See your dealer for details. Rates as low as 2.99% for 36 months. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. Fixed APR of 2.99%, 5.99%, or 7.99% will be assigned based on credit approval criteria. Other financing offers are available. See your local dealer for details. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Offer effective on all new and unused 2008-2014 Polaris ATV, RANGER, and RZR models purchased from a participating Polaris dealer between 7/1/2014 and 8/31/2014. Offer subject to change without notice. Warning: The Polaris RANGER® and RZR® are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver's license to operate. Passengers must be at least 12 years old and tall enough to grasp the hand holds and plant feet firmly on the floor. All SxS drivers should take a safety training course. Contact ROHVA atwww.rohva.org or (949) 255-2560 for additional information. Drivers and passengers should always wear helmets, eye protection, protective clothing, and seat belts. Always use cab nets or doors (as equipped). Be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Never drive on public roads or paved surfaces. Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don't mix. Check local laws before riding on trails. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. Polaris adult models are for riders 16 and older. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing, and be sure to take a safety training course. For safety and training information in the U.S., call the SVIA at (800) 887-2887. You may also contact your Polaris dealer or call Polaris at (800) 342-3764. ©2014 Polaris Industries Inc.

SCHAFSTALL, INC. Work or Play 3778 WEST STATE ROAD 56 SALEM,you’re IN47167 looking for!

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Offers good on new and unregistered units purchased between 7/1/14-8/31/14. *On select models. See your dealer for details. Rates as low as 2.99% for 36 months. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. Fixed APR of 2.99%, 5.99%, or 7.99% will be assigned based on credit approval criteria. Other financing offers are available. See your local dealer for details. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Offer effective on all new and unused 2008-2014 Polaris ATV, RANGER, and RZR models purchased from a participating Polaris dealer between 7/1/2014 and 8/31/2014. Offer subject to change without notice. Warning: The Polaris RANGER® and RZR® are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver's license to operate. Passengers must be at least 12 years old and tall enough to grasp the hand holds and plant feet firmly on the floor. All SxS drivers should take a safety training course. Contact ROHVA atwww.rohva.org or (949) 255-2560 for additional information. Drivers and passengers should always wear helmets, eye protection, protective clothing, and seat belts. Always use cab nets or doors (as equipped). Be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Never drive on public roads or paved surfaces. Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don't mix. Check local laws before riding on trails. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. Polaris adult models are for riders 16 and older. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing, and be sure to take a safety training course. For safety and training information in the U.S., call the SVIA at (800) 887-2887. You may also contact your Polaris dealer or call Polaris at (800) 342-3764. ©2014 Polaris Industries Inc.

14055 South 725 West, Columbus, IN 47201 | 1-812-342-6010 | kendal@schafstall.net 3778 West State Road 56, Salem, IN 47167 | 1-812-883-1005 2 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Editor’s Note

Adieu to Summer

It feels like it was yesterday that I was writing the editor’s note for last month’s issue, and yet, here I am again. October is already upon us. I’m wearing layers of clothes and thick socks and boots, and I’m wondering where the summer went. No, I mean, really: Where did it go?

This summer went the same way as my zucchini and summer squash plants, I guess. The basil plants have withered. The green peppers are no longer. The red potatoes, all harvested and eaten. I’ve canned tomatoes and made batch upon batch of strawberryjalapeno jam, salsa, pasta sauce and pesto, with hopes of preserving whatever I could from my favorite season.

Gone with the gardens, the summer of 2014 is officially over. And there was only a week, really, when it was hot enough to feel like the summer was just getting started. I’m more than a little bummed about this recent turn of events.

I told my husband the other day that we need to adjust our attitudes. We have to put our grumblings about cold weather to rest, don our game faces and embrace this chilly season. We have no choice, really, and fall — and inevitably winter right after it — is here.

So, with my rose-colored glasses, I’m looking forward to fall festivals, pumpkin-spiced treats and cozy nights by the wood fire. Thanks to Husk, which we profile in this issue on page 40, I’ll be able to savor even more

of this season’s harvests than what I’ve canned myself. And when all else fails, I can always just daydream about next year.

My husband and I are having our soil tested this fall by Shelbyville’s Sterling Formulations. I learned about Sterling by editing a story on the company in a past issue of Farm Indiana, and now I’m excited to see which cover crops are needed, as well as which nutrients should be added, for our grounds to produce a better harvest next summer.

Thanks to the smarts of Purdue Extension educator Scott Gabbard and his master gardener class in Shelby County, in which my husband and I are enrolled, I’m learning the numerous things I’ve done wrong in the garden over the years and, thankfully, how to right them. I’m planting some garlic bulbs to over-winter, and I’m already planning what we will grow (maybe a little more successfully than years past) this coming spring.

In other good news, we at Farm Indiana are in talks with the organizers of the Indiana Small Farm Conference to serve as a sponsor at the 2015 event in some way, and I’m looking forward to attending the Indiana Horticultural Congress this coming January. In the end, these fall and winter months aren’t all bad. There’s plenty to do and plan for to keep us busy.

But the best news of all: My husband and I brought home three baby goats to live on our property this past month. Our good friend, Jedediah Martin, who gave us the animals, believes that if everybody had baby goats, no one would suffer from depression. After weeks of being greeted by giddy goats clamoring for attention (and, more likely, food) when I return home from a long day, the only thing I can say is, approaching winter or no, Jedediah’s right.

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Contents October 2014

A monthly publication of Home News Enterprises, Farm Indiana offers the local news and views of Indiana’s farming world, including features about local families and their farms, agriculture businesses, equipment and technological advances, educational outreach programs and more. Farm Indiana promotes and celebrates Indiana’s rich history and tradition in farming; serves as a conduit of information among growers, producers, farmers, retailers, farming organizations and local food consumers; educates readers about the nutritional, social and financial importance of local food support and consumption; and highlights Indiana local foods and agritourism.

20

15

30

34 5 | In the Front Row 6 | Food Hubs

42 | Carthage Mill 46 | Cover Crops

6 | Calendar of Events 8 | From the Field

50 | Indiana Agritourism 54 | Southeastern Purdue Ag Center 56 | Indy Urban Acres

15 | Pork Farming 20 | Adrian Orchards

PUBLISHER | Chuck Wells EDITOR | Sherri Lynn Dugger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cissy Bowman, Nate Brownlee, Cheryl Carter Jones, Julie Cope Saetre, Jessica Ervin, Katie Glick, Jessica Hoopengardner, Kevin Howell, Kay Jernigan McGriff, George Kalogridis, Garrett Kelly, Shawndra Miller, Jim Poyser, Jon Shoulders, Clint Smith, Ryan Trares, CJ Woodring COPY EDITOR | Katharine Smith SENIOR GRAPHIC ARTIST | Amanda Waltz ADVERTISING DESIGN Emma Ault, Hollie Brown, Dondra Brown, Tonya Cassidy, John Cole, Julie Daiker, Ben Hill, Phillip Manning, Josh Meyer, Desiree Poteete, Tina Ray, Kelsey Ruddell, Robert Wilson PHOTOGRAPHER | Josh Marshall

58 | Local Food

34 | McKinney & McKinney 36 | The Art Farm

OCTOBER 2014

25 | Getting Goats 30 | Pinehurst Farm Rural Living & Local Food

©2014 by Home News Enterprises.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of stories, photographs and advertisements without permission is prohibited.

40 | Husk Local Food System

Farm to Freezer Indiana business owners aim to revolutionize our food system

ALSO INSIDE: RAISING GOATS | FOOD HUBS | INDIANA AGRITOURISM | COVER CROPS

ON THE COVER Husk Local Food System founder Adam Moody Photo by Josh Marshall

4 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Comments, story ideas, events and suggestions should be sent to Sherri Lynn Dugger, The Republic, 333 Second St., Columbus, IN 47201, call (812) 379-5608 or email farmindiana@hnenewspapers.com.

To advertise, contact Tonya Figg at (317) 797-2022 or tfigg@hnenewspapers.com.

To subscribe to Farm Indiana, call (800) 435-5601. 12 issues (1 year) will be delivered to your home for $24.

Back issues may also be purchased for $5 per issue.

In the Front Row

Fall Into Fun Kick-start your autumn activities. > > Plan a day of family orchard hopping around the region and reward the group afterward with some hot cider or apple pie. Try Highpoint Orchard in Greensburg and The Apple Works in Trafalgar to get started. If pumpkins are what you’re after, check out Hackman’s Farm Market, Nienaber’s Farm Market, Bush’s Market and Whipker’s Market in Columbus for a large selection. > > Have a leaf-raking contest with the kids. See who can rake the biggest pile in the shortest amount of time or grab your portable stereo and use some of your family’s favorite songs as start and stop points in a timed contest. Exercise for the kids while simultaneously ensuring the front lawn is clean? Yes, please.

paper, make a colorful fall wreath or grab some twigs, acorns, rocks and glue to craft leaf butterflies or other lifelike creatures. > > Find five unique ways to use your Halloween pumpkin. Sure, you can carve a sinister smirk on the outside and use the inside for a delish pumpkin pie, but don’t let your pumpkin creativity end there. Make a candle out of the top section that is typically cut off to allow access to the inside, craft your own recipe for savory pumpkin soup or even use leftover pumpkin to create a honey-pumpkin exfoliating mask after a long day of fielding trick-or-treaters at the front door.

> > Engage the kids in some leaf-related arts and crafts. Try leaf rubbings with crayons and plain white The Apple Works

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 5

In the Front Row

October Events COMMUNITY & URBAN FORESTRY’S TREE STEWARD PROGRAM THROUGH OCT. 27 Join others who speak for the trees at this multi-night certification program designed for homeowners, municipal employees, community members, volunteers, master gardeners and anyone who has an interest in learning more about trees and giving back to their community forest. Dates: Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27. Cost: $30. Location: TBD. Information: (317) 234-4386

Discussions on the future of Indiana food hubs escalate

BY RYAN TRARES With the click of a mouse, residents in central Indiana can buy a dozen ears of triple-sweet bicolor corn and Gala apples from Tuttle Orchards in Greenfield.

They can pick out maple cinnamon goat cheese from Caprini Creamery in Spiceland, bone-in rib steak from Langeland Farms in Greensburg and honey from Fishers. And once a week, the entire order will be delivered to a pre-selected drop-off point in the Indianapolis area. All this thanks to the online Hoosier Harvest Market.

More than 42 small farmers and area producers have joined forces to create the market, which takes the variety and locality of the farmers market and puts the entire experience online. The market is a forerunner in a larger emerging food hub trend, which gives small farmers the power to get their products to a wide range of people without dealing with the logistics of shipping, marketing or delivery.

“This allows them to focus on what they do best — grow product,” explains Roy Ballard, Purdue Extension educator and organizer of the Hoosier Harvest Market. “They don’t have to spend time organizing market stands, loading up a truck or figuring out how much food to bring.”

As the demand for local food has rapidly increased in the past five years, smaller farmers have had to look to alternative methods to get their food to more people.

Food hubs are an efficient way to do so.

“We try to pay attention to and listen to what we hear the public asking for,” says Ted McKinney, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

While food hubs are still a relatively new idea, the agriculture department is working to see if additional hubs are needed throughout Indiana. “We hear the public asking for at least the concept of more local food. Then the question becomes, how do those get delivered? That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

Through a survey of specialty crop producers, wholesalers and consumers throughout the state, the ISDA is hoping to gauge the demand for local fruits and vegetables, nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops, says Laura Buck, project manager for the Indiana

6 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

CORN COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GOAT CONFERENCE OCT. 3-4 Featuring some of the top small ruminant professionals in the country, as well as a panel discussion with a group of experienced goat breeders. The conference is open to all goat breeders regardless of breed or registry affiliation and anyone interested in meat goat production.

Time: 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Cost: Free. Location: Harrison County Fairgrounds, 341 S. Capitol Ave., Corydon. Information: (812) 738-4025 or creamofcropkikos.com For more

agritourism-related State Department of Agriculture. events, see page CIDER FEST The survey is part of a feasibility study, 52 in this issue.

OCT. 4 funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Celebrate fall at the 3rd annual Cider Fest. Live Specialty Crop Block Grant, to determine what music, bobbing for apples and pressing cider. food hubs could look like and where they could be best located throughout the state. Nine meetings Cost: Free. A $5 to $10 donation is suggested per have been held around Indiana to educate the public family. Time: Noon to 3 p.m. Location: Bloomington about the potential of these future hubs.

Community Orchard, 2120 S. Highland Ave., BloomingOnce the survey is complete, the results are talton. Information: bloomingtoncommunityorchard.org lied and the meetings have better informed communities on the processes and potential results of these FALL CAREER NIGHT hubs, residents and growers can then make informed OCT. 6 decisions about whether they want to form one The Purdue University Pork Interest Group will hold its in their areas. The framework that stems from the annual fall career night with speakers from the pork ISDA’s research will ideally make it easier for more industry to educate students on internship and job food hubs to get started, Buck says. opportunities in the field. A pork dinner donated by “We want to get an idea where these food hubs will be successful in the state,” she explains. “Those Zoetis, with side dishes sponsored by industry compainvolved in food systems understand the potential nies participating, will be served in the front lobby until food hubs have and what it can do for Indiana. We 6 p.m. Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Location: Lilly Hall, Purdue want everyone else to have that understanding.”

University, 915 W. State St, West Lafayette. Information: Some food hubs coordinate efforts with other ansc.purdue.edu/PIG/rsvp distributors, wholesale buyers and consumers to meet market demand. The hubs also support and PARKE COUNTY COVERED BRIDGE FESTIVAL train producers in sustainable production practices, OCT. 10-19 production planning and branding.

Discover the covered bridges of Indiana and enjoy shopFor those smaller and mid-sized producers who ping, food, entertainment and more to be found among want to scale up their operations or diversify their the 31 covered bridges nestled in Indiana fall foliage. market channels, the hubs offer a combination of services that allows them to access new and additional Cost: Free. Location: Courthouse Square, Rockville. markets, according to James Barham of the USDA Information: (765) 569-5226 or coveredbridges.com Agricultural Marketing Service.

“For some farmers, this is a way to diversify,” BATS OF SOUTHERN INDIANA McKinney says. “If I’m all in on corn and soybeans, OCT. 11 and I want to diversify my risk, I might grow some Join the Department of Natural Resources for an inforspecialty crops. The opportunities are there to let the mation session on Bats of Southern Indiana. Explore free market do what it wishes.” the types of bats that live in southern Indiana, how they Ultimately, Ballard says, the mission of food help us and how you can help them. Time: 8 to 8:45 p.m. hubs is to add one additional way for Hoosier farmCost: Free. Location: Paynetown State Activity Center. ers to connect with new consumers. “It’s not to take Information: (812) 837-9967 the place of anything,” he says. “It’s just another option for people.” *FI

WILD EDIBLE TEA OCT. 11 Up your tea-drinking game with a class on Wild Edible Tea, hosted by the Paynetown State Activity Center. Sample loose-leaf foraged tea and create your own tea cup coozie.

Time: 11 a.m. to noon. Cost: Free. Location: Paynetown State Activity Center. Information: (812) 837-9546 GOING SOLAR PRESENTATION OCT. 15 Learn about the performance, cost and availability for installing solar energy systems from volunteers with the local nonprofit Southern Indiana Renewable Energy Network (SIREN). Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Location: Monroe County Public Library, Room 1B, 303 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington. Information: sirensolar.org BLOOMINGFOODS ANNUAL MEETING ANNUAL CO-OP MEETING OCT. 16 Enjoy food and fun afterward. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Location: WonderLab Museum, 308 W. 4th St., Bloomington.

Information: emily@bloomingfoods.coop SOUTHERN INDIANA FIBER ARTS FESTIVAL OCT. 17-18 Family-friendly fun and artisan crafts abound. Find everything you need for fiber arts from raw fleece, roving, spinning supplies and things you may have never seen.

Purchase handmade finished items. Demonstrations and

hands-on activities. Cost: Free. Location: Harrison County Fairgrounds, 341 S. Capitol Ave., Corydon. Information: (888) 738-2137 or southernindianafiberarts.com SLOW FOOD INDY BOARD MEETING OCT. 20 Learn more about the slow food movement at the monthly Slow Food Indy Board Meeting. Open to the public. Time: 5:30 p.m. Cost: Free. Location: The Platform at City Market, 202 E. Market St., Indianapolis.

Information: slowfoodindy.com PURDUE PEDV CONFERENCE 2014 OCT. 21 Swine producers are invited to attend the 2014 Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Conference in Hendricks County. A full day of speakers is planned, including veterinarians, State Board of Health representatives, Purdue University experts and more. Topics to be covered include PEDv basics, planning for outbreaks, strategies to avoid spreading and many others. Time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Location: Hendricks County 4-H Complex and Conference Center, County Road 200 E and East Main Street, Danville. Information: purdueped.info PIE FEST OCT. 25 In partnership with Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, the Bloomington Food Policy Council is hosting a pie extravaganza of sorts for the 2014 Annual National Food

Day celebration titled Pie Fest. The free afternoon event includes pie baking demonstrations, fruit tree care demonstrations and a pie-in-the-sky community food summit to identify problems and brainstorm solutions critical to our local food system. The summit is a potluck, and all participants are encouraged to bring their favorite sweet or savory pie to share. Hot apple cider will be provided. Time: 2 to 4:30 p.m. Location: Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, 1100 W. Allen, Bloomington.

Information: bloomingtonfpc.org/news-events/pie-fest “SECOND GENERATION” BIOENERGY HARVEST AND MARKETING MEETING OCT. 28 Featuring discussion topics in the field of bioenergy with presentations by experts in the bioenergy field.

Presentations will be held at various locations; transportation provided. Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost: $25.

