Crumb Trail

Farewell

This has been quite a journey I have been on in the last year and a half.  My mission was to personally make changes in the sources I had previously relied on for my food.  By blogging about these sources, I hoped to provide any readers of this blog, with encouragement, thoughts about the "big picture" of US food provision, ideas on making changes in their lives, and local sources with which to implement those changes.

I have sought out books, magazine and newspaper articles, that have enlightened and challenged as well as entertained me, that dealt with the subject that (stealing a book title) food matters.  It matters where it comes from and why, it matters if it has been genetically, pesticide, or hormonally altered, it matters if and how it is processed, it matters how we share it with one another.

In my search for locally grown products, I have encountered delightful people who for the most part, are trusting to a fault.  Their produce, meat, and eggs are paid for through the honor system.  They love and firmly believe in what they do, and they take great pride in the food that they are providing for themselves and others at the expense of making very little or no profit.

In the year and a half since I started this blog, I have seen great changes in our community.  We are embracing local food production and local farmers markets.  The newspapers and other media are writing articles as well as blogging on this topic and it has become the subject of many of our conversations.  This blog has served its purpose.  Most of the hits my blog receives are from people seeking out specific information on farm stands (Schmucker's Produce Farm, in Harlan, the clear winner there), and u-pick sites.  Any months archive of my posts, will provide seasonal produce information, and can be rummaged through for what is locally available and where it can be found.

In searching out the information for this blog, I have traveled many miles around Allen and its surrounding counties.  I have taken along my husband and friends and I have raved about the beauty of the land we live on (literally).  This county and those surrounding it, although not my homeland, have become very precious to me.  We are a diverse people, and we share this land harmoniously.  It sustains us in every sense of the word.

A huge thank you to my faithful readers and especially to all who provided comments.  They were so encouraging.

How do I keep this?

The University of Georgia, through their Center for Home Food Preservation, has provided an online extensive guide to the preservation of produce, meats, fish, and dairy.  The easy to access information covers freezing, canning, drying, pickling, curing and smoking, fermenting, and storing of just about everything you could imagine.

Dafforn's Sweet Corn & Produce, Yoder, IN:

On my Friday visit to Dafforn's Sweet Corn and Produce in Yoder, IN, I was delighted to find their farm stand in full swing.  The cantaloupe smelled wonderful, and I quickly picked one out.

Then I moved on to the table that onions, acorn squash, tomatoes (large red slicing tomatoes and yellow grape tomatoes), and then of course their specialty, sweet corn! 

This year they are also carrying local honey from the Rekeweg Honey Company in Decatur, IN and pop corn in several different varieties as well as a microwave option (which I bought).  The pop corn is from Glancy's (Perry & Rachelle Glancy in Decatur, IN.

So I left there with honey, popcorn, cantaloupe, onions, and cherry tomatoes ( I already have some corn), knowing I will be back to visit them soon.

The address for this farm is 1616 E 1200 N, Yoder, IN.  They are located 1 1/4 mile off State Rd 1, on the county line road that divides Allen and Wells Counties, just north of Ossian.

A Lesson Learned

So here it is a little after 10pm on Friday night.  I have just crawled out of bed to write this post.  I was lying in bed trying to sleep, but my mind was flooded by the thoughts of what I experienced today.  I thought about how and what I would write in my blog about what I had learned and enjoyed today.  As thoughts danced through my head, I knew that if I didn't get up right now and write, I would not be able to recall all this in the morning, not with the intensity of what I was feeling right now, so here goes.

Today I was excited to make my first visit of the season to four different farms or farm stands scattered around south and east of Fort Wayne.   I had found all of these sites late in the season last year and was itching to visit each of them again this year but also waiting until their produce was plentiful enough that the 85 mile drive would be worth it.  (It was!)

My first stop was at Dafforn's Corn and Produce in Yoder, IN just south of Ossian.  I was rewarded with even more delights than last year and I will write about this visit in a separate entry early next week.  I also visited Houtz's on State Rd 1, just north of Ossian.  Then I headed to Monroeville, IN to a small farm I found last year in October, when pumpkins, winter squash, and gourds were the most prevalent items for sale.  I pulled into this farmer's drive and the farmer met me as I started to look at what he had available.  We started to chat and he told me that since last season he has been diagnosed with cancer and that he was unable to plant his "garden" this year.  He said he was relying completely on his adult children to put out his crops, to care for them, and to harvest them.  The adult children all have jobs they work at full time and then come to his home in the afternoon and evenings and work again in his fields.  He said that his children have said to him that they had no idea how much work he had been doing all this time, until they are now committed to doing it themselves.  Next year, he said, he might plant nothing at all.

