Nyandengoh! "You Are Beautiful" | May 2022

Our Story WHO WE ARE...

From 2007 to 2012 we, the Millers, adopted our first three children, a preschooler on the autism spectrum and two babies with Down syndrome. We published our first issue of Plain Values in 2012 to highlight Biblical ministries, share the beauty of adoption, and to cultivate anchored community. In 2018 we welcomed our fourth child in a surprise adoption, this time a baby with Mosaic Down syndrome.

WHAT WE BELIEVE...

Our values are plain values, steeped in the rich traditions of yesterday. We enjoy the simple things in life. Gathering eggs from the coop, getting our hands in the dirt to grow food, and cooking meals from scratch. Sometimes we sit around a fire and share life. We strive to walk humbly to strengthen authentic relationships with our families and neighbors. And, yes, we have taken a fresh pie to a front porch and surprised a friend… we didn’t even text them before! We just stopped by, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door! Just the way our grandparents used to do on a Sunday evening. They called it living in community.

We seek to serve our neighbors. Plain Values began with a prayer, hoping to play a small role in connecting a child with Down syndrome to his or her forever family. We have checked that box nearly a dozen times in the last ten years, and we will not stop until the orphanages are empty! We will rest in Heaven!

HOW YOU CAN HELP...

Subscribe today. Join us as we pursue a more authentic life. By subscribing to Plain Values, a portion of each subscription goes directly to Room to Bloom, our non-profit that supports children with special needs.

Our Team PUBLISHER

OFFICE

WRITERS

Marlin Miller

Nic Stoltzfus, editorial manager

Sabrina Schlabach, Serving Our Neighbor

Sabrina Schlabach, quality assurance

Stacey Gagnon, Whispers of Hope

Bethany Troyer, bookkeeping

Rory Feek, Roots + Wings

Jan Schlabach, customer service

Shawn & Beth Dougherty, Homestead + Roots

Isaac Hershberger, production manager

Joel Salatin, Confessions of a Steward

Seth Yoder, graphic artist

Ferree Hardy, The Widow's Path

ADVERTISING Matt Yoder, Ohio sales advisor Aaron Stutzman, Indiana + Michigan sales advisor

JUNE AD CLOSE

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Elam Stoltzfus, Our Heritage

May 6, 2022

Jim Zumbo, All Things Outdoors

Plain Values is published monthly by Plain Target Marketing, LLC. Please contact us with any questions.

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FEBRUARY 2022

contents

May 2022 // Issue 107

serving our neighbor 13

NYANDENGOH! "You Are Beautiful" words by: Sabrina Schlabach The heart of Nyandengoh! is to show that children with disabilities are respected as image-bearers of God and, together with their families, that they are accepted and included in their communities.

simple living 35

HOMESTEAD + ROOTS Spring on a Traditional Family Farm column by: Shawn + Beth Dougherty Shawn and Beth Dougherty share practical insights on how they integrate grass-fed dairy cows to their farm.

39

CONFESSIONS OF A STEWARD Water (part one) column by: Joel Salatin This month, Joel begins to share the importance of water management on the farm.

resources 10

WHISPERS OF HOPE Straight Jackets and Bulletproof Vests column by: Stacey Gagnon

21

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT The Water Solution PLAIN VALUES

4

6

58

ONE MINUTE WITH MARLIN

ON THE COVER

FUNDS AND BENEFITS

Thoughts and ramblings from Marlin Miller, publisher of Plain Values.

A child with special needs in Sierra Leone, Africa, with his caretaker.

Every month we provide a listing of opportunities to help out those in need.

community 27

ROOTS + WINGS Staying Local column by: Rory Feek I mean, who would purposely choose a slower, harder way of traveling over something faster and much easier… beside the Amish, that is? But then it occurred to me that, well, I would.

45

THE WIDOW'S PATH Sunsets column by: Ferree Hardy What time will the sun set by you today? When will it set for each of our own lives? Eternity is so close; it’s only a heartbeat away.

history 49

OUR HERITAGE Printing the Ausbund

(part five)

column by: Elam Stoltzfus The Amish Book Committee agreed to print the Ausbund with Kutztown Publishing Company. In a January 20, 1922 letter from Esser to Stoltzfus, he shared that Kutztown had shipped the first hundred pages of the proofs to Lancaster.

outdoors 53

ALL THINGS OUTDOORS Catfish column by: Jim Zumbo In my opinion, this is food fit for a king, and it doesn’t cost much, which is one of many reasons to love the catfish!

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MAY 2022

one minute with Marlin THE OTHER DAY it hit me squarely in the face: Jesus has

We adopted our oldest son when he was almost four

scars on his body! The body with which He walked through

years old. The circumstances of his life those first few years

walls, His eternal body, that one has scars on it.

caused scars, which are not visible, but he carries with

Creation, the Fall, free will, and His sovereignty: God

him. I will not understand the reason this side of Heaven,

created everything, with mankind being the crown jewel.

but that’s ok. I don’t have to understand it all right now. It

He knew we would mess it all up, but He still gave us

is enough to know God is with us —no matter what pain and

free will. In the middle of our broken world that so often

brokenness comes our way — and in the middle of it all, He

cuts deep, our Creator walks with us, bringing hope and

brings joy! I guess that’s what Paul meant when he talks

peace. The joy He brings in the middle of it all makes no

about the “peace that surpasses all understanding.” May

sense to me. How does He do it?! 2nd Corinthians 6:10

we never take that peace for granted.

says the following, “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet

Allow me for a second to do what I've never done before… tease you with next month’s story. October of

possessing everything.”

Jesus came to the earth He made, fully God and fully

last year; a kidnapping in Haiti; a daring escape to freedom

man. Perfect. He lived a while, then He died. He rose with

in the dark of night. The whole story, top to bottom and

scars on a perfect body. The scars are there right this

front to back, is coming next month in Plain Values.

second. I don’t know what it all means and how deep As always, may you find joy in the simple things. //

it goes, but I’m not soon giving up trying to work that reality out in my own life. If you permit me, I’d love to think about this further. On a very superficial level, this life brings scars. Just as there are a million ways to hurt yourself physically, there are a million ways to hurt and be hurt below the skin, on a heart level. We are broken

MARLIN MILLER

people, living in a very broken world.

PLAIN VALUES

publisher, always looking for more friends 6

Isaac in the hospital after his surgery.

speaking of miracles and scars...

FOR EIGHT YEARS, Isaac Hershberger has been the

Meanwhile, 9-month-old Isaac stood at his mom’s

Production Manager at Plain Values —meaning he digitally

feet, as his uncle tried coaxing Isaac into walking towards

constructs the magazine set before you. As we talked

him. Suddenly, a Lawn Jart flew over Isaac’s mom and

about Marlin’s recent messages about miracles and scars,

lodged in his head! In a panic, Isaac’s uncle rushed over

Isaac shared this incredible tale…

and pulled out the Jart. Isaac began profusely bleeding.

911 was called and he was rushed to the hospital.

During the hot, dry summer of 1992, Isaac’s parents were invited to a cookout. A day that started out relaxed

After emergency surgery, Isaac’s parents learned just

with food, fellowship, and yard games, soon turned to the

how close he had come to dying. The Jart went through

unthinkable.

Isaac’s skull, into his brain, and directly through a major

A couple of boys at the cookout were playing Lawn

artery. Isaac should have bled to death, but, by a miracle,

Jarts, a game where two rings are placed on the ground

two pieces of the broken skull shifted to block the artery.

approximately 30 feet apart and 12-inch metal darts

It slowed the bleeding and saved Isaac’s life.

Although Isaac still has a scar, he also has a testimony

thrown at them. One of the boys gave his Jart a wild

of the miracle God performed. //

throw, and it began to soar through the air.

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MAY 2022

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MAY 2022

whispers of hope

SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO FOSTER + ADOPT

STRAIGHT JACKETS & BULLETPROOF VESTS column by: STACEY GAGNON

THERE'S WAR in Eastern Europe, and

threatening to escape, and his frail body

because

it’s very easy to insulate oneself from

could not hold up his own head. His

comes with great cost. And the price

the realities of living in such violence.

legs and arms were bent at odd angles

is understanding that infant-sized

It’s easy to bury myself in the daily

as they had grown within the confines

children lie hidden and restrained in

chores of laundry, dishes, and raising

of a metal crib. As I carried him onto

orphanages; if I open my eyes to the

children. But my mind won’t rest as

the plane, I felt his heart flutter against

most vulnerable, I will never be able to

it keeps reminding me of straight

my chest, and his shallow breaths were

unsee this level of darkness.

jackets and bulletproof vests.

seeing

these

atrocities

barely felt on my cheek. I thought he

And yet, the highest form of

My first experience in Ukraine

might die in my arms over the ocean,

abuse is indifference. To “not see.” To

was when I flew in as a medical

and I was terrified to carry a dead child

look away from the pain, the dark, the

professional to help bring home a very

off the plane.

straight jacket.

fragile fifteen-year-old named Daniel.

We made it to the United States

Which brings me to today. Every

When I went to pick him up, Daniel

alive. But, while I physically carried

part of me wants to look away from

only weighed 22 pounds. When he

a fifteen-year-old boy off the plane

the atrocities of war. I want to place

left the orphanage, he was wearing a

and set him into the arms of medical

my sight upon the daily routine of

child-sized straight jacket. (See photo)

professionals, I did not set down the

home and work.

At birth, he was placed in an

image of a straight jacket—this article

But then I am contacted by a

institution due to cerebral palsy, and

of clothing worn daily by an infant-

partner of Lost Sparrows, and we are

the years of neglect and abuse showed

sized teen boy.

asked to provide bulletproof jackets to

upon his withered frame. His bones

It’s much easier to hide these

protect women and children fleeing

pressed against his skin at sharp angles

things away. It’s easier not to see

the violence and bloodshed in Ukraine.

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"When I went to pick him up, Daniel only weighed 22 pounds. When he left the orphanage, he was wearing a child-sized straight jacket."

filled with warm blankets, soft pillows,

happening, and we must fight the

and Charlie the stuffed octopus. And I

desire to remain insulated, to remain

thought of being a mother carrying

indifferent. Human suffering is every-

my child through a war-torn landscape

one’s concern. What is needed now is

wrapped in a bulletproof vest that, in

for these victims to know that they are

reality, provides minimal protection. I

not alone, that they are not forgotten.

The safe “green corridors” are not

imagine the cold wind and the press

And when their bodies cannot

safe. Innocent women and children

of humanity while I await a ticket to

walk, we will carry them. When their

are being fired upon in a war that has

safety. Mumbling prayers with the

voices are silenced, we shall speak out

no regard for the most vulnerable.

stark reality that bullets are not meant

for them. And when they are sitting

And so, my eyes are wide open, and

to tear through the flesh of children,

in darkness, we will be there to share

my mind begins figuring out how to

and this vest is too large for my six-

our light.

get the requests met with our partners

year-old.

in Europe…. wound care items, food, medicines… bulletproof vests.

If you’d like to partner with us

I might question where the hope is found.

in Eastern Europe, please consider donating to Lost Sparrows. I also ask

It wasn’t until this morning that it

Straight jackets and bulletproof

all truly hit me. I was cuddling with my

vests are not meant to be worn by

six-year-old daughter, Zorey, in her bed

children. But I have witnessed this

that you continue praying. //

Stacey Gagnon, along with her husband Darren, are the founders of Lost Sparrows. She can be reached at P.O. Box 751, Winona Lake, IN 46590.

Learn more about Lost Sparrows at www.lostsparrows.org.

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MAY 2022

serving our neighbor NYANDENGOH!

“You Are Beautiful” words by:

SABRINA SCHLABACH

IMAGINE YOUR CHILD being called a devil, witch, or demonpossessed. Why? Only because that child was born with a disability. Now you and your child are feared and treated as outcasts. Your neighbors are afraid that you are contagious and will spread disease or cause them to have a child with disabilities. Where does that leave you? What hope could you possibly have? Who will reach out to love you and your child?

Heleen Yoder has worked in Sierra Leone, Africa, primarily in Freetown, since 2003 as a trained mental health counselor. She was drawn to this country where children lived in situations where psychosocial care was unavailable for many, largely due to a devastating decadelong civil war that ended in 2002. Heleen’s heart went out to the people of Sierra Leone, and she knew that she also had an opportunity to encourage the Christian minority in the country. By 2017, Heleen and her husband, Jon — a medical doctor — were working in the small city of Mattru Jong, about five hours south of Freetown. While working there, a family brought their son in for help, as he couldn’t speak. Jon told Heleen about the boy, and she agreed to see what she could do to help him. As she worked with this child and his family, she realized that he had a disability and needed specialized help. After helping the boy, word began to spread in the community, and more and more families

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MAY 2022

began bringing in their children with disabilities. However, the hospital wasn’t equipped to handle these new patients effectively, so Jon and Heleen took action: they started an independent organization dedicated to helping children with special needs in Sierra Leone. Not knowing exactly where to start, Jon and Heleen began by throwing a Christmas party for the children and their families. “Christmas in Sierra Leone is a big deal regardless of your religion,” Heleen shared, “and we decided to host a Christmas party as a fun way to bless the children we had been helping.”

One of the people Heleen invited to the Christmas party was Sylvanus French. Sylvanus had previously worked with Heleen, and he recently moved back to his hometown of Mattru Jong from Freetown. In Freetown, Sylvanus served in juvenile detention centers to help children with mental health disorders and those suffering from addictions. Sylvanus shared with the Yoders that he had returned home to get his certification to teach. The Yoders shared with Sylvanus their vision for the people of Mattru Jong: they hoped to start an organization to care for children with special needs and their families. Heleen then invited Sylvanus to join them in their organization.

Heleen said, “We felt that Sylvanus’ love and compassion for children along with his leadership skills would be a perfect fit as the program manager.”

Sylvanus was all in and replied with a resounding yes: “I loved the idea!”

By 2019, after two years of work and planning, Nyandengoh! was born.

Nyandengoh! (pronounced: nee-an-den-go) is the Mende word for ‘he/she/it is beautiful.’ Their ministry is based on Luke 14:12-13: “Then He [Jesus] also said to him who had invited Him, ‘When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’”

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"they hoped to start an organization to care for children with special needs and their families."

The heart of Nyandengoh! is to show that children with disabilities are respected as imagebearers of God and, together with their families, that they are accepted and included in their communities. These beautiful children have value and are loved by God. This is hope. Valuing God’s children and fighting the stigma of having a disability, while also sharing the Word of God, is the inspiration that the people of Sierra Leone need.

The work that Nyandengoh! provides is vital to the community. Because children with disabilities are feared and seen as outcasts, they are treated badly, and—along with their families—are often ostracized.

Many teachers think that school-aged children with disabilities are difficult and unteachable, and they are frequently bullied and abused by their classmates. In addition, the children who are too young for school are often left unattended at home by parents who are away at their jobs. This is dangerous, especially for young girls, because if they wander away from home, the opportunities for others to abuse and take advantage of them increases.

Jon and Heleen Yoder

Desiring the best for their children, many families

seek

treatments

by

traditional

folk

healers in hopes of a “magic cure” that will heal

contaminated or unclean to eat because she had a

their children and “return them to normal.”

son with a disability. The woman and her son moved

“Unfortunately, they are just money makers

to a community where Nyandengoh! was present;

who often cause illness, abuse, and even some

in this community, the staff taught the people that

fatalities,” Heleen shared. “These healers are also

there was no reason to fear people with disabilities.

contributing to the spread of negative stereotypes

As a result of moving to this more welcoming

of children with disabilities.”

community, her market stand was successful, and Matthew was able to attend school and make new friends who accepted him.

Nyandengoh! has worked to build trust with

People, by nature, are watchers. Every time that

the communities they serve by providing medicine,

Nyandengoh! staff interact with these children and

counseling, and now a school and daycare. Not

show that they love them for who they are, people

only do they reach the locals, but they also go out

begin to realize that the old superstitions and the

to as many villages as time and resources allow,

folk healers’ stereotypes of children with disabilities

building relationships and helping with medicine

are misguided. Sylvanus shared a story of a woman

and exercises. Three times a year, a therapy team

whose son Matthew has a condition that causes him

from Freetown comes out to prescribe and teach

to drool. As the woman attempted to sell food at the

exercises to the children and their families. The

market to make money and provide for her family,

physical therapist and rehab therapists show the

people turned away from her, afraid to buy her food.

parents how to do the exercises with their children

Customers feared that food from her stand was

to stimulate their development. Physical movement

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MAY 2022

helps with walking, coordination, and strengthening

daily lives. Having this time together for spiritual

to help prevent contractures. The outreach workers

nourishment is essential for the staff to build a

from Nyandengoh! check in with families, making

relationship with God and each other.

sure the exercises are practiced. Success stories like

Another compelling outcome of Nyandengoh!

Mariama and Ishmael’s, who both have cerebral

is that the children desire to attend church. If the

palsy and have learned to walk, have encouraged

children want to attend, they bring their families

many to keep up with the exercises.

with them. This is exciting, as the Word of God

The school is a core part of the work that

can be taught to even more people. Nyandengoh!

Nyandengoh! does. It is open to children with

doesn’t hide that they are a Christian organization.

disabilities who need extra care and attention.

However, they treat any and all children they

When a child enrolls in the Nyandengoh! school,

can, regardless of their religion. While they don’t

they do so for three years, and then they return to

pressure or do any intense evangelizing with those

their community school or learn a trade. Though the

they’re in contact with, the people can feel the

school is still new, mainstream teachers have already

staff’s love for them, and they are drawn to it.

asked Nyandengoh! how they can help the students

“Recently we were able to put together a Sunday

that are in their classrooms.

School curriculum that teaches what the Bible has

“A ‘typical’ day [at the Nyandengoh! school],”

to say about disabilities,” Heleen said. Sylvanus

Sylvanus says with amusement, “is that they are

added that, “We had forty pastors and teachers

never exactly the same.” In general, the day begins

from the local villages come to learn the curriculum

at 8 a.m. with staff arrival and preparation for the

so that they could take it back to their churches.

school day. The children then begin arriving at the

What an incredible opportunity!”

school, where they are served a breakfast of hot tea and bread. The children spend the morning in class, learning the fundamentals through activities and songs. Teaching is in English. Phonics are taught in songs like ‘Go, goat, out of the garden,’ which have been adapted by a missionary so that the children of Sierra Leone recognize the images.

The children love to sing, as do the adults. One of the favorites is ‘Tel am tenki, tel Papa God tenki,’ which means ‘Thank Him, thank Father God,’ sung in the Krio language. At lunchtime, the children are then given a lunch of rice with a sauce made of green leaves, like potato or cassava, and fish or palm oil. After lunchtime, the students go back to their homes.

Once the children leave, the staff begins to prepare for the next day and visit local families. The home visits are for dispensing medicines, teaching the families what exercises to keep doing with their children, and providing encouragement. On Friday afternoons, Nyandengoh! staff spend time together singing, encouraging each other, and reading scripture. Staff have a hunger for being in the Word and discussing what that looks like in their

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Sylvanus has also worked to build trust and relationship with those he encounters. He enjoys

Nyandengoh! doesn’t hide that they are a Christian organization.

However, they treat any and all children they can, regardless of their religion.

going out to the local villages and sharing God’s Word, encouraging all who come. Sylvanus recalled one particular time when he heard about a local pastor who spoke out against a 10-year-old girl with disabilities named *Hannah. As a baby, Hannah had contracted malaria, resulting in brain damage. “A local pastor was accused of saying that she was evil,” Sylvanus said, “deeply hurting the family and concerning the citizens there.”

As it happened, Sylvanus planned to go to that village the next day. As the people gathered, the pastor denied saying these things against Hannah.

bringing tears and healing to many,” said Sylvanus.

Sylvanus chose not to press the issue and go on

“I then reminded the people about Isaiah 58:9-10:

with the devotion he had prepared. “After giving

“‘If you take away the yoke from your midst,

the devotion, I asked the pastor to lead us in prayer.

the pointing of the finger, and speaking

Surprisingly he said he had something to say first.

wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the

He had indeed said those things about Hannah and

hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

was sorry. While I was speaking, the Holy Spirit

then shall your light rise in the darkness

convicted him. That was a huge achievement,

and your gloom be as the noonday.’”

The Future of Nyandengoh!

As Nyandengoh! grows, the need for more team members grows. “We started with around thirty children and are now serving approximately ninety!” said Sylvanus. They desire to keep growing, and that means more people are needed to serve.

“We would ideally like to have local people that have a heart for the children and want to change the mindset of negative stigmas of children with disabilities.” Nyandengoh! is also hoping for staff trained in relevant professional fields and more teachers and a pastor.

An example of having valuable, local people on staff at Nyandengoh! is a woman named Esther.

Her testimony has been immeasurable to the team and communities they serve. “Esther has lived a difficult life, but she continues to sing her trust of God,” shared Heleen. Esther’s first child was born at a time when there was no doctor available, and she had a long delivery. Her son was born with cerebral palsy. Her next child was then stillborn, and her husband left her. Many thought Esther

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MAY 2022

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was a witch because she seemed unable to have a

church, or by dispelling the idea of children

healthy baby. But Esther heard God speak to her

with disabilities being evil and cursed.

saying that “it wasn’t her fault.” She believed, and

“We pray that more people would be changed,

she trusted. Esther now has four beautiful children.

more people come to help, and that the children

People are touched by her joy and love to hear her

that are so vulnerable receive protection and see

story. With staff members like Esther, the work of

their value,” said Heleen. Nyandengoh! ’s work is an

Nyandengoh! reaches hearts in a personal way and

uphill battle, but one worth fighting. As Sylvanus,

draws people to the love of Christ.

Heleen, and the staff begin to see the evidence of

Nyandengoh! wants their growth to be fruitful,

change, they praise God for that blessing. //

so they have put some five-year goals in place.

Their mission is for every child in the program to reach their full developmental potential, whether that’s physical, socio-emotional, or cognitive, and

Sierra Leone, Africa, is slightly smaller than South

for their families to make meaningful contributions

Carolina and has a population of around 8 million

to their communities. Six areas they have focused

people. Because the country is between the Atlantic

on are: •

•

Ocean, mountainous regions, and the Sahara Desert,

Spiritual Nurturing: This is the heart of their

it has a diverse terrain. There are mangrove swamps,

activities, motivated by the love of Christ and

wooded hill country, plateaus, and mountains. It is

to counteract the false beliefs that parents

primarily a tropical climate; a hot and humid summer

seek on behalf of a child with disabilities.

rainy season, and a dry winter season.

Due to the deterioration of Sierra Leone during

Education: Here Nyandengoh! strives for

the civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002, much of

inclusive and equal quality education for

the economic structure had been destroyed. There are

children with disabilities.

•

very high unemployment rates, and over half of the population falls below the poverty line. Two out of three

Physical Care & Equipment: To ensure

people depend on agriculture as their sole means of

healthy lives and promote well-being for all,

•

•

at all ages.

sustaining their family with very little surplus.

Psychosocial Care: They would like to see

Christianity are the main religions. Around three out

that parents and children with mental health

of every four Sierra Leoneans are Muslim; yet, when a

needs receive basic psychosocial counseling

Christian has been president, there is a Muslim vice-

from Nyandengoh! staff.

president and vice versa.

While officially a neutral state, Islam and

Advocacy & Training: By increasing knowledge on childhood disabilities and

Nyandengoh!

promoting inclusion in communities and

Send Donations to: Mennonite Christian Fellowship 245 Tennant Drive, Atmore, AL 36502

professional contexts, they desire to lessen the abuse and negativity being spread.

•

Write "You Are Beautiful Fund" in the memo line

Economic Empowerment: In a hard country

Heleen Yoder: heleen.yoder@gmail.com

that still sees much poverty and suffering, Nyandengoh! wants families and their

Website: www.nyandengoh.org

children to have a significant impact on their communities. That can be through their job,

Sabrina and her husband live near Ragersville, Ohio, and have been blessed with four spunky children. She values time with her family, loves to bake, and is an avid reader.

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MAY 2022

resources THE WATER SOLUTION

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THE WATER SOLUTION The Extra-Ordinary Water Re-Structuring Unit That Naturally Produces Some of the Healthiest Living Water!

The Water in Your Body The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%. The average adult human body is 50-65% water.

The percentage of water in infants is much higher, typically around 75-78% water, dropping to 65% by one year of age.

Body composition varies according to gender and fitness level, because fatty tissue contains less water than lean tissue.

The average adult male is about 60% water. The average adult woman is about 55% water because women naturally have more fatty tissue than men. Overweight men and women have less water, as a percentage, than their leaner counterparts.

The percentage of water in our bodies is also determined by your hydration level. If we drink water that has poor structure, we can drink all the water we want and still be somewhat dehydrated. Only micro-clustered structured water can easily be digested, assimilated and flow through the cells in our body to properly and thoroughly hydrate it!

Mental performance and physical coordination start to become impaired before thirst kicks in, typically around 1% dehydration.

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MAY 2022

People feel thirsty when they have already lost

What Is the Function of Water in the Body?

around 2-3% of their body's water. Although liquid water is the most abundant molecule in the body,

Water serves multiple purposes:

additional water is found in hydrated compounds.

About 30-40% of the weight of the human body is the skeleton, but when the bound water is removed,

•

Water is the primary building block of cells.

•

Water acts as an insulator, regulating internal body temperature. This is partly because

either by chemical desiccation or heat, half the

water has a high specific heat, plus the body

weight is lost.

uses perspiration and respiration to regulate temperature.

Where Exactly Is Water in the Human Body?

•

Water

is

needed

to

metabolize

proteins

and carbohydrates used as food. It is the

Approximately 2/3 of the body's water is in the

primary component of saliva, used to digest

intra-cellular fluid, inside the cells. The other third

carbohydrates and aid in swallowing food.

is in the extra-cellular fluid, outside the cells.

•

The amount of water varies, depending on the

Water lubricates joints. Water insulates the brain, spinal cord, organs, and fetus. It acts as

organ. Much of the water is in blood plasma (20% of

a shock absorber.

the body's total). According to a study performed by

•

H.H. Mitchell, published in the Journal of Biological

Water is used to flush waste and toxins from the body via urine.

Chemistry, the amount of water in the human heart

Drinking at least 22 ounces of micro-clustered

and brain is 73%, the lungs are 83%, muscles and

structured water first thing every morning, then

kidneys are 79%, the skin is 64%, and the bones are

waiting 45 minutes before eating, and drinking

around 31%.

“Wanted to let you know how I’m making out with the Water Solution. I was diagnosed in August of 2016 with elevated iron levels. Through blood work we were watching Ferritin, % saturation, iron total, etc. All while I started taking supplements and trying to avoid iron intake as much as possible. At the highest, my ferritin was 247 (normal 10-154). That was the one we were most concerned about. Let me add that the supplements were very expensive. I did a genetic test that showed my body has a tendency to store iron & felt like I had no choice but to take these supplements for the rest of my life. We installed the Water Solution last fall, around the end of September 2017. I let my “iron reducing supplements” run out and started drinking this water. On January 19th, 2018 I did blood work again. I was thrilled to have my numbers all come back in normal range, except the % saturation was 57 (normal 11-50). We had the water only about 3 1/2 months at that point.

My ferritin came down to 122. I was also avoiding extra Vitamin C because it helps the body to absorb iron. I will probably add in high iron foods & more Vitamin C to see if the Water Solution allows me to do so without bringing the levels up. I will probably do blood work again at some point & will plan to update you then. This has been a real blessing as I have other major health issues and already spend a lot of money on my health. I feel I can’t be thankful enough for it. My sister has a kidney transplant & had a major rejection episode almost 2 years ago. Her kidney number improved after a couple of months on the Water Solution. Also, my Mother’s bad knees improved in about the same amount of time. We would not want to be without the Water Solution. We highly recommend it. We sincerely thank you for a great product!”

A.M. Miller & Family - Dover, DE PLAIN VALUES

22

plenty

of

micro-clustered

structured

water

throughout the day, may help you overcome many health challenges.

Nature structures and purifies water when it runs down a mountain stream, swirling around the rocks creating vortices. When water runs through THE WATER SOLUTION unit, hundreds of interconnected vortices are created and the water and the large water molecule clusters come apart into very small micro-clusters. Most tap water usually has 100 to 200+ molecules per cluster, which are too big to be easily digested and assimilated into the cells in your body. Thus it cannot hydrate your body properly. Micro-clustered structured water has only 5 to 10 molecules per cluster and can easily be digested, assimilated and flow through the cells in your body. It is very hydrating for your body and can more easily carry the essential oxygen and nutrients into your body cells and carry the metabolic acid waste out. Therefore it also helps to create a nice

toxins, clears the unhealthy frequencies in the water

alkaline pH environment internally.

and re-energizes it with some of the best healing frequencies known to man.

Water molecules must be single file in order to

That’s Awesome Water!

enter the cells in the body. Micro-clustered water

The Water Solution units are also designed to

can EASILY be digested, assimilated and flow

eliminate the pathogenic (harmful) bacteria that

through our cells.

The molecules of most all toxic things such as

may be in your water. There are more than 1,000

nitrates, chlorine, flouride, pesticides, arsenic, etc.,

strains of Coliform (colony forming) bacteria

are surrounded by positive ions. Positive ions are

including E-Coli. Most of them are harmless and

missing one or more electrons according to nature.

actually are an important part of a healthy intestinal

When the positive ions come in contact with the

tract. However, a few strains of E. coli, particularly

cells in our bodies, they pull negatively charged

the strain 0157:H7, can cause serious illness.

electrons from the cells and cause damage/toxic

The Water Solution is not designed to eliminate

effect/oxidative stress to the cells. When water

beneficial bacteria.

runs through The Water Solution, it is re-structured

For more information on The Water Solution,

and energized thoroughly and naturally, and an

please call 260-350-1056, or send an email to

abundance of negative ions are produced in the

watersolutionunit@gmail.com. The Water Solution

water. Negative ions have one or more extra electrons

offers a one year, money-back guarantee and a

that they can give up to neutralize the positive ions

lifetime warranty. //

without becoming damaged themselves. Therefore, the positive ion toxins in your water will become neutralized to where they are harmless to the body,

The Water Solution

and the toxic effect is gone.

The Water Solution unit works by creating an

Phone: 260-350-1054

energetic vortex flow action to the water along with the energizing effect of precise angles, geometric

Email: watersolutionunit@gmail.com

figurations and natural semi-precious gem-stones.

It micro-clusters/re-structures water, neutralizes 23

MAY 2022

PLAIN VALUES

24

25

MAY 2022

community ROOTS + WINGS

Indiana and Rory with their 1954 Oldsmobile 88 that forces them not to travel too far or try to go too fast.

PLAIN VALUES

26

column by:

rory feek

I MADE A TRIP NORTH to Amish country in Ohio last week to visit

staying local may 2022

and spend time with Marlin and his team at the Plain Values home office. In the few days that I was there, I returned home with some unexpected personal insights that I thought I might share in the next column or two. The first one has to do with automobiles, or actually maybe the lack of automobiles in the world of the Amish, and also recently in mine.

On our last evening in Ohio, Joel Salatin invited me to come to an event he was speaking at in Middlefield, where a few hundred Amish folks from the community would be gathering to listen to

"I FELT SUCH DEEP RESPECT FOR THE [AMISH], EVEN THOUGH LOGICALLY IT MAKES NO SENSE TO TRAVEL IN SUCH A DIFFICULT WAY, WHEN THERE ARE SUCH EASIER OPTIONS AVAILABLE. AND YET, IT STRANGELY FELT LIKE THEIR CHOICE WAS BETTER."

and learn more about ‘being self-sustainable in challenging times.’

I thought this was an unusual talk considering how self-sustainable the Amish are. So, I was excited to go check it out.

The sun was setting, and snow was falling as we neared the event center where Joel was to speak. The highways were filled with hundreds of cars and trucks coming and going, as the snow fell harder and the visibility on the roads decreased. The travelers were all safe and snug in vehicles that made it possible to feel like it’s summertime, as they made their way through the frigid weather.

But here and there, we kept seeing fainter lights, moving much slower through the snow falling on the roads. Silhouetted horses and black buggies filled with Amish men and women were making their way to the event just like us. When we arrived, there were dozens of buggies lined up in a row in the parking lot.

Rory Feek is a world-class storyteller, songwriter, filmmaker, and New York Times best-selling author. As a musical artist, Rory is one-half of the Grammy-award-winning duo, Joey+Rory. He and his wife Joey toured the world and sold nearly a million records before her untimely passing in March 2016.

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MAY 2022

Joel’s talk was wonderful, and everything he shared was well received by the hundreds of Amish folks who left their coats and hats piled on tables by the door and filled every seat in the room. I was honored to hear Joel speak and get to meet some wonderful Plain people who came up to me and said they’d been reading this column and even some of the books I’ve written.

When the event was over, the snow was falling even harder. As we made our way to our warmedup rental car, dozens of Amish men were holding lanterns, scraping snow off their buggies, and hitching up their horses for the cold ride home. I thought about all the women in their dresses and the small children who would be making the chilly ride too.

Rory with the Miller family while visiting the Plain Values office

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The next morning on our way back to Tennessee, I found myself thinking about the cars that had filled

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the icy roads and the stark contrast between them and the horses and buggies, and why I felt such deep respect for the latter, even though logically it makes no sense to travel in such a difficult way when there are such easier options available. And yet, it strangely felt like their choice was better. But why?

Who would do that? I mean, who would purposely choose a slower, harder way of traveling over something faster and much easier… beside the Amish, that is? But then it occurred to me that, well, I would. And actually, I realized that, in some ways, I already have.

"Who would purposely choose a slower, harder way of traveling over something faster and much easier… beside the Amish, that is?

But then it occurred to me that, well, I would."

and I removed the television from our farmhouse, I came to realize that although Disney movies made traveling in the car fun for my little girl Indiana, it clearly wasn’t better for her. And so, one day I just decided to push the player closed, and we never opened it up again. Luckily, my little one loves playing with Barbies and reading books, so it wasn’t too much of a struggle for her to just talk with her Papa or play on her own while we drove.

Then this past fall, I took the final step and sold

Now, I have been financially blessed to own and

the F350 King Ranch that had been my dream truck

drive some nice cars and trucks over the last decade

for years. Living here on a farm, that one was a lot

or two, but in the last year, I sold all of them. All

tougher for me to let go of. It had been easy to justify

except one that is.

keeping it, by thinking it was a necessity. But with

First went the family Suburban last summer.

pickups in the driveways of both my brothers-in-law

With children, full-size SUVs are big and comfortable

on the north and south sides of us, I clearly had

and even have built-in video players for those

access to a truck if I needed one. So last October, I

passengers in the back seat to make the ride even

handed the keys to my truck over to a new owner

more enjoyable. The truth is that the video player

and drove home in my 1954 Oldsmobile 88.

went long before the Suburban did. Much like the

Since the mid-90s I have always had at least

time a dozen or more years ago, when my wife

one classic car from the '50s that I would take

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MAY 2022

out from time-to-time on Sunday drives when the

a windshield that forever stayed fogged up (not to

weather is beautiful. If you don’t mind not having

mention leaking water every time it rained), I chose

air conditioning or a heater that works very well,

to limit my mobility intentionally to stay connected

these classic cars are wonderful. Though most of

to my community.

I didn’t choose what was easiest for our family…

them weren’t much to look at, or barely ran, I felt

I chose what was best for us.

inside that they provided a link to the past my life somehow needed. A part of me wanted to make

For me, my decision to sell our nice cars and

them a ‘daily driver’ but honestly, it just never made

drive an older one wasn’t just about choosing to

sense when I always had faster, easier vehicles as an

downsize vehicles, it was actually about choosing

option to drive.

to stay more connected to the place where I live

My Oldsmobile, while it can be fun to drive, can

and the people around me. Like the Amish, whose

also be very difficult. It lacks the comforts of the

horse and buggy keep them from straying too

previous cars we’ve owned and a high probability of

far from their beloved community, so my old car

breaking down if I travel too far or go too fast.

keeps me local. I too, in a way, have decided to be tethered to my community. Purposely. I don’t

But that isn’t the point. I didn’t want to go too

want to be able to go anywhere and everywhere

far or too fast.

whenever I choose. Instead, I choose to be happy

This decision was part of my continued effort

where I am.

to simplify this past year, with the hopes of making

PLAIN VALUES

our lives more meaningful. While I had purged our

Being in Ohio this past week and seeing the

modern vehicles and opted for a daily driver that

Amish people’s commitment to their communities

lacked power steering, power brakes, defrost, and

being lived out in their simple mode of transportation

30

The old car that keeps Rory tethered to his local community

"I DIDN’T CHOOSE WHAT WAS EASIEST

reminded me that sometimes we have to make

FOR OUR FAMILY…

decisions that aren’t always easy for others to understand. I like to think that these kind of choices

I CHOSE WHAT WAS

hopefully make us better people. When Indy and I are tooling down the road in our old car it reminds me of

BEST FOR US."

this commitment and gives me hope that I’m on the right path… or at least a better path for me and the community that I’m part of. //

rory 31

MAY 2022

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MAY 2022

simple living HOMESTEAD + ROOTS

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34

h +r

homestead roots

SPRING on a TRADITIONAL FAMILY FARM column by: SHAWN + BETH DOUGHERTY

THERE'S NO TIME LIKE SPRING for seeing how bountifully God provides for His creatures, and that's especially true here in central Appalachia, where young, green grass and blossoming fruit trees are everywhere we look. Our seven dairy cows put gallons of rich, creamy milk in the bucket every day. Their calves race around the pasture or lie in the soft grass and nap in the sun. Chicks in mobile pens scratch and forage, new feathers pushing through their baby down. Pigs are growing fast on skim milk and forage. We're never more grateful for our small farm lifestyle than now when life is so beautiful and abundant.

The Family Cow? Not very many folks keep just a few dairy cows nowadays. This is funny because well into the 1900s, more than half of people in the United States lived in rural settings, and most of these kept a dairy cow. After all, a cow turns grass — which grows for free! — into the most perfect food God created: milk. Lots of milk. And she does it day in, day out, year-round, free of charge.

Maybe people forgot how much a milk cow does for a farm.

Who else can turn our biggest crop into food for calves, humans, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats­— ­and even for the soil? An all-grass cow costs nothing to feed, and for the trouble of milking her, we get not just milk, but beef, pork, eggs, chickens, pest control, and guard animals — and fertilizer, too. So really, we couldn't farm without at least one dairy cow.

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MAY 2022

during the Depression — and they hadn't routinely purchased animal feed. What were we missing? How had all our ancestors fed their livestock? After all, there was no Purina on the prairie.

The Mighty Milk Cow Milk for the table was all we were thinking of when we bought our first Jersey cow, Isabel. We didn't know how fast we would be drowning in milk!

Even though she had a calf, she was giving more milk than it — and we — could drink or make into butter and cheese. We bought a pig, more or less in self-defense, and learned right away how much pigs love skim milk, buttermilk, and whey — and how fast they turn it into bacon and pork chops. We offered milk to our laying hens, and the number of eggs they gave doubled. Feed began to be a smaller item

Finding a Life on the Land

in the budget. It looked as if our cow was feeding

Our farm, the Sow's Ear, is seventeen acres of

the whole farm!

trees-up-the-side-of-a-hill that were left when a larger farm was broken up. Unfortunately, most is

But, of course, now we were buying grain and

too steep for farming, even too steep for logging.

hay for the cow. Had we just swapped one set of

In fact, the state of Ohio labels our property 'not

dependencies for another? Surely God's world didn't

suitable for agriculture.' Frankly, in the beginning,

really require factory feeds?

we agreed with them! But we wanted to move our young family — four sons, eventually to be joined by two more sons and two daughters — to a country setting. We knew that the way to build a strong

Today we feed our animals almost entirely on things that grow here. Some we plant in the garden, but it's grass that runs the farm.

family was to pray, play, and work together.

So we grew gardens wherever we could find a little flat land; we brought in goats and tethered them to browse all the dense briars. We added a dozen Brown Leghorn hens, we began milking our goats, and the children thrived with responsibility as well as freedom. After a while, the place started to look more like a farm.

The food on our table now came less from the store and more from our life together ­ — eggs,

Good Grazing

goats' milk, and many garden vegetables. It was

Then we ran into Joel Salatin, the Eastern Ohio

all delicious, but there was one thing we weren't

Grazing Council, and God's gift of grass. Life has

satisfied with: the feed bill. The chickens, hogs, and

never been the same since.

even the dairy goats depended on sacks of grain

Mr. Salatin wrote a book, Salad Bar Beef, about

from the feed store. Our food 'independence' was

raising cows on nothing but grass — or about raising

dependent on purchased feed.

grass with nothing but cows. We weren't sure which.

Yet we knew our grandfathers had raised large

Cows need grass, and grass needs cows — and to make

families entirely on food from their own farms — even

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it work, both grass and cows need us.

36

Up to now, Isabel had wandered all over our five-acre pasture eating whatever looked good to her. Other things, less tasty and tender, she ignored. Soon all her favorite plants were eaten down to the ground, while the other stuff had grown too tough and woody to eat. No wonder she needed grain and hay — and no wonder our pasture sometimes looked pretty bare!

The problem, though, wasn't in the cow or the grass. It was our management that was deficient.

So we attended a seminar on Mr. Salatin's kind of grazing given by the Eastern Ohio Grazing Council, a group of local farmers and extension folks, that gave us the confidence to get started.

We

learned

managed,

that

holistic,

good

rotational

grazing — carefully grazing — means

moving cows or other ruminants over pasture by giving them just a small area each day and then moving them on. Each day the cows get all they need from one small area; meanwhile, all the rest of the pasture grows. Under the ground, roots, insects, worms, and teeming microscopic life build a rich, fertile soil.

It was amazing how fast we saw results. Right away, our pasture grew more grass, better grass,

We share what we've learned with other

longer periods of the year. We began reducing

families, welcoming them to our farm, writing about

Isabel's grain ration. Eventually, we were able to

our work, going out to conferences, and helping

cut grain entirely.

people see the potential in even the least-promising

The Independent Farmstead

parcel of land. We are thrilled every time a family

Today we feed our animals almost entirely

buys its first dairy cow and begins the adventure of

on things that grow here. Some we plant in the

good grass management. We know this is the surest

garden, but it's grass that runs the farm. After all,

way to gain independence from the uncertainties

grass is just about everywhere, and it's free. Cows

of the commercial food system. It gives us the best

turn it into milk for nothing, and pigs, chickens,

glimpses of God's providence and wisdom. And it's

dogs, cats — and of course humans! — all thrive on

the best way we know of to raise a family.

milk's high-quality calories. God's plan for feeding

We're glad that Plain Values is letting us share it with you. //

us couldn't be more beautiful.

Shawn and Beth Dougherty live in eastern Ohio, where their home farm is 17 acres designated by the state as ‘not suitable for agriculture’. Using grass as the primary source of energy, they raise dairy and beef cows, sheep, farm-fed hogs, and a variety of poultry, producing most of their food, and feed, on the farm. Concerned that farming is too often dependent upon multiple off-farm resources, from feed, fuel, and fertilizer to water and electricity, their ongoing project is to discover and test the time-honored means by which farming may be done with a minimum of off-farm inputs. Their research has led them to identify the daily conversion of grass into milk by dairy ruminants as a key to whole-farm sustainability. They are the authors of The Independent Farmstead, Chelsea Green Press 2016.

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MAY 2022

simple living

Confessions of a Steward

CONFESSIONS OF A STEWARD

Joel co-owns, with his family, Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. When he’s not on the road speaking, he’s at home on the farm, keeping the callouses on his hands and dirt under his fingernails, mentoring young people, inspiring visitors, and promoting local, regenerative food and farming systems. Salatin has published 15 books, and he is the editor of The Stockman Grass Farmer, column by:

JOEL SALATIN

PLAIN VALUES

granddaddy catalyst for the homesteading movement. He passionately defends small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm.

38

WATER PART ON E

WATER IS THE PREREQUISITE TO LIFE. Some living things don’t need sunlight, some don’t even need soil, but all living things need water. Certainly, when we think about water, the first source that comes to mind is rain. But rain is not consistent, and most plants need water routinely. Indeed, some plants need more water than others, but scarcity is often the limiting factor in farm and garden production.

As inconsistent as rain may be, global agricultural soil depletion in both quantity and quality has created a consistent loss, called surface runoff. Even the driest places on the planet have occasional downpours that, if left long enough, create floods. Most of us have lived through a few floods in our lifetime.

By definition, a flood is caused by too much surface runoff. In perfect conditions, raindrops fall on the earth and percolate into the soil. But if they fall faster than the soil can absorb them or in more volume than the soil can hold, they go somewhere besides down into the soil. That somewhere is running across the top of the soil. Due to soil degradation, primarily through mining out organic matter with tillage, chemicals, and overgrazing, the soils on the planet are not nearly as absorptive as they were centuries ago.

39

SEPTEMBER 2021

In fact, the rule of thumb today is that

with two goals. First, we should aspire to never

a third of all raindrops that fall on the earth

lose a drop of rain to surface runoff. Second, we

cannot find a home where they fall. The soil

should never end a drought with a full pond.

either can’t absorb them fast enough, or the

Water is perhaps the most visible and

soil can’t hold any more. So whether the area

practical application of the notion that we, as

is Nevada or Pennsylvania, one-third of the rain

caretakers of the earth, should build forgiveness

that falls becomes surface runoff. That is a big

into the landscape. Floods and droughts have been

deal because it adds up fast.

a part of the earth since the dawn of creation.

One acre-inch of water ­— the amount of water

Nobody will design a food or fiber production

that covers one acre one inch deep — is almost

system immune to natural water events. As

30,000 gallons. Most non-irrigated agriculturally

stewards, then, one of our objectives should be

productive areas of the U.S. receive at least 30

to extend forgiveness into the landscape like it’s

inches of rainfall a year. Lancaster County, PA,

been extended in our hearts. We need forgiveness

receives a bit more than 50. Virtually everywhere

for the sins of life like the landscape needs

east of the Mississippi receives more than 30

forgiveness for the storms of nature.

inches of rainfall a year. Applying our one-third

Most farmers talk about water like it’s some

rule, that means all of these acres lose 10 acre-

sort of esoteric thing over which they have no

inches of water a year.

control. But water is highly tangible, measurable,

Ten acre-inches of water is nearly 300,000

and controllable. A key permaculture concept

gallons per acre. That means if you have a 50-

is that all raindrops should be held as close to

acre farm, chances are you’re losing 15,000,000

where they fall for as long as possible. That

(that’s 15 million) gallons of water per year. If

means raindrops that fall on a ridge should

you have a small place, maybe 5 acres, you’re

be held on a ridge. Raindrops that fall on a

losing 1.5 million gallons a year; still no small

hill should be held on a hill, or as close to it as

amount. P.A. Yeomans wrote the iconic book

possible. In general, our holding capacity should

Water for Every Farm back in the 1950s and

be as high on the landscape as possible.

challenged farmers and ranchers worldwide

The higher our water storage is on the terrain, the more options we have to use those gallons on their gravitational journey downhill.

Some people think landscaped ponds or even water barrels are akin to selfishness or hoarding, depriving people downstream of water that’s rightfully theirs. But Yeomans argued that surface runoff, by definition, means that the commons is full. The commons is shared water that you can’t create. Aquifers, springs, and streams are all part of the commons.

One of my benchmarks of truth is that if everyone can’t do it, then it’s probably not a good practice. In this instance, if everyone puts a straw in a river or an aquifer and starts sucking out water, at some point, you don’t have an aquifer or river. The Colorado River is a prime example of a river that is virtually depleted by the time it gets to the ocean. Everyone wants a piece of it; that’s depleting the commons.

40

Part of our human mandate as stewards is to

stored raindrops strategically, either to water animals or

increase the commons. In other words, where at one

crops. When we impound surface runoff, we do not steal

time X water flowed, our goal should be 2X. That’s

resources from downhill neighbors. Instead, we protect

returning more talents than we’re given; it’s giving

them from flooding. And if we use these raindrops

God a Return on Investment (ROI) in business terms.

during droughts, we bless our neighbors with vegetative

Few things illustrate redemption extension better than

growth and base flow — not all the irrigation water gets

increasing the hydrology of a landscape. Historically,

uptaken by plants. Much of it percolates into the soil,

when people talked about getting water, they dug wells.

just like rain.

Fortunately, water that slowly percolates through

As long as they catch only surface runoff, ponds

the soil and into the aquifer encounters all sorts of

bless our neighbors in both flood times and drought

purifying agents as it goes, generally yielding potable

times. The distinction between surface runoff and

water from a well. Unfortunately, modern chemicals

the commons is critical because one is fairly fixed,

and heavy concentrations of manure have rendered

and the other can be dramatically enhanced. The

many wells undrinkable, but in virtually any primitive

surface runoff that creates flood damage can be

place on the planet, aquifer water is potable. For

harnessed in ponds to bless an entire landscape with

irrigation and general use purposes, however, aquifer

water during a drought. Here where I live in Virginia’s

water is neither the healthiest nor the ecologically

Shenandoah Valley, if all the soil that’s been moved

best due to depletion of the commons. Plants like

to grow unneeded corn for herbivores who shouldn’t

living water from ponds and open sources, not sterile,

eat it anyway, had been moved judiciously in valleys

highly mineralized water from aquifers.

to create ponds, today this whole region would be

One of the first goals, then, of any farming operation

virtually floodproof and drought-proof. How does that

should be to eliminate surface runoff and to use those

sound for a redemptive landscape policy?

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MAY 2022

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42

"The thing I want to emphasize is that when we say “get water,” at least for agricultural use, a well should be the last resort.

The tragedy of the human experience is not

last resort. In conventional thinking, a well is

that we’re lazy. It’s that we’re successful at the

the first resort. But a well can never increase the

wrong things. Ranching for Profit founder Stan

commons. It’s a straw stuck into the commons

Parsons used to say, “We’ve become adept at

glass, if you will, that inevitably depletes the

hitting the bullseye of the wrong target.” Indeed,

shared resource. A pond holding back surface

we’ve learned how to deplete the commons

runoff takes water that overruns the commons

by pumping water out of the aquifers, but we

cup and saves it for a drier day. It increases the

haven’t been successful at hitting the proper

commons in a practical and significant way.

objective, which is how to hold surface runoff for future blessing.

On our farm, we’ve built some 15 ponds over the years. Every time we get a few extra dollars,

Louis Bromfield, certainly the most famous

we build another pond. Now, routinely, when the

farmer in America in the 1940s and 1950s, said

rivers flood, our ponds fill gradually. Few things

the answer to flooding on the Mississippi River

please me more than checking on the ponds in

was not massive Army Corps of Engineers projects

a flood and watching them filling, but not yet

on the big river because, by that time, the volume

full. And few things please me more than seeing

and velocity of the water were too much for

all that water stored in a drought. That’s true

manmade control. He envisioned millions of small

wealth and true stewardship. //

farm ponds dotting the Mississippi watershed, all holding their million gallons like giant hoof prints on the landscape. That water, held high on the landscape, could be dispensed strategically

Joel's Upcoming Speaking Events

on parched and thirsty soil.

Archaeologists now say that 500 years ago, North America was more than 8 percent water; today, it’s less than 4 percent. Much of that water was beaver ponds, built by 200 million hardworking beavers, some dams the size of a Volkswagen automobile. Not only have we destroyed the beavers; we’ve disrespected their humble pursuit and depleted the protective hydrologic labyrinth. As land stewards, certainly one of our most important and fundamental mandates is to restore this hydrologic abundance to the landscape.

I’ll write a lot more about water in future columns, but for now, the thing I want to emphasize is that when we say “get water,” at

May 2-3 May 15 May 27

Tennessee (Private Farm Consultation) Texas (Exit and Built Conference Buda) San Miguel, Mexico (Health From Within)

June 3-4 June 10 June 16 June 18

Columbia, TN (The Homestead Festival - Rory Feek and Kevin Costner) Richmond, VA (Home Educators of Virginia Convention) Wisconsin (Health with Max Kane) Greenville, SC (The Rooted Life Fair)

August 19-20

Wisconsin (Rogue Food Conference)

Sept. 3

Hudson Valley, NY (Health with Max Kane and Abby Rockefeller)

October 7-8 October 18-19 October 20-21

Front Royal, VA (Homesteaders of America) Jackson, MS (Stockman Grass Farmer Business School with Steve Kenyon) Jackson, MS (Stockman Grass Farmer Marketing School with Sheri Salatin)

least for agricultural use, a well should be the

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MAY 2022

community THE WIDOW'S PATH

sunsets column by: FERREE HARDY

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44

IT'S FINALLY MAY, and I am enjoying the warmth that

sunset, I need to go over to my in-laws, less than a mile

is gently pushing back the frost and snow of my first

away. From their backyard overlooking some pasture

winter in northern New York. Having moved here from

land, I can watch that golden ball, all ablaze with yellow,

South Carolina right before Christmas, this is the first

orange, and purple clouds, slip behind the Adirondack

spring thaw I’ve seen in over a decade, and I’m enjoying it

Mountains. It’s precious, almost sacred, to view these

immensely. While living down South for ten years, I knew

masterpiece sunsets, to feel the balm of cooling dusk,

I missed the change of seasons, and now I know why. It’s

and to be with family at the end of the day.

a joy to be surrounded by the fragrance of thawing soil

Sunsets are one of God’s most brilliant and generous

and budding branches, the greening of the grass, and

ideas, don’t you agree? He didn’t have to make them at

early sprouts pushing their way up to warm fresh air.

all, you know. The approach of nighttime could have

The home I’m in has two porches. It’s on a hill in

been more like blowing out a candle. Poof! God doesn’t

the middle of the small town of Ticonderoga. From my

have to change the sunset every day, but He generously

front porch, I can look out over part of the village and

does. It’s like our Heavenly Father is drawing up the

see the sunrise if I’m up early enough. But for a good

covers of earth’s bed and bidding us rest. Perhaps He

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closes the day with a sunset to say “good-bye” to it, to

When “paying respect,” we aren’t trying to buy

remind us to reflect on what a good day it was — that it

something. It’s not something we are obligated to do.

was worthy of effort, love, and hard work.

But it means that we benefited from this person’s time

As I mull this over, I wonder if sometimes going to

on earth. They, or their loved ones, were a blessing to us

a funeral is like signifying the close of a day, a time,

personally, and it seems only right that we use our time

and a life. There’s a saying, “Paying our last respects,”

to give this consideration.

that reminds me of a sunset. I don’t hear that term very

Often, just seeing those who are attending the funeral

much, but it draws out some significant things that

is enough of a comfort for the family. Can you imagine

touch our hearts at funerals. People sometimes say, “I’m

the bleak emptiness of a funeral that had no visitors? Our

going to pay my last respects,” instead of saying, “I’m

presence often ministers more than words. Spoken words

going to a funeral.”

aren’t always necessary, and if everyone speaks, words

Attending a funeral is a sign of respect, and it’s

are hard to remember. But notes and cards are worth

one last way to gather with the community in showing

their weight in gold. They’re greatly appreciated after the

support for the family. By our presence, we acknowledge

funeral, too, when there is time to read them and let the

that we remember and that this life mattered. When

sympathy, kindness, and comfort soak in.

someone who should be at a funeral is not, it makes

Mentioning a memory or something you especially

people wonder. What could have been more important

appreciated is comforting to some grieving people. For

than this one-time event? Like a sunset, each funeral

example, “I will always remember John’s kind smile.” Or,

is unique, a time to reflect and draw things to a close.

“John gave me a ride to the doctor’s office just when I

Outwardly we sympathize with family and friends;

needed it, and I will never forget him.” It’s never too late

inwardly, we pause to consider our own humble mortality

to send a card or note. “Thinking of you” is always nice

and place in God’s plans.

to hear.

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William Wordsworth, an English poet who lived from 1770 to 1850, wrote in his poem Tintern Abbey about the “best portion of a good man’s life” being “His little, nameless, unremembered acts Of kindness and of love.”

The “good man” he’s referring to doesn’t remember those actions, of course. They came naturally as a part of who he was and how he lived. But our remembering those best portions and acts can bring the beautiful colors of the sunset to his family.

Funerals draw the community together. Many people pitch in to lighten the load of work and also the weight of grief. A traditional meal to follow is not only a restoring fellowship time but also a practical help for both the family and for those who’ve traveled. It’s good to be surrounded by friends and family during such a lonely time.

Sometimes, after the funeral, days can get very dark and sad for widows and family members. Grief is different for everyone, and sadness is certainly part of it. But, there is also an undercurrent of joy and hope we can tap into. Love lives on. A widow from Michigan shared these special words with me a while ago about how we can still show love for our spouse: To mankind, He gives eternal rest for all His children.

It has often struck me that one of the biggest

What time will the sun set by you today? When

“Love Gifts” one spouse can give to the other is

will it set for each of our own lives? Eternity is so close;

this: to be the one left behind.

it’s only a heartbeat away. I like how my widow friend

Not that we have a choice, but isn’t it true?

expressed that, too:

My husband will never be a widower. He will never

How often do we read in the Bible that the Lord

watch our casket be lowered into the ground. He

God will hold our hand? So—if God holds our hand

will never have to make decisions without our

and our loved one is in the very presence of God—

advice. Because we are still living, HE is spared so

then we can’t be far apart! How precious!

much!

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand,

It’s a tremendous loss we are experiencing! But in

saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

a very real way, it is a great thing we are doing for

(Isaiah 41:13)

him…to walk the path of widowhood.

Let’s pull out a lawn chair, rest and relax, and

As we walk, each day brings us closer to when we,

consider the sunset tonight. //

too, will step into eternity. Perhaps God gave us sunsets to illustrate that movement— day and night, life and death.

Until next month,

ferree l

It’s as if He touches the earth each day to give it rest, like a parent tucking the blankets around their child at night.

NEW ADDRESS: To learn more about widowhood, order a copy of Postcards from the Widows’ Path—Gleaning Hope and Purpose from the Book of Ruth. It’s a gentle, biblical guide for widows that has many saying, “This is the best I’ve ever read!” Mail a check for $14.99/copy (paperback, 248 pgs.), along with your address to: Ferree Hardy, 76 Grace Ave., Ticonderoga, NY 12883. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Free shipping for all Plain Values readers!

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MAY 2022

history OUR HERITAGE

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PA RT F I V E

Printing the Ausbund ORIGINS column by: ELAM STOLTZFUS

HAVE YOU EVER been in a business situation where everything felt like a constant struggle? Maybe the difficulty originated from misunderstandings, uncommunicated expectations, or miscalculations of how much time a project would take.

For the Amish Book Committee, all three of these things played a role in the challenges behind the 1922 Ausbund hymnbook printing.

The Amish Book Committee printed their first book nearly ten years before — the Unparteyisches GesangBuch— and began printing other German books, as well. They also sold copies of the 1913 Elkhart, Indiana, printing of the Ausbund. Plain people from outside Pennsylvania began ordering German books from the Committee; according to treasurer Jacob Lapp’s ledger, there were Gingerichs,

(left) a collection of old English typesetting letters

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Frustratingly enough for the Amish Book

Herschbergers, Wengards, and Troyers from Ohio, Indiana, and other Western states.

The Ausbund was one of the most frequently

Committee,

the

negotiating

with

Kutztown one

printers

L.A.

Miller

were in

also

Arthur,

ordered books, and the Committee had sold nearly

Illinois, to print 4,000 copies of the Ausbund. In

all of their inventory from the Elkhart printing. As

a September 21, 1921 letter between Committee

the Amish Book Committee was now in charge of

spokesperson Stephen (Steffie) F. Stoltzfus and

printing the Ausbund, they needed to find a new

Kutztown Publishing Company manager Chas Esser,

printing company, preferably near Lancaster County.

Esser tells Stoltzfus that, “Mr. Miller knows nothing

The Committee chose Kutztown Publishing

about our intentions to plating the book.” He then

Company of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, to print

tells Stoltzfus that either the Committee could sell

2,000 copies of the Ausbund. Kutztown Publishing

copies of the Ausbund to Miller or the publishing

had to make new typesetting for the complicated

company could sell directly to Miller.

arrangement of the Ausbund, similar to the 1913

As we do not have any of Stephen F. Stoltzfus’

Elkhart printing. According to the Amish Book

replies to Chas Esser’s letters, it is hard to know

Committee’s records, the major cost of printing was

what he thought of this arrangement, but I wouldn’t

setting up the typesetting and type for the book.

be surprised that he and others on the Committee

This alone cost $2,450, a substantial sum for the

were unhappy to hear that Kutztown Publishing

1920s. The Committee spent another $1,000 for the

Company was negotiating with another party to

electrotypes after the book was in type.

print the Ausbund.

The following month, on October 17, Chas Esser sent a letter to Stephen F. Stoltzfus with an update of cost; apparently, Stoltzfus drove a hard bargain and asked Esser for a better price. Esser closes the letter with the comment, “We will be very glad to get started on this book for you and suggest you urge Mr. Miller.” This means that Kutztown was still negotiating with Miller as well.

A collection of different Ausbund covers

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The Amish Book Committee agreed to print the Ausbund with Kutztown Publishing Company. In a January 20, 1922 letter from Esser to Stoltzfus, he shared that Kutztown had shipped the first hundred pages of the proofs to Lancaster. As they did not have the capability to bind the book, Kutztown recommended another company to finish the binding in nearby Reading, Pennsylvania.

Apparently, Stoltzfus did not answer the January letter. In a letter sent the following month on February 3, Esser wrote, “We have not received an answer to our letter several weeks ago. We have another 100 pages ready for you and can send this to you and then start printing again. We ask that you make arrangements to pay out $500.00 on the account by February 28 when this bill is due. This will help us out very much.”

In addition, it appears that the Committee was struggling with paying their bills. In a letter to Stoltzfus three weeks later, Esser wrote, “We

the Ausbund and would instead work with the

are writing to you to remind you of our request or

Committee directly.

rather our suggestion that you pay us $500.00 on

On July 21, Kutztown delivered the 2,000

the account of the hymn book.” “….We will allow a

Ausbund to Stephen F. Stoltzfus in Bird-In-Hand,

discount of $5.00 on your bill. We would have more

Pennsylvania, with payment due of half the

proofs in your hands, but our operator injured his

contract price. Later that month, Esser sent a

leg and is laid off. We expect printing next week.”

letter to Stoltzfus asking for final payment and also

In the last paragraph of the letter, Esser wrote to

explaining why some of the sheets have inkblots:

Stoltzfus, “I am sure that if you go to a few of your

“We always ran the full number of sheets and left

friends that you can easily raise the money. If it is

the spoiled ones in.”

not possible to raise $500.00 try and surely send us

Clearly, the business relationship between

at least $350.00.”

Kutztown Publishing Company and the Amish

Another five months went by before Stoltzfus

Book Committee was unsatisfactory, as this was

heard back from Esser. In an early summer letter,

the only Ausbund printing that the Committee

he wrote that Kutztown Publishing Company was

did with Kutztown. Next month we will look at the

nearing completion of printing 2,000 hymnbooks.

subsequent printing arrangement for the Ausbund,

After the printing was finished, they planned to

which successfully ran for twenty-two editions. //

ship the pages to Reading for binding. Esser wrote of an error in the proofs and added, “We will correct

Sources of research and quotes: History of the Amish Book Committee;

this when you return the proofs.” Esser’s letter

Stephen F. Stoltzfus Journal; Jacob Lapp, Treasurer’s Ledger; Aaron

ends with, “We hope you can make arrangements

Petersheim, historical advisor; Amos B. Hoover, Muddy Creek Farm Library.

to pay our printing bill promptly after we have all the work complete. We think it will be simplest

Elam Stoltzfus currently serves as caretaker of the Nicholas Stoltzfus

for you to bill Mr. Miller at Arthur [Illinois] and

Homestead in (Berks County) Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. In 2018, he traveled to Germany to document the history of the Stoltzfus family—this

you pay us the entire bill.” Apparently, a deal had

research is documented in German Lutherans to Pennsylvania Amish: The

been reached between all three parties where

Stoltzfus Family Story. To order a copy of this book, you can mail a $30

Miller withdrew his request from Kutztown to print

check to Elam Stoltzfus, 1700 Tulpehocken Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610.

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outdoors ALL THINGS OUTDOORS

—

ALL THINGS OUTDOORS

—

Catfish column by: JIM ZUMBO

WHENEVER I VISIT THE SOUTH, a big item on my bucket list is to enjoy a catfish dinner Southern style. Though catfish live in every one of the lower 48 states, there’s just something special about catfish cooked in the land of Dixie, whether you’re in a restaurant or someone’s home. There’s more good news when you realize that they’re easy to catch with minimal tackle; and there’s probably a lake, pond, or river near your home where you can catch them. And by the way, you don’t need to be a famous chef or even a great cook to make them taste great!

To many anglers, catfish are the primary quarry and are highly prized. To others, they’re called “bottom feeders” and aren’t worth the effort to pursue them. I suspect the latter attitude is one shared by folks who have never caught them or tasted them.

I suppose they’re called catfish because they have long whiskers, which are technically called barbels. These are sensory organs that allow the fish to sort out scents in the water. Their sense of smell is remarkable. In fact, their entire body has taste buds that allows them to detect the slightest bit of food. Another unique feature of catfish is their scale-less bodies. They have smooth skin with no scales at all. One more characteristic that needs

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mentioning is the needle-sharp spikes found on the

big, but you can usually catch a bunch on a single

dorsal (top) fin and the two pectoral (side) fins. I

outing. A 12-15 inch bullhead is a big one. According

think everyone who has ever handled a catfish much,

to biologists, there are seven subspecies of bullheads.

has been poked by a spike. It’s not fun — they hurt and

They usually bite best at night, but I’ve had success

often cause a burning sensation that may last for a

during the daylight hours as well. Usually, we’d sit on

few hours or more. There’s a technique that allows

a dock or onshore at night with a campfire burning

you to safely hold one. Slide your hand from behind

merrily, close enough so the firelight allowed us to

the dorsal fin toward the head until the dorsal spine

see our rods which were propped up on sticks or rocks.

is firmly against the web of your hand between your

Sometimes we’d attach a small bell to the rod tip to

thumb and first finger. Then move your thumb and

alert us when a fish was biting. It was great fun. We’d

first finger firmly over the two dorsal spikes. The

cook marshmallows and hotdogs over the fire and sit

fish is then immobilized so you can remove the hook

there in the dark listening to the bullfrogs, peepers,

safely. Another way is to use a set of fish grabbers that

nighthawks, and sometimes an owl. Now and then,

look like long pliers that easily grip the fish’s lower

we’d hear a bass make a noisy splash as it chased its

lip, holding it securely. They’re sold in most sporting

dinner. We’d spring into action when we saw a rod tip

goods stores. Or, just use a set of needle-nose pliers

twitching. Then we’d grab it, set the hook, and reel in

to hold the fish.

a feisty fat bullhead.

I caught my first catfish when I was very young.

The channel catfish is the most popular catfish in

My dad took me fishing before I was old enough to

the country, with more than 8 million anglers fishing

go to school. Those first fish were black bullheads

for them every year. It’s more slender than the bullhead

which are a species of catfish that don’t get very

and can attain weights up to 50 pounds, but that’s a

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monster. Most weigh two to four pounds, and one that

Nightcrawlers were always a favorite. When I was

weighs 10 pounds is considered exceptional in most

young, I’d gather them on rainy nights, searching for

areas, with a 20 pounder being a real crowd-pleaser.

them with a flashlight. My Dad and I usually caught

The channel cat, as they’re called, is likely the fish you

all we needed. In fact, I caught so many I sold them

enjoy served in restaurants and the one you buy in

at 25 cents a dozen when I was a teenager. Nowadays,

stores, although there is a hybrid channel catfish-blue

you’ll pay $3 or more a dozen. You can buy worms

catfish variety that’s growing in popularity. Catfish

in stores everywhere. Be sure to keep them out of

are farmed in the Southern states, chiefly Mississippi.

the sun, or you’ll have boiled and useless worms. I

More than 500 million pounds of catfish are grown in

put them in a very small cooler with a chunk of ice.

farms each year.

Other types of bait also work well, whether it’s dead

Two other catfish popular with American anglers

or alive. Chicken liver is a favorite, along with a chunk

are the blue and the flathead. These grow very large,

of hot dog, cut bait, dead minnows, and various kinds

attaining weights over 100 pounds. Of the two, the

of stink bait. You can make your own stink bait or

blue is the biggest. These fish put up a terrific fight,

buy it. If you haven’t used it, be aware you’ll be most

requiring strong lines and heavy tackle.

unpopular with your friends and family if you get it on

Catfish are not finicky about their dietary needs.

your hands or clothing. Most anglers will dunk their

They’ll eat most anything that will fit in their mouth,

hook in the jar and swirl it around with a stick, then

whether it’s plant or animal matter, but mostly animal

lift it out and never touch it. Crawfish, dead or alive,

(fish). For that reason, the sky's the limit when bait

are my favorite bait for channel catfish. Live minnows

is being considered. I think that 90% of the catfish

also work well. Channel cats spawn in some sort of

I’ve caught around the country were taken on worms.

structure, whether it’s a cavity in rocks, under logs, or

Jim Zumbo with a 12 pound channel catfish

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MAY 2022

in rocky dikes. I’ve had good luck casting lures around

Where legal, a trotline is an effective technique

these areas. I’m not sure if the fish are chasing away

to catch a bunch of catfish. This is basically a strong

potential nest robbers or see the lure as food. Either

line to which is attached several hooks five or six feet

way, it works well.

apart. Each hook is baited, and the line is usually

Since catfish are mostly bottom feeders, I use

stretched across a river or narrow part of a lake. A

a weight on the end of the line. Then I attach two

boat is used to tie the line on one or both sides. Some

snelled hooks, one about a foot above the weight and

states allow a maximum of 50 hooks on a trotline.

the other about 2 feet above that hook. I figure two

Most anglers leave it out all night, returning the next

baits offer twice the scent, and if a fish steals a bait,

morning with a big cooler to fill up! Be sure you’re

the other one is still working. It’s not uncommon to

aware of your state’s regulations.

catch two fish at a time. When I was a kid, I used a

Limb lining is another technique and is typically

very basic technique. Instead of using a fishing rod, I

used for flathead catfish. This species likes its food

used a hand line. I had the line coiled carefully at my

fresh, and if the bait is alive, the better it works. Tie

feet and tossed it out with my hand. I tied the end to

a stout line on a limb that’s green, strong, and has a

a branch or rock onshore and left enough slack so I

lot of spring to it. When a big catfish is hooked, it will

could tell when a fish was biting. If the line started to

fight the flexible branch. If you use a dead branch, it

tighten, I knew a catfish was swimming off with my

might snap, or it won’t bend back and forth, giving

bait. Then I’d set the hook and pull it in hand-over-

the fish a better chance to escape. If your objective

hand. I used this technique for bullheads and small

is to catch flathead catfish, your chances are far

channel cats.

better to hook a live bait fish, so it remains close to

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the surface of the water. That way, it will thrash and splash about, attracting the predatory flathead. Small bluegills are a favorite bait in many areas, though any live fish that’s tenacious and remains alive while hooked is a good choice. If you’re more interested in big blue catfish or channel cats, a dead bait on the bottom is most effective. A limb line is usually left out overnight. A big advantage is that you don’t need a boat for this shoreline technique. As usual, be aware of your state’s regulations regarding limb lining. It’s important to remember that most catfish will be hooked deeply because they tend to gobble the bait as soon as they encounter it. This is true no matter the technique you use or the species of catfish. Bring along a hook disgorger or extra-long needle-nose pliers to remove the hook.

Another popular method is jug fishing. It’s very simple. Simply gather up a bunch of empty gallon jugs and tie a line on them with a hook at the end.

My idea of a great meal is a plate of fried catfish, grits, hush puppies, and a glass of sweet tea. In my opinion, this is food fit for a king...

Bait it and turn it loose. The best places to do this are protected bays on the outskirts of lakes. You can place your fishing jugs in a river, but the wind and current could carry your jugs a long way away if the river is too big, and you’ll need a boat to retrieve the jugs.

Most anglers leave them overnight. Be sure the jugs are tightly capped to keep water out.

Cleaning a catfish is far different than any other technique. Since they have no scales, the skin must be pulled off, either with special fish skinning pliers

cut them off with wire cutters or tin snips. Grasp part

or needle-nose pliers. The head and bony structure

of the skin with the pliers and pull, tearing the skin

behind the gills make up a large part of the fish. You

off the carcass. Some folks will drive a nail into the

may be surprised at the small amount of meat you get

head and in a tree, fence post, or whatever, then pull

when the head is removed. With a sharp knife, cut

the skin off. When the skin and entrails are removed,

into the flesh just behind the gills all the way around

you have the option of filleting the fish or cooking it

the fish. Then make a cut up to the vent. You can

whole. There are other techniques in cleaning catfish.

remove the innards now, if you want to, or do it later.

This one works for me.

Always be aware of the sharp spines on the dorsal and

My idea of a great meal is a plate of fried catfish,

pectoral fins. To avoid the hassle, some folks simply

grits, hush puppies, and a glass of sweet tea. In my opinion, this is food fit for a king, and it doesn’t cost much to bring a bucket of fish home, which is one of many reasons to love the catfish! //

PHOTOS FROM OUR READERS We'd love to feature hunting, fishing, and other outdoor photos from our readers in Jim's column. If you'd like

Jim has hunted all fifty states for deer, has fished in most states, has hunted elk

to contribute photos, please email them to: reachout@

in all the major western elk states, and has hunted on four continents. He worked

plainvalues.com. Be sure to include information about

for fifteen years as a forester, game warden, and wildlife biologist. Jim draws on these experiences for his monthly column “All Things Outdoors.” For more

your photos so we can include captions.

information, visit www.jimzumbo.com.

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MAY 2022

funds & benefits

PLEASE NOTE If you are conducting a fundraiser to assist with medical or hardship expenses, please let us know and we will be happy to feature it for one month at no cost.

Funds must be payable to a bank, church, or charitable organization.

26 TH CRIPPLED CHILDREN'S AUCTION Friday: Supper is served at 4:00 pm Friday-Saturday | June 23–24, 2022

Sports Auction begins at 5:00 pm Saturday: Breakfast is served 6:30–9:00 am

Mt. Hope Event Center 8076 State Route 241, Millersburg, OH 44654

Auction begins at 8:30 am

(330)674-6188

Health Expo and grilling demo: Friday, 3:00–8:00 pm, and Saturday, 8:00 am–3:00 pm

A lunch stand will be serving veal sandwiches, pork, and barbecue chicken. Donations are needed. If you are interested in donating items, please call (330) 674-6188. All sports items for the Friday night auction will be new. Quilts from across the area are donated, with more than one hundred quilts being auctioned. When donating quilts, have all quilts marked with name and size. Friday night Sport Auction and Saturday Auction funds will go for children born with birth defects and medical problems. Thank you for all your continued support.

PHILIP KAUFFMAN FUND A fund has been set up for Philip Kauffman, 19, son of Kenneth and Leanna Kauffman. He has been in and out of the hospital numerous times with recurring urinary tract infections and blockage since August 2021. After an unsuccessful surgery, he was recommended to a specialist. In January 2022, they went to Mayo Clinic seeking help. Phillip still has a long road to recovery. If you feel led to help with this cause, any donations will be greatly appreciated. Make checks payable to: Philip Kauffman Benefit Fund, C/O Denmark State Bank, PO Box 134, Reedsville, WI 54230.

MRS. PAUL (ANNA MAE) WENGERD FUND A fund has been set up for Mrs. Paul Wengerd. Paul, 33, and son Michael, 4, passed away in a road cart/vehicle accident. Anna Mae and her two children, ages 2 and 9 months, have payments due and no income. God bless you for sharing. Make checks payable to Mt. Hope Charities Inc., PO Box 19, Mt. Hope, OH 44660. Attn: Clark Northwest Church District #31.

ESH ORPHAN FUND John & Barbie Esh were killed in a vehicle/buggy accident leaving their 8 children, age 16 and under, as orphans. Previous funds were raised and spent on their immediate living and medical expenses. The Eli & Linda Esh family took in the children; however, the financial load of caring for 13 children is large. If you feel led to help it would be greatly appreciated! Send check to: First National Bank, Eli & Linda Esh Fund, PO Box 35, Loganton, PA 17747.

KATIE ANN TROYER FUND Sam Troyer lost his 9-month battle with cancer on February 11, 2022. He left behind his wife, Katie Ann, and their eight children, three of which are living at home. If you feel led to help Katie Ann pay the mortgage and other expenses, send a check to: Community Bank, PO Box 10, Clymer, NY 14724. Make checks payable to Albert Yoder and write Troyer Fund in the memo.

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