November 25, 2009

Hello, Ashtabula County!  We are only a mere 24 hours away from one of my favorite holidays—Thanksgiving!  I am hoping my recovery from tonsillectomy surgery performed by Dr. Ritu Malhotra at the Ashtabula County Medical Center two weeks ago will be complete so I can enjoy all the delicious treats offered by our families this week!

I hope each of you will have a super Thanksgiving Day and then rest up to hit some of the great local sales to help Saint Nicholas and his reindeer make a splash next month. I encourage each of you to take time to stop, pause and reflect on all you are thankful. 

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We finished our 5th Northeast Ohio Small Farmer College last Thursday evening at the Grindstone Creek Lodge at 4-H Camp Whitewood.  The goal of this college, held over four Thursday evenings, was to help new and existing farmers increase their profits from their small acreage. We were very pleased to have another sold-out class of 35 participants once again this fall.  As an added bonus, each class was started by a wonderful meal prepared by Linda Miller, the Food Service Director at 4-H Camp Whitewood.  Linda is receiving rave reviews for her food and for good reason—it is great!

We are already working on plans for the inaugural Northeast Ohio Small Farmer Conference to be held in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, March 27, 2010.  This conference will feature a keynote speaker and provide over 40 breakout sessions for small farmers from across Ohio.  All of our graduates will receive an automatic invitation to this event.  If you would like more information about this upcoming conference, please call and leave your contact information with our office at 440-576-9008.

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I am also very pleased to report to you our 5th three-day artisan cheese making class held last Thursday through Saturday at 4-H Camp Whitewood was a huge success.  This class was taught by world-renown cheese maker Peter Dixon from Vermont and allowed eighteen participants to learn how to make artisan cheese.  Participants for this class were from all over Ohio and from Utah and Missouri!

Participants learned how to make Tomme, Gouda, Paneer, Ricotta, Fresh, and Mozzarella cheeses. Abbey Averill, our OSU Program Assistant and coordinator of this workshop, reported many of the participants are excited about making their first batch of cheese.  I would like to thank Abbey for her leadership in coordinating this event.  A special thank you is extended to Kevin and Susan Morris owners of Mayfield Road Creamery in Orwell, Ohio for hosting a tour of their operation during this workshop. They opened their creamery in 2007 and are making some great, great cheeses.

I would also like to thank Susan Masirovits, Market Manager of the Jefferson Farmers Market and Pat Bradek of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce for all of their hard work in making this workshop a success.  They were invaluable assistants to Abbey.  I know we all are excited about the possibility of more artisan cheese operations in our county. 

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I would like to end today's column with a simple story about the beauty of giving "thanks" at Thanksgiving time written by Aileen Fisher.  T is for time to be together, turkey, talk, and tangy weather.  H is for harvest stored away, home and hearth, and holiday.  A is for autumn’s frosty art, and abundance in the heart.  N is for neighbors, November, nice things, and new things to remember.  K is for kitchen, kettles croon, kith and kin expected soon.  S is for sizzles, sights, and sounds, and something special that abounds.  That spells THANKS--for joy in living and a jolly good Thanksgiving season.  Have a good and safe day!

David Marrison is Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension.  Mr. Marrison can be reached at 440-576-9008 or marrison.2@osu.edu

Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or veteran status.  This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.

Keith L. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Director, Ohio State University Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868