WC 02/13

BY ELAINE SCHWELLER-SNYDER

FORT LORAMIE - Growingup on a dairy farm, LeroyMeyer of Fort Loramie learnedabout milking cows throughhands-on experience at a youngage. Classes at Fort LoramieHigh School and the Joint Vo-cational School helped himwith record keeping and otheraspects of the dairy business,but the primary teacher whoprepared him for his futurewas his dad.Meyer and his wife Rose

have their own farm now, justdown the road from where hegrew up with six brothersand four sisters. Three of hisbrothers have dairy farmstoo. “All my siblings livenearby,” said Meyer. “It isnice to be close to family andalthough we aren’t all in thedairy business, we all cer-tainly understand what it isall about because we grewup on the farm.”As Meyer began farming

in the 1990’s, increasing health concernsabout commercial dairy methods were pushing somefarmers to explore organic. This enlightened con-sumer awareness was driven by several factors, in-cluding the 1994 development of genetically modifiedbovine growth hormone; corn, soybean, and othercrops treated with synthetic pesticides being fed tolivestock; and greater use of synthetic medicationsfor animals including hormones, antibiotics, andsteroids. (www.extension.org)Today, organic dairy has joined organic fruits, veg-

etables, grains, and meat in a growing movementbuilt on the fundamental belief that healthy soilslead to healthy crops, healthy animals, healthy peo-ple, and a healthy planet.For Meyer, the decision to go organic was the right

choice. “I did the commercial dairy thing for 12 yearsbut I didn’t feel the need for chemicals so I stoppedusing them,” said Meyer. “My farming philosophy wastotally aligned with going organic, so in 2007, I be-came certified.”

Before a product can be certified as organic, it mustbe produced on land that is free of chemicals for aminimum of three years, with paperwork to back upthe claim. An organic farm faces an annual inspec-tion by an independent third-party inspection teamthat reports to a local agency that enforces the Na-tional Organic Program of the United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA).The USDA book of rules and regulations includes

the following standards: cows and calves are fed100% organic feed; organic crops, hay, and pastureare grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers andpesticides that have not been carefully screened andapproved; non-natural feed additives and supple-ments such as vitamins and minerals must also beapproved; genetically modified organisms are strictlyforbidden; calves must be fed organic milk; all ani-mals must have access to outdoor grazing land,weather permitting; antibiotics are not allowed and

See Organic/page 2

of West Central Ohio

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDCOLUMBUS, OHPERMIT NO 1070

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THIS EDITIONInsideInside

� Virtualfarmer’s Market

page 4

� Farmers &heart health

page 6

� Training is achallengepage 7

� CountryCookin’page 5

� Ohio Fairdates setpage 15

Editor Jeff Billiel welcomes suggestions from readers ofACRES of West Central Ohio.

Forward your comments and/or story ideas to him onlineat [email protected].

Letters to the editor will also be considered forpublication in ACRES and may be emailed to the sameaddress. Letters and comments may also be sent viaUSPS to Editor, ACRES of West Central Ohio,

c/o Sidney Daily News, 1451 N. Vandemark Road,Sidney, OH 45365.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2F E B R U A R Y

LEROY MEYER of the Fort Loramie area in Shelby Countyfeeds his dairy cows hay raised without benefit of

pesticides or other chemicals. Meyer moved to organicdairy farming due to health concerns associated with

traditional commercial dairy methods.

SDN Photo/ELAINE SCHWELLER-SNYDER

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BY LOLA E. BILLIEL

SIDNEY - Today’s farm tractors are high-poweredpieces of sophisticated machinery geared for thefarmer in the 21st century. As with tractors of yester-year, they have an important place in agriculturethroughout the world, and especially in the UnitedStates. From the 1890s to now, farm equipment hasevolved to do more and meet the increased de-mands of larger

farms. Yet there is still a place for the old-time equip-ment on many farms, and especially in the barns andhearts of people who want to restore and preservevintage tractors for future generations.Among them is Larry Helman of rural Sidney, in

Shelby County, who has a lifelong passion for MasseyFerguson tractors, mainly due to the influence of his

father, Dave Helman.The elder Helman wasa Massey Fergusondealer from 1964 to1981. He presentseach of his great-grandchildren with achild’s model pedaltractor. Larry, havingthree grandchildren,then locates a full-size tractor thatmatches the child’smodel and restoresit to eventually begiven to the grand-child.The first such toy

tractor was givento Larry’s grand-son, Owen Hel-man, by Larry’sfather. It was apedal tractor

TO20, whichlaunched Larry on

a hunt for the full-size version of the same model. He found one at a

farm auction in Covington. “It was in very rough con-dition; it ran, but not well,” Larry recalls. But he pur-chased it and began the long restoration process. Hetotally disassembled it, replacing all the bolts, in-stalling a new clutch, overhauling the engine and in-stalling a new radiator. All the sheet metal and thefuel tank was sandblasted and new steering bush-ings, steering shafts and brakes installed, amongother things. The tractor has its four original tires,two front wheels and all original sheet metal. Larrydid replace the two rear wheels and installed all newelectrical wiring and a new battery. “I paid $900 forthe tractor at auction and have put about $4,000 init, but it would probably sell for $4,500,” he noted. Hepaid $700 for the TO20 paint alone. Larry worked onthe project from the fall of 2011 to the spring of 2012.Close to a million of the model were manufactured.The one restored by Larry carries serial number331188.Another grandson, Miles, was presented with an

1100 Massey Ferguson pedal tractor and Larry pur-chased a full-size 1100 in Tawawa, and is presentlyrestoring it. While driving by one day he noticed itsitting in weeds by a barn, stopped and offered$1,000 for it. Once this tractor is restored it couldlikely sell for between $7,000 and $9,000, Larrynoted. Owen and Miles are the sons of Eric andDanielle Helman of Sidney.A third grandson, Emory, son of Sarah and Jason

Tuente, received a Massey Harris 30 from his great-grandfather and Larry will be restoring the full-sizemodel, with the help of the boy’s father. The tractorwas purchased in Wapakoneta and was sitting in thebarn of a divorced couple. He gave $450 and says “it

See Tractors/page 2

Family works to save old tractors from scrap heap

PHOTO PROVIDED

LARRY HELMAN of the

Sidney area sits on a

Massey Ferguson TO2O

tractor that he restored,

while his grandson, Owen

Helman, emulates Grandp

a

by sitting on the same

model, in miniature.

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Interest being passed down to next generation

COLUMBUS - Farmers, growers, farmers marketmanagers, vendors and anyone else interested infarmers markets can learn tips for increasing a cus-tomer base, determine how to prepare for a disasterand get updates on key food safety regulations dur-ing a Farmers Market Conference March 11-12, or-ganizers said.Ohio State University South Centers will host the

statewide conference as part of an effort to continueto offer new ideas, best practices and information toand from Ohio's farmers markets and vendors, saidChristie Welch, farmers market specialist at OSUSouth Centers at Piketon.The conference will be held at the Nationwide and

Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred TaylorDrive, on Ohio State's main campus in Columbus.The theme for the conference, now in its fourth

year, is "Keeping it Fresh: Celebrating Ohio's Diverse

Markets," and will feature several workshops andsessions designed to offer education relevant to ad-vancing today's farmers market managers, vendorsand producers statewide,Welch said.The conference will offer group sessions as well as

breakout sessions focusing on managers, vendors ornew markets, she said.The conference is sponsored by OSU South Cen-

ters, CFAES, Farmers Market Management Network(FMMN) and Easton Farmers Market.

Registration for the statewide conference is $70per day or $95 for both days for FMMN members.The cost for non-members is $80 per day, or $120 forboth days.Registration includes refreshments, lunch and

handouts. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5p.m. on March 11 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 12.Registration can be done online at ohiofarmers-

markets.osu.edu. For more information, contactMelissa Carter at 740-289-2071, ext. 222.

Acres of West Central Ohio • February 2013 • Page 2

of West Central OhioAugust 2012

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only approved health care products can be used; andanimals may not be fed any slaughter by-products,urea, or manure.Meyer’s cows eat a variety of grasses and legumes,

including alfalfa, orchard grasses, and sorghum, mostof which Meyer grows on his 120-acre farm. Forseven months of the year, the cows graze in the pas-ture, but in the colder months, they feed in the barn.Grasses make up three-fourths of their diet with theother fourth coming from grains like barley, ear corn,oats, and spelts, a species of wheat. Meyer growsabout 30% of the grains and purchases the rest.Organic farmers control pests and rodents the old

fashioned way, with cats and mousetraps. As for weedcontrol, Meyer said that it can be accomplished withconsistent mowing and tilling of the land, along withnatural grazing by the cows. Good crop rotations areimportant too because weeds that thrive in one cropmay not thrive in another, so if crops are rotatedoften, young weeds do not have time to get estab-lished.Meyer has 50 cows of assorted breeds that range in

age from 2 to 11. He milks by machine twice a day, 12cows at a time. Cows give milk ten months of theyear, then spend two months “dry” while waiting tocalf. Meyer calves in the spring and the fall, meaningthat for six months of the year, only half of the herdis milking. Some of the calves will replace older cowsin the herd, others are sold to neighboring farms, andstill others are butchered.Meyer sells his raw milk to the Organic Valley Co-

operative, a Wisconsin-based company that marketsorganic milk and milk products throughout theUnited States, especially in larger cities and alongthe East Coast. “A semi truck picks up my milk everyother day and most of it is processed by Smith Dairyin Richmond, Indiana, and then marketed throughOrganic Valley,” said Meyer.Organic Valley handles a number of organics in-

cluding meat, but milk is their main product. Whilecommercial milk is often made into other productslike cheese and cottage cheese, most organic milkstays fluid. “People who are into organic prefer to eat‘raw’, that is they want products that have the least

amount of processing,” said Meyer.Not only are organic foods more healthy, but the

idea of reducing the amount of chemicals that con-taminate the soil and water supply is yet another ef-fort to purify the environment or in popular lingo, “gogreen.”On its website (www.organicvalley.coop), Organic

Valley lists six reasons why consumers should chooseorganic. Organic is higher in vital nutrients. Organicdoes not use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers whichcan contaminate food and contribute to soil degrada-tion. Organic reduces human exposure to dangerouschemicals like growth hormones. Organic does notuse antibiotics which when overused can lead to an-tibiotic resistant infections in animals and people.Organic does not use genetically engineered cropsthat impact ecosystems and human health. Organicpromotes quality care that ensures that animals arehealthy and productive, naturally.Despite the obvious health benefits, Meyer esti-

mates that there are only a dozen organic dairyfarms in Shelby, Mercer, and Darke Counties, a verysmall percentage of the total number of dairy farms.Most organic farms are smaller than commercial

ones because as Meyer said, “You can’t cultivate asmany acres as you can with chemical spray. The out-put per acre may be less, but the lifespan for organiccows to produce milk is usually longer, resulting incost savings over time.” He also indicated that theprice he gets for his product is higher than commer-cial because of its quality, and the time and effort re-quired to meet the strict organic standards.This means that organic products may cost more

at the supermarket, but Meyer says that is also be-cause of supply and demand. Health conscious con-sumers and environmentalists are increasing thedemand, but the supply has not caught up, so pricesremain high.“The prices will drop at some point,” said Meyer.

“I’m convinced that the organic market will continueto grow as more and more people see it as a healthierchoice.”

Elaine Schweller-Snyder writes for theSidney Daily News.

runs, but is rough”.Not only does Larry restore various models of trac-

tors, but has a passion for Massey Ferguson historyas well. “Henry Ford and Harry Ferguson built thehydraulic system for tractors,” Larry noted. “WhenFord died, his company stole the hydraulic systemfrom Ferguson and Ferguson sued Ford’s companyand won the lawsuit for over a million dollars.Massey Ferguson then gave Harry Ferguson a fac-tory to build tractors in. Around 1957 Massey Fergu-son took over the manufacturing process.” Helmanexplained the model letters as follows: “T” for tractor,“O” for Ontario, Canada, and “TE” for tractor andEnglish built.Working at Maplewood Implement for the past 40

years, Larry has been around Massey Ferguson mostof his life. He says he knows lots of people across thecountry with parts and that is definitely a plus whenyou’re into restoring. He has restored other tractorsand farm implements, as well as a 1970 Mustang,which he sold to a Michigan resident. He has pur-chased tractors from Texas and Nebraska, as wellstates surrounding Ohio. Besides Massey Fergusons,he also has other models set aside for future restora-tion. He said when he retires he will have 14 tractorsto restore. He also hopes to attend more tractorshows at that time.Helman and his wife, Bernice, have showed their

tractors at the Lake Loramie Antique ThreshingSwap Meet, have been invited to display at the FarmScience Review in London and showed at the Na-tional Show in Findlay, where more than 300 MasseyFergusons were on display. He also takes his tractorsto the Shelby County Fair each year for their antiquetractor show. Larry belongs to the Shelby County An-tique Power Association and the Massey Harris Fer-guson Club of Ohio.While he admires the sophisticated models cur-

rently being produced, making them better able toserve modern farm needs, he acknowledges an endur-ing affection and respect for the old workhorse mod-els of days gone by. His goal is to help preserve themand educate people about their history.

Lola Billiel writes for theSidney Daily News.

Tractorscontinued from page 1

Organic continued from page 1

Fairlawn FFA receivesFood For Thought grant

SIDNEY - The Fairlawn High School FFA Chapter has been awarded a$500 Food For Thought Grant from the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Pro-gram.

The purpose of the grant is to incorporate healthy eating initiatives andprograms in schools throughout Ohio.

Only seven FFA chapters in Ohio were rewarded with this grant.In order to receive the grant, the chapter had to write a proposal for a

healthy eating program to implement.The chapter plans on purchasing a hydroponics unit to grow crops

using water media and implement a learning program for elementarystudents and students enrolled in the plant science course.

Salute to youth

The desire to preserve old-time farm and related equip-ment is not limited to LarryHelman, who has 14 tractorswaiting for him to restore.There are a number of otherpeople in west-central Ohio whoalso are fond of the old equip-ment and want to see it pre-served. This shared interesthas resulted in the creation ofthe Shelby County AntiquePower Association, whichbrings together people with acommon interest.Rick Ike of Jackson Center,

treasurer of the group, ex-plains that the purpose of theorganization is to restore andpreserve old tractors and farmmachinery. The group sets upa large display at the ShelbyCounty Fair each year so peo-ple can view and learn howfarming was handled indecades past.There are 70 members in

the association - some with acasual interest in the an-tique equipment and otherswho are into actually restor-ing pieces. The organizationhas been in existence for 25years. Social aspects involvea monthly meeting, some-times a meal, with the en-joyment of being togetherand sharing a common in-terest in old equipment. Speakers also present pro-grams such as how to sandblast old pieces and howto paint restored machinery.Of the 70 members, about 50 have tractors either

restored or in the process.

New members are welcome, whether from ShelbyCounty or another county. Anyone interested in join-ing, or desiring more information, should call Ike at937-596-5414. The membership fee is $10 per year.

PAUL SOLIDAY of Sidney inspects arow of McCormick tractors on displayat the Shelby County Fair. ShelbyCounty Antique Power Associationmembers exhibit their old-time

equipment at the fair each year to tryand keep interest alive and to educatethe public on how things used to be.

SDN File Photo

Shared interest spawnedAntique Power Association

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It may seem like a broken record, but once againOhio farmers seem to be under the gun ofstate and federal regulators who see the“business of farming” as needing additionalcontrols and mandates.First, I will not suggest that some, or even

many, of these recommendations andchanges are not warranted and necessary.Many are. But as 2013 gets under way andOhio farmers are hoping to concentrate onthe new growing season at hand, more andmore of their time is being spent reviewingand acting on what new laws and regulationsare “coming down the road.”Perhaps what will have the most impact

going forward for our farmers are two wordsspoken last year by Ohio Gov. John Kasich.Those words? “Fix it.”Our governor was talking about the quality

of Ohio’s water - which is none too good. Thestate’s EPA, Department of Natural Resourcesand Department of Agriculture said one of theproblems is the way water runoff from farmfields harm water quality. What gets into thewater from these streams is soluble phosphorous,which leads to a number of problems with our waterquality.So these agencies have developed guidelines for

farmers to follow to help reduce this runoff.Last month, to pound home the need for farmers to

start changing their fertilizing methods, a letter wentout to each and every one of them. The letter wassponsored by about 20 of Ohio’s major agriculturalorganizations and groups, including OSU Extension,

the Farm Bureau Federation and every “producers”group in the state.Here is how the letter begins: “As a farmer in Ohio

you have a significant challenge bearing downquickly. Government, special interest groups, themedia and the public all expect you to help clean upthe state’s water resources.If farmers don’t do this on their own, there will be

federal and state laws and regulations that will man-date how you farm.That is why you’re receiving this letter signed by

nearly all of Ohio’s agricultural organizations –to make it clear that farmers must take seri-ously their responsibility to manage nutrients.”

That is an attention-getting start.And true.If Ohio farmers don’t change how they fer-

tilize their fields and work hard to stop therunoff into Ohio’s streams and lakes, some-one soon will come along and make them.And speaking of that, farmers also are

being asked to take a look at new proposedfood safety standards and rules that wereannounced Jan. 4 by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration. The newly proposed Pro-duce Safety rule goes into effect this year,and farmers will have until May 16 to com-ment before the rule is finalizedAccording to OSU, the rule will take ef-

fect for some operators within just 60 days.The proposed Produce Safety rule can be

found in the Federal Register, and is oneway the government is putting the Food

Safety Modernization Act into practice.These changes just pile on for farmers more of the

rules and regulations that may go into effect thisyear that will affect how they operate.What does that mean? Usually it can be explained

like this - $$$$$$$While I don’t disagree that many changes and reg-

ulations will be necessary, everyone has to under-stand the underlying result will be an increase incosts to the farmers, and that will mean an increasein cost to us consumers.

Gary Brock iseditor-in-chief of ACRES

Outlook

GaryBrock

[email protected]

New state, federal regulations boundto cost farmers more money, woes

Controlling undesirable plants in crop fields should be top priorityControlling undesirable plants in crop fields

should be a top priority of all grain and forage farm-ers. Weeds steal sunlight, moisture and nutrientsfrom planted crops. They may also delay planting andharvest operations and reduce the quality of har-vested grain and forage. Some weed species releasechemicals that injure crops and others host insectsand diseases that may harm existing or future desir-able plants.The 2013 Weed Control Guide for Ohio and Indi-

ana provides the detailed information necessary todevelop optimum weed management strategies.Available through county Extension offices in Ohio orby downloading from www.agcrops.osu.edu/publica-tions, the booklet contains 181 pages of unbiased, re-search based information from Extension specialistsfrom Ohio State University and Purdue. Dr. MarkLoux and Dr. Bill Johnson headed the development ofthe agronomic resource for their respective universi-ties.Even those farmers who have already made most

of their weed control decisions for the coming yearcould benefit from an intense review of the bulletin’smaterial. The first 17 pages cover basic weed controlprinciples, always worthy of an annual review priorto field work. A strong emphasis is placed on follow-ing sound cultural practices in order to minimizeweed infestations.Crop rotation is stressed as one of the top cultural

practices to improve and maintain long term weedcontrol. Different crops may better compete with cer-tain species of weeds. Some weed control productsutilized on alternating crops can provide more effec-tive control in one crop more than in another. Opti-mum plant populations seeded early, in narrow rowsmay help crowd out undesirable plants. According to

the guide, any practice that promotes early and vig-orous crop growth helps give crops a competitive ad-vantage over weeds. Keep in mind that proper seedhybrid/variety selection, good drainage and fertility,as well as management of other crop pests such asinsects and diseases, all contribute to a successfulweed management strategy.Long term efforts to prevent weeds from becoming

established and spreading include management ofundesirable plants in areas that are not cropped,such as fence rows, drainage and road ditches andvarious rights-of-way areas. Also be aware of weedseed that might arrive on the farm from livestockmanure, in uncleaned machinery, carried by wildlifeor arrive via air or flooding waters. Prompt identifi-cation of unknown weeds is advantageous so thatcontrol strategies can be altered as needed to preventnew weed species from becoming established.The Weed Control Guide gives a brief overview of

mechanical weed control tactics and details the useof chemical products that fit for conventional, conser-

vation/reduced, and no-tillage cropping systems. Italso does a great job of breaking down the advan-tages and disadvantages for burndown, soil applied,and post emergence herbicides. Effectiveness ratingscharts have been developed, utilizing plot and fieldresearch conducted in both Ohio and Indiana.As farmers are experiencing increasing challenges

with herbicide resistance weeds, there is a brief sec-tion detailing the importance of following good cropand herbicide rotations, as well as utilizing soil ap-plied products followed by timely post emergencepractices. A thorough description of the variousgroups of herbicides, an essential source of informa-tion to know when rotating herbicide site of action tominimize resistance problems.The Weed Control Guide is a good source of winter

reading that can supplemented by regular updatessupplied on the C.O.R.N Newsletter, accessible atwww.corn.osu.edu. In fact, the first edition for 2013contained a couple of excellent reviews on timelyweed management issues. Both written by MarkLoux, they are titled, “Soybean herbicides for resid-ual control of marestail (horsetail)” and “Revisitingmetribuzin – it’s back with more utility than ever.”Invest less money than the value of two bushels of

corn or a bushel of soybeans to acquire a handy spi-ral bound copy of this information treasure chest.The Weed Control Guide: great resource to leafthrough and mark up for your operation. Once again,you can also access it free from your smart phone.Good luck on weed free fields in 2013.

Roger Bender is a retired Shelby CountyAgricultural Agent with the OSU

Extension Service. He currently worksas a consultant for Land Stewards, LLC, and

works the family farm near Fort Loramie

Scene

RogerBender

Ag

[email protected]

Ohio Farm Bureau honoreedraws from past, looks aheadVERSAILLES - For

Ohio Farm Bureau Excel-lence in Agriculture win-ner Greg McGlinch, apassion for agriculturecomes pretty naturally.“I’m the fifth genera-

tion of our family on thefarm, so you might sayit’s just tradi-tion,” saidMcGlinch, of Ver-sailles. “It’ssomething I’vealways enjoyedand something Iwant to sharewith our kids. Ialso want to dowhat I can to leteveryone knowwhat’s going onin agriculture.”The award,

which McGlinch,32, won at the re-cent Ohio FarmBureau Conven-tion, recognizessuccessful indi-viduals, 35 or younger,who are involved in pro-duction agriculture, butfor whom farming is nottheir primary occupation.The Excellence in Agri-culture Program, which issponsored by FarmCredit Mid-America, rec-ognizes farm involvementas well as participation inFarm Bureau and othercommunity organiza-tions.McGlinch will compete

with other state winners

for national honors at theAmerican Farm BureauFederation National Con-vention in Nashville,Tenn. that began Sunday.For winning the Ohioaward, McGlinch receiveda John Deere Gator, com-pliments of Farm Credit.

McGlinch is a graduateof The Ohio State Univer-sity with a degree in agri-cultural education. In hisposition as a manure andnutrientmanagement/urban tech-nician with the DarkeCounty Soil and WaterConservation District, heworks with livestock pro-ducers and crop farmersto develop best practiceson their operations. In-creasingly his role in-cludes educating them

about emerging conserva-tion practices, like covercrops.He also advises munic-

ipalities on storm watermanagement and relatedpractices. McGlinch iscurrently working on amaster’s degree in agron-

omy from OSU.In addition to his

SWCD responsibili-ties, McGlinch andhis wife, Janet, farmwith Greg’s parents,Gary and SharonMcGlinch. The farmproduces corn, soy-beans, wheat, ryeand clover, but Gregalso uses the farmas a laboratory ofsorts to try differentcover crops and con-servation practices.This helps him inhis SWCD respon-sibilities to be ableto assist otherfarmers from his

own firsthand experience.In addition, McGlinch

raises hogs for freezerpork, as well as chickensand eggs for local cus-tomers, and uses the op-portunity to teachnon-farm customers wholike to buy local abouttoday’s agriculture.McGlinch has been ac-

tive in a number of com-munity activities, FarmBureau being primary,where he has been aboard member.

GREG MCGLINCH

URBANA – Like any other consumer market,farmers’ markets require some degree of guesswork.Vendors assess which crops and how many will sell,hoping to avoid carrying extras or under supplyingthe market.Customers have a similar dilemma.A new medium is removing the guesswork for

users of an Internet-based market in ChampaignCounty. For any one person, the selling or buying ex-perience takes five minutes, enough time to drop off abatch of baked breads or pick up a pre-ordered sup-ply of bulk hamburger.The products are fresh and homemade. Most are

competitively priced, while a few are pricier thanproducts residents may find in stores. Milk, for exam-ple, may go for $6 a gallon.“But you can meet the man who milks the cow,”

manager and volunteer Heather Tiefenthaler said ofthe program she helped launched in May 2012. “Thisfood has a very short shelf life, only a three-day shelflife for the bread … but they’re just so good.”Urbana’s digital market is among hundreds across

the country residing at LocallyGrown.Net, but wasthe first to appear in Ohio, say organizers. The Ur-bana page is at champaignoh.locallygrown.net. Itnow boasts 216 active customers and 30 vendors, whoin the program’s first seven months racked up a com-bined $12,400 in sales.“Some of our vendors have grossed $2,000,” Tiefen-

thaler said in early January. “Our dairy guy receivesa $100 check every week.”Three percent of the total sales are paid to the cre-

ator of LocallyGrown.Net, Eric Wagoner of Georgia.With more than 20 product categories displayed on

an interactive webpage, Urbana’s site allows users tobuy directly from producers in their area.“I think this is the future of how to reach more cus-

tomers,” said Tiefenthaler, also amember of the Community Improvement Corpora-tion (CIC) and the Champaign Family YMCA board.“It’s a different niche. It’s not just a farmer’s market.”Offered year-round, market goers can choose from

baked goods including basil bread, angel food cakeand brownies; spices such as Cajun seasoning andpepper powder; dairy products such as Greek yogurtand whole milk; and meats served in a variety ofways including beef sirloin steak and pork patties.The list is ongoing.Apple butter, blackberry jam and candy apple jelly

top the list of jams and jellies.Garlic products are a category unto

themselves, offering gourmet garlicflakes and Susanville softneck garlic.Look inside the “Farm Crafts” tab

to find handmade wallets and cellphone sleeves delivered from Me-chanicsburg.There are processed foods, pre-

pared foods, flower bouquets, fruits,gourds, pies, eggs, honey, syrup, pop-corn, grains and milled products,and the list continues.The summer months bring a va-

riety of tomatoes, peppers, squash,radishes, onions, blackberries, rasp-berries and spinach, to name a few.“Right before Christmas, we

were still having $700 weeks,”Tiefenthaler said, adding local res-idents still are learning about theyear-round options. The averageorder is about $20.Strip away the catchy medium

and the products stand by them-selves, says Tiefenthaler. Buyerscan trace their produce to farm-ers, bakers and craftsmen from Urbana, Spring-field, New Carlisle, Mechanicsburg, Rosewood, Cable,

Bellefontaine, Zanesfield andother areas in the tri-countyarea. The food is fresh, lackspreservatives and is inspectedthoroughly by volunteers uponarrival.Volunteers include Pam Bow-

shier, an artisan bread bakerwho sells Cosmic CharlieBread, frozen pizza dough androlls at the market. Mark Run-yan, owner of Oakview FarmFresh Meats, south of Urbana,raises breeding animals to sellacross the country and sells avariety of frozen meats at themarket with the help of hisson, Myer.Both Bowsher and Runyan,

as well as volunteer CharleneStapleton of Urbana, havehelped Tiefenthaler set up ta-bles at the Champaign Fam-ily Y and handle theoperations. Tiefenthalerhopes to turn over the mar-ket to them in the near fu-ture.“Pam does a great job,”

Tiefenthaler said. “She doesall the sales reports and in-voice operations.”“This is going to be some-

thing that’s invaluable,”Stapleton said of the mar-ket. “I think it’s a greatasset for people.”Site users must create a login account, but

are not required topay a registrationfee. That maychange, however,after the program’s$20,000 grantawarded by theYMCA of the USAruns its course.Even then, saidTiefenthaler, any feewould be minimaldue to the program’slow costs.Sought competi-

tively by localYMCAs nationwide,the grant was one of23 awarded in theUnited States. It isexpected to last an-other six months be-fore the Urbanamarket will need tofind another revenuesource. Tiefenthaler isconducting a study todetermine the best andcheapest way of assess-ing membership fees.The goal is to build a

self-sufficient market.The big attractions, she

said, are reduced work for vendors, convenience forcustomers and no more guesswork for either side.Vendors regularly update the quantities of each itemavailable on the webpage, and buyers can leave re-quests or concerns in a comments section.“The customers enjoy it this way and I think they

would be OK with a membership fee,” she said.Organizers say the challenge will be growing the

vendor and customer bases hand-in-hand. A Face-book page and weblog can be accessed on the website,as social media has played a key role in its publicity.

“Someone will like us on

Facebook,” said Tiefenthaler, “and they’ll

have five friends that say, ‘Yes, I believe in buyinglocally.’”“We just network all over the place,” added Bow-

shier.The idea started with Tiefenthaler. With her press-

ing the issue and electing to lead the program, for-mer YMCA director Kathy Finney worked towardobtaining the grant. Today, Tiefenthaler oversees thewebpage, deliveries, collections and transactions, buthas yet to take any of the grant money directed to-ward work compensations.On Thursdays, the consumer pick-up point is lo-

cated in the lobby of the Champaign Y, 191 Commu-nity Drive. Before arriving, members can select froma drop-down menu of available items on the websiteaccompanied by pictures, prices and vendor informa-tion.When an order is placed, transactions aren’t final-

ized until buyers collect their orders and make pay-ments between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Thursdays on site.Vendors are expected to drop off their items withinan hour of the market’s opening.If either a vendor or customer fails to appear on

any given Thursday, deductions are made from theweekly order placements and earnings.Tiefenthaler is hopeful the future holds more prod-

ucts and capabilities. She also hopes the virtual mar-ket will complement traditional markets in St. Paris,Mechanicsburg, North Lewisburg and Urbana. Thenew program is a community service, not a competi-tor, and easily can be implemented at any market,she said.

