Wisdom & News from OEFFA Conference 2015

February 20, 2015 Rachel

I'm still riding high on the "agricultural intoxication"* of the 2015 Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association annual conference. My heart is warmed by so many great talks, both prepared presentations and side conversations, with friends new and old. My head spins with the possibilities of this coming year.

I bounced around a lot this year, staying in only one session for the entire period - my own! There were just too many enticing presentations to choose from. Here's some of the wisdom I heard:

"Introduce wild edibles to your diet one at a time." - Kate Hodges of Foraged & Sown, speaking on foraging. Since wild edibles are often more potent than farmed vegetables, it's a good idea to give your digestive system a chance to adapt. Later, when talking about plantain, she shared our canning disaster story.
"No one else can be you." Jill Moorhead spoke about telling your food story. When marketing your farm or food business, she advised consistent branding, offering education like recipes and samples, and team up with others to tell your shared story.
But avoid trendy terms. Jill said "I have so many pet peeves about meaningless words." Natural, family farm, free range, heirloom, etc. are undefined and overused. Instead, choose defined terms like organic and/or meaningful descriptive phrases.
"Appreciate your pork farmer." That's my quote after stepping into Lyndsey Teter's talk about pastured pigs when she was discussing breeding. I'm glad she's willing to spend "days of her life" (her words) staring at porcine nether-regions doing pregnancy checks while I just get the benefit of delicious Six Buckets Farm pork.
"Our deal with our livestock is that we'll give them a great life where they won't want for anything. In exchange, we're going to eat them." Chelsea Gandy shared this farming principle when talking about raising livestock with Jesse Rickard of Fox Hollow Farm Naturally. I'm planning a farm tour this spring to check out their amazing pasture rotation system and exciting livestock varieties.
"Turkeys are awesome." This tidbit started off Meredith's session on raising Thanksgiving turkeys, based on her experience running The Gray Fox Farm. Her presentation restarted our poultry plans for this year. I'm not certain that we'll try turkey but we are definitely going to raise our own meat again this summer.

And now for the news!

Joseph Swain and I debuted the Columbus Agrarian Society at the OEFFA conference by hosting a booth and talking to hundreds of folks. We've been working on the CAS for months, envisioning a group that offers technical and material support for intensive growers in central Ohio. We have a full slate of hands-on classes and social events coming up. We would love for you to join us as a member! I'll share much more about CAS soon.
Finally, during the business meeting on Saturday night, I was elected to the OEFFA Board. I'm excited to serve this body that gives me so much inspiration and support.

*Alex coined the term "agriculturally intoxicated" while listening to me gush about the conference on Saturday night.

Cool Stuff From Friends {Friday Five}

May 2, 2014 Rachel

It's been awhile since I've posted a Friday Five but my friends go on being awesome and you need to know about their projects: 1) Clintonville writer Sally aka Real Mom Nutrition just published a fantastic book, Cooking Light Dinnertime Survival Guide: Feed Your Family. Save Your Sanity! It contains tips, hints, and lots of recipes for feeding your family real whole food every night in Sally's very approachable writing style. Stay tuned to her website for a local book signing event.

2) Several fellow gardeners are part of the organization team for the Central Ohio Plant Swap coming up May 17 in Hilliard. Though I've never been able to go, this FREE event gives you a chance to infuse your gardens with new varieties. I've heard it's especially good for sourcing perennial flowers.

3) Homeschooling mom and licensed professional counselor Dawn Friedman is teaching Parenting for Attunement this June. Dawn is a grounded, thoughtful, open-minded counselor and her parenting classes will help you solve parenting challenges with respect to your needs and your child's. Register using the code 'harmonious' for 20% off registration, making the two-class series just $100 per pair of adults - can be couples, friends, or any two people who want to support each other to be better parents.

4) The fine folks at Clintonville Farmers' Market are holding a canned food drive for the Clintonville-Beechwold Resource Center at the market tomorrow. The Worthington Farmers' Market moves outside this week and collects produce donations weekly for the food pantry too.

5) Finally, our friends at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association are coming to our homestead as part of their farm tour series! Mark your calendar for June 22 at 1 pm to visit the chickens, gardens, hoop house, and orchard.

What coming events do you recommend? Leave links in the comments!

Cool Stuff From Friends {Friday Five}

May 2, 2014 Rachel

What coming events do you recommend? Leave links in the comments!

Your Input Needed On New Food Rules

November 14, 2013 Rachel

Now that the government is running again (Yay!) federal institutions are again working on agriculture bills and rules. Big business and organizations have lobbyists who are doing their best to influence these groups to make it easier for big ag to receive big subsidies, allow the use of bee-killing chemicals, and continue socially dangerous animal-rearing practices. Those of us who believe in a slower, more local, organic way of growing don't have the benefit of a huge lobbying force. Instead, we must overwhelm politicians with our personal stories and visions for a healthier food production system.

