Natural Food Campaign Begins By Dave Newton, Education Coordinator Maysie's Farm Conservation Center is launching its Natural Food Campaign. The overall goal of this campaign is to heighten understanding of the benefits of organic food for the health of our ecosystem and our local communities as well as for one's personal health. Most people are familiar with fresh organic vegetables and fruits, but virtually all other foods can also be produced and processed organically. Such foods include milk and other dairy products, poultry and eggs, meat and meat products, grains and products made from them, and beverages even including soft drinks. For a food to be labeled "Certified Organic" the grower and processor must have their operations approved and certified by a state agency. As part of our Natural Food Campaign, we are also promoting the purchase and consumption of locally grown organic foods in addition to the vegetables received from our CSA. By purchasing from local farms, we economically support the local agricultural industry and thus help preserve farmland. And by promoting organic foods, we help reduce chemical contamination and nonpoint source pollution in our environment. We will also be stressing the differences between the practices of small farms raising pastured livestock or organic fruits and grains and those of conventional farms. We will assess the impact of those practices on the ecosystem, the farmer, the community and the consumer. Maysie's Farm is excited to inaugurate our Natural Food Campaign by offering our first food preservation workshop. Instructors Marsha Biderman and Ron Barron have culinary experience that ranges from catering, restaurant food preparation, and commercial pastry creation to cooking class instruction, personal diet counseling, and private cooking lessons. In this workshop, Ron and Marsha will teach us techniques that "extend the season" of our farm fresh produce, and emphasize preserving the maximum nutritional content, color, and flavor of the food. A hallmark of their style is to not only give specific recipes but to send us away with the techniques and principles that will enable us to duplicate our efforts with up-and-coming-veggies and prepare us for next season's bounty. While Ron and Marsha will touch on traditional techniques such as freezing and canning used to store single food items, they will emphasize distilling and combining the fresh flavors of the foods before they are stored. They will also explain which vegetables stay fresh and nutritious without any processing, as well as make some easy creations from their own ingredients. We will hold this workshop on Wednesday, September 18th, from 7-9 PM at the Barrons' warm, friendly kitchen in their Downingtown home. Watch our postings in the barn, and check our website for more information, directions, and breaking news (as we go to press, additional details are being finalized, such as the size of the fee to cover materials). And sign up early! Ron and Marsha can comfortably host about fifteen people in their home workshops, and this workshop will be open to the public.

Teacher Training Workshops by Colleen Cranney The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently passed new science curriculum standards that include learning objectives in the subjects of "Agriculture and Society" and "Integrated Pest Management." So for the first time this summer, Maysiežs Farm Conservation Center offered two-day teacher training workshops on Understanding Agriculture. Teachers came from different local schools, and were able to acquire continuing education credits. They wanted to gain practical, hands-on knowledge of farming in order to implement these new academic standards for environment and ecology in their classrooms. The first morning of the workshop was similar to what the kids did in their workshop: teachers were walked through soil preparation, composting, seeding, transplanting, mulching, pulling weeds, and harvesting vegetables for a salad lunch. Special emphasis was placed on the biodiversity that exists in the soil. Instructional materials and educational activities were presented, including a tour of the Childrenžs Garden. The workshopžs second day focused on Integrated Pest Management. Teachers collected insects on the farm using traps and nets, and learned about cultural, physical, biological, and chemical measures that may be used to control pests. In addition, special guests made presentations about their agricultural programs: Paula Kline and Alan Wright of Westtown School described organic farming and IPM at their school; Susan Goldsworthy talked about Community Gardens of Chester County; and Elmer Duckinfield of Chester County Food Providers Network shared information about the gleaning program. Participating teachers agreed that the workshop was an enlightening and enjoyable experience, and appreciated the emphasis on interactional learning. Stephanie Shockites, a 4th grade teacher at Reeceville Elementary, said, "I had no idea what went into organic farming, or even how many microorganisms live in the soil. I really learned so much in those two days!" She and other teachers came away motivated to start organic gardens at their schools, and pass some new knowledge on to their students.

Looking for more organic vegetable recipes? The Kimberton Whole Foods website offers great ideas! Log on to www.kimbertonwholefoods.com.