tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48972411224583956572024-02-18T23:29:04.124-05:00Life in Landis ValleyHenry K. Landishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17031041618915866221noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-72360423705643995712017-10-10T12:34:00.000-04:002017-10-10T12:34:56.522-04:00Passing Down Skills: Apprenticeships<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzXDR_l6tcSQtsEzp57SdRMwguOGkj884qHY9EzShJuGcs7Y3mIXudvq3i0ClCKPIN2GyvqCD8JiSoh1moAQg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Landis Valley just finished up our Harvest Days Festival, where, among other demonstrations, visitors could watch skilled tradespeople at work. These demonstrations were stationed against a backdrop of machines both old and new that were designed to take the drudgery out of agricultural labor, freeing skilled workers for other tasks. Some of the machines were simple and visitors had fun figuring out how they worked. Longtime Landis Valley volunteer and retired teacher Larry Hess was in his element, answering questions about the mechanics involved and how he tweaked some things to make the machine presentable to the public. An example of these is the candle wicking machine at right.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KsuddAgVOReEpUge9jUcjNIga9zinGhyphenhyphen7Mx9FQCfcIULHem6yafksLJv9u0qjv02epNAIO90QFxbJ2TI1KRYV0vWB82NJyaXfI4ZtGdeIOXqLvd7iWk0Lj01SFNT6ZZ0CSOKl_6tiIk/s1600/20171008_160331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KsuddAgVOReEpUge9jUcjNIga9zinGhyphenhyphen7Mx9FQCfcIULHem6yafksLJv9u0qjv02epNAIO90QFxbJ2TI1KRYV0vWB82NJyaXfI4ZtGdeIOXqLvd7iWk0Lj01SFNT6ZZ0CSOKl_6tiIk/s320/20171008_160331.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The newer machines brought over by local dealers Binkley & Hurst, Deere Country, Hoober’s, and Messick’s were huge and complex. There was no figuring out the communication between sensors and GPS through the onboard computers. Adults just looked on in awe of their size as children ran from compartment to compartment within the behemoths. The thing is, though: nothing is permanent and eventually these machines will need maintenance and repair, too.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This backdrop is perfect to introduce a new registered apprenticeship program sponsored by the PA Department of Agriculture (PDA). Today, as part of the Agriculture and Food Careers Week in PA (Oct. 8-14), speakers with the PDA will roll out the Agriculture Equipment Service Technician apprenticeship at Landis Valley. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to the PDA’s program: “The PDA had previously identified a short- and long-term shortage of skilled technicians in the industry and the absence of training programs for the occupation currently. Four dealers and one original equipment manufacturer from Lancaster County subsequently formed a consortium led by the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association to form a joint apprenticeship program that was approved by the PA Apprenticeship Council in September. Further, the apprenticeship program has developed a connection with ten high schools in Lancaster and Chester Counties which will offer a pre-apprenticeship through their existing career and technical programming so that graduates will have advance standing if they are hired as apprentices.” </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The event was from 10 a.m. to noon and provided some details of the apprenticeship and where it will help alleviate the overall workforce crisis in the agriculture and food industries and the need to stay globally competitive using technology. Notable speakers included: Ag Secretary Russell Redding; Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Eileen Cipriani (PA Dept. of Labor and Industry); Neil Fellenbaum, President of the PA Association of Agriculture Educators; Landis Valley site director Jim McMahon; and many more.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Long History of Skills Training</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Apprenticeship blossomed out of a society that made things by hand and needed highly skilled workers to make shoes, nails, flatware, clothing, guns, wheels, and buildings, to name a few. An apprentice was expected to work very hard for long hours over a period of years (seven, on average), performing important, though menial, tasks for his master. However, in return, he got the chance to watch and learn not only his master’s techniques and tricks of the trade but, just as important, to learn how the business was run. He also got a basic education and tools or clothing when his apprenticeship was complete. Many apprentices completed a project that showcased their skills.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brokered by the apprentice’s parents, the youth entered into a contract with his master and both were expected to behave properly during the course of the term. Oftentimes, contracts stipulated that the apprentice was to refrain from gambling, fornication and/or matrimony, visiting ale houses, and spending or lending his master’s goods. The master provided room and board to his apprentice and promised to teach him the arts and “mysteries” of the craft (which the apprentice was not so sell, either). </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are notable examples of broken contracts. For example, Benjamin Franklin was indentured for a 9-year term as a printing apprentice to his brother, James, and broke it early because he and his brother quarreled and James sometimes beat Ben. Ben added, “Thinking my apprenticeship very tedious, I was continuously wishing for some opportunity of shortening it.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Changing Training in a Changing World</span></span></h3>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With industrialization in the 19th century came a dramatic shift in labor training that continues today. When once a worker needed years to learn to make things from start to finish, with mechanization he would only need to learn part of production process and his training ended after only a few months. Employers stopped paying for room, clothing, and board and started paying wages on a graduated scale. This training was not as formal as it is today, and most skilled workers immigrated to America while people learning in America mainly learned on their own by persistently watching, asking advice of co-workers, and through trial and error.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1911, Wisconsin was the first state to enact legislation organizing a system of apprenticeship and, importantly, required five hours of classroom instruction per week for every apprentice. This trend continues today in states like Pennsylvania, which requires 144 classroom instruction hours, in addition to 2,000 hours on the job for registered apprentices.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a national level, government officials and employer, educator, and labor organizations came together to form a national uniform system of apprenticeship and, in 1934, the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship (FCA) was appointed by the Secretary of Labor to recommend policy on apprenticeship in America. It was also to make sure that apprentices were trained in current industrial codes. This reform went a step further in 1937, when the Fitzgerald Act (aka the National Apprenticeship Law) expanded the FCA to include representation of employers, labor, and education. This new body was called the Apprentice-Training Service and is presently the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training. It is within the Department of Labor and currently brings employers, labor, vocational schools, state apprenticeship agencies, and other apprenticeship groups together to register and promote apprenticeship in America. It does not, however, train apprentices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Apprenticeships Today</span></h3>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Registered apprenticeships must meet minimum requirements. Apprentices should have an equal opportunity to apply and should not be discriminated against. They cannot start younger than 16. They must have supervised, on the job training and a minimum of 144 of organized instruction (mostly in a classroom). Wages must be periodically increased according to a schedule. Employers and employees need to work cooperatively and the apprentice should be recognized when he/she has successfully completed the training.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtpIVUFBQIZzr8r8MxxspcEnQdzMW3VzpcasXqVsynIcKHGBI5sM0DM2EXa_Mz75szGkJ7u6_4fNsy2M5v0jP0qIoAbUJNXz3Mfk5-isQII8N5nSKlQxZy9EOwZzx6fB9Bqe2c4Tt6zE/s1600/20170918_111953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtpIVUFBQIZzr8r8MxxspcEnQdzMW3VzpcasXqVsynIcKHGBI5sM0DM2EXa_Mz75szGkJ7u6_4fNsy2M5v0jP0qIoAbUJNXz3Mfk5-isQII8N5nSKlQxZy9EOwZzx6fB9Bqe2c4Tt6zE/s320/20170918_111953.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shorter, though unregistered, apprenticeships are available. Notably, in 2017, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which administers Landis Valley, sponsored their 12th annual Summer Apprenticeship program in which partner companies paid students and recent graduates anywhere from $10 to $16 an hour to work at historic sites under master craftspeople and receive free training on historic construction repair skills such as brickwork and pointing, log construction, and carpentry. It’s a great supplement to further education and looks great on a resume.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is no secret that the United States is experiencing a <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/07/24/donald-trump-apprenticeships-manufacturing-labor-problems/" target="_blank">skilled labor shortage</a>. Jobs in many sectors, such as agriculture, require a knowledge of intricate, expensive machinery and computers that is beyond what people can learn from on-the-job training and trial and error. Apprenticeships are an investment in people and employers are increasingly turning to them to train a skilled workforce tailored to meet their needs. Hopefully, the “arts and mysteries” taught to apprentices in this new Department of Agriculture program will inspire a new generation of agricultural innovators.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">References & more information: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">http://www.lancasterfarming.com/news/launch-nears-for-equipment-apprenticeship/article_7086ae5a-9b29-5a92-aebd-a0d8820769df.html</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">http://www.phmc.pa.gov/About/Join/Pages/Apprenticeships.aspx</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://www.doleta.gov/OA/preapprentice.cfm</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://www.doleta.gov/OA/apprenticeship.cfm</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://www.cbsnews.com/news/desperately-seeking-workers-the-looming-job-crunch/</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://www.agexplorer.com/</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">http://www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/volume4/november05/apprenticeship.cfm</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Here's a great article where I got most of my historical information: </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Apprenticeship/About/History/</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-49578675992693165742017-07-24T15:33:00.000-04:002017-07-25T12:34:55.453-04:00Natural Dyes<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>by Rebecca Gray-O'Dell</i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Red. Yellow.
Blue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> From childhood, we learn these three
colors as primary colors, colors that are used to create other colors. The principal also applies today in printer
inks and toner just as much as it does with crayons or paint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> But blue, yellow and red are also
primary colors in a very different sense.
Historically, they are the first colors used by humans to replicate items
seen in their lives. Red and yellow
ochers appear in our earliest art.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> Eventually, these colors find their
way into textiles; however, what works for cave paintings doesn’t necessarily
work well in clothing. Pigments derived
from minerals and earth don’t always adhere well <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a>to </span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">the fibers used in clothing production
and those that do stick around generally don’t survive repeated exposure to the
sun, perspiration and the (very) occasional washing. So, other means of coloring textiles must be
found.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> These desired pigments are found in
a variety of plants. Through human
ingenuity and determination, a lot of experimentation and possibly a few accidents
along the way, the art of dyeing with plants is discovered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Quite
a few plants that yield pigments make acceptable colors on cloth. Some of these plants you can grow in your own
garden today. A word of caution,
however, as most of these dye plants tend to act more like a weed than other
cultivated plants. It makes them very
easy to grow, even for those not gifted with a green thumb, but require careful
attention so as not to overrun the rest of your garden or back yard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">For
the most part, it is easy to create your own natural dyes. You will need to collect enough dyestuff
(where the pigment comes from), water and a pot or kettle you don’t plan on
using for food. The use of a mordant, from a metal such as
aluminum, iron or copper, is needed to help ‘fix' or set the color, though only
in small amounts. </span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> More explicit directions, dye recipes,
are available from books on natural or plant-based dyes.</span> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh027qoVx7EYeN69eG1Gf7f3Ce9cNvARfKjCXeb7igmXz8r6mwxrj8FnaXUYlJ1TtztNdAyBAYKdH8GdEkgKld8j_aoQ9II2b0wOo1bSCuOQzHdWp7V-XVPDgYfA3RCiWT6RfLoYuTEnNw/s1600/IMG_3997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh027qoVx7EYeN69eG1Gf7f3Ce9cNvARfKjCXeb7igmXz8r6mwxrj8FnaXUYlJ1TtztNdAyBAYKdH8GdEkgKld8j_aoQ9II2b0wOo1bSCuOQzHdWp7V-XVPDgYfA3RCiWT6RfLoYuTEnNw/s320/IMG_3997.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Marguerite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">The
color yellow is perhaps the most common color, besides sage and olive greens,
produced by plants. An easy way to
experiment with making and using natural dyes is harvesting marigolds, golden
marguerites or calendula flowers. They
can be used fresh or dried. What
material you want to dye will depend on how many flowers you need. A skein of wool yarn will </span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">require more dyestuff to produce a good
color than a small piece of silk or cotton fabric. The skin of onions also yields a good yellow
on fabric as long as the material being dyed doesn't stay in the dye-bath too
long</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">, otherwise, it turns a golden toned
brown</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioM1H4uyaXPAdkB4mVHcDApkksZQFJpy8iOjp3l_drmK4lkQj-DZP1z0vMmMKN4IeBOnhKe4ZPl1v-SqILPUUBWbTBln1CVmZkymzESl7gAI7b7iJ4frAF2ms6Q_A9kN1KLFaxhtLLuk8/s1600/IMG_3948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioM1H4uyaXPAdkB4mVHcDApkksZQFJpy8iOjp3l_drmK4lkQj-DZP1z0vMmMKN4IeBOnhKe4ZPl1v-SqILPUUBWbTBln1CVmZkymzESl7gAI7b7iJ4frAF2ms6Q_A9kN1KLFaxhtLLuk8/s320/IMG_3948.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picking calendula flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">For
the more adventuresome, growing lady’s bedstraw and cutting the top part of the
plant off while it is in bloom can make a nice yellow dye. The best yellows are achieved on plant-based
fibers, cotton or linen. Shades of drab
green appear when wool is used. The
roots of this plant may also be used to create a red dye.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Weld
is perhaps the best plant that produces a long-lasting and vibrant yellow. It has a very long history of use, dating
back to the middle of the Iron Age, about 1 BCE. A common plant throughout Europe and parts of
Asia and Africa, it eventually is introduced to North America, where it is considered
to be a weed. The top part of the plant,
the stalk, flowers, and leaves, are used fresh or dried for dyes. At Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, we
have our own bed of weld just started this year</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">,
waiting to give us shades of sunshine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Blue
is a mysterious color. In fact, there
are only several types of plants around the world that produce a true-blue dye.
These plants are mostly from the genus
Indigofera, which thrives in tropical areas from present day India and other
parts of southern Asia, parts of West Africa, and parts of Central and South
America. Two other plants are also
common sources of indigo: dyer’s knotweed, used in East Asia, and woad, used
primarily in northern Europe. The oldest
use of indigo as a textile dye actually belongs to the coast of modern day
Peru, where remains of cloth bearing indigo dates to about 6,000 years ago, a
remarkably long time ago for a color that requires multiple processes to
extract the color.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPADLRyl-0K7zh4yyw2VNaP7X70axSAwXMkLMiEh6D5AP97sCTNa1pEaV3M5xl232tzqCsBEKyKCmwxi1fbcB3I2Dm0PTWUo1CVQt2DWsUyz10EoNeC-D9j_tqhV-gh6lgRYQ-LKU96I/s1600/IMG_3999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPADLRyl-0K7zh4yyw2VNaP7X70axSAwXMkLMiEh6D5AP97sCTNa1pEaV3M5xl232tzqCsBEKyKCmwxi1fbcB3I2Dm0PTWUo1CVQt2DWsUyz10EoNeC-D9j_tqhV-gh6lgRYQ-LKU96I/s320/IMG_3999.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young Japanese indigo plants in the Log Farm garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Indigo
is a difficult color to achieve as far as natural dyes go. The plants give hardly a hint of the blue
pigment they contain, except for a slight bluish tint to the overall green of
the plant. Through a multiple step process, the pigment is extracted</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> and then reduced to produce a useable dye. Each culture has their own procedure for this
process, often including fermentation and the use of stale urine to create the
chemicals needed to precipitate and create an indigo dye.</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> Because of this, blue dyers, as well as other
dyers, were kept to the fringes of settlements and cities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">It’s
hard and often times smelly work, but it’s worth the trouble. Indigo is a strong and lasting dye. It will dye any material well, especially
cotton, even modern synthetic fabrics.
