The Valley - June 2011

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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. 6

The Valley, June 2011

Complimentary

Reedsville Farmers Market Get Vocal- Buy Local

On a recent trip down south to North Carolina for some R&R we noticed a program that the state was involved in promoting local business. Get Vocal~Buy Local was plastered all over billboards and business signage.

I decided on the spot that I was going to steal that phrase as it so perfectly fit into our concept here at The Valley.

It only stands to reason that if people from the community keep their shopping local and support local business that the local economy will thrive. This is something that the Amish have understood for a long time, and a lesson the rest of us can learn from if we want our current way of life to survive.

Do most of you know that when you sit down to eat, the food on the average Americans plate

Farmer’s Markets offer local produce that is often only hours from being harvested.

has traveled 1,500 miles before ending up in front of you? Do you know that hamburger patty you pressed for dinner contains the meat of hundreds of cows in it?

whelming desire Or that most committee to ensure only the best to access food that of the fruits we product. tastes good again. buy today were The Farmers Market rules for sellpicked while A group of ers is fairly straight forward. still immature dedicated foodies

1) Vendors and products must and will never in Reedsville are come from within a 50 mile radius taste like an making it a litof Reedsville. apple or peach tle more easy to

2) This is a producer only that is plucked purchase locally market. If you sell it, you must off the tree produced foods and be the one growing or producing and eaten right goods that not only it. You may not go to the auction away. We have will taste better and and then bring your food here for all sold out our be better for you, resale. In the event of crop failure, safety, and the but at the same freeze, or other calamity they will freshness of time will give a allow vendors to purchase 20% local produce boost to the local of their total annual product from for so-called economy and help other farmers to ensure market convenience. your neighbors who customers have variety and conproduce the food.

It hasn’t tinuity. All products purchased Matt Yoder, Bart must follow the 50 mile policy. been an abrupt The center of Reedsville is now home to a locally grown Farmer’s Market Ewing, Sharon change, but

3) No crafts, artwork, or flea Long, and Audrey rather a creeping market items allowed. Products all of those food recalls over the Gay Rodgers are the commitchange that started in the 40s and made from wool from your own last ten years WERE government tee of four that will bring The 50s and has accelerated in the last sheep, soap, alpaca products, etc. inspected food, nice job USDA. Reedsville Farmers Market to decade or so as more and more are allowed. Questionable prodThe fact of the matter is that the downtown Reedsville this year. people have lost touch with where ucts will be handled on a case-bycloser you are to where your food The market will be centered at their food comes from. I have case basis. is grown and produced, the safer the lights in Reedsville on both heard the stat a hundred times that you will be and the more control Continued on page 36 sides of the street to we are only three generations reand information you will have to accommodate the moved from the land, but it seems decide what you will and will not many vendors that much longer than that. trust. have signed on to

Add to this the fact the our

An added benefit is that you participate. You can government in its capacity as will be eating fresher, more nutribeing everything to everyone is be sure of freshness ent dense foods, and in turn your trying very hard to restrict even as all goods have to food will taste better and you will further our choices of what we come from within be healthier for it. can eat and drink. All under the a 50 mile radius of

Don’t despair, you have guise of safety of course (read Reedsville. It would choices for now, Farmers Marthat as being bought and paid be easy to check out kets have sprung up all across the for by big Ag.) I mean, after all, a seller’s operation if country recently as people wake they need to protect us from all of you are unsure, but up and learn that some of the stuff those nasties out there like E-coli, all sellers are carein the pretty packages isn’t all that salmonella, listeria etc. Oh wait, fully screened by the Different farms have different products, healthy for you. There’s an overvisit them all and find your favorite.

The Valley, June 2011

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In this Issue Contributing Writers

Editor’s Corner

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 LZ Swanson --Shawn Swanson Grosze Thal Nachbaren --Jeptha I. Yoder Looking Out My Back Door --Mary Anna Chenoweth The Mushroom Guy --Bob Sleigh Ask Julie Mac --Julie MacConnell Modern Energy and Alternate Heating --Curt Bierly Recipes, Crafts and Gift Ideas --Debra Kulp Memories of a Dairy Princess --Rebecca Harrop Random Thoughts...from downeast! --Rick Hanson The Chicken AND the Egg! --Mike Flanagan

Wayne Stottlar

Is it ever going to stop raining? I know about spring showers and the flowers and all, but this is ridiculous. I believe this is the most miserable spring I have experienced since moving to this wonderful area of Pennsylvania 10 years ago.

My garden is at least a month behind where I was last season.

Normally this would be driving me nuts as my “ever so slight” case of OCD (ha ha) requires me to stay on track, but this year the track is UNDER WATER!

As with most things in life, when you are being beaten down by the weather, or the state of the economy and life’s other trials, God steps in and provides some sunshine and happiness. Our sunshine came at 10:54 on May 5th.

My 5th grandchild and second grandson, Logan Brady Stottlar

was born to my youngest son Justin and his wife Amy. Grandpa got to see him in person on the 14th and even though the visit was too short, at least I got to hold him while he was still “new.”

Of course, grandpa wanted to get him a hockey stick, a puck and start fitting him for skates, but Lynn made me hold off until he is at least one.

In other big news, thanks to our wonderful readers and our awesome advertisers, The Valley is now 40 pages! This is, to me, an incredible feat in so short a time and it couldn’t have been done without you readers, our advertisers, and the fantastic writers that we are associated with. This whole venture has been a blessing that was given to us and we are working very hard not to disappoint. Once again, please support our advertisers. When you patronize them, they in turn can continue to keep this paper operating. Please let them know that you are seeing their ad in The Valley and that you appreciate their part in keeping us afloat.

Because of our expansion, are able to welcome back Frank Cunningham and his column about business. Due to our wires getting crossed, I over-sold our ad space one month and it has taken us all this time to get Frank back in.

Thank you for your patience Frank. For you new readers, Frank is a business consultant

Homeschooling on the Homestead --Andy Weller Contentment Quest --Joanne Wills The End of the World --Sarah Hurlburt

who gets paid a lot of money for what he is freely offering in the pages of The Valley. Business owners and potential business owners will be well served by his years of experience that he is giving away free each month. In these hard economic times, Frank can help steer you clear of many of the reasons businesses fail.

Pam Hoy is also back this month with another interesting column about goats, the most versatile homestead animal you can own. Hopefully Pam will be able to find time to keep us all up to date on the goat world in future issues.

With the expansion this month, we are also able to bring you more stories about local business and personal successes. If your business has a good story to tell, please contact us. If we are to survive what I fear is coming, we need to pull back and become as local oriented as possible. I know some of the big box stores employ some of our local residents, but those companies profits go elsewhere and support the ever expanding corporate machine. When you patronize the hometown stores like the local hardware store, the local meat market or restaurant (and there are endless others), those owners in turn use their profits locally, to purchase the goods and services required to make their business run smoothly.

Continued on page 3

The Church Year --Pastor Pat Roller

Contact Info

The Horse Scoop --Traci Hanna Yoder & Julie Shultz Smith

Editor/Publisher Wayne Stottlar Ad Designer/Co-Publisher Lynn Persing

The Other Dairy --Pam Hoy

Associate Editor Colleen Swetland

Frank about Business --Frank Cunningham

The Valley PO Box 41 Yeagertown, PA 17099 (717) 363-1550

Cheaper, Better, Stronger --Wayne Stottlar

E-mail: thevalleynewspaper@gmail.com Web: www.thevalleynewspaper.com

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The Valley, June 2011

The Other Dairy Most people are aware that June is Dairy Month. Promotions can be seen and heard telling of the many nutritional benefits of milk, teasing us with beautifully photographed recipes, promises of weight loss and bone health. But I wonder how many of you realize June is also the month in which we celebrate the dairy goat, producer of the other “white stuff.”

Although the health returns of goat milk are not as widely known, for years there have been testimonials praising its healing qualities. Goats have been providing sustenance for humanity since long before Bible times. Earliest civilizations relied on the goat for milk and meat, and understood the importance of this gentle creature.

The lowly goat has often been called “the poor man’s cow,” but when comparing the two animals, many homesteaders consider the goat a wise choice for their dairy needs. A goat requires much less pasture and feed, can be housed in a smaller space, produces much less manure, and if feeling inclined to express displeasure through a swift kick, the goat’s hoof is ten times smaller than a cow’s. (Personally, I’ve never

had a kick from either one, but if given a choice, I’d take my chances with a goat.)

Contrary to popular belief, goat milk is not smelly nor strong tasting. If the goat is properly cared for and milked under sanitary conditions, it has no odor, and is creamy and smooth. Both goat milk and cow’s milk are similar in calories, protein, and vitamins C and D content, but goat milk contains more of vitamins A and B, more riboflavin, more iron, calcium, and phosphorus. The milk from a goat also has less cholesterol than regular cow milk, which is important to note with so many watching their cholesterol intake these days. Naturally homogenized, the cream in goat milk doesn’t separate and rise to the top like it does in a pitcher of cow’s milk, therefore using goat milk to make butter without a cream separator is more difficult, but can be done. For years doctors have recommended the use of this milk for infants and patients who experience digestive discomfort.

In addition to human consumption it has also been successfully fed to orphaned animals. Fawn, foals, and calves are routinely given

goat milk as a substitute for their mother’s milk. For the homesteader with small acreage looking to live a sustainable lifestyle with minimal machinery and a small carbon footprint, a dairy goat is the perfect addition to that way of living.

Once you have your goat and she is producing an abundant amount of the delicious “white stuff,” the possibilities are endless. Imagine your own ready supply of homemade yogurt, ice cream, mozzarella, ricotta, and cottage cheeses, puddings, fudges, and even naturally moisturizing soaps. If a recipe lists milk as one of the ingredients, you can effectively replace the amount called for with goat milk.

Following the advice of many healthcare advisors, yogurt has become a staple in many homes.

In the book, The Complete Book of Yogurt, the author tells us that yogurt is among the oldest produced foods and a staple of ancient diets. One tale of its origin tells that it began when goat or sheep’s milk was carried by wandering nomads in leather bags made of sheep’s stomachs.

The combination of the heat from the desert sun and the warmth of the camels they were riding caused the good bacteria in the milk to multiply. At nightfall, the temperature would drop rapidly, stopping the action of the bacteria.

The heating and cooling caused

Editors Corner from page 2

taking about government waste, let’s talk about the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

In a time when states, especially Pennsylvania, are facing millions of dollars in budget deficits wouldn’t you think it wise for them to try to cut back in every single area of their operation like all of us have had to do? Apparently the Department of Agriculture has too many employees and not enough for them to do. I am relating this story at the risk of spiking my blood pressure, but this is a first hand account of what happened here last week.

On that one day that was decent enough to be outside, I was working way down back in the yard while Murphy, our Weimaraner, was on the screened porch snoozing, as he is apt to do while I am working in the yard.

Being a very good watch dog, no one gets even close to the property line day or night without him throwing a fit. It is usually short-lived as most often it is our mail lady, the UPS or Fedex guy, or one of the neighborhood kids hanging around too long for his

satisfaction. Hey, he is old, he is entitled to be grumpy, he has a good teacher. Anyway, usually he barks and carries on for a minute or two and it stops after his perceived threat has gone. This particular day, however, it went on and on raising in crescendo to the point where I figured I’d better check out what was going on.

As I made my way up the yard, I noticed many full size pick-up trucks, six in all, with some kind of insignia on the door and uniformed people going door to door.

So I stopped and observed for a few minutes as I have a severe distaste for government intrusion into my life. After a few minutes I walked between the houses and asked if there was something I could help them with. The rude agent told me they were checking dog licenses...my disbelief must have been apparent as he followed up with, “I left a notice in your door, mail it in with the required information.” At that point my anger at the stupidity of this whole situation erupted and I asked where he was from. He answered “the Department of Ag-

by Pam Hoy

That is a huge win for everyone in the community.

With the current goings on concerning the FDA and USDA and their year long sting operation against an Amish Dairy farmer, expect more articles about our right to consume raw milk and other foods and beverages of our choice. I don’t know about you, but I have been buying these products and more from the same Amish family for over a year now.

I know where my food is coming from, they consume the same food and are healthy as can be. I DO NOT trust government workers to keep me safe where food is concerned. One only needs to look back over the last ten years at all the re-calls and sickness that has come from FDA ENDORSED food that got into the system to do it’s damage. That agency needs to be abolished as it isn’t about their mission any more, it is about justifying their existence to the taxpayers. I vote no, shut the doors on them, and while we are

the milk to turn into a custard-like consistency, therefore creating what we know as yogurt. Yogurt is a food that is present in almost every country and culture. A welcome addition to many dishes and baked goods, yogurt brings a wonderful richness and probiotic goodness.

In this month of dairy celebrations, make yogurt in your kitchen with very little equipment or ingredients. Enjoy experimenting with your yogurt by adding fresh springtime fruits, creating nutritious smoothies, or use it in your main dishes and desserts for added creaminess. You are only limited by your imagination and you will be proudly producing a product incomparable to commercial yogurt that may have added preservatives or artificial coloring.

Homemade Yogurt (recipe taken from Goats Produce Too, Volume 2)

The only equipment needed to mix your batch of yogurt are a pot to warm the milk and some clean pint of quart jars with lids.

You can purchase yogurt culture from a cheese supply store such as New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, or buy plain, unflavored yogurt, any brand, from your local grocery. Homemade yogurt is not as thick as store bought types because commercial yogurt has thickeners and gelatins added. Mixing some powdered milk with your yogurt starter will

give it a thicker texture.

If you are lucky enough to have a yogurt machine, the problem of incubating your batch is solved. It’s easy enough to make yogurt without a machine though, an oven, a heating pad, thermos, or insulated cooler are great for keeping your batch warm during the incubation period. Yogurt needs to be at a temperature of between 90 and 100 degrees for 6-8 hours without jostling, in order for the good bacteria to grow properly. Gas ovens generate enough heat from the pilot light to maintain temperature, electric ovens should be pre-warmed before inserting the yogurt jars.

I use an old picnic cooler . I add hot water - filled jars along side the ones containing yogurt, cover everything with towels, then close the lid, being careful not to disturb the cooler for 8 or more hours.

In the winter I set the cooler near our woodstove away from drafts.

Have fun experimenting!

riculture.” To this I informed him that the county was responsible for collecting dog license fees and he could get any info from them.

He told me to send the card in and I told him good luck with that as my responsibility was already taken care of. At that point I heard my friend Jeptha’s voice in my head saying “no, turn away,” and I turned to go back to my work before I did something I wouldn’t be proud of. I mean, seriously, who the heck do these state agencies think they are? They sent out six FULL SIZE pick-up trucks with six agents, to check on $6 dog licenses in the MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHEN NO ONE IS HOME! Whoever is head of this agency should be FIRED yesterday! We are all struggling to make ends meet and part of that is because of the taxes we pay, and the state see’s the need for this kind of ridiculous action? With illegals coming over the border at an alarming rate, we are spending taxpayer dollars to check dog licenses? Give me a break. This is ludicrous and it wasn’t about checking dog licenses either, it is

about trying to justify their existence as the budget ax is about to fall. I hope it swings full length and eliminates this wasteful, useless agency totally. Do you know what that episode costs the taxpayers? Six salaries, six trucks wear and tear and gasoline for the day. You can bet it wasn’t just this one day either, it was just the day they picked to do our street.

I have sent letters demanding answers, but you can bet our elected officials won’t even lift a finger to do anything about this lest they step on someone’s toes and ruin their future political careers. This system is backward, we are the employers and they are going to tell us how things are going to be?

The towns and state offices all have computers, a simple e-mail to the county treasurer could have answered their concerns about dog licenses, or was this another step in conditioning us to the fact that agents from the state and government would be bothering us asking questions we don’t need to answer? You decide, I am headed for a Bayer aspirin before I need an ambulance. a

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Goat Milk Yogurt 2 quarts goat milk 2 teaspoons plain cultured yogurt (or yogurt starter) 1 cup powdered milk ( optional)

Warm milk to 115 degrees.

Stir in powdered milk, if desired.

Add 2 teaspoons cultured yogurt.

Mix well and pour into clean jars.

Cover and incubate in a warm place 6-8 hours. Save some of this yogurt to culture your next batch! a

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The Valley, June 2011

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 we could eat and sleep while the house was torn apart, things just dragged on. I know quite a bit about electrical, plumbing, and structural construction, but inside finish work never really was my specialty.

At this point, Ginger and I were getting quite anxious since we had pushed back our movein date several times to only be use while working on the house, met by more delays and setbacks. as kind of a “sanity zone” where Finally, one day Ginger and I decided to hire a handy man to help with the final items like dry wall repair, a few unfinished areas of floor repair, and putting down the wood laminate. As luck would have it, I came across a gentleman One of the first Araucana chicks enters the who worked for

The Final Push

It was late winter and we had already spent numerous weekends working on the inside of our home. Since the mobile home was previously used as an office, there were quite a bit of repairs—wall repairs, floor repair where moisture was allowed to soak in and weaken the wood, and many other miscellaneous items like painting, replacing carpet, and laying wood laminate for the main areas. The work seemed to be going extremely slow. Even with the added benefit of Ginger’s parents leaving their 5th wheel camper for us to

world amidst chaos!

A continuing series.

the week. With our friend onsite this really saved us quite a bit of running around especially with the price of gas and the poor gas mileage on our SUV.

The week didn’t go without its hitches but things progressed and slowly our home turned in to, well, our home. In anticipation of our move in date we decided to take a leap of faith and began incubating a couple dozen chicken

a mutual acquaintance in remodeling; however, his work had dropped off quite significantly leaving him plenty of free time to take on odd jobs. I went over the work with him and we both agreed to a fixed price, which was exactly what Ginger and I needed considering funds were tight. Our friend (the handy man) decided to spend a week at our soon-tobe home with his son versus driving back and forth every day.

This worked out quite well since it allowed us to coordinate the Some of those chicks grow up to be carpet installers and beautiful “Easter Egg” layers. a few other vendors Continued on page 30 who needed to do work during

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The Valley, June 2011

Looking out my Back Door Life on my Mifflin County Homestead

by Mary Anna Chenoweth

Using the Common Place--Baling Twine

frugal - adj: characterized by or reflecting economy in the expenditure of resources. - Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary

We all know that sometimes you can look straight at something and not see it; for whatever reason it just doesn’t register on the radar. Then one day, for no apparent reason, the light bulb clicks on and you realize that a missing

Forming the bottom of a round basket by stitching the braids together in a round pattern.

piece of the puzzle (or answer to a question, solution to a problem, or just “a better mouse trap”) has been lying there in plain sight all along.

