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January 17, 2013

Local Growers’ Guild Presents Bike to Barns!

The Local Growers’ Guild is hosting Indiana’s first annual Bike to Barns event on Sunday, June 9th. Bike to Barns invites cyclists of all ages and skill levels to bike to farms in Monroe, Owen, and Brown counties during this day-long event. Funds raised will support the Local Growers’ Guild, a cooperative of farmers, retailers, and community members dedicated to strengthening the local food economy in southern Indiana through education, direct support, and market connections.

The ride will start at Binford/Rogers School at 9am.  Check-in opens at 8:15am and riders will be released in waves. Riders can choose from three different routes, a 6 mile “Urban Fruit Route” in the City of Bloomington, a 35 mile “Seed Route” through Brown County, and a 70 mile “Root Route” in Monroe and parts of Owen County.  Participants will meet the growers, have a chance to ask questions about their sustainable farming practices, hang out with farm animals, and learn about local food sources that Southern Indiana has to offer.

Registration is $50 for adults and $15 for children (13 and under).  With registration, all participants receive a free Bike to Barns event t-shirt and the option to purchase a bike jersey. Participants will raise pledges from family and friends to support the Local Growers Guild as well. All participants will benefit from discounts at Nick’s English Hut and Upland Brewing Company, and prizes will be awarded to top fundraisers. A celebration party will be held after completion of the ride, with refreshments and entertainment.

To register or make a pledge for this event, view the routes, and learn more about the event, visit www.localgrowers.org/b2b. If you have any questions about the Bike to Barns event or the Local Growers’ Guild, please contact LGG Manager Megan Hutchison at localgrowers@localgrowers.org. Information about all Local Growers’ Guild activities can be found online at www.localgrowers.org.

We couldn’t have made this happen without our generous sponsors.   Please visit them and thank them for their support of the LGG!

Nick’s English Hut
Upland Brewing Company
Bloomingfoods Market & Deli
Bikesmiths
Farm Bloomington
Vibe Yoga
Cardinal Stage Company
Bloomington Playwright’s Project
The Comedy Attic
Bloomington Clay Studio
Nature’s Crossroads Seed Company
Chomp
Revolution Bike and Bean
Sunny Branch Farm

The Local Growers’ Guild is pleased to announce the release of LGG On the Farm, a series of videos spotlighting grower members and their farming practices.  The videos were shot on-site at each farm and focus on a particular aspect of growing food or caring for livestock.  The videos provide useful information and resources for a new farmer, an experienced grower interested in expanding or diversifying their operation, or a community member with the desire to learn more about the ways that sustainable products are grown and raised in Indiana.

The end of each video includes contact information and ways to learn more about the grower and the work that they do.  The videos focus on diverse aspects of farm life, from animals to vegetables to flowers.  In one video, Farm Manager Candace Minster, at the White Violet Eco-Center discusses the advantages and technical aspects of seed saving, and in another, Larry Howard at Maple Valley Farm discusses the logic behind his decision to experiment with multispecies grazing.  Another set of growers give insight into the ins-and-outs of selling at a local farmers’ market.  Others explain their methods for seed-saving, bee-keeping, growing mushrooms, and extending the season. The growers featured in the videos hail from as far south as Jasper to as far north as St. Mary-of-the-Woods, providing an accurate representation of the Southern Indiana foodshed and the diversity of farming methods that can be employed here.

The videos can be found on the Local Growers’ Guild website, http://www.localgrowers.org/lgg-on-the-farm-videos/, where visitors to the site can also read the LGG blog, keep updated on upcoming Guild events and meetings, and download the Local Growers’ Guide, a comprehensive compilation of sustainable farming, gardening, and food-related resources.

The Local Growers’ Guild seeks to create a local food system that provides quality food to communities through direct markets and retailers, preserve the viability of family farms, improve the quality of life for growers, make food issues visible, and promote practices that preserve and protect the Earth.

Are you interested in figuring out why your favorite plant turned an odd color?  Visit the Monroe County Extension open house and learn about all their resources for growers and gardeners.

Is sauerkraut, kombucha, and raw milk in your house?  Maybe you want to stop by the Weston A. Price Potluck this week and exchange cultures and ideas on traditional foods.

Are you interested in seeing more small sustainable farms in Monroe County?  Local government is interested in learning how their planning and zoning rules can be inclusive to home-based sustainable farm businesses.

If you’re more of an educator, but still a foodie, the Bloomington Food Policy Council Education Committee is looking for new members and ideas on spreading the local food message.

Just in time for the flu season, the LGG is hosting their next potluck on growing and using medicinal plants.  Traditional medicine can be expensive and tends to just treat symptoms.  Bring a dish and join the conversation on widely used medicinal plants that you can grow yourself or find from a local grower.

