Who We Are



The past few years, the area where I live, Crawford County, Ohio, has seen a wonderful explosion of younger families who are embracing the joys and challenges of living off the land. Because of them, amazing things are happening which have been embraced by our community. Farmer’s markets have been created and on-farm stores have opened. Families dedicated to growing organic produce and naturally raised meats are meeting the public’s needs for locally raised foods. And at the heart of this movement are the women.



Ohio Country Journal is my attempt to share the essence of farm life, focusing on, but not limited to, women. My goal is to bring you into our circle of friendship by inviting you to share your stories and experiences with us. You don’t have to be a full time country woman to benefit from joining us; you just have to be you.





The full-time country women featured in Ohio Country Journal are an inspiration to anyone who dares to follow her dreams, whether it is to live in the country or to bring the country life-style to their urban neighborhoods.





Monday, April 4, 2016

Spring Cleaning Team Work

Spring is slow to arrive this year in our area. Many people are chomping at the bit for warm days and sunshine. Others are chomping at the bit, too, because this weather is the perfect for the work that they need to do.



Logging is a great example. Woodlots need to be managed and maintained, just like everything else. Old and/or diseased trees need to be removed to make room for new growth.  In early Spring there is a perfect window of time for this job. It needs to get done before the trees  leaf out and vegetation becomes thick, but mostly before Spring rains make the ground too muddy for horses or tractors to pull the logs out.


A few days ago my friend called to tell me that her brother had hired an Amish team to log the woods near her home. I always think that it is neat to witness farm work as it was done when Ohio first became a state. Because of our large Amish population, we do not have to go to a living history museum to observe and appreciate the old ways, we see it all year 'round in farms populated by Amish and Mennonites.

These pics tell the story, albeit a grainy one. I was pretty far away from the action, and I respect the fact that the men were working and did not want to invade their privacy. I stood in the open so that they could see that I was taking pictures, I would never take a picture of people without them knowing.

The man riding has three horses that are pulling a large log out of the woods, taking it to a loading station. The man walking has dropped of f his log and is leading two horses back into the woods to pick up another log to pull out. I was too far away to hear the horses clomping along, but could easily hear the buzz of chainsaws taking down trees.

Yes, Amish and Mennonite are not adverse to using modern tools, which is a misconception for people who don't live near them. They use what is best for the job. In this case, horses are perfect for bringing out the logs as they can maneuver around the woods much easier than a tractor.

Marcheta *also Spring cleaning...where's my team? :)







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