One of my recent fits of “delayed brain function” centers on that icon of rural thrift—used baling twine. Despite the advent of those large bales that must be moved by heavy equipment, small rectangular bales of hay or straw are still what most of us use to feed and bed our critters, and that means lots of loops of twine piling up.

Chucking them in the trash is an option, but not the best one. It rankles most of us to throw away anything so potentially useful, even though it may start to look a bit like hoarding; piles of old baling twine thrown in corners, stuffed into empty feed bags, or

bundles of spider web covered twine hanging in the barn. Just remember, like a lot of secondhand items found around the farm, that old baling twine DOES come in handy.

Think of the ways that we use those pieces of twine; quick animal halters, vegetable or flower trellises, plaited to use as lead ropes or temporary gates, temporary truck/tractor repair, bucket handles, tie-downs for just about anything, and on and on. It’s the duct tape of the boondocks! Oh wait, I almost left out one of the CLASSIC uses for a length of baling twine—holding up a pair of britches!

Come on. Admit it. Most all of us get a little “Dogpatch” every now and then.

Over the years we’ve probably used miles of secondhand twine, braided and unbraided, in many ways. Then that “lightbulb moment” lit up yet another possibility—baskets! All that old baling twine could be used to make baskets!

Useful things, baskets.

All sorts of containers are used around a farm, but there’s just something about a basket that says “Self Sufficient.” Often the first that come to mind are those crafted from oak or elm splints.

Durable and suited to a multitude of uses, their only drawback is that most of them are small works of art and it seems a crime to go banging them through the mud.

Then there’s the fact that making the splints is also an art. I’ve tried.

I’ve tried several times. I freely admit to not having the touch for making oak splints. I can use ‘em, but I sure can’t make ‘em.

Then there are willow baskets made from a specific species of Salix suited to this specific use (which, by the way, grows really well hereabouts). There are a number of local plants that lend themselves to basketry; native grape vines, cattails, etc, so it’s not like there weren’t materials

The finished round basket is both pleasing to the eye and functional, we use this one for gathering eggs.

available on our farm from which to make baskets. However, once the idea got lodged in my brain, all that baling twine hanging in nicely trimmed bundles in the barn, practically screamed for attention.

spliced. Guess who got volunteered to turn the pieces of used twine (that average six feet in length) into three strand braids (that average two hundred feet in length)?

This makes for good indoor The Produce/Farmers Market basket opens winter work, wide and holds your goodies safely. so Mother pa So we started out similarly tiently braided quite a bit of balto the splint baskets, using wild ing twine last winter.

To be clear, grape vine for the hoops and ribs we’re talking about the natural or and baling twine as the weavgreen colored sisal twine imported ers. The results were ok, but not from South America (if it travels sturdy enough. We tried the same all those miles we’d BETTER thing with braided twine, which find a second use for it), not the worked better, but the basket was more “funky-artsy” than practical. newer orange polypropylene kind (although if that’s what you’ve got We were after heavy duty utilitarto work with, go for it). Once she ian; something that can be tramhad a length finished, I rolled it pled by goats, then hosed off and into a ball and got busy. used to transport twenty pounds

The process of stitching the of produce from the garden to the twine braid into a basket is exactly house. like stitching a braided rug. Basi One day while watching my cally all you’re doing is sewing mother stitch together braided the edges of the braid together; in table mats, light bulb #2 blazed this case, to form a useful three forth—stitched basketry! Admitdimensional form.

It sounds, and tedly our version bends the definiis, simple, but it does take some tion of basket a bit, but so what? initial patience and practice.

If

To test the idea, the first thing you’ve got a relative or neighbor needed was a long braid. A very, who makes braided rugs go pick very, very LONG braid. their brains—same idea, different

My mother is a skilled materials and results. braider—one of those basic

The material used to stitch survival skills that EVERYONE the braid together has to be fairly should have in their repertoire.

Her work is even, tight, and well

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Continued on page 22

The Valley, June 2011

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Thots on...Genesis

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]. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus made the Scriptures come alive to his followers, so that they later said, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” [Luke 24.32*] It is my hope that the Thots on series will make your heart burn within you as God’s thoughts and purposes are revealed in a way that is easily understood by the seeking heart. *Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are quoted from the New International Version.

Genesis 4.2-6

Now Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry…

After mankind was driven out of Eden, two distinct lines developed: the line of Abel (and later, Seth), who sought to please God; and the line of Cain, the counterfeiters. As we continue our

study of the book of Genesis, we will see the divergence of these two lines and the attempts of the counterfeiters to imitate the truth.

Because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world, and the shedding of blood became necessary for the covering of sin. It is interesting to note that God himself shed the first blood when he provided garments of animal skins for Adam and Eve. [Genesis 3.21]

Now Abel was a shepherd and sacrificed some of the firstborn of his flock as an offering to the Lord. Cain was a farmer and so, naturally, he brought some of his produce as an offering. God accepted Abel’s offering, but rejected the offering of Cain.

I used to think God was being unfair. After all, Cain offered the first fruits of his labor, too! Why was his offering unacceptable just because he was a farmer instead of a shepherd? I thought it was unfair of God to arbitrarily dismiss Cain’s offering. But God’s refusal was not arbitrary at all.

Sin required a blood sacrifice and Cain knew that. How did he know? God was no stranger to these folks. Think about it. Cain was just one step away from the original creation. He knew full well—they all knew—what God required of them. They knew that a blood offering was necessary to

cover their sin.

While Abel chose to obey God and offer a sacrifice from the firstborn of his flock, Cain took the Sinatra attitude and decided to do it his way. Rather than barter some of his produce for a suitable offering, Cain chose to follow the path of pride and rebellion. He stubbornly offered to God the produce of his fields, even though he knew his offering did not conform to God’s requirements, and then he became angry when God refused to play his game.

How many of us do this today? We know the only way to salvation is through the sacrificial death of God’s Son, but instead of accepting that sacrifice, we reason that God should be pleased with us because we believe in His existence and are living what we deem to be a “good” life. We attend church every Sunday, we do volunteer work, we don’t smoke or drink, so we should sail right through those pearly gates, right?

Not!

Or, as Christians, we offer God less than our best. Instead of rising early to fellowship with the Father and study His Word, we sleep in, offer a hasty prayer before running off to work, and hope God will accept those crumbs of our time. We take the easy route, offer God our leftovers—and then wonder why we don’t receive His blessing.

When Cain chose to defy God, rather than immediately pronouncing judgment, God tried to reason with Cain and offered him a second chance—and a warning: “Why are you angry? ...If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your

Rev. Dr. Henry G. Covert

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

door….” [Genesis 4.6-7]

At that point, Cain had the opportunity to repent and to offer to God an acceptable sacrifice.

However, rather than place himself in an attitude of submission and obedience to God, Cain chose to continue along the path of rebellion and to commit an act of premeditated murder. He killed his brother, who had found favor

with God. [Genesis 4.8] Evil is always ready to destroy good in order to justify its own existence and rationalize its own actions.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” [Proverbs 14.12] As Christians, our duty is to obey God rather than follow our own rebellious nature. a

East Kisacoquillas Presbyterian Church Announces Summer Activities

by Pastor Pat Roller

The East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian Church, located at the corner of Walnut and Church Streets, Reedsville, invites children of all ages to SUMMER CAMPS. Vacation Bible School will be held from June 13 until June 17 at 6:00- 8:30 PM. Vacation Bible School will be a community event where several churches will join together.

This summer the Vacation Bible School will be held at the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 200 Logan St., Reedsville. Counselors from the Lutheran Camp will

be leading the classes. This event will include children of all ages.

On July 11 until July 15, the East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian Church (corner of Walnut and Church Streets, Reedsville) will hold a Fabric Arts Day Camp of children of all ages from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Lunch will be provided. We will make pillows, create baskets, and paint t-shirts.

There is no cost for this camp and pre-registration is not required. If you would like to let the church know about your child/children, please call 667-6233 and leave a

message.

A second day camp will be held from August 15 until August 19 from 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM. Lunch will be provided.

This camp will be an Art Day Camp. We will create mosaics, make garden stones, and involve the children in other art activities. This camp will be held at the East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian Church, Corner of Walnut and Church Streets. All ages are welcome at this camp. There is no cost for this camp and preregistration is not required. If you

would like to let the church know about your child/children, please call 667-6233 and leave a message.

A Middle Schoolers ONLY Day Camp will be held from July 25 until July 29th from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. This will be an Inside/Outside Camp where we will discover ways to express ourselves creatively. We will paint, create books and take digital pictures. Lunch will be provided and there is no cost for this camp and pre-registration is not required. If you would like

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to let the church know about your youth, please call 667-6233 and leave a message. This camp is for Middle School students only!

East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian Church is providing fun and learning activities for adults as well.

A Spiritual Retreat will be held at Camp Krislund on June 4th. The cost of this retreat is $20 for food and materials. Adults are also invited to take two mystery trips with the children on Friday,

Continued on page 19

7

The Valley, June 2011

Adventures on Our Nourishing Journey

by Sue Burns

Stretching our Roots—Farmer’s Markets Here, There and Everywhere Not too long ago, my husband and I were setting out for a morning walk. We had not traveled more than several steps away from the house when he raised his arms to the heavens, inhaled a satisfying breath and said “Ah, another day in paradise!” I

Shopping Farmer’s markets ensures the freshest produce at the peak of ripeness.

Chances are you even know where it was grown.

eagerly agreed. It was a perfect description of our surroundings.

Deep indigo blue sky, golden sun warming our skin, palm branches blowing gently in the breeze and lemons, yes LEMONS the size of small footballs growing on a lush tree in the front lawn. Now, being the astute reader that you are, I am sure you can guess that we were not embarking from our home in central PA. This unique and delightful environment only comes our way when we have the blessed opportunity to visit our daughter and son-in-law who live in Arizona. In all honesty, I must confess, I did not always refer to this part of the world as “paradise.” No matter the beauty, I thought it too far away for my child to live and thus saw it as my nemesis.

Surely all of you who are mothers can perhaps understand my flood of roller coaster emotions that seemed to flow over me like an unending wave when our first born told us she was moving to…where? Why in the world, I ask myself, would she want to dig up her Pennsylvania German roots, stretch them over

2,000 miles, and plant them in the parched Arizona desert? What, if any, good would come from this?

Well, almost eight years later I am more than ready to admit that Mom does not always know best.

We have watched our daughter grow and flourish. In her willingness to reach out and try new experiences, she taught me a valuable lesson. Great bounty can emerge from stretched roots.

Here is an example. On the Saturday morning of our most recent visit, our daughter casually asked if we would like to “check out the farmer’s market.” This was seemingly, a simple enough question. Yet, you must understand the significance. There was a time, not too long ago, when the only “vegetable “we could find in her refrigerator was ketchup. Now she suggested we go “check out squash and stuff.”

Be still my heart.

As we approached downtown Phoenix, I could hardly contain my excitement.

The sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures of this phenomenal environment encompassed all of my favorite things rolled into one. Food, people, and more food. I observed farmers and shoppers, in all ages and stages of their lives, reaching out to one another through the yields of their

common ground. More stretching of roots, both literally and figuratively. We found ourselves encircled within a rainbow of luscious vegetables and fruits displayed alongside fresh farm eggs, creamy cheeses, crusty breads of every size and shape, and even something called kale chips. I tried them of course, because I eat just about anything leafy, green and crunchy, but I am guessing they would not be a hit at the Belleville market. Our local potato chip business has nothing to fear!

All too soon I awoke the next morning with the realization that our visit to paradise was ending. I found myself sitting on an airplane heading east, yet my thoughts were still back at

“opening their doors.” June is the perfect time to get out there and stretch your roots as you meet, greet and eat the goodness our the market. I was infused with local harvest has to offer. the essence of the experience and

Here is Why, How, When and Where to “check out” our local markets.

Why shop at Farmer’s Markets?

Farmers’ Market produce is picked ripe and sold that day. You can taste the difference. Supermarket produce, on the other hand, can take up to two weeks to travel Just hours and a few miles from field to from farm to store, your dinner table. Closer really is better. even in summer.

Flavor and appearance can suffer. started to think about how our lo • You can meet the farmers cal farmer’s markets will soon be who grow your food, ask when it was picked, how it was grown, and ways to prepare it.

• You’ll find unusual varieties of fruits and vegetables – those bred for flavor, not uniform in size, or ability to travel. Growing a larger number of varieties is ecologically smart too because it reduces crops’ vulnerability to disease.

• Farmers’ Markets put more money in the farmers’ pockets.

Commercial farmers get only twenty-five cents of every dollar’s worth of produce sold in supermarkets. At the Farmers’ Market, they get the whole dollar, and then they pay a small amount of rent – often only 5 percent of sales.

• Buying locally grown produce encourages regional farming.

If farming were more widespread, we could save fuel and resources spent on long distance shipping and reduce our over-dependence on a handful of growing regions that may not be able to produce high yields indefinitely.

• When produce is grown and purchased locally, the money remains in the community and stimulates the local economy.

• Working farms preserve open spaces without using tax dollars.

www.thevalleynewspaper.com

Continued on page 11

8

The Valley, June 2011

ASK Julie Mac’

Our very own food preservation guru Julie MacConnell

Submit questions by visiting www.thevalleynewspaper.com or mail to: The Valley PO Box 41, Yeagertown, PA 17099

Rhubarb Anyone?

Well, despite the month or so of rain that we’ve had here on the Cape, I managed to get some of my early spring garden planted.

We must be about three weeks behind where we were last year because at this time I was already cutting lettuce and seeing blooms on the first of my pea plants. I hear it’s about the same in The Valley so I am sure you can all relate to my woes! The only thing that seems to be doing well are my potatoes. I have had to hill them once already. It’s looking like I will have a bumper crop if things hold. There is nothing like fresh young home grown potatoes! They taste so much better than the store bought ones.

I got the itch to start canning the other day so I began looking around the garden for something to whip together.

My rhubarb was huge!

There it was tucked in with my rose bushes, passing itself off as a tropical There it was, tucked in with my rose bushes. with its huge My Rhubarb was huge! leaves. I could sale! It’s too early and too cold do something with that I was sure. for our native strawberries so I I ran down to the market as they made due with store bought. The conveniently had strawberries on two tastes together are one of my

favorites, and I knew that there was a recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving for pie filling. I had made all kinds of pie fillings for the pantry before, but never this one. It seemed kind of silly actually. I had the rhubarb plant for almost ten years!

It had come off a piece from my mother’s gargantuan parent plant.

See, that’s what I get for mixing some veggies in with my landscaping. I tend to forget that they are there! The smell in my kitchen was fantastic, and it couldn’t be easier. I snuck a taste of course, and decided that not only would it be tasty in a pie, but dynamite over vanilla ice cream as well.

Here is the recipe. I really

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hope you try it. It makes about 5-6 pint jars, I always seem to end up using one more jar than what the recipe says.

RHUBARB STRAWBERRY PIE FILLING 3 large apples peeled and finely chopped – use Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Lady, or Rome Beauty.

1 tbsp. grated orange zest ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice-from the carton is fine!

7 cups sliced rhubarb – 1 inch slices 2 cups granulated sugar 4 cups halved hulled strawberries Directions 1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine apples, orange zest, and juice. Stir to coat apples thoroughly. Stir in rhubarb and sugar.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat stirring frequently until rhubarb is tender. This will take about 12 minutes. Add strawberries and return to a boil. Remove from heat.

3. Ladle hot pie filling into hot jars, leaving a one-inch head space. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding more hot pie filling. Wipe

Continued on page 30

9

The Valley, June 2011

Not All Raw Milk Is The Same!

by Randolph Jonsson

How can that be? It all comes from cows, right? Yes, but that’s where the similarity ends. The truth is, there are actually two types of raw milk here in America: the one meant to be consumed directly from the cow and the one that absolutely must be pasteurized first due to the conditions under which it was produced.

The ideal raw milk is taken straight from animals fed only fresh, organic, green grass, rapidly cooled to somewhere around 3638 degrees F., and bottled. That’s it. No processing, just filtration and cooling. Most milk produced today undergoes some form of processing before it reaches the consumer.

Diet is a major factor in the quality of raw milk. Studies have shown that over-feeding starchy grains can affect the acidity of the cow’s stomach environment and change fat and nutrient levels.

Raw milk from cows fed a large component of grain is just not as optimal a food as grass-fed and lacks many of milk’s self-protective properties. Milk like this, potentially more easily contaminated, should be tested regularly, as should all raw milk for that matter.

Many non-grass foods (such as soy and alfalfa) contain compounds that mimic the actions of the female hormone estrogen.

While these can cause cows to produce more milk than they normally would (and thus increase profit per animal), some studies have called into question possible impacts on animal health and nutrient content of the milk.

Cows are ruminants with a complex digestive system designed to break down cellulose, a type of structural sugar indigestible to humans, and other substances found in the cell walls of grasses and other green plants they’re likely to encounter while grazing.

Prior to the advent of organized agriculture about 10,000 years ago, there simply weren’t fields of grain growing wild, upon which animals could munch.

As mentioned above, a heavy starch load of grain can alter the usual conditions in a cow’s rumen (stomach) and affect the composition of its milk.

Milk from grass-fed cows has amazing properties, one of which is the presence of naturally produced antimicrobials in solution. Another is the production of a beneficial fatty acid known as CLA, short for Conjugated Linoleic Acid.

Countless studies have shown that CLA has many potential health benefits. For comparison, grain-fed cows have as little as one fifth the CLA in their milk as grass-fed.

Some raw milk can make you very, very ill. Drinking milk destined for the pasteurizer before it’s sterilized can be like playing Russian roulette, but with ALL the barrels loaded. Why? Mainly because cleanliness standards are far lower for milk which will eventually be heat treated.

In large operations, there simply isn’t enough open pasture land to contain and grass-feed hundreds of animals, so they’re often confined in manure-laden pens.

Supercows, bred for hyperactive pituitary glands or injected with stimulant hormones (such as Posilac) produce an elevated quantity (as high as 13 gallons) of milk daily, leading to inflamed teats. This condition, known as mastitis, pumps high numbers of white blood cells, or pus, into the milk.