This is the lesson I learned today, the farmer must rely on his land, the weather, seeds, and his love for the process from beginning to end, but he must also have the health to do the work.  As I have gone from farm to farm, this is the one thing I have taken for granted, but not any more.  I have so admired the farmer, his dedication and what he accomplishes, but I was leaving out something profoundly significant, his health.

I will change my future prayers for all farmers.  Mostly I have dwelled on the weather and how they have to deal with whatever comes their way.  Now, I will also pray for their health and their ability to do the work that calls to them.

Blueberry U-Pick in full swing

Blueberry Acres, in Laotto, is open for picking for the next 2-3 weeks.  Their phone number is 260-693-2080.  You may want to call before you go, just to be sure they are still picking.

Cedar Creek Produce, in Leo, is also offering blueberry and red raspberry u-pick right now.  Again, call them before going just to be sure the berries are still available, at 260-627-5239.

Graber Farms, in Harlan, has completed their blueberry u-pick for this year.

Woodburn Farmers Market

Today, Wednesday, July 15th, is the grand opening for the first Woodburn Farmers Market.  The market will be open every Wednesday between 3pm and 7pm and will be located on the corner of Woodburn Road and State Rd 101.  Here's hoping for their great success.

Hardy's Farm Market opens tomorrow, 7-15-09

A sure sign that corn grown in Allen County will soon be available, is the opening of Hardy's Farm Market in Fort Wayne.  Located at 4525 Knoll Rd, their farm will have available again this season: cabbage, peppers, summer squash, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, honey, and beautiful gladiolus.  What this farm is truly known for though is its succulent corn.  Now when corn and tomatoes are available in Allen County, we know that summer has really arrived.

Their hours at the farm on Knoll Rd are Monday-Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

Hardy's also sells their produce at the Barr Street Market on Saturdays and the Jefferson Pointe Farmers Market on Wednesdays.

South Side Market, Barr Street Market, Roanoke Farmer's Market, Saxton's Farmers Market

What started out as a much needed rainy day Saturday, turned into a beautiful sun-filled day for the Three Rivers Festival events and for visiting farmer's markets.  We started by the day at the South Side Farmers Market because it was indoors and the rain was still coming down.  By the time we left there, the clouds we starting to clear and  by the time we arrived at the Barr Street Market, things were very wet but the rain had stopped and the vendors were in good spirits.  They have 14 farm vendors this year and 19 non-farm vendors.  My favorite vendor is Naturally Homegrown Farm.  I love what this young couple is doing and how they take the time to write a bit of information down regarding an unusual item they have for sale.

From Barr Street's Market we moved on to the art in the park, Three Rivers Festival event, and although the vendors where just opening up their stalls, which were exceedingly wet, we enjoyed our walk and the beautiful displays of artwork in all forms.

We left downtown and drove to Roanoke to investigate their market's first day of the season.  Located on a closed off to traffic block of Main Street, it was great to see the vendors who have returned as well as check out two of the new businesses that have opened their doors on this section of Main Street.

From Roanoke we moved on to Saxton's Farmers Market and I was pleased to see more produce vendors this year.  I so wanted to purchase something from them, but by now I had more than enough produce to get me through the week and it was time to head home. 

Please check out the market closest to you or enjoy making a morning of it like we did and visit several.  We need to keep a good thing going and not take our opportunities to purchase fresh local produce, meat and dairy for granted.

Barr Street Market to open this weekend

Everyone is ready for the opening of the Barr Street Market in Fort Wayne and it is happening this Saturday, July 11th. The market is located at the corner of Wayne Street and Barr Street.  I can't wait to be there and see which vendors have returned and if there is anyone new.  The hours this year are from 8am to 12noon.  Be sure to make this a part of your Three Rivers Festival outings.

One Day Only, Red Raspberry U-Pick

Blueberry Acres will have a one day only, red raspberry picking, on Saturday July 11th.  There will also be pre-season blueberry picking allowed on that day.  Picking hours are from 7am-5pm. The raspberries are $2.75/pound and the blueberries are $1.75/pound.  As always be sure to take a container with you to take your fruit home in.  Blueberry Acres is located in Laotto at 5393 S  800 E.