Food Independence Summit provides plenty of learning

Kevin Lynch, Wooster Daily Record
·2 min read

The theme for the third annual Independent Food Summit was Seed to Spoon, and visitors from across Ohio, as well as several surrounding states, spent Wednesday and Thursday listening and learning about the many ways to make homesteading a healthy lifestyle choice.

From nonstop demonstrations and displays, to a series of workshops by nationally known presenters like Joel Salatin, Neal Kinsey and Anne Briggs, along with food and fun for the family, the two-day Independent Food Summit at Timbercrest Campground on state Route 515 in Walnut Creek, provided visitors and vendors alike plenty of learning opportunities.

Tips and demonstrations on healthy lifestyles were available at the Independent Food Summit, Seed to Spoon, in Walnut Creek on Thursday.
Tips and demonstrations on healthy lifestyles were available at the Independent Food Summit, Seed to Spoon, in Walnut Creek on Thursday.

"This has been a great couple of days," said Jo Ellen Hummel, an employee of Lehman's in Kidron, a business that sells all kinds of supplies that support the homesteading lifestyle. "At Lehman's, we carry all the goods you need to make homemade foods. And with canning season close, now is a good time to get your supplies."

Charlene Price of Lehman's demonstrates how to churn butter with with a Kilner Butter Churner at the Independent Food Summit, Seed to Spoon, celebration in Walnut Creek on Thursday.
Charlene Price of Lehman's demonstrates how to churn butter with with a Kilner Butter Churner at the Independent Food Summit, Seed to Spoon, celebration in Walnut Creek on Thursday.

Charlene Price, another Lehman's employee, gave a demonstration of how to make butter, using a Kilner Butter Churner.

Lehman's was one of 70 exhibitors that had wares on display. The event featured workshops on the main stage such discussing "Why homesteading reflects the image of God," "Nutrient needs for soils and plants in your garden," "The seeds of generosity" and "What's holding you back from moving forward."

How to: Smoke meat, make a broom, cook open-fire chili

There were demonstrations on meat smoking and beef stick making, sauerkraut and kimchi making, broom making and stitching, open-fire chili cooking and kettle corn, knife making, rope making, candle dipping and carving, cow and goat milking and a portable saw mill.

There also were a lot of children's activities, such as a petting zoo, bounce house story time and horse drawn rides.

Loretta and Fulton Duling, visitors from Northwest Ohio, enjoy a moment petting ponies and other live animals in the kids area at the Independent Food Summit.
Loretta and Fulton Duling, visitors from Northwest Ohio, enjoy a moment petting 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 major sponsors of the event, said the crowds were steady both days, despite the heat.

She noted many agricultural people are used to working in the heat.

"We are grateful the rain stayed away," she said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Homesteading lifestyle the focus of Food Summit in Walnut Creek OH