Location: Wabash County REMC, 350 Wedcor Ave., Wabash. Information: cecampbe@purdue.edu INDIANA FORAGE FIELD DAY OCT. 30 Learn more about foraging for food. Event will include several discussion topics from forage experts in the Johnson County area. Presentations will be held at various locations; transportation provided. Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost: $20. Location: Indiana FFA Leadership Center, 6595 S. County Road 125W, Trafalgar.

Information: sspeedy@purdue.edu

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From the Field mend you go directly to the farmer at a farmstand or ask at a farmers market for advice. They can help you identify the best pumpkin or squash for your intended purpose and your taste preferences.

The Great Pumpkin

BY CHERYL CARTER JONES

I

like very few pies — I love fresh fruits and berries, but not cooked. However, place a pumpkin pie in front of me and that is a completely different story.

A Little Pumpkin History

The word pumpkin originated from the Greek word “pepön,” which means large melon. Over time, the French, English and Americans evolved the word into “pumpkin.” Early pumpkins had a crooked neck, unlike the image that is evoked when we think of a pumpkin today. It has been determined by archaeologists that early squash and pumpkins were grown along river and creek banks along with sunflowers and beans before the introduction of maize.

Once maize (corn, as we know it today) came into being, a tradition called the “Three Sisters” arose.

The Three Sisters, namely squash (or pumpkins), corn and beans, grow well together. Today, we refer to this as companion planting, as the corn serves as a natural trellis for beans; the bean roots add nitrogen to the soil to benefit the corn, and the bean vines add stability to the corn stalks on windy days. The squash plants provide shelter for the shallow corn roots and the shade of the plants discourages weeds and serves as a mulch to hold moisture. The vines of the pumpkins, or squash, also deter raccoons from entering a corn patch.

Sustainable agriculture is not a new thing.

These important relationships between plants were discovered long ago, and now, the popularity of such is re-emerging.

Harvest Time

To determine if your pumpkins are ready to harvest, look to the vines. When the vines start to dry up and the pumpkins turn to the right color, then it is time to harvest.

Unlike tomatoes, once a pumpkin is picked, it ceases to turn color, so be cautious not to pick them too soon. You also want to make sure that the skin has hardened enough.

This can be done by poking it with your fingernail. If it is ready, it will not crack.

Pumpkins can be left in the field, even after the vines have dried. Make sure to bring them in before the first hard frost and be aware of hungry animals that may enjoy them as much as you do.

Incidentally, never carry your pumpkin by the stem. The stem can break off easily, leaving an open wound that can invite infection or cause it to rot. Soft spots and dark bruises should also be avoided.

Varieties of Pumpkins

Pumpkins chosen for cooking or baking should be of one of the sweetest varieties.

You want one with an outer shell that is relatively easy to cut.

Some of the best pumpkins used for cooking are actually squash types. Many seed suppliers have their own names for their pumpkins or squash. Typically, the more common names for culinary pumpkins/squash include New England Pie, Small Sugar, Sugar Pie, Pink Banana, Blue Hubbard,USE etc.31706015 TO GET GRASS SEED BAGS If you are a novice at using PICS pumpkins LOGO INI highly MIDDLErecomTOP for cooking and baking,

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Any pumpkin, gourd or squash can be carved; however, look for one that is firm and healthy. You want to try to find one with a shell hard enough to protect the pumpkin, yet allow you to get a knife through it. The heavier the pumpkin is when you lift it, the thicker the walls are.

Unless you shave the walls on the inside, thick walls will block the candle light. Tall, oblong varieties are typically stringier on the inside, making precision cutting more difficult. Sit your pumpkin up to make sure that it has a good, balanced base to keep it from rolling over when it is displayed.

You can keep your carved pumpkin fresh longer by ensuring it does not sit in direct sunlight. You can even try draping it with a damp towel.

While any pumpkin is a potential for carving or decorating purposes, a few well known varieties include Baby Pam, Cinderella, Red Warty Thing, Cotton Candy and Red Kuri. So many varieties are now available; go ahead and select something new, different and fun.

the coldest months. A barn offers another alternative, and covering them with straw will add more warmth, yet they will still be cool enough not to spoil. Cool basements offer yet another solution for storage. Make sure the basements remain dry.

Health Benefits

Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds have long been used for medicinal purposes. While some of those benefits have not been medically proven, it is commonly agreed that they are a good source of many vitamins and minerals. They are also a very good source of dietary fiber and are low in saturated fat.

So, at the end of the day, those facts are enough to convince my father and me that you can never go wrong by eating more pumpkin pie. *FI Cheryl Carter Jones is an Indiana farmer and a board member of the Local Growers’ Guild, a cooperative of farmers, retailers and community members dedicated to strengthening the local food economy in central and southern Indiana through education, direct support and market connections. For more information on the guild, visit localgrowers.org.

Storing Pumpkins

Most pumpkin varieties will store at least three months, if protected from frost.

Some will last six to nine months and longer if the conditions are just right.

Traditionally, we think of storing fruits and vegetables in a root cellar, but particularly with pumpkins, there are more options. Some people will store pumpkins on a covered porch. As it is next to a house, the pumpkins will benefit from the heat of the house. Covering them with a blanket will offer even greater protection during

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From the Field

The View at Nightfall

For the Birds

BY NATE BROWNLEE

C

hickens are the building blocks of our farm. I did not — and still do not — want to be known only as a chicken farmer. But I simply could not farm without chickens.

Last year our friend John recommended that Liz and I start our farm with chickens. I knew it was good advice, but I scoffed as I thought of any and every other glamorous way to spend my time on a farm.

I had been dreaming of an already developed farm with herds of cattle and sheep grazing through our pastures. But I hadn’t considered how critical a role chickens could play in developing our farm. Fastforward one year and chicken was the first meat we sold at the farmers’ market.

I love chickens, and I think there are two main reasons for a beginning farmer to raise them. The first is the time frame of raising chickens, and the second benefit comes in the form of the communitybuilding opportunities that chickens create.

Everything about raising broiler chickens happens at a faster pace than when raising other animals. In just a couple of months’ time, you can have meat to sell and begin to recoup some of your costs.

One month you are telling your friends and family to come visit the adorable chicks, and the next month you are advertising whole chicken to your customers.

The chickens also make a quick and obvious impact on our pasture. You can trace the path we take as we move our chicken tractors (the mobile coops our chickens call home) through the pasture. The tractors leave a rectangular footprint of grazed grasses and chicken poop. After a few days the grass pops back up, and after a few weeks the rectangles are a darker green than the grass next to where the chickens had been.

For such small animals, chickens have had a big impact on my friendships and com-

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munity building. For instance, the first big farm I worked on had 12 farm workers. I cared for the livestock and spent most of my time alone with the animals several pastures away from the rest of the workers in the dairy barn or vegetable field. It may sound strange, but that year chickenprocessing days were my favorite days on the farm. On processing day, I got to spend the morning with all of the other workers and I relished the chance to swap stories and listen to music.

Last winter, chickens helped me make friends with neighboring farmers at the Indiana Small Farm Conference. We attended a workshop on pasture-raised chickens and made friends with the presenter. Afterward, we swapped business cards with another family planning to raise chickens, and we recognized them as fellow vendors our first time selling at the Columbus Farmers Market.

And when I call on a neighbor, it is not to borrow a cup of sugar.

Our next-door neighbor has experience as a welder. We needed a big dolly to move our chicken tractors. I agreed to help work on his porch in exchange for his help welding a dolly. And another neighbor volunteered to round up enough transport coops to take our birds to the processor.

But most importantly, chickens have helped us build membership in our farm. The promise of a chicken a month through our meat CSA introduces us to new customers, and we are averaging four new members each month. One whole chicken can provide several meals, from chicken and waffles to chicken noodle soup, and that versatility has appeal.

So I am a chicken farmer. I am not only a chicken farmer, but I am proud to raise chickens along with our pigs and turkeys. I keep in touch with my friends I made raising chickens on other farms. I look forward to the new members who will join our meat CSA. And I have our friend John to thank for his good advice. And, of course, the chickens. *FI After years of gaining experience on other farms, Nate Brownlee and his wife, Liz, recently moved back to Indiana to start their own family farm, which they named Nightfall Farm. Here, they will share stories of the many trials, tribulations, successes and failures in running a new family business. For more on Nightfall Farm, visit nightfallfarm.com.

Thanks for Supporting the Indiana Farmer!

An Age-Old Trade

BY KATIE GLICK

A

few weeks ago I was driving along the country roads to hurry home to the farm from a long week of working in the city. As I was reminiscing about last year’s harvest and preparing myself for this year’s, these song lyrics stood out to me, “Wish I was a slave to an age-old trade ....”

As I racked my brain for what the definition of “age-old” really is, I thought to myself: It’s agriculture. It’s growing food, raising animals, providing food for others and for our families. So when I got home, I checked the dictionary just to be sure. The definition reads: “very old; having existed for a very long time.”

And agriculture has existed for a long time. Being a farmer’s daughter and the fourth generation to participate in the farming profession and now having married into a family that has been farming since before Indiana was a state, I know firsthand that agriculture is an age-old trade. It is something I embrace and cherish every day. However, I do realize that age-old trades are always developing and improving.

The genetically modified seeds that we grow and sell are far better than they were in the early days of farming because they produce more with fewer chemicals. This helps to sustain the land that our children and grandchildren will hopefully farm someday.

We grow better grasses and feed for our animals to consume to help give them a more well-balanced diet, and we now have medicines to help them through pregnancies or sicknesses. My husband uses modern shotguns to hunt the deer and rabbits we eat; the one shot is better for the animal than the multiple shots or arrows that killed animals centuries ago. We use technology in our farming equipment, like global positioning systems, precision planting devices and yield monitors, so we are able to effectively use the land and not overuse products to produce the crops.

So even though farming is an age-old trade, that doesn’t mean we can’t make things better or easier for us. Technology and the knowledge we have gained about growing our food and animals have developed over the years to make it better and more abundant for all. The trade is the same — the care of the land, growing crops, delivering it to those who make food and consume it, and the raising of livestock to sustain a growing world.

It’s all a part of the process and the trade; it’s just different than it once was.

And it doesn’t mean that you can’t be a part of the trade. Many people in today’s society are growing their own food, raising their own animals and more. Maybe agriculture is a trade we all possess? And if you feel that you don’t possess it, you are still a part of the trade because you consume what the various farmers produce.

Our families have continued the age-old trade because it’s in our blood. Sometimes I say that I have dirt in my DNA because my family has been farming for decades. I embrace what the trade was and what it has become, and I am so excited to see where it will go in the future. *FI

Katie Glick grew up on her family farm in Martinsville and now lives with her husband on their family farm near Columbus, where they grow corn, soybeans and wheat and raise cattle and own a private seed company. She is a graduate of Purdue University and has worked in Indiana politics. She now works in the agriculture industry. She shares her personal, work, travel and farm life stories on her blog, “Fancy in the Country.”

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From the Field

LOCAL

Organic INFRASTRUCTURE

BY JESSICA ERVIN AND GEORGE KALOGRIDIS

O

rganic farming in Indiana is growing and so is the infrastructure to support farmers. This is reassuring news for conventional farmers who will be entering the organic market in 2015. There are organic markets for small market gardeners, greenhouse growers and production agriculture row crop farmers.

One unique aspect of the organic market we have found at Ecocert ICO is that around 70 percent of all crops planted are under a contracted price. It’s reassuring to know there is a buyer waiting for crops to be harvested so they can meet the increasing

12 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

demand of their organic customers.

Organic food, feed and fiber make up over 10 percent of the U.S. agriculture market. Farmers in Indiana have good access to organic seed suppliers, fertilizer and pest control products as well as buyers of food and feed grains, produce, animal feed and farm-to-table restaurants that want to offer their guests farm fresh organic food.

In Indiana and Illinois, there are approximately 130 certified organic processing/ handling companies, from mom-and-pop start-ups to Fortune 10 multinational corporations that are actively looking to buy organic farm products.

First-time organic farmers need to have farming land that has not had synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides applied to it in the last three years. Many farmers use pasture land or Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) ground to get their organic program started.

There are a dozen suppliers of organic seed in the region and many more available with an Internet search, as well as on the USDA National Organic Program searchable database at apps.ams.usda.gov/nop.

Many buyers ask for specific varieties to be planted, so it’s important that organic farmers plan ahead to make sure the organic seed they need is available and to let the seed suppliers know what additional seed they will need in the future. While not all varieties are made available to organic seed growers,

it’s important for seed companies to know which varieties are in demand.

When looking for organically approved fertilizers and other farming inputs, one of the best websites is the Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI). The OMRI Generic Materials List (omri.org/omri-lists) is an authoritative catalog of more than 900 materials and their statuses in organic production, processing and handling under the USDA National Organic Program. Many local input suppliers now carry or can order approved organic materials on this list.

Row crops dominate farming in Indiana, so it makes sense that grain buyers are the largest category of organic buyers in this region. According to the USDA’s list of certified operations, there are 20 buyers of organic feed grains and 22 intermediate processors who produce organic feed meal, blended feeds, oils, starches and many other byproducts. Sixteen of the buyers are manufacturers who make retail products like energy bars, tortilla chips, cereals, baking flours and soy milk. These manufacturers can all be found on the USDA National Organic Program website as well. There are also wholesalers who buy specialty beans and grains for sale in health food stores and supermarkets.

Several chains selling locally grown organic produce are now in the state.

Combine those stores with the 10 certified produce wholesalers between Indianapolis

and Chicago, and organic veggie growers of all stripes have plenty of opportunities to sell their produce.

Dairy farmers have 10 companies nationally that buy organic milk. While the drought made for a tight market for organic grain and hay, the ample rain this year has allowed for three to five hay cuttings, depending on your location, and bumper crops for corn, soybeans and small grains have taken the pressure off feed supplies for the foreseeable future.

There are also nine organic slaughterhouses in our region, primarily of beef and poultry. And there are three companies that buy organic eggs either for repacking or processing into liquid egg whites or other egg products used in the baking or processing markets.

Another new market for local organic products is farm-to-table restaurants. At least a dozen such restaurants in Indiana are buying produce, dairy, meats and specialty grains from local farmers. For many small farmers these relationships with the restaurants have been their recipe for success.

With all of the options for selling products available, if you’re interested in the ever-growing organic market, you can rest assured that we now have a good infrastructure for organic farmers. And it’s getting bigger every year. *FI

Lessons from the Farm

BY JESSICA HOOPENGARDNER

The Hoopengardners’ farm I’ve spent most of my life on a farm. We’ve had goats since I was 4, and we acquired llamas soon after. The farm was and still is an integral part of my learning.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

My parents built a goat creamery from scratch. No one else had built a goat dairy from the ground up in Indiana. Most of them were modified cow dairies. In the years that we were building the farm and moving onto the farm, I learned that hard work pays off. It was difficult for a while. We had animals at both farms, our smaller prior home and our new farm, and both sets needed to be fed every day.

My dad would have to drive to the new farm to feed and then drive back to the old farm to feed again.

For a long time, I was unsure of why we went through the struggle of building a new farm, but I understand now. My parents own Redbud Farm and Caprini Creamery. They get asked to speak at conferences and to host events at the farm.

But it’s not about the recognition for them. They take pride in their accomplishments because they had to work hard to achieve them. I greatly admire my parents for their work ethic.

I CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING

When I was little, I liked to grab a chapter book, go out into the goat pen and read to the goats. I learned quickly that goats and books should not be in the same place at the same time. After Pollen, a nice goat who seemed very interested in my book, ripped 10 pages out of it and ate the pages, I ran inside crying because my book was ruined. I couldn’t control the fact that goats like to eat paper, and there have been many instances where I couldn’t control what was going on around the farm.

I like to be in control, so the farm tests my patience sometimes. When the goats escape or get injured, or they break something or get trapped somewhere they shouldn’t, I have to remind myself that I cannot control them. The goats are simply too curious and too smart to be controlled.

I HAVE TO DO THINGS I DON’T WANT TO DO

This is a hard life lesson, but a necessary one. This really hit home when I was about 10. One of our llamas named Abby had a large laceration on her knee. The laceration would just not heal because she would lie on it — which was impossible to avoid. Eventually, her knee became infected. Abby was probably 300 pounds and just short of 6 feet tall. In order to change the bandages, my dad would have to hold Abby, while I switched the bandages. This was one of my least favorite things to do.

The wound was pus-filled and smelled bad, too. It often bled because she would re-tear whatever healed skin she had. But the worst part was how I could tell that it hurt Abby. Whenever I would spray the disinfectant, she would rear up. Whenever I would wrap her knee, she would paw at me. I didn’t want to hurt her, but this was the only way she would ever get better. I am reminded of Abby whenever I complain about doing something I don’t want to do. *FI

5975 25th Street, Columbus, IN 47203 (812) 376-6838 1512 West Main, Greensburg, IN 47240 (812) 663-2454 100 International Drive, Franklin, IN 46131 (800) 327-5099

Jessica Hoopengardner is a senior at Eastern Hancock High School in Hancock County.

Very involved in 4-H and FFA, Hoopengardner is the vice president of her 4-H club and the president of her FFA chapter. She plans on going to college outside Indiana and majoring in English and biology.

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 13

From the Field

Cost-Shares, Loans and Research Initiatives

BY CISSY BOWMAN

The year is drawing to a close, but there are still more ways to receive assistance in 2014.

Organic Certification Cost Share Program

The United States Department of Agriculture offers approximately $13 million for organic certification cost-share assistance. Through this program, 75 percent (up to $750) of the cost of organic certification can be reimbursed to producers and handlers. Proof of payment and proof of certification by a National Organic Program accredited certifying agent must be supplied to your state department of agriculture. To receive cost-share assistance, Indiana’s organic producers and handlers should contact the Indiana State Department of Agriculture at secure.in.gov/isda/files/ISDA_OCCS_Application.pdf. For more information and details on the program, visit ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ NOPCostsharing.

The Pollination Project

The Pollination Project is a nonprofit organization that provides $1,000 seed grants to individual change makers.

The project has granted numerous awards to various small agriculture-related operations that want to bring change into a community. New grants are awarded daily, and there is no deadline for when to apply. For more information, visit thepollinationproject.org.

Rural Community Development Initiative DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: NOV. 12

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations, low-income rural communities or federally recognized tribes under the rural community development initiative. Amounts available range from $50,000 to $250,000. These grants are intended to develop the capacity and ability of private, nonprofit community-based housing and community development organizations, and low-income rural communities to improve housing, community facilities, community and economic development projects in rural areas. For more information, visit rurdev.usda.gov/ HAD-RCDI_Grants.html.

The founder and program director of Hoosier Organic Marketing Education, Cissy Bowman has been growing food organically since 1973 and on her current farm, Center Valley Organic Farm, since 1983. For more information on Hoosier Organic Marketing Education, email cvof@earthlink.net or call (317) 539-2753.

14 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

A continuing series on government, private and alternative funding available to Indiana farmers.

Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans (B&I)

Eligibility: Funds are available to cooperative organizations, corporations, partnerships or other legal entities organized and operated on a profit or nonprofit basis, an Indian tribe on a federal or state reservation or other federally recognized tribal group, a public body or an individual. Corporations or other non-public body organization-type borrowers must be at least 51 percent owned by people who are either citizens of the U.S. or reside in the U.S. after being legally admitted for permanent residence. B&I loans are normally available in rural areas, which include all areas other than cities or towns of more than 50,000 people and the contiguous and adjacent urbanized area of such cities or towns. A borrower must be engaged in or proposing to engage in a business that will provide employment; improve the economic or environmental climate; promote the conservation, development and use of water for aquaculture; or reduce reliance on nonrenewable energy resources by encouraging the development and construction of solar energy systems and other renewable energy systems.

The purpose of this program is to improve, develop or finance business, industry and employment and improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities. The total amount to one borrower must not exceed $10 million. Exception to the $10 million limit for loans of $25 million may be granted under certain circumstances. Guaranteed loans in excess of $25 million, up to $40 million, for rural cooperative organizations that process value-added agricultural commodities also may be available. For more information, contact your USDA rural development state office. A list of offices and additional information can be obtained at rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html.

USDA’s Micro Loan Program

Eligibility: Micro loans are available to small farmers, nonprofit entities, Indian tribes and public institutions of higher education that, for the benefit of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises, provide training and technical assistance, make micro loans or facilitate access to capital or another related service. Amounts that may be borrowed range from $50,000 to $500,000. For more information on the program, please visit rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_RMAP.html. *FI

A piglet on the Blue River Natural Foods farm.

HOG

WILD

Local farmers and experts weigh in on key factors influencing the current state of Indiana pork farming

BY JON SHOULDERS PHOTOS BY JOSH MARSHALL

According to Earl Smith, owner of Blue River Natural Foods in Hancock County, one of the best things about being a small-scale hog farmer these days is also one of the toughest.

“We always sell out so quickly that we can’t keep enough bacon and other pork products in stock,” he says. “It’s unfortunate having to turn customers down, but it’s good to know the product is in demand. A lot of farmers are checking the prices at grocery stores and saying, ‘Well, we’re selling too cheap.’”

Smith and his fellow Indiana hog farmers

are, indeed, currently enjoying a rise in demand for their product, which is nothing new to the Hoosier state — after all, we’re talking about the fifth-largest pork producing state in the nation (Iowa is No. 1), according to the Indiana Pork Association. Farmers should keep the long term in mind while enjoying rising prices resulting from increased demand, however.

Smith, whose farm specializes in organic dairy and typically raises a maximum of around 15 hogs on pasture at any given time,

says that not all of the reasons for the current trend upward are positive. “The droughts from a couple years ago have resulted in farmers liquidating a lot of their herds,” he says. “Things like that hit you hard when you’re a small producer. There are less animals out there right now in general. The price of pork has gone up as a result, but you never know how long a scenario like that will last.”

As of June 1, there were 62.1 million hogs and pigs on farms in the United States, the lowest number since 2007, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Since spring of last year, a rapid rise in infections of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) has caused the deaths of approximately 8 million pigs nationwide, which is 10 percent of the entire U.S. herd, according to a June 2014 Reuters report.

State and nationwide hog prices initially spiked as a result of diminished supply, and Josh Trenary, executive director of Indiana Pork, says the relative steadiness of the hog market over recent months can actually be attributed in part to the widespread disease and consequent rise in prices. The Indiana State Board of Health states that 43 Indiana counties have been affected by the virus, which is spread through pig feces and from sow’s milk to suckling piglets.

“We broke with it back in February, and things are better now luckily, but it’s a devastating virus when you get it,” says Heather Hill, pork farmer and proprietor of the Pork Shoppe, a retail meat business in Greenfield.

“Biosecurity protocols are a big part of guarding against it, and as a farmer you have to constantly check up on sanitation measures, but it’s kind of baffling scientists and veterinarians because it seems to spread very easily. Once it’s in your vicinity, your chances dramatically increase for it.”

In June, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the first conditional license for a PEDv vaccine, developed

by Harrisvaccines Inc. of Ames, Iowa, signaling a possible mitigation of the disease — a development that could drag prices down at both state and national levels if farmers’ herds return to their normal numbers and replenish market supply.

The USDA also announced in June that it would direct $26.2 million in funds toward fighting the disease, but according to the Reuters report, U.S. veterinarians are still projecting as many as 2.5 million deaths through June 2015, particularly after this year’s summer temperatures begin to subside. Trenary says the virus, which thrives in cool, damp conditions, does not affect humans and is not a food safety concern.

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 15

Earl Smith, right, owns Blue River Natural Foods in Hancock County.

Despite negative factors forming a cloud in the silver lining of increased demand and rising sale prices, Trenary sees stability down the road for the industry. “There’s a growing number of contract growers. Family farmers are looking to get back into hog production but not wanting to own the animals, so they’re building facilities and then contracting their services out for integrators. There’s a lot of that going on that could help overall growth. It

The 2012 U.S. Agricultural Census reported that farms with 100 hogs and pigs or fewer made up 60 percent of total Indiana hog farms, while 89 percent of all hogs and pigs sold by independent growers in Indiana were sold by operations with 5,000 or more. The USDA reports that between 1991 and 2009, the number of U.S. hog farms dropped by 70 percent, while the number of hogs remained stable. There were more confined feeding op-

“We always sell out so quickly that we can’t keep enough bacon and other pork products in stock.”

—EARL SMITH seems like things will remain fairly stable for the foreseeable future, and you’ll see the total number of permitted farms creep up a few every year.”

A recent report by Chris Hurt, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, provides further cause for optimism, particularly for those farmers able to remain relatively unscathed by PEDv. “Live prices for the last quarter of the year are expected to be in the mid $60s with winter prices in the very low $60s,” Hurt’s report states. “These would make 2014 a record profit year for the industry, which should stimulate further expansion of farrowings.”

16 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

eration (CFO) permits for pigs than any other animal between 1990 and 2007 (the Indiana Department of Environmental Management designates farms as CFOs when they maintain large numbers of animals in spaces covered with less than 50 percent vegetation for 45 days or more annually).

“The industry has consolidated quite a bit as far as the number of actual producers, but there’s a lot of contract growers coming in that are fleshing that out, as far as the people directly involved in the day-to-day raising of the pigs,” Trenary says. “So that will contribute to an increase in the number of pigs also.”

Indiana Pork —By the Numbers Courtesy of the Indiana Pork Association

Indiana ranks fifth in the U.S. in pork production, growing over 8 million pigs annually.

Indiana pork farming employs more than 13,000 Hoosiers.

There are currently 1,393 swine confined feeding operations (CFOs) in Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Indiana pigs are the leading consumer of Indiana grain at more than $300 million worth per year.

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 17

Smith says that smaller-scale hog farming, while at risk for greater financial damage in the face of unanticipated considerations like PEDv, remains insulated from many day-today economic challenges larger operations face. “As a small producer, as long as you get out in the community at farmers markets and make sure the local market has access to your product, you don’t have to worry about hitting

mass quotas and things like that,” he says. “Not to mention that people feel more of a connection to the food they’re getting. Though I will say that most of the bigger confined operations do a fine job of taking care of their hogs.”

Over the course of Hill’s 14 years in the pork business, she’s “seen both extremes when it comes to the prices we get for the pigs. But we’ve also seen a lot of fluctuation in the cost of other inputs, in terms of corn and soybean meal, and sometimes those things don’t always go together — you might have high feed costs when you have low pig prices or vice versa.

But right now prices on pigs are high, which certainly seems like a positive.”

Trenary points out that international markets, particularly a growing demand from Mexico, could continue to positively impact hog farming operations at the state level. Pork is the most consumed meat in the world, and according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, a nonprofit informational and marketing resource for producers, 23 percent of U.S. pork production was exported in 2011 at a total of 5.2 billion pounds. The National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa, reported that U.S. pork consumed in Mexico exceeded $1 billion in value for the first time that year.

“Exports are growing at the national level, and our national affiliates are pushing for some more trade partnerships to expand that even further,” Trenary adds. “When something like

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that grows on a national scale, it raises all ships and affects Indiana proportionally.”

What can pork farmers do to stay competitive in the marketplace, particularly when supply numbers eventually start to creep back up statewide? “A lot of it has to do with planning ahead,” Trenary says. “The markets are volatile, and there’s a lot more volatility than there used to be because we’re more dependent on export markets, and it just means that you have to do better about planning out into the future more than in previous generations in this business.”

Hill adds that as competition in the pork marketplace increases, the need for smarter networking is paramount. “We’re constantly engaging ourselves, going to conferences, getting additional education and interacting with other farmers. Using social media has also been big in these recent years, and we’ve used it to educate ourselves and others. We’re constantly trying to get our hands on as much information as possible so that we can make the best decisions possible for our farm.” *FI

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FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 19

Family Trees

Three generations of dedication have resulted in a 90-year legacy at Adrian Orchards

BY JON SHOULDERS PHOTOS BY JOSH MARSHALL

T

he only wheeled conveyances most elementary school students operate on a daily basis in this day and age are bicycles, collapsible scooters or maybe skateboards.

By age 12, George Adrian was driving a tractor regularly at his father’s apple orchard on Epler Avenue in Indianapolis.

The year was 1934, and George, now 92 years old, was already fast becoming an expert in growing and maintaining apple trees. His father, George Sr., a German immigrant and carpenter by trade, had acted on a casual interest in apples after receiving several catalogs from Stark Brothers Nurseries, a national marketer of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples, and purchased a 20-acre orchard in 1923, one year after George was born. George Sr. began delegating daily tasks to his son almost as soon as the youngster was old enough to grasp a pair of pruning shears. “My father’s family were grape growers in Germany, and he

20 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

was ambitious as a young man so he wanted to grow an orchard,” George says. Adrian Orchards was officially open for business by 1925.

As carpentry eventually led to a career in architecture and building, George Sr.’s increased absence from the orchard necessitated an expansion of his son’s duties. “Instead of him teaching me to work with wood tools, I learned more about working in the orchard,” George remembers. “I think it came naturally to me. He’d tell me to take care of certain things like spraying or pruning when he was going to be busy for the next day or two with his building and architecture work, so I’d get the tractor out and get to work.”

With increased time spent tending the orchard and its slowly growing flow of customers, George began to notice repeated requests for certain apple varieties, such as Winesaps, Jonathans and Golden Delicious. By the time high school rolled around, he realized the orchard had become short on trees bearing some

of these popular local selections and voiced his concerns to his father. George Sr. offered a puzzling response that would eventually help his son contribute to Adrian Orchard’s long-term success through a very specialized skill. “My dad said, ‘Well, graft them over,’” he recalls. “I told him I didn’t have any idea what that meant, and he showed me how to grow different varieties on the same stock.”

Soon George was perfecting his approach to grafting, which involves inserting a section from a tree stem of a certain variety (usually referred to as the scion) into an existing tree of a different variety (known as the stock). Over time, the scion and stock tissues unify, and a branch capable of yielding the scion’s variety emerges. Using this method, growers can produce varieties of apples — or different fruits altogether — on a single tree, eliminating the need to plant trees of varying varieties and wait for years until they mature. The practice can also be used to repair injured fruit trees.

(From left) George Adrian Sr., Emmie Adrian, Monika Adrian, and George Adrian Jr. FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 21

Water Witching 101 Water witching, or dowsing, has been practiced for hundreds of years by individuals hoping to locate underground water without the use of scientific tools, and George Adrian claims to have used this unorthodox method to find water for the well that currently sits at Adrian Orchards in Indianapolis. Traditionally, dowsing is performed with a Y-shaped branch of wood or pair of L-shaped metal wires that are held straight in front of the body while the individual walks slowly over a plot of land, and the apparatus dips downward or twitches at a spot where a vein of water is flowing.

While the practice has no official scientific explanation, Adrian says proponents of the technique point to Earth’s magnetic field as a potential factor in the process. “Other witchers I’ve known say they can do it, but that it’s not consistent,” he says. “But I believe in it because I’ve never had it to fail. After I witched the well at the orchard, we had water coming out of our ears. I always told people to just try it. You don’t have anything to lose.”

The practice is seeing a recent resurgence on the West Coast as farmers look for new methods to deal with California’s worst statewide drought in years. According to a Washington Post report in March, Bronco Wine Co., the nation’s fourth-largest wine producer and owner of the popular Charles Shaw wine label, uses dowsers on its 40,000 acres of California vineyards. >> More information on dowsing is available on the American Society of Dowsers website at dowsers.org.

This may include coverage for animals while participating in a 4-H project. Animals that can be covered include cattle, horses, hogs, goats and sheep.

22 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Not long after his father’s brief tutorial, George was, among his growing list of orchard duties, grafting several new apple varieties to get a leg up on the local competition. “If you’ve ever been out in Washington and seen Red Delicious apples, you know those are the real thing, and here it’s harder to grow those,” he says. “They’re not as red as the ones out there. I knew we had to grow some true Red Delicious to compete in the market here, so I’d get the right grafting wood, put it on the trees and have good results.” To this day, 28 of Adrian Orchards’ trees produce Honeycrisp apples, thanks to George’s grafting efforts in the early 1980s.

Upon graduating from Southport High School, George’s passion for the orchard had grown strong enough to influence his choice of collegiate studies, and after learning about horticulture at Purdue University followed by a stint in the Navy in the mid-1940s, he officially took the reins at Adrian Orchards for the next several decades. “We had some rough years, but I always knew that if I worked hard and kept myself dedicated it would come out OK,” says George, who is now retired and lives in Johnson County with his wife, Emmie. “When you’re devoted to your craft and learn the insider things like grafting and caring for the

trees in the right manner, you can deal with the who currently owns and operates the orchard bad times because you understand why certain with his wife, Monika. “I hardly ever go to bed things happen and how to adjust to them.” before 2 or 3 in the morning. There’s always George’s eldest child, George J., recalls takmore to do.” ing part in childhood orchard duties that were By the mid-1980s, George had retired from split up between the orchard. The himself and his five torch for Adrian brothers and sisters.

Orchards had been “Each of us kids had officially passed on our own assigned to George J., who, Location: 500 W. Epler Ave., Indianapolis jobs,” George J. like his father, studsays. “We all started ied horticulture at Hours: Monday through Saturday from 9 young just like he Purdue to improve a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. (his dad) did, and his techniques and he taught us how approach to apple Products sold: Apples, peaches, raspberto make change for growing. George J.’s ries, blueberries, pumpkins, tomatoes, customers and basic sister, Janet, now sweet corn, cider, honey, jams and more. things like that. I retired, helped washed dishes until manage retail sales Contact: (317) 784-0550; I was 14 and then at the orchard’s adrianorchards.com moved in to other shop through the things that allowed 1990s and 2000s. me to learn more A surefire indiabout growing.” cator that George J. was able and ready to take Over the years, George had gradually incorover as orchard owner came on Sept. 23, 1980, porated strawberries, blackberries, blueberries when he gained entry into the Guinness Book and a few vegetables into Adrian Orchards’ of World Records by picking the largest numannual harvest, necessitating long weekly work ber of apples ever recorded in an eight-hour hours. “He always worked hard, and looking time span. His record of 365½ bushels — over back I can understand what it took because I 15,000 pounds — still stands today, according still work 100 hours a week,” says George J., 66, to the Guinness World Records website. “Hav-

Adrian Orchards

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 23

SEPTEMBER 2014

ing been around it all my life from so early on, it seemed like the right thing to do was to keep things going here,” George J. says.

After almost nine decades, Adrian Orchards still sits unassumingly amidst a mostly residential area on Epler Avenue, seven miles south of downtown Indy, and customers can browse its spacious shop seven days a week, usually from July through February, for fruits, vegetables, jams, honeys and ciders. George J., Monika and their seasonal employees pick all the apples they sell from the 40-plus varieties grown (customers cannot pick their own), and every October the Adrians put together an annual Harvest Fest featuring arts and crafts vendors, pony cart rides, music and an unveiling of their annual pumpkin patch.

George J. feels that a personal touch to customer service helps Adrian Orchards stay competitive as the business moves toward its 90th anniversary next year. “We always try to talk to customers and suggest to them how and what to do with specific fruits or varieties,” he says. “You don’t get that kind of service in a big grocery store where the fruit is just sitting there. That’s what keeps it enjoyable for me — that and the fact that if you have a particularly down season, there’s always next year.” *FI

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There’s much more to raising goats than meets the eye Denise and Richard Kocher’s Nubian goats.

D

enise and Richard Kocher are the owners of Lunamojo, a small goat farm in northeast Indiana’s LaGrange County. The couple raise registered purebred Nubians, which produce milk for their use, and for soaps and lotions that Denise Kocher makes and sells.

