LOGAN COUNTY LOCAVORES-helping our economy, environment, community, and our world

2009-08-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the end of my year and a half experiment. I set out to explore the viability of local eating in my area and have concluded it to be entirely different than the model being practiced in areas like California and Florida. In the Midwest and other seasonal areas, it is canned vegetables saved from the growing season (a better energy choice than freezing) and eating less in the winter. The best way to manage your energy usage in this area is to eat as the Builder Generation did (our grandparents)--or earlier and eat less meat and/or eat wild caught venison. I have met no one, locavore or not, who is willing to give up non-fresh produce in the off season and from a nutritional standpoint it is hardly recommended to omit many of these foods that have made us healthier. In all of these things I keep mindful. Off season fresh produce in moderation, imports in moderation, flipping jars to find the more local producer, growing my own when possible, and not being wasteful. Wastefullness a vice that was supremely frowned upon in the depression era generation and taught to many of their children. Many who forgot these things and did not teach them to their children have caused a cultural shift we must get back to. I for one will continue in that vein. For now, I bid you goodbye and good luck with your own locavore journey.

Sysco in market for local farm products

2009-05-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

By Nancy Rollings Saul/THE COURIER
Mon May 11, 2009, 10:24 AM CDT

Sysco Central Illinois Inc. of Lincoln, an operating company of Sysco Corp., is partnering with central Illinois farmers in a new program to bring local food

Lincoln, Ill. -

Sysco Central Illinois Inc. of Lincoln, an operating company of Sysco Corp., is partnering with central Illinois farmers in a new program to bring local food products (produce, dairy and protein products) to its customers.

“We’ve been working on the project for about nine months,” Dean “Robbie” Robert Jr., president of Sysco Central Illinois, said last week by telephone. He said “BuyLocal,” the new project, was set up at the request of customers.

Sysco Central Illinois was formerly known as Robert’s Sysco Food Service, Inc., but the Texas-based parent company changed the name a few months ago.

“There has been a growing demand to support local business, eat healthier and — with fuel costs high — to reduce the carbon footprint,” Robert said.

BuyLocal is a virtual farmer’s market, via the Internet. Customers of Sysco Central Illinois can visit www.SyscoCI.com and click on the BuyLocal link to obtain a user name and password.

The site showcases locally grown fresh produce, dairy and protein items that are available for purchase and delivered with the regular Sysco delivery.

“There will be seasonal products, but a lot of the protein – chicken, eggs, beef – is produced year round and will be offered year round,” Robert said.

“Now, farmers take their products to farmer’s markets. They’re looking for ways to grow their markets.”

He said BuyLocal started last week with three area producers, Little Farm on the Prairie, Ropp Cheese Co. (which milks its own cows and makes its own cheese) and Living Springs Farm at Fairbury (producers of greens, lettuces and produce).

“During the next month, we’ll add another 10 or 12,” Robert said. The goal is to eventually buy from about 40 area farmers.

“The dynamic in developing the project was how to get farmers’ products to our warehouse and determine that it’s healthy.”

Robert said Sysco engaged a third party, Good Ag Practices (GAP), which heads two or three companies that inspect farms, to make sure their products are safe.

“We have a groundswell of interest in this from our customers,” he said.

Sysco is aworld leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home.

Farmers’ Market to return May 6

2009-04-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

- Lincoln, IL - Lincoln Courier
Source: www.lincolncourier.com
Lincoln, Ill. -

A new season for the Lincoln Farmers’ Market begins May 6 in Latham Park.

A variety of fresh-picked, locally grown produce will be for sale, as well as baked goods, garden and landscape plants, fresh roasted coffee beans, dog treats and crafts.

The Wednesday evening hours, introduced last year, will return after drawing strong crowds in 2008.

“We changed the Wednesday hours to evening because so many people work now, and this was a way to catch them in the week and give them access to farm-fresh produce,” said Vickie Hum, market co-manager.

The Lincoln Farmers’ Market has operated every summer since the 1960s, when Humm’s uncle, Harold Sanders, served as market manager.

Market hours are 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Latham Park is at the corner of Pekin and Kickapoo streets, one block north of the courthouse square.

Anyone interested in setting up a stand can contact Hum or market co-manager Doug Fink at 732-6962.

Organic chickens!

2009-04-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

Prairierth Farm is taking orders for organic broilers - available in
June - early order price for 4 - 5 lb birds is $2.75/lb until June
first.

That' a good price so get in on it now!

For those of you who don't know, they live just outside Atlanta, IL and you can contact them through my links in the side bar.

Thanks Dave!

Great new Links!

2009-04-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

My dear husband found me some noteworthy links... I'll post them to the side, but wanted to call them to your attention:

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

http://organizedwisdom.com/Home

http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/
(some are organic, some are not)

Good for you Sysco!

2009-03-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

Even Aramark and Sysco are Going Local

Philadelphia Inquirer. June 10, 2005

Why some food consumers are GOING LOCAL By Harold Brubaker Inquirer Staff Writer Arizona lettuce. New Zealand apples. Chilean peaches.

Cheap and plentiful food from afar is a wonder of modern life. But it doesn't taste right to some consumers, who have begun demanding food from closer to home.

University of Pennsylvania students Emma Kirwan and Rachel Meyer, for example, began working last fall with Aramark Corp. - one of the world's largest food-service providers - to get local foods on Penn's menu.

"The world is just so disconnected from their food these days," said Kirwan, who grew up gardening with her mother in Connecticut.

Advocates say that eating food produced closer to home reduces fuel consumption, eliminates wasteful packaging, helps farmers get better prices - and means better-tasting food.

Aramark worked with Kirwan and Meyer and opened a small stand on April 1 in Houston Hall, Penn's student union, selling local and organic products such as sandwiches on Amoroso's rolls with mozzarella cheese from Claudio's in the Italian Market.

The stand, called FarmEcology, took in more than $1,000 a week at its peak so far, twice the amount Aramark expected. That has Timothy R. Zintz, district executive chef for Philadelphia-based Aramark, hungry for more.

But there are obstacles.

"The biggest challenge for this program is that the growing season for this area doesn't coincide with the school year," Zintz said.

Also, Aramark typically buys as much as possible from one national distributor to keep costs down; building relationships with local farmers - few of whom have experience with food-service companies - is difficult. Barriers include prices, payment terms, package sizes, delivery schedules and liability insurance. Nevertheless, Zintz envisions having a residential dining hall serving as much local and sustainable food as possible in two years. "From a business standpoint, Aramark discovered there is potentially a group of customers we're not touching," he said.

At other universities here and elsewhere, food-service providers are responding to a similar groundswell of demand for local and "sustainable" foods - those produced with greater regard for the environment and animal welfare.

For instance, Yale University, another Aramark client, launched a sustainable-food project in 2003 with the help of a private grant and subsidies from the university to help cover the costs.

Eat'n Park Hospitality Group, a suburban Pittsburgh company that runs dining services at Philadelphia University, is working toward buying at least 20 percent of its food from local farms during the growing season.

At Penn, Zintz's job has been to find suppliers. For help, he turned to Sysco Corp., Aramark's primary distributor.

"What they were looking for in the beginning was immense," said Ann Louise Klein, a Sysco national account executive who handles Aramark's business for the Houston company, the nation's largest food-service distributor.

Klein, who works at Sysco's Philadelphia branch, was relieved that some items Sysco was already sending to Penn met the local and sustainable criteria.

For example, Sauder's of Lancaster County was supplying eggs. Local fruits and vegetables have come from Millbridge Farms Inc., a Vineland, N.J., broker that supplies Sysco. Zintz has found out that his milk supplier, Wawa, uses Pennsylvania dairies.

Hatfield Quality meats, a large Montgomery County pork processor, did not make the cut because it could not guarantee that the meat would come from locally raised hogs, Zintz said.

To increase the offerings at FarmEcology this fall, Zintz is looking for farmers who supply a range of products, such as produce, cheese and meats. His goal is to minimize the number of vendors he has to deal with.

Some farmers are cautious about dealing with large corporations such as Aramark, which last year served more than 200 million meals at 375 colleges, universities and prep schools.

"If they come to me and have a stack of forms to sign, right away I'd get very suspicious," said Glenn Brendle, a Lancaster County farmer who supplies 25 to 30 restaurants.

Supplying Aramark also would entail additional costs, such as packaging, that many farmers are not used to, said John M. Orobono, Aramark's senior vice president for supply-chain management.

