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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 Food Notes for Feb. 27

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 02/26 at 09:37 AM

Tait Farm has garden seeds (spring!) and a workshop on making tricked-out mac and cheese, the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail month to kick off, and learn how to make beer, all in this week’s Local Food Notes.

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Local Food Journey

Five great varieties to add to your 2016 garden

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 02/23 at 08:57 AM

Back in early January 2015, I wrote about early online seed shopping, and listed some of my favorite vendors. Getting an early start on buying seeds online has its advantages, for example you’re ensured to get them on time for planting since you’re beating the rush, and there are very few seeds that are sold out.

But, that doesn’t mean you can’t order seeds now. The earliest seeds that need started inside, such as onions, pansies, and leeks, can be planted as late as St. Patrick’s Day, while nightshade family members like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and ground cherries need to be started by the last week of March. So, if you order soon, you’ll likely get your seed order on time.

One of the advantages of ordering seeds online is greater selection. There are just so many unusual, delicious, and easy-to-grow varieties that you can only find via an online seed catalog.

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Local Food Journey

Local Food Notes for Feb. 19

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 02/19 at 10:57 AM

Learn how to use all those weird veggies in your winter CSA box, Tait Farm sampling series, Millheim Indoor Farmers Market, and a great night out on a winter’s evening (starting with dinner at Harrison’s Wine Grill)...all in this week’s Local Food Notes.

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Local Food Journey

Boalsburg Farmers Market now accepts SNAP benefits

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 02/17 at 09:35 AM

The Boalsburg Farmers’ Market is proud to announce that SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) are now accepted at this local year-round market.

This program allows SNAP customers to get fresh local fruits and vegetables along with baked goods, eggs, plants that produce edible foods, honey, meat and more. It is an all around win for the market, consumers, and farmers.

“We will be the first farmer’s market in Centre County to accept SNAP benefits, but we don’t want to be the last. We are hoping that our program will serve as a successful pilot for other area markets. The goal is that everyone in our community will have equal access to healthy, local foods”, says Sarah Potter, who works with the market to do programming and outreach.

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Local Food Journey

Local Food Notes for Valentine’s Weekend

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 02/12 at 09:38 AM

Somebody close the fridge door! Winter has definitely sunk its chilling teeth into us and will definitely flex its bitter muscles this weekend. To warm your heart, there are several local-food related Valentines’ events to check out Saturday and Sunday.

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Local Food Journey

Chef Erin Snyder gives Elk Creek Cafe & Aleworks a new flavor

Posted by Alexandrea Scott on 02/09 at 09:42 AM

By Alexandrea Scott

The New Elk Creek CafÃ© & Aleworks is a great source of local grown food, house brewed ales, and live music to kick off the weekend. This unique stop in the little town of Millheim, Pa. will definitely bring you back for more.

They recently just remodeled and have a fresh new logo. They changed their approach because they wanted to update the cafÃ© with the hopes of becoming the weekend hot spot for locals and people passing through. Every weekend they have live music from local bands for their customers to enjoy.

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Local Food Journey

A summery soup for a winter evening

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 02/05 at 11:07 AM

Growing up in York, I was exposed to a lot of Amish cuisine. My mother cooked a variety of Pennsylvania Dutch dishes, such as pot pie, pork and sauerkraut, and perhaps my favorite, chicken corn soup.

Believe it or not, chicken corn soup is considered a “summer soup.” Made to take advantage of the bounty of fresh corn in southcentral and southeast Pennsylvania, this corn was a July-August staple in my house as a kid. My mother would make it year ‘round, however, and I always looked forward to it. It’s a simple soup, with subtle flavors.

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Local Food Journey

PASA 25th annual Farming for the Future kicks off today, continues through Saturday

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 02/03 at 09:57 AM

The 25th Annual Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Farming for the Future Conference is underway starting today and will run through Saturday at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. The event’s theme is “Farming in a Changing Climate”, and will feature climate expert Richard Alley and agricultural sustainability expert and author Laura Lengnick.

If you missed pre-event registration, no worries, as walk-in registration for one, two, or three days of the conference is available starting tomorrow. You can find rates for the event here.

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