The Summer Food Staple

Shortcake, sundaes, jam.  What do they have in common? Each is tastefully complemented with strawberries.

Strawberry production and purchasing is in its prime this time of year, as are strawberry festivals. Some examples:

•      Troy Strawberry Festival — Troy, Ohio
•      Depot Town Strawberry Showcase — Ypsilanti, Michigan
•      Newark Strawberry Festival — Newark, Ohio
•      Strawberry Days — Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
•      The Belleville National Strawberry Festival — Belleville, Michigan

“Farmers from Lake Erie to the banks of the Ohio River are harvesting strawberries now,” said Brad Bergefurd, an OSU Extension horticulture specialist in a recent OSU Extension story.
 
According to the USDA ERS, Ohio harvested 730 thousand acres of strawberries last year.

Like other crops, strawberries have trade association representation. The North American Strawberry Growers Association (NASGA) supports USDA and state/provincial research programs and develops educational seminars and publications, promotes development of equipment, varieties and cultural methods to improve efficiency for the strawberry industry to strengthen and improve strawberry production and marketing.

An example of such industry development is a new strawberry production method being tested at The Ohio State University Extension called plasticulture. A recent story details the practice — allowing farmers to grow strawberries with better commercial attributes — larger fruit size, more sugar content and better disease resistance — and that can also be harvested as early as the first week of May and as late as October.

Plasticulture strawberries have the potential to yield 20,000 to 25,000 pounds of strawberries per acre, compared to 10,000 to 15,000 pounds of strawberries per acre using the traditional matted-row method.

Retail strawberries are priced about $2.50 to $3.50 per pound, so the opportunity for increased profits is appealing for farmers who take the time to invest in this new growing method.

“Just about every Ohio farmer that grows them for retail always sells out, so there is a strong market for the locally grown fruit,” said Bergefurd.

This superfood is healthy, tasty and adaptable for many recipes (and eases the pain of sunburns!). How do you most enjoy strawberries?  

Photo obtained from: Ashlee Culverhouse

Celebrate Ohio Ag This Summer

 Though agriculture is the backbone of Ohio, many consumers take it for granted. Now that summer is fast approaching, why not take a family outing to one of the Buckeye State’s historic farms to learn more about this important industry while having fun, too?

Ohio has a rich agriculture legacy that families can learn more about during farm visits.

Native Americans first introduced traditional vegetable crops to the state and when Europeans arrived during the late 1700s, growing practices were perfected and seeds from Europe were introduced to bring fruits and new grains to the state. Later, Ohio became a lucrative tobacco-producing state and farmers grew hemp for rope and cloth. 

Per an Ohio History Central story, farming birthed many industries:

“It is important to note that most early factories and industries grew out of Ohio's agricultural past. For example, by the 1810s, Dayton had a tobacco processing plant. Cincinnati became known as "Porkopolis" during the 1800s, once the city became the pork processing capital of the United States. Bezaleel Wells established a woolen mill in Steubenville in 1815, employing more than one hundred workers. Many manufacturers produced farming machinery, including Cyrus McCormick and Obed Hussey. McCormick invented the reaper, while Hussey developed an early version of the mower. Both of these men lived in Cincinnati during the 1830s.”

Ohio is home to many historic farms worth visiting.
   
Ohio Farm Sites:
   •    Carriage Hill MetroPark Farm — Dayton
   •    Lake Farmpark — Kirtland
   •    Slate Run Living Historical Farm — Westerville
   •    Ramseyer Farms — Wooster
   •    Malabar Farm — Lucas

What to expect:
    •    Planting demonstrations using period farming techniques and methods
    •    Educational tours/exhibits
    •    Crop picking
    •    Produce tasting

Related to farm sites that are open to the public is the Ohio’s Century Farms Program, which recognizes families who have maintained a farm in their family for at least 100 consecutive years. These farms may or may not be on-site accessible to tourists, but can be viewed from the roadside if traveling nearby.

To find a farm to visit or view, visit http://www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/cent_farms/.
 
Do you know of a historic Ohio farm that can be registered? Have you visited a historic farm?

Photo obtained from: http://www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/cent_farms/

The Farmers’ Almanac, is it better than your local weather personality?

Since 1818, the Farmers’ Almanac, most famous for it’s uncanny ability to accurately predict the weather, has been assisting farmers with everything from the best days to plant and fish to natural remedies to cure a cold.

In a recent article by the Christian Science Monitor, Chris Gaylord compared Punxsutawney Phil to the Farmers’ Almanac. He mentioned that maybe Punxsutawney Phil is more like the Farmers' Almanac because it predicts temperature trends for an entire year. A survey by the Weather Underground shows varying reports on the annual guide – ranging from 50 to 80 percent accuracy. Better than a groundhog.

In the month of February, the United States (especially the Northeast) was dumped on by snow, snow and more snow, just like the Farmers’ Almanac predicted.

“For the Middle Atlantic and Northeast States, we are predicting a major snow storm in mid-February; possibly even blizzard conditions.”

Whitman, Mass. Highway Superintendent Roger Stolte, said “No one can predict – except maybe the Farmer’s Almanac – how much snow we’re going to get each year,” in a recent article discussing how costly snow removal has been for their town this year.

So will farmers have an easier spring? According to the almanac, “Spring showers will be abundant, and there is threat of an active tornado season.” With a rough winter, will farmers be able to get their crops in on time? When will they catch a break? The almanac is calling for “near-normal summer precipitation.” Which should give farmers the break they deserve.

How does the Farmer’s Almanac predict the weather so accurately? The editors base their calculations on numerous factors such as sunspots, moon phases and other astronomical conditions. But editors do admit, they are not perfect.

“Although many longtime Almanac followers claim that our forecasts are 80 percent to 85 percent accurate, it should be noted that weather forecasting still remains an inexact science. Therefore, our forecasts may sometimes be imperfect. If you are planning an outdoor event, we recommend that you also check forecasts from local sources.”

But the almanac predicts more than just the weather. It includes money-saving tips, recipes for homemade dishes and what days are best to take vacation.

The majority of editions of the publication include articles advocating for a change in some accepted social practices. Articles such as:

• “How Much Daylight Are We Really Saving” a recommendation for a revised Daylight Saving Time schedule (2007)
• “A Cure for Doctors’ Office Delays” an article demanding more prompt medical service and calling for a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” (1996)
• “Pennies Make No Sense” a story which sought to eliminate the penny, and to permanently replace the dollar bill with less costly-to-produce dollar coins (1989)

For 2010, the publication has included tips about how to save a buck with “Keep Frugal Living a Priority” and how to “go green” with “Dollars and Sense of Going Green.”

In 2007, Farmers’ Almanac took its readers online by re-launching its original 1997 Web site, FarmersAlmanac.com. This interactive Web site features videos, weather predictions, recipes and much more.

How often do you refer to the Farmers’ Almanac to help you with your planting and harvesting decisions? Do you feel that this publication is a useful tool?