Aramark itself faces the added cost of training kitchen workers to deal with inconsistencies in the sizes of potatoes and other produce delivered by small-scale farmers, Orobono said.

Zintz and Orobono are trying to solve the supply puzzle in a way that can be applied to more than one school. It may be a matter of building a supply network for the entire Northeast, Orobono said. He might define "local" as 1,200 miles; that's not 30 miles, but it's also not 3,000 miles.

Regardless, Zintz, a 30-year veteran of the food industry, said it had been a thrill for him to see people thinking about where their food came from and "using all their senses to eat... . That's like a dream for me," he said.

Originally published in the Philadelphia Inquirer. June 10, 2005. By Harold Brubaker, Inquirer Staff Writer.

Criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener

2009-03-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener, and violation of the 10th amendment

Posted by LydiaScott on 03/06/09 03:36 AM

[Older: Is this an opportunity to push the Indiana Honest Money act? ]

HR 875 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c1112RD9bb:e11439:

This bill is sitting in committee and I am not sure when it is going to hit the floor. One thing I do know is that very few of the Representatives have read it. As usual they will vote on this based on what someone else is saying. Urge your members to read the legislation and ask for opposition to this devastating legislation. Devastating for everyday folks but great for factory farming ops like Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo and Tyson to name a few.

I have no doubt that this legislation was heavily influenced by lobbyists from huge food producers. This legislation is so broad based that technically someone with a little backyard garden could get fined and have their property siezed. It will effect anyone who produces food even if they do not sell but only consume it. It will literally put all independent farmers and food producers out of business due to the huge amounts of money it will take to conform to factory farming methods. If people choose to farm without industry standards such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers they will be subject to a vareity of harassment from this completely new agency that has never before existed. That's right, a whole new government agency is being created just to police food, for our own protection of course.

DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, READ THIS LEGISLATION FOR YOURSELF. The more people who read this legislation the more insight we are going to get and be able to share. Post your observations and insights below. Urge your members to read this legislation and to oppose the passage of this legislation.

Pay special attention to

* Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety.
* section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.

Red flags I found and I am sure there are more...........

* Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept.
* Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic.
* Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it.
* Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game.
* Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is.
* Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation. Who do you think they are going to side with?
* Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more.
* Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment.
* There are many more but by the time I got this far in the legislation I was so alarmed that I wanted to bring someone's attention to it. (to the one person who reads my blog)

Didn't Stalin nationalize farming methods that enabled his administration to gain control over the food supply? Didn't Stalin use the food to control the people?

Last word...... Legislate religion and enforce gag orders on ministers on what can and can't be said in the pulpit, instituting regulations forcing people to rely soley on the government, control the money and the food. What is that called? It is on the tip of my tongue..........

I haven't read any of the Senate's version of the bill as I have been poring thru the House's version. Here is the link and I hope some of you can take a look and post your observations and insights below. One thing I am pretty sure of is that very few if any Senator's have actually read the legislation and when it comes up for a vote they will more than likely take someone else's word on how they should vote. The other thing I am pretty sure about is that the legislation was probably written by lobbyists and industry experts.

S 425 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s425:

Things you can do

1. Contact your members at 202-224-3121 and ask them to oppose HR 875 and S 425. While you are at it ask them if they personally have read the legislation and what their position is? If they have not read the legislation ask them to read it and politely let them know that just because other representitives are not reading the legislation and voting on it does not mean they can do the same.
2. Get in touch with local farmers and food producers by attending a local farmers market and asking them how business is.
3. Attend a local WAPF meeting, this is a good start to learning about what is going on in farming and local & state initiatives . The website is http://www.westonaprice.org/localchapters/index.html
4. Check out the Farmers Legal Defense Fund at http://www.ftcldf.org/index.html
5. Find out who sits on your states agriculture and farming committee and contact them with your concerns.
6. Continue to contact your elected officials and let them know your position on legislation and why.
7. Get active at the local and state levels, this is the quickest way to initiate change.

New focus put on homegrown foods

2009-03-06T05:37:00.000-08:00

By By Kathryn Rem
GateHouse News Service
Thu Mar 05, 2009, 11:06 AM CST
Springfield, Ill. -

Legislation will be introduced in the Illinois General Assembly next week designed to increase statewide consumption of locally grown foods, the first course in a menu of initiatives served up Wednesday by the Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force.

The task force — 32 farmers, retailers, restaurateurs, state employees and local-foods boosters — has been working for more than a year on a plan to expand markets for Illinois food products.

Just 5 percent of the $48 billion Illinoisans spend on food each year goes for products grown in the state.

“Agriculture is the state’s largest industry, but 95 percent of it is exported,” said Rep. Julie Hamos, D-Evanston, who plans to amend HB 3990 to set up a smorgasbord of initiatives. The legislation would:

* Direct state agencies and facilities — including prisons, universities and mental health centers — to work toward a goal of buying 20 percent of food products from local farms by 2020.

* Direct facilities that receive state dollars and spend more than $25,000 annually on food — such as public schools, child-care centers, hospitals and after-school programs — to work toward a goal of buying 10 percent of food products from local farms by 2020.

* Give local-food producers some preference in state-contract bidding, provided the local producer’s bid is no more than 10 percent over the lowest bidder.

* Establish the nonprofit Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council. The 35-member council would help state agencies meet procurement goals, help recruit and train new farmers and work to eliminate legal barriers that hinder a food-and-farm economy. The members would be appointed by the governor by Nov. 1.

To increase the amount of usable farmland, the legislation directs the council to find public lands that could be converted to farm use.

“We need more farmers,” said goat farmer Wes Jarrell of Urbana, food and farm task force chairman. “We want to look at public lands located near urban areas so there is direct access. There are farming practices that can be suitable for marginal farmland.”

Task force member and organic farmer Chuck Paprocki of Anna said much Illinois farmland is not fully used.

“We know farms can provide food year-round with three plantings — spring, fall and winter,” he said. Winter gardens can be created through greenhouses, cold frames and other methods.

Hamos said no state funding will be requested this year, but suggested some money may come from the federal government and “market-based production systems.”

Sangamon County task force members are Jim Braun, Illinois Farmer-Consumer Coalition; Therese McMahon, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Delayne Reeves, Department of Agriculture; Penny Roth, Department of Human Services; and Bryan Sharp, Illinois Farmers Union.

Ministry closes recycling operation

2009-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

Unfortunate News:

(from the Courier By Nancy Rollings Saul)
The Good Sam Ministries warehouse, recycling center and automotive repair service at 1200 N. Postville Drive has closed due to a lack of financial support.

“I’d like to thank the community for the amount of recycling items we received,” said director Wayne Cox. “I especially thank local businesses that were providing two tons of cardboard a week.”

The warehouse opened in September and shortly thereafter had processed about two tons of glass, a quantity of plastics and between two and tour tons of paper products.

Funds from the sale of the recyclables were to be used to support other ministry services.

Cox said Wednesday it was not feasible to keep the warehouse open with the dropping commodities market for recyclable materials.

As an example, recycling companies were paying $85 a ton for newpapers and other paper products in December, but last month the market price plunged to below $30 a ton.

Cox urged citizens to contact government leaders about the expansion of local recycling services that the county already offers.

“I urge people to use the recycling bins across from Latham Park,” he said.

Cox said Good Sam Ministries would continue to provide transportation to doctors’ appointments for those who need it.

“We will also continue partnering with Midwest Food Bank of Bloomington so we can provide food to The Oasis senior center, Holy Family Food Pantry and Christian Child Care,” Cox said.

“Good Sam will also coordinate with the Self Help and Resource Exchange (SHARE) Food cooperative to provide an alternate source of reasonably priced food that is available to everyone.

Additional information about Good Sam services is available at www.goodsamministry.org or by calling 217-651-8087.

Cilco recycles your old garage refridgerator

2009-01-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

You know the rusty monster. Apparently they're big energy suckers what with their age, their lack of contents (decreasing their efficiency), the fluctuations in temperature their decrepit compressors must deal with... are you really keeping that much beer and worms? Are you really that confident the freezer contents are controlling the bacterial growth of your venison? I'm guessing no.

Ameren-Cilco will haul the thing away and pay you $35 bucks for it if you meet their qualifications:

Refrigerator or freezer must be:

* Used as a secondary, not primary, unit
* In working (cooling) condition
* Manufactured before 1993
* 10–27 cubic feet in size

For more info, visit their site:
http://actonenergy.com/home-refrigerator-program.asp

They had other nice tips to know to help you be more energy efficient.

