WC 11/12

BY STEPHANI [email protected]

NEW CARLISLE–Sec-ond generation ownershipand innovative techniquesallow Bowman and Landesto offer customers the bestin poultry products for notjust Thanksgiving Day, butevery day.Carl Bowman, second

generation co-owner ofBowman Landes, ex-plained the process of get-ting a turkey ready forThanksgiving dinner.“We get them as a one

day old poult, whichgives us the opportunityto take the time to getthem barn ready; that requires that we keep them insmall bunches under heat lamps to keep them fromsmothering each other and near the heat. This processis quite labor intensive and then they will be in the barnfor seven weeks,” Bowman explained. “Once they reachseven weeks we let them out doors to free range; theyhave to be seven weeks to withstand the weather andare strong enough to fight off small animal predators.”Bowman said they start out each year with approxi-

mately 70,000 turkeys with some dying from naturalcauses or from predators; they run this large operationwith one shift of people in charge of production of turkeyand growing of grains of around 2,700 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. Bowman Landes has around 30 em-ployees year round and seasonally, in November and

December, get up to around 170 employees for harvest-ing. Although Bowman and Landes is largely known fortheir production of Thanksgiving Day turkeys they alsogrow turkeys for processing, such as breasts and roasts,and whole turkeys for their small, in house meat mar-ket.Bowman said the majority of their marketing is done

directly with a small amount of direct store delivery.“We also have small distributors in Indiana and

Delaware who have connections with health food storeson the East Coast and co-ops, but our primary market-ing is in Ohio and southern Indiana,” Bowman said.Bowman and Landes’ claim to fame is that their

turkeys are raised free range and on a diet that is an-tibiotic free, but the real selling point is that there is no

animal by-product in thefeed that the turkeys re-ceive.“We give them a mixture

of corn, soy meal, vitamins,minerals, micro nutrientsand vegetable oil versus an-imal fat,” explained Bow-man. “Our turkeys areconditioned to be the bestThanksgiving Day turkeysbecause of how we growthem, exercise them, andbecause we don’t usegrowth promotants; theyeat more because they aremore active and burningmore calories.”According to Bowman

the biggest obstacle they

See Turkey/page 2

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TURKEYS at Bowman andLandes in New Carlisle are

herded by workers.TDN Photo/STEPHANI DUFF

CARL BOWMAN inspects

part of his flock ofturkeys.

TDN Photo/STEPHANI DUFF

Rising grain prices pose challenge

BY MIKE [email protected]

Farmers have many things to worry about: the weather, crops, livestock, fertilizerprices, equipment maintenance and purchases, when to plant and harvest. But somehave had to deal with yet another worry — fire.Fires destroy buildings and equipment and kill livestock, and even in if they

don’t spread to a farmer’s house and threaten the family, they can have a devastating

impact on farmoperations.According to the Fire Prevention Bureau of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, fires

damaged or destroyed 545 barns in the state last year, causing nearly $11 million inlosses, nine civilian injuries and 12 firefighter injuries.Dairy farmer Ken Pleiman, of the Fort Loramie area in Shelby County, knows

See Farm fires/page 2

FAMILY AND friends help cleanup after a major barn fire thatoccurred this summer on a

Shelby County farm.SDN Photo/LUKE GRONNEBERG

Farm fires: when the unthinkable happens

Raising Thanksgiving turkeyscan be a complicated process

“So,” people who don’t know what the life of afarmer is really like may ask, “what do farmers doduring the winter between fall harvest and springplanting? Long vacation? Winter job? Catch up onTV?”The truth, of course, is that the life of a farmer

doesn’t end after harvest and start again in theweeks before spring planting. A farmer’s lifeis 365 days a year.It is true that the winter months are dif-

ferent. But that is all. Just… different.Any farmer will tell you that from the

time they finish the fall harvest until theday they begin to prepare the fields forplanting in early spring they are working onsome farm-related project.Maybe they are checking out new seeds,

deciding what seeds will be best for the nextseason and what new hybrids are ready forthe ground. Then they must place their seedorders. And they had better not wait untilanywhere near the last minute or they mightbe out of luck. And they must order their fer-tilizer for the next year.Then there is all the farm equipment.Once harvest is done, the tractors, combines

and other equipment isn’t just driven into abarn to sit for three or four months.Winter is the time to do repairs on the trucks

and tractors and equipment. It is time to orderand install replacement parts. It is time to refurbisheverything and “winterize” all of that expensive farmequipment. And all that tender loving care takes lotsof time.

So the winter months may be as busy as any othertime of the year for farmers.Speaking of winter issues, the failure to pass the

expired federal Farm Bill may be costing to not onlyfarmers but American con

sumers as well.The Tampa Bay Tribune recently reported that

milk prices per gallon could skyrocket if a new billisn’t approved this winter.When the Farm Bill expired Sept. 30, so did the

Milk Income Loss Contract program. It was a safetynet providing payments when national milk pricesdrop in contrast to feed costs. When the new farm billdid not pass this year, and the old one expired, the

MILC program halted and was not replaced.And the paper reported that this will impact

dairy farmers across the nation.The Tribune reports that without a farm billby the end of this year, an old permanent lawwould take effect. The Congressional ResearchService says the government would be man-dated to set crop and milk prices at “parity”— the purchasing power of those crops in1910-1914, when, according to a 1930s study,a farmer’s earning power and purchasingpower were equal.MILC, and other dairy support programs,

have prevented imposition of parity. But itcould be imposed in 2013 if a new farm billisn’t passed.U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

said that could raise the price of milk instores to $6 a gallon. Here in southernOhio it is about $3 a gallon average. Theprices of milk, cheese and butter are all onthe increase.

So let’s hope that after the election, Congress willreturn for a “lame duck” session and include in it’spriorities passage of a new federal Farm Bill. Parti-san concerns stalled it this fall. Let’s hope that willbe put aside after the November election.

Gary Brock iseditor-in-chief of ACRES

what a fire can do to a farming operation. In January2009, he lost two barns, livestock and equipment in ablaze.He didn’t have time to contemplate his losses, how-

ever. There were cows to milk.“We just loaded up our heifers and took them to

other farms,” said Pleiman, who was helped byfriends and neighbors. “We built the new barn andgot them back in there.”Some of the surviving cows are still feeling the ef-

fects of the fire several years later. Pleiman said afew heifers suffered lung damage from the smoke.“They’re still not doing very good,” he said. “It kind

of stunted their growth.”Pleiman milks about 75 to 80 head of cattle. His

herd totals 160, with heifers and small calves.The fire struck on a foggy night while Pleiman was

sleeping. It was so foggy that the blaze apparentlyhad a good start beforeanyone saw it.“It (barn) was burned

down when people foundit,” Pleiman said. “Therewas absolutely nothingleft.”Pleiman milks twice a

day, so there was no time towaste in getting his opera-tion back under way.“You’ve got to start

cleaning up right away,” hesaid.Pleiman observed the

situation was worse be-cause it was winter.Warmer weather wouldhave made things easier.Pleiman had some expe-

rience with farm fires. Afire occurred on his uncle’sfarm a few years ear-lier.“He lost he his bigbarn, too,” Pleiman said.He helped his uncle after

that fire, and also his wife’s nephew, after a separatefire. So, when Pleiman suffered his loss, he didn’tlack for assistance.“We had plenty of help,” he said.Like other farmers who have suffered fire losses

before and since, Pleiman realized that work stillneeded to be done despite the tragedy.“You don’t think much about it,” he said, “you just

jump in and do it.”Pleiman said investigators believe his fire began in

a skid loader with an electrical problem.

As for concern about the possibility of future fires,Pleiman said, “There’s not really much you can do.You just have to hope it doesn’t happen again.”

Mike Seffrin is a reporter for theSidney Daily News.

Acres of West Central Ohio •November 2012 • Page 2

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are facing in the poultry industry right now is the priceof grain and soy having almost doubled, but the conso-lation to that is that in stores all proteins and vegeta-bles are rising in cost, as well. Disease prevention alsois something that Bowman Landes is serious about, sotheymust be careful about who is around the turkeys aswell as giving them pro-biotics, using acids and en-zymes.As Bowman Landes raises their turkeys in a free

range, antibiotic free environment, they are finding thatthey are meeting consumer expectations.“Free range and antibiotic free animal raising is very

en vogue right now and that makes it easier to meet theexpectations of our consumers,” Bowman said. “Peoplehave come to expect that turkey is a healthier option foreating lean versus red meat so we meet those expecta-tions by providing different turkey products other thanwhole turkeys; we have turkey pastrami, turkey ham,smoked turkey, and mesquite turkey, as well as turkeyfilets, turkeymignon (a turkey breast with turkey baconaround it) and turkey cube steaks.”Bowman has noticed that the trend of hospitals and

colleges wanting turkeys is on the rise; “Better proteinsand buying local seem to be an increased interest andwe are coming to find that our turkeys are no longerjust for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables.”Carl Bowman is co-owner of Bowman Landes with

his sister,Anita, and two other partners, Stan and SteveLandes; all four co-owners are second generation andthey have younger generations working at the companyfull time now, too. For more information on production,pricing, history and how to order your Thanksgiving orChristmas turkey, visit bowmanlandes.com.

