Go Local, Paoli!

An important part of the co-op’s stated mission is to serve the needs of local growers and producers.

Right now, more than 40 local and regional producer/growers make their products available to you at the Lost River Market and Deli. You will find produce from Dancing With Dirt Farm, Kenny’s Farm House Cheese, Hasenour hydroponic tomatoes, Maple Grove Sugar Camp maple syrup, and home made soap from Saucy Soap and Country Comforts.

In addition the co-op carries locally or regionally produced beef, pork, eggs, honey, sorghum, popcorn, breads and baked goods, yogurt, wines, beers, salsas, handicrafts, greeting cards, and more!

Enjoy Artisan Cheeses from Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese

Kenny Mattingly and his family in Barren County Kentucky must be doing something right. While many family farms have had a tough time surviving these economic times, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese has enjoyed 40% annual growth since they started producing their popular artisan cheeses in 1998.

In the 1990s Kenny and his family had serious concerns about making a living on their 200-acre dairy farm. A farm trip to Europe offered the inspiration they needed. Kenny saw that many small family farms in Western Europe were finding ways to add value to their products and market to their local communities.

He and his family started using some of their milk to produce Gouda cheese using Old World, handmade techniques. That first year, the family made about 4,000 pounds of Gouda--one of the few true, raw-milk handmade Goudas made in America. Last year they produced more than 64,000 pounds of cheese, including 25 varieties ranging from Cheddar, Colby, and Jack cheeses to Asiago, Swiss, and Havarti. You’ll even find some Bries and Bleus in the mix!

Most of Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese is marketed within 150 miles of the family farm to restaurants, co-ops and health food stores in Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia.

It all starts, of course, with the cow. As an art form, fine cheese is directly influenced by the milk that produces it. Mattingly's herd consists of animals that the family has raised from birth to production age without synthetic hormones. The animals are kept on pasture and their diet is supplemented with grain and hay grown on the family's farm.

The raw milk is piped directly to a sanitary, all-white “cheese lab” where Kenny fills a large stainless steel vat with the fresh, unprocessed raw milk, constantly stirring, heating and adding bacterial cultures that naturally begin the conversion to cheese.

Because the milk is so fresh, pasteurizing is not necessary. The cheese-making process preserves naturally beneficial enzymes in the milk, aiding digestion of lactose and absorption of calcium. Just as important, raw milk cheese has a much richer depth of flavor.

Right now, Kenny uses about a third of the milk from his 120 dairy cows to produce his artisan cheeses. He hopes to continue to build this market, using more of his farm-fresh milk in cheese production.

But, he stresses, he is not willing to sacrifice quality for quantity. “That’s one thing I don’t want to lose,” he says, “chasing growth so much that we lose in quality.”

Instead, Kenny intends to focus on servicing existing customers better, faithfully following the centuries-old techniques of cheese makers.

“We are still making cheese in the same vat we started with,” says Kenny. Each block is still hand-cut and packaged, then aged to perfection.

You can learn more about the cheese-making process and find fantastic tips and recipes for using Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese by visiting Kenny's website.

Better yet, you can meet Kenny in person at the co-op on May 16 to taste his fine cheeses and find out for yourself how cheese can become an art form!

Say it Again: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

By Mica Beauregard

These words have been repeated so many times that they may ring hollow for some. However, when we recognize that what we have is not ours, as we perceive ourselves to be a part of a larger whole, and are reaching for Shalom (Peace), EVERY DAY is a GOOD DAY to begin the practice of REDUCING the waste we produce.

We are called to be stewards (caretakers) of the earth and its people. Many of us are in a great habit of recycling, but in a world of limited resources, we might consider returning to “the good ole days”. A simpler lifestyle can be healthier for you and the environment. Each person can do something. Like habits, you soon find yourself hooked!

The Orange County Recycling Cooperative, located at 105 East Water Street in Paoli, is a neighbor to The Lost River Co-op. Become a member of both!

Recycling Tips

Re-use glass & plastic to store products.
“Cook from scratch” and enjoy food that is healthier, tastier and requires less packaging, plastic and chemicals to produce.
Buy local and in bulk.
Don’t use styrofoam.
Use recyclable, preferably glass, one or five gallon jugs for water purchase, or install your own water filter.
Hang your clothes out to dry or on a drying rack.
Turn off the AC and open the windows in the summer.
Make your own cleaning products from simple ingredients that are non-toxic.
Compost.
Mulch/mow grass.
Use cloth diapers.
Share your newspaper or magazines.
Before you go out to buy a new product, check out the Re-Sale Store at the Recycling Center!

