July 29th, 2010 09:46am
Meghan Bowe
At the onset of this garden season, my husband and I decided we would take our garden to the next level. This year, we would till two new, large beds. We would grow some varieties new to us and plant our favorites and a lot of them so that canning and freezing were an option. My oldest child, who is 2 1/2 years, is old enough now to help plant seeds, dig holes and harvest beans, onions and more. I want her to have an understanding of where food comes from, I want her to see the blooms and watch them morph into squash, tomatoes and pumpkins and when it comes time, I want her to recognize what food is supposed to taste like in season.
I’ve always had an interest in vegetable gardening but even more so now that I have children. Their nutritional needs and connection to how food is grown is more important than ever. Engaging children in garden explorations cultivates a love of plants, gardening and the environment. Young children will enjoy having some tools of their own, they are able to put seeds in a shallow hole or trench and they like to do the watering. Allow time for exploration of bugs and digging in the dirt for worms. Some great advice I received was to allow a spot just for digging holes.
My daughter loves flowers; so in our garden we planted flowers as well as vegetables. The cosmos and sunflowers she planted by seed are now taller than she is. I make sure she connects the flowers in the garden to the seeds she planted in hope that she will feel a sense of accomplishment and wonder. As an adult, I still get excited to see plants thrive that I stared from seed in March. I feel a sense of independence and accomplishment as meals are prepared from the garden harvest and vegetables are canned or frozen for eating long after the growing season has past. Yes - Gardening and food preservation can be time consuming; however, the benefits and rewards far exceed the work.
The U of I Extension has been a part of a large community garden movement in the Rockford area. On Saturday, August 7 from 9 am to 1 pm there will be a community garden “veggie tour” of 16 of the community gardens. You can find more information including the garden locations at the U of I Extension-Winnebago County website www.extension.illinois.edu/winnebago. U of I Extension can also provide proper techniques and methods to freeze, dry and can your garden harvest. Contact the Winnebago County Extension office at 815-986-4357.
July 28th, 2010 08:14am
Jennie Pollock
I got a notice from the Blackhawk Sierra Club about upcoming meetings.
The first is of particular news interest: You can meet the candidates for the new Winnebago County Forest Preserve Commission at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford.
Why is this important?
1. It’s a new board. Columnist Chuck Sweeny has been writing a fair amount about it.
2. There are 35 candidates! The top three vote-getters will serve six-year terms, the candidates with the fourth- and fifth-highest will serve four-year terms, the sixth- and seventh-highest will serve two-year terms.
Also of note: On Oct. 25, the Sierra Club’s guest will be Lonnie Morris, Illinois chairwoman of the Cool Cities program that commits to environmentally kinder ways (Rockford’s on board). The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Just Goods in Rockford.
July 26th, 2010 05:17am
Jennie Pollock
The fall session of the Illinois Master Naturalist Program begins Aug. 17.
The program teaches folks about the environment and how to preserve it (a commitment of 30 volunteer hours per year). Almost 40 people have completed this training and contributed more than 975 hours of service in habitat restoration and educational programming.
To register or learn more about the program, go to www.extension.illinois.edu/winnebago or call 815-986-4357. It runs from 2 to 5:30 Tuesday for 10 weeks. Cost is $250.
July 22nd, 2010 07:59am
Tom Eickman
It’s coming fast. Tomatoes will soon be coming out of every garden I see, and of course, since I have to put meat with everything, the BLT sandwiches will soon be put together to enjoy. As this time comes up, I think it might be a good time to go over some different types of bacon.
First, there’s traditional bacon. This is made from the pork belly. The ribs are on the inside of the pork belly, and the belly runs on the side of the hog down to the bellybutton. Once the ribs are removed, the fresh pork belly is cured, smoked and sliced to create traditional bacon. Traditional bacon is only a heat-treated product; it is not fully cooked, and does require cooking to insure safety.
After traditional bacon, Canadian bacon is probably the next most popular. Canadian Bacon is produced from the loin of the hog. The loin is the same section that is used for pork chops, so if we make Canadian bacon, the hog will not have pork chops. This is usually a fully cooked item that has been brought up to proper temperatures. Once again the product is cured, smoked and sliced. The Canadian bacon has very little fat content, due to the loin having little to no fat on the inside of the eye. Because of the lack of fat, frying crisp is not recommended for Canadian bacon.
My personal favorite for BLT’s is cottage bacon. Cottage bacon is made from the front shoulder of the hog. It has less fat content than traditional bacon, but more fat than Canadian bacon. Because it does have some fat, it tends to taste more like traditional bacon, but does not work well when it is fried crisp. This product it often formed and pressed after curing to give it a better consumer presentation after being sliced. Cottage bacon is a fully cooked item, but cooking it brings out the better flavor.
Last but least, is jowl bacon. This is made from the jowls of the hog, which are the cheeks off the face. This is a small section of the hog, and therefore does not produce very large strips of bacon. It will have a similar look and taste as traditional bacon and is processed in the same way.
Overall, the hog is a bacon-producing machine. And while we are there, bacon is not only a pork product. Bacon can be produced from beef, bison, deer, turkey, and many other species. With lots of options out there, I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy their favorite bacon.
July 21st, 2010 05:06am
Jennie Pollock
You often just pick the closest one or the one with the best deal.
Davig’s Custom Cleaners of Rockford, which has used the eco-friendly DrySolv since 2007, attracts customers “from quite a ways around just because we are green,” Thomas Davig said in a phone interview.
I called because it’s been a while since we’ve written about the business. He said people come from as far as Beloit, Freeport, Rochelle and Rockton.
Davig continues to believe it’s a smart business move even though the solvent is more costly. “I wouldn’t even think of going back to the other way.”
Note: The company also reuses hangars and promotes the use of reusable bags, which “most of our regulars” use because people can take clothes in and out that way, Davig said.
July 20th, 2010 05:53am
Jennie Pollock
… and want to go into environmental studies, here are the top 10 recommendations from The Fiske Guide to Colleges and why they were chosen:
1. Colby College: In small-town Maine, an ideal perch to study the environment.
2. College of the Atlantic: Tiny college for alternative types that is totally devoted to human ecology.
3. University of California, Davis: Renowned for its research and innovation in the environmental, agricultural and biological sciences.
4. University of Colorado at Boulder: There is no bigger draw than Boulder for the nation’s green movement.
5. Dartmouth College: The Ivy League’s only rural outpost, and its leading program in environmental studies.
6. Eckerd College: Small college near St. Petersburg with its own stretch of Gulf Coast beach.
7. The Evergreen State College: Epicenter of all things green in the Pacific Northwest.
8. University of North Carolina at Asheville: Set among the North Carolina mountains
9. Tulane University: After Hurricane Katrina, Tulane stepped up its game.
10. University of Washington: Leader in the study of the environment in the seas as well as on land.
July 19th, 2010 09:24am
Jennie Pollock
… they kind of look like them.
I got a news release from CoverMates, which are BPA-free plastic food covers.
Haven’t used them, but you can try one of each size for free if you pay $3.95 for shipping.
After reviewing the website, my thoughts:
Pros:
1. They are reusable and can go in the dishwasher and microwave (complete with venting holes). Seemingly good if you make a plate for someone to heat later.
2. They could be good to use for picnics if you’re worried about dirt or bugs.
3. They get more mileage than one-use plastic wrap, which is not only unruly but bad for the environment. The news release says Americans use enough plastic wrap each year to cover the state of Texas.
Cons:
1. They are not recyclable.
2. They are not reusable forever (10 uses at least, the site says).
3. If you’ve already avoided plastic wrap by using different containers, you might not need these, either.
July 18th, 2010 11:36pm
Andrea (Andy) Hazzard
It’s July, which is not my favorite month. I have spent hours dragging hoses around my farm. When nature turns off the water, it makes it hard on the land. The weeds are growing like mad and the plants just
begin to look peaked. No rain in the forecast, but I see my future.
However, the tomatoes are looking great, which is nice considering
that last year around this time the dreaded late blight broke out and
began to kill our hard work in days. It does make me appreciate the
rain in a way that people who are not tied to the land cannot. No
rain, no food, no trees, and fewer animals. The rainforest is one of
the most diverse places on the planet and it’s simply due to water.
The good thing about July is that it is County Fair season, and I love
going to the fair. My favorite things are the poultry barn, and the
funnel cakes. If you have never gone to the fair, you should make an
effort to do so this year. I suggest packing a picnic lunch and going
early to beat the heat. It’s such fun to see all the different breeds
of animals. I was in 4-H as a kid and had more fun getting all the
animals ready to go. It was educational and a point of pride to be
able to show off all of our hard work. It kept us busy during the hot
summer days and taught us skills that we still utilize, from arranging
flowers to baking cakes, sewing on buttons or figuring out how to make
a proper feed mix for the animals.
The other good thing about July is the sweet corn. Everyone waits all
year for this season. I like my corn straight from the field and
covered in plain old butter and salt. It’s wise to buy more than you
need, and while you are eating the first batch, cook up the second
batch to freeze. You will not regret the extra work in the middle of
winter when you can pull it from the freezer and think back to summer.
I suppose I will have to admit that July does have its perks, even if
rain isn’t one of them.
Andrea Hazzard farms and philosophizes at Hazzard Free Farm and First Hand Harvest CSA she is also the Local Foods Systems Coordinator at the University of Illinois Extension -Winnebago County
July 15th, 2010 06:30am
Jennie Pollock
You’ve probably heard about LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building in the commercial sector, but what about residential?
The Rockford/Northern Illinois branch of the U.S. Green Building Council will hold a program on “green” home construction from 5:30 to 8 p.m. July 27 at the Radisson, Rockford. Cost is $10 for members, $20 for nonmembers. To register, go online to the usgbc-illinois.org site.
July 14th, 2010 05:27am
Jennie Pollock
Critter Camp, a nonprofit exotic animal rescue facility in German Valley, has entered Pepsi’s Refresh Everything challenge.
The business, which cares for 320 abandoned and abused pets, is seeking $250,000 to build a “green” sanctuary and education center run by solar and wind power.
Vote daily all month, or call 815-266-1342 for more information. Regardless of the outcome, donations can be taken at any US Bank for the project.
Today, it was in 50th place.
I called director Beth Randall because I was curious about why she entered the contest.
She said they’ve wanted to build this facility for years.
“This is like our one big chance,” Randall said. “We could go up to 1,000 animals or so and do outreach to so many more people.” Instead of touring just six people at a time, she could accommodate classroom field trips and scout troops.
What kind of animals live there?
Mostly anything beyond cats and dogs. Many are too old, disabled or aggressive to care for, so they’re given a “safe place to live the rest of their lives,” Randall said. Occassionally there are pets to adopt out, like a lizard and some ferrets.
Final note: A fundraiser will be Aug. 7 at the Loose Screw in German Valley.
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