Turkeycontinued from page 1

Farm fires continued from page 1

Outlook

GaryBrock

[email protected]

No ‘down time’ for farmersNo ‘down time’ for farmers

Harvesting this year’s soybean and corn cropsyielded many surprises. Depending on where fieldswere located, timely showers may or may not havedelivered sufficient moisture necessary for goodyields. Numerous farmers binned bushels beyondtheir expectations while many others were disap-pointed in crop productivity. Reported soybean yieldsvarying from 20 to nearly 80 bushels within the samefield, and corn fields producing between 50 and 200bushels in different areas according to combine moni-tors, illustrated challenges for seed selection, fertilityprograms, drainage, pest management, tillage choicesand overall soil management.The soil health issue appears to be attracting more

and more interest from crop producers. Higher yieldsalmost always come from soils that appear to behealthier. Most farmers credit darker, well drainedbottom ground with significantly higher productionpotential. While those soils are treasured, they oftenare not the dominant soil types within field bound-aries. Consequently, growers continue to seek ways tobring lighter colored soils on slopes and hilltopscloser in productivity to the higher valued areas ofthe field.Soil health is often equated with soil tilth. If the

physical condition for growing plants is good, thetilth is good. Such soils are porous, allowing water toenter easily, instead of running off of the surface.These soils also store more water in the soils for cropuse and suffer less from erosion.Healthy soils are also well aerated, enabling roots

to easily access oxygen and nutrients throughout thesoil profile. Good soil tilth is exemplified by large soilaggregates, numerous root and worm channels andpores of various sizes. Such structure resists, but isnot immune to compaction caused by trafficking onwet soil.Organic matter is a key ingredient for increasing

soil tilth and improving soil health. Many studies onagricultural and undisturbed woodland/grasslandsoils show that the increase in organic matter is di-rectly related to less compaction with more waterand air holding capacity. Crop residue left on the soilsurface helps intercept raindrops, reducing their im-pact and lessening the chance for dislodged soil parti-cles to erode. In addition, slowing the movement of

water flowing across the field allows more time forwater to infiltrate into the topsoil and also helpinglimit erosion.The decomposition of plant roots and surface

residue, pulled into the soil by worms and other or-ganisms, produces sticky substances that help bindmineral particles into aggregates that contribute toincreased soil porosity.A Penn State Extension reference on improving

soil health discusses aggregate stability or soil tilthrelative to improving soil health. It states that be-sides organic matter, crop rotations and crop mix-tures can help to improve the aggregation of soils.They advise that when designing crop rotations,

take the following factors into account: (1) crops withextensive, fine root systems such as grasses and cere-als that stimulate aggregate stability; (2) perennial

crops in the rotation have a favorable effect on aggre-gation that lasts many years; and (3) actively grow-ing root systems improve aggregation.Crops with easily decomposed residue (C:N ration

below 25) stimulate aggregate stability in the shortterm because bacteria feast on the residue, producingpolysaccharides and other easily degradable organicsubstances that act as glue holding aggregates to-gether. Such crops would include legumes and succu-lent young cover crops. Harvested grass type cropslike small grains and corn leave a mature residuethat have a high C:N ratio, more difficult to decom-pose.Soil amendments such as livestock manures also

stimulate the biological activity that helps improveaggregate stability.Finding the right mix of soil health enhancing

management strategies is an ongoing challenge forall crop farmers. All farmers are unique in theirquest to improve soil productivity. Attending informa-tional meetings, reading magazine articles, research-ing the issue on-line and asking questions are allmethods to increase your soil health knowledge base.On a humorous note, I saw a T-shirt this summer

that read:“Without Agronomy, You would be Hungry, Naked

and Sober.”

Roger Bender is a retired Shelby CountyAgricultural Agent with the OSU ExtensionService. He currently works as a consultant

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AgSoil health directly related to productivity at harvest

Detwiler Farm receives ‘Century Farm’ statusBY CRAIG SHIRK

WEST LIBERTY – Detwiler Farm, Upper ValleyPike, recently became the ninth farm in ChampaignCounty and one of 934 in Ohio to be recognized bythe state’s Century Farms program.Administered by the Ohio Department of Agricul-

ture, the program pays tribute to farms maintainedby a family line for 100 consecutive years or more.With the status, the Detwilers receive a certificatesigned by the governor and may display the CenturyFarms logo at their homestead just north of West Lib-erty-Salem High School.Tom Detwiler, co-owner and resident, is grandson

to one of the first taskmasters of the farm, Rufus De-twiler, who purchased it in 1904 from the originalowners.The 1,200-acre property was cultivated as early as

1817, according to Detwiler and his wife, Pat. Thecouple made it their home in the 1960s, maintainingthe original fireplaces, wrought iron fence and overallstructure of the farm house now almost 200 yearsold.“We thought this would be a neat designation,”

Mrs. Detwiler said of attaining the Century Farmsstatus. “It’s been such an honor to have it in the fam-ily for that many years.”“It was quite a process,” her husband said. Citing

the program’s qualifications, he said they devotedhours of research and scanning of documents to vali-date the farm’s ties to his lineage.Sharing the honor is Tom’s brother, John, an equal

partner of the business responsible for half the farm’soperations since the 1960s. The homestead has beena family effort, however, and the legacy includes to alarge degree all members, including the Detwilers’three children, six grandchildren, one great-grand-child and many others over four generations.The 108-year legacy has significant meaning to the

Detwilers, highlighting achievements born of a tire-less work ethic and of commitment to family.“It was a wonderful life for raising children be-

cause the kids always had chores, always had respon-sibilities and they could spend time with their dad.They always had access to him,” Mrs. Detwiler said.“They are the light of our lives.”Despite having jobs removed from the family farm

today, Kathy, Andy and Matthew are still integralparts of their father and uncle’s operation and theyall live within four miles of the farm.When Andyisn’t traveling the country showing his championgoats and when Matthew isn’t working at Honda, thebrothers help run the grain carts and do varioustasks in the fields.The oldest, Kathy, works in West Liberty and also

finds time to help with the farm. Meanwhile, thegrandchildren are active in many of the same activi-ties their parents enjoyed: band, 4-H, FFA, sportsand anything musical. The full-time guys, Tom andJohn, still run the tractors and combines. Having ex-panded to a farm on state Route 507 as well, the

group stays plenty busy and enjoys every minute.“(Tom) smiles all the way through his cereal every

morning,” his wife said. “Every job to him is fun.”She claims the best time of year is harvest season.“How exciting harvest time was, when the kids

could ride in the tractors with their dad,” she said,adding the farmhas become acentral gather-ing place for hergrowing familytoday.The Detwilers

have seated asmany as 43 peo-ple in theirhome forThanksgivingdinner. They’vemade extensiverenovations totheir roughly3,000-square-foot home,built in 1817,to make theseoccasions pos-sible. Onesuch renova-tion had themfearing theupstairsmight fallinto the liv-ing room,Mrs. Detwilerrecalled witha chuckle.What remains of the home’s original brick was

taken from clay found on the property in the early1800s. In addition, Detwiler’s grandfather built thestorage barn in 1913 from trees taken from a sectionof the farm bordering U.S. Route 68. The propertyalso holds the original hog house and corn crib, bothconverted to storage areas for the farm’s equipmentand for a few toys such as Tom’s antique tractors.The 1,200-acre farm comprises some woodland but

is almost entirely corn and soybeans. It had includeda profitable dairy herd until 1988 and supported cornnuts, a specialty produced in Champaign County andparts of California, during the 1990s.One of the top dairy feeder herds in the nation,

Tom and John’s herd sold for a good price, and Tomwasn’t entirely sad to see it go.“With milking, if you do it yourself, you’re married

to it,” he remarked. “It was great having all that freetime, seeing the kids’ activities (after the herd wasgone).”“We did everything together,” Mrs. Detwiler added.

“When the kids got in 4-H and started showing at thefair, that was a good time. It was a vacation for us.”

Raising corn nuts started in the early 1990s andended around 1998 when the corn processing plant inUrbana was bought. It proved to be a good moneycrop, said Mrs. Detwiler.Regardless of weather, the soil continues to provide

strong corn and soybean yields. Even floods anddroughts have failed to affect harvests signifi-

cantly, the Detwilers said.“What we do have is ours, and

it’s good ground,” Mr. Detwilersaid.“I can’t ever say we had a year

where we were living hand andmouth or anything like that,” Mrs.Detwiler added.When Detwiler’s grandfather re-

tired from the farm in the 1930sand moved to West Liberty, his sonHoward purchased the propertyand continued the legacy until hemoved to Michigan. Thereafter,Howard’s brother Lawrence, Tom’sfather, cash rented the farm untilhis sons took ownership in the1960s.Changes made since then likely

would baffle Rufus today.“I think he’d be amazed,” his

grandson said.In the early 1900s, Rufus and his

sons worked the soil with the help ofhorses. Much of the work comprisedhard, manual labor. Today, tractorsdrive themselves.“Nothing was too easy back then,”

Mr. Detwiler said. “It has been a 100percent change (from horses to trac-

tors with their own guidance systems) … It would goclear around the world straight because it’s directedby satellite.”Even the slightest deviation from a straight line

triggers an alarm, he explained.The need for bigger and better equipment spurred

design changes in the century-old storage barn. Mr.Detwiler made a bigger door, scaled back the hay loftand installed an I-beam to accommodate the up-grades.Amid the variables, the Detwilers are assured of

one constant: Family and community come first.“We’re really fortunate to live in a community like

this,” Mr. Detwiler said, remembering the outpour ofsupport the family received when their 2 1/2-year-oldson, Andy, sustained serious injuries from falling intoa grain auger years ago.“That’s when you really find out who your friends

are,” Mrs. Detwiler said.For the Detwilers, “good ground” is more than soil.

It is the foundation, the bond between loved onesachieving common goals, the values passed downfrom generations and the community that enables itto happen.

Craig Shirk writes for theUrbana Daily Citizen

PAT ANDTOM Detwilerstand by their Ohio Cen-tury Farm sign at their

home on Upper Valley Pikein Champaign County.

UDC Photo/ALEX HOWELL

[email protected]


BY SHARON [email protected]

YELLOW SPRINGS — There’s a “JerseyGirls” production now playing in southwesternOhio. Unlike the male vocalists who popular-ized the musical “Jersey Boys,” these 30 per-formers represent the “cream of the crop” withnames such as Blondie, Bonnie, Kim andSnowflake. They are 900-pound bovine beau-ties — Jersey cattle — who provide the mainingredient for dairy products made at Young’sJersey Farm on Route 68 north of YellowSprings.Chief Executive Officer Dan Young — who

references his job title as chief ice cream dip-per — has been instrumental in the success ofthe spacious dairy farm which prides itself inthe motto “We create fun for our customers.”On an average day, more than 9,000 patronsvisit Young’s to sample the nearly 100 mouth-watering flavors of ice cream along with thewide variety of farmstead cheeses producedon-site. Altogether, Young’s produces morethan 70,000 gallons of ice cream annuallyalong with 30,000 pounds of cheese varietiessuch as Colby and pepper jack, fresh cheddarcurds, apple wood smoked cheddar and babySwiss.Young’s history began in 1869, when rela-

tives of the Young family built the red barn with itsbark-covered beams still standing on the premises.Hap Young reportedly purchased the 60-acre farmand house shortly after World War II and, for thenext decade, he and his three sons — Carl, Bob andBill — farmed the acreage plus upwards to 500 addi-tional rented acres where they grew grain, raisedhogs and milked cows.It wasn’t until 1958, when the Young clan opted to

sell Jersey milk directly to the public and opened itsfirst sales room, a 10-foot by 10-foot area adjacent tothe milk room. Equipment, reports Dan Young andcousin Stuart Young, was “modest” and included glassjugs, a refrigerator, a cash drawer and the honor sys-tem. Customers could simply drive up, open the re-frigerator, pick up a gallon of milk, leave an emptyjug container and money and return home.