Supercows don’t live nearly as long as naturally bred animalsperhaps they’re lucky in that respect...

Add the potential of toxic drug residues, antibiotics, larvi-

cides, pesticides, fertilizers, and heavy metals and you have quite a witches brew. Many of the outbreaks of food related illnesses blamed on raw milk can be traced to just such product somehow bypassing the pasteurization process.

You can see why humans have no business consuming raw milk produced by the large factory farm complexes that dominate the industry today. It’s simply not safe for human consumption before it’s processed.

The role of unclean raw milk

in human illness is undeniable.

Knowing that not all raw milk is the same is the first step in knowing which questions to ask when you seek it out for yourself and your family. a Editors note: Re-printed with permission from www.Raw-Milk_ Facts.com. Author Randolph Jonsson is a nutrition consultant from Marin County CA. Visit www.raw-milk-facts.com for more information and footnotes.

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The Valley, June 2011

10

The Chicken AND the Egg from page 29

The Horse Scoop

by Julie Shultz Smith and Traci Hanna Yoder

Horse Dealin’

How many horse people have heard the phrase “Buyer Beware?”

What does that really mean? If we are suggesting “Buyer Beware,” what about “Seller Beware?” Why have these terms become so much more prominent in today’s horse society? Why do we “all” need to beware when a horse changes hands?

Many times we read advertisements about “No Dealers.”

Why has the dealer gotten such a bad reputation?

There are good dealers and there are bad dealers. There are good sellers and bad sellers. There are good buyers and bad buyers.

It’s a two-way street, or in this case, a two-way barnyard.

If dealers were non-existent, where would some of the horses

end up? The dealer or broker is the middle man. If the seller cannot sell the horse themselves, they can take it to a dealer to do so. Dealers are often aware of potential buyers, and are able to sell a horse faster than the actual owner might have. In most cases, a dealer IS giving that horse a chance to find a quality home.

Not every dealer sends horses to slaughter. Slaughter is a completely different issue, and we are not even addressing that for this article. More often than people realize dealers get misrepresented.

There are horses that are not going to be easily re-homed, that have found great homes through dealers.

So this is where we often come into the idea of “Buyer

seller is then accused of being dishonest. We then hear “They lied about this horse”at the first sign of trouble. Each time a person sells a Beware.” You are interested in horse, their reputation is at risk. a horse, but because it is for sale

More prevalent in poor ecofrom a dealer there must be a nomic times, another risk is that problem, right? Not necessarthe seller won’t actually receive ily. One person’s problem with a payment for the horse. Sadly horse is not always going to be a enough, people may pay with a problem for someone else. Conpersonal check that is not going to sider the horse for how it rides clear. There stands the seller, with at that moment. If one ride isn’t enough to make a decision, return a “rubber check” in hand. The seller is then investing more time and ride until you know this is into obtaining money that should the horse for you. It’s a common have been there when the deal thought that those dealers, well let’s just say “Sellers” lie. Maybe was made.

What happened to the good we should consider the fact that ol’ thought of “If you want it, you a seller is representing a horse pay for it?” And “If you can’t afbased on their experience with that horse in the time that they had ford it, don’t get it.” This not only means being able to afford the it? purchase price, but also the care

How often do you hear the of that horse while you own it. phrase “Seller Beware?” That is

It is a sad thought that honnot often considered, but someesty may be lost all around times carries even more of a risk. in “horse dealin.” Who has A horse may not more to lose in a “horse deal,” ride for the new the buyer or the seller? Hopebuyer the way it fully neither, and the one that rode in the past actually gains is the horse. a for the seller. The

hang it with a screwgun. Couldn’t fit it inside the box. Can’t swing a hammer in that small space. So I installed a 1x2 firing strip across the back with some glue and 1” staples. Next I ripped a 45º bevelled edge on an 8’ 1x3 pine board and cut it in half. Screw the first half to the wall of your hen house where you want it to hang, with the bevel up and sloping back toward the wall. I would recommend hanging it so the tray bottom is about 12” off the floor.

It’s ok for them to stretch a little.

It actually helps with their posture and digestion. That other bevelled piece gets glued and stapled to the back of the feed, with the bevel facing the bottom and sloping up toward the back of the feeder.

Now to hang it, you simply slip the back bevel over the wall bevel and let it down gently. The one on the bottom will keep it level.

It’ll hang there supporting as much as 80 lbs of feed and you can lift it off for future cleanings.

Cool, huh!?

Next month I’ll give you the guidelines for nest boxes and a great website for some tried and true plans. In the meantime, remember, support your local economy. Buy local, eat local, and live well. a

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11

The Valley, June 2011 Farmer’s Markets from page 7 How to Shop at a Farmer’s Market 1. Shop early in the day for selection. When the first-of-season blueberries, peaches, or apples arrive, they often disappear from market tables faster than you can say “I’ve been waiting a year!”

Even less time-sensitive foods, like pickling cucumbers, might be gone if you wait until late in the day. The early shopper gets the best choice.

2. Let the produce of the day guide your meal planning. This is what eating seasonally is all about. Since Farmer’s Market selections come from nearby farms, the local climate dictates what you’ll find on any given day. That means you’ll get leafy greens, herbs and sprouts early in the season, and you’ll have to wait for items like corn, berries and tomatoes. Build your menus around produce availability to take full advantage of the season’s bounty.

3. Buy for value, but don’t balk at prices. Foods like corn, green beans, herbs, squashes, cucumbers and fresh peas may be less expensive than store bought.

Many other items may be pricier than your neighborhood grocer because small farmers lack economies of scale, use more expensive heirloom seeds, and care for their crops by hand rather than machine. The reward: you’ll get peak-of-season taste that is hard to find at your neighborhood grocer.

4. Understand the difference between heirloom and massproduced varieties. Local farmers typically use heirloom seed stock passed down through generations without human engineering.

Often, fruits and vegetables grown from these seed varieties have more flavor than grocery store produce bred from seeds developed for their high yield, ability to withstand long-distance travel, and/or tolerance to drought and frost.

5. Go for the items you can’t get in the store. When they’re available, grab regional varieties of apples or those sweet, juicy strawberries your grandmother remembers from her childhood.

In many cases, you’re not going to find them outside Farmer’s Markets unless you know the farmer.

This applies to ripe peaches as well. Peaches that are picked hard, like those you get in the grocery store, get softer but not sweeter as they ripen. Farmer’s Market peaches are typically picked ripe and therefore sweeter than any alternative source.

6. Look for organic growers.

You’ll usually find a few offering foods that are grown and processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, germ-killing irradiation, and most pesticides and fertilizers.

But don’t expect to find “certified organic” goods. Many smaller producers are not big enough to justify the expense of getting inspected and certified under the National Organic Program.

7. Ask when it was picked. The sugars in foods like peas and corn turn to starch quickly after picking, so be sure you know when they came out of the fields. Some vendors pick fresh in the morning, while others pick the night before because they have to drive two or three hours to set up for a 7 or 8 am market. Beware of anything older.

8. Take cash and a reusable shopping bag or shopping cart. Some larger farmers markets accept debit or credit cards or even WIC vouchers, but most neighborhood markets are cash-only affairs. A shopping bag or cart gives you a place to stow your purchases so that you’re not juggling multiple plastic bags, and in some cases eliminates the need for extra bags altogether for a more eco-friendly experience.

9. Befriend the farmers. Remember, the people you’re buying from are most likely the people who grow the food. They can steer you to the best buys of the day, teach you about foods you might not be familiar with (how often do you buy fennel?) and perhaps reserve something special for you the following week.

Besides, part of the enjoyment of Farmer’s Market shopping is that it’s personal. Take advantage of it.

When and Where to find local Farmer’s Markets

Belleville Market

This is a year-round market on a 10-acre site with livestock yards, auction barns, and market stalls with food vendors, baked goods, produce, quilts, antiques, livestock, and wares. Location: 26 Sale Barn Lane on Route 655 in Belleville, Pennsylvania. Wednesdays, 6 AM - 6 PM. year-round.

Contact Belleville Livestock Auction and Farmer’s Market, 717-935-2146

Golden Mile Farmer’s Market

Tuesdays and Fridays, June through October - 10 AM - 3 PM. Derry Township Community Park, Burnham PA. DESCRIPTION: Seasonal outdoor farmers market.

Tri Valley Farmer’s Market

Thursdays and Saturdays, 9 AM to Noon - June through October. South Mall area, East Market Street and North Dorcas Street, downtown Lewistown PA 17044.

Seasonal farmer’s market with fresh produce and baked goods.

CONTACT: 717-783-6913.

Boalsburg Farmers’ Market

The Boalsburg Farmers’ Market is held on the Military Museum grounds just off Business 322/Rt 45 on Tues evenings from 3 PM to 7 PM. This is a producer’s only market and a wide range of products are offered ranging from fresh baked breads and pastries, produce, berries and jams to southern barbeque. The market is open June through October.

State College Downtown Farmer’s Market

Most of the fruits and vegetables sold are seasonal. Some of the vendors sell baked goods, canned goods, and crafts all season long. All of our vendors

produce or grow what they sell.

The market is located in downtown State College on Locust Lane (across from the HUB lawn) between College Avenue and Beaver Avenue. It is held Fridays from 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM (no early sales permitted). The 2011 market runs every Friday, (except during Art-Fest: no market July 15) from May 6 to November 18.

814-355-0215.

Old Gregg School Farmer’s Market

This is an outdoor/indoor year-round market featuring local foods. Location,106 School Street in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania Saturdays, 9 AM, May – November.

Indoors: Saturdays, 10 AM - 1:00 PM October – May. Contact Old Gregg School Farmer’s Market 106 School Street P.O. Box 184 Spring Mills, PA 16875, (814) 422-8582 or 422-0686

Bellefonte Farmer’s Market

The Bellefonte Farmer’s Market is located on the Diamond in historic downtown Bellefonte.

Shoppers can find a variety of fresh produce (seasonal), baked goods, and flowers. Business Hours are Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7:00 AM -12:00 PM.

CSA- Farmer’s Market Alternative

Instead of shopping at various local markets, consumers have the option of participating in a program known as Community Supported Agriculture. Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm prod-

ucts may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer.

It’s a simple enough idea, but its impact has been profound.

Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. The government does not track CSAs, so there is no official count of how many CSAs there are in the U.S. Local Harvest CSAs aren’t confined to produce.

Some farmers include the option for shareholders to buy shares of eggs, homemade bread, meat, cheese, fruit, flowers or other farm products along with their veggies.

Sometimes several farmers will offer their products together, to offer the widest variety to their members.

Local CSA Programs:

Tait Farm Community Harvest, Contact: Katy Cleary (814) 466-2386. Website: www.taitfarmfoods.com. Location of Farm: 2.5 miles east of Boalsburg on Rt. 322 (179 Tait Rd, Centre Hall, PA 16828). Pick-up Location: at the farm. Length of Season: Full-Year – January through December; Half-Year – mid-May through Thanksgiving.

Here is what their web site has to say about their CSA program. Our produce is certified organic and we take great pride in working in cooperation with nature to preserve the land for future generations. With our

Continued on page 30

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The Valley, June 2011

12

Roads Less Traveled...

by Lynn Persing

Critters!

Now that the weather is warm again, I thought I’d turn my articles back to camping. I have lots of stories to tell and as I was thinking about all of my camping experiences over the years, a theme came to mind—critters!

When you camp, you are bound to run into critters of all kinds. I have met my fair share of critters—snakes, big spiders, and bears to name a few. And, of course, I have a story or two to go with my encounters with each of these critters.

Let’s start with snakes. Who likes snakes? Not me! On one camping trip to my parents’ wooded property, which we appropriately refer to as “The Land,” we took the family beagle.

As luck would have it, the family beagle got loose and took off into the woods on the trail of some scent. As we all searched

for him, we ventured pretty deep into the woods. I was paired up with my cousin, Kelly, who is the same age as me (ok, really she’s several months older, but who’s counting?). We stopped under a big tree to rest and call for the dog and as I looked up I noticed a huge black snake wrapped around the branch above Kelly’s head.

This thing was huge. It was a big and FAT! Kelly hadn’t noticed it yet, so as calmly as I could, I reached out and grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the tree. She gave me the “let go of me” look, but after I pointed to the tree and the snake that was dangling above her head, she let out a gasp and said “let’s get out of here!” So we did! Yikes. I’ve never seen a snake that big before outside of Clyde Peeling’s Reptileland. I hope I never do again.

Unfortunately, I have a cou-

ple more snake stories to share.

One day the whole family was camping at my Great Grandmother’s property. We had just eaten lunch outside and we were all sitting in our lawn chairs relaxing.

Several of the ladies had their chairs lined up in a row. As we were chatting, unbeknownst to us, a small snake slithered under all our chairs and out the other end and into the yard. The men, who were sitting opposite us, noticed the snake as it slithered beneath the first chair, but decided they’d better just keep quiet so as not to create a panic. So they sat and watched that snake and snickered to themselves as we were all clueless! After the snake was long gone, they filled us in on their little secret. Not cool!

My last snake story involves my mother. We were camping at a roadside rest on our way to some destination (Sorry, I can’t remember anymore where we were headed!) One of us kids jumped on a tire swing, which hung nearby, just as a snake slithered in and hung out beneath the tire.

My mother was headed over to the picnic table with a tray full of plasticware, paper plates and cups. As soon as she saw the snake, the whole tray when flying into the air!

Plasticware everywhere!

Some man, who obviously had no fear of snakes, showed up, grabbed it and took it away. Ick.... gives me the shivers just

lent at my great grandmother’s house in the woods. When we camped there, every now and then Kelly and I would sleep in Gramie’s house. If you’ve read some of my earlier articles, you know that there was no indoor plumbing. There was a narrow set of stairs off the living room that was closed off by a door.

Upstairs there was a big feather bed, and a little wash stand with a bowl and pitcher. I remember how comfy that big feather bed was, but I also remember lying awake at night terrified that those spiders were living up there and going to get me. I haven’t seen one since my childhood, but just last year I was in our shed, and....

OH NO...I spied one. It wasn’t quite as big as I remembered, but it was furry and larger than most.

Now I get the creeps every time I have to go in the shed—I wonder how long that will last?

And while we are on the subject of critters, guess what was

thinking about it.

Enough talk about the slithery critters. Lets talk about the furry beasts—bears! My cousin Kelly, my brother, Brian, and I spent lots of time in the woods at the property owned by our parents. While the grown-ups did their thing at the campsite, we ventured into the woods and decided to build a log cabin. Pretty adventurous for a bunch of kids. We chopped logs with our hatchets, notched them out, and put them into place. We also spent time “landscaping” around the little cabin.

One day as Kelly and I were trying to dig out a root that was in the trail leading up to the cabin, we heard the mountain laurel rustle. We had lost track of Brian, so we assumed it was him sneaking up on us and trying to scare us. We yelled for him to “knock it off—we knew it’s you” and continued digging to remove the root.

The laurel rustled again and we again told him to “knock it off.” The third time the laurel rustled, I became annoyed and stood up to give him a piece of my mind. As I stood up, so did the bear. There I was about North America’s largest woodpecker the Pileated.

150 feet from a black bear that was standing in our yard this week, and I got up on two legs looking at me. to see up close and personal? A Kelly looked up as I gasped in pileated woodpecker! We heard shock and fear, and by that time his exotic call coming from the I had taken off in a sprint along neighbor’s tree, and watched the trail back to the campsite. To as he made his way toward our my surprise, Kelly cut me off at house. It was at that point that the pass, as she had forgone the the mangled maple stump outside trial for a direct route through a of our screened porch started to massive patch of ferns and other make sense. We stood motionless brush. We both made it back to as he flew first to our pin oak then the campsite safely and with eyes landed not three feet away on the as wide as saucers. That was maple stump. Woodchips started my closest encounter with a wild flying 3-4 feet in all directions as bear...ever! It’s not one I really he searched for his lunch. Being ever care to have again! this close to such a rare sight was

On to spiders. Have you ever a real thrill. a seen the huge furry spiders that live in the woods? I have vivid memories of those gigantic furry things. They seemed to be preva-

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13

The Valley, June 2011

Understanding the Constitution

by David Molek

Commerce Clause

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of our Constitution contains what we refer to as the Commerce Clause. That clause states that the United States Congress has the power “to regulate commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes”.

We hear a lot recently about the Commerce Clause and preemption, thanks to anti-federal health care lawsuits by state attorneys general. Over the course of the last several decades, the Commerce Clause has been used as a primary source for the regulatory expansion of the federal govern-

ment. This reading of the clause, granting virtually unlimited regulatory power over the economy to the federal government, came out of a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions at the time of the New Deal and FDR.

In its original meaning, the Commerce Clause functioned primarily as a constraint upon state interference in interstate commerce. No clause in the 1787 Constitution has been more disputed, and it has generated over 1,400 cases, more than any other clause.

In these cases, the Supreme Court turned the commerce power

into the equivalent of a general regulatory power and undid the Framers’ original structure of limited and delegated powers.

The original intent of the clause empowers Congress to regulate the buying and selling of goods and services trafficked across state lines. History shows quite clearly from the text and structure at the time that the term “commerce” consisted of selling, buying and bartering, as well as transporting for these purposes.

Examples of where our Supreme Court has expanded their definition of commerce are a farmer’s wheat production for his own use, medical marijuana that was never bought or sold and never crossed state lines, surface coal mining, intrastate price-fixing, and discrimination by restaurants. That pattern shows regulation of intrastate activities are now included.

Don’t states

normally enforce their own laws?

With the Supreme Court deciding that Congress may regulate activity that is neither interstate nor commerce under the Commerce Clause, this court has abandoned any attempt to enforce the Constitution’s limits on federal power.

Don’t you believe, as I do, that a court ought to resolve cases based on the meaning of the words that are actually in the Constitution?

In 1942, the Supreme Court said a farmer could be penalized for violating federal crop regulations by growing wheat for his own consumption, because he thereby reduced demand in the interstate wheat market. Overreaching? It certainly seems that way to me.

Take Obamacare, for example. The strongest constitutional criticism of the law is that an individual mandate to buy health insurance exceeds Congress’ power to “regulate commerce” among the states. Never before has the federal government required every man, woman and child to buy a particular good or service, or pay a civil penalty for declining to do so. The lawsuits

“Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare but only those specifically enumerated.”

--Thomas Jefferson

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against Obamacare allege that an individual’s choice not to purchase health insurance is not an economic activity that Congress can regulate. Our Supreme Court will be asked to decide. In the face of such an unprecedented expansion of federal power, we can only hope the Supreme Court reads our Constitution, limits our federal government and returns us to individual freedoms and choices.

Contrary to the original intent of the Framers, the Commerce Clause has been the primary instrument by which the federal government has expanded its powers and control over the states and individuals. Unlimited Commerce Clause means unlimited federal power. Congress should take the lead in restoring its own limit to the commerce power. Too many conservative groups have looked on in silence as Congress and the courts have enabled federal preemption of state legislatures in favor of federal regulatory power through the Commerce Clause. Isn’t it time to challenge illicit authority? We conservatives need to get busy. a

The Valley, June 2011

14

Frank About Business

by Frank Cunningham Marketing The marketing section in your business plan should be detailed and written as if it were its own strategic plan. Without proper marketing, a poor cash flow occurs and the eventual decline of your business follows. The questions about marketing plans are: What is it? And how in the world do I write it? These questions are not uncommon. In fact, most small business entrepreneurs make little effort at finding the answers to these questions. If they do dare to find out “what it is,” they assume that a small business has no need for a marketing plan, also assuming that if you cannot use it, who cares how you write it.

Certainly, marketing is a very detail oriented concept, but it should not scare the small businessperson away. After all, marketing is simply a bundle of common-sense skills that are characteristic of all entrepreneurs.

If you can make a list of what you need before going to the grocery store, then you can write a marketing plan. When the marketing blues have got you down, I suggest that you follow the Ten Commandments of Marketing.

Hopefully, they will help you put your ideas into writing.

I. Thou shall serve no market other than the target market.

First and foremost, you must know your target market.

The target market is based upon demographic, psychographic, and geographic factors. To find out who your target market is, or who might potentially buy a particular product or service, try asking yourself questions like: “How much money do they spend?,” “Are they male or female?,” and “How much money do they make?” Many entrepreneurs want to be all things to all people—this is not possible, so concentrate on narrowing your market.

II. Thou shall not make unto the consumer any false image.

A question you need to ask yourself is “What image do I want to be conveyed by the product to the consumer?” Your product must provide some benefit to the consumer by fulfilling a need.

The image of your product can be conveyed by its name, packaging, uniqueness, etc., and ultimately reflects on the company’s image.

III. Thou shall not take promotional efforts in vain.

When faced with the concept of marketing, most people think about promotion or advertising.

Actually, promotion is not made of only advertising, or market-

ing or only promotion. Always keep in mind the promotions mix: Personal sales; Advertising; Sales promotion; Public relations. With this mix and a sound budget, you will successfully communicate your product to your customer.

The most important fact to remember when communicating with your customers is to do it consistently and in a scheduled manner. Never advertise or throw a customer party because you feel like it. PLAN STRATIGICALLY! IV. Know thy product for it is Holy.

Before marketing a product or service, you must be sure there is a need for it. You cannot fill a need that does not exist. For example, you cannot open a pizza house in a small country town of 6,000 people when there are already four of them there. Again, you must remember that the product conveys your image, which gives you sales and earns you a profit. So, know your product and how it appears to the consumer, for, in fact, it is holy.

V. Honor thy customer and thy competitor.

Without a customer, you have no profit. Always try to make your product or service the way the customer wants it. Remember what happened with Coca Cola and their New Coke.

They forgot about the loyal Coke drinkers, and it cost them a great deal. Always keep tabs on your competitor as well. He or she is not dumb, and is always planning one step ahead just as you are.

VI. That shall not kill profits by neglecting to formulate a pricing strategy.

No matter what strategy you use for your products’ pric-

ing structure, you need to remember two things: first, the price must reflect what the customer is willing to pay; and secondly, the price must reflect what you need to generate a profit.

VII. Thou shall not adulterate the product.

When you have gained the public’s trust in your product and you are at a standstill in sales, it is so tempting to want to make more money. Instead of taking away the quality of a product by using cheaper ingredients, try making the product better. This will promote respect and increase sales.

VIII. Thou shall not steal company time by neglecting to plan.

Why do you need to plan?

Because it saves time and contributes to good time management.

But planning your marketing goals does more than save time in the long run. Planning helps you overcome the marketing pitfall by focusing on objectives that have been set. Planning means action.

Words on paper mean much more than words floating through the air. How many times have you said you were going to take a vacation and never got anywhere?

Probably because you did not plan it!

IX. Thou shall not bear false information.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to collect thorough and accurate market data. You need to keep on top of your target market by predicting what it will do before it does it. By gathering data pertaining to your market on a regular basis you will observe the changing needs and values of your customers. With inaccurate, or no research at all, this is impossible to do.

X. Thou shall not covet thy competitor.

It used to be that every one wanted to be just like the top business in one’s market. Today the concepts of uniqueness and positioning make us shy away from being just like our competitors.

How can you make your product or service unique? Uniqueness can be achieved through any characteristic of the product...its packaging, price, benefit, color, or any special use it may have.

Just remember to be consistent.

Your positioning in the market can be just as unique by serving a special target market. The idea is to not imitate your competitor, but to make yourself as different or unique as possible. If you become known as the pizza house next to K-Mart, you have positioned yourself and made yourself unique.

Through these Ten Command-

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ments of Marketing you know what a marketing plan is, who can use it, and how to write it. A marketing plan is an investment in time and vital in your business plan. If you take time to PLAN, you will save time in the long run to ENJOY!...and perhaps avoid SEPS. As described in the chapter containing the three constants of business, marketing is one of the weakest areas that new entrepreneurs take to a new business. It is important that you use all the information in the marketing area.

Should you have problems, make sure you invest some of your capitalization with a professional marketer. Of course, you should choose a marketer with knowledge of your type of business There are basically two marketing strategies, one for existing companies and one for start-up companies. Although strategies are basically the same in both cases, the difference for existing companies are the four following strategies: 1. More of present products or services to existing companies 2. Present products or services to new customers 3. New products or services to existing customers 4. New product to new customers All companies must develop their marketing plan with the following information: Product/Service -Name your product or service.

-What image do you want to convey.

-Compare your product/service to your competitor.

Price

-What price will you charge?

Consider mark-ups or margins if in retail or manufacturing. Contact an accountant for help.

-Will you discount?

-Will seasonal sales occur?

-What are your credit policies?

-Compare to competition?

Distribution -Will your product or service be sold directly from you location?

-Will you employ salespeople, manufacturer reps, retail associates?

-Does your location have easy access to highways and various modes of shipping?

-Compare your distribution plans with the competition.

Sales -How will you identify potential customers?

Describe your lead system including paper flow, time policies and methods of follow-up

Continued on page 19

15

The Valley, June 2011

The Mushroom Guy Tasty fungal morsels and other wild edibles.

by Bob Sleigh

Morels are Finished, What’s Next ?

As spring, and another memorable morel season, comes to an end, summer and a proliferation of mushrooms in all forms and colors are soon to make an arrival.

For a novice mushroom enthusiast, much of the daunting variety of fungi found throughout the summer can be nearly impossible to identify. Don’t get frustrated; even the experts struggle to identify everything they find.

Fortunately, some of the best summer edibles are easily recognized and have no dangerous look-a-likes.

Wine Cap Stropharia (Stropharia rugosoannulata) is a popular edible that can frequently be found in urbanized areas, such as in your, or your neighbor’s,

landscaping.

Wine caps are saprobic, meaning they derive nutrients by

Although there are other early summer mushrooms that thrive on wood chips, the wine-colored caps, which can often grow to dinner plate size and have purplishblackcolored gills and spores, are a sure giveaway.

Wine Cap Stropharria in wood chips.

Another identifying trait is a “cog wheel”-shaped digesting dead wood, thus the ring around the stalk just below fungi’s penchant for wood chips.

the cap.

For those that want a ready supply of these gregarious mushrooms, wine caps can be easily propagated anywhere wood chips are present. Many online suppliers sell spawn that can be spread throughout a wood chip bed, but there is an easier and far cheaper way to start your own mushroom bed.

When harvesting your mushrooms, gently twist them out of the ground and cut off the butt end that was in the ground. Save these butts in a separate bag from your harvest to transport home. Place the butts in a bed of wood chips and cover them with at least 3 to 4 inches of fresh chips. Do this in an area where the chips will stay moist and get occasional sun.

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During summer and fall the mycelium attached to the butts will grow throughout the wood chips and hopefully result in copious fruiting the following spring.

To maintain the bed it is necessary to replenish with fresh wood chips after each spring’s harvest.

Want an even easier way to get these shrooms growing at home? If possible, gather a bucket full of wood chips from the area where you found the wine caps and mix that into your bed. Keep the bed moist, if needed, and keep an eye on your bed. When propagated this way, fruitings can

Continued on page 38

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The Valley, June 2011

16

Flag Day is June 14th

by Wayne Stottlar You may have noticed

Through the Window: 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.

Heifer on an Amish farm in Milroy enjoying the arrival of good weather

A Tiger Swallowtail feeding on nectar on one of the many wildflowers in The Valley

A young red squirrel inspecting the source of the commotion outside of his house.

The used key is always bright --Ben Franklin

the icon gracing the top of our front page this month and possibly thought maybe we had missed a month and were highlighting the holiday that everyone associates with Old Glory. That would be July 4th, or Independence Day, when red, white and blue decorations and flags are everywhere.

But no, even though they say the mind is the first to go, I am not there yet. This depiction of our first flag, that was commissioned

by George Washington and the Continental Congress, and sewn by the widow Betsy Ross, was put there to remind us that June 14th is Flag Day.

I am old enough to actually remember when this holiday used to be a lot more widely celebrated.

There were parades and families adorned their yards with red, white and blue, and held cookouts featuring American favorites— hamburgers and hot dogs. An American flag hung from nearly every house and towns used telephone or light poles to line the main street with old glory.

Today, few youngsters—or for that matter, few adults, know that June 14th, 1777 is when the flag pictured was officially adopted as the symbol of America. The Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress declared...

“Resolved, that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation.”

Another fact that many today are not aware of is that the first Flag Day celebration was not an official holiday, but rather started in 1885 by a Wisconsin school teacher named Bernard J. Cigrand.

Cigrand traveled the country giving over 2,100 speeches on

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patriotism and the flag, and is credited by many as single handedly establishing Flag Day as a national holiday.

Officially, Flag Day did not become a National Holiday by law until 1949. In 1893 however, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin, Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, who was president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, was responsible for a resolution requiring all public buildings in Philadelphia to display the American flag. Partially because of this work, Pennsylvania was the first state to make Flag Day a legal holiday. I wonder if Pennsylvania will lead the way in once again recognizing and promoting Flag Day to its former glory. Perhaps central Pennsylvania should lead the way. We display the flag pretty much year round, although Flag Day is a good time to retire your weathered and tattered Stars and Stripes, and replace it with a fresh vibrant old glory.

When the founders were choosing colors for our national symbol, they chose red, white and blue for a reason. Red stood for hardiness and courage, white for purity and innocence, and blue for vigilance and justice. The thirteen stars and thirteen stripes represented the 13 colonies that rallied around this flag and fought for independence from Great Britain.

The original 13 colonies consisted of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia. Today the stripes still number 13 to represent the original 13 colonies and the stars number 50, one for each state.

This year let’s make a new commitment to honor our flag and observe Flag Day. a

17

The Valley, June 2011

LZ Swanson From Iraq

by Shawn Swanson

TEOTWAWKI ?...Hardly END OF THE WORLD? HARDLY, WE HAVE ONLY BEGUN! Well, some folks out there

thought the end of the world was upon us in the month of May. They were busy deciphering ‘the end’ of all that is and what it would look like. But, as usual, ‘the end’ did not arrive as they expected it to.

What strikes me about what goes on today is that almost everyone heard about these ‘prophets’ of doom and their message from billboards, TV, talk radio and the news found online, but the one message that seems to elude the majority of us is that we make life what it is, and that ‘the end’ is focused on more than what makes life a considerably positive

journey. Sure, as with all individuals, sooner or later, an ‘end’ does arrive. However, we should not consume ourselves with that, but rather focus on what we can build and sustain in our lives before our time does come to a close.

Let’s take a look at some tools that can help us construct a better, more self-reliant and independent lifestyle that focuses less on ‘the end’ of anything and more on the nurturing of what makes us free so we can exercise liberty at its fullest and make a positive impact on our communities and our families.

OPTIMISM.

I have mentioned the following before. Everyone encounters problems, but we have a choice at the root of our perceptions to look at the things we encounter as challenges or monstrous obstacles. It

is your choice – face a challenge or hit an obstacle. My suggestion, take the long view and approach every situation with ‘Can Do’ optimism. When things are challenging we sometimes fall short, but never fail. Exercise optimism, meet the challenges ahead of you with a mind geared for success and tough times will be less so.

ADAPTABILITY.

It is important to develop personal flexibility in all you do.

Folks spend too much time pushing and pulling at circumstances out of their control that they only exhaust themselves and never get ahead. Learn to bend more with what you are presented with and not expect outcomes to be so transfixed.

PERSONAL INDUSTRY.

There is no better a tool to manage tough times than per-

sonal industry. Find purpose in your daily life and professional activities. Develop a keen sense of focus that guides your time so that nothing you do goes to waste.

Building something in your life can bring you satisfaction no matter what the outside world thinks or does. Being industrious brings satisfaction. Be industrious and profit from your time and works.

COMMON SENSE. We live in an age where common sense has been exchanged for distractions. Instead of seeing reality as it is and doing what needs to be done, we often sit complacent and never act when it makes sense to. Shake off the diversions and commotion that impedes your progress in the world and draw a straight line to your goals with common sense. Using common sense leads to simple truths that can be counted on. With common sense, you can learn to sustain your lifestyle, grow opportunities, and fulfill obligations with less fuss.

So, ask yourself this question. When your end does arrive (and it will), will you have spent your time befuddled in anxiety?

Or, will you be satisfied with what you have accomplished because when your end arrived, you had something to show for it. You better have something to show… a

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18

The Valley, June 2011

Woods, Water and Wildlife with Bob Sleigh

and eat nearly anything including snails, insects, berries, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, birds, and eggs. Adult box turtles tend to be herbivorous while the younger turtles are almost exclusively carnivorous.

Mating in a turtles world is a hit or miss proposition as they have no specific way of finding each other. Fortunately Mother Nature has added a few adaptations to overcome this problem.

Box Turtles will mate anytime between their emergence from hibernation until fall even though the eggs are only laid in late spring and early summer. Females have the unique ability to Spend a lot of time in the Pennsylvania woods and perhaps you will be lucky enough to encoun- produce ferter one of these interesting turtles. Admire them, tile eggs for inspect them, and then leave them where you several years found them. after only one successto predators and spend most of ful mating. their time hidden beneath leaf lit After digging a nest in soft ter or in rotting stumps. soil the female will deposit her

Box turtles are omnivorous eggs, cover the nest with the dug

The Eastern Box Turtle

In Pennsylvania it is deer that drivers are always on the lookout for as they travel the states many rural roads. With the onslaught of warm weather there is another creature that drivers should be watching for.

Terrapene Carolina, commonly known as the Eastern Box Turtle, has been experiencing a population decline for many years partly due to highway mortality.

Box turtles, males in particular, are wanderers and will readily cross roads to find food, nesting areas or a mate.

Another threat related to highways deals with well meaning individuals collecting the turtle as a pet. Unfortunately many of these pets either succumb in captivity or are released into another area far from their home

territory.

Studies have found that turtles removed from their 1 to 10 acre home area and released elsewhere seldom survive the ordeal. Many will actually attempt to return to the home territory no matter how far away and often perish on a highway or from stress induced illnesses.

These shy and gentle creatures start life as 1-inch long miniature turtles hatching from a nest of 3 to 8 leathery skinned eggs in the fall. Little is known about where these infantile turtles go and what they do during the first years of their life.

The young turtles grow a little more than .5 inches per year and reach sexual maturity at the age of five. During this time the youngsters are highly susceptible

soil, and leave the youngsters to survive on their own. At this time the eggs are susceptible to predation by roving skunks and raccoons that are able to smell the underground nest through the soil.

The female depends on soil temperatures to keep the eggs warm and it is soil temperature that will determine the sex of the entire nest. Nests that are 71.680.6 degrees Fahrenheit tend to be males, and those above 82 degrees tend to be female

Although the average life span for a box turtle is 50 years, there are numerous reports of turtles living to be 80 to 100 years old. Up until about 25 years old the turtle’s age can be determined by counting the linear rings on the plates of the turtles top shell. After 25 years the shells become worn and the rings are difficult to count.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission regulations make it illegal to possess box turtles without proper permits, it is suggested to enjoy their uniqueness, but immediately return them to the habitat where they were found.

Should you find a turtle on the road and can do so safely, move the turtle to the side of the road it was facing. Placing it on the side it came from will only make the turtle once again attempt to cross the road. a

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19

The Valley, June 2011 Frank about Business from page 14 -What compensation methods will you use with sales personnel?

Promotion-Advertising

-How much capital will you allocate for advertising for the next three years?

-What is your policy on co-op advertising?

-What theme, slogan, or product definition will you use?

-Based on target markets, which media would you use: newspapers, television, trade journals, radio?

-How will you assure repetition of exposure?

-Compare your media choices, ad size and advertising policies of your competition.

Promotion-Personnel -Who will create ads and choose media?

-Who will manage sales and training?

-Will there be restrictions on employee attire?

Promotion-Publicity and Public Relations -What opportunities exist for news releases to mass media?

-What community activities will employees engage in?

East Kishacoquillas Summer Activities from page 6 June 24th from 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM. The second trip will be on Friday, July 8th from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. We will leave from the church parking lot and children must have permission slips and money for food and activities. Call 667-6233 for further information.

A Scrapbooking/Cropping Day will be held on Sat., July 16 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian Church. Bring pictures, scrapbooks, and any supplies you want to use. Additional supplies and materials will be available. We are asking that you provide yourself a sack lunch for this event.

There is no cost for this event and pre-registration is not required.

Several adults and children will gather on Saturday, August 6th from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM to build birdhouses. Materials will be provided for this activity, but we are asking for those attending to bring a sack lunch. There is no cost for this event and preregistration is not required. a

-What will company policy be in community relations?

Customer Service Policies -What warranties will your company carry?