There's also a program to get discounts on compact florescent bulbs (you know the spiral ones)... you have been switching to them haven't you ;). You can order them online or at Home Depot or Sams.

What does a midwest locavore "look like".

2009-01-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Looking back on this year of attempting to eat and live differently, I have discovered that being a locavore in the Midwest is much much different than in more temperate climates. No season is this more obvious than in winter. I know that locavore brings images of healthier eating and healthier eating brings images of fresh green vegetables strewn across salads or pasta, all keeping their whole form. But this is part of the American dietary lie we have told ourselves for generations. I've started to call this California food, because that's what it is. What did our grandparents pantries look like? Shelves and shelves of canned foods. Root cellars of potatoes and root vegetables. My assertion is that our region should think of frozen and canned vegetables as the fruits of their labors from the past year. Preserved veggies are not less nutritious unless their loaded with sodium. If you've preserved them yourself, you know what's in them.

I had a beautiful photo of a meal (Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Veggies) I wanted to share with you for a great example, but it was unfortunately deleted. I hope you get the word-picture at least. I was able to stop at the Farmer's Market on Rt 9 that has lots of frozen meats this time of year and got a locally grown chicken... I was even happier that it was cut up for me. After roasting 4-5 of my biggest heads of garlic, I blended that up with a couple tablespoons of my own rosemary which over-winters nicely on my sunny and enclosed back porch. My own shallots, red potatoes and store bought mushrooms were all cleaned cut and thrown in a large roasting pan and smeared generously with the garlic and rosemary paste. I salted and peppered the whole thing and bake it all at 400 for about an hour. I also deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine or broth... it is heaven!

Okay, the mushrooms weren't local, but they could have been... They can be grown indoors and don't require light! Weight loss plans or not, this is how I plan to survive this winter.

Squashelsauce

2008-12-07T11:16:00.001-08:00

What to do with a Blue Hubbard Squash! This one's as big as a Christmas turkey! I decided to cook and freeze this in smaller portions, since I didn't have an army to feed and it would be convenient for later. I cut a lid like section off the top (by the way, wouldn't that make for a great vegetarian Thanksgiving! (none of my family would come to I'm afraid). I stuck the whole thing in the oven on a jelly roll pan for 2 hours on 400. It wasn't too messy really. I bagged up everything in 1.5 cup baggies and froze them. Then then last night I decided to bravely try a soup. Unfortunately, the whole family was a bit shy of it too, but they're getting better at trying new things! It's 1 onion, sweated in 1/4 c butter, 2 small apples, 3 cups of squash, broth to cover and a dash of curry. You can check out the recipe I posted at Recipezaar. It was a little sweeter than I imagined (no sugar added) and the dash of curry made all the difference... even though I'm not a huge fan of that stuff. It also was an excellent accompaniment to pork-- a lot like warm applesauce is. Apples are, of course, part of the recipe, and why we decided to call this alternatively "squashelsauce".

Peak-Season Map at Epicurious.com

2008-12-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Peak-Season Map at Epicurious.com

I am asking them if I can get this as a widget on this blog... I sure hope so, I love it!

Seasonal Food Quiz

2008-12-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

National Geographic's Green Guide had this seasonal food quiz. See how savvy you are!

They also have some links I'm going to use here to help us keep track of what's in season!

The Omnivore's Dilemma- book review

2008-12-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I've finally finished! Hey, this is not a speed read book... it's definitely a stop and chew book (no pun intended) :). I really appreciated his philosophical thinking on all of this. I fancy myself a philosophical thinker as well, though his brain ammunition completely outranks me in this department! Anyway, what a great book! I do not agree with him on some finer points, like broadly demonizing all processed foods and their additives without evidence of what specific harm they cause. It's not enough for me to "feel icky" about them. He will convince me though by his well made points about our "mono-culture" of corn and the stress we are putting on the land. Whether he affirms it or not, it is the created order he is promoting. The interdependence of all forms of life working together without one part of the chain manipulated to over-dominance (as we do with corn and meat). I think we all know our children will be the ones to pay the price if we do not learn to live and eat differently. Even saying that I know that I need to make more profound changes just today. When was my last vegetarian supper? That's hard to think of after a weekend of Thanksgiving leftovers. How do you convince your whole extended family to have a vegetarian Thanksgiving? I have to say my Hubbard squash would make a dandy and festive fall centerpiece! I'll post on that one next!

Here's the changes we've made after reading this book:

No more store bought beef: Either grass fed from PrairieEarth or venison from my brother (something we've already been doing, but now will be the standard)

No more sweetened soda: At nearly a pound of corn sweetener a 2-liter, that's a complete waste... not to mention the calories.

Continuing with growing and freezing our own vegetables, getting them at the Farmer's Market, or if we're lucky... a friend or two :).

Continue raising our Chickens as free range as possible.

Eating more vegetables, less meat, and less sugar

Yes, I know he blames corn sweeteners for all the evils in our world, but the same arguments can be used for all our over sweetening. I really think our obesity problems stem from our abundance of sugars, meat, and animal fats. And the only thing stopping us from continuing on is our own will-power. Personally I think that's a pretty dismal thing to pin our hopes on-- the ethics and will of a few.

Wooo Hooo! Lincoln has a new recycling center!

2008-11-22T17:45:00.000-08:00

Good Sam Ministry is at 1200 N. Postville Dr in Lincoln and have kindly placed some parameters for what they are accepting. The Courier had an article on them too!

We're glad your here!

Omnivore's Dillema- the Missing Truth

2008-11-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

We finally got to the burning question building this whole book.
Is it wrong to eat meat?
I arrived, as I suppose most readers did, at this question much earlier in this reading. Though he tries to struggle through logic-ethics to come to his conclusion, in this chapter, missing one huge truth. His two major premises for his (and his references book's) argument is a) intelligence,(the argument being: we've got the right because we're smarter is wrong because these this are relative... some apes have more intelligence than some severely mentally retarded etc.) and b) suffering: (we should because if they can feel pain and we cannot base their rights on intelligence the we must give them the same rights as we would a human). Both have seemingly valid points, however, neither point to the one element that changes everything. a) We are created in the image of God, and b) our divinely authority and dominion over creation. Firstly, yes, animals do feel pain, so is any pain justifiable? Then, ultimately asking, what gives us the right to cause them pain. Firstly, all death is, presumably, pain. The question is, when should that occur? Who has the authority to inflict it on them? For the Christian, that is easy... we have been given that authority (-with certain limits). For the non-Christian, they believe no one has that right ant that all creatures have equal standing and rights. Unfortunately to continue with that argument, we must conclude that an infant and a rat have the same standing. They argue that equal consideration of interests and equal treatment are not the same... but by their argument, why shouldn't they be? and what happens if I allow "a rat to be a rat"? In the end, I will agree that a lifetime of suffering is indeed in humane, but killing an animal for food is not murder. I am more inclined to think like Joel Salatan's workers do, yes it's gruesome work to "process" an animal, but it is how God intended it. For us to be involved physically, mentally, and a bit emotionally in the death of our food so that are a little more humble eating it and less inclined to run out and do so every day.... I'm more inclined to skip it and eat some lettuce.

Meet Your Local Producers 2008

2008-11-18T15:14:00.001-08:00

Meet Your Local Producers 2008

Posted using ShareThis

Healthy Fall Recipes - How to Use Seasonal Vegetables - thedailygreen.com

2008-11-18T13:15:00.001-08:00

Healthy Fall Recipes - How to Use Seasonal Vegetables - thedailygreen.com

Posted using ShareThis

Decreasing our meat intake for World Hunger

2008-11-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

"Reducing meat production by just ten percent in the U.S. would free enough grain to feed 60 million people, estimates Harvard nutritionist Jean Mayer. Sixty million people -- that´s the population of Great Britain, which, by the way, could support 250 million people on an all-vegetable diet."