Because there was amarket forfarm freshmilk, theYoungs builtand openedits first realdairy storein 1960 andbegan dip-ping icecream plusother dairyproductssuch ascheese andsnackfoods. Thesmallbuildingremainsattachedto the bigred barnand rep-resentsthe spacewhereYoungsmakesits lus-cious icecream today.Young — a third generation family members —

notes that milk and cream for the ice cream mixtureis purchased from Reiter Dairy in Springfield. TheJerseys herd on site produce milk for the Farmsteadcheeses also made in the former dairy store. “Wemake all of our own ice cream right here on thefarm,” noted Young. The ice cream is made from a 15percent butterfat mix (pasteurized milk, cream andsugar mixture) which is very rich in taste and offersa “smooth, creamy texture and blends well withmany flavors.”Staff make the ice cream with machines called

batch freezers, which makes five to 10 gallons of icecream per batch. Each batch reportedly takes 12 to15 minutes to make. Different flavorings, fruits orcandies are added at different stages of the processdepending on how they want ingredients mixed.“The ice cream comes out of the machine at about

23 to 25 degrees and is immediately put into a spe-cially built walk-in freezer that has a high wind ve-locity and an average temperature of 30 degreesbelow zero. Freezing ice cream quickly is one secretof making excellent ice cream, notes Young. “If youallow the ice cream to freeze slowly, large ice crystalswill form and a rough texture will result. After it ishardened the ice cream is ready to move into storefreezers that hold the ice cream at about 10 degreesbelow zero.”Various cheeses also are produced in a large vat

adjacent to the ice cream freezers in the formerdairy store. The word “farmstead,” notes cousin Stew-art Young, “means we produce the cheese on our farmusing Jersey milk 100 percent from our own cows.”Stewart himself oversees the “closed herd” of cattlewho are raised on the feed grown on the farm and arenot treated with any growth hormones. To begin thecheese-making process, milk is pasteurized at 140 de-grees for 45 minutes to make Colby, Monterey jack,pepper jack and fresh cheddar curd varieties. “Whenwe make our aged cheddar and baby Swiss we usenon-pasteurized milk.We age these cheeses for aminimum of 60 days. The process of aging the cheesekills any harmful bacteria that may be present in themilk.”Subsequent steps call for cooling the milk back

down to about 90 degrees then add the cheese culturebefore adding the ren-

net, which beginsthe process of coagulating the casein protein in themilk to make curds. After the cheese has set, the curdis cut into smallpieces and thewhey — liquidpart of the milk— is drained.Each 100pounds of Jer-sey milk yieldsabout 13 or 14pounds ofcheese and 86to 87 pounds ofwhey, which issaved andused as fertil-izer on thefield to helpcrops grow.Loose curds

are thenplaced in“hoops,”which are ei-ther squareor roundforms.Whenfilled they are placed in a cheese press overnight toeliminate the last of the whey and begin the process

of curds forming cheese blocks or wheels.Cheeses are then vacuum packed and placed in anaging cooler for a few weeks or years depending uponthe type of cheese.“Each time we make cheese we start with 1,100 to

1, 500 pounds of Jersey milk and get 130 to 300pounds of cheese. It takes six to eight hours to makea batch of cheese.We make cheese four days a weekon average or about 32,000 pounds of cheese eachyear,” said Dan Young, who points out that Young’sbaby Swiss and apple wood smoked cheddar varietieswere gold medal winners in the North American Jer-sey Cheese Awards presented in 2011 in Wisconsin’sown “dairy state.”Visitors quickly discover that Young’s Dairy is

more than peach ice cream and dill cheddar cheesecurds. Families enjoy feeding goats and petting the

farm animals, honing their skillsat the batting cages or drivingrange or playing one of the twominiature golf courses on site.Barnaby’s Walnut Grove is aserene spot for a company picnic,family reunion or other get-to-gether and, according to DanYoung, can accommodate groups ofmore than 5,000. There are tworestaurants including the GoldenJersey Inn for great “comfort food”and the Dairy Store for fast food or-ders and a scoop of the “flavor of theweek.”Dan Young and his “family” con-

stantly strive to plan events whichbring customers to their rural envi-rons. Whether it’s a wool gatheringshow, pick your own pumpkins,haunted wagon rides, support thetroops weekend, or choosing and cut-ting your own Christmas trees,there’s no end to their savvy market-ing skills.Young likes to think his forefathers

would be “proud” of the family’s ac-complishments over the decades andespecially the capacity to bring visi-

tors from around the world to their dairy farm.“There was a time when only five people would visit

the first dairy store,” he recalled. “Yester-day we had9,000. It’sjust a differ-ent busi-ness.”When

asked if thisyear’sdraught hasseverely im-pacted thebusiness, thechief icecream dippersimply smiledand responded“It was greatfor selling icecream.”To learn

more aboutYoung’s JerseyDairy visittheir website at

youngsdairy.com.Sharon Semaine writes for the

Piqua Daily Call

“Jersey Girls”

AERIAL VIEW ofYoung's Dairy inClark County.

Photo provided

YOUNG'S DAIRY plant manager MikeRandall oversees cheese making at theClark County dairy farm.The Jerseyherd on site produces milk for the

Farmstead cheeses also made for thedairy store and restaurants.

PDC Photo/SHARON SEMANIE

ROBBIN MALONEserves up somehomemade soft

serve ice cream atYoung's Dairy inYellow Springs.


Jersey cattle provide main ingredient for Young’s Dairy productsJersey cattle provide main ingredient for Young’s Dairy products

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to plantspring-blooming bulbs such as tulips, crocuses, daffodils,and alliums. It’s also the time to dig and store tenderbulbs, rhizomes, and tubers such as caladiums, colocasia(elephant ear), canna,and dahlias.Frost, even heavy frost,won’t kill the majority of them, but freezing soil temper-atures will turn them to mush.There is a lot of information on the internet about stor-

ing tender bulbs, and as long as you have a cool, dry spacein which to store them, the basic processes are very simi-lar.1.Wait until the stems or stalks

are yellow and dried or have beenhit by frost and cut them off about3-4 inches from the soil.2.Dig up the bulbs/tubers taking

care not to slice into the fleshyareas. Use a garden fork or smallpitchfork if the bulbs are in theground rather than in a container.3. Shake off excess dirt or rinse

off the dirtwith a hose. It is not nec-essary for the bulbs to be com-pletely free of dirt.4. Cut off any long, gangly roots and place them on

newspaper or in a cardboard box.Allow them to dry awayfrom the sun for a few days or up to a week if the bulbswere rinsed in water.5. Dust or spray them with an insecticide-fungicide to

prevent problems during storage.6. It’s always a good idea to label the bulbs.Many look

alike, and you may not remember what you saved whenspring arrives!7. Paper bags, cardboard boxes, and mesh bags (like

those used for onions, potatoes, etc.) can be used to storethe bulbs over the winter. Slightly moistened sphagnummoss, peat moss, sawdust or vermiculite will help cush-ion the bulbs and prevent them from totally drying out.8. Store bulbs in a cool, dry spot that won’t freeze or be-

come too warm—aim for 45-55°. Check the bulbs everymonth or so to make sure there is a little moisture in thestorage medium. If the bulbs appear to be dried or shriv-eled, mist with a little water.9. For more detailed information on specific types of

plants, please read “Storing Bulbs and Bulblike Struc-tures” from the University of Minnesota. (http://www.ex-tension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg1117.html)To overcome the winter blahs, nothing beats the sight

of spring-blooming flowers. Fall garden catalogs and gar-den centers are filled with a myriad of choices, so it’s justa matter of deciding on color combinations, bloom time,and spacing.Tulips, for example, can be classified accord-ing to when they bloom: early spring, mid-spring, or latespring.They can also be classified by color, shape, height,single or double, and number of blooms per bulb. Browsethrough catalogs or go online to get ideas for all sorts of

bulbs. Good online sources include www.easytogrow-bulbs.com, www.tulipworld.com, www.colorblends.com,www.johnscheepers.com, www.vanengelen.com, andwww.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.Don’t stop with tulips.There are so many other spring

blooming flowerswaiting to be the stars of your show.Daf-fodils with apricot, yellow, or pink centers are reliable andhave an extra bonus: squirrels, chipmunks, and otherpests avoid them.Alliums aremembers of the onion fam-ily, so pests avoid them, too. Crocuses are among the ear-

liest of all the spring flowers, and willoften pop up when snow is still on theground. Google these alternatives to seewhat they look like: Glory-of-the-Snow,Grape Hyacinth, Hyacinth, Starflower,EnglishBluebells,Windflowers,Camassia(Quamash), Anemone Blanda, Fritillaria(pests hate it), Scilla…the list goes on.Allof these bulbs require cool to cold temper-atures in late fall and winter in order tobloom in the spring.Any of the spring-blooming plants can

produce spectacular results as long as thebulbs are planted before the soil freezes. In

our area,mid- to late-November usuallymarks the frozen-soil deadline.LastNovember, andDecember for thatmat-ter, extended the planting season. Although there aresome exceptions, here are some basic considerations.1.Choose bulbs that are large, firm,and plumpwith no

mold ormildew. In general, the larger the bulb, the health-ier and larger the flower or blooms.2. Plan to plant in drifts or clumps rather than rows to

avoid the soldiers-at-attention look.3.Dig a hole or a trench about 3 times as deep as the di-

ameter of the bulb in soil that will drain well during thewinter and spring. I use a cordless drill with an auger fornearly effortless planting and speed. (Note:This techniquedoesNOTworkwell in rocky ormuddy soils or in themid-dle of tree roots.)4. Drop some balanced or high-phosphate fertilizer

(high middle number, such as 5-7-4 or 6-12-6) in the holeand sprinkle with peat moss or soil. Don’t let the bulbcome in direct contact with the fertilizer. You can alsosprinkle fertilizer on the surface of the soil after the bulbhas been planted and rough up the soil to mix it in. Bonemeal is a great fertilizer, but it attracts dogs, cats, and ro-

dents.5. Place the bulb in the hole, pointy end up/fuzzy roots

down, fill in the hole with soil, and water well.Now all you have to do is sit back and wait for Mother

Nature to work her magic in the Spring. Do you havequestions or other tips that you’d like to share? Pleaseemailme.For upcoming issues, I’d also like to include yourideas or suggestions for indoor gardening, houseplant, orholiday decorating topics. I look forward to hearing fromyou.

Ann Heeley, of Sidney, is a retiree who is a certi-fied Master Gardener and is active in both theRainbow Gardeners of Shelby County and the

Ohio Association of Garden Clubs.