-Is customer training involved?

-What is your policy on shipping, installation?

-Compare to your competition.

Marketing Implementation -Develop a time line for all marketing efforts including test marketing.

-Make a media chart indicating cost and time when ads appear Marketing Budget -Develop a budget which includes: -Cost of media space -Promotional literature, printing -Mailing costs for direct mail -Creative costs of ads -Stationery and business cards -Telemarketing costs -Sales training -Trade shows -Sales awards and contests

Overall the most important items you should direct your attention to is what is unique about my product or service and the following: -Advertising -Media

-Personnel -Public relations -Customer service -What is my pricing strategy?

-What types of advertising and promotion will be most effective in reaching my target market?

In following articles, there is additional information covering many of the strategies outlined above. a

Laurie Lowe from page 23

versation, she relayed her newest accomplishment that took place just this week. Using her walker, she made it out to the garden at the rehab center and spent some time weeding. She said being able to get her hands back into the dirt was extremely therapeutic, and although it will have to be in small doses while she regains her strength, she was thankful that she was able. She is already thinking about table gardening to take the place of the real thing until she is able. Like I said in the title, AMAZING! a

and wants to thank everyone for the prayers, which she credits for the recovery. So now I am asking that you all continue those prayers as Laurie still has some road to travel. Her sights are now set on regaining her drivers license. She said she knows that this is going to be a long term goal as she has to remain seizure free for a year before she is even eligible. Here we all can help.

Short term, she is concentrating on regaining those fine motor skills so that she can type and then will once again grace the pages of The Valley.

She said that she will be able to start attending Sunday Services this week and was very excited about that. A pastor from her church has visited her in the rehab center.

Her newest challenge is now dealing with the emotional aspect of losing her husband. She said that she thinks before this time in her recovery, she was mostly in shock over that aspect and hadn’t really dealt with it yet. This had been a tough week as the realization of moving forward alone hit home. She will make it I am sure, and through prayer I plan to help her.

Before we ended our con-

Editors note: Start-up and established businesses are welcome to submit their questions to Frank here at The Valley and he will answer them in his column.

Write to thevalleynewspaper.com Attn Frank in the subject line.

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20

Dairy Princess Memories

by Rebecca Harrop Mifflin County Dairy Princess 2010-2011

Hi this is Rebecca Harrop, Mifflin County Dairy Princess with more Dairy Princess memories. All the rain we have been having has not only been affecting us farmers but also most home gardeners. With all the rain, we’ve been having trouble getting our field work done. It seems like every time we get started it rains and we have to stop. Usually we have all of our corn planted by now, but this year we only have about half planted. Although I do remember one year when they were planting the bottoms at my Gram’s house on my birthday in July. We also started to mow the hay but haven’t gotten it in the silo yet. I guess though later in the year we will probably be praying for rain.

Growing up I always looked forward to this time of year because that meant school would

soon be out. We used to count down the days until school was over so we could play outside all day. We always hated the last days of school when it was really hot because the days seemed to drag by. The first two weeks of June were always the slowest two weeks of the year besides Christmas week. It was absolute torture going to bed by 9:00 when it was still light outside because we had to get up for school the next morning. And everyone knows that’s the best time to catch lightning bugs.

June meant the beginning of our summer farm fun. One summer our mom babysat our cousin, Shelly, almost everyday. We would go into the straw mow and make forts, and spend the whole day there. We were going to make our forts again the next summer, but the farm went to big bales so we couldn’t—we were so disappointed. Sometimes we would ride with our uncles Dave & Dan when they were feeding cows. A lot of times they would stop at the Siglerville store and buy us popsicles; we always enjoyed that.

When we were older we would

take turns riding with our brother, Ernie, when he was breeding cows. When we first started going with him people thought we were his daughters because we were so little. We always liked going with him because most days he would buy us lunch, and when you’re little that is very exciting. Sometimes he would take us to the Belleville sale to look at the animals.

No matter what we did when we were with Ernie it was always an adventure.

On June 9, I will be passing the crown on to the next Dairy Princess. This past year has been one of the busiest and most exciting years I can remember. I have had so many opportunities and met a lot of people. One of my most memorable experiences was when I got to ride in a fire truck for the Belleville Fireman’s Parade, I’m sure I will remember that for a very long time. I will never forget when I was at Kish Valley Buying Station’s Costumer Appreciation Day. We had a milk machine and when Tom Shank was putting more chocolate milk in, it spilled all over him. They say milk baths are good for you,

but I’m sure he didn’t think that at the time. I also got to meet Congressman Glen Thompson and talk to him about the importance of dairy.

I want to thank everyone who has helped and supported me this year. Without you, what I have done would not be possible. I hope I have been able to share how important dairy products are to your diet no matter what your age. Macy Fisher will be the 2011-2012 Dairy Princess. She has been the Alternate Princess this year. Megan Notestine will be her Alternate. I’m sure both girls will do an excellent job as the county Dairy Royalty.

Again, I sincerely thank everyone for your comments and your support this past year. This month’s recipe is for a summer salad.

Buffalo Chicken Salad 15 min.prep time 6 servings Ingredients Dressing 1/2 cup SOUR CREAM 1/2 cup crumbled BLUE CHEESE 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup MILK 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt Salad 1 cup sliced yellow summer squash 1 cup cherry tomato halves

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1/2 cup baby carrots, cut into quarters diagonally 1 (10-ounce) bag (6 cups) fancy mixed salad greens 1 rib (1/2 cup) celery, cut into thin strips Chicken 2 tablespoons BUTTER 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/4-inch strips 2 tablespoons prepared Buffalo wing sauce* Directions Combine all dressing ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.

Toss together all salad ingredients in large bowl. Set aside.

Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet until sizzling; stir in brown sugar and chicken strips. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink (3 to 5 minutes). Add Buffalo wings sauce; continue cooking until sauce is reduced and chicken is coated (2 to 3 minutes).

To serve, arrange salad mixture on individual plates; top with chicken. Drizzle with dressing. *Substitute 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce.

Recipe Tip Purchased blue cheese or ranch salad dressing can be used. a

The Valley, June 2011

Modern Energy and Alternative Heating

with Curt Bierly

A Commercial Solar Domestic Hot Water (DHW) System

ing windows In the January (see picture).

2011 issue (page 21) After an of The Valley newsinitial round paper, we introduced of bids were solar Domestic Hot rejected for Water (DHW) systems being beyond and discussed the the financial generous state and constraints of federal rebates that are the grant, we available for residenwere tasked tial installations. In with proposthe May 2011 issue ing a design (page 21), we detailed that would fall the functionality of within budget. the system. If you We suggested missed either or both, using a 2” and you want to galvanized “catch up,” you can Key Klamp read the articles online The insulated 640 gallon water tank with heat exchangers system and at the paper’s website arrived in a flat crate and was easily assembled on site.

Viessmann Flat www.thevalleynewsSolar Panels. paper.com. This was personal hygiene. The YWCA The Structural Engineers at all about residential solar systems, applied for and received a state Larson Design Group reworked so how do commercial systems grant to install a solar system to differ? reduce their use of natural gas

Spring of 2010 we installed a to heat DHW. The building is DHW solar system for the YWCA located in the Williamport Hisin Williamsport, PA. They rent torical District so as to gain the rooms on their third and fourth HARB’s (Historical Architectural floors to qualified female guests, Review Board) approval. Larson which usually totals about 32 Design Group of Williamsport residents living in the facility full decided the solar panels needed to time. The residents use DHW to be installed to look like awnings wash clothes, wash dishes and for over the building’s south fac-

their design using the Key Klamp System and changed the specified panels to Viessmann Flat Panels, all of which brought the job

21 within budget.

The installed system utilized sixteen Viessmann flat solar panels and a 640 gallon insulated solar tank (see picture). The 16 panel array was divided into two 8 panel systems, each with its own circulators, heat exchangers, solar fluid and solar controller. The basic residential concept presented in the previous issues noted above was utilized. The 640 gallon tank was received in a flat crate and was erected on site (an amazing design). Copper heat exchanger pipes are installed inside the tank (see picture). A “hot loop circulation line” was installed between the solar hot water tank and the natural gas DHW heater, which was an estimated 50 yards away.

As with the residential model, the solar system preheats the water to

Continued on page 30

The installed solar panels of the YWCA act as awnings while doing their job of collecting solar energy.

The completed system installed at the YWCA services 32 full time residents.

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The Valley, June 2011

22

Recipes-Crafts-Gifts With Debra Kulp Basic Dog Treats (for dogs only)

Dissolve one package of yeast, 3 1/2 cups of beef or chicken broth and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add 3 1/2 cups of unbleached flour, 2 cups wheat flour, 1 cup oatmeal and 1/2 cup skim milk powder. Mix thoroughly. Roll into 1/4 inch thick and cut with biscuit cutter or cut into squares.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Then turn off the oven and leave the pan inside overnight so they can get hard and crunchy.

Makes 24-30 cookies.

Buffalo Chicken Dip 1 block cream cheese, softened 1 bag cheddar cheese, shredded 1 tub blue cheese crumbles 2 stalks celery, chopped fine 1/4 cup Red Hot sauce 1 large can of chicken, drained 1 1/2 tablespoons butter Saute celery in butter until hot Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Makes a medium size bowl.

Serve with crackers, chips or fresh vegetables.

Yum-E-Setti Makes 6-8 servings 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained 10.75 oz. can of tomato soup 8 oz. package wide noodles, cooked 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup

1 cup chopped celery, cooked tender 2 teaspoons salt 1 lb. frozen mixed vegetables 1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese 1. Combine ground beef and tomato soup.

2. Combine chicken soup, noodles and celery.

3. Layer beef mixture, chicken mixture and vegetables. Sprinkle with salt. Lay cheese on top.

4. Cover, cook on low in crock pot for 2 hours.

Cucumber Pasta 8 oz. penne pasta 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 medium cucumbers, sliced 1 medium onion, sliced 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup water 3/4 cup vinegar 1 tablespoon prepared mustard 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder Cook pasta, drain, rinse. Put in large bowl, stir and add cucumbers and onion. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.

Pour over salad. Cover and seal in refrigerator about 3 hours. Serves 8-10 Did you know?

Lack of water is a common cause of daytime fatigue. It can also cause headaches, so it is recommended to drink several glasses a day. 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

Baling twine from page 5 indestructible. We just happened to have a tube of artificial sinew (heavy waxed thread) tucked away in the project closet. If you’ve got something durable along the same lines, try that. To do the actual stitching, a sacking needle (heavy, three inches long with a large eye and a flattened, upturned tip) works well, but look around and innovate if necessary.

Avoid the trap of over thinking! This isn’t rocket science, it’s creative frugality! Exhaustive planning has its place, but there are times when winging it is more appropriate. The great “Used Baling Twine Basket Experiment” is definitely an ongoing exercise in winging it with each piece suggesting refinements for the next.

Many folks across the country use bits of baling twine to craft useful objects. If you’ve got some lying around, join the club! Get braiding, get stitching, and see what YOU can come up with! If it helps to get the ball rolling, here are a few hints from what we’ve figured out so far.

Braiding

1) This is fairly messy work.

Bits of sisal get everywhere and trimmings tend to scatter about. If constant neatness is essential for your peace of mind, don’t do this in the house.

2) When opening a new bale, cut the twine off at the knot to give yourself a clear length to work with.

3) One of the secrets to a tight, even braid is to put a fair amount of tension on the strands as you work so find a sturdy place to attach to. My mother works off of the front post of a metal daybed and uses it and the back post to wrap the lengths of braid around as she goes. That’s how she manages to braid a two hundred foot long braid.

4) Anyone who has slung bales will tell you that the twine can get a bit hard on the hands.

Mother wears a pair of Nitrile gloves (the blue kind) and finds them easy to work in and long lasting.

5) When braiding, be careful not to get the working strands twisted since this will create bumps along the braid that may interfere with the stitching.

6) Space the splice points about a foot apart to keep the braid strong.

The Baskets

1) Stitching through the side LOOPS of the braid, rather than the twine itself, will give you a much stronger join. Make the stitches tight by pulling straight

up, rather than to the side, to avoid pulling the sides in (although you can experiment with this when you WANT the sides of the basket to curve).

2) Heavier bottoms help stabilize the basket so construct those bottoms by stitching the FLAT of the braids together rather than the sides. Stitch through all of the rows until the needle no longer reaches comfortably then go through just two or three rows as you work your base to size.

As a frame of reference: the round baskets we use when gathering eggs start out with a circular base about eight inches in diameter. The gathering baskets we use for field, garden and Farmer’s Market are oblong. We begin these with a strand about ten inches long and stitch ‘til we have a long oval base about eight inches wide.

3) Constructing the entire basket with a single braid (that’s why the braids are so long) will add to it’s strength and durability.

4) When you change from the bottom to the sides stitch a double row to reinforce the angle change, start to stitch the braid side-toside and continue ‘til the height suits the use. We’ve found that the garden/market basket should be at least ten inches high. You want to keep whatever you put in the basket IN the basket. Also stitch an added layer or two at the top edge as well.

5) The handles should loop on each side of the basket so that the top can open widely. Make their length to suit YOU. Stitch the continuous length of braid under the basket, for strength and support, and make the handles AT LEAST two rows thick (either side to side or flat stitched like the bottom), three is better. A thicker handle is easier on the hands.

6) When gathering relatively delicate items, like greens or tomatoes or celery and the like, we drape a large dish towel over the sides and bottom. We do this for two reasons. First, baling twine is rough and will rub and tear at vegetables such as these.

Second (and here is where we get into a bit of a sticky wicket), some baling twine is treated: it says so right on the packaging.

Right after “biodegradable and user friendly” it states, “treated to resist rodents and insects” or phrases to that effect.

We’ve all smelled that faint, oily scent. I had never given it a second thought since it tends to dissipate and I scrub my baskets before I start using them. Still, one good thing about writing these articles is it makes one dig

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deeper than otherwise, and in digging I found out that no one I spoke to in Mifflin county had the faintest idea what baling twine was treated with. Casting a wider net, I had the good fortune to be directed to Greg Hostetter, an Extension Educator at the Penn State Extension in Juniata County (Bye-the-bye, we’d better organize bake sales or something to help keep these folks up and running. We need them!).

His response when asked what substance baling twine is treated with, “I have no idea. Let me get back to you.”

In less than fifteen minutes (believe me this is an extraordinary response time), the phone rang. Guess what his rapid research found out—IT’S Creosote!

We commiserated a bit on this distressing revelation. For those of you who haven’t met up with creosote, it’s the gooey black gunk that can form in a chimney, the gooey black gunk used to treat telephone and power poles, or that we use to paint fence posts. It’s banned for some uses in some places and rightfully so. YUCK!

So I thanked Mr. Hostetter and went to the library to do a bit of research. Turns out there are a number of different kinds of creosote. Some, made from wood not petroleum, are refined and used as medicines. When refined these creosotes are colorless and “relatively” safe.

Contacting five different companies that deal with twine turned up nothing. They knew it was treated with something —usually they mentioned “some kind of oil,” but that’s as far as it went. No help there.

The folks at Pennsylvania Certified Organic also pulled a blank. However, they quite definitely stated that in all their monitoring and testing they have never found evidence of any contamination on anything that has come in contact with the baling twine. Okay, getting better.

Finally (since there has to be a point where the research stops), I called the Rodale Institute, and it turns out that I called them right when they are gearing up for their busiest time of year.

Here’s the deal: when I have more information about the treatment of sisal baling twine you all will be the first to know.

In the meantime, we’re going to keep right on braiding, stitching, scrubbing off and using our baling twine baskets. We hope you will too! a

23

The Valley, June 2011

Frugal Living Columnist Laurie Lowe Continues to Improve and Amaze

by Wayne Stottlar

Laurie on her North Dakota homestead before the accident.

PRAYER WORKS! So says Valley column-

ist Laurie Lowe. I have always believed that without a thought, but as if I needed some proof, the miracle of prayer has been highlighted by Laurie’s comeback from near death.

For those new readers to The Valley, you haven’t had the pleasure of reading one of Laurie’s columns about living with less—that isn’t less quality, just less com-

mercialization. She also points out ways of saving money on everyday items by using tried and true methods that work for her on her North Dakota homestead.

In fact, even you readers who have been with us since day one only got a small taste of Laurie’s money saving wisdom. Unfortunately Laurie was in a horrible car accident in late January that claimed the life of her husband and left her clinging to life without much hope given by her doctors.

Her family was first told that she would most likely not make it, as she had severe head trauma and many, many broken bones throughout her body. Then after this courageous fighter made them take that prognosis off the table, they said she would not regain enough brain function to ever be able to do for herself again, Laurie didn’t accept that, and once again, the doctors had some crow for dinner. Then the next theory brought forward was that she would be bound to a wheel

chair for a year, maybe more.

Guess what, it is only five months and she is using a walker to get around.

Her family transferred her from North Dakota to Colorado and the home of one of her siblings, where she says the outpouring of love and support of her family gave her great strength. At the same time she progressed, she began to feel like she was being waited on and thought that this is not how she wanted to live. So she checked into a rehab center where she gets continual physical therapy and is allowed to be somewhat independent when she is up to it.

I have never met Laurie in person, in fact, our relationship at the newspaper was only a couple months old, but like all of the writers, we consider each other family and when the accident occured, I didn’t know how to react.

Her daughter e-mailed me and gave me a brief overview, which was greatly appreciated. I felt at a loss as to what to do, since Laurie

was in serious need of some help.

The only thing I could think of, besides praying myself, was to ask our congregation at East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian Church to add her to the “Prayer Concerns” list that is handed out in the bulletin every Sunday. This congregation must be a force for good, as their prayers were answered.

I was blessed in being able to speak with Laurie on the phone last night, May 21st. This is the first time we have ever spoken to one another on the phone. All previous communication was done through e-mail or through our Homesteading Forum. I had been dreading making that call for the last 5 months, as I didn’t know what to say, and I was afraid of what I might hear. Well out of the blue, while putting together this issue last night, I just had a thought to call her.

She sounded WONDERFUL! We chatted for the better part of a half hour as she relayed her journey so far. To say that she

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is a new hero for me would be an understatement. Her positive attitude and strength to overcome is a true inspiration. She told me that her 90 year old father drove all the way out to see her and tried to get her to come stay with him while she recovers. But, she told him she had to do this by herself and with God’s help. Her father painted her as stubborn, and after hearing of his journey to see her at his age, I would say she didn’t get that way by herself.