Two Important Decisions Need Your Comments

First, Congress is drafting a new Farm Bill. For the betterment of the farming profession, the environment, and the health of all Americans, I envision a Farm Bill that reduces agricultural subsidies for monoculture mega-farms, increases opportunities for small, diverse farms, and continues the National Organic Cost-Share Program which assists organic growers with certification fees. I communicated these priorities to my senators and representatives. Please do the same by finding your Congress people and writing or calling them - it's quick and easy. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) provides direction for contacting your elected officials and more information about the Farm Bill.

Next, the Food and Drug Administration is collecting comments on a new Food Safety Modernization Act. The entire act is long and complicated, overly so in my opinion. The Produce Safety and Preventative Controls rules, in particular, need adjustment to make them equitable for small family farms. I focused my comments around how the proposed rule burdens small farmers in the amount and specificity of water quality testing (daily at exceedingly low PPM in some cases), makes the use of compost nearly impossible through the rule that it can only be applied outside of nine months before planting, and applies an unnecessary high-risk designation to processed food like pickles, breads, and syrups.

The deadline for submitting comments regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act is tomorrow, November 15. OEFFA again has detailed information available for those who want to reply in detail. If you don't have the time to reply on a line-by-line basis, your comments advocating for small, diverse farms are still valuable. Submit your comments directly to the FDA.

I would much rather be growing and cooking local food than advocating politically, but sometimes we need to speak out. I encourage you to take a few moments to study these proposed regulations and bring your voice to the table. Small, sustainable growers like myself thank you.

Growing Matters and Blueberry Basics from OEFFA 2013

February 19, 2013 Rachel

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

Greenfield_logo 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.

Introduction To Restoration Agriculture

February 17, 2013 Rachel

Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture and founder of Restoration Agriculture Institute, presented the workshop "Designing Your Perennial Farm" at the 2013 Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) conference. Below is the summary of what I learned today.

Fundamentals of Restoration Agriculture

The key principle of Restoration Agriculture is to observe nature and imitate it to grow edibles. This requires a concept shift and constant questioning of oft-repeated 'facts'. "Apples don't have concepts of orchards," Shepard said. In a perennial polyculture, apples can grow among companions that reduce pest pressure and mowing needs.

He advocates for planting over-yielding polycultures. Instead of a one-acre monoculture of apple trees, say, plant peppers, sunflowers, squash, and chestnuts on the same acre. While each crop might not yield as much as if they had been babied in an acre of their own, the polyculture will yield more in sum than what a single acre of any one crop could provide. This method 'fattens up' the ecological system to create more edible niches.

Grazing animals are important parts of the system. Cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens all can contribute to the soil nutrients, waste clean-up, and pest control among polycultures.

Shepard proposes a STUN method of farming - Sheer Total Utter Neglect. Let natural processes take over and what remains will be stronger plants more well-adapted to their micro-environment. When the whole farm is a wildlife habitat, natural predators will control pests and add vibrancy to the system. A restoration agriculture farm may take excess attention in the beginning years while developing waterways and planting but then plants can be strategically abandoned.

"Accept feedback," he urges. "There are no mistakes. Only feedback." What may look like a failure or problem is likely only an undiscovered opportunity. Apples, for instance, dislike weed competition at their roots. Shepard plants daffodils, comfry, and iris under his apples and ends up with strong fruit trees and a secondary cash crop of cut flowers, comfry greens, and iris bulbs.

Planning A Perennial Farm

To design a perennial farm, one must identify biomes and keystone areas, manage water and earthworks, establish edible woody polycultures, and build fences and access roads. Plan to capture all the water that falls through small ponds and swales. Typically these will follow a meandering or gently rounded pattern with slopes no more than 1%.

Polycultures include planting top story trees like oak, chestnut, pecan, black walnuts, and beech with smaller edible trees like apples, plums, peaches, and cherries underneath. Next come hazelnuts and berries. Fungi, animal forage, and herbs grow in the understory. These perennial edibles work with nature, are adaptable to many growing conditions, and designed to be coppiced for height control.

Shepard recommends planting an excess of trees to allow self-selection of individual trees that are suited to the particular location. He advises ditching the concept of large planting holes with exacting soil mixes and instead recommends using a hoedad tool to plant trees quickly.

In between woody polycultures, plant annuals. These alley crops can sustain a farm financially until perennial edibles are harvestable. In this way, agrofrestry creates future yields while increasing yields today.

Restoration Agriculture Results

When one grows in the Restoration Agriculture way, expect these outcomes:

3-7 times more energy capture per acre
improved resource base
perennial plants that reproduce themselves
no plowing, cultivating, disease/pest treatment once established
year-round harvest of multiple yields
no erosion
non-toxic environment
beauty in diversity

Shepard concluded his talk by urging the audience to "Put your life to good use! Create oxygen, water, food, shelter and beauty!"