In light of the recent reading I was doing, I also explored the grain impact on world hunger...especially because our church works year-long for it and I help write the prayer section of our bulletin. I found this among other facts and found another rubber-meets-the-road aspect of the environment. If I believe in sharing Christ's compassion to the world. I can't maintain the status quo, but may have to make more painful changes. Yes, I need to stand up for the rights of the unborn; yes, I need to stand for decency and protection of the innocent; yes, I need to care about the souls of the lost; but I also must stand for those right ideas that are usually the banner of liberals... the environment, world suffering... Again that verse: "You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. "

The Book of Pain (Omnivore's Dilema part 2)

2008-11-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, I realize I'm reading this book out of sequence (middle third, first third, then last third), but I feel more miserable the more I read. I listen to this book on audio as I drive miles and miles through corn fields--most being harvested. My husband thought it felt like going to a Martin Luther King Jr. rally in the deep South. My kids go to school with a huge percentage of farmers and all I can think of is corn, corn, corn... or guilt, guilt, guilt... or traitor, traitor, traitor. Actually not so much big guilt as in hopelessness and despair. I'm just getting into the cattle section. I feel compelled to read more, yet punished while I do so. I suppose in that last third he paints some light at the end of the tunnel. For now, I'm left with penitent prayers and those for mercy on our land... something i (and we) probably should have done long ago anyway.

The Omnivore's Dilemma- by Michael Pollan

2008-10-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

What a read! If I were teaching a class on being a Locavore, this would be required reading! Though, I must say, I so far feel guilty about everything I eat... and yet victimized as well. The author, Michael Pollan, subtitles his book "A Natural History of Four Meals". So far, I have heard him describe two: one a McDonald's Meal, one an Organic Meal. No shining stars come through yet. I can see where he gets the "dilemma" part of this. Though I can't help but think McDonald's is to the nutritional world as the U.S. is to the natural world: hated for it's success, yet secretly loved and envied for it's decidence. Though I hide none of my affections for either, I lay non of the blame for our wastefulness on any one set of shoulders, it is becoming clear how important it is to learn about this big picture and how it impacts the whole world. Not just for the environment (though that is HUGE), but also for the rest of the world's people. So far we've plowed through the impact of corn and the disproportionalty large amounts goes into the average American's diet, industrial farming's part in this mess for both non-organic and (surprisingly) organic. And how all of this traces back to oil and energy use. I'm still listening for his solution to the problem... (which I think those of you who frequent here already know) but I'll give you the report when I finish the book. Hope you get a chance to read it too!

Politics following religion

2008-10-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

I find it ironic how over the last 10 years, I've learned the in's and out's of political conservatism and I felt that if only the world around me would be too, everything would be so much better. Well, many years later, I have countless other friends and relatives that spout the teachings of conservativism often quoted or rephrased from talk show hosts and e-mails. Many of these statements are true and right... but I find it ironic that these same people are unchanged. They've even picked up some new prejudices or validated some old ones. Conversely, along the way, I have skewed the other way. I've started to think about the environment, how we use or waste energy, how we treat the poor or underprivileged. Even more importantly, I recall how I used to treat such ideas under the auspices of conservativism. It went something like: "Well, conservatives don't subscribe to those beliefs so I don't have to worry about those things". Many in conservative leadership encourage people to look at it as a belief so it can be ignored. All I can think of now is how Jesus would have thought of these things. "You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (Matt 23:23) Granted, that's out of context to a certain degree, but it is very true for how our politics should look. I admire Chuck Colson for standing up for such things as the environment and mercy for the poor while continuing to stay true to what is right and just for our Christian faith.

Our First Egg!

2008-09-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Our first egg! pretty darn exciting... okay, at least more exciting than you might think! It was on a Sunday morning (August 31), she had it on the floor since we hadn't even opened up the nest boxes. We didn't expect this until about October! So we fried this one up right away since it had a little crack in it. They've all had a nice hard shell too- (not always possible since I haven't even started giving them oyster shell calcium.)

So here it is in "toad in the hole"! Looks yummy huh!

And here it is being devoured by my husband... no report on how it tasted it went down so fast!

Locavore Harvest

2008-09-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

I had a great photo of one of my meals, but I can't believe I deleted it! Oh well, it was yummy enough for me to tell you about it anyway! I've harvested the peak of my tomatoes I think, and I made some delicious things with them. I was really able to tell the canned versus fresh taste. I learned the most efficient way to make a tomato sauce/paste is in the microwave versus my less efficient gas stove... plus less stirring and scraping of the sides. I think I cut an hour off the sides. I made homemade pizza, crust included from my own sauce, plus a second pizza with pesto from my own basil. I really liked being able to adjust the flavor to what we like. Mine has plenty of oregano and is sweeter than some. We loved it so much we were dipping leftover crusts in it!

I love when I can find this and that around the house to pull together a meal... even if it's a small one. My dad gave me a small eggplant a neighbor gave him from his excess which was just enough for one meal. I have the hardest time cooking those right. I seem to get mushy or bitter, but this turned out right. I salted and drained it for 30 minutes, coated it with one of my own chicken's first eggs, a dot of pesto on each one (just for fun), seasoned cracker crumbs, a little extra parmesan, and fried it in olive oil. I warmed up the left over pizza sauce to top it, fried the scrambled egg left-over to add to it! My husband absolutely loved it! I'm not trying eggplant in the oven again! This was too easy and yummy!

My Hottie Cousin's Acai Business

2008-09-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

I got this e-mail from my cousin today. She distributes this superfood called Acai. It's a rain forest berry that packs a huge anti-oxidant punch. Now I know the rain forest isn't exactly local, but neither are coffee or bananas, but it's positives balance out the energy factor. Like the increased preservation of rain forests as a viable place to grow marketable products, provide fair trade jobs for those who would otherwise have little or no employment options. But I'll let her tell the rest... here's her notes and links [my parentheses added to edit the conversation flow]:

Yes, [these are]not only Organic but these 19 Superfruits are harvested in their natural habitat, grown in the wild, which really makes the phyto’s go off the charts because they are forced to create their own defense mechanisms. They are harvested all over the world, West Indies, Asia … ect. & the yes, the rainforest.

Each week, poachers illegally chop down between 5,000 and 10,000 acai palm trees in the rainforest simply to harvest a 12-inch section of the tree known as the heart of the palm (or “palmito”). Once these trees are destroyed, they never return. By creating a demand for the acai berry, MonaVie has given locals an economic incentive to harvest only the berries and not the heart of the palm. This not only preserves the trees and the Amazon Rainforest, but it also provides a continual source of income for the locals. http://209.85.105.36/MEDIA/StoryOfMonaVie/ENnoSUB/PlayENnoSUB.htm

Not only that, but MonaVie has created the M.O.R.E. project which gives back to the people of Brazil. The M.O.R.E. Project helps provide food, shelter, clothing, and education to the needy children of Brazil, often left orphaned in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. The M.O.R.E. Project not only stands for MonaVie’s Operation Rescue, but to the orphaned children of Brazil, it also represents More Hope, More Health, More Caring, and More Love. MonaVie has absorbed all administration costs for this & a portion of the proceeds of every bottle is donated to the M.O.R.E project.
http://209.85.105.36/MEDIA/MOREproject/PlayENnoSUB.html

Lies from Customer Service

2008-08-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is a follow-up on that Milky Spore/"Bayer: Tree and Shrub" problem. I did some more research on the active ingredient that night and I'm shocked at the bold-faced lies I was fed by the lady who talked with me from the number on the Bayer bottle. I was told that this product would not harm honey bees. Lie #1: Well, it will not kill them, but it does disorient them enough that they never make it back to the hive... at least that's the belief explained on Wikipedia, Honeybeeworld.com, and a PBS mailing list. According to them, France and Brazil have seen a huge disappearance in bee numbers since it's use, and we are beginning to lose ours as well at an alarming rate. Keep in mind that every third bite of food was made possible by these pollinators. The Bayer representative then told me the active ingredient nicotine derived pesticide was the active ingredient in Milky Spore. Lie #2: Milky Spore is a spore... as in bacteria! Specifically, Bacillus popillae-Dutky, and you can read more if you like here. She went on to say that their product was not harmful to earthworms. Lie #3: Plenty of other sites disagree... beekeeping.com, the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network... I'm sure there are more. What's worse about all this is that I reiterated my new education to the Menard's garden help-guy who was an inquisitive and eager learner ready to share these lies with other customers! You'll be happy to know, I did find Milky Spore at my local Big R and I returned the Bayer product today. Now if I can only find that garden help guy...

Aww Yeah!!!!!! My heirloom tomatoes are ready!

