The theme of the third annual Independent Food Summit was “From Seed to Spoon,” and visitors from across Ohio and several neighboring states came Wednesday and Thursday to hear and learn about the different ways self-sufficient living can be a healthy lifestyle choice.
From nonstop demonstrations and exhibits to a series of workshops with nationally known presenters such as Joel Salatin, Neal Kinsey and Ann Briggs, to family-friendly food and fun, the two-day Independent Food Summit, held at Timbercrest Campground on State Route 515 in Walnut Creek, offered plenty of learning opportunities for visitors and vendors alike.
Healthy lifestyle tips and demonstrations were featured at the “Seed to Spoon” independent food summit held in Walnut Creek on Thursday.
“These past two days have been amazing,” said Jo Ellen Hamel, an employee at Laman’s, a Kidron store that sells all kinds of supplies to help people live self-sufficiently. “Laman’s carries everything you need to make your own food, and with canning season coming up, now’s the perfect time to stock up.”
Charlene Price of Lehman’s demonstrated how to churn butter using a Kilner Butter Churner during the Seed to Spoon celebration of the Independent Food Summit in Walnut Creek on Thursday.
Charlene Price, another Lehman employee, demonstrated how to make butter using a Kilner Butter Churner.
Lehman’s was one of 70 exhibitors who displayed their wares. The event featured workshops on the main stage, including “Why Self-Sufficiency Reflects God’s Image,” “Nutrition Needs for Garden Soil and Plants,” “The Seeds of Generosity” and “What Holds Back Progress?”
How to: Smoke Meat, Make a Broom, Cook Chili Over an Open Fire
Demonstrations included smoking meat and making beef sticks, making sauerkraut and kimchi, broom making and sewing, cooking chili over an open flame and kettle corn, knife making, rope making, candle steeping and carving, milking cows and goats and a mobile sawmill.
There were also plenty of activities for kids, including a petting zoo, story time in a bounce house and carriage rides.
Loretta and Fulton Duering, visiting from northwest Ohio, enjoy interacting with ponies and other live animals in the kids’ area at the Independent Food Summit.
Liz Miller, a staff member at Superb Industries, one of the event’s major sponsors, said attendance remained steady on both days despite the heat.
She noted that many agricultural workers are used to working in the heat.
“We’re thankful it didn’t rain,” she said.
This article originally appeared in the Daily Record: Self-sufficient lifestyle is focus of food summit in Walnut Creek, Ohio
