Countryside Conservancy |
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| About the Countryside Conservancy |
Since 1999, the Countryside Conservancy has supported community-based food systems throughout Northeast Ohio. This unique non-profit organization helps re-establish farms in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and runs farmers' markets at Howe Meadow (also in the park), as well as and at the historic Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron. Other programs help up and coming farmers find land, connect local growers to chefs and consumers, and educate citizens about the importance of local food systems. Visit our website to see what's growing on! |
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2010 Countryside Farmers' Market Dates
April 17, 9am-Noon
Final Countryside Winter Farmers' Market at Happy Days Lodge
May 15, 9am-Noon
Opening Day of Countryside Farmers' Market at Howe Meadow
June 3, 4-7pm
Opening Day of Countryside Farmers' Market at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
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Roasted Eastham Turnip, Shallots, and Apples
1 large white turnip, peeled and chopped into ¾-inch
cubes
2-3
shallots, peeled, lobes separated, each lobe cut into 4 wedges
1
large tart apple (like Cortland, Granny Smith, or Macoun) (not McIntosh as they
will saucify), peeled, sides cut off the core and sliced into ¼-inch half-moons
1-2
Tbsp. olive oil
1
tsp. fresh thyme, chopped (or sage)
Salt
and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Dump all the ingredients onto
a sheet pan and combine with your hands until everything is coated in
oil. Don't forget the salt and pepper. Roast 20-25 minutes, until
vegetables start to take on some color. Flip them with a spatula and roast
20-25 minutes more, until the shallots are on their way toward burning but not
quite there, yet. Servings - 1-4.
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| Countryside Matters
Darwin Kelsey, Executive Director |
We
live  in unusual times. For the first
time in human history (the last century or so) hundreds of millions of people
(in urban-suburban America, and the rest of the industrialized world) live
their daily lives separated (insulated) from natural and cultivated landscapes
(and the organisms they support). Most
of our society is utterly ignorant of our utter dependence on such
landscapes. Most of us are utterly
unaware of any connection between increased electrical consumption and the
removal of entire mountains for coal - or between "cheap" cereal and lifeless
soil incapable of supporting plant life, or warding off pests, without chemical
additives.
Everybody
eats, and until the past century or two most humans lived daily lives which
brought them into direct contact with the living landscapes which actually produced
their food. They saw, grasped,
appreciated their own fundamental dependency on those lands, for life
itself. That connection is now obscure,
or totally lost, for most Americans. What you cannot see, or understand, you cannot
care about. Today, the need to save
farmland is remote abstraction for most. Read full article. |
| 2010 Friends of the Countryside |
We'd like to take this time to extend our sincerest appreciation to our newest Friends of the Countryside and Countryside Sponsors.
Rick & Kim Alexander
Ellie & Gary Cargould
Rolf Diamant
Christopher Fullerton
Margaret Bohn-Galas
Kathleen Gerrard
John & Susan Koglman
Jennifer May & Lois Weir
Katie Myers & Chad Griffith
Ruth Simonis*
Dianne Squire
Greg & Joyce Studen*
Paul & Pam Thielo
Marguerite Tremelin
Jeff Williams
*Denotes
Renewed Support
2010 Countryside Sponsors
Center For Farmland Policy Innovation
Mackenzie Creamery
Seville Berry Farm
Sterling Equipment |
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Farmer Profile: Basket of Life Farm
| Basket of Life Farm is a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm
located in Boston Township, established by Eric & Heather
Walters. Their
CSA members pay an annual fee for the opportunity to
pick-up
a big bag of veggies each week throughout the growing season.
Basket
of Life expects to grow from 25 members in 2007, to around 200
members
in three or four years. Right now is prime time to sign up for CSA shares, and in our area they fill up fast. Contact the Walters' if you're interested in receiving a basket of their goodies this season!
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I Want to be a Farmer (Part 2)
Meredith Poczontek, FarmLink Coordinator |
 Leases for farmland can be much more creative and flexible than a regular lease for office space or store fronts. Option one: a regular short-term lease. These can be done on a year to year basis and sealed with a handshake. A one year oral agreement is defensible in a court of law. Option two: a long-term lease. Should the lease term exceed three years you will need a written agreement outlining the payment plan and property use restrictions. Farmland rents are generally a price per acre and paid for the entire planting season, not monthly like other leases. A more flexible version of a long-term lease, and option three, is a crop-share lease. This helps to spread the risk around. A land owner takes a percentage of the crop or percentage of sales. Instead of paying a flat fee, the farmer and the land owner share the risk and reward for whatever is grown. To see more lease options and check out farmland purchase options, view the rest of the article on the blog! |
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Our Local & National Food Safety Conversation
Beth Knorr, Market Manager |
Over the past year I have become increasingly involved in the discussions occurring around food safety. While this is not a topic I am particularly excited about- it's much easier to get excited about the farmers' markets and what the farmers and food producers are bringing - but it is incredibly important. With the foodborne illness outbreaks over the past several years, the federal government is feeling increased pressure to establish rules and regulations regarding on-farm food safety practices. Currently, both the USDA and the FDA are in the process of establishing standards. The USDA is in the process of adopting a somewhat controversial Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement. In Ohio, the Ohio Produce Growers and Marketers Association is actively engaged in the process of devising standards for Ohio, partially in reaction to the USDA proposal for leafy greens. Article continued on our blog.
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Farmland Programs
Katie M. Myers, Farmland Programs Coordinator |
I have received a number of inquiries lately about composting of food scraps. Composting your food scraps can be an active process that requires a good amount of attention, or it can be a very passive process with very little or no attention. What do you need to start?
- Food Scrap Container - Instead of scrapping your plates into the trash can or the garbage disposal place your scraps into a designated "compost" container, near the sink or trash can. I have a nifty counter top container with compostable liners (virtually NO foul odors!). Feel free to compost all food waste EXCEPT meats, fats, oils, and large quantities of citrus peels.
- Outdoor Bin - Once your indoor container is full you need to empty it into some sort of an outdoor bin. Check your local zoning codes, codified ordinances, and health department codes before constructing a bin. I have five 3x3 pallets tied together with electrical wiring to create "boxes". If you choose the pallet option, place a few twigs no thicker than your finger at the very bottom staggered as to create air shafts for the composting process. Read the full article on our Blog.
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| Show Your Support!
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Stephanie Webb, Administrative Coordinator
Supporting the Countryside Conservancy is an important investment in our future. We need healthy food for our families, and healthy food depends on the farmers & land that provide it.
Our goal of transforming Northeast Ohio into a region of thriving
community-based farming and food entrepreneurs by 2020 - will ensure that the resources are in place (right here in Northeast Ohio) to enjoy healthy, local foods for generations to come.
There are several different ways that you can show your support for the Countryside Conservancy. Visit our website to find out how! |
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| Enter to Win our "$25 for 25" Raffle! |
Countryside Conservancy is excited to present our "$25 for 25" Raffle. For only $5 you can enter for a chance to win a
2010 Countryside Farmers' Market Shopping Spree!! The shopping spree consists of $25 in markets tokens per week for 25 weeks between May 15 and December 18, 2010 - a $625 value!!
Tickets are available at all Countryside Winter Farmers' Markets. The drawing will be held at 11:30 A.M. on April 17 at the Countryside Winter Farmers' Market at Happy Days Lodge. Winner need not be present to win. Rules and Guidelines available here.
All proceeds benefit the Countryside Conservancy. | |
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