These Pips Don't Lie

This is the center of a persimmon seed, taken from a persimmon grown right here in central Indiana. There is a tiny spoon-shaped core there. Do you see it?

Do you see it now?

It means the winter will be cold and snowy, according to folk wisdom. Apparently if you cut open a seed and find a little knife, that foretells a winter with cutting wind and ice. If you find a fork, it predicts a mild winter. But a spoon? AKA snow shovel? That means the persimmon tree is feeling the white stuff coming our way.

SkillShare presenter Kay Grimm (see her video here) says these pips don't lie, so dig out your snow boots now, folks. Because if it starts blizzarding on Nov. 7, that's no excuse to miss the SkillShare. Kay will share how to save seeds for the next growing season, and if you're lucky, she might also share more of her vast repertoire of plant wisdom.

Photo credit: Quay Kester of Evoke Communications.

Introducing Presenter - Patricia Waters

Works by the Irvington Garden Club

by guest blogger Ed Myers, president of the Irvington Garden Club (one of our many collaborating partners)

Since its founding in 1999, the Irvington Garden Club has undertaken numerous beautification projects, including:

• Benton House Historic Garden highlighting plants in cultivation prior to 1900
• Kile Oak Habitat Garden, which is registered with the National Wildlife Federation and planted with Indiana native prairie wildflowers, woodland plants, grasses and shrubs
• a community park on Webster Avenue complete with benches, picnic tables, raised garden beds and playground equipment.
  

Additionally, the club maintains a shrub rose garden, an Emerson Avenue Median and urns at both the corner of Audubon and Washington and the Bona Thompson Center.

Under the club's leadership and with the help of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., over 850 trees were planted on Irvington streets between 2000 and 2008.

Within the past few years the club has partnered with Irvington Terrace Neighborhood by providing hundreds of native plants for their Washington/Shadeland overpass project. The club also worked in partnership with the Irvington Green Initiative and others by donating 500 plants to the "Teaching Rain Garden" adjacent the Pennsy Trail and the Irvington Community School. IGC is also a major sponsor of the Irvington SkillShare "Feast"ival.

This year the club celebrated not only 11 years of sponsoring Irvington Farmer's Markets in Ellenberger park, but also 10 years of organizing the neighborhood's annual garden tour .

During the summer, club meetings are held at 7 PM on the 4th Monday of each month in member's gardens. During the rest of the year the club meets at the Irvington United Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson Avenue. Recent programs have included presentations on rain gardens, native plants, herbs, dividing perennials, cactus, and jack-in-the-pulpits.

Guests are always welcome to attend monthly meetings. Additionally one does not need to reside in Irvington to become a member of the club. Those seeking further information can call 503-6139.

Note: The Irvington Garden Club will have a display in the resource area of the Nov. 7 Irvington SkillShare "Feast"ival; be sure to stop by and find out more!

Introducing Presenter - Pepper Partin and her lady friends

For All of These Reasons...

by Judy Hostetler, functional artist/nurse/do-it-yourselfer

I am eagerly anticipating the Irvington Skillshare "Feast"ival Spirit and Place event. As a presenter I am excited to share what I know about solar cooking with others - and as a lifelong learner I want to expand my knowledge on self reliance and sustainable food practices.

Why do I care about this? There are several reasons. I love good food, food that is tasty, simple and nutritious. Food that is real. I am not a purist when it comes to eating only locally grown organic food, I do have my moments when nothing tastes better than some fried greasy comfort food, but since I made a conscious effort several years ago to eat more whole foods and be more intentional about what is in my food and where it comes from, I feel better physically and have more energy.

I feel more connected to the earth and am an active participant in the cycles of nature. We grow a variety of vegetables and herbs tucked into garden beds on our small urban lot. Composted kitchen scraps, leaves and grass clippings add rich nutrients to the soil resulting in a steady supply of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and greens that find their way into our meals. We use the sun to cook some dishes and each time marvel at the power of the sun when its energy is harnessed and concentrated inside a simple insulated cardboard box.

It's the right thing to do for the earth: building up and replenishing instead of depleting and destroying. The earth sustains life, but not without intentional caring for the delicate balance that sustains all life. Living with this in mind makes me slow down and pay attention to the world around me.

It is also the right thing to do for ourselves and our community. As a nurse I am daily reminded of the impact that dietary choices have on our health. Many chronic illnesses are a result of detrimental lifestyle and dietary habits that over time wreak havoc on our intricate body systems. I believe the adage “You are what you eat” - and if I take control of what I put into my body, I have a better a chance of being the kind of person I want to be.

See you at the Skillshare "Feast"ival!

Introducing Presenter - Matt Groshek

Introducing Presenter - Linda Proffitt

Introducing Presenter - Kay Grimm

Meet Alan and Betsy Bernstein

"Everybody loves Alan," one Irvington resident told me when she heard that Chef Alan Bernstein of Alan's Catered Events is involved with the SkillShare.

Rightfully so, and for many reasons. The long-time local business owner spoke to a group at September's Irvington Green Hour about his commitment to sustainable business practices. He and his wife Betsy (she's co-owner of the business and his right-hand woman) source the majority of their foods locally. In fact, much off their produce comes from their own two-acre orchard and garden. Just by preparing foods from scratch and preserving in-season, close-to-home produce, the Bernsteins are cutting their waste. And incidentally, they are simultaneously pleasing palates with out-of-this-world flavor.

They also reduce waste by using china, silverware, and linens for most of their catering. "Sure, then we have to wash them,"Alan says with slightly crinkled nose, "but that's part of the commitment."

Any disposable plates & utensils used in drop-off catering are made of recyclable or compostable materials, such as sugar cane. "I don't know if (customers) like having their food served on sugar cane," Alan jokes. "But that's what we do."

Another option is serving ware purchased from a company that uses pressed "fallen leaves." The palm leaves are formed into elegant little boats and plates.

The caterers' other green business practices include recycling, offering rebates for returned canning jars, and using rain water for irrigation, which the Bernsteins did long before it was cool.

At the SkillShare, Alan and Betsy will be demonstrating the process for water bath canning and passing out samples of their delicious food. They will also have canned goods for sale, along with cider and goodies to enjoy at the event.

Best of all: The demo, along with the rest of the SkillShare, is free. Don't miss this opportunity to learn the art of canning from a seasoned chef. You can get all your questions answered - and even taste the results! As Alan says, "The biggest reward of canning is fresh and wonderful-tasting food." The proof is in the pudding. Or the pickle, or the jelly, or the... well, you get the picture. See you there!