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Serving Mifflin County and the surrounding area.
The Valley A free newspaper dedicated to agriculture, self-reliance, frugal living, and modern homesteading.
Volume 2, No. 8
Complimentary
The Valley, August 2011
An Oasis on Electric Avenue
Lewistown Creamery
The bright colorful store front of Lewistown Creamery. The eye catching menu boards and clean grounds only tell part of the story. The ice cream is AWESOME!
I remember driving home from Lewistown on Electric Avenue one day early this spring and looking over at the desolate Creamery that had been desolate for months, and almost coming to a screeching halt. Something was happening! It looked like someone was really pulling out all the stops to bring a top-rate drive up ice cream stand to our area. I was also happy about this revelation as it gave me a bit of news that I was sure would make Lynn smile. (She is an ice cream addict, but don’t tell her I said so). I knew the news would fill her with anticipation, and we didn’t have long to wait either. In April we were on hand the first day to sample Lewistown Creamery’s goods, and goods do they have! From the moment we walked up to the window, I could see Lynn’s eyes darting across the bright colorful menu boards like
a kid staring in awe at shelves full of candy jars as in days past. She was obviously experiencing sensory overload and I could tell she was already trying to justify getting more than one item. I immediately began thinking about how I was going to savor my whole purchase, but she eats ice cream like it is her job, and I knew whatever I would be left holding wouldn’t be safe. Get between Lynn and a bowl of ice cream and you are history, straight up. The owner Bill Foulk saved the day by stepping in and letting Lynn sample a few selections before deciding. She came away from that experience vowing to try everything, because every sample she had was so darn good. Even the gluten-free, good-foryou type of ice cream was delicious. I am usually very skeptical of all those foods that are suppos-
edly good for you but taste like something that was better off left untried. I tried really hard not to like it, but you know what, WOW, I could have this stuff every day and be quite satisfied! But don’t limit yourself—delight your palette and experience some of his unique combinations of flavors or a whipped cream topped Creamoso (a delightful blend of italian ice and soft serve ice cream.) The banana shakes are out of this world, I sample them a couple times a week just to make sure Bill isn’t slacking, and he isn’t, but I will turn up the frequency of the inspections, just say the word. In the meantime, my waistline is beginning to suffer and I am losing my girlish figure, so some help from you readers would be welcomed. It’s about keeping me healthy after all. Right here I adding a disclaimer—I will not be responsible for Lewistown Creamery becoming “on the way” to where ever you
happen to heading from now on. With big plans for the future Bill and his staff have erected canopies and picnic tables so folks can sit and chat while enjoying their ice cream. There are plans for a permanent pavilion in the future, as well as adding 90% lean
one-half pound hamburgers in the near future. The list would be too long to place here, but it would take you months to work your way through their flavor and options menu, and the good thing is, you will have
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The Valley, August 2011
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Editor’s Corner
In this Issue Contributing Writers
Adventures in Homesteading --Dave and Ginger Striker Woods, Water and Wildlife --Bob Sleigh Roads Less Traveled --Lynn Persing Understanding the Constitution --Dave Molek Thots on... --Lydia Adventures on Our Nourishing Journey --Sue Burns Grosze Thal Nachbaren --Jeptha I. Yoder Looking Out My Back Door --Mary Anna Chenoweth The Mushroom Guy --Bob Sleigh Julie Mac’s, Wisdom from the Kitchen, Home and Garden --Julie MacConnell Modern Energy and Alternate Heating --Curt Bierly Recipes, Crafts and Gift Ideas --Debra Kulp Memories of a Dairy Princess --Macy Fisher Random Thoughts...from downeast! --Rick Hanson The Chicken AND the Egg! --Mike Flanagan
Wayne Stottlar
Laurie is BACK!!! I was sitting here this morning getting ready to begin the marathon sessions that produce this paper when the little bell went off alerting me to incoming e-mail. Mondays are always a great day here at The Valley. The email box seems to be busiest on Mondays since folks are traveling through the area on weekends. They respond to our publication sometimes as early as first thing Monday morning, but usually always during the course of the day on Monday. It is an exciting time. Well, this morning it wasn’t an ad customer, or a reader making contact, IT WAS LAURIE LOWE, our “Frugal Living” columnist who has been recovering from an accident last January that she wasn’t supposed to survive. Laurie defied the doctors and therapists and is now on her own and making a fierce comeback. If this lady decides to do something, stand in her way at the risk of being plowed over, she is one tough cookie, and we are so happy she is part of our family here at The Valley. The e-mail was a “Thank you” letter she wished to have published for all of you here in The Valley who have offered prayers for her. I was in the midst of writing a return
note and wondering if this was a sign that she would soon be able to start writing again. But, before the response was finished, the bell once again alerted me to incoming mail. It was Laurie’s article for August! Laurie is really back! I know the other writers are going to be wired up when they see this, we are such a close family that Laurie’s accident put some of us in a funk for a while. I am glad Laurie pushed us on just the same as we were pulling for her. Welcome back sister, glad you made it all the way back! The Valley held our first ever event sponsored by the paper on July 16th. We had our first of hopefully many Mushroom Foray’s led by our “Mushroom Guy” Bob Sleigh. The event was held at Penn Roosevelt State Park and it went off without a hitch. The day was beautiful, the group was very attentive and full of questions, just the kind of folks who you would assume would be readers of The Valley. In spite of the dry spell we have been experiencing, the group had a good time, found mushrooms and learned quite a bit judging by the comments and discussion afterward. We are hoping to hold another foray in September for fall mushrooms, so watch for details here in The Valley.
We are also in the early stages of planning a canning workshop for those wishing to learn the art of preserving your harvest. This will hopefully lead to other events the paper can sponsor for the good of our local communities. In a serious development, you will notice that as we gain back our fallen sister Laurie, we have two other absences this month. Our LZ Swanson writer Shawn Swanson has deployed back to Afghanistan, and has found himself in a really active area, communication is very spotty, but from what I have gathered he is in front of the gates of hell, a bad place, please remember him in your prayers. He is due home in a few weeks to complete his move to TX with his wife Theresa, and knowing him, probably back to the same or some other place where few dare to tread. Andy put his life on hold, more or less, during the fires out in AZ. He and his family worked non-stop running supplies to those in need, the added workload caused him to adjust some priorities. Sacrificing a column for a month to help all of those who needed a hand is a great trade off as far as we are concerned, Kudo’s Andy and Family!
Contentment Quest --Joanne Wills Sweet Home Pennsylvania --Sarah Hurlburt Frugal Living --Laurie Lowe The Horse Scoop --Traci Hanna Yoder & Julie Shultz Smith Frank about Business --Frank Cunningham
By the time this issue is released we will have already passed the so-called deadline to raise the debt ceiling. If any of us were as dysfunctional as our government is in our jobs, we would expect to get fired. Here is just an opinion, and I am not on anyone’s side politically, but I think both major parties have been lying to us for 100 years or so. I think I have a solution. What’s say we gather up oh say, 74 farmers, military leaders, ranchers, successful business leaders from across the country, put them in a non-air-conditioned Philadelphia row house and let them find out what it would take to return to the original founders plan. We sure as heck do not, or should not, expect status quo Washington to fix it. Their track record points to perpetual failure to do so. No, we need real people, with real experience in order for that whole “By the people, for the people” thing to work, not career politicians. Oh, still no word on that whole Dept. of Ag and wasteful spending deal, guess our local representatives are too busy to get an answer. Many new advertisers have come on board this month, please stop in and say Hi!, and let them know that you saw their ad in The Valley. Hope to see you in my travels, --Wayne a
Contact Info
Poor Will’s Valley Almanack --Bill Felker
Editor/Publisher Wayne Stottlar
Life in the East End --Rebecca Harrop
Ad Designer/Co-Publisher Lynn Persing
Do I Borrow a Buck or Own One? --Pam Hoy
Associate Editor Colleen Swetland
Mail Pouch Books --Carleen B Grossman
The Valley PO Box 41 Yeagertown, PA 17099 (717) 363-1550
Polyface Farm Field Day --Andrew Crosby
E-mail: thevalleynewspaper@gmail.com Web: www.thevalleynewspaper.com
Chiropractic and Children --Dr. Joseph Kauffman
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The Valley, August 2011
Do I Borrow a Buck, or Own One? by Pam Hoy
Sometimes, actually a lot of times lately, I get so caught up with “living the good life” that I forget to slow down and savor my moments. For some reason, here at our little corner of God’s paradise, something is always waiting to be weeded, watered, harvested, or fed. Anyone who has ever spent time on a farm, large or small, will tell you there are often more chores than hours in the day and it can be quite overwhelming if you think about it long enough. Today I am not going to think about all the work to be done. As I write this, I am sitting on a large rock in our goat pasture with my does. They are often more content to graze when I am near, and spending time with them allows me to familiarize myself with their individual personalities. Contrary to popular belief, goats are very se-
lective in their grazing and tend to prefer woody plants with stems to grass. I’ve found stripping leaves and bark off young saplings is on their list of “top ten favorite things to do,” right up there with eating all the leaves from the sunflowers and trying to get their head stuck in the hay rack. Ah, the joys of a goat owner! This is also a good time to begin thinking about a buck for breeding. For most dairy goats, fall is the breeding season. This is the time when you need to introduce the doe to her mate either by having your own buck, borrowing a buck, taking the doe to another location to visit a buck, or using artificial insemination. I’m not familiar with AI, so I’ll just touch on the buck. The reasons for and against owning a male goat are as numerous and varied as there
Laurie says Thank You! Editors note: Many of you are aware of us almost losing our “Frugal Living” writer last January. Laurie has made a miraculous recovery against all odds and continues to bust through the barriers her doctors said were before her. We have had a great number of people from this area praying for Laurie during this ordeal, prayer works! Laurie is once again on her own and that rugged self reliant attitude is carrying her back to where she is most happy, the land and a simple lifestyle. She wrote me the following letter, right before she sent along her column for August. Laurie is BACK!! Please join me in welcoming Laurie back to The Valley—we have missed her. Her journey continues this month with her first work since the accident, I was happy to see that wholesome attitude still in place. I will never be able to express the gratitude I feel for every one who prayed for me. I have learned God is faithful to his promises given to us in his Holy
Bible. A passage of scripture has been revealed to me as true and has great meaning in my life. “Have faith in God, Jesus answered. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, Go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:22-24 I know that without all of the prayers from faithful Christians like you, I would never have been able to recover to this extent this fast. I am doing well, GOD has not only healed my broken body, but has also healed my broken heart. I am thankful every day to be alive and rejoice in God’s amazing Grace and Love. PLEASE each and every one of you live today like it is your last, share God’s gift with all, and know that you will always be in my prayers and thoughts for the rest of my life. THANK YOU! LAURIE a
are goat owners. I feel this is a personal choice based on your individual circumstances. Here at Maple Shade Farm, I’ve owned and borrowed. Although many owners complain that the bucks are smelly, unruly creatures, I’ve been fortunate not to experience those problems. OK, I’ll admit, God did not bless me with a sensitive sense of smell so I’m not the best authority on that subject, and I do detect a certain odor during the mating season, but unruly? Luckily my gentlemen have appeared well mannered. Last year I had a very young, very small, LaMancha buck I planned to use for breeding. “Spitfire,” the name my husband bestowed upon the timid little buckling, was so small I feared he wasn’t doing his job, and by December, I was panicking at the thought that my ladies weren’t bred. Knowing my girls probably would not have another heat cycle after the first of the year, I voiced my concerns to a friend and she offered the use of her Nubian buck, who she felt would be more than happy to make acquaintances with my does. Even though my husband would be working, she assured me her sons would be glad to help load the goat into the back of the pick up truck when I came to transport him to my farm. I made arrangements for my Dad to drive the truck and I’d ride in the back with the goat because although the truck was fitted with a cap, I was worried the buck would somehow kick out the windows and either escape or kill him-
self. Imagination is not always a wonderful quality! I needn’t have worried. Let me state here and now that I am not a daring person. If I ever venture to an amusement park, I do not ride the “tilt-awheels,” or “roller coasters,” preferring the slow moving trains or Ferris wheels. Little did I know when I crawled into the back of that pick up truck with the largest, smelliest goat I had ever seen, I would always remember the next several miles as one of the wildest rides I’d ever been on! It was as if time stood still for a little while on that cold Sunday in December. In actuality, the drive home may not have taken 10 minutes, but it was the longest 10 minutes I can remember. This huge goat seemed to fill the back of the truck. I was on my knees, pinned between the wheel well and the tailgate, with this gigantic animal’s breath on my face. Judging by the enormous whites of his eyes I could surmise he was as frightened as I was! My Dad, who I swear was topping the speedometer at a whopping 10 miles an hour on the drive to get the goat, suddenly found the gas pedal and was now driving like a moonshine runner escaping the law. About halfway through the ordeal, right after the race car driver posing as my Dad gassed the truck to avoid stopping at a
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red light and we made a right turn on two wheels, the now hysterical goat decided to turn around and parked his hind quarters on my lap. I guess he felt safer facing the direction we were going rather than looking at all the scenery whizzing by. In addition, Dad really put his foot into it and sped up some more. It seems he looked in his rearview mirror and couldn’t even see me…wonder why?! I guess that’s what happens when you have a 200 pound goat sitting in your lap. I don’t know who was happier to be out of the back of that truck, the buck or me! That is why, given the choice, I will have a buck living here, and if I do have to transport a buck, I’ll try not to share the back of a truck with him. Funny thing, after all that, turns out my little “Spitfire” knew what he was doing and fathered 10 kids this past spring. Once again, the less we interfere with Mother Nature, the better. Here’s hoping all your buck encounters are pleasant ones and remember to find some joy in every day. Pam Hoy mapleshadefarms@gmail.com a
The Valley, August 2011
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Adventures in Homesteading One family’s journey from the city and modern living back to the land and self-reliance.
by Dave and Ginger Striker
A continuing series.
“Chickens” In our last column we discussed the concept of sustainable homesteading. For us this means maximizing the benefit of the animals to the homestead with as little input (feed, supplements, etc) as possible; though true sustainability requires no input at all. Since we had an incubator full of hatching chickens during our move, that obviously means that was our first farm animal to tackle. We knew they wouldn’t be cute, fuzzy little chicks forever, and that meant we’d need to figure out their housing and FAST! We had no desire to simply build a stationary chicken yard, with a chicken coop that required regular cleaning. Chickens by nature have a desire to scratch in search of bugs, seeds and other goodies in the ground, and
it would only be a matter of time until even the most pristine grassy areas would eventually be turned to nothing more than a dust bowl. Yuck! If we wanted to consume meat and eggs from penned and caged chickens, we would just go to the grocery store. In our opinion, free-range chickens and eggs, or as close as possible to it, is the most healthy way to raise chickens both for them and us. First, let me point out that raising a large flock of chickens is hard to do without input to the farm. Since chickens have been bred to live in commercial chicken houses and other confinement operations, many no longer have that strong desire to forage for their native and natural diets, and now eat grain based diets of corn and soy. Naturally, our chick-
ens would be no different, though we were going to do everything
After Ginger found us a suitable camper frame, I got to work preparing the metal.
we could to encourage them to forage for as much as possible. We strongly believe it is possible
through selective breeding to have your flock return to a more natural diet by choosing the most aggressive foragers. The roosters and hens that spend less time around the chicken feeder and more time in the soil are the ones you want to breed. (We especially love the ones who turn our compost pile for us!) How did we accomplish this? Well, many of you are probably familiar with Joel Salatin and his famous “Egg-mobiles.” The idea of moving your chickens to new ground on a frequent basis made a lot of sense to us. Not only do you give them clean, fresh ground, you’re providing them with the dietary supplement of bugs, plants and grass. You also receive the added benefits of distributing their manure wherever they go. So – time to build an egg-mobile for our flock. A quick search
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on the Internet, and of course a bit of reading of several books, gave us many ideas of what we wanted and needed. Since we live in Florida, heat was our number one concern. Not only did we want a well-ventilated egg-mobile, we needed space for them to go underneath for shade. The majority of the structures were pole barns, erected on a trailer frame. From our research, if your egg-mobile was going to be large it was best to go with an “A-Frame” roof versus a simple lean-to roof since wind has a tendency to shake them around. Since our eggmobile was going to be less than 10 feet long and wind wasn’t a major issue, we opted for the less complicated lean-to. Ginger has great abilities using Craigslist to find deals, and quickly found a small camper frame from a pull behind trailer. It was approximately 9’ by 6’. Though the frame was slightly bent and a little rusted, it had a new pair of tires. We paid $100 for the trailer and pulled it home. The first thing I did was straighten the frame and remove most of the rust from the frame. I then went back and painted the entire frame with a “rusty metal” RustOleum spray paint.
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The Valley, August 2011
Looking out my Back Door Life on my Mifflin County Homestead by Mary Anna Chenoweth The Good Grains: Wheat - It’s what’s for Supper
This is NOT going to be an article about the history of wheat, although the story of the far distant rise of agriculture, especially the cultivation of grains, being joined at the hip with the far distant development of a settled “civilization” makes for fascinating reading. This is NOT going to be an article about growing wheat in our gardens and on our homesteads— that’s next month’s article, since September is when we plant winter wheat hereabouts, and we’ll also discuss harvesting along with a few other tidbits. This is NOT going to be an article about the excellent nutrition of whole wheat or whole grains in general—find February in your stash of back issues of The Valley and revisit Susan Burns’ excellent piece on the nutrition and preparation of whole grains.
This IS going to be an article about adding whole kernel wheat, a.k.a. wheat berries, to our diets and about the making of one of
aestivum, comes in a variety of forms—tall, short, red, white, hard, soft, etc., which will grow in a variety of climates and can be
The different stages of processing your wheat. (l to r) Cracked, cooked and raw whole grain wheat.
wheat’s most versatile incarnations—Bulgar Wheat. The reasons for the popularity and wide use of wheat include the following; Wheat, Triticum
easily cultivated with a variety of methods (more about all of this next month). Also, during harvest, wheat threshes out of its hulls easily, compared to oats, barley
or rice which all need further processing to make them ready for use. Another plus is that wheat has high percentages of gluten, the plant protein which allows yeast breads made with wheat flour to raise well and also helps things along when mixed with flour made from other grains. In present day western culture we tend to think of wheat, if we think about it at all, as the source of flour. Period. Although using wheat as a cooked grain may seem unusual, it can be done as easily as using other grain—barley in soups, oats for breakfast porridge or rice for supper. Simply substitute wheat berries and away you go. By embracing the differences in taste, texture and cooking methods as just one more part of life’s ongoing culinary adventure, we can reclaim another strand of control on our path towards keeping ourselves, and each other, well fed (HEY, did you notice how I didn’t get on the whole “issues bandwagon;” grow your own so it’s safe, efficient use of land, eat the grain not the animal, feed the world cheaply, carnivore vs. omnivore vs vegetarian vs. vegan, etc.? Thought you would appreciate a bit of restraint this month). So, let’s begin with a question. What kind of wheat works best for cooking? The answer is: whatever wheat you’ve got is the
Benefactor Appreciation Event Saturday, September 10, 2011 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Polyface Farm, Swoope, VA
The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund helps farmers like Joel keep on farming. “As the push back strengthens, FTCLDF gives farmers like me some breathing room. And that value is incalculable.” – Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms
Donate $250 to the FTCLDF and join us at Polyface Farm for a intimate farm tour and lunch with Joel Salatin, his family and interns. To RSVP, call 703-208-FARM (3276) or send check to FTCLDF 8116 Arlington boulevard, #263 Falls Church, VA 22042
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This old manual grinder is how we process our wheat berries into a usable product.
best kind for cooking. Yes, there are certain varieties of wheat that are better suited for certain uses: Durum Wheat for pasta, Hard Wheat for bread, Soft Wheat for pastry, etc. When it comes to cooked whole grain the differenc-
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Problems with Inspectors? Harassed About Raw Milk Sales? We’ve got your farmer’s back!
Helping farmers and their consumers to: • Expand Direct Farm Sales • Legalize Raw Milk Distribution • Keep the Government Off Our Farms!
JOIN NOW!
Gift Memberships Available 8116 Arlington Boulevard, Suite 263 Falls Church, VA 22042 703-208-FARM info@farmtoconsumer.org
WWW.FARMTOCONSUMER.ORG
The Valley, August 2011
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Thots on...Genesis
Rev. Dr. Henry G. Covert
A Bible Study for the Lay Christian by Lydia In 2 Timothy 3.16, Paul tells us, “Every inspired scripture has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, or for reformation of manners and discipline in right living…” [NEB] *Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are quoted from the New International Version. Genesis 5.1-3 When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them ‘man’. When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. Man was created in the likeness of God, but Seth was born in the likeness of Adam. What’s the difference? Before Adam and Eve had children, they introduced sin into God’s perfect creation. Sin had affected their relationship with the Creator and with each other; sin had introduced hardship and turmoil into the world. The sons of Adam were born into this world of turmoil and with the image of Adam, the sinful man, on their souls. Therefore, Adam’s sons were born with a sinful nature. Since Adam’s rebellion against God, we are all born in Adam’s image, with Adam’s sinful nature. “…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” [Romans 5.12-13] It is interesting to note that in chapter 5, Adam’s line is recorded through Seth, who obeyed God, rather than through Cain, the firstborn son, who rebelled against God and chose to live outside God’s blessing. Let’s take a look at life spans from Adam to Noah. Remember, man was created to be an immortal being, for the Tree of Life had not been forbidden him, but through sin, man became mortal. God warned Adam that on the day that he ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he would die—but did God mean that Adam would immediately drop dead? No, he meant that through the act of rebellion, death and corruption would be introduced into man’s body and soul. We aren’t told how old Adam was when his first child was born, only that he was 130 years old when Seth was born. Using the information in chapter 5, we can create a timeline showing the life spans of the patriarchs from creation up to the death of Noah. The first number after the name is the year of birth; the second number is the year of death. Note that these years are not BC or AD. The year 0 represents the time of creation, so 0-199 represents the first two centuries after creation.