See our events calendar on the right hand side to learn more about these and other events!

Alisha Mustafa, Mustafa Pie Co.
Appetizer- Oktoberfest Beer, Creekbend Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Mini Shepard’s Pie with an herb potato crust filled ground beef, turnips, onions, with parmesan cheese. Pickled beets and a chive and parsley oil drizzled on the side

Alan Simmerman, Bloomingfoods
Salad- Harvest Ale, Creekbend III 2011
Greens salad with apple cornbread and roasted squash

Damian Esposito, Indiana Memorial Union
Soup- Pilsner, Creekbend Traminette 2011
Traditional Pozole of pork, hominy, onion, garlic, dried chilies, and cilantro

Seth Elgar, Upland Brewing Company
Main Course- Double Dragonfly IPA, Creekbend Chambourcin 2010
Fall mash of potatoes and squash, braised greens, and smoked WE Farm pork shoulder in a braised beef shank demi

Vegetarian Dish: Fall mash of potatoes and squash, braised greens, topped with a swiss chard cake stuffed with Capriole chèvre and a roasted beet beurre blanc

Jeff Grossnickle, Chocolate Moose
Dessert- Bad Elmer’s Porter, Creekbend Late Harvest Vignoles 2008
Valentine Hill Farm Organic Bavarian lemon pound cake with a scoop of Chocolate Moose local pumpkin ice cream

Harvest Dinner sponsors included Upland Brewing Company, Oliver Winery, Cartridge World, Brown County Coffee, Indiana Memorial Union Catering, Master Rental, and KRC Catering.

Big thanks to our growers who offered donations:

Fields of Agape
Freedom Valley Farm
Glorious Day Lily
Harvest Moon Flower Farm
Heartland Family Farm
Homestead Growers
Hoosier Billy Farms
LIFE Certified Organic Farm
Lost Pond Farm
Moon Valley Farm
Musgrave Orchard
Olde Lane Orchard
Living Roots Ecovillage
Renaissance Farm
Sage Gardens
Sun Circle Farm
The Chile Woman
Valentine Hill Farm
WE Farm
White Violet Center for Eco-Justice

100 percent of the proceeds benefit the Local Growers Guild in its mission – strengthening the local food economy through education, direct support, and market connections.

This year’s Chefs include Seth Elgar from Upland Brewery, Damian Esposito from the Indiana Memorial Union, Jeff Gross from Chocolate Moose, Alan Simmerman from Bloomingfoods, and Alisha Mustafa from Mustafa Pie Co.

Harvest Dinner sponsors include Upland Brewing Company, Oliver Winery, Cartridge World, Brown County Coffee, the Indiana Memorial Union, and KRC Catering. Big thanks to our growers who have offered donations:

Fields of Agape
Freedom Valley Farm
Glorious Day Lily
Harvest Moon Flower Farm
Heartland Family Farm
Homestead Growers
Hoosier Billy Farms
LIFE Certified Organic Farm
Lost Pond Farm
Moon Valley Farm
Musgrave Orchard
Olde Lane Orchard
Oliver Winery
Renaissance Farm
Sage Gardens
Sun Circle Farm
The Chile Woman
Valentine Hill Farm
WE Farm
White Violet Center for Eco-Justice

Type of Ticket

LGG Members $68.00 USD Non-Members $75.00 USD Table for 10 $675.00 USD

Leaving from and returning to City Hall
Cost: $25
Registration: Register by September 24 in the Parks Office or online at www.bloomington.in.gov/farmersmarket (the code is 36505A). There are no refunds after the registration deadline. Prior to the deadline, September 24, there is a $3 administrative fee for cancellations.

Join us for an afternoon immersed in a farm’s diverse ecosystem. Ewenique Farms offers a special opportunity to learn more about a myriad of all-natural farm practices. We will tour the farm and enjoy the sun on a hay wagon, then share the afternoon with lambs and longhorn calves while learning to separate the chaff from the wheat and grind the grain. The evening concludes with a simple meal of seasonal soup, home-baked bread from Muddy Fork, and cookies.

The seeds of “Ewe”nique Farm were planted more than 100 years ago, when the family initially began farming the area. “Ewe”nique strives to protect the land, promote nutrient-dense diets and improve the local ecology. The family stays close to their roots by pasturing sheep, grinding their own grains for breads and pastry, and following organic methods of production.

Detailed information is available at www.bloomington.in.gov/farmersmarket or by contacting Marcia Veldman at 349-3738 or veldmanm@bloomington.in.gov. Co-sponsored by the Local Growers Guild and Bloomingfoods Market and Deli, with special thanks to Muddy Fork Farm and Harvest Moon Flower Farm.

Participant Tips and Itinerary

• Dress comfortably and in layers. Other than the time on the bus, we will be outside all day, walking on uneven terrain.
• You may want to bring a hat, sunscreen, a snack and water.
• The tour takes place rain or shine. The schedule may be altered in the event of severe weather.
• It’s just over an hour’s drive on school buses. You may want to bring a pillow.
• Itinerary (this is to give you a general idea of the flow of the day, times may vary)

o          1:30 pm           Check-in Begins

o          2:15 pm           Buses depart Showers Common

o          3:30 pm           Arrive at “Ewe”nique Farm

o          5 pm                Dinner on the Farm

o          6:00 pm           Buses depart

As we faced drought this year and are likely to continue battling it in years to come, what strategies have worked or not so far and how can we as a community prepare to provide an abundance of harvests in the onslaught of adverse conditions? Are there ways of retaining water locally without the use of expensive and fossil fuel intense irrigation systems? And if using irrigation systems, what are the appropriate technologies we should be investing in?

This spring we saw unusually warm temperatures and rains of intense proportions. How do we prepare for these shifts in temperatures and how do we harvest and store this excess of water? Looking ahead to fall, what crops have grown well in our region? What cover crops work well? And how do we extend our growing season with easy low cost solutions suitable for many scales?

These questions hopefully will give a context for the conversation we hope to have. One that utilizes the knowledge gained by our community and one that unifies us to share our failures and successes together. This will hopefully be an active space of collaboration and a fun environment of licking plates clean and plenty of laughter. Thank you for supporting our local community, we hope to see you there!

Cheers,

LGG

Join us for a special dinner, a book signing, and a conversation about food and mood.

“Everything you need for a healthy, happy brain can be found on a farm.  Plants and animals provide the vitamins, minerals, fats, and phytonutrients that are necessary for optimal brain function.”

Happiness is a biological event and in order for our brains to fire on all cylinders, they must be properly nourished.  Most books about attaining happiness focus only on improving psychological well-being and your outlook on life.  Dr. Drew Ramsey holds the perspective that the food many of us eat contributes to the soaring rates of mood disorders in this country.  Before we can start changing our outlook, we need to start changing what’s on our plates.

Dr. Drew Ramsey, a member-owner of Bloomingfoods, grew up eating from the family garden on a Crawford County, IN farm. He completed his specialty training in adult psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, received an M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2000 and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Earlham College.  He is an assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons.  Visit http://drewramseymd.com

For more information, call 812-339-4442, ext. 204 or email Jean Kautt, Member Services Coordinator at at memberservices@bloomingfoods.coop

Reservations required by August 24th, email memberservices@bloomingfoods.coop.

The LGG Annual Meeting will be take place at 4pm on Sunday, July 15th at Butler Winery (6200 E. Robinson Rd.). Located high above the Bean Blossom Valley, Butler Winery is one of the oldest wineries in Indiana. Wine tasting and light refreshments. If possible, please bring a potluck item and your own dishware.

www.localgrowers.org

Facebook Invite

Dear Members of the Local Growers’ Guild,

The Senate Agriculture Committee’s version of the 2012 Farm Bill is up for debate by the full Senate this week.  But it looks like they forgot to include a few things in the farm bill—like robust funding for rural development and beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer programs.

That’s right!  Programs that boost jobs through rural entrepreneurship, invest in the future of American agriculture, and provide assistance to historically underserved farmers received little to no funding in the Committee’s bill.

How could these important programs get left behind?

Fortunately, there is still a chance to ensure that these programs are not forgotten.  Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with other interested Senators, is considering offering an amendment in the next few days that restores funding to crucial rural development and beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer programs, including:

• Value-Added Producer Grants

• Rural Microentrepeneur Assistance Program

• Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

• Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program (Section 2501)

Will you support this effort to ensure the 2012 Farm Bill creates jobs in rural America and invests in the next generation of farmers?  

Call your Senators TODAY and ask for their support on this amendment:

Tell your Senators:  Please ensure that rural communities and the future of American agriculture are not left out of the farm bill.  Senator Sherrod Brown is considering an amendment that funds important programs like Value-Added Producer Grants and the Rural Microentrepeneur Assistance Program – two programs that create jobs and spur economic growth through food and farms.  And this potential amendment invests critical funding in the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program – two programs that support the future of American agriculture.  Please support our rural communities and future farmers by reaching out to Senator Brown and supporting this amendment.

Your Senators need to hear that you want a farm bill with real reform and real improvements for our rural places and the future of farming.  Don’t delay—the Senate is about to start debate on the 2012 Farm Bill, so they need to hear from you TODAY.

Thank you for all that you do,

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Grassroots Team

P.S.  When you call, tell us how it went!  And help us spread the word by sharing this message!