2008-08-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

Do you know how you crave a certain type of fruit or vegie a certain time of year? And do you know how you just hope each time that it will be as wonderful as that one year? Well this is that one! It doesn't look like what you're thinking of, but it tastes like it...and better! It's called Aunt Ruby's German Green (heirloom of course). My dad turned his nose up at the thought. He was expecting an under-ripe type... (you know I wonder if those Southern gals were frying these type or the under-ripe that everyone I talked to assumed they did). These were tinted with a creamy pinkish hue, ribbed, but mostly green and were tested by feel. They are tender, sweet, and flavorful! And what a beauty! Couldn't you see this in your local gourmet restaurant?! I'm thinking green tomato soup! I'm posting photos of the other types I've got including these so you can see the outsides. I've notice that my heirlooms have less uniformity of color and shape, and vary from whose garden they were grown in (I handed out a lot of seedlings), but really deliver the flavor! Don't be shy about sending me your notes!

Here are all the heirlooms I've grown this year top to bottom:

Aunt Ruby's German Green*

Amish Paste

Black Krim

Here's my not-so-giant Giant Belgium. It's only 4 inches :)For those of you who are regular visitors... yes the middle photo is different. I realized I had wrongly called a Black Krim a German Green (some are hard to tell until they fully ripen). Anyway I wanted to show you the real thing and, through the magic of photoshop, did!

Fruit Trees, Honey Bees, and Japanese Beetles

2008-08-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

I recently had the good fortune of picking pie cherries at a neighbor of my aunt's. We picked two buckets full and pitted and pitted and pitted! The cherry pie at the end and the pie size bags of cherries in my freezer made it so worth it! Ironically, around the same time, I purchased 4 fruit trees of my own. Two pears, (Seckle and Golden Spice), one Jonathan apple, and one North Star Cherry. I am still looking for a Gala apple (my favorite). I plan on espalier-ing them on the side of my back yard, since I have such a long narrow property. (more on that later) It started to worry me about the prevalence of the Japanese Beetle since as we picked cherries the beetles were completely coating the ripe apricots right next to the cherry trees. They have also stripped many many things in my yard and I fear for the existing fruit trees. The most common method of killing them is Sevin, which I hate to use because it can be so harmful to the honeybees that live a mile from us.... not to mention the rest of the country's valuable and threatened bees. After weeks of them denuding my hollyhocks, Virginia creeper, fallopia, climbing hydrangea and roses... and eating about a third of my red maple, flowering cherry, birch, and pecan, I've finally decided on a tactic that I can live with. An expensive product called Milky Spore. Actually that's not a brand name, but the name of the ingredient/ bacteria that kills the grubs that the beetles lay in the earth as they go dormant. Menards didn't' have this product, but they did have a similar acting one called Bayer Tree and Shrub which includes a fertilizer. We'll see. I am just amazed at the devastation that one type of bug can cause and it makes me realize that we operate under God's mercy alone. That these insects or some other pest, disease, or weather trial could wipe us out at any time. We can just thank Him for the honey bees, the fruit we do have, and our daily bread.

Stuff Alexis does that we should all too

2008-07-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

I've known for a lot of years my friend's habits have been frugal, smart, and green before green was cool. Even my husband noticed it the other day. So I'm making another list. (forgive me for this Alexis, if you read this... it's for the good of many).
Don't heat rooms you don't use,
hang your clothes on the line almost always; including the basement for the winter,
put out a garden and freeze the surplus,
eat out of less boxes,
cook from scratch,
freeze a cake or two,
eat more vegetables and less meat, and bread,
use a rain barrel,
shop at Aldi's,
shop at the second hand store (doesn't get more green than that),
why drive when you can take a walk,
read a book, read a book to a kid,
visit a friend, visit some elderly friends
(I know there's even more, but I'll add them later)

Few people are such shining examples in this life, but I'm privileged to know one.

FOXNews.com - Report: North Pole May Be Ice-Free This Summer - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

2008-07-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

FOXNews.com - Report: North Pole May Be Ice-Free This Summer - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

The Compost is HOT!

2008-07-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

My apologies for my poor posting habits of late. I guess everything comes in spurts!

I just had something exciting happen in my compost! HEAT! I have been composting for years with a slow method... basically throw it all in the leaves, clippings, etc and wait. But last week, my dad brought over a load of rabbit manure (which he has done lots of times -though usually on top of my fall leaves. This time it was smelly and the compost was already full of hedge trimmings, lots of green stuff and I could smell the nitrogen overload. Ross offered to turn it in for me, but as I whined about the nitrogen, I had him wait until I threw some brown carbon-based stuff on it to dry it out. I threw in a couple buckets of pine shavings I have for the chickens and he turned it really well. So this week I happened by it and felt like turning it again. One fork turn revealed ashy looking compost underneath and in 80 degree heat there was steam!! I was amazed!!! Heat was flowing from it! I've heard of "hot compost, but I had no idea it would be this hot!

Hot compost is great, because not only does it break down faster, but it also kills fungus, weed seeds, or other seeds, and nearly sterilizes the batch. In the photo above you can see the ash color contents. If I wouldn't have freaked so much and done so much turning you could have seen the dramatic look. I was trying to photo the steam too...

Anyway, I guess extremes really make it work. Very high nitrogen and very high carbon contents... hope it works again!

Vacation Season is HERE!

2008-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

If your looking for fun on the cheap... here's some close to home! We're taking a Day-cation this week up to Rockford. Wish it was closer, but I really want to see the Japanese Gardens! A friend of mine is taking a Stay-cation :)! Anyway, this is a great list...hope it is useful to you!

June

1: Central Illinois Ford Day, car show, swap space, exhibits and more, Bob Dennison Ford, Bloomington.

1: Sunday in the Park, summer kick-off celebration with concerts and food, 5:30-9 p.m., Glen Oak Park Amphitheater, Peoria.

1-30: Quilted Keepsakes 2008, annual summer quilt show, C.H. Moore Homestead in Clinton.

6-15: National Counted Cross Stitch Show, more than 400 pieces on display, Rockome Gardens near Arcola.

6-7: Paxton Town-Wide Garage Sales, various locations in Paxton.

6-8: Route 66 Motor Tour, annual Mother Road motorcade with stops at various Illinois towns along the way.

6-8: Tremont Turkey Festival, the area's biggest celebration of gobble-dygook, downtown Tremont and Tremont Park.

7: Farmer City Car/Truck/Tractor Show, with cruise-in, food and awards show, Main Street in downtown Farmer City.

7: Miller Park Fishing Derby, for ages 5 to 12, 8-11 a.m., Miller Park, Bloomington.

7: Shadows of Lincoln Festival, Lincoln-themed outdoor history festival, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., downtown Decatur.

7: Sugar Grove Nature Center Nature Exploration Day, guided hikes, crafts, animal feedings, more, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Sugar Grove Nature Center, Funks Grove.

7-8: Grand Village of Kickapoo Powwow, Native American culture celebration, Grand Village of the Kickapoo Park, rural LeRoy.

7-8: Junction City Art Fair, more than 70 artists from Central Illinois and the Midwest, food, children's art area, more; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Junction City Shopping Center, Peoria.

7-8: Lincoln Land Depression Glass & Pottery Show, vintage glass and pottery circa the late-1920s through 1969, Illinois State Fairgrounds Orr Building, Springfield.

8: DeWitt County Museum Open Auto Show, antiques and classics, noon-4 p.m., C.H. Moore Homestead grounds, Clinton.

10: Dress Up Movie Night, 'E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial,' dusk, Normal Amphitheater, Normal.

10-15: Decatur-Macon County Fair, fairgrounds in Decatur.

11-12: Movies in the Park, 'Surf's Up,' 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rollingbrook Park, Bloomington, and 9 p.m. Thursday at Clearwater Park, Bloomington.

12-14: Epiphany Carnival, the sixth annual festival of live bands, carnival rides and more, Epiphany School grounds, Normal.

12-14: Steamboat Festival, riverfront carnival rides and entertainment stages, Riverfront Festival Park in Peoria.

13-14: County-Wide Route 66 Garage Sale, vendors and sales in Atlanta, Lincoln, Broadwell, Elkhart and Lawndale, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

13-15: Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games, Olympic-style competition for disabled athletes, ISU Sports Complex, Normal.

14: '50s-'60s Days/Hang Loose Weekend, car show and '50s-'60s celebration, downtown square and Humiston Riverside Park in Pontiac.

14: Moss Avenue Antique Sale, sidewalk sales up and down historic Moss Avenue in Peoria, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

15: 3rd Sunday Market, 450 dealers in 300 booths, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Interstate Center, Bloomington.

15: Twin City Cruisers Fabulous '50s Night, 5:30-9 p.m., Shoppes at College Hills parking lot.

