Bringing it to the Table: The Harvest Edition

Bringing itto the table

A special section by The Star Press and The Palladium-ItemThe Harvest Edition

“Smoke hangs like haze over harvested fi elds,

The gold of stubble, the brown of turned earth

And you walk under the red light of fall

The scent of fallen apples, the dust of threshed grain

The sharp, gentle chill of fall.

Here as we move into the shadows of autumn

The night that brings the morning of spring

Come to us, Lord of Harvest,

Teach us to be thankful for the gifts you bring us ...”

— Autumn Equinox Ritual

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

A1


The Harvest EditionThe Star Press & The Palladium-Item

September 19, 2010 • 2

“Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared — Kent Nerburn

“Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.”

STORIESINSIDE

Always changing, yet forever the same:

The Russell farm has a 200-year history in

Indiana. | 4

Debbie Jordan grew up on a farm and proves

she can do the work as well as her male family

members. | 8

Tractor upgrades — such as roll bars — reduce deaths,

injuries | 15

Basic tips on how to increase farm safety.

| 16

Ancient crop sees revival as a health

food. | 17

Gillis’ prove family farm is still the ‘cornerstone’ of

American agriculture | 19

Co-ops, new technologies help

control farming costs | 21

Area harvest festivals and events. | 22-23

2 | Toyota of Muncie

3 | Bill McCoy Ford Lincoln Mercury

4 | Farm Credit Services

5 | Gaddis Chrysler Dodge

6 | Fuqua Motors

7 | Dillman’s Furniture

8 | Sam Pierce Chevrolet

9 | Minnetrista

10 | Mid States Concession Supply, Oler Farm Service LLC

11-14 | Wetzel

15 | Surber’s Window and Door

16 | Audibel of Munice, SilverTowne, Matthews Feed and Grain

17 | Goodwin Brothers Automotive

18 | Poet Biorefining, Ferrell Gas

19 | Fincannon Ford Mercury,

19 | Hamms Feed & Seed

20 | The Boot Box, All Steel Carports

21 | Masiongale Electrical Inc., Farmland Locker, Inc.

22 | Hi-Way 3 Hardware, A Rental Service, Golden Rule Store, The Kitchen Aid Experience

23 | Pete’s Duck Inn, Agbest Cooperative, Meyer Building, LLC

24 | American Chevrelot

Merchant GuidePHOTO ABOVE AND ON COVER BY KYLE EVENS


“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap– Robert Louis Stevenson

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reapRobert Louis Stevenson

but by the seeds that you plant.”Bringing itto the table



STORY BY KEN WICKLIFFE | PHOTOS BY KYLE EVENS

A sense of history comes naturally to people who work the land, believes Delaware County farmer Joe Russell, because the rewards and challenges of farming are in some ways always changing, and in other ways will forever be the same.

Part of a family farming in Indiana for 200 years, Russell brings broad knowledge and experience to the field of agriculture. Educated at Purdue University, his first job was civil engineer on the Trans-Alaska pipeline.

In the years since, he has operated an agri-business, Geoponic Enterprises, held local elected offices, and been active in farm and business organizations. Of course, Russell has also farmed for the past 35 years.

His great-great-great-grandfather, who moved to Franklin County, Indiana, in 1810, was a farmer and the county schoolteacher, plowing his fields with the reins of his horses in one hand and a gun to defend himself from wild animals in the other.

Continued on Page 6

Always changing…forever the sameThree generations of Russells have farmed the family ground. From left: Jacob Russell, Adam Sieber, Paul Russell, Joe Russell, Marion Russell and Betty Russell.

The Russell’s have been a part of family farming for 200 years


“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, – B. C. Forbes

“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn. ”




Continued from Page 4“For his work as a teacher, he was paid two to three

barrels of corn per student each year,” Russell said. “At that time, corn was probably more valuable than money.”

Russell, along with his wife, two sons and other fam-ily members, now farms about 2,500 acres locally, some of it the same land that Joe’s grandfather began to farm when he moved to the present farmstead location in 1919. His brother, Paul, and his family farm an additional 1,250 acres and raises sheep in the same area of the county.

When three generations of a family farm together, there are some challenges, Russell said, but he sees far more benefits.

“You are able to combine the knowledge of those with the most experience and the energy of the

younger generations,” he explained. “My dad, who started farming in 1938 at the age of nine after the death of his father, comes from the tail end of the horse-powered days, and he has seen corn production triple in his lifetime with the use of modern machinery.

“Today, with the same amount of rainfall and sunlight as in the past, we are producing

three times as much food,” he added. “We need this increased productivity because the population of the world has tripled, and only with increased efficiency can we provide enough for people to have quality food at affordable prices and eliminate scarcity.”

The harvest this year will bring many of the same challenges farmers have faced for generations, Russell said, and it will also have some unique features owing to the weather conditions of the past growing season.

“The long days have always been one challenge of the harvest — if I’m not sleeping, I’m probably harvest-ing — and in that way the harvest is probably not much different from what it was when my great-great-great-grandfather was harvesting 200 years ago,” he said. “Still, October is probably my favorite month of the year because of the harvest, as it’s the time when you reap the benefits of all the decisions you’ve made and the hard work.

“If it’s a good crop, it’s a reward that I’ll be sharing with countless people I’ve never met. Of course, when harvesting, the trees are also colorful, and it’s just a great time to be out there.”

Continued on the next page

ABOVE: Jacob Russell postions the grain auger

as he prepares to transfer corn from the grain bin in preperation for this year’s

harvest. RIGHT: The golden bean fields of the Russell

family farm.

“October is probably my favorite month of the year because of the harvest, as it’s the time when

you reap the benefits of all the decisions you’ve

made and the hard work.”

— Joe Russell




“I trust in Nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility. – Robert Browning

“I trust in Nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility. “I trust in Nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility. Spring shall plant and Autumn garner to the ends of time.”

Continued from Page 6The time to harvest will come early this year because

of the number of warm days, he said. Other challenges of the past growing season have included an unusually wet spring and early summer.

“Ideally, you want to be done planting by May 10, but this year I finished on July 4,” Russell said.

While most people recognize farming as the source of the world’s food, agriculture also impacts the larger economy in ways not everyone realizes.

“Each farmer provides jobs for seven additional peo-ple — three providing ‘inputs,’ or products that are used on farms such as seeds, fertilizer and fuel,“ Russell said. “The other four jobs created are for people who process what we produce.

“Agriculture also improves our country’s balance of trade. For example, we export about 20 percent of our corn production and half of our soybean production to other countries.”

Farmers also produce the crops used to make ethanol and other bio-fuels that can reduce reliance on import-ed oil. Today’s bio-fuel production exceeds the volume of oil flowing through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

“Farmers are really in the solar energy business,” Russell said. “What we’re doing is capturing sunlight, combining it with water and the land, and converting these things to products people can use.”

Despite being far more productive, agriculture has less impact on the environment than it did in the past, he added.

“In the ‘good old days,’ nearly every farm had chick-ens, hogs and other livestock, so there would be manure and odor challenges on every farm. Animals commonly grazed along creeks, and manure was spread where convenient instead of where needed,” Russell said. “Not only is livestock production far more efficient and envi-ronmentally responsible now, but with more yield per acre, the carbon footprint of farming is much less than it was in the past.

“As American and Europeans have become more interested in their food supply, there’s been increased interest in organic farming, but organic farming will not feed the world,” he continued. “With a billion people in the world who go to bed hungry or undernourished, we have a responsibility to continue becoming more effi-cient so we can increase the supply of food to eliminate hunger.”

In the future, the trend toward larger and larger farms is likely to continue, he believes.

“While my father would farm 600 acres, I believe in the future we’ll see more 10,000 and 15,000-acre opera-tions,” Russell said. “There will be obstacles to over-come in the future, as there are now, but there are also a lot of intelligent people out there working to solve these problems.

“I’m confident we’ll have solutions.”

Paul Russell unloads Barley from the grain bin to grind up and mix in with feed for the 100-plus sheep the family raises.

“Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest.

– Ralph Ransom

“Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy. ”




STORY BY PAM THARP, CORRESPONDENTPHOTO BY STEVE KOGER/PALLADIUM-ITEM

BOSTON, Ind. — Lifting 450 baby pigs in and out of gro-cery carts each week is Debbie Jordan’s fitness program.

Weaning on Wednesday is a weekly job for Jordan, who loads 3-week-old pigs into grocery carts for their trip to the farm’s nursery building. She also unloads the 12-pound pigs in their new quarters and gives immuniza-tions.

“It’s good physical exercise, picking up 450 pigs. Why drive to town to exercise?” Jordan asks.

Married to Phil Jordan, Debbie began working with Jordan Farms’ swine operation when her youngest child, seventh-grader Mitchell Jordan, started school. Phil, and brothers Jeff and Jack, are partners in Jordan Farms, which spans the Indiana-Ohio state line in Wayne County, Ind., and Preble County, Ohio.

Debbie was always interested in farm work, but that wasn’t the custom in Phil’s family, she said.

“In the Jordan family, women didn’t work out on the farm. I was raised on a dairy farm and Mom and Dad worked next to each other,” Debbie said. “Mom and the kids always did the milking. When we first got married I tagged along on the farm, and then we had kids and I couldn’t help anyway.”

The Jordans are parents to five children: Kathleen, a teacher in Avon, Ind.; Clark, who works for Wells Fargo Bank and helps with the farm; Sarah, a student at Purdue University; Joan, a Richmond High School senior; and Mitchell, who attends Seton Catholic Elementary School.

Debbie got her chance in the barn after the departure of a female employee who’d worked with baby pigs, and the farm needed help. She’s the only woman working on the farm that’s home to 1,000 sows.

“Phil was listing all the stuff that needed to be done, and I said I could do just about every job he mentioned. I just sort of stepped in,” Debbie said. “I’ve proved I can do the dirty work. It’s evolved and worked out pretty good. I like working with my husband and the kids. It’s a real family farm.”

Debbie’s interest in agriculture didn’t surprise her husband.

“Deborah is a farm girl. She always wanted to be part of the farm and that has happened,” Phil said. “Her nickname growing up was ‘Spunky.’ She’s harvested sev-eral hundred acres of corn for us.”

“I’m working my way up,” Debbie said with a laugh. Debbie keeps production records for each sow,

which helps the veterinarian make decisions for the herd, Phil said. The farm has sows to breed and pigs to wean every week. Pigs are weaned at 3 weeks of age and then spend seven weeks in a nursery room. At 10 weeks, at about 50 pounds, they move from the nursery to the finishing facility.

“Debbie’s a detail person and is good at that,” Phil said. “She’s also changed some of the routines around here. We’d hold off starting something that needed to be done and she’ll say, ‘Why not get started on that tomor-row at 7 a.m.?’ and we do.”

2010 has been a good year for swine producers. Production has been so good the farm has had extra feeder pigs to sell, Debbie said.

Pork prices are good and corn prices are down from the peak several years ago, making it easier for pork producers to stay in business, Phil said.

Continued on Page 10

‘I’ve proved I can do the dirty work’

Debbie Jordan holds a baby pig on the Jordan farm near Boston, Ind., on Aug. 26.

“I’m amazed at how few farm kids there are in classrooms, even in Hagerstown. People who are generational farmers take for granted that other people know where food comes from. We have to do a good job, and tell them about it.”— Debbie Jordan


“For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

– Edwin Way Teale

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.”



September 19, 2010 • 10

Gender divide shrinkingWayne County Extension Educator Stacy Herr has been advising farmers

here for about a decade, a job she said has been easier as more women have moved into agricultural positions that were once all-male territory. Herr is the county’s first female agriculture educator.

The Extension Service historically had male agricultural educators and women worked as family and consumer science or as youth educators, but that gender divide has changed a lot in the last 10 years, Herr said.

Union County’s only extension educator, Jennifer Logue, is the second edu-cator here to work with all three groups. Purdue University, which oversees the Cooperative Extension Program, has been supportive of women in new roles, Herr said.

“Being a lady in agriculture takes some acceptance,” Herr said. “We have to win the respect of our peers and that takes some time,” Herr said. “For some producers it takes little more time than for others.”

More women working in agricultural lending and as seed consultants and agronomists has helped increase acceptance in all positions, Herr said.

“A lot of farmers are working with women lenders,” Herr said. “We’ve defi-nitely gained some gals in agriculture.”

Continued from Page 8“We have to stay efficient enough so it keeps working,” Phil

said. “Everybody keeps trying to do a better job. We hope we can remain a family farm.”

Debbie has a degree in education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She taught for five years in Richmond schools before her children were born. Recently she agreed to substitute teach for a short while, but quickly found she missed the farm.

“I learned I really enjoy what I’m doing here. I’ve found my niche and I don’t need to mess with it,” Debbie said.

Debbie mixes agri-culture and education with her participation in the Indiana Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in Classrooms project. For several years she’s brought a pig and a 4-H calf to second-grade classrooms at C.R. Richardson and Garrison schools, and talked to stu-dents about farming. She’s also visited

Hagerstown Elementary School.“People need to know where their food comes from,” Debbie

said. “I’m amazed at how few farm kids there are in classrooms, even in Hagerstown. People who are generational farmers take for granted that other people know where food comes from. We have to do a good job, and tell them about it.”

Farm wives sometimes don’t classify themselves as farmers, but Debbie said that’s a title she believes also belongs to her, both for her on-farm work and her off-farm activities.

“I do more advocating for agriculture now. I feel I have a role in agriculture,” she said.