When we plot the timeline, several interesting facts emerge: The flood occurred the same year Methuselah, the longest-lived patriarch, died. When the flood occurred, all the patriarchs were dead, except Noah. Shem, Ham and Japheth were triplets. That’s a no-brainer when you consider that the Bible says Noah was 500 years old when they all were born, but it just never occurred to me before. Here’s something else for you to consider. We’re familiar with the soft tissue changes, such as larger nose and thickening of the chin, that occur as we age. But did you know there is scientific evidence that craniofacial hard tissue changes occur throughout our lifetime, as well? Certain areas of the skull thicken, recede, even change shape. Imagine what a human skull might look like after, say, 900 years. Dr. Jack Cuozzo, an expert on Neanderthal skulls, maintains that the so-called Neanderthals were fully human and that any differences in their facial features are merely the result of the extreme old age that was common in the first few millennia after creation. It is not only possible, but likely, that the ancient human skulls anthropologists have used to persuade us that we have ape-like ancestors are, in reality, the remains of men who lived nearly a millennium and whose skulls reflect the changes that occur with extreme old age. In addition, Dr. Walt Brown, author of In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood (see http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/), reports that recent dental and x-ray studies indicate that Neanderthals were simply humans—not “ape-men”—who matured at a slower rate and lived to a much older age than we do today. After the flood, life spans decreased dramatically. In Genesis 11 we read that Shem lived only 600 years;
hgc7@verizon.net Dr. Henry Covert is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ. After a tour of duty in the military, he worked in law enforcement for twenty years as both a patrol sergeant and county detective. Toward the end of that career he began his studies for the ministry. He has served several parishes, worked in therapeutic communities, was a state prison chaplain, and acquired adjunct faculty status in the criminal justice department at Penn State University. Dr. Covert was the chaplain for Pennsylvania’s first execution in thirty-three years. He has a doctorate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and has authored six books. • Ministry to the Incarcerated (ISBN 0-8294-0860-6) Inter national market -paperback • Discovering the Parables: An Inspirational Guide for Every day Life (ISBN 978-0-313-34962-1) International market – hard cover & e-book • Spiritual Reflections: A Journey Through the Scriptures (ISBN 978-0-313-35901-9) International market - hardcover & e-book • Christian Beliefs and Prayers (ISBN 978-0-692-01101-0) International market – paperback, e-book & Amazon Kindle • The Crucifixion of Jesus (ISBN 978-0-9833359-0-0) Inter- national market – paperback, e-book & Amazon Kindle • The True Church of Jesus Christ (ISBN 978-0-9833359-4 8) International market –Paperback, e-book & Amazon Kindle Lowest Prices: bookfinder.com, bookfinder4U.com, alldiscountbooks.net, cheapbooks.com
his son, Arphaxad, 438 years; and his descendant, Nahor, only 148 years. Notice a trend? The corruption of sin affected man’s life span in a remarkable way. Today we can expect to live only about 80 years, despite our determined pursuit of the fountain of youth. All the skin creams, facelifts and vitamins in the world cannot eradicate the effects of Adam’s sin. The only remedy is found in the death and resurrection of the perfect Lamb of God, who is able to forgive our sins and grant eternal life. a
Ice Cream from page 12 pasted below. Vanilla Ice Cream This recipe may vary depending on the size and type of your freezer. In a mixer, slowly blend together the following ingredients until well blended. 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk 1 15 oz. can evaporated milk 6 eggs 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1 cup of sugar (use ½ cup of sugar if you are making chocolate ice cream) 1 serving spoon of imitation vanilla (careful, don’t use the pure vanilla extract, it has a higher alcohol content and your ice cream won’t freeze! I learned this from experience). Approximately ¾ can chocolate syrup (If making chocolate. Use as much as you want depend-
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ing on how dark you like your chocolate ice cream--I like a “light” chocolate). Milk (Get a half gallon to be sure you have enough—you won’t use it all). Pour mixture into the ice cream canister. Add milk to bring the level of the mixture to about the 3rd or 4th rung down (on your ice cream paddles) from the top of the canister. I use 2% milk, but if you want it richer, use whole milk. Give your paddles a few twists to blend the mixture and milk together. Note: Don’t add milk to fill the canister all the way to the top, or as it freezes, it will all leak out of the top. You need to give it room to expand as it freezes. Adding fruit: If you want to make peach, raspberry, strawberry or some other type of fruit, make sure it’s nice and soft and chopped up. Add it after the ice cream starts to freeze a bit or it will all be at the bottom. a
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The Valley, August 2011
Adventures on Our Nourishing Journey by Sue Burns
Stop Sliding Down the Slippery Vegetable Oil Slope “Elbow Grease” takes on a new meaning. Here we are in the “dog days” of summer. One of the many joys this time of year is the abundance of sweet corn at the local markets and road side stands. There is nothing that awakens our taste buds like a hot steaming ear of local corn, picked that very day, slathered in real honest to goodness butter. Yes, that’s right, I said butter. Taking the first
That, my friends, is pure culinary bliss. In fact, some of those juices may stray all the way down our arms, creating a puddle at the elbows. Hooray, it is greasy elbow season! For years I have preached to all who will listen about the healing virtues of Mother Nature’s dietary blessings that come to us in the form her saturated fats. Now that it is officially greasy elbow season, it is high time I bring
One of the delights of summer, corn-on-the-cob smothered in real butter!
crunchy bite from the cob calls upon the sweet juices of the corn, which immediately begin to blend with the creamy melted butter.
my message to The Valley readers. With all due respect, yes, I do know I am bucking conventional wisdom, government recommen-
Oil from the coconut is the rockstar of saturated fats.
dations, and medical authorities when I say saturated fats have virtue. Yet, I must take a stand. This Fat Fallacy must cease. Our very health is dependent on it. Fooling Mother Nature has its consequences. Let’s start with that luscious ear of corn. In our great land, corn is a surplus crop. A little more than one hundred years ago, manufacturing techniques were born that allowed for the advent of corn oil and other vegetable oils. We learned how to produce cheap oils from crops. They quickly replaced dietary animal fat products we had been using for the past hundred thousand years or more. Today, corn oil is just about as common as white bread and is, in my opinion, as equally harmful to our health. Without a doubt, vegetable oils and margarine are some of the most misunderstood and over-recommended foods in the “health” community. You’ve probably heard these products referred to as “heart healthy oils,” a good alternative to those “artery clogging saturated fats.” These oils are supposed to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, increase weight loss and somehow improve overall health. Yet, tragically the very opposite is happening. Here is why. In the 1950’s a study known as the “Lipid Hypothesis”
proposed by physiologist Ancel Keys, Ph.D. determined that saturated fats and their evil twin called cholesterol were the main players in contributing to heart disease. However, what is often not explained is that the fats used in this study were damaged hydrogenated fats, known to be extremely irritating to the body, most notable the cardiovascular system. It is now understood that saturated fats from healthy sources nourish the vascular system, enhance immune function, protect the liver, aid in calcium absorption and support cell membranes. Wow, you can get all those benefits just from eating butter, (and greasy elbows to boot!
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What Are Vegetable Oils/Margarine? Vegetable oils (and margarine, made from these oils) are oils extracted from seeds like the rapeseed, (known as canola oil), soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, etc. They were practically non-existent in our diets until the early 1900s when new chemical processes allowed them to be extracted. Unlike butter or coconut oil, these vegetable oils can’t be extracted just by pressing or separating naturally. They must be chemically removed, deodorized and altered. In fact, these are some of the most chemically altered foods in our diets, yet they get promoted as healthy. Vegetable oils are found in practically every processed food,
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The Valley, August 2011
Julie Mac’s
Wisdom from the Kitchen, Home and Garden Julie MacConnell
Time to Start Canning
So your garden is producing all kinds of wonderful produce? I hope everyone is having a good summer as far as that goes. Some parts of the country that are hard hit with drought and soaring temperatures may not be as lucky. It’s been a very weird year all around. Yet, even if your garden isn’t doing as well as expected, you’re still itching to get into the kitchen and can something for the year. From fruits to vegetables, there is always something that can be simmering on the stove. Yes, produce prices at the supermarket are high, but carefully shopping the sales can lead you to some real bargains. Your local farmer’s market may also be able to offer you some purchases in bulk that you can use to whip up some
delicious treats for your pantry shelves. I’ve decided to let you in on a few of the MacConnell household family canning recipes. Whether shared at the holidays or given as gifts, these have come back as five-star favorites. PEACH SALSA The mix of sweet and spicy in this recipe is delicious, although people tend to raise an eyebrow when you tell them what it is. Peach what? This is a nice thick salsa. I don’t bother with the fruit fresh for this recipe although you may certainly choose to do so. It is best if you leave it on the shelf for a week or two to let the flavors blend. This is my most requested recipe. Makes 6-7 pints.
6 Cups of peaches diced with skins removed. 1 ¼ Cup red onion chopped 2-4 Jalapeno peppers (I use 2 in my recipe for a medium hot version) 1 Red bell pepper chopped ½ Cup fresh cilantro chopped ½ Cup distilled white vinegar (5% acidity) 2 Tbsp. Honey 3 Cloves of garlic finely chopped 2 Tsp. ground cumin ½ Tsp. Cayenne pepper Place all the ingredients in a medium sized stockpot. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle into hot pint sized jars. Leaving 1/2” headspace. Use a plastic knife to free any bubbles down the sides of your jars. Clean rims of jars, place lids, and
put into a water bath canner for 10 minutes. After the timer goes off, remove the lid to the canner and let sit for 5 minutes more. Carefully remove jars and place onto a clean towel on the counter-away from draft or the air conditioning. Let the jars sit for 24 Jars of Mango Chutney which will be hours undisturbed given as gifts throughout the year. before removing the Combine sugar and vinegar rings and placing on in a medium sized stockpot; bring your pantry shelves. to a boil, stirring until sugar disMANGO CHUTNEY solves. Add remaining ingredi Our personal favorite way ents and simmer, uncovered until to serve this is dumped over a syrupy and slickly thickened, 45 big block of creamy goat cheese. minutes to an hour, stirring ocServed with crackers or vegetable casionally during cooking. pieces, this one is dynamite at the Pour into 12 clean hot pint holidays. You can also serve it jars, leaving ½” headspace. Use with any type of poultry. This one a plastic knife to release any bubis my sister and niece’s favorite. bles in the jar. Wipe jar rims and Makes 6 ½ pint jars. place lids and rings. Process in 2 Cups of sugar a hot water bath for 15 minutes. 1 Cup distilled white vinegar (5% Again, let this one sit for a few acidity) weeks to mellow. 6 Cups of mangoes peeled and cut AMARETTO PEARS up into ¾” pieces Slightly under ripe pears are 1 Medium onion chopped best for this recipe. I have used ½ Cup golden raisins many different kinds of pears and ¼ Cup crystallized ginger, finely they all come out equally delichopped cious. They are light and refresh1 Garlic clove, minced 1 Tsp. Mustard seeds, whole Continued on page 26 ¼ Tsp. Red chili pepper flakes
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The Valley, August 2011
Random Thoughts from Downeast the Musings of Rick Hanson
We built some shelving the other day to hold more of our bulk food related stuff and discovered that we had 11 gallons of vinegar. I knew we had a good supply, but with it spread out all around it was hard to keep track of it. Your probably thinking that Rick REALLY loves pickles, but the truth is, I use vinegar for tons of different stuff. I like to leave it outside in a big plastic bowl with a window screen on top with a rock on it to hold it down, to keep the bugs out of it. When about half of it has evaporated, I pour it into a pump sprayer and get busy. I spray it all around camp here, and around all the strip gardens to keep the grass and weeds at bay. Burns it right up in good shape, lemme tell ya. Only two things it just makes mad is thistle and burdock. I also keep a small spray bottle by my outside gravity fed summer sink, and this one I use to spray myself if I get a mild sunburn. I spray it on before I take my shower and it takes most of the burn away real quick. This spray bottle is made here in America, and costs a whoppin’ buck and a quarter. I found them at the local “Family Dollah, make ya hollah store.” I use the bottles for all kinds of cool stuff. I have one with peppermint soap in it, for spraying on my plants that have nasty bugs on them. I check them after a day, and if the bugs are still eating my food, I grab the sprayer with rotenone-pyrethrins in it. It’s derived from the chrysanthi….nope that ain’t right… chrysler anthem nope, that’s wrong too… chrysanthemum flower… That usually ends that argument real fast. I spray at dusk after the bees have gone to bed, so I don’t spray them. I sure wish my spell check hadn’t gone and quit on me like that. I fed it too many Mainah words and it just packed its bags and deleterated itself. I did have an undocumented program pop-up and offer to help me out for half the cost of a legal American program, but I don’t habla worth a damn. I always try to hand-pick the bugs off first, unless there are too many to count. In my case, that’s a hundred. What? I never was real handy with numbers, they give me a wicked bad thumpin’ in my noggin’. I can count some, don’t get me wrong. Here, I’ll prove it to you: One, two, skip a few….ninety nine, a hundred. My mom did raise some fools, and we take turns. She taught us to share, and we took that edjoocayshun right serious. I just took a little break from writing to go check on my better half. I was feeling bad that she was out doing all that hard work while I was inside writing. I came in earlier because I had some stuff on my mind. She said she was ‘Just Fine!,’ but I could see that boulder she was moving had her pinned down pretty good, so I went and got it mostly off of her. I didn’t want to be accused of doing her job, so I kinda half-helped her. I thought I’d done real good to help her out, and I was walking away from my good deed when the rock hit me in the back of the head. I guess I never will figure out women. Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have finished half my bagel when she started yelling for “A little help here!” Where would she be right now if it wasn’t for me? That’s right, down back pinned under a boulder. She’s a real good helper though, and at only 96 pounds, she moves rocks way bigger than she is. There’s really only two things that I can do better than she can, and that’s reading maps (because I can easily envision ¼” equaling a mile), and peeing out a campfire. Where were we? Oh, yeah…speaking of bagels, why aren’t more people mad that they can’t cut them all the way through? I guess storebought white bread is cut without being all smooshed, so there’s really no excuse, is there? Just laziness, pure and simple. Speaking of which, I just looked out and my better half is now lying down on the lawn again. I wonder how she got her leg to bend at that crazy angle like that? Flexible, I guess. Huh, didn’t even realize that she knew Yogi. I’ll go ask her why she’s lying down out in the yard in a few minutes, right after I finish the other half of this bagel. a
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The Horse Scoop by Julie Shultz Smith and Traci Hanna Yoder
Too Hot to Trot
Throughout the year we hear many times of horses losing condition as the season changes. We often think of that more going into the winter and don’t realize how heat can affect our horses as well. As horse owners, we need to understand how the combination of body weight, lack of conditioning, and the temperature can become a problem. As we are hitting 90 plus degree weather in July/August, it is important to realize how much heat and humidity can affect our horses. Heat and humidity put added burden on horses during training, showing, and hauling. Horses that are overweight or even underweight and out of shape are at great risk during extreme heat. Most often, horses will do better as pastures turn from winter’s snow drifts to spring/summer’s lush green grass. Forage, hay or pasture, makes up 70-100% of most horse’s diets. Depending on your horse’s age and activity
level, what you provide for your horse may have to change with the season. Pasture will usually provide a higher level of calories than hay. Often a horse eating on a well-maintained pasture will get fatter than the same horse eating hay. When horses are transitioned from hay to pasture (or a hay/ pasture combination) this often means decreasing your current feed amount by 1-3 lbs per day. However, you must also take into consideration that the horse may increase his level of work as the weather becomes nicer. Avoid decreasing his feed so much that he begins to drop weight, even on a large pasture. Some premium horse feeds are formulated to meet nutritional requirements when fed with good quality hay or pasture. On average, these feeds are fed at a rate of at least 3 lbs per day for a 1000 lb horse. If you are finding your horse is getting fat even on the minimum recommended feeding rate, it is time to switch to a feed
formulated to meet the nutrient requirements in lower feeding rates. These feeds provide protein, vitamins, and minerals without excessive calories for horses that maintain body condition on hay or pasture and little or no additional feed. Some of these horses may even need to be moved to a “dry lot” where pasture is not available, and you are able to reduce their caloric intake to maintain a healthy limit on weight. With heat we often get drought. Drought leads to lack of pasture and hay. As we eliminate pasture and find hay hard to come by, we need to increase the amount of feed. Switching a horse to a “complete feed” is an option when other sources of fiber are scarce. A “complete feed” is like an all-in-one diet with the hay built-in. No hay is required if feeding a complete feed, when fed at the recommended amounts. Horse owners should be aware of their horse’s physical condition as they head out to ride
the evaporation of sweat from the skin. While the horse is sweating he is losing body fluids and important nutrients that will need to be replenished. Electrolytes are mineral salts that play a role in keeping the body’s fluid levels in balance and are important to nerve and muscle function. An electrolyte imbalance can cause such problems as muscle cramps (tying up), nervousness, and digestive upset. The main electrolytes lost when a horse sweats are sodium, potassium, and chloride. Horses will receive adequate electrolytes from nutritionally balanced feed, good quality hay and a salt block or loose salt provided
on warmer days. Knowing your horse’s condition can help you regulate the amount of exercise you do when heat levels are already putting stress on your horse. Normal body temperature for a mature horse is 99-101 degrees Fahrenheit while at rest. Under working conditions it is normal for the horse’s temperature to rise to 102-104. Heat and humidity can increase that to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. A temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods can be life threatening. Water is the most important nutrient to a horse’s diet. Horses drink from 5-10 gallons of water a day. However, the horse’s water intake could easily more than double Water laden treats such as watermelon can while in training be a big help in keeping your animal hydrated. Photo by Traci Hanna Yoder during extreme heat. Water is the daily. Even as horses sweat a main component of the body. The little, a good diet with clean fresh average 1000 lb horse is roughly water will replenish everything 660 lbs (80 gallons) of water. lost in sweat. However, horses When heading out for any kind of working very hard in hot, huactivity, especially on hotter days, mid weather and sweating large it is vital to make sure that your amounts may need some electrohorse is drinking plenty of water. lyte supplementation. Horses do not have the same Customers often come to thirst response as a human does; the feed store looking for electherefore, a dehydrated horse will trolytes on the Friday before a often show no interest in drinking big weekend event, in case their water. horse shows signs of heat stress When preparing for an event, at the event. Electrolytes should it is a good idea to bring water not be given if the horse is already from your barn. Many horses will dehydrated. Also, the horse’s not drink water with an unusual or body has a set requirement for unfamiliar odor. Adding electroelectrolytes but doesn’t store any lytes, even such things as kool-aid extra. If excessive electrolytes flavoring to water days or weeks are given, a horse will urinate prior to your trip can help acclimore frequently to eliminate what mate your horse to foreign water. his body does not need. Fre Horses unaccustomed to quent urination will cause him to the heat or those not properly become more dehydrated. Once conditioned will sweat more than a horse that is fit. A horse’s main Continued on page 19 way of cooling himself is through
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The Valley, August 2011 Oil from page 7 from salad dressing to mayo to conventionally produced nuts and seeds. How Vegetable Oils are Made (Beware, this is not for the faint of heart) Vegetable oils are manufactured in a factory, usually from genetically modified crops that have been heavily treated with pesticides. Take for example, the relatively new oil on the market, Canola Oil. This oil was developed by making a hybrid version of the rapeseed. Rapeseed oil contains high amounts of the toxic erucic acid, which is poisonous to the body. Canola oil is an altered version, also called Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed (LEAR) and it is commonly genetically modified and treated with high levels of pesticides. Canola (modified rapeseed oil) is produced by heating the rapeseed and processing with a petroleum solvent to extract the oil. Then another process of heat and addition of acid is used to remove nasty solids (wax) that occur during the first processing. At this point, the newly created canola oil must be treated with more chemicals to improve color and separate the different parts of the oil. Finally, since the chemical process has created a harsh smelling oil, it must be chemically deodorized to be palatable. If the vegetable oil is going to be made into shortening or margarine, is undergoes an additional process called hydrogenation to make it solid at cold temperatures. Unlike saturated fats (butter, coconut oil, etc) vegetable oils are not naturally solid at these temperatures and must be hydrogenated to accomplish this. During this process of hydrogenation, those nasty trans fats are created. Thank goodness we are seeing less of them, but they are still lurking behind plastic wrappers because they are inexpensive to produce, not to mention that they increase the shelf life of a product for about three generations. Nothing like petroleum produced, overheated, oxidized and chemically deodorized salad dressing for dinner….yum. Compare the above process to making butter… Step 1: milk cow. Step 2: let cream separate naturally. Step 3: skim off cream. Step 4: shake until it becomes butter. Go to www.fathead.com to view revealing videos contrasting the production of vegetable oils and butter. Straying From Nature Made As I said, vegetable oil was practically non-existent in its
current form in the early 1900s. Until that time, most people got their fats from animal sources like meat, tallow, lard, butter, cream, etc. The overall amount of fat consumed has not changed much since then (it has decreased slightly), but the type of fat we eat has changed dramatically. In 1900, the amount of vegetable based oils that people consumed was basically none. Today, people consume, on average, about 70 lbs of vegetable oils throughout the year. Though vegetable oil existed in the early 1900s, its use did not increase that much until the 1950s, when a governmental campaign was launched to convince people to eat vegetable oils and margarine and avoid “artery clogging saturated fats.” Butter consumption at the turn of the century was eighteen pounds per person per year, and the use of vegetable oils almost nonexistent. Yet cancer and heart disease were rare. Today butter consumption hovers just above four pounds per person per year, while vegetable oil consumption has soared–and cancer and heart disease are endemic. I understand that this is by no means the sole factor in contributing to these diseases, but I am convinced that eliminating all saturated fats from our diet is playing a part. What’s Wrong with Vegetable Oils? Our Bodies Aren’t Meant to Consume Them! The human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3 % polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s. The body needs fats for rebuilding cells and hormone production, but it has to use the building blocks we give it. When we give it a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats instead of the ratios it needs, it has no choice but to incorporate these fats into our cells during cell repair and creation. The problem is that polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize easily in the body, (if they haven’t already oxidized during processing or by light exposure while sitting on the grocery store shelf). These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells. Sally Fallon, author of the book, Nourishing Traditions, explains that the scientific literature
is clear about the dangers of polyunsaturated vegetable oils, the kind that are supposed to be good for us. Because polyunsaturates are highly subject to rancidity, they increase the body’s need for vitamin E and other antioxidants. Canola oil, in particular, can create severe vitamin E deficiency. Excess consumption of vegetable oils is especially damaging to the reproductive organs and the lungs—both of which are sites for huge increases in cancer in the US. In arterial cells, these mutations cause inflammation that can clog arteries. When these fats are incorporated into skin cells, their mutation causes skin cancer. When these oils are incorporated into cells in reproductive tissue, some evidence suggests that this can spur problems like endometriosis and poly cystic ovarian disease. In short, the body is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats and it needs these for optimal health. Oils and Fats to Avoid: Vegetable Oils and their fats should be avoided as much as possible. There are much healthier alternatives. Listed below are the oils to avoid and the ones to include in a healing diet. Canola Oil Corn Oil Soybean Oil “Vegetable” oil Peanut Oil Sunflower Oil Safflower Oil Cottonseed Oil Grapeseed Oil Margarine Shortening Any fake butter or vegetable oil products There is no nutritional need for these oils and healthy fats can be found in higher amounts and better ratios in many other types of fats. While it is simple enough to avoid these oils themselves, the tougher challenge is avoiding all the foods they are in. Check out practically any processed food, and you will find at least one of these ingredients, often labeled as “partially hydrogenated corn/ soybean/etc oil” or “May contain soybean or canola oil.” These foods in particular often contain one of the above unhealthy oils: Salad Dressings Store Bought Condiments Mayo Chips Artificial Cheeses Roasted Nuts and seeds Cookies Crackers Snack Foods Sauces Practically anything sold in
the middle aisles of the store. A Return to Nature - Oils and Fats to Use Freely: There are so many wonderful and healthy fats that are beneficial to the body, so there is no reason to consume the unhealthy ones listed above. Fats that can be consumed freely for optimal health are: Coconut Oil- Filled with medium chain fatty acids and lauric acid, coconut oil is the big star of the saturated fats. The medium chain fatty acids mean that coconut oil is burned more efficiently for energy rather than being stored as body fat. Since the fat composition in cells in the body is largely saturated fat, it is important to get enough of it from healthy sources. Coconut oil does not oxidize easily at high temperatures or go rancid easily, making it a good choice for cooking and baking. It also makes a great natural moisturizer and can be substituted for butter.
