We'd be remiss ......

LFLF would be remiss if we didn't mention the upcoming
PASA Farming For the Future Conference on February 4-6 in State College, PA. If you're a farmer/grower, farmer wannabe, local foodie, etc., put this conference on your to do list! Check out the sessions in the on-line brochure. The great feature of this conference is that you don't have to pre-register for sessions, just look over the list and go to what interests you! If you miss a session, PASA has all of the sessions recorded and they can be purchased just after the session or later after the conference.

Roadtrip finds local goodies!

We made a trip out to Lehman's Hardware in Kidron, Ohio and picked up a couple of local items. First was a crock from Holmes County Pottery ..... handmade pottery fired in "Ohio's largest wood burning kiln".

We also picked up local meat stix from Streb's in nearby Dalton, Ohio. They also carry larger items like Streb's ham but we didn't have a cooler to carry that home!

Honey From Locals

We picked up some honey at our local grocery store from McCormack Apiaries this week. Honey is a great sweetener for herbal & spiced hot tea at this time of year. We usually see McCormacks at the Beaver & Ambridge Farmers' Markets "in season" and they have a great display.

We've also noticed various "local" honeys at feed stores & at hardware stores around the region.

Next to our honey bear is a winter squash ..... it also tastes good baked with honey or brown sugar, but that's for tomorrow!

Windowsill Garden

Rosemary makes a great windowsill garden plant ... this plant was purchased at the Ambridge Farmers' Market 2 years ago. After 2 summers outside and graduating to a larger pot, it's finally coming into it's own as a Christmas tree! It loves the southern window exposure and even came into bloom last week. Most of the clippings are used in the kitchen, so no more dried leaves for LFLF!

Christmas Pointsettia Trip!

It was off to Janoski's Farm & Greenhouse today for our pointsettias. You just can't beat a warm greenhouse full of blooms when there's snow on the ground. Not the record 2 feet or more that blanketed the east coast, but enough to bring out the Christmas spirit! The big wreaths along the building on the left are "BOGO's @ $40. VERY TEMPTING if you've still got a space that can handle a couple of big wreaths. Some of the smaller pointsettias were also bogo's. There are still some of the "Christmas Rose" and the more burgundy colored varieties available, along with the usual red, pink, & white plants.
Don't forget the home grown produce. The sign for the potatoes was buried by the snow plows, but they have a really good deal on them too!

Somerset County Farmers' Market Celebrates!

The Somerset County Farmers' Market celebrated a successful 4th year at their annual dinner. Eight "friends" of the market were recognized. This article in the Daily American popped up in a "Google Alert". It's gratifying to see the documented growth of the market from the weekly vendor receipt tallies. Good luck in year five!

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Deep dish apple pie brought to you courtesy of Oak Spring Farm apples .... pot holder brought to you courtesy of a party grab bag <--- we did not pay for it!