Growing Matters and Blueberry Basics from OEFFA 2013

Yesterday I wrote about my introduction to Restoration Agriculture at the 2013 Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association conference. Below are summaries of two other valuable sessions at the same conference. What the OEFFA conference offers beyond these planned sessions are real conversations with wise, experienced farmers and enthusiastic innovative personalities. I am still basking in the joy of talking with:

• Dale, the pasture-raised organic meat grower at Morning Sun Farm,
• Bear and Drew from Slow Food Columbus,
• Tricia, publisher of Edible Columbus,
• Dawn of Mockingbird Meadows,
• Warren and Joy of Snowville Creamery,
• and an overflowing crowd of attendees to my own talk about cultured foods.

The confidence of a community that believes in and works for a local sustainable food system is one that buoys me throughout the year.

Growing Matters

by Local Matters employees Trish Clark and Jesse Hickman

In creating the Growing Matters program, director Trish Clark searched for what is missing in Columbus and how can Local Matters could help. She created programs to support yard garden programs encouraging people to grow their own food as close to kitchen as possible.

In this session, Trish and Jesse showed a beautiful short video about Local Matters and then offered participants a chance to learn from each other. The large group brainstormed garden challenges and then broke into smaller 5-8 person groups to come up with solutions.

Successes: Use sheet mulching for weed suppression and water retention (use what you have for mulch) Plant buckwheat as a cover crop Crop rotation helps with almost every challenge Solicit volunteers or students to help as labor in exchange for educational experience Plant squash after June 15 to avoid beetles Plant enough for wildlife Plan ahead for food prep Collection Edible magazines for seasonal recipes Grow the basics Learn how to can/freeze/preserve through word of mouth, family history Consider raised beds for drainage, weed suppression, seating Plant varieties that are reliable regardless of conditions Consider keeping dogs to protect crops from rabbits, other small predators

Blueberry Basics

by farmers at Greenfield Berry Farm

Greenfield is a berry farm within Cuyahoga National Park. The farmers shared these tips for growing blueberries in a community setting. The farm is open for pick-your-own adventures and educational tours seasonally.

Get Soil Right First - test for pH - add sulpher to adjust pH around April 1st - plant holes with 50% peat moss - avoid standing water by making raised beds or installing drainage tile - choose full sun locations

Plant Well - 3-4 foot spacing with 10-12 feet between rows - plant in mounds level or slightly above ground - ensure no roots are exposed - water thoroughly

Choose Cultivars Wisely - bigger, sweeter berries tend to come from early season varieties - smaller, tart varieties later in season - Stokes in Michigan and Blueberry Patch in Mansfield are good sources

Address Pests - insects like datana caterpillars, tent worms, Japanese beetles, blueberry maggot, and ants all may attack parts of plants; treat with soapy water spray and/on manual removal - birds love berries; exclude with dense netting like Army surplus mosquito netting, sound devices, and attract predatory birds like kestrals

Watch for Disease - fungal root rot can occur if plants are not properly drained; can try moving to higher location - plants suffering from too-high pH will show yellowed leaves with dark veins; add sulpher

Fertilize - replenish 3-4-3 organic option, cottonseed meal, bloodmeal (apply lightly to avoid burning) - apply at bud break (approximately April 1) and again 4 weeks later after first year of planting - spread along drip line of the plant

Weeds - use weed wacker in between plants but avoid hitting trunk or you may girdle plant - vinegar (12% acidity) may be successful organic herbicide applied around drip line

Drought - berries will shrivel without enough water - irrigate with drip tape or water frequently - mulch with 4-6 inches of pine needles, sawdust, or wood chips; one year aged compost is best because it doesn't pull nitrogen from soil

Pruning - conduct pruning in late winter after weather has warmed above freezing (March) - aim to promote straight growth with room for air and light - lop off thick dead wood at base - cut off dead or diseased branches to nearest bilateral - remove overlapping branches - burn removed branches to prevent re-contamination

Thus ends my OEFFA 2013 brain dump. I hope my attempt to share what I learned was successful.