Craig Shirk writes for theUrbana Daily Citizen

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MYER AND MARK Runyan bagcold products out of a coolerfor a customer during pickup

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CITIZEN Photo/ALEX HOWELL

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QQuuiicckk aanndd eeaassyy llaassaaggnnaassoouupp iiddeeaall ffoorr wwoorrkkiinngg mmoomm

A lasagna soup that is easy to make, hearty, and afavorite of her two-year-old twins is shared by LauraDeal of Houston, in Shelby County.Deal got the

recipe from hermother and herfamily loves it.She says shechanged therecipe a bit totheir liking.Since she usu-ally doesn’thave onionand garlic onhand, sheleaves themout of therecipe. Onereason Dealloves therecipe is be-cause it’s soeasy to make“and reallydoes tastelike home-madelasagna.”She addedthat whenever she and her husband have companyover, she makes the soup and it is always a crowdpleaser. It was a favorite at the twins’ second birth-day meal - stress free and easy to make. She oftenserves it as a quick meal during the week and it issomething her husband can also easily prepare.Deal said she usually browns hamburger meat up

when she buys it from the grocery and then she putsit in the freezer in smaller containers, ready to pullout and use as needed. She notes this saves a lot oftime.She and her husband Josh have been married for

five years and their twins – a boy and a girl – are 21/2 years old. The couple work full-time and sorecipes such as the soup are especially appreciated atthe end of the day.Deal said she just dumps all ingredients into a

pan, lets it simmer for a while, adds the pasta, andit’s done. Served with garlic bread and a salad, it’sthe perfect meal for their family.Deal typically uses whole grain penne when she

prepares this meal.

LASAGNA SOUP1 pound hamburger1/4 cup chopped onion3 cloves garlic, mincedbrown above and drainThen add to Dutch Oven along with:1 tablespoon brown sugar2 cans chicken broth2 cans petite diced tomatoes1 large (29 ounce) and 1 small can (15 ounce)

tomato sauce1 scant teaspoon Italian seasoningSalt and pepperSimmer for 20-30 minutesThen add 2 cups broken lasagna noodles (or other

pasta) and cook till done.Serve with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

———Popular catering reciperemains family favoriteRural Troy resident Lou Ann Jess offers a quick

and easy chicken dish that is guaranteed to warm afamily on cold winter days.She and husband John have been married for 46

years and have farmed all their married lives. Theyhave two children and two grandchildren.For more than 30 years she catered weddings and

other functions before changing directions in 2002because of heart surgery. She then worked in the

cafeteria at Troy High School for seven years.Jess enjoys attending family activities, including

their grandchildren’s soccer, volleyball, basketball,baseball and softball games. She noted the grandchil-

dren at-tendNewtonSchool,but sheand herhusbandlive intheMiamiEast Dis-trict - sothey wearred forNewtonand royalblue forMiamiEast.Theirdaughterhas taughtin NewtonSchools formore than15 years.The

grandchildren also show pigs at the Miami CountyFair and her son is president of the Miami CountyAgricultural Society (Fair Board).The Jess’s are members of Cove Spring Church,

Cove Spring Grange and the Elizabeth TownshipHistorical Society. She is a former 4-H advisor, serv-ing for more than 20 years,and is also a past memberof the Ohio Young FarmWife CouncilLou Ann enjoys cooking

and baking and shares thefollowing main dish recipe.It was one of the populardishes served at eventswhen she catered.

CHICKEN RICE MAINDISH1 can cream of mush-

room soup1 can cream of chicken

soup1 can (soup can) whole milk1/2 envelope dried onion soup1/2 stick butter2 cups minute riceMix ingredients together and pour into greased 13

x 9 baking dish. Put boneless chicken breast on top.Sprinkle remaining dry soup mix on top. Bake 45 to60 minutes until chicken is done. Cover with foil forjust the first 30 minutes. You can add more warmmilk if rice gets too dry looking.

———Huntsville family enjoyssavory sweet potato friesVirginia Harpst of Huntsville, in Logan County,

loves to cook and bake, learning at an early age fromher mother, who she says was a real good cook.She and husband Jim have two daughters and

three sons, along with six grandchildren and threegreat-grandchildren.Virginia worked for 31 years at an area factory and

is now retired. She is a nine-year cancer survivor andis also a diabetic.A sign in her kitchen says ” Goodies Given Here.”

Her only granddaughter takes the sign seriously andsometimes gets hungry at college. That’s whenGrandma gets the message and gets busy making

caramel apples, popcorn balls, or anything withpumpkin - all designed to satisfy her granddaugh-ter’s urge for homemade goodies.Among the family’s fa-

vorite foods made byHarpst are sweet potatofries. The recipe follows.

SWEET POTATO FRIESPut a little oil on a cook-

ing pan. Preheat oven to375 degrees.Peel sweet potatoes and

cut in uniform size.Put them in pan and

turn so all fries are cov-ered with oilPrepare spices as de-

sired (Harpst uses salt-free seasoning, pepperand chili power)Mix spices together and sprinkle on fries.Place cooking pan in oven and turn fries after 10

minutesCook then until done.

———Unique hamburger dishtasty and easy to makeSandy Thieman of New Bremen is an Auglaize

County native who grew up on a farm with an appre-ciation for hearty meals, especially during the long,cold winters.Thieman attended a two-room school (Dohse

School) until the fifth grade and then she attended a“town school” before graduating from Memorial HighSchool in St. Mary’s. She then attended nursingschool and worked as a nurse prior to working in thefamily business.The Thiemans have

three children and ninegrandchildren. Now thatshe is retired, Thieman en-joys volunteering for a va-riety of organizations,especially with a kinder-garten class in New Bre-men.She also enjoys flowergardening, spending timeoutdoors and fishing atLake Erie. But most of allshe loves spending timewith family and friends.Here, Thieman shares a favorite family recipe that

she says is easy to make. It was given to her manyyears ago by a friend.HAMBURGERS ‘N SAUCE1 pound ground beef1 cup bread or cracker crumbs1/2 cup milkSalt and pepper to tasteMix the above and make into patties and then

brown lightly.Mix the following ingredients together in saucepan

and heat through until sugar is dissolved.2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce1 tablespoon cider vinegar2 tablespoons sugar1/2 cup catsup1 medium onion, dicedPour over browned patties and bake for 1 hour at

325 degrees.Thieman frequently doubles the sauce recipe as

they like the additional sauce on the burgers.

Recipes compiled by Lola E. Billiel, who writes for the Sidney Daily News

LAURA DEAL of Houston servesher twins, Blake and Ashlyn, bowlsof her hearty lasagna soup. Thefamily enjoys the dish and it isquick an easy for Deal to make,since she is a working mom. Thechildren’s father is Josh Deal.

SDN Photo/LUKE GRONNEBERG

LOU ANN JESS

VIRGINIA HARPST

SANDY THIEMAN

OSU Experts: Use Cover Crops to improve soil health and improve yields OTTAWA - Using cover crops such as oilseed

radish, cereal rye, cowpea or Austrian winter pea canhelp growers improve soil health which leads tohigher yields and lower input costs, an Ohio StateUniversity Extension expert said.Examples of how to do so will be discussed by Jim

Hoorman, an OSU Extension educator and an assis-tant professor studying cover crops and water qualityissues, during a series of workshops Feb. 11, 20 and25. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the Collegeof Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.The workshops are designed to help growers learn

how to create healthier soils by increasing the carboncontent in the soil which leads to increased nutrientefficiency and increased yields, Hoorman said.

ECO Farming, which stands for “ecological farm-ing” and includes using eternal no-till, continuousliving cover and other best management practices, isnot only economically viable, it is also ecologicallysound and environmentally sustainable, he said. Themethod uses a combination of cover crops and no-tillworked into a corn/soybean/wheat rotation to moreefficiently use the inputs farmers add to their soil.WORKSHOP TOPICS INCLUDE:

Feb. 11:ECO Farming: Ecological Farming PracticesSoil Ecology and Nutrient RecyclingUsing Cover Crops to Adapt to Extreme Weather

Feb. 20:Biology of Soil Compaction

Economics of Cover CropsUsing the Cover Crop Selector Tool

Feb. 25:Raising Homegrown NitrogenUsing Grasses and Brassica in Your Crop RotationOpen discussion: Using Cover Crops in a Crop

Rotation Each workshop will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the

Putnam County office of OSU Extension, 1206 E. 2ndSt. in Ottawa. Registration is $20 for all three work-shops, or $10 per session. The deadline to register isFeb 6. For more information or to register, contact Hoor-

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Farmers need to be aware of heart health;two Shelby County men share their stories

BY MARY ELLEN EGBERT

February is NationalHeart Month, a time tobe aware of heart healthand warning signs thatmay indicate a problem.Farmers, who work hard,get up early and must al-ways be prepared fro theunexpected, are not im-mune to heart problems.

Two Shelby Countyfarmers share their life-changing experiences.

“I was just out combin-ing beans in Septemberof 2010 when it started,”begins Stanley Thomas.“My chest hurt, but I kepton working. Then I wokeup early in the morningon a Wednesday withsuch pain I had to get outof bed and went to sit in achair.”

“I took two aspirinsand woke up my wife totell her I thought sheshould take me to thehospital. By the time wewere ready to leave, I wasfeeling much better andtold Vivian I thought I’dbe alright. All she saidwas, ‘We’re going’.”

“We went to Wilson(Memorial Hospital inSidney) where they didan EKG right away andthen the ER doctor camein and discussed whathad

beengoing on. She told mevery quickly that I hadhad a major heart attackand admitted me to theCardiac Care Unit(CCU).”

“A cardiologist fromLima signed me off to betaken to Lima Memorialas soon as I was stabi-lized. By Thursday after-noon I had a cario-cathand they found my threemajor vessels were 96, 86and 66 percent blocked.They prepped me thatnight. I had triple by-passsurgery the next morningand was in CCU Fridaynight.”

Thomas said he was

amazed at how fast theygot him up and around.By Saturday morning hewas walking from theCCU unit to his room. Hewas supposed to be mak-ing a bus trip to Washing-ton, D.C. that morning tovisit the war memorialsbut obviously that didn’thappen.

Now, at age 78, Thomasfound himself makingsome changes in his life.He said he had neverbeen sick a day in his lifethat he could remember,but quickly learned howto slow down and listento his body.

At age 62, anotherfarmer, who lives south ofSidney, was forced tolearn the same lesson.

“I went to the doctor onDec. 12 of last year for abad head cold,” saidCharles Pence. “Whenthey listened to my heartand took my blood pres-sure, the doctor told me Ihad atrial fibrillation,which basically meansthat my heart missesbeats. I had just beenchecked by a nurse inJuly and nothing wasfound at that point. But itshowed up last month.”

“I was tested for block-ages and nothing wasfound, so this is not re-

lated

to heart disease thatwould require surgery.But I do have to gothrough a procedure inFebruary to put my heartback into rhythm.”

Pence will have theprocedure done in Ketter-ing. “The way it was ex-plained to me is that thedoctor will stop my heartwhile I am sedated andthen start it back upagain so it is in the cor-rect rhythm pattern,”Pence says. “I am takingmedication now and justanxious to get this overwith.”

Pence says the mostdifficult part “is just ac-

cepting it. I amnot one to sitaround. I lookback on howfrustrated mydad would getwhen hecouldn’t dosome of thephysical workas he gotolder, andnow I under-stand. Dadalways toldme that any-thing overfour hourssleep a nightis wastedtime.”

Pencefinds thatsleep ismore impor-tant now,however,becausetwo yearsago he was diagnosedwith sleep apnea andhave been using a C-Papmachine ever since. “I gotimmediate relief frombeing tired all the time.My doctor tells me nowthat the apnea is relatedto the irregular heartbeat I have today. Now Isleep all night.”

Each man farms 600acres of corn, wheat andsoybeans. Thomas was

working850 acresat the timeof his heartattack, buthas cutback andsold some ofhis land.

Penceraises steersand also op-erates a con-cretebusiness, inaddition tocropping hisland.

Both menhave farmedall their lives.

Pence’swife, Linda,and his chil-dren didn’tsee muchchange intheir dutiesbecause Pencehas main-tained hisusual schedule,although hisoutlook on lifeis different.

“I am moreconscious abouttaking a breakwhen I need to,”he said. “I lookat things differ-

ent now. My prioritieshave changed. Before thishappened, I worked non-stop, but now I can shutthe combine down andplay with my grand kidsbecause they are what’simportant. The combiningcan wait.”

Thomas, now 80, haslearned to slow his pacedown without giving upthe two things he lovesdoing most on the farm -planting corn and com-bining. His son, Mark,also works the farm full-time.

“I have to give so muchcredit to Vivian, my wife,”

notedThomas. “She has beenright by my side throughthis whole thing.We havebeen married 57 yearsand she has just beenwonderful.”

“A soon as I had myheart attack, neighborscame to help my son fin-ish up the harvesting. Iam so grateful to themand to Mark. Today thereare things I can’t do thatI could before, but at 80 Ithink I’m doing prettygood. And so does my doc-tor. He told me to keepdoing whatever I am

doingbecause my heart isstrong again.

“So I may have to haveMark pick up the fertil-izer and lift anythingover 50 pounds for me,and I have to take morebreaks than I used to, butI feel good. Farming is agood life.”

The trip to Washingtonthat Thomas missed in2010 was only delayed, ashe was able to go in 2011with another group. AndPence doesn’t miss any-thing he needs to do withhis grandchildren, either,

especially the Veteran’sDay program at their ele-mentary school.

“This has just made melook at everything differ-ently,” Pence reiterated.“When my doctor told methere’s nothing like youroriginal parts and thatwe need to take care ofwhat we have, I guess Iunderstood that to mean‘everything’ we have, in-cluding what’s importantin our lives.”

Mary Ellen Egbertwrites for the

Sidney Daily News

STANLEY THOMASsteps into one of

his favorite things,his John Deere,

where he spendshis time in the

fields doing whathe loves, farming.

SDN Photo/STEVE EGBERT

CHARLES PENCEfeeds one of the

ten-day-old calveshe cares for on hisfarm, in addition toraising crops and

operating aconcrete business.

SDN Photo/STEVE EGBERT

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WILMINGTON -- Small farm own-ers who want to learn more abouthow to make their farms work betterfor them by increasing profits, in-creasing marketing efforts, expandingoperations, or adding new educationalor agritainment amenities can attendworkshops and presentations onthese and more issues during a smallfarm conference on March 8-9 inWilmington, Ohio.

The "Opening Doors to Success"conference and trade show is de-signed to help producers learn moretips, techniques and methods and toincrease their awareness to maketheir small farm operations more suc-cessful, which can lead to increasedfarm profits, said Tony Nye, an OhioState University Extension educator.

The conference kicks off with apanel discussion of Ohio producerswho will talk about "Opportunitiesand Challenges to Running a Success-ful Small Farm Operation." The groupwill address issues surrounding labor,financing, deciding on a farm spe-cialty, dealing with customers, andwhether or not to add agritainment oreducation components to a farm.

The conference, which will be heldat Wilmington College, Boyd CulturalArts Center, 1870 Quaker Way inWilmington, will feature 25 sessionsfrom Ohio State and industry expertsand a trade show for small farmersthat will offer information that canbenefit a variety of growers, Nye said.

Some of the topics to be addressedinclude:

BeekeepingVermiculture

Vegetable Nutrient ManagementChristmas Tree ProductionCover CropsGrafting of TreesLavender ProductionRaised Bed ProductionPasture ManagementFertigation of TomatoesGreenhouse/Tunnel ProductionFood SafetyAgricultural Law ConsiderationsGrowing HopsMarketingFinancial ManagementThe conference is an outgrowth of

the Ohio New and Small Farm Col-lege, an eight-week program createdby OSU Extension that offers an in-troduction to the business of smallfarming for those who are new to theindustry. The program offers informa-tion on budgeting, business planningand how to develop a farm structure,among other issues.

The conference is co-sponsored byOSU Extension's Small Farm Pro-gram; Wilmington College; FarmCredit Mid-America; USDA's FarmService Agency; Natural ResourcesConservation Service; and NationalAgriculture Statistic Service andRural Development.

The conference starts at 8:30 a.m.and runs until 4:15 p.m. Registrationis $20 for the March 8 session and$50 for the March 9 session, or $60for both days. The deadline to registeris March 1. For more information orto register, go to clinton.osu.eduorcontact Nye at 937-382-0901 or byemail at [email protected].

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BY SHARON SEMANIE

COVINGTON — Theyare considered by someas the “most intelligent”of all dogs. They are char-acterized as “extremelyenergetic, acrobatic andathletic” and frequentlycompete in dog sports aswell as head to greenerpastures to round upherds of sheep. Bred inthe Anglo-Scottish borderregion for herding live-stock, the Border Colliehas an extensive vocabu-lary and, when trainedproperly, obeys vocal com-mands such as “come by”and “away to me” or shrillwhistles.Such is the life for

three border collies wholive in a farm setting offVersailles Road betweenPiqua and Versailles, thehome of Randy and BethSears. As one enters thetree-lined gravel drive-way, it doesn’t become im-mediately apparent thatthe dogs exist. Visitorsare not greeted by barksor wagging tails. The triois indoors and, one byone, introduced as theyexit the screen door of thefarmhouse and scamperfeverishly around theyard.Beth, a 1986 graduate

of Troy High School,earned a degree in politi-cal science fromWitten-berg University. Shebriefly wrote newspaperarticles in Xenia and

Middletown before sheand her husband movedto the 35-acre farm some15 years ago. Corn, soy-bean and hay fields wereconverted into a pastureand, in 2006, the couplepurchased six Kathadinsheep, a breed of hairsheep developed in the

United States nearMount Kathadin inMaine. The Kathadin areconsidered “hardy, adapt-able low maintenancesheep that produce supe-rior lamb crops and lean,meaty carcasses” and,best yet, do not requireshearing.The farm, explains

Beth, has enabled thecouple to be “closer toparents” and offer ade-quate space for their twoHaflinger horses origi-nally bred in Austriaalong with a menagerie ofcats, chickens and aguard llama to protectsheep from coyotes andother predators. Theybreed the sheep — theynow have several dozen— and have thembutchered as lambs oruse them for dog training.Beth acquired the Bor-

der Collies, two of whichwere adopted from a shel-ter. Beth works daily toteach obedience andagility to Caelie (whoworks the sheep), Mickie(a retired trial dog whocompeted at nationallevel) and Tag (who is de-scribed as “charming” butlacks the power to herdand is now considered acompanion dog).“I knew Caelie had the

instinct (to be a sheep-herder),” says Beth, “so ina controlled situation Iput her out with thesheep and evaluated howshe circled around them.It was determined she

could be developed.”Collie dog breeds, she ex-plained, are not evalu-ated so much byappearance but rathertheir ability. Most rangein size from 25 to 50pounds and differentvariations of colors and

hair which is generallysmooth and longWhile they are consid-

ered smart dogs, Bethsays their behavior canbe detrimental. Theydemonstrate a high en-ergy level and have an in-stinctive “herding” urgeto chase down cats orcars. They are describedas “very sensitive” breedcapable of reading one’sbody language and can betrained. “It requiresworking them and takingthem for long walks sev-eral hours a day.”Although she considers

herself a “novice” handler,Beth quickly shows howadept a border collie canbe as she opens the doorto a pasture and yellscommands or blows awhistle for distance pur-poses as the dog herds upthe sheep during a morn-ing exercise and directsthem back to the barn. Asa dog sport, Beth admitsit requires lots of invest-ment and time and is “notlearned overnight.”“It requires a lot of

structure”, she explained,noting that Caelie contin-ues to go for training atthe home of Bruce andLinda Fogt in Sidney sev-eral months at a time.The Fogts publish a mag-azine called The WorkingBorder Collie, Since 1981,Fogt has turned a hobbyof training stock dogs intoa fulltime occupation andreportedly has “trainedhundreds of dogs for farm

use and

trial competition”Fogt has reportedly tri-

aled extensively through-out the country and hascompeted and judged intrials as far away asSouth Africa. He’s a re-peat winner of the UnitedStates Border Collie Han-

dlers Association Na-tional Finals. The Fogsnow live on a sheep farmnear Sidney where theyraise and train BorderCollies.Beth suggests that indi-

viduals interested n train-ing Border Collies alsocheck out the website forHado-Bar Farm in Elyriawhere they can see what’sinvolved in trainingand determine a dog’squalifications. Tom andJudi Bigham invite in-terested persons to con-tact them [email protected]

An instinctive evaluationfor a border collie is $50per dog or $40 for lessons.When not pursuing her

“hobby” of training BorderCollies and herding sheep,Beth has a green thumbas evidenced by herhealthy garden in sum-mertime and is also afreelance writer for anarea newspaper. In addi-tion, she serves as execu-tive director of Bridges toCollege based out ofGreenville.The non-profit organi-

zation, she explained, is

aimed at increasing thenumber of students fromboth Greeenville andAnso-nia to attend college. Be-sides field trips to collegessuch as Edison State at thesixth grade level, the or-ganization works to gener-ate money for scholarshipsfor high school graduatesand advise parents aboutfinancial aid opportunitiesfor their children.To date,Bridges to College hasawarded more than$43,000 to 28 students.

Sharon Semaniewrites for the

Piqua Daily Call.

BORDER COLLIE Caelie herdsKatahdin sheep on the Sears’

farm new Covington.

PDC Photo/SHARON SEMANIE

BETH SEARS ofCovington raises bothBorder Collies and

Katahdin Sheep with herhusband Randy on theirfarm near Covington.

PDC Photo/SHARON SEMANIE

Training Border Collies is challenging,but area couple enjoy the benefits

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2359268


BY MARK FAHEY

Ohio farmers received a letter from 20 of Ohio’slargest agricultural organizations in January urgingthem to take voluntary action to reduce nutrientrunoff from their farms.“Agriculture must begin immediately to reduce nu-

trient runoff in a manner that can be documented,”read the letter. “If this can’t be accomplished volun-tarily, it will be imposed mandatorily.”Nutrient runoff from farms can end up in local

lakes and waterways, causing excessive algaegrowth. In 2011, high rain water levels and phos-phate runoff caused algae blooms in the westernbasin of Lake Erie and Grand Lake St. Marys in Mer-cer County, producing toxins that can make visitorssick.A similar explosion of algae growth occurred in

Deer Creek Lake in Pickaway County in 2010, aswell as in other major lakes in the state. The problemwas less noticeable last summer due to drought con-ditions.“That’s kind of just where it shows up, in the water

bodies. It doesn’t mean there’s not things growing inthe streams too,” said Chet Murphy, district adminis-trator for the Fayette County Soil and Water Conser-vation District.Not only are local bodies of water affected, but nu-

trient pollution in southern Ohio eventually runsinto the Mississippi River, contributing to a large“dead zone” each summer in the Gulf of Mexico. Ex-cess nutrients in the Gulf lead to massive plantgrowth, and the decomposition of those plants re

moves oxygen fromthe water, killingfish and other ma-rine animals.“It’s really an

issue for the entirestate of Ohio be-cause the samekinds of thingsthat happen inGrand Lake andLake Erie are hap-pening in the Gulfof Mexico,” saidJoe Cornely, seniordirector of com-munications atthe Ohio FarmBureau.”It’s geo-graphically fur-ther removed, butit’s the same con-cept.”In the letter,

signed “Ohio’sagriculture com-munity,” theOhio Farm Bu-reau and otheragricultural or-ganizations en-couraged farmers to use the principles of “4RNutrient Stewardship,” which include using the rightfertilizer source, at the right rate, at the right time

and with theright place-ment, to re-ducenutrientpollution offtheir prop-erties.“It’s

everybody’sresponsibil-ity to protectthe environ-ment andfarmers areincluded inthe Ohiocommunitythat sharesin that re-sponsibility,”said Cornely.“We’re not theonly ones, butsince we manage so much ofthe land base,

a sizable chunk of the job is on our plate.”Murphy said that the Fayette County Soil and

Water Conservation District is partnering with theFayette County Health Department to test waterflowing in and out of the county to determine howmuch the area is adding or subtracting from nutrientloads.“What we need to do from now on is to find a way

to monitor results,” said Murphy. “I would not like tosee it go to regulation.We’re a firm believer in volun-tary efforts, but at some point that’s up to the publicand legislative bodies and what they feel needs tohappen.”Murphy said that he has seen more and more ef-

fort being put into learning good nutrient steward-ship, and Cornely said that the Farm Bureau hasreceived a generally positive reaction to the call toaction.“I’ve been working with farmers for 30-some years

and they’re aware that they have a job to do here,”said Cornely. “The purpose of the letter was just toremind folks of that, to drive home a recognition thatthis is not something that any of us can afford to ig-nore.”

Mark Fahey is a staff writer for theRecord-Herald in Washington Court House

ALGAE BLOOM at Grand LakeSt. Marys pretty much shut

down the popular body of waterand wreaked havoc on the localeconomy in Mercer County.

PHOTO PROVIDED

THE SIGN said it all at GrandLake St. Marys - when algae

bloom killed fish and made thelake all but unusable.The causewas determined to be nutrientrunoff from nearby farms.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Farmers asked to voluntarily actto cut back on nutrient runoff

State Fair’s Soybean Education Program honoredWORTHINGTON – The Ohio State Fair,

in conjunction with the Ohio SoybeanCouncil, has received an award of distinc-tion in the inaugural Soybean and Envi-ronmental Sustainability Awardscompetition from the International Associ-ation of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) forits soybean education program at the 2012Fair.In addition to receiving first place in its

attendance division for the “educationalevent, exhibit or program for the fairgoingpublic – soy use” category, the Ohio StateFair was presented with the covetedJudge’s Choice Award for the entire Soy-bean and Environmental SustainabilityAwards competition, which recognizedfairs in four different categories, and ineach of five divisions based upon atten-dance. The entries were evaluated andjudged by a team of industry leaders se-lected from the membership of theIAFE.The multi-faceted program was devel-

oped in partnership with the Ohio Soy-bean Council and soybean checkoff toeducate fairgoers, farmers and conces-sion vendors about the state’s mostabundant and versatile crop, the soy-bean:Many concessionaires made their

fried foods healthier by adopting theuse of trans fat-free high-oleic soybeanoil in their food booths, featuring edu-cational signage alongside the deli-cious treats.Various additional soy-based products, such as

hand sanitizer and paint, were used throughout the360-acre Ohio Expo Center.A final educational element was the sponsorship of

several buildings and the entire junior livestockshow, capped with Ohio Soybean Day, Saturday, Aug.4. On this day, Ohio soybean farmers greeted fairgo-ers and answered questions about the uses of soy-beans and how farmers grow them. Additionally,potted soybean plants along with signage sharing in-teresting facts such as “one acre of soybeans can pro-duce 82,368 crayons” were located throughout thegrounds.The Soybean and Environmental Sustainability

Awards were developed to encourage fairs to utilizesoy products in their operations, educate the publicabout the soy products, to incorporate environmen-tally sustainable practices in fair operations as wellas to educate the fairgoing public about environmen-tally sustainable practices.The Ohio Expo Center is proud to host the Ohio

State Fair. With a spectacular midway, big-name en-tertainment, hundreds of exhibits and one of thelargest junior fair shows in the nation, the 2013 OhioState Fair will run July 24 - August 4. In 2012,840,306 people attended the Ohio State Fair.

OHIO SOYBEAN Council Execu-tive Director Kirk Merritt (l-r),

Ohio State Fair General ManagerVirgil Strickler, Chairman of theOhio Soybean Council Board ofTrustees and Hancock County

soybean farmer John Motter andOhio Soybean Council Commu-nications Director Jennifer Cole-man pose with the InternationalAssociation of Fairs and Exposi-tions Soybean and Environmen-tal Sustainability Judges’ ChoiceAward for the Ohio State Fair’s

soy education program.

PHOTO PROVIDED

To add an event to this calendar, con-tact Rachel Lloyd [email protected].

FEBRUARY• Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25: Sheep and

Goat WebEx Series, online, 7 to 9 p.m.Feb. 4 – Dr. Eric Gordon, OSU LargeAnimal Veterinarian, “Vaccination Pro-grams for Sheep and Goat Operations”;Feb. 11 – Dr. Meghan Wulster-Radcliffe,CEO, American Society of Animal Sci-ences, “Artificial Insemination Tech-niques of Sheep and Goats”; Feb. 18 –Jeff McCutcheon and RoryLewandowski, OSU Extension, “Man-aging Pastures and Hay Fields after aDrought”; Feb. 25 – Dr. Keith Inskeep,West Virginia University, “Use of EAZI-BREED CIDR® for Sheep and GoatOperations.” Participants may attendone or all. For information, visitwww.ohiosheep.org, or contact theOSIA office at (614) 246-8299.

• Feb. 5: Conservation TillageBreakfast, Evaluating Vertical Tillage,The Plaza Inn, Mount Victory, 7:30 to9:15 a.m. Call Gene McClure at (419)674-2297 for information.

• Feb. 6: Ohio Farm Bureau OnlineOil & Gas Informational Meeting, on-line, 7-8 p.m. Ohio Farm Bureau mem-bers only. OFBF Director of EnergyPolicy Dale Arnold and a panel of fel-low oil and gas experts present a liveonline presentation and discussion. Toattend, fill out the form atofbf.org/news-and-events/events/478.

• Feb. 7: Software for DevelopingNutrient Management Plans Work-shop, Ohio State University ExtensionOffice, Putnam County, 1206 E. SecondSt., Ottawa, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CallGreg LaBarge at (419) 460-0600 for in-formation.

• Feb. 7: Tri-State Green IndustryConference, Sharonville ConventionCenter, 11355 Chester Road, Cincin-nati, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call Julie Crook(513) 946-8998.

• Feb. 11, 20 and 25: Using CoverCrops to Improve Soil Health Winter

Meeting Series-Putnam County, OSUExtension, 1206 E. Second St., Ottawa,7 to 9 p.m. Preregistration required byFeb. 6. Cost $20 for series or $10 permeeting. Call James Hoorman at (419)523-6294 for information.

• Feb. 12-13: Ohio Pork Congress,Crowne Plaza North, 6500 DoubletreeAve., Columbus. Those involved in thepork industry across the state willwant to attend the Ohio Pork Congressto view and learn about the latest porkindustry technologies. Pork producersare invited to attend the ProfessionalPork Producers Symposium, a set of ed-ucational seminars featuring expertsfrom around the U.S. The Ohio PorkCongress trade show will offer the lat-est information from agribusinessesthroughout the nation. The trade showwill be open on Wednesday from 7:30a.m. until 4 p.m. On Wednesday, thepork industry will recognize and honorleaders and outstanding pork produc-ers at the OPPC Awards Luncheon at12 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza North. SeeOhioPork.org for information.

• Feb. 14: EAB University web-based session, 11 a.m. to noon. Presen-ter, Deb McCullough.Web link:emeraldashborer.info.

• Feb. 19: Conservation TillageBreakfast, Drainage and NutrientManagement, The Plaza Inn, MountVictory, 7:30 to 9:15 a.m. Call Gene Mc-Clure at (419) 674-2297 for informa-tion.

MARCH• March 5-6: Conservation Tillage

Conference (CTC), McIntosh Center,Ohio Northern University, Ada, 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. For Certified Crop Advisers,farmers, ag industry and anyone withan interest in crop production. For in-formation, contact Randall Reeder,(614) 292-6648.

• March 6: Ohio Woodland Water &Wildlife Conference, Mid-Ohio Confer-ence Center, 890 W. 4th St., Mansfield,8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This annual confer-ence is an opportunity for Ohio’s natu-ral resource professionals and land

managers to get up to date informationon natural resource issues. Contactyour Farm Bureau for information.

• March 13: Farm to School Confer-ence, Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau4-H Center, Columbus, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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9Acres of West Central Ohio • February 2013 • Page 9

BY MELANIE SPEICHER

SIDNEY - The road to Shelby County started deepin the South for Latham Farley.

A native of Mississippi, Farley was named the ex-ecutive director for the Shelby County FSA Office inOctober. He replaced Roger Lentz, who had workedfor the department for 30 years.

“I grew up in Mississippi on the family farm wherewe raised some cattle,” said Farley.

Growing up, he never expected to work in the agri-culture field.

“I was thinking about majoring in physical ther-apy,” said Farley, “but that didn’t work out.”

Instead, he received a degree in biology in 2007from Mississippi State University and began his ca-reer in agriculture.

His career path led him from Mississippi to an in-terview in Lexington, Ky. But when he arrived in theBluegrass State, his anticipated interview had beencanceled.

While he was in Kentucky, he decided this was aplace where he’d like to live. So he started callinghorse farms to see if anyone had any openings.

“One owner called me as I was leaving town,” re-called Farley. “I had an interview on Friday and Istarted my job on Monday.”

He worked on the Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm in Lexingtonas an equine handler and caretaker.

From there, Farley was hired as the program coor-dinator of agriculture and natural resources for theOhio State University Extension in Clermont County.During his two years there, he was involved in a pas-ture-measurement research project where he meas-ured and documented growth and density of active,rotationally grazed pastures.

He was also involved with soybean rust spore de-tection and western corn rootworm detection re-search.

In 2011, Farley joined the USDA Farm ServiceAgency in Clermont County as a county operatingtrainee.

“I was in the FSA training for a year,” said Farley.“I was sent to different offices within the state. Ispent five weeks in Lorraine/Medina and 11 monthsin southwestern Ohio being trained.

“Agriculture is Ohio and they (FSA) knew that Iunderstood the ag aspect of the office. I already hadcattle and horse training from growing up.”

After completing his FSA training, Farley washired as the executive director for the FSA office inScioto-Pike County. His on-the-job experiences foundhim well qualified for the executive director job inthe Shelby County.

Farley said he is looking forward to the challengesof his new job.

“I want each producer to know they can count onus when they enter the office,” said Farley. “I wantthem to be able to come in quick and be out quickand to have a very personable office.”

Farley and his wife, Katie, are currently residingin Englewood. She is a graphics designer and worksin Cincinnati.

“Katie grew up in Englewood, so we wanted to getback closer to home for her,” said Farley. “I’ve spentthe past three years helping my father-in-law.

He has a grain farm and raises pigs.”

Farley saidtheir goal is tostart farmingin ShelbyCounty. They’dlike to eitherfind a farmand house orrent some landto farm.

The couplerecentlyjoined theOhio FarmBureau YoungAgriculturalProfessionalsand aremembers ofthe group’sadvisoryteam.

“I’d like topartner withyoung peo-ple inter-ested inagricultureand getthem in-volved indifferent or-ganiza-tions,” saidFarley.“You dothis job foryour wholelife. Theyneed toget in-volvedwithgroups sotheir jobwill bemore en-joyable.”

Farleysaid he islookingforwardto this year’sShelby County Fair.

“I wasn’t in 4-H or FFA growing up,” he said. “Wejust had cows. But I did work at a rodeo growing up.”

Some of his horse training came when he workedfor a farmer, who also operated a rodeo.

“I pulled the straps of the bulls and horses,” said Far-ley. “I worked on the man’s farm who did rodeos at fairsand at state rodeos.”

Farley said he met Tuff Hedeman, who is a five-timerodeo champion.

“I got to go to lunch with him,” said Farley. In additionto his love of the land, Farley also enjoys hiking andrunning.

“I like to go backpacking and I’ve done a lot of

trips,”he said.Farley has also introduced his wife to the joy of

hiking.“On our one-year anniversary we went backpack-

ing on the Appalachian Trail. That was her first trip.”The couple has also hiked in Yosemite National

Park in California.“My preacher got me started in the seventh grade,”

said Farley of the first time he hiked. “After that, Iwas hooked.”

His goal this year is to participate in all the 5Ks -12 in total - that are run in Shelby County.

Melanie Speicher writes for theSidney Daily News

LATHAM FARLEY inspects theeffects of hail damage to cornlast season. Farley recently tookover as executive director of theShelby County Farm ServiceAgency, based in Sidney.

SDN Photo/MELANIE SPEICHER

Farley joins Shelby FSA office asnew executive director

Ag Calendar

CINCINNATI – A first-time science-based effort is underway to identify in-vasive plants from other regions andreduce their impact on natural areas inOhio, according to the Ohio InvasivePlants Council (OIPC).Common reed grass, garlic mustard,

bush honeysuckle and other plantsdominate thousands of acres in Ohio’sforests, grasslands and wetlands. Theseinvaders crowd out native plants andreduce biodiversity. Utilizing a 22-ques-tion assessment protocol developed in2012 by the OIPC and other stake-holder groups, a five-person assessmentteam of researchers and botanists willevaluate potential invasive plants andestablish a new list of primary offend-ers. Concurrently, the assessment teamwill provide a list of alternative plantssuitable for recommendation to nurs-eries, garden retailers and homeown-ers.“OIPC is not a regulating group,”

said University of Cincinnati professorand OIPC Chairperson of the assess-ment team. . “Our mission is to developa new list of invasive plants for Ohio.We also intend to play a primary role ineducation, research and early detec-

tion.”“The nursery industry has al-

ready been impacted by unoffi-cial invasive plant lists in Ohioand elsewhere, said CincinnatiZoo and Botanical Garden Hor-ticulture Director StephenFoltz. “As soon as we put nurs-ery plants on our official list,these plants will no longer beallowed for use in projectscomplying with Leadership inEnergy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED) standards.That’s why it’s so importantfor us to get this right.”“It’s exciting to see that

Ohio has a protocol and isready to begin assessments.This will be a useful tool foraddressing the problem of in-vasive plants,” said KatherineHowe, coordinator of the Midwest Inva-sive Plant Network.Under the direction of Culley the as-

sessment team will initially evaluate27 problematic invasive plants. Theteam will address a second group ofplants within a year, including thoseproduced and sold in Ohio nurseries,such as ornamental pear, Japanese bar

berry and burning bush.The OIPC worked with the Ohio

Nursery and Landscape Association(ONLA), Ohio Department of Resources(ODNR), The Nature Conservancy andother land-management agencies to de-velop the assessment protocol. JohnCardina, professor of horticulture atThe Ohio State University, andRichard Munson, manager of the con-servatory at Miami University-Hamil-ton, were selected by ONLA asrepresentatives on the assessmentteam. ODNR botanist Rick Gardnerand Dawes Arboretum botanist DavidBrandenburg were selected by OIPC on

behalf of conservation and land-man-agement entities. Culley, a past presi-dent of OIPC, directed efforts todevelop the assessment protocol duringthe past four years.The OPIC represents a coalition of

organizations and individuals whohave a mutual interest in Ohio’s natu-ral ecosystems and the effects of inva-sive plants. OIPC is a nonprofitorganization founded in 2005 workingin concert with local, regional and na-tionwide groups. OIPC assessment doc-uments and other information areavailable at oipc.info.

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Company cleans out fencerows ofproblematic invasive species

BY STEPHANI DUFF

TROY - Dave Fisher grew up on a dairy farm. Hewalked rows of tobacco and sprayed individual plantswith pesticide. Now he has a vision. Through his com-pany, Vegetation Technology Services of Troy, hehopes to educate homeowners and farmers on how todeal with invasive species that take over the land.“Folks will buy land and build on it and want to

walk through their woods only to find that they areunable to because invasive plant species, such ashoneysuckle, have taken over,” Dave explains, “mygoal is to educate homeowners on what to do aboutclearing out invasive species so that a walk throughthe woods is possible and so that new trees have theability to grow and replace others that have died off.”Fisher’s company offers alternative fixes to pricier

options. He explained recently that if home andlandowners, as well as farmers, want woods to flour-ish, they need to get a handle on these invasivespecies as soon as possible.“A large problem for farmers is along fencerows,”

explains Dave, “because honeysuckle is thick alongfence and tree lines. The red berries that you seealong fence rows are active honeysuckle seeds; theyare problematic simply being there, but what causesthe bigger issue is when they are picked up by birds,digested, and then dropped again and fertilized.”Although honeysuckle was the number one inva-

sive species in Ohio there are other invasive speciesthat cause problems, as well. Dave explained recentlythat autumn olive and multifloral rose are also prob-lematic.“All three of these species are extremely acidic so

what falls off of the plants ends up stopping otherspecies from growing around it; it has become theplants’ natural process to protect itself,” said Dave.

The easiest way for VegetationTechnology Services to handlethese species is to mow it downand then to put customers on a“long term management planwith low herbicide use.” Daveexplained that once it is moweddown it is turned into chipswhich accomplishes a numberof things.“Once the species is mowed

down and turned into chips wehave accomplished knocking itdown to ground level, we haveput nutrients back in the soil,we are helping with erosion,and we are coming back with along-term management plan,”said Dave.Dave’s company Vegetation

Technology Services has beenin business in Ohio since2002, but is licensed for com-mercial application of herbi-cides in Ohio, New York,Michigan, and Indiana. Theirultimate goal is to help peo-ple manage unwanted vege-tation. If you or someone youknow is having issues withunwanted invasive plantspecies he can be reachedthrough his website atwww.vegtechservices.com orvia phone at (937) 875-0470.

Stephani Duff writes for the Troy Daily News

HONEYSUCKLE is the No. 1 in-vasive plant in the state of Ohio.A Troy company eradicates thispest, along with other problem-atic plants such as multifloral

rose and autumn olive.PHOTO PROVIDED

GARLIC MUSTARD

PHOTO PROVIDED

REED GRASS

PHOTO PROVIDED

Ohio Invasive Plants Council sets new evaluation protocol

ST. LOUIS - With thenew year, millions ofAmericans get a new be-ginning by looking to livehealthier lifestyles. In ad-dition to extra hours atthe gym, many groceryshoppers will also spendmore time ensuring theircarts are filled withhealthier options to feedtheir families. Today’splethora of labels andbuzzwords that adornfood packaging onlymakes the trip to themarket even more daunt-ing. In fact, many of thelabels, such as “grass-fed”and “organic,” that oftensuggest food is healthierrefer only to how it wasraised, not to the nutri-tional content.Confused? You aren’t

alone. Volunteer farmerswith the CommonGroundprogram, a grassrootsmovement to start con-versations about farmingand food, want to helpshoppers demystify sev-eral common food labelsand make their trip tothe market a little lessstressful.“We are truly blessed

to have so many foodchoices available to us atthe grocery store,” saidMissouri farmer andCommonGround volun-teer Renee Fordyce. “Withso many food optionsavailable, I want moms tofeel good about their foodchoices and know thatfarmers share many ofthe same values and pri-orities when it comes tofeeding our own families.”So what exactly do all

of the labels mean?Organic - Organic

meat, poultry, eggs anddairy products come fromanimals that are given noantibiotics or growth hor-mones. To be labeled “or-ganic,” agovernment-approvedcertifier must inspect thefarm where the food isgrown to make sure thefarmer meets all therules necessary to complywith U.S. Department ofAgriculture (USDA) or-ganic standards.Free-range - This label

indicates that the flockwas provided shelter in abuilding, room or areawith unlimited access tofood, fresh water and con-tinuous access to the out-doors during theirproduction cycle. The out-door area may or may notbe fenced and/or coveredwith netting-like mate-rial. This label is regu-

lated bytheUSDA.Cage-

Free -This labelindicatesthat theflock wasable tofreelyroam abuilding,room orenclosedarea withunlimitedaccess tofood andfreshwaterduringtheir pro-ductioncycle.Natu-

ral - Asrequiredby USDA,meat,poultryand eggproductslabeledas “nat-ural”must bemini-mallyprocessed and contain noartificial ingredients.However, the naturallabel does not include anystandards regarding farmpractices and only appliesto processing of meat andegg products. There areno standards or regula-tions for the labeling of

natural food products ifthey do not contain meator eggs.Grass-fed - Grass-fed

animals receive a major-ity of their nutrients fromgrass throughout theirlives, while organic ani-mals’ pasture diet may besupplemented with grain.

Also USDA-regulated,the grass-fed label doesnot limit the use of an-tibiotics, hormones orpesticides. Meat productsmay be labeled as “grass-fed organic.”Pasture-raised - Due to

the number of variablesinvolved in pasture-

raised agricultural sys-tems, the USDA has notdeveloped a labeling pol-icy for pasture-raisedproducts.Humane - Multiple la-

beling programs makeclaims that animals weretreated humanely duringthe production cycle, but

the verification of theseclaims varies widely.These labeling programsare not regulated under asingle USDA definition.All of the food labels

listed above refer to howfood is raised, not to itsnutritional value.

Source: USDA

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Algae farming technology yields renewablefuel and uses waste as fertilizer

WOOSTER — Right next to a commercial nurseryand greenhouse operation on the outskirts ofWooster, paddlewheels keep water constantly movingin four 30-by-200-foot ponds shaped like automotiveraceway circuits. The water is deep green and murky.That’s just how Phil Lane likes it.Lane is a program manager for Touchstone Re-

search Laboratory, a West Virginia-based companythat operates this unusual facility on a stretch offarmland where the remnants of corn and soybeanfields are now buried under snow.And the stuff making the ponds green is another

type of crop that could one day grow alongside themore traditional fare occupying Ohio fields: algae.“Algae can be grown just about anywhere, so we

are not competing with farmland for growing foodcrops,” said Lane, who manages the Wooster algaepilot facility. “Algae can add value to marginal lands,generating a crop that can be turned into biofuel anda variety of bioproducts.”Algae farming is expanding across the United

States and around the world, showing great promiseas a fast-growing and efficient source of natural oilfor renewable transportation fuel, bio-plastics, foodsupplements and many other products.Growing algae in places like Ohio may sound like a

strange proposition, especially in the middle of win-ter. After all, most large-scale algae operations arefound in warmer climates with lots of sunshine, asthese conditions allow for year-round production.However, the project in Wooster is seeking to changethat.Built in late 2011 at Cedar Lane Farms, the two

indoor and two outdoor raceway ponds host collabo-rative research between Touchstone and Ohio StateUniversity’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Devel-opment Center (OARDC), whose Wooster campus islocated just a few miles from this site.OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State’s College

of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.Funded by close to $7 million in grants from the

U.S. Department of Energy and the Ohio Coal Devel-

opment Office, this research involves testing of threeinnovative technologies that seek to make algaefarming viable, more cost-effective and sustainable ina wider variety of climates and locations.The first technology, previously developed by

Touchstone exclusively for algae production, is aphase-changing material that covers a majority ofthe pond surface. This material regulates daily tem-perature, helping the algae grow during colder peri-ods; controls the infiltration of invasive species; andreduces water evaporation, which is a big problemwith open-pond algae systems.“We are testing this technology at both the indoor

and outdoor ponds,” Lane explained. “For each pair,one pond will be covered by the phase-change mate-rial while the other pond will have no protection andserve as the control.“We are seeing up to 90 percent reduction in evap-

oration with this material. We are also looking at theimpact of this material on other variables, for exam-ple, if algae growth increases, if lipid (oil) contentgoes up.”The second technology serves an environmental

purpose. It involves pumping carbon dioxide fromCedar Lane Farms’ advanced coal-burning systeminto the ponds. Like all plants, algae needs CO2 togrow. And since algae grows very fast — doubling itsmass in 24-48 hours depending on the type — it canuse a lot of the greenhouse gas.How much? Lane said the goal for the four ponds

at Cedar Lane Farms is to keep up to 60 percent fluegas CO2 generated by the facility’s coal-burning sys-tem from being released into the environment.The third technology involves research conducted

by OARDC biosystems engineer Yebo Li. As an alter-native to using commercial fertilizers to feed thealgae, Li is testing a liquid waste (called “effluent”)that comes out of anaerobic digesters — systems thatproduce biogas from organic matter.“The effluent is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous,

two nutrients that algae needs to grow,” said Li, whoobtains this effluent from quasar energy group, an

OARDC research partner that operates an anaerobicdigester on the Wooster campus.In an effort to make this algae-growing system as

sustainable as possible, Li is using the biomass leftover after extracting oil from algae as a feedstock foranaerobic digesters. Doing this takes care of thealgae biomass and also helps produce more clean en-ergy, which in turn leads to more effluent fertilizeravailable. In other words, it’s an integrated system inwhich nothing is wasted.“Algae biomass is rich in proteins and carbohy-

drates and works very well for anaerobic digestion,”Li said. “Algae contains about 40 percent lipids and60 percent biomass, so future large-scale algae farm-ing would generate a lot of biomass residues that canbe used as a fertilizer or for making energy.”Li’s laboratory also tests and grows the seed algae

that is later added to the ponds to multiply.Withthese three technologies combined, the four ponds atCedar Lane Farms can produce some 2,000 gallons ofoil per year — approximately 10 times more oil thanwhat soybeans could yield on the same area of land.“Tests at his pilot plant will help us determine the

operating costs and yields from this technology,”Lane said. “We hope the pilot plant will attract in-vestors to license this technology to others in thealgae industry and that the production process willbe adopted to provide energy savings and to reducewater usage.“Ultimately, the aim is to reduce costs enough to

make the algae industry competitive with petroleumfuels.”Brian Joseph, president of Touchstone, said Ohio is

a good place for algae farming because it has a highwater table that makes it easy to set up ponds, aswell as a large supply of waste heat available. Theopportunity to work with Ohio State is another im-portant asset.“Having Ohio State as a partner is great,” Joseph

said. “They have great depth of expertise in everypart of the biological spectrum that you can think of.”

Decoding the mystery behind common food claims

Two topics this issue: Starting plants from seedand feeding the birds.Actually, it’s still a little early to begin planting

most seeds for spring or summer transplant, but it’snot too early to begin planning. My mailbox has beenfilling up with catalogs that advertise seeds, bulbs,veggies, perennials, annuals and more.As I try to narrow down my choices, it seems as

though there are so many new varieties of every-thing, and it’s difficult to fit my selections within mybudget and my available planting areas. Last year, Igot carried away and wound up ordering more seedsthan I could properly plant and grow.Here’s what I plan to do this year:1. If it’s a new hybrid plant, I won’t bother starting

it from seed. Hybrids rarely come out looking like theparent plant. Sometimes they don’t even grow at all.I’ll either wait a few years or buy plants in thespring.2. I’ll check the label on the seed packet to see how

many weeks it takes until the seed sprouts, leafs out,and is ready to plant outdoors. Then I’ll count back-wards from May 15. Starting seeds indoors too earlywill result in spindly, weak growth.3. My old seeds may still be viable since I store

them in plastic bags in the refrigerator. I’ll checkthem before planting:Wet a paper towel with a mix-ture of 9 parts water to 1 part hydrogen peroxide.(Hydrogen peroxide killsharmful fungal spores andbacteria.) Fold the papertowel in half. Sprinkle seedson one side of the wet papertowel, fold the paper towelover the seeds, and slide thewhole thing into a zip-lockbag.Wait a day or two andcheck the seeds to see ifthey’ve begun to sprout.Using tweezers, plant theseeds that have sprouted.4. To prevent damping off

(fungal diseases that arefatal to young plants), I’llstart seeds in a fine, sterilepotting mix, sprinkle thesurface with milled sphagnum moss (fungus gnatshate it), and water from the bottom in a tray. I mighteven water with that hydrogen peroxide mixture.Any plastic or non-porous container works fine aslong as it has drainage holes. Clay pots dry out toofast.5. I’ll provide plenty of heat and light. Plants

started indoors need temperatures between 65° and75°. They also need 12 to 16 hours of sunlight or arti-ficial light per day. I use portable fluorescent lightsand heat mats since I don’t have south-facing win-dows. The top of the refrigerator also works well forbottom heat.6. Most sources tell us to cover planting containers

with clear plastic to trap moisture and warmth whileadmitting light. As the plants begin to grow, however,make sure that they don’t touch the plastic.7. After the young plants have at least 4 leaves, I’ll

water with a weak, all-purpose liquid fertilizer.8. When they’re ready to transplant outside, I

gradually acclimate them to natural sunlight andoutdoor temperatures by placing them outside for 2hours on the first day, 4 hours on day 2, and so on.That’s the plan.Now for bird-feeding. My husband and I love to

feed and watch the birds from our bedroom windowin the winter. We’ve experimented with just aboutevery kind of birdfeeder known to mankind, andwe’ve narrowed down our current feeders to just 2types: suet feeders and cheap, plastic seed feeders.We’ve also narrowed down our choice of bird food tosuet and sunflower chips. True animal lovers willprobably be critical of our reasons for doing so, butwe try to avoid feeding house sparrows, grackles, andstarlings (known as the Evil Trio). These aggressive,non-native birds are responsible for reducing popula-tions of desirable cardinals, bluebirds, woodpeckers,and other native species. They may also carry dis-eases that threaten humans, pets, and wildlife.Several years ago, we lost the tree near our bed-

room window, and we had to come up with a replace-ment to hang our feeders. Our solution was a long,adjustable pole that was once used to clean the swim-ming pool. Once we cemented it in the ground, bracedit against a retaining wall, adorned it with hooks,and protected it with a squirrel baffle, we experi-mented with various feeders.

The upsidedown suet-feeder poses noproblem fordowny wood-peckers, hairywoodpeckers,red-belliedwoodpeckers,chickadees,andnuthatches.The Evil Trio,on the otherhand, cannothang upsidedown and eatat the sametime, so theytend to goelsewhere tolook forfood…hopefully finding none. The paddle-typesuet feeder was purchased especially for our Pileatedwoodpecker, the big boy who braces his tail againstthe elongated paddle while he eats. Birds that usethe upside-down suet feeder also eat from the paddlesuet feeder.

We use cheap, plasticfeeders because we remem-ber the days when we oncebought beautiful copper orhand-painted glass feedersonly to lose them to destruc-tive squirrels or thievingraccoons. Although neitherof these two varmints havebeen a problem with ourpole system, we find theplastic feeders easier to filland clean.We fill them withsunflower chips to attractthe greatest variety of birdswithout leaving a mess. Saf-flower seeds without theshell would be even more

desirable since only the “good” birds like these seeds,but we haven’t been able to find safflower chips, andsafflower seeds in the shell leave a horrendous mess.We’ve also experimented with nyjer thistle in a tube-type thistle feeder. Goldfinches loved it. Unfortu-nately, thistle globs up inside the feeder, making it

verydifficult to clean. It also spills out much too easily,leaving a gooey, moldy lump under the feeder. Nothanks.

Other types of seed we’ve rejected included black-oilsunflower seed in the shell (too messy; seeds sproutin the lawn), bargain brand seed (contains seeds thatbirds don’t like; too much waste), and seed mixturescontaining cracked corn or millet (attracts housesparrows).Our favorite find has nothing to do with feeders or

seed. It’s a hanger that we use to hoist the feeders onthe pole’s extended arms. Called the “Easy LiftHanger,” it makes hoisting even heavy feeders abreeze. All you do is hang a filled feeder on the bot-tom hook, insert a pole or broom stick into the spiralcoil in the middle of the hanger, and place the feederon a branch or, in our case, on the pole arm. No lad-ders. No pulley system. No problem.Then you collect all of the seeds that you bought

last year or three years ago, but lost interest and for-got to plant. Fill the feeder with your eclectic collec-tion, watch the birds as they beat an eager path toyour yard, and start looking at some of those 2013seed catalogs.

Ann Heeley, of Sidney, is a retiree who is a cer-tified Master Gardener and is active in both the

Rainbow Gardeners of Shelby County and theOhio Association of Garden Clubs

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I’m sure psychologists have a name for it - the com-pulsive storing up of food supplies in the face of animpending storm or cold spell.During the several recent storms that hit west cen-

tral Ohio, the phenomenon was apparent in local gro-cery stores. As severe weather was predicted, longlines of people could be seen with carts piled highwith “survival goods.” A look at the carts revealedmuch about the people themselves and what theyconsider necessary in the face of adversity.In our house it’s bread and milk. For some unex-

plained reason, the wife is seized with an impulse tobuy up vast quantities of these items whenever theforecast calls for severe weather. I don’t mean a loafof bread and a gallon of milk, but rather loaves andgallons.Consider this typical scenario prior to an impend-

ing snowstorm.She stumbles into the kitchen, breathless, clutch-

ing several heavy grocery bags.“Well, I guess we’re all set for the storm,” she an-

nounces, removing three loaves of bread from a sack.“I hope it doesn’t last too long.”She takes two gallons of milk from another sack

and puts it in the refrigerator. “We should be all setfor the weekend, though,” she notes.“Two gallons of milk and three loaves of bread for

two people for one weekend?” I inquire. “Isn’t that abit much? And what about the milk already in thefridge and the bread already in the freezer?”“Well we wouldn’t want to run out during sub-zero

weather,” she says firmly. “We might have a poweroutage. And then, pulling an ace from her sleeve, she

pronounces: “Don’t forget the Blizzard of ‘78!”“I don’t recall that we ran out of milk or bread at

that time,” I reply.“Don’t you remember how people were stripping

the shelves bare in every store?” she demands.“Yes, but we had two freezers full of food, just as

we do now,” I point out. “We could have gone forweeks without starving.”“Well I say it’s better to be safe than sorry,” she as-

serts, closing the refrigerator door with satisfaction.Then with a well-stocked larder, she settles down toawait the Arctic blast.By the end of the weekend, we had consumed a

total of one quart of milk and four slices of bread.And if the cold spell continued through April or so,

we would probably get to use up the rest of our“emergency supplies”.There is definitely something about a period of

severe weather that calls on instincts that other-wise lay dormant. Despite the hazards and incon-venience that storms and cold spells create, there isa certain satisfaction in enduring the hardship. Per-haps it’s because there are so few physical chal-lenges in our lives today. The frontiers have beenconquered, the wild west tamed and disease andpestilence generally eradicated.So when nature throws us a challenge, we will-

ingly respond. More serious events, such as floods,tornadoes and blizzards, bring out the good in peo-ple as they step outside their own little worlds toassist their fellow man.Who does not have a storyto tell about a blizzard or tornado or flood?Many people react to impending calamity in

strange ways. Like animals that live by their in-stincts, we store up reserves and burrow in for theduration. Then we spend the night listening to thehouse creak and groan in the bitter wind, while thefurnace plugs wearily along.Maybe we need a weather-related challenge once

in a while to jar us from our complacency and to re-mind us of our vulnerability. And besides, next July itwill give us something great to talk about while wesuffer in the stifling heat and grill steaks in the back-yard.

Jeff Billiel is editor of ACRES ofwest central Ohio and executive editor and

publisher of the Sidney Daily News.

Responding with bread and milkwhen winter winter threatens

Reflections

JeffBilliel

Rural

[email protected]

in the dirt

AnnHeeley

PlaysPlays

[email protected]

A PILEATED woodpecker isattracted to suet in a

paddle feeder.

PHOTO PROVIDED

EVEN A cheap plasticfeeder will attract manyhungry birds in winter.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Seed catalogs: a time for dreaming and planning

BY SHARON SEMANIE

When David Kruckeberg began looking for alterna-tives to heat his spacious Victorian home east ofGreenville in the early 1990s, a two-year search cul-minated in the purchase of an outdoor wood furnaceand subsequent dealership which he and his son,Aaron, now describe as the “largest (Central Boiler)dealer in the Midwest.”Located on a picturesque 500-acre farm at 7584

State Route 121 North in Greenville, the ClassicComfort Heating & Supply business is thriving, ac-cording to the younger Kruckeberg who began work-ing with his dad in July 2005.The Kruckebergs, whose showroom and office are

located in a former milk house, are farmers by tradehaving been involved in dairy, corn, soybeans, hayand wheat throughout their lifetime. Today, however,there are no cattle or livestock. The elder Krucke-berg, who opened Classic Comfort back in December1993, continues to operate the business with his son.“The 3,000-plus square foot house (now inhabited

by a sixth-generation Kruckeberg) was originallyheated by wood and a coal fire boiler until it was con-verted,” explained Aaron. “That was our sole meansof heat. The conversion and purchase of an outdoorwood furnace gave us the opportunity to save money.”Today the outdoor wood stoves are gaining in pop-

ularity which can be traced back to renewable energy,the ability to save money and elimination of highheating bills., Wood, according to Aaron, is renewable,inexpensive, carbon neutral and safer. The addition ofan outdoor wood furnace, he adds, provides the abil-ity for owners to save thousands of dollars annuallyon heating bills”. The stoves are installed safely out-side and reportedly eliminate smoke, ash, odors andsoot that indoor burning creates. By keeping the fireoutside the home, it eliminates the dangers associ-ated with indoor wood stoves. The outdoor stoves arebeing treated as a great back-up or supplementalsystem to residential heating.Aaron notes that the Central Boiler stoves range

in price from $5,490 to $14,900 depending upon ahome’s total square footage. “If you currently pay$500 per month level billing in propane costs, that’s$6,000 a year,” he explained. “In two years an outdoorwood stove can pay for itself and become a physicallytangible asset.” The only restrictions to purchasingsuch a stove are homes with electrical baseboards orelectrical cable ceiling heat.The Kruckebergs offer three specific models of

stoves including a Classic, E-classic and Maxim de-sign. These models are located outside, typically 30 to200 feet away from a home or business and workswith any existing heating system.Water-to-air orwater-to-water heat exchangers or direct circulationconvey the heat into the structure’s forced-air fur-nace, boiler or radiant floor heating system. This re-portedly allows for normal thermostatic control andprovides greater efficiency.. All models qualify underthe Environmental Protection Agency qualified andprovide warranty and maintenance agreements.When asked how the price of wood fits into the

equation, Aaron explained that many owners arerural customers who own lots of wood which often-times are wasted or tossed into a landfill. By usingsuch wood to burn their outdoor stoves, rural ownerscan “clean up their land and allow new growth.”“The purchase of an outdoor stove is truly an in-

vestment,” reiterated Aaron. “Each stove is aestheti-cally good looking and manufactured from metalunits and all units are sprayed with polyurethanefoam.We’re all burning wood so efficiency and con-struction is important. If we don’t recapture energy,

we’re not being good stewards.” Aaron approxi-mates 12 to 24 hours as the time required be-fore reloading wood into the outdoor stoveeach day.Aaron is primarily involved in the sales and

marketing component of the business andmost recently gave Classic Comfort a websitepresence at www.ClassicComfortOhio.comBusiness has reportedly expanded and

Aaron credits this to “word of mouth which isthe best form of advertising.”Among those individuals who’ve pur-

chased an outdoor wood stove is Ed Rinehartof Arcanum who purchased a woodpellet/corn burner in 2010. A farmer en-gaged in the crop business, Rinehart claimshe “loves” the stove which heats both hishome and 60x100 square foot farm shop. “”Ilove the fact that it provides renewable en-ergy and I can burn my own corn by justfilling up the hopper.” He estimates he’ssaving approximately $1,200 to $1,500 an-nually with the stove which supplementsthe forced air heating oil system used in his1,500 square foot home.Would he recommend such a purchase

for everyone? “Absolutely,” he replied. “Theonly downside is that I have a radiant floorin my shop which, when heated, hot waterruns through it, and my feet get hot in thewinter,” laughed Rinehart.David Stephenson, of Rockford, who

owns a greenhouse which raises hydro-ponic bib lettuce, concurred that the pur-chase of his wood pellet/corn burner has also been “agodsend.”Stephenson, who has been in the lettuce business

the past six years, noted “Before I bought this fur-nace three years ago, I had a boiler from Minnesotaand we had headaches from the day it was installed.It was a 500,000 btu boiler but never ran goodenough to warm the greenhouse. Oftentimes we wereup at 1 a.m. so the lettuce wouldn’t freeze.”Similar problems occurred the second-time around

when they traded so David and Bryan Stephensonpurchased the Central Boiler, which is a 250,000 btumodel to heat both their greenhouse and packing

house.They burn their stove with soybeans keeping a 1,500bushel bin next to the stove which they fill on a dailybasis.Stephenson has no regrets with the most recent

purchase but wishes he had a larger stove adding“we’ve talked about installing another one like theone we have. Maintenance is really easy and this(stove) works like a dream.”

Sharon Semanie writes for thePiqua Daily Call

Join other Farmers onVacation!

For reservations & details call 7 days a week:

1-800-736-7300

GrandEuropeanCruisePlus . . . Italy Tour

18 Days Depart September 5, 2013 from$1898*Your adventure begins as you Oy into Copenhagen,Denmark. Enjoy a tour of this legendary city beforeyou embark on theMSCMusica. Onboard you willexperience outstanding service, nightly entertainmentand Pve restaurants.

Sail to ports in: Kiel, Germany; Dover, England,famous for its white cliQs; Ferrol, Spain; Lisbon,Portugal, one of the world’s greatest ports;Málaga,Spain; La Goulette, Tunisia, on the coast ofNorth Africa and lastly the “Pearl of the Adriatic,”Dubrovnik, Croatia. Disembark in Venice whereyou will spend the day sightseeing that will includethe Grand Canal and St. Mark’s Square. Then travelto Verona, followed byMilan where you will see theLaScala Opera House and Piazza del Duomo.

*Per person, based on double occupancy. Priceincludes Inside Stateroom, upgrades available.Airfare is extra. $100 deposits are now due.

2359263


OUTDOOR WOOD or pelletfurnaces can work with almost

any existing heating system andare gaining in popularity as

utility costs rise. Shown here isa pellet-burning boiler.

[PHOTO PROVIDED

Outdoor wood boilers great boonfor home and agricultural heating

2013 WildlifeDiversity Conference

CelebratesConservation in OhioCOLUMBUS – The 2013 Wildlife Diversity

Conference explores Ohio’s backyards to find agreat variety of animal life and conservation tech-niques, according to the Ohio Department of Nat-ural Resources (ODNR).The conference entitled “A Conservation State

of Mind” will be held on Wednesday, March 13, atthe Aladdin Shrine Center, located at 3850Stelzer Road, Columbus, Ohio 43219. The confer-ence is sponsored by the ODNR Division ofWildlife and is open to the public.Doors open for registration at 8 a.m., and the

conference runs from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Thekeynote speaker is retired Toledo Blade OutdoorsEditor Steve Pollick. After traveling extensivelyas a writer and reporter, Pollick will discuss howOhio compares to other parts of the world in“Made in Ohio: A Conservation Choice.”Other topics discussed at the conference in-

clude the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas, ticks expand-ing their range, certified volunteer naturalistprograms, aquatic algae and its impact onwildlife, bats and white-nose syndrome, socialmedia participation by public agencies and east-ern box turtles.People may register online at wildohio.com or

call 800-WILDLIFE (945-3543). Registration be-fore Feb. 26 costs $25 and the cost will be $35after that date. A reduced-price student registra-tion is also available for $10.The fourth Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp, featur-

ing a black-capped chickadee, is available for pur-chase to conference attendees. Proceeds from thesale of the stamp will be used to support endan-gered and threatened native species, habitatrestoration, land purchases and conservationeasements and educational products for studentsand wildlife enthusiasts.

BY BETHANY J. ROYER

Whether it’s served sunny side up, hard boiled, orscrambled, the egg is far more than a simple debateover which came first, be it or the hen. For both con-sumer and producer,eggs are a nutri-tional, affordablepowerhouse and atrue heavy weight inthe farming industry.Especially in thestate of Ohio, the sec-ond largest egg pro-ducer in the nation,with Darke and Mer-cer counties leadingthe pack.

In 2011 alone, Ohiochickens, some 28million hens andnearly 9 million pul-lets, produced morethan 7.6 billion eggsat a value of $490million a year, accord-ing to informationprovided by JimChakeres, ExecutiveVice President of theAmerican Poultry As-sociation, who hadmuch to share on howthe egg is doing thesedays and how itmakes it from hen tothe plate.

“Some of the num-bers and demograph-ics can change at anygiven time, but it’spretty dense in termsof egg production,”said Chakeres in re-gards to the enor-mous output by areacounties from Cooper Farms in St.Henry, to Weaver Brothers in Ver-sailles, Cal-Maine Foods in Ross-burg, Ross Medford Farms in NewWeston, Hemmelgarn & Sons Inc.in Coldwater, and several independ-ent producers. “Our farmers takeegg production very seriously, weare producing a safe, wholesomenutritious product.”

A product that begins with thewelfare of the hen whose care fallsunder a set of standards, guide-lines, and inspections.Whether it isproper nutrition or a safe, clean en-vironment, commercial egg farmersparticipate in the United Egg Pro-ducers Certified Animal Care pro-gram that consists of standardsfrom cage space to molting, eventrimming of beaks.

“The big thing, we go through somany different inspections, and au-dits, on food safety, the care of thehens, the environmental responsi-bility of the farmers and taking care of the land andwater, there is so much about quality control thatgoes on,” said Chakeres of third-party auditing in-spections that many consumers may not be aware of,

along with the amount of dedi-cation, time, and energy thatgoes into making sure highstandards and thresholds aremet. From the inspection

process that movesfrom the hen to thewashing, gradingand eventually pack-aging of an egg.

In fact, just a fewshort hours afterbeing laid andprocessed, an eggcan be found in re-frigeration. The ut-most care andsafety of an eggmeans it is kept re-frigerated through-out thetransportation process and intoyour local grocery store before finding itsway to your home after purchasing.

“That’s an important process, food safetyis very important, all my folks have trainingin terms of food safety and have to gothrough several different inspections andprotocols every day to ensure egg safety isforemost in their mind,” said Chakeres ashe explained an Egg Assurance Quality pro-gram, one of the first five programs creatednationally, that focuses on the safety of theegg to ensure it is free of salmonella andother bacteria to keep consumers safe.“That’s something we are very proud of aswell.”

However, the egg in its entirety is not theonly method by which it reaches a con-sumer’s plate, as some eggs are broken inegg-breaking facilities before being trans-ported, in much the same process as wholeeggs in terms of refrigeration and with thesame applicable health and safety food stan-dards, but as egg yolks or egg whites.Whichis then used in the restaurant industry or

for food man-ufacturingfor such prod-ucts as cakeand cookiemixes.

The bigquestion formany con-sumers, ofcourse, is thenutrition fac-tor, as ongo-ing researchhas createdmuch debateon whetheror not eggsare a healthylifestyle op-tion, particu-larly when itcomes to cho-lesterol.

“It origi-nally came out that eggs had cholesterol in them andwhat we have found out, in research since then, isthat the cholesterol in the egg is much less than wethought it was,” said Chakeres, as eggs went from

215mgofcho-les-

terol down to 184 after furtherstudy. “At the same time that research was done wefound an egg has so much more vitamin D in it thanwe thought.”

An analysis shows the egg provides a host of vita-mins, from foliate, to iron and zinc, to a whopping 41IU of vitamin D. It is also an excellent source ofcholine, a nutrient imperative to fetal brain develop-ment, and may even help to prevent age-relatedmemory decline.

Besides packing a vitamin punch, eggs are low insodium and protein-rich, the latter at a value of 94percent, which is used as a comparison to grade otherfoods such as milk with 85 percent protein, fish 76percent, and beef 74 percent.

“For normal, healthy people an egg a day, or a cou-ple, is okay,” said Chakeres who emphasized how con-tinuing research shows that eating eggs forbreakfast, the high-quality protein that they offer,equates to fewer calories being consumed the rest ofthe day. “For people wanting to lose weight, includingeggs and that protein as part of your diet, especiallyfirst thing in the morning, is a great weight loss tool.”

Another benefit when looking at the nutrition eggshave to offer is the price.

“It’s the affordable, wholesome, nutrition-packedlittle package,” said Chakeres. “Where else can youget that for 75 calories and 15 cents?”

Bethany J. Royer writes for thePiqua Daily Call

2359750

2359232


MILLIONS OF Ohio hens pro-duce billions of eggs each year,with a value of $490 million.

PHOTO PROVIDED

PHOTO PROVIDED

Vitamin-rich eggs also enrichpoultry farms in west central Ohio

Ohio’s egg, chicken and turkeyfarms create more than 16,850 jobsgenerating $385 million in earningsto the state’s economy.

Most Ohio egg, chicken and turkeyfarmers live near their farms, so it isin their best interest to protect theenvironment within their own com-munities.

All large egg and poultry operationsin Ohio are regulated by the Ohio De-partment of Agriculture, which setsstrict guidelines for management ofmanure and other environmental im-pacts and requires regular inspec-tions.

Ohio’s egg, chicken and turkeyfarmers purchase more than $5.4 mil-lion in utilities and more than $93.8million in agricultural- and business-related services.

In 2008, Ohio’s egg, chicken andturkey farmers used 33 millionbushels of the state’s corn crop and16.2 million bushels of Ohio’s soybeancrop. At an average price of$4.21/bushel of corn and$10.30/bushel for soybeans, thisamounts to expenditures totaling$305.8 million.

More than 600 egg farmers andfarmers belong to the Ohio PoultryAssociation, which takes an activerole in educating the public and shar-ing industry information among itsmembers.

Ohio egg, poultry facts

Southwest Breakfast Burritos8 oz. turkey breakfast sausages, casings removed1/2 red OR green bell pepper, diced4 eggs, beaten4 whole wheat tortillas (8 to 10-inch), warmed1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (4 oz.)Preparation:Coat large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Cook sausage over medium heat, breaking into crum-bles, until browned and cooked through. Pour off allbut 1 Tbsp. drippings. Add bell pepper; sauté untilsoftened, about 4 minutes. Pour eggs over mixture inskillet. As eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggsacross the pan with an inverted turner, forming largesoft curds. Continue cooking – pulling, lifting andfolding eggs – until thickened and no visible liquidegg remains. Do not stir constantly. Spoon egg mix-ture into center of tortillas, dividing evenly; sprinklewith cheese. Fold in sides of tortillas, then roll upburrito-style.

Servings: 4

GRANVILLE - Attorney, rancher, and writer Nico-lette Hahn Niman will be the featured keynotespeaker at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Asso-ciation’s (OEFFA) 34th annual conference, GrowingOpportunities, Cultivating Change, on Feb. 17 inGranville (Licking County).

“Nicolette will explore the links between modernindustrial agriculture and the public health and en-vironmental problems we’re facing today,” said ReneeHunt, OEFFA’s program director and the event’s leadorganizer. “She’ll offer fixes for our diet and our foodsystem.”

Hahn Niman will speak as part of the state’slargest sustainable food and farm conference, anevent that draws more than 1,100 attendees fromacross Ohio and the Midwest, and has sold out in ad-vance the past three years. In addition to HahnNiman, this year’s conference will feature keynotespeaker George Siemon on Saturday, February 16;more than 90 educational workshops; two featuredpre-conference events on Friday, February 15; a tradeshow; a fun and educational kids’ conference andchild care area; locally-sourced and organic home-made meals, and Saturday evening entertainment.

Hahn Niman is an attorney, rancher, and author ofRighteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good FoodBeyond Factory Farms, which chronicles the prob-lems with the concentration of livestock and poultryand her work to reform animal agriculture as thesenior attorney at Waterkeeper Alliance. The bookprofiles successful farmers and ranchers using hu-mane practices and gives consumers practical tips forchoosing meat, while weaving in the story of her per-sonal transition from being a big city lawyer toranching in the west.

As she worked to reform factory farming, she foundexamples of farmers and ranchers throughout thecountry raising animals humanely and sustainably,including the 700 farmers and ranchers of NimanRanch, a natural meat cooperative started in Bolinas,Calif. The company was founded by Bill Niman, whoshe eventually married.

Her keynote address, presented by Chipotle Mexi-can Grill, is titled, “Eating as We Farm (And Farmingas We Eat” and takes place at 2:45 p.m. Hahn Nimanwill explore how a shift from grass-fed, diversified,and small-scale farming to concentrated, industrial

monoculture production methods have led to foodoverproduction, declining farm income, and fewerfarms.While the industrialization of the food system,fueled by farm policy over the past half century, hasresulted in cheap food, it has also caused an increasein diet-related diseases, overeating, and environmen-tal pollution. She will offer a vision for a path for-ward that would improve both the American diet andour broken food system.

For more information about the conference, or toregister, go to www.oeffa.org/2013.

Sustainable food, farming conference set

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REYNOLDSBURG – Ohioans can start plan-ning visits to all of their favorite fairs across thestate.The Ohio Department of Agriculture todayreleased the official dates for the 2013 fair season,which includes Ohio’s 94 county and independentfairs and the Ohio State Fair.The Paulding County Fair

will kick off the 2013 fair sea-son on June 10, and the sea-son will wrap up on Oct. 12with the Fairfield CountyFair.In addition to setting and

approving the dates for theindependent and county fairs,the department is responsi-ble for helping to assure thesafety of fair amusementrides,monitoring livestockshows to help assure honestcompetition and coordinatinganimal health efforts withlocal veterinarians.The fair schedule follows:• Ohio State Fair,Columbus, July 24-Aug. 4• Paulding County Fair,Paulding, June 10-15• Pickaway County Fair,Circleville, June 15-22• Putnam County Fair,Ottawa, June 24-29• Marion County Fair,Marion, July 1-6• Harrison County Fair, Cadiz, July 2-6• Clinton County Fair, Wilmington, July 6-13• Lawrence County Fair, Proctorville, July6-13• Madison County Fair, London, July 7-13• Logan County Fair, Bellefontaine, July 8-13• Trumbull County Fair, Cortland, July 9-14• Lucas County Fair, Maumee, July 9-14• Jackson County Fair, Wellston, July 12-20• Franklin County Fair, Hilliard, July 13-20• Adams County Fair, West Union, July 14-20• Crawford County Fair, Bucyrus, July 14-20• Fayette County Fair, Washington CourtHouse, July 14-20• Perry County Fair, New Lexington, July15-20• Ottawa County Fair, Oak Harbor, July 15-21• Warren County Fair, Lebanon, July 16-20• Carroll County Fair, Carrollton, July 16-21• Clark County Fair, Springfield, July 19-26• Butler County Fair, Hamilton, July 21-27• Clermont County Fair, Owensville, July21-27• Knox County Fair, Mount Vernon, July 21-27• Shelby County Fair, Sidney, July 21-27• Union County Fair, Marysville, July 21-27• Seneca County Fair, Tiffin, July 21-28• Vinton County Fair, McArthur, July 22-27• Summit County Fair, Tallmadge, July 23-28• Pike County Fair, Piketon, July 26-Aug. 3

• Preble County Fair, Eaton, July 27-Aug. 3• Auglaize County Fair, Wapakoneta, July28- Aug. 3• Greene County Fair, Xenia, July 28- Aug. 3• Gallia County Fair, Gallipolis, July 29-Aug. 3

• Columbiana County Fair, Lisbon, July 29-Aug. 4• Medina County Fair, Medina, July 29-Aug.4• Wood County Fair, Bowling Green, July29-Aug. 5• Champaign County Fair, Urbana, Aug. 2-9

• Athens County Fair, Athens, Aug. 2-10• Ross County Fair, Chillicothe, Aug. 3-10• Hartford Independent Fair, LickingCounty, Aug. 3-10• Richland County Fair, Mansfield, Aug. 4-10• Holmes County Fair, Millersburg, Aug. 5-10• Scioto County Fair, Lucasville, Aug. 5-10• Cuyahoga County Fair, Berea, Aug. 5-11• Attica Independent Fair, Seneca County,Aug. 6-10• Ashtabula County Fair, Jefferson, Aug. 6-11• Erie County Fair, Sandusky, Aug. 6-11• Hamilton County Fair, Carthage, Aug. 7-11• Henry County Fair, Napoleon, Aug. 9-15• Mercer County Fair, Celina, Aug. 9-15• Miami County Fair, Troy, Aug. 9-15• Muskingum County Fair, Zanesville, Aug.11-17• Huron County Fair, Norwalk, Aug. 12-17• Meigs County Fair, Pomeroy, Aug. 12-17• Jefferson County Fair, Smithfield, Aug. 13-18• Lake County Fair, Painesville, Aug. 13-18• Allen County Fair, Lima, Aug. 16-24• Darke County Fair, Greenville, Aug. 16-24• Defiance County Fair, Hicksville, Aug. 17-

24• Monroe County Fair, Woodsfield, Aug. 19-24• Lorain County Fair, Wellington, Aug. 19-25• Portage County Fair, Randolph, Aug. 20-25• Sandusky County Fair, Fremont, Aug. 20-

25• Noble County Fair,Caldwell, Aug. 26-31• Morrow County Fair,Mount Gilead, Aug. 26-Sept. 2• Stark County Fair,Canton, Aug. 27-Sept. 2• Hancock County Fair,Findlay, Aug. 28-Sept. 2• Mahoning CountyFair, Canfield, Aug. 28-Sept. 2• Montgomery CountyFair, Dayton, Aug. 28-Sept. 2• Richwood Independ-ent Fair, Union County,Aug. 28-Sept. 2• Van Wert CountyFair, Van Wert, Aug. 28-Sept. 2• Geauga County Fair,Burton, Aug. 29-Sept. 2• Fulton County Fair,

Wauseon, Aug. 30-Sept. 5• Washington County Fair, Marietta, Aug.31-Sept. 3• Highland County Fair, Hillsboro, Aug. 31-Sept. 7• Morgan County Fair, McConnelsville,Sept. 3-7• Belmont County Fair, St. Clairsville, Sept.3-8• Hardin County Fair, Kenton, Sept. 3-8• Albany Independent Fair, Athens County,Sept. 4-8• Wayne County Fair, Wooster, Sept. 7-12• Williams County Fair, Montpelier, Sept. 7-14• Hocking County Fair, Logan, Sept. 9-14• Guernsey County Fair, Old Washington,Sept. 9-14• Wyandot County Fair, Upper Sandusky,Sept. 10-15• Bellville Independent Fair, RichlandCounty, Sept. 11-14• Delaware County Fair, Delaware, Sept. 14-21• Ashland County Fair, Ashland, Sept. 15-21• Tuscarawas County Fair, Dover, Sept. 16-22• Brown County Fair, Georgetown, Sept. 24-28• Barlow Independent Fair, WashingtonCounty, Sept. 26-29• Coshocton County Fair, Coshocton, Sept.27-Oct. 3• Loudonville Independent Fair, AshlandCounty, Oct. 1-5• Fairfield County Fair, Lancaster, Oct. 6-12

PHOTO PROVIDED

Dates established for 2013 Ohio fairs

Landowners essentially bet the farm every day. Aliability lawsuit could arise at any time and for anynumber of reasons. Many lawsuits arise from claimsof negligence that result in bodily injury or propertydamage to others.If a farmer’s cow escapes and eats the neighbor’s

crop, the farmer may be liable for the damage to thecrop. If the same cow is on the road way and gets hitby a vehicle, and the occupants of the vehicle are in-jured, once again the farmer could be liable.A farmer/landowner may hire the teenager who

lives next door to mow the ditch along the farmer’sfence row. If that teenager gets hurt, injures someoneelse, or damages the property of a third party, thelandowner could be found liable.If a landowner allows relatives, friends, neighbors,

or even strangers to use their land for recreationalpurposes (such as hunting, fishing, ATV or snowmo-bile riding, hiking, etc.), the landowner could be liablefor any injuries sustained by the other party.Being found liable for an incident is costly. Without

insurance, that cost may have to be paid out of

pocket, putting your assets at risk.Even if a landowner is not negligent in his actions,

he or she may still be sued for bodily injury or prop-erty damage sustained by another. Most farm insur-ance policies will cover the cost of defending such alawsuit.Each and every farm is unique. And each and

every farmer has different exposures. In order tomake ends meet, many farmers may have an inciden-tal business on the side, such as custom farming or

feeding, or may be involved in other commercial ac-tivities.In order to protect themselves, their families, and

their farms, landowners should talk to a licensed in-surance agent. An agent can help thefarmer/landowner to craft a policy that covers the in-dividual needs of the farmer.

This article is provided by the A. C. Agencyin Bellefontaine and the

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company.

Know the liability risks of farming


CHAMPAIGN COUNTYAGRICULTURE SNAPSHOT

Champaign County – OhioRanked items among the 88 state countiesand 3,079 U.S. counties, 2007

State U.S.Item Quantity Rank Universe Rank Universe

MARKET VALUE OF AGRICULTURALPRODUCTS SOLD ($1,000)Total value of agricultural products sold 101,050 27 88 886 3,076Value of crops including nursery and greenhouse 84,420 15 88 486 3,072Value of livestock, poultry, and their products 16,631 40 88 1,662 3,069

VALUE OF SALES BY COMMODITYGROUP ($1,000)Grains, oilseeds, dry beans, and dry peas 75,720 16 88 361 2,933Tobacco - - 12 - 437Cotton and cottonseed - - - - 626Vegetables, melons, potatoes, and sweet potatoes (D) 3 88 (D) 2,796Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 299 40 88 900 2,659Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod 303 70 87 1,646 2,703Cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops 15 52 84 968 1,710Other crops and hay (D) (D) 88 (D) 3,054Poultry and eggs (D) (D) 88 (D) 3,020Cattle and calves 3,298 52 88 1,998 3,054Milk and other dairy products from cows 5,059 41 86 725 2,493Hogs and pigs 7,417 22 88 442 2,922Sheep, goats, and their products 276 13 88 466 2,998Horses, ponies, mules, burros, and donkeys 191 47 88 1,146 3,024Aquaculture (D) 9 53 (D) 1,498Other animals and other animal products 76 40 88 1,147 2,875

TOP CROP ITEMS (acres)Corn for grain 83,111 10 88 367 2,634Soybeans for beans 70,633 30 87 355 2,039Forage - land used for all hay and haylage,grass silage, and greenchop 8,225 52 88 1,901 3,060

Wheat for grain, all 6,769 38 87 865 2,481Vwgetables harvested for sale (D) 7 88 (D) 2,794

TOP LIVESTOCKINVENTORY ITEMS (number)Hogs and pigs 23,779 22 88 478 3,060Cattle and calves 9,696 52 88 2,029 2,958Layers 2,256 40 88 1,064 3,024Goats, all 1,601 4 88 415 3,023Sheep and lambs 1,503 24 88 638 2,891(D) Cannot be disclosedUniversal is number of counties in state of U.S. with item

2007 CENSUS OF

AGRICULTURECounty Profile

%2007 2002 change

Number of Farms ..............................................931......................937.............-1Land in Farms...................................204,901 acres .....207,554 acres.............-1Average Size of Farm ..............................220 acres ............222 acres.............-1

Market Value of Products Sold .........$101,050,000........$50,447,000 ........+100Crop Sales $84,420,000 (84percent)Livestock Sales $16,631,000 (16 percent)Average Per Farm..................................$108,540...............$53,839 ........+102

Government Payments..........................$5,082,000..........$3,686,000 ..........+38Average Per Farm Receiving Payments..........$9,157.................$8,321 ..........+10

Information from www.agcensus.usda.gov

Economic Characteristics Quantity

Farms by value of sales:Less than $1,000 ...............................................................243$1,000 to $2,499 ................................................................103$2,500 to $4,999 .................................................................77$5,000 to $9,999 .................................................................77$10,000 to $19,999 .............................................................69$20,000 to $24,999 .............................................................29$25,000 to $39,999 .............................................................41$40,000 to $49,999 .............................................................22$50,000 to $99,999 .............................................................86$100,000 to $249,999 .........................................................72$250,000 to $499,999 .........................................................52$500,000 or more ................................................................60

Total farm production expenses ($1,000) ...........................74,511Average per farm ($) .........................................................80,033

Net cash farm income of operation ($1,000) ......................35,981Average per farm ($) .........................................................38,647

Operator Characteristics Quantity

Principal operators by primary occupation:Farming ..........................................................................................388Other...............................................................................................543

Principal operators by sex:Male................................................................................................819Female ............................................................................................112Average age of principal operator (years).......................................55.1

All operators by race:American Indian or Alaska Native ....................................................1Asian .................................................................................................-Black or African American.................................................................4Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander..........................................-White.............................................................................................1,319More than one race...........................................................................9All operators of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin ..........................

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425 Houses for Sale

SIDNEY, 1801 CherylDrive. Remodeled 3 bed-room, 1 bath, 1100 SF ona cul-de-sac. $72,000,(937)489-9080.

500 - Merchandise

510 Appliances

WASHER/ DRYERHeavy duty XL capacity,Whirlpool washer, $75.GE electric dryer, $75.Whirlpool heavy duty su-per-capacity dryer, $90.(937)492-5702

535 Farm Supplies/Equipment

(2) IH 715 COMBINES419-275-2312

SNOW PUSHER boxesfor skid steers and back-hoes, made in Findlay,Ohio. Call 419-348-0240.

540 Feed/Grain

BEAN STRAW, 150bales, 4X5, $25 bale.(419)925-4616

545 Firewood/Fuel

FIREWOOD, $125 a cordpick up, $150 a cord deliv-ered, $175 a cord deliv-ered and stacked(937)308-6334 or(937)719-3237

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575 Live Stock

BEAN STRAW, 150bales, 4X5, $25 bale.(419)925-4616

577 Miscellaneous

BATHROOM VANITY 3cornered lavatory withmedicine cabinet. Overstool wood cabinet. Ex-cellent condition. $65.(937)596-6605

FIREARMS FOR SALE,Marlin model 336W Rifle,.30-30 lever action, Ca-pacity 6+1, like new, withcamo soft case, 20rounds of ammo, my cost$475 asking $425, Walth-er, PPK/S, 380 Pistol,stainless steel, upgradedwalnut handle, 150 roundammo, like new in case,my cost $740 asking$700, Walther P22 Pistolwith laser, well cared for,great first gun, my cost$350 asking $300. Call ortext (937)418-5329.

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800 - Transportation

805 Auto

1993 CADILLAC Fleet-wood Brougham, excel-lent condition! 39,000original miles. Asking$6000, (937)778-0217.

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