DSL on YONDER RIDGE! UPDATES SOON!

If anyone is still coming to this blog, my apologies. I have not had Internet on my ridge (in nearby Pulaski County) since lightning struck our satellite dish in August 2012. The reason I didn't renew my contract with the satellite company was that a) it was almost $100 a month for very poor service and b) we had contracted with Windstream to sell a small easement on our farm for boxes for DSL to come to our ridge at long last. Well, those boxes were installed eighteen months ago. In the meantime, I've been using free WiFi at coffee houses and libraries (with my very old laptop computer that is painfully slow).

On the very day that I sent my editor my recent book manuscript, and as I was packing to visit our daugther in Colorado (including my home computer: one of the advantages of driving over flying), Windstream called: 'We're ready to hook up ridge residents with DSL.' Hurray, I said! So we ordered the kit and upon return later this week I will install it.

That said, I hope to be able to update this site with Places to Buy Local, at least, in the next few weeks as well as an updated 2014 calendar for the Casey County Produce Auction, as well as 2014 Events. There have been many changes in the Casey County Anabaptist community in recent years, as well as many new farms and farmers (and other related businesses) offering a diversity of products grown, raised or made in Casey County.

I will do my best to update these for you and thanks for visiting. And feel free, always, to email me with information and listings on Casey County farms and related agribusinesses. Remember, it's all FREE advertising and promotion for our local farms and related or 'Kentucky Proud' businesses.

~ Catherine Pond, Website Editor [info@CatherinePond.com]

Wendell Berry on Empowering the Local Economy

I am trying to revive this blog and Facebook page after there have been significant changes (with many Mennonite businesses now gone and several Amish farmers moving in) and other new additions to the Casey County agricultural scene. I'm still posting remotely and with a failed camera lens at present, too, so bear with me! I'm hoping by spring of 2013 to have things up and running in a more regular capacity. In the meantime I will blog on occasion as to agricultural-related topics.

As far as I'm concerned, and I know I'm not alone, Wendell Berry is a national treasure and that is he a native Kentucky writer, poet, philosopher and farmer makes him all the more endearing. If you've ever read Berry's essays you realize that he has been consistently ahead of his time in terms of the local food movement, sustainable agriculture, and our political economy. He is also largely an unsung hero because he is so humble and unassertive––his words wield the power if you care to read them.

And it is odd that I was reading his work today. When I went to find an image on the Internet to put in this blog post, I discovered it was just announced that he will receive the overall Freedom Award from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Awards for community and personal responsibility on October 16th in New York City.

Here is an extended passage from his essay "Farming and the Global Economy" which appeared in his collection Another Turn of the Crank [Washington, DC: Counterpoint, 1995]:

"If a safe, sustainable local food economy appeals to some of us as a goal that we would like to work for, then we must be careful to recognize not only the great power of the interests arrayed against us but also our own weakness. The hope for such a food economy as we desire is represented by no politcial party and is spoken for by no national public officials of any consequence. Our national political leaders do not know what we are talking about, and they are without the local affections and allegiances that would permit them to learn what we are talking about.

But we should also understand that our predicament is not without precedent; it is approximately the same as that of the proponents of the Stamp Act––and with one difference in our favor: in order to do the work that we must do, we do not need a national organization. What we must do is simple: we must shorten the distance that our food is transported so that we are eating more and more from local supplies, more and more to the benefit of local farmers, and more and more to the satisfaction of local consumers. This can be done by cooperation among small organizations: conservation groups, churches, neighborhood associations, consumer co-oops, local merchants, local independent banks, and organizations of small farmers. It can also be done by cooperation between individuals and consumers. We should not be discouraged to find that local food economies can grow only gradually; it is better that they should grow gradually. But as they grow they will bring about a significant return of power, wealth, and health to the people.

One thing at least should be obvious to us all: the whole human population of the world cannot live on imported food. Some people somewhere are going to have to grow the food. And wherever food is grown the growing of it will raise the same two questions: How do you preserve the land in use? And how do you preserve the people who use the land?