Berryfield Farms U-Pick Blueberry Centerburg, Ohio

Is there any better way to start than day than picking fat, sweet blueberries on a lovely farm? Lil, my in-laws, and myself spent the morning doing just that at Berryfield Farms yesterday. Located near Centerburg, Ohio, a 40 minute drive from our Clintonville home, Berryfield is an authentic, non-agritainment farm. Among the farm's rolling hills lie three acres of well-established blueberry bushes. Ripe Bluecrop and Blueray fruits loaded the branches. A third variety, Elliott, will be ready to pick soon.

With ample space between rows, heavily fruited bushes, and bird songs, picking was pleasant and easy. Berryfield provides bag-lined buckets that hold a little more than five pounds when full. In a leisurely hour and a half, Lil and I were able to pick twelve pounds.

Berryfield Farms uses netting to deter the biggest pest to blueberries: bird theft. They do not use chemicals and support a thriving community of pollinating insects, diverse ground cover, and wildlife.

Speaking of pollinators, beehives on the property provide honey available in the darling shack filled with vintage furniture where guests check in and out. A few farm-produced items like birdhouses are also for sale. The grandsons of the owners provide herbal iced tea and real juice lemonade with ice for $1 per cup, welcome thirst quenchers after hot picking.

For the 2012 season, berries cost $2.85/pound payable by cash or check. They are sold pre-picked for $6/pint at the Sunbury Farmers' Market Saturday mornings.

The farm is open from 8 am - 12 pm Monday through Friday, Saturdays 8 am - 5 pm and Sundays 10 am - 4 pm. If mother nature cooperates, the growers expect berries to last another four weeks this year, or until approximately the fourth week of July.

If you go:

• Heed their instructions to wear hats, stay hydrated, walk around the irrigation hoses, ignore the bees, and have fun.
• Bring cash or a check as credit cards are not accepted.
• Go early to enjoy picking before the heat of the day.
• Be prepared to be charmed by the sweet farm dogs.

Berryfield Farms 6424 Township Road 199 Centerburg, Ohio 43011 740-625-7278

Blueberry Bonus

Live on the west side of the city? I recommend Berryhill Farm in Xenia, my review here.

My berry recipes: jam, berry tartlets, liqueur or freezing.

Prepare children with our favorite blueberry books.

Made by Hand, Blueberry Girl, Jamberry & Blueberries for Sal

Publishers recently sent me a copy of Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World.  Written by Mark Frauenfelder, founder of Make magazine, this quick read is an overview of one family's experience with making things by hand.  Organized by the various objects they attempt to create, each chapter is both a tutorial and reflection.  The themes are simple: waste not, want not; creativity and out-of-the-box thinking is fun; mistakes are how we learn; and quality beats quantity.  While some chapters seem to come to pat conclusions, I always enjoy peering into another do-it-yourself-er's life. It's berry picking season in Ohio and we have three berry favorites in heavy rotation for reading to Lillian:

First is an old story I remember my mother reading to me, Blueberries for Sal.  In it, a mother and cub bear and mother and child human both happen upon the same blueberry hill at the same time.  Robert McClosky, author of other classics such as Make Way for Ducklings, spins a tale of what happens when the two children get mixed up in a daze of gobbling berries.  A Caldecott Honor Book with indigo illustrations, Blueberries for Sal is a gentle cautionary tale, perfect for reading aloud to a young child about to pick blueberries for the first time.

Jamberry is a quick silly rhyming book about many kinds of berries, both real and fantastical.  Packed with charming illustrations of a friendly bear and child, this is a favorite read aloud at my Kids Cook classes.

Blueberry Girl is by the poet and author Neil Gaiman.  A gift from Alex and Lil to me for Mother's Day 2008, this poignant book is equally appropriate for adults and children.  It's a love poem from parent to daughter detailing the hopes and dreams held in that relationship.  Whimsical illustrations compliment Gaiman's well metered writing.  Below is a trailer of sorts with Gaiman reading.