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*See Note for more information and where to purchase. Meats – Meat, especially red meat, has gotten a bad rap, and unfortunately, the animals we eat have been as mistreated nutritionally as we have. Meats like grass fed beef and free range chicken has a very different nutritional profile than their feedlot counterparts. Grass fed and free range meats have higher nutrient levels, healthy forms of saturated fats and even omega-3s. If possible, consume these forms of meat. Butter- This one food is usually the one people are happiest to start using again. Butter tastes delicious, and pastured grass fed butter is an excellent source of fat soluble vitamins, healthy saturated fat and other nutrients. It contains a compound that researcher Weston A. Price called Activator X, known to improve nutrient absorption and have preventative
Continued on page 19
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Roads Less Traveled... by Lynn Persing
ICE CREAM!!!
I have a pretty laid back personality and not too much gets me fired up. It’s a good thing too, because I have to live with Wayne and he gets fired up enough for both of us on just about everything. He’s high strung, just like my dog. Where am I going with this? Well, if you’ve already read Wayne’s front page story on The Lewistown Creamery, you may have noticed that he disclosed my ice cream addict...um, affinity. Well, that had me stirred up a bit. Why would he spend a quarter of that article telling people how much ice cream I eat? Everyone doesn’t need to know that I can polish off a large cone in about five minutes and be ready for more five minutes later. But after I thought about it a while, I decided that it was ok if thousands of people knew that I love ice cream. There could be
worse things I’m addict....I mean, have an affinity for. And really, who cares? It’s dairy--just ask the Dairy Princess how good dairy is for you. She’ll tell ya! So, since the cat’s out of the bag now, I decided I might as well write a little bit about ice cream and my family. By the way, I think my Mom and Dad love ice cream too, although I often see Mom with the tiniest little bowl of it (a custard cup). How can a person be satisfied with THAT? It’s like taking one bite of candy bar or eating just one Swedish fish. I have to give you credit Mom, it must take AMAZING will power to do that. As I was growing up, we celebrated birthdays on my Father’s side by getting together for homemade ice cream and cake. None of that store bought stuff—they broke out the ice cream freezers
(sometimes two of them) and cranked their own. Admittedly, they sometimes used the electric freezer, but many times there were rotating shifts for handcranking the ice cream on the non-electric unit. My shift was probably less than 3 minutes long. I know, sorry, I didn’t have much stamina at that age. I just wanted to eat it—I wanted someone else (like my brother) to work for it. We have White Mountain ice cream freezers, as they are known for their high quality. However, with quality comes a hefty price tag. But remember, the freezer should last you for most of your lifetime if you take care of it, and the enjoyment you get from getting together and making homemade My White Mountain Ice Cream ice cream with friends and freezer has served me without fail family is worth the price. My for well over 15 years. freezer is an electric one and it
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was a gift from my parents, so I got lucky—on both counts—no hand-cranking! Ok, I’ll just tell you upfront, homemade ice cream is fattening—wicked fattening. So, if you are trying to lose weight, don’t read the rest of this article. Oh, I’m sure their are lactose free, sugar free, and low fat recipes out there, but my recipe isn’t one of them. If you’re looking for one of those—GOOGLE is what you want to do. Another thing to note about this recipe...it uses raw eggs. One more time—the eggs are not cooked. Yes, I suppose that can be pretty dangerous, so use at your own risk. If you are worried about salmonella, don’t use this recipe! That being said, my family has been using this recipe since I was a toddler (maybe even longer than that), and no one has ever gotten sick; and we’ve made a LOT of homemade ice cream. I’m always amazed at the many people who have never made homemade ice cream. We did it so often, but the novelty never wears off and it’s always special treat. Even now, it’s something I really look forward to. But then again, I’m the ice cream hound. Without further ado, the recipe my family use is
Continued on page 6
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The Valley, August 2011
Understanding the Constitution by David Molek
NECESSARY AND PROPER CLAUSE
The United States is a government of enumerated powers. Congress can only exercise those powers given in the Constitution. The powers of Congress are enumerated in several places in the Constitution. The most important listing of these powers is in Article I, Section 8, which identifies, in 17 paragraphs, the many important powers of Congress. Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes; pay debts; provide for the common defense and general welfare; borrow money; regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states; establish a uniform rule of naturalization and bankruptcies; coin money; punish counter-
feiting; establish post offices and post roads; promote intellectual property and science; constitute courts inferior to the Supreme Court; punish piracy; declare war; raise and support armies; provide and maintain a navy; make rules to regulate armed forces; to provide for calling forth the militia; and exercise authority over the District of Columbia. After listing these 17 specific powers delegated to Congress, Article I, Section 8 concludes by specifying that Congress has the power to pass any law both necessary and proper to implement the powers already delegated to it. It is saying no more than that the powers already particularly given
shall be effectually carried into execution. It authorizes what is necessary to render effectual the particular powers that are granted. This last paragraph grants to Congress the flexibility to create laws or otherwise to act where the Constitution does not give it the explicit authority to act. This clause is known as the Necessary and Proper Clause, although it is not a federal power in itself. The Framers crafted the Necessary and Proper Clause to serve two purposes. The first was to facilitate organization of the government. The second was to help effectuate the other enumerated powers of Congress. Congress thus can make laws about something otherwise outside the enumerated powers, insofar as those laws are “necessary and proper” to effectuate federal policy for something within an enumerated power. The Necessary and Proper Clause authorizes Congress to enact laws that are appropriate and plainly adapted for carrying into execution Congress’s enumerated powers. It
does not authorize Congress to enact any law just because Congress thinks it is reasonable. In fact, most federal regulations today are seemingly or purportedly justified by this Necessary and Proper Clause. They are said to be within Congress’s interstate commerce power. This has become one of the most confused areas of all constitutional law. Many of us share the opinion that Congress has taken upon itself to enact any law that it thinks is “reasonable”, far beyond the authority in any enumerated powers. Many of us believe that the federal government cannot act without specific constitutional authority. We can use the plain meaning of the text, the Tenth Amendment, and the writings of some Framers of the Constitution to support our position. Liberals or supporters of the “living Constitution” view often endorse congressional action beyond the specifically enumerated powers, believing that the federal government has historically addressed social, economic and environmental issues that were unforeseen by the Framers. They use any argument to support a larger role for federal authority. To me, there seems to be irony involved with their position. Far from granting
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broad authority to Congress to enact any law they deem reasonable in their own mind, the truth is that the Necessary and Proper Clause grants no power at all. It is placed at the end of Article I, Section 8 as an explanation or recital. In the practice of law, we refer to a recital as having no substantive legal effect, but serving to inform the reader of assumptions or facts behind the document. We need to work to make people and our elected officials aware and correct the record. Our Constitution stressed limited government—and we should interpret the Necessary and Proper Clause that way. This clause seems to me to be constantly abused by Congress and the courts to grossly expand federal government. Anyone who has read the Federalist papers knows this clause was not meant for Congress or the courts to create additional powers. Remember, the Preamble begins with WE THE PEOPLE. We give government its authority, not the other way around. If we don’t hold government accountable, no one will. Hasn’t the federal government expanded its power enough? a
The Valley, August 2011
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Frank About Business by Frank Cunningham Operations Including start-ups, operation of a business includes three topics that you must consider; the facility; the equipment; and the personnel (including management). Included in these three categories, you need to consider where you will operate your business? Will you lease or buy? What will your capital outlays be and what equipment is needed? Are you planning to hire employees, when and how? Capital Needs For Start-up Entrepreneurs To successfully consider your facility, equipment and personnel, the major research you need is in the area of capital needs. My suggestion is to get real numbers from such companies or organizations that would supply you with your building, (if not working from your home) equipment costs and salary and benefit costs. These considerations for your operations when starting your business are mandated. You cannot open a business unless
your capital (dollar) costs are predetermined. These costs can vary depending on several variables including working from your home or at an outside location. But in general all business needs are similar. The following will be helpful in your determination of capital needs. These considerations are mandatory should you be going for financing. Fixtures and Equipment Whether you are renting or buying a building or using your home as a base for your business, there are needs for office supplies, typewriters, computers, faxes, cash registers, tools, trucks, vans, light fixtures, shelving, etc. Equipment/machinery may also be required to begin your operations. When considering equipment and machinery, the option of buying or leasing should be considered. In the start-up mode, raising capital is very difficult. Usually, you have saved or received some sort of capital and your capital needs based on the costs of starting your business
stretches your money to the limit. In a following chapter, the advantages and disadvantages of leasing will be discussed. It is to be remembered that there are several types of building leases and they are treated somewhat differently. Later there is a section on leasing. Decorating and Remodeling If you are purchasing an existing site, your place of business may need painting, partitions, lighting and other remodeling. Decorating and remodeling can be as simple as you buying and supplying the labor to paint a store or office, hanging curtains or drapes, or even redoing a room in your home for office space. Difficulty arises when you lease a facility and the owner has stipulations in the lease for leasehold improvements. That is why you should understand the lease and if questions arise, seek an attorney for help. Inventory This area usually does not affect a service company but if you plan on retail or manufacturing you will need goods/material on hand when your business opens. Because these goods are purchased before any sales have occurred, startup money must be available for them. In some cases, suppliers can be helpful in financing your initial inventory Utilities Telephone and other utilities may require installation fees and deposits to supply services Cut split and seasoned 16” or 20” to your business. $17.50 Per scoop (1/10th cord) With today’s opportunities, $170 / Cord search out the various equip$160 / Cord—Two or more cords at one time ment needs for your type of Delivery available ( additional charge) business and Authorized LIHEAP vendor research the lowest rates for Please visit www.mfp.bz for more information your company. In most cases, 26 Timber Ln. you will be Reedsville, PA 17084 tied into a local electric com717-667-2924 pany, but as an
example, should you use oil, shop around. Legal Fees Money should be set-aside for attorneys. It will be needed for articles of incorporation, contracts, agreements, leases, patents, etc. I have experienced many entrepreneurs plight when they incorporate their company personally. They try to save lawyers fees. As the expression goes, a person that represents oneself in court has a fool for a client. Mistakes made in poorly written articles and covenants cost many thousands of dollars more when one has to dissolution the corporation or defend the corporation in litigation. Also, your company may be a very successful business and want to expand. Your corporation articles could come home to haunt you! Accountants An accountant will be needed to help you develop financial statements for your business plan or loan packaging. Accountants can also assist with filing taxes and setting up bookkeeping systems. Call an accountant for an estimate. It is not recommended that you contact one of the “Big 6,” but you should make sure the accountant you do retain has equal experience. With taxes and labor laws alone, the small business owner needs all the help she can get. You will remember that administration is one of the constants and that most starting entrepreneurs were woefully weak in this area. Insurance Various policies are needed to protect you against liability, fire, theft, auto accidents, etc. Call your insurance agent to see which policies are needed for your type of business. Should you be in a business with product development, professional care or any consumer oriented product, personal liability protection would be suggested. The cost for this insurance has kept many entrepreneurs from starting a business. If incorporating, you might consider executive and officer’s insurance. If you are responsible for producing written material there is errors and omissions insurance. Advertising and Promotion As a new company, it is important to get your message across. Printing costs for business cards, stationery, brochures, invoices, and receipts are incurred before business start-up. You may also want to include a grand opening ad campaign in these costs. Too many people have short-changed themselves on not investing enough capital in this area.
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Depending on your type of business and based on the fact that you have been in business for a few years, I could see 2 to 5% of projected revenues going to advertising and promotion. But as a new entrepreneur, 10% of revenue would be a viable number. I have seen too many companies that have budgeted 0% on advertising, and I have also seen companies that are going down for the third time ask me how they can get free advertising. Deposits and Down payments You can lease cars, equipment, and space, but there normally is advance money requested. Check with the leaser for this amount. If you are purchasing a property, a down payment will be required. Capital purchases such as buildings, and in some cases equipment, are financed through a bank. This area will also be discussed in an ensuing section License and Permits Professional, mercantile, and other licenses and permits must be purchased before you begin operating your business. These licenses are usually issued by your state, county, town and in some cases, such as the FCC, the federal government. It is advised that you discuss these licenses with your attorney or the agencies governing your industry. Consultants Usually, untapped resources are people that have had experience in your business. Many of these people are removed from their businesses through selling it or retiring from it. They then have some time and in many cases operate as consultants. If you can locate this type of person, he or she can be an asset to you. There are also many persons and companies that do general consulting and they may offer services that you can utilize. The thing to remember is that you should consult outside personnel before you start your business and, if you are in business, have them analyze your business before you run into problems. Working Capital There normally is a period in startup where sales revenues are not high enough to meet expenses. You still incur bills; thus there is need for additional capital in your checking account. The amount of working capital should be sufficient to cover six months or more of operation. If you are staring a business, those items should be in your planning. If you are in business, you should review, especially if you are looking for financing. a
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The Valley, August 2011
The Mushroom Guy Tasty fungal morsels and other wild edibles. by Bob Sleigh
“The Valley” Mushroom Foray
scenes before, during and after the foray. I had the easy part, just walk and talk, while they set up the pavilion, cooked the food and prepared for our return from the woods. Great job, guys. Unfortunately Mother Nature wasn’t in on the planning when it came to rainfall, resulting in some meager pickings around Penn Roosevelt Park. Thankfully the streams flowing through the park and a small bog area below the dam provided enough fungi specimens to satisfy the groups’ A curious group found lots to look at. thirst for knowledge. It was a great learning experiwonderful attendees who came ence that emphasized one of my charged with enthusiasm and a favorite sayings when someone willingness to learn. I also have to asks me where to find mushthank Wayne, Lynn and Colleen rooms in dry weather, “Follow for all their hard work behind the Well folks, the first Valley Newspaper Mushroom Foray is now a just a wonderful memory, but it is a memory that will remain with me for many years to come. Many thanks go out to all the
Bob stayed until every last question was answered.
the moisture and chase the rain.” Mushrooms are mostly water, and in arid conditions you need to go where the water is or drive to an area where the rain has been plentiful. Deep valleys that run east to west, with streams flowing through them can salvage what would otherwise be a dismal day of mushroom hunting. For those of you who missed this foray, keep an eye on your monthly copy of The Valley. Wayne has assured me that we
will be doing this again in the future. I look forward to meeting many more of our loyal readers and with Ma Natures blessing, possibly filling some baskets with delicious edible mushrooms. Once again, Thank You to all involved for putting a smile on my face and a sense of satisfaction in my soul. Be safe and Happy Shroomin until we meet again. serving up the ice cream to the Editor’s note: I really wanted attendees, you all are awesome! to recognize Bob for coming up a here and spending the weekend teaching our local fungus fanatics about the wonderful world of mushrooms. Also a special thanks to Lewistown Creamery who provided delicious Black Raspberry ice cream for dessert, A.J. Peachey’s for providing the food for lunch, and The Mifflin Valley Staff Lynn and Colleen were on County Dairy Prinhand to serve lunch with the help of cess Macy Fisher for Macy Fisher
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The Valley, August 2011
16
Signs
Through the Window:
Agriculture and the Entrepreneurial Spirt come together in The Valley!
glimpses of nature from the Juniata Valley Random photos shot by amateur photographer, Doug Sabin, Sr. Pastor of Kish Valley Grace Brethren Church, Reedsville. Doug and his wife Barb live in Milroy.