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BY BETHANY J. [email protected]

PIQUA — Make no bahs about it, raising sheep isbig business.Facts provided by the American Sheep Industry

Association states there are more than 5.35 millionhead of sheep being raised on 81,000 farms andranches across the United States.While many would assume sheep serve the dual-

purpose of both meat and wool, with production alsofor milk and cheese. Their use and usefulness doesnot stop there, as sheep are being heralded for creat-ing healthier landscapes via their ability to digesttoxic vegetation, thus offering a natural method oferadicating nuisance weeds. Their grazing habitsseen as a potential resolution to public/commercialspaces that benefit both wildlife and the wallet.Also, their manure is used for fertilizer, while

bones, horns and hooves are used for a plethora ofproducts including syringes, buttons, adhesives, evenshampoo.The fats and fatty acids for cosmetics, dish soap,

and tires.Hide and wool for paint, upholstery, and insula-

tion.While all states raise sheep most are west of the

Mississippi river. Yet, Ohio ranks 13th in sheep to-tals, with the local Miami County Sheep Improve-ment Association working to educate, promote andencourage involvement in the industry. One that hasseen an influx, both in popularity and in the market,throughout the years and according to the economy.Participation in the Association has equally flunc-

tuated over the years according to sheep popularityas goats are currently on the trend.Jill Wright, secretary/treasurer of the Miami

County Sheep Improvement Association for the last 8years, graciously spoke on behalf of the group andtheir endeavors, beginning with the constitution by-laws of promotion and education. These are sharedthrough local shows and formerly with participation

in such functions as the PiquaHeritage Festival and TroyStrawberry Festival, with educa-tional information popularlyserved through the MiamiCounty Fair.It is the latter where the As-

sociation also promotes theirLamb and Wool Queen, withMeagan McKinney, daughter ofRyan McKinney and AngelaDilts, crowned at this year’sMiami County Fair.Shows, where participants

will purchase a lamb through aMiami County Sheep Improve-ment Association memberbreeder or county-locatedbreeder, serve many purposesbeyond education. They alsooffer the opportunity of fivecash payouts, a traveling tro-phy and a director’s chair.Promoting nine to 10 differ-

ent breeds in the county,Wright explained the Asso-ciation’s numerous affiliations that includes the stateAssociation and ties through local members in theirbreed-specific related organizations.They also have close contact with the county exten-

sion office, and parpticipate in local projects, theirmost current is a fresh coat of paint at the southsheep barn at the fairgrounds, with members helpingto re-set the pens.The group is also working to revive a lamb camp to

help kids learn more about showing.“It’s nice for them to learn about the different

rules,” said Wright, with former camps held at thefairgrounds, and the hope to hold future camps at fel-low Association members’ homes for a more hands-onexperience.According to the Ohio State Extension office,

Miami County producers raised 2,322 sheep and

lambs during the year 2002.Which means forthose interested in the wide-expanse of sheep raisingthat offers everything from an ecological perspective,to wool and meat, the Miami County Sheep Improve-ment Association is a great place to start. Theirmeetings are held at 7 p.m., the third Thursday ofevery other month, at the fairgrounds with the nextmeeting slated for November.“We’d love to have new members,” said Wright who

states the group sees a large diversity of members,from all walks of life, ages and covering both market-ing and breeding.The Miami County Sheep Improvement Associa-

tion is open to residents of Miami County.

Bethany Royer writes for thePiqua Daily Call

EMILY JOHNSON poseswith her reserve grandchampion market lambduring the 2012 Sale ofChampions at the MiamiCounty Fair. The familyhas raised sheep on theirPeterson Road farm for a

number of years.PDC Photo/MIKE ULLERY

Raising big business

SSttiillll ttiimmee ttoo ppllaanntt sspprriinngg--fflloowweerriinngg bbuullbbss

in the dirt

AnnHeeley

PlaysPlays

[email protected]

BY WILL E [email protected]

There is more to the Ohio Corn and Wheat Grow-ers Association than meets the … ear.Nowhere is that best illustrated than in the pas-

sion, leadership and lobbying efforts of two of the or-ganizations’ district directors, Chad Kemp and BillBerg.As the association’s director for District 6, which

includes Darke County, Kemp said one the the mostimportant duties he has is lobbying on behalf offarmers, a function that has taken him from thestatehouse in Columbus to the nation’s capital inWashington D.C. where he has helped fight for rulesand regulations that affect corn and wheat growersin his district and state.Among some of the higher profile issues he has

lobbied for was the state’s and the nation’s farm bills.“We help shape our new farm bills with legislators

and educate them on what farmers need on thefarm,” said Kemp, who said it can be challengingspeaking with legislators regarding agricultural top-ics because many aren’t knowledgeable about whatfarmers want and need.Kemp, a former Franklin-Monroe fifth-grade

teacher, said that task grows more difficult everyyear and that as new generations of farmers comeabout things such as farming methods and issuesarise and change.“Much of it is relationship-building,” Kemp said of

his role with the association. “We go into politicians’offices and we are a resource for them. Some of thepeople we deal with have never stepped on a farm,but they run agriculture, so we are there as a re-source.”Kemp said there are challenges and that they

come mostly from misinformation, saying “we have asafe and abundant food supply.”When it comes to challenging issues that arose

during the 2012 harvest season Kemp did not hesi-tate to say the lack of rain that was not only feltthroughout southwestern Ohio, but statewide.“I farm down the I-70 corridor and we were blessed

compared to some parts of the state,” said Kemp, afifth-generation farmer who grows and harvests corn,wheat and soybeans. “We just didn’t get any rain. Itis just so disheartening.”Like Kemp, Berg, the association’s director of Dis-

trict 3, performs many of the responsibilities as hiscounterparts but said one of the biggest decisions hemade regarding the association came last year when

he helped decide some key roles in the organization,including a new objective director.“It was one of the biggest decisions I made in my

life to either move someone new up or hire someonenew, that’s always a difficult decision,” Berg said.“That decision has turned out to be a really good oneand we advanced a person we had on staff and he re-ally stepped up. I am really impressed and I am veryhappy.”While the association works locally, a lot of what

they do not only involves national-level politics, butalso statewide agriculture issues.One thing Berg said he is especially proud of is his

work with helping create a statewide farm bill, whichwas a challenge because many state legislators arefar removed from issues most farmers have to dealwith professionally and personally.“Some (politicians) are too far removed from agri-

culture and they don’t know what is happening onthe farm today,” Berg said. “One of the largest prob-lems is regulation. …We try to keep that under con-trol.”He said he goes to Washington, D.C. about twice a

year to lobby and fight for corn and wheat growers,which is something he said he enjoys doing.One such issue he used as an example was geneti-

cally-modified crops.“We defended that big time,” he said. “There is

nothing wrong with genetic crops. It’s just anotherquicker way of doing something.”This year’s farming season wasn’t as good as Berg

had hoped as dry weather welcomed the crops andthen a barrage of rainfall in August have resulted inexpected yields being below average this year.“It’s tough, I have insurance and that made me

sleep better,” he said. “But you still lose.We all wouldhave been better off with the crops. … I love to seecrops. It doesn’t get any better than that.”Berg has been a farmer for his entire life. He and

his brother farm 1,300 acres of corn, wheat, soybeansthroughout his district.“It’s unbelievable what we do today,” Berg said.

“Some city people don’t know what we do, but wecare for the land.We don’t want to eat bad food.”For more information on the Ohio Corn and Wheat

Growers Association, visit their website at: ohiocor-nandwheat.org.

Will E Sanders writes for thePiqua Daily Call

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REPRESENTATIVES OF the Ohio Corn and

Wheat Growers Association work tirelessly for

the state’s farmers and farming community.

Above, a local farmer harvests a field after

this past summer’s drought.Yields for corn

and soybeans were low across the state for

the 2012 growing season.

PDC Photo/MIKE ULLERY

Corn, wheat district directorsexude passion and leadership

BERG KEMP

BY LEE JONES

BELLE CENTER— There is more common groundbetween the organic farmer and an Amish agricultur-alist than meets the eye.

Of course the Amish are well-known for abstainingfrom the electrical grid, automobiles and zippers, butthe community’s passion for simple living leads themto produce healthy food and healthy ground to growit from.

Marvin Coblentz, an Amish businessman whoowns the Pioneer General Store in Belle Center, inLogan County, knows farming well and, aside fromsome differences in tool choices, it is not much differ-ent from how a conventional organic farmer would doit.

“We stay away from treated seeds,” Coblentz saidof genetically modified crops. He also takes issuewith the chemically driven, no-till method of farming.The Amish farmer, according to Coblentz, is workingthe ground constantly and utilizing the early springfreezes to open the ground as well.

Corn gets planted in early June and no herbicidesor fertilizers, other than some chicken manure, touchAmish crops. Instead, rotation and building uphealthy soil is the name of the game.

“Radishes and turnips are good cover crops,”Coblentz said. Planting cover crops not only producestasty fruit but sends nutrients into the soil othercrops need. Coblentz referenced his father’s field oforganic corn that produced over and above the yieldsof conventional fields due to nitrogen-loaded soil.

Coblentz, and the the Amish community as awhole, embraces the use of tools and processes manyfarmers consider archaic, like horse-drawn plows.

“That’s something we’ve adapted to,” he said. “Itfits our lifestyle, it’s simple.”

He said the horse-drawn plow is better for the fieldthan the heavy, conventional plows.

“Horses have an advantage because a tractor hasmore compaction than horses do,” Coblentz said.They can also enter the field earlier in the seasonthan a tractor because the hoof can handle dampground better than the tire.

There is history and tradition that unites theAmish farmer with horse-drawn tools, and there doesnot appear to be any chance of that bond breaking.

“We see that a lot of things are electronically-minded and at some point we’ll see people come backto simple, easy to use things,” Coblentz said. “Wethink that if we are solely dependent on that, at somepoint that can be a problem.”

Even though Amish principles separate them insome ways from their Amish neighbors, Coblentz wasquick to point out that the two communities withinBelle Center a maintain healthy relationship.

“We appreciate the English people around us,” hesaid. “We enjoy doing things together and working to-gether.”

Coblentz said Amish will buy hay from their con-ventional neighbors, and Coblentz’s own store servesAmish and English alike.

Lee Jones is a reporter with theUrbana Daily Citizen.

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Amish recipe for farming:principles and different tools

AN AMISH man and girl plow afield in October near Troy. Late

autumn plowing allows forearlier planting in the spring and

may help reduce problems ofinsects, disease and weeds.

CORN SHOCKS makea nostalgic setting in

an Amish field inLogan County.