Unlike other dyes, which require soaking and simmering the material to
be colored, indigo needs oxidization, air, to produce blue. The dye-bath itself is often a yellowish
green, with blue </span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">appearing
on the surface. After allowing the
material to absorb the dye, the material is removed and as the air strikes it,
the blue appears. It takes repeated dips
in the indigo bath to produce the darkest shades of blue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">At
the museum, there are plantings of both woad and dyer’s knotweed since they are
best suited to our local climate. If you
wish to try to make your own indigo magic in your garden, try growing dyer’s
knotweed. There’s nothing wrong with
woad, but you will need to grow lots of plants (acres worth) to get a
substantial amount of indigo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Red
is another slightly elusive color. For
millennia, only one plant produces a color closest to true red: madder. Nothing on the top part of the plant confirms
what color lies beneath the soil where the vibrant roots reside. The madder plant is a climbing shrub which can be trained
to a trellis to prevent it from overtaking everything else. The green parts of the plant are somewhat
prickly and stick like Velcro.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Roots
are harvested when the plant is generally 3-5 years old when the roots are more
substantial</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"> in size. They can be used fresh or dried. Soak the dried or fresh roots to extract the
pigment. Unlocking the red pigment can
take some practice as shades of orange are often yielded if the temperature of
the dyebath is too hot, the pH is incorrect or the hardness of the water used
to make the dyebath is off.</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">Practice
makes perfect, though, as is the case for what is known as Turkey red. This particular color is famed for coloring
cotton fabrics popular in the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> century. It yields a red more vibrant than the brick
red of traditional madder dyes, even though to get that shade required a very
lengthy and expensive process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;">You'll
find a stand of madder plants growing in our gardens here at the museum. Rumor has it that some of the madder plants
are soon ready to harvest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">From
these three colors, you can get nearly every shade of the rainbow.</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">In fact, yellow and blue are very important
in making green since a true green is another hard to achieve color in the
natural dye world.</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">The world would be
quite dull without yellow, red and blue.</span></div>
<div>
<div>
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Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-341296544288254682017-05-08T14:17:00.002-04:002017-05-08T14:17:55.312-04:00Herb Faire: New Heirloom Offerings<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>by Joanne Ranck-Dirks</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7i1l4oqaJuY8GCbTVI2-s8_ud_patvme5LpqcPLs9yKjPKOo7ajvrGoOBt0p4CEtL9DX7FR4S_bTR1751Yop45AttddznPnSINpggj9__A9qGqC5utZzX2qjktng0htugLQlZZTK7Qgo/s1600/IMG_1834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7i1l4oqaJuY8GCbTVI2-s8_ud_patvme5LpqcPLs9yKjPKOo7ajvrGoOBt0p4CEtL9DX7FR4S_bTR1751Yop45AttddznPnSINpggj9__A9qGqC5utZzX2qjktng0htugLQlZZTK7Qgo/s320/IMG_1834.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the tomato crop from 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Every year, we conduct a few tomato trials of heirloom varieties that are new to us. Our volunteers evaluate the tomatoes and if the tomato doesn't get a strong "yes" vote, we don't grow it again. The winner from last year's trials is the Black Cherry tomato. It is a plump and juicy heirloom cherry tomato with a dark purple color. As a snacking tomato it is a nice mouthful; it looks great in salads and it is also a prolific producer. Look for it this year in the Heirloom Seed Project's tent at the faire.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1WhtLnKSHqRefAMYEq_KIz5TK_qW7NFVhNrLMl2DT-LUETNOWU2C6HryHFyjbZYbm0MjJw_ws6nvfPk5LzeYLB4exOP7ZuRxkc5MgPWmT4wBZIKdYmt466R5tifsY-4zVeJk1mp4RW4/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1WhtLnKSHqRefAMYEq_KIz5TK_qW7NFVhNrLMl2DT-LUETNOWU2C6HryHFyjbZYbm0MjJw_ws6nvfPk5LzeYLB4exOP7ZuRxkc5MgPWmT4wBZIKdYmt466R5tifsY-4zVeJk1mp4RW4/s320/IMG_1176.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Heirloom Seed Project Tent at the 2016 Herb & Garden Faire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Usually when we think of heirloom vegetables we think of tomatoes, but we also have other interesting and delicious heirloom vegetables. The HSP will sell individual pots of Lemon and White cucumbers as ell as Patty Pan squash. These have been known and grown in this area for more than 100 years. Seeds for these will also be available in the Museum Store during the Herb & Garden Faire. Because bean planting season comes just after the Herb & Garden Faire, folks may want to purchase beans seeds to plant. Ornamental beans, such as Scarlet Runner beans and Hyacinth beans, can be purchased in the Landis Valley Museum Store. Two new varieties of pole beans to try this year are Cardinal pole beans and Green Star pole beans.<br />
<br />
Tomatoes are very popular but, because every garden is unique, we encourage you to try new plants in your own space this year. Your perfect tomato may turn out to be a bean or a cucumber. Both are great in salads, too.Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-67759407454240076612017-02-15T15:52:00.000-05:002017-03-29T10:16:46.837-04:00The Case for Remaining Unattainable: The Blue Rose<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>by Shayla Carey</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnpki5DbKBFI4Molf8qmzA1h146grr40afKfD3G_s6wq4HnWfkXvALcqkr2CRYVOZHk2zQBFCRuDY5PSBdy_Y6_RR52VCCpdvrOJWMAssgTGLWgVh9c65vqZlYNOwfa8X3nPzhJ5aqJ8/s1600/flower-1944535_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnpki5DbKBFI4Molf8qmzA1h146grr40afKfD3G_s6wq4HnWfkXvALcqkr2CRYVOZHk2zQBFCRuDY5PSBdy_Y6_RR52VCCpdvrOJWMAssgTGLWgVh9c65vqZlYNOwfa8X3nPzhJ5aqJ8/s320/flower-1944535_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day yesterday—full
of requited love and romantic times.
Today, though, I’d like to focus on love unattainable, as symbolized by
the blue rose. Like the black rose, this
color is not produced in its purest form by nature in roses. Florists have their methods of turning white
petals to bright or deep blue (<i>example, at left</i>), but gardeners and poets must still pine for
happy blooms the color of the sky they smile under. Rudyard Kipling evoked the blue rose when he wrote
a short piece that serves as a warning to suitors with high maintenance
sweethearts:<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 1.5em; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: blue;">Blue Roses</span> by Rudyard Kipling</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Roses red and roses white<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Plucked I for my love’s delight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
She would none of all my posies<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Bade me gather her blue roses.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Half the world I wandered through<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Seeking where such flowers grew.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Half the world unto my quest<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Answered me with laugh and jest.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Home I came at wintertide<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
But my silly love had died.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Seeking with her latest breath<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Roses from the arms of Death.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It may be beyond the grave<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
She shall find what she would have.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Mine was but an idle quest—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Roses white and red are best!<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to Landis Valley’s resident garden historian, Dr.
Irwin Richman, for centuries, gardeners used hybridization to tease hints of blue
out of red petals. It didn’t matter if
the parents were white, red, or in between, but, because of the more complex
chemistry in red petals, they were used more often. Having said all of that, though, their
results were mixed. “Their results were
incredibly subjective,” he says. “A
violet to one skeptical gardener is the elusive prized blue to another.” He points to a listing in the Heller Rose
Company of Indiana catalog from 1916: “The
Wonderful Blue Rose – Violet Blue.” The
description is not a flattering one—especially for a cultivar that the growers
are trying to sell—but their honesty proves valuable to posterity. It is a follows:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
“This is the famous ‘Blue Rose’ which is a remarkable
variety and endorsed by every leading Rose authority here and in Europe, but in
our estimation it has not come up to the recommendation of its
introducers. We have seen it bearing
flowers that were very blue and very beautiful, and we have seen it again in
other soil bearing flowers which were more of a lavender than a blue, so we
think it is largely a question of the soil it is grown in as to whether it
develops the color claimed for it by its introducers—cornflower blue. It is of the Rambler type, a beautiful
grower, and even if it never bore a flower it is worth a place in the garden
because of its rampant growth and beautiful foliage. The flowers are produced in great clusters,
are semi-double, of medium size, and as a rule are a delicate beautiful blue,
but we do not guarantee the color. It is
hardy everywhere; a grand grower; a marvelous bloomer and is one of the most
popular Roses in our entire collection.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://composerinthegarden.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/vielchenblauwp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://composerinthegarden.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/vielchenblauwp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image of "Vielchenblau" rose from the <a href="https://composerinthegarden.com/2012/05/27/abbondanza/vielchenblauwp/" target="_blank">Composer in the Garden</a> blog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This variety is still around today and is known as “Veilchenblau,”
which is German for violet blue.
According to the <a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=268561&isprofile=0&">Missouri
Botanical Garden’s website</a>, this nearly-thornless hybrid multiflora rose
was bred by J. C. Schmidt in 1909 from ‘Crimson Pirate’ and ‘Souvenir de Brod.’ It does best in full sun, but will tolerate
partial shade, and can ramble to 10’-15’.
It is hardy to zone 4 and likes a slightly acid, well-drained, loam
soil. It will bloom in late spring, but
won’t re-bloom, and the flowers start off as deep magenta, then can fade to a gray-lilac
color.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is interesting that the description above mentions
soil. Some flowers, such as hydrangeas,
will turn blue in acid soil. According
to the article, “<a href="https://puyallup.wsu.edu/lcs/wp-content/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/HydrangeaLCSProof.pdf" target="_blank">The Color Conundrum</a>,” by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, in the
Spring, 2009 issue of Master Gardener magazine, the red and blue hydrangeas
have pigments called anthocyanins in the vacuoles of their petals. Vacuoles are balloon-like cells filled with
organic acids and dissolved salts, minerals, and other chemicals. Sometimes, these pigments can be manipulated
by adjusting the soil acidity, which effects the availability of aluminum to
the plant (if there is aluminum in the soil—many soil-less mixes have none). There are many other factors involved, but
many blue flowers produce the anthocyanin delphinidin, and the blue hydrangea—for
example—requires this pigment, plus a co-pigment, and aluminum to turn a
beautiful shade of blue. Without all
three of these, it will revert to pink. It’s
very complex.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2011/09/rose-applause.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2011/09/rose-applause.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image of "Applause" courtesy of Wired magazine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Roses, however, do not produce delphinidin naturally, which
means that the best that breeders can do is get the faded blue-ish violet colors of
cultivars such as “Veilchenblau.”
Scientists at a Japanese company called Suntory have recently genetically
engineered a blue rose called “<a href="http://www.suntory.com/sic/research/s_bluerose/story/">Applause</a>.” It is touted as the first true blue rose and,
thanks to a delphinidin-producing gene inserted from a pansy into “Applause’s”
parent, “Cardinal de Richelieu,” it does, indeed produce the blue pigment,
though not to the same extent as that of other coveted blue flowers, such as
the blue poppy (Mecanopsis grandis, <i>see image below</i>). "If your soul truly aches for the ultimate blue flower, find the rare and elusive Tibetan blue poppy, Mecanopsis. Just don't expect to find it at a florist near you," Richman says. <br />
<br />
Comparing the two flowers, it is obvious that nature figured out long
ago how much delphinidin to pack into vacuoles to produce blue and “Applause”
falls a bit short. The company does cite
shortcomings with “Applause” and continues its quest for a more pure blue rose,
honing nutrient and aluminum absorption, as well as zeroing in on flavones (a yellow-producing
co-pigment) found in other pure blue flowers such as Mecanopsis.
Richman also points out that the real money for Suntory is not in the
roses, but in the genes and processes used to engineer the blue rose, as they
have patented these from the start to limit competition.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0Kfq81b6viKsgQaAP15e8TTA_yC7C0p_8P-dPoFVTrDQGL4kKDEeQAcKy2C6jLaofeAy4R_WOBl_jnkxgliYlanDQI952Frw04dp0-riGI3mjmZK4YLGMqRIjlnJbFVjI9Zd1BfWl0k/s1600/Mecanopsis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0Kfq81b6viKsgQaAP15e8TTA_yC7C0p_8P-dPoFVTrDQGL4kKDEeQAcKy2C6jLaofeAy4R_WOBl_jnkxgliYlanDQI952Frw04dp0-riGI3mjmZK4YLGMqRIjlnJbFVjI9Zd1BfWl0k/s1600/Mecanopsis.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mecanopsis - the Himalayan Blue Poppy<br />image by Dr. Irwin Richman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />Is this really the blue rose that Kipling sought or is this
cheating? Would his sweetheart have been
satisfied with a rose that, according to Wired magazine (“<a href="https://www.wired.com/2011/09/blue-roses-for-sale/">World’s First Blue
Rose Soon Available in US</a>," by Danielle Venton, 09/14/11), sold for 10
times as much as other roses when it was introduced or was she just after the
unattainable? Shooting for the moon and
landing among the stars is more than just a saying by Norman Vincent Peale; it
accurately describes the challenge of trying to obtain the unattainable blue
rose and creating something almost as great—the “Vielchenblau” rose, for
example. Suntory used sheer will and
billions of yen to engineer a blue rose but, in the process, it may have ruined
the romanticism behind the quest for the unattainable by taking away one of its
most prominent symbols. Maybe it’s good
that the company holds patents on its rose.
It makes it unattainable to most of us and, in the meantime, gives us
back the challenge of accepting, and loving, the roses of red and white we
already have.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The blue rose, and its equally elusive black counterpart, will be featured in Richman's book on roses and ray flowers, co-authored with Michael Emery, due out in 2018.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-13216107474500586582017-01-26T14:54:00.002-05:002017-01-26T14:56:35.718-05:00Luck to You in the New Year (with Pork & Sauerkraut)<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog Post by Shayla Carey</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Luck, be it good or bad, is a useful psychological impetus
in our daily lives. Never mind that
walking under a ladder is unsafe: it’s
unlucky and so we go around it. For that
reason, we probably save ourselves a lot of hurt from falling objects and/or
people. Traditions abound surrounding
luck symbols and, without them, I would have had no reason to try pork and
sauerkraut—a savory and salty meal best enjoyed mixed with mashed potatoes (in
my humble opinion) and accompanied by cold mulled cider.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwdamRyQtTseTVuGmv8FRJLYoQdrJqH7dISYexFLOJFyliKASOFo4QNVk095o4jQ64XTZzxvLkwMzh7H7bfG_5-2pgeC96Bm0sL7ilzK8TsmgJVngWWBJofSDCKn_RS4GP9Fy-4j_nZE/s1600/IMG_2368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwdamRyQtTseTVuGmv8FRJLYoQdrJqH7dISYexFLOJFyliKASOFo4QNVk095o4jQ64XTZzxvLkwMzh7H7bfG_5-2pgeC96Bm0sL7ilzK8TsmgJVngWWBJofSDCKn_RS4GP9Fy-4j_nZE/s320/IMG_2368.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fresh ham on display at the<br />
2016 Harvest Days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Because my Southern Pennsylvania-bred husband wants to
ensure our family’s good fortune every year, we feast upon pork and sauerkraut
every New Year’s Day. It’s a
Pennsylvania German tradition that dates back centuries<sup>1</sup> and, if my
husband has anything to do with it, will last for many more years. The pig as an ancient symbol of luck and was
a farm animal in Europe for thousands of years<sup>2</sup>. It roots forward, grows fast, and to possess
many meant the farmer was prosperous and would eat for a long time to come<sup>3
4</sup>. It was also a symbol of
fertility and was associated with the Welsh goddess Ceridwen<sup>5</sup> and
the Gaulish god Moccus (“pig” is “muc” in Irish, “mochyn” in Welsh, and “moch”
in <a href="https://en.glosbe.com/en/mis_gal/pig">modern Gaulish</a>). To eat it was to subscribe to the folk notion
of “like produces like”<sup>1</sup> and other cultures eat it on New Years’ Day
too. The South eats ham, fatback, and
hog’s jowl; Italy makes their pork into sausage, and people in the Philippines,
Cuba, Spain, Portuga, Hungary, and Austria eat a suckling pig roasted whole.<sup>6
7</sup><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiItZvH4qH8M7jMcZ4cLTg5SmJU7TZkO-6SWiVFreeUXbhLENmhCmx4QOxdlVFXVrIGMiKfOK16n9NFN4hfSnCAMamScLKMOtyANKYJhvIOfEB3kigLATqDkokju0g34Ed7Y88lYEPHsI/s1600/IMG_2533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiItZvH4qH8M7jMcZ4cLTg5SmJU7TZkO-6SWiVFreeUXbhLENmhCmx4QOxdlVFXVrIGMiKfOK16n9NFN4hfSnCAMamScLKMOtyANKYJhvIOfEB3kigLATqDkokju0g34Ed7Y88lYEPHsI/s320/IMG_2533.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh cabbage enjoying a salt bath as it becomes sauerkraut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I, for one, am more of a fan of the luck applied to cabbage,
as I could use a little more green in my pocket. Who doesn’t?