Dusty Road Bible by Mary Anna Chenoweth
Our farm is bisected by a dirt road which offers a neat shortcut to two local recycling businesses, so it is regularly used by well-loaded pickup trucks that are usually attached to equally well-loaded trailers. The potholes, thankfully, tend to reduce the traveling speed of these juggarnauts to something which we and our animals may theoretically be able to dodge, at the same time adding vertical to horizontal movement. Consequently, we always find bits and pieces scattered about. This spring, annoyance quickly turned to disbelief when what looked like discarded papers turned out to be parts of a Bible strewn in the dust. I’m not excessively superstitious, but my family’s religious traditions include NEVER placing anything on a Bible and NEVER placing a Bible anywhere but on a table or a shelf, so yes, I was waiting for the lightening, but WOW, what a Bible; about 5 inches thick, the cover was heavy leather covered with
lovely tool work, the remains of
The Dusty Road Bible
an ornate metal clasp, printing and paper of the finest quality AND a dedication page that gave details of a wedding celebrated in 1850! Among other treasures found between the pages were a tintype of a young man, several dried leaves and a clipping of a poem that was probably from a newspaper. Those verses definitely predate 1920 yet they still have the power to make us pause and consider where we came from, where we’ve gotten to and where we still need to go. Thanks to our editor for sharing these verses with all of us through The Valley. a
By Elizabeth Lloyd Ought the women to vote? Why, yes to be sure, For where is the ill that no woman can cure? Just give her a chance and she comes to the front, Where there’s work to be done her sex bears the brunt, Pray, how would our churches their pastors support? Who’d get their suppers when money runs short? Who’d furnish the parsonage or pay for the steeple? If only the men could be counted as “people?” And what would become of the male saints and sinners, Without e’re a woman to cook them their dinners? Tact joined with talent may write us a book, But only a genius can be a cook. A man has his one occupation to learn, And day after day to the same work may turn; But a woman a thousand on one things must do, And keep her old arts while each day learning new. The children are started off early to school,
The household accounts kept according to rule. And washing and ironing and scrubbing and baking Go on whether baby is sleeping or waking. The socks must be mended, the buttons sewed on, Though short be the hours from bed time till dawn; There are books to be read and the latest Review And Butterick to study for styles that are new. There’s a temperance meeting, a club or the grange, Coming every few weeks by way of a change; With essays to write or speeches to make, Which can all be thought out while baking a cake. Or if she perchance, resides in a city, There are hundreds of children demanding her pity. So she takes mission classes or visits the slums, And helps her poor sisters to make themselves homes. She studies the best way of cleaning the streets, And goes on, nothing daunted by countless defeats, To loose all the knots by which
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men are perplexed, Just by doing the thing that she ought to do next. When money is wanted to com pass her ends, She begs without scruple from all of her friends, And sometimes improves her financial condition By impressing the press for a “Woman’s Edition.” For high or low tariff she’s no thought to spare, But high and low license she studies with care; Twixt license and ruin she sees close connection, And wishes that Congress would vote home protection. O men who expect all our sex to adore you, Have you no faith in the mothers that bore you? Think you that the woman who nurtures a man, Counts for less than her son in the All Father’s plan. Then honor your mothers and give them their dues, Let them go to the polls and vote if they choose; For she who a thousand and one things can do, Will not be quite crushed by a thousand and two. a
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The Valley, August 2011 Chickens from page 4
needed better ventilation, I laid down First, I should give the hardware cloth disclaimer that I am no master over the floor carpenter, so please overlook my joists and only amateur work. Once the trailer placed a few was prepared, I bolted 4x4 posts planks down at each corner of the trailer and for walking then proceeded to build the pole inside the structure. I attached the headegg-mobile. ers that held the rafters and then Naturally, the mounted the purlins to the rafters open floor (Note: Treated lumber will cause would allow corrosion of a metal roof, so be Girls...your palace awaits! the majority sure to use untreated lumber for of the chicken your purlins.) Next, I attached the bile. Before mounting the siding, excrement to fall through, minimetal roof. Since I live in sunny I wrapped the whole egg-mobile mizing cleaning and helping with Florida, working in the shade is a in plastic coasted chicken wire. I ventilation. In retrospect, I should must, so getting the roof on was then built the door out of preshave used chicken wire on the a priority! Next, I laid 2x4’s on sure treated 1x3 material I had on floor since the hardware cloth has the base to build the floor. Since I hand with the bottom half of the a tendency to catch quite a bit of door containing the chicken door the excrement. and the top half simply covered in Now that the hardware cloth. floor was com Lastly, I installed nest boxes pleted, I attached (also bought used on Craigslist two rows of thanks to Ginger!) on the inside boards horizontaland outside of the egg-mobile. ly on all the sides We encourage the chickens so I could mount to use the outside nest boxes; metal roofing however, if we ever need to lock material as siding the chickens in the egg-mobile, for the first three we want them to have a place to feet of the wall. I left an opening for lay eggs on the inside as well. One other thing to keep in where I was going mind when using an egg-mobile, With the frame up, it is beginning to look like to place the door a coop. if you have a small piece of in to the egg-moproperty you will probably want
to invest in some “poultry netting” in. Chickens with their suppleto erect around the egg mobile to mental feed requirements aren’t contain the chickens to a certain the perfect sustainable farm aniarea. Chickens are creatures of mal, but we are hoping with time habit and normally do not forage we can breed back a lot of their much outside of an acre or two natural tendencies. and will return to those same Besides, not having chickens areas day after day. A lot of times on the homestead just seems unuthey just simply hang around the sual, not to mention the entertainbarn and lay in the shade even ment of just watching them be when there are tons of delicious chickens. There is nothing funnier bugs for them just outside of the than watching a flock of chickens barn yard. Even if you move the fight over some leftover spaghetti egg-mobile away they seem to noodles! find their way back to their old stomping grounds during the day. Take care, The netting will help keep them Dave & Ginger and Family a in the areas you want them in, and sout of your gardens. You can experiment with this, but based on our experience, the netting is a huge help. The netting we use is designed to be electrified, which helps quite a bit in keeping predators When the girls need new territory, or the ground out and the needs a break, it is a simple process to set up a “new” neighborhood. chickens
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The Valley, August 2011
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Woods, Water and Wildlife with Bob Sleigh
Full Circle
The aged monarch had stood at the point of the hillside since Teddy Roosevelt walked the halls of the White House. Sprouting from a forgotten cache made by a long-gone squirrel, the small seedling had grown into a giant that towered over the valley below. The precarious location on the outermost edge of the hillside, seeming to doom the tree to failure, ultimately provided the young tree with the sunshine it required to survive among the crowded forest. Within a few short years, the sprout had grown into a strong sapling with a firm grip on its hillside home and a nasty scar along one side. A young whitetail buck had found the tree to his liking, or disliking, and spent one entire fall using the future giant as his per-
sonal whipping post. Fortunately the tree had won the battle and would later in life provide food for the very animal that nearly killed it, and a myriad of other animals throughout the forest. By this point the tree had already began to harbor its own little community. Throughout the spring and early summer, numerous birds made nests and raised their families among the spreading branches. On moonlit nights, the eerie call of a screech owl could be heard echoing across the valley from its perch on the oak tree as it scanned the night woods for dinner. As the first crops of acorns began to develop on the tree’s branches, the old scarred-over wound had begun to rot away into an ever-increasing hole. Ironically it was this specific defect that
saved the still-growing landmark from the lumberman’s saw. The defect seemed to have little effect on the tree as it continued to reach high above the trees surrounding it. As the roles became reversed, it was now the other trees that were struggling for sunlight. A hole that developed after a lightning strike had destroyed a rather substantial limb was quickly attacked by woodpeckers and eventually claimed by a squirrel. Between the now-cavernous opening where the scar once was and the newly formed squirrel den, it was the beginning of the end for the quiet giant. The next few years would bring more blows to the old tree as winter ice storms weighed branches down to the breaking point. The visits from woodpeckers had now become daily as the birds fed on the burgeoning population of insects beneath the tree’s bark. As the tree struggled to fight off a multitude of attacks,
its acorn crop began to dwindle yearly. The once majestically dominating cornerstone of the hillside was now just a gnarled and misshapen pillar with patches of leaves along its branches. Gone were the demanding chirps of young birds; gone was the regal bonnet of foliage that had been a home to so many. The massive trunk and gnarled limbs now became home to several fungi species. Sheephead mushrooms could be found ringing the giants base yearly. The following year, leaves did not appear along the branches and acorns did not fall like little bombs from the towering branches, for all intents and purposes the old tree was dead. In many other ways though, the once-unmistakable tree lived on. The woodpeckers were now also making their homes in the hole-riddled trunk, squirrels inhabited many others and one of the screech owl’s offspring was now making residence at the
uppermost reaches. Day by day the now well-rotted tree ever so slowly lost its grip on the hillside and succumbed to its precarious location. Today, the behemoth lays on the ground, a rotting shell of its former self, yet still full of life and providing life. The ever-present insects now feed hungry bears, skunks, raccoons and other animals. Chipmunks feed, frolic and live inside the cavernous trunk. Yep, there’s still plenty of life in the old tree even now. In fact, if you look really close next to the pile of well-rotted wood that used to be the giants base, you can see a tiny sprout peeking through the leaves. Bouncing along just a few yards away is a squirrel busily looking for that misplaced acorn. a
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The Valley, August 2011 Oil from page 11 benefits against disease. Organic Cream-Organic heavy cream is essentially liquid butter, and is great served whipped on top of fruit, in desserts or in cream based recipes. Olive Oil- High in monounsaturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats, extra virgin olive oil is perfect oil for salad dressings, homemade mayo, and cold recipes. It shouldn’t be used for cooking since its high monounsaturated fat content makes it susceptible to oxidation at high temperatures. For light sautéing use regular olive oil, not “extra virgin”. Palm Oil- High saturated fat content, palm oil is also heat stable. Some sources claim that palm oil production often encroaches on the natural habitat of some endangered animals, though sustainable versions can be found. If in doubt, just use coconut oil. Avocados and Avocado Oil- A good source of monounsaturated fats and great on salads or in guacamole. Fish- Fish are naturally high in Omega-3 fatty acids and can help improve the Omega-3/Omega-6 balance in the body. Look for sustainable wild caught sources, and stick to small fish like tuna, sardines, salmon, etc to minimize mercury. Eggs- Another all-star in the healthy fats community, eggs are loaded with vitamins, healthy fats and necessary cholesterol. Consume them daily from free range sources. Oils and Fats to Consume In Moderation: Some fats are nutritious and beneficial to the body but should still be consumed in moderation if they are eaten. Many contain high levels of Omega-6 fats and can, therefore, mess up the balance of fats in the body. Flaxseed Oil- Though it contains a good amount of Omega-3s, it also has a lot of Omega-6s and its high polyunsaturated fat content makes it prone to oxidation if heated. Walnut Oil- Also high in Omega-6 fats, but it has a great rich taste and can be safely used occasionally in dressings or desserts. It also has a slightly higher resistance to oxidation at higher temperatures than other nut oils. Macadamia Nut Oil- This oil tastes wonderful but it is expensive. It is great in salad dressings or mayo. It has a lot of monounsaturated fats and low levels of polyunsaturated fats.
Nuts- Most types of nuts (remember peanuts are not nuts) are a good source of protein and healthy fats and can be eaten in moderation without problem. Just check to make sure they haven’t been cooked in vegetable oils, which is often the case. Nuts also contain phytic acid, so consuming them in excess can be problematic for tooth and bone health. However, just like oats, grains and beans, nuts can be soaked to release the phytic acid but that is a topic for another day. I understand that putting the breaks on this slippery vegetable oil slope is a slow process. Do you own research, experiment with some of the healthy fats and draw your own conclusions. Keep in mind that all fats have more than twice the calories per gram than protein and carbohydrates, so enjoy in moderation. Greasy elbow season won’t last much longer. Enjoy our local sweet corn as Mother Nature intended and remember to pass the butter! *Note-Here is an important piece of current research regarding coconut oil that I want to pass along. Mary T. Newport M.D., director of neonatology at Spring Hill Regional Hospital in Florida, recently wrote a letter to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner, Senator Hillary Clinton, Surgeon General Steven K. Galson and Mehmet Oz M.D. at NBC Studios, as well as many others imploring them to “study the research regarding coconut oil and Alzheimer’s Disease and making the findings public knowledge so that everyone who suffers from this disease can potentially benefit.” In her research ( both professionally and because her husband is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease), Dr Newport found that the active ingredient in a new experimental Alzheimer drug (Ketasyn), was medium chain fatty acids—which can be derived from none other than coconut oil! She began treating her husband with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day and soon began seeing noticeable improvements. Since coconut oil is a natural product and thus not patentable, Dr. Newport believes that drug manufactures have little interest in researching its therapeutic potential. She is waging a campaign to bring about greater awareness of the health benefits of coconut oil. This amazing food from Mother Nature can be purchased at local
health food stores, Wegmans grocery store in State College, and online. Blessings on your journey! Sue is a holistic nutrition consultant and holistic health educator. Her office is located at 54 Chestnut Street in Lewistown. To learn more about her services go to www.mynourishingjourney. com. She can be reached by email at sue@mynourishingjourney.com or give her a call at 242-3132.
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References: Fife, Bruce N.D. “Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s Our Business is Customer Satisfaction Disease”, Well Being Journal July/August 2011. 717-248-5476 • 1-800-PROPANE (776-7263) Print. Fallon, Sally. “The Dangers of to dehydration, not as a cure. Too Hot to Trot from Polyunsaturated Vegetable Oils” Horse owners may need to realpage 10 found on the Weston A. Price ize that some days are just “too hot to website www.westonaprice.com trot.” Understanding how to provide the horse’s body begins to flush Newport M. What if there was appropriate levels of certain nutrients excess electrolytes, they may not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and as well as proper conditioning of have what they need when they no one knew? [Web article]. July your horse can help your horse get do need it. Therefore, the best 22, 2008. www.coconutketones. through these extreme temperatures recommendation is to provide a com/whatifcure.pdf Accessed a lot more comfortably. If you well balanced feed, good quality June 2011. have any questions about whether hay and free choice salt and water www.coconutresearchcenter.org your horse is receiving a balanced daily. Additional electrolyte supwww.healthyfixx.com. diet appropriate for the types of plementation should be given the www.fathead.com a day before, the day of, and the day activities he does, stop by E&L Supplies in Spring Mills or East after an event when the horse is Gate Feed & Grain in Reedsville working harder or sweating more. to discuss your feeding options. Electrolyte supplementation a should be used as a preventative
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The Valley, August 2011
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Dairy Princess Memories by Macy Fisher Mifflin County Dairy Princess 2011-2012
It’s Fair Time!
It’s fair time again and boy am I ready to go! Hi, I’m Macy Fisher, the Mifflin County Dairy Princess. I live for the fair. I have been going to the fair every year of my life. See, when I was a baby, my parents were 4-H club leaders of the Fine Swine 4-H club. I started attending the fair the August after I was born. Most people go to the fair for what? The rides, the animals, and what else…the food! Whether you are an exhibitor or just a spectator, the one thing that is a must have at the fair is the fair food. Fair food is my guilty pleasure for the year. I can’t make it through the week
without a milkshake and a slice of pizza. A lot of the Mifflin County 4-Hers spot for pizza is Huffy’s Pizza. Huffy’s is an iconic symbol of the Mifflin County Fair for the regulars. By having a slice of pizza, you have an oozy, cheesy, mouthful of nutrition. Pizza isn’t the only dairy-packed fair food. The most obvious dairy food at the fair is ice cream and milkshakes. Other foods that are not that obvious are taco salads, cheese fries, dip n’ dots, deep fried mozzarella sticks, cheese burgers, cheese steaks, and gyros. Gyros (I pronounce it Guyros), are a great way to get a serving of dairy. They usually contain cheese and can either have sour cream or yogurt in the cream sauces. Also, almost every fair will have a giant sundae one night of the fair. Mifflin County Fair’s Giant Sundae is on Wednesday night in the “Green Building.” I and other members of my court will be there to help dish it out. I hope to see a lot of you there. I don’t want all of that ice cream to melt before any one
gets any. Most fairs will have a schedule of events in the paper. So if you can’t make it to Mifflin County Fair for some ice cream, just check out one of the neighboring fairs. Part of my week at fair will be spent at the Huntingdon County Fair. Since I go to school in Huntingdon County and I am a member of the Captain Jack FFA, I show at the Huntingdon Fair. I used to be able to show through FFA at Huntingdon and 4-H at Mifflin when the fairs were different weeks, but now that they are the same week, I just can’t do both. If anyone is attending the Huntingdon County Fair, you can find me in the dairy barns. So just stop by and say hi. All over the state during the month of August there are fairs going on. So no matter where you attend the fair, just remember that you can still be healthy and get one, or maybe all three, servings of your dairy there. I decided to give you all a fair favorite recipe this month. This gyro recipe is quick, easy and healthy. I hope to see you all at
skillet over medium heat. Cook the fair and just remember, if you steak about 6 minutes on each are coming out, wear sunscreen and stay hydrated. Finally, I hope side (for medium rare) or until desired. Allow steak to rest 5 that August is FAIR to everyone! minutes before cutting into thin Gyros with Herbed Yogurt slices. Warm pita halves in toaster Dressing or microwave. Into each pita half, For Dressing 2 Containers (8 ounces each) spoon ¼ of the yogurt dressing, fat- free plain yogurt mixed greens, blue cheese, onion, 2 teaspoons minced garlic steak, and tomatoes. Spoon addi1 tablespoon minced parsley tional yogurt dressing over the top 1 tablespoon minced chives if desired. Yield: 4 servings. a 1 tablespoon dried oregano For Gyro 1/2 pound sirloin or ribeye steak, trimmed 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 4 (4 inch) whole wheat ecome referred pita bread rounds, cut into halves ustomer odAy 2 ½ cups mixed salad Join our FREE Preferred Customer greens (such as arugula or * for exclusive sale events, Program baby spinach leaves) great decorating and how-to tips, 2/3 cup crumbled blue plus savings on paints and stains cheese 1/2 small red onion, every time you shop. sliced and separated into rings 224 North Logan Boulevard 8 cherry tomatoes, Burnham halved (717) 248 - 3909 Spoon yogurt into a medium bowl and stir in garlic, parsley, chives, and oregano until well blended; Ask Sherwin-Williams.™ set aside. Rub both sides of *Visit a Sherwin-Williams retail paint store or sherwin-williams.com for program details. ©2010 The Sherwin-Williams Company. steak with salt and pepper. Heat a medium, non-stick
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The Valley, August 2011
Modern Energy and Alternative Heating
with Curt Bierly
More Cooling Options
It’s been hot and humid lately, tough to sleep at night, fans are noisy and only blow hot air, window air conditioning units are noisy and drafty. Central air conditioning would be nice! Something cool and quiet! Oh yes, it must be very efficient because the cost of electricity is rising - and - it would be nice if it did some heating in the winter. What’s available and what’s best for my house? What you should purchase depends on two important items. Your budget and your house. You can spend anywhere from $2800 installed for a single head very quiet ductless air conditioner to $28,000 installed for a very quiet ducted central heat pump (HP) / air conditioning (AC) geothermal system. There are many very good choices in between. Last month we discussed the installation of a ducted heat pump /air conditioning system with electric backup in a ranch home with an unfinished basement or in a
two story home with an unfinished basement. Installation of a ducted system in these style homes are simple, and thus if your budget allows, should be considered. The two story should include, if possible, the installation of separate thermostats for the first and second floor (i.e. a zoning system) as two story homes tend to heat from the first floor and cool from the second floor; therefore, if you don’t have a zoning system and you have the system balanced for summer AC (i.e. so the upstairs and downstairs rooms are close to the same temperatures), when winter arrives and you switch the system to HP you will need to rebalance it for the heating season (i. e. close upstairs vents and open downstairs vents). Spring and fall could require the inconvenience of rebalancing the system numerous times for maximum comfort. If your budget allows, there are a couple of nice accessories that can be installed with a central ducted HP/AC system. A steam
humidifier will automatically maintain the humidity in your home during the winter at a comfort level you select. Steam is the system of choice as opposed to a sponge or plate type system. The steam quickly dissipates into the low temperature warm air of a HP system. All central humidifier systems are supplied with water automatically. If you have hard water, a whole house water softener is recommended to prevent a buildup of calcium in the humidifier - or - there are filter/softener cartridges you can connect to the waterline feeding the humidifier. The cartridges will need replaced from time to time depending on the demand for humidity in the winter. An electronic filter will remove
fine particles in the air including pollen for those that are bothered with allergies. There are two filter elements in the electronic model and they are both washable. The primary filter is of woven aluminum construction which will stop large particles in the air such as cat hair, dog hair, a dust ball, a house fly, etc. The electronic filter is also aluminum, but is specifically designed to be electrically charged with static electricity and as such, stops the small stuff like dust and pollen down to seven microns. Don’t confuse the electronic filter with an electrostatic filter. The electronic filter uses a small amount of electrical power
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21 (about the same amount as a 60 watt light bulb) to create a static charge; whereas an electrostatic filter uses the static electricity of the incoming air to generate the charge; therefore, if the static electricity in the air is low, the ability of the electrostatic filter is reduced. Standard fiberglass furnace filters and media filters round out the types of filters available. The furnace filter comes standard with the system air handler and are poor filters at best. Pleated media filters are a better choice; however, they seriously impact the air flow of the system and as such are not recommended. We’ll continue our discussion in the next issue. Stay Cool! a Curt Bierly is president of the bierly group incorporated of which Stanley C. Bierly is a division. He graduated from Penn State with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is a member of the Penn College HVAC Advisory Board. You can contact him at cbierly@bierlygroup.com.
The Valley, August 2011
22
Recipes-Crafts-Gifts
Mail Pouch Books
With Debra Kulp
by Carleen B. Grossman
Funnel Cakes Makes 6 cakes 1 cup sifted flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 egg 1 cup milk vegetable oil Editors note: See “Adventures on our Nourishing Journey” in this issue about a more healthful oil recommendation. Mix dry ingredients. Add egg and milk, stir until smooth. Pour oil into a skillet and heat to 375 degrees. Holding a finger over the end of the funnel, pour in 1/4 cup of batter. Holding over the hot oil, remove finger and let batter drizzle over the hot oil. As the batter flows, move funnel in a circle to form a spiral cake. Fry about 2 minutes on each side, turning once until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, glaze or nuts. Romance Cookies Makes 24 1 cup butter 2 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 2 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 3/4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup flaked coconut 1 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter. Add flour, sugar, and salt. Spread in an ungreased
9” X 13” pan. Combine eggs, brown sugar, baking powder, vanilla, coconut and nuts. Pour over flour mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into bars. Grilled Apple-Smoked Striped Bass Yield: 8 servings 1/4 cup apple wood chips 1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 (3lb.) stripped bass fillet (about 1 inch thick.) cooking spray 1 lemon thinly sliced Cover apple wood chip with water and soak for 1 hour. Drain well. Mix oil, salt, black pepper, stirring to combine. Rub this mixture over fish, refrigerate 30 minutes. Prepare grill. Place wood chips on hot coals. Coat a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil with cooking spray, pierce foil in several places with a fork. Place foil on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Place fish on foil, arrange lemon slices over fish. Grill 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve immediately. a
Big Valley Bunk Beds And Mattress Sales 65 Stone Barn Lane, Belleville, PA 17004 from Belleville take Rt. 305 west, turn right at E. Back Mtn. Rd. 1/2 mile, then left at Stone Barn Lane 7 Styles in Stock L-Shape w/Dresser - Loft Beds - Stackable - Standard - Twin Over Full - Regular Bookcase - Captain’s Bed - Triple Stacker - Selection of stain on orders. A Bed For Everyone
Dear Book-lover Neighbors: You are about to be part of something vital in my life. I love to read books and in the past years when I lived in Maryland, I often wrote book reviews about little gems that I had read in the past or present times. Once I wrote the reviews, it was in my nature to share them with others via word of mouth or an email! I hope to continue the writing of these reviews now while living in our Pennsylvania environs. This calms the beast in my soul! I have decided to share some of my reviews with you under the title of MAIL POUCH BOOKS. I named it such because of my vast interest in history and also because it seemed appropriate for emailing reviews as I tended to think of tucking them into a pouch and sending them on their way. However, for you, I hope to provide you with a monthly review in the editions of The Valley newspaper. Below is a blurb about the actual history of the Mail Pouch as it relates to U.S. History. I thought you might enjoy this information and also that you might learn about just how important these pouches were: On April 3, 1860, the first rider with a mail pouch charged out of a stable at 914 Penn St., in
St. Joseph, Missouri. The Pony Express, as it was to be called, transported mail between St. Joseph and California. The rider changed to a fresh horse at each station, taking only the mail pouch called a mochila (from the Spanish word for pouch) with him. The employers stressed the importance of the pouch. They often said that, if it came to be… the horse and rider should perish before the mochila did. The mochila was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider sitting on it. Each corner had a cantina, or pocket. Bundles of mail were placed in these cantinas, which were padlocked for safety. The mochila could hold 20 pounds (10 kg) of mail along with the 20 pounds of material carried on the horse. Included in that 20 pounds were a water sack, a Bible, a horn for alerting the relay station master to prepare the next horse, a revolver, and a choice of a rifle or another revolver. Looking forward to sharing my little “pouch treasures” with you in THE VALLEY each month. Carleen PRODIGAL SUMMER By Barbara Kingsolver Copyright 2000
Having moved to the woods in the mountains of Pennsylvania this past April, I absolutely had to read this classic book about the lives of families and neighbors on a mountain in Appalachia during one of the non barren summers of that unique region. I learned a multitude of nature tidbits from this skillfully designed tapestry of families coalescing with each other and the environment. You will find it a typical Kingsolver novel complete with a lesson yet uniquely disguised into a captivating story filled with love, and friendship all intertwining the humans with the flora and fauna of the area and showing how everything is intricately connected. Have fun as you join such characters as a bookish city girl who finds herself suddenly widowed in an area strange to her ways and culture; an elderly woman and an elderly man who are next-door neighbors and have feuded for years; a female reclusive biologist in charge of patrolling the mountain and a stranger from Wyoming who influences her life. The real surprise of the book will be how all these characters eventually connect! a
Twenty-One Central PA Farms Open Their Gates to Visitors for the Sixth Annual Farm Tour during the Local Foods Week!