AP photo

UDC PHOTO/Lee Jones

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BY LAURA JONES

For all of you who “bleed” scarlet andgray this time of year, there’s a way toshow your team spirit for years tocome, while beautifying your landscapeand helping the environment. You cangrow your very own Ohio buckeye treefrom the “eye of the buck” itself!Right now, the branches of most

buckeye trees are laden with seeds ornuts encased inside a greenish-gold,leathery husk. From early Septemberto late October the husks drop to theground and split open, revealing theirhidden treasures. The nuts come out ofthe husks a deep, glossy chestnut-brown with a tan, circular patch. Na-tive Americans who once inhabited theOhio Valley region called the nut “het-uck” or “eye of the buck” because it re-sembled a deer’s eye.Collecting buckeye nuts for planting

is as easy as the planting itself. Ohiobuckeye trees can be found growing inforests, parks and neighborhoodsacross the state. These native treesgrow naturally in moist soil, oftenalong river bottoms. State parks andstate forests are great places for gath-ering; just be sure to collect only thosenuts that have fallen to the ground.Only recently fallen nuts are viable

for planting. This means the luckybuckeye that you’ve been carryingaround since the Ohio State Buckeyeswon the 1968, or 2002 National Cham-pionship, is not a candidate for germi-nation!Because it can be difficult knowing

how recently a buckeye seed has fallento the ground, experts with the OhioDivision of Forestry, suggest soakingyour recently collected buckeyes inwater for two to four hours beforeplanting.Seeds should be planted in loose,

well-worked soil about 6 inches apart,and at a depth twice the diameter ofthe seed. It won’t hurt to plant morebuckeyes than you want, since only halfare likely to germinate. To help holdthe soil in place, put 2 to 3 inches ofmulch, straw or well-rotted sawdustover the planting. Check the soil once aweek, adding just enough water to keepit moist.TIP! If there are squirrels in the

neighborhood, they’ll likely dig up theseeds. To discourage their scavenging,place a screen mesh over the plantedseeds before covering them with mulch.Remove the screen and mulch in earlyspring after the ground thaws.Once the seeds have germinated in

the spring, begin applying enoughwater to maintain about one-inch perweek. During the first season, lightlyfertilize in April and again in June.By August, buckeye trees big and

small will be exhibiting leaf scorch, anonfatal fungus resulting in early leaf

drop. But don’t worry, even without itsleaves, your little buckeye tree will bejust fine. You’ll know it’s in good shapeif you see a plump bud at the end of thestem – reflecting the start to nextyear’s growth – and if the bark does notappear to be wrinkled.Keep in mind that as “young bucks,”

these trees prefer partially shaded con-ditions. You can transplant yourseedling to a sunnier location the firstspring after germination. Be sure to doso before it leafs out, and don’t waitmore than two years to transplant.Trees in more open settings will haveto endure the tribulations of leafscorch, but as the tree matures the re-ward is more profuse blooming andthat ever-so-important nut production.Depending on growing conditions,

Ohio buckeye trees will begin produc-ing nuts in five to 10 years. The aver-age height for Buckeye trees is 40 feet;they have fairly narrow crowns andshort trunks that are 2 to 3 feet in di-ameter. Bark on older trees is dark, fur-rowed, and scaly. The white,fine-grained wood is moderately soft,easy to carve, and resistant to splitting.Buckeyes are some of the first trees

to leaf out in the spring, producing thewidely recognized fan of five, nearly el-liptical leaflets. Cone-shaped clusters ofsmall, pale yellow flowers bloom at theend of branches in late April and earlyMay. In the fall, these popular trees areequally well known for being amongthe first to turn yellow and drop theirleaves.If you’re in a hurry to harvest nuts

from your very own Ohio buckeye tree,you might want to consider skippingthe seed-planting process and goingstraight to a local garden center. Manytree nurseries across the state haveOhio buckeye trees in stock.Go Bucks!

Laura Jones writes for the OhioDepartment of Natural Resources.

Ohio OutdoorsYou bet your ‘Buckeye’

you can grow state symbolin your own backyard!

A CLOSE-UP of a buckeye nutencased in its leathery husk.

Future Farmers of America from throughout west central Ohio converged onthe Shelby County Fairgrounds recently during a rally by presidential candi-date Mitt Romney.The enthusiastic youths were actively participating in theAmerican democratic process of selecting a leader for the country.

Photo provided

FFA active in election season

Pigs looked healthy but tested positive for fluCOLUMBUS, Ohio - More than 80 percent of pigs that tested positive for in-

fluenza A virus at Ohio county fairs between 2009 and 2011 showed no signs ofillness, according to a new study.Ohio State University researchers tested 20 pigs each at 53 fair events over

those three summers and found at least one flu-positive pig at 12 fairs - almost aquarter of fairs tested.The influenza strains identified in pigs in this study include H1N2 and H3N2

viruses - strains that have been circulating in pigs since 1998. In 2011, all of theH3N2 and H1N2 isolates found in pigs at the fairs contained a gene from the2009 pandemic strain of H1N1, which is similar to the H3N2v strain causinghuman illness this year.Though this finding alone is no cause for panic, it does show how quickly in-

fluenza viruses can change, said Andrew Bowman, lead author of the study anda Ph.D. candidate in veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State.In a second study led by Bowman, researchers compared the genomic se-

quences of influenza A viruses recovered in July 2012 from pigs and people. Theanalysis, showing a greater than 99 percent genetic similarity among theviruses, confirms that pigs and humans were infected with the same virus, indi-cating interspecies transmission.As of Sept. 25 this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

had confirmed 107 human cases of H3N2v influenza in Ohio since July 2012,with the majority linked to exposure to pigs at agricultural fairs. While most ofthe human illness caused by H3N2v has been mild, one person, who had a com-promised immune system, has died.The more often that flu viruses are transmitted, the better their chances are of

evolving into a strain to which humans are not immune, which is the big-pictureconcern among scientists monitoring these viral infections.Bowman and colleagues will continue to investigate strategies to protect swine

and public health. In the meantime, the research group has offered potential riskmitigation strategies for fairs with swine competitions to consider: shorteningthe pig exhibition period, avoiding movement of pigs from one fair to the next,and vaccinating exhibition swine for appropriate influenza A viruses. In addi-tion, the CDC recommends that people with compromised immune systemsavoid pig displays at fairs.

BY KEN [email protected]\

ANNA –When one thinks of farming, the firstthing to come to mind, other than corn and soybeans,is livestock - like hogs, cattle or poultry.But these days, you can add another word to that

list — fish.That’s right, fish.Fish farms have

been steadily in-creasing over theyears, thanks inlarge part to peo-ple wanting toeat healthierfoods, andthereby eatingmore fish thanthey used to.According to

the U.S. Eco-nomic ResearchService, Ameri-cans on averageare eating fourpounds morefish per yearthan they did in1970, andglobal fish con-sumption hasrisen to arecord of al-most 17 kilo-grams perperson.Back in

1998, there were a total of 33 fish farms in Ohio.

Today, there are over 200.One of those is located in Shelby County, the

Shelby Fish Farm on Wells Road between Anna andWapakoneta.Steve and Terri Heitman, of Wapakoneta, have six

ponds on their land, and raise fish like bluegill, large-mouth bass, yellow perch, and catfish. And they sellseveral other species.“I don’t raise all my own fish,” said Steve Heitman.

“Some I fly in from Arkansas.”

Heitman and his wife “just took a generalinterest” in fish farms and began reading upon them on the Internet. They also visited theOhio State aquaculture program in Piketon.“We saw other people doing it,” Heitman

said. “This business has pretty much beendominated by Arkansas. There are guys downthere that have several thousand acres ofwater, where I might have a couple acres.”Despite the increase in fish farms, Heitman

said there aren’t many around here. “There’san operation in Kalida, one in Urbana andone in Cincinnati, but that’s about as close asit get,” he said. So he is selling fish to placesall over Ohio.People like the Heitmans have made Ohio

the No. 1 producer of yellow perch and bluegill in theentire nation, and the fourth largest producer of

largemouth bass.When the Heitmans decided they were going into

the business, they had to, of course, dig the ponds.“It’s gotten a lot more expensive,” he said. “But

back when we did it, it wasn’t that expensive, about$5,000 per acre. Now it’s about $12,000.”The ponds are all 6-to-8 feet deep from one end to

the other, and Heitman said the most popular of thefish he raises in those ponds would be a tossup be-tween the bluegill and the yellow perch.In the spring, the farm sells to individuals for pond

stocking. In the fall, the biggest clients areclubs and recreational facilities, where thereare memberships. “They will call and saythey want 500 pounds of perch or 500pounds of bluegill,” Heitman said. “And thistime of year, different organizations will holdkids fishing derbies, and we’ll stock theirponds for that, too. It’s just a fun day for thekids, and they can show the kids a good timefor about $600.”The catfish he raises are good size and nor-

mally go to clubs and fishing tournaments, hesaid.When it’s time to harvest the fish, Heitman

uses a 150-foot net that is 12 feet deep. “Ifthey need a couple hundred pods, you don’t dothe whole pond,” he said. “You just scoop themout and sometimes run them through a graderso the little ones drop out.”The Heitmans also sell hybrid striped bass,

walleye, hybrid bluegill, crappie, tilapia, cop-pernose and grass carp. The hybrid bluegill aregood for ponds where bluegill have “taken over.”And they also offer other items, such as

water treatment chemicals for pond blueing,muck removal, fountains and lighting, aera-tion windmills, and more.

“Fish food, pond dye, all different types of watertreatment… you have to get into a little bit of every-thing,” Heitman said. And that includes the so-called“ornamental fish,” like koi, goldfish and other species.“I don’t spawn them myself. There are guys that do

that as a business,” said Heitman. “For somebodywanting to get into the fish business, that’s real lu-crative. Even buying them and raising them up. Koi,the more colorful it is, the more it’s worth. I buy themand raise them, and people come in and pick the onesthey want.”It’s easy to see why the ornamental fish are a part

of the operation. Heitman said a 12-inch largemouthbass sells for $5. The same size koi would sell for $20.“And it took the same amount of feed and the sameamount of work.”The spring drought the area had to deal with this

year was felt by the Heitmansin their operation. “This is thefirst year since I started that Ihad to add water,” he said. “Nor-mally, I’m taking water out.Ponds went down about 18inches.”The fish stay in the ponds

during the winter, and go into asort of hibernation state. Sothey don’t need to be fed, givingthe Heitmans a chance torecharge for the busy springseason.“We really enjoy it,” Steve

said. “It’s so much differentthan any other livestock youraise. My wife was a town girland I didn’t think she wouldadapt to it. But she just jumpsright in.”

Ken Barhorst is sportseditor for the

Sidney Daily News.

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BOTKINS — Maria Goettemoeller, a 2012graduate of Botkins High School and member ofthe Botkins FFA Chapter, has been awarded a$1,000 Ford Trucks/Built Ford Tough Scholar-ship. Buckeye Ford Lincoln of Sidney, as a spe-cial project of the National FFAFoundation, sponsors the schol-arship. Goettemoeller plans touse the funds to pursue a de-gree at Montana State Univer-sity - Bozeman.The scholarship is one of

1,539 awarded through theNational FFA ScholarshipProgram this year.The daughter of Joseph and

Joanna Goettemoeller ofBotkins, Goettemoellerearned several scholarshipsupon graduating form high school last June.She placed third in FFA Agricultural Commu-

nications competitions, second in Job Interview,second in Public Speaking at the sub-districtlevel, fourth in Public Speaking at the districtlevel, earned a chapter, greenhand and state de-grees, won Blue and Gold, Scholarship and StarGreenhand awards. She was FFA queen.She was on the honor roll, president of the Na-

tional Honor Society and winner of its CarolBecker Award, a member of Ohio Ambassadorsof Music, a scholar athlete, a member of thestate FFA choir, Miss Congeniality of the ShelbyCounty Junior Fair, and earned varsity letters inathletics and music.As a member of FFA, she participated in the

following activities: agricultural communica-tions, dairy judging team, equine judging team,job interview competition, leadership conference,officer training conference, parliamentary pro-cedure competition, proficiency application, pub-lic speaking contest, soil judging, stateconvention and national convention. She servedas FFA historian and secretary.

