The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Local Food Journey

Farmers Get Down to Business

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 01/30 at 09:13 AM

Food Entrepreneurs Will Find Wealth of Resources at Annual PASA Conference

Farmers and other food entrepreneurs are set to acquire tools for success at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s (PASA) 23rd Annual Farming for the Future Conference, Feb. 5-8 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA.

On Feb. 6, PASA hosts “Raising Dough: Financing Your Food Based Business,” an intensive, day long track aimed at farmers looking to amass capital for farm-based businesses.

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Local Food Journey

Why Eat Local?

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 01/28 at 09:59 AM

Below is the first of many posts on Local Food Journey by our new intern, Penn State student Jordan Reabold. We’re excited to have Jordan aboard, and in the coming weeks she will be exploring the local food scene, including profiles on local food people, stories about various local food offerings in our area, and more.

One of the things I love most about State College, being that it reminds me of home, is the farmland. I’ve come to appreciate the cultivated fields where wooden barns nestle among the hills of Happy Valley, peacefully enveloping the bustle of the University. While the farms of State College certainly have aesthetic worth, they serve a more practical purpose as well—food, of course! And what better way to show your appreciation for these farmers than to choose local produce over large-scale food systems. In doing so, you support not only the farmers, but the local economy as a whole, and yourself.

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Local Food Journey

Sustainable Ag Community to Reflect, Rally at Premier Gathering

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 01/23 at 09:14 AM

The following is a press release for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s 23rd Farming for the Future Conference. Look for more about this event on Local Food Journey in the next several weeks, as this is a major happening for our local food community…

MILLHEIM, PA January 6, 2014 – The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) hosts the 23rd Annual Farming for the Future Conference next month, February 5-8 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA. Farmers, foodies, artisans, activists and other members of the sustainable agriculture community will gather around the theme “Letting Nature Lead” as the debate over the future of agriculture continues to garner widespread attention, from dinner tables to the halls of Congress.

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Local Food Journey

Hogs Galore pork loin a dinner party winner

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 01/20 at 09:44 AM

Hosting a dinner party can be a real challenge. You want to hit a home run with your guests, especially with the main course, but what if your cooking skills are limited? You don’t have to look far for a solution; in fact, it’s right up the road near Philipsburg, at one of our region’s local food gems, Hogs Galore.

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Local Food Journey

Eat local, support local at fundraiser for Friends & Farmers Cooperative

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 01/17 at 09:10 AM

Editor’s note: The following is a press release regarding a fundraiser by Friends & Farmers Cooperative. Please help support what is a very worthy cause for our local food community.

Friends & Farmers Cooperative, which is working to open a member-owned cooperative grocery that will specialize in local, sustainably-produced products, is holding a fundraising event at Spats at 5-7:30 p.m, January 26.
Entitled “Local on the Menu,” the event will offer community members a behind-the-scenes look at the local food scene and an opportunity to hear firsthand how Spats owner, Duke Gastiger, and others are turning local into a point of Pennsylvania pride.

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Local Food Journey

Osage oranges to provide natural fence for Jade Family Farm

Posted by James Eisenstein on 01/14 at 09:08 AM

The object pictured above doesn’t look much like barbed wire, but if you stretch it a bit, there is a connection.

What you see is an Osage orange I picked up this fall on the road near Jade Family Farm. You can find Osage Orange trees from the Great Plains to here and beyond.

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Our Town

Our Town Project Announces Upcoming Community Visits & Programs for 2014!

Posted by Whitney on 01/13 at 03:56 PM

The Our Town project will be visiting EBENSBURG, BROOKVILLE, WINDBER, SMETHPORT and TYRONE this season.

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Local Food Journey

10 garden chores you can do in the winter (and probably should)

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 01/10 at 08:49 AM

Earlier this week, the coldest air in 20 years overspread Central Pennsylvania, dropping temperatures below zero. While shivering through a cold snap like that, it’s hard to imagine doing garden work. But there are still some chores you can do, either in the comfort of your living room or during one of our inevitable thaws that we have most every winter and will have this weekend. Getting them done now can help ensure a better harvest this spring and summer.

Here’s 10 garden chores you can do this winter:

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Local Food Journey

Winter is a time of some rest, reminiscing for local farmers

Posted by James Eisenstein on 01/06 at 09:57 AM

Winter offers unpaid field hands like me respite from the daily toil that spring, summer, and fall days require. It is a good time to reflect on the past year. And when I begin these reveries, the first word that comes to mind is . . . pears.

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