A month or so ago I also recommended a few books.  I have an ever present stack of books from the library (you'll Keep CML Strong, right?) and regularly coming across material appropriate for Hounds in the Kitchen readers.  I would like to start a little 'recommended reads' series but am struggling to come up with a catchy title.

So, how about a little giveaway contest?  I'll mail a copy of Made by Hand and jar of my handmade jam to whomever suggests my favorite series moniker.  It has to be relatively short so I can make a little icon and include it as a category.  Something to do with the common subject matter - food - would be good too.

All you have to do is leave a comment with your suggestion(s).  I'll leave the giveaway open for a week and choose a winner next Friday, August 20 at 9 PM.

FTC disclosure: I received Made by Hand for free.  Title links are through the Amazon affiliate program.  I really hope readers will use their libraries before buying!

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays

Berryhill U-Pick Farm in Xenia Ohio

Our frozen blueberry stash was not replenished this July as in years past.  To remedy this situation I have been hunting for an opportunity and location to pick berries.

The timing worked out this past weekend when we were visiting family in the near-Dayton area.  Searching through PickYourOwn.org revealed Berryhill Farm south of Xenia Ohio.  We made plans to stop there before lunch at The Winds in Yellow Springs and dinner with relatives.

Picking at a new farm is always a bit of a risk.  Will the fruit be tasty and low chemical?  People friendly?  Prices reasonable?

Berryhill delightfully exceeded expectations.  Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries were all abundant, ripe, and extraordinarily tasty.  Signs labeled the bushes pesticide free, which I have to believe based on the diversity of plant and insect life in the field.

The fields were very well maintained with wide rows for easy picking.  Blackberries and raspberries were trellised up off the ground.  There were only two other parties picking last Saturday morning.  Even with many families the spacious farm would not seem crowded.

The Elliot blueberry variety planted at Berryhill is relatively small in form, yet easy enough to pick with a little stooping.  It actually is the perfect variety to tag-team as a parent-child group where the child sits on the ground below picking the low fruit and an adult can stand over gathering berries from above.

In less than an hour's time we picked eight pounds of blueberries and three pints of raspberries for a total of around $20.  Cash and checks are accepted.  Pre-picked berries and a small variety of other fruits are also available as are raw honey and ice cold water.

Berryhill has abundant parking and a friendly staff.  They are lacking public restrooms.  If you are traveling a distance in the heat of summer it's a good idea to bring a cooler with ice to keep your berries fresh on the way home.  From our home in Clintonville, we arrived at Berryhill in just under and hour.  They are just 20 minutes from Dayton or Yellow Springs.

Raspberries and blackberries should be in season for another three weeks or more.  Blueberries are likely to only last through the next week.

Lillian, our almost five year old, summarized the trip well: "The blueberries are very yummy there."

This post was added to Two for Tuesdays.

Creamy Berry Tartlets

Sometimes you have enough berries to make a pie or jam, but sometimes due to high prices or small harvests, you only have a few at hand.  Whenever I have just a few of something I like to savor them fully in a recipe such as this. Because of the simplicity of the preparation, the quality of the berries and crust are key.  You can purchase tart crusts frozen from a store or make your own from phyllo, puff pastry, or pate brisee.  I made these perfectly flaky crusts from home made shortening and flour pie dough cut with a highball glass and baked in stoneware muffin pan.

This recipe for tarts allows the fruit to really shine.  I recently served it with blueberries as pictured for a cooking class dessert.  Any very fresh ripe fruit such as raspberries, strawberries, or kiwi, can be substituted.

If taking this dish to a picnic or serving to a large crowd, make the crust, berry, and cream filling components separately.  Combine only at the last minute before service to ensure that the crust doesn't get soggy or berries leach their juice into the cream.

Creamy Berry Tarts Makes 18 Time: 15 minutes

18 muffin sized pastry shells at room temperature 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2-3 cups washed fruit

Beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth with a wire whisk or stand mixer. Spoon cream into pastry shells.  Top with berries.