Although population numbers vary depending upon the season, the couple currently have 17 goats: 10 does, three bucks and four doe kids, which Kocher describes alternately as “cute,” sweet” and “spoiled.”

Mighty high praise from a gal who once didn’t like goats.

Kocher grew up on a Michigan dairy farm. “We had a few goats when I was growing up, but I didn’t like them,” she says. “Then I had a licensed day care operation for about 10 years, and I thought I’d just be in education.”

The route from taking care of kids to taking care of ... kids ... was delayed for 15 years, during which time Kocher was a bartender. “The goats were originally my husband’s idea, and I fought it for a few years. But now it’s my project. He’ll do anything I ask, except milk them.”

Bartending and tending goats initially overlapped, she says. “The goats were more a hobby and the bartending a business. Since 2011, it’s been 100 percent goats.”

The Kochers purchased their farmhouse in 2006, the former home of his grandparents. Set on a two-acre plot, it’s the optimal size for planting crops or raising animals to supplement the couple’s food supply.

“We were wanting more of our own fresh food, and I loved cow milk when I was growing up,” Kocher says.

“We already had laying hens — Maran, Welsummer, Isa Brown and Ameraucana for colorful, fresh eggs — so we wanted a few does for milk.”

They purchase very few goats, she says, preferring to bring in a new buck once in a while. “We started out in 2008 with two young does. Then we had four. Then I lost one and bought two more. But they just keep multiplying.

“Last spring, we had 14 kids, and that was a bad year,” she says. “We only kept four. I have a couple for sale now, and we’ll be down to 13 or 15 by spring. Hopefully.”

Kocher says they selected the Nubian because it is a well-known and popular multipurpose breed, whose milk has a high butterfat content.

Although there’s not a strong market for the Nubian’s hide, its milk and meat are always in demand. Wethers, which are considered easy to house and maintain and safe to handle, sell well for 4-H projects.

In fact, 4-H’ers are helping to grow Indiana’s goat meat industry, says Mark Kepler, Purdue Extension educator in Fulton County. “Meat goat is one of the fastest-growing industries. And along with 4-H programs, lots and lots of people are getting into it.”

Kepler is one of three organizers of Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service’s Goat Video Seminar Series. First presented in 2010, the free two-hour webinars, which are held at Purdue Extension offices throughout the state, are a collaborative effort among Purdue University, the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University.

“I work on Purdue’s Small Farm Team,” Kepler says, “and one of my jobs is to present information on growing livestock, including goats ... what they eat, how they work, what health issues are common to the animal, diseases they need to be vaccinated for.

“We teach people ahead of time what to expect and what to look for.

COMPILED BY CJ WOODRING

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 25

Denise and Richard Kocher. OPPOSITE PAGE: A Nubian goat eats on the Kocher property.

Get Your Goat!

Guide to Goat Breeds

According to goatworld.com, there are more than 210 breeds of goats in the world.

The following breeds are popular in the United States; most fare well in Indiana.

Alpine: Horns, erect ears and a dish face are distinguishing features of this dairy breed that originated in the French Alps. Two subsets –– the French Alpine and American Alpine –– are found in the United States. >> Angora: Originating in Asia Minor, Angoras date to between the 12th and 15th centuries B.C. They became well established near Ankara, Turkey, from which their name is derived. Angoras are the source of mohair, classifying them as a fiber goat. The United States is among foremost mohair producers.

Boer: One of the breeds of meat goats used in the U.S., the Boer was developed in South Africa in the early 1900s.

Cashmere: Originally from the Himalayas, these fiber goats migrated to Mongolia and northern Chinese provinces in the 10th and12th centuries. The average goat yields about four ounces of cashmere annually.

Genemaster: A hybrid meat goat with a genetic base of three-eighths Kiko and five-eighths Boer.

Kiko: A meat goat developed in New Zealand and introduced to the United States in 1995. Most often a solid white or cream color, it has erect ears.

LaMancha: The LaMancha’s curled ears –– it appears to be earless –– and short, glossy coat are identifying features. The only dairy goat breed developed in America, the LaMancha does well in varied climates. >> Nigerian Dwarf: A dairy goat breed of diminutive size and West African ancestry. The high-butterfat content of its milk makes excellent cheese and soap. Gentle and easy to train, it is a popular pet.

Nubian: Long, drooping ears identify this popular dairy goat, whose milk is considered high in butterfat. Developed in Great Britain, it is officially called the Anglo-Nubian.

Oberhasli: A hornless dairy goat, the Oberhasli is a subtype of the Chamoiscolored goat from the Oberhasli district of the Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland. It has a distinctive red bay coloration with jet black markings. >> Saanen: First seen in the United States in the early 20th century, this native Swiss goat is considered the Holstein of the goat world because of its high milk production.

Sable: Another dairy breed that originated in Switzerland, it is the largest of the Swiss breeds. Sable Saanens are purebred Saanens of any color except the usual white or cream Saanen. Coloration ranges from beige to black.

Savannah: A hardy and adaptable meat goat from South Africa, the Savannah is often incorrectly considered a white Boer goat.

Spanish: A hardy meat and brush-clearing breed believed to have originated through goats brought from Spain via Mexico in the 1700s. Popular in the South and Southwest, but bred throughout the United States, they are also known as “brush goats,”“woods goats” and “scrub goats.”

Tennessee Meat Goat: Considered the Angus cattle of the goat world, this trademarked brand is large and built like a tank. It is a heavily muscled line of the Myotonic (fainting, wooden-leg or stiff-leg) goat.

Toggenburg: Originating in Switzerland’s Toggenburg Valley, the Toggenburg is the oldest breed of dairy goat and was brought to the United States from England in 1883. A Toggenburg holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for producing more than 1,100 gallons of milk within a year.

26 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

There are a lot of things that need to be learned, especially with goats, because so many different things can go wrong.”

The goat has a long and storied history. As the first domesticated animal (about 10,000 B.C.) and the first animal whose milk was used for human consumption, its lore has spanned the ages.

Classified as a ruminant, because of its unique stomach and digestive system, the goat has been portrayed in religion, Asian cultures and folklore, and as a mythological figure symbolizing gentleness along with vitality. Goats’ temperaments can, of course, vary. But overall, Kocher describes them as sweet and very friendly.

“And, in general, they are loud,” she says. “They’re not known to be mean, but some can be. Basically, though, they’re sweet and really easy to work with.”

As for their milk, which is sweeter and creamier than cow’s milk and naturally homogenized, Indiana is among 17 states in which it is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption. “Herd shares are the only way to sell in Indiana,” she explains. “But it’s difficult to keep up the paperwork, so we keep the milk for our own use.”

One of those uses is in soaps and lotions, which Kocher sells online from her website (lunamojo.com), and at the Shipshewana Flea Market, which runs from the beginning of May through October.

She offers 68 varieties of soap and about 50 lotions.

Raising goats can be fun and profitable. But, as Kepler says, it’s essential to do your homework.

Because of the time and expense involved — healthy goats run about $200 to $300; registered goats $500 and up — maintaining their health is a must. This includes testing for Caprine ArthritisEncephalitis (CAE) and Caseous Lymphadentis (CL).

The former is a retrovirus disease that can be passed to other goats, the latter a bacterial infection that presents as an abscess in the lymph nodes and can be spread to humans and other mammals.

In the end, it also helps to have a friend in the business. There’s a camaraderie among goat breeders, says Kocher, a member of the American Dairy Goat Association Registry.

“Go to a show and they’re all really helpful, even if they have another breed,” she says. “Goats are not an animal you can throw out into the backyard and just look at. They’re a lot of work but a huge reward.”

READY, SET, GOAT! Initial feeding: A good milk goat can produce a gallon (8 pounds) or more of milk a day; yearlings sometimes 4 to 6 pounds. Initially, a lot of milk is fed to the babies. Some prefer to bottle feed babies; others prefer to let the goats tend themselves. When kids are weaned, milk can be frozen and canned for use in winter, when the does dry up for about two months.

Fencing: Goats are escape artists and easy prey for other animals. So fencing isn’t just to keep them in, but to keep other animals out. Rigid 4-foot livestock panels with T-posts are a good barrier.

Health: Most vets don’t treat goats. For routine work, owners treat the animals themselves, administering vaccinations and medications. Do your homework –– Purdue’s webinar series is a good place to start –– or maintaining the goats’ health can be very costly and sometimes devastating.

Housing: Goats need shelter to keep them dry and out of drafts. They also need clean and dry bedding. Experts recommend about 15 to 20 square feet of housing for an adult goat. Be sure there’s a place in the stall for grain and water, and provide lots of outside pasture room.

Feed: Goats prefer to browse, not graze. And they need forage, e.g., hay and grass. Find someone who can refer you to a good hay source. They also eat clover, bark, leaves and other seasonal roughage. Milkers need the calcium in alfalfa and pelleted grain feed, along with a good loose mineral, copper and selenium. Consult your breeder or contact your local Purdue ag extension for a complete feeding program.

Grooming: Goats don’t need a lot of grooming, but you should trim your goats’ hooves monthly. Body clipping in spring also helps keep them cool.

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Get Your Goat!

Glossary of Goat Terms A BUCK (BILLY) is a sexually mature, intact male goat used for breeding.

A BUCKLING is a sexually immature young male.

DAIRY GOATS, e.g., Nubian and Toggenburg, are bred for their milk, which can be drunk or used in products such as soap, lotion, cheese and ice cream.

CHEVON is the French word for goat. These are animals that are slaughtered near or shortly after weaning.

CHÈVRE is a French soft cheese made from goat’s milk.

A DOE is a sexually mature female goat.

They are sometimes called a nanny.

A DOELING is a young female not yet sexually mature.

FIBER GOATS, e.g., Angora and Cashmere, are used for fiber production.

FORAGE is the hay and/or grassy portions of a goat’s diet.

A KID is a goat less than 1 year old.

A MEAT GOAT, e.g., Boer and Savannah, is primarily used for meat production.

A RUMINANT is an animal that has a four-compartment stomach. This classification includes cows.

A WETHER is a castrated male goat.

A YEARLING is a male or female goat between 1 and 2 years old.

Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service first began presenting its Goat Video Seminar Series in 2010. Presented each fall, the free sessions are a collaborative effort among Purdue University, the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University and are taught by Purdue Extension specialists, educators and Kentucky livestock specialists.

The informative two-hour seminars pertained only to goats the first year but have since included sheep. Typical annual attendance in Indiana and Kentucky is 200, says Mark Kepler, Purdue Extension educator in Fulton County and one of the event organizers.

“There are more sheep than goats in this state, but I think we’ll find the number of goats rising, because meat goat is one

of the fastest-growing industries,” he says.

Kepler says he and Mike Neary, Purdue’s sheep and goat specialist, had discussed presenting a series on goats, ultimately partnering with specialists in Kentucky, where they have a more advanced goat industry than in Indiana.

“Our concept was that we can draw a person from Iowa or wherever and hold a presentation for anybody in the States,” he says.

Since their introduction, webinars have been presented in about 40 Indiana counties, primarily in southern and northern areas of the state, where most livestock is grown.

Past subjects have included Parasite Control in Small Ruminants; Nutrition and Forage Programs for Goats; Health Program for Goats and Sheep; Kidding Care and Birthing in Does and Ewes; Feeding Management, Marketing and Economic Projections; and Dealing with Forage Shortages, the Drought, and Show vs.

Commercial Goats.

Although participants view a typical webinar on their home computers, Kepler says extension presentations are based on their existing model of taking information to people where they can talk and network.

“We believe sitting among your fellow goat and sheep producers adds a lot to it,” he says. “It also provides an opportunity to get together with Purdue’s knowledgeable educators and to interact with our extension officers.”

Educating owners and producers is of paramount importance because so many things can go wrong with goats, he says. “Really, we need to be educated on these things ahead of time ... how to avoid livestock death and what to do after we lose one and how it affects us psychologically. Our subjects address many areas, so if you’re looking at developing any type of livestock program, information presented in these webinars is essential.”

Feedback presented in post-webinar evaluations has been positive, he says, with a majority saying they would attend again, will use presented information and believe that information will save them money.

“What’s interesting to me is that we have repeat people, four years later, still looking at these,” he says.

If your local extension office isn’t well versed on your specific area of interest, others are, he says.

“If you want to know something about raising animals, even if the person in your extension office isn’t knowledgeable, there are people within the extension system who are. Someone is accessible and will help you out.”

This year’s webinars will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 and 10. Contact your local Purdue Extension Office for subject matter, which hadn’t been determined at press time.

In addition, the extension will host its third annual Indiana Small Farm Conference March 5 to 7 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds, Danville. Pre-conference workshops will be held March 5.

28 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Go-Tos for Goat Owners American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) — adga.org American Goat Society (AGS) — americangoatsociety.com Breeders World — breedersworld.com.

Dairy Goat Journal — dairygoatjournal.com Babygoatfarm.com — babygoatfarm.com Goatworld — goatworld.com The Biology of the Goat — goatbiology.com The Goat Gateway — goatgateway.com The Whole Goat Catalog — thewholecatalog.com Valleyvet.com — valleyvet.com

Specific Breed and Association Websites Alpines International Club — alpinesinternationalclub.com American Angora Goat Breeders Association — aagba.org American Boer Goat Association — abga.org American Kiko Goat Association/Genemaster — kikogoats.com American LaMancha Club — lamanchas.com Anglo—Nubian Goat Society — anglonubiangoatsociety.com Cashmere Goat Association — cashmeregoatassociation.org Indiana Dairy Goat Association — idga.net International Sable Breeders Association — internationalsablebreedersassociation.vpweb.com Michiana Goat Breeders Association — facebook.com/pages/Michiana—Goat—Breeders—Association/ 102758329847853?sk=info National Pygmy Goat Association (npga) — pygmy.com National Saanen Breeders Association — nationalsaanenbreeders.com National Toggenburg Club — nationaltoggclub.org Nigerian Dwarf Goat Association — ndga.org North American Savannah Association — savannahassociation.com Oberhasli Breeders of America — oberhasli.net Spanish Goat Association — spanishgoats.org Tennessee Meat Goats — tennesseemeatgoats.com *FI

Denise Kocher milks a Nubian goat.

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Daleville farmer engineers his own path to a satisfying career

BY GARRETT KELLY PHOTOS BY JOSH MARSHALL

30 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

The O’Donnell family (from left) : Aiden, Sara, Michael, and Owen.

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 31

Michael O’Donnell works with the family’s tomato plants. BELOW: Aiden and friend.

ichael O’Donnell works his Pinehurst Farm in Daleville with his wife, Sara. While she grew up on the same farm they now run, Michael didn’t find his passion for farming until later in life.

He started his professional life as a mechanical engineer, but he didn’t follow that blueprint for long. When he went to graduate school in Austin, Texas, he worked in a research group studying biofuels. While working with this group, he developed an interest in sustainable and organic agriculture. “I had to study production agriculture (in the research group) because corn and soybeans are used for ethanol production,” Michael says.

“I just really became interested in agriculture.”

After his experience researching biofuels, Michael found an organic vegetable farm in Austin that had a work-share program. He says instead of money, he was paid in vegetables. This opportunity turned into an internship, and by the time he was finishing his master’s degree, his interest in farming had fully blossomed. “I enjoyed getting away from my studies and doing something productive, like growing food,” he says.

When Michael and his family, which includes his sons, Owen and Aiden, moved back to Indiana, he took a job at Adam Moody’s Lone Pine Farm, where he handled day-to-day activities and worked in the slaughterhouse for Moody Meats.

Now he is trying to take all that he has learned on other farms and develop his own family farm.

In October 2011, Michael and his family moved to Daleville to the farm that is still owned by Sara’s father and began building their small operation. The farm was a working dairy farm until around 1999. Some of the property has been tilled and rented to another farmer, and some is still a pasture where a neighbor’s cows graze.

The O’Donnells use a small portion, a few acres, he says, of the property’s acreage to grow produce in their market garden and raise chickens.

The property, which recently received a Hoosier Homestead Award for its continued use by the same family for 150 years, came into existence with a timber grant to clear the land and prepare it for agriculture.

Michael and Sara have kept the legacy going and grow a variety of produce available for sale in farmers markets.

32 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

They are also a supplier for The Downtown Farm Stand and Barn Brasserie, both in Muncie. They grow lettuce, peas, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, basil, green beans and more.

Aside from produce, the O’Donnells raise and slaughter chickens. The barn that used to be the milking area for cows is now used to process the birds. They sell only full birds, no boneless products or quartering.

“We’re still pretty small in that (market),” Michael says.

He says starting a farm is no easy process. New farmers struggle with gaining access to land, financing, marketing locally and honing in on a business plan that’s sustainable. Michael says he’s been growing his farm as his schedule and financial situation allow, instead of going into debt with massive loans. The O’Donnells use the money they make on the farm to grow the business.

“We’re looking at it as a slow progress,” Michael explains.

“We’re raising two boys and taking a cautious approach.”

When he’s not farming, Michael works as a Purdue Extension educator in Delaware County, which he began doing in May 2012. He knew he wanted a job in

agriculture before moving back to Indiana and loves that he can tap into a network of specialists throughout the state. “I work across the entire spectrum of agriculture from small to large-scale farms and everything between,” he says. “It’s interesting to see where people can work together and share ideas toward something better.”

Michael’s chief goal as a Purdue educator focuses on teaching others about soil health and conservation agriculture. He says restoring soil health will rebuild organic matter and increase carbon levels in the soil, which will help the water cycle by reducing runoff. “We (need to) begin to recognize the soil as a living, functioning thing,” Michael says. “It’s key to making our farms productive and resilient.”

His relationship with Purdue allows him to continue to learn. He says he gets formal training and knowledge from talented producers within his community. Then, he gets to share the knowledge he has gained with others.

“That’s what the job is all about, connecting people,” Michael says. “You’re constantly learning and being exposed to new ideas.” *FI

“I enjoyed getting away from my studies and doing something productive, like growing food.”

— MICHAEL O’DONNELL

Sara O’Donnell picks produce for market. ABOVE: Chickens gather at feeding time.

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 33

Tom McKinney

There’s Just Nothing Better For Tom McKinney, the farm is his favorite place to be

BY KEVIN HOWELL PHOTOS BY JOSH MARSHALL

34 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Tom McKinney stops on the gravel drive at his Tipton County farm and looks from rows of corn and beans nearing harvest to the home where he grew up and still lives.

McKinney isn’t sure, he says, where his favorite place on the farm is.

He has never before been asked that question.

“In the fall, I like to stop right here (in the gravel drive) for five minutes and look at the colors of the changing leaves,” he says, after a considerable pause. “In the spring, I like to stand here for five minutes and smell the new mown hay, and in the summer, I like to stand here and look out over the fields.”

The spot in the driveway where McKinney can see the many changes his farm undergoes each season might be considered his favorite place, if, in fact, the entire farm itself hadn’t already taken the top spot.

The farm, originally about 300 acres, has been in the family for more than 100 years, and McKinney, now 56, is the fourth generation involved in its operation. He moved to and began working on the farm when he was 7 years old. That was when his father, Mark McKinney, moved the family into the former farm manager’s quarters, a 110-year-old Victorian-style house.

Over the years the number of acres of the McKinney farm has grown to about 500, all planted in corn and soybeans. McKinney also had a hog finishing operation until about two years ago when he dropped livestock all together.

In total though, with owned acreage, additional rented acres, as well

alternative energy systems sales business at the farm equipment dealership New Holland in Rochester, says solar power has been looking more favorable for a number of years. Straeter sold and installed the solar system on McKinney’s farm.

“Solar in general has been trending since about 2008,” Straeter says.

“The price has come down since we got into renewables, so we put up our own solar at the dealership a year or so ago, and it’s doing well.”

Straeter says since his business started working with solar systems two years ago, about 40 farms in the region have had systems installed.

McKinney’s is the second-largest so far.

Farmer for Life During his high school years, McKinney helped his family’s farming operation by detasseling corn. The family had built up a detasseling operation, growing large enough that as many as 600 young people from the community were hired to help through the busy seasons.

That end of the business was going well by the time McKinney went off to college in 1976. When he graduated in 1980, he considered leaving the farm for a while just for the change of pace, but he instead “came back to the farm right after graduation because the detasseling operation was going very well,” he explains.

He had graduated from Purdue University with a degree in agricultural economics and animal science. He married his wife, Karen, in June 1981.

They raised three children, Scott, Christie and Amy, all grown now,

“Our whole economy has been built on cheap coal power, but our power prices are going up ... I just didn’t want to participate in big power increases over the next 20 to 30 years, so I started looking around.”

— TOM MCKINNEY

as the land where McKinney provides custom farming services — renting combines and other equipment to local farmers — he farms close to 5,000 acres. The farm operation was incorporated in 1980 as McKinney & McKinney. Tom’s parents, Mark and Judy, are still active in the operation, with Judy doing some of the bookkeeping and Mark still helping with moving equipment and other chores.

Alternative Energy Daily, Tom McKinney tracks the ups and downs of farming and tries to plan for the future. He keeps a sharp eye out for innovative ideas in technology and agricultural production, on the ever-changing prices of corn and beans, and on production costs, including the cost of energy.

Wanting to lower electricity costs on the farm, McKinney, who serves as president and general manager of the operation, looked to alternative energy sources to operate the many grain bins, grain dryers, workshops and buildings on the property.

“Our whole economy has been built on cheap coal power, but our power prices are going up 30 percent in the next decade or so,” he explains. “I just didn’t want to participate in big power increases over the next 20 to 30 years, so I started looking around.”

McKinney took advantage of available alternative energy grants and tax credits in order to start his solar farm, and he isn’t the only farmer looking for alternative, renewable energy sources in Indiana. Mike Straeter, sales representative and owner of Ag Technologies Inc., an

on the farm, and McKinney says it was a good environment for the children to grow up in, especially for Christie.

“She (Christie) has a very rare syndrome,” he says. “It (the farm) was a stable environment for her.”

Since those days, McKinney’s responsibilities have extended beyond managing the family’s corn and soybean farm. He operated the McKinney Seed Corn Detasseling business until 2003; he now works with Pioneer Hi-Bred International as a seed dealer for north central Indiana; he is a Precision Planting and Ag Leader dealer, and he operates a custom spraying business in north and central Indiana.

When McKinney isn’t working in agriculture, he gives back to the community where he grew up, often in agriculture-related ways. He currently serves as chairman of the Indiana 4-H Foundation to raise funds for scholarships, programs and new projects through Dow, Elanco and other agricultural businesses.

He has also served on the Purdue Council for Agriculture Research, Extension, and Teaching. He has served as a member of the commodity committee of Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. and on the USDA’s Indiana Farm Service Agency State Committee. And he has worked to advance agricultural programs at IU Kokomo.

But above all, McKinney loves working on his family farm in Tipton County. “The main thing is just being my own boss, seeing the crops come up in the spring, the harvest in the fall, and that whole cycle; there’s just nothing better, nothing,” he says. *FI

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 35

The Art Farm makes a colorful splash in a historic rural setting

BY CJ WOODRING PHOTOS BY ROBERT BOREL PHOTOGRAPHY

36 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Lisa Vetter and Paul Siefert are, first and foremost, artists. The husband-wife team recycles found objects, transforming them into whimsical, functional art forms.

Vetter creates jewelry, clocks and wall icons. Siefert assembles home goods, using items that can include bowling balls, lamp parts or vintage globes.

They are also folks you might read about in Mother Earth News: farmers, environmentalists and conservationists who collect rainwater to nourish their gardens and hang laundry on the line during warm weather. They live off the land, growing all of their vegetables and baking their own bread — and not with a bread machine, Vetter says.

It’s a mindful life, designed to respect the earth’s resources by minimizing their footprints.

Throughout summer months, the couple spend weeks at a time on the road, living in “Agnes,” their 1977 motor home, while exhibiting artwork at juried art fairs. Having a comfortable home base to which to return is essential to their lifestyle.

Thus, their 19th-century farmhouse might be considered their most prized found object and its restoration their most ambitious recycling project.

From downtown to out of town

For years the Fort Wayne natives lived in a two-bedroom

bungalow just north of downtown, incorporating a studio into their home. “Eventually, the studio was taking over the house,” Vetter says, “and we’d lived downtown for so long that we wanted a change.”

The couple’s real estate agent sent them a few listings, and when Vetter and Siefert arrived at the remote, gravel road setting in fall 2003, it was love at first sight.

Despite the structure’s less-than-appealing curb appeal — not to mention lack of electricity, running water and a heating/cooling system — Vetter says they saw its potential.

The five-acre parcel included the house, a barn and three outbuildings, at least one of which could be converted into a studio. Thus, for the first time, they could separate home and work spaces.

According to papers the couple received from ARCH, the Fort Wayne-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to preservation of historic structures, the Classic Greek Revival was the former homestead of Isaac W. Grill. It was built in 1860.

“When we bought it, we knew it was old, but we were blown away by just how old,” Siefert says.

And while the house had “good bones,” the couple also didn’t know just how much work would be required to make it habitable. Or, ultimately, how long it would take.

“It was much worse than we’d initially thought,” Siefert says,

“When we bought it, we knew it was old, but we were blown away by just how old.”

— PAUL SIEFERT, of their 154-year-old home

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 37

adding that if they hadn’t bought it, the house probably would have been torn down, considering its disrepair and close proximity to the road.

Salvaging a house

Siefert, who holds a degree in architecture and civil engineering, spent 15 years as a land surveyor. Vetter earned a degree in interior design. Drawing from those backgrounds, they began the project in January 2004, working on the studio and house throughout winter months when they weren’t on the road. Ultimately, they undertook 80 percent of the renovation themselves, assisted occasionally by friends.

Work was done in increments, alternating between farmhouse and studio. For the first two years, Vetter remained in their Fort Wayne home. Siefert basically lived in the RV while readying the studio to accommodate workspace and temporary living quarters.

Power and running water were restored. A geothermal heating/cooling system was installed.

Next, they gutted the interior of the 1,300-squarefoot house: Oak beams were salvaged, and 24 tons of building material and insulation were removed from the site.

Siefert rebuilt the foundation, salvaging wooden beams and installing a French drain to control water leakage into the basement. The exterior was re-sided with HardiePlank, a composite green product impervious to bugs and rot. And a new porch roof was constructed.

38 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

In spring 2006, the couple moved into the studio, where they lived for the next three-and-a-half years while finishing the home’s interior.

Vetter and Siefert spent many hours reconfiguring rooms. They redesigned the kitchen three times.

“Because it was so old, we didn’t want to maintain the historic integrity but wanted to create an old farmhouse feel,” Vetter says.

“We were somewhat limited by interior options within the structure, but it was nice being able to come through and envision living here, selecting everything from cabinets and appliances to switch plates, and being able to take our time. It was an entire blank canvas.”

They removed a downstairs wall to form one large room that incorporates the living room and kitchen. “We love to cook and entertain, and wanted an open, yet intimate, space that would accommodate that,” she says.

They also removed functional cabinets, reinstalling them in the studio. Wood trim, primarily red and white oaks, was recycled in the studio, while found objects and materials were incorporated into new construction and trim.

Vetter sanded and refinished the original wood flooring to a warm glow. “I can say I’ve done it — and I’ll never do it again,” she says, with only a hint of a smile.

The farmhouse’s original closed-in stairway was replaced with wooden planks that march alongside

Holiday Pop Up Gallery Lisa Vetter and Paul Siefert will host their annual Holiday Pop Up Gallery with an opening reception from 5 to 10 p.m. Dec. 5. Gallery hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday throughout December.

The event features other regional artists’ works in mediums that include ceramics, glass, fiber, metal, prints and jewelry. With the exception of the spring Rural Studio Tour, this is the only time of year that the Art Farm is open to the public. >> Visit artfarmindiana.com and facebook.com/TheArtFarm for more information.

the wall. Two original upstairs bedrooms were converted to one large master bedroom suite that features a sloped, bead-board ceiling with three venting skylights.

Outbuildings also have taken on new life: One incorporates a multipurpose room, along with Vetter’s jewelry and yoga studios. The others are home to a mixed-media studio and a tool room for drilling and grinding.

Project completion

In 2009, five years after beginning renovation, the couple moved into their home, sleeping in the media room for the next 18 months while their bedroom was completed.

The house remains a work in progress.

“We really looked at it with stars in our eyes and thought it could be awesome. And it is. But I thought it would be done in half the time,” Vetter says. “If we had truly known how much work it was going to be and how long it would take, we might have thought twice about it.”

Nonetheless, other homeowners have been inspired by their efforts, including a young husband and wife from Leo who bought a similar old farmhouse.

“I would tell people, especially younger ones, that this can be done if you’re willing to do most of it yourselves,” Siefert says. “And it can be done in stages so you don’t need a large initial cash outlay.”

“It’s been an interesting journey,” his wife adds.

“I’m glad we did it and love coming home to this house. We are blessed every day.” *FI

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Farm to Freezer Three business owners aim to revolutionize Indiana’s food system

BY CLINT SMITH PHOTOS BY JOSH MARSHALL

July 1, 2013: The proprietors of Husk Local Food System shucked their first ear of corn.

They had one bin filled with approximately 70 dozen ears to process, a delivery that had come to them from Jeremy Weaver, whose farm is located in Needham.

A crew of two shucked every ear by hand. The task took several hours. They then boiled the ears in tabletop French fry machines; they chilled the ears in an old mail cart filled with cold water. They cut the corn using a corn cutter they had sourced from China.

Then came the bagging, the most laborious and grueling part, says Nick Carter, Husk co-founder. “We had scoops, funnels and scales,” he explains. “We weighed out each bag to 16 ounces, put them in boxes, sealed them and then carried them into the freezer.”

Fast-forward to August 2014: A Hughes Co. shucking machine processes that same 70 dozen ears in 20 minutes. The machine deposits the shucked ears directly into blanching baskets that are transferred to 60-gallon stainless-steel blanch tanks and then transferred again to a stainless chill tank. The same cutters are used to cut the corn, but this year the crew, made up of approximately a dozen or so employees, has four of them to use, compared to the one from the previous year. Then the corn moves to an Ohlsen Packaging System, which automatically weighs and bags up to 30 bags per minute.

These days, Husk can process up to approximately 1,500 dozen ears of corn in a day in its 5,000-square-foot facility near Mount Comfort Airport in Hancock County.

That’s not to mention the snap peas, green beans, and — soon — summer squash also processed there.

Growth for this fledgling food-processing company, one might say, has been brisk.

40 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

A regional food system, Hancock County’s Husk processes, distributes and sells local produce and state-based fare. The company works with local farmers by buying their products, processing and freezing the goods, then packaging and moving them onto local grocery store shelves. Thanks to Husk, more local farmers are moving their goods, and local consumers are gaining access to well-preserved Indiana harvests.

Essentially, it boils down to preservation of farm traditions, of time-honored methods, of relationships and of hard-earned money. “Your dollars are kept in Indiana,” says the company’s mission statement. “Our rural communities are being revived, and Indiana agriculture is returning to the center of culture.”

Founder Adam Moody genuinely puts his money where his mouth is, and the formation of Husk is a manifestation of that ethos. Along with the two other founding members, Carter (of farm-raised game processor Meat the Rabbit) and Chris Baggott (Tyner Pond Farm), Moody explains that the concept for Husk emerged following a 2008 report that he and Gary Reding (then District 8 director with Indiana Farm Bureau) penned for then Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and the Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA). The result was something called the Local Food Initiative.

“Basically it stated that in order for Hoosier food to reach Hoosier tables, we needed to resurrect the processing element as it pretty much had left the state in the 1960s and 1970s for the West Coast’s cheap labor and year-round production,” Moody explains.

Five years following the OCRA report, and compelled by mutual interests, Moody, Carter and Baggott met precisely one time. Forty-five days later, the trio was cutting sweet corn in Husk’s facility.

Though Husk is thriving overall, Moody has been met with challenges, of both the

Bare corn cobs. OPPOSITE PAGE: Adam Moody with whole ears of corn about to be processed.

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organic and organizational varieties. “Spring pea processing was pretty rough this year,” he recalls. “Our farmers had a number of growing issues related to weather and neighbors’ spray drift. One of our growers lost an entire field of snap peas.”

But while inevitable hurdles exist, Husk’s roots and reputation are thriving, both near and far. “We’ve been well-received by the consumer, both with positive comments on our flavor and the concept as a whole,” Moody says. And in addition to gaining accessibility by appearing on store shelves at Indiana’s Whole Foods, Kroger and Marsh grocery stores at the end of July, Husk received word that its non-GMO Indiana sweet corn would be featured in the Chicago-area arena at Whole Foods in Deerfield, Illinois, as well.

Husk is not alone in this campaign. And perhaps because farmers, on a fundamental level, have been awaiting the emergence of an organization like Husk, strengthening collaborative bonds and forming new relationships have come rather easy. “The growers are definitely a growing relationship as we go through these challenges together,” says Moody. “We originally asked Purdue Extension to provide us a few names of growers in the Hancock County area, and we took it from there. Word-of-mouth gets around with this group, and finding growers has not been difficult.”

For Carter, Husk is about dismantling Indiana’s current food system and re-establishing quality of life — and quality of food — for the purchasing public.

“Food at large,” Carter says, “went the way of the Industrial Revolution without proving the quality of the food.”

He continues: “We’d like to break this paradigm. The industry will give consumers the cheapest food they can find. We want to break the system that says, ‘It doesn’t matter the quality (of food) as long as it’s cheap.’ Now people don’t even think about flavor and how wholesome something is.”

And while Carter acknowledges consumer concerns about cost, he suggests that some of this may be misleading. “If we can prove that this whole thing works to the entire ‘food complex’ (grocery stores, retail, distributors), then we will be able to be more competitive and provide the public access to something that should be for everyone.”

Carter says that a year ago, when approaching a major, local grocery chain about the possibility of featuring Husk products, the answer was simple. “No, no, no. They weren’t interested,” he explains. “So we had to hustle for it. We had to go to local businesses and take any small space they had on the shelves. Now we’re in over 220 stores.”

Husk can be found from Chicago to St. Louis to Cincinnati. “It just seems like every day or two something changes for the better,” he adds.

Moody is quick to supply his own monetary figures as well. “People and their dollars are hard to part from each other,” he explains. “What we must get through is the true cost of buying food from outside sources and the benefits of local. For example, based on Agricultural Market Resource Center numbers, of per capita consumption of sweet corn in Indiana, if (and that of course is a big ‘if ’) only Husk sweet corn was bought in the state, it would bring $466 million of additional revenue … create 9,898 jobs and an additional $15.9 million to our farmers. However consumers tend to only look at what they pay at the checkout.”

On the autumn horizon, Moody expects Husk food to appear in more stores with shelled peas, snap peas, green beans, sweet corn and summer squash among the offerings.

And for both Moody and Carter, the abstract goals that have galvanized their crusade are becoming a reality. Husk products are finding their ways into Indiana homes, while the company’s philosophy is infiltrating the Hoosier consciousness. “A lot of people ask me what comes after Husk,” says Carter. “And I haven’t even thought about that, because if this works it will change the face of the entire industry.” *FI

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 41

Antiques available for purchase from Dale “Brillo” Gardner at the Carthage Mill. BELOW: Anna Welch.