According to German, Irish, and Pennsylvania German lore, cabbage is a
symbol of money and consuming it will help you increase your fortune. This is mainly because of its green color and
tendency to resemble folded money when cooked.
For this reason, it shares its lucky distinction with collard greens,
kale and chard in the South, and kale in Denmark. The Croats and Slovaks enjoy their cabbage
surrounding meat.<sup>8</sup> The
Pennsylvania Germans ferment it for weeks in a salt brine before eating it,
keeping the nutrition in and imparting it with its distinctive salty tang. Irish Americans enjoy cabbage at other times
of the year, too, and, coupled with corned beef, makes for a simple, nutritious,
and satisfying meal. <sup>9</sup> My family also likes to cook cut up cabbage leaves
in the same pot as egg noodles. They are
a great vehicle for butter and parmesan cheese and the dish is a really easy side
dish for the winter months, as both noodles and cabbage take the same amount of
time to cook.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With pork and cabbage meaning so much to so many cultures, I
have to admit that my husband’s family may be on to something. I certainly do feel lucky to be alive, whole,
comfortable, and surrounded by family for the coming year. In the spirit of wishing you luck in the new
year, I leave you with a recipe gleaned from the Landis Valley Cookbook,
available at the Landis Valley Museum Store.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pork and Sauerkraut</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
3- or
4-pound pork roast<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 baking
apples<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 quarts
sauerkraut<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
¼ cup brown
sugar (more or less, depending on the tarness of the sauerkraut)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Put pork into a large roasting pan, fat side up. Sear all sides of the meat on top of the
stove. Arrange the sauerkraut on top and
around the pork. Thinly slice the apples
and mix with the sauerkraut. Add brown
sugar and stir it well into the sauerkraut.
Add enough water to nearly cover the sauerkraut. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until
the meat comes off the bones when stuck with a fork. Serve with mashed potates. <i>Julia
Lewis, c. 1930</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sources:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>1</sup><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=_KY5jbpAHWsC&pg=PA26&dq=how+old+is+the+pork+and+sauerkraut+tradition&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiVqv6nr4bKAhXGKyYKHVayAEkQ6AEIJzAC#v=onepage&q=how%20old%20is%20the%20pork%20and%20sauerkraut%20tradition&f=false">South
Central Pennsylvania Legends & Lore</a>, by David Puglia, page 26. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>2</sup>For a really interesting article about the
history of pig farming in Europe, click on the BBC article, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6978203.stm">“Pig DNA reveals
farming history.”</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>3</sup>Landis Valley Cookbook, Landis Valley
Associates, page 131.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>4</sup><a href="https://www.goethe.de/en/kul/mol/20395873.html">”Dead Lucky! What Germans
Consider Lucky Charms”</a> by Tatjana Kerschbaumer, Goethe Intitut<span style="background: white; color: #474d50; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=UViEbWQOSd0C&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=ceridwen,+goddess+depicted+as+a+pig&source=bl&ots=kgVsspBASA&sig=xzO6f4CDayRp8Dj953yE-QB-GH0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ15WiqobKAhWJ4iYKHWCbClUQ6AEIQjAJ#v=onepage&q=ceridwen%2C%20goddess%20depicted%20as%20a%20pig&f=false">5<span style="vertical-align: baseline;">The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain</span></a></sup>,
by Lewis Spence, page 160.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>6</sup><a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/lifestyles/holiday/new-years-traditions-around-world/njdCt/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">“</span>New
Year’s traditions around the world</a>,” by Nancy Clanton; <i>Atlanta Journal Contitution</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>7</sup><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/archive/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods">”Lucky
Foods for the New Year,”</a> by Lauren Salkeld, Epicurious.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>8</sup><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/lucky-foods-for-the-new-year-77891531/?all">“Lucky
Foods for the New Year,”</a> by Annette Foglino, Smithsonian.com.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<sup>9</sup><a href="http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/corned-beef-and-cabbage-as-irish-as-spaghetti-and-meatballs">“Corned
Beef and Cabbage: As Irish as Spaghetti
and Meatballs,”</a> by Stephanie Butler, History.com.<o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-77681078139528442162016-12-21T15:24:00.000-05:002016-12-21T15:25:57.724-05:00Calm Down this Holiday Season with Chamomile<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Guest blog entry by Dr. Irwin Richman</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeM81AAmGva6ruc7HO9SVTCh1ZGCNI4BhPbxzmo2avDnm7Ad7nMBhnjw_BPx3lzxbU6ETin-1Az5cpdYHTu7f-IASd_dfHJLth3GKJsJIWyjvt9hXaSwQ6dAyZh4vmmCTttgU1y-EK-M/s1600/chamomile-800675_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeM81AAmGva6ruc7HO9SVTCh1ZGCNI4BhPbxzmo2avDnm7Ad7nMBhnjw_BPx3lzxbU6ETin-1Az5cpdYHTu7f-IASd_dfHJLth3GKJsJIWyjvt9hXaSwQ6dAyZh4vmmCTttgU1y-EK-M/s320/chamomile-800675_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a>What can be more calming than a nice cup of chamomile tea? The apple-scented tea is made from two different chamomiles: either German chamomile (<i>Matricaria chamomilla</i>), or Roman or garden chamomile (<i>Chamaemelum nobile</i>).<br />
<br />
Chamomile is easy to grow from seed and it reseeds itself. Roman, or garden, chamomile often naturalizes in lawns, especially in England as, along with English daisies (<i>Bellis</i>), it can survive close trimming.<br />
<br />
They have attractive daisy flowers, hence their membership in the Asteraceae family of ray flowers, along with sunflowers and Black-eyed Susans. Both of these tea making plants are close relatives of the unlovely plant with a beautiful family name, "Ambrosia." <i>Ambrosia psilostachya</i> is a rag weed scourge of hay fever sufferers. If you have hay fever, chamomile tea might give you a kick you're not seeking.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPCRfNwHIVBTQ0x6KLsmixge5qzbnCDh8vkvPiHTsgSdqsvDTYnemTeWl-A6zMlGruNm-D0kDts4svP-JvBJveTCDr3PavyyFQni-dgLaMpxZwgMfPjibzIRM4mrp409T_eJ5V3DW-qI/s1600/teacup+with+chamomile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPCRfNwHIVBTQ0x6KLsmixge5qzbnCDh8vkvPiHTsgSdqsvDTYnemTeWl-A6zMlGruNm-D0kDts4svP-JvBJveTCDr3PavyyFQni-dgLaMpxZwgMfPjibzIRM4mrp409T_eJ5V3DW-qI/s320/teacup+with+chamomile.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the middle ages, a popular garden feature was a turf seat, and earthen sculpture covered in grass which was close cropped. As a variant, these turf seats could be covered in herbs which could be closely cropped and chamomile was favored because it emits a nice aroma when sat upon. Another favored herb for this purpose was creeping thyme (<i>Thymus serpyllum</i>). While few, if any turf seats were built in America, more are known to have survived, but creeping thyme is still used in old PA German cemeteries where it is planted atop graves so that visitors will have fragrant visits.<br />
<br />
Another chamomile is dyer's chamomile (<i>Anthemis tinctoria</i>), a widely naturalized perennial herb with hairy, divided leaves and yellow flowers that is Eurasian in origin. Not medicinal, like German & Roman chamomile, it was used, as the name suggests, as a yellow to orange dyestuff. Some folks grow it in their gardens for its blossom. I remember it as a boy growing in the cow pastures during my Catskill Mountain childhood.<br />
<br />
All of this & more are in the new book currently being written by Irwin Richman & Michael Emery, <i>Of Ray Flowers & Roses</i>, due in 2019. You can also read about chamomile and other heirlooms in the book, <i>Heritage Gardens, Heirloom Seeds</i>, also written by Richman & Emery. Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-12156739822830282802016-11-15T16:37:00.000-05:002016-11-15T16:38:31.596-05:00Landis Valley’s Gentle Giants<div style="margin-bottom: 9.75pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIKWIMwXHs5x9GOEPdeFqV-h3RjpqC-DZftP68wjcEPZsaxk-F7ySs85ELKsYpJ5PiZMO3JzTOuU2Zs4nbqLPaKSyhygtSBfe9ovTIMV7HK2RXiuQL-6XoJdzYixm0clbSbFzs4sHIx0/s1600/IMG_1088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i></i></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 9.75pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><i>Guest blog entry by Joanne Ranck Dirks</i></span></div>
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nuJWJqMlwS-Agkm7TDnqzADWjPSDlNxxtgUHyl9m-3SYKmbnlCZfGXpAaafnlBxkjCbL82dKtQzk8TnRlBBHyU5VN_81JkuTPQ6y2TuDpaZIgwSP1FWATa_90SQTE2mq9NXvKUzTzWY/s1600/Maude+in+Winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nuJWJqMlwS-Agkm7TDnqzADWjPSDlNxxtgUHyl9m-3SYKmbnlCZfGXpAaafnlBxkjCbL82dKtQzk8TnRlBBHyU5VN_81JkuTPQ6y2TuDpaZIgwSP1FWATa_90SQTE2mq9NXvKUzTzWY/s320/Maude+in+Winter.jpg" width="320" /></a>Here at Landis
Valley it’s easy to imagine living in the past when riding on a wagon pulled by
two slow-stepping draft horses. The farm on the museum grounds is home to
eight <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">of
these </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">gentle
giants who ferry </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">visitors of all ages around the site. It’s wonderful to
hear </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">delighted
school children </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">shout, “Horses! Horses!” and see seniors smile and
exclaim, </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">“</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I haven’t had a wagon
ride since I was a child!”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">The horses
have names as unique as they are. There’s Duke, Maude, Ben, Hank, and
Hunter, and then there’s Bonnie and her daughters, Lizzie and Nettie May.
Both of Bonnie’s girls were born here and Nettie May is named after Nettie May
Landis, sister of our museum’s founders. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Four are Percherons</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> two </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">are</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Belgians and two </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">are</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Clydesdales.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIKWIMwXHs5x9GOEPdeFqV-h3RjpqC-DZftP68wjcEPZsaxk-F7ySs85ELKsYpJ5PiZMO3JzTOuU2Zs4nbqLPaKSyhygtSBfe9ovTIMV7HK2RXiuQL-6XoJdzYixm0clbSbFzs4sHIx0/s1600/IMG_1088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIKWIMwXHs5x9GOEPdeFqV-h3RjpqC-DZftP68wjcEPZsaxk-F7ySs85ELKsYpJ5PiZMO3JzTOuU2Zs4nbqLPaKSyhygtSBfe9ovTIMV7HK2RXiuQL-6XoJdzYixm0clbSbFzs4sHIx0/s320/IMG_1088.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br />These draft
horses do most of their work when temperatures are warm, from April to
November, but that is mostly to please the folks who ride on the wagons.