Laurie is still working to regain her fine motor skills and also at learning to walk all over again.

Her doctors said that she may only get 80% of the use of her left leg, to which she said she will be fine with that. But how much do you want to bet she disregards that prognosis as well?

Like I said, Laurie and I talked for the first time last night, so she had no clue about the prayer list, but she told me during the darkest days right after the accident she could feel the love and support coming from afar,

Continued on page 19

The Valley, June 2011

24

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.

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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.

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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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25

The Valley, June 2011

Homeschooling on the Homestead

with Andy Weller

THE PROJECT

The next couple of articles are going to be about electives and homeschooling. This article is going to talk about a recent project we did. Now, if you know me you’ve heard about The Project.

I’ve written about it on message boards, I’ve blogged about it and I’ve posted multiple Facebook statuses. The cool thing about this project is that we had a great time doing it and Jake learned about economics, decision making skills, and how math relates to carpentry. Every day after work for two weeks we got out in the yard and with the whole family’s involvement, we have pretty much completed the project and the results can be enjoyed for many years to come. As we go through it, we’ll talk about how this relates to homeschooling and some of the things learned and/or discussed through out the process.

The project was to rebuild a wooden play center that was in the yard when we moved in. This play center was sun rotted and so dry and brittle at that time that I should have pulled it apart down to the 4x4 posts and then used the

the amount of wood we would posts for fence posts. So when need to buy. Once we decided Jake asked to rebuild it, I thought what we needed to buy, we had we were going to have to start over from scratch. And we almost some negotiation work to do. did. We were down to the 4 corner posts and the floor joists that were protected from the weather.

On the day of demolition, Jake learned how to use Jake after demolition with the good bones left to a crow bar start construction. without damaging the things that needed This is Jake’s project, he wanted to be saved. He also learned how it done, and it would be his fort to clean nails out of the usable when it was finished, so the quesscrap so we could salvage the tion to him was how much of his wood. hard-earned money was he willing

Once the demo was done, we to let go of. So the lesson was got out a tape measure and analso one of economics. We evenother lesson began. I showed Jake how to make a rough estimate of

We started the rebuild by setting up a work area using two saw horses and a sheet of OSB. We then got out all the tools. We talked about keeping the area clean and putting tools away at night. The first night we started by building the stringers for the steps. I just couldn’t see putting out the money for pre-made stringers when I can make them for about a third the price… even if I’ve never made them before.

The first night became a learning experience for me and my son.

We only got one stringer done that night.

That first night we did a lot of talking about how to read a tape measure down to a thirty second of an inch. Then Jake did a lot of the measuring and marking for the saw cuts. This is where he learned how to keep the pencil mark close to the straight edge

tually came to an agreement on the amount that both of us would put toward the project and the next day we went to the building supply store.

The trip to the store was very eventful. Jake had a friend with him so there was double teaching going on. When we bought wood, I showed them how to pick straight 2x4’s.

I also showed them the difference between the cheap wood and the more expensive, dried wood.

You could actually feel the moisture in the cheap stuff This photo shows our progress after our first that we were night of construction, one stringer complete. buying. We bought wood, when marking a board for a cut. screws, and bolts, then loaded it all into the truck and headed home He also learned that you get a to unload it.

Continued on page 38

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26

A.J. Peachey’s— Peachey’s Big Spoon Creamery Now Open From Staff Reports

Photos courtesy of Dee Peachey

Adventurous souls wishing to try something new, should venture out as well.

Peachey’s Big Spoon Creamery will be producing their own homemade, hand-dipped ice cream this season. Their own ice cream will be produced on the premises with flavors such as teaberry, dark black raspberry, grape nut, butter pecan, mint chocolate chip, sticky bun and Peachey’s triple P.

They will also still have our favorite, Peachey’s special soft serve, featuring chocolate, vanilla and With warm weather come ice cream my personal enthusiasts from all over Big Valley favorite, twist!

With warmer weather slowly returning to Big Valley, A.J. Peachey’s is expanding their ice cream operation. Although the big event is still a little ways off, that being the opening of the brand new store, the warmer weather is sure to bring people who love their frozen treats out looking for some of their old favorites.

The Valley, June 2011 Lewis knows ice cream, so it is a it up. Oreos, safe bet they all are good.Ask for M&Ms, a sample, Peachey’s will happily Reeses Pieces, let you sample a flavor before Butterfinger, deciding. But whichever one Grape Nuts you choose, you can’t go wrong. and Heath Bar I mean, have you ever had bad candies can be homemade ice cream? No, me added to your either. ice cream.

We

Also new this season is the just love the teaming up with Byler Goat Dairy outside seatto offer Goat Milk ice cream! If ing provided you have never had homemade where we can ice cream made with goat milk, We are Happy to serve you! (l to r) Richard sit enjoying a you have been missing an epic Yohn, Angelica Stanton and Kesia Drass warm summer treat. Goat milk is easier to digest, evening with and in most cases, folks that have

But when we said expanding, friends and our Amish neighbors. lactose intolerance and have had we meant more than just the hours The feeling of community is quite (which are now 11:00 am to 10:00 Continued on page 30 evident. With the expanded hours pm, Monday thru Saturday). this year, we

Oh yes, they have sundaes, plan on being old favorites like hot fudge, even more regubutterscotch and strawberry, but lar in our visits. they also have fruit sundaes like Unsure blueberry and pineapple, as well about some of as peanut Butter, caramel, oreo the flavors? and marshmallow.

Just remember,

Peachey’s Big Spoon Creamevery time Richery has some exotic and not often ard Yohn makes found shakes for those of you a new batch, who don’t mind a stroll on the Lewis Peachey wild side. Flavors like, banana, gets a phone raspberry, pineapple, blueberry, call and comes peanut butter and teaberry as well running with his James and Darla Byler of Byler Goat Dairy, as the old stand-bys, chocolate spoon in hand. introducing customers to free samples of their and vanilla. delicious goat milk ice cream. Judging from Nothing goes

Flurries are also are available the response, they will soon be very tired ice public without for those who want to really mix cream makers. his approval.

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27

The Valley, June 2011

Grosze Thal Nachbaren

(Big Valley Neighbors)

by Jeptha I. Yoder

Ein Grusz zu alle Liebe Leser und Schreiber! Mir hen en woch recht schön W’etter gehabt in unser langsam und sehr Nasz Frühlingszeit.

Der 25 April war die Gemein ans Ruben D. Hostetlers. Von andere gegenden waren Ben Rs, Johannes Js und sohn Eli, alle Hostetlern. Meine Eltern waren daheim. Ihre besuch war Iddo M. Hostetlers und Familie von Mcklur nachmittages.

Die (Salomon) Mareily R. Hostetler und Adelina Yoder (Christ) waren beim Groszvater.

Milroy Nord Gemein war an der Johannes D. Zug Heimat.

Lang Leen Ost war ans Isaak R. Hostetlers.

Der 1 Main war Kirchengasse Gemein ans Uria S. Hostetlers.

West Lang Leen war ans Mose J. Hostetlers Jr. Ans Unkel Christs und der Grosdaadi fürs Mittag waren Noah D. Hostetlers. Nachmittages waren Ruben Ds, Jesse Js funf Töchter und kindeskind, Ruth, Isaak Rs und Familie, alle Hostetlern, Eli Es und zwei jüngste, Barbara K. Adelina E. und Eli A. (Noah D.) alle Yodern. Abends war es Eli S. Zugen und Eli S. Hostetlern und Familien.

Bei uns fürs mittage war Jesse Js und Töchter und Ruth and Rebecca (Iddos’). Der 8 war Milroy Nord and Abraham J. Zugen.

Ost Lang Leen war ans Rudy

N. Hostetlers. Des war unser “Gemein Sonntag” aber dieweil der Groszvater gestorben war, ist unser versammlung zurückgestellt geworden bis der nächst Sonntag der 15.

Dann waren wir in der Gemein ans Jesse S. Hostetlers (auf den 15) Von McClur waren David H. Yoders Sr. und Esra S. Hostetlers. Von Ost Lang Leen waren Lisse S. Yoder (Uria J.) und Isaak R. Hostetlers und Familie.

Kirchengasse Gemein war ans Chirst G. Yoders. Milroy Ost war ans Johannes Z. Yoders.

Lang Leen West war ans Emanuel I. Hostetlers. David H. Yoders waren hier fürs Abendessen.

Schpäter waren Christ M. Yoders, Uria Ss und Töchter Lydia und die (Salomon) Mareily, alle Hostetlern hier.

Unser Hinter Berg Weg Gemein ist ans Esra B. Hostetlers, so der Herr Will und wir leben.

Christian greetings on a rainy day! Much work was done in fields and gardens with the few sunny days in May.

Grandad Moses S. Yoder was relieved of his earthly sufferings in the morning hours of Sunday, May 8, at the age of 86 years, 3 months, 16 days. Funeral was at 2:00 p.m. on Monday by Emanuel J. Yoder in house with Freundschaft; In second house by: John

I. Hostetler. Attending the funeral were folks from Penns Valley and McClure, a grandson Moses D. Yoders and family, also a grandaughter, Rebecca M. (David H.), all of Little Falls, New York; Sam Y. Hostetlers of Homer City. He is survived by two sons and five daughters, Issac M., Nancy B. Hostettler (Mrs. Jesse S.), Mary R. Hostetler, widow of Bish.

Solomon, Christ M. and Katie S. Hostetler (Mrs. Reuben D.), all of Milroy; Elizabeth S. Yoder (Mrs. David H. Sr.) of McClure; Fronie K. Hostetler (Mrs. Noah D. and the late Sam S. Yoder) of Reedsville. He resided with the above Christ M. and M. Adelina Yoder at 199 Red Lane, Milroy.

Thirty-eight grandchildren and eighty great-grands of whom 68 were born since Grandmother Yoder passed away on August 11, 2001. Five step-grandchildren, 3 step-great-grandchildren; brothers: Bish. Sam Z., Bish. John J. S., Dea. Christ S. and Rudy S. and wife Lydia and sisters-in-law (Seth K.) Lydia and (Manasses) Katie.

Preceded by his wife Rebecca S., his only sister on the same date four years ago, four brothers, (two yet small) and by 3 great-grandchildren.

Pall bearers were Samuel M. Zook, Noah S. Hostetler, Eli E.

Yoder, and Jonathan Y. Hostetler.

Hauled by Abie J. Zook.

Yes, this will be a big change for all of us. But, we want to accept God’s plan and travel onward. He had not been as well as usual around Easter, losing out faster the last few weeks.

New arrivals are a Tobias J. to Simeon J. and Katie S. Hostetler on May 3, joining four brothers and two sisters.

Grands are J. Yost and Nancy Y. Hostetler; Solomon J. and Mary D. Yoder.

A son, John A., to Gideon E. and Dena V. Hostetler on May 6. Grands are widow (John A.) Barbara M. Hostetler; Bish. Michael A. and Franey M. (Yoder) Speicher. Great grandmother is widow (John S.) Dena B. Yoder.

This little one is a microcephaly baby and the first among the “white-toppers.” So I am sure they would appreciate hearing from others with experience. Address is 7052 East Back Mountain Road, Reedsville, PA 17084.

A daughter, Drucilla B., on May 8 to Joseph D. and Lydia E. Yoder. Grands are Joseph L. and Mary Y. (Zook) Yoder. Hosea J. and Betsy S. (Zook) Yoder.

Great-grandfather is Jacob B. Yoder.

A Benefit Auction is being planned for Noah C. Speichers’ daughter Ruthie, who was a cancer patient and in hospital for four months. Consignments and donations are welcome. It is to be held on July 9, Lord Willing,

at David R. Yoders, 90 Rasberry Lane, Belleville.

God’s Blessings wished to all!

Jeptha I. Yoder a

Benefit Auction

July 9, 2011 90 Raspberry Lane Belleville For Noah C. Speichers’ daughter Ruthie.

Proceeds to defray cost of four month hospital stay for cancer treatment.

Consignments and Donations welcome.

Central PA Metal Roof MFG BUY DIRECT!

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The Valley, June 2011

Answers in an ad in this issue

28

Blue Hole, known for 80ft. underwater visibility and

constant 60° F temperature - a diver's paradise!

1. Where is this natural spring fed lake located?

2. What famous American road passed by this site?

Quiz # 20005

Copyright © 2010

3. What does the acronym "SCUBA" represent?

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Deadlines for ads and submissions is the 24th of the preceding month for inclusion in following month’s issue.

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The Valley, June 2011

The Chicken AND the Egg!

by Mike Flanagan

Welcome to CA

Greetings and welcome to this meeting of CA. What’s that? You don’t know why you are here? You don’t even know what CA is? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not California. CA stands for Chickens Anonymous. I guess I’ll start this meeting and you’ll figure it out from there. Hi, my name is Mike and I am a “chickaholic.” I didn’t start out this way. It used to be that I just admired them on the front cover of magazines and sometimes at the county fair. It all started with just a couple of chicks here, and then a couple more of a different color there.

Before I knew it, I was up to three dozen and the hen house I had built for them was too small. Like most of you, I like to believe that I have my addiction under control, but who am I kidding? There are two dozen out in the hen house and another two dozen moving out to the hen house on Memorial

The first attempt old and clunky feeder. I think my grandson is saying, “You can do better than this”

Day weekend.

So how do you know if you are a “chickaholic?” It’s not just a matter of numbers. I mean, look at Frank Perdue. He’s got hundreds of chicken factories that have 30,000 chickens confined in one long building that never see the light of day or enjoy the simple pleasure of stalking a bug.

He doesn’t love chickens, he loves the money they earn him. But somebody like me, well, that’s different. Sure, I’ve got almost four dozen birds out there, but they all have names and each one has her own personality. And I know them all. Our oldest matron

of the flock is Henrietta. (Oh, and that is some kind of unwritten Commandment or something, I’m sure. EVERY flock has to have at least one Henrietta. Ask your pastor. He’ll confirm that.) And don’t think I’m slighting the boys.

We’ve got two roosters out there too, Rocky and Bullwinkle.

And a chickaholic talks to their birds. In little baby talk maybe, or in that high-pitched kiddy voice reserved for infants and toddlers. A chickaholic doesn’t think twice about kneeling or sitting on chicken poop while collecting eggs, feeding them from your hand, or just letting them scratch and peck around you while watch CTV. (A real chickaholic knows that stands for Chick-TV, which has American Idol or Survivor beat any day.) A true chickaholic will run to secure the chicken house door because of a sudden thunderstorm, but forget that their car windows are down.

Chickaholic couples cannot vacation together because “who’ll watch the chickens?”

Now, while I truly enjoy caring for my flock and usually do not begrudge them the time to swap out waterers or fill feeders, I have to be honest. There are times when it does wear on me.

So I have taken steps to make my caring for them easier and thereby more enjoyable for me. Initially I had a one gallon waterer and a one gallon feeder. But too many chickens meant I had to fill them both twice a day. So I figured I’d just buy one more of each. And then I bought more chickens, AGAIN! That’s when I stepped up to the three gallon waterer and the matching sized feeder. Oops, more chickens. You should try trudging through the snow with two waterers and a feeder at the same time. It doesn’t work real well. I’m basically looking for the easy way to do just about anything I do. When I slipped and crashed twice in one week, I figured I needed to change something. So I built The MegaFeeder!

The Mega-Feeder is my own design, based upon a dog food

The new and improved MegaFeeder hangs neatly on one wall of the coop.

bin/feeding station that I built a few years ago. It is designed to hold a full 50 lb bag of feed at a time. So I only have to fill it once every two weeks The first rendition was basically just an open top box with a feeding tray under it.

Did I mention that chickens aren’t the brightest bulbs in the closet?

It’s kind of like that old Kevin Costner movie, “If you build it, they will come.”

Well, “if you build it without a top, they will poop in their own food.” And besides, sitting on the floor it took up too much space. So the second rendition was improved with a sloped lid to keep them from perching on it, and it hangs on the sidewall of the hen house.

That frees up a lot of floor space, which is important in the winter when they don’t want to go out in the snow. (Unless you are a seriously demented chickaholic and have built a roofed patio for your girls. Uhhuh, guilty.)

In true homesteader fashion,

Now, the hanging part I’m I had some leftover 3/8” plywood kind of proud of. First I tried to wainscoting in the shop, so I used that. I cut the front and back to 16”x48”. The ends and center supports were cut from a pine 1x6 I had. They were cut 24” long and then angled at 45º at each end. I wouldn’t skip the center supports. Fifty pounds of feed could eventually warp or break that plywood and spill your feed all over. Now glue and nail the ends in place. I fitted the bottom next. It’s a piece of the same plywood, cut 9”x48” (the lid is the same size). Install a piece of 1x3 pine across the front of the bottom, at a 90º angle to the bottom to create the tray front. The lid was attached to the top with hinges from the original Cluckingham Palace. Remember: Re- My version of a French Cleat used to hang the Mega-Feedpurpose, Re-use, and Recycle is the homesteader’s mantra. (Don’t er on the wall of the coop. worry, I’m not going to go all “old hippie” on you.)

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Continued on page 10

The Valley, June 2011

30 Farmers Markets from page 11

expansive dreams, we have managed to produce over 20 tons of produce on 10 acres each year, the majority of which is consumed in Centre County. Our produce is harvested at its peak of ripeness and nutrition, often on the same day of pick up–it doesn’t get any fresher than that! During the main season, we have a unique farmer’s market style distribution that gives members an opportunity to choose their favorites from the weekly harvest. Our passion is keeping the local community connected to its food and the farms that grow it!

Village Acres Contact: Roy Brubaker, Farmer, and Dave Ruggiero, CSA Manager, (717) 4369477. Website: www.villageacresfarm.com. Location of Farm: 229 Cuba Mills Road, Mifflintown, PA 17059.

Pick-Up/Delivery Locations: Contact the Farm for a pick up spot near you.

Length of Season: Summer shares: 28 weekly distributions, from May to Thanksgiving. Winter shares: every other week from Thanksgiving to May. Produce: Over fifty crops, including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, beans, sweet corn, asparagus, rhubarb, cantaloupe, beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes, summer and winter squash, lettuce, mesclun, and cooking greens. Village Acres grows certified organic vegetables and berries serving the local area since 1997, and offers not only fresh produce but pasture-raised poultry, eggs, and pork, as well as the opportunity to buy extra items such as organic citrus and mushrooms from our local co-op.