16: Comlara Park Beach Blowout & Wacky Water Olympics, special water-related activities and contests, noon-3 p.m., Glasener Beach at Comlara Park near Hudson.

17-21: 62nd Midwest Charity Horse Show, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield.

18-21: Metamora Old Settlers Days, carnival, entertainment, food tents, crafts and more, downtown Metamora square.

18-19: Movies in the Park, 'Shrek the Third,' 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rollingbrook Park, Bloomington, and 9 p.m. Thursday at Clearwater Park, Bloomington.

18-22: Sangamon County Fair, fairgrounds at New Berlin.

20: TNA Live!, wrestlers from Spike TV's 'TNA Impact,' U.S. Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington.

20-22: General Grierson Days Civil War Re-enactment, largest mounted re-enactment in Midwest, Jacksonville.

20-21: Glorious Garden Festival, self-guided tours of 11 B-N gardens, with festival and start point at David Davis Mansion, Bloomington.

20-22: Taste of Champaign-Urbana, food fair and juried art show, West Side Park in Champaign.

21: Folk Art Festival, crafts and artisan demonstrations, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Three Sisters Park, Chillicothe.

21: Bishop Hill Midsommar Celebration, Swedish summer fest with music, maypole, family activities, barn dance, more, Bishop Hill State Historic Site.

21: Gala of Gardens Walk, tours of five Clinton-area gardens and high-tea lunch, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

21: Pontiac Cruise Night, with car cruise, food, prizes and more, downtown Pontiac square.

21: Scovill Zoo Family Fun Day & Turtle Race, kid games, displays and turtle race, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Scovill Zoo, Decatur.

21: Through the Garden Gate, Logan County Master Gardeners garden walk, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., seven or eight Lincoln-area gardens.

21-22: Streator Civil War Event, living history encampment, displays, skirmishes, more, Marilla Park and Sandy Ford Sportsmen Club, Streator.

21-22: Olde English Faire, medieval celebration, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Jubilee College State Historic Site, near Brimfield.

22: Fairbury Garden Club Festival of Gardens, tour of five Fairbury gardens, 1-5 p.m.

24-29: Piatt County Fair, fairgrounds at Cerro Gordo.

25-26: Movies in the Park, 'The Waterhorse: Legend of the Deep,' 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rollingbrook Park, Bloomington, and 9 p.m. Thursday at Clearwater Park, Bloomington.

26-28: Mack-Ca-Fest Farm Days, Veterans Park and downtown area, Mackinaw.

26-29: GridleyFest, entertainment and carnival, Gridley village park.

27-29: Havana Fish and Waterfowl Festival, catfish cook-off and dinners, exhibitors, fishing tournament, more; Riverfront Park, Havana.

27-29: San Jose Sesquicentennial, 150th-birthday festival, downtown San Jose.

28: All in a Day's Work, demonstrations of average 'day-in-the-life' of 1830s New Salem families, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., New Salem State Historic Site, Petersburg.

28: Carlock Park Palooza, parade, food, games, live entertainment, auction and more, 4:30-9:30 p.m., Rock Creek Veterans Park, Carlock.

28: A Day in Dimmitt's Grove, house and garden tours, historic walking tours, live music, crafts, antique cars, more, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Dimmitt's Grove neighborhood and Vrooman Mansion, Bloomington.

28: Independence Day 1860, pioneer July 4th celebration and activities, noon-4 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur.

28: Let's Buzz the Gut Cruise Night, car cruise, auto-related vendors, food, music and more, 4 p.m.-dusk, downtown Dwight.

28-29: Railroad Days, railroad heritage celebration, downtown Galesburg.

28-29: Rhapsody in Bloom Arts Festival, art, music and food festival, Luthy Botanical Gardens in Glen Oak Park, Peoria.

28-29: Saybrook Freedom Festival, 6 a.m.-dusk, downtown Saybrook.

29: Decks, Patios and Gardens of Ironwood, tours of nine Ironwood neighborhood home exteriors, 12:30-4:30 p.m., Normal.

29-7/6: Streator's 4th: America's Best, weeklong July 4 celebration, downtown and various Streator locations.

29: Pioneer Days, demonstrations of mid-19th-century pioneer life, children's games, more, 1-4 p.m., W.H. Sommer Park, Peoria.

July

3-5: Lincoln Heritage Days Celebration, with dancing, games and shopping, downtown Lincoln.

4: Capital City Celebration & Fireworks, all evening, New State Capitol grounds, downtown Springfield.

4: Champaign County Freedom Celebration, parade and fireworks, U of I Memorial Stadium and vicinity in Champaign.

4: Chenoa July 4th Celebration, parade and daylong events, downtown Chenoa and City Park.

4: Clinton Fourth of July Celebration, fireworks at dusk, Weldon Springs State Recreation Area near Clinton.

4: Downs Fourth of July Celebration, fireworks and special activities, Dooley Park in Downs.

4: Dwight July 4th Celebration, downtown Dwight.

4: Eureka Independence Day Celebration, downtown Eureka and Eureka Lake.

4: Fourth of July Celebration at Fairview Park, activities and fireworks, Fairview Park in Normal.

4: Freedom Fest 2008, games and entertainment, 3-10 p.m., Lake of the Woods Park at Mahomet.

4: Hopedale Fourth of July Celebration, parade, car show and fireworks, all day downtown and in Hopedale Park.

4: Lincoln Fourth of July Celebration, all day at Lincoln Park District in Lincoln.

4: Metamora Fourth of July Celebration, God & Country concert and events, Metamora Park bandstand.

4: Miller Park Fourth of July Festivities & Sky Concert, all day, Miller Park in Bloomington.

4: Mount Pulaski 4th of July Celebration, downtown events and fireworks at dusk, Mount Pulaski.

4: Paxton Old-Fashioned July 4th Celebration, games and fireworks, Pells Park in Paxton.

4: Peoria Independence Day Celebration, 5-11 p.m., downtown riverfront in Peoria and East Peoria.

4: Pontiac 4th of July Event, fireworks at dusk, Pontiac Elks Lodge grounds, Pontiac.

4-6: Lakeside Music & Arts Festival, with more than 100 artisans and multiple entertainment stages, Nelson Park, Decatur.

6-12: Ford County Fair, fairgrounds at Melvin.

8: Carson & Barnes Circus, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., Logan County Fairgrounds, Lincoln.

8: Dress Up Movies Night, 'The Incredibles,' dusk, Normal Amphitheater, Normal.

8-12: Fisher Community Fair & Horse Show, fairgrounds at Fisher.

9-13: LaSalle County 4-H Show & Junior Fair, fairgrounds at Ottawa.

9-13: Marshall-Putnam County Fair, fairgrounds in Henry.

9-10: Movies in the Park, 'Bee Movie,' 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rollingbrook Park, Bloomington, and 9 p.m. Thursday at Clearwater Park, Bloomington.

11-14: DeWitt County 4-H Fair, fairgrounds, Clinton.

11-19: Heart of Illinois Fair, nightly grandstand shows and carnival midway, Exposition Gardens, Peoria.

11-12: Peoria Balloons on the Prairie Fest, mass hot air balloon ascensions and events, O.S.F. Medical Center grounds, Illinois 91 north of U.S. 150, Peoria.

12: Comlara Park Ice Cream Social, ice cream and entertainment, noon-4 p.m., Comlara Park near Hudson.

12: Taste of Downtown Springfield, food fair with entertainment stages and more, Fifth and Washington streets, downtown Springfield.

12: Twin City Cruisers Swinging '60s Night, 5:30-9 p.m., Shoppes at College Hills parking lot.

12-13: Pekin Arts Festival, fine art fair, crafts, live jazz, wine tasting, food and more, Pekin riverfront area.

12-13: Sugar Creek Arts Festival, juried art fair and entertainment, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., downtown Normal and ISU quad.

13: DeWitt County Museum Ice Cream Social & Vintage Baseball Game, C.H. Moore Homestead grounds, Clinton.

13: 3rd Sunday Market, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Interstate Center, Bloomington.

14-17: Livingston County 4-H Fair, Livingston County Fairgrounds, Pontiac.

15-19: Farmer City/DeWitt County Fair, fairgrounds in Farmer City.

15-20: Menard County Fair, fairgrounds, Petersburg.

16-21: Iroquois County Fair, fairgrounds, Crescent City.

16-17: Movies in the Park, 'The Pirates Who Won't Do Anything,' 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rollingbrook Park, Bloomington, and 9 p.m. Thursday at Clearwater Park, Bloomington.