A 15-year 4-H leader who just retired, Debbie also participates in Wayne County Extension’s Women In Agriculture discussion group about agricultural issues.

The group of five to 10 women has no set agenda but picks a topic to discuss at each meeting, said Wayne County agriculture extension educator Stacy Herr, who facilitates the discussions.

“Men gather at coffee shops or implement companies. Ladies don’t traditionally do that,” Herr said. “It’s through networking that we sometimes get our best ideas. At our meetings someone usually brings up a topic or a question that they need information on. Out of a small question, a discussion will occur. We have every level of experience, which is what makes the group so dynamic.”

The recalls of food products and the criticism of mega-livestock farms sends a message about food quality and agriculture that Debbie said is unwarranted. Farm women have a unique vantage point to tell production agriculture’s side of those issues, she said.

“Most farmers are good stewards. Why would we do something to make our sows uncomfortable? It’s in our best interest for them to be comfortable,” Debbie said. “A study showed the most trusted list of people on a whole list of occupations was a farm wife. We have the opportunity to say things that people trust.”

Debbie Jordan steps out of a baby pig pen

on the Jordan farm near

Boston, Ind. The 450 pigs

in the building are part of the process that is repeated every

week on the farm.

September 19, 2010 • 11

12 • September 19, 2010

September 19, 2010 • 13

14 • September 19, 2010



September 19, 2010 • 15

“By all these lovely tokens September days are here,

– Helen Hunt JacksonWith summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.”

Upgrades reduce tractor rollover deaths

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dairy farmer Anthony Marco was compressing a long row of chopped hay beneath his tractor two weeks ago, prepar-ing it as winter feed for his cows, when the 4-ton machine suddenly toppled over as he drove it along the pile’s steep sides.

Marco’s wife and mother, who watched the accident from the family’s front porch, raced in terror to the overturned tractor but were relieved to find him with only minor injuries: A steel roll bar and seat belt in-stalled a year and a half ago had saved him from being crushed beneath the machine.

Tractor rollovers have long been the leading cause of death on U.S. farms, ac-counting for a fifth of all agricultural pro-duction deaths over the past two decades. But they are now declining as farmers like Marco buy new tractors equipped with roll bars, reinforced cabs and seat belts or up-grade older ones with those features.

The rollover protections on Marco’s 1966 International Harvester tractor cost $1,300 — half of which was paid for by the state of New York. The 24-year-old said farmers who use older tractors should seri-ously consider updating them.

“The best message I can give them is I know it’s money out of your pocket, but you can’t put a price on your life,” said Marco, whose family farm is in southern New York’s Steuben County near the Penn-sylvania state line.A study published last year by federal

researchers found that deaths from tractor rollovers among U.S. agricultural workers fell 28 percent over the past two decades, dropping from 5.5 deaths per 100,000 work-ers in 1992 to 3.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2007.


Lynn Hageman sits on his tractor Aug. 31 that has been upgraded with a steel roll bar on his farm near Calmar, Iowa. Hageman was driving his John Deere tractor to a cornfield last November when a momentary distraction caused him to veer from the road, toppling the 10,000-pound machine into a ditch and pitching him violently to the ground. The Associated Press

Farm SafetyMany occupations are hazardous, few more so than agricultural labor. Farmers recognize that they

must be diligent in their efforts to prevent nonfatal and fatal injuries.According to the most recent statistics, farmers face a fatality rate of 25.1 for every 100,000 workers.

In 2008, 456 farmers and farm workers lost their lives to work-related injuries. What’s particularly risky about agricultural work is that it tends to be a family profession. That puts all members of the family at risk for injury. On average, 113 youth under the age of 20 die annually from farm-related injuries.

Tractor rollover injuries, inhalation of chemical pesticides and lacerations from farm equipment top the list of prime agriculture-related occupational injuries. With scores of different mechanical equipment and chemicals, not to mention lengthy exposure to the elements on a normal working day, the risk of injury is considerable. There are key ways to prevent injuries on the farm. Here are a few considerations.

• Proper training of new employees on the use required equipment is essential. If certification is needed, be sure employees have been trained and practice on equipment prior to independent use. Safety gear should be used at all times, when required.

• Knowledge of chemical pesticides and fertilizers should be fully understood. Safety equipment, such as ventilators, eye guards and gloves, should be used when handling caustic chemicals.

• Machinery should be maintained according to OSHA and other federal guidelines. • Caution should always be used around livestock.• Children and adolescents should be carefully monitored around the farm. • There should be training in general first aid and CPR so that help can be given to an injured

worker before a response team is able to make it to the location.

16 • September 19, 2010

Continued from Page 15The data for 2008 and

2009 have not yet been ana-lyzed to determine whether the trend has continued, said John Myers, a health statistician with the Nation-al Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, who co-wrote the study.

Tractor rollovers have been a major cause of farm deaths since the 1920s. Rollover protections weren’t introduced for decades, and when they finally became available, they were optional features many chose not to buy.

It wasn’t until 1985 that the American Society of Agricultural Engineers ad-opted them as a voluntary standard that manufactur-ers quickly adopted, said Dan Neenan, manager of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety in Peosta, Iowa.

But because tractors are expensive and — unlike au-tomobiles — can run well for decades, many from the 1950s to 1970s remain in use on U.S. farms. Some even date to the late 1940s.

A 2006 survey of farm-ers showed that about 40 percent of nation’s 4.2 million tractors lacked rollover protections, My-ers said. But that number is down significantly from 1993, when 62 percent of tractors didn’t have them.

Nearly all the change took place from 2004 to 2007, a flush period in agriculture when many farmers replaced or upgraded older tractors, Myers said. Since then, the recession may have slowed the transition since farmers tend to make most of their investments in better equip-ment when they are doing well financially, he said.

Even in good times, some farmers would rather spend the $1,000 to $2,000 cost of the systems

— called Roll Over Protec-tion Structures, or ROPS, in the ag industry — on other things, said Murray Madsen, associate director for the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health at the University of Iowa.

Others feel that if they’ve gotten this far with-out a rollover they don’t need protection or believe they could avoid injury if their tractor did overturn.

Lynn Hageman, 58, of Calmar, Iowa, was one of the lucky ones. He was driving his John Deere trac-tor at dusk last November when a momentary distrac-tion caused him to veer to the right. The 10,000-pound machine left the road and toppled into a ditch, pitch-ing him to the ground.

“The first thing I did was move my feet, my legs and my arms to see if I was paralyzed,” Hageman said.

He wasn’t, and although he was sidelined for six months with back and shoulder injuries, he’s still relieved the crash threw him clear of his tractor.

After the accident, he had a roll bar and seat belt installed on his mid-1980s model 2950 John Deere, with insurance footing half of the $600 upgrade. Now, three of his four tractors have roll-over protections. He rarely uses the fourth in fields.