Every day there are more stories about how local food is good for you, your family and the local economy. The Centre County Commissioners have recognized this fact since 2004 with the annual declaration of Local Foods Week, a weeklong celebration showcasing local farmers, markets and restaurants that support our regional food system, being held this year from July 30th to August 6th. During Local Foods Week, area farmers markets host special activities like chef demos and live music. Area restaurants highlight local items on the menu and people are encouraged to eat at those establishments. The week culminates with the 6th Annual Farm Tour, a day when twentyone area farms open their gates to
the public for tours, tastings, and more. “People are increasingly interested to know where their food comes from, and we like to make it as simple as possible,” said PASA’s Executive Director Brian Snyder. “This special time of year we get to celebrate ‘the bounty of the county,’ if you will, and many farmers are geared up to welcome you onto their farms so you can see for yourself just how they do things.” The goal of the tour is to give consumers an experience that will influence them to spend more of their food dollars locally. During the tour, visitors will have the opportunity to interact with farmers, tour vegetable and fruit fields, and view livestock, including some very cute newborns. Visitors
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will be able to purchase items at the farms, including vegetables, meats, cheese, crafts and more so bringing a cooler is advised. Kids will love this summer educational fun, talking with the farmers and learning how their food is grown. What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon showing off the beautiful agrarian landscape of our region? Last year, the Farm Tour resulted in over 3000 visits by individuals to area farms. Local Foods Week is a project of Centre County Buy Fresh Buy Local® campaign and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. The full schedule for the week and information on the Farm Tour is
Continued on page 30
The Valley, August 2011
23
Warrior Ride Invades Pennsylvania by Wayne STOTTLAR
Another mid-week day found me seated at the computer working on the next month’s offering of “The Valley” when the phone, as it so often does, started ringing. I was pretty engrossed in what I was doing and almost let it go into voicemail, but for whatever reason, I paused and picked up the phone. “Hey Uncle, it’s Tom your nephew,” the voice exclaimed Tom is one of my sister’s six
kids, and I am ashamed to say, part of the family that just doesn’t see each other much due to busy lives and distance between us. All my extended family is like that, spread all over the country and mostly out of touch. The older I get, the less I enjoy that aspect of modern life. Anyhow, Tom lives in North Carolina now, I remembered that from when the family got together last, which was for my sister (his mother’s) funeral 4 or so years ago. So hearing his
Members of the Warrior Ride on their recent trip to Harrisburg.
voice was good. “What are you up to Tom, I asked.” “Well I am part of this group and we are coming to Pennsylvania, and I thought since you were publishing a paper, it might be of interest to you if you had time,” he said. “I am part of a group, and we ride our bikes all over the country promoting our group and each other.” I started thinking of excuses in the back of my mind, no way was I going to be able to work a biker group into our pages, how could I do that, what was I going to tell him? Then he cleared my mind for me. “It is The Warrior Ride,” My nephew Tom Nugent (l) talks with another member of the he said, “we are all wounded Warrior Ride at the completion of one of their 30 mile rides in the Harrisburg area. vets that are using physical admiration. I was all ears. exertion, camaraderie, new Quickly checking my schedule, I He let me know that they bicycle technology, and a genermade plans to meet the group at were going to be coming to Pennous public and private donation the end of one of their rides on sylvania for three days in June pool to support wounded warriors City Island in Harrisburg. The and they would be headquartered across the nation.” end of the ride and the time I had around the Harrisburg/Carlisle Ok, now he had my attention, to start heading back here for anarea and would do three, 30-mile they weren’t motorcycles, they other appointment left me 30 min bike rides each day they were were bicycles, and the guys were here. the true heros that deserve our Continued on page 26
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The Valley, August 2011
24
What’s with that answers. 1. House of Representatives 1827 and 1833 2. Fess Parker 3. The Battle of the Alamo, TX
Buckhorn Taxidermy and Sporting Goods has added a new addition of live pets and pet supplies to the store. We also have a line of live bait and live crickets year-round for the fishermen and pet lovers.
The Pen and Thread Custom Calligraphy and Weaving
Mary Anna Chenoweth Proprietor
717-248-6079 131 West Market Street Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Tropical Fish Birds Lizards Frogs Snakes Spiders S corpions Hamsters Gerbils Rats Mice
We are a full time taxidermy shop with over 50 years combined experience. Big game, game heads, small game, fish and exotic animals. 316 N. Logan Blvd. Burnham, PA 17009 Open 7 days a week (717) 242-4490
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Mon & Fri. 10am - 7pm Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat - 10am 5pm Sun - 8am - noon
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The Valley, August 2011
Frugal Living with laurie lowe With the start of a new school year comes the challenge of buying clothing without spending BIG BUCKS. Buying everything needed for school can be a big strain on any budget. I have a few ideas to help cut the costs. My local church has a group of Moms who have a clothing exchange. Every 3-4 months they get together and bring in all the shoes and clothing their children have outgrown, exchanging them for whatever they need. Have fun with this, have a potluck or luncheon before you get to the clothing. You could also do a neighborhood exchange.
Shop the thrift stores. Make it a point to ask when new merchandise is put out, this way you have a better chance of finding what you need. Craigslist is also a good resource--place an ad if what you need isn’t listed. IT’S FREE! Garage sales are another way to find good usable clothing. Check out Freecycle, www. freecycle.com. This is a nationwide network for giving usable things away. Everything posted is free, so check it out for clothing and anything else you may need. Make sure you check everything for stains, rips, or other
flaws; especially if you are paying for the item. I know some people don’t want their children to have to wear “USED” clothing. Having raised two daughters, I soon found out that they outgrew clothing long before they wore it out. This is just one more way to spend less for something we have to have. My own daughter has spent only $26 for clothing for my granddaughter’s first year of school. You CAN find good quality clothing for a fraction of the cost of new. Happy shopping. a
Heritage Breeds from page 29
picture is not totally bleak. And in fact, we are way ahead of the UN’s effort. Back in the 1970’s some folks wanted to have historically accurate livestock in places like Old Sturbridge Village in MA and Colonial Williamsburg in VA. The problem became apparent when they tried to locate that stock though. It was either extinct or nearly so. Some of those folks got together and created the ALBC (American Livestock Breed Conservancy). Their own website; www.albc-usa.org states their mission much better than I can, so I am giving you a direct quote here: “Ensuring the future of agriculture through genetic conservation and the promotion of endangered breeds of livestock and
poultry. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy protects genetic diversity in livestock and poultry species through the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds. These rare breeds are part of our national heritage and represent a unique piece of the earth’s bio-diversity. The loss of these breeds would impoverish agriculture and diminish the human spirit. We have inherited a rich variety of livestock breeds. For the sake of future generations we must work together to safeguard these treasures.” The ALBC tracks and records preservation efforts for 54 as-
it is, a little taste of egg, I think. OK, now take a bite of that local egg. Wait a minute, what’s that taste? THAT is what a real egg is supposed to taste like. You can do the same experiment with a store bought chicken and a free-range chicken from your local farmer’s market. Fortunately, free-range and grass-fed critters are becoming increasingly available to a discriminating client. I do have to warn you though, once you’ve eaten real meat/eggs you’ll never be satisfied eating that watery stuff big agri-business is trying to pass off on you. OK, back to the pitiful state of the American animal genetic stock. I am happy to say that the
sorted breeds of chickens alone. At the turn of the 20th century there were at least twice that many breeds. But after WWII, agriculture became big business and the small farm started to disappear. Producers began to concentrate on the best layers or the fastest growers and virtually ignored everything else. Have you heard of bio-security? The USDA wants us to live in fear of a terrorist attack against our food supply so they publicize all kinds of “threats.” Personally, I believe the greatest threat is the one we’ve created ourselves by “placing all our eggs in one basket.” The whole idea of genetic diversity is that some breeds do some things better than others. Every winter I have a few birds who get frost-bite on their combs or wattles. (The wattles are those floppy red things on their necks.) It seems to affect one or two individuals in every breed I’ve had, except two. My Chanteclers (a Canadian breed) and my Delawares have never had this. Why not? Well, they both have very flat combs and smaller wattles. They were bred to avoid that particular affliction. By joining the ALBC in raising and preserving these heritage breeds of chicken, we maintain our own bio-security and we don’t need the government to “protect us from ourselves.” Starting next month I am going to focus on a different heritage breed each month in the hope that you will find one or two of interest to you, and that I can entice you to become part of the ALBC’s efforts to preserve our genetic
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stock. You have a “homework assignment.” Go find a local farm with free-range chickens and buy a dozen eggs. Then sit your family down and do the color/taste test. I’ll bet I know what you discover. Until then, remember, support your local economy. Buy local, eat local, and live well. a
Lewistown Creamery from front page
the chance to do just that, Lewistown Creamery plans to stay open all winter. No more waiting for spring! With the addition of the freezer for selling pints, quarts and half gallons, you can now take home lots of ice cream for any occasion. I think part of the reason we became so overwhelmed with the place is the attention to quality. The waffle cones and waffle chips are made fresh daily on the premises, as is the ice cream and italian ice. The folks at the Creamery even roast up fresh peanuts every day that go with every order— another little item that separates them from everyone else. Only the highest grade ingredients are used, and one taste will make you a believer. a
26
A.J. Peachey’s— Rumors...
From Staff Reports
Have ya heard any good rumors lately? Boy I have. In fact, the myriad of different versions about the same subject seemed to proliferate like rabbits over the last week or two. Imagine my surprise when serving lunch to our fellow fungaphiles at The Valley’s first ever Mushroom Foray, and announcing that A.J. Peachey’s had provided the food for our lunch, someone spoke out that A.J. Peachey’s “was out of business.”Wha...huh? I was stunned. “I was just there yesterday to pick the up the food,” I said. “They are selling everything off and leaving the area,” someone else said, “throwing in the towel.” My mind was reeling. How could this be? I was bummed, in fact Lynn and I said several times to each other that day and the next, “I can’t believe it, after all the hope, we are going
to lose Peachey’s.” I recovered from the shock sometime late Sunday night and made plans to go hear it from Peachey’s themselves. Not that any of the other people that were talking were intentionally doing anything wrong, but stories tend to change with each telling, and their version may be what they were told was truth. Arriving at Dee’s office, with all the tact of a stump, I just blurted out, “Are you guys going out of business?” Dee looked a little surprised at first, but calmly replied, “No, we are adapting our strategy in order to achieve the goal we have been working toward.” I was starting to feel a little better, her calm demeanor allowed me to start thinking rationally for the first time since the news that they were closing knocked me for a loop.
Julie Mac from page 8
longer than 20 minutes. Remove the pears and rinse under cool water. Drain well. Add the pears to the hot syrup. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, gently heat the pears for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the amaretto (or almond extract). Ladle ¼ cup of the syrup into each hot jar. Pack the pears cut side down into the jars, leaving a ½” headspace. Once all of your jars are packed, strain the remaining syrup through cheesecloth into another saucepan. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Ladle the remaining syrup over the pears leaving a ½” headspace. Make sure you carefully release any remaining air bubbles around your fruit and add more syrup if necessary. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a damp clean cloth. Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings. Process in a water bath canner. Pint jars for 20 minutes or quart jars for 25 minutes. Pumpkin Butter My girlfriend at work who is gaga over anything made out of pumpkin absolutely loves this recipe over toast. It can also be used over pancakes, waffles or whatever else you want to taste like pumpkin pie. It also has the added benefit of using up any leftover canned pumpkin from your pantry. Great for rotating
ing and a wonderful change to the tinny tasting pears you can buy at the store. There is only a slight hint of the almond flavoring, which makes them perfect for eating right out of a dish, or using them in a recipe. I gave them to a girlfriend of mine and she ate the entire quart in one sitting. Makes 3-4 quarts or 6 pint jars. The next two recipes are courtesy of “Blue Ribbon Preserves” by Linda J. Amendt. 7 ½ to 8 Lbs pears, peeled, cored and quartered. 5 Cups of water 2 Cups sugar 8 Cups cold water 2 Tbsp. antioxidant crystals or ascorbic acid crystals ½ Cup amaretto or 1 Tbsp. pure almond extract. In a 4 quart pan combine the 5 cups of water and the sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and keep the syrup hot until needed. In a large bowl, combine the 8 cups of cold water and the antioxidant crystals. Stir until completely dissolved. Place sliced, peeled and cored pears into the solution-but don’t let them sit for
The Valley, August 2011 Long, expensive rebuilds during a tight economy require an adaptable business strategy. With weather delays of all sorts putting the schedule behind, it became apparent that there needed to be plan devised. Running the temporary restaurant at as near to original as possible required lots and lots of temporary refrigeration, which in case you haven’t checked in a while, is unbelievably expensive. The revised plan is smart! By cutting back some on the restaurant operation into more of a streamlined cafe, the expensive rented refrigeration could go away. This would allow construction to eventually reusme with the same original vision and focus. A slightly different route, but same destination in the end. So breathe easy, Peachey’s is still on the comeback trail, when the going gets tough, losers walk away, winners adapt and move forward. A.J. Peachey’s is a winner. They WILL be back. So now that we have put that rumor to rest, get out to Peachey’s and tell them that you are praying for them. a
your stock! Makes 6 ½ pint jars or 3 pint sized jars. 3 ½ Cups canned solid pack pumpkin 1 ½ Tsp ground cinnamon (can be increased to 2 tsp. for a spicier butter) ½ Tsp. grated nutmeg ¼ Tsp. ground ginger 4 Cups granulated sugar 1 ½ Cups firmly packed light brown sugar ½ Tsp. unsalted butter 1 -3 ounce pouch liquid pectin (I have used regular powdered pectin before and it came out fine) In an 8 quart pan, combine the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, stirring until smooth and well blended. Gradually stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the butter. Cook over medium-low, heat the mixture, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Stirring constantly, add the contents of the pectin pouch. Boil for one full minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any foam. Ladle the hot butter into hot ½ pint jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean cloth. Release any bubbles. Cover with hot lids and rings. Process half pint jars in a water bath for 10 minutes or
Warrior Ride from page 23 utes or so to do an interview and then get back home in time for the appointment. The only problem in this whole plan was that I did not hear the part that they were ending their ride on City Island and boarding the Pride of the Susquehanna for a river cruise. Add that fact to me being 15 minutes late, and I got a give my nephew a hug and he was off on the river boat. I felt bad about the mix up too, as the team leader Bob Racine had already purchased me a ticket, fully expecting me to ride along with these heros. I said goodbye to my nephew and his family and headed back “up the road.” The phone rang after a few minutes, it was Tom. “Hey Uncle Wayne, I forgot to tell you, after this event is over, the wife and kids and I are continuing up to Connecticut for a week and thought we would come stay with you for a night on the way up.” Perfect! Now I could still get the story. I got that story and all the missing history about him as well, because like I said, family news was not something that seemed to be flowing in any direction. Tom, I learned, was first wounded in a firefight in Liberia while serving as a medic in the Marines. After several grueling months of rehabilitation, Tom was declared fit enough to redeploy again, this time during the first Gulf War where his AH-64 helicopter was shot down and he was left permanently disabled for
military combat duty. Years later my nephew happened to pull up along side a group of red, white, and blue outfitted bike riders and asked what they were doing, and almost instantly he found himself relearning to bicycle, He got his Warrior Ride biking gear and was once again part of a group, a band of brothers who knew all about sacrifice and the bond that being in battle together forges. Now he rides with the group where ever they happen to be going. His wife Lori and two children, 10 year old Port, and his younger sister Marina, all participate. Port even rode the 30 miles a day with his father and the rest of the warriors. “The group,” Tom explained to me, “is the only thing that gets some of these wounded heros back up and living again. They feel a commitment to a brotherhood, that in turn gives them the support they need to keep forging ahead no matter how badly they were wounded.” The group is a non-profit 501c entity that exists entirely on donations from corporations and individuals. The group also takes wounded vets “naked” as group founder Bob Racine explains it. The group will furnish them with the modified bike they need, provide clothing, meals, and lodging for the warriors on the trip. No one, not even Bob, takes a paycheck—it is all volunteer, they are all there to help their brothers. If you might like to donate, or just find out more about this group visit their web site at www. warriorride.org. a
The Warrior Ride at a ceremony for them at The US Army War College in Carlisle.
if you decide to do pint sized jars, do them for 15 minutes. Variation: Pumpkin Pecan Butter: Stir ¾ cup finely chopped toasted pecans into the pumpkin butter mixture after the sugar is dissolved and before adding the
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pectin. Hopefully I have given you some recipes to save for your binder or recipe box. I hope that they will become your favorites too! a
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The Valley, August 2011
Grosze Thal Nachbaren
(Big Valley Neighbors)
by Jeptha I. Yoder
Ein Grusz in Gottes Namen zu alle Leser im Grosze Thal und auch im Land überall! Es ist die Heiszen Hundstagen zeit. Es ist auch sehr troken. Der 26, Juni war Kirchengasse Gemein ans Samuel N. Yoders. Singen war auch dort. West Lang Leen war ans Dan C. Yoders. Meine Eltern und Ich waren ans Jesse J. Hostetlers fürs Mittag-essen. Mose S. Yoders und Familie waren auch dort. Milroy Ost Gemein war ans Adam M. Hostetlers. Ich war ein wenig ans Mose R. Hostetlers. Ich war ein wenig ans Mose R. Hostetlers abends. S’ Moses waren ans Uria J. Yoers fürs Mittag. Der Dritt Juli waren wir in der Gemein ans Eli S. Zugen. Von Mcklur waren Crhist R. Zugen und Tochter Leah, Iddo M. Hostetlers und Familie. Von Lang Leen Ot war . Jonas J. Hostetler (Johannes M.) Unckel Ruben Ds, Rebecca M. Miriam K. und Lena E. (Jesse S.) alle Hostetlern und Ich waren ans Elis fürs Abendessen. Singen war auch dort. Michael J. Hostetler und Tochter Veronica waren bei meine Eltern und Schwester fürs Abendessen. Milroy Nord Gemein war ans Michael U Yoders fürs Erste mol. Ost Lang Leen war ans Mose S. Yoders. S’ Iddos waren ans Isaack R. Hostetlers Samstag Nacht und ans Eli S. Hostetlers
fürs Abendessen nach der Gemein. Darnach ans Jesse S’ bis Sie heimgingen Montag nachmittages. Der 10, war Kirchengasse Gemein ans Joseph S. Yoders. West Lang Leen war ans Menno M. Yoders. Eli S. Zugen und Familie waren dort von unser Nachbarschaft. Unkel Jesse S. Hostetlers waren ans Mose C. Yoders fürs Abendessen. Johannes Y. Hostetlers waren dort abends. Der 17, war die Gemein hier. von andere Gegenden waren Aunt (Salomon) Mareily und Kindeskind Urie M. (Christ S.), M. Sievers und Tochter, Uria Ss’ und tochter, Isaack Ys und Tocher, Noah Ds und Sohn Isaack, alle Hostetlern, Eli Johannes Yoders und Christ Z. Speichers. Von McKlur waren Maria und Näomi Hostetler (Amos J.) welche kommen mit ihre Groszeltern Jesse S’s. Aunt Mareily und Urie, Noah Ds und Isaack, Eli Johannes’ unds Christ Zs waren ans Christ M. Yodres fürs Abendessen. Darnach warens’ Christs ein wenig ans Eli S. Hostetlers welche waren nicht in der Gemein. Jacob S. Hostetlers waren in McKlur in der Gemein bei ihrem Sohn die Joseph J. Hostetlern. Ost Lang Leen war ans Jacob Z. Hostetlers. Singen war auch dort. Nord Milroy war ans Abraham J.
Hostetlers. Nägst mol ist unser Gemein ans Jesse J. Hostetlers, so Der Herr Will und wir leben. Der 24 war Kirchengasse Gemein ans Joel M. Yoders Ost Lang Leen war ans Simeon J. Hostetlers. Ich war ans Unckel Christs abends. Eli S. Zugen und Familie unds Manasse J. Yoders waren auch dort. Christian greetings on a hot summer day. Katy-dids are starting to sing at night. I usually have berries to pick all summer long, but right now the red raspberries and blackberries are almost drying up. I can’t keep everything watered. Are we thankful enough for all the rain we had this spring? Rudy M. Hostetler (55) of 108 Chief Logan Lane, Reedsville, PA. 17084 had a wooden stick run into his chest area, in a sawmill accident, requiring a hospital visit. This happened some weeks ago and at last reports, he was recovering. Now we hear their son Ner M. (29) had an accident losing most of his fingers on one hand. Sorry, but I don’t have full details at present. The Ruthie Speicher Benefit Auction is now history! Twas a hot day and a large crowd. On the 16th some from the area attended an auction in Winfield at Urie M. Yoders. There is an Auction on the Hannes Yoder farm in Church Lane on August 20.
At last reports Christ M. Zook Sr. was better and attended church again. Wheat and spelt is threshed. Oats are being cut and shocked. Peaches and apples are starting to ripen. We already used up most of the Yellow Transparent apples. Should get onions, shallots, and garlic in from the garden. Onion and carrot seeds are ready to harvest and so is the volunteer dill. Had our first sweet corn and shell beans. It is hard to comprehend that by the next time I write another letter for The Valley, schoolhouse doors will be opening! Where has summer gone? Widower Eli S. Hostetler (65) is currently laid up at his dau. Martha, the Toby Swareys, in Port Royal. We wish him better days ahead. Mail will reach him at 16320 Rt. 75 S., Port Royal, PA 17082. We were blessed with a thundershower on Sunday night the 24th, bringing one inch of rain. Mon., July 18, Katie S. (Zook) Yoder, (wife of Christ D.), and 3 youngest children, had an accident when coming home on the spring-wagon. At the end of their lane, the horse spooked from a passing vehicle, which apparently tore a back-hold, resulting in a out-of-control, kicking horse. The horse tore loose from the springwagon, by the time he came to the buildings, and everyone was thrown off, except Ivan (9) who had jumped off. Understand they were all taken to Lewistown Hos-
pital. Katie and Christ D. Jr (10) were then taken to Danville. Jr came home that evening yet, and Katie later in the week. Katie has fractures in her upper face/forehead area and a bone in her foot. Franey (17) has bruises in the face, a very sore (but not fractured) knee and a bone broken in her right hand. They will need to take it easy for a while. Mail would be a pastime while they are laid up. Address is 900 Church Lane, Reedsville, PA 17084. Christ has been battling cancer, for a year, so it would be a day-brightener for him, too. Jeptha I. Yoder a
Remember the sick and sorrowing. Pray without ceasing. --Jeptha I. Yoder
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David Crockett born in, what is now Green Co., Tennessee
"King of the Wild Frontier" 1786 - 1836 1. Crockett represented Tennessee in this house of Congress? 2. Crockett was played by what actor in Disney's TV series? 3. Where did Crockett die at age 49? Quiz # 20010
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The Valley, August 2011
The Chicken AND the Egg! by Mike Flanagan
The Importance of Heritage Breeds (The Role of the ALBC and YOU!)
