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THE HARVEST EDITION Page 17 • Sunday, September 25, 2011 THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM
Rural Couples Club creates ties that last
Sue and Russell Calhoun are charter members of the Friendly Rural Couples Club that was founded 50 years ago with eight other couples. The scrapbook shows members in 1962. KYLE EVENS / FOR THE STAR PRESS
The Randolph County group marked its 50th anniversary this summer Continued on Page 18
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would have people such as bankers, lawyers, funeral home directors, county extension agents and others come and talk to us about their area of specialty. “If there were exchange students at the schools in the embers of the Friendly Rural Couples Club area, we would also invite them to come to a meeting to in the western part of Randolph County have tell us about their home countries.” seen many changes in the lifestyle surroundThe group’s New Year’s Eve parties are a tradition ing their farms, and they survived one of the that continues today, but the parties used to be a little most devastating tornadoes in Indiana history. wilder than they are now. In addition, throughout the group’s 50-year history, “Originally a lot of us milked cows, and the New this group of farmers, neighYear’s Eve parties eventually got so that we would stay bors and friends has wellate enough that we could go home and milk, and then comed many new members go to bed,” she said. “We still have the parties, but now to the group and mourned the passing of several others. we usually leave a little after midnight.” Because members’ entire families were always a part Weathering both prosperof Friendly Rural Couples Club meetings, the gatherings ity and adversity together grew, with 40 or 50 children in attendance at times. This might help at least partially led some members to suggest an alternate name for the explain the bond that has group. held the Friendly Rural “Many of the families grew to having four or five Couples Club together for the last half-century, accord- children, so we sometimes called it the ‘Productive ing to one of the club’s origi- Rural Couples Club,’” Sue said. “Many of our children are now a little over 50 years old. Some have moved nal couples, Russell and Sue away, but they remain good friends.” Calhoun, who helped found The April 3, 1974, tornado that heavily damaged the organization shortly after Monroe Central Junior-Senior High School had a prothey married 52 years ago. “What we are is a bunch found effect on many members of the club because its of neighbors around the area swath of destruction passed right through the area that who got together 50 years includes many of their farms. Russell and Sue Calhoun ago and chose our name,” lost their home and all of their buildings that day. Sue Calhoun said. “Being “We were at a meeting in Richmond when the tornado farmers, most of us stayed hit, and three of our kids were at school that day,” she in the community, so most recalled. “Our two youngest children were staying at of those in our group stayed the home of Clifford Coulter, another member of the together.” club, who lived a short distance away.” The club celebrated its The Calhouns’ three oldest children, who had got50th anniversary this past June at the Rehoboth United ten home from school before the twister hit, were Methodist Church near Parker City. Ice cream, cake and home when the tornado destroyed the entire farm. strawberries were on the menu in remembrance of the Fortunately, the children weren’t injured. annual strawberry socials the group used to host each “We had trouble even getting home because the damJune. Charter members of the group in attendance at age was so extensive that the police did not want to let the celebration included the Calhouns as well as Gordon us through, but when we finally got there, we found that and Marie Jackson, and Clifford and Ruth Ann Coulter there were already probably 100 people working at our (formerly Ruth Ann Byrd). farm, starting the cleanup process,” Sue said. “There “Our program at the strawberry socials would include were other members of the club there and other mementertainment and games, and, of course, ice cream, bers of the community, as well. The entire community strawberries and cake,” Sue said. really pulled together after the storm.” While entertainment and friendly conversation have While the membership of the Friendly Rural Couples always been a part of the monthly meetings of the Club has evolved, the spirit present at the group’s Friendly Rural Couples Club, part of the group’s stayfounding remains, Sue said. “Going through the scrapbooks, we can see that we’d ing power over the years might be due to an educahave people who might only stay in the group a year or tional component that has always been included in the monthly meetings, Sue said, making the group practical two,” she said. “Several of the women in the group have lost their husbands, as well, but the camaraderie that as well as social. was there when we founded the group is still with us. “We would try to have a lesson, something beneficial “It’s special that it’s lasted.” for the members, at each meeting,” she explained. “We By KEN WICKLIFFE For The Star Press
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Clockwise from left: Pete Calhoun, Jack and Beth Gantz, Clifford Coulter and his son, Jeff Coulter, socialize at a gathering of the Friendly Rural Couples Club.
