Dayton, Virginia: Dennis and Mildred Showalter, Shenandoah Produce Auction

Mildred Showalter stepped out onto her front porch to greet us and I was struck, just as I was the first time I met her a few days prior, with how strong her arms looked. A beautiful Old-Order Mennonite woman with a big smile and perfectly white teeth in her late 40's or early 50's who has raised 5 biological children and 30 odd foster children. The arms peeking out from the ruffled sleeves of her simple homemade dress have picked up and comforted a lot of babies, and it shows.

Mildred runs the family plant nursery with her daughters and they have waves of white and purple pansies at the moment, though the season has peaked and the greenhouses are nothing like they were a few weeks ago. Her husband Dennis runs the relatively new produce auction in Dayton and dairy farms along with 2 of their sons. The third son has a mulch business that fits in wonderfully with the nursery.

The produce auction has been very successful, providing a new outlet for local farmers (many of them also Old-Order Mennonites). The dairy business has been stressful the past few years, as evidenced by many of our recent conversations about low and fluctuating milk prices, and some farmers welcome the chance to develop niche vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, melons, or squash, to offset their dairy costs and diversify their farms. Sometimes the buyers are individuals looking for a bushel of something for canning, but most of the sales of fruit, veggies, and flowers go to larger clients such as local supermarkets and stores in the cities of surrounding states.

The Showalters talk about how farming has allowed them to spend time with their kids as they were growing up and tighten the bond of their family. Trav and I could see the family pulling together at the produce auction with Dennis helping the last of the buyers load up their goods while Mildred and the girls served anyone with $5 and an appetite a plate of burgers, fries, salad, beans and key lime pie, all the while dodging around her latest 2 foster babies asleep in their bouncy chairs on the floor. At their request we did not photograph them, but they did permit us to take pictures of their place.

Harrisonburg Virginia: Radell Schrock, Season's Bounty

After leaving Muddy Bikes we drove a few miles away from downtown toward Radell's place on the outskirts of town. Radell was a couple of years ahead of me in school and I remember well his easygoing manner and ready smile. After graduating Radell taught high school for a number of years and rented a 5 acre plot of land that he farmed in the summer until school would start again. Radell talked to us about how much he loved farming and finally decided to stop teaching and farm full time. Now he has a CSA, grows for the Harrisonburg Farmers Market and is contemplating building a roadside stand at the end of the lane. As we walked through the extremely orderly rows of carrots, peppers, tomatoes (which he was especially proud of), and lettuce galore I thought about how well this farm seemed to reflect Radell's personality.

Radell farms with intense focus, rows are planted as close as plants can be and thrive, the design is efficient and utilitarian, and beautiful in a manicured way.

Radell's parents moved from Wisconsin to Harrisonburg for their retirement as they had always planned to do, but they have really enjoyed being part of the work on the farm. They help out every day and always bring a lunch fit for hard working farmers to share with Radell. Mrs. Schrock speaks with quiet pride about Radell's being voted on as the president of the farmers market association and how well he handles whatever conflicts may arise there. In the past few years the farmers market has gone from non-existent to slightly patronized to thriving, and we could well see that from the vendors spilling out of the covered gazebo ino the parking lot. Before we took off we bought some brilliantly orange carrots from Radell which we finished in the short walk from the gazebo to the car.

Harrisonburg Virginia: Muddy Bikes/Our Community Works

Trav and I had a heavy day of interviewing ahead of us, first on the schedule was Tom Benevento of Muddy Bikes, an urban garden. The plot is really the back and front yards of two houses owned by the nonprofit just a few blocks from my favorite downtown diner, the Little Grill. Tom Benevento is the dreamer who landscaped this social justice project after spending many years working with land and community issues in Latin America. Tom chose Harrisonburg VA to be the site of his next justice venture because it is a city that constantly teeters on the edge of dynamic change. It's a city like a lot of cities, ripe for change and always tempted to remain status quo.

After Tom bought the plots he found there was a community interested in helping him work towards more equanimity in relation to food and justice and people. There are many disadvantaged folks in Harrisonburg, and with Muddy Bikes Tom and company have found a way to offer more options to folks. Economically distressed people work the urban plots and are paid a great wage from the profit the produce makes at market. There is no fuel involved, and all transport is done by bikes with trailers on them (hence the name). There are many connected networks such as Our Community Works (those looking for jobs find them through this organization) and there is a new farm outside the city limits that will be available for people struggling with addictions to work on. The house that sits on the urban property houses up to three people at a time who need housing.