It wasn’t that long ago that nearly every home outside the villages, and many inside the villages, had a flock of chickens running around. If your parents don’t remember it, I’m sure your grandparents will. My parents used to tell me stories of growing up during the Depression, of soup kitchens and how people in the cities would stand in line for hours only to have the bakery tell them they were out of flour/bread. I remember my grandmother telling me how she could feed an entire family of nine with only half a chicken. Now, some may say that I am out there on the “lunatic fringe,” but I happen to believe this country is headed for another one of those depressions. And it will be worse this time. Do you realize that according to USDA statistics only about 1% of the
US population currently claims farming as their occupation? And nearly half of them are 55 or older. As Earl Pitts, American, says “Wake Up America!” America, no let me change that, the entire world currently faces a threat that many of you may not be aware of. It’s certainly not being pointed out in the mainstream media. That threat is depletion of the genetic stock of our food supply. In fact, this is such a severe concern that the United Nations and it’s aggregate membership have developed a plan to preserve the world’s animal genetic stock. According to their report over 20% of domestic animal breeds are on the verge of extinction. Some of you are saying, “So what.” Let’s look at the United States for instance. Do you realize that the store-bought
chicken you eat on a regular basis is from one breed of chicken? Virtually all of the storebought eggs you buy come from two breeds. And they aren’t breeds your grandparents would recognize. The meat birds are something called a Cornish X. The X is supposed to stand for “cross,” but I happen to think designating them as an “X” breed was an appropriate Freudian slip. They have been bred to grow to market size in only eight weeks! And Americans are partial to breast meat so they have been bred to produce over-sized breasts. Perdue brags that their chickens have 20% more breast meat. The problem is that these birds grow so fast their bones can’t keep up. So they just plop themselves in front of a feeder and eat. No exercise for
muscle tone, no insects for a complete diet. And they are grown in huge barns containing 20,000 to 30,000 growing literally wingto-wing. Most of them couldn’t walk even if they needed to get out of a burning barn. All those eggs, even Egglands Best, come from egg factories where hens are kept in 12”x12”x12” wire cages stacked 5 and 6 high. And the breed names ought to tell you something. White eggs come from what they call Production Whites and brown eggs come from what they call Production Reds. They lay for one year and then they get processed into more of your storebought chicken. Mmmm, yummy. Americans, as a society, have become so disconnected from the source of their food that they have absolutely no idea what
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real chicken or real eggs taste like. Have any of you done that egg test I referred to early in my ramblings? Here’s a reminder. Go buy yourself some REAL farm fresh eggs from a local farm, some place where the hens run free. Now, take two bowls and put them on the counter side by side. Crack a store bought egg into one and a farm fresh egg into the other. The store bought egg will seem pale and watery compared to the vibrant orange yolk of the local egg. There is so much more beta-carotene in a local egg that even the white will have a slight yellow tinge to it. Now, fry those two eggs up in a pan, but keep them separate and identified. Don’t ruin it with salt and pepper, you are after the real taste of the eggs now. Sit down and taste that store bought egg. Can’t taste it? Go ahead, take another bite. Eat the whole thing. Oh, there
Continued on page 25
The Valley, August 2011
30
Tracking Big Mother PA Spray or be fined by an antiques dealer
The long arm of the law came into the shop armed with a clipboard and a black light. She was searching for items of injury, protecting you, my fellow Pennsylvanian, from being bitten by a bug that might pop out of a pillow or quilt and feast on your flesh. This, apparently, is the duty of the State Department of Labor and Industry, which enforces the Bedding and Upholstery Law requiring all second-hand upholstered items to be sprayed with an approved pesticide to eliminate potential harm from insects hiding within. Further, items must be tagged to indicate they have been disinfected. For our local antiques and second-hand shops, that includes everything from a needlepoint pillow to a vinyl-seated chair to a quilt lined with batting. Pennsylvania—let’s call her Big Mother since she has our best interests at heart—will fine offenders who fail to spray. The fine cited was $100 per object, be it pillow or chair. The state inspector, newly assigned to the region, threw dealers into a tizzy in early May with visits intended to show she means business. Violations were issued; warning letters arrived. The upshot was that any dealer,
which in a place like Dairyland Antiques or Big Valley Antiques Center is dozens, must pay the state $60 for a permit to sell upholstered second-hand items. That is just for the first year. After that, it reduces to a more reasonable $20 per annum. The state permit is just the first fee, of course. The next involves purchasing the pesticide itself— two kinds are acceptable. Steri-fab fungicide, the most used, sells for about $30 per gallon on eBay, plus $18.75 shipping. The local thrift store, which sells items for charity, paid $153.70 for a five-gallon supply, lest they be fined $100 for trying to sell an unsprayed 50-cent pillow. The spray itself is known to cause shortness of breath and irritation of the skin and cannot be applied in the presence of customers during business hours. It spots certain fabric and vinyl and, if applied without care, blemishes adjacent woodwork, rendering objects unsalable. It must be applied liberally with a pressurized sprayer—another $50 to $100--because the pesticide must be jiggled and jaggled and generally shook up before spraying, not so much that the mixture works but so that the invisible green flakes in it will rise
to the surface and get onto the upholstery. In this way, the inspector’s light wand can prove that the object was actually sprayed. This leads to cost number four: the specially approved yellow tags, known as Law labels that indicate “contents disinfected.” These are the tags stating “under penalty of law this tag may not be removed except by the consumer.” They must be made of Dupont’s Tyvek or Van Leer’s Valeron. You can buy them in batches of 1,000—a number that will last most dealers 18 lifetimes—for a mere $140 or so if you locate a bargain site online. The Bedding & Upholstery Law is quite thorough; requiring those who spray to post their state permit in a visible location and keep a log of all items sprayed “including the date of the same and such record shall be available for inspection at any time by authorized representatives of the Department.” So informed, the lady who was spraying for other dealers at Big Valley Antiques quit the job. This news, of course, comes at a time when local antiques dealers are already struggling to make a living, since most of the fine folks in this region just don’t have the disposal income they once had to
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buy extras, even if they are good old unusual things. The majority of dealers at the two big malls in this area are taking in less than $500 a month from their spaces, because they buy and sell as a hobby. Some are actually trying to make a living at it, but you will notice that their vans are rusty and dented, and mostly they are in the business because their artistic eye for discovering objects was forged into an independent nature. They tried working for someone else, and it just did not work out. The result of the spray lady’s visits was that most dealers just threw up their hands and determined to get rid of all upholstered items. One dealer tore the seats off his chair frames. Others paid the extorted fee, but determined to buy nothing more with upholstery. You will soon see that no one wants to mess with buying and selling your second-hand couch, which is what your gorgeous walnut carved velvet upholstered antique settee is in the eyes of the law. The irony, of course, is that sagging recliners and cozy used couches are sold every day and all week long in the classified ads and at auctions and yard sales across the state without such regulation, apparently leaving millions of Pennsylvanians unprotected. If you are sitting on such a couch right now as you read this, may we suggest that you move to hard unpadded surface till your sofa can be adequately disinfected by a permitted sprayer on file with the state?
PASA from page 22 available at www.pasafarming. org/ccft. About PASA With over 6,000 members, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is one of the largest and most active sustainable agriculture organizations in the U.S. Through business support and regional marketing assistance for farmers, advocacy and public education, PASA seeks to promote profitable farms that produce healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment. PASA coordinates the Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local® campaign. For more information, visit www. pasafarming.org and http://www. buylocalpa.org. Contact: Kristin Hoy Phone: 814-349-9856, ext 11
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In conversations at various antiques shops, the inspector indicated that the bed bug scare has renewed urgency for these inspections. Bedbug complaints have originated in motels and hotels, often in major cities where travelers bring them with their luggage, and bedding is not sprayed nor covers cleansed between occupants. Bedbugs are nasty and invasive, and no antique dealer would desire to pass them on with the sale of a quilt or a settee. Protection is needed, but the people can protect themselves, as they do against any number of pests, by avoiding iffy used items or spraying secondhand purchases themselves. The problem with the state’s enforcement of its Bedding and Upholstery law is that it punishes a minority without adequately protecting the majority. It is another pocket-picking regulation aimed at the little guy who has no clout to complain. One could go a step further into this rabbit hole of potential injury and ask why a state so determined to protect its citizens from bug bites does not stand guard at each state park to slap the mosquitoes before they taste our blood? But then again, the mosquitoes are only getting a little taste. The majority has already been drained by the Big Mother PA herself. a
The office of government is not to confer happiness, but to give men the opportunity to work out happiness for themselves. --William Ellery
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The Valley, August 2011
Sweet Home Pennsylvania by Sarah Hurlburt
There is no better feeling than walking in your door after being away for a week! However, that is not to say that a week long road trip is not totally worth it. Recently my husband and I took the risk of being in the car with our three children for more than 10 minutes, and for those of you with children, we know this is a big risk. Others might ask, “what is the risk?” The risk is that your sanity may be seriously compromised by the end of the trip. In this case, fortunately for us, our kids did awesome. Other than a bad case of motion sickness and some road construction, it was very smooth sailing. I’m finding the older our children get the more fun a family vacation can be. A way to add a great dimension to your summer road trip is to plan trips to destinations where you have family or friends and stay with them. It’s wonderful to spend time with people you don’t get to see often and it’s also a great help to have them guide you to all the local “fun” spots to do and see neat things. Not to mention it sure beats a starchy hotel room. When you are extremely economical like myself, the hotel rooms you end up with have a lot to be desired. (Bedbugs, anyone?) Anyway, pulling off a fun family road trip is an awesome experience of family bonding time and well worth the effort it takes to do it if you have the means. We stayed with friends in Griswold, Connecticut this year and not only got to visit with them but got to see and experience new things. Mystic seaport was close by and
is now on my favorites list—what a beautiful spot. You can experience history and the present in a beautiful way there. The rocky coastlines and bustling seaports made for many breathtaking views. There is something amazing about standing and looking out over the ocean and realizing it’s vastness! There is something incredibly peaceful about watching a sail boat glide across the glassy surface. There is something awe inspiring about realizing what the historic seaports looked like and how they functioned. We may think we are “all that” with our modern technology, but I have to say that those before us and before our crazy “techy” society were incredibly intelligent, and I think much better at using their brains then we are now. (That was a strange little side note, but I felt it was “noteworthy.”) So from reflecting on the beauty to having fun ocean fishing, aquarium going, wave riding to sitting in standstill road construction traffic at 12 am, it was a perfect summer adventure with our kids! And coming home to Pennsylvania was all the sweeter. Pulling into your driveway never feels better and your bed is never more comfortable then that first day home from a trip. I’m just wondering if that’s what heaven will be like, that wonderful contented feeling of finally “coming home” after a journey and experiencing that perfect feeling of contentment for the adventures you shared on it. a
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The Valley, August 2011
32
Do you know how to tell an entrepreneur who is in his business because he loves it from one who just cares about bottom line? Find one that starts a business during a downward trending economy and does so successfully and without trepidation. I hadn’t really thought about that much since running a couple successful businesses with a partner back in the late 80s. I guess like everyone else my perception of
Curry Limousine Marketing Memories
From Staff Reports
mindset. Still though, old beliefs die hard, especially when those which you haven’t had to face straight on emerge. So, when I met Jeff Curry I was struck by his honesty and vision of starting a busiThe ever growing Fleet at Curry Limousine. ness that provided the reason to start a business was people with happy memories. profit potential that is greater than Jeff was giving his 10-minute the effort put forth. That is what once a year commercial to a happens when you get caught up group of fellow business people in modern material driven ideals. called CBN (Community BusiNow granted, I had consciously ness Networking) and no where eliminated those kinds of thoughts in his concept were there words over the last ten years in favor of like return, profit, budget, or any a more common sense sustainable other descriptive term that pointed
to bottom line. There was just the simple desire of wanting to provide people with positive lasting memories, and his belief that if he did indeed accomplish that, the rest would take care of itself. Now there is a guy who is going to go the extra mile to give you a once in a lifetime experience. He is 100% focused on his clients pleasure. Jeff put it this way: “About 10 years ago my siblings and I decided to rent a limousine and take our parents out for their 60th anniversary. I feel that one of the most important things you can do in life is to make memories with the people who are important to you. When I saw how surprised our folks were when that big stretch limo pulled up and what it meant to them, I knew we’d made the right decision. At that point I realized I wanted to be the guy who helped people make those special memories.”
“After eight years, and a lot of research, my wife Rose and I started the application process with the PA. Public Utility Com-
the business.” “Six months and several thousand dollars later we received our operating authority, and were able to start providing service. I targeted the obvious market; weddings, proms, birthday and anniversary celebrations, airport transportation, etc., and things were doing okay. However, it didn’t take long to realize I needed something bigger. Many wedding parties are larger than they used to be. My 120” stretch Lincoln wasn’t big enough for a lot of the
The behemoth 14 passenger Super Stretch Excursion has a 1000 watt stereo system and strobe lights. It is the perfect solution to big parties.
mission. I then flew to North Carolina and bought our first stretch limo. A few months later I found a Lincoln Town Car sedan in Maryland that I could use for
requests I was getting, so after a few more months of searching
Continued on page 37
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The Valley, August 2011
So What Do We Do With the Starch?
by Mary Anna Chenoweth
The process of cooking wheat actually results in two products: the wheat and the liquid that we cooked the wheat in. In the accompanying article we wanted you to drain the wheat over a container so you could examine the by-product of your efforts—wheat starch. Why? Well, you’ve got to figure out what to do with it (other than send it down the drain). What do we do? We added it to the compost bin. However, over time we’ve discussed several options, none of which we ever have had time to experiment with, so let’s throw them out there and see if they bear any fruit. If you put the cooking liquid in a jar and place it in the refrigerator (lest we grow monster mold) you’ll notice that over time the starch stays in suspension. It just doesn’t want to settle out. The idea of refining the starch to use in the care of clothing (remember starching and ironing shirts and handkerchief’s?) was one brain storm. Well, okay, maybe that’s not such a good one. How about reducing the
A jar full of the by-product of cooking your wheat, wheat starch.
liquid and whipping up a batch of homemade paste? Many of us probably have fond memories of the white wheat paste of our grade school days. It might turn into one heck of a project, especially for the kids. Efficient use of resources, home chemistry in action, having your wheat and pasting with it too! No? What about wallpaper paste? Wait, here’s one you’ll like. You know the “modified food
starch” in the ingredients list on processed foods? Why not use our homegrown, unmodified food starch the same way? You know, chuck it in the spaghetti sauce so it clings like, well, wall paper paste. You catch our drift here, don’t you? So, the next time you whip up a batch of wheat, take a long hard look at what you’re draining off and wrap some ingenuity around it. If we form a sort of “Valley” think tank maybe we can answer this most puzzling of life’s little questions, “So, what do we do with the starch?”
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The Valley, August 2011
34
Joanne Wills’ Contentment Quest The Spirit of Aloha
Part 1
A few weeks ago, I, accompanied by Rick and some of our family members, set out on a 5,000 mile journey to the island paradise of Oahu, Hawaii. It was a festive occasion that called us to the most remote place on Earth. It was for a most joyous celebration and union – Rick’s daughter’s wedding. She and her fiancé have lived among the palms and white sands for several years now, and we have had the pleasure of visiting the land of Aloha to spend time with them two previous times. This time however was different as we had four family members with us too (My sons,
my daughter-in-law, and Rick’s mom) – four people who had never journeyed to Hawaii and two of them had never traveled by air. Everyone was eager the get the trek started on the morning of our early departure. There was laughter and anticipation of the happy times the trip would likely entail. We arrived at the airport plenty early and got through security with ease – no long lines at the crack of dawn. We patiently settled in to await our departure time, and soon got news that our flight was delayed. After an hour and a half delay we finally boarded our flight enroute to Chicago O’Hare – the first leg of the
twelve hour journey. As we taxied for take-off, I glanced over at the two family members who were newbies to air travel. Their eyes were wide with anticipation and their hands were clutched to the arm rests as the jet engines revved in preparation for flight. Within seconds we were effortlessly in the air and climbing altitude. Everyone began to settle in and get comfortable to enjoy the first part of our journey. In a short period of time we landed in Chicago – on time, yet encountered a delay on the tarmac as the plane waited for a gate to become available. We departed the plane with just minutes to go before our next flight was to take off. Needless to say, I was feeling a bit apprehensive that we might miss our connecting flight. I quickly checked in with an airline attendant to get the lowdown – What gate was our flight departing from? Was there still time for us to board? If not, when was the next flight we could take?, etc. Turned out that we were on concourse “C” BUT our flight was departing from concourse “B,” which was a very long distance from where we were standing, and to top it all off, the airline had just completed the request for final boarding call. I don’t know if you’ve ever had the pleasure of standing in the
Chicago O’Hare airport, but let me tell you, it is like a city unto itself. Our situation looked very bleak as there was very little real
wouldn’t be able to get another flight out to Honolulu for several days. A dire situation could have gotten a lot worse if we weren’t
The weary yet happy travellers arrive in Paradise!
chance that we could possibly make our scheduled connection flight to Honolulu. I took a deep breath and began to delegate in hope that we could still possibly make our flight. I sent my sons and daughter-in-law running at top speed in the direction of concourse “B” and made sure all three of them had their cell phones
incredibly careful. With the kids way off in the distance sprinting at full tilt, I had then turned my attention to getting Rick, his mom, and I on the move too. Rick grabbed the entire group’s carryon luggage and efficiently strapped it over his shoulders. I grabbed his mother’s hand and told her we had to make our best effort to “run for
Blue sky and turquoise water were just breathtaking
in the event they’d get lost. And the last thing I wanted to have happen was that they would board the plane as we were left behind, because as luck would have it, we
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it!” His 79 year old mother got a tight grip on her cane and the three of us mentally prepared for a
Continued on page 37
The Valley, August 2011
Life in the East End by Rebecca Harrop
Hi, I’m Rebecca with another edition of “Life in the East End.” We’ve been having some very hot weather recently and it’s been hard on our calves. In the extreme heat if our calves get sick it’s hard to get them healthy again. So we make sure our calves have plenty of fresh water and good ventilation. Sometimes even with the best care we can give them, we still lose some. The past couple weeks we have lost a few. I hate to see that. I feel like I’m not doing as good of a job as I should. At least with our cow barn the cows are coping alright so far. We have huge fans in the barn, so that keeps the air moving which helps a lot. The heat does affect milk production. Some farmers are losing as much as 10 or more pounds of milk per cow a day. Dad says that as long as we can keep the cows healthy, we can get the production back later. My Pap raises rabbits and he has lost some of them because of the heat. I hope we get some rain soon so it cools down a little. The heat is also really hard on the crops. Dad says if the corn tassels when its too hot it won’t pollinate very good. Then we won’t have a good crop of corn in the fall. If we don’t get rain, our next cutting of hay won’t be very tall. The early cuttings were pretty good because of all the rain we had in the spring. August means it’s fair season. This year at the Mifflin County Youth Fair I will be showing a beef steer, a dairy feeder, and two pigs. I always enjoy showing my animals and working with them throughout the year. When I was little we would go to the fair to watch our brothers show and sell their animals. At the sale my sister and I didn’t understand why the guys, David & Brian Glick, by the sale ring would yell “YUP.” Our Dad later explained to us that when someone would bid they would yell so the auctioneer would know there was a bid. My sister and I called them the “YUP” guys, but our Dad told us they were called Ring-men, but we preferred “YUP” guys. Being involved in 4-H is a good experience for kids. It teaches responsibility, leadership and community service. I think
our county has one of the best 4-H programs around. We have some really great leaders who are concerned about the kids. They do everything they can to make sure the kids are prepared for fair and are doing what they need to have the best exhibits, animals, or projects they can. This year the fair will be held on August 8–13. If you want to support 4-H you can come to the livestock auction on Saturday, August 8 at 10:00 AM or the Open Show auction Saturday night at 6:00 PM. There is also a baked goods auction Tuesday night at 6:00 PM. I also am on the Open Show committee, which puts together that part of the Fair. I encourage everyone to consider entering something in the Open Show. We have classes for home grown vegetables, flowers, Baked or canned goods and all kinds of crafts. If you need information contact the Extension Office and they can help you. In July and August we start to find some of our corn fields and other farmers corn fields run through by vehicles. My Dad says it’s probably some kids running around at night. If you know anyone who does this to farmer’s fields, ask them not to. People who do this don’t realize that they are destroying the farmers profits. When they see a field of corn they just see corn, not all the hard work and money that the farmer has invested in that field of corn. They are very inconsiderate when they do this and are destroying personal property. It’s the same as if we would go drive through their yard and tear it up. One thing we learn very early on the farm is the importance of respecting personal property. My parents have always stressed the importance of respecting other peoples things and property. We should treat it the way we would want others to treat ours. It’s a good lesson to learn whether you live in the East End or anywhere. a
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The Valley, August 2011
36 The Good Grains from page 5 es aren’t that important. We tend to grow Hard Red Winter Wheat because that’s what gets grown around here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t grow, and use, other varieties as we see fit. Once you’ve gotten your grain, wash it before cooking. This is especially important when you buy in bulk and we wash even the cleanest, prepackaged stuff found in health food stores. As careful as they are, and on the whole these companies ARE careful, you still don’t know where it’s been—and don’t roll your eyes at this. Though it does not apply to the entire problem of food borne illness, it’s more than possible that quite a few people may not have gotten ill in the past few years it they’d simply washed what they bought at the store before they ate it. Oops, that’s an issue. I slipped up there. Sorry! However, it IS a good habit to wash your grains or dried beans before using them, just as you do produce. You DO wash your produce, right? Choose a bowl or pot that allows plenty of room and use lots of water and vigorous agitation. Pour off the surface water where chaff and other bits may be floating and use a sieve to catch any grain that wants to escape with the last of the water. Repeat until the wash water runs clean, (during the summer, produce wash water goes on our ginger pots, which makes for some very happy ginger). Now place your clean wheat berries in a glass or stainless steel bowl and cover with water. That means a bit more volume of water than you have kernels of wheat. In practical terms, one pound of wheat berries, which is about 2 1/2 cups, would need about 3 cups of water to cover. In “rule of thumb” terms that means the depth of the water over the grain should be enough that no grain sticks out (we’re talking about a quarter inch or so). Armed with new information, we now add apple cider vinegar to this soaking water and it does rinse off so the flavor is not an issue (thanks Sue). Cover, set aside, and soak over night. Come morning, drain and rinse. Chew a couple kernels and you will notice quite a bit of softening has already occurred. If you’re using the wheat in a soup or a stew that’s going to be cooking for at least a couple hours, you can add this soaked wheat. Otherwise, finish cooking the grain in a large pot (NO ALUMINUM OR NON-STICK) using twice as
much water than you soaked it with. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wheat splits and the starch rises in the liquid. This means that you should start checking the wheat after about an hour and a half and you will notice a thin white line of the inside grain is starting to appear along the seed dent, and the cooking liquid may seem a bit cloudy. Stir more often from now on and keep a tea kettle full of boiled water handy so you can maintain about a half an inch of liquid over the grain. Oh, and don’t forget to chew a couple of “berries” now and then to check on how they are coming along. At some point between two and three hours the wheat will have swelled into pillow-like kernels with the stuffing bursting out (the wheat is split) and the cooking liquid has become downright murky and a bit thick (the starch has risen). Drain the wheat in a sieve or colander set over a large container and rinse off any remaining starchy residue—a good use for the remaining hot water from the tea kettle but room temperature water is okay too. Chomp on a couple of grains and notice that there is still a bit of “al dente” in the wheat. Ta Da! Your first batch of cooked wheat is ready! Plop some in a bowl, add a bit of butter, a few grinds of pepper and do a taste test. Yummmmm! Wheat berries do take a good bit of time to cook. Barley and rice, for example, take much less time and energy to prepare. Using a pressure cooker to cut cooking time is mentioned in some books, so that’s a possible route to explore. If you use a wood burning appliance, you’re set when it comes to energy efficiency. But if you use electricity or natural gas, cooked wheat berries can still have a place on your table. Consider that the amount of time it takes to boil one pound of wheat is about the same as boiling five pounds (not that I’d recommend THAT much, as you’d need a caldron to cook it in). In addition, the TWO AND A HALF CUPS of wheat that you started with has become SIX CUPS of ready to eat grain. Cooked wheat will keep, covered, in the refrigerator most of a week. So cooking several pounds at once will not only save time and energy, it will give you a convenient ingredient at hand from which you can create a different dish each day—paella, wheat and bean casserole, wheat sautéed with onion-sausage and bell peppers, stuffing for turkey, wheat berries cooked with dried
fruit and maple syrup—the possibilities are endless. There is one further step that you can take with your cooked wheat berries to make them even more efficient to use. Turn them into Bulgar Wheat, a versatile and edible gift from the Middle East that is tailor made for the self sufficient kitchen. The first step is to take your cooked and well drained wheat, spread it on trays, and dry it. We use an electric food dehydrator, although we’ve also dried it on cookie sheets in a warm, dry spare room stirring it now and again (you know, there are plans available, out there, for building your own dehydrators). Air drying may take a couple of days and very low humidity is important. Our dehydrator, set between 120 and 140 degrees, can dry a batch (which in this case starts out with two pounds of wheat berries) in around nine hours. The 12 cups of cooked wheat dries to 6 cups, give or take. When it is rock hard dry, and I do mean rock hard dry, remove the wheat, allow it to cool, crack it, and store immediately in air tight containers kept in a cool, dry place. If at all possible, use a grain mill for the cracking since even a heavy duty blender may not be able to handle the wheat at this stage (chew a couple of grains of raw wheat and then—CAREFULLY—try a few cooked ones and you’ll see what we mean). I don’t recommend a food processor either, since the plastic work bowl will probably end up looking like it’s been sandblasted. Using a hand-cranked mill will allow you to choose how finely you crack your grain. Remember, you want to crack the dried wheat not grind it; we’re after pieces not dust. We like our Bulgar Wheat a bit larger than the commercial variety but a bit smaller than chicken scratch. For storage, we use large glass jars with canning lids. Bulgar Wheat will stay fresh for at least a year and usable much longer. Check out “our very own food preservation guru” Julie MacConnell, in the January, March, April and May issues for storage guidelines and much more. So what, you may ask, is the big deal about Bulgar Wheat? Why go to all the time and effort to hydrate the wheat only to turn around and dehydrate the stuff ‘til you could almost use it in a shotgun, and THEN go and crack it? Three words—freshness, storage, and convenience.