GOETTEMOELLER

Shelby County fish farmservices ponds throughout

west central Ohio

TERRI (left) andSteve Heitman, ofWapakoneta, pull

up a basket ofLargemouth bassthey are raising on

their Anna fish farm.

SDN Photo/LUKE GRONNEBERG

STEVE HEITMAN, ofWapakoneta, feeds the

koi and goldfishhe is raising on his

Anna fish farm.


Large mouth bass floparound in a basket thathelps keep them more

accessible whenneeded.


Goettemoeller winsFord scholarship

Salute to youth

It's that time of yearfor all things pumpkin,and for Loretta Geuy thatmeans pumpkin bread.Geuy lives on a small

farm near Rosewood inChampaign County withher husband, Garner. Thecouple have been marriedfor 50 years and have twochildren.Her husband enjoys

working the garden andharvesting the produce,while Loretta prides her-self on canning and freez-ing it for winter. Shenoted that they also havefruit trees andberries. She freezes theberries for winter pies.She also enjoys being

outdoors and working inher flower beds, espe-cially when spring ar-rives with new life andthe promise of warmerweather.Geuy likes to bake pies,

cookies, bread and rolls,especially during wintermonths. She makes thepumpkin bread in the falland around the holidays.She has had the recipefor a long time and findsit turns out well eachtime she make it.

PumpkinBread3 1/2 cups flour2 teaspoons baking

soda1 1/4 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 teaspoon cloves1/2 teaspoon allspice4 eggs, beaten1 1/2 cups canned

pumpkin (16 ounce can)1 cup salad oil (Canola)2/3 cup water3 cups sugar1 cup chopped nuts (op-

tional)Combine sugar, oil,

eggs. Add the pumpkin,water and mix well.Combine the flour, bakingsoda, salt, cinnamon, nut-meg, cloves and allspiceand add this to the pump-kin mixture. Stir well.Grease two loaf pans.Bake at 350 degrees for 1hour, or until the centeris done. Try not to overbake. Cool in pans for 10minutes and then re-move. This also freezeswell. You can add or de-crease the spices to suityour taste.

Auglaizewomansharesuniqueapple pierecipeBrenda Zaborowicz of

Wapakoneta, in AuglaizeCounty, loves to readrecipes and to bake. Oneof her favorite recipes,Apple Raisin Cream Pie,was discovered in an oldCountry Woman maga-zine.Both Zaborowicz and

her husband, Anthony,enjoy cooking. They havethee children and fourgrandchildren. She worksat Foot and Ankle Cen-

ters of Ohio Inc. and sellsPampered Chef on theside. She enjoys playingbingo on occasion.

Apple RaisinCream PiePastry for 2-crust, 10

inch pieFilling:7 to 8 cups tart apple

slices,1/8 inch thick1 cup sugar1/2 cup flour1/2 tsp nutmeg1 tsp cinnamon3/4 cup raisinsDash salt, if desired to

2 tsp grated lemon rind1 tbls (rounded) butter3/4 cup heavy creamMake favorite pastry;

line bottom of pie tin withone crust and set aside.Combine apple slices,sugar, flour, spices,raisins,salt andlemonpeel; mixtogetherwell.Spoonfillinginto pas-try-linedpan; dotwith but-ter. Coverwith topcrust dec-oratedwithsteamvents;seal edges. Cut a 1 inchcircle from dough in cen-

ter of top crust. Bake at400 degrees for 40 - 50minutes. Remove piefrom oven; slowly pourcream into center hole oftop crust. Return tooven; bake 5 - 10 minuteslonger. Let stand 5 min-utes before cutting. (Re-frigerate leftovers.)

ApplePizzaoffers newtwist onfamilyfavoriteMarcia Knife of

Casstown, inMiami County,enjoys cookingfor her familyand one of theirfavorites at thistime of year isApple Pizza. Itis a populartreat whencompany comescalling. She hashad the recipefor years butdoesn’t recallwhere she gotit. She makes

it mainly in the fall whenapples are readily avail-

able.Knife and husband

Rick recently celebratedtheir 40th wedding an-niversary. They have twomarried daughters andfour grandchildren.When not cooking,

Knife enjoys reading andcollect-ing an-tiques.The

Knifesalso col-lect an-tiquefireequip-mentand own13 full-size firetrucks.Theyalsohave an extensive collec-tion of firefighting memo-rabilia. In keeping withtheir interest, they havea brass fire pole in theirhome that came fromBaltimore, Md., which al-lows them to slide fromtheir bedroom to the fam-ily room below.Knife is active in

church, playing the pianofor worship, and in thelocal Grange. In the win-ter time when thingsslow down a bit, she en-joys working jigsaw puz-zles.Knife’s specialty pizza

recipe follows.

Apple Pizza2 pie dough sticks3 large or 7 small ap-

ples1 cup sugar1 stick butter1 cup flour2 tsp. cinnamon1/2 cup powdered

sugarDab of

milkMake pie

crust accord-ing to pack-age (or useyour ownrecipe).Spread on

greasedpizza pan orcookie sheet.Peel andsliceapples and

spread oncrust. Mix1/2 cupsugar andthe cinnamon.Sprinkle on the top of

the apples. Mix butter,flour, and 1/2 cupsugar. Crumble over

pizza. Bake at 400 de-grees for 30 minutes.(May take a little longer.)Cool a few minutes.

Mix powdered sugar anddab of milk. Drizzle overpizza and enjoy!

WestLibertywoman isamazingcookiebakerEileen Warne of West

Liberty, in LoganCounty, startedbaking at an earlyage and now sellscookies and cinna-mon rolls to sev-eral outlets.She and her

husband Larryhave been mar-ried for 42 yearsand have twogrown childrenand six grandchil-dren.Mrs.Warne

grew up on afarm and learnedto cook and bakeas a child.

When she was in highschool her family openeda produce stand in theirfront yard and shestarted baking cinnamonrolls to sell there.Whenher children were in mid-dle school she worked as

a school cook, then lateras a baker at a new arearestaurant. She eventu-ally decided to start herown business, "Eileen'sCookies." She alreadyhad the proper licensesand first a local craftbarn began selling hercookies, and then her cin-namon rolls.She now sells cookies

in tworestau-rantsand at herfamily'sproducebarn, aswell as atthe LoganCountyFarmer'sMarket inBelle-fontaine.She bakesand sellsan aver-age of

160 dozen cookies a weekand has her oldest grand-son help out duringthe summer.Warne's husband

grows potatoes, so everySaturday morning duringmarket season they takepotatoes, breads, pies,cakes, cookies and nutbreads to the farmer'smarket. In the fall shealso takes appledumplings.When the market is

over for the season, shesells holiday cookies andpies. With the aid ofher son's family, she andher husband also make,cut and wrap 500 poundsof caramels. She sellsabout 6,000 dozen cookiesa year.Eileen shares the fol-

lowing sugar cookierecipe, which is one ofher favorites.

SugarCookies2 sticks oleo1 1/2 cups brown sugar1/2 cup white sugarCream together and

add two eggsThen add:1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking soda1 1/2 teaspoons baking

powder1/4 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla5 cups flourRoll on floured counter

and cut whatever shapesyou wish. Bake at 350 de-grees until light brown;approximately 9-11 min-utes. These can be bakedand frozen.Ice them when they are

removed from the freezer.Recipes compiled by

Lola E. Billiel

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Country Cookin’

LORETTA GEUY of Rosewood displaysher pumpkin bread.

MARCIA KNIFE

ELAINEWARNE

BRENDA ZABOROWIC

It’s a greattime forPumpkinBread

BY SHARON [email protected]

BRADFORD — German immigrantsyears ago introduced hasenpfeffer-atraditional stew-to American palates.The hearty dish is made from mari-nated rabbit, braised with onions andwine, and enhanced with aromic spices.Rabbit fare has come a long way as ev-idenced by the bratwursts, jerkey,sausages and snack sticks now avail-able commercially in area supermar-kets.Seventy-six-year-old Don Wick,

owner of Wick’s Rabbit Ranch inBradford, claims the processed rabbitmeats consumed by humans aids cho-lesterol levels and is actually lower incalories than chicken, turkey, beefand pork. As the world populationcontinues to grow, futurists predict“there will be less land to raisefood….and the rabbit will play amore increasing role in this (food)supply.”Wick, along with his wife, Ellen,

have been inducted into the Ameri-can Federation of New Zealand Rab-bit Breeders Hall of Fame. Togetherthey raise the New Zealand blackand white does and bucks in a non-descript building behind their homealong Route 721 between Covingtonand Greenville. The congenial rab-bit breeder grew up less than twomiles from his ranch on an 80-acrefarm where his parents and two broth-ers raised chickens, hogs, dairy cattle,wheat and corn. “We never knew poor,”smiled the Franklin-Monroe HighSchool graduate, who lives in a serenerural environment surrounded by fieldsof corn and soybeans.After graduation he began working

at a Dayton food market as a carryoutboy but that soon changed. “When theysaw that I was making toomany tips, they put meback in the meat de-partment,” where hewas taught the meat-cutting trade. Hecontinues to com-mute back and forthfrom Save-A-Lot Su-permarket in Daytonhoning his skills in be-tween the rabbit busi-ness. “There are toomany old people in Florida,” helaughed, when asked about retirementplans.Wick said his fascination with rab-

bits began as a child when he joined 4-H and began showing New Zealandvarieties for 10 years. He reportedly“made out well” with rabbit sales at 25cents per pound explaining NewZealand varieties yield more money fortheir meat content. Since 1960, the af-fable farmer has been promoting thebreeds and taking part in shows fromPortland, Ore. and San Francisco toMilwaukee and Madison,Wis., oftentaking as many as eight or nine rabbitsin special carriers aboard airliners.While some shows yield sales of $50 to$5,000 per rabbit, Wicksproudly boaststhat he sold a male buck for $300 in In-dianapolis. On an annual basis Wickestimates he shows and or sells 5,000rabbits for commercial use. Between 30to 40 bucks and does remain on theWick’s property at any one time. All arefed a diet of pellets-comprised of alfalfaand soybeans-along with water. Formeat processing purposes, rabbits — atan average weight of five pounds — aretaken to a Greenville area poultry pro-cessing plant where they are butcheredat eight to 10 weeks of age. They arethen processed into meat according tostate inspection standards and trans-ported by dry ice to retail businesses orsold on a mail-order basis.Among the seven Dayton area food

markets which sell Wick’s rabbits areDorothy Lane Markets, King Poultry in

Get-tysburg, Caven’s Meats in Conover andOlde Village Meat in Frazeysburg.Prices range from $4.69 for a packageof rabbit bratwursts to $6 for the rabbitbeef jersey.