Not all the neighbors have been receptive to living next to Muddy Bikes but even that has it's positive outcome as neighbors with different perspectives and stories learn to live with each other. If Harrisonburg truly does teeter on the edge of climactic and great change I have no doubt that Tom and crew will be some of the ones giving it a healthy shove in that direction.

Sara and Josef

On our way west to Plowshare Farm in McAlevey's Fort, PA we stopped in to visit my old friend Sara and meet her husband Josef. We stayed the weekend on the farm that is owned by Sara's brother Myron and his family. Poor Trav was suffering from a stomach bug and he pretty much sacked out on the couch only to lift his head every once in a while to weakly say he was sorry he was not very good company.

The farm was a blissful recovery place for Trav, and I loved catching up with my friend. We picked strawberries from the massive garden (that we turned into strawberry ice cream) and I milked a goat for the first time (I just got a few squirts). Sara taught us to make goat milk mozzarella and introduced us to the Settlers of Catan game (and proceeded to develop the biggest settlements... we demand a rematch!) Josef and Sara were amazing hosts, and after church sent us on our way with asparagus and berries and other garden treasures. Our cup runneth over from the generosity of amazing friends.

McAlevy's Fort, Pennsylvania: Plowshare Produce, Micah and Bethany

Travis was still feeling pretty ill when we made our next stop at McAlevy’s Fort near State College in PA. Not only were we going to interview two young farmers in the second year of their CSA, but we were spending the week working with them on their farm. We were desperate to get our hands in the dirt after talking to so many farmers and Bethany and Micah had a list for the 4 of us to knock out.

Arriving at the farm was the first sight of Micah I’ve ever had. Bethany I knew from being students together at Eastern Mennonite University. I was good friends with her sister Karen, and I knew from reading Bethany’s editorials in the school paper and hearing her speak publicly that Bethany had SOUL. Her poetry and perspective inspired me to bake bread, be kind, ride my bike, appreciate my surroundings and probably be a better version of myself in general. Back to the present…

Bethany and Micah met in Washington D.C. where Bethany was working for Mennonite Central Committee and Micah was teaching the third grade. They decided that they
#1 really liked each other and
#2 wanted to grow food.


They apprenticed on several farms before settling down two years ago on Bethany’s parent’s farm. They farm 2 acres of produce along with chickens and two plow horses and an adorable ornery donkey named Fred. Her parents make hay and keep dozens of sheep. They believe that a CSA connects the consumer to the farmers, and that’s good for everybody. Micah and Bethany are two of the kindest, gentlest, most fun loving people I know, and they pour themselves into their farm and their relationships with their community. They have a few customers who do work trade for their box of food, there are harvest parties and potlucks and they have created a "plowsharing fund" which provides a share through donations for someone who may not have been able to afford it otherwise.



Our week at Plowshare was filled with amazing meals and conversations, hard work, peaceful rest at the family’s cabin, and beautiful music brought to us by Micah and Bethany. Micah is an amazing guitar player and when they sing together it’s hard to hold back applause. They do a beautiful rendition of the Grateful Dead’s goodnight song and Trav and I have been singing it ever since we left.
You can see their farm website at http://www.plowshareproduce.com/.

Morgantown, PA: Dr. Hubert Karreman, veterinarian

Dr. Hubert Karreman was our last stop of the day; we met him at a sweet old diner near Morgantown PA. Dr. Karreman is a large-animal veterinarian and has been practicing for many years, though he has slowed down recently due to some heart troubles. He seemed like a kind, no-nonsense, humorous guy, and he spoke with us about the changes he's seen since he's been in agriculture. "Doc" (as he was referred to by Daryl) advocates organic practices, and has limited his vet practice to organic animals only, or people who are transitioning their animals to organic.

He offered some interesting perspectives; it's always fascinating to chat with people who play a part in agriculture other than the farmers themselves. People like Dr. Karreman get to see numerous farms and understand how they work at a glance...while many farmers rarely visit operations other than their own and their neighbors.