Details and further ideas for reducing can be found at www.reduce.org.

To Your Natural Health:
Whole Foods

By Alice Horsting, ND

This month’s topic is whole foods. Years ago, before processing and refining, people ate whole foods because that was what was available. There was no easy way to keep foods for any length of time. Around the turn of the century discoveries were being made as to how to preserve food and keep it from spoiling. Food companies loved this because it could increase profits. While some convenience was definitely gained, a lot was lost.

Take an apple for instance. If you plant an apple, or the seeds, it will grow. An apple is a perfect example of a whole food. It is perfect nutrition and our body knows exactly what to do with it. When you take an apple apart and process or refine it, you lose some of the nutrients, mainly vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes. Applesauce still has some nutrition but not as much as the whole apple. The further processed or refined a food, the less nutritious it becomes.

Many of our foods today are so processed or refined that there is no resemblance to the original food. How can we determine if a processed food is nutritious? Read the ingredients list. A rule of thumb is the fewer ingredients the better.

Be wary of big words you are unfamiliar with or cannot pronounce. These are likely to be chemicals that serve as a preservative or add taste. They may also be synthetic vitamins added back in. Live, whole, natural foods are best for our body and provide us with the nutrients needed to operate well. Much like a car, if we put poor fuel in our bodies, it will not operate well. It may not show up immediately but may leave us stranded down the road.

Alice Hoisting is a Lost River Co-op member and shopper. She can be reached at her naturopathic practice, Nature’s Path, in Shoals. 812-247-4054

Bishop Calls for “Seed Geeks” to Unite

By co-op member Alan Bishop
of Bishop’s Homegrown

Spring is here again. Soon we will be working our gardens and fields in hopes of an abundance of organic food. We are sowing the seeds of our traditional agrarian ancestors from the four corners of the world.

In past articles I’ve written about self-sustainable farming and touched on plant breeding, but seeds are my true passion. In my quest to entice other “seed geeks” into action I encourage our Southern Indiana community to look deeper into this time-honored tradition, to hone our skills at producing new open-pollinated cultivars for improved nutrition and greater abundance. Consumers of local produce should take a look at the new and exciting varieties being bred by independent plant breeders!

Traditional seed varieties are the backbone of our current self-sustainable agriculture model. But let’s not overlook the importance of creating new seed varieties for improved climactic adaptability, greater nutrition for our bodies, and their inherent beauty. As we head deeper into the territory of the 21’st century, food security and independence, locally and regionally adapted varieties will be of prime importance. You may be familiar with some crops that were bred by independent breeders and not realize it. Examples can be found in many popular seed catalogues. Look for Tom Wagner’s (the “tatermater”) Green Zebra, Green Grape, and Roman Candle Tomatoes gourmet delights the world over. Alan Kapuler’s Rainbow Inca, Double Red, and Painted Hills sweet corns > are all fusions of beauty, abundance, and phytonutrients!

It is my hope that with Lost River Market as our hub, “seed geeks” and foodies alike can come together in creating and exploring the genetic possibilities that lie within our imaginations and inside our traditional seed, just waiting to be unwrapped and gifted to our community.

It is this work where I find my passion and jump in head- first. Sound interesting? Well you don’t have to be a college graduate. No PhD is required. A good starting point for new plant explorers is Carol Deppe’s “Breed your own vegetable varieties.” I believe Jonathan Swift said it best: ”Whoever makes two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, deserves better of mankind, and does more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together.” Jonathan Swift 1667-1745

Become a Member
of the Local Growers Guild

By Katie Zukof, Assistant Director, LGG

Are you frequently sighted at the Orleans or Valley Farmers’ Markets? Do you look for “local” tags in the produce section at Lost River? Do you spend your Saturdays canning tomatoes or making jam? Are you committed to supporting local growers who practice sustainable agriculture and ethical business practices?

Consider joining the Local Growers’ Guild! You will gain the satisfaction in knowing that you are preserving
the viability of family farms, improving the quality of life for growers and promoting practices that preserve and protect the environmental, economic and physical
health of our planet and our community.

Members receive a bimonthly newsletter, Locally Grown News; discounted admission to events; complimentary Buy Local bumper sticker; Copy of Local Growers’ Guide with information about how, where and why to buy local food. Joining is easy. Simply go to the Local Growers’ Guild website and download a mail-in application, or sign up at the register at the Lost River Market and Deli.

Celebrate the bounty of the harvest by joining the Local Growers’ Guild!