The horses themselves prefer to be outside in temperatures that range from 40
to 80 degrees. Winter wagon rides are a treat during the </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Country Christmas
Village </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">(December
3 and 4). At the annual </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Holiday</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> Bonfire (December 16)</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">,</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> wagon rides happen in the dark with bells jingling! And on
the occasion of a deep snowfall, it doesn’t take long to hitch up the horses to
the bobsled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Xxs59LI-XWtlr2APCGo8sJsiiYUdORP9vsMeaUhFSiApR-YOIMDqIViCXLGBZUZ_spsyXEURt9PCWLER1KixIzBAwgZo38tRkg6v64CkaEQQaN8sp0nFoYntaYyFDDLvg_gC1lNl8ro/s1600/DSC_1021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Xxs59LI-XWtlr2APCGo8sJsiiYUdORP9vsMeaUhFSiApR-YOIMDqIViCXLGBZUZ_spsyXEURt9PCWLER1KixIzBAwgZo38tRkg6v64CkaEQQaN8sp0nFoYntaYyFDDLvg_gC1lNl8ro/s320/DSC_1021.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">There’s also
work to be done each year in June during the annual Summer Institute classes
here at Landis Valley. The class “Using Horses as Draft Animals” gives
participants an opportunity to learn to drive horses and also watch
demonstrations of horses cultivating rows in the field.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 9.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Four of the horses are owned by volunteers and four are owned by
the </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">m</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">useum. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">They are some of our
best museum ambassadors, as they </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">occasionally travel to other historic sites to give wagon rides,
join parades and compete at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show held in January
each year pulling carts and wagon</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">s</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 9.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">In past centuries, teams of draft horses pulled Conestoga freight
wagons filled with the bounty of Lancaster County farms to Philadelphia and
returned with manufactured goods. The horses at Landis Valley today don't
work that hard yet they help us glimpse into the past and do it handsomely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-76353359647466010872016-09-09T11:26:00.000-04:002016-09-09T11:28:43.168-04:00#AskACurator Day and Other AnnouncementsJust a short post today with a couple of announcements:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">#AskACurator Day</span><br />
<br />
Landis Valley curator Bruce Bomberger will be on-hand from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. on September 14 to answer your questions about the collection, curating, agricultural technology, and the Landis Brothers, founders of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum. Send us your questions and we'll post them on Twitter and Facebook. No personal questions, please, and no requests for appraisals. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwxeac_D9Rf9ysMpRCHwPRirvuK5WXDpTX6ZHE1TqNFfsSNa8SbtzXFSq1zTdueIBvxYMBFd03Giyv4gAss2g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
To see our Twitter feed, you can either follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/LandisValley" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or you can visit our <a href="http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/index.php/media/" target="_blank">Media page</a>, where we have a Twitter feed embeded.<br />
<br />
<i>In other news...</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/index.php/visit/calendar-events/september-17/" target="_blank">Wool Frolic</a></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9FCDj70fyW6WI1PBYfmf7gZRar5GDo4xDW-KO5VpiNFf5JTTwWGB6TQB83hzuKkUTY1QSQ_nZg554xPsxHS1Y9su4lrXAQeOkbJzBChIjwq6wXMFqYieiFhelJ_Z9LpI9IP67D3d9g4/s1600/DSC_0671+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9FCDj70fyW6WI1PBYfmf7gZRar5GDo4xDW-KO5VpiNFf5JTTwWGB6TQB83hzuKkUTY1QSQ_nZg554xPsxHS1Y9su4lrXAQeOkbJzBChIjwq6wXMFqYieiFhelJ_Z9LpI9IP67D3d9g4/s200/DSC_0671+%25282%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a>On September 17, Landis Valley will host the Wool Frolic & Yarn Sale event. In this celebration of the fiber arts, you'll get to pet live animals, see a sheep being shorn, and then get to watch wool get spun, woven and needle-felted. Staff and volunteers will there to teach you the basics of crochet and knitting, or you can stroll around and purchase fiber arts products from one of our vendors. If you're inspired, visit the yarn sale, where we have sorted yarns of all kinds and pattern books for that next project. It's a great day of fuzzy fun for the family!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/index.php/visit/calendar-events/october-10-11/" target="_blank">Harvest Days</a></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO7oYI8jR1iMeIvn_oKLJw_E5RX90OJfzQXkBkRyBAE0IqKuhtRGtf20VLQQsBwtvPFkAyi4lxKumFp-UqKLNfGCAG3K05o9tJyppYDqa-v0fiCrnYiemED_aG_GZa7FJhv1OpIbap9o/s1600/HD+Stirring+Apple+Butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjO7oYI8jR1iMeIvn_oKLJw_E5RX90OJfzQXkBkRyBAE0IqKuhtRGtf20VLQQsBwtvPFkAyi4lxKumFp-UqKLNfGCAG3K05o9tJyppYDqa-v0fiCrnYiemED_aG_GZa7FJhv1OpIbap9o/s320/HD+Stirring+Apple+Butter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's an event about Pennsylvania German harvest traditions, but, after 56 years of existence, it's become a tradition itself. Families come from all over to taste heritage varieties of apples and see them turned into pies, cider, apple butter, and even molasses. There's wagon rides, too, as well as a pumpkin patch, food vendors, interactive exhibits, a children's discovery tent, and demonstrations of crafts, trades, and machinery. We also will welcome the Horseless Carriage Club of America when they bring roughly 30 turn-of-the-century vehicles to the Millstone Grove from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.<br />
<br />
Regular admission rates apply to both of these events and, as always, <a href="http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/index.php/support/become-member/" target="_blank">Landis Valley Associates</a> members are free.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-90960866856093373382016-07-07T15:30:00.000-04:002016-08-01T13:17:50.624-04:00Exploring a Hidden Horticultural Treasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog Entry by Shayla Carey</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Tucked away in the far corner of the site is a true Landis
Valley treasure: the Brick Garden. Mainly tended by Heirloom Seed Project volunteer Mickey
Blefko, it contains vegetables and herbs in well-weeded raised beds and is surrounded on three sides by
flowers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite temperatures close to 90 in the sun, Mickey eagerly
gives me a tour on this early July morning, taking me through the paths among
the raised beds. “Some of these are here for seed and some are just here for
demonstration,” she says. She points to
a row of beets situated half-way into the garden. “We have 'Deacon Dan' beet seeds for
sale, but they are too big for this garden, so we grow other demonstration
varieties that we can harvest and eat ourselves.” The volunteers are careful not to let them go
to seed and they are grown in areas remote enough not to adulterate the
heirloom population.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_27-c7w-xqZhY_wmjRWecqEXCwqUyNdi-3T6GiEab7q7iSQhJx2GpA0azFhX9j_ENTIB-CY3GsQgmvo95CAIO33YYra08LTGf9HavK00AGAuOmgBHL1v0esiXMcSlDQKHn_JvljqWGc/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_27-c7w-xqZhY_wmjRWecqEXCwqUyNdi-3T6GiEab7q7iSQhJx2GpA0azFhX9j_ENTIB-CY3GsQgmvo95CAIO33YYra08LTGf9HavK00AGAuOmgBHL1v0esiXMcSlDQKHn_JvljqWGc/s320/IMG_1317.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Munchen Bier' radish seed pods</td></tr>
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We walk past kale and Swiss chard that were thinned by other
volunteers earlier in the day. She points
rows of peppers of various stages of ripeness. “The Seed Project saves the seed. But, the great thing about it is that we can keep
the fruit after the seeds come out.” I look at her and the same twinkle is in
her eyes as is in mine: we can just
taste the stuffed peppers that can be made later in the season. The same rule goes for tomatoes and Mickey
eats them stuffed, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The garden is in a constant state of change, as some plants
die back and others start again. A few,
such as ‘Munchen Bier’ Radish and ‘Green Star’ bean, are precious and are
babied. The radishes weren’t sold for
years and the remaining seed was a few years old, so Mickey was tasked with
planting them here and refreshing the genetic supply. They came back like gangbusters and are now laden
with seed pods full of seed. If nothing
kills them before the seed is fully ripe, it will be a true success story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOqAz_rkln0SqL42-Yl0p6goYL7xZxpEUhlmhZINmuMJoCWk3_agkQ0swXAWaT5VPTyVN3z3VhuSkIPDYiMXgrlEiZwevHaMpE_sbPla6d-PFToDHRZ-oj_ysBzsNhVODQ_vLJKj5X9c/s1600/IMG_1316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOqAz_rkln0SqL42-Yl0p6goYL7xZxpEUhlmhZINmuMJoCWk3_agkQ0swXAWaT5VPTyVN3z3VhuSkIPDYiMXgrlEiZwevHaMpE_sbPla6d-PFToDHRZ-oj_ysBzsNhVODQ_vLJKj5X9c/s320/IMG_1316.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beets in the front and 'Green Star' beans climbing poles.<br />
'Amish Paste' tomatoes behind the beans and 'Beste Von Alum'<br />
bush beans to the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The beans have a similar story, though they are still in the
flowering stage. ‘Green Star’ is a pole
bean that was not for sale for years due to low population and, this year,
Mickey was given 20 of the 30 or so seeds left to plant. “I didn’t know what to expect, so I planted
five of them in each corner,” she says as she points to the pole structure that
supports healthy plants. “Wouldn’t you
know? All five in each corner came
up! I had to thin them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most of the plants here do well, though she has had some misfortunes. Demonstration potatoes that occupied a far
corner didn’t germinate, critters got to her peas, and she had to re-plant lavender
and rosemary, as even hilling them with straw didn’t ensure their survival
through the winter. But for all of that,
the garden is brimming with beautiful bounty. Mickey encourages visitors to stop by and view the garden from a designated spot along the fence between flower plantings.
“Come back later on and see what’s growing,” Mickey says cheerily as we
leave the garden to bask in the July sun.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-23713995317261342462016-06-30T22:25:00.000-04:002016-06-30T22:48:30.588-04:00Saying Goodbye: Tom Martin<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4EtcpUTlTMEB-2uN1dApdA1vx9wwkVnVapS49GNYPk4B1qCUCquOrywb-jTK5RZw3shhBREJkJ7Lfsaryz0g2RYU9pe40TbnDdDZIUQGOX-V8-pxLKtm8xO7AEet5pWEp_1Ag5Sheds/s1600/13532871_10153546377041260_790437207043124976_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4EtcpUTlTMEB-2uN1dApdA1vx9wwkVnVapS49GNYPk4B1qCUCquOrywb-jTK5RZw3shhBREJkJ7Lfsaryz0g2RYU9pe40TbnDdDZIUQGOX-V8-pxLKtm8xO7AEet5pWEp_1Ag5Sheds/s400/13532871_10153546377041260_790437207043124976_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Blog Post by Shayla Carey</i></div>
<br />
This week, we lost a man who was just as much a part of Landis Valley as the Landis brothers, the Isaac Landis family, or the Zangari family (who lived in the Seed House). Tom Martin passed away on Sunday, June 26, from causes unknown to this writer. He was employed by the PHMC for twenty-two years. He was an inspiration to those who knew and worked with him in the Tavern and I was privileged to have known him even just a little bit.<br />
<br />
I first saw Tom in the Tavern. I was a volunteer who came to the annual Holiday Bonfire at Landis Valley to drive the horses around. At the end of the night, I learned that one of the staff members had organized a huge spread of food for all of the volunteers. Cooked entirely in the Tavern, it consisted of pies, pig stomach, turkey, ham, breads, drunken cranberries, tarts, and other delicacies. Tom had supervised the labor and had provided much of the meal. We all stuffed ourselves into the room, lined up, and heaped as much of the meal onto our plates as we could. Tom didn't eat much--he sat in a corner, arms crossed over his belly, and basked in the glow of warm fellowship and holiday good wishes, catching up with old friends and socializing with co-workers. Occasionally, I heard his trademark staccato, "ha-ha-ha-ha," punctuate the overall conversation and wished I had heard the joke, too. I was too busy enjoying my food.<br />
<br />
Time passed and I joined the museum as an intern. I got to work closely with Tom when he was assigned interpretation of the Brick House. He was working on a rye basket and I needed a diversion from a homework assignment so I asked him about his craft. He responded by not only telling me about rye baskets (did you know that they were used by Pennsylvania Germans because mice don't care for them and therefore won't get to the food inside?), but by putting some extra rye into his long, water-filled trough and then showing me how to make baskets, too. While we worked, we talked about many things besides history. He told me how he liked interpreting at the quiet Brick House best of all, he told me that he used to make baskets to sell, he joked about how he was related to many of the Martins in Lancaster County and I found out that we shared some left-leaning views on politics. We worked on that basket the next time I was at the Brick with him and I got pretty good at it. Unfortunately, my internship ended before I could finish the basket and it still sits in my office.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSafkICwTcEZW7rJruMSYHu5O78CA4fJOYRlMqvlJgmUPFWyyLv-8sdKipIHL7wJuvp0-7_EK9aiKESz4kqu-JOo1AkQ-DqR1CM9-bQHGtNE95h9l7ovgPrVF1LH6zqKsyFh1H_fUd67I/s1600/252548_10150204176431260_5955830_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSafkICwTcEZW7rJruMSYHu5O78CA4fJOYRlMqvlJgmUPFWyyLv-8sdKipIHL7wJuvp0-7_EK9aiKESz4kqu-JOo1AkQ-DqR1CM9-bQHGtNE95h9l7ovgPrVF1LH6zqKsyFh1H_fUd67I/s320/252548_10150204176431260_5955830_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom at the head of our Summer Institute<br />
Cooking class table. I am to the right of him.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I got to work with Tom again when I became a staff member. It was during Summer Institute and I took his cooking class. I learned to roll and lift a pie crust, to make the best lemon ice cream ever (by using two metal bowls, some ice, and rock salt), to knead bread with a gentle hand, and that scrapple is best fried in bacon grease over the open fire. We supped in the open air and I gained a whole new appreciation for Tom's talents, as well as a glimpse into his popularity among other historic foodways interpreters.<br />
<br />
I saw Tom on other occasions after that. He worked in the Crafts Barn, at the front desk, and at the Brothers' House, but I didn't really get to talk to him too much after my Institute class. I took some pictures of him in costume over the years and I interviewed him for articles. When he became ill and took a leave of absence, I learned more about him through stories from our co-workers. Now, I mourn his loss when I reminice with others and read comments on Facebook from all of the visitors and friends he inspired over the course of his career and his life. We've lost a true treasure and we will miss him. Goodbye, Tom.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-3803953188140942642016-05-27T15:57:00.000-04:002016-05-27T15:57:36.799-04:00Traditional Yeast Making from Potatoes<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Dan Silfies</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtDnYlg5k8wbiFKjjoYRxq4G5kqWMac5mFL0GxvVFfq0FZqOKCNE9YeVkyyGSFBTlj-wiGrnZAQM2-fC2qG-gpUMAU-kZVLLULeCAvzp0FQgbR9gdxkFNrhKPp1GsweeSsrH90GZ4igk/s1600/Dan%2527s+potato+yeast+breads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtDnYlg5k8wbiFKjjoYRxq4G5kqWMac5mFL0GxvVFfq0FZqOKCNE9YeVkyyGSFBTlj-wiGrnZAQM2-fC2qG-gpUMAU-kZVLLULeCAvzp0FQgbR9gdxkFNrhKPp1GsweeSsrH90GZ4igk/s320/Dan%2527s+potato+yeast+breads.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the potato yeast breads baked in the bake oven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello from the Tavern. So far, I've been busy this spring
baking away in the bake oven every Friday. This year I decided not to use store
bought yeast and to grow it traditionally. For this, I boiled about 2 pounds of
diced and peeled potatoes in water. Once soft, I mashed them and added enough
of the water that the potatoes were cooked in to bring the mixture to a cream
like consistency. Next, I added approximately 2 tablespoons of molasses and
mixed. After waiting for the mixture to cool down, I added a little yeast to
get the process moving and set it aside for a few days. Adding a little yeast
is not necessary but definitely helpful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I have never made yeast before, I was uncertain of what
my results would be. Keeping this in mind, I used a basic white bread recipe
that I knew well. I substituted one cup water for one cup of the potato yeast
and added no additional yeast.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The resulting dough didn't rise as much as it did with store