Dr. Karreman recently completed a 5-year stint on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a 15-member USDA team that creates the national standards that organic farmers need to meet in order to be certified. He has published a book entitled "Treating Dairy Cows Naturally", a farmer-friendly look at simple methods of bovine treatment that can save trouble, money, etc.

Living in Lancaster County gives him the chance to compare and contrast operations and cultural differences such as the Amish farms, organic farms, and conventional larger dairies around. His own bio can be seen on his business site: http://www.penndutchcowcare.org/pages/HJK_bio.html

Phoenixville, PA: Seven Stars Farm, David and Edie Griffiths and Mark Dunphy

The next stop with our farm guide extraordinaire Daryl was Seven Star Farm, one of the first biodynamic dairies in the country. Seven Star Dairy sits on 300-some acres of land owned and put into a land trust by the local Waldorf school, which emphasizes farming and other practical skill building. There is a CSA on the property, but we spoke with the farmers who founded and operated the Dairy, David and Edie. David was injured by a falling round bale of hay some years ago, and Mark came on full time to oversee the machinery and manage the Dairy.

David studied at the University of California and cited Alan Chadwick as an inspiration, whose work remains preserved and modeled at UC-Santa Cruz to this day. David spoke quietly in his home about the way that Seven Stars has developed and the importance of a biodynamic system, as it allows attention to the cycling of nutrients on and around the farms. Edie was a happy and energetic woman, obviously in tune with the entire operation of the farm.

About 10 years ago, Mark joined the team to take on some of the farm management; we interviewed him as we toured the farm. He was obviously proud of the cows, the barn, and the entire system that they have polished over the years. He seemed to enjoy the challenges of being a dairy with self-imposed limitations and guidelines that come with the biodynamic focus.

The farm produces delicious yogurt and quarts of cream from beautiful brown faced Jersey cows. The maple syrup for the maple flavored yogurt comes from Canada in 50 gallon drums at $2,500 per barrel. Seven Star Dairy is committed to quality at whatever cost and Trav and I can attest to the deliciousness of the maple yogurt; we were given a quart along with a quart of cream, and the yogurt was divine. Seven Stars also emphasizes education, and they partner with the Waldorf School to teach agriculture to all comers.

We made strawberry ice cream with the cream, hand cranked at the house of our friends the next day. It was also really really good. Of course.

Honey Brook, PA: Elmer Kauffman

Being a friend of Daryl's has many wonderful benefits. When I told him the nature of this project he offered a helping hand right away. Being very involved in the farming community around Ephrata, Morgantown, and Terre Hill, Daryl offered to connect us to a few local farmers doing different things. Not only did he connect us, he chauffered us to three places all day on Friday, escalating him from awesome-person status to hero status in my book.

The first appointment was with Elmer Kauffman, an Amish dairy farmer whom Daryl has hauled cattle for. Without Daryl's help we never would have been able to speak with Elmer, so many many more thanks to Daryl for his support and involvement in our project.

Upon arriving at Elmer's we followed him into his home, which had beautifully polished dark wood floors and homemade quilts over the backs of chairs. We grabbed some folding chairs and followed Elmer out to the barn to hear about what he does. Elmer is a youthful looking 29 year old with a few kids and about 80 cows that he and his father milk. Elmer's hand was swathed in a thick gauze bandage with burdock from a recent injury involving a round baler.

He talked about how supportive the Amish community has been in light of his injury; when he had to go to the hospital and then was out of commission he found his farm was run by his neighbors who pulled together and cared for his animals and his fields. Elmer is a conventional farmer and said he has noticed in recent years that his crops have had much higher yields, which he suspects is due to chemical engineering to the seeds. Elmer does his field work with several HUGE mules (he was featured with them in a calendar with a mule theme which we can verify because he gave us a copy!).

Elmer said that he wishes someone would think of more streamlined technology for milking parlors. He, like many conventional dairy farmers that we've spoken to, has issues with the milk pricing system in the US. It's a very complex system that nearly nobody really understands. It has created financial issues in dairy operations all over the country with historically low commodity milk prices these past couple of years. Elmer was extremely generous to spend time with us, and while he declined to be photographed due to the Amish faith's aversion to graven images/pride, we did get a sweet shot of his gargantuan mules.

Terre Hill, PA: Doorstep Dairy, Daryl and Karen Wenger Mast

After our interview with the Garbers (at Spring Hill Dairy), Trav and I felt like we traveled back in time (remember the milkman?) when we interviewed my dear friends, Daryl and Karen about their new business, Doorstep Dairy.

This amazing venture was dreamed up by Daryl, whose grandfather was a milkman back in the day. When asked to describe this new business Daryl will smile and ask "Well, do you remember the milkman?" Daryl is offering a unique and incredible food service; he has selected local products from dairies and is using an online ordering systrem. His customers can pick out items they'd like to receive weekly, and every Friday Daryl will bring their picks right to the doorstep. Daryl said it was hard to pick the products he's offering because there are so many incredible farmers in the area with tasty products, and if all goes well he may expand his options in the future. There is an assortment of milk, cheese, baked goods, and yogurt (Trav and I tried the strawberry yogurt when we had lunch with Karen and Daryl...it was so good it knocked my socks off).

As the housing developments from surrounding cities get closer and closer to rural areas, Daryl sees it as an increasingly feasible option to begin offering a doorstep service.

Farming is a huge part of Daryl's life. He grew up on and operated a dairy farm, then sold his portion of that and started a livestock-hauling business. Through that network Daryl knows many farmers and families in the community, and is obviously well-liked and respected by all for his easy going and gentle manner and his great sense of humor. Daryl still hauls cattle and will continue to do so while Doorstep Dairy grows. I have no doubt that if Trav and I lived around Ephrata we would be customers of Doorstep Dairy; the products are incredibly delicious and local, building the local economy, and Karen and Daryl and family are so kind.

Kutztown, PA: Rodale Institute, Jeff Moyer

There is a certain amount of impulsivity destined to occur on a roadtrip like this. Trav does his best to plan out our route and call farmers and extension agents ahead of time, but every so often we stumble upon an amazing opportunity by way of a road sign. This was the case as we meandered down the Pennsylvania highway toward Lancaster and passed a sign for the Rodale Institute, a well known and highly respected educational/agricultural/technological center.

Trav's defensive driving skills had us whipped around in no time and we wound our way down some back roads to Rodale. We made an appointment to talk with Jeff Moyer, who has been the farm manager since the 1970's, and he took us on an amazing tour of the farm. We learned that the Rodale Institute is a non-profit that has been extremely influential in researching organic methods of farming in a scientific and practical way, and sharing their research findings with the public. J.I. Rodale bought the property in the 1930's because of an interest in the connection between healthy farming practices, healthy soil, and healthy people. Before anyone else really thought about organic farming, especially on a commercial production scale, Rodale saw a connection between what people ingest and how their health is affected. One of the goals of the farm today is to show anyone (long-time farmers, newcomer farmers, gardeners, grandmas, urban farmers, me) that it is just as economically, environmentally, and fundamentally viable to practice organic/sustainable farming as conventional farming.

To practically demonstrate this, Jeff will plant the same crop side by side and treat on conventionally and one organically, then measure how they do. The Institute finds that the organic plots produce as much, and in some cases, more than the conventional plots. Jeff said that a lot of farmers come to the Institute doubting that organic is a profitable way to farm, but they often leave with new ideas about how they can transform their operation to be profitable and sustainable. One thing Jeff mentioned that has really stuck with me is the fact that as consumers, each one of us has so much power. If we want a tomato that tastes like a tomato, then we may either have to grow it ourselves, or pay a local farmer to grow us a real tomato. Our other option is a cheap tomato, a tomato from thousands of miles away that was bred with genes to withstand a 20 mile an hour impact on plywood because it will need those genes to survive its insanely long ride to our grocery store.

The Rodale Institute offers all kinds of workshops covering topics like cover crops, no till farming, organic pest management and how to customize your plot to your needs and space. The Institute provides information and visual aids, and seeing profitable, organic, life affirming farming is worth a trip out there.

Interestingly, Jeff, who has been with the Institute since the '70's, created the no-till crimper for commercial-scale use. The crimper is basically a roller that attaches to a tractor and breaks the stems of a cover crop, such as rye. No-till systems can be applied to organic and conventional crops, reducing the amount of off-farm inputs needed to amend soil and increasing organic matter in a plot.