FULL OF POTENTIAL Anna Welch envisions her Carthage Mill as a hub of agricultural activity

BY SHAWNDRA MILLER PHOTOS BY JOSH MARSHALL

42 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

A

t the corner of Walnut and Second streets in Carthage, a historic lumber mill “hearing a call.” She has a certainty about being a steward of the land and sharing her is finding new life. Depending on the day of the week, machinery noise or journey. “I stand in the gap,” she says, meaning she’s doing what she can to manifest a the scent of cinnamon might greet those who venture through the door. more resilient food system in her rural area.

Inside, local art dots the walls of a meeting room and business center, So with help from Hoosier Organic Marketing Education and funding from Rush while café-style seating invites guests to pull up a chair and peruse some mementos County Economic Development Corp., she went on faith. She formed a business entity from yesteryear. This is where a certified organic grain mill, food hub and business to create a launching pad for sustainable agriculture businesses. incubator known as Carthage Mill is taking shape Welch’s family had purchased the defunct complex under the guiding hand of local farmer Anna Welch. in Carthage some years back with the intention of In an atmosphere that feels both techie and old-timey, featuring local artists’ work there. A tourist train runcustomers and lessees can browse the Internet on free ning on a privately owned track from Knightstown to Wi-Fi or peruse antiques assembled by local collector Carthage made the location ideal for a farmers market Dale “Brillo” Gardner. and art gallery. The train brought 15,000 visitors an201 E. Second St., Carthage, (765) 914-0944; The mill inhabits a yellow barnlike structure — nually for the first few years, and it looked like sales of carthagemill.wix.com/home; one of two adjacent buildings and several sheds that at flowers, produce, art, collectibles and heirloom seeds carthagecoopmarket.wix.com/home one time housed Tweedy Lumber Co. Now the roar of might keep the place afloat. a “microcrusher” replaces a sawmill’s whine as grains, But then the economy tanked, the train stopped Visitors are welcome to stop by Carthage Mill beans and seeds are ground into both animal feed and running, and the artists no longer found purchasers. commercial products like grits, black bean flour and The buildings mostly stood empty, except for Fields Thursday through Saturday, between 10 a.m. and rolled oats. of Agape’s eight-inch stone mill, which Welch used to 5 p.m., when the latte machine is always ready.

But Carthage Mill is not just about these valueprocess small batches of organic popcorn into grits added commodities, Welch says. It’s also about the big and cornmeal. picture: nourishing a robust local “farm-to-fork” food For a time, it appeared that she would be the sole system. The mill is the go-to place for both comfort user of the space. Then, at a small business seminar food and staples — as well as advice for new farmers. last year in Rushville, the Welches met Preble County, Ohio, resident John Bihn, who’d Welch welcomes guests with offers of lattes and home-baked cornbread studinvented a new model of grain mill called a microcrusher. They agreed to field test the ded with apples and ginger. For the past eight years, she has grown certified organic prototype using 70,000 pounds of that year’s yields. Through their tests, they would repopcorn, oats, flax, black beans, soybeans and other specialty crops with her husband, lay suggestions for improvements to Bihn and help him get his invention on the market.

After demonstrating the model for them, he took their feedback and partnered with Keith, and their Fields of Agape cooperative partners. The mill is a separate but compleanother business to incorporate a sifting system, using Indiana economic development seed mentary endeavor. It’s meant to address one of the major hurdles Fields of Agape has money to purchase the add-on. The sifter separates outputs into four grind sizes — a critical faced: lack of infrastructure for processing and marketing alternative products. feature for Fields of Agape’s food-grade products.

Welch’s deeply spiritual bent leads her to speak often of “divine appointments” and

Carthage Mill

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The stainless steel prototype, now filling a room at Carthage Mill, sports red-handled clamps and a control panel like a home alarm system’s keypad. Raw material goes into a funnel near the ceiling, while a four-layer cylinder attached under the machine sifts the grinds, sending four sizes of outputs through separate chutes. For example, when processing popcorn, the crusher spits out corn flour, cornmeal, grits and flakes about the size of rolled oats.

The crusher and attached sifting system come apart for thorough cleaning between lots, and this feature is an enormous advantage, according to Welch. Commercial food operations require lot control, and it’s especially important when tracking gluten-free and certified organic products. (All of Fields of Agape’s crops are gluten-free, and Carthage Mill is poised to serve this niche market.)

For running most types of animal feed, the prototype has proved to be an efficient and powerful machine. But a current limitation of the crusher is the small amount of fine particles it produces. “It is fantastic for the larger microsizes,” says Welch, “your rolled oats, rolled wheat and grits.” But for every 100 pounds of product run through the mill, only 10 to 15 pounds of the two finest grinds come out.

“The amount of fine material is so small, and that’s what limits me in expanding markets,” she says. The current machine disproportionately produces coarser grinds. But the food market is ripe for cornmeal, black bean flour,

An

soy flour and other high-demand products.

Bihn, who has built and tested a second unit in his Ohio workshop, plans to modify the design to address this issue.

Though she deems the crusher the “cornerstone” of Carthage Mill, Welch’s goal is to create a consultation center to incubate new ag businesses. She wants to attract small farmers, those working a few acres with earth-friendly practices. She’d like to help guide them to success through referrals, information and partnerships.

“We want to mentor new producers so they don’t go through the same mistakes we did,” she says.

Her vision extends beyond the walls of Carthage Mill, beyond even the fields of her own farm. Welch would like to see a rural resurgence based on organic growing practices.

So many properties, she says, could be turned into food-producing plots. Why not convert a portion of this average to raising food crops?

Doing so would build food security while employing many more people in food-based businesses, she believes. Through connections and experience gained in eight years of organic farming, she hopes to nurture new endeavors.

“If we recruit specialty crop growers,” she says, “and we have all the people and the team necessary to empower those growers to be successful, and they bring back this beautiful food, how can that not be a good thing?”

Welch envisions Carthage Mill as a place

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Carthage Mill’s café-style seating area.

for consultation, a place where growers can come to find out what farm equipment they need for certain crops. “If someone wants to produce flax, we know that it does take special equipment,” she says. “We would identify whether we have the right equipment to help you with this.”

A largely untapped possibility is pairing small farmers with neighboring large-scale farmers willing to do custom work using their equipment. Fields of Agape partners in this way with Dave Norris, a sixth-generation Rush County farmer and Pioneer Seed salesman.

She considers this arrangement a win-win, as the “big ag” farmer gets a chance to experiment with specialty crops without having to buy or lease land, and that’s something Carthage Mill wants to encourage.

Helping farmers market their products is another objective. Welch notes that a major limiting factor in marketing organic and valueadded products is the need for certifications, such as food safety and organic status. Organic certification alone carries an annual fee, which is often prohibitive for smaller producers. But she has set up Carthage Mill to fill this gap: It is a certified organic processor/handler facility, inspected by local and state health departments. Additional on-site certifications cover food safety and feed production.

Under these certifications, entrepreneurs processing on-site can sell private-label products through retail or wholesale markets.

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In this way small businesses can get their start — or expand into new ventures — without racking up costs.

One such small business is Unique 2 Eat, a small farm in Wayne County. Proprietor Becca Selkirk raises chickens, rabbits and quail. She recently added two new income streams that she wouldn’t have considered without Carthage Mill’s existence. This summer she began marketing artisan poultry feed made from locally grown, organic ingredients, ground on-site at the mill, and she’s now branching into the food market with her chef daughter, Jessica Selkirk. Jessica’s gluten-free take-andbake pizza crust, ready-to-use soups and other products, all made in Carthage Mill’s certified kitchen, are available as carryout and through online stores like Hoosier Harvest Market.

None of this would have happened without Carthage Mill. “The (certified) kitchen has allowed us to expand into other lines to offer for people,” Becca says.

Beyond the food and feed, she values Carthage Mill as a co-working space, a factor that can greatly increase her efficiency. Among the available services are printing, copying, faxing and using Wi-Fi — all of which make it possible to complete administrative tasks while using the other parts of the facility. “I can sit there and make labels, and I can use (Anna’s) printer,” Becca says. “Carthage Mill is a workplace environment. … I can work on the business side while something’s cooking in the kitchen.” *FI

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Considering Cover Crops Uncertainty still exists regarding decades-old conservation practice

BY CJ WOODRING

46 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

s with other agricultural practices that fall by the wayside, only to re-emerge decades later, cover crops have made a decided comeback in America’s fields.

Popular in the early 20th century, use of rotations and cover crops — grasses, small grains or legumes grown between regular crop production to protect and improve the soil — were more often the norm. But about 50 years later, when fertilizers and pesticides came into use, covers rarely were grown.

Within the past four or five years, cover crops have steadily gained favor as a wise investment of time, money and management that growers deem both ecologically responsible and fiscally sound.

“Before the 1950s, farmers didn’t really have commercial fertilizer, so they had to use manure to get nutrients, or grow some kind of legume for a crop like corn that doesn’t make its own,” says Eileen J. Kladivko, professor of agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette.

“People have learned again, or anew, that the overall conservation of the soil involves more than erosion control, and can be improved by what we do and how we manage the soil. And one of the ways in which to improve and restore soil health is through cover crops.”

In addition to improving soil quality, potential benefits of cover crops are many, and include reducing water and wind erosion, reducing weed and pest growth and attracting beneficial insects.

“Growers also want to be the most efficient with every input they use,” Kladivko says. “If you have a cover crop, it’s going to pick up nitrogen and prevent it from leaching. Even if you save just 20 pounds of nitrogen from going down the drain, you’re putting it back into the soil bank. With time, it will build up organic matter, and eventually the soil will increase its water-holding capacity and the ability to grow roots.”

Unfortunately, soil problems aren’t readily recognized, especially if a grower has a bumper crop, she says.

“One of the things I teach my students is that for awhile, in the 1960s and ’70s, the miracle of genetics and chemicals, such as fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides, hid other problems in the soil. All those things made tremendous yield increases, so if your soil was degrading, and all you were looking at was the yield, you didn’t really notice it. But problems began to become more visible in the 1980s.”

Despite obvious benefits, whether to plant cover crops raises many questions: What is the overall goal? Do you want to reduce erosion? Increase water infiltration? Which cover crops are right for the fields and cash crops? Winter barley? Winter cereal rye? Legumes?

Turnips or radishes? What planting method should be used? Drilling? Broadcasting?

In 2006 Iowa State University conducted a survey in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa as a specially funded project of the Leopold Center Ecology Initiative to look at cover crop use and opposition to same in the central western Corn Belt.

About a third of respondents stated they didn’t know enough about cover crops or their suitability for their respective farm. Nearly as many said they believed planting cover crops would take too much time, and about one-fourth believed it was too costly.

Nearly a decade later, Kladivko says education is still needed.

“Most of those issues are still here, and in several surveys within the past one or two years, growers said they didn’t feel comfortable enough to make a decision about cover crops. Time and cost are still significant issues to which there’s no easy solution.”

The appropriate cover crop is a particular challenge for corn and soybean farmers, who harvest late, she says. “Most cover crops need to be planted earlier, and if you don’t get your crops out until October, you don’t have many choices.

(Continued on page 49)

Tips for Cover Crop Success your next cash crop. Your decision here may influence which 1 Consider cover crops you select.

your goal(s). Do you want to improve soil quality, reduce water and wind 2 Set erosion, increase water infiltration or suppress weed growth? Narrow to one or two primary and a few secondary goals. Whether you have one or multiple goals, they will dictate — and often change — your choice of cover crop.

your homework. Seek out nearby farmers successful with cover crops, 3 Do attend regional meetings and glean information from Purdue Extension resources in your area.

online tools to help guide you. Online resources and information 4 Use are plentiful. For starters, visit the Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC) website (mcc.msu.edu), and select “Cover Crop Decision Tools.” Countyspecific information will guide you in answering important questions.

your cover crop(s) and fields. Select which field (s) you want to 5 Select start with; it is recommended to start small and grow acres with success.

Consult with knowledgeable seed suppliers who can offer details and options. Choose varieties with a proven track record in your region and don’t buy VNS (Variety Not Stated).

your planting method. Cover crops can be planted in many dif6 Choose ferent ways. Drilling provides good seed-to-soil contact and allows a mix

of cover crop seed, but is labor intensive and growers must wait until after harvest, which will be too late for some cover crops. Broadcasting with a spinner gives you the option of mixing seed with dry fertilizer and then lightly incorporating it.

To seed before cash crops are harvested, try aerial seeding or using a high-clearance cover crop seeder as crops begin to mature. A rain is helpful to get the seeding off to a quick start. Keep your seed tag(s) and record in which field each was planted.

Outperform, Outlast and Outshine

Leave a check strip. Leave one or more check strips — areas with no cov7 ered crops — so you can later assess any yield difference and soil benefits of cover crops to your farm.

opportunity to plant cover crops. A warm season mix (cocktail) can provide numerous benefits and jump start soil biology. Look for open periods in each field (corn silage, seed corn, sweet corn, etc.).

9 What, when and how you seed a cover crop are interlinked. Because

cover crops need time to get established before freezing weather, allow for that growth period when planning to plant covers after harvest. Consider planting an early maturing corn or soybean variety, which may provide up to two weeks’ earlier seeding. Two weeks of growth in September can result in a significant difference.

of a cover crop should also be a consideration when 10 Termination selecting a cover crop. Cover crops that typically winter kill, such as

diakon radish and oats, are a popular way to start if one is new to cover crops. Cereal rye can be seeded later than any other cover crop (up to early November), and is a good one if planting soybeans into it. However, if spraying is delayed due to wet weather in the spring, it can grow very rapidly and reach six or seven feet tall. Annual ryegrass is good ahead of corn, but needs to be seeded by mid-September and may winterkill if wind chills are -20 to -30 degrees with no snow cover.

Source: Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (ICCSI)

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Resources for Cover Crop Information

POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF PLANTING COVER CROPS

Cover Crops for Modern Cropping Systems – Benefits, selection, seeding and termination of cover crops, with links to additional resources. – ag.purdue.edu/agry/extension/Documents/CoverCropsOverview.pdf Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative provides definition and examples of cover crops, with emphasis on post-2012 drought – in.gov/isda/ccsi/covercrop.htm. Links to no-till/stip-till, precision farming, nutrient/pesticide management and more.

Winter Cover Crops: Their Value and Management – Advantages, selection, seeding, fertilizing, weed control, spring management and economics of cover crops -- agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/publications/ay247.htm

• Adds nitrogen and other nutrients to soil and prevents excess leaching • Assists in water quality conservation by reducing untreated effluent entering lakes, rivers, ditches and streams • Controls water and wind erosion • Controls pests and diseases while attracting and sustaining beneficial insects • Improves crop yields • Increases microorganisms in soil

Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide, second edition, is written by members of the Midwest Cover Crops Council.

Guides are $5 each. Visit ag.purdue.edu/agry/dtc/Documents/MCCFG_Sample_073114.pdf for details.

To access the Cover Crop Decision Tool-Field Crops, visit mccc.msu.edu/selectorINTRO.html. Select your state, then your county. Pull-down menus allow you to identify cover crops specific to your fields and goals, and give you reliable seeding dates for each.

NRCS Cover Crop Termination Guidelines (Non-irrigated cropland) – Includes period guidance for each growing zone and additional cover crop termination considerations – nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1167871.pdf Synergies Between Cover Crops and Corn Stover Removal – Purdue University research has shown that cover crops make corn stover more sustainable and profitable. Comparisons and benefit-cost analyses were made of six cover crops and two cover crop mixes for agronomic advantage or corn stover removal. Research is detailed in Purdue Extension publication RE7-W. Download the free 12-page publication at Purdue Extension’s Education Store (the-education-store.com).

To access resources for drought-stressed field crops, visit agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/cafe/drought/

• Protects soil from water and wind erosion • Retains soil moisture for gradual release to roots • Suppresses weed growth

Need a Purdue Field Crops Extension Specialist? Visit agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/cafe/experts.html. The page includes links to departmental Extension staff directors and to lists of state Extension specialists throughout the United States.

A 2012-2013 Cover Crop Survey (June 2013 Survey Analysis) was conducted by the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). Indiana, Illinois and Ohio had the highest number of respondents. View a summary of the survey at ctic.org/media/pdf/Cover%20Crops/SARECTIC%20Cover%20Crop%20Survey%202013.pdf.

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(Continued from page 46) “A lot of innovators, who used to seed after harvest, are aerial seeding while the crop is still standing. That kind of works, but it’s less reliable because the seed is sitting on the ground. Other folks are looking at driving through with high-clearance equipment, but that’s still in early stages of development.”

In the long run, there appear to be more benefits than drawbacks to planting cover crops. Kladivko says farmers who have planted them for awhile say their yields have increased from the nutrient recycling and soil health benefits that accrue with time. But, as with all crops, covers need management.

To further inform growers, USDA/NRCS Cover Crop Field Day is held annually throughout the United States. At the most recent Indiana field day, held Sept. 19 in Uniondale, using gypsum to enhance soil quality was discussed. The demonstration plot featured 15 types of cover crops planted after wheat harvest.

A follow-up spring 2015 field day will be held to view the cover crops’ progress and display a soil pit.

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“I think over the long term, cover crops will improve the soil and show a high yield, but sometimes you can have decreases. It’s all part of the learning curve, and comes down to specific management of cover crops or what the weather was like that year,” she says.

Cereal rye is most frequently used as cover because it can be planted the latest, she says. “It grows pretty fast in the spring, but if it happened to be a wet spring and you didn’t get it sprayed when small, and it continues to remain wet, it may get a lot bigger than you want.

“Part of the attribute of cereal rye is that it takes up any loose nitrogen in the soil. This generally isn’t a problem, if you’re planting soybeans. But if you’re planting corn, and planting it into rye that’s waist high, when it dies and starts to decompose it could be a problem by tying up soil nitrogen, and could also attract insects that like that environment. There are ways to deal with those issues, but you have to be prepared.”