One of the difficulties in the long term storage of raw grain is that freshness and nutrients can deteriorate rapidly when it is stored incorrectly. Damage from insects can also be a difficult problem to guard against and those of us who have lost grain, beans or other dried foods to the little larval buggers know all too well how quickly a food supply can be rendered useless. The process of cooking, drying and immediately cracking and correctly storing the Bulgar Wheat will help to stabilize its palatability and nutritional value while guaranteeing that potential varmint never even make it to the starting line. Also, the more types of food that we can produce and store requiring little or no extra energy input (such as refrigeration or freezing) the better. Bulgar Wheat is probably one of the oldest convenience foods around. Although you’ll often use it in cooked recipes (same as the whole cooked wheat, only different!), it has the added advantage of becoming just as delicious and ready to eat by simply soaking it. This comes in handy for things like throwing it into soup at the last minute, making cool summer dishes like Tabouli, using it as a staple ingredient for P.H.M.’s (portable hiker meals), keeping us fed when fuel is scarce or nonexistent and so on and so forth. The basic guidelines are one part Bulgar Wheat to one part liquid, which is allowed to soak (covered is good) for fifteen to thirty minutes. The time will vary with how you cracked the wheat and the temperature of the soaking liquid, hot = shorter wait. Your yield will be twice what you started with dry. So the next time you’re asked, “What’s for supper?,” tell them, “WHEAT!” and see what you can make of this new/old staple! For more information try: “Small-scale Grain Raising” by Gene Logsdon, Chelsea Green Books. When it comes to getting the growing and use of grains back into our own hands, Master Logsdon is our High Lama. “The Craft of the Country Cook” by Pat Katz, Hartley & Marks, Inc. Did you get your copy yet? Check out the sections on drying food, wheat and grains plus many, many recipes. “Diet for a Small Planet” by Frances Moore Lappe, Ballantine Books. A must have CLASSIC for anyone who likes to cook, eat and be informed about some of the best ways to do both.
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If you’re interested in giving Bulgar Wheat a try, or whole cooked wheat, and can’t wait for next year’s harvest, check out the selection of whole grains at Nature’s Harmony on Belle Ave in Lewistown. Editors note: Be sure to see the related article by Mary Anna on page 33! a
The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse. --James Madison
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The Valley, August 2011 Curry Limo from page 32 months of searching I flew to Florida and bought a 14 passenger super stretch Ford Excursion limo. Now we can meet a wide variety
plete with all the luxuries you’d expect plus strobe lights and a thousand watt sound system, we can provide it.” Jeff and Rose operate Curry Limousine out of their home
Rose and Jeff Curry with their white stretch limo, which is particularly nice for weddings or a special night out on the town. of transportation needs. Whether you just need a ride to the airport, a traditional white stretch limo for a wedding, or one of the biggest, wildest SUV limos around, com-
Contentment Quest from page 34 sprinting fiasco. We took off fast and kept a great pace. I couldn’t believe it – his mom was keeping pace really well! We ran, and ran, and ran. We kept pushing through the crowds, hurdling the carts and luggage that got in our way, and climbing the escalators with ease. A few times it seemed as though
in Strodes Mills, Lewistown. They’ve been in business since Spring of 2010. Jeff has been an automotive technician and certified inspection mechanic for many his mom catapulted herself forward with her cane – like a trained Olympian. Finally, I glimpsed my oldest son in the distance frantically waving his arms. As we drew near I could hear him yell hurry Mom! They’re holding the flight for us! I was very thankful. We boarded drenched in sweat and heaving for our breath – but we boarded nonetheless! We were
years, and does most of his own maintenance. He also spent years driving tractor trailer, so he’s very familiar with the transportation industry, and feels quite at home behind the wheel. “I’d like to offer a few suggestions for anyone considering renting a limo:” “Make sure the limo service is licensed by the PUC. This ensures they are properly insured and are required to maintain certain vehicle standards.” “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A customer has the right to know what costs and services are involved. Don’t do business with someone who won’t take the time to answer all your questions.” “Don’t wait till the last minute to book a limo. If you do, you may not be able to get one for your special event. Many couples reserve a limo up to a year in advance. That way it’s one less thing they have to worry about at wedding time.” For more info, call (717)-2484877 or (717)-250-0085 or visit www.currylimo.com. a on our way to the island paradise. Nine and a half hours later our flight touched down in Honolulu, and we exited the airport to be greeted with a kiss of Hawaiian sunshine, a warm tropical breeze that enveloped us like a hug, and palm trees that swayed in the breeze like a hula dancer’s skirt. Shortly thereafter, we arrived at our hotel about a block
Dave & Denny Ranck
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from Waikiki beach. We all got settled in, rested briefly, and then meandered on foot around town for dinner and a bit of sightseeing. We spend two days in Honolulu/ Waikiki basking in the sunshine and enjoying the “sunshowers” (a fine mist rain that occurs sporadically throughout the day usually followed by a glimpse of a rainbow) before traveling by rental car to the famous “North Shore” Oahu—the surfing capital of the Pacific. After a long drive on a very busy freeway, we finally made it to our destination – Kei ‘iki Bungalows situated on the North Shore beach. We would be staying at the bungalows for four days along with other wedding guests—friends and family of the soon-to-be bride and groom. We were greeted by many old friends and new acquaintances, that by trip’s end, would feel just like family. We settled in then walked just a few feet to view one of the most spectacular beaches on Earth – the North Shore – with its waters of turquoise, navy and nearly purple; speckled with hills of lava rock jutting out into the sea; and all framed by a grove of tall majestic palms. The Pacific sun was setting low on the horizon like a huge golden globe dancing on the distant deep blue Pacific as the sky gave birth to a majestic color show of shades of blue, pink, purple, gold, orange, and red. As the setting sun disappeared into the sea, the surf sung a mesmerizing lullaby. At twilight, the tiki torches were lit and we all enjoyed food and conversation together for hours under a canopy of bright twinkling stars in the ebony night sky. For the next several days, everyone enjoyed the Pacific paradise, each other’s company, exotic foods tantalizing to the palette, and the opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. a Continued in next month's issue.
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The Valley, August 2011
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The Valley, August 2011
Notes
The Stewardship Group Value Oriented Service
Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk Monthly Committee Meeting Scheduled
The next committee meeting for the 2011 Mifflin Juniata Alzheimer’s Walk will be held on Thursday, August 4, 2011, 5:30pm, at South Hills School of Business and Technology, Lewistown. Volunteers are needed for subcommittees. Anyone interested in helping with the Alzheimer’s Walk should call Clay MacTarnaghan at (717) 437-1826. The committee will meet each month with the location rotating between Mifflin and Juniata counties. The Alzheimer’s Association’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on October 1, 2011 at Derry Park in Lewistown. Families, friends and individuals touched by Alzheimer’s from surrounding areas are invited to participate in this year’s event to raise awareness and funds to fight the disease. Log on to www.walktoendalz.kintera.org/mifflinjuniata to register. a
4417 East Main Street, Belleville
Hospital Offers Prepared Childbirth Class
The Family Place at Lewistown Hospital is offering a two-day Prepared Childbirth class on August 12, 2011 from 6:30pm – 9pm and August 13, 2011 from 9am –5pm. Classes will be held at Lewistown Hospital. This class covers topics including; pregnancy issues, labor review, medications available during labor, breathing and relaxation techniques, and care of Mom and her newborn after delivery. This class is to be attended by both mother-to-be and her labor partner(s). Registration is required. Call 242-7110 or register online at www. lewistownhospital.org under Classes & Events – The Family Place. The class is offered at no cost for women planning to deliver at Lewistown Hospital. a
Hospital Offers Safe Sitter Classes
The Family Place at Lewistown Hospital is offering Safe Sitter classes for girls and boys ages 11 - 13 on September 17 & 24, 2011. Class will be held from 9:00am to 4:00pm in Lewistown Hospital’s 6th floor classroom. The cost is $60.00 and includes a student manual and a backpack with babysitting supplies. The Safe Sitter program is a medically accurate instructional series that teaches young adolescents how to handle emergencies when caring for younger children. All medical information is taught by a professional. During the course, students get hands-on practice in basic lifesaving techniques including CPR and choking for infant and child so they are prepared to act in an emergency. The goal of the Safe Sitter program is to reduce the number of accidental and preventable deaths among children being cared for by sitters. Thousands of young adolescents across the country have been trained by Safe Sitter to handle life-threatening emergencies. Safe Sitter participants also receive helpful tips to make them more confident care givers. They learn safety and security precautions, such as what to do if a stranger comes to the door and when and how to call for help. They also receive information on child development and ageappropriate activities. To successfully complete the Safe Sitter program, the student must pass a practical and written test to show that they have mastered the key concepts and have the necessary skills to handle an emergency. For more information or to register, call 717-242-7110 or visit www.lewistownhospital.org under Classes & Events – The Family Place. a
Poor Will’s Valley Almanack from page 41 about nature. His organization of weather patterns and phenology (what happens when in nature) offers a unique structure for understanding the repeating rhythms of the year. Bill lives with his wife in Yellow Springs, Ohio. They have two daughters, Jeni, who is a psychologist in Portland, Oregon, and Neysa, a photographer in Spoleto, Italy. a
I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents. --James Madison www.thevalleynewspaper.com
The Valley, August 2011
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POOR WILL’S VALLEY ALMANACK for August of 2011 Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.... In August live on berries.... Be blown by all the winds.... Grow green with spring, yellow and ripe with autumn. Drink of each season’s influence as a vial, a true panacea of all remedies mixed for your special use. --Henry David Thoreau THE STARS August is the month of the Milky Way in the eastern early night sky. Cygnus the swan can be found there, its formation a giant cross. Below it is Aquila, spreading from its keystone, Altair, like a great eagle. Almost directly above you, Vega of the constellation Lyra is the brightest star in the heavens. Hercules stands beside it. June’s Corona Borealis and the huge Arcturus have moved to the west. An hour or two before sunrise, walk out and look to the east. Orion will be rising, in the same position he will be in on Christmas Eve. The Pleiades and Taurus will be almost overhead. Cygnus, the summer swan of August evenings, is setting in the northwest. THE PLANETS Venus passes from Gemini through Cancer into Leo this month still the morning star. Mars, rising in Cancer several hours earlier than Venus, precedes that planet in the east. Jupiter comes up in Aries before midnight and remains in the night sky, moving into the western half of the heavens near dawn. Saturn in Virgo lies along the western horizon at dusk. THE SUN Cross-Quarter Day, August
23, is the halfway point between summer solstice and autumn equinox. The sun enters Virgo on the same day. August subtracts about an hour and a quarter from the day’s length in Pennsylvania, but even though the night grows longer, the percentage of possible sunshine per day increases to the highest of the year. THE SHOOTING STARS The Perseid meteors appear in the east at the rate of one shooting star a second on the nights of August 12-14. The shower takes place an hour or so after midnight below the Milky Way in Perseus. The bright gibbous moon, however, will make it difficult to find these meteors. THE MOON AND THE WEATHER Tidal and lunar influences have been shown to be greater at full moon and new moon times. You might expect more trouble with your flock, herd, spouse, parents or children, therefore, on or about August 13 and 28. Since the moon may exert less influence on ocean tides and on human and animal behavior when it comes into its 2nd and 4th quarters, it might make more sense to transport your animals or perform routine maintenance on your livestock on or about August 6 and 21. Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods or prolonged periods of soggy pasture are most likely to occur between August 8 and 13 and between August 27 and 30. Frost is most likely, of course, as summer ends, and the August 27 - 30 window often burns tender plants all along the northern border with Canada, as well as at higher elevations in Pennsylvania. New moon on August 28 will increase the chance of frost at the close of the month, and full moon on August 13 increases the likelihood of hurricanes and thunderstorms around that date. AUGUST - WEEK 1 THE FIRST WEEK OF LATE
SUMMER LUNAR PHASE AND LORE The Ragweed Moon enters its second quarter at 6:08 a.m. on August 6. Rising after sunup and setting close to dusk, this moon will be overhead in the afternoon. Fishing and feeding of children and livestock are favored with the moon above you – making suppertime this week a good time for giving and receiving food – especially as the August 6 and 10 cool fronts approach. WEATHER PATTERNS The Dog Days usually continue this week of the year, the daily possibility of highs in the 80s and 90s remaining near July levels. However, August 3, 4, and 5 are the last days of the summer on which there is a 40 percent chance of highs in the 90s, and chances for highs in the 80s are steady at around 50 percent. Cool days do occur 15 to 25 percent of the years, and afternoons only in the 60s are occasionally recorded between August 2 and 11. Morning lows are typically in the 60s, although one fourth of the nights carry temperatures in the middle 50s. AUGUST – WEEK 2 THE SECOND WEEK OF LATE SUMMER LUNAR PHASE AND LORE The Ragweed Moon waxes throughout the early part of the week, becoming full on August 13 at 1:58 p.m. Rising in the evening and setting before dawn, the full moon is always overhead in the middle of the night. Fishing is favored after dark (around midnight) at full moon time, especially as the cool fronts of August 10 and 17 push the barometer down. Domestic violence and other crimes often rise under the full moon, but wholesome root crops like radishes, carrots and beets should thrive if seeded after the 14th. WEATHER PATTERNS Weather statistics remain relatively stable for this second week of the month: 50 percent
of the afternoons are in the 80s, 25 percent in the 90s and another 25 percent in the 70s. Rainfall is typically light, with the 9, 12, 13, and 14 carrying just a ten to 15 percent chance for a shower. With the arrival of the August 10 cold front, however, the 10 and 11 have a 40 percent chance for precipitation as well as the slight possibility of a high only in the 60s for the first time since July 13. The 10th through the 14th are more likely to bring evening lows below 60 degrees since June. And within the next seven days, lows reach into the 40s fifteen times more often than they do during the first week of August. AUGUST: WEEK 3 THE THIRD WEEK OF LATE SUMMER LUNAR PHASE AND LORE The Ragweed Moon wanes throughout the week, entering its final quarter at 4:55 p.m. on August 21. Although most of the ragweed from the South has dissipated by this time of the month, new waves of ragweed pollen continue to arrive from the North until the Monarch Butterfly Moon (new on the 28th) waxes into September. Rising well after dark and setting near midday, this gibbous moon will lie overhead after 12:00 a.m. Fishing and post-midnight snacking are favored with the moon overhead, especially as the cool front of August 24 approaches. The darkening moon also favors harvest and the planting of rows of late radishes and fastgrowing greens. WEATHER PATTERNS The weather in the third week of August is relatively stable, bringing highs in the 90s on 15 to 20 percent of the afternoons, milder 80s fifty-five percent of the time, and cool 70s the remaining 25 percent. The 19th of the month, however, breaks from the pattern many years, and it has the highest frequency of 90s (35 percent chance) of any other day in the week. Chances for rain increase
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from 25 percent at the beginning of the period to 30 percent by August 21, then drop abruptly to just ten percent on the 22nd. AUGUST: WEEK 4 THE FOURTH WEEK OF LATE SUMMER LUNAR PHASE AND LORE The Ragweed Moon continues to wane until it becomes the new Monarch Butterfly Moon at 10:04 p.m. on August 28. Rising near dawn and setting around dusk, the new moon will move overhead in the middle of the day – making midday the best lunar time for fishing (but the worst time for dieting). New moon on the 28th is expected to intensify the effects of the August 29 cool front: expect the very first chance for frost (but only five-percent chance) in the middle of next week. The dark moon continues to favor harvest and late seedings of greens and radishes. It should also help puffball mushrooms to swell in the cool, damp nights. WEATHER PATTERNS This is the week that frost becomes possible in the northern states; snow even occurs at the upper elevations in the Rocky Mountains and in Canada. Here in Pennyslvania, the third major high pressure system of the month brings chances for highs in the 70s a full 40 percent of the time on August 24, the first time since July 6 that odds have been so good for milder weather. As that cool front moves east, the period between August 25 and August 27 usually brings a return of warmer temperatures in the 80s or 90s. The 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th each carry a 30 percent chance of highs in the 90s, and the 25th and 26th are the last days of the year on which there is only a ten to 15 percent chance for mild weather in the 70s. On the 28th, however, the final cool wave of August approaches, and even though chances for 90s remain strong, the likelihood for chilly highs
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The Valley, August 2011 only the 60s or 70s jumps to 30 percent. August 30 is typically the coldest day of the month, and it brings a 50 percent chance for a high just in the 70s, the first time chances for that have been so good since the last day of June. Nights in the 40s or 50s continue to occur an average of 40 percent of the time, and the morning of the 29th brings the slight possibility (a five percent chance) of light frost, for first time since the beginning of June. Chances for rain are typically 35 percent per day now, with the exception of August 28, on which date thunderstorms cross the region 65 percent of the years in my record. The 25th and 26th are usually the sunniest days this week. A DAYBOOK FOR AUGUST August 1: Six thunderstorms usually occur in August. They are most likely to occur on the hot afternoons between the 1st and the 11th. Total precipitation is usually a little less than in July. The days with the most precipitation are usually the 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, 18th, 19th, 21st, and 28th. The driest days: the 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 22nd. August 2: By the first week of August, the first Pennsylvania blackberries are black, just as the earliest pods of the touch-me-not burst at the slightest movement and potato diggers dig summer potatoes. August 3: When green acorns fall to the sweet rocket growing back for next year’s flowers, then black walnut trees will have lost about a third of their leaves and hummingbirds, wood ducks, Baltimore orioles and purple martins start to disappear south. August 4: August is the beginning of lawn seeding and sodding time, and time for band seeding alfalfa on many farms in the central states. Smooth brome grass, orchard grass and timothy are also planted now. It’s also time to make preparations for the seeding of winter rye. August 5: Continue to increase grain to the animals that you’ll show this August in order to improve their coats and general condition. Schedule hoof trimming for a week to two weeks before you show your animals. And keep talking to them. August 6: The moon comes into its second quarter today, filling Late Summer fruits and vegetables with moisture as it grows toward full moon on the 13th. Lunar conditions for pet and livestock care are ideal today. Animals should be a bit less skittish, and slightly easier to approach and
work with. August 7: August and September are soil-testing months - both for your fall and winter garden as well as for the fields in which you intend to sow winter wheat and rye, alfalfa, clover and timothy. Plant or renew pasture in September or October for April and May. August 8: When you see wild cherries are half ripe, then start hickory nut hunting and check to see if hemlock loopers are out eating up all your hemlocks. Then gather great mullein leaves for herbal potions. August 9: When bittersweet has golden berries, then oak skeletonizers are eating the oak leaves. August 10: In the perennial gardens, red, white, and violet phlox, golden and purple coneflowers, bright helianthus and pale Resurrection lilies define the season of Late Summer. Along the roadways, beds of white boneset have come into bloom beside June’s blue chicory and silver Queen Anne’s lace. August 11: Second-brood corn borers, second-generation bean leaf beetles, and rootworm beetles still work the fields. Banded ash clearwings attack local ash trees. Sodding and seeding of the lawn is often done now before the cool growing time of fall. August 12: Goldenrod is turning. Rose pinks and great blue lobelia color the waysides. Cottonwoods are yellowing. Buckeyes hold heavy on their branches. Green acorns fall to the sweet rocket growing back among the budding asters. August 13: Full moon today could make livestock, children, parents and significant others more difficult to handle. On the other hand, shrubs and trees should be quite cooperative if you set them in between now and new moon on August 28. August 14: The major months of seasonal change - September, December, March, and June - are also excellent times to vaccinate animals. Change can bring weather extremes as well as stress, so you will be taking care of routine health matters at the most important times of the year. And if it’s good for your goats, it may also be good for you! August 15: When the violet Joe Pye weed flowers become gray like the thistledown, then peaches, processing tomatoes and peppers are almost all picked, and the fruit of the bittersweet ripens orange. August 16: The third week of August is the week in which the Judas trees often show their color, bright orange in the otherwise sold green of maples. It is the
week that elms, box elders and catalpas start to wear thin, and showers of black walnut leaves foretell autumn. Buckeye leaves are browning under the high canopy. Patches of scarlet have appeared in the sumac, Virginia creeper and poison ivy. Ash, wild grape, redbud and cottonwood can be yellowing from the heat. Tree of heaven, locusts, poplars, buckeyes, catalpas and box elders fade in the sun (and sheep and goats often begin estrus cycling) as the day’s length approaches fourteen hours. August 17: Spicebush berries redden in the woods, and goldenrod is turning everywhere. Velvet leaf, jimson weed, prickly mallow, wild lettuce, iron weed and wingstem are in full bloom, and puffball mushrooms emerge among spring’s rotting stems and leaves. Mallards, whip-poor-wills, cedar waxwings and catbirds follow the signs of autumn south. The chances for snow and frost increase at higher elevations. Humidity, however, builds up at lower elevations and in the central and southern regions, and heat in the 80s and 90s is still the rule. August 18: Mums appear in the dooryards. The red stonecrop pushes out. In cool shade of the woods, and along the rivers, leafcup is the dominant flower, almost the only one in bloom. Orange dodder spreads across the tattered black raspberry bushes. August 19: The heat stays, but the rhythm of Late Summer has shifted, the tones have been altered, colors and sounds and scents all pointing to September. The katydids are in full chorus after dark. The smell of the wind is becoming more pungent, sweeter, sharper as the vegetation evolves. August 20: When red leaves appear on the Virginia creeper in central Pennsylvania, then snow threatens in northern Canada. And when your telephone wires fill with migrating birds, then the rice crop is close to harvest stage along the Gulf. August 21: The moon enters its final quarter today, continuing to favor seeding late root crops and harvest all across Pennsylvania. August 22: Today is CrossQuarter Day: it marks the halfway point to autumn equinox (only six and a half weeks away). CrossQuarter Day also is the average date for the strongest cool front of Late Summer. Frost season opens above the Great Lakes, and snow will soon be falling in the Rocky Mountains. August 23: When watermelons are ripe and firefly season comes to a close, then cut the last of your
oats and put in your fall peas. August 24: Redheaded woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, house wrens, scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, eastern bluebirds, robins, grackles, and black ducks start to follow the signs of approaching autumn south. August 25: Lizard’s tail drops its leaves into the lakes and rivers. Beside the deer paths, the undergrowth is tattered and cluttered with the remnants of the year. The last fireflies are flickering. August 26: Pickle season is often coming to a close, and peach picking may be done as well. Grapes are about to come in, and elderberries are deep purple and sweet for picking. August 27: In addition to the increase in the length of the night, the average amount of cloud cover begins to grow as fall approaches. Hormonal fluctuations take place in livestock, as well as in humans, when these events occur. August 28: New moon today is expected to intensify the last cold wave of the month. Frost is likely in the northern states and at higher elevations. As the moon waxes, put in your viola and pansy seeds for spring flowers. Plant your fall peas. Put out the last cabbage, kale and collard sets. Seed the lawn. Gather up the winter squash plants as their stems dry, leaving about two inches of stem on the fruit; store in a cool, dry location. August 29: Purple pokeweed berries shine through the undergrowth. Hickory nuts are lying on the woodland paths. Burs of the panicled tick trefoil hang to your pantslegs. August 30: Wood nettle has gone to seed, and August’s menacing ragweed is becoming old and empty. Along the freeways, the umbels of Queen Anne’s lace, so bright through Middle Summer, are contracting and darkening. August 31: Autumn plantings of lettuce, spinach, turnips, beets, and radishes should be well developed by now. Most first and second plantings of beans have been harvested. Pumpkins are almost full size, some turning. Winter squash is almost mature. WATCHING FOR SEPTEMBER When I get up before five these mornings, I sit by my window, and I feel the fall moving toward me. Outside, there is no wind; the yard is quiet. The trees and flowers are motionless. The early summer chorus of birds has almost ended. Only a cardinal and a bullfrog sing off and on. Sometimes, the jays are nervous and whine in the trees. Sometimes, I hear crows across town.
