Here are this week’s top stories from Farm and Dairy:
1. Dush family has made Pine Tree Barn a Christmas tree destination
You can also keep up with the latest news with Field Notes, our weekly video news series.
For Roger and Rita Dush, growing Christmas trees is a joyous task, even though the entire process takes 10 years. The Dush family has been growing Christmas trees at the farm between Wooster and Shreve, Ohio, since 1952.
Today, the farm features 90 acres of Christmas trees as well as a renovated 1860s barn that houses a retail space and restaurant. The couple grows Fraser fir, blue spruce, Norway spruce, Canaan fir and white pine trees.
2. Ohio landowners in 57 counties eligible for ag easement funds
The Clean Ohio Fund will provide allocations to 10 land trusts, three counties, one township and nine soil and water conservation districts for farmland preservation. The funding will be used by these organizations to select, close and monitor easements under the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Local Agriculture Easement Purchase Program.
A total of $6,301,351 is available in funding this time.
3. 5 pie baking tips for the holidays
If crusts cause you grief or if you need to improve your meringue technique, then this post is for you.
Pies are a staple on the holiday dinner table. These tips and tricks will come in handy as you prepare pies for the upcoming holiday season.
4. How to make homemade spice blends
Get a jump on your holiday shopping by making homemade spice blends for the family and friends on your shopping list who love to cook.
Farm and Dairy online columnist Ivory Harlow gives us five spice blends to try: seasoned salt, Creole seasoning, BBQ rub, Lemon pepper seasoning and Italian seasoning.
5. Wayne SWCD presents conservation awards
During the annual Soil and Water Conservation District banquet, conservation and educator awards were presented to Wayne County farmers.
The Conservation Farm award was presented to David and Velda Rohrer, who follow conservation and nutrient management plans. Marge Forbush was named the 2015 Educator of the Year. She is a fourth-grade teacher at Melrose Elementary in Wooster, Ohio.