Their web site states that they often have canning-size quantities of vegetables and berries for sale at their distribution, and have recently finished building a commercial kitchen that will allow them to sell sauces, soups, and jams.

Here is one of my favorite “market ingredient” recipes. Perfect for strawberry season.

Green Salad with Strawberries and Feta (or goat) Cheese Ingredients 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper, to taste 3 cups baby spinach 3 cups spring mix ( or greens of your choice) 2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/3 cup fresh chives, cut into 2-inch pieces 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans, (see Tip) 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, (goat cheese works well too) Preparation

Whisk maple syrup, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add spinach, spring mix, strawberries and chives; toss to coat. Top with pecans and goat cheese.

Tips & Notes Tip: To toast chopped or sliced nuts, stir constantly in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

References: www.localharvest.com www.taitfarmfoods.com Quincy Farmer’s Markets www.villageacresfarms.com a 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.

Julie Mac from page 8 rim. (I use a paper towel with a little white vinegar to make sure it’s squeaky clean!) Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4. Place jars in the canner, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. When your timer goes off, remove the canner lid and wait five minutes!

Remove your jars and place on a clean towel on the counter to cool.

Remember not to touch the jars for 24 hours to make sure your seals are set properly!

5. After 24 hours remove your jar bands and check your seals. You can do this by taking your finger and lightly pressing down on the center of the lid. If there is no up and down movement, your seals have held. If the lid makes and little popping sound and moves up and down, refrigerate that jar and use within a few days. I never like to reprocess any failed jar as the process is a little silly to repeat for only one jar. Wipe down your

jars with a damp cloth and a little vinegar to make sure they are clean. Put away in your pantry and enjoy!

Another variation is strawberry rhubarb jam, equally as delicious in my opinion. This recipe makes six 8-ounce (jelly) jars.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB JAM 2 cups crushed hulled strawberries 2 cups chopped rhubarb 4 tbsp. lemon juice 1 pkg. regular powdered fruit pectin 5 ½ cups granulated sugar Directions 1. Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine berries, rhubarb and lemon juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.

Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and skim off foam.

3. Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary by adding more jam. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

4. Place jars in canner, ensuring that jars are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.

I am so excited about discovering this lost gem in my garden!

I plan to do many more recipes once the plant recovers from my harvesting haircut. One of my favorites from my childhood was mom cooking down the rhubarb on top of the stove and adding sugar to taste. This simple mash was eaten as a snack, for breakfast, or on top of pound cake! I am pouring through recipes as I write this, eager to plow ahead in the new canning season. If you’re new to canning, this is the time to jump right in! Water bath canning is the way to start. It’s easy, safe, and your results will be delicious! a

A. J. Peachey’s from page 26 of ice cream, can now enjoy this treat when made with goat milk.

Goat milk accounts for 70% of all milk products consumed worldwide, so naturally, is without question, more often used to make ice cream. Goat milk is also higher in vitamins and minerals than other milks.

If you can’t stay and mingle with your Big Valley neighbors, grab a pint or a quart, and take home a surprise for the whole family.

There is bound to be lots of excitement as we draw closer to the big day when the new store will be complete. But until then, come on out, share a table with your neighbors and feast on some of the frozen treats that Peachey’s has waiting for you. a

Commercial Solar from page 21 the natural gas DHW heater.

We commend the YWCA of Williamsport for aggressively seeking funding for this very “Green” project and we look forward to their analysis of actual savings realized. 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@

The Final Push from page 4 eggs given to us by a neighbor of my parents. She had a small flock of Araucana chickens (Easter egg layers) and she was saving eggs for us since she knew we were moving out to the country. This was a pretty exciting thing for the kids as they very impatiently waited for the eggs to hatch. On a fairly regular basis we would candle the eggs to watch their development and, of course, to satisfy the kids’ curiosity most importantly! As it turns out, the timing of the hatching was to occur on the very weekend we were planning to move. Of course, Ginger and I can’t seem to be satisfied with just one thing going on, so hatching chicken eggs during the move was the perfect addition to the chaos <grin>. We were concerned about the eggs getting cold

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during the drive so we connected the incubator to our car inverter to keep the eggs warm on the trip out. Fortunately, no one hatched though the eggs began to move.

The big move has finally come, and to be honest it was almost surreal that it was happening. After all of the time we had been working to accomplish this moment, and here we were, moving truck and all, on the way to our new home in the country.

Ginger and I did stop to smell the roses for a few brief moments and celebrated the completion of this big goal, but in true form we began digging in to the countless projects to turn this raw land into the farm we envisioned it would become. Naturally, the first project would be building accommodations for our now hatching chickens; however, for now we had quite a bit of unpacking and to-do lists to complete.

Not unlike our first nights camping on the property, it took quite a bit of adjusting to get use to the idea that our home was now on our land. Getting used to the routine on a full-time basis would take some time, but slowly we adjusted and things began to feel more and more like home. If there are any words of encouragement to be taken from our story to date, it should be that persistence will eventually land you on your goal. Oftentimes, things didn’t go as Ginger and I intended, but we quickly adopted the attitude that perhaps God had something else in mind for us. Sure enough, there was always an answer to our troubles assuming we were open to them and we learned to make lemonade from lemons.

Take care, Dave & Ginger and Family a

East Kishacoquillas Presbyterian Church Welcomes You! Sunday services at 11:00AM Corner of Walnut and Church St. Reedsville PA Pastor Pat Roller

The Valley, June 2011

The End of the World

by Sarah Hurlburt

Catchy title right? You are probably wondering if I’m going to give you a new date since May the 21st didn’t work out, don’t worry I’m not. The only thing I know for sure about “end times” is that they are going to come.

The world is steadily winding down as it has been since the fall.

It seems to me that as long as I can remember people have been saying the world is going to end and predicting times for certain events to take place. Unfortunately for those “date setters,” they have never been correct. It seems pretty clear to me why they have never been correct, but some people still choose to believe all the hype when these stories hit the news media. In the most reliable, accurate and incredible book ever written in all of history it says in Matthew 24:36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Anytime these predictions are made, all I need to do is read that verse and I’m certain I might as well set the alarm clock, set the coffee pot to brew, and make plans for the day.

If God did not see fit to tell Jesus what day it was going to be, I’m pretty certain He’s not telling any of us.

But, thinking about end times is not all bad. We don’t want to get so complacent that we forget that it is an actual fact. Some people make crazy predictions and claim to know the mind of God and in turn often cast a shadow on the rest of us believers who are not radical in these things, but faithful. Just abiding in Christ, living life, and learning lessons while we wait for His return. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. And we are reminded of this again in 1 Corinthians 2:11 where it says “For who among men

knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him?

In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” Also, in Romans 11:3334 it says “Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! V.34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”

So, it’s real clear to me that we shouldn’t waste our time trying to “figure God out,” although I have been guilty of doing just that MANY times. It’s in our nature to try and figure things out and that’s okay to some extent, because it’s only in seeking answers that we find God! I’m just learning that there comes a point where we reach our limit of understanding God because we are human and obviously He is not. And actually for that I’m very thankful!

So the facts are the facts we see our earth on a steady decline.

Some scientists are even coming up with all sorts of ideas like “global warming” and claim that somehow if we humans do enough we can help slow this “winding down” process that this world is in. But no man made efforts will accomplish this no matter how good they may seem to some. We live in a fallen world corrupted by evil and it will not be right until “His kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in Heaven.” We don’t know when that might be or how it might all transpire, but of this I’m certain, it will happen. When Jesus came to earth the first time he fulfilled every single Old Testament prophecy that was written of Him concerning his first coming.

All of them, not some, and to the exact words, not in general!

That’s incredible and that (along

Continued on page 35

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The Valley, June 2011

32

Two Local Women Open Exercise Facility

TAZ Fitness was created as a result of increased interest in the new exercise class called Zumba® Fitness. These classes were held at various facilities, but the creators of “TAZ Fitness” agreed that a central location would benefit their clients.

Co-owners Angie Fetters and Terri Whitsel combined their businesses and relocated to the Greater Lewistown Shopping Plaza creating “TAZ Fitness” (or Terri, Angie, Zumba®). At their new facility, these certified Zumba® instructors offer morning and evening classes with Zumba Gold®, Zumba® Toning, and Zumbatomic® specialty classes

coming soon.

“Fitness should be fun, affordable, and convenient,” said Angie Fetters, co-owner of TAZ Fitness. “We offer memberships with unlimited classes.”

Zumba® Fitness is a Latininspired dance class that combines dance with From left, co-owners Angie Fetters and aerobic exercise.

Terri Whitsel take a break from classes at Men, women, and their new location TAZ Fitness. children of all ages exercise. attend these classes, which are

“At TAZ Fitness, we apintended to feel like anything but

proach our classes like they are a dance party,” said Terri Whitsel.

“Our members are losing weight, improving their health, and having a blast during class. It doesn’t feel like a workout…we just have fun.”

In addition to the new location, the facility has a new sound system, wireless microphones, Wi-Fi, and monthly drawings and prizes. TAZ Fitness is also open for birthday parties, special events, fundraisers, and summer programs for children.

New Customers to TAZ can bring in this newspaper article mentioning TAZ Fitness for one free class. Classes are offered

her husband picking out more items, and smiled and said to the husband, “don’t get between a lady and her roses, eh?” He acknowledged my question in the affirmative with a grin and dutifully continued gathering the woman’s choices to take to the checkout. The line A well stocked yard and willing, moved quickly courteous employees are ready for you. and I did not courtesy. see anyone wait more

To say the 3rd annual Metzler than a minute or two Customer Appreciation day was a before someone was at success is a huge understatement! their side helping them.

One of the expanded offerings at If Metzler’s this year are pond plants. you are in up to be loaded with mulch, need of stone, topsoil, straw and even landscaping materials, firewood. While working my way it is a good bet that through the excitement, I stopped Metzler will have what to admire a full wagon load of you need. The guys Knock Out Rose bushes; the in the yard from Rob, vibrant color and over-all health the yard manager, to of the bushes caught my eye. I loaders, Kevin, Nate also caught the eye of the lady and Logan, are always Rob preparing the bucket for the next who had picked them out and was happy to help and do load of mulch to be loaded. waiting to check out. “Hey, those so with the utmost are already spoken But, even if you missed it this for!” I looked over year, there’s lots of time left in the to see her with summer to stop by and let them help you beautify your property.

Metzler Forest Products is open from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday thru Friday and Saturday from 7:00 am - 3:00 pm. They are closed on Sundays. Questions can be answered by calling 717-6672924 or come on out and take advantage of the vast knowledge available from the helpful emNathan Byler helps a customer during the ployees. a

Metzler Forest Products holds Customer Appreciation Day

From staff reports

the Reedsville company that they threw caution to the wind and put their faith in God that things would come out okay. They also spent untold hours planning to make the day a success.

May 7th, the day chosen for the event, broke clear and seasonably warm. Customers flocked to the company’s location along Rt. 655 (Timber Lane) to take advantage of terrific sale prices offered just for the A huge selection of potted plants, shrubs event. and trees awaited the first customers.

Lots of staff were on hand to help customers load their vehicles, and some might think it just plain answer questions, and serve up unwise. food courtesy of Metzlers.

Not the folks at Metzler

Many customers swarmed Forest Products. They felt it such over the potted plants, shrubs, a necessity to thank their customand pond plants as trucks lined ers for their continued support of With the horribly wet spring we have had this year, most might think it difficult to plan for an outdoor customer appreciation day,

Monday through Saturday. To find out more information about TAZ Fitness, classes, or upcoming events go to www.tazfitness.com or call 717-953-9426.

Angie Fetters is a graduate of Mifflin County Christian Academy and resident of Lewistown.

She was also a high school girls basketball coach for two years and is also actively involved with the Mifflin County Meltdown.

Terri Whitsel is a graduate of Lewistown High School and is currently a resident of Reedsville. Whitsel was previously the cheerleading coach for Messiah College, Grantham PA and Lewistown High School. In addition to this, she was also a professional Hula Dancer with Hoku’s Hawaiian Entertainment in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. a

early going of Metzler’s Customer Appreciation Day.

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The Valley, June 2011

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The Valley, June 2011

34

Joanne Wills’ Contentment Quest

The Power of Light

This month, I was inspired to write my article based on my recent learnings in one of my MBA courses in Leadership. The course discussed the essential differences between Leadership and Management. The course’s purpose was to stimulate deep thinking in regards to personal/ professional vision, meeting the challenge of deep change, following through with change, and to explain the characteristics of Fundamental Leadership. The course also elucidated the dynamics of the “status quo” and the fortitude required to defy the status quo.

I have had many encounters with change in my lifetime.

Sometimes I have been more than ready for change, and welcomed

it with open arms. Other times, I dug my heels in and stood in total defiance of the impending change – but the change came anyway.

Over the years, one thing that I have grown to understand about change is that change is inevitable and change is constant. The only thing we can control about change is our THOUGHTS about change. We CAN control how we think about change. We can learn to welcome change without fear. We can change our thoughts to understand that the status quo is merely a censor of growth and transformation of our purpose – individual purpose or organizational purpose.

Lately, I have grappled often with the question of “What is my

purpose?” I have posed that question to myself many times over the years, but most recently, the question has bubbled up from the deepest depths of my being. Over my lifetime, that question has echoed in the back of my mind, it has poked and prodded me in various directions over the years; however, it wasn’t until most recently that the answer to the question came into light. Not so long ago, I received an answer to the question “What is my purpose?” I know it was THE answer because I felt its truth deep within my soul.

The answer settled peacefully in my being, and my internal human GPS was set forth in motion and in the direction of my vision and purpose.

I am not one to believe in mere coincidence, rather I believe in divine providence. I believe throughout my life, especially during times of challenge and change, God has interceded and whispered, and I was aware to notice. A most recent moment of “awareness” came when I read a coursework overview in my recent Leadership course. Within the overview, the professor listed a passage from Marianne Williamson’s 1992 book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles. The passage tied in beautifully with the coursework items, and the passage spoke

personally to me – it was one of those little whispers. The passage was from page 190-191 of the book. Marianne Williamson wrote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

In other words, we have a duty – to God, to humanity, to ourselves – to move beyond our fear of success, and become all that we can become. We have a duty to search for, and find, our purpose. We have a duty to shine, and bring forth our own special light. We are all blessed with unique gifts, and the expression of our gifts contributes to a cause greater than ourselves.

Long before the I launched out on the journey of my Contentment Quest, I had been running full speed ahead, focused like a laser, on chasing my dream of money and success. I was “unconsciously” running, day after day, month after month, year after year, chasing the dream.

Then one day, I realized that I had forgotten why I was running. The dream of money and success no longer enticed me to continue to run the race. My chase came to a screeching halt, and I began the long process of self-evaluation.

Two questions ran through my mind: What am I chasing after?

Why am I chasing it?

I began a list of what was

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most important to me, and all the things I wanted to do yet in my life. I decided to write a personal mission statement.

Businesses write mission and vision statements to assist them in reaching their goals, so I thought, why can’t individuals create personal mission and vision statements? Over time, I have re-visited my personal mission statement, and adapted it to reflect my convictions and the person that I am evolving to become. My current personal mission is: “To empower, motivate, and inspire people to live abundant, happy, and fulfilled lives so that they may shine, and feel liberated to share their light with others.”

Through my personal life’s journey, and the journey through my recent Leadership course, I have decided to create a list of values and goals. I have decided that whatever venture I will commit to must align with my personal mission, my personal goals, and my personal values. For every new opportunity that comes along, I must ask myself how it aligns with my mission, goals, and values. Regardless of how much money I could acquire, if the venture does not align with where I want to be, then I will not pursue it. My personal goals and values are parallel with opportunities that can create a flourishing life. A few of my goals and values are:

I will live an authentic life and stay open to receive abundance.

I will always respond with gratitude for the multitude of blessings in my life.

I will live everyday fully as if it was my last.

I value my family and the deep relationships I have in my life.

I value the opportunity to pursue my purpose.

The Leadership course reminded me that leaders can be found everywhere – not just in businesses or government. People in all walks of life have been discovered to have leadership capacity and skills. There may be an undiscovered leader in your family, in your neighborhood, or in your workplace. What would it take to develop and empower that person? What if that person is you? What would it take to develop and empower you...to make your light shine?

Food for thought is contained in this quote by an unknown

Continued on page 39

35

The Valley, June 2011

Dangers of ticks and Lyme disease most significant in spring Penn State Public Information University Park, Pa. --

As spring turns Pennsylvania’s fields and forests lush and green -- and outdoors enthusiasts turn out to go trout fishing, gobbler hunting, hiking, mountain biking, camping, canoeing and more -- they will be greeted by sun and fun and at least one dangerous pest: Blacklegged ticks (commonly called “deer” ticks).

Carriers of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, they are a lot more common around the state than they used to be, according to an entomologist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

“A decade or so ago, these ticks were rare in many Pennsylvania counties, but unfortunately that has changed dramatically,” said Steven Jacobs, senior extension associate in entomology.

“The majority of Pennsylvania counties have populations of blacklegged ticks, and they often carry and spread Lyme disease.”

Lyme disease is a disor-

der that can cause a variety of symptoms, including a bull’seye-like rash, fever, stiff neck, muscle aches and headaches. Left untreated, victims can suffer facial palsy, arthritis and even paralysis.

It normally is treated with antibiotics, but if not caught early, recovery can be slow and difficult.

The adult ticks can be active from fall through spring if temperatures remain above 28 F. Ticks in the nymphal (immature) stages are active in May, June and July. Nymphs will attach to mice, chipmunks, birds and other small animals. Adults typically attach to white-tailed deer or other large mammals. While awaiting a suitable host, the ticks usually are found on leaf litter or low branches in brushy, wooded areas.

“The larval and nymphal stages of the tick are no bigger than a pinhead,” warns Jacobs.

“Adult ticks are only slightly larger. Research in the eastern United States has shown that ticks most often transmit Lyme disease to humans during the nymphal stages, probably because nymphs

are so small they go unnoticed on a person’s body.

“Thus, the nymphs typically have time to feed and transmit the infection -- ticks need to feed for 24 to 36 hours to transmit Lyme disease.”

So Jacobs recommends avoiding tick-infested areas such as woods with a high deer population, especially in May, June and July when the nymphs are active.

