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

Local Foods Week celebrates our local bounty Aug 2-9

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/31 at 09:58 AM

As any reader of this blog is well aware, we live in an area full of fantastic sources of local food. And it’s growing, from new places to find local food to the excitement building around the burgeoning Friends & Farmers Coop and their plans to build a grocery store dedicated to local food. Really, something as awesome as our community of farms, markets, roadside stands, local food restaurants, etc. is something to be celebrated.

With that in mind, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is celebrating Local Foods Week August 2-9 with a variety of events, including the Centre County Farm Tour. FYI, this year, folks can buy a farm tour pass on-line or at the farmers markets during Local Foods Week. Purchasing a pass in advance means you can go to some of the farms starting at 10:00 a.m. (please review the list to see which ones open early). Passes will be available only at the North Atherton Farmers Market and the Millheim Farmers Market on the day of the tour.

More details about Local Foods Week, including other events:

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Local Food Journey

Get baking: Friends & Farmers Co-op Pie Contest to be held Aug. 2 at 2014 FarmFest

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/30 at 06:59 AM

Summer is a perfect time to bake pies, given all the fresh produce available. So many fruits, like peaches, and berries, like blueberries, are in season and can be found in farmers markets, roadside stands, and backyards all across our area. Do you have a pie you are particularly proud of? Then enter it in Friends & Farmers Coop’s “A Slice of Community: People’s Choice Pie Contest”, to be held Saturday, Aug. 2 as part of the 2014 FarmFest from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

“You don’t have to be a professional baker to enter,” said Michele Marchetti, Coop board member. “This is a people’s choice pie contest and another way the cooperative is bringing people together around food.”

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Local Food Journey

Your Local Food Weekend for July 26-27

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/25 at 08:36 AM

Sample and learn how to make pickles at Tait Farm, learn how to get your baby started on solid foods at Mt. Nittany Medical Center, see inspirational art of local farmland at Centre Furnace Mansion, and enjoy local food, beer, and great folk-rock at Elk Creek Cafe…

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Local Food Journey

Recipe: Armadillo Eggs put a deliciously spicy twist on Scottish eggs

Posted by James Sechrengost on 07/24 at 12:07 PM

When I was stationed in Southern California I went to my first Renaissance Fair. It was held on the fairgrounds where the US Festival back in the 80s was held in the Cajon Pass near San Bernardino CA. It was later the Blockbuster Pavilion and then something else. It was at the Renaissance Fair that I was introduced to Scottish Eggs.

I know, I know, the recipe is for Armadillo Eggs but you need a little background. This is the first time I ever had anything wrapped in sausage and fried. I mean who wouldn’t like a complete breakfast all in one item. Imagine a hard boiled egg, wrapped in sausage, rolled in bread crumbs, and deep fried or baked. So when I was visiting a friend in Texas he took me out to dinner. It was here I was introduced to Armadillo Eggs.

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Local Food Journey

Local Food Video: Plowshare Produce offers access to produce with a small environmental impact

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/22 at 10:56 AM

Video by WPSU intern Kelly Tunney

Micah and Bethany Spicher Schonberg like to know who their vegetables are going home with. As the founders of Plowshare Produce, a CSA (for community-supported agriculture) near Huntingdon, Micah and Bethany know their members. The farmers greet their members by name; one of them is even the doula who delivered their son Ben.

A CSA is a subscription model for produce. Members pay in advance to have a weekly or biweekly delivery of fresh, organic vegetables. On their appointed day–Tuesday in State College, Friday in Huntingdon–they pick up their share of whatever ripened that week. At a recent distribution in State College, that included kohlrabi, garlic scapes, strawberries, beets, carrots, chard, and sugar peas.

 

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Local Food Journey

PASA meets fundraising goal for 2013-2014 fiscal year

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/18 at 06:59 AM

Editor’s Note: The following is a letter sent out by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Executive Director Brian Snyder. This is wonderful news for an organization that is a big part of the local food community. The letter was sent July 3 but we figured it was never too late to share such good news!

Every once in a while we get to celebrate the unique character of the PASA community in a special way. This is one of those times.  Having been notified in early June of an impending budgetary shortfall and increased annual fundraising goal, our members and other supporters came through in a big way, contributing over $50,000 in the last month of our fiscal year! 

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Our Town

Our Town: Smethport Project Underway!

Posted by Whitney on 07/17 at 01:09 PM

If you see your neighbors around town with video cameras, they may be working to document the people, places and happenings of your hometown for “Our Town: Smethport.” Members of the Smethport community have volunteered to tell stories about the McKean County Historical Society, the Bucktails, the McKean County Fair, some famous products that have been manufactured in Smethport, the library, and so much more!

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Local Food Journey

Local Food Video: Building a hügelkultur garden bed

Posted by Danielle Matalonis on 07/16 at 06:59 AM

Jason Lilley and Jackie Bonomo demonstrate how to build a hügelkultur garden bed. This type of gardening promotes sustainability, as the beds keep the soil fertile for up to 30 years. Hügelkultur beds need less water and the decomposing organic materials keep the soil warm. Newspaper suppresses weeds and the beds control soil erosion.

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Events

Curious George at the Altoona Curve

Posted by Mike D on 07/14 at 11:51 AM

On Tuesday, July 29 join WPSU and everyone’s favorite little monkey Curious George at the Altoona Curve for a night of family fun and baseball as the Curve takes on the Erie Sea Wolves.

The first 350 kids through the gates will receive a Curious George book courtesy of the Altoona Curve and WPSU-TV!

Gates open at 6 p.m. See you there! | Buy Tickets

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Local Food Journey

‘Vegetable Festable’ Event July 15 (tomorrow) at the Boalsburg Farmers Market

Posted by James Eisenstein on 07/14 at 06:59 AM

Just about everybody knows the health benefits of eating fresh, local vegetables and fruits.  But actually eating them is another matter. Often the reason for this is not knowing how to prepare them in creative and easy ways.  To remedy this, The Boalsburg Farmers Market is sponsoring a “Vegetable Festable” on Tuesday, July 15 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Boalsburg Farmers Market, located at the Pennsylvania Military Museum on Bus. Route 322 in Boalsburg. The event is designed to demonstrate how to use the fresh vegetables and fruits available at our local farmers markets and to inspire creative cooking at home.

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Local Food Journey

Your Local Food Weekend for July 12 and 13

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/11 at 07:29 AM

This weekend, check out the local food part of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and the Peoples Choice Arts Festival, enjoy wild blueberries, and discover the local food growing right in the Pennsylvania wilds.

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Our Town

Our Town: Windber Stories Coming Together in the Edit Room!

Posted by Whitney on 07/09 at 03:17 PM

Stories about D’Arc’s Pizza, J-Town Roller Girls, Arcadia Theatre, Windber Area Museum, Friday Night Cruisin’, the Girl Scouts and so much more were shared by your friends and neighbors at the recent production day for “Our Town: Windber.” You’ll see these stories and MORE come to life on screen during the broadcast premiere on your PBS station, WPSU-TV, and online at wpsu.org/live on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 8:00 p.m.

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Local Food Journey

The perfect summer side: kale and pasta salad

Posted by James Sechrengost on 07/09 at 08:11 AM

Pasta has to be one of my true passions. I love it in all the shapes and forms it takes, from the lowly elbow macaroni to the lasagna noodle. Maybe this is because when I was small child we lived in a neighborhood that was predominantly made up of people of Italian descent. All my neighbors, including the parents of the kids I played with, introduced me to pasta at an early age. I learned all the wonderful things that you could do with pasta from the mighty lasagna to simple, yet elegant, fettuccini carbonara.

One of my favorite and fun pastas has to be the farfalle or bow tie pasta. It is firm and holds up well to cooking and has many hidden creases to hold on to the sauce. I love this pasta for different pasta salads as it holds up to being in dressing for hours without losing any of its chew and texture. Below is a recipe for kale and pasta salad that I hope you will enjoy.

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Local Food Journey

Believe it or not, still time to plant summer vegetables/herbs/flowers

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/07 at 08:24 AM

While many of us have a full garden by now, there may still be holes to fill due to rascally rabbits, devious deer, disastrous disease. Or, you just haven’t had a chance to get out and plant certain parts of your yard. No worries, believe it or not, there’s still time to plant summer vegetables (and soon time to plant fall vegetables, more about that in a future post). And there are bargains to be found at local garden centers/greenhouses.

For vegetables, we basically have about 80-90 days left in our growing season, depending on where you live. So, any plant that matures by that time, you can plant and harvest.

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Local Food Journey

July 4th grill recipe combines everything good about baked potatoes and potato skins

Posted by James Sechrengost on 07/03 at 07:10 AM

I love baked potatoes. I love potato skins. I just don’t love the time it takes to make them when grilling. So my friends and I, while sitting around after a day of grilling, tried to come up with a recipe that would give us what we wanted without the hassle. I don’t drink and they do so as the beer flowed so did the ideas.

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