18-26: Champaign County Fair, fairgrounds in Urbana.

18-20: Stanford Good Ole Days Festival, arts and crafts, food, fireworks and more, downtown Stanford.

19: Emden Homecoming, food, games, entertainment, more, downtown Emden.

21-26: Fulton County Fair, fairgrounds in Lewistown.

21-22: Rock 'n' Rods on Route 66 Festival, classic car and music festival, Interstate Center grounds, Bloomington.

23-24: Movies in the Park, 'Spider-Man 3,' 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rollingbrook Park, Bloomington, and 9 p.m. Thursday at Clearwater Park, Bloomington.

25-27: Great Balloon Race, 30 hot-air balloons in various events, Lake Storey Park near Galesburg.

26: Morgan Horse Exhibit & Demonstration, daylong Morgan Horses events, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., New Salem State Historic Site, Petersburg.

26: Pekin Classic Car Cruise-In, restored vintage cars, live bands, food vendors, more, 5-9 p.m., downtown Pekin.

27: Pioneer Days, demonstrations of mid-19th-century pioneer life, children's games, more, 1-4 p.m., W.H. Sommer Park, Peoria.

28-30: Tazewell County Fair, Mineral Springs Park in Pekin.

29-8/3: Logan County Fair, fairgrounds at Lincoln.

30-8/3: McLean County Fair, Interstate Center grounds, Bloomington.

August

1-3: Decatur Celebration, 13 entertainment stages and more, downtown Decatur.

2: Annual Auto Exhibition at Clover Lawn, antique vehicles displays and more, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., David Davis Mansion, Bloomington.

3: Minier Corn Daze, fresh-cooked corn and events, all day, downtown Minier.

6-9: Cullom Junior Fair, fairgrounds at Cullom.

8: Italian-American Summer Festa, Italian heritage fest with food, games, dance, music and more, noon-7 p.m., Hickory Grove Park, Peoria.

8: Pontiac Heritage Days and Antique Tractor Show, with old-time demonstrations, arts and crafts, tractor displays and more, downtown Pontiac square.

8-17: Illinois State Fair, carnival midway and nightly grandstand shows, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield.

8-9: River City Soul Fest, African-American heritage food and entertainment festival, Riverfront Festival Park, Peoria.

8-9: Riverfront Car Show, cars, trucks, cycles, antique tractors and more, Riverfront Park, East Peoria.

9: Twin City Cruisers Custom Sensational '70s Night, 5:30-9 p.m., Shoppes at College Hills parking lot.

12: Dress-Up Movie Night, 'Beauty and the Beast,' dusk, Normal Amphitheater, Normal.

12-16: LeRoy Fall Festival, first fall fest of the season, downtown LeRoy.

13: Taste of Peoria, food from 50 Peoria restaurants, 4 p.m.-11 p.m., Riverfront Festival Park, Peoria.

13-17: Fairbury Fair, fairgrounds at Fairbury.

14-16: Washburn Festival, entertainment and special events, downtown Washburn.

14-17: WGLT Recycled Music Sale, used LPs and CDs sale, Crossroads Center, 310 Wylie Drive, Normal.

15-17: Cultural Festival Weekend, cultural and ethnic music and events, Miller Park, Bloomington.

15-17: Danvers Days, village festival, Danvers Village Park in Danvers.

16: Lexington Street Dance, downtown street dance, live bands, beer garden, more, 5-11 p.m., downtown Lexington.

16-17: Farm Heritage Days & Threshing Show, demonstrations and displays, Three Sisters Park, Chillicothe.

16-17: Galesburg Heritage Days, pre-1840s rendezvous and Civil War re-enactment, Lake Storey Park near Galesburg.

16-17: Grand National TT Weekend, motorcycle races, swap meet and parade, concerts and more, downtown Peoria and Peoria Motorcycle Club at Bartonville.

16-17: Washington Fine Arts Festival, juried outdoor art fair, downtown Washington.

17: 3rd Sunday Market, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Interstate Center, Bloomington.

22-24: Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival, balloon festival at Logan County Fairgrounds in Lincoln and art festival and other events in downtown Lincoln.

22-23: Sangamon River Festival, carnival, music and entertainment, Main Street in downtown Mahomet.

22-23: Urbana Sweetcorn Festival, fresh-cooked corn and entertainment, downtown Urbana.

23: Hot August Nights, downtown street fest with food fair and live entertainment, 10 -10 p.m., downtown Bloomington square.

23: Reagan Fest, Ronald Reagan-themed festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., downtown Eureka.

23-9/1: DuQuoin State Fair, nightly grandstand shows and more, 8 a.m.-midnight, DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin.

23-24: Erin Feis, Irish heritage culture and music celebration, Riverfront Festival Park, Peoria.

23-24: Sweet Corn Blues Festival, fresh-cooked sweet corn and entertainment, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., downtown Normal.

24: 1800s Craft Fair, demonstrations and displays, noon-5 p.m., Postville Courthouse State Historic Site in Lincoln.

28-9/1: Theshermen's Reunion, festival at Threshermen's Park near Pontiac and parade at 1:15 p.m. Aug. 31 in downtown Pontiac.

29-9/1: Delavan Fall Festival, with parade, carnival, entertainment and more, downtown Delavan.

30-9/1: Ethnic Festival, ethnic foods and activities, Illinois State Fairgrounds Ethnic Village in Springfield.

30-31: Once Upon a Prairie Storytelling Festival, stories told by national storytellers in rooms of historic building, Old State Capitol Historic Site, Springfield.

31: Pioneer Days, demonstrations of mid-19th-century pioneer life, children's games, more, 1-4 p.m., W.H. Sommer Park, Peoria.

How to compost

2008-05-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

If you google compost, your most likely to get tons of hits for composting equipment and devices that magically turn your table scraps into garden gold. Actually people (and animals) have been doing this since the beginning of creation. All you need is a place to start a pile. I have mine fenced in with two walls of old picket fence, wired in with a wire back and a partially open front. You need mostly "brown stuff" which is carbon-rich things. The best I've found is fallen leaves. Other things like straw, dried up plants, old newspaper/brown paper work too. I know someone whose using junk mail! Though I like to say away from ink or junk with who knows what chemicals on it. Then you can add your "green stuff" or nitrogen-rich material... table scraps, weeds (I don't compost any with seeds), grass clippings. You get the feel for it after a while. If it's too green it will smell funky, if it's all leaves, it will seem to never break down, but I'm patient :). It should be moist as a sponge, layered with the brown/green, and warmer so it will literally cook and break down... but all this is if you want to fuss. It will still work as long as you stir it up (turn it with a garden fork) every once in a while and remember that smaller chunks break down faster. Pile it up and walk away! ...but don't forget to spread that finished beautiful black stuff on all your hungry plants!

If you'd like to read more, I thought this link looked useful: http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/planning/compost.asp

What does "local food" look like?

2008-04-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Look for the in-between item!

2008-04-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

As you peruse the store shelves. Easiest to see is the national brands, then the store brands, but easily missed are those unfamiliar packaged items. Usually they have more simple graphics and packaging, but many I've found are smaller companies who are closer to home. The don't spend the money on big local adds and they don't pay big bucks to ship across the country. They are a comparable price, and I've been happy with all their quality.

More news on increased food prices

2008-04-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.week.com/news/local/18146564.html

from news channel 25

2008-04-19T19:52:00.001-07:00

Chicks!

2008-04-18T21:37:00.001-07:00

The chicks are 11 days old today! Still cute, but getting HUGE! I have 3 sweet "ground squirrel" marked ones and 3 skiddish black ones. I'm dying to know how many pullets and cockerels there are! I'll keep you posted!

Hillbilly Green

2008-04-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my book on raising chickens and reading about designing coops. My husband and I couldn't believe the recommendations to use truck toppers, old siding and corrugated metal sheets pieced together. So I told him... "you know, I think hill-billies are the original recyclers!" ...maybe we should look on them with a little more respect :). After all, they were green, before green was cool!

Thanks to Nancy Saul, for coming to interview me today about this blog. I hope she helps make sense of all this for the general public. I always have to give such a long winded explanation. :)

Here's a great opportunity:

2008-04-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

LOCAL AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

“Listening Sessions”

We are requesting your help in shaping the future of an Illinois-based farmer to consumer agricultural system. In 2007, the Illinois General Assembly enacted The Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. This Bill authorized Governor Blagojevich to appoint a 32-member Task Force, charged with assembling recommendations that would enhance an efficient and fully functioning Illinois food and farm system. These recommendations will be considered by the Illinois General Assembly in 2009.