Farmers in the Northeast have some of the nation’s highest fatality rates from tractor rollovers, due to the region’s hilly terrain, small farms with older equip-ment and a large amount of nonagricultural traffic, said Julie Sorensen, a staff scientist at the Northeast Center for Agricultural and Occupational Health in Cooperstown, N.Y.

The Northeast Center distributes money through a program that pays for 70 percent of the cost of

rollover protections, with a $765-per-tractor limit.

Since 2006, the program has helped pay for up-grades on more than 800 tractors, Sorensen said.

“The program more than pays for itself in lives saved and injuries prevented,” she said.



September 19, 2010 • 17

“Always do your best. – Og Mandino

“Always do your best. “Always do your best. Og Mandino

What you plant now, you will harvest later.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

One of the world’s oldest crops may be finding new life after a century of obscurity.

Emmer wheat, which dates to prehistoric times, once was popular on parts of the Northern Plains. But the crop became little more than a historical footnote after the arrival of new, better-yielding wheat varieties in the early 20th century.

Now, health benefits associated with emmer, particu-larly its potential value to people with gluten intoler-ance, could lead to a resurgence of the crop, at least among farmers in arid climates, emmer advocates say.

“I’m not saying it will fit into a lot of (farmers’) production models. But I think it’s a crop that some farmers should take a look at,’’ says Blaine Schmaltz, a Rugby, N.D., farmer.

The certified seed grower wasn’t familiar with the crop until six years ago, when he was asked to begin growing emmer for a small bakery in the western United States. Schmaltz is among an estimated half-dozen farmers in North Dakota who collectively grow fewer than 1,000 acres of the crop.

In comparison, the average size of just one North Dakota farm is about 1,240 acres. Emmer is so obscure today that Jim Peterson, marketing director for the North Dakota Wheat Commission in Bismarck, is unfa-miliar with it.

“It’s not something our customers are asking about,’’ he says.

Though few of the region’s current farmers have heard of it, emmer was known by many area producers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

European settlers brought emmer to the region because it was hardy and could feed both people and livestock, says Steve Zwinger, a research specialist in agronomy with the North Dakota State University Research Extension Center in Carrington. Zwinger has planted small test plots of emmer to evaluate the crop and increase seed supplies.

A 1911 U.S. Department of Agriculture report dates emmer’s arrival on the Northern Plains at 1875 to 1880 and notes that the crop soon came to be of “consider-able importance.’’


The Associated Press

Ancient crop sees revival as health food

“Our deep respect for the land and its harvest is the legacy of generations of farmers who put food on our tables,

— James H. Douglas

preserved our landscape, and inspired us with a powerful work ethic. ”Bringing itto the table


September 19, 2010 • 18

Continued from Page 17Emmer yielded more

than wheat, though less than barley and oats, in tests conducted from 1907 to ‘09 in Dickinson, N.D., the report says.

The oats and barley comparison was important because emmer some-times was used to replace those crops in livestock feed rations. Emmer is “considerably resistant to drought’’ and “very resis-tant to rust,’’ a common crop disease, the report says.

The crop “thrives best in a dry prairie region with hot summers,’’ but also ``will withstand to a considerable degree the effects of wet weather,’’ the report says.

However, emmer has a drawback that the report mentions only indirectly. Emmer hulls must be removed mechanically after threshing, usually by milling or pounding, if the grain goes for human con-sumption.

In contrast, the hulls of modern “free-thresh-ing’’ wheat are fragile and come off during threshing, saving work after harvest-ing. Nonetheless, emmer’s ability to hold up in poor soils and dry weather once made it attractive to some area farmers, Zwinger says.

The attraction began to dim in the early 20th century, when new, bet-ter-yielding varieties of free-threshing wheat were introduced. Over time, the yield advantage of free-threshing wheat vari-eties became even more pronounced, and emmer’s popularity fell steadily.

Zwinger says he won-ders what would have hap-pened if researchers also had investigated emmer and introduced new vari-

eties of the crop. Health-conscious consumers, especially ones intolerant to gluten, could return emmer to prominence, say advocates for the crop.

Gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease, is a digestive condition that damages the surface of the small intestines and blocks the ability to absorb cer-tain nutrients, according to the MayoClinic.com website.

People who suffer from the disease react badly to gluten, a type of protein found in most grains, including wheat. The National Health Institutes website advises people with celiac disease to avoid wheat, including emmer, spelt and einkorn. However, emmer advo-cates say there’s anecdotal evidence that its gluten structure causes a milder reaction than modern wheat in people suffering from gluten intolerance.

Peterson, with the North Dakota Wheat Commission, says gluten intolerance is an impor-tant issue for many of the commission’s customers.

Emmer advocates also say that emmer and other ancient wheat varieties are high in fiber, protein and minerals.

“It goes beyond the issue of gluten intoler-ance,’’ Schmaltz says of health benefits provided by emmer. Don’t expect supermarket shelves to be filled with emmer prod-ucts anytime soon.

“There’s a significant amount of energy that will need to go into getting this where we want it to be,’’ says Troy DeSmet, presi-dent of Nature’s Organic Grist in Forest Lake, Minn. The company, which he launched in January, spe-cializes in several ancient grains, including emmer.

Part of the challenge is that preparing emmer for sale is expensive. The grain must be cleaned after harvest, sepa-rated from the hull, then cleaned again, and that leads to higher costs for consumers.

Farmers also will need a price that’s high enough to persuade them to grow the crop in spite of lower yields and extra handling requirements, DeSmet says.

As a result, emmer products will cost signifi-cantly more than modern wheat products, although it’s difficult to say how much more, he says. Selling emmer products online should help to hold down their cost, he says.

Nature’s Organic Grist is not a gluten-free compa-ny, but DeSmet is empha-sizing emmer’s health benefits, including its potential appeal to people intolerant to gluten.

Its nutty taste also is a plus, he says. “It’s a differ-ent product. It’s a unique product. It’s not durum

wheat. It’s not spring wheat. It stands alone,’’ he says. But he stresses that the market for emmer is so small, at least for now, that farmers shouldn’t begin growing large amounts of it.

“This is really one of those crops that need to be nursed along,’’ he says. In his six years grow-ing emmer, Schmaltz has planted it on a wide range of cropland, ranging from some of his best land to land with low fertility to land newly removed from the Conservation Reserve Program.

Schmaltz, who grows 16 different crops, says he’s had good results with emmer in all situations. Even so, he thinks emmer

will hold most appeal to farmers in dry climates with lower-fertility soils.

“Would a farmer want to raise it in the Red River Valley? Probably not, but I think it can be attractive to farmers in arid climates,’’ he says.

The Red River Valley of eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota is known for its rich soil and relatively plentiful rainfall. Zwinger says his research has found that yields of emmer and modern wheat are comparable when rain is scarce.