“What we are is a bunch of neighbors around the area who got together 50 years ago and chose our name. Being farmers, most of us stayed in the community, so most of those in our group stayed together.” — SUE CALHOUN
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Left: Beth Gantz and Betty Chalfant are current members of the Friendly Rural Couples Club. Below, Ruth Ann Coulter talks with Billie Rice at a recent gathering of the club. PHOTOS BY KYLE EVENS / FOR THE STAR PRESS
Left: Dale and Joan Barnes with their grandchildren, Kendra and Kourtney Barnes at a recent meeting of the Friendly Rural Couples Club. Above: Past members, Clyde and Ginger Shaffer, head into the gathering.
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THE HARVEST EDITION Page 20 • Sunday, September 25, 2011 THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM
Ryan and Krissy Coffman with their 4-month-old son, Heath. KYLE EVENS / FOR THE STAR PRESS
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“Before deciding to farm full time I worked behind a desk in a bank, and it was a job that I enjoyed a lot,. But during the summer it kind of bummed me out when I couldn’t be working outside.” — STEVE COFFMAN
Young farmers find their calling Cousins Ryan and Steve Coffman have shifted from other careers to farming their family’s 4,000 acres By KEN WICKLIFFE For The Star Press
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soybean field and a baseball field don’t look too much alike, but 29-year-old Ryan Coffman is finding that some of the skills he learned as an athlete are helping him succeed as a young farmer. “Just as a team has to have a game plan, in farming you have to do a lot of planning to decide such things as what hybrids of corn and what varieties of soybeans to plant,” he said. “Also, you often need to be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different people so you can get the most that everyone has to offer.” Since graduating from Wapahani High School, where he was the shortstop on the baseball team, Coffman has played college baseball, making the teams at TriState University (now Trine University) and Glen Oaks (Michigan) Community College. “My dad, who has been farming for 50 years, always encouraged me to get involved in sports because it’s something he was always interested in but never had a chance to do, since he started farming when he was quite young,” Ryan explained. After finishing college at Ball State University with a degree in elementary education in 2005, Ryan taught for three years at Selma Elementary and Middle schools, also directing basketball and high school golf, and using his experience on the baseball field to assist in the coaching of Wapahani High School’s team. The experiences Coffman had as a kid growing up on his family’s farm, however, ultimately brought him back to the lifestyle he’d come to know. “I really enjoyed teaching, but I feel what I’m doing now is my calling,” he said. “Our family’s farm is at a very successful point right now, and my dad recently turned 67, so I know that at some point he may want to start turning over some of his work to someone else so he can think about retiring.” Founded by Ryan’s father, Charlie, and his dad’s brother, David, the Coffman family farm has grown
Ryan and Krissy Coffman, who were married a year ago, used a tractor as their ‘limousine.’ PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE COFFMANS
over the past 50 years to include some 4,000 acres in Delaware, Henry and Randolph counties. The farm’s three main crops are soybeans, corn and popcorn. David’s son, Steve, frequently works alongside Ryan, allowing the two young men to continue a relationship that has had many facets throughout their lives. “Steve is the same age as I am: 29. We played sports together in high school and have done many other things together ever since we were kids,” Ryan said. In one sense, Steve’s path to a career in agriculture parallels that of his cousin; he, too, tried a job in a different field before realizing that farming was what he liked best. “Before deciding to farm full time I worked behind a desk in a bank, and it was a job that I enjoyed a lot,” Steve Coffman explained. “But during the summer it kind of bummed me out when I couldn’t be working outside.” While Steve and Ryan often work together on proj-
ects, they also divide up jobs based on different preferences. “I like running the corn planter and driving the trucks, so often I’m hauling corn in a semi,” Steve said. “One of the things Ryan likes best is running the combine.” Michael, another of Ryan’s cousins, handles the logistical and financial sides of the business. “He makes sure we have the seeds and chemicals we need, and he’s in charge of the marketing,” Ryan said. Ryan and his wife, Krissy, got married a year ago, and they recently had a son, Heath. For fun, the newlyweds used a tractor as a “limousine” after their wedding at the First Baptist Church in downtown Muncie. A 2003 graduate of Muncie Central High School, Krissy works part-time at White River Landing, but she is enjoying the transition from city to country life. “I grew up as a city person and I don’t work on the farm other than taking dinner to Ryan sometimes when he’s working late in the field,” she said. “But I like riding with Ryan when he’s harvesting. “Before meeting Ryan I had never been around farming, but I love it,” Krissy added. “I think it would be great if our son wanted to take after his dad and grandpa and become involved in the farm as he gets older.” Because he’ll be involved in agriculture for many decades to come, Ryan thinks often about changes in the world that are affecting the work he does. “It’s a challenging time to be in agriculture because global demand for food is already at a record high, and it’s growing,” he explained. “As people in countries such as China and Japan have begun eating more meat, there’s a large demand for more corn to feed the livestock.” On a more personal level, Ryan sees growth as vital to continued success. “You’re always looking for ways to become more efficient and expand,” he said. “As in sports, you have to keep doing better to keep up with the competition.”