Soon, I will share our plans to put our life and land to good use following some of the Restoration Agriculture principles. I also will share more wisdom picked up at the OEFFA conference.

News and Notes from OEFFA

February 22, 2012 Rachel Tayse

I presented and attended the 33rd annual conference of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) conference last Saturday and Sunday. The conference was inspiring, educational, and fun. I loved learning from experienced growers, meeting new and old foodie friends, and strolling the exhibit hall to learn what's happening.

In the coming weeks I hope to summarize the workshops I attended in more detail. Some news from the weekend is too timely not to share first:

I work on a committee that sources as many ingredients as possible locally for amazing organic conference meals. I will probably write a whole post about what goes into making the OEFFA conference meals. In the meantime, I owe appreciation to the food donors I helped recruit: Luna Burgers, Swainway Urban Farm mushrooms and sprouts, and Glad Annie's Baklava. Thank you very much!
Earthineer, a social site for sustainable living, is a growing community of farmers and homesteaders. Join thousands of other farmers and homesteaders to find support for your earth-conscious lifestyle. Signup before June 3rd for a chance to win a Model No. 99 Grainmaker grain mill.
I chatted with Annie and Jay Warmke from Blue Rock Station in the exhibitor hall one afternoon. Jay showed me their straw bale plans for this year; an intern designed the most sustainable awesome restroom in the world. Registration is now open for the Straw Bale Building Workshops that will construct the restroom. Blue Rock offers workshops throughout the year on everything from Green technology to cheese making.
Michigan State University offers an Organic Farmer Training Program. If I were considering organic farming as a career, this 9 month course sounds ideal. Applications for the 2013 cohort are reviewed in July.
Woody Tasch gave the keynote address on Saturday afternoon. He is an investment executive turned Slow Money guru. Though his talk was unrehearsed and a bit chaotic, Tasch charmed me and the rest of the crowd. I imagine I am not the only OEFFA attendee who signed the Slow Money Alliance pledge and am considering the goal for one million people to invest 1% of their money in local food systems, within a decade.
I was drawn into the Women Farm table in the exhibit hall by the bright colors. Sharon Sachs, co-owner, kept me there as she excitedly talked about the women-to-women educational mission of her organization. In addition to individual consultations and inspiring stories on the web, Women Farm offers Direct Experience Instruction events where small groups of women can gather and learn from a woman farmer. If you are a lady wanting to learn by doing, check out Women Farm.
This year, I can't wait to attend my first Chesterhill Produce Auction. At lunch one day, I met Bob Fedyski, Local/Institutional Foods Specialist of Rural Action, the managing agency. He encouraged me to come for the cultural experience and the varied produce lots. The auction season starts May 5th with an open house and continues on most Mondays and Thursdays through October 25. Field trip anyone?

If you attended, what were your impressions and takeaways? If you didn't, what do you want to hear more about?

NB: On Monday, I shared notes from one of my talks, Food is Social: How to use New Media to Promote Your Food Business.

How to Blow Out Eggs with Photo Kitchen

April 18, 2011 Rachel Tayse

The lovely Catherine of Photo Kitchen came over last week to take photographs. We ended up doing so many fun things with eggs, including decorating and eating them, that will be sharing them for the next five days during Hounds in the Kitchen Egg Week. Inspired by Vanessa Prentice's workshop at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association annual conference, I wanted to try my hand at making natural egg dyes this year. I suspected they might be really cool and wanted to create eggs that would last for years. A boiled egg in shell wasn't going to cut it and, besides, there are only so many boiled eggs our family wants to eat.

So I blew out some eggs. Removing the raw yolk and white from the shell to preserve the shell is relatively simple and allows the eggshell to be decorated and displayed for years to come. Here's how I do it:

First, create a small hole in each end of the egg. I find that a sharp short nail (this one came from a picture hanging kit) works well. I grasp it and the egg firmly and tap gently until a hole is started. I try to punch through the hole so that it takes the round shape of the nail.

Gently shake the egg to break the yolk. Then, place your lips over one hole and blow with pressure over a bowl. To be sure you aren't going to contract salmonella, use a fresh egg from a known source and try not to ingest the raw contents. The white and yolk will slowly drip into the reservoir.

When the white and yolk have totally escaped, rinse the egg. Put it somewhere safe to dry thoroughly before decorating. You can use the egg contents for cooking. They keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

Come back tomorrow to see how we made and used natural dyes from edible materials.

All photos with the Photo Kitchen watermark were taken by Catherine and generously shared here. You may purchase copies and view the whole set of photographs in the online gallery with password lileaster. Use the coupon code houndscrossover to receive 25% off prices until May 15.