His research also finds that modern wheat can yield as much as 30 per-cent more than emmer in good growing conditions.

Schmaltz and Zwinger say there are a number of agronomical benefits to emmer.

Schmaltz, who now sells emmer to small baker-ies on the east and west coasts, says he wasn’t quite sure what to think of the crop when he began grow-ing it.

“This started out as an experiment to see if it could have economic ben-efit to my farm,’’ Schmaltz says. Important questions, especially on the market-ing side, must be answered before the full answer is known, he says.

“But I really think this crop can offer a produc-tion option for farmers in arid regions,’’ he says.

Emmer Wheat · Will germinate in soil with relatively little moisture.• Germinates at a fairly uniform rate.• Can compete well against weeds.• Can be fed to livestock, giving farmers another option in how to use it.• Can generally be planted later in the growing season.• Can stand a long time without shelling out.• Can be stored after harvest at higher moisture levels.• Has a greater degree of drought resistance.


Craig and Elaine Gillis and other family members farm about 2,000 acres in the northeastern part of Delaware County, producing mostly corn and soybeans. They also oper-ate two seed dealerships — Beck’s Hybrids and NK Seeds.

Craig and Elaine grew up on farms, making them part of family farming traditions they are eager to pass on to their son, Adam, who is 3-years-old.

Elaine is chairman of the Indiana Young Farmers’ Committee and is organizing the Indiana Young Farmers’ Conference to be held in January in Indianapolis. She is also the public relations coordinator for the Blackford County Farm Bureau and a member of the Indiana Farm Bureau’s Political Action Committee.

Despite the trend toward larger farms and increased mechanization, Elaine says the family farm is still the cor-nerstone of American agriculture.

“The changes in technology that we’ve seen over the last 30-plus years have impacted many aspects of life on a farm, whether through the use of global positioning sys-tem equipment on farm machines or refinements in the genetic capabilities of seeds,” she said. “But, families still operate most farms — even the larger ones.”

Women have always held a special place in the world of agriculture, Elaine believes, and the amount of work to be done means there’s usually not much time to worry about the gender of the person doing each job.

“Wives have always been crucial in farm families,” she said. “Everyone does a lot of legwork, from picking up parts for equipment to taking grain to the elevator.

“I do think women also have an important role of their own in providing an emotional support system for the family.”

The increasing use of specialized equipment and chem-icals in agriculture has dramatically increased the need for education and training among farmers, and the Gillises expect their son will want to get a college education before beginning to farm full-time when he’s older.

“In the past, a person who was going to begin farming would often do so right out of high school, but now a college education can be very helpful,” Elaine said. “There’s a large amount of knowledge that a person now needs in areas such as weed science and the safe handling of chemicals.




September 19, 2010 • 19

“There would be no advantage to be gained by sowing a fi eld of wheat

– Napoleon Hill

if the harvest did not return more than was sown.”

Craig and Elaine Gills with their 3-year-old son, Adam. Craig’s brother, John, unloads corn into the waiting truck in the background.

Gillis’ prove family farm still ‘cornerstone’ of American agriculture

“Autumn arrives, array’d in splendid mein; Vines, cluster’d full, add to the beauteous scene,

— Farmer’s Almanac, 1818

And fruit-trees cloth’d profusely laden, nod, Complaint bowing to the fertile sod.”Bringing itto the table


September 19, 2010 • 20

Continued from Page 19“In some cases, specialized licenses and permits are

needed to do certain jobs, and a farmer needs to be able to demonstrate knowledge in order to obtain these licenses.”

While Adam could get to college and decide to pur-sue some career other than agriculture, early indica-tions are that’s unlikely.

“He said ‘tractor’ even before he said, ‘mommy,’” Elaine said.

The upcoming harvest will be interesting for the Gillis family because of changeable weather during this past growing season.

“The wet spring impacted planting and made it difficult to finish post-planting applications,” Elaine explained. “Timing was everything this year.

“The harvest is always a challenge because it involves long hours, and you cannot predict the weather, equip-ment breakdowns, and many other factors. While you can get an idea of where you stand by scouting through-out the growing season, you never know for certain how successful you’ve been until the harvest is finished.”

The safety of egg products highlight one of Elaine’s concerns, which is the ability of a few “bad apples” to impact the public’s view of agriculture.

“What I really would like people to understand is that we’re consumers just like everyone else, and we buy our food at the same grocery stores as other people in our communities,” she said. “As farmers, we do our best to do what is best because we want a safe food supply for our families, our neighbors and ourselves.

“As in any field, it’s disappointing and discouraging when the behavior of a few people creates bad publicity for everyone else.”

Everyone has a stake in the future of agriculture, the Gillises believe.

“On a personal level, we certainly hope that our farm and others like it will be here for children to come back to,” Elaine said. “But, on a global level, we all need fam-ily farms to sustain our lifestyle.”

“What I really would like people to understand is that we’re consumers just

like everyone else, and we buy our food at the same grocery stores as other people. As

farmers, we do our best to do what is best because we want a safe food supply for our

families, our neighbors and ourselves.”— Elaine Gillis

TOP: Adam Gillis (in tractor) waves to his dad, Craig, as he rides with his uncle, John, back into the fi eld for another load of corn. ABOVE: Adam gets a lift from his mon, Elaine, into the tractor. LEFT: Freshly harvested corn from the Gillis family farm.



September 19, 2010 • 21

“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer

– Percy Bysshe Shelley

is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!”


Controlling costs and increasing levels of efficiency can be crucial to farmers’ success, especially in difficult eco-nomic times, according to the manager of a local coopera-tive and to a Purdue University agronomist.

Rising prices for energy and other agricultural “inputs” are some of the most important factors driving up farm-ers’ production costs, says Tim Herd, branch manager of Harvest Land Co-Op in Oakville.

As a supplier of fertilizers and other chemicals, plant food, fuel and other items, Richmond-based Harvest Land, like other co-ops, buys products in volume so they can be sold to farmers at reduced prices, he said. Co-ops can also provide farmers with an additional income source by allowing them to share in the profits the co-op earns.

“Operating a farm takes energy, often in the form of diesel fuel, and energy prices also affect the prices of many other supplies used in farming, so increas-es in the cost of energy have a very significant effect on agriculture,” Herd explained. “Taking the rising cost of energy into account, farmers’ input costs have essentially doubled over the last several years.

“The function of a co-op is that it can help farmers con-trol these costs, and because co-ops are owned by farmers, those farmers who are owners can share in its profits,” he added.

Farmers are not required to be members to purchase from the co-op, Herd noted.

Just as prices for seeds, fertilizers and other chemicals, affect farmers, farm machinery is expensive and requires energy to operate.

But, says Purdue University agronomist Tony Vyn, many technologies currently in use are increasing the efficiency of agricultural equipment. Citing the advantages of guid-ance systems, “autopilot” machinery and other precision technologies, Vyn says farmers are using high-tech equip-ment to their advantage, cutting costs and increasing yields.

“Automatic guidance gives producers precision farm-ing capabilities throughout the growing season by allow-ing them to map tillage operations and crop planting, spraying and harvest, and can help tailor fertilizer and chemical applications to avoid waste,” he said in a Purdue University news release.

Other technologies being used to increase production include yield monitors, automatic planter row shut-off sys-tems and automatic sprayer boom controls. Used in con-junction with automatic guidance systems, these technolo-gies reduce waste and allow farmers to determine such information as where additional tilling may be needed.

“Although automatic guidance helps farmers to work longer days, and although the improved ability to monitor implement functions helps farmers make fewer mistakes, the guidance technology is no substitute for doing all field operations with sound agronomy,” Vyn said.

ABOVE: Grain dust flies as workers at The Andersons in Oakville transfer wheat

to make room for the bean harvest. RIGHT: A propane truck of the Harvest Land

Co-Op in Oakville.

Co-ops, new technology help control costs

Tim Herd. branch manager of Harvest Land Co-Op

“When squirrels are harvesting and birds in fl ight appear;

— Beverly Ashour

By these autumn signs we know September days are here.”“When squirrels are harvesting and birds in fl ight appear; Bringing it

to the tableThe Harvest Edition

The Star Press & The Palladium-Item

September 19, 2010 • 22

Monday, Sept. 20Mitchell Persimmon Festival. (Mon., Sept. 20-Sat., Sept. 25.) Mitchell’s

64th annual Persimmon Festival pays tribute to a fruit used in puddings, desserts and ice cream. Exhibits, stage entertainment, pioneer village tour and parade. Free admission. Location: Main Street, Mitchell, Ind. Information: http://persimmonfestival.org or (812) 849-4441.

Wednesday, Sept. 22Versailles Pumpkin Show. (Wed., Sept. 22-Sat., Sept. 25.) Said to be

Indiana’s second oldest festival, the Versailles Pumpkin Show includes a large parade Saturday, giant pumpkin contest, carnival rides, live enter-tainment, several contests. Free admission. Location: Versailles Courthouse Square, Versailles, Ind. Information: http://ripleycountytourism.com or (888) 747-5394.

Thursday, Sept. 23Fairmount Museum Days/James Dean Festival. (Thu., Sept. 23-Sun.,

Sept. 26.) Carnival, grand parade, free entertainment, crafts, contests, food. Free admission: Locations: Main Street, Playacres Park, museum, Fairmount, Ind. Information: http://jamesdeanartifacts.com or (765) 948-4555.

Franklin County Antique Machinery Show, (Sept. 23-26), Franklin County Fairgrounds, Brookville.

Friday, Sept. 24Avon Community Heritage Festival. (Fri., Sept. 24 and Sat., Sept. 25.)

Parade, talent show, minute-to-win-it game, fireworks, crafts, car show, food, games. Free admission. Location: Washington Township Park, Avon, Ind. Information: http://avonchamber.org or (317) 272-4333.

Cory Apple Festival. (Fri., Sept. 24-Sun, Sept. 26.) Flea market, crafts, inflatables, helicopter, car show, 5K race, parade, lawn mower derby. Friday pork roast, Saturday fish fry, Sunday chicken noodles. Free admission. Location: Community Center grounds, Cory, Ind. Information: http://cory-applefestival.com or (812) 864-2229.

Festival of the Turning Leaves. (Fri, Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 26.) Car show, free entertainment, food, large children’s area, parade, free concert and displays of local crafts. Free admission. Location: Main Street, Thorntown, Ind. Information: http://thorntownfestival.org or (765) 436-5397.

Kewanna Fall Festival — Tribute to Home Town Heroes. (Fri., Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 26.) Free circus, free carnival rides, free entertainment. Food, arts and crafts and flea market vendors. Free admission. Location: Kewanna, Ind. Information: (574) 653-2055.

Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale. (Fri., Sept. 24-Sat., Sept. 25.) Handmade quilts, antiques, new, used and children’s auctions. Mennonite and ethnic foods, global and local crafts. Camp sites available. Proceeds benefit world relief efforts. Free admission. Location: Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, Goshen, Ind. Information: http://mennonitesale.org or (574) 536-4387.

Owen County Antique Machinery Association Antique Machinery Fair. (Fri., Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 26.) Tractor, garden and children’s pedal pulls. Antique machinery, hit-and-miss engines, food, flea market, arts and craft vendors and games. Featured tractor: Allis Chalmers. Featured engine: Any Indiana built hit-and-miss engines. Also features arts and crafts, flea market, food booths. Admission: adults $2; children free. Location: Owen County Fairgrounds, Spencer, Ind. Information: http://owenama.org or (812) 821-0991.

Terre Haute Street Fair. (Fri., Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 26.) Live enter-tainment, artists and farmers markets, children’s activity area and more in historic downtown Terre Haute. Free admission. Location: Ninth and Cherry streets, Terre Haute, Ind. Information: http://down-townterrehaute.org or (812) 237-2581.

Wanatah Scarecrow Festival. (Fri., Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 26.) See scarecrow decorations, make your own scarecrow, participate in or watch the 5K run, 3K walk or kids scarecrow scamper. Parade, arts and crafts, free entertainment. Free admission. Location: Scarecrow Square, Main Street, Wanatah, Ind. Information: http://scarecrowfest.org or (800) 548-1417.

Fall-O-Ween Fest 2010. (Fri., Sept. 24-Sun., Sept. 26.) Grand Parade Friday at 5 p.m., Skerbeck Bros. Midway Carnival, apple dumplings prepared with a secret recipe by the women of the First Presbyterian Church. All-you-can-eat Friday Fish Fry, pulled pork sandwiches, grilled burgers, port-a-pit chicken, free petting zoo, dunk tank, bingo, farmer’s market, 5K Rocket Run, Saturday Comedy Night. Proceeds of festival fund scholarships. Free admission ($1 parking fee). Location: John Glenn High School Campus, Walkerton, Ind. Information: www.jgsc.k12.in.us/jghs (use Fall-O-Ween link at bottom of page), or (574) 586-3195, ext. 8211.

Saturday, Sept. 25Atlanta New Earth Festival. (Sat., Sept. 25-Sun., Sept. 26.) Thirty-

seventh annual event. More than 600 vendors, art show, crafts, antiques, food and entertainment. Free admission. Location: Atlanta, Ind. Information: http://atlantaindiana.com or (765) 292-2626.

Fall Harvest Festival. (Sat., Sept. 25-Sun., Oct. 31.) Narrated hayrides to pumpkin patch. Pumpkin-eating dinosaur. Three corn-field mazes, straw bale maze, pony rides, inflatables for jumping and sliding. Admission: $5 on weekdays/$6 on weekends; children two and under free. Location: 7010 E. Raymond St., Indianapolis, Ind. Information: http://watermansfarmmarket.com or (317) 356-6995.