Customer demand for rab-bit, said Wick, is on the riseespecially on the EastCoast. “Once people try it(rabbit) they really like it.It’s better than turkey orchicken and has less caloriesand cholesterol. You can sub-stitute it for any chickenrecipe or simply cook iton the grill outdoors.”Wick noted his rabbitproducts are availableby contacting him [email protected] or orderingfrom Ohio Proud, amarketing programsponsored by the Ohio

Department of Agriculture in 1993 thatidentifies and promotes food and agri-cultural products that are made inOhio and grown in Ohio.Wick said theproducts range from salsas, jams andjellies to breads and pastas andprocessed meats including his rabbitproducts.He suggested that while his rabbit

farm is multiplying by leaps andbounds, this year’s onslaught ofweather and drought conditions hastaken its toll. “I have to keep enoughwater available at all times,” indicatedWick, “and the cost of feed has skyrock-eted”. He predicts a 20 percent increasein the amount of pellets he will pur-chase in the future. His weekly bill forone-half ton of feed totals $200, whichhe shares with other rabbit hobbyists.In the meantime he will continue his

commute to Dayton as a meat cutterwhile tending the rabbits back on theranch. He and his wife, Ellen, will cele-brate 55 years of marriage this fall.They have two sons, Tim, who residesseveral miles away, and Jim who livesnorth of Boston, Mass. The couple hasseven grandchildren.When asked if Ellen shares his en-

thusiasm for the furry inhabitants on-site, he simply smiled and replied“Nope. I stay out of her sewing room,”and she remains away from the rabbitsin the adjacent ranch house.

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Bradford among leaders ingrowing meat rabbit business

DANWICKS, owner ofWick's RabbitRanch in Bradford, holds one of theNew Zealand rabbits he and hiswife Ellen raise.The couple havebeen inducted into the AmericanFederation of New Zealand Rabbit

Breeders Hall of Fame.

PDC Photo/SHARON SEMANIEDANWICK displays a freezer full

of rabbit meat atWick's Rabbit

Ranch in Bradford.


BY LOLA E. BILLIELYears ago, lard (animal

fat) was the main sourceof fat in food preparationin the United States, butin the 1950’s Americansbegan to be more healthconscious. As a result,they started emphasizinglow fat and fat free diets,along with more healthyfats, such as canola oiland margarine. There is atrend now, however, to re-turn to cooking with lard,at least on a limitedbasis.There are several rea-

sons for this. Lard hasless saturated fat, moreunsaturated fat, and lesscholesterol than equalamounts of butter. Andunlike many margarinesand vegetable shorten-ings, unhydrogenatedlard contains no trans fat.Plus, cooking, baking andfrying with lard produceswonderful mouth-water-ing results.Many professional

chefs and bakers havecontinually relied on thesuperior qualities of lardover shortening becauseof its broader range of ap-plications and taste. Also,many homemakers

have continued a tradi-tion of cooking with lard,much to the delight oftheir families. Amongthose in west centralOhio is Carol Huelskampof Sidney, in ShelbyCounty, who uses lard inbaking and frying. Sincethe family farm raiseshogs, lard has alwaysbeen readily available.At one time the family

did its own butcheringand rendered the lard,but now it is handled byCurley’s Market in Jack-son Center. AlthoughHuelskamp no longercooks for a large family,with her children grownwith families of theirown, she still prefers touse lard when she doescook and bake. This hasbeen passed down to adaughter-in-law and agrandson too, who alwaysrequest lard whenbutchering takes place.Ruth Krieg of the New

Bremen area, in Auglaize

County, is another whoknows the benefits oflard.The Kriegs also raise

their own hogs and shepoints out that lard is anatural food. She puts itto good use in fryingmeat and in baking cook-ies and pies. At one timeshe cooked for weddingsand always fried chickenin lard, giving it a deli-cious flavor.

The Kriegs butcher 10-15 hogs each year, mak-ing a weekend of it. Thewhole family comes to-gether and participatesin the activity, includingpackaging the meat, mak-ing sausage, and render-ing lard.Krieg said when lard

gets old, they make soapof it.This is done by melt-ing the lard and addinglye and then letting it setup in crocks. The finishedproduct is used for wash-ing clothes, especiallywork clothes.Doris Krieg, also of

New Bremen, makesrolls, cookies and pieswith lard. She notes toothat “everything fries upnicer” and that “piedough works

up really nice.”Among professional

bakers who use lard intheir products is LarryBrown, owner of Oswalt’sSweet Shop in Versailles,in Darke County. He saidhis bakery uses lard in itspie dough and sweet rollsbecause of the better re-sults.This is best illustrated

in the pie crusts, whichare very flaky. The bak-ery has been in operationsince 1939 and has al-ways used lard in its piecrusts and other pastryitems.Brown said many area

women use lard for frying

chicken. He purchases hislard fromWinner’s Mar-ket in Osgood , usingabout 70 pounds perweek. He feels it is ahealthy choice, especiallywhen obtained from abutcher shop with noth-ing added.Brian Winner of Win-

ner’s Meats said the busi-ness renders lard once ortwice a week and sells itlocally.Winner’s sells pure

lard, unlike what is foundin many grocery storesthat has been hydro-genated, bleached and de-odorized, with chemicalsadded.Winner explainedthat after they processhogs they take the excessfat and skin, chop it andplace in kettle. They cookthe lard off, with crack-lings as a by-product. Thecracklings are scoopedout and the lard ispumped into a large cool-ing kettle. It is stirredquickly inside whilewater on the outside coolsit. It is then poured intocontainers to be sold. Theresult is 100 percent pureanimal fat (lard).Winner notes that

when they do butcheringfor others, mostof the customersdo request theirlard. He saidthe amountrendered from ahog is lessthese days be-cause hogs areleaner, andthat the de-mand for lardin west centralOhio has re-mained static.Among themarket’s cus-tomers, lard isthe numberone choice forfryingchicken. It is

also popular for use inpies, rolls, and donuts.Among outlets that sellWinner’s pure lard isWoody’s Market in Sid-ney.

Those who cook withlard stress that it is anatural product and thatused in moderation, canbe healthful. Cooks andchefs generally agree thatwhen using pure lard youcan expect delicious, flakypie crusts, crispy friedchicken, and fluffy non-greasy donuts.Following are two fa-

vorite recipes of areawomen who cook withlard.

CarolHuelskamp’sBest EverChocolateCake

2 cups white sugar1 cup lard2 eggs2 teaspoons baking

soda1 cup water1 cup buttermilk1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 cup cocoa

2 1/2 cups flourCream together sugar,

lard and eggs. Add water,milk and vanilla. Thenadd cocoa, flour, soda, andsalt and mix well. Pour ina 9x13 inch greased andfloured pan and bake at350 degrees for 45 min-utes. Frost with favoritefrosting.Ruth Krieg’sNever Fail PieCrust3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt1 cup lard1 egg, well beaten and

then add 1 tablespoonvinegar and 5 table-spoons water to egg mix-tureCut together lard and

flour and salt and thenadd egg mixture—mixingwith a fork. Roll out onfloured board. Mixturemakes two double-crustpies.

Lola Billielwrites for the

Sidney Daily News

Huelskamp Farm Drainageand Excavation, Inc.

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Cooking with lard makes come-backfrom culinary and health perspectives

DORIS KRIEG cooks with lardat her New Bremen home.

PIE CRUST made with lard istypically flaky and delicious.


Photo provided

It was a Thanksgiving Day manyyears ago, and yet memory of it burnsas brightly today as the kerosene firethat glowed in Grandma’s cook stove.As children we peeked through small

windows on the stove to watch the blueand yellow flames dance inside, theirwarmth heating the big kitchen andcooking the Thanksgiving dinner.Grandma and her four grown daugh-

ters, including my mother, were busilypreparing the fixings for the sumptu-ous meal to be served when the mencame in from deer hunting. They chat-ted happily as they worked—peelingpotatoes, squash and turnips, stuffing aturkey the size of an ostrich, choppingdates and nuts for quick bread, andmaking pumpkin and mincemeat pies.The aromas

emanatingfrom thekitchen weretantalizingand a warmsense of be-longing per-vaded thehouse.This was

family, andeven as youngchildren weknew this wasa special dayfor together-ness.But where was the telegram?Early that morning Grandma had

called our house with some excitingnews: Milton had sent a telegram forThanksgiving. Milton was my mother’syoungest brother and was stationed inKorea with the Marine Corps. And hehad sent a telegram from that farawayland.I didn’t know what a

telegram was but fig-ured it must be some-thing pretty special,judging by the excite-ment it generated. Soupon arriving at mygrandparent’s home, Iwandered from roomto room looking forthe telegram.I thought it might

be a piece of furni-ture, or maybe evensomething like theVictrola from whichBing Crosby wascrooning about awhite Christmas.But I couldn’t findanything new in the house thatmight be a telegram and I was too em-barrassed to confess my ignorance andask anyone.Thanksgiving usually fell in the mid-

dle of deer season and it was a tradi-tion for men of the family to spend themorning hunting, coming back to mygrandparent’s house for dinner. Aroundnoon the hunters started to arrive,some with deer strapped to the fendersof their cars.As more and more uncles and

cousins showed up, the house becamefilled with a happy din of tall tales andlaughter and people began talkinglouder and louder in order to be heard.My brothers and I, too young to hunt,

sat on the floor and eagerly devouredthe stories being told.Eventually all the hunters had re-

turned except for my grandfather andhis teen-age son, my Uncle Richard.The table was set and the women wereready to start bringing out the food. Al-though it was unlike Grandpa to belate, the family saw this as a good sign;perhaps they were delayed because oneof them had gotten a deer.Time wore on and still Grandpa and

Uncle Richard failed to show up. Thetalk grew quieter. The women stoodaround in their aprons, peering anx-iously through the windows. Severaluncles debated whether or not to golook for them.Finally a car pulled into the drive-

way. The men jumped up and rushedonto the porch. There was some lowconversation, followed by the slam-

ming ofcar doorsand thesound ofa vehicledrivingaway.The menthencameback intothehouse,silently,and wentinto thekitchento talk to

Grandma.More low voices could be heard, and

then a terrible wail of disbelief.“Oh my God,” Grandma cried.

