Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

A reporter in West Virginia who was looking at changes in the ag industry picked the Grantham family as an example of how family farming has evolved over seven generations. Over the past 230 years, the Grantham clan has gone from substance farming to exporting crops, then to near ruin from neglect and a resurgenceContinue reading “Evolution of Farming as Seen Through One Family's History”

Three cheers to this organization – North Dakota-based Farm Rescue – which rolls in to help farmers who’ve been injured are ill or whose farms have been devastated by natural disaster. I learned about Farm Rescue from this story in The Prairie Star online, which reports that the organization has added Montana to its territory.Continue reading “Farm Heroes Rescue Family Farmers in Distress”

I’m loving a blog piece I read today about 400 goats who were let loose on a Wilsonville, Oregon, park overgrown with invasive ivy and blackberries. So does it work? Absolutely, says Oregonlive.com blogger Kimberly Nelson. The part of the park that the goats have devoured is devoid of the ivy understory that once chokedContinue reading “Need to Eradicate Invasive Plants? Get a Goat.”

The first was while the iFarmer and I were eating a fantastic meal of perfectly cooked breaded pork tenderloin (me) and liver and onions (him). Imagine our delight when Ms. Indiana walked in and was seated near us at the historic Hob Nob Corner Restaurant. So much fun. Then, the next day, we had theContinue reading “My Two Celebrity Sightings”

If you’re looking for something to can and you have access to a local garden or farm…you might find beets, apples and one of my grandpa’s favorites, swiss chard. The iFarmer’s cousin took advantage of another seasonal favorite this weekend when she made black raspberry cobbler. Perfectly tart. More on that and other family favoritesContinue reading “What's in Season?”

My local find today is only local because it’s near where the iFarmer grew up and we’re in town for a birthday and family reunion. For at least five years, we’ve had our sights set on a dining room table and chairs we ordered from one of our favorite Brown County artisan galleries. I wishContinue reading “Craftsmanship is Alive & Well in Brown County”

Just a quick note to give a Roger Ebert “Thumbs Up” to Leelanau Wine Cellars Autumn Harvest, smooth, dry red. The cherry and currant undertones make it smell sweet. But it’s not. Simply a nice dinner wine. And the price was right. I think we spent about five bucks for the bottle. The winery hasContinue reading “Mich. Wine Update”

I had the pleasure of dining with some very knowledgeable reps from throughout Indiana on Wednesday. These folks knew their stuff. Not one of them pitched me an idea that they didn’t really know something about, from either doing serious research or experiencing the product, visiting the restaurant or meeting the artists and farmers firstContinue reading “This Chef Celebrates the FARM”

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So why on earth do fish in Chicago need a hotel? Well on the Chicago River, as it happens, there are several reasons. They check in to: flee from boats, grab a some shelter and (thanks to insects attracted to native plants), a bite to eat. That’s what I learned when I looked over theContinue reading “Visiting a Fish Hotel”