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THE HARVEST EDITION Page 22 • Sunday, September 25, 2011 THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM
Ethanol plants make use of corn grown locally Officials from Union City and Portland plants tout the boost their businesses give to the local economy By KEN WICKLIFFE For The Star Press
Corn is unloaded at Cardinal Ethanol. KYLE EVENS / FOR THE STAR PRESS
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Bringing it to the Table: The Harvest Edition
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lean-burning and home-grown, ethanol is meeting an increasing share of America’s energy demand, and ethanol production here is bringing much-needed jobs to East Central Indiana, according to a local farmer and representatives of two companies that produce the corn-based fuel. “Prior to the construction of local ethanol plants, East-Central Indiana corn was used for local livestock production, and the remaining corn was shipped by train to livestock markets in the southeastern region of this country or exported,” said Joe Russell, a Delaware County farmer who also has a background in engineering and energy. “Now, nearly all corn not used by local livestock finds its way to local ethanol plants. Value is added locally rather than far away, which has created hundreds of local jobs.” After graduating from Purdue University in 1974 with a degree in civil engineering, Russell worked on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and he has been involved in coal and natural gas field development. “We considered our dependence on foreign oil a national disgrace in 1973, when we were importing a third of our oil,” he said. “Now, we’re importing two-thirds.” And, at a time when Americans have just marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, ethanol can provide a way for the United States to increase its level of energy independence and security, Russell added. “Thirteen billion gallons of biofuel production today exceeds the oil coming from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and replaces 445 million barrels of oil purchased from other countries, some of which are unfriendly to the U.S.,” he said. “Domestic ethanol production greatly enhances our national energy security and improves our balance of trade.” Two local ethanol producers — Cardinal Ethanol, based in Union City, Ind., and Poet, a national company that operates a production facility in Portland — employ about 50 people in each of their local plants and offer a market for corn grown in this area. “Providing an additional local market raises the prices paid to local farmers and keeps more money in our local economies,” said Ken Parrent, commodities manager at Poet. JOE RUSSELL, A DELAWARE COUNTY Jeff Painter, president and FARMER chief executive officer of Cardinal Ethanol, said his company buys roughly 40 million bushels of corn each year, most of it grown within 25 miles of the plant. “The money we pay to local farmers is money that stays in our area,” he said, noting that the alternative would be to use this money to purchase foreign oil, which would worsen America’s balance of trade and take resources out of the East Central Indiana economy. In addition, Cardinal Ethanol’s annual payroll of $2.5 million is largely earned — and spent — by workers who live within 25 miles of the facility, giving a boost to other local businesses, as well. The burning of ethanol to fuel cars and other vehicles lowers greenhouse gas emissions by 59 percent, Painter said, adding that an increased use of “blender pumps” in the future will allow consumers with “FlexFuel” vehicles to decide what percentage of ethanol they want to use. “The blender pumps will make it possible to select 85 percent ethanol down to 20 percent, 10 percent or none at all,” he explained. “We’re not trying to force people to use ethanol, but to give them a choice.” Currently, consumers who have FlexFuel vehicles can choose to run them on regular gasoline — much of which is blended with 10 percent ethanol — or E85, which contains 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Production of ethanol is a clean process that yields a useful by-product — dried distiller’s grain — that is fed to livestock, Parrent and Painter said. “We get about three gallons of ethanol from each bushel of corn,” Parrent explained. At the end of the process, ethanol producers add about 5 to 7 percent gasoline to the ethanol as a “denaturant” to make it unfit for human consumption, he said. If it were not for the gasoline that turns it into denatured ethanol, the ethanol produced in the plant would be drinkable and would have to be taxed as an alcoholic beverage. While most ethanol produced in the United States currently comes from corn, new “cellulosic” ethanol plants will allow the use of other raw materials. “Poet has received a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy to build a plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, that will produce ethanol from such materials as grass, wood chips and corn cobs,” Parrent said. “The technology is there for ethanol to meet a much larger share of our energy needs.”