bought yeast. However, after punching it down and forming into 2 loaves, letting
rise again and baking, I was surprised. The finished bread, although slightly
denser, rose to make wonderful bread with just a hint of potato.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The recipe claims that it will last several weeks so I saved
the remaining yeast and used it a week later; although it smelled sour, the
bread had no sourness to it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The yeast recipe that I used can be found in the Landis
Valley Cookbook, along with other variations on making yeast.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-68780903394677365052016-04-08T17:40:00.001-04:002016-05-02T10:48:18.326-04:00Baby Bees & Trees<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Shayla Carey</i></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMeVFCldJvTm07WTE3RFAWU0tG4hNES7ZcNKqEN4n4oILDE8ugHvEWexg0m1kHDqh-FQlUFBH098ni2S6BM93Aac20qHHvoOV-Y4ivn9EZlPcqH_PwcnFAkwybxaulXXkaIWp7fd2C7s/s1600/Don+Ziegler+grafting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMeVFCldJvTm07WTE3RFAWU0tG4hNES7ZcNKqEN4n4oILDE8ugHvEWexg0m1kHDqh-FQlUFBH098ni2S6BM93Aac20qHHvoOV-Y4ivn9EZlPcqH_PwcnFAkwybxaulXXkaIWp7fd2C7s/s320/Don+Ziegler+grafting.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don with rootstocks awaiting grafting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week, with the help of Don Zeigler, co-founder of the
Backyard Fruit Growers, Landis Valley welcomed 150 baby bees and 20 new baby
trees to its horticultural family.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was an easy delivery:
Don grafted 20 scion wood to rootstock and farm manager Joe Schott attached
two new bee boxes to fence posts in the herb garden and behind the Heirloom
Seed House. Don and Joe then inserted
tubes filled with mason bee eggs into the boxes. After that, the waiting began...<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What will be exciting is watching the new additions grow.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyO2rHROGrAME9wYsi-I54zzNIKex9g-FXw-CwEJljGSRcdQlRPIJXzNG-kl7zVZJWcQrP-acsDTsyVHrrF0ZOiDuM0eEUt4BzPrcNEpNCTCGX_SPGWp5Mvse0h-V3LaCqUlDjOVFZ4I/s1600/IMG_0949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyO2rHROGrAME9wYsi-I54zzNIKex9g-FXw-CwEJljGSRcdQlRPIJXzNG-kl7zVZJWcQrP-acsDTsyVHrrF0ZOiDuM0eEUt4BzPrcNEpNCTCGX_SPGWp5Mvse0h-V3LaCqUlDjOVFZ4I/s200/IMG_0949.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moment of truth:<br />
when scion meets rootstock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While we do not grow the apples to sell, we do grow them to
keep the genetics going, which is a core mission of the Heirloom Seed
Project. Some of the apple scions
(living twigs from mature trees) are from existing trees on Landis Valley
property, which are getting rather old and will need to be removed within a few
years. 15 others are heritage varieties from
the Backyard Fruit Growers’ woodbank, a collection of fruit trees grown by BYFG
members that are shared among them. Our
new orchard is currently residing in buckets outside of the greenhouses, but
will be permanently located towards the rear of the site and, once they are
planted, visitors who wander to the Collections Gallery or to the Maple Grove
Schoolhouse can hike a little further up the old Kissel Hill Road and see them. Honeybees, which are in danger of decline due
to CCD, will join the site in April and will eventually assist the mason bees
in pollinating the new orchard. The apples
will be used for demonstration purposes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IyV2RU3VRhy_lx7wmWm_Y4r0dHXD_vxNFJHeu6zFi-jp71WbAC2NUJdK7VYQVSy1B1kNlDclfGjb79F2NWvQjr43-FiM7rpMx_nkwlDiajAHcSL_9hL9gWlw84q5pu_Veyq-0I3bBWw/s1600/0401161628a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IyV2RU3VRhy_lx7wmWm_Y4r0dHXD_vxNFJHeu6zFi-jp71WbAC2NUJdK7VYQVSy1B1kNlDclfGjb79F2NWvQjr43-FiM7rpMx_nkwlDiajAHcSL_9hL9gWlw84q5pu_Veyq-0I3bBWw/s320/0401161628a.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
In a few weeks, the mason bees will emerge from the holes in
the boxes (<i>pictured at right</i>), pollinating various plants around the site. They hatch about 3-4 weeks before honeybees
do and they will die at the end of the year after laying more eggs in the boxes
in August. Because of their short
lifespan, they do not produce honey, but they are prolific pollinators. They do not form colonies, so are not subject
to colony collapse disorder (CCD). They are
smaller than honeybees, are native to North America, and do not have a stinger,
either, which makes this writer like them a lot.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bees are part of a working relationship that Landis
Valley is developing with insects to help bring up productivity of plants
around the site. Because we need all of
the seeds we can get from every plant we grow, pollination is hugely
important. Ladybugs, parasitic wasps,
and mites also assist plant production in our greenhouses, keeping pests at bay
without the need for chemical insecticides.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Apple trees and mason bees – here’s to the beginning of a
beautiful friendship.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-59825917574031805592016-01-29T17:00:00.000-05:002016-01-29T17:02:14.481-05:00The Museum Store Upgrade<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Guest blog entry by Museum Store manager Terry Kreider</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKjqnHafBZS65UvaZfqYxiTb19QPY-ooc-rPLm4lI2Sh5jgR6yo8J3nfNoMGFs1HcjgmLkFbbp21ho5cGWXOKSojIrddH9U64TPg4DxAeTYp1JVzLuXlz-QBey5AkDGAlvBjEC-jjQew/s1600/Museum+Store+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKjqnHafBZS65UvaZfqYxiTb19QPY-ooc-rPLm4lI2Sh5jgR6yo8J3nfNoMGFs1HcjgmLkFbbp21ho5cGWXOKSojIrddH9U64TPg4DxAeTYp1JVzLuXlz-QBey5AkDGAlvBjEC-jjQew/s400/Museum+Store+in+progress.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New displays are being created at the Landis Valley Museum Store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
January and February are traditionally slow months in the
store and we are taking advantage of the reduced traffic to do a major over
haul of the first floor. The main reasons
for the changes are to make space on the first floor for all our handcrafted
merchandise currently displayed on the second floor (assuring our best
merchandise is accessible to all our visitors) and to improve the Museum Book
Store sales area.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JWOkyqCGDhKfyrLEnBaLNREe5Mwbr-0zvDaPC1-ZUcJabdZLDiPcRsykKAyPwCiuXd3mk_F14tLiI9Ln8GONXbyKjUD76Ts4sA1AVvSBdGM3_oQDD9DC9FiLtnsciGcMChxNdoxNzlo/s1600/Museum+Store+Book+Nook+web+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JWOkyqCGDhKfyrLEnBaLNREe5Mwbr-0zvDaPC1-ZUcJabdZLDiPcRsykKAyPwCiuXd3mk_F14tLiI9Ln8GONXbyKjUD76Ts4sA1AVvSBdGM3_oQDD9DC9FiLtnsciGcMChxNdoxNzlo/s320/Museum+Store+Book+Nook+web+small.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum store's new book nook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First project was to move the register counter toward the
front door by 4 feet. This also required
moving the electric and running computer wires under the floor. This small shift made the back corner open to
our customers; previously they had to ask permission to see items displayed behind
the register.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most involved job is the Museum Book Store. More display shelves are being added and book
cases being rearranged to create an open area with more light. We moved the stage from the middle of the
store to the back corner of the book area to create a place to spotlight our
children’s books as well as space for book signings and presentations. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several displays are being transported from the second floor
to the first. Blacksmith Mike Reinard,
who built the blacksmith display, is relocating it from the back corner of the second
floor. Framed artwork display pallets
will also be moved. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpMj7EiRyW3Z-0t61NmyxSn_1ksUH9Ny6I-lOGBWs-MHFkOdroezlqUb1-HrV_KwLtQACLYu-cDv1JwyJh0-6BtezV7x2qCkUa7X19MBqlnUeZVwM40c2Xh4xXih2XXp5izFiZC7x7l0/s1600/Museum+Store+blacksmith+window+-+web+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpMj7EiRyW3Z-0t61NmyxSn_1ksUH9Ny6I-lOGBWs-MHFkOdroezlqUb1-HrV_KwLtQACLYu-cDv1JwyJh0-6BtezV7x2qCkUa7X19MBqlnUeZVwM40c2Xh4xXih2XXp5izFiZC7x7l0/s320/Museum+Store+blacksmith+window+-+web+small.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blacksmith-created pieces front and center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am thankful to carpenter Mike Wagner and Kyle Hake from
our maintenance staff. They took my
ideas and made them work. Thank you to
the winter store staff, Kenney Brunning and Liz Miller, who with volunteers
Brad Potts and Lin Forney have contributed ideas, constructive feedback and
hard work! We have been having fun trying to figure out what displays will work
where. There’s been a lot of trial and
error! A final thank you goes to Site
Administrator Jim Lewers for green lighting the project and providing feedback
and support.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most enjoyable part of all this for me is communicating
with many local artists and working to bring our customers the highest quality
handmade items to fill the Museum Store when the renovations are done! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The goal is to have everything completed and stocked for Charter Day (Sunday, March 13). Feel free to stop in, watch our progress, and shop from all the new merchandise we are getting in on a daily basis!</div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-22185124448409999112015-12-31T13:11:00.000-05:002015-12-31T13:13:52.823-05:00The Fine art of Finely Made Sauerkraut<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog Post by Dan Silfies</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I always say homemade sauerkraut is better than store bought
sauerkraut. Today many don’t take the time to make it and don’t realize the
stronger flavor of homemade sauerkraut.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have a clean crock, that will
work great but, if you’re like me, you don’t have a crock. Instead, I went to my
local deli and asked for a food safe bucket to make my sauerkraut in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
making sauerkraut, you don’t want your cabbage to rot, but you don’t want to
preserve it in a salt bath either. What you want is a happy mix of salt and
cabbage that will control the cabbage’s fermentation without stopping it.
I use 3 tablespoons of pickling or kosher salt for every 5 lbs. of
shredded cabbage. Note that we are not using any water at this point, the salt
should be able to pull enough out of the cabbage for our needs.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To prepare the cabbage, you want to remove the inner core,
then using a cabbage shredder shred the cabbage. I don’t own a cabbage shredder, but I find a good sharp chef knife works. It will take longer, as you need to
cut the cabbage into about 1/8 inch to ¼ inch slices.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJL3gHkZd7XSfcvOMYqVsD7jXtjhyn5M6Q2OonqWJYPmEVRgajwYyLXJAjGG12A5hgVe18R_UkGjzZRyz6X5impf-NSSadNu9fcFVyU-AdHrA-kdcsJOCvrbXxivsOyi6nTNjasTFZVVE/s1600/DSCN1204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJL3gHkZd7XSfcvOMYqVsD7jXtjhyn5M6Q2OonqWJYPmEVRgajwYyLXJAjGG12A5hgVe18R_UkGjzZRyz6X5impf-NSSadNu9fcFVyU-AdHrA-kdcsJOCvrbXxivsOyi6nTNjasTFZVVE/s320/DSCN1204.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauerkraut making at Harvest Days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I put the cabbage into a large mixing bowl and add the salt.
Toss and stir until the salt is evenly dispersed.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next, I put the salted cabbage in the crock/bucket in layers
about 2 inches thick. The reason for the layers is to make sure that each layer
gets packed tight as we don’t want large pockets of air to become trapped.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once all the salted cabbage is in the crock/bucket, add a
weight to keep the cabbage packed. Over the next few days, the salt will leach
the water out of the cabbage and the weight will keep the cabbage submerged. If
it is not all submerged, add a salt water solution until the cabbage is all
covered. About 3 teaspoons for every 2 cups of water will give you a proper
salt solution.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the weight, I usually use a large plate with zip lock
bags full of water to hold down the cabbage. The bags give an added benefit to the mixture, as it keeps a tight barrier around the inside of the crock/bucket, reducing what may
be exposed to the air.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Put the crock in a cool place out of the way and cover with
a towel for 6 weeks. Checking every few days to ensure the cabbage is still
submerged. If not add more salt water solution. I usually keep mine in the
basement.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the six weeks have passed, your cabbage
should now be sauerkraut. Remove any off-colored sauerkraut that may be on the
top, usually the top 1 ½ inched to 2 inches as this will have an off flavor.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will usually heat up my sauerkraut then place it in zip
lock bags and freeze until I’m ready for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-9054852847997369752015-11-24T11:54:00.001-05:002015-11-24T11:55:18.315-05:00Preserving the Fortna Family’s Pumpkin Pie<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Joanne Ranck-Dirks</i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTKeYI-_0X-hYpFtuWlj55BwZw4-fs1HMEeCj_uy_lNNlsK6XG7NF6PdYwJkl4j2qs80gKCEUmlIqucKpT0arYeMNyR2SqmNtiYKpQDcuASh_U2PNhKCcZ5bM4hcSnsJaNY8Ez5VVZT8/s1600/Fortna+White+Pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTKeYI-_0X-hYpFtuWlj55BwZw4-fs1HMEeCj_uy_lNNlsK6XG7NF6PdYwJkl4j2qs80gKCEUmlIqucKpT0arYeMNyR2SqmNtiYKpQDcuASh_U2PNhKCcZ5bM4hcSnsJaNY8Ez5VVZT8/s320/Fortna+White+Pumpkin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair of Fortna White pumpkins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Heirloom Seed Project is committed to seed preservation. One piece of the program that brings us joy
is sharing these garden heirlooms with others and also knowing that sometimes
we’re saving more than seeds!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last April, a seed order arrived for just one packet of seeds
– the Fortna White Pumpkin. The shipping
charge was higher than the price of that one packet of seeds so I pondered how
I could increase the value of those seeds to the customer so that she wouldn’t
mind paying more in postage that she did for the seeds! Perhaps sharing the history of the pumpkin
could add some value.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every seed donated to the Heirloom Seed Project is
documented in an old card file. I went
digging into the file to learn more of the history of the Fortna While
Pumpkin. It had been donated 25 years
ago in 1990 and had been grown by the Fortna families in Franklin and Adams
Counties. It is an unusual white,
pear-shaped pumpkin and creamy yellow on the inside. To my amazement, I saw that it had been
donated by the same person who was now ordering the seed!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sent Sue a quick email and said, “This is your family’s
pumpkin!” She replied, “I am not the
farmer my dad was, by any means!!” I did
grow one pumpkin last year and didn’t let the seeds dry as long as I should
have, and the seeds molded.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So I am extremely grateful that you do the hard work of
keeping these heritage seeds alive – if you hadn’t had the seed, it would
surely have died out with my generation. (Not to mention that all the extended
family would have been so disappointed to not have a Fortna Pumpkin Pie at
Thanksgiving – we all still think it’s the best for pies!)”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Thanksgiving to the Fortna Family. We hope you enjoy your pie!<o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-89538003511614089692015-10-28T13:45:00.001-04:002015-10-28T13:54:52.324-04:00Darkness and Innocence: Learning About Floral Symbolism from Dr. Irwin Richman<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Shayla Carey</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
Working at Landis Valley is always a learning experience, but rarely more so than when Dr. Irwin Richman is sitting next to me. He and I share a cubicle wall, the same ringtone on our landline phones (which has led to many a cheerful hello to dismal dial tone by yours truly), and a passion for writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every other day, he comes around the cubicle wall and shares some of the informative and witty snippets that will, eventually, go into his books. Sometimes I even get to edit some of his work (although his wife, Susan, does the bulk of the editing during the first read-through). When I have a press release that needs another set of eyes, I can often count on his insight to help me polish my work. It’s like being part of a writing club and is one of the perks of my job.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During my four-year tenure here, Dr. Richman has finished at least three books and is working on another one now with our museum educator, Michael Emery. Titled <i>Roses and Ray Flowers</i>, it promises to be a real feast for the eyes with fascinating information thrown in. He’ll cover roses, daisies and other members of the mum family, zinnias, and wild ray flowers such as black eyed Susans and purple coneflowers. Here are some interesting tidbits for use with illustrations, which led to further research for the book.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
The Black Rose</h4>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrbi4Dx3-93CVVG5_axBxSYMBA2hh5QqeLuIgTxf1rjvNEyyH3R51dSfbWv2srhmlL_k3iEJTqZFfnJuJjfEayj9Ert90F3COY1900ZofBcNnZy3IxjnkSEp0_rul7-9_l-euCesHiw0/s1600/Black+Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrbi4Dx3-93CVVG5_axBxSYMBA2hh5QqeLuIgTxf1rjvNEyyH3R51dSfbWv2srhmlL_k3iEJTqZFfnJuJjfEayj9Ert90F3COY1900ZofBcNnZy3IxjnkSEp0_rul7-9_l-euCesHiw0/s200/Black+Rose.jpg" width="200" /></a>“The black rose is a legend. All available “black roses” found in nature are actually a deep red. This artist’s version of a black rose is done in watercolor and was painted circa 1950 for use in an advertisement.” The black color <i>can</i> be achieved by dying a lighter flower, much as carnations are dyed by florists. A step by step process is recorded in “<a href="http://www.floristchronicles.com/2011/create-black-flowers">3 Easy Techniques to Create Black Flowers</a>” by Gina Kellogg. It is interesting to note that the printing process for this particular illustrated bloom started with a black rose and added pink half-tone to the flower and blue half-tone to the stem (not pictured).</div>
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Black roses have many different meanings: death, mourning, mystery, etc., but they also have a political meaning as well, as evidenced by the song “<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">R</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ó</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">is</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">í</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">n</span> Dubh,” or “Dark Little Rose,” a song sung in Irish that was covered by artists such as Sinead O’Connor and Cherish the Ladies, among others. In the James Clarence Mangan version of the song (“Dark Rosaleen”), Ireland is the black rose and the singer willingly martyrs himself for her, as described in the book, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=3fShj204visC&lpg=PA36&dq=black%20rose%20irish%20song&pg=PA36#v=onepage&q=black%20rose%20irish%20song&f=false"><i>Seamus Heaney and the Emblems of Hope</i></a>, by Karen Marguerite Moloney. A copy of the poem can be found in the book, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=A4WfAAAAMAAJ&dq=black%20rose%20irish%20song&pg=PA203#v=onepage&q=black%20rose%20irish%20song&f=false"><i>The Song Lore of Ireland: Erin's Story in Music and Verse</i></a> by Redfern Mason.</div>
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In an interesting twist, black roses and other dark flowers are becoming popular as bridal bouquets—despite their traditional meaning as the death of a relationship—and the meaning is changing to represent the birth of something new, according to the blog post, “<a href="http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-for-your-home/colorful-holidays-occasions/meaning-color-roses-768#.Vi988NKrSUk">The Meaning of the Color of Roses</a>,” by color expert Kate Smith.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The search for a perfect black rose continues, with cultivars like Black Baccara and Black Jade coming close but requiring close monitoring and patience to achieve their darkest potential. <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Black-Roses">Wiki How</a> has a nice article on growing dark roses, for those who want to cross over into the dark side of gardening.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6ZyPLqDSfN2_jO5cy2m4i0tBWatrzbsvUMh5LbOh_XzU9u9kbSsUIxikWvkkSyw0Tp7dnIu2egUzaqTUDrXH_Suj-TusaO9PlmuSiaV1da2IbV0caisFjTTLhVY538SzHUhBr7VZ1g8/s1600/editAMC_Postcards_AKM_91_1_2_Binder_22_Lots_of_Daisies_Here_Ready_to_be_Picked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6ZyPLqDSfN2_jO5cy2m4i0tBWatrzbsvUMh5LbOh_XzU9u9kbSsUIxikWvkkSyw0Tp7dnIu2egUzaqTUDrXH_Suj-TusaO9PlmuSiaV1da2IbV0caisFjTTLhVY538SzHUhBr7VZ1g8/s320/editAMC_Postcards_AKM_91_1_2_Binder_22_Lots_of_Daisies_Here_Ready_to_be_Picked.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h4>
Daisies</h4>
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“Lots of Daisies here, ready to be picked. A postcard circa 1910 in the Alice Marshall collection at Penn State Harrisburg in Middletown, PA. In the early years of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, ‘Daisy’ was a common girl’s name popularized by the song ‘<a href="http://www.lyrics.net/lyric/1906203">Daisy Bell</a>,’ written by English song writer Harry Dacre in 1892. Everyone could sing the forward,<o:p></o:p></div>
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‘Daisy, Daisy, give me your heart to do<o:p></o:p></div>
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I'm half crazy, hopeful in love with you<o:p></o:p></div>
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It won't be a stylish marriage<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can't afford the carriage<o:p></o:p></div>
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But you look sweet upon the street<o:p></o:p></div>
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On a bicycle built for two’”</div>
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While the name never became as popular as Rose was during the early two decades of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, it held its own until the 1920’s, when it dropped off the list of top 200 names given to babies in America, according to the <a href="https://www.google.com/#q=daisy+popularity%2C+social+security">Social Security Administration</a>. It is one of those enduring floral names used in literature, though. Symbolizing innocence and gentleness—who ever thinks of a hard and bitter nature when imagining a daisy flower?—the name has graced such literary characters as Daisy Miller, a bright and naïve young American lady in Henry James’ novella by the same name; Disney’s sweet and sassy Daisy Duck; little Daisy Armstrong, the true victim in Agatha Christie’s <i>Murder on the Orient Express</i>; and Daisy Buchannan, a hard and selfish woman who proved to be Jay Gatsby’s downfall in <i>The Great Gatsby </i>(a great study in symbolism and the expectations of modern society). More recently, Jessica Tandy became Daisy Werthan in the Oscar winning movie, “Driving Miss Daisy,” and Sophie McShera stars as kitchen maid Daisy Robinson Mason in the popular British drama, “Downton Abbey.” Just thinking about the symbolism attached to the name brings depth to each of these characters, whether it's because they epitomize innocence or because they are the opposite.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Will Daisy ever top the charts of baby names? Probably not in my lifetime, but I believe it will continue to adorn little girls throughout America as long as we believe in hope, innocence, and peace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For more of Dr. Richman’s writing, pick up a copy of his newest book with Michael Emery, <i><a href="http://www.schifferbooks.com/living-crafts-historic-tools-the-craftspeople-and-collections-of-the-landis-valley-museum-5157.html" target="_blank">Living Crafts, Historic Tools</a></i>, at the Landis Valley Museum Store.<o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-90703516353075347572015-10-07T16:15:00.002-04:002015-10-07T16:15:51.304-04:00Bringing in the Harvest<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Joanne Ranck-Dirks</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xZ83dFV690f1IuPmePM7SNzfrjqZA6BDIoA-ETlzVgOOp6aNbMYlcwNmiOo2WikkAfnTgiCbkxlmHKoQBhSdL7MlxITqzHYjtL84ftinB02DfMi4lX0eGWvAeEKkLVN5_AQswtGXY6g/s1600/HSP+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xZ83dFV690f1IuPmePM7SNzfrjqZA6BDIoA-ETlzVgOOp6aNbMYlcwNmiOo2WikkAfnTgiCbkxlmHKoQBhSdL7MlxITqzHYjtL84ftinB02DfMi4lX0eGWvAeEKkLVN5_AQswtGXY6g/s320/HSP+5.JPG" width="240" /></a>As summer comes to an
end and fall begins, the Heirloom Seed Project volunteers are gathering a bountiful harvest of heirloom
vegetables. From numerous Landis Valley gardens
we have gathered ten different varieties of tomatoes, half a dozen different
kinds of beans, as well as peas, peppers, kale, cabbage, cucumbers,
watermelons, squash and corn. </div>
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<br />From these vegetables we are now harvesting seeds. After slicing open the vegetables to remove
the seeds, the chopped up tomatoes and peppers go home with volunteers and into
the soup pot. There are as many variations of tomato soup and sauce as
volunteers. Trays of drying seeds fill
the Seed House and there will still be beans to shell for several weeks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgci36DLLp8cMAMXzjOT_VYhOrae3NxUEyFgkZck8Da_bE8A8TDPZRJbm4feoXUSq79bxhHYGYD3lN-naYjZ1onDGr1D5Jpg1Frd1beqXL6ovK2ZzRSOogK3I1dk8wEsOCj9gCjiALtqY/s1600/Geese.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgci36DLLp8cMAMXzjOT_VYhOrae3NxUEyFgkZck8Da_bE8A8TDPZRJbm4feoXUSq79bxhHYGYD3lN-naYjZ1onDGr1D5Jpg1Frd1beqXL6ovK2ZzRSOogK3I1dk8wEsOCj9gCjiALtqY/s200/Geese.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />We worked for this harvest!
We pulled weeds even when it was hot, gave the tomatoes and melons thick
mulches of straw and trained the pole beans onto trellises. We chased the geese out of the garden even as
the groundhogs nipped off peas and beans and the horse knocked down the fence
to plunder the corn! So we shared our
harvest grudgingly but there is still enough.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzygc9_KaJffwq9Xt-72Dujq-PWnt_wV7-LXJZk_rRI-YPSJpajYJoim1nKkJYJpysU_7-HzMM38_JSckNZ_gKHKh6C5gdnvwxtEHXEBC6hEajGmVWrhyphenhyphenKYb2qyXOiKXB0dEz1SLkbkk/s1600/Mickey+Blefko+%2526+Mary+Holovack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzygc9_KaJffwq9Xt-72Dujq-PWnt_wV7-LXJZk_rRI-YPSJpajYJoim1nKkJYJpysU_7-HzMM38_JSckNZ_gKHKh6C5gdnvwxtEHXEBC6hEajGmVWrhyphenhyphenKYb2qyXOiKXB0dEz1SLkbkk/s320/Mickey+Blefko+%2526+Mary+Holovack.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HSP volunteers Mary Holovack (l) and Mickey Blefko (r)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In several trial plots in the garden are varieties of heirloom
vegetables that we haven’t grown before.
With a vote of confidence from volunteers, we will add several to our
selection of plants to sell at the Herb and Garden Faire next spring and
package seed to sell in the Museum Store.<br /></div>
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As shelves in the Seed House are lined with jars filled with
the harvest of seeds from our summer’s work, a sense of great accomplishment
and satisfaction is the reward for our labors.
Soon it will be time to let the geese penned up in the horse pasture go
free to glean the few green tomatoes left in the garden!<o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-10096267159749984072015-09-17T16:57:00.001-04:002015-09-17T16:57:17.942-04:00Brew Some Yeast with Hops<div class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Guest blog entry by Dan Silfies</i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjty7UfKjwIL8AdjD1vX79kNT7uYc9xWR3C44IkJmvC-N08ekwXOocId2mwe5UV98L8SFQ-4b2j40fZ1e96kMKPJo44hyphenhyphenyOQ_NdxltGIj5zWxZ2RpsxOsUc73rPsCEOQKqV565NtFtthGI/s1600/Hops+growing+along+the+Woman%2527s+Garden+fence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjty7UfKjwIL8AdjD1vX79kNT7uYc9xWR3C44IkJmvC-N08ekwXOocId2mwe5UV98L8SFQ-4b2j40fZ1e96kMKPJo44hyphenhyphenyOQ_NdxltGIj5zWxZ2RpsxOsUc73rPsCEOQKqV565NtFtthGI/s400/Hops+growing+along+the+Woman%2527s+Garden+fence.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hops vine along the Woman's Garden fence</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcWNWSTXExe1iM3LY4fw2UM8HPYLUMnqybLLC861IE0GaQCp2DPZP6Tu_2uVotioh6kJj1aO_75_s_REHAG5CxLusj_DVAR8lesLtQ8oC9oRYqHn48uEnHGJPpJ-Wq0WIcXNqnKcuoiw/s1600/Dan%2527s+hops+drying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcWNWSTXExe1iM3LY4fw2UM8HPYLUMnqybLLC861IE0GaQCp2DPZP6Tu_2uVotioh6kJj1aO_75_s_REHAG5CxLusj_DVAR8lesLtQ8oC9oRYqHn48uEnHGJPpJ-Wq0WIcXNqnKcuoiw/s320/Dan%2527s+hops+drying.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh hops drying in the Tavern</td></tr>
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Today when we hear "hops" our minds go directly to beer,
but that wasn't always the case. Of course hops were used for beer but they
were commonly found in women's gardens for another use, yeast. That's right--to
capture yeast from the air one could take a large handful or so and boil them
in a few pints water. Then add the strained hop water to enough flour to make a
thick batter (think pancake batter) and a little sugar in a pot or bowl. If you
leave it uncovered in a few days it will start to bubble. That bubbling is the
yeast that was in the air which fell in the batter and is now growing.
Interesting, though, is that every hop yeast receipt that I have read calls for
the addition of a half to full cup of liquid yeast to the batter before leaving
it set out. This means that to get yeast you need some yeast to get you
started.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcezM3cfE3ER8VRok6lJynWgK5irCxPNeqflMwn0budf7Vx4ws0iW2kgU136zZUiSHuFElp5sJj1tfCRxthT-4y345oFMZ-sx70gd2xvGPM5yTqihzKw7PpL7G1cjOHOXzE_ir94fzo4k/s1600/Hops+in+a+bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcezM3cfE3ER8VRok6lJynWgK5irCxPNeqflMwn0budf7Vx4ws0iW2kgU136zZUiSHuFElp5sJj1tfCRxthT-4y345oFMZ-sx70gd2xvGPM5yTqihzKw7PpL7G1cjOHOXzE_ir94fzo4k/s200/Hops+in+a+bowl.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dried hops ready for brewing</td></tr>
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It is now halfway through September and if you haven't
already picked your hops, I'm afraid you maybe out of luck this year. The
common rule of thumb was that one should "never let the September winds
blow across your hops." I have picked mine and plan on making a pale ale
with mine. It has been suggested to
me that if you use fresh hops for beer,
let them dry first then use the weight your beer recipe calls for. They can be
used fresh and not dried but you have to double the amount called for. I get
nervous not drying them because if you want to ever go back and replicate your
brew it will be more difficult due to the varying moisture amounts that could
be in the hops from harvest to harvest.<o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-62176387085831564602015-08-24T17:06:00.000-04:002015-08-24T17:06:04.259-04:00Saffron: a Lovely Little Spice<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Blog entry by Joanne Ranck-Dirks</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Late August
is planting time for the fall-blooming saffron crocus (Crocus sativus). Large corms planted in August may bloom in
October and smaller corms will come into flower in fall next year. Saffron crocus
blossoms yield perhaps the most expensive spice in the world – it’s also an
essential ingredient in local Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASaffran_crocus_sativus_moist.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4r2X8cn0bjX31VOu3aAxApGJIeSQAArZ1K43_gU8e7hyphenhyphentj-M_uiLXMUrsLBuSV_ocFfe8nseMM6HtUTKnp1p_B8kqnU_ahBjpia4cEy0XndF-QNz7-hWSCGo-wG3DTwP4nLDasWrAm4/s320/Saffran_crocus_sativus_moist.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4r2X8cn0bjX31VOu3aAxApGJIeSQAArZ1K43_gU8e7hyphenhyphentj-M_uiLXMUrsLBuSV_ocFfe8nseMM6HtUTKnp1p_B8kqnU_ahBjpia4cEy0XndF-QNz7-hWSCGo-wG3DTwP4nLDasWrAm4/s1600/Saffran_crocus_sativus_moist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The dark
purple flowers each have three deep-red stigma which are called saffron threads. At harvest the whole flower is cut and the
threads are carefully extracted and spread to dry overnight. Flowers need to be harvested daily as each
blossom lasts only a day or two. The saffron flower harvest extends over
several weeks in October. Here at Landis Valley, saffron is grown in the kitchen
gardens at the Log Farm and also by the Brick Farmstead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saffron
develops its rich flavor and fragrance if left to cure for about six
months. No special measures are needed
for the curing process, just the discipline to resist using the saffron immediately.
Saffron is most often used in cooking
mildly flavored meats like chicken and also with noodles and potatoes. The red
saffron threads add a warm yellow color to chicken corn soup, scalloped
potatoes and enrich the flavor of bread fillings and stuffing for roasted pig
stomach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saffron is
part of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking in a geographic area of Pennsylvania
sometimes referred to as the “saffron belt.” This area includes parts of Lancaster,
York, Lebanon and Berks counties. It is
thought to have traveled to Pennsylvania with German immigrants in the early
1700’s from the Palatinate in Germany and may have been brought to that part of
Germany by immigrants from Switzerland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5wPO7NPjZCu2Y9YlDqxdb-NtQMYwJDj15SVOanoPQPc1ghPxGMwjcamMKgdCxD195pCfJd_umcItT4zALb9ltpyBP5-UDCowNrP0IDCsw_y2Fsx14OgcLSZGeBu7zmYZGmyA7jWGQUs/s1600/saffron+cups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5wPO7NPjZCu2Y9YlDqxdb-NtQMYwJDj15SVOanoPQPc1ghPxGMwjcamMKgdCxD195pCfJd_umcItT4zALb9ltpyBP5-UDCowNrP0IDCsw_y2Fsx14OgcLSZGeBu7zmYZGmyA7jWGQUs/s320/saffron+cups.jpg" width="192" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In our
Pennsylvania Dutch past, many gardens reserved space for a saffron bed. If gardens yielded more than the household
needed, extra saffron found a ready market in local towns. As the practice of growing saffron
diminished, imported saffron took its place.
