Tails From the Farm: June 2015

Monday, June 29, 2015

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook Column, June 25, 2015

Good morning! It is raining as I write this. Some days I think think it will never end! Does everyone have their garden in? Did everyone have a good Father's Day out there? I hope everyone had a beautiful day and spent it with loved ones.

July 4 & 5, 2015 Quilted Memories Quilt Show at Chetek Community Center, 711 First Street, from 10-4pm. Quilts, Vendors, a parade noon on Saturday. $2 admission.

There are a couple new businesses in the area worth mentioning. Wembendangig (Those who are hopeful) Community Sewing Center has opened! Mary is stocking her shop with fabric, beads, jingles, bells, quilts, handmade items. If you would like to take a quilting class or need help making something Mary is the person to talk too! The shop is located at 14362W County Road K, the shop number is 715-699-1379 and the email wembendangig@yahoo.com If you bring in a pow wow button you can get 10% off your purchase, also tax free with a Tribal ID. Right down the street from this awesome shop is Cloud 9 Coffeehouse- 14392 W County Road K. I have to say I have really enjoyed the panini's that Sandy and Eva have created over there. Its a great place to have an iced coffee, a frappe or one of there other wonderful drinks. Sandy's menu changes as they are always trying something new, right now its BLT panini. The number to cloud 9 is 715-634-0340 o on the web at www.c9ch.com. I hope to see you at one of these great new businesses!

THIS WEEKEND! June 27, 2015 Sawyer County Dairy Breakfast, early morning. Held at the Hayward fairgrounds.

LCO Community College Class schedule for the month of June. June 24- Beginner Producer Program at the College Farm 5-8pm and Belly dancing from 3:30- 4:30 in Room 500. LCO Farmers Market at the LCO Country Store Parking Lot 4-7 pm. June 26th LCO Farmers Market at the LCO Country Store Parking Lot 10-2 pm. June 27 Shawl Making 9-4 pm in room 305, Lost Creek Falls 10-4 pm Transportation provided. To register for any of these class please call 715-634-4790 x156 o email Amber at marlowa@lco.edu.

A happy birthday goes out to all the folks with June birthdays! If you are having a birthday this month remember you are special! There is no one quite like you! Happy Birthday goes out to my sister Donna, a happy belated birthday to Mary Ann Povlitzki. Happy birthday to my cousin Shana! Have a wonderful birthday! We love you!

Put it on your calendar:

July 17-19, 2015- 35th Annual Conference and Campout. Where? Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa! If you have not attended this you are missing out!!! Hope to see some of you there!

July 24-25, 2015- Hayward Piecemakers Quilt Show. New location is at the Hayward Wesleyan Church in Hayward. More information- haywardpiecemakers@hotmail.com or call Michelle at 715-661-3575

August 19-21,2015- Return To First Medicines 2nd Annual Gathering. A Gathering for adults and children to learn about Sacred Medicines Growing Traditional Foods and how to care for our environment. This event will will be held at Fortune Bay Resort and Casino. www.indigenouspeoplestf.org

September 11-13, 2015- Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, Jefferson Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com

I know that there HAS to be some events going on out there! Please let me know!

Please remember that I would like any information from all of you of what is going on! This is your column ! Any garage sales, church functions, raffles etc? Let me know- thank you!

Have a friend or family member that would be interested in the column? Maybe they live out of town? They can access the column on my blog on Thursdays, at www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com .

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Christ In You,Why God trusts you more than you trust yourself- by Eric B Johnson

At times reading a religious book can be hard. You feel that you don't quite hit the mark. Or you think that you are so far away from where you should be that you will never make it to the first base of life! Sometimes what we need is a book that is just written so we can read, understand and apply it to our lives.

Reading this book has really brought a lot of questions to mind. I think its good to get out of our comfort zone and really look at ourselves, our religion, what God wants us to be. It is good to questioned what we are suppose to be doing and how we are suppose to do that.

I found this book to be "real". Something that I wanted to read and work on. Not someone telling me this is how it needs or has to be done. I like that there are questions as it makes me think. Makes me wonder if there might be others ways of living my life, gives me a different perspective.

I would recommend checking out this book. See what it has to offer you. See how things can change in your life.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Chicken of the Woods by Emily M. Stone

I am once again sharing this great article written by Emily Stone over at Cable Natural History Museum. I know there are a lot of people out there into foraging as well as looking for mushrooms!

Enjoy!

By Emily M. Stone

Naturalist/Education Director

Cable Natural History Museum

"Did you see that giant chicken!?" exclaimed my co-worker Jayme as she stepped out of her Jeep in my driveway. My puzzled look must have answered her question. "There's a huge chicken of the woods right next to your driveway! It's bright orange. I can't believe you missed it!"

Jayme's excitement was warranted. Chicken of the woods (a.k.a sulphur shelf) are choice edible mushrooms, and she is an enthusiastic mychophagist (mushroom-eater) and wild forager. A little embarrassed that I had missed such a neat find, I joined her and Steve, her partner, on a quick hike back up our long gravel drive. "I won't tell you where it is," she teased, "let's see if you can find it yourself."

Once I was looking, it wasn't hard, but I did discover why I hadn't seen it before. Tucked away up a steep bank, several yards back in a balsam thicket, the cluster glowed orange on the cut stump of a fallen tree. We grabbed baby birch stems and kicked our toes into the dirt, clambering up the near-vertical road cut.

It was impressive. Nearly two feet across, with layer upon layer of rippling brackets giving it a ruffled appearance, the yellow edges and undersides contrasting with rich, orange caps - this mushroom was beautiful. It is also unmistakable. David Arora, author of "Mushrooms Demystified", includes chicken of the woods in his "foolproof four." Upon closer inspection, we found that the cluster was fresh, clean, and flexible. Just ripe for eating.

We reached into the mass, and gently tugged free a few of the most fresh and tender looking caps. The flesh was cool and moist to the touch, with a texture like fine velvet. Part of this consistency comes from it being a polypore. Unlike stereotypical mushrooms with the umbrella-like cap and radiating gills, polypore mushrooms are composed of many small, vertical tubes. Reproductive spores are produced on the sides of the tubes, and use gravity to disperse out of the bottom opening. From there, the spores use wind and animals to disperse them into a new home, eventually growing more mushrooms.

The pore structure also contributes to the succulent, stringy texture of the caps, which reminds some people of chicken meat. Soon we had tugged free enough caps to share with everyone for dinner.

Cooking mushrooms is extremely important for both safety and nutrition. Heat can denature toxins, kill nematodes, and break down tough cell walls to give our bodies access to nutrients. After wiping off a few specks of "trail spice," we added the orange caps to a warm skillet in a pool of melted butter and garlic. With a lid to help keep in the juices, the "chickens" were soon sizzling merrily.

The first bite was the best: chewy but tender, with a light lemony undertone and a touch of the savory umami flavor, too. Though we wanted to keep eating, each of us tasted only a couple of small pieces. Chicken of the woods causes mild stomach upset in some, and allergic reactions in a very few. With any wild mushroom, it is best to try only a little at first, to gauge how your body will react.

After a comfortable night, I headed back to the stump to collect more. The wood still looked solid, so I suspect that this fungus will be back again next year. Chicken of the woods is a parasite (it kills trees) and saprobe (it decomposes dead trees), most commonly on oaks. After years of decay, it renders the wood - especially the heartwood - into a friable mess of brown cubes. Until then, it may fruit in the same place year after year.

And until then, I will continue making it part of my dinner. As I pulled off more chunks for my skillet, I noticed slugs and flies dotting the yellow undersides of the brackets. In just a few days, its brittle flesh would be riddled with insects, slug trails, and beetle holes. The fungus will die back. The decomposer will decompose.

The tree feeds the fungus. The fungus feeds the animals. Eventually the soil will feed a tree. And somewhere in that cycle, is me.

For over 45 years, the Cable Natural History Museum has served to connect you to the Northwoods. Come visit us in Cable, WI! Our new exhibit: "Lake Alive!" opened May 1, 2015, and will remain open until March 2016.

Find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Discover us on Facebook, or at our blogspot, http://cablemuseumnaturalconnections.blogspot.com.

I would love to hear your comments, questions, and ideas about this article!

Contact Me!

emily@cablemuseum.org

The succulent flesh of the beautiful chicken of the woods mushroom tastes surprisingly similar to its clucking namesake.
Photo by Emily Stone.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook/Trego Column, June 18, 2015

Good morning! The sun is trying to come out after the rain from last night. I hope you are having a great summer!

THIS WEEKEND.... June 19-21, 2015 Soaring Eagles Wellness Center Fair, W6031 County Hwy A, Spooner. This event is FREE, please sign in at the entrance. Gates open at 9. Questions shellyfoureagles@gmail.com, 715-205-3366. www.soaringeagleswellness.com

LCO Community College Class schedule for the month of June. June 19- LCO Farmers Market 10-2 pm, Birch Bark Baskets 5-8 pm at the farm. June 20- Marengo Overlook 10-3 transportation & Lunch provided. June 22- Making and Cannning Strawberry Rhubarb Jam 5-8pm at the College kitchen. June 24- Beginner Producer Program at the College Farm 5-8pm and Belly dancing from 3:30- 4:30 in Room 500. LCO Farmers Market at the LCO Country Store Parking Lot 4-7 pm. June 26th LCO Farmers Market at the LCO Country Store Parking Lot 10-2 pm. June 27 Shawl Making 9-4 pm in room 305, Lost Creek Falls 10-4 pm Transportation provided. To register for any of these class please call 715-634-4790 x156 o email Amber at marlowa@lco.edu.

Anyone out there have some fishing gear that they no longer use? One of my goals is to get a license and get out there and fish! It doesn't need to be pretty, just so it works.

Put it on your calendar:

June 27, 2015 Sawyer County Dairy Breakfast, early morning. Held at the Hayward fairgrounds.

July 17-19, 2015- 35th Annual Conference and Campout. Where? Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa! If you have not attended this you are missing out!!! Hope to see some of you there!

July 24-25, 2015- Hayward Piecemakers Quilt Show. New location is at the Hayward Wesleyan Church in Hayward. More information- haywardpiecemakers@hotmail.com or call Michelle at 715-661-3575

September 11-13, 2015- Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, Jefferson Fair Park, Jefferson, WI. www.wisconsinsheepandwoolfestival.com

I know that there HAS to be some events going on out there! Please let me know!

Please remember that I would like any information from all of you of what is going on! This is your column ! Any garage sales, church functions, raffles etc? Let me know- thank you!

Have a friend or family member that would be interested in the column? Maybe they live out of town? They can access the column on my blog on Thursdays, at www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com .

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook Column, June 11, 2015

Hello there neighbors! Sorry I have't been on top getting the column written. Graduation, the holidays and well just life have gotten in the way of deadlines! I hope that this finds everyone enjoying the sun...when its out. Those rains that came through this last weekend were crazy! I was stuck sitting in the van at Walmart while it poured. Sure hope everyone keeps good tabs on what is going on with the weather. Please be safe out there as this is the time when alot of people are out on one of the many bodies of water in our lovely area.

This weekend! June 13, 2015 Tri- County Dairy Breakfast, starts at 6:30- 10:30. Held in Spooner at the Fairgrounds, Hwy 63 to Beaver Brook Avenue. Adults $6.00, children 6-12 $4, under 5 free. Hayrides, face paining, live music and door prizes! This is a great event every year so come on out and enjoy an awesome breakfast!

Graduation day was awesome! Many people came out to see us all graduate. A big thanks goes out to Karen and Leif Nestingen and my beautiful daughter Mikhaila for coming out to see my get my Associates in Native American Studies! I was honored that you were there. Thank you to all the folks at LCO College for all their hard work getting ready for the graduation. Thank you Elders for making the food- it was a wonderful meal!

Congrats to all the people graduating in the area! This is that time of the year when all the high school students are taking that BIG step. I would like to say Happy Graduation to all those that are graduating with me at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College this week! We rock! I am so proud of each of you as I know it has been a huge battle to get there. Best wishes to all of the graduates as they go forth with their plans.

Anyone out there have some fishing gear that they no longer use? One of my goals is to get a license and get out there and fish! It doesn't need to be pretty, just so it works.

Put it on your calendar:

June 20, 2015 Burnett/Polk Dairy Breakfast, early morning. no location yet.

June 27, 2015 Sawyer County Dairy Breakfast, early morning. Held at the Hayward fairgrounds.

July 17-19, 2015- 35th Annual Conference and Campout. Where? Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa! If you have not attended this you are missing out!!! Hope to see some of you there!

July 24-25, 2015- Hayward Piecemakers Quilt Show. New location is at the Hayward Wesleyan Church in Hayward. More information- haywardpiecemakers@hotmail.com or call Michelle at 715-661-3575

I know that there HAS to be some events going on out there! Please let me know!

Please remember that I would like any information from all of you of what is going on! This is your column ! Any garage sales, church functions, raffles etc? Let me know- thank you!

Have a friend or family member that would be interested in the column? Maybe they live out of town? They can access the column on my blog on Thursdays, at www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com .

If you would like me to put something in the column please give me a call 715-558-0335,

twogirlsandagarden@hotmail.com, or send me your info to P.O. Box 172, Stone Lake, WI 54876-0172.