Have You Seen “The Maryland Harvest?”

In a culture that is increasingly separated from its agricultural roots, all most Americans know about their food is that it comes from the grocery store.  Pretty disturbing, huh?  Fortunately, the rise of the “Eat Local” movement is helping people all across the country reconnect with the foods they eat and the farmers who grow or raise those foods.

So, we ask again, “Have you seen The Maryland Harvest?”  This is a new hour-long documentary that aired on Maryland Public Television highlighting the partnership between local farmers and chefs, giving the viewers a chance to get to know the farmers who supply the bounty of produce, meat, and seafood they devour.  You may know the host, Al Spoler, as a co-host of “Cellar Notes” radio program and a former MPT director.

The documentary includes interviews with over forty Maryland farmers and eight local chefs who work with them.  This documentary is important for educating the public about how important farming and the farmers are to having nutritious products on our dinner tables.

Tell us – What do you think? How can we educate the public about the importance of farming? And most importantly, have you seen The Maryland Harvest? To read more, check out page 4 of our Farm Credit Leader magazine.

A Friendly Voice to Agriculture

Jeff Ishee may not have childhood stories of working on the farm to tell his audience, but he does have a passion for agriculture and a unique way of sharing it.

Jeff began working with agriculture after contacting the Augusta County Extension Service in 1995.  Then, he started a four acre market garden and sold produce at local farmers’ markets.  From there, Jeff’s career blossomed to the realm of agriculture communications.

If you live near the Shenandoah Valley, you may recognize Jeff as the voice on WSVA radio, the host of “Virginia Farming” on WVPT television and RFD-TV, the founder of “On the Farm”, or as a weekly gardening journalist for the Staunton News Leader.

Today, Jeff has retired from his posts on local and national radio and television shows, but still remains involved in the agriculture industry.  He is currently the general manager of the Rockingham Country Fair Association and occasionally does radio and newspaper segments.

With his vast involvement in agriculture communications, you may be surprised to find that Jeff didn’t grow up on a farm and wasn’t a member of the 4-H or FFA.  But, despite the lack of agriculture in his background, Jeff learned the importance of the industry and still continues to tell agriculture’s story.  To read more about Jeff, check out page 10 of our Farm Credit Leader magazine!

Chip Councell: A “Farmer Who Feeds US”

At a time when adults believe half-truths about the food supply and children don’t know milk comes from a cow, it has never been more important to educate consumers about the practice of farming.

Chip Councell of Cordova, Maryland is the tenth generation of his family to farm, where he grows grain and 20 to 30 various kinds of vegetables on almost 1,300 acres annually.  He is also involved in the Farmers Feed US campaign geared towards educating consumers about the farmers who produce their safe, affordable, and nutritious food.

The Farmers Feed US campaign gives farmers an opportunity to tell their story, and that’s exactly what Chip is doing during his feature video clip. Chip stresses that all farmers need to have an impact on the perceptions of agriculture, whereas, “They can no longer just sit back.  We need to be a better job communicating what we do and why we do it to the public.”

You can read more about Chip’s involvement in the Farmers Feed US campaign on page 6 in our Farm Credit Leader magazine.  Or, to learn more about other farmers in the region or get involved in telling agriculture’s story yourself, visit farmersfeedus.org.

Landis Valley Museum: a history book comes to life

When you take a stroll through Landis Valley Museum, you are delightfully overwhelmed with the rich history of Pennsylvania German heritage and agriculture.  Deep in the heart of Lancaster County, brothers, Henry and George Landis founded the museum in 1925 to ensure that future generations would be able to see and remember how farmers used to operate.

The 100 acre property is home to 16 historic buildings and thousands of artifacts that contribute to the 18^th and 19^th century atmosphere.  The museum’s curator, Bruce Bomberger, maintains the artifacts and oversees the 70,000 visitors each year.  Bruce says he enjoys sharing the stories behind the artifacts with people to help bring their visit to life.

You may have also seen Landis Valley Museum on television when they were was featured during the fourth season of America’s Heartland.  To read more about Pennsylvania’s “best kept secret”, check out page 8 in our Farm Credit Leader magazine.