The farther the food is transported, the harder it will be to answer those questions correctly. The correct answers will not come as the inevitable by-products of the aims, policies, and procedures of international trade, free or unfree. They cannot be legislated or imposed by international or national or state agencies. They can only be supplied locally, by skilled and highly motivated local farmers meeting as directly as possible the needs of informed local consumers."

Spring 2013 Update

Greetings to all––it seemed like a long winter here but that is only because of the late spring. Glad to have mud season and rain and dreariness behind us and looking ahead to gardens and all manner of farm-related activities.

I still don't have DSL on our ridge here in Pulaski County and have been relying upon WiFi hither and yon. Until that time, blogging is very difficult on my sluggish PowerBook G4 and rapid-fire updates on Facebook even fewer and far between. Thank you for your patience. I hope to resume and update this website as soon as possible. If not, I will let you know (it is still available for anyone who wants to volunteer to keep it going!).

In the meantime, I highly recommend a new website called Kentucky Amish which is updated regularly by the folks at the Wagon Trail, a great eatery in Casey County, Kentucky. Also, Sustainable Kentucky is a consistently excellent website that includes feature articles and great information about farming––and farmers––around Kentucky. They just held their first, and highly successful, "Kentucky Green Living Fair" here in Pulaski County and plan to have it again in 2014 [Save the date! March 29, 2014]. Farm and sustainable-related vendors were there as well as writers and interesting workshops. It was a great day!

There has been much recent moving about within Casey County's Old Order Mennonite community and some businesses are gone or will have altered names/venues. The Casey County Produce Auction is occurring this year and you can contact them for specific information. [While I can't comment on this, because I know many of the people involved, this does provide additional information from a recent article from various news sources.] However, rest assured that the original church here in Casey County is staying and will be continuing with their businesses.

The annual spring benefit auction will be held this Saturday, April 13th at the corner of Hwy 127 and 501 (9am-5pm). Usually held the last Saturday in March, it was moved this year because of the Easter holiday.

GROW Casey County Update

First of all, try to make it a point to come to this Gardener's Group potluck picnic on Thursday, August 23 (all information above). Mary Nardin, a local gardener, and Debbie Shepherd at the Casey County Extension Office, have put together a great program for this, and upcoming events, related to gardening. There will also be many farmers there setting up tables and talking about their farms.

On another note, with a groundswell of truly locally grown interest in farming from Casey County farmers (of which I am not) and "things happening" at last on that front, I have decided to take a back seat, as it were, for a while (if not entirely). As this is entirely a volunteer effort of one, posting on this blog has been infrequent at best (more likely to find updates on our 'GROW Casey County' Facebook page) and my own writing now must take priority, as well as our own cattle farm here in Pulaski County. Furthermore, our boys used to attend school in Casey County and no longer do so––so we aren't out and about in the county any more as much as we were. And, finally, I no longer have satellite internet and eagerly await DSL on our ridge in the coming months.

All of this said, there is a ready template (and promotional cards) at the ready for anyone who wishes to step up and continue this blog, Facebook page and/or even the name 'GROW Casey County.' I will happily pass it all along to the right person or persons. Also, with the marvelous statewide promotional efforts on sustainable agriculture at the excellent blog and Facebook page, Sustainable Kentucky, it makes it even easier to step back at this time. That effort is also a solo act from an area writer/farmer and they are doing such a terrific job, including covering Casey County at times, that I don't need to even try to duplicate their efforts.

So thank you for following Casey County agricultural events and information. The Casey County farming community is strong and growing, and is galvanizing organically as it should do. We will keep you posted as to other related agricultural happenings as they occur in the region when we can––or perhaps there will be more specific information via the Casey County Extension Office on Facebook, blogs or other groups in the area. In the meantime, the above flyer for the upcoming picnic includes contact information for local agricultural questions. The GROW Casey County Facebook page will also remain open and active if you wish to post something or contact others on it.

Casey County Produce Auction

The Wagon Trail: Great Eats in Casey County

The Wagon Trail is located on South Fork Creek,
just down on the right from the Casey County Produce Auction.

In Casey County, dining options are few and locally-sourced family restaurants are even fewer. Chain restaurants are a dime a dozen throughout the land, even in our neck of the woods, so when you find some place that is unique, delicious and affordable, you want to crow about it. As GROW Casey County is about embracing all things local, especially food-related, this seems the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Recently, the Nathan and Amy Sizemore family, residents of South Fork Creek for several years, have hung up their shingle and dusted off the wagon wheels on their chuck wagon for some appetizing fare. It's a welcome site for those meandering through the valley on route to the many Mennonite offerings in Casey County and will provide a tasty pause and refreshment for tourists and locals alike. Who wants to hit the strip when they can hop over and sit a spell under the large umbrella-clad picnic tables and grab a sandwich or a shake?

Turkey-Avocado Sandwich and a homemade bun!

This is no ordinary hot dog stand, instead transcending the mere dog or burger (although you can get those, too) into an offering of delicious sandwiches––with homemade buns––and an appetizing variety of specials, even pizza. There are also many appealing salads, ice cream, and homemade desserts, made daily. I had the turkey-avocado sandwich special and was not disappointed. It was served with delicious homemade coleslaw and a hearty dish of fresh-cut pineapple chunks––all for $5.95. Produce is purchased locally and in season, when available, from nearby Lavern's Produce at the corner of South Fork Creek and Hwy 501.

Peach shake! I'd like one now, in fact.

You can even get homemade fountain drinks like limeade and fresh-brewed iced tea. I added an Orange Crush float, which hit the spot, but the whole time I was eyeing my husband's peach shake. He nicely gave me a sip...but just one. We had heard the prior ravings of Joberta Wells and were not disappointed.

Food is brought to your picnic table within minutes, and with a smile, by any one of the Sizemore children who help with the running of this family venture. We'll hope that the Sizemore clan will park their wagon for a long time in Casey County.



The Wagon Trail
730 South Fork Creek, Liberty, KY 42539
Open Monday-Saturday, 11am-7pm
Friend The Wagon Trail on Facebook!
To go orders are welcome and taken daily/delivered for Liberty residents.
Call 606-706-5334 for further info.
[Currently planning to be year round.]

Gross but Great in the Garden

If you happen to see this sight in your garden, let it be. This is a tomato hornworm carrying the beneficial eggs of a braconid wasp. Normally I hate wasps but when these hatch there will plenty of the little freaks to guarantee that your garden is hornworm-free (although I'd still check your tomato plants regularly––just one of these little green buggers can chomp at a rapid pace!). In the meantime, the worm is paralyzed by the emergent eggs and can't do any more chomping on your precious tomato plants. (They can also affect tomato plants, too.)

The other day I was watering the tomato seedlings that my friend Diana had given me (and she still has some plants available at Meadowbrook Orchards and Farm). I noticed the tell-tale signs of the dreaded hornworm: lots of poops, chomped leaves, and then, the nasty creatures themselves (who are hard-pressed to be found, given their excellent camouflage). Overnight they had taken out half the leaves on half the plants!

Then, this morning, my sons noticed that our two datura plants (called 'Moonflowers' here by many native Kentuckians: I got these at Hettmansperger Greenhouse) had four worms that were covered with white eggs. Thankfully, they asked me first before squishing them (or throwing them at each other, which is more apt).

The worms were on the underleaf side of the two datura plants (which must be an attractant, like the tomato plants). I decided to clip the leaves and put each one in the shade of some of my potted tomato plants across the way. We'll see what happens. If I find any more without wasps on them they will be plucked off and fed to my free-range chickens.

The datura plant (at left), also called 'Moon Flower,' has a lovely trumpet-like
bell flower that emerges in early evening. My plants were started by seed saved
by some Casey County women and passed along to Hettmansperger Greenhouse.
WARNING: it is highly toxic to people and pets. But the hornworms must like it!

It just goes to show you that, if left alone, nature often takes care of things quite nicely.