Eiteljorg Museum WestFest. (one-day only.) Festival celebrates heritage of the American West, including Western music, storytell-ing and entertainment. Admission: $9 adults/children free. Location: Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Ind. More information available at http://eiteljorg.org or (317) 636-9378.

Chief Logan’s Port of Living History Festival. (Sat., Sept. 25-Sun., Sept. 26.) Demonstrations of weaving, historical re-enacting, candle-dipping, food. Celebrates the heritage of Cass County in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Free admission. Location: Cass County 4-H Fairgrounds, Logansport, Ind.

Forks of the Wabash Pioneer Festival. (Sat., Sept. 25-Sun., Sept. 26.) Mid-1800s themed festival includes military drills and encamp-ments, antiques, food, crafts, farmers market, pioneer village, enter-tainment, children’s games. Free admission. Information: http://pio-neerfestival.org or (260) 356-3576.

Harvest Celebration Festival. (Sat., Sept. 25-Sun., Sept. 26.) Sponsored by Lanthier Winery, festival features wine tasting, food entertainment, shopping. Free admission. Location: Lanthier Winery, Madison, Ind. Information: http://lanthierwinery.com or (812) 273-2409.

Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art. (Sat., Sept. 25-Sun., Sept. 26.) Arts, crafts, entertainment. Free admission. Location: Madison, Ind. Information: www.madisonchautauqua.com or (812) 265-2956.

Fall brings shorter days, longer and cooler evenings, and — at last — some free time to enjoy the fruits of long hours and hard work during the growing season.

Because of this longstanding connection to the harvest, and in recognition of the season’s colorful beauty, fall has long been a popular time for festivals.

While many early festivals were intended mainly to celebrate the harvest itself, events have more recently come to incorporate a variety of other themes and interests ranging from classic cars and tractors to antiques and local heritage.

The festivals listed are featured on the web site and calendar of the Indiana State Festivals Association (www.indianafestivals.org), and are listed by the date they are scheduled to begin. Many of the festivals begin on Friday or Saturday and continue through the weekend, or longer.

Information provided comes from the ISFA as well as the web sites of festival operators. However, before traveling to a festival — especially a distant one — please verify the times and dates of operation, admission prices (if any) and other information by using the contact information provided.

— Ken Wickliffe

HARVEST EVENTS & FESTIVALS



September 19, 2010 • 23

“Happily we bask in this warm September sun,

– Henry David Thoreau

Which illuminates all creatures ...”

Sunday, Sept. 26St. Gabriel’s Fall Festival. Fayette County Fairgrounds,

Connersville.

Wednesday, Sept. 29Aurora Farmers Fair. (Wed., Sept. 29-Sat., Oct. 2.) One of Indiana’s

oldest festivals features free stage shows, Sunday morning parade, rides, games, food. Free admission. Location: Aurora, Ind. Information: http://aurorafarmersfair.org or (812) 926-1300.

Seymour Oktoberfest. (Thur., Sept. 30 - Sat., Oct. 2.) Features arts and crafts, food booths, carnival, parade, 5K run, contests, free entertainment, beer garden, flea market, balloon race. Free admis-sion. Location: Downtown, Seymour, Ind. More information available at http://seymouroktoberfest.com or (812) 523-1414.

Friday, Oct. 1Gaither Fall Festival. (Fri., Oct. 1-Sat., Oct. 2.) Bill and Gloria Gaither

present a weekend of music, food, artisans, vendors in their hometown. Free admission. Location: Gaither Family Resources, Alexandria, Ind. Information: http://familyfallfest.com or (800) 520-4664.

Metamora Canal Days Autumn Festival. (Fri., Oct. 1-Sun., Oct. 3.) Food, flea markets, other events. Free admission. Location: Whitewater Canal, Metamora, Ind. Information: www.metamoraindiana.com or (765) 647-2194.

Popcorn Festival of Clay County. (Fri., Oct. 1-Sun., Oct. 3.) Free entertainment and free popcorn, carnival, food and craft vendors, Farmer Ron’s Kid’s Day Activities, contents, fireworks show, flea mar-ket, arts and crafts. Free admission. Location: Forest Park on Ind. 59, a half mile south of U.S. 40, Brazil, Ind. Information: http://popcornfest.net or (812) 448-2307.

Pumpkin Fantasyland. (Fri., Oct. 1-Sun., Oct. 31.) Characters and historical events are created with pumpkins, gourds and squash. Festival also includes hayrides, refreshments, mazes. Free admission. Location: Fashion Farm, Ligonier, Ind. Information: http://fashion-farminc.com or (260) 894-4498.

Small Town USA Festival. (Fri., Oct. 1-Sun., Oct. 3.) Food, crafts, entertainment for the entire family. Festival commemorates life in a small town during World War II. Free admission. Location: Beulah Park, Alexandria, Ind. Information: http://smalltownusafestival.net or (765) 724-3514.

Bloomfield Apple Festival. (Fri., Oct. 1-Sun., Oct. 3.) Food and other vendors Friday and Saturday; parade on Sunday afternoon. Rides, arts and crafts, entertainment, queen pageant. Free admission. Location: Town Park, Bloomfield, Ind. Information: www.bloomfieldapplefest.com or (812) 384-4946.

Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb. (Fri., Oct. 1-Sun., Oct. 3.) Antique car drag race, collector car show and auction, swap meet, flea market, parade, fireworks, entertainment, food booths. Free admission; parking $5. Location: Courthouse Square, Newport, Ind. Information: http://newporthillclimb.com or (765) 492-4220.

Saturday, Oct. 2Sleepy Hollow Fall Celebration. (One day only.) Arts and crafts,

antique tractor show, live entertainment, apple pie baking contest, food booths, make-your-own scarecrow station, visits from the Headless Horseman. Free admission. Location: Courthouse Square, Vevay, Ind. Information: http://vevayin.com or (800) 435-5688.

North Manchester Harvest Festival. (One day only.) Family-oriented festival featuring contests for kids and adults, horse-drawn wagon rides, pumpkin painting, pony rides, food, craft booths. Free admission. Location: Downtown, North Manchester, Ind. Information: http://northmanchesterchamber.com or (260) 982-7644.

Feast of the Hunters’ Moon. (Sat., Oct. 2-Sun., Oct. 3.) Re-enact-ment of life during the 18th century, featuring Native American, French and British trading posts, food, crafts, entertainment. Admission: $10 for adults; $5 for children. Location: Fort Ouiatenon, Lafayette, Ind. Information: http://tippecanoehistory.org/feast.htm or (765) 476-8411.

