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The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Local Food Journey

Final Day of the Strawberries Recipe Contest

Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/30 at 11:48 AM

Strawberry season has sadly come to an end. What is the best thing you made this month with summer’s first berries? Share it today for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill in State College. Today is the final day to enter the contest, so submit your recipe now!

Looking for inspiration?

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Live Local Music

Jason O Shines at Summer’s Best Music Fest 2011

Posted by Pat Baxter on 06/30 at 10:11 AM

Last Saturday I had the  Summer’s Best Music Fest on my mind and was looking forward to music and fun. Though the morning started out with a bit of rain, it quickly cleared up into a very comfortable 70 degree day—perfect for a music festival—and so I decided to head downtown.

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Local Food Journey

Garlic Harvest

Posted by Tony Ricci on 06/29 at 12:07 PM

There are several milestones during the year that mark dramatic shifts in the growing season. For me, it’s always the garlic harvest, which coincides with the first full week of summer. The harvest brings to a close the long wait for the king of alliums that started back in November when the final clove was tucked in the ground for the winter.

Garlic is a precise, no-nonsense crop that sticks to its preordained schedule whether you like it or not. It’s not going to wait around for a distracted farmer to fit it in to his daily planner. Wait a week too long and tough luck, it’s on to its next phase of development without so much as a by-your-leave.

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Local Food Journey

Three Minute Gardener: How to Renovate a Strawberry Patch

Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/28 at 10:05 AM

After the June harvest of strawberries, patches should be renovated in preparation for the following year. Penn State Senior Extension Educator Kathy Demchak explains why these renovations are important and how to complete them.

Watch the video.

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Live Local Music

Zak Sobel Duo at Summer’s Best - Concert Review

Posted by Samantha Hatfield on 06/28 at 09:55 AM

It was an overcast Saturday in State College, but that didn’t stop folks from coming out for the 2011 Summer’s Best Music Fest. After passing through the various street vendors and stopping into McLanahan’s for an iced-tea, I took my seat in front of the Allen Street stage. With Jack Johnson streaming through the speakers, the Zak Sobel Duo was tuning their guitars and warming up in preparation for their set. Zak, dressed in relaxed jeans and flip-flops, and lead guitar Isaac Bishop, sporting a “Sublime” t-shirt, seemed ready for a laid-back jam session.

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Local Food Journey

Welcome, Green Heron Farm!

Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/27 at 02:41 PM

Please welcome our newest contributor, Tony Ricci, of Green Heron Farm in southern Huntingdon County. Tony has been instrumental in bringing a year-round supply of local, organic produce to our area. He’s also the farmer who uses fryer oil to fuel his delivery truck.

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Our Town

WPSU Prepares for Our Town: Kane & Mt Jewett

Posted by Whitney on 06/24 at 04:22 PM

The 62nd episode of the Our Town series will feature the McKean county area known as “The Big Level” and the “Black Cherry Capital of the World.” Members of the community are encouraged to share stories about the area in “Our Town: Kane & Mt: Jewett.” No experience is required—-just enthusiasm! WPSU producers will hold a public meeting about the project on Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. in the Kane Area Middle School auditorium. 

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Local Food Journey

Celebrate Local Food and Farms

Posted by Katherine Taylor Grofic on 06/24 at 03:38 PM

The first annual Summer Solstice Celebration at Tait Farm was a success! Watch a video recap of the local event.

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Live Local Music

Zak Sobel Duo to play Summer’s Best Music Fest, 3pm on Saturday, Allen Street

Posted by Samantha Hatfield on 06/24 at 03:19 PM

This Saturday, June 25th, is State College’s annual Summer’s Best Music Fest: a day-long street bazaar featuring musical acts spread throughout downtown State College between three stages and several other venues. While flipping through the featured acts there was one that caught my eye. The Zak Sobel Duo is scheduled to play on the Allen Street Stage at 3pm, and I will definitely be in attendance.

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Local Food Journey

Farmland Preservation Artists

Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/24 at 12:33 PM

The farmland in Centre County provides wildlife habitat, helps to replenish the groundwater supply, generates tax revenue, and feeds local residents. But as the county’s population grows, more and more farmland is being lost to development. WPSU’s Kristine Allen gives an audio report on efforts to preserve farmland—notably, one that involves a group of local artists who gathered at Tait Farm last Saturday for the first annual Summer Solstice Celebration.

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Local Food Journey

A Convivium of Local Support

Posted by Kit Henshaw on 06/24 at 12:11 PM

Solstice…the word conjures up visions of kicking back, chilling out and enjoying a long, lazy summer day. But on Saturday, June 18th at Tait Farm in Centre Hall, the crowd at the first annual Summer Solstice Celebration to benefit the Centre County Farmland Trust was actively engaged in the pursuit of tasting locally produced fresh delights while supporting a local farm. In a word, it was happy. People were relaxed, cooperative and neighborly – grateful for the weather, the scenery, the fresh farm air, the flavors, the sense of community, and the shared mission of local foods and farms.

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Live Local Music

Summer’s Best Music Fest Back in Action on Saturday

Posted by Pat Baxter on 06/23 at 03:39 PM

This week marked the first week of summer.  So it’s fitting that this Saturday, June 25, features an annual State College music event. That’s right, State College’s Summer’s Best Music Fest 2011 is back in action. Starting at 9am and ending around 9pm, the event will feature a mix of local cover bands and local original-music bands of every genre.  There will also be some out-of-town independent artists, including Jeffrey Gaines—the final act performing at 8pm on the Allen Street Stage.

But it doesn’t stop there.

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Live Local Music

Ablum Review of Death Cab for Cutie: Codes and Keys

Posted by Brian McFarland on 06/23 at 01:32 PM

Grade: A

Indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie released their seventh LP entitled Codes and Keys  with Atlantic Records on May 31st. The Washington state band consists of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, and piano), Chris Walla (guitar, production, and keyboards), Nick Hammer (bass), and Jason McGerr (drums). Unlike previously dimmer albums, Codes and Keys gives the listener some hope with its upbeat mix of guitars, drums, and synthesizers. Ben Gibbard’s past experience with Postal Service definitely influenced a lot of the synthesized sound on this album. The happier and deeper songs are something that obviously has evolved through Death Cab’s 14 years of music. They used this album to portray a number of themes such as belonging and finding a place to call home. It also touches on the hope that even when everything seems to be in flames there is stability in love. This album grew on me with every listen, and it left me wanting more.

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Local Food Journey

Simple Strawberry Cake

Posted by Emily Wiley on 06/22 at 02:15 PM

Strawberry season is my favorite season; though it is a short one. Throughout the month of June, I enjoy strawberries on my morning cereal and swirled into yogurt, tossed with spinach salad, on top of shortcakes and waffles, and layered with vanilla cake and cream cheese frosting. We also currently have four quarts in the freezer just begging to be thawed and consumed.

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Local Food Journey

Unpaid Field Hand: The Story of Peas

Posted by James Eisenstein on 06/21 at 01:20 PM

Last Tuesday night, Emily Wiley posted a picture of her dinner to the Boalsburg Farmers Market Facebook page. The caption said: “Dinner tonight courtesy of the Boalsburg Farmers Market. Pork chops from Cow-a-Hen Farm. Snap peas from Jade Family Farm. Bread from Gemelli Bakery with lemon-artichoke pesto from Fasta & Ravioli Co. And strawberries from Way Fruit Farm. Happiness on a plate.”

Emily knew the peas she bought were grown at Jade Family Farm, but how did the green pods find their way to our farm and then to the market? Well, this unpaid field hand decided to tackle that question.

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