2010-2011

Friends of the Countryside

We'd like to take this opportunity to extend our sincerest appreciation to the following: 

The Countryside Conservancy's Northeast Ohio Agricultural Atlas (funded through generous support from the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation) has the answers to many of these basic questions.  With the use of pictures, graphs and charts created by Geographical Information Systems (G.I.S.), the Northeast Ohio Agricultural Atlas tells the story and paints a picture of the agriculutral resources in the sixteen county Northeast Ohio region. 

To learn more about the NEO Agricultural Atlas or to reserve your copy today, click here.

It seems that every winter the amount of fresh produce available through our winter markets increases dramatically.  At our first market of the year on January 22, we even had fresh green beans!  It's amazing the amount of effort our local produce growers are putting in to season extension these days, and I am grateful.  It is so exciting to be able to purchase fresh bok choy or spinach or radishes in the middle of the winter.  Plus, when you add in the variety of meat, cheese, baked goods, fresh pasta and jams/jellies to the mix, you really do have diverse options for delicious meals for your family.  Don't miss out on our upcoming markets!  Click here for dates.

It may be freezing outside, but your local farmers are already hard at work organizing the upcoming season. Winter is really a time for planning. If you participate in Community Supported Agriculture, your local farmer is ordering seeds, if you buy turkeys from a nearby farmer, he/she is scheduling delivery of baby turkeys for the spring. And all the farmers you know are going to classes and conferences.

Winter is the best time for continuing education for people in agriculture. Though there's still lots of work to be done in winter, it's the ideal time to get some reading done, do some planning, and learn from other farmers. Staff at the Countryside Conservancy will be attending most of the big area conferences: OEFFA, PASA, and IFO. These are all great organizations that help farmers improve their farming skills and bring you more of the foods you love in sustainable ways.

If you can't take several days off to attend one of these great events, you should register for the Your Farm Business classes. This winter we're offering "Starting Your Farm Business," "Funding Your Farm Business," and "Land for Your Farm Business." You can find more details about each of these courses on our website. Even if you're just dreaming about getting started in farming, you can be like any established farmer around and spend your winter getting an agricltural education!

These post-holiday, pre-spring months of winter can be difficult for many of us.  The joyful gatherings that dominate November and December are behind us, but the spring sunshine is still so far away.  The good news is that there are alternatives to staying in bed until April.

One of the best ways to beat the winter blues is through volunteering.  Research is continually showing that volunteerism positively impacts our lives. To learn more and to find out how you can become engaged in your local food system through volunteerism at the Countryside Conservancy, click here.