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Stories and Events in the WPSU Community

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

Tips to gardening on the cheap

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 05/31 at 10:11 AM

About 10 years ago, one of the most ridiculous books ever published on gardening, The $64 Tomato, hit the bookstores. Basically, it was a tale that was less about gardening and more about how bad of a gardener its author, William Alexander, was at that time (no idea if he got any better).

While much of the book was written in jest, soon afterwards I’d hear people refer to it as a cautionary tale that gardening is a super-expensive endeavor. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth; gardening doesn’t have to be expensive (no, Mr. Alexander, spending $700 and $1900 for steel edging is not a necessity for growing tomatoes). With a little bit of know-how, the desire to recycle, and modest effort, you can grow a garden without breaking your bank. Here’s some tips:

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Local Food Journey

Six must-have local food items for your Memorial Day table

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 05/25 at 08:58 AM

What a time to be a locavore. The farmers market season is now in full swing and we have the unofficial official start of summer, Memorial Day, coming up. There’s so many things that are grown and produced locally that this list could go on and on, but here’s six items that definitely deserve a place on your Memorial Day table. All of these can be found at farmers markets such as Bellefonte Farmers Market, Friday Downtown State College Farmers Market, North Atherton Farmers Market, and the Millheim Farmers Market.

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Local Food Journey

Friends & Farmers Cooperative Online Market to host Bike Delivery Day on May 24

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 05/20 at 09:03 AM

Friends & Farmers Cooperative is getting into the spirit of Centre Regionâ€™s May Bike Month by offering bike delivery services for some of its Online Market orders on Tuesday, May 24. (See attached flyer)

The Online Market is open noon Fridays to noon Mondays. This week, downtown customers and businesses can opt for bike delivery by adding “Deliver by Bike Please” in the comment section of their order.

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Local Food Journey

The Who, What, When, Where: Festa-Nic Central Pa Culinary Showcase

Posted by Local Food Journey on 05/18 at 08:48 AM

By Melanie Phillips, Village Eatinghouse Artisan Foods

It’s the WHY…that makes Festa-Nic special.

Central Pennsylvania has an abundance of large and small specialty food and beverage manufacturers making high quality consumer goods that help to fuel our local economy and support our families and our communities. Friends & Farmers Co-op is our non-profit fundraiser partner and they are helping to fuel the excitement and participation in Festa-Nic.

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Local Food Journey

Festa-Nicâ€”A Central Pa Food & Beverage Party

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 05/13 at 10:29 AM

Village Eatinghouse, a local producer of Artisan Kitchen Sauces, hosts the 1st Annual Festa-Nic, showcasing the wide variety of local food and beverage producers, supportive businesses and organizations in Central Pa. Proceeds will benefit Friends & Farmers Cooperative, an organization promoting the production and consumption of locally grown and produced food.

Your $10 admission fee (kids 10 and under are $5) gets you a locally sourced picnic, tastings from participating local producers (no charge for beer, wine and spirits sampling), seminars from community organizations and businesses, backyard games, live music from local musicians, raffle and door prizes, and opportunities to connect with people and organizations supporting local. Many of these producers will also offer their products for sale at the event.

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Local Food Journey

Farmer survey: Untreated/raw manure use on produce farms

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 05/11 at 09:53 AM

Editor’s Note: Recently, PASA sent out a letter requesting farmers to take a survey on how they are using untreated or raw manure on their farm. Given the environmental importance to the local food community (and beyond), we are sharing this letter here. If you are a farmer, please take time to read the following and then participate in the survey. Thanks!

PASA and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) are looking for information to better understand how farmers are using untreated or raw manure on their farms. We’re asking for this now because the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently asking for information regarding on-farm use of manure, as well as existing scientific research on the subject.

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Local Food Journey

Altoona’s Night Market tonight will celebrate local food with three farmers markets in one

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 05/06 at 07:59 AM

Tonight, Altoona will throw quite a celebration of local food.

From 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the Altoona Downtown Night Market will be held on 11th Avenue between 12th and 15th Street. The Night Market will feature three farmers markets, food and other vendors, and live entertainment including a “Kids Zone.”

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Local Food Journey

Farmers Market Preview: Tuesday State College and Boalsburg Farmers Market

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 05/03 at 09:26 AM

While there are several farmers markets in this area that run year-round, the first day of outdoor farmers market season is always a reason for celebration. While the first few market sessions may be on the chilly side, it’s the promise of warmer days ahead and the great produce it brings that is a big reason for optimism. Two markets kick off their outdoor season today, the Tuesday Downtown State College one, and the Boalsburg version.

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