Leslie Webb, president of Carmel Green Initiative, had this perspective from her e-newsletter on the unusual climate that we experience this summer, both worldwide and locally:

From ILG's The Last Row columnist, and Valentine Hill Farm owner, Maria Smietana: an update on Kelly Funk of Seldom Seen Farm, who was struck by lightening in early July.
Greetings to all,

 For those who haven’t seen John’s Facebook post from yesterday, Kelly’s eyes are starting to track visitors as they walk around her room, which is wonderful news. When I saw her last week,  I noted too how much more control she had over her facial muscles than when I had last seen her. It was as if she was trying hard to form words as I was talking to her. I continue to be impressed with the care and kindness of the staff at the rehab hospital. They really seem to take their time with each patient even as they do routine things like changing bandages.

 John’s biggest need on the farm right now is a few folks who can help with harvesting on Thursdays and Fridays. For all of you who could not make it to the Sunday crop mobs and wondered if there were opportunities to help during the week, here is your chance. If you foresee having time regularly on those days, or know ahead of time that you can help on a specific date, please let me know. I’ll funnel names to John, and try to let you know what crops you’ll be picking so you know what to prepare for.  There may be a need for more Sunday mobs later on, but right now, many farmers are just waiting for a decent rain before we put more energy into fall crops.

By guest blogger Denise Benson

When you think of “organic” what comes to mind? Well I never thought of marshmallows!

This message is from Maria Smietana regarding helping out at the farm during Kelly’s recovery:

Thanks to all who came to give their time and energy on John and Kelly’s farm last Sunday. We had about 60 folks between the two shifts--nice mix of local farmers and food producers, family friends, CSA clients/market customers of John, members of Slow Food Indy, and even my 2 brothers, visiting from out of town (thanks, Frank n Hank).

Crates were built from old pallets by a good crew of you with carpentry skills. The rest of us got all the onions and shallots harvested, sorted, and stacked in the crates for curing. Quite a bit of weeding and straw mulching got done as well in the various vegetable beds.

By guest blogger Denise Benson

I am a honey lover. As such, I am always on a look out for good fresh local honey. I think I just found one of the best sources in town at the Abundant Life Farmers’ Market located at 82nd and Hague Road in Indianapolis.

Rob Green, who owns Bluffwood Creek Organic Farm and Apiary in Hendricks County offers fresh tasty raw honey products. As many of you know, store brands of honey (mostly foreign imports) contain many chemical additives including ones that cause cancer. Bluffwood Creek’s honey, on the other hand, is a pure, raw composition that has only natural ingredients. Rob’s bees have not been fed high fructose corn syrup; have not been treated with antibiotics and miticides, and his raw liquid honey products have not been heated to higher than 95-97 degrees.

It was a toss-up: an iced mocha from Harvest Café Coffee or a juice drink from the Natural Born Juicers. But which to choose on a hot Friday evening at the Green Market on the grounds of Trader’s Point Creamery in Zionsville?

Harvest Café Coffee Roasters have been at farmer’s market for several years now, and David Darga is always generous with his knowledge in helping me choose a new favorite. (I picked up a pound of Black Magic this time—the dense aroma was impossible to pass up.) Natural Born Juicers are new to Central Indiana, have come back home after a 10-yr. stint in NYC and you get a taste of their lively sense of humor when you stop to chat. I’d not tried their juice yet, as often there is a line of enthusiastic regulars getting custom blended drinks.

The winner? Both! But as I had just come from a meeting where I downed a cuppa java, I chose the juice to quench my thirst. Laura and Corey Beatus are the fun couple that entertains you as you wait on your freshly made drink. But make no mistake; their background includes nutrition and health with years of experience in Juicing in NYC. I let Laura choose my inaugural drink…a wonderfully light blend of cucumbers (think gazpacho), carrots (gave a beautiful color to the juice), apples (for sweetness) and parsley… “for garnish” mocked Cory! An ice cube blended with it made it a cool pick-me-up for late afternoon. Hard to believe it was so healthful! They have a new “regular” with me from now on. 

From our friends at Slow Food Indy:

Please join us for the most important fundraising event Slow Food Indy has ever thrown. Funds from this event will be applied to the SFI Fund to help Kelly Funk and John Feree of Seldom Seen Farms, who are active SFI members and former Terre Madre delegates. Kelly Funk was struck by lightning while working on Seldom Seen Farms on July 9 and her recovery will be long and expensive.

Please tell everyone you know to join us for this event as there is virtually no limit to the number of participants we can accommodate. Make the trip to the Apple Family Farm in  McCordsville to show your support for John, Kelly and Seldom Seen Farm and to enjoy a wonderful day with old and new friends.
Chef John Egerton and others will be preparing a proper New England Lobster using sustainably caught lobster and mussels and local vegetables. Given the fundraising goals of this event, the cost is $75 per person. Trust us, you will be nurtured by a wonderful meal, great company, and the piece of mind that your dollars will go to help wonderful farmers and wonderful people who are invaluable to our community.
Sunday Aug. 22
2:30 - 8:00 p.m.

The menu is as follows:
Freshly Steamed Live Lobster With Drawn Butter
Fresh Indiana Corn On The Cob
New Harvest Indiana Potatoes With Fresh Parsley
Steamed Mussels With White Wine, Butter And Garlic
Fresh Coleslaw With Mustard & Celery Seed
Fresh Homemade Blueberry Dessert

Please buy your tickets here.

Guest blogger, Genie Goykhberg, has some interesting thoughts on chocolate to share with ILG:

I’ve read somewhere that the average American eats 12.2 pounds of chocolate each year. I am sure you know someone who eats twice as much.

Twenty years ago when I was a new resident of the US, I liked everything we were buying at the grocery store, except the chocolate. American chocolates are often disparaged by Europeans for being factory produced soulless sugar. However, Chocolate for the Spirit   contradicts all of that.

From her passionate love for chocolate, Julie Bolejack, the owner of Chocolate for the Spirit, produces several dozen kinds of sweets that are thoughtfully crafted and seasonally designed. Julie said that the form of products, flavors and fillings might be subjective. But the basis of chocolate must be real cocoa products.

I am enjoying Purple Sue - 72% Dark Swiss Chocolate rose, raspberry/rose-oil infused ganache - highlighted with eye-catching edible purple luster dust! Divine. The quality of the chocolate was truly astounding; the flavor combinations were out of this world.

Visit Chocolate for the Spirit booth at Geist Market located at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 8115 Oaklandon Road, Indianapolis, on Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

She is also at Carmel Farmer’s Market on Saturdays at Civic Square, 8-11:30 a.m. And you can find her at Stadium Village Market on Tuesdays, 801 S. Meridian, across from Shapiro’s Deli at Meridian and McCarty Street, 4-7:30 p.m.

by guest blogger Denise Benson, Indiana Green Business and Community Alliance: