Gretchen Klingler, sister of The Berry Patch owner, Steven Klingler, gets us started.
Local strawberry picking is upon us. Beware, the season is brief. About three weeks.
So, Champaign Uncorked! visited two local strawberry patches on Memorial Day to help blaze your trail to the sweet freshness that awaits. (By the way, I have a bowl of strawberries in front of me as I write this. Soon to be just a bowl. Good news: Plenty more in the kitchen.)
First Stop: The Berry Patch, LLC
Location: 2451 St. Rt. 245 W., West Liberty
Hours: Mon-Sat, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. (season ends about June 18)
Product: Pre-picked and U-pick strawberries by gallon bucket or quart
Steven Klingler in front of The Berry Patch, the strawberry business he started four years ago.
The Story: Steven Klingler, a 2014 Urbana University accounting graduate, started The Berry Patch, LLC four years ago. It’s sort of an offshoot of a berry farm of another variety—a raspberry farm. Specifically, the Champaign Berry Farm of Mike and Cathy Pullins, just outside Mutual. Steven worked seven summers for the Pullinses, from seventh grade through freshman year of college.
By his sixth season with Champaign Berry Farm, Steven knew he wanted to go into the berry business himself. The Pullinses recommended strawberries. Raspberries take two to three years to fruit after planting. Strawberries, just 12 months. Steven has 23,000 plants in fruit. With the help of a crew of 20 he planted 24,000 new plants this spring—for even more bountiful picking next year.
Steven also has received encouragement and support from his family and Jason Wish of Wishwell Farms of Bellefontaine. His father, Scott Klingler, loaned him money for equipment and is expecting Steven to get back to work, at the end of strawberry season, to support his business, Countryside Heating & Cooling. (We have, indeed, entered the cooling season also.)
Cindy and Bob Folck of Folck Family Farm.
Second Stop: Folck Family Farm
Location: 6842 St. Rt. 54, Mechanicsburg
Hours: Call the farm at 937-869-2240 for hours and updates
Product: Strawberries (pre-picked and U-pick) in season now through June 21. Other produce: peas, red raspberries (to be ready mid-June), blackberries, Vidalia onions, tomatoes and sweet peppers. Also honey, jams, as well as pork products from pasture-raised purebred Chester White pigs. (The Folcks had the 2015 Champion Chester White Gilt at the Ohio State Fair Junior Show.)
The Story: Bob and Cindy Folck have operated their family farm for about 15 years. Bob describes himself as “a stay-at-home farmer” since a job layoff. He also breeds and sells show pigs. Cindy is program manager of The Ohio State University Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program. And their daughter, Amanda, studies sports turf at Ohio State. Bob said their produce business began with pumpkins, “and one thing led to another.” They’ve become one of Ohio’s largest grower of peas, picking and shelling about two acres a year.
How Sweet It Is….
Some of our day’s delicious bounty.
As I wrap up this post, my wife, Kay, just set down in front of me a slice of toast spread with strawberry jam she made from some of today’s pickings. Ummm … now, what was I writing about?
Anyway, get out and discover for yourself the locally grown goodness that is all around us in and around Champaign County. We’ll be sharing more finds as the growing season progresses.
And please share: What are your favorite locally grown and produced foods?
Champaign Uncorked! hopes you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Now it’s time to begin celebrating Christmas in Champaign County. Following are a few recommendations for helping you get into the spirit in the next two weekends:
Santa’s Coming to Town – in a Caravan of Horses, Friday, Nov. 27
Santa arrives at the Gloria Theatre for last year’s Santa Land.
Santa will arrive in Urbana at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, like never before.
He’ll be escorted through town by a caravan of lighted horse-drawn carriages and horseback riders, in the first-ever Urbana All-Horse Christmas Parade.
The parade will start a 6 p.m. at the intersection of Patrick Avenue and Water Street, make its way down Patrick Avenue, turn left onto Scioto Street, and circle around Monument Square before returning to the starting point.
And Santa’s horse-drawn trolley will continue on to the Gloria Theatre, 216 S. Main St., the official headquarters of Santa Land (see “Santa Land” below).
The horse parade, organized in memory of Jim Clark, will include at least 22 lighted carriages and 40 to 50 riders. Janice Clark, Jim Clark’s widow, will be the parade grand marshal, riding in a wagon pulled by her late husband’s team of Haflingers.
Santa Land Through December 19
Santa is expected to arrive at the theater at 6:30 p.m. to listen to children’s wishes. The Grandworks Foundation and The Depot Coffeehouse will provide hot chocolate and popcorn. The Champaign Youth Choir will sing on stage at 7 p.m.
Santa will pose for pictures with children in his sleigh and will return to Santa Land every Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Christmas. Santa Land is offered free by Monument Square District and partners the Gloria Theatre, Grandworks Foundation, the Depot Coffeehouse, Security National Bank, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, Erin Patton and many volunteers.
Downtown Urbana is looking a lot like Christmas.
Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28—Shop Local for Christmas
Several downtown Urbana stores will observe Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, with special sales, door prizes, drawings, extended hours, refreshments and more.
According to Monument Square District, the following businesses will participate: H. Holding & Co., Downtown Divas, J. Michael Jewelry, Unique Boutique, Guild Gallery, Willman Furniture, Lily’s Garden, One Eleven-A Fashion Boutique, Kaleidoscope, The Green Gate, Cosmic Charlie Baking and Bread, Olde Scioto House of Design, Fruit Salad Antiques and Urban Prairie. Visit their Facebook pages for details.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Gloria Theatre, Dec. 5
Jimmy Stewart’s Christmas movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be on the big screen at the Gloria Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. The $5 admission will support the GrandWorks Foundation’s ongoing mission to restore the theater to enrich the community socially, culturally, economically and spiritually.
Christmas Walk, Dec. 5 and 6
This local Christmas tradition, begun in 2000, will take you on a walk through the Christmas story at Mechanicsburg Christian Fellowship, 4401 Allison Rd., Mechanicsburg. The walk features an original play written and directed by Christa Wolf of Mechanicsburg and includes nine interactive stations that depict the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.
Wolf has added new features to this year’s production and has collaborated with the Mechanicsburg United Methodist Church on the music. The walk will be held Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5 and 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. Groups of about 20 people will begin the walk every 15 minutes. The walk lasts about 45 minutes. There is no charge. Transportation will be provided for handicapped and elderly persons unable to comfortably walk the distance of the play.
No Room in the Inn, Dec. 6
In another local Christmas tradition, Messiah Lutheran Church, 1013 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, invites the community to No Room in the Inn, 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. The event will feature displays of more than 400 nativities and angels, a chicken noodle dinner for $5, a bake sale, silent auction and concerts by the Let’s Jam Show Choir at 2:30 p.m. and Guys and Dolls at 3:30 p.m.
All proceeds will support the homeless of Champaign County and the Caring Kitchen of Urbana.
The Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival provides guests an area to dine and enjoy live music–performed this year by 11 bands.
This couple truly picked up the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival vibe at last year’s celebration.
The third weekend each September, surf meets turf at landlocked Freshwater Farms of Ohio, a mile north of Urbana, Ohio, on U.S. 68.
Surrounded by cropland, the fish farm becomes an island oasis where fresh shrimp and fish are plentiful. And lilting strains of reggae music wash over the countryside, along with a jambalaya of folk/Americana, indie rock, funk, blues and other musical flavorings, performed over three days on an outdoor stage. (By the way, real, not figurative, jambalaya is on the menu.)
Last year, the Ohio Fish and Shrimp Festival drew about 5,000 visitors. Dr. Dave Smith and his Freshwater Farms crew are ready for more this year. The 14th annual edition of the festival starts this Friday (Sept. 18) at 4 p.m. and ends Sunday at 5 p.m. (The last I looked, 14,000 people had clicked “going” on the festival’s Facebook event page.)
Featured attraction at the Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival: grilled, locally-grown shrimp.
Feast your ears as you savor the food. The festival’s music lineup keeps getting better and better. And three popular performers from last year are returning. Consider these videos your festival appetizer (check out the complete music schedule here):
Fever Fever(with two songs on Billboard’s Christian rock charts this year), performing 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday:
And Champaign County’s own, Daniel Dye and the Miller Road Band, which has played on the festival stage in previous years,performing 5-6:30 p.m. Friday:
Festival hours: Friday, Sept. 18, 4-10 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 20, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Freshwater Farms of Ohio, 2624 North US Hwy. 68, one mile north of Urbana.
General admission: $5, good for the whole weekend; $2, ages 3-12; and free, 2 and under. Includes includes access to all music and many other activities. Pay once and return free with hand stamp. Parking is free in the field on the south side of the farm.
See you there!
Disclaimer: Even if Freshwater Farms of Ohio and the Ohio Fish & Shrimp Festival weren’t my client through my copywriting business, Schenkel Communications, I’d give this festival my wholehearted endorsement. This blog post is just a little extra.
Here are Champaign Uncorked’s picks for bringing summer 2015 to an entertaining close:
Champaign County Fair, August 7-14
Junior Fair competition is at the center of the Champaign County Fair.
Summer is incomplete without Champaign County’s main event—one of Ohio’s best county fairs, if not the best. For this one week, activity gravitates to the fairgrounds. Everything else seems to slow down. And once it’s over, the start of a new school year is right around the corner.
So take time out to enjoy the food, the junior fair exhibits, livestock shows, local business booths, midway and just getting together with the rest of Champaign County.
Highlights for this year include the Josh Turner concert at 8 p.m. Friday, August 7, in the grandstand, and the crowning of the junior fair queen, awarding of 4-H boy and girl of the year and FFA boy and girl of the year, and pig and calf scrambles, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, August 8, at the grandstand. Click here for a complete schedule and details. The fairgrounds is located at 384 Park Ave., Urbana.
Bird’s-eye view of the 2014 MERFI Fly-in and car show at Urbana’s Grimes Field.
The 49th annual Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-in (MERFI), will feature an air race, airplane rides, pancake breakfasts, outdoor movies, classic car and hot rod cruise-in and live music. All at Urbana’s historic and active Grimes Field airport, starting at 5 p.m. Friday, August 21 and ending at 1 p.m. Sunday, August 23.
Admission is $5 per person. Children under 12 are free. For more information, visit the MERFI website.
A Summer Challenge, through September 30
My son Alex Schenkel guiding a tour at Ohio Caverns.
If you haven’t already, take part in the Naturally Ours, Rarely Seen Summer Challenge—and discover and enjoy some of Champaign County’s natural and recreational wonders.
The program, created by the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and members of the Chamber’s Leadership Champaign program, offers prizes for visiting three, five, seven or all nine featured sites. Examples of prizes: discount admission to Ohio Caverns and Cedar Bog, a free disc golf disc and a chance to win a free night of camping at any Ohio state park.
Though the Champaign Uncorked! Bucket List may be off to a late start for July, you’ll still find many opportunities to enjoy Champaign County to the fullest. And here are a few samples:
Urbana Community ParkFest!, July 10 and 11
About 55 years ago, Urbana was gifted with a 120-acre playground, which we know today as Melvin Miller Park. This weekend during ParkFest! you and your family have the opportunity to celebrate this treasure to the fullest.
The Urbana Parks and Recreation Department, with the help of generous sponsors, has packed a day and a half, beginning 6 p.m. Friday, with fun activities and events … live music, sports tournaments (disc golf, sand volleyball, tennis and basketball, to name a few), pool parties, a fishing derby, dunk tank, rock climbing wall, inflatables, tethered hot air balloon rides…. For complete details, check here and here. And for a little history on the park, click here.
Mechanicsburg Summer Celebration, July 11
Mechanicsburg will celebrate summer with a festival Saturday that includes a parade at 3 p.m., a vintage baseball game at 4 p.m., an apple pie contest, a concert by the Average Wright Band at 7:45 p.m., and fireworks at dusk. And ice cream and cake will be served 6 to 8 p.m. to celebrate Goshen Township’s 200th anniversary. Check for more details here and on the Our Towne Mechanicsburg Facebook page.
“Who Am I This Time? (& Other Conundrums of Love),” July 10-12
This latest production at the Gloria Theatre, 216 S. Main St., Urbana, is a play presented by Sansami Creative Works and adapted from three short stories by Kurt Vonnegut. Shows are scheduled Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 12 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance by clicking here.
Missoula Children’s Theatre Open Auditions, July 13
The Missoula Children’s Theatre is making a stop in Urbana at the Gloria Theatre, Monday, July 13, to audition kids, grades K-9, for a production of “Blackbeard the Pirate,” to be performed at the theater Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18. Auditions will be held Monday 10 a.m. to noon. For details, call Lydia at 937-612-1651 or email lydia@grandworks.com.
Here’s a chance to help our neighbors. Week of Hope, coordinated by several local churches, provides a variety of opportunities to serve our community, including home repairs, meals, a pool party and a community worship service. For details, check the Week of Hope Facebook page and click here for a schedule.
Art Affair on the Square, July 18
Celebrate Urbana’s artistic side from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 18 in historic downtown Urbana. Sponsored and organized by Monument Square District, this festival—now in its 11th year–attracts artists and visitors from across Ohio and beyond.
Artists will display and sell their works under dozens of white tents. The festival also features performing arts, children’s art activities, architectural tours, exhibits and literary arts. And downtown specialty shops and restaurants will be open to add to the festivities. For more, visit the Art Affair on the Square Facebook page.
Leading up to Art Affair, the Champaign County Arts Council, 119 Miami St., will host a reception in memory of local artist Paul Reif, Friday, July 17, 6-8 p.m. His work also will be on display in the Arts Council Gallery during Art Affair and during normal business hours, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., July 13-24.
Follow Us!