It’s extremely important for farmers to do their homework, including talking with other growers who have used cover crops, Kladivko says. “There’s a lot of work and management involved in this, and if you’re not aware of everything, you could have a real mess on your hands.

“The most important thing about considering cover crops,” she says, “is to make sure you do your homework before you jump into this.” *FI

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‘Value-Added

AGRICULTURE’ The agritourism market grows throughout the Hoosier state

BY JULIE COPE SAETRE

The term “agritourism” may be trending now, but the concept has long been a state staple. In 2011, the Indiana General Assembly defined “agritourism activity” as one of three pursuits: 1. “An activity at an agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operation where the general public is allowed or invited to participate in, view or enjoy the activities…

2. An activity involving an animal exhibition at an agricultural fair 3. Natural resource-based activities and attractions…”

In short, says Martha Glass, founder of the recently launched National Agritourism Professionals Association (NAPA), “it all has to do with the farmer interacting directly with the public, without a middleman.”

50 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

If October’s warm days, cool nights and colorful leaves draw you to an area farm for a pumpkin patch, hayride or harvest market, you’re one of an increasing number of Hoosiers participating in the state’s growing agritourism market.

And while pumpkin patches and hayrides are longtime fall staples, agritourism endeavors cover a far larger range of options. It could be something as simple as a “you-pick” strawberry patch open six weeks during growing season or as complex as a year-round working farm that offers tours, classes, a store, eateries, meeting space and more. Wineries, breweries and distilleries also can fall into the category: Think tours of a hops farm or vineyard.

Some farms offer overnight stays, during which visitors sleep onsite in a cabin and help out with farm chores. One of the latest trends involves throwing farm weddings, often on scenic grounds or in a decked-out barn.

What each of these events has in common: Hosts are interacting with guests to share a taste, big or small, of life on the farm.

“Our product is the agritourism experience,” says Martha Glass, founder of National Agritourism Professionals Association (NAPA). “It can’t be held in your hand like a peanut…. Agritourism is value-added agriculture.”

Why the growth, both in the state and nationally?

The reasons are as diverse as those doing the farming, says Roy Ballard, the Purdue Extension educator in agriculture and natural resources for Hancock County and a charter member of NAPA. He

has helped to organize 15 agritoursim sessions around the state and annually at the statewide Indiana Horticultural Congress. “(For some), this is one more way for them to bring the public to their farm to buy a particular farm product, to also have an experience and maybe facilitate the purchase of other farm products.

It could be something that utilizes resources that might be available — such as a barn used for weddings — that might otherwise go unused. And some people feel it’s their mission to help educate the consumer about where their food comes from, to help them appreciate the value of farms, to understand what farms are about.

They do that almost as a community service.”

Glass has seen firsthand that growing desire by the public to re-connect with the origins of their food and share more farm-totable experiences.

“There are three generations now that are removed from having lived on a farm,” she explained. “A child goes to a farm (on a school visit), tells mom and dad what a good time they had, and the parents suggest returning with grandma or Aunt Mabel who grew up on a farm.”

As visitors seek out existing agritourism businesses, more farmers begin researching ways to meet the demand. In the first eight months of 2014, Glass fielded inquiries from 25 individuals planning to launch an agritourism farm.

“That’s big,” she says. “When you’ve got three new businesses every single month that shows you that it is growing. And these people are not, for the most part, starting from scratch. They have some money to invest, they’ve already done their homework and they know what it’s about.”

Glass founded NAPA to help farmers in the U.S. and Canada navigate the political and regulatory arenas as the agritourism industry becomes increasingly sophisticated. Based in Glass’s home

Indiana’s Events and Attractions Magazine

Go to travelindianamagazine.com to see the current happenings in agritourism across the state.

For story ideas or advertising email travelin@hnenewspapers.com or call 317-565-4553.

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 51

Farm to Fork Harvest Wine Dinner Where: Joseph Decuis Farm, 6755 E. 900 S., Columbia City When: Oct. 9 Details: Multicourse dinner celebrating the culmination of harvest season, paired with complementary wines. Wagon rides. Farm tours. Reservations required.

Cost: $150, including dinner, wine, tax and gratuity

CowtoberFest

Contact: (260) 672-1715 or josephdecuis.com/farm

Where: Fair Oaks Farm, 856 N. 600 E., Fair Oaks When: Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time.

Details: Children’s costume contest and parade. Pumpkin carving demonstration by Jonathan Neill of Food Network’s Halloween Wars. Trick-or-treating. Pumpkin-carving contest. Live music by Corey Cox. Jack-o-lantern lighting.

Cost: Free Contact: (877) 536-1194 or fofarms.com

Indiana Fields of Fear Where: Exploration Acres, 6042 Newcastle Road, Lafayette

Oktoberfest Where: Traders Point Creamery, 9101 Moore Road, Zionsville When: Oct. 11, noon to 7 p.m.

Details: Farm-inspired food, including a whole-hog roast. Live music from the Tad Robinson Band and Polka Boy. German biergarten with local artisan beers and wine tastings. Artisan Farm Market. Pony rides, hayrides, pumpkin patch, face painting and farm games.

Cost: $10. Children under age 10 free.

Fund-raiser for the Rural Historic District.

Contact: (317) 733-1700 or traderspointcreamery.com

When: Friday and Saturday evenings, dusk to 11 p.m.

Details: Haunted 18-acre corn maze.

Zombie hunters hayride. Includes admission to Exploration Acres general areas.

Cost: $22 adults, $20 children Contact: (765) 296-2863 or explorationacres.com

Experience the Farm Where: Kelsay Farms, 6848 N. County Road 250 E., Whiteland When: Friday and Saturday through Oct. 26, 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays Details: Milking tours, freestall barn, calves, corn maze, rope maze, hayrides, cornhole, pumpkins, corn crib play area

Heartland Apple Festival

Cost: $8, free for children 1 and under Contact: (317) 535-4136 or kelsayfarms.com

Where: Beasley’s Orchard & Gardens, 2304 E. Main St., Danville When: Oct. 4-5, 11-12, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays Details: Hayrides to pumpkin patch, kids’ activity zone, corn maze, wine tastings, arts and crafts vendors, live music and puppet shows, hand-dipped caramel apples and fresh-pressed apple cider Cost: $5 per vehicle Contact: (317) 745-4876 or beasleys-orchard.com

52 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Around the State No matter where you live, there’s an agritourism event close by. Here, a few top picks.

state of North Carolina, the organization provides resources and support on issues such as taxes, approaching legislators, dealing with local planning offices — even how to discuss signage issues with the local highway commissioner “Our goal,” Glass says, “is to help those farms stay sustainable, contribute to the community and line their pocketbook with a little more money so they can send their kids to college…. And the ultimate goal, of course, is to affect not only local, but regional, state and — who knows — federal legislation about how agritourism farms are treated. Because it varies from county to county within a state and from state to state. It’s all over the board.”

In 2011, Indiana state legislators recognized the importance of agritourism when the General Assembly passed a law (Indiana Code Section 34-31-9) limiting the liability that can arise from the “inherent risks of agritourism activities,” defined as “those conditions, dangers, or hazards that are an integral part of an agritourism activity.”

In Hancock County, Ballard has led an 18-month process of developing an ordinance (now under revision) to clarify agritourism’s role in the community. Not everyone, he explains, understands how agritourism contributes to an area’s economy and livability.

“We’ve had some complaints because a farmer may be doing something other than growing corn or soybeans,” he says. “He might be doing some agritourism. And the neighbors see this as not agricultural and interfering in some way with their way of life …. As everything becomes more and more urbanized, people’s visions of what country should look like differ. It’s going to be very important that we add clarity to the fact that agritoursim really is a part of agriculture.”

And as Glass stresses, not every agritourism endeavor must be all things to all people. While some large-scale, multi-acre sites encompass a variety of experiences, others can and should keep it simple.

Indiana Horticultural Congress Those interested in learning more about agritourism can attend the 2015 Indiana Horticultural Congress, Jan. 20-22, 2015. The Congress includes a comprehensive agritourism track. The Congress will convene at the Wyndham Indianapolis West, 2544 Executive Drive. Registration fees and exact schedule are being determined. For more information, visit inhortcongress.org.

“You don’t have to be a Disneyland to be an agritourism farm,” she says.

Ballard sees an emerging trend of niche experiences collectively marketing to establish themselves as a multi-stop destination, rather than one end-all, be-all operation.

“Instead of seeing each other as competition, they collaborate,” he says. “Somebody will have a bed-and-breakfast, somebody will have a winery, somebody will have farm tours, and they market themselves collaboratively. So they’re building that (overall) experience for everybody in the family.”

Whatever the endeavor, those involved in the agritourism industry expect to see an ever-expanding, ever-diverse roster of experiences in the coming years.

“It’s really open-ended,” Ballard says. “People make it fit their particular situation, their farm, their time schedule, their labor resources.

It’s across the board. There’s no one model that fits everybody.”

The appeal, Glass stated, goes to the heart of every agritourism project.

“It’s booming… it’s local and it’s a part of our patriotic love of America. It’s who we are in America. Agriculture made our country.” *FI

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FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 53

IN THE FIELD

Southeastern Purdue Agricultural Center 4425 E. Road 350N, Butlerville (812) 458-6977, ag.purdue.edu/arp/pac/Pages/ sepac-home.aspx

A

t first glance, the Southeastern Purdue Agricultural Center (SEPAC) looks like a typical farm found in Indiana.

Grain bins cluster next to pole barns filled with farm equipment — tractors, planters, combines and sprayers. A farm shop holds tools for repairs and maintenance. Fields of corn and soybeans stretch to the horizon. A closer look, though, reveals the unique properties of this research farm six miles east of North Vernon.

As part of Purdue Agriculture’s research program, SEPAC provides approximately 800 acres of cropland and 1,600 acres of woodlands for applied research that can directly impact area farmers. It contains hard-to-manage, poorly draining soils, tree plantations and established woods, and a long history of no-till farming. SEPAC was formed in 1977 when the state of Indiana transferred 830 acres to Purdue University from the Muscatatuck State Developmental Center. The state transferred another 1,600 acres to Purdue in 2005, making SEPAC the largest of the eight research farms.

Superintendent Don Biehle has worked at SEPAC since it opened. “Our purpose is to provide a location for people to do this research,” he says. “We try to provide the land, the equipment, the people, the know-how to allow them to do their research.” SEPAC hosts approximately 50 research projects each year. Biehle and his staff of Bill Maschino, Dale Bauerle and Joel Wahlman assist professors, graduate students and technicians with the research projects. In addition, a few industries such as seed or chemical companies also have research plots.

The silt loam soils found in Jennings County

54 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

The Southeastern Purdue Agricultural Center provides hundreds of acres for research

BY KAY JERNIGAN MCGRIFF PHOTOS BY JOSH MARSHALL

provide Purdue researchers the opportunity to work with soils that are not commonly found in other parts of the state. “From day one, it’s been a learning experience,” says Biehle. “Even though they knew these soils were hard to manage and they had enough foresight to try and get a research facility here, I think once we started operating, they learned even a lot more.”

Sometimes the research reveals surprising results. Biehle explains an early research project done from 1981 to 1988. The project compared the yields of corn and soybeans in different rotations using various tillage techniques: plow, chisel, disk and no-till. The researcher leading the project did not think no-till soybeans would be an effective practice. “He said we’re going to put in the test just to show people it won’t work,” Biehle says. “It’s just as good to show what doesn’t work as what does work. We’ve always said that, too. If we have a failure here, that’s good because then we can show farmers what not to do.”

Biehle pulls out a piece of yellow poster board that summarizes the results of the study. He points to the last column that shows the results for drilled soybeans planted after corn. (Drilled soybeans are planted in narrow rows, another practice that was uncommon during the 1980s.)

The no-till acres yielded 57.5 bushels per acre, higher than any other tillage method, while the plowed field yielded only 45.8 bushels per acre.

No-till farming also yielded the highest results for soybeans planted in 30-inch rows and for corn planted after soybeans.

“Almost all of the soybeans now — not all — but an awful lot of soybeans now are planted in narrow

rows,” Biehle says. “There’s an awful lot of soybeans that are planted with no-till. … We happened to be one of the first places that could test it. We helped to prove, to help get the data. That’s an example of what this whole system is supposed to do.”

Today all but approximately four acres at SEPAC are farmed with no-till practices. Almost all of the acreage used to grow corn and soybeans has been in continuous no-till for 20 years, and some fields have been in continuous no-till for 33 years. This long history of no-till farming has created a unique resource that demonstrates longterm changes in farming concerns and soil structure. “The soil has improved with that practice for various reasons,” Biehle says. “There’s been a lot learned about how to manage the soil without any kind of tillage. That’s kind of an underlying aspect of a lot of the work that we do, too.”

One difference that no-till farming creates is with the weed spectrum. Biehle holds up his thumb and forefinger to demonstrate the size of a large seed like a cocklebur. “You take a weed that has a large seed, and it drops that seed,” he explains.

“That seed won’t grow there if it’s on no-till because it’s too large and doesn’t have good seed-to-soil contact.” He brings his thumb and finger close together. “Now some of the smaller seeds like foxtail … will still germinate just on the surface.”

Across U.S. 50 to the south, the drainage tiles buried two feet below the surface reveal another change caused by continuous no-till. At the end of the field near the road, small white buildings contain instruments that measure and record the amount and rate of water drainage after each rainfall. Over the years of no-till farming, the rate

Public Access and Hunting at SEPAC SEPAC is the only Purdue research farm that allows public access and hunting on its property. Public access is allowed on the 1,600 acres north of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center. Before this land was transferred to Purdue University in 2005, it was managed by the Department of Natural Resources. When the land was transferred, Purdue University agreed to continue to allow hunting and public access. There are several guidelines visitors to this area should keep in mind.

There is no cost, but a permit is required. The permit application can be found on SEPAC’s website. The application asks for name, address and phone number.

The permit gives access for hunting, hiking, bird watching, mushroom gathering and other similar activities.

Visitors must follow all hunting laws and regulations.

Maps showing the public access areas are available on the SEPAC website. Hunting and public access are not allowed on the SEPAC farmstead and surrounding fields.

Visitors who request a permit for a second year will be asked to complete a brief survey describing their experiences at SEPAC during the previous year.

A soybean test field. ABOVE: Superintendent Don Biehle at one of the first research sites located on the SEPAC property. CIRCLE: A soybean plant exhibiting sudden death syndrome being researched. The syndrome was discovered in Arkansas in 1971, but has now spread throughout most of North Central America. OPPOSITE PAGE: Corn grows in a test field.

of drainage has increased due to the buildup of earthworm populations.

“We’ve got very high earthworm populations,” Biehle explains. “The reason we have that is because we’re not doing tillage. We’re not disturbing their habitat. They develop a channel that goes through the soil all the way up to the surface.

With no-till, we’re leaving that there. We’re not tearing it up and disturbing it.”

Most of the research at SEPAC focuses on corn and soybeans. Research studies have included nitrogen application, seed varieties, weed control, planting dates and water drainage.

Other agronomic crops studied include alfalfa, oats, canola, grain sorghum and oil-producing sunflowers. At times, SEPAC has hosted research on alternative crops, including growing medicinal herbs, such as ginseng and Echinacea, and growing flowers, such as zinnias and sunflowers.

Forestry provides more opportunities for research at SEPAC. Former Purdue Extension forester Jack Siefert did a lot of research on establishing tree plantations during the years he was at SEPAC. Small tree plantations on hilly land and other small corners not suitable for corn and soybeans made effective use of those acres. When Purdue acquired the 1,600 acres north of the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, it gained established timberland for forestry research.

Jewell Yeager continues to provide support for the Purdue Department of Forestry as well as support for Rob Chapman, the Purdue Extension forest wildlife specialist who has an office at SEPAC. Biehle works with Purdue Extension staff to get the word about the latest research at SEPAC out to area farmers. They can come see the results of the research at field days throughout the year.

“We’ve got the facilities,” Biehle says. “We’ve got the plots and things to show. We work with extension people to do the advertising.” About 150 to

200 people attend field days annually. Researchers also make their results available through printed publications that are available through county extension offices and on Purdue University’s website. SEPAC also hosts diagnostic training days for representatives from commercial providers, such as co-ops and seed companies.

The development of global positioning systems (GPS) paired with computer software has changed the way research is done at SEPAC. In the past, researchers relied on farming small plots to keep uniform field conditions so they could test a single variable. These small plots had to be farmed with small equipment or even by hand. Even though the data was valid, it was hard to transfer to a large farming operation. “Lots of times the farmers would look at that and say, ‘That’s not how we do it, so I don’t believe you,’” Biehle explains. Now with the precise location provided by a GPS receiver, a computer on each tractor or other equipment can track research plots within a larger field. Not only can the computer program track the differences in yield in different areas within the field, it can also treat blocks within the field differently by applying fertilizers or pesticides at varying rates to different areas. Biehle and his staff can farm the fields using full-size equipment similar to what farmers use in their own fields.

As GPS and technology for precision agriculture become more widely available, farmers can use it to analyze the data from their own fields to increase their yields. “So not only can we use it for research,” Biehle says. “We’re saying to the farmer, you can do your own. It’s not just how the soils in Jennings County are. It’s how it works in your own field.”

In addition to providing land, equipment and labor for agricultural research projects, SEPAC is a working farm. After the corn dries and the soybeans ripen in the fields, Biehle and his staff will harvest the field and sell the crops. Money from crop sales funds the buildings, equipment, maintenance and everything needed to keep the farm running. Staff salaries are the only things funded through state tax money. Purdue professors may also receive grants to fund some research projects.

As farming practices and technology continue to evolve, SEPAC will continue to provide the location, knowledge and labor to host applied research in agronomics and forestry. The research done over the past 37 years has changed farming practices. “What’s even more amazing is what’s going to happen in the next 30 years,” Biehle says. *FI

FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 55

A Visit to the Farm …on a City Bus

Tyler Gough’s Indy Urban Acres

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY JIM POYSER

In Indianapolis, where I live, I am fortunate to know numerous urban farmers — from Amy Matthews (South Circle Farms), who runs a farm just south of downtown, to Matthew Jose (Big City Farms), Laura and Tyler Henderson (Growing Places Indiana), Tim Dorsey (Center for Urban Ecology, Butler University) and Kay Grimm and Sue Spicer of Fruit Loop Acres.

Actually, I could nearly fill this entire column with a list of local farmers whom I admire. These farmers are turning brownfields, vacant lots, lawns and other forgotten spaces into sources of nutrition and education.

When I joined Earth Charter Indiana just over a year ago, I had no idea I’d be dealing so often with food

issues, but that’s what kids in schools want to talk about: good, nutritious grub. Since food has a certain, um, importance to our lives, I’m rolling with it.

Many of these urban farmers consider education as important as growing food. When I reach out to farmers to request a visit from a school or a group, the answer is always yes.

This summer, in one week’s time, I visited Tyler Gough’s Indy Urban Acres twice. The second visit was with our Climate Camp, a story you can read in a previous issue of Farm Indiana. The first visit, I venture, was a bit more of an adventure, because the young people — participants in a summer camp in Fountain Square — traveled to Indy Urban Acres on a city bus.

A tsunami of kids

Indianapolis is maligned for its under-developed public transportation system. It’s a self-reinforcing loop: with little tax revenue and a constant drubbing of bad publicity — mostly associated with long waits — Indy residents avoid the bus.

I don’t avoid the bus. In fact, this past winter, given the cold weather, I couldn’t keep bicycling to work, so I embraced the bus, though not literally. It was my first regular use of this transportation option. After a few trips, I became quite comfortable and began to under-

stand the true joy of hopping on a bus, reading a book or watching the world go by. My rides, however, were direct routes. In other words, I never transferred from one bus to another to reach a destination.

Not until this trip with the summer camp, however.

How’d this come about? Summer camp leader Tiffany Boyd agreed with my suggestion that Indy Urban Acres would be a great destination, given that her campers had been working the community garden located next to the Southeast Community Services Youth Center in Fountain Square.

As Boyd and I discussed this potential trip, I learned that not only had her nearly two dozen campers (age 9 to 16) been tending a garden, they’d also been mastering the IndyGo bus system.

We wondered aloud: Why not combine the two for a day’s adventure of food and public transportation?

And so we did. And it was a day I will always remember for its sheer, well, lunacy.

We boarded a bus in Fountain Square and headed for downtown Indianapolis, a short jaunt away. From there, we made a fairly quick — 15 minutes — transfer to a bus headed east to Indy Urban Acres.

The trip lasted around 90 minutes.

Imagine you are a bus rider and suddenly, two dozen kids board, a tsunami of energy and laughter. You’re

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accustomed to a quieter environment; perhaps you only rarely get into a conversation with a fellow rider. Now you find yourself in the middle of a giant party.

It felt like that to me. I watched the adults on the bus eye the flood of youth energy with alarm. Soon, smiles broke out on their faces. I saw the kids interact with the adults on the bus, explaining what they were doing. It was a raucous, ridiculously fun affair.

On the farm

The bus dropped us but a block away from Indy Urban Acres. Gough was there to greet us. The camp kids gathered around him as he gave them an overview of his farm.

Sitting on eight acres, Indy Urban Acres donates 100 percent of its fresh veggies and fruit to local food pantries through its partnership with Gleaners Food Bank. Indy Urban Acres is officially part of the Indy Parks system, so as Gough is fond of reminding guests, they can come to the farm and pick vegetables whenever they want.

I couldn’t help thinking that some of these kids were probably intimately aware of the need for food banks and food assistance, that there was food insecurity in their neighborhoods, perhaps even in their homes.

Gough described the apple orchard he’s growing, with apples not yet mature enough to eat. He showed the camp-

ers the nearby community garden that is linked — literally and philosophically — just a few dozen yards away.

We walked deeper into the farm, encountering rows of flourishing produce. Gough’s favorite is heirloom tomatoes, in part because of their connection to a past where food was always grown organically.

As he described his zest for heirloom tomatoes, we occasionally strained to hear him, as Indy Urban Acres is directly adjacent to Interstate 70, complete with the roaring sounds of traffic. We wondered aloud how many drivers even knew they were zooming past a productive farm full, today, of children.

There were lots of other things growing, including corn, peppers, onions and zucchini. Flowers were growing, too, which is great for the bees, which Gough is also “growing,” so to speak, in the nearby apiary. The students were especially impressed with the hoop house, where Gough can grow food year-round. Well, perhaps it was me who was most impressed with the hoop house. I think the students liked the next — and final — stop of the tour.

Before we left, Gough’s most effective teaching tool was unveiled. He got the students to take a small canvas bag and fill it with dirt. Next he handed them two green bean seeds that they subsequently planted in their own system.

This was their takeaway from a visit to his farm, an actual growing thing. To show off, to tend, to watch

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grow and to, eventually, eat.

It was no small task to commandeer these bags of dirt and seed back to Fountain Square — another 90-minute journey.

A sleepy ride home

I was exhausted on the way home. I wasn’t alone.

I saw a number of kids slump in their seats, their green bean beds tilting dangerously in their laps. A couple of the campers, sisters, slumped onto each other, sleeping in a way they’ve probably been enjoying since they were infants.

The journey back was not quite as hilarious as the journey there, but it was no less revelatory to me.

Gazing around the bus, I marveled. Each of these kids demonstrated an ease with the bus system better than most adults I know. Fearless and able, they will grow up with public transportation as a first choice, instead of an afterthought.

Navigating public transportation is a useful skill, quite possibly as useful as knowing where good food is grown, how it’s grown, why it’s grown and how you can grow it yourself. *FI Jim Poyser is executive director of Earth Charter Indiana.

He can be reached at jimpoyser@earthcharterindiana.org.

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Local Food

To Your Door

Greenfield’s Frosty Mug gets a new owner, a new look and a new menu

BY CLINT SMITH | PHOTO BY TAMBASCO PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF THE MUG

L

ast winter, it seemed Frosty Mug, a cherished curbside hot dog and burger joint in Greenfield, was headed for a dismal future when it wound up on the sheriff ’s auction block.

But entrepreneur-turned-farmer Chris Baggott wasn’t ready to see that happen. Baggott, the owner of Tyner Pond Farm in Hancock County, where poultry, pigs and cattle are pasture-raised, placed a winning bid on the property. He has since worked to rebuild the business “pretty much from the ground up,” he says.

With the re-envisioned Frosty Mug — now known as The Mug — Baggott has two main goals.

“The first is to become as vertically integrated as possible,” he explains. “Calves will be born on our farms and sold as sandwiches just a few miles away.” The second: “To have a good place to eat on a summer night,” he says. “I want to eat where the food is purchased based on quality and source and not simply because it’s the cheapest.”

At the helm of The Mug’s kitchen is Greenfield native chef Michael Tambasco. “He (Tambasco) has an inspiring menu that (offers) amazing taste and quality,” says Baggott. Tambasco’s wife, Abi, who serves as vice president and general manager of Real Food LLC, will help to operate The Mug. “We have 100 percent grass-fed burgers, pork burgers, a Cuban sandwich, apple-and-brie grilled cheese, sloppy joes, pulled pork and chicken sandwiches,” Abi says.

These are items one would find at a traditional drive-in, she adds, “only way better.”

Also on the menu are root beer floats, sundaes and bacon-wrapped apple chips, Abi says. The apples are supplied by Tuttle Orchards. Sundae’s from Geist has created two special flavors for The Mug: Tyner Pond Farm Maple Bacon ice cream and Husk Sweet Corn ice cream. Indy’s Triton Brewery crafts The Mug’s root beer.

All the food, Baggott says, is locally sourced when possible. Tyner Pond Farm and local partners supply the meat for the restaurant, and Hidden Acres Fruit Farm in Wilkinson provides fresh, in-season vegetables.

Inside The Mug is a bar with stools for eight people, and outdoor seating accommodates approximately 70 customers.

Eighteen parking spots are available throughout the lot.

And while many aspects of a traditional drive-in still exist, there have been some notable updates.

“We aren’t your typical drive-in,” says Abi. “We are a modern twist on the drive-in, but we still give you the nostalgic experience.

We have the menu boxes so ‘Mug Hops’ are notified when a customer needs assistance.”

And those Mug Hops are leaving the pen and paper to take your orders at home. “We actually provide each Mugstress with an iPad and a card swiper so all the transactions are done in the parking lot, down to the payment,” Abi explains. To save paper, receipts can be emailed. “The customer can sign on the iPad, and, voila, transaction complete.” *FI

Photo by Randy Dugger 58 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

In–Cider Tips

Keep the kids and adults both satisfied with the following cider recipes, provided by Cassie Anderson of Lee’s Orchard in Columbus (leesorchard.com).

FOR THE GROWNUPS:

Hot Buttered Rumba 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar 1½ teaspoons soft butter Pinch each of ground cloves, allspice and cinnamon 1/3 cup apple cider ¼ cup dark rum In a small saucepan, melt brown sugar and butter together over low heat. Stir in spices. Add cider and heat through until steam is visible. Do not boil. Pour hot cider into mug and stir vigorously. Stir in rum. Top with fresh whipped cream. Serves one; double or triple ingredients as needed.

Cider Slushie Using a Cuisinart ice cream maker or similar device, pour desired amount of cider into freezer bowl, turn machine on and let mix for 15 to 20 minutes until thick and slushy (soda or other juices work as well). Serve immediately, or if desired, transfer to an air-tight container and store in freezer. Remove from freezer at least 20 minutes before serving.

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Sogno Della Terra bakery. INSET: Melissa Ammon.

Local Food

Soup’s On

S

ogno della Terra in downtown Columbus is a modest, artisan bakeshop and coffeehouse with a faithful following. But more than that, Sogno della Terra, which translates to “Dream of the Earth,” is a manifest culmination of owner Melissa Ammon’s childhood experiences with her family, living along Sugar Creek. Of course, growing up in the agrarian playground of the country came with requisite chores, and everyone pitched in.

“As the sun rose and my uncle was handing out hammers and nails, my aunt was handing out baskets and buckets,” recalls Ammon. While the adults headed toward the lumber shed, the younger family members would wander to the garden.

By noontime there were mouths to feed. “Month by month the menus changed,” Ammon says. “In spring, there were the steel bowls of bitter lettuces wilted with vinegar and bacon grease.”

And in the summer, along with the “itchy ankles” from stinging nettles, she recalls eating heaps of charred, roasted ears of corn served with coffee cans of melted butter.

Ammon refers to autumn as the “golden hour” of Hoosier cuisine — “just before the proverbial frost on the punkin’,” she says.

“My aunt would … wade out into the weedy gardens with us to root barefooted through the scruffy lost rows for … honey-sweet tomatoes, hidden butternut squash, bulging cabbage split by a late rain, and laden with our bounty we were all directed back to The Pit,” a wall of cinderblocks, Ammon explains, with an oven rack on top. “Under that rack … a roaring fire fueled a boiling, granite canner.”

And it was in this cauldron-like canner that Ammon’s family concocted its “End of the Garden” soup. They used everything they could from the family garden — each usable scrap, every cob of sweet corn, onions, potatoes. “It all went in,” she says.

“And what came out was magic.” *FI

End of the Garden Soup

1 large winter squash, peeled and diced ½ head cabbage, cut in chunks 2 cups cut corn kernels To taste, the last of the garden’s green beans 4 cups chopped tomatoes 2 cups medium-diced potatoes 1 tablespoon salt To taste, cracked pepper Water for consistency A handful of fresh basil Add a small amount of oil to a large pot over mediumhigh heat. Add all garden ingredients (except for fresh basil), season and stir; add enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring mixture to a simmer, check flavor to adjust seasonings. Continue simmering until potatoes are tender. Wait until the end to add basil. Check seasonings one more time before serving.

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FAMILY RESTAURANT 60 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

“There is nothing else … I would rather be doing,” says Betsy Bassett, proprietor of The Beehive in Danville, of her involvement with the cafe and eatery. While she’s realized her goal at a particularly young age, only 24, it’s been a “journey” to establish exactly how that dream would be defined.

Bassett lived in Bloomington for four years, where she developed a passion for cooking. She eventually moved to Danville, both because of family that lives in the area and the “sense of community” that can be found there.

With rotating lunch selections available Sunday through Friday, The Beehive is open daily. Here, Bassett shares a versatile and user-friendly recipe, ideal for pairing with fruit compotes, fillings or sweetened whipped cream.

RECIPE: Honey Shortbread 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons honey (plus additional for glazing) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar As needed, coarse sea salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Let dough chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cut out with a 4-inch round cookie cutter and lightly glaze with honey and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. (Be careful to not overbake.)

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FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 61

Local Food Bill Julian

Cooks in the Kitchen

BY CLINT SMITH | PHOTOS COURTESY OF R.J. WALL

When native Hoosier and restaurant veteran R.J. Wall returned from a sojourn to Chicago several years ago, he took stock of the culinary climate throughout Indianapolis and noticed something: The local food culture was overdue for calibration. “I felt like cooks around here weren’t getting to know other cooks,” says Wall. “They just weren’t hanging out with other cooks.” The result was a stagnation of communication, an isolation of ideas. So, during the frigid, winter doldrums of 2014, Wall, along with his culinary collaborator, Andrew Whitmoyer (Bluebeard), articulated a proposition to solving the problem: What if we concocted an event where local, lesser-known line cooks could directly connect with an eager audience of hungry Hoosiers? The solution: Chef ’s Night Off Indy.

It’s the peak of lunch rush at La Margarita in Fountain Square as Wall, 35, strolls over and takes a seat under the slanted shade cast by a patio table umbrella. This neighborhood, Fountain Square, along with Fletcher Place down the street, has undergone both subtle and overt transformations over the past few years. It’s a perfect spot to chat with Wall.

Chef ’s Night Off is a series of “pop up” dinners hosted and organized by Wall and Whitmoyer. The events rotate from guest restaurant to guest restaurant (the inaugural dinner took place just down the street at the newly opened Thunderbird), with a different cast of cooks appearing on each occasion to prepare dinners. There are a limited and varied number of tickets for each evening; so when the announcement goes out each month, it’s survival of the fittest for eager attendees.

With a disarming, “Don’t Tread On Me” demeanor, Wall is equal parts Merle Haggard outlaw and hard-core rapper, peppered with philosophies on culinary craftsmanship, all wrapped up in full sleeves of tattooed ink. Any preconceived air of pretension dissipates. “I like my motorcycle, music and food,” he says.

“I’m anti fine-dining.”

Wall’s first food service gig was washing dishes at a local Noble Roman’s. “Everyone wants to over-accessorize experiences,” he says. “Tablecloths are wasteful and cost too much money — drives the price of food up.”

In his formative years, it didn’t take long for Wall to move through the ranks of the restaurant scene, eventually finding his niche in the front of the house. In particular, Wall cites his tenure at 14 West and the tutelage of executive chef Layton Roberts (now helming the kitchen of

62 // FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014

Union 50). “(Roberts) really taught me how to understand food from a hedonistic standpoint,” says Wall, who recalls one moment in particular when the chef unveiled a batch of pig face hash. “I remember him looking at me and saying, ‘It tastes like Christmas morning.’”

And for Wall, the confluence of culinary craftsmanship, sensory immersion and intrinsic experience was a revelation. “That’s when it changed,” he says, “that’s when it all clicked for me.”

Since, Wall has honed his skills. And with Whitmoyer sharing a vision of sustainability, Chef ’s Night Off has an underlying philosophy of culinary responsibility. “It’s just an expectation,” says Wall, that Chef ’s Night Off is involved with cooks who are organically minded. “The people we’re working with,” he adds, “practice 100 percent organic.”

And with each event, Wall has the unique opportunity to educate open-minded Hoosiers. He cites Growing Places Indy — a local nonprofit, dedicated to cultivating the culture of urban agriculture and strengthening food and farm networks — as an organization that has been sourced for nearly every occasion. “I like to watch how everyone makes friends,” says Wall of the dinners — not just among cooks but among guests. “We usually sit them at communal tables, and by the second course they’re already talking among strangers.”

Wall’s vision isn’t solely limited to Indy. The Midwest, as he sees it, is an arena for growth. “We’re trying to do our own thing,” he says. “We are not using any groups as models, and we’ve been working with cooks in Louisville for an upcoming event. We’re looking at doing three cooks from Indy and three cooks from Louisville.”

Flat 12 Bierworks is set to host the October dinner, with riffs on barbecue taking center stage. And though previous proceeds have been donated to Indy-based organizations (Project Endure, Slow Food Indy and Be Public among them), Hoosiers don’t necessarily need to purchase tickets to support local food culture. In fact, it’s something that can be done by everyone on a daily basis. “Go to any local artisan,” says Wall, “talk to farmers who embrace organic practices … and ask the right questions about your food — get to know your farmers.”

Before wrapping up the interview, Wall submits one last piece of practical advice: “Invite your family and friends over to your place,” he says. “Do some pitch-ins and potlucks.” Whether getting to know local strangers or reconnecting with lifelong friends, for Wall eating is about an impromptu, stripped-down, intimate event. “There’s no better food experience than that. You can’t buy that sort of thing. It just happens.” *FI Stay tuned for upcoming announcements at facebook.com/ChefsNightOffIndianapolis.

Chef’s Night Off Indy facebook.com/ChefsNightOffIndianapolis R.J. Wall rj@chefsnightoffindy.com (317) 840-3898

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FARM INDIANA // OCTOBER 2014 // 63