“Prior to the construction of local ethanol plants, EastCentral Indiana corn was used for local livestock production, and the remaining corn was shipped by train to livestock markets in the southeastern region of this country or exported. Now, nearly all corn not used by local livestock finds its way to local ethanol plants. Value is added locally rather than far away, which has created hundreds of local jobs.”
Cardinal Ethanol President and CEO Jeff Painter reviews reports with EH&S Manager Deanne Sweeney. KYLE EVENS / FOR THE STAR PRESS
Sunday, September 25, 2011 • Page 23
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As ranchers in drought areas sell cows, others buy CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — The drought in the Southwest may help 29-year-old Chad Bicker get to his goal of being a full-time farmer and rancher by the time he’s 40. As farmers in Texas and other bone-dry areas sell cattle because they can’t grow hay or afford to buy feed, Bicker has been buying animals for his farm in Illinois. He has 25 cows and hopes to have 35 by next year. “You’re seeing a lot of people get out of the cattle industry just because of the (drought). ... It’s a chance for us to expand,” Bicker said. Cattle experts in areas not affected by drought say they’re seeing a lot of farmers like Bicker take advantage of rising beef prices and cattle sales in dry areas to expand their businesses. Beef prices have risen because of strong export demand from Asia and a relatively low supply in the U.S. And, even with farmers like Bicker adding cows, experts say it won’t be enough to offset the losses from the drought and ranchers cutting animals over the past five years because of rising land and feed costs. Iowa State University economist Shane Ellis said he didn’t expect the total number of cattle to increase in the U.S. for at least another four years. While the beef industry had already been shrinking, the pace accelerated this year when ranchers in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and other dry spots thinned their herds or sold off their cattle altogether because they couldn’t grow
hay and buying it and other feed was too expensive. The U.S. has about 31 million beef cattle, down 5.6 percent from 2006, the Department of Agriculture said this summer. Many cattle are being sold at stockyards like the one just outside Joplin, Mo. The Joplin Regional Stockyards sits in the middle of a big ranching area that’s been dry this summer. Most of its buyers this year haven’t been from the area on the Oklahoma border, spokesman John Harmon said. “A lot of our stock cows go to northern Missouri, and a lot of them are going into the southern tier of Iowa,” which have had more rain, he said. “Our guys right now, they’re just trying to hold everything together with the cows they got.” Bicker, who grows soybeans and raises cattle near Lena, about 130 miles west of Chicago, said he’s added a handful of cows through auctions, as well as buying direct. He and his wife both have full-time jobs in town while he works on expanding the farm. To do that, he bought pasture this year, enough that he says he could probably grow to 50 head before he has to buy more. “It’s exciting times,” Bicker said, “but it’s also a lot of sleepless nights.” What makes it sleepless are the factors that have caused others to downsize or get out of the business: Feed prices are high because corn prices are high. Strong demand for corn and soybeans also has pushed up land prices in states
like Illinois and Iowa. Bicker said he bought the pasture that was offered to him because if he didn’t, someone else would almost certainly buy it and plant corn. And, there’s competition among ranchers. One that Bicker approached about buying cattle said no because he had plans of his own to expand. Big ranches are growing too in areas that have had enough rain. The number of cows in Montana grew this year, while it declined in other parts of the West and Northwest, said John Paterson, a beef cattle specialist with the extension service at Montana State University. “Our guys are feeling pretty good right now, to be honest with you,” Paterson said. “We’ve had nice rains, good grass.” Rick Mindemann and his family have about 250 cows on 4,300 acres in eastern Montana — a herd they expanded by about 20 percent this year because their green, healthy pastures could support it. Mindemann also has another 120 Angus cows in Concord, Wis., where he lives. He breeds those cows to sell to other ranchers who are growing and expanding, and he’s seeing plenty of business that he expects to continue as long as the weather holds. “It’s very profitable to be in the cattle business, and I think it’s going to continue on indefinitely,” he said. “The population is expanding at this point, and we’re feeding the world.”