Listening sessions are being held at various locations statewide to gather your insights in production, infrastructure, public access, public education, and the economic benefits to be derived from Illinois farmers directly serving the needs of their neighbors. If you have interest in building any part of a farm-to-neighbor agricultural system, your expertise is needed now.

We invite you to become a part of this exciting economic development and rural revitalization opportunity by sharing your thoughts with Task Force members. Scheduled listening sessions thus far are:

April 9 (Wednesday, 7:00 PM) Quincy
University of Illinois Extension - Adams County
330 S. 36th St.
Contact: Carrie Edgar 217/223-8380

April 11 (Friday, 12:30 PM) Bloomington-Normal
Shirk Center, Illinois Wesleyan University
302 Emerson (Shirk South Classroom)

April 12 (Saturday, 9:00 - noon) St. Charles
Kane County Farm Bureau Office
2N710 Randall Road
Contact: Donna Lehrer 630/303-8730

May 20 (Tuesday, 3:00 - 5:00 PM) Chicago
DePaul University (downtown campus)
DePaul Center
1 E. Jackson Blvd., Room 8005
Sponsored by the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council and Sustain

Listening sessions are being scheduled in the Rock Island /Knox County area, Rockford/Galena area, East St. Louis area, Champaign, Kankakee, and Effingham/Mattoon area. Further information will be forthcoming on dates, times and locations.

Some key questions for consideration are:

1. What opportunities in local food, fiber, and other farm products do you envision can be derived
from Illinois’ rich agricultural soils?

2. What obstacles do you see for your farm or business that hinder the development or expansion of Illinois farmer to consumer networks?

3. What do you, as a consumer or would-be consumer of Illinois agricultural products, envision or wish to see changed?

4. As a farmer, businessperson, or consumer, what policy changes would you like made to help
begin, increase the efficiency of, or complete your endeavor?

5. Are there legal impediments that now hinder you?

6. What must be done to help you reach your goal of producing, processing, manufacturing,
distributing, marketing, or purchasing Illinois farm products?

Your participation is essential to create 21st Century farmer to consumer networks in Illinois. Please join us. Call for further information, or written comments will be received prior to July 15, 2008.

Jim Braun
625 S New St. #2
Springfield, Illinois, 62704
515/229-2679
JBraun2525@yahoo.com

Paper or Plastic?

2008-03-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a great link to educate you on what's the best choice and show you the impact you can make by changing a few habits.

From Prairierth Farm

2008-03-10T13:28:00.001-07:00

I was thrilled to have a talk with Dave from Prairierth Farm in Atlanta and he was kind enough to send me some further info to pass on to all of you! I'm pasting in the letter below.

Thanks Dave!

Prairierth Farm is a 300 acre operation, located 3 miles south of Atlanta, producing organic corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, alfalfa, beef, broilers, eggs, and vegetables. We sell some of our products directly off the farm, but the bulk is sold wholesale to stores in Bloomington(Common Ground), Springfield (Food Fantasies), Champaign (Strawberry Fields), Peoria (Naturally Yours - which is also opening a store in Bloomington, and Lincoln (Lincoln IGA).A substantial part of our produce/meat/egg production is also going to Chicago markets now with the opening of the Chicago Delivery Project last year. http://www.midwestorganic.com/news.html

This represents opportunity for Logan County producers who might be interested in growing high value crops like fruits, vegetables, or meats, but were concerned about finding markets for those products. Obviously, we would prefer to market our products in Logan County rather than Chicago. As local consumer awareness increases (in large part because of efforts like yours) and demand improves, local producers will be able and ready to deliver - in part because larger, more distant markets helped them get started. Maybe we should have a "Growing Home" campaign - bringing back our local food system. At any rate, we need more producers as well as more customers to make this work. Another issue is, is local/organic really better than industrial food. And what part does the local or the organic play. "Industrial" organic trucked in from 1500 miles away may not be much better than conventional http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/17/it-s-offic ial-organic-really-is-better.aspx The best of both worlds is both local and organic, and more and more research bears that out http://www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=117586 http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx I'll be following your blog with interest. Dave Bishop Prairierth Farm

More than a buzz word!

2008-03-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

I just got the Farm Bureau's "Partners" publication and was pleasantly surprised! Okay, I did know they have been busy with similar projects. I'm finding lots of phrases they are using like "sustainable ag", and "community supported agriculture", but they have devoted the first three pages of their paper to local eating. The articles are: "Eating Illinois", "Local food a short drive away", "Locating local food" (which has links I'm providing here), "Neighborfood dining: Illinois-raised goodies filling grocery shelves, regional menus", "Buying the farm- one box at a time". I wish I could share them with you via a web based article, but I'm not finding it on their site. *sigh* C'est la vie. I'm just glad to see this "movement" hit home.

"Certified Naturally Grown"

2008-02-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

I am learning about the "Certified Naturally Grown" label. You can learn more about it at that link. It is geared toward the smaller farmer who wants to observe organic methods outside the USDA who tailor fit's their label for the mega-farms. So help a small farmer and spread the word!

2008-02-26T06:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know whether you saw it, but the History Channel had a show called "Oil Apocalypse" for Mega Disasters that was too true to fit with their other shows based on irrational fear and "what if's". They only used the last 5 minutes of the show to fantasize about an impending war when the last few drops are fought for... the rest was based on current known facts, backed up by what we already see at the pumps and the world around us. I think we know deep down, that we cannot have gasoline and oil forever. I wish I could post even an excerpt from the show, but these YouTube videos will have to do. I can't believe how my thoughts have changed on these issues within such a short space of time. Locavore lifestyle is just one piece of the puzzle we'll need to help with these changes, but I think it's a significant one. I think it's all going to boil down to our communities. Not just living along side each other, but cooperating as a community like was done years ago.

Kitchen Cooked and Dutch Farms

2008-02-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

I just remembered to add these guys! I'm finding out they are both producing and distributing locally! I removed the Dutch Farms from this list, because they are only distributing locally and though they might get it from nearby producers they could not be very specific about where they were from. I think we need more info first.

As I said, I'm still exploring whether organic trumps locally grown... I'm noticing most organic foods are shipped from California (not that their non-organic counterparts are not), but California is a long way away.

Heartland Creamery

2008-02-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Heartland Creamery deserves it's own post! They produce milks and cheeses in Missouri and glass bottle them. You even get a $1 deposit! The dairy is operated in conjunction with Heartland Ministries. It helps to fund and employ kids from their Youth Recovery Program, group homes for troubled youth. They have no added hormones, but so far they can't call themselves "organic", but I'm not finding many other locally produced items that also fit that. All in all it's a win-win-win situation!

Getting Started

2008-02-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

It seems we mid-westerners are a cautious bunch... waiting to see if or how ideas will work... not jumping on every band-wagon that comes along. That's why I thought it seemed timely to start up this blog. We've already caught on to a few things in energy conservatism. We've got talks of ethanol plants and wind turbines planning to go up. It seems fitting that we talk about some other ways to both save money and be responsible with our resources. Many of the older generation in my community have been doing smart things for years. My grandparents had a big horse trough that was used to save and recycle tin cans. Grandma used to wash dishes in only a few inches of water and never left the water running! Of course they used some nasty pesticides that were straight frightening, but let's take the good without the bad shall we :).

I had better define "locavore" for many folks. Most localvores define local food as food grown, harvested, processed in Illinois or within a 100 miles of their home.

That said, I believe in small steps. I only know a few people who are willing to throw off their old habits with complete abandon (my husband is one), but most of us make slow deliberate changes. We won't always be able to find products on the shelves that are made close to home, but closer is better. I am looking to anyone visiting this blog to send me their own notes of what they've found. And I'm definitely interested in producers who want to promote here! The more organic the better. I have not made a total switch to organic, but I do explore choices. I'm seeing more of them all the time. I'm not completely sold on total organic because food preservation is a good thing. We have many to thank over the generations for preventing food-borne illnesses and death! Still, it is good and healthy to explore what is being done in those areas. I'm not pretending to be completely informed in all aspects of food production, so if you've got info, I'd love to hear it! The right column is The List I'm creating of products that are produced at least pretty close to home. By the way, all the Wal-mart brands I've checked are all from Arizona. I'm hoping to do better than that... hopefully we'll find better alternatives.