Fall Harvest Festival promotes healthy eating

By Angelique McNaughton

September 16, 2012

Two years ago, 3-year-old Bella Bryan got her first dose of agricultural education when her day care center became involved in the Farm to Child Care program.

The Douglas County Childhood Development Association’s program aims to encourage healthy eating habits and choices by working with local farmers, families and child care providers to increase food education and access to local produce through children’s gardens.

Charlie Bryan said the initial exposure to gardening piqued his daughter’s interest and since then the Bryan family has purchased plots through the Lawrence Community Garden Project and has planted a garden at their home.

The new garden enthusiasts were among about 130 local families who attended the Fall Harvest Festival on the open grounds of Pendleton’s Country Market, 1446 E. 1850 Road, on Sunday evening. Under cloudy skies and what felt like fall weather, the festival served as the culmination of the two-year program.

“I think it (the program) is great, and it’s made a big difference,” Bryan said.

“Farm to Child Care” participants were spread about the east Lawrence farm decorating crafts, going on hayrides and eating local foods as part of the potluck dinner.

Event co-organizer Emily Hampton, DCCDA Food Systems coordinator, said she saw many familiar faces and was pleased with the turnout, which matched last year’s attendance.

“It’s fun to have a time to celebrate and see the kids out playing at a farm,” Hampton said. “To see everything all come together about food and gardening: That’s the highlight for me.”

In its second year at the same location, the three-hour event also featured live music, prizes and a recipe exchange.

Lawrence resident Sarah Hoskinson brought her three daughters — Abby, 5, Lexi, 2, and Izzy, 1 — out to the festival for the first time. Both Lexi and Izzy help with gardens at their child-care centers, Hoskinson said.

The program is great, she said, and serves as an extension of what her family already practices.

This year, the Farm to Child Care program doubled and in some cases tripled participation, reaching about 950 children at 27 in-home providers and nine child-care centers.

Organizer Ashley Graff, DCCDA Food Systems educator, said it’s imperative to expose children to natural produce while their tastes and preferences are developing.

“The obesity crisis is booming, and it’s scary,” Graff said. “That’s what we are working against.”

Implemented in 2011, DCCDA received a $100,000 grant from the Untied Methodist Health Ministry to fund the program.

For more information or to become involved, contact Emily Hampton at (785) 842-9679.

St. John’s plans music festival

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

St. John’s United Methodist Church wants to help community members celebrate summer and the onset of the school year with live musical and vocal performances at the church’s sixth annual fall music festival next month. 

At least 10 musicians and vocalists, including returning local accordion player James Beltz, will congregate on the third Sunday of August to entertain attendees at the church, 223 S. Little. Slated for Aug. 19 from 2-4 p.m. with refreshments immediately following the concert, the two-hour show is free and open to the public, event organizer Del Potter said.

For the last couple of years, the small church has been filled to capacity for the entire concert, Potter said.

“People will stay for the entire two hours,” he said. “Apparently, we are doing something right.”

The festival continues to attract musicians from all over the area, including Linn County, but the bulk of them hail from Fort Scott.

Performer Robert Nelson said he can’t remember how long he’s performed in the festival.

“I’ve participated for several years,” Nelson said. “It’s been a community event and I enjoy participating.”

Nelson, a singer, said he would normally perform with an accompanying pianist, but this year could be different.

“I don’t want to commit myself to anything just yet,” he said.

This year’s line-up features returning acts like Nelson and Beltz, in addition to performances by participants of varying ages, including some families and husband-wife teams.

Potter, the church’s choir director and pianist, will conclude the concert with his own rendition of Dixie gospel music, a popular type of Southern gospel music.

Performers are given free reign in their choice of music and genre, Potter said, although the majority of the tunes tend to be religious in nature. A couple of years ago, the Cherry Grove Baptist Church choir performed and Potter said that was well received.

“We have a good arrangement of instruments,” he said, “not as many as I would like, but we are working on that.

“We would like to have more brass to counter-balance the strings,” Potter added.

A member since 1987, Potter said the festival was originally intended to be a “last hurrah” for teachers.

“Basically, an opportunity for one last break before they start back to school,” he said. “That was the whole idea and upshot of it in 2007 and it has just carried on from there.”

When he first approached the church’s board of directors about the festival, Potter said the response wasn’t exactly inspiring.

“About 30 percent said that it would never go over,” he said. “But the board eventually voted to try it.”

First-year attendance hovered around 70, Potter said, but the next year increased to about 90. And every year after that, the audience has gradually grown to where it is now — at about 150-200.

“Last year we had to struggle a little bit to find the chairs, so that was good,” Potter said.

Church secretary Connie Peterson said “everyone really looks forward to it every year.”

“When they’re done, people don’t want them to leave,” Peterson said. “Basically, it’s a come-and-go type of thing, but they come and never want to leave.

Anyone interested in performing in the festival is invited to arrive at St. John’s United Methodist Church the day of the concert at approximately 1:30 p.m.

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