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Hereford and Angus cattle and calves rest in a field at a research center south of Havre, Mont. As ranchers in drought-parched Texas and Oklahoma cut back their herds some ranchers in other states with healthy pastures like Illinois, Iowa and Montana are adding to their herds. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Cowboys take to verse at Yavapai College gathering
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Warren Miller stands before a crowd reciting poetry at the Yavapai College Performance Hall in Prescott, Ariz. This year, the 24th annual Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering brought 55 of them to Yavapai College for two daylong performances, kicked off by Texas troubadour Don Edwards. The Associated Press
RESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — On the ranch, cowboys work their cattle and horses. Put them on a stage, and they sing and put to verse the lifestyle they so cherish. This year, the 24th annual Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering will bring 55 of them to Yavapai College for two daylong performances on Friday and Saturday. Bill Snow Jr. and Eli Barsi will appear in the Yavapai College Performance Hall on Friday, and the renowned Desert Sons will entertain Saturday, also in the Performance Hall. Cowboy poet Sally Bates of Chino Valley was raised on a ranch and has worked on them most of her life, from the time of her birth in Prescott 64 years ago. “I write what I know about,” she said. “Everything I write is from a personal perspective — everyday life poetry. I have been writing since I was 9 years old.” “I Sold My Saddle” is one of her poems that speaks of her personal experience that she put into the perspective of old cowboys who have to give up riding. Bates herself can’t ride anymore because of an injury sustained when she got bucked off her horse. But, rather than write about herself, she penned a poem that is “more about old men who get too old to ride. I know how they must feel after spending their whole life on horseback and can’t get on anymore.” Both Bates and cowboy songwriter Gail Steiger, who will also be among the poets and songsters performing at the gathering, look back to days of yore when the tradition to sing cowboy songs and recite poetry in small gatherings of friends and family began. “We didn’t have TV,” Bates said. “We listened to the radio at night if the generator was on.” Steiger, who has managed the Spider Ranch west of Prescott since 1995, grew up with a grandfather, Gail Gardner, who is legendary for his cowboy poems, notable among them, “Tyin’ Knots in the Devil’s Tail.” “He and his friends entertained each other” by telling stories and singing songs, he said. “They did not sit in front of a TV. It was a time when people were more involved in entertaining themselves.” Steiger tells stories in ballads, such as “John and Charlie,” inspired by the Matli brothers, longtime Yavapai County ranchers, and “Whistle,” a song about a horse of that name, with a theme contrasting owning one’s own ranch with working for someone else. Steiger refutes the “stereotypical idea that cowboy life is dying or disappearing.” ‘’I don’t think that’s true,” he said, noting he thinks there are as many cattle in Yavapai County as ever. It is the camaraderie within the livestock industry that Bates appreciates, and this is the catalyst for the Cowboy Poets Gathering, she said. This bond continues to unite cowboy poets, who will celebrate their 25th annual event in Prescott next year. Bates writes “whenever I get a one-liner or a bright idea.”
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Will Scott, president of the African American Farmers of California, poses for a photo by the sorghum plants at the group’s demonstration farm in Fresno, Calif. The number of black farmers has been in a long decline nationally, and in California, about 400 farms are still owned by African Americans. The Associated Press
California wants to increase number of black farmers Continued on Page 28
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F “Black farmers were the backbone of American agriculture. We went from being slaves to sharecroppers. Black farmers left farming because they didn’t see the financial rewards. Instead, they saw pictures of the old South where there were racial tensions and they didn’t want that for their families.” — JOHN BOYD, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL BLACK FARMERS ASSOCIATION.
