News from Countryside Conservancy

1 small onion, finely diced
½ butternut squash, cut into ½ inch dice
1 apple, cut into ½ inch dice
6-8 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups arborio rice
thyme to taste, chopped
rosemary to taste, chopped
½ lb Gruyère cheese, finely diced
½ lb mozzarella cheese, finely diced
4 Tbs butter, divided

Preheat oven to 400°. Toss squash lightly with olive oil & salt & pepper, and bake until tender,
approximately 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

In a small skillet, melt 1 Tbs butter and sauté apple until tender. Set aside.

Melt butter in a wide, deep skillet or stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until
translucent. Add rice & herbs and stir to coat. Add stock to cover and stir until liquid is
absorbed. Continue adding stock one ladle at a time and stirring until rice is fully cooked. Add
squash, apple and cheeses and stir to combine.

Dear Readers,

Food is not optional - and so, the Countryside is not optional. Most of the food most of us eat was born and grew up in the Countryside on its way to our plates. Which countryside - nearby or far away - did become optional over the last century. Most folks (like me) used to think that was cool. Turns out it was not such a hot idea. Why - and what can we do about it? For starters, check out the info below - and start making more connections to nearby countryside.

Neitenbach Farm, one of the four newest farms in Cuyahoga Valley National Park is now up and growing - veggies, as well as culinary and medicinal herbs. And, another Countryside Initiative farm will be offered for lease by late October.

The Conservancy is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2009 - join the fun at our annual Fund Grazer or join our Friends program. Details below.

Finally, we've got "issues" - and so do you! Issue 2 to be exact - it will be on the ballot in November. Issue 2 is an amendment to the Ohio constitution intended to help prevent abuse of farm livestock. Katie Myers will guide you through the pros and cons of this fairly complicated issue - yes, you can be an informed voter!

Darwin Kelsey
Executive Director

Farmer Profile: Neitenbach Farm

AJ and Pamela Neitenbach, along with their two children, moved onto their small Countryside Initiative farm of 2 acres in late 2007. Located near the south end of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Cuyahoga Falls, their farm business combines vegetable crops with culinary and medicinal herbs. In addition to selling their products through an on-farm stand, they recently began bringing their harvests to the Countryside Farmers' Market at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Their display of an array of vibrant beets and carrots and their unique offering of hops fills a niche in our market. Come to the market to see what they have to offer, and learn more about their operation and the Countryside Initiative program.

Farm Link in Northeast Ohio

Meredith Fox, FarmLink Coordinator

Between 1950 and 2000 the number of farms and ranches in the United States dropped from 3.71 to 1.91 million. As a country, we lost more than 38,000 acres of farmland every year over that fifty year period. During that same time, the average farm size increased from 216 acres to 487 acres. Not only have we lost valuable, productive farmland, the farmland that is available has become increasingly consolidated. It's no wonder that a 2005 study of farmers and ranchers aged 18-35 revealed that their major concern as farmers was land availability.

Here at the Countryside Conservancy we support these young farmers and help them access land through our Farm Link Program. We have a database of Northeast Ohio farms available for sale or lease and additional area farms willing to host volunteers. Farm Link provides resources to retiring farmers: succession, transition, and estate planning. And opportunities for beginning farmers: business planning, equipment, access to capital, networking, and technical assistance. We believe that adding new farm businesses, and improving existing ones, is economic development for Northeast Ohio.

Celebrate 10 Years with Us!

Beth Knorr, Market Manager

The Countryside Conservancy is celebrating our 10th Anniversary in 2009. On September 29 we will be hosting our 2nd Annual Fund Grazer featuring fresh, local food, live music and a chance to share our excitement for what the next 10 years has in store!

New this year is a small silent auction featuring carefully selected items that align with the mission of the Conservancy or showcase our work or that of our supporters. Hot items include:

A four-course dinner for four at the Chef's Table of the nationally acclaimed restaurant The Greenhouse Tavern
An overnight stay at the beautiful Inn at Brandywine Falls

Come support our important work and enjoy good food and good fun. Get your tickets online today!

We've Got Issues!

Katie M. Myers, Farmland Programs Coordinator

Issue 2 (Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board) will be on Ohio's ballot, this November...how will you vote? I would like to use this opportunity to tell you a little bit about the issue, and give you some information to process before you go to the ballot this November. If you have questions after reading this article, Contact your representative, they passed the ballot issue unanimously. It is important to be informed, to stay informed, and to make your own judgment.

This ballot issue is an amendment to the Ohio State Constitution. A yes vote by simple majority, would create a 13 member "Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board". The board would be charged with setting livestock care standards, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture would be responsible for their enforcement. Of the 13 members, the Governor will appoint 10 (2 veterinarians, 1 food safety expert, 1 representative from a local humane society, 2 members from statewide farm organizations, 1 Dean of an Ohio Agricultural College, and two Ohio consumers). The House of Representatives will appoint 1 (a family farmer), the Senate will appoint 1 (also a family famer), and the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture will serve as chairman. This board is to be bi-partisan- not more than 7 members from the same political party serving at the same time. This is an attempt to keep the board an open forum with full and open discussions regarding the care of livestock. The board would be responsible for developing policy recommendations and introducing them to the general assembly for approval and implementation. Farmers would be responsible for adopting the approved standards. However, implementation and adoption are not actually addressed in the ballot language.

Read the Full Article here.

Friends of the Countryside Program

Stephanie Webb, Administrative Coordinator

Many of you are aware of the Friends of the Countryside Program originally launched back in 2007. Since then, checks from our loyal friends have trickled in - a few here, a few there. With each new friend, we are humbled by the fact that people really do give a darn about the work that we do & want to support it. As we relaunch our Friends of the Countryside Program in celebration of our 10th Anniversary (yeah, that's right - the Conservancy turned 10 this year!), we are requesting your support once again. And, for those of you who have been meaning become a Friend, but have never really gotten around to it - now's your Chance!

Join our Friends of the Countryside Program on-line, or download the Friends form & return it to us with your tax deductible contribution. Oh, and if you received our recent request letter and would like to make your contribution via US Postal service, we welcome that, too.

We Love Our Friends!

Countryside Initiative 2009 RFP Update

I am sure that many of you are chomping at the bit to find out what's going on with the 2009 RFP for leasing farms through the Countryside Initiative program here in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

This year we will be offering one farm for lease - the Edgar Farm in Valley View (6885 Canal Road). The Edgar Farm consists of a two story farmhouse, and a small tenant house; however, there are no other outbuildings associated with this farm. Four nearby fields, totaling 35 acres, will be available for lease.

As we wrap-up the work on the RFP, and send it off to the printer; we encourage you to contact us to confirm your interest in receiving a hardcopy of the RFP. We hope to have them in the mail by the end of October. If you prefer to download your copy, keep checking our website.