Lehman’s Country Life

Dear Readers,
It’s almost time for back to school! Whether you are relaxing together or working together, time spent with your children talking and listening, is essential when they are young so that as they grow up, they feel they can still come and talk to you about the everyday things (plus the really important decisions they must make). Make sure you take time to hear about their day, any challenges they’ve had and support to get their homework done. Work on building a good routine these first couple of weeks and the rest of the year will go much smoother.

One of the things I look forward to this time of year is working together in food preservation. Breaking beans, husking corn and picking tomatoes have been a regular task done by my mother, my aunt and myself. It’s a lot of work and I appreciate more each year the time and effort that many of you spend to enjoy your results when the snow is flying. I’ve received several calls on tomatoes, specifically on salsa recipes, and thought you might enjoy the following information I found from a co-worker in Huron County, Ohio, Deb Angell.

Tomatoes have long been recognized as a fairly good source of vitamin C and they contain a smidgen of beta carotene. But until recently, we didn’t realize the antioxidants that make them a favored commodity for fighting many diseases. Experts urge people to eat more tomatoes and tomato products, at least 5 servings per week. The key is lycopene and you get the best results from this anitioxidant when it is heated or cooked to release its best form.
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Greetings from “Land’s End ” in Nova Scotia

Bugs, the nemesis of all gardeners, are especially persistent in our organic garden this year and in the hot house. Bill has never used anything but organic natural methods in gardening here for twenty-three years.

It took three years , after planting our first garden , to have a decent harvest. The farm was run out and neglected for about thirty years before we bought it. The land was full of wire worms, thistles, wild bamboo, wood ticks and dead grass. Bugs and weeds have been a very real challenge. They were thriving together before we took over this farm.

Those first years our potatoes were full of wire worms. Wire worms are often found in old sod ground that hasn’t been tilled for a long time. Over the space of several years my husband studied the life cycle of the wire worm. He discovered by digging the potatoes earlier than usual he could interfere with the life cycle of the little critters. They were disturbed before they got into the potatoes or had time to reproduce. Eventually the wire worms were gone from that one field. Digging potatoes early meant smaller ones but at least they were free of wire worms.

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Enjoy the beauty of the Kidron area landscape thru the eyes of local artist Dennis Lipp. On July 12th, during Lehman’s Local Artisan Festival, Dennis can be found in the cafe and book area painting a scene from this area. So grab some lunch, coffee or ice cream and have a seat to enjoy seeing the creative process at work! Dennis, along with 13 other local artists will be participating in live demonstrations and offering their artwork for sale. Make a day of it and enjoy! Stop by www.kidronarts.com to read artists profiles and see a preview of artwork and demonstrations.

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By this month, many gardens are coming right along. Before you know it, plants will share the bounty of the summer and you’ll be knee-deep in zucchini or green beans. What do you plan to do with the extra that you can’t eat or enjoy at the moment? Preserve your extra produce for use in the fall and winter! Whether you freeze, can or dry your food depends upon the space and equipment you have available and what your personal preferences happen to be. This article will focus on the safety issues and canning basics.
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You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”
-Ziggy by Tom Wilson

Apart from the flowery, beautiful sonnets and songs written down through the ages about roses, I often find the more “common language” quotations the most enjoyable. If you were here a few weeks ago and learned, perhaps, some new things about planting and cultivating roses, you may very well have at least one lovely plant turning out its colorful bounty. If your roses are of the strains that are considered either “antique” or “old garden roses” (or those developed more recently with extra attention not to losing the magic of scent) you may also be wondering how you can preserve both the color and perfume of roses. You’ve come to the right place!
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Tim Shue, a resident, artist and musician from the Kidron area, will be at Lehman’s Local Artisan Festival filling two roles. He will be providing musical entertainment and showcasing his unique mosaic garden art. To create the pieces you see above Tim uses carvings as well as pieces of glass or tiles to make this lovely garden art. The mix between the natural materials of the rock and the colors and textures of the glass and tile, along with the nature theme make for an interesting compliment to gardens, patios or walkways. They work beautifully whether in a manicured garden or a naturalized one. Plan on stopping by to see the many creative talents of Tim Shue on July 12th along with a wide variety of other local artist. To read more about the other particpating artists go to www.kidronarts.com

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There is a little hunter-gatherer in us all. Before humankind settled down and started to make gardens in settlements we were nomadic hunter-gatherers. And June is really the start of the foraging-for-free-food season.

I tend to think that hay fever is the sophisticate’s response to being alienated from this most ancient of activities. One herbalist told me that if you looked out in the countryside you would probably find something to heal whatever ails you within twenty yards of your doorstep.
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Most people don’t realize that the honeybees zooming about in our gardens are some of the most important creatures on the planet. In their search for a meal of nectar and pollen, they play a critical role in helping plants set fruit and reproduce. It’s hard to believe, but an incredible 91% of the estimated 240,000 flowering plant species worldwide, require the help of these pollinators to survive. If there are no insects to pollinate the flowers, there will be no fruit or vegetables and no seed production for the next generation. Despite the important service these pollinators provide, they have been largely ignored and are now threatened by habitat loss, pesticide use and disease. Wild honeybee populations have dropped 25 percent since 1990. A continuing decline in pollinator activity puts most ornamental plants - as well as much of our food supply - into jeopardy. Here are four easy ways you can help - right in your own backyard:
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This is the third of a three-part series on how to live an environmentally responsible lifestyle. Entitled “How to live green,” it will help you make eco-friendly choices that are easy on your budget, as well as Mother Nature.

One of the most attractive benefits of living green is that it will save you money. That’s right - save cash as you save the earth. What could be better than that? Here are tips on how to live a greener life, without ruining all your fun.
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Wineries are hip, hot and profitable properties these days, but could vermiculture, otherwise known as worm composting, become the wriggly new trend? With growing awareness about our carbon footprints and the need to recycle, all sorts of old technology is getting a modern twist. The typical American lifestyle consumes so much energy that it would require six planets to keep feeding our consumer habit. We need to increase our commitment to reuse, recycle and renew. Composting is one way that every household can make a contribution to reducing its carbon footprint.
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