RESNO, Calif. (AP) — As the sun rises on tilled soil on the outskirts of Fresno, Calif., Mori Vance bends to pick black eyed peas, then disappears among towering okra bushes. Vance, who is African-American, is harvesting her first crop with several other novice black farmers, all hoping to make it their life’s work. The African American Farmers of California started the 15-acre demonstration farm to teach about growing and eating healthy food and to get African-American kids interested in agriculture. The project is part of a nationwide effort to revive the pride of black farmers and reverse the decline of blackowned farms. In Milwaukee, Atlanta and Chicago, black-run nonprofit organizations are providing African-Americans with land to farm, conducting workshops in agriculture and training youth in gardening. “A lot of black people, their grandparents were farmers, but they were forced out of agriculture. We’re trying to help them easily re-enter into it,” said Will Scott, president of the California farmers group. “The goal is that they eventually become self-sufficient.” The challenge is great because farming carries negative connotations for many African-Americans due to the legacies of slavery, sharecropping and recent discriminatory government policies. “Black farmers were the backbone of American agriculture,” said John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association. “We went from being slaves to sharecroppers. Black farmers left farming because they didn’t see the financial rewards. Instead, they saw pictures of the old South where there were racial tensions and they didn’t want that for their families.” Many left their farms during the Depression. Then following World War II, millions of blacks migrated across the country, in part because federal officials denied them federal agricultural loans and other assistance that routinely went to whites, Boyd said. As a result, he said, many black farmers lost their land to foreclosure. Blacks now make up about 1 percent of the nation’s farmers and ranchers, according to the USDA. In 1920, blacks made up roughly 14 percent of the nation’s farmers. In California, where there are more than 80,000 farms, blacks own fewer than 380, according to the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture. The federal government has acknowledged historic racial bias and in 1999 settled a class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination in government loans. Congress recently agreed to provide $1.25 billion to African-American farmers who were unable to participate in the original settlement, but a judge must still approve the agreement. At the Fresno farm, Scott is trying to inculcate pride in his three novice farmers. “You’re on the other side now. You’re not a worker, but an owner. You work for yourself. There’s a pleasure in seeing things grow and when other people enjoy the fruit of your labor,” he said on a recent September morning. Scott’s group, which unites about 20 farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, started the farm using a grant from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The group leases the land from Fresno County and farms organically. The farmers pay a symbolic $200 to $300 per year to use the land, plus costs of irrigation. Scott, a retired engineer-turned-farmer whose family migrated from Oklahoma to California in 1952, offers technical assistance, from land preparation to bed shaping to pest management. His grandfather was a sharecropper, and his father picked grapes and cotton in California’s Central Valley. One goal, Scott said, is to reintroduce southern specialty crops — traditionally part of the African American diet — into the black community, to help stymie the epidemic of obesity and diabetes. “The nutritional value of this food was passed down the generations,” Scott said. “It helped build our immune system, kept us healthy and strong. We hope to pass it on to sustain the next generation.” For Vance, a licensed vocational nurse who has been unemployed for a year, the benefits of joining the farm extend to her family and entire community. Vance’s father, mother and aunt gather at daybreak to help pick the crops that later transform into delicious meals. Vance also brings her nieces and nephews, who are high school students, to plant and harvest. And she distributes her organic veggies at two area churches. “I’ve always wanted to farm. It’s my time with God,” Vance said. “When I’m out here, I talk to Him all the time, I praise him. Farming is a much healthier way to live.” Vance, whose great-grandfather was a farmer in Arkansas, hopes to develop an after-school program at the farm to teach children how to plant, cook and live healthier. Scott also hopes black children can reap financial benefits from farming. “Agriculture is a multi-billion dollar industry, and our youth needs to be brought into it so they can play a part in it,” he said. Other organizations across the U.S. are also trying to educate African-Americans about farming and create jobs in agriculture for unemployed or underemployed blacks, especially in urban areas. Black churches are hosting farmers markets and connecting black farmers with customers. And in July, several black farming groups hosted the first National Black Agriculture Awareness Week to reach out to African-Americans and bring attention to the decline of black agriculture. These efforts have been bolstered by first lady Michelle Obama’s interest in farming, said Michael Harris, publisher of Black Agriculture, a Sacramento, Calif.-based quarterly. “The physical example of seeing the first lady on her hands and knees in her garden working, that picture speaks a thousand words,” Harris said. “It changes the concept of farming that black people have.” But the change in imagery, Harris said, needs to be followed by changes in policy. Black farmers still lack access to opportunities, information and financial assistance, he said. “We’re still fighting last century’s discrimination,” Harris said. “But African-Americans are hungry today and we need to concentrate on teaching and policy change so there is job creation in agriculture.”