And he urges those who do go afield to take the following precautions when they are going to be in brushy areas: --Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks can be spotted more easily.

--Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.

--Spray insect repellent containing DEET on clothes and on exposed skin other than the face, or treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact.

--Wear a hat and a long-sleeved shirt for added protection.

“Also, know the signs of Lyme disease and see your doctor

Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, often carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

if symptoms develop,” Jacobs said. “If a tick is found attached to a person, it should be removed by carefully grasping the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight back with a slow, steady force. Avoid crushing the tick’s body.

“If you want the tick to be identified, place it in a small vial filled with rubbing alcohol and bring it to a county office of Penn State Extension.”

To learn more about blacklegged ticks and Lyme disease, visit the Penn State Entomology Department’s website at http:// www.ento.psu.edu/Lyme online. a

Penn State leads in Honey Bee Health initiative Penn State Public Information University Park, Pa. - A nationwide network to monitor and maintain honeybee health is the aim of the Bee Informed Partnership, a five-year, $5 million program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and led by Penn State.

The Bee Informed Partnership will use an epidemiological approach to identify bee common management practices and use them to develop best practices on a regional and operationally appropriate level. The partnership will include many institutions already involved in pollinator work,

The End of the World from page 31 with many, many other forms of authentication) proves the Bible’s accuracy to me and hopefully to you too. And there are still unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible that make it clear Jesus is coming again. Yes, to many it seems

but will also strive to include citizens involved in bee keeping or other aspects of the problem for data collection and integration.

“We would like to reduce honey bee mortality, increase beekeeper profitability and enhance adoption of sustainable management systems in beekeeping,” said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, senior extension associate in the Penn State, who will lead the project.

“At the same time we want to increase the reliability of production in pollinator dependent crops and increase the profitability of pollinator-dependent producers.”

Project partners will create and maintain a dynamic Honey Bee Health database with an inter-

active Web-based interface. Penn State and partners also will survey colony mortality, pathogens and parasites, as well as beekeeping management strategies, costs and outputs. They will create a pollinator quality and availability reporting system and an emerging-issues alert system.

Some of the surveys planned by the partnership include the continuation of the colony winter loss survey, an annual survey of management practices and a survey of pollinator availability.

Other surveys will focus on determining colony mortality, parasite loads and socioeconomic factors.

“By surveying beekeepers about their management practices

as well as their colonies’ overwintering success, we can use epidemiological methods to tell beekeepers which practices work and which do not,” vanEngelsdorp said.

The multistate team hopes that their work and especially their educational efforts to introduce the best management practices will reduce national losses in honeybee populations by 50 percent in the next five years, according to vanEngelsdorp.

Co-investigators on the project are the University of California -- California Cooperative Extension, University of Illinois, University of Georgia, Univer-

preposterous. In case you don’t know the dictionary definition of preposterous here it is: incongruous; inviting ridicule, absurd, cockeyed, derisory, idiotic, laughable, nonsensical, ridiculous, daft, dumb foolish, stupid. Yup, all of those, and that’s what it is to lots of people, but not to me. The

Bible does say that to many these things will seem only as foolishness. To me it is TRUTH, and I love truth and I seek it in my own life because when the time does come and God says to Jesus, “ you can go now,” I want to be ready! I want to be among the few found faithful and eagerly await-

ing His return, if it does happen in my lifetime. I hope and pray that everyone reading this will seek to know God for themselves, not through some religion but through prayer and the careful study of God’s Word. I’ve learned that it’s much more personal than one might think.

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sity of Tennessee, University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, Lincoln University, USDA-ARS and the Florida Department of Agriculture. Other collaborators include NASA and USDA-Animal and Plant Health Service.

For more information, go to www. beeinformed.org. a For anyone interested in a great book to help you think deeper about God, check out the book “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer…I’m finding it to be a wonderful read. a

The Valley, June 2011

36

Raw Milk Safety

141 Three Cent Lane Reedsville, PA 17084

More than just a feed store

by Randolph Jonsson The news is full of Salmonella and E. coli outbreaks these days. No food seems to be immune. What is generally swept under the rug in discussions about raw milk, however, is the protection given by lactic acid-producing bacteria normally present.

In what microbiologists call the principal of Competitive Exclusion, non-pathogenic bacteria like, say, Lactococcus lactis, can actually limit or kill bad bugs like Listeria monocytogenes, responsible for hundreds of illnesses yearly.

It seems lactic acid is really hard on the germs that can make us sick if their numbers get too high. Nice system!

But make no mistake, ANY food can be contaminated. It usually boils down to how it was produced, handled and packaged.

(Certainly, low quality raw milk in the mid-1800’s, contaminated with tuberculosis bacilli, had its unwanted share of the limelight).

Lots of variation exists in each of these areas. And besides, not many foods have built-in lactic acid producers policing the neigh-

Phone (717) 667-6556 Toll Free (888) 567-6556

borhood.

Take the pasteurization process, for instance. While it certainly destroys bacteria, good and bad (and thus reduces the potential for infection), it’s far from flawless.

Pasteurized milk still sickens people, and in far greater numbers than the more heavily regulated raw product. The real question ought to be, how are pathogens getting anywhere near cows to begin with.

The Swedes have practically eliminated Salmonella from their herds. At one dairy feeding organic grass to their cows, the very manure is pathogen-free!

Raw milk from cows fed diets heavy in grain, soybeans and cottonseed meal, etc., apparently cannot effectively protect itself from pathogenic infection. Everyone agrees, it must be pasteurized.

Heating milk renders its immunoglobulins less capable of bacterial self-defense. With the destruction of its tiny bacterial lactic acid factories and other heat-sensitive anti-microbial substances, it can no longer protect

itself as effectively.

To repeat: without the minerals and nutrients from a diet of fresh green grass that millions of years of evolution have coded for, the milk is just not made with the normal bevy of bactericidal ingredients designed

by Nature to stifle unwanted microbial growth.

Know the source of your raw milk and demand that it be from predominantly grass-fed animals. Preferably organic.

I can’t stress strongly enough that the health of the cows, how they’re fed, (green grass or starchy grains), where they’re confined (pasture or manure-laden pen) and how the milk is collected all contribute to the safety and nutrition of the finished product.

Ultimately, you’ll have to draw your own conclusions, but don’t accept the word of any so-called expert (including this article) when it comes to feeding yourself and your family. Question everything you put in your mouth.

Seek out information on

No article about raw milk would be complete without a discussion of bacteria, both good and bad. And that’s a key point. Not all bacteria are bad characters.

(Above, Lactobacillus brevis, one of the good guys...)

how your food was produced.

Find out what substances were added or removed to enhance somebody else’s profit margin.

Don’t let the government and the giant food companies do your homework/thinking for you.

Your health must be in your hands alone! a

Editor’s Note: Reprinted with permission from www.Raw-Milk-Facts.com.

Author Randolph Jonsson is a Nutrition Consultant from Marin County California.

Reedsville from front page

Seafood Company, spent many hours travelling over the mountain to the Boalsburg Farmer’s Market to obtain the best ingredients for the restaurant. This year they wanted to try to reduce their travel a little, and wanted their ingredients to be really local. All four members of the committee are committed to supporting local farms and businesses.

Farmer’s Market hours are Wednesdays from 10am - 2pm and will run into November as long as the weather and products hold out.

For the time being Matt is fielding all vendor calls and setting up a vendor database. All inquiries should be sent to: Reedsville Farmers Market PO Box 519 Reedsville, Pa 17084

So if you want to serve your family the freshest, most nutrient dense food available, make it a habit of stopping by the Reedsville Farmers Market on Wednesdays and see what treasures you can take home with you. a

The committee is absorbing start up costs this year so there is no participation fee charged to vendors. The committee felt that getting this off the ground was more important to them than trying to cover expenses on the backs of the vendors this first season.

Next year they will have a better idea of what the actual expenses are for operating this Farmer’s Market and the vendors will be invited to a meeting toward the end of the season to vote on some kind of fee going forward.

Having a source for local produce should be a boon for local residents and area restaurants alike who seek out the freshest, best produce for their establishments. In fact, this was part of the impetus in the markets founding.

Last year, Matt Yoder. chef at Reedsville Seafood Company, and Bart Ewing, owner of Reedsville

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37

The Valley, June 2011

Cheaper, Better, Stronger Frugal Living in the Garden

by Wayne Stottlar

Several years ago I started “gardening,” but I have loved growing things all my life. It had been a joyful pastime and hobby for at least the last 30 years. Although, it had always been more outdoor property maintenance and “improvement” than anything else. It just seemed reasonable to me that I should to learn how to landscape and plant flowers and shrubs, and did so around my own home, always experimenting and moving things until it was just so.

Usually a completed project only vaguely resembled the initial concept, as I always allowed an idea to evolve during the process. Once you look at landscape gardening with an eye to the future and not the present, your mind clears to allow for new possibilities. I once spent three years building a multi-terraced rock garden along 50’ of driveway. Standing back you could see the progression

of improvement in the building process over the years—it came out beautiful.

Recently, however, growing things became boring and I decided to take the next step and learn how to grow vegetables with an eye on self-reliance. That meant volume gardening with preservation and storage as an outcome, not to mention the freshest salads and vegetables for the table all summer. I wasn’t just throwing a couple tomato plants in and hoping to get a handful of decent tomatoes for a few salads during the summer. I mean, why bother, unless that is your thing. No, now my efforts had to show results that saved money, tasted better, and was of a known food purity.

SO, because of that nagging OCD problem, many years of bad experiences with the only offering in the stores, I decided I was going to invent a better mouse trap....

well kinda, they weren’t traps, but tomato cages. Something that would support the fruits of my efforts literally, and do so effectively, and without a huge outlay of money. And, of course, it had to be re-usuable. After deciding on those parameters, I set off to do some research in books and on the internet. Guess what? I wasn’t the first gardener to have this desire; many before me had taken this turn as well, and there were quite literally, dozens of ideas out there to choose from.

I read about everyone’s favorite and reasons theirs was best, and then set about acquiring the materials, namely concrete mesh.

Be sure to call around, the price on this stuff varies A LOT, and it isn’t always different gauge product. One guy quoted me $18 a 5’ X 10’ panel. I ended up buying the same panel for $5.40 each with a little calling around. That is

Start the process by cutting your panels Next bend all of your tag ends in at a in half creating two, 5’ X 5’ panels.

90 degree angle, this makes it easy to just push a wire forward to catch the opposite end.

Tight wraps provide for better strength and rigidity.

Once the top to bottom wraps are made, one row of horizontal wire must be cut out to make the legs that will stick into the ground.

nuts and proves the need to shop.

All you will need besides these panels is a pair of bolt cutters and a small vise grip (to save the tips of your fingers, bending this wire dozens of times per cage hurts!) to help make nice tight wraps.

You may want to bring your bolt cutters to place of purchase as cutting the panels in half there makes them much easier to transport home. Since each panel makes two cages, just buy half the amount of panels as cages you want to make, and you will be good to go.

Once you get home the building begins. Roll a 5’ X 5’ square into a cylinder and use one of the tag end wires to attach at the middle (see photo). Alternating sides, continue wrapping tag ends as shown until you have a closed cylinder. Then, stand cylinder on its top and using your bolt cutters, cut one horizontal wire off to give yourself 4” - 5” “legs”

to stick into the ground. Because it is round and has so many legs sticking in the ground, you will not need any other support for your cage. This makes the cages really easy to use, and will support the largest vines without toppling. They also will last many, many years and store easily either upright or stacked on their sides.

When I made them a couple of years ago, they cost me about $2.70 a piece to make and about 15- 20 minutes per cage, but they were well worth it. I also made some from smaller wire sheets, and although they are a little too low for my tomatoes, they work beautifully for my pepper plants.

Another use for these panels is for trellises. Peas, cucumbers, and other vining vegetables will climb these panels readily and they are cheap.

Fresh cuts should be passed over with a file as the first year I got a couple good slices. After the first season, sharp edges rusted and smoothed and were no longer a concern. About the only damage you can do to your cages would be to bend the legs over or break them off if you have a lot of rock, but they work like a charm in good tilled soil. So this year build your own, you will find they are Cheaper, Better, Stronger. a

Start in the middle and slowly alternate Continue working until you get to the sides working toward the end. Make ends making tight three or four loop your wraps neat and tight using a wraps. small vise grip to grasp the wire end.

All of the bottom row of wire has been cut off to make the legs.

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Even after being neglected for over a week, the cages still held strong, the plants we never did get back under control. Disassembling this tangled mess made for an interesting fall.

38

The Valley, June 2011

grow in shelf-like clusters that rooms have the texture of cooked can attain enormous size. It is not chicken, not that they taste like unusual to find literally hundreds chicken. Although both speof pounds of these during the cies will readily absorb flavors sometimes occur the same year summer/fall mushroom seasons. added to them while cooking, like the bed was prepared.

Chicken mushrooms can maybe, chicken broth. These are

Now for another unmistaksometimes be easily spotted great candidates for vegetarian able mushroom that can be found from great distances due to their dishes without losing the texture bright orange and appearance of real chicken. or pink colora Although both species are not tion on top. The easily cultivated, some aficionadifferentiation dos have been known to haul an between the entire Chicken-impregnated log two is the color home with them to incorporate of the sporeinto their landscaping. bearing sur It is also possible to take face under the old and overly mature shelfs shelfs. and place them onto old stumps Contrary to and logs to further propagate the popular reports, mushroom. Be sure to cover the the name is placed shelfs well to prevent their Laeitporus sulfureus, the yellow chicken derived from drying out. mushroom. the fact that

Many other wild mushChicken mushrooms can be introduced into the anytime throughout the summer landscaping when conditions are right. around your

The Yellow Chicken (Lahome quite etiporus sulfureus) and White successfully.

Chicken (Laetiporus cincinnatus) Not only can mushrooms are also saprobic and they be a benare normally found on decayefit to plants ing hardwood logs and stumps. and trees Chicken mushrooms found growaround them, ing on coniferous trees should not they can also be eaten. If in doubt as to what brighten up kind of tree the mushroom is the yard and growing on due to extreme decay, dinner table as pass it up. well. a Laetiporus cinccinatus, the white chicken

Both Chicken mushrooms mushroom.

Mushroom Guy from page 15

The Project from page 25

nailed, sawed, drilled and bolted.

Oh, Jake also learned how to short board if you don’t. And keep up with Dad. probably the biggest thing he

You see, my wife and Jake learned—it’s easier to take more both thought this project was off a long board than it is to put going to take about six weeks; I thought it was going to take about two and a half.

With days that we couldn’t work on it, we’re now at three weeks and the painting is started. So we moved right along on the learning, teaching, and building. Best of all, we had fun in Just painting and minor finish work left. This project was not only educational, but Jake and I the process.

Next had a lot of fun doing it! month we’ll talk about other electives some back on a short board. and how to get involved in them.

Over the next two weeks we God Bless! a

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39

The Valley, June 2011

Notes

Contentment Quest from page 34

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, June 2, 2011, 5:30pm, at South Hills School of Business and Technology, Lewistown. 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.

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research programs. Held annually in hundreds of communities across the country, this inspiring event calls on volunteers of all ages to become Champions and raise funds to support the fight against Alzheimer’s. Champions include those living with the disease, families, caregivers, corporate and community leaders, who actively support Walk to End Alzheimer’s in our community. Participants in Walk to End Alzheimer’s across the United States have raised more than $300 million to date. a About the Alzheimer’s Association: The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. For more information, visit www.alz.org/pa.

Hospital Offers Prepared Childbirth Class

The Family Place at Lewistown Hospital is offering a four-week Prepared Childbirth class on June 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2011 from 6:30pm – 9pm. 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

author, “Remember, a small light will do a great deal when it is in a very dark place. Put one little tallow candle in the middle of a large hall, and it will give a good deal of light.”

Do you know what your purpose is? Have you ever contemplated what your purpose might be? Do you feel stuck or limited?

Or like you are running a race but have forgotten why you are running? Are you sick of the chase?

Sharon Salzberg said “It doesn’t matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn’t matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years – we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness the light has been turned on.”

Is your light on? If not, are

you ready to turn it on and shine, to illumine the darkness with your light?

If today would be your last, what would you regret not fully doing, being, or having in your life?

Your purpose... questions to discover it...

If you were to write a personal mission statement what would it be? What are your deepest values?

If you could get a message across to a large group of people.

Who would those people be?

What would your message be?

Given your talents, passions, and values. How could you use these resources to serve, to help, to contribute?

What makes your heart sing, and your entire being flourish with life?

Take time to ponder the questions. Let them settle in your mind for a little while. Then, decide if you are ready to let your light shine, to manifest the glory

of God that is within you. If you are ready, shine, shine brightly, illuminate the darkness, illumine for all to see, so that others may be liberated to shine too.

I leave you with several quotes on the power of light...

“Your power and light are within you. Look inward towards yourself.” ~ Daniella Kessler “That was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” ~ John 1:9 “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” ~ Edith Warton “There are two kinds of light – the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures.” ~ James Thurber “Light is the first of painters.

There is no object so foul that intense light will not make it beautiful.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson “The pursuit of perfection, then, is the pursuit of sweetness and light.” ~ Matthew Arnold a

for help. They also receive information on child development and age-appropriate 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

Hospital Offers Sibling Class

The Family Place at Lewistown Hospital will be providing a sibling class on June 6, 2011 from 6:00pm 7:30pm in Lewistown Hospital’s 6th floor classroom. The cost is $10.00 per family.

This class is for children between 2 and 10 years of age who are about to become big brothers or big sisters. The discussion focuses on babies and the role that big brothers and sisters play in the family.

Registration is required. Call 242-7110 or register online at www.lewistownhospital.org under Classes & Events – The Family Place. 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 June 16 and 17, 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

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The Valley, June 2011

40

June’s The Month for Big Savings!

ASHLEY SOFA SALE $199 (when you buy matching loveseat & rocker/recliner at regular price

OR

pay

$299 when you buy 1 other matching piece (loveseat or rocker/recliner)

Plus $199 On Any of the Following Items for the month of June WALLHUGGER OR ROCKER RECLINER

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8x11 Bear Rug

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All Our Solid Wood Bedrooms, and Solid Wood Tables and Chairs Are Also On Sale!

our low prices on all Flexsteel furniture

What’s with That answers: 1. Santa Rosa, New Mexico 2. Route 66 3. Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

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