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The katydids stopped calling in the middle of the night. It is too early in the day for cicadas and bees. The August crickets are still growing up; they won’t chant for a few days. I can’t decide whether the shift in the season has followed the silence or preceded it. I don’t know if my perceptions are real or imaginary. Maybe I’m just restless. It’s been hot since the end of May. The heat wears me down like it wears down the garden and animals, draws life from the pond and the brain. Of course the varieties of blooming plants are different now from what they were a few weeks ago, and the tint of the leaves has deepened in some places, faded in others. There is a haze to the sky; it builds up through the sluggish fronts of Late Summer. Maybe that lack of clarity is what tells me the earth has shifted on its axis, that it is turning back toward the sun for winter, that I have run out of summer one more time without having kept the promises I made to myself in April. I have often tried to list the births and deaths of flowers and insects that define the shift to autumn. But I have never looked closely enough, have not watched or listened or thought carefully enough, and so the emotions of August can come over me quickly and hard, and I listen in the stillness, trying to understand what has happened, wishing I had paid closer attention, thinking maybe if I really understood the process better, then I wouldn’t feel so bereft at the end. But no matter how many notes I take, I know that when the birds are quiet in the morning and the wind stops blowing, I am at the end of one more cycle of planning and longing, and then I can’t help repeating the same questions I asked a season ago: What next? What should I do now? Will there be enough time? Where do I go from here? How can I make amends for what I haven’t done? Whom should I still love? What does it matter? Copyright 2011 – W. L Felker Bill Felker has been writing nature columns and almanacs for regional and national publications since 1984. His Poor Will’s Almanack has appeared as an annual publication since 2003, and his weekly radio essays are broadcast on National Public Radio’s WYSO from Yellow Springs, Ohio. Bill’s website, www.poorwillsalmanack.com, contains weekly updates and a sizable bank of information
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The Valley, August 2011
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2011 “Parade of Ponds” Announced
of Ponds. This is a self-guided tour beginning from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and featuring beautiful ponds, streams, bogs and waterfalls. Mifflin County Pond Club members will be available at their ponds ready to share the positive attributes of water gardening. This will be a great opportunity for anyone wanting to learn about water gardening or gather ideas or information about Koi, goldfish and water plants and other water features. Whether you are just looking for a fun way to spend a SatA cool peaceful oasis, right in your own urday out in the backyard. It is possible, and easier to do Mifflin County than you might think. Come join the Parade of Ponds and bring your questions and community, or you imagination. are searching for the perfect addition to your own landscape and want landscape. Just imagine being some fresh, new ideas; mark your able to relax, unwind and spend calendar for this event. Passes are true quality time with friends $8 per person in advance and $10 and family in your own beautiful per person on tour day. All proparadise in your own backyard! ceeds benefit Rescue Our Furry Coming up on August 13, Friends. 2011, twelve area residents are Dwayne and Fran Shirk of participating in the 2011 Parade Many people find the sound of a babbling brook or quiet flowing stream to be relaxing. Watching the ebb and flow of the tide at the beach or the rushing of a waterfall can be therapeutic and rejuvenating. It is not surprising that many homeowners have chosen to add water gardens to their
Milroy have two well-landscaped ponds featuring whiskey barrel waterfalls and wonderful plant variety. Several homes in Reedsville have waterscapes featured on the tour. Bill and Sharon Phillips have installed a great new 4000 gallon Koi pond with a gravity flow filtration system and added bog area. Doug and Sue Gardner’s new 1800 gallon pond creation features a 20 foot winding stream. Don’t miss the spectacular view from the deck of Roy and Rachel Bush’s 800 gallon water garden. Jack and Karen McCurdy have a newly installed bog filtration system providing crystal clear water for their pond with streams and center stone planting island. Scott and Kathy Pecht have also added a new bog filtration bringing additional space for water plants in their 4000 gallon pond with a new pier, pond art, a stream and more lovely features. Scott and Joann Smith’s double pond of over 2000 gallons has waterfalls, a new bog area and a large variety of water plants, gold fish and Koi. Burnham couple, Jon and Jeannie Bush can sit on their covered patio and enjoy their 1800 gallon
Chiropractic and Children by Dr. Joseph Kauffman
“Take my baby to the chiropractor? No way!” “Why would you need to adjust a baby or a child?” “You’re not going to crack my kid!” That is how many people think. One of the mottos in our office is that Chiropractic is safe and effective for people of ALL ages. That includes babies and children, especially. One of the most traumatic events that takes place in our lives is being delivered out of the womb. Babies born naturally are often birthed by the obstetrician pulling them out by the head or upper back. In most cases, the first neck misalignment occurs here. In the cases of a C-section, the obstetrician pulls the baby out by grabbing the head, arm or leg. In some cases, the part being pulled is misaligned from the joint. Taking your child to the chiropractor will enable him/her to get checked to verify if one of these things have occurred. Chiropractic care for the infant is not only important for the overall health and wellbeing, but also helps in treating issues such as colic, SIDS, ear infections and gas and belly pain, just to name a few. As the baby grows, things
may happen by accident. The baby may roll off the changing table or fall as they are learning how to walk or do things that appear to be fun. but may create misalignments in the back, such as sliding down the steps on the butt. Children also benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractic can help them with injuries attained from sports, falls, growing pains, posture-related problems while in school, scoliosis and accidents. Secondary issues such as bedwetting, ADHD or other learning conditions, asthma, allergies and digestive problems can be helped as well. Colic is a condition in young infants characterized by an unusual amount of crying. When they cry, they may draw their arms and legs toward their bodies as though they are in pain and may even turn bright red. Colic usually appears between the 3rd and 6th week after birth and is typically resolved by the time they are 3 months old. Although no one is certain what causes colic, there are a number of things that likely contribute, such as an immature and irritated nervous system, food sensitivities
and gastrointestinal upset. The theory that an irritated spine may contribute to colic is supported by the frequent improvement in symptoms with gentle chiropractic adjustments. Because the birthing process is very stressful on the neck of a newborn, it is very common for there to be several misalignments in the neck and back that can irritate the tiny and delicate nervous system. If your baby suffers from colic, seek regular chiropractic care, especially during the first four months. Almost half of all children will suffer from at least one middle ear infection (otitis media) before they’re a year old, and two-thirds of them will have had at least one episode by age three. The symptoms of otits media include ear pain, fever, and irritability. For many children, it can become a chronic problem, requiring treatment year after year, and putting the child at risk of permanent hearing damage and associated speech and developmental problems. There is either a reduced or blocked drainage of the lymph vessels in the neck lymphatic chains that causes a build-up of
fish pond with a 35 foot stream and romantic foot bridge. A beautiful place to escape! Moving along the tour from Burnham to Lewistown you will find Ron and Janet Wilson’s gazebo provides a relaxing spot from which you can admire their meticulous landscape and the 75 foot stream that flows into a 7000 gallon pond with a new bog and many water plants. Jeff and Sue Koontz’s mature Koi pond with water plantings creates a fabulous greeting as you round their circular driveway. John and Desiree Frymyer’s natural design Koi pond with mature plantings and stream feature new creative antique mill stone. While the 2009 Pond tour featured a number of the same benefits from developing and maintaining a pond and various other waterscapes, the 2011 tour has an added point of interest, the new bog filtration systems. This interesting aspect of water gardening creates optimum water quality for plants and fish within your pond. Gardens with the bog filtration systems can be viewed at the Frymyer, Pecht, Smith, McCurdy and Wilson ponds. Many gardeners are conscious of preservation of natural resources
and would, therefore, find Rain Harvesting interesting and beneficial. The Wilsons have two 1500 gallon cisterns and harvest the water from both their garage and house roofs. They have a pump that automatically fills the pond when it gets below a certain level. They also use the saved water for flower beds and other needs. Ron Wilson hopes to someday use his saved water for household use as well. Roy Bush’s garden has a rain barrel save water. Scott and Joann Smith have two rain barrels supplied by the roof gutters on both sides of the house and use the water to fill the pond when needed. Touring these delightful ponds will help you see and feel the benefits of a well maintained back yard habitat and will encourage you to design and develop your own oasis of calm and peace. A bonus to the day, as with the 2009 tour, all proceeds from passes sold, go directly to Rescue our Furry Friends. You can enjoy the day and feel good that you are helping to care for a lost, neglected or abandoned dog, cat or bird that is being fostered until it finds its forever home! a
fluid in the inner ear or a loss of normal function of the small muscle at the opening of the Eustachian tube in the throat that allows bacteria and viruses from the mouth to enter the inner ear. A natural approach would be to restore normal drainage of the ears and neck lymphatics. This is most effectively done through chiropractic. The eardrum and a small tube is placed in the opening. This opening helps to relieve the pressure in the ear and prevents fluid buildup. After a couple of months, the body pushes the tube out and the hole closes. Although the treatment is often effective, it does not address the underlying cause of the infection, which is the abnormal mechanical functioning of the lymphatics, muscles and nerves. If your child experiences recurrent ear infections, it is important that you talk to your chiropractor. Doctors of chiropractic are licensed and trained to diagnose and treat patients of all ages and will use a gentler type of treatment for children. By helping to restore the normal function of the tissues of the neck, otitis media can usually be significantly reduced or completely eliminated in most children, without the use of antibiotics and surgery. Bedwetting is stressful for everyone involved. Lack of
bladder control can cause embarrassment, shame, and interfere with normal social development. All of the causes of bed-wetting are not fully understood. There are children whose bladders are underdeveloped for their age and who have difficulty recognizing when their bladder is full. This is much more common in children under four years of age. If a child, who had been dry at night for a period of time - weeks or months suddenly starts bed-wetting again, this may be a sign that something is wrong. Most often this happens when some form of stress is in the child’s life: a new baby in the home, moving to a new neighborhood, or a divorce. Bedwetting may also be a sign of physical or sexual abuse or some other disease process. If your child wets the bed after having been dry at night in the past, it is important that they be seen by a doctor.
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Continued next month Editors note: Join Joe each month to learn all about Chiropractic and Your Health. a
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The Valley, August 2011
Polyface Farm Field Day by Andrew Crosby
Greetings readers. My name is Andy Crosby and I live in Reedsville, Pennsylvania. I love agriculture, learning, and hopefully writing. There are several days in a person’s life that they will always remember and I would like to share one. My father and I attended the Polyface Farm Field Day in Swope, VA on Saturday, July 9th. The 550 acre farm sets against the western ridge of the Shenandoah Valley, 15 miles southwest of Staunton, Virginia. Polyface Farm is owned by the Salatin family and has come into national attention for use of sustainable agricultural practices. Joel Salatin, noted author, farmer, and defender of small scale farming, is a co-owner of the farm, and the major speaker of the day. If you are not familiar with Polyface Farm, I have included the homepage to their website which describes the mission of Polyface Farm (http://www.polyfacefarms. com/). Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, localmarket farm and informational outreach in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. We produce: Salad Bar Beef, Pigaerator Pork, Pastured Poultry (Eggs, Broilers, Turkeys), Forage-Based Rabbits, Forestry Products We are in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture. Writing, speaking, and farm tours offer various message venues. It was a foggy, cool morning upon arrival to Polyface Farm. Pulling into the parking field, I quickly noticed that I “wasn’t in Kansas anymore.” Automobiles with tags from North Carolina, Arkansas, New York, Rhode Island, and Canada filled the parking lot. Bumper stickers ranged from “Don’t tread on me” and “NRA” to “Obama 2012” and “Have you Hugged a Tree Today” parked side by side. Their owners in search of solutions to the same issue: growing safe, healthy food. The sun quickly burned up the foggy mist and approximately 1800 people from all walks of life strolled through slightly muddy
trails learning sustainable methods available in small scale farming. For attendees who needed assistance, a hayride was available. “Sustainable as possible” agriculture practices lie in the heart of the Polyface Farm mission. Like many farmers, the Salatin family believes in using the materials at hand when building structures
which is anaerobic (without oxygen) gets several inches high, the hay trough is cranked to a higher level. Some grains, such as corn, are added to the manure as incentive for pig rooting. At the end of the dormant season, the cattle are turned back out to the pasture. The pigs are brought into the lean-to and root through the compost for bugs, worms, and kernels of grain. The process of rooting introduces oxygen into the compost making it aerobic (with oxygen). After the pigs have rooted thoroughly, the compost will be scooped and applied to the pasture with a manure spreader. In addition to increased organic matter to the pasture, the farmer has saved from having decreased industrial fertilizer inputs. For beef cattle production, the Salatin family uses a mutually, beneficial system which includes beef cattle and chickens. The first process of this Experience the satisfaction of knowing your food and your farmer, build- symbiotic relationship is called MOB stocking. ing community. We are your clean With MOB stocking, cattle meat connection. are placed on a small area of pasture surrounded by a strand and accessories. By using rough of electric wire. When the forage cut lumber, milled from the farm, is low (about 3 inches), the cattle the structures have less cost and are moved daily to new location. therefore lower property taxes. The cattle are rotated to the same The Salatin family also believes location every 24 days. Benefits in building movable structures of MOB stocking include pasture that can be easily moved to rented aeration, higher concentration of farms. The non-fixed, movable structures do not apply to property manure vs. low cattle-to-pasture grazing, and decreased weed taxes. growth. Two to three days later, The most interesting agriculpasture-based chickens (layers tural model used on the farm was and broilers) are brought in to the Pigerator composting process. This process adds natural fertilizer spread fertilizer by digging fly larvae out of the cattle manure. to the pasture and has contributed an increase of soil organic matter The Salatins practice two from 1% in 1982 to 8% today. models for growing egg-producThe increase in soil organic matter ing chickens (layers): pasture makes the pasture more drought fencing and egg-mobile. The pasresistant. The Pigerator facility is ture fencing model uses a mova $4500 hay shed with 2 lean-to able Featherlite fence surrounding sides. Each lean-to contains a a quarter acre of pasture. In the wall of vertically controlled, hand middle of the corral, a movable cranked hay troughs. During layer house provides shelter and the pasture dormant season, the bedding for about 100-200 Corcattle are kept in the lean-to and nish-cross chickens. Two Peking produce 50 pounds of manure per ducks provided security against cow per day. When the compost, predators. The egg-mobile model
consists of a movable, towable structure that provides shelter and protection to laying chickens. Of the two methods for layer production, the pasture fencing method is best suited for farms with less than 50 acres of pasture. Meat producing chickens (broilers) and turkeys are also pasture raised. Please refer to the listed references to learn more about these enterprises. The provided, noontime lunch consisted of Polyface-raised chicken, beef, pork, apricots, cucumbers, and organic sweet tea. My father and I spoke to attendees from Michigan, Texas, D.C., and New Zealand. One of the most interesting stories we heard was from a couple who has raised chickens for years for agribusiness giant, Tyson and was looking to take their own share of the chicken market. During the lunch hour, we also visited with the vendors including representatives from the Farm-Legal Defense Fund. In the afternoon, my father attended the rabbit production seminar and I attended the marketing seminar hosted by Joel’s daughter-in-law, Sherri. She found her niche on the farm as the family’s product marketer. Polyface Farm’s markets include restaurants, retail sales, and a buying club. An early and important topic
USDA-approved processing facility. Exemptions for this regulation are allowed only by permit. Contact a USDA meat-inspection representative for further information. Sherri started the Polyface Farm Buying Club in 2001 with 30 families and now sells to 5,000 families. Because the Salatin family believes in locally grown food, Polyface Farms will only ship within 4 hours of Swope, VA for restaurant, retail, or buying club orders. Regional host customers, receiving a 5% discount, agree to have buying club customers pick up sales 8 times a year. Customers are given the deadlines for orders and dates of regional pickups in the annual newsletter. Almost all communication with buying club members is via email, and date reminders are emailed to customers several days prior to pick-up. Other highlights of the marketing talk included when to call on your customers and being persistent. Sherri also emphasized the importance of understanding, communicating, and respecting your customers. Lastly, Sherri discussed the computer software she uses when making orders including Zen-Cart, AAATEX shopping cart integrator, and iContact Newsletter. Overall, the Polyface Farm Field Day was an educational experience that I will not soon forget. I was also glad that my Dad invited me along to share the day with Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farm in Swope him. If you have VA the chance to go, I would highly recommend covered during the marketing talk it. regarded USDA meat-inspection Andrew Crosby is a native of Kenrequirements. In a nutshell, the tucky and 5th year, proud resident USDA regulations state that of the state of Pennsylvania, growers can sell directly to end Mifflin County, Big Valley, and consumers, but when selling meat Reedsville/Milroy community. a to restaurants or grocery stores, the meat must be processed in a
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The Valley, August 2011
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