Small envelopes of saffron are still widely available in local grocery
stores.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saffron was traditionally stored in airtight wooden
containers – a small bowl topped with a tight-fitting lid. The most prized of
these containers are Lehn saffron cups turned on a lathe by Joseph Lehn
(1798-1892) and then brightly painted. Lehn
made these decorated containers as gifts for family members. The collection here at Landis Valley includes
a number of these pieces.</span></span>Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-30507642395778360242015-07-24T16:13:00.000-04:002015-07-24T16:13:56.233-04:00From Gettysburg to Landis Valley: How History is Interconnected<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Shayla Carey</i></div>
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History isn’t just what happens in a certain place at a
certain time. It is all interconnected
and what happens at one place likely effects another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Take my recent trip with Boy Scout Troop 241. On our 15-mile hike around and through the
Gettysburg battlefield, we stopped at various monuments to present research on
the backgrounds of the men and women honored, as well as the structures
themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuujVmEjk8vcjVOHPYTaYGishVQIECcizG1EF5Kc4I9D89nafW025QkleI2dUa_N-kz-vMJil-IFsCuKWP8uQrWFXy1ROwBb9UGYF0cIoASAwKf47PlqkZjPzzuKHoh7IBxosCTkEbis8/s1600/0626151003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuujVmEjk8vcjVOHPYTaYGishVQIECcizG1EF5Kc4I9D89nafW025QkleI2dUa_N-kz-vMJil-IFsCuKWP8uQrWFXy1ROwBb9UGYF0cIoASAwKf47PlqkZjPzzuKHoh7IBxosCTkEbis8/s640/0626151003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hiking along Cemetery Ridge</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I chose the 71st Pennsylvania, also known as the 1st
California regiment. I have family in
both states, so it seemed a good fit for me.
In my research, though, I found a deeper connection to the regiment. At our Civil War Days, on July 25 & 26,
re-enactors from the 71st will come to Landis Valley to interact with visitors
and demonstrate life during the Civil War.
Once I learned this, I became really excited and eagerly hit the books
for more information to share here. I
first got an idea for the background of the war as a whole and the Battle of
Gettysburg, in particular, from the Ken Burns documentary, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu6xUSZhiK0&list=PLTlOczJMLEjiRSZMh8Z3WyHb_d4wWUsNv">The
Civil War</a>.” Then, I consulted the
book, <i><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=U2E7TZOcb_QC&pg=PT141&dq=71st+pennsylvania,+gettysburg,+pickett%27s+charge&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAWoVChMIwrTAzIH0xgIVw8k-Ch2h4w9q#v=onepage&q=71st%20pennsylvania%2C%20gettysburg%2C%20pickett's%20charge&f=false">Pickett's
Charge: The Last Attack at Gettysburg</a>,</i> by Earl J. Hess, a paper titled,
“<a href="http://71st.yourinfo.com/user_images/1/Documents/11278970732.pdf">The
Unsung Heroes; A Report on the Unique History of the 71<sup>st</sup>
Pennsylvania in the Civil War</a>,” by Paul Cleveland, and the article, “<a href="http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/california-in-the-civil-war/california-brigade.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/">The
California Brigade: In West Philadelphia
Born and Raised</a>,” by Daniel Landsman, on the Civil War Trust’s website.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Their story began in April of 1861. Colonel and Senator Edward Baker mustered the
1<sup>st</sup> California Regiment, consisting of 15 companies of men from
along the East Coast—around Philadelphia—to satisfy California’s quota of men
for the U.S. Army. The men trained, lived
and fought together as the 1<sup>st</sup> California under the command of
Colonel Baker until the Battle of Ball’s Bluff in October, 1861, where Baker was
hit by a volley of bullets to the heart and brain. He died instantly. In November of that year, they were claimed
by Pennsylvania as part of their quota.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They fought many other battles together, seeing action at
Fredericksburg and Antietam. Among their
officers was Captain Richard Penn Smith, who was promoted to Major after
leading the men at Antietam and then to Colonel after the Battle of Bank’s
Ford, during the Chancellorsville campaign.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpLX4ScqLB9_CNHDBu7DBBC2jEslJKL2wwjfqB0-mjOdyfPvq70d2y1OcPj3zTbScPmm3LFSGJ8ckgwpRTA98cGjf9_kTi__GhdbXHNhpQll7x3Mi-EAmU8KZiRtIebiuLSvabywja7o/s1600/0626151022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpLX4ScqLB9_CNHDBu7DBBC2jEslJKL2wwjfqB0-mjOdyfPvq70d2y1OcPj3zTbScPmm3LFSGJ8ckgwpRTA98cGjf9_kTi__GhdbXHNhpQll7x3Mi-EAmU8KZiRtIebiuLSvabywja7o/s320/0626151022.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Plaque for the 71st at the Pennsylvania Monument</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Fast forward to May, 1863.
General Ulysses S. Grant began a 2-month-long siege at Vicksburg, a
strategic stronghold along the Mississippi River. Because of Vicksburg’s vital importance to
the South, Confederate President Jefferson Davis summoned General Robert E. Lee
after the Chancellorsville Campaign to Richmond, to discuss what to do about the
Grant problem. Davis wanted to send
reinforcements to Vicksburg from Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Lee, straight from a major Confederate
victory, had a bolder plan. He proposed
that his army move north into Pennsylvania, taking Harrisburg, then
Philadelphia. This would force Grant to
draw back to defend Washington. Davis was
convinced.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Army of Northern Virginia marched north, attracting the
attention of the Army of the Potomac, led by Major General George G. Meade,
which followed, carefully keeping between Lee and Washington D. C. Eventually, they reached a crossroads town
called Gettysburg. Rumors state that the
battle was started over shoes, but, according to the Civil War Trust, the
armies met because the surrounding roads led to the town. The Union Army arrived nearby and fighting broke
out on July 1. The federals retreated
from the town to the hills to the south on the first day of fighting and, by
the end of the day, both sides rested and regrouped. On the second day, after both sides received
reinforcements overnight, Lee ordered General James Longstreet to swing around
the flank of the Union Army to capture the strategic point of Little Round
Top. Meade was equally determined to
keep the position at all costs. After
heavy fighting, the Confederates came very close to taking Little Round Top,
but were forced back by the brilliant maneuvers of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
of the 20<sup>th</sup> Maine. As for the
71<sup>st</sup>, it was part of the Philadelphia Brigade that was stationed at
a sharp angle on the stone fence on Cemetery Ridge. They helped to repel a Confederate attack
that evening, taking back a captured cannon in front of the wall. Later that night, they were sent to Culp’s
Hill to assist the 137<sup>th</sup> New York, but retreated back to the Angle
when met with heavy fire at a point their commander deemed indefensible. “Damn them, they had me flanked,” related
Col. Richard Penn Smith. “It was not my
fault.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Both sides won and lost ground that day, losing many men in
the process. “When the 2<sup>nd</sup>
day’s battle was over, General Lee pronounced it a success. But, we had accomplished little towards
victorious results,” wrote General Longstreet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By now, Lee’s blood was up.
He was convinced that he could deliver a crushing blow to the Union Army
if he could attack the center and drive a wedge through the enemy. Believing that his army was invincible and
his men could do anything he told them to, he ordered Longstreet to concentrate
his force on Cemetery Ridge, the heart of the Union Army’s position. Longstreet gathered 11 brigades and put
General George Pickett in charge of 3 of them.
Lee also ordered an attack on Culp’s Hill, to divert some of Meade’s
forces, but it did little to help Longstreet’s attack.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The 71<sup>st</sup> took their position at “The Angle,” behind
the sharp right turn in the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge and just to the right
of Lt. Alonzo Cushing’s Battery A, 4<sup>th</sup> U. S. Artillery. From 11 a.m. to just after 1 p.m., the
Confederates put the finishing touches on their attack formations and the Union
forces rested. Finally, at 1:07 p.m.,
the Confederate heavy guns opened fire.<o:p></o:p></div>
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135 Confederate artillery guns bombarded the Union line,
with the intention of softening the enemy.
The Union Army’s chief of artillery, Henry J. Hunt, ordered his men to
wait about 15 to 20 minutes before answering fire, in order to gauge the most
effective targets. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Col. Smith recalled, “the air appeared to be thick with
cannon balls, and the destruction caused by them was the most severe I have
ever seen.” The 71<sup>st</sup> suffered minor casualties, but Cushing’s
Battery, directly in front of them, did.
Smith was ordered to help man the guns and he sent between fifteen and
fifty men (his accounts, written years later, vacillate between the two
numbers). These men stayed with the
cannonade throughout the rest of the battle, according to Smith.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOi9284CqiycQQXh8lv907SDKa6-G6Q03pyCzoGZoguCluPJ3Ijfnadram8dWRwGb3AqnW-sThlmoUCT6Fmq5O95L8jghOM_n_4F0kFAAaDDfF2EXouAWoRlovP8MC8OxiYM2yyVTSec/s1600/0625151209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOi9284CqiycQQXh8lv907SDKa6-G6Q03pyCzoGZoguCluPJ3Ijfnadram8dWRwGb3AqnW-sThlmoUCT6Fmq5O95L8jghOM_n_4F0kFAAaDDfF2EXouAWoRlovP8MC8OxiYM2yyVTSec/s640/0625151209.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The skirmish at The Angle, as depicted in the Cyclorama, located at Gettysburg's Visitor Center</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The actual charge was a slow and deliberate march that began
at approximately 3 p.m. The 69<sup>th</sup>
Pennsylvania, which had been in front of the wall, was ordered back behind it
and the 71<sup>st</sup> was to stay to their immediate right flank. The 71<sup>st</sup> was too large for this
position, though, and Smith pulled two companies of them to the rear wall,
which offered them more protection and allowed them to reinforce the other
eight companies on the left flank if they needed them. The left flank used their own weapons and
others that they had taken from fallen men to fire into the advancing
Confederate lines. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Turns out, they did need them as, despite the heavy losses
the Confederates took as they marched across the field, they managed to reach
The Angle. While the 69<sup>th</sup>
fought tooth and nail, Smith pulled the 71<sup>st</sup> back. It was a questionable move, as this allowed
the Confederates, led by General Lewis Armistead, to stream over the wall. Accounts other than Smith’s (including those
of this superiors) suggest that the 71<sup>st</sup> broke rank and fled, but
what happened next sealed the fate of the battle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While the 71<sup>st</sup>’s left flank reformed and the
Confederates fought the 69<sup>th</sup> at The Angle, the remaining two hundred
men on the 71<sup>st</sup>’s right opened fire into the Confederates. The left flank joined in, along with the 72<sup>nd</sup>
Pennsylvania (which, up until this point, had been held in reserve) and two
companies of the 106<sup>th</sup> Pennsylvania.
General Armistead fell and, with him, went the impetus of the
Confederate attack. After this, the
Union forces counter-attacked in a melee of blue and grey. Brigadier General John Gibbon said of the 71<sup>st</sup>
and those they fought with that day, “had turned again, drove [the
Confederates] back over the wall, capturing a large number of prisoners and
many colors.” <a href="http://71st.yourinfo.com/user_images/1/Documents/11278970732.pdf">Cleveland</a>
states,<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Private John E. Clopp of the 71<sup>st</sup>’s Company F
captured the regimental colors of the 9<sup>th</sup> Virginia, subduing the
enemy colorbearer with literally his bare hands. Clopp received the Medal of Honor for his
actions, and was the sole member of the California Regiment to be distinguished
with the award.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The 71<sup>st</sup> lost 21 killed, 58 wounded, and 19
missing of the 331 men who battled that day.
Smith was commended by Union General Winfield Scott Hancock, commander
of the Federal II Corps.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They had other commanders since then, but, on July 2, 1864, almost
a year after he led them at Gettysburg, the 71<sup>st</sup> Pennsylvania,
formerly the 1<sup>st</sup> California, mustered out under Colonel Richard Penn
Smith. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It didn’t rain during the battle and it didn’t rain while we
marched 15 miles through the battlefield, but it rained the day after. We were bombarded with rain and, after a valiant
effort to remain dry as we hiked through the town and upon returning to our
campsite to flooded tents and more rain and storms in the forecast, we bid a
hasty and wet retreat from Gettysburg, just as Lee did 152 years ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>You can meet re-enactors from the 71<sup>st</sup>
Pennsylvania during Landis Valley’s <a href="http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org/index.php/visit/calendar-events/july-25-26/" target="_blank">Civil War Days</a>, to be held tomorrow, July
25, and Sunday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. They will actually be in civilian costume and
explaining the role of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, but they will, no doubt,
be happy to talk about their regiment’s role in the war.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-51285537968838844812015-07-21T16:32:00.001-04:002015-07-21T16:32:40.415-04:00Pure Bliss in the Form of Raspberries, Cake & Cream<div class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Daniel Silfies</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Welcome to my first entry into the Landis Valley Blog. My
name is Daniel Silfies and I am an associate guide here at Landis Valley
Museum. I do several crafts around the museum; my two personal favorites are
weaving and cooking. In this blog, I will focus more on open hearth cooking,
which I have been doing since January of 2014. As I am still learning and
finding new recipes to try I will share some of my discoveries with you here on
this post</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHDIhvl9qBq4V98BTFQmU6FLS2hrErfXsZZr0lLnHf7sld14ftNb5J-u08boJqc20Vxyck_hl9AfuOzi4MMsHyPl77lt8N0eLSec5n0S5i29bTjkaVrjFLRuEViFiW0LmG7Cn2yEGJ9I/s1600/Dan+-+Sponge+Cake+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHDIhvl9qBq4V98BTFQmU6FLS2hrErfXsZZr0lLnHf7sld14ftNb5J-u08boJqc20Vxyck_hl9AfuOzi4MMsHyPl77lt8N0eLSec5n0S5i29bTjkaVrjFLRuEViFiW0LmG7Cn2yEGJ9I/s320/Dan+-+Sponge+Cake+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For my first post, I didn’t know what I wanted to share until last
night. While at home picking through my garden, I noticed that my blackberries
are starting to ripen with my raspberries soon to come. The recipe below for cream sponge cake is a personal
favorite of mine and both my wife and I have enjoyed it several times. I only
learned about this recipe when I started working here, but it can be found in
the <i>Landis Valley Cookbook</i>. We
found that a slice of this sponge cake
covered in mixed berries and whipped cream is wonderful. The sponge cake has a
lemon flavor that goes well with the berries. So, next time you want that
strawberry short cake for dessert, stop and try this cake instead of the pound
cake from the store.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pWWjkAr6yIuBizCR-N-UsbuiV5Q9z_OMVvTVVI1rLJkC0xWbIudXgO-UeR8rvxV1k2tbrk4_H9R16Z_7hif2-pJKp4v8HMZ0-vDp4Qd2D3LNU8LkkNLhNraDv47rwL2Jzt69Q35gqIk/s1600/Dan+-+Sponge+Cake+2+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pWWjkAr6yIuBizCR-N-UsbuiV5Q9z_OMVvTVVI1rLJkC0xWbIudXgO-UeR8rvxV1k2tbrk4_H9R16Z_7hif2-pJKp4v8HMZ0-vDp4Qd2D3LNU8LkkNLhNraDv47rwL2Jzt69Q35gqIk/s200/Dan+-+Sponge+Cake+2+resized.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Cream Sponge Cake</b></div>
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You will need:<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 eggs<o:p></o:p></div>
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About a cup or sour cream<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup sugar<o:p></o:p></div>
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The juice and rind of 1 lemon<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 tsp cream of tarter<o:p></o:p></div>
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½ tsp baking soda<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></div>
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Preheat your oven to 350. In a one cup measuring cup beat
the 2 eggs, then fill the cup the rest of
the way with the sour cream. Put this in a medium mixing bowl. Then beat
in the sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind. In a separate bowl mix the flour,
cream of tartar, and baking soda. Slowing add the flour mixture to the medium
mixing bowl. Stir until well mixed. Add to a greased and floured bundt pan.
Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tested comes out clean.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Note: Click <a href="http://www.landisvalleymuseumstore.com/SelectSKU.aspx?skuid=1004179" target="_blank">here</a> to purchase a copy of the <a href="http://www.landisvalleymuseumstore.com/SelectSKU.aspx?skuid=1004179" target="_blank">Landis Valley Cookbook</a> from our Landis Valley Museum Store website.</div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-76217948912578783512015-07-12T18:40:00.001-04:002015-07-12T18:40:25.945-04:00Flax: as Beautiful as it is Useful<div style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<i>Blog Entry by Joanne Ranck-Dirks</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIuyPmf8Z2nE-xC_wY6RX1-WUtS4bzfAYjHew3_hElE2lMc-Z0UDy1HZE3u4GCQtfNVV9D3FQr1kvz1J1YXqLqUNrnG77NaNNVSTroRL6aapBoIujLx-ujmXmdfSi5d30cwxHO6eb6Us/s1600/Flax+in+bloom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIuyPmf8Z2nE-xC_wY6RX1-WUtS4bzfAYjHew3_hElE2lMc-Z0UDy1HZE3u4GCQtfNVV9D3FQr1kvz1J1YXqLqUNrnG77NaNNVSTroRL6aapBoIujLx-ujmXmdfSi5d30cwxHO6eb6Us/s320/Flax+in+bloom.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Flax is one
of the historic field crops grown at Landis Valley each year. Before cotton was widely available, colonial
farmers grew flax to make linen cloth for clothing, bedding and even the covers
for Conestoga wagons.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In April, flax
seeds are broadcast by hand and raked into the soil. By June the field is in bloom with a display
of small, delicate blue flowers (<i>at left</i>). It’s
now July and the flax has formed seed heads and is almost ready to harvest (<i>below right</i>).<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Flax is a
grain crop but the greater value is in the fine fiber that is part of the
stalk. At harvest time, the slender
stalks are gathered by hand, pulling them up by the roots to preserve the long
fibers. Handfuls of flax are spread on
the ground to dry, then gathered into sheaves and set up to cure. When thoroughly dry, the seed balls at the
top of the stalk are combed off and the seed is saved.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLGHHXUJptQDw9OTwI9njlkKj1DtcHpMij23JcgXNL_2YVdLaDaKyOIp-BSBArGNLyJL7D7PSjvlM1QOc3C46-xU0Mx1R7ryW21g8UsV5UQw134RJExu6nX78OBGI3w06Tv6473bQ1c4/s1600/Flax+in+the+field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLGHHXUJptQDw9OTwI9njlkKj1DtcHpMij23JcgXNL_2YVdLaDaKyOIp-BSBArGNLyJL7D7PSjvlM1QOc3C46-xU0Mx1R7ryW21g8UsV5UQw134RJExu6nX78OBGI3w06Tv6473bQ1c4/s320/Flax+in+the+field.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The stalks
are then soaked in trough of water for several days to dissolve the gummy
mucilage that holds the fiber to the stalk.
This process is called “retting.”
Two hundred and fifty years ago, flax was often retted in a shallow pond
or stream, weighted down by rocks. The
retted flax can then be crushed using a brake to release the fiber from the
woody core then the fiber is scutched and heckled. Each stalk is slender and the amount of fiber
from each appears to be only a few strands. It takes a lot of flax and a lot of processing just to produce this
rough fiber!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In past
centuries, cleaning and processing the flax fiber so that it could be spun into
yarn and woven into linen cloth was work for the fall and winter months. Demonstrations of “scutching,” and “heckling”
the flax fiber are part of our <a href="http://landisvalleymuseum.org/index.php/visit/calendar-events/october-10-11/" target="_blank">Harvest Days</a> here at Landis Valley, to be held
this year on October 10 and 11. Join us
then to watch rough flax being processed step by step until it comes off the
loom as linen cloth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-83979914877050506302015-06-30T15:53:00.001-04:002015-06-30T15:57:09.966-04:00The Fresh Face of Landis Valley<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blog entry by Shayla Carey</i></div>
Landis Valley has changed a lot over the years: homes and barns were erected, torn down, and
built again; the Landis Brothers constructed their exhibit buildings; structures were
moved here from locations in and around Lancaster County; the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania built replica buildings; and fences and trees have come and
gone. Today, the museum boasts over 50
structures of various sizes, with 9 major gardens throughout.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the past few years, the museum has made a tremendous
effort to freshen up the site—painting and repairing buildings, replacing
signs, building and repairing benches and roads, planting and rehabbing gardens, and
installing exhibits. The result? A beautiful place to bring the family and
roam through. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ShBF3cS9qqMuThtHcqTwDfMJX-sWK_yUs8yxhGA6RyfTsPxXdVW-brVxOhik0IObCTm0aK7zFcu49TfHKmmllynL1Hq8uVP4yAj36jhHzbtWLqL6Sy1TyfRfz213FkdBV8trmh8DZRM/s1600/Fresh+Face+of+LV+Collage+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ShBF3cS9qqMuThtHcqTwDfMJX-sWK_yUs8yxhGA6RyfTsPxXdVW-brVxOhik0IObCTm0aK7zFcu49TfHKmmllynL1Hq8uVP4yAj36jhHzbtWLqL6Sy1TyfRfz213FkdBV8trmh8DZRM/s640/Fresh+Face+of+LV+Collage+1.png" width="572" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top left:<br />
~Contractors painting the Country Store in 2012<br />
~Recent Eagle scout projects include a new road leading to the Heirloom Seed House<br />
and a fence behind the building<br />
~The bake oven's clay tile roof was replaced in 2014<br />
~The Brick House was repaired and repainted in 2014<br />
~The Visitor Center's fresh coat of paint in 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-oH3-TcyLGjPIrv3WxuBFMLMaeDT66eVtjSwEqzEgc0tFmyHz4Iu7pcb6wqDYULs4Us8z1Aib6pt3j-2csjkl1AN93HLfM0m-6-CGH58Tg79e8WmpeWe8ncZrUH6-yRVmh3Xa7IWsbY/s1600/Fresh+Face+of+LV+Collage+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-oH3-TcyLGjPIrv3WxuBFMLMaeDT66eVtjSwEqzEgc0tFmyHz4Iu7pcb6wqDYULs4Us8z1Aib6pt3j-2csjkl1AN93HLfM0m-6-CGH58Tg79e8WmpeWe8ncZrUH6-yRVmh3Xa7IWsbY/s640/Fresh+Face+of+LV+Collage+2.png" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top left:<br />
~A new garden graces the entrance sign (planted by 2013 Volunteer of the Year Bob Goodhart in 2013)<br />
~The Sexton's House gleams in a brand-new coat of paint<br />
~One of many benches built in 2012 by volunteer Doug Haar,<br />
alongside green arrow signs installed in 2010<br />
~One of two new way-finding exhibits installed in 2015<br />
~New paint freshened up the exterior of the Heirloom Seed House in 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These are just a sampling of the many projects the museum
has undertaken recently and more are in the works, including repairs and painting of the Yellow Barn and the Education Building. Landis Valley thanks the volunteers,
contractors, and staff that have made the museum the thriving destination it is
today and will continue to be in the future.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-61453263441523767892015-05-15T16:40:00.002-04:002015-05-15T16:40:39.287-04:00Spotlight on Randall Cattle, a Critically Endangered Breed<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Guest blog entry by Shayla Carey</i></div>
<br />
Perhaps you’ve noticed the new bovine additions to our
pasture. They’re named Abby and Patrick
and they are Randall Lineback cattle, a critically endangered breed from
Vermont. On this, Endangered Species
Day, I’d like to highlight this type of cattle.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2JV5yMu2-1uOQ0dh3qkFg6VjUqJ-hcfWJ1JcCTn5t9vWxHq2sxOZsn5HvSWnXeARLljpCzJIbhTSdG4XLBYwAWH_vzQAg-rhs0eHI6t92rXWltKIgc2BT3tKhvXKIMRvIdZWq9jCOuw/s1600/Randall+Cattle+Patrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2JV5yMu2-1uOQ0dh3qkFg6VjUqJ-hcfWJ1JcCTn5t9vWxHq2sxOZsn5HvSWnXeARLljpCzJIbhTSdG4XLBYwAWH_vzQAg-rhs0eHI6t92rXWltKIgc2BT3tKhvXKIMRvIdZWq9jCOuw/s320/Randall+Cattle+Patrick.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What makes them unique among other linebacks is that they
are what the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy calls a “landrace,” which
are “local populations of animals that are consistent enough to be considered breeds,
but are more variable in appearance than are standardized breeds.” According to the Randall Cattle Registry, the
breed started with the landrace hill cattle of New England, of which a large
herd was kept by the Randall family in Vermont.
Their herd was bred in isolation on this farm for eighty years until
Everett Randall died in 1985 and his widow could not take care of them
anymore. The herd was sold off and many
of the cattle were slaughtered. Some
were saved, though, thanks to the efforts of Robert Gear, Cynthia Creech and
Philip B. & Dianne Lang, and the total breeding population went from
roughly 20 to around 200 today. Careful
registry and a solid breeding plan have “gradually watered down the very tight
genetics” of the original herd that came to Cynthia, thus ensuring a more
stable breeding population. Now,
according to her website, she has enough heifers and cows to be able to sell
them to other farmers, including the Langs, and has sold them to farms in
Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Rhode Island, North Carolina, New
Jersey, Massachusetts, and Ontario.
Patrick and Abby are not registered, though we believe they came from
Maine.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Randalls are a dual purpose breed, more suited to milk
production but able to be trained as oxen.
They are all horned and can be identified not only by the characteristic
line down their backs, but by black, blue/black, and sometimes red blotches and
spots over their bodies. Abby has eye
rings, too—another characteristic of the breed.
They have a medium sized build and are more suited to the cool summers
of New England than the hot climates of the South, as Cynthia experienced at
her first farm in Tennessee (read her story <a href="http://www.cynthiasrandallcattle.com/page1.html">here</a>—it’s very
interesting).<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our previous herd, of which Lad is the only one left, were
American Linebacks. They are related to
the Randalls, but their genetics are more watered down with Holsteins and other
modern breeds than are Randalls. It’s a
treat to come and see Patrick and Abby, as they are more in keeping with the
type of cattle one would have seen in America’s early history than Lad and his
family were.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd1IbmaDUcuFOSIf6yojhXL4vv_n4IJIksyNXbBGNNFoQ6IUXzfit3kCd0RaKdMVq_QCcr_d443-oh-4Etojvzm4H98IumQ3PeF3AnvIwUlp4gBxhr6_f2YsivJRz7Wbj6kezaOOKG3Y/s1600/Patrick+&+Abby+as+babies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd1IbmaDUcuFOSIf6yojhXL4vv_n4IJIksyNXbBGNNFoQ6IUXzfit3kCd0RaKdMVq_QCcr_d443-oh-4Etojvzm4H98IumQ3PeF3AnvIwUlp4gBxhr6_f2YsivJRz7Wbj6kezaOOKG3Y/s320/Patrick+&+Abby+as+babies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Patrick and Abby are both 4 ½ year sold, though they’re not
siblings like Ruby and Lad were. They
came to us from a York County farm that could not take care of them
anymore. We will not breed them, as they
are sterile, but they will get to work as oxen (<i>see photo of them as calves at right</i>).
“We have to get them used to being handled again,” says farm manager Joe
Schott. “So, some volunteers and I will
lead them around the pasture for a while, then yoke and handle them in the
pasture, then take them around the site.
They’ll be able to then pull a cart, though they’re not big enough to do
farm work with the ploughs we have.”<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Patrick and Abby should do well at Landis Valley and we love
having them here. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/59514451259/videos/vb.59514451259/10152680915171260/?type=1&theater">Click here</a> to see Patrick & Abby frolicking in their new home with Lad.<br />
<br /></div>
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<blockquote cite="/59514451259/videos/10152680915171260/">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/59514451259/videos/10152680915171260/"></a><br />
Meet new kids on the block - Patrick and Abbie, running around with Lad. They just arrived today and we are all enjoying their liveliness. Patrick and Abbie are Randall cattle - a heritage breed. To learn more about the breed, visit http://www.randallcattleregistry.org<br />
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Landis-Valley-Museum/59514451259">Landis Valley Museum</a> on Thursday, April 2, 2015</blockquote>
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Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4897241122458395657.post-51520100590237276482015-04-22T14:39:00.001-04:002015-04-22T14:39:47.797-04:00Meet Volunteer of the Year Karen Gunderson<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Guest blog entry by Shayla Carey</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCP6Ia3Z-5lAMFAJA2RXxQMgbpbcZarj9XWZDfpITWeXHueWezk2tZ8gK3HzzW5kjYjajinaEf5XfMwtZx6hyphenhyphenZ07uBXdTvSliXbqbtdiiZ4EnZFQfFoh2YTkj8znU0KXSjVAZTbNMW7M/s1600/_DJG4494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCP6Ia3Z-5lAMFAJA2RXxQMgbpbcZarj9XWZDfpITWeXHueWezk2tZ8gK3HzzW5kjYjajinaEf5XfMwtZx6hyphenhyphenZ07uBXdTvSliXbqbtdiiZ4EnZFQfFoh2YTkj8znU0KXSjVAZTbNMW7M/s1600/_DJG4494.jpg" height="258" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>From left</i>: Brenda Reigle, director of Bureau of Historic Sites & Museums; Jim Lewars, site director at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum; <b>2014 Volunteers of the Year Karen & Ken Gunderson</b>; Jeffrey Bliemeister, site director at Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Image by PHMC/Don Giles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="float: left; font-size: 44px; line-height: 35px; padding-right: 3px; padding-top: 3px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">T</span></span>hrough the patience, interest, and skills of 2014 Volunteer of the Year Karen Gunderson, ordinary people of southeastern PA have made history. Since moving to Lancaster County from Virginia in 2008, she has been organizing diaries, ledgers, recipe books, and other various bound manuscripts in the museum collection at the same time, helping to sketch a picture of 18th-20th century life in rural Pennsylvania.<br />
<br />
"Working with the ledgers and manuscripts has helped me see these people from the past as real people," she says. "In their own handwriting, the books tell people's stories about their work and everyday life and I can see how much we have in common with them. And many also took time to write personal notes in their business books about their families, marriages, births, and deaths. These personal notes feel to me like a message in a bottle that they've left for us to find in the 21st century. I always think they would be pleased to know that people 100-200 years in the future are reading what they wrote and remembering them."</div>
<br />
Karen's service doesn't stop at the Collections Gallery. She can also be seen at <a href="http://www.landisvalleyherbfaire.org/" target="window">Herb & Garden Faire</a> (May 8 & 9, 2015) and Harvest Days (October 10 & 11, 2015). Her husband volunteers at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Landis Valley's sister PHMC site, and has received the Volunteer of the Year award from there, too. The self-employed information technologist and mother of two also enjoys quilting and many forms of paper arts, including calligraphy and marbling.<br />
<br />
Karen and her husband love to volunteer and travel together and they are looking forward currently enjoying a trip to Germany. Congratulations to Karen and all of the other Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Volunteer of the Year honorees who received their awards on April 18.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMFJSuvI_rFAlMMlI2t2J_VEkVN7BHNo8o1ctHwMmxypDq-n9sDLQvEUfu4nVsujsFklwD9rRp9AypunwNSnOIYln0gmUmQglDJdrsU40EEwXCxcprE6eb_hIivev1RT5P3YweT07nRE/s1600/_DJG4490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMFJSuvI_rFAlMMlI2t2J_VEkVN7BHNo8o1ctHwMmxypDq-n9sDLQvEUfu4nVsujsFklwD9rRp9AypunwNSnOIYln0gmUmQglDJdrsU40EEwXCxcprE6eb_hIivev1RT5P3YweT07nRE/s1600/_DJG4490.jpg" height="363" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PHMC Volunteers of the Year, site directors, and administrative staff. Image by PHMC/Don Giles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Landis Valley Museumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184537635036291746noreply@blogger.com0