Grape Harvest Festival. (Sat., Oct. 2-Sun., Oct. 3.) Wine tasting, food demonstrations, live bands, food and craft vendors. Wine, chocolate and jazz brunch on Sunday. Admission: $5 for adults; children free. Location: Chateau Thomas Winery, Plainfield, Ind. Information: http://chateauthomas.com or (317) 837-9463.

Harvest Homecoming Festival. (Sat., Oct. 2-Sun., Oct. 10.) Large festi-val held on the banks of the Ohio River features music, rides, crafts, food booths, hot air balloon race, other attractions. Free admission. Location: Downtown, New Albany, Ind. Information: http://harvesthomecoming.com or (812) 944-8572.

Pioneer Days. (Sat., Oct. 2-Sun., Oct. 3.) Festival commemorates life in the 1840s, with re-enactments of trades and lifestyle of the period. Old-fashioned craft demonstrations, hand-woven rugs, wooden toys, furniture, artwork and other items. Food vendors, meals, desserts. Sunday service in the log church in Pioneer Village. Free admission. Parking: $2. Location: Fowler Park, Terre Haute, Ind. Information: www.vigocounty.in.gov/department/?fdd=16-0 or (812) 462-3392.

Versailles State Park Bluegrass Festival. (Sat., Oct. 2-Sun., Oct. 3.) Live music both days, food vendors, hiking, boat rental. Admission: $5 plus park entry fee. Location: Versailles State Park, Versailles, Ind. Information: http://ripleycountytourism.com or (888) 747-5394.

Oktoberfest. (Sat., Oct. 2-Sun., Oct. 3.) Features carnival, corn hole tournament, live entertainment, beer garden, bingo, talent contest, bas-ketball, softball, arts and crafts. Free admission. Location: Kentland, Ind. Information: http://kentlandfestival.com or (219) 474-6964.

Heartland Apple Festival. (Sat., Oct. 2-Sun., Oct. 3.) Features hayrides, pumpkin patch, eight-acre corn maze, food. Admission: $5 for adults; chil-dren free. Location: Beasley’s Orchard, Danville, Ind. Information: http://beasleys-orchard.com or (317) 745-4876.

Gathering at Aukerman Creek. (Oct. 2-3) Eaton, Ohio.Fourth Street Arts and Crafts Fair. (Oct. 2-3) Richmond, Ind.

Thursday, Oct. 7Riley Festival. (Thu., Oct. 7-Sun., Oct. 10.) More than 400 booths featur-

ing arts, crafts, food, flea market items, artwork, quilts, photography. Also features parades, entertainment, living history, car show. Free admission. Location: Downtown Greenfield, Ind. Information: http://rileyfestival.com or (317) 462-2141.

Morgan County Fall Foliage Festival. (Thu., Oct. 7-Sun., Oct. 10.) Car show, kids’ events, arts and crafts vendors, parade, other attrac-tions. Free admission. Location: Martinsville, Ind. Information: http://fallfoliagefestival.com or (765) 342-0332.

Friday, Oct. 8Daleville AutumnFest. (Fri., Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 10.) Delaware County

festival featuring arts and crafts, amusement rides, “Battle of the Bands,” talent show, car and tractor shows. Chicken noodle and pork chop dinners available. Free admission. Location: Daleville Elementary School, Daleville, Ind. More information available by calling (765) 425-3907.

Mississinewa 1812. (Fri., (Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 10.) War of 1812 history event, featuring re-enactments, Native American village, artisans, military and wilderness camps, food, music. Free admission. Location: Junction of County Road 600-N and Ind. 15, Marion, Ind. Information: http://mississinewa1812.com or (765) 662-0096.

Parke County Covered Bridge Festival. (Fri., Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 17.) Countywide event featuring 31 covered bridges, numerous food and entertainment offerings, flea markets and arts and craft booths in the towns of Billie Creek Village, Bloomingdale, Bridgeton, Mansfield, Mecca, Montezuma, Rockville, Rosedale and Tangier. Large festival, with annual attendance estimated to be one million. Free admission. Information: http://coveredbridges.com or (765) 569-5226.

Covered Bridges of Putnam County Festival. (Fri., Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 17.) Arts and crafts, covered bridge maps, flea market, food booths. Free admission. Location: Bainbridge Community Center, Bainbridge, Ind. Information: http://friendsoftheparkrussellville.org or (765) 435-2813.

Rising Sun Navy Bean Fall Festival. (Fri., Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 9.) Held on the banks of the Ohio River, festival features rides, crafts, home-made bean soup and cornbread, parade, food vendors, stage shows, musicians. Free admission. Location: Rising Sun, Ind. Information: http://navybeanfestival.org or (812) 438-2407.

Sandlady’s Gourd Festival. (Fri., Oct. 8-Sun., Oct. 10.) Information about gourds, arts and crafts, food booths, entertainment, flea mar-ket. Free admission. Location: Tangier, Ind. Information: http://sand-lady.com or (765) 498-5428.

Saturday, Oct. 9French Lick Beaux Arts Fair. (Sat., Oct. 9-Sun., Oct. 10.) Fall colors,

fine dining, resort-area attractions (hotels, casino, water park, golf courses). Free admission. Location: French Lick, Ind. More information by calling (812) 936-4857.

Harper Valley Pumpkin Patch Days. (Sat., Oct. 9-Sun., Oct. 10.) Pick pumpkins, squash and gourds in an eight-acre patch in Harper Valley. Refreshments, sunflower maze for kids, face painting, food, crafts. Free admission. Location: Harper Valley Farms, Westport, Ind. Information: http://indianapumpkinpatch.com or (812) 591-3416.

Linton Fall Festival and Chili Cook-off. (One day only.) Handmade arts and crafts, chili cook-off, beer garden, live entertainment, classic car cruise-in. Free admission. Location: Linton, Ind. More information by calling (812) 847-4846 or via email at [email protected].

Red Gold/Elwood Chamber of Commerce Chili Cook-off. (One day only.) Chili vendors compete for prices, with chili tasting available at each booth. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Free admission. Location: Elwood, Ind. Information: http://elwoodchamber.org or (765) 552-0180.

Fishers Freedom Festival October Craft Fair. (One day only.) More than 140 arts and crafts vendors, other attractions. Proceeds fund Fishers parade and festival. Free admission. Location: Fishers High School, Fishers, Ind. Information: http://fishersfreedomfestival.org or (317) 595-3195.

“The definition of a Harvest Moon is: the full moon closest to the fall equinox. The Harvest

Moon was thus named because it rises within a half-hour of when the sun sets. In early days, when farmers had no tractors, it was essential that they work by the light of the moon to bring in the harvest. This moon is the fullest moon of the year. When you gaze at it, it looks very large and gives a lot of light throughout the entire night. No other lunar spectacle is as

awesome as the Harvest Moon.”— HARVEST MOON LORE

24 • September 19, 2010

Documents

Bringing it to the Table: The Harvest Edition