“Richard’s been shot”.The house was thrown into instant

tumult. We kids sat wide-eyed withfear amid the weeping and shouting.

The security we hadembraced just a mo-ment before wasnow shattered. Andsuddenly a telegramdidn’t seem to mat-ter any more.As the men talked,

details of what hap-pened started comingout. Apparently abuck was runningdown a mountainsideand was shot at by a

number ofhunters, all ofwhom missed.Grandpa, who

was at the bottomof the mountain, heardthe fusillade and wasready when the deer

burst into an opening. He dropped thebuck with one shot. As Grandpa pre-pared to field dress the animal, how-ever, a hunter came by and stopped totalk.The man casually mentioned that in

the recent volley of shooting on themountainside, a boy had been shot.Grandpa dropped his knife and took

off, leaving the deer, his gun and hiscoat behind. He found Richard, whohad been shot in the leg by two straybuckshot pellets, in the company of sev-eral other hunters. Together they car-ried Richard down the mountainside.Eventually Grandpa and Richard

showed up at the house that Thanks-giving Day. Richard had fortunatelysuffered only flesh wounds, which hadbeen cleaned and treated at a nearby

clinic.And although he walked with a limp,he was expected to fully recover.After leaving the clinic, Grandpa had

returned to the base of the mountain toretrieve his gun and to claim his deer,but all he found was a gut pile. It ap-peared that not only had someonestolen his deer, but also his coat andshotgun.Upon learning of

this my uncles be-came angry andvowed to pursuethe thieves, butGrandpa said no, itdidn’t matter.What matteredwas that Richardwas going to be al-right and that thefamily, except forMilton, was all together forThanksgiving. And he observed thateven Milton was present, for hadn’t hesent the family a nice telegram?So we all sat down to the big table in

my grandparents’ dining room, warmedby the kerosene stove and a lot of love,and gave truly heartfelt thanks for ourblessings.Later, as pie and coffee were being

served, a pickup truck drove into theyard and two hunters came to the door.They wanted to speak to the father of

the boy who had been shot. As Grandpawent to the door, the men handed overhis gun, knife and hunting coat. Theysaid they had spent several hours try-ing to figure out who he was so they

could return his possessions.“Oh yeah, and your deer’s in the bed

ofthe truck,” one of the men said.Everyone gathered around the truck,

slapping Grandpa on the back and say-ing what a nice buck it was and what agood shot he had made. Grandpa didn’tsay much, but he smiled a lot.Later that evening, as my family pre-

pared to go home, I made one final tourof the house tosee if I couldfind the elusivetelegram. Afterfailing again, Iwent home con-vinced that itmust be one ofthose adultthings that kidsaren’t allowed tosee.In time, how-

ever, I would learnall about telegrams, spending severalThanksgivings myself on foreign shoresduring the VietnamWar. And whilethere, it was via telegram that Ilearned my grandfather had died.While the military did its best to pro-

vide a traditional Thanksgiving dinnerfor those far from home, it could neverduplicate what came out of Grandma’skerosene-fired oven. Nor could itachieve the atmosphere of a house fullof love and laughter.It is those things and others like

them for which we are grateful onThanksgiving Day.

Jeff Billiel is editor ofACRES of West Central Ohio and

executive editor and publisherof the Sidney Daily News

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Reflections

JeffBilliel

Rural

[email protected]

ATYPICAL family enjoysThanksgiving dinner

in the 1950s.

THETRADITIONALThanksgiving Day meal

in the 1950s.

Photo provided

Photo provided

Memories of Thanksgiving glow likethe flame in Grandma’s oil stove

2332344


Acres of West Central Ohio • November 2012 • Page 15

Service & Business Directoryof West Central Ohio

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2333326

200 - Employment

235 General

Diesel andTrailerMechanics

Openings for experi-enced diesel or trailermechanics in Sidney,Lima, Troy, Marysville,and Columbus, OH.CDL a plus. Full time, orpart time available.Great benefits, uniformspaid.Send resume or apply inperson to:

Kirk NationaLeaseHR Dept.

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280 Transportation

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500 - Merchandise

505 Antiques/Collectibles

FREIGHT TRAIN, Lionel1965, original boxing in-cluding platform andbuildings, photos, $250 orbargain, Piqua,(248)694-1242.

510 Appliances

WASHER, Maytag withpedestal, like new, EnergyStar, 3.6cuft, commercialtechnology, many fea-tures, cost over $1000,sell for $400,(937)526-4091 after 5pm

535 Farm Supplies/Equipment

1953 FORD Jubilee trac-tor with scraper blade,great condition, $4200,(937)684-3261.

WANTED: Custom fall till-age farming. Deep tillage,vertical tillage, no till con-ventional and minimumtill. Reasonable rates.Tractor and tool rentalavailable. Mark Homanand Sons. (419)733-3647

515 Auctions

535 Farm Supplies/Equipment

1957 300FARMALL Trac-tor with Kelly loader andblade. John Deere 1250three bottom 16 inch plow3 point. John Deere wheeldisc- 10ft, eight foot Ke-wanee three point blade,pull type rotary hoe-tworow. Allied 85 Cross Au-ger snow blower-7 ft, 3point hitch. Copper applebutter kettle. 2 iron butch-er kettles. Homemaderubber tire flat bed wagon.(937)492-0764

FARMGROUND WANT-ED TO RENT: We are afamily farm looking to ex-pand. Looking for land tocash rent in 2013 and be-yond. Offer competitiverent and look forward tohearing from you.(937)538-0397.

GRAIN STORAGE, Tem-porary grain storage, 30foot, grain bin ring,(937)295-3787

SEED WHEAT, Wellman,Seed Consultants & Sun-burst. Custom Wheat orCover Crop Planting.1590 JD No-till Drills ForRent. Jerry Hoelscher.(419)753-2321

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

FIREWOOD, All hard-wood, $150 per cord de-livered or $120 you pickup, (937)726-2780.

FIREWOOD for sale. Allseasoned hardwood,$150 per cord split/ deliv-ered, $120 you pick up.( 9 3 7 ) 8 4 4 - 3 7 5 6(937)844-3879

FIREWOOD, Seasoned,$110 per cord, you pickup, (937)335-8984

560 Home Furnishings

RECLINER Lay-Z-Boy re-cliner chair. Burgundy,nice, $225. Blue rockerrecliner, swivel base,$125. (937)295-2468

565 Horses/Tack & Equipment

HAFLINGER MARES, 2registered, matching set,broken to drive or ride,also registered Haflingercolt, 6 months old,(937)526-4091.

577 Miscellaneous

ADULT MOVIES, still infactory seal, great selec-tion, $3 each. Call(567)356-0272.

I-BEAM, 17' with 1 tonYale hoist, $125,(419)953-0539.

515 Auctions

577 Miscellaneous

FIREARMS, Marlin 39-A-TDS, as new. Kimber 45A.C.P, new in box. PeraOrdinance Warthog 45A.C.P., new in box. Call(419)738-3313.

PISTOL, .44 caliber capand ball. Stainless steel.Cabela's Replica of Rem-ington 1858 model. Extracylinders and more. Callfor detailed information$750, (937)498-0404.

STORAGE SHED, New10x12 barn style with 16"centers, 4' loft, window,60" door opening, youpick color, $2100,(937)733-3893

583 Pets and Supplies

BLACK LAB puppies,CKC and AKC registered.For more information(419)852-5651 or(937)539-0474

KITTENS Abandoned, 6month old kittens needloving indoor home. 1male, 1 female, haveshots, litter-trained. Greatpersonalities, very loving.Free to approved home.(937)492-0602

MULTI-POO, Male, $150,female, $350. Male Yor-kie-Poo, $325, Female,$395. Male Bishon Frise,$295. Male Yorkie, $350.(419)925-4339

YORKIE-POO, male pup.Has 1st shots and readyto go. Great family dog.Non-shedding. $250(419)582-4211.

592 Wanted to Buy

WANT-TO-BUY: Airtightwood stove. Such as Ver-mont castings. Less than10 years old.(937)473-3455 or(937)214-6578

593 Good Things to Eat

THANKSGIVING TUR-KEYS Pasture free, allnatural, no meds or hor-mones. Local feeds.(937)526-4934 ask forBeth. If no answer leavemessage.

515 Auctions

805 Auto

1988 OLDSMOBILE, Del-ta 88, 4 door, good condi-tion, new paint, 78,000original miles, will sacri-fice for $3500, call any-time (937)638-6725

810 Auto Parts & Accessories

TIRES, good, used, sizes14's, 15's, and 16's, call(937)451-2962 anytime!

TIRES, Two Kelly 60,000mile tires with less than4,000 miles, 225/65R16.$100 for both,(937)497-9540

830 Boats/Motor/Equipment

1975 JOHNSON 15HP,outboard motor, runsgood, $300,(419)953-0539.

1991 CADILLACSEDAN DEVILLE

Good Condition.112,000 original miles.$2200.

(937)492-5011

1996 TERRY 5THWHEELTRAILER

32.5 ft, clean, set up atKozy CampgroundGrand Lake, comes with8x8 shed, picnic bench,and other misc., or canbe moved.

(937)773-6209 or(937)418-2504

2000 COACHMANCATALINA 27 FOOTERAwning 1yr old, refrig-erator 2yrs old, every-thing comes with camp-er: Hitch, Tote tank,Patio lights, VERYCLEAN!, $6500 obo.(937)596-6028 OR(937)726-1732

2001 CHEVROLETBLAZER

4x4, ZR2 package, wellmaintained, 127K miles,new tires, all power, V6auto, runs very good.

(937)524-9069

2002 ACURA MDX

Nice SUV, touring pack-age, loaded. 163,000miles.

(937)638-0967

2002 MAZDA 626

Excellent running andmechanical condition,loaded, automatic, 4 cyl-inder, great gas mile-age, good tires, only97,000 miles, very nice2nd or student car,$4500 OBO

(937)552-7786

2004 COACHMENCHAPARRAL 281 BHS

5TH-WHEEL

2 bunks, sleeps up to 8.Large slide-out, newerawning. $12,900.

Call/text (937)875-0839

2004 FORD MUSTANGCobra SVT, Supercharged V8, Number859 of 1896 convertiblesmade (only 167 torchred made) beautiful car,only 3,100 miles, mustsee, $27,000 obo

Call (937)658-0318

2004 PONTIACGRAND AM SE

101k miles, great condi-tion, asking $4250.

Call (419)628-1320

2007 TOYOTATUNDRA SR5

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(937)470-5345

PICTUREIT

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Serving Auglaize, Logan, Shelby, Champaign, Clark, Miami, Montgomery counties

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2324244


WC 11/12

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