Happy New Blog!

Welcome to mlou! I'm Marilou Suszko, the author of the book “Farms and Foods of Ohio: From Garden Gate to Dinner Plate.” (Hippocrene Books, NY 2007). The book is all about small family farms and farmers found throughout the state of Ohio and the wonderful foods they grow for our dinner tables. I spent the 2005 harvest season traveling Ohio to find the stories that fill this book, beginning in March at Franklin's Tall Timbers, a maple syrup farm in Jefferson, and ending in October at Luers Nut Farm in Belleville. In between, I met and became friends with many of farmers featured in my book. They keep me up to date about what’s happening in the fields, the challenges as well as the joys of farming and about their plans for the next growing season.

I’ve had the pleasure of working next to some of the farmers, like Ben and Lisa Sippel of Sippel Family Farm in Mt. Gilead. We spent a very hot August morning picking tomatoes and sunflowers. I’ve gathered eggs at the Blue Egg Farm in Columbia Station and ran from rampaging turkeys at Speckled Hen Farm in Cardington. I’ve been desperately lost in Amish country looking for a farmer who grows and mills wonderfully, silky spelt and experienced the true meaning of quiet on the Scheiderers Buckeye Grove Farm in Beallsville.

My experience revealed to me why locally grown and raised food tastes so wonderful. The answer is dedication and passion. I've watched how Charlie Fritsch of Windy Hill Apple Farm in Newark tends his trees that yield apples for his hard cider or how Chuck Harris proudly and poetically describes the wines he produces at Ravenhurst Champagne Cellars, his “three car garage winery” in Mount Victory. Hear these stories and taste their work, and you’ll understand, too.

So to that end, I bring you my blog which I hope you'll frequent. When you’re talking about farming, things change all the time and there’s always a new stories about farmers tucked in great places in Ohio always come up. I also hope you’ll search out farmers in your own neck of the woods…and let me know about the wonderful foods they’re growing for your plate.

Comments

[Merrilyn]

Great-looking blog! Best of luck with it. :)

[Ada]

ML, so glad to see you expanding on your book. What a treat to open up your blog with so many wonderful stories and so much information. It has been a busy winter for you and I am looking forward to your spring adventures!