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Harvest Directory 2011 Compiled by Elizabeth J. Musgrave
FARMERS MARKETS
The Original Farmers Market Parking lot of UAW Local 662, 109 Bypass Anderson, Ind. (765) 649-2100, Fax: (765) 644-7267 Open-air/seasonal Saturday, 6-11 a.m. Bloomfield Wednesday Farmers Market Bloomingfoods parking lot Bloomfield, Ind. (812) 384-3375 Open-air/seasonal May-October Wednesday, 7 a.m.-noon Bloomingfoods Farmers Market Bloomingfoods parking lot 3220 East Third Street Bloomington, Ind. (812) 336-5400, Fax: (812) 3361906 May-October Open-air/seasonal Saturday 7 a.m. - noon Thursday 5-7 p.m. Broad Ripple Farmers Market The Bungalow parking lot Westfield and East Westfield Indianapolis, Ind. (317) 254-9939 Open-air/seasonal June-October Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon BroadRipplefarmersmarket.org Connersville/Fayette Community Farmers Market Fifth Third Bank parking lot Connersville, Ind. (765) 825-0546 Open-air/seasonal May-October Saturday, 5-11 a.m.
Farmers Market at Minnetrista Orchard Shop Courtyard 1200 N. Minnetrista Parkway Muncie, Ind. 47303 (765) 282-4848 Open-air/seasonal Through October Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon
Noblesville Farmers Market City Hall parking lot 10th and Conner streets Noblesville, Ind. 46060 (317) 776-0205, (317) 776-2688 Open-air/seasonal May-October Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon
Richmond Farmers Market North E and North 8th streets Richmond, Ind. (765) 966-0511, (765) 935-3721 Open-air/seasonal June-October Saturday, dawn-noon richmonduea.org
Greenfield Farmers Market Eastside of Courthouse Greenfield, Ind. (317) 462-1113 Open-air/seasonal Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Pendleton Farmers Market Depot Park Pendleton, Ind. (765) 778-3762 Open-air/seasonal June-October Saturday, 8-11:30 a.m. Pendletonfarmersmarket.net
The Original Farmers Market at the Indianapolis City Market East Plaza 222 East Market Street Indianapolis (317) 634-9266 Open-air/seasonal Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. indianapoliscitymarket.com
Indianapolis Farmers Market Fall Creek Parkway - Near 38th Street Indianapolis, Ind. (317) 274-7746 Open-air/seasonal June-October Daily, 4-8 p.m.
Portland Farmers Market I Courthouse Square Portland, Ind. (219) 726-4707 Open-air/seasonal Wednesday, Saturday, 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Portland Farmers Market II Water and Ship streets Portland, Ind. (219) 726-4707 Open-air/ seasonal Friday, 1-7 p.m.
Yorktown Farmers Market Morrow’s Meadow Yorktown, Ind. Open-air/seasonal Late April-October Friday, 4-7 p.m. Zionsville Farmers Market Hawthorne and Main streets Zionsville, Ind. (800) 268-0711 Open-air/seasonal June-October Saturday, 7:30-10:30 a.m.
Pumpkin patches, mazes and specialty events
Annual Fall Festival South Side Church of The Nazarene 3500 W. Fuson Road, Muncie What: Community families are invited to come enjoy a hog roast, carnival games, car show and craft show. Free admission. (765) 284-9320 Date: Saturday, Oct. 1, noon-4 p.m.
Pumpkinliner Whitewater Valley Railroad 455 Market St., Connersville, Ind. (765) 825-2054 What: A round trip from the Connersville Grand Central Station to the pumpkin patch, including a hay ride to and from the patch, and a pumpkin for each child 12 and younger. Dates: Oct. 22-23 Website: whitewatervalleyrr.org/ main.php Waterman’s Farm Market 7010 East Raymond Street Indianapolis, Ind. (317) 356-6995 What: U-pick apples, antique tractor rides, animal barnyard, 10-acre corn maze, country kitchen and grill, pumpkin patch, community garden. Website: countylineorchard.com Today’s Harvest Autumn Family Fun U.S. 40 & S.R. 320, New Paris, Ohio (Just 2 miles west of Richmond, Ind.) (937) 877-6030 What: Multi-acre corn maze, wagon rides, corn hole, putt-putt golf, life size checkers, rope maze, duck races and u-pick pumpkins. Enjoy great music and food. Dates: Corn maze will be open weekends through Oct. 18; Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-8 p.m. Daily hours after Oct. 17: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-8 p.m. Website: todaysharvestfarm.com
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1 Fun Farm 8291 W. Ind. 1, Farmland, Ind. (765) 468-4300 What: Corn maze, haunted corn maze, Trail of Thrills, Kiddie Corral featuring pumpkin tetherball and cornball, Hoppin’ Hooves Play Area, pumpkin patch, pig races. 10th Annual Fall Festival on Oct.1 at 2 p.m.: Activities include a pumpkin hunt (just like an Easter egg hunt), pumpkin carving contest, horse-drawn hayrides, pig races, pumpkin toss, special visits from your favorite characters, and much more. Dates: Through Oct. 30; Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, closed; Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, 1-9 p.m. Website: 1funfarm.com
Mazed and Cornfused at Hiatt Farms 7351 S. St. Rd. 67, Muncie (765) 282-7293 What: Pumpkin patch, pick in the field, corn maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, pre-picked produce, snacks and refreshment stand. Open: Friday 5-10 p.m., Saturday 1-10 p.m., Sunday 1-6 p.m. Corn maze is open Sept. 23-Oct. 30. Website: Mazedandcornfused.com Armand’s Harper Valley Farms and Pumpkin Patch 13094 S. County Road 600 West, Westport, Ind. (812) 591-3416 What: Pumpkin patch, farm fresh produce, fall mums, no-growthhormone-added fresh frozen pork and beef, eggs. Website: harpervalleyfarms.com
Steele Farms Where: 5525 W 300 N Decatur, Ind. (260) 565-3355 What: Pumpkin patch, corn maze, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, picnic area, farm animals, barrel train rides, hay rides, straw mountain and market. Dates: Sept. 25-Oct. 30, Fridays 4-9 p.m., Saturdays 11-9 p.m., Sundays 2-7 p.m. Cook’s Orchard 8724 Huguenard Road, Fort Wayne, Ind. (260) 489-3940 What: Pick-your-own apples, pumpkins for sale in the shop or farm stand, honey from hives on farm and pie pumpkins.
DeGrandchamp’s Pumpkin Patch 7722 Aboite Center Road Fort Wayne, Ind. (219) 436-4359. Hours: 9 a.m.-dusk Hilger Family Farm 5534 Butt Road, Fort Wayne, Ind. (260) 625-3467 What: Uses natural growing practices, pumpkins for sale in the shop or farm stand, pumpkin patch u-pick or already picked, kiddie corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized hay bale maze, pie pumpkins, tractorpulled hay rides, wagon rides and farm animals. Dates: Thursday-Sunday through Nov. 1.
Millennium Farms Pumpkin Patch 5715 East 300 South, Oxford, Ind. (765) 385-0566 What: Pumpkin patch, U-pick or already picked, train rides, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized hay bale maze, concession stand, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, petting zoo, hayrides and tractor-driven barrel train rides. Dates: Sept. 26-Nov. 1 (Saturday and Sundays only) 9 a.m.-dusk Autumn in the Country Garrett Feed Mill 0955 CR 56, Garrett, Ind.; (260) 357-4778 What: Pumpkins, u-pick or gathered, corn maze, kiddie corn maze, child-sized haybale maze, horse-drawn hay rides, tractorpulled hay rides, concessions, picnic area and farm animals. Date: Oct. 1-30
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THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM