MOTHER EARTH NEWS

How To Find and Finance a Farm

Although locating a suitable homestead and obtaining reasonable purchase arrangements may seem difficult, it definitely is possible for almost anyone with a little cash and a steady income.

Ernest J Karhu
November/December 1970





Although locating a suitable homestead and obtaining reasonable purchase arrangements may seem difficult, it definitely is possible for almost anyone with a little cash and a steady income to buy a farm today. If you can scrape up enough bread for a down payment, this article should help you find a farm you can afford and arrange a mortgage that you can handle.

Practically all available farmland and land suitable for farming in this country is privately owned. Little government homestead land left in the continental United States is suitable for farming. The few small tracts of public land available from time to time are mostly located in the semi-arid western states and it requires an immense effort and considerable resources to make such acreage pay. The absence of farm buildings, a house, available water, tillable soil and utilities raises many questions about the practicality of such a venture. It's better to consider buying an inexpensive existing farm in a remote area before exploring the purchase of public land.

But, if you're dead-set on homesteading, buying or leasing government land—or if you've located a tract suitable for farming—write to the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. 20240. The lease or purchase of public land is authorized by the Public Sale Act of 1964; Public Law 88-608; 78 STAT 988. Homesteads are granted following a personal inspection of the land provided that the tract has been classified as suitable for farming by the Bureau of Land Management. Remember, though, you'll need cash to build a shelter and develop even the free land.

New land suitable for farming may be developed by improved drainage, irrigation or reclamation projects conducted by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior. Such land is often sold immediately (Usually to large "development" corporations that have an inside pipeline to the most desirable chunks of property if the large holdings recently opened in coastal North Carolina, Louisiana and other states are any indication—JS). When private land affected by reclamation projects is offered for sale, the project manager should be consulted to determine whether or not such land will actually benefit by the project.

There is much land suitable for homesteads in Alaska but, until the federal government settles all existing claims against it by the natives of that state (this settlement is to be made early in 1971), new homestead grants are being withheld. Further information about public land in Alaska may be obtained from the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. 20240; Manager, Land Office, Anchorage, Alaska 99501; or Manager, Land Office, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701.

The vast majority of farms and farm tracts purchased in the United States are bought from private owners and are usually financed by mortgages. The acreage is usually located through advertisements in small area newspapers, major Sunday papers, shopping guides, farm journals and farm real estate listings.

Again, in case you're interested, there is private land in Alaska available for sale or lease. To obtain information about climate, farming conditions and markets for produce in the areas that interest you, write to Director, Alaska Agricultural Experiment Station, Palmer, Alaska 99645.

When you've selected the part of the country where you'd like to settle, you're ready to begin the search for that "perfect" farm. It's not really necessary to limit your choice to an economically depressed or underdeveloped area, either. Although prices are generally much lower in some sections of the country (such as the Ozarks) than others, you can still find a good farm at a reasonable figure almost anywhere. Land values are skyrocketing around Cleveland, for instance, yet—a few weeks ago—I saw a good 31-acre farm for $11,000 . . . and it was within an hour's drive of that city's downtown area. Bargains such as this can be found if you consider a few important points when looking for a farm.

The first fact to consider is that the farther you are from a major city or suburban development, the less costly land should be. Acreage near freeway interchanges, expressways and important highways is generally more expensive than less accessible land. There is little point in paying for valuable frontage property if you intend to use it for growing vegetables. If you want your homestead to remain a homestead, try to locate it in the least likely path of future suburban sprawl . . . probably at the maximum economical distance from your job, business or market area.

Second, if you're trying to hold the cost of your land down to a bargain level, you should not buy any more land than you can reasonably or economically use. A small family or parttime farm need be no larger than fifty acres. Even this is stretching it for practical purposes. A one-acre garden, well planned, can produce enough food for two families. One cow will give from 10 to 20 quarts of milk per day. Thousands of families have established abundant homesteads on five acres or less. There is little point in passing up a nice little farm just to obtain a lot of acreage. A little thirty-acre homestead—too small to farm profitably in a "traditional" manner—can supply your basic needs and keep the suburbs from your back door. A small outside income or—possibly—ten acres of organically grown produce for the increasing market will bring home the "extras" that you might desire.

Third, avoid paying for prime farmland in locations known as "fruit belts". Unless you intend to specialize in certain fruit crops there is little reason to purchase land in such regions. Available orchards and vineyards in my area (40 miles east of Cleveland) are priced absurdly high regardless of their condition or age. Even the nearby farms that have no orchards or grapes are unreasonably expensive due to local conditions that are favorable for growing those fruits. A new interstate highway through our area directly into Cleveland has also boosted land costs.

Fourth, you will soon discover that "wild land", overgrown with weeds and unused for years, can be much richer and, probably, less expensive than land which is currently in production. Even when crops are properly rotated, they must be hyped with chemical fertilizers to meet today's demands for record yields. As far as the land is concerned, this pushing does little more than further deplete the soil. Corn crops especially rob the earth of many precious nutrients which are riot readily restored. Wild land which has not been drained by cash crops and which-to boot-is probably less expensive can, therefore, be a double bargain. It may well contain more nutrients than "developed" soil and subsequent plantings by proper organic methods can maintain and even increase this natural wealth.

Don't pass up rolling countryside or hillside acreage. Those Appalachian farmsteads are not only beautifully scenic and remote . . . the land is generally excellent for gardening. Most of this soil has been avoided by commercial and large farming operations, is quite rich and-as long as there is any heavy wild annual growth to prevent erosion-you can garden in strips across the slope. Hillside farms have other advantages: They often sell for as little as $20 an acre; excess water never gets a chance to stand around long enough to rot crops; frost problems are less serious because currents flowing down the slopes on cold nights prevent the development of pockets of stable cold air. Besides, who ever found a hillside to be an obstacle for goats?

Finally, the cost of labor and materials being what it is today (not even considering inferior workmanship), one is well advised to purchase a farm with existing buildings . . . even if some repairs are needed. If you take the time to look, you're almost sure to find a tract of reasonably priced land with a house and some decent buildings thrown in "for free".

Once you've located your homestead, there are a number of ways to arrange financing. If you know what they are, you can ,save yourself a sizeable sum on interest rates, your payments can be substantially less and you can avoid the usual finder's fee by arranging your own mortgage. Here's what is generally available:

LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES have broad investment powers and are often the best bet for financing an off-beat real estate transaction. Some of the smaller concerns deal almost exclusively with residential mortgages and the little private and fraternal insurance companies can lend at an extremely low interest rate. American Mutual Life Association of Cleveland, for instance, now makes loans at 6% to its members which isn't bad in today's market of 8 1/2%. These small companies seldom require the payment of discounts or "points".

SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS are the major source of mortgage funds for residential purchases. The usual loan limits are $40,000 with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 90% and an average of 70%. However, since farmland is often bought at less than its appraised value on today's market and since it is possible to obtain maximum loans on exceptionally good purchases, you might finance your acreage with virtually no out-of-pocket cash through a S & L:

I bought a suburban home through a Savings and Loan bank. It was willing to finance the entire selling price so that I only had to pay the closing costs . . . which were less than the security deposit I would have had to make on an apartment. The market value of my home has now increased enough to finance the down payment for a farm when I sell.

The FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION has been set up to purchase both conventional and government mortgages with greater flexibility than in the past and to increase the supply of money available for home mortgages. Conventional financing has been encouraged to provide for lower down payments, longer payoff periods and lower monthly payments—particularly for low and middle-income families. Authoritative sources indicate that new laws enacted by congress should provide for even more federally subsidized housing at lower interest rates during the next few years.

The FARMERS HOME ADMINISTRATION Farm Ownership Program currently makes 40-year loans at 5% interest for the purchase, enlargement or development of farms no larger than family farms for persons unable to obtain required credit elsewhere. Maximum loan plus debts against the farm cannot exceed $60,000. To qualify, you must be certified by the local County Farmers Home Administration as qualified to farm. "Qualified" usually means that you have had farm experience. Veterans are given preferential treatment. Once you have enough equity in your farm through full-time operation, you are expected to refinance through a conventional mortgage.

The Farmers Home Administration also makes loans for the purchase of small farms if the applicant is considered eligible and has dependable off-farm income. The applicant must plan to continue farming part-time. If rural housing is desired, any individual who is unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere may qualify for a mortgage loan. For further specific information, contact the local Farmers Home Administration office in your county seat town or write to the Farmers Home Administration, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C 20250.

FEDERAL LAND BANKS make long-term farm mortgages through 700 local Federal Land Banks and their associates (This is how the family farm back in Indiana was financed—JS). The Land Banks and associations are owned cooperatively by their member borrowers. Funds are obtained from the investing public through the sale of Federal farm loan bonds. First mortgage loans are arranged for persons who are—or will be—engaged in farming and who will derive a principal part of their income from farming. For more details, contact the Farm Credit Administration, Washington, D.C. 20578 or a local Federal Land Bank or association.

INDIVIDUAL LENDERS who are willing to make greater risk loans than a lending institution will handle are to be found in almost any community. These individuals usually prefer short term loans and charge a higher rate of interest. They may be a last alternative for a hard-to-finance deal.

PURCHASE MONEY MORTGAGES are another alternative to usual financing sometimes used by real estate dealers during periods of tight money. A seller to (1) get his price and (2) save a considerable amount in taxes [as long as he receives no more than 30% of the sale price during the year of the sale] will sometimes "carry the paper" when sufficient loan money is not otherwise available.

A SECOND MORTGAGE can often be arranged on the difference between the loan value on a property and the actual asking price. If the seller has sufficient credit to arrange a ventional mortgage he can finance the balance through a second mortgage on the same terms as the first mortgage (and he may ask for a percentage from the buyer for arranging the deal). The buyer may have the right to prepay on the second mortgage and the seller can sell the second mortgage to a third party at a discount. By "inflating" the sale price, the seller can make up any loss he might realize on a discount.

LAND CONTRACTS should be considered when there is little money for a down payment but funds may be available in the future for larger payments. Through a standard land contract agreement one can arrange an installment purchase. The seller may obtain the balance of the sale price over the existing mortgage by pledging his own credit for a loan with the land contract as security. The buyer assumes the existing mortgage payment plus payments due under the seller's loan. The seller retains title and is covered in case of default by the buyer. Seller may also stipulate that all installment payments may be liquidated if the buyer defaults. In this manner, land contracts are encouraged without the risk of complicated foreclosure proceedings following default. The FHA does not insure installment sales but will continue to insure any existing FHA mortgage even though an installment purchase has been made. Once the buyer is able to refinance the total debt with an outside mortgage, he obtains title from the seller.

A TRADE-IN or a swap may be arranged if you already have property. Such arrangements are common and can be beneficial to all parties, especially during periods of tight money. On occasion, you may find a farm widow or widower who wants to move to the suburbs or the city. Any difference in costs can be managed by a second mortgage payment.

Alternatives to individual ownership ought to be considered if resources and credit are limited. Several individuals may join together to purchase land that they couldn't obtain otherwise. Several joint arrangements may be considered:

JOINT TENANCY: Two or more individuals have the same ownership interest in a single parcel. In a joint tenancy agreement each owns all, with the right of survivorship. This arrangement seems best for tribes or communes, especially when one individual pays more than his share in costs, in which case he may take a full deduction on taxes.

TENANCY IN COMMON: Two or more individuals each with the same right to possession and benefits according to his share of ownership. There are no rights of survivorship. A tax liability arises when one tenant pays more than his share of costs.

Although PARTNERSHIPS are the most common form of unincorporated arrangement and offer certain business advantages, they are least desirable as an alternative to purchasing a hip farmstead. Various tax factors and other considerations affect the partnership to creat a good possibility for future hassles between partners. The Treasury Department carefully scrutinizes partnerships to insure that they are not set up as corporations.

An interesting federal program that appears to offer promise for any joint ownership consideration is in the National Housing Act's Public Law 73-479, Section 213. This provides for technical advice and assistance from the Federal Housing Administration in planning, organizing, developing, constructing and operating cooperative housing for five or more dwelling units. This program may be used to finance a communal venture and may provide an excellent way to finance building on inexpensive land when little cash is available. Loans are available for up to 97% of the estimated value of property for continued use as a cooperative. According to one source, mortgage limits are $9,000 per family unit without a bedroom; $12,500 per family unit with one bedroom; $15,000 per family unit with two bedrooms; $18,500 per family unit with three bedrooms and $21,000 per family unit with four or more bedrooms. Maximum mortgage maturity is 40 years.

To qualify for the National Housing Act program, one must form a nonprofit cooperative ownership housing corporation or a nonprofit cooperative ownership housing trust. Permanent occupancy of the dwellings is restricted to the members or beneficiaries of the corporation or trust. The mortgage must cover the properties of the corporation or trust.

For further information, specific details and/or advice, contact the Federal Housing Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D. C. 20411 or any of its regional offices (New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Ft. Worth, San Francisco and San Juan, Puerto Rico).

Section 233 of the same law authorizes the FHA to insure mortgages on properties where advanced technical housing design, materials and construction or experimental neighborhood design produce a significant reduction in costs or improve quality. Although the FHA has traditionally fostered conventional construction methods (often inferior in quality and workmanship) the terminology in this law may provide the basis for a pilot project you might develop on your own land. It is certainly worth exploring.
Under FHA's Section 203 (i) program of mortgage insurance for homes in outlying areas, a home buyer must make a down payment of 3%. On the old maximum ceiling of $13,500, the down payment on such a loan would be only $405.

Several additional FEDERAL ASSISTANCE programs are worth considering before rushing out to sign that mortgage contract. For a complete catalog of Federal Assistance programs write to the Office of Economic Opportunity, Washington, D. C. 20506.

Whatever you decide about mortgaging the purchase of your farm, it's a good idea to check back with MOTHER EARTH NO. 2, the Special Issue on finding and establishing a homestead, for some final tips before the deal is closed.

GOOD LUCK!

When You Own a Corona...

With a Corona grain mill, you can transform inexpensive, bulk grain direct from the farm or a feed and seed store ... into piping hot steamy, muffins and other delicious end products — right in your own kitchen.

By Ernest J. Karhu
January/February 1971

Our Corona grain mill was quite greasy and dirty when we unpacked it and this momentarily gave us second thoughts about the sanity of our decision to mill our own flour. These doubts grew as we tried — without success — to remove the protective coating with several different cleaning compounds. Then we chanced upon the magic combination:

We filled a sink with hot water and added a cup of vinegar. The vinegar cut the grease and, after a fifteen minute soak, the surface of the water was covered with numerous dirty globules. A little scrubbing of every unassembled part of the machine with a steel-wool soap pad was next and a dry towel finished the job. Our Corona mill was sparkling clean.

The design of the Corona is very simple and straightforward and a quick glance at the enclosed parts diagram was all we needed to assemble the little grinder. After a few minutes we stepped back to admire our handiwork: There it was! Our own Corona grain mill in all its shining glory. Imagine that! We were excited . . . and we hadn't even begun to realize the many ways that littlc machine was going to enrich our lives.

The mill was somewhat heavier than we had anticipated and that presented some problems when we began looking for a suitable place to mount it. Our old kitchen table wouldn't do because it wasn't sturdy enough. We finally decided to clamp the Corona to the counter top of our sink and we remov ed a drawer so that we could securely tighten the clamping wing nut on the base of the mill. It was at this point that we realized the counter top was being dented by the clamp! A scrap of wood under the base of the mill soon remedied the situation.

If you use a Corona as much as we use ours, the machine should be permanently secured to a solid surface with screws, or bolts and the base of the mill is designed for mounting in this manner. If lack of space forces you (as it does us) to store your mill when it's not in use, however, you can satisfactorily use the quick-clamp arrangement also built into the mill's base. To keep the Corona from slipping during heavy grinding, in this case, you may find that you have to tighten the clamping wing nut with a wrench . . . so don't forget to insert that piece of wood to protect your table or counter top.

Before we attempted to grind our first batch of grain we poured some old dry cereal into our Corona's hopper for a test run to familiarize ourselves with the mill's operation. It was adjusted too tightly, the crank would barely turn and the "flour" was full of tiny specks of metal. The grinder itself was being milled! We readjusted the mill and continued grinding cereal until it came out clean.

Next we purchased some wheat from a local feed and grain store after being assured that it had been grown locally and was untreated with chemicals or pesticides. Grain bought directly from a feed store often has chaff and other debris in it and ours was no exception. We had to clean it by hand. If you find yourself with this problem you'll quickly learn that winnowing—pouring grain from one container to another in front of a fan or outside in a mild breeze—still works, age-old method that it is.

We filled the hopper of our Corona with clean grain and started cranking . . . and just as so many others have discovered, we found that the handle was hard to turn and our first batch of flour was too coarse. A little experimenting, however, showed us that the grinding is much easier and the resultant flour much finer if the grain is poured slowly into the hopper in small, even amounts. The flour produced using this technique is fine enough for almost any baking. For very fine flour, simply sift out the coarse hulls, grind them a second time, sift and add to the original flour.

You'll find it helpful if an assistant pours the grain into your Corona's hopper while you mill. Our son, Johnny, enjoys this task and does a rather good job of evenly trickling in the wheat, oats, barley or whatever. Actually, neither Johnny nor I look upon this activity as a task. Milling grain has been an educational experience for the children, has a therapeutic value for us all and has become a family ritual in our household. Since we no longer eat cakes or pastry desserts, we reward the children for their help each milling clay with a fresh batch of biscuits or muffins spread with apple butter and honey.

As much as we enjoy using our mill, we are careful not to mill more flour than we can use quickly. Nutrients in whole grain flour, as you know, are lost if the flour is exposed to air for any extended period and (unlike commercially processed and devitalized flour) the whole grain product will start to spoil a month or so after grinding. We store our flour in canning jars; keep it in a cool, dry place; and use it within two weeks.

The organically-grown grains we have now purchased and ground in our mill include wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat groats, corn, millet, brown rice, unpearled barley and soybeans. Believe it or not, we have even purchased brown rice and unpearled barley in a supermarket at very reasonable prices. With the growing number of natural food shops and a contact or two with a farmer or feed store, it's quite easy to keep a home mill busy and your grocery bills at rock bottom while substantially improving the quality of the food you eat.

CORONA CHECK LIST

1. Clean the mill thoroughly as soon as you get it.
2. Fasten the grinder firmly to your work surface.
3. Make a few "trial runs" to familiarize your self with the mill's operation and adjustments.
4. Immediately examine the texture of the first flour produced by the mill to determine whether you've set the adjustment properly.
5. If the adjustment is too tight, you may mill the grinder itself.
6. Feed a light, continuous flow of grain into the hopper. If you fill the hopper, results will be less than satisfactory.
7. Tighten the adjusting screw completely (run it in — without forcing — until it's snug) and then back the screw off a quarter turn for a fine grind.
8. Sift the flour to remove any hulls. Coarse flour can be milled a second time but — with proper adjustment and careful operation — this is not usually necessary.
9. Turn the mill's handle in smooth, continuous strokes.
10. Don't necessarily expect immediate success. Experiment. Learn to use the mill properly.
11. Be patient — it really works!
12. Once you've mastered your mill, enjoy it. Be creative! Try blending various grains. Let the mill become a family thing.

1. Use vinegar, warm water, soap-impregnated steel wool and elbow grease for the first cleaning of your mill. 2. The business end of the assembled Corona. Note scrap of wood under base to protect counter. 3. For a finer grind, tighten adjustment screw. Note removeable cover which keeps ground grain from flipping upward. Old ""throw-away"" processed cereal can be used for Corona's trial run. 4. Grinding wheat. It seems natural (even for lefties) to grip adjustment screw with left hand while cranking with right.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1971-01-01/Possibilities-With-Corona-Grain-Mill.aspx#ixzz1YKWKEFzK

The Family That Forages Together... won't go hungry

Karhu’s whole clan harvests nature’s bounty.

July/August 1970

by ERNEST J. KARHU (aka. BearMarketNews)

I learned at an early age that our home in the country was surrounded by groceries "free for the picking". Wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, elderberries and wild grapes contributed to my summer fare. The aroma of fresh berry pie and canned wild fruits remains quite vivid in my memory of those days. I especially recall the nearby field of wild asparagus so abundant that most of the spears grew into seed stalks before they could be cut.

Still, although I've stalked the wild asparagus since age four, I've just begun to really appreciate the value of foraged food. Over the years, except for an occasional trip into the country to hunt walnuts, I'd almost forgotten about the wild foods of my childhood. A recent job transfer, however, enabled me to purchase a home near an abandoned vineyard overgrown with several varities of wild berries. Furthermore, our new house is within a few miles of THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS. This fortunate coincidence has opened a new experience of foraging wild foods for my entire family.

Most folks view wild vegetation with contempt and as an enemy of the lawn and garden. That which is not a planned part of the suburban development is viewed as being worthless; as an eyesore which detracts from a well-manicured environment. A wide variety of dangerous chemicals has been developed to eliminate such "worthless weeds". Unfortunately, I've seen many a fine wild strawberry patch succumb to chemicals and the lawn mower. Countless vacant lots, once lushly overgrown with a live supply of wild foods, have been transformed into wastelands of barren stubble.

I'd like to suggest with this article that our so-called "weeds" may serve some fundamental purpose - not only to a balanced ecology - but also to human nutrition. Additionally, although the experience of foraging for wild food may not be a panacea for our times, it may yield some positive alternatives to our present system of control.

WILD STRAWBERRIES

Few people will dispute the fact that wild strawberries are superior to cultivated varieties. They're a valued prize for the wild food forager. I've located a number of fine patches of this luscious fruit within a few hundred yards of my suburban home. One patch is nearly an acre in size and its berries are exceptionally good.

Although the wild strawberry is small and filling a pail with clean berries is a painstaking task, my family and I usually have been able to pick enough for several dessert treats in a half hour. Our children enjoy harvesting wild fruit and always look forward to an excursion to the strawberry patch. Sometimes our two-year-old Betsy picks more than six-year-old John. Betsy, however, is usually unwilling to share her treasure and prefers to have it served with milk as soon as she returns home.

Not many folks realize that wild strawberry leaves are one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C. The leaves can be eaten raw, in a salad, or as a garnish for camp stew. Since their taste and texture may not be totally pleasing to everyone's palate, a mild-tasting extract can be made by placing the leaves in a blender with a little water. This mixture can then be used to dilute frozen juice concentrates. It can also be boiled and served with a little honey as a nutritious tea.

BLACKBERRIES

The blackberry and related dewberry grow in abundance throughout nearly all the United States. Blackberries are probably the most valued and used wild fruit in the country. A hedge of them, mixed with wild grape vines, grows at the rear of our lot. More blackberries surround the nearby strawberry patches, grow wild in the vineyard, along fence rows and in the edge of the closest woods. When the strawberry crop is gone, our children eagerly await blackberry picking time.

In the past two summers, we've made use of this wild crop in pies, cobblers, jams, jellies, juices and wines. We've added blackberries to other foods and canned them. For some reason, we've never tired of this abundant crop and we never seem to have enough of the highly nutritious fruit.

Blackberries contain a good amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A and C. Their overall nutritional value is higher than orchard fruits.

As a child, I looked forward to blackberry picking each summer. In the late afternoon of a picking day, I carried my harvest to the nearby highway and set up a little stand. Within an hour, all my berries would be sold. Sometimes sales were so fast that I had to disappoint my regular customers.

VIOLETS

On our first family forage for wild foods, we were introduced to eating blue violets. At first, the thought of eating flowers seemed rather strange, but after a few tries it became quite natural.

Both the flowers and the leaves of the common blue violet are edible. A half-cup of violet greens provides more than the daily adult requirement of vitamins A and C. Although the taste of the greens is rather bland, they're not at all bad and the experience of eating wild violets was an enjoyable one for our two children. My wife and I, however, experienced some momentary anxiety when we thought that Betsy had eaten some of the poison ivy growing alongside a cluster of violets (although we know some people who claim that eating poison ivy produces an immunity - and I've seen it done - we do not recommend this practice). Fortunately, our little daughter had learned to identify the wild foods we've eaten and, apparently, has not experimented on her own.

Our new interest in blue violets encouraged us to attempt transplanting some from the nearby woods to our flower garden. The operation was successful and we should have an abundant crop next year. One of the best things about the violet, by the way, is that it's not harmed by picking the blossoms. The more you pick, the more the plant produces.

For those who enjoy experimenting with alternative methods of preparing wild foods, the violet - in addition to the standard wild salad - can be used to make jam, jelly, syrup and confections. When one considers the numerous alleged conditions cured by violet syrup (according to the old time herbalists), who knows what may be discovered!

DANDELION

The dandelion is a favorite of many people throughout the world and is one of the easiest plants to identify: Just ask anyone with a lawn.

I prefer to pick dandelions as soon as they begin to grow, when the leaves are young and tender. Others wait until the plants are more substantial but still pick the leaves before blossoms develop. The mature dandelion leaves have a strong, characteristically bitter taste that can be reduced by boiling the plant in lightly salted water for about five minutes.

The dandelion bud has been found to contain a fair amount of vitamins A and C and a rather high quantity of protein. Dandelions should be considered an essential part of any survival diet because of the plant's nutritional value, its abundance and variety of uses. Even the roots - diced and roasted for about four hours - make a good coffee substitute.

Dandelion blossoms, of course, are famous for their use in making wine.

I prefer to pick dandelions as soon as they begin to grow, when the leaves are young and tender. Others wait until the plants are more substantial but still pick the leaves before blossoms develop.

The mature dandelion leaves have a strong, characteristically bitter taste that can be reduced by boiling the plant in lightly salted water for about five minutes. After the plant blooms it is usually considered too bitter to eat. I think the younger leaves are a fine addition to a salad; the more mature greens can be eaten cooked like spinach and seasoned with butter.

The developing yellow blossoms, which form as crowns, provide another vegetable for the table. Cover them with boiling water and cook for about three minutes. Drain and season with salt and butter. The crowns are edible until they mature into blossoms, although - as they approach this change - they must be cooked longer and the water changed once before eating.

Euell Gibbons reminds us that the botanical name for the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale , suggests that it is the "official remedy for disorders". An ancient name for dandelion was "scurvey plant", derived from its use in curing or preventing that disease.

The dandelion bud has been found to contain a fair amount of vitamins A and C and a rather high quantity of protein. Dandelions should be considered an essential part of any survival diet because of the plant's nutritional value, its abundance and variety of uses. Even the roots - diced and roasted for about four hours - make a good coffee subsitute. Dandelion blossoms, of course, are famous for their use in making wine.

WILD CARROT

While clearing some "unwanted weeds" from my garden this spring, I discovered that most of the plants were wild carrot (Queen Anne's-lace). Many had sizeable roots and, within a short time, I gathered a full pail. The plant is easily identified by its delicate feathery leaves, tall slender stalks topped by white flowering umbels - some of which are flattened like saucers - and a characteristic carrot odor. The edible roots are white, rather than yellow-orange.

Wild carrots should be washed, scraped and boiled for about twenty minutes. Before serving, season with butter and salt. The tough pulpy cores can be removed quite easily before eating. Wild carrots can also be used to flavor camp stew or soup.

It is said that the best part of the plant is the seeds. They can be used to make tea (mixed with a little spearmint or peppermint), as a spice for cooking and as an herbal medicine (for flatulence, coughs and hiccups).

PLANTAIN

The lowly lawn and garden pest known as plantain ranks near the top of the list of nutritional greens. Plantain is said to outrank garden greens in nutrients because it grows more slowly and, thus, has more time to store vitamins and minerals. The early pioneers used plantain extensively in their diets and the plant is still an important food in certain sections of the U.S.

Plantain is available almost everywhere and its appearance is readily discernible: Ribbed, long, broad oval leaves and slender seed stalks growing out of the center of the leaf cluster.

Its bland taste makes plantain a palatable addition to any salad. I much prefer it to dandelion greens. It isn't as tender as head lettuce but plantain can be chopped and made tender enough to suit any taste. As a general rule the young, smaller, rather shiny broad-oval leaves are best. These small plantain leaves are available all summer because new leaves continue to form throughout the season.

The reddish-purple blossom heads of the ordinary wild clover are rated high on the list of survival foods. They are a tasty addition to any salad and they can be eaten alone. The heads can be gathered throughout June and July and dried indoors at room temperature for later use as tea. A small amount of dried spearmint and peppermint leaves added to the clover is said to make a healthful brew. The blossoms should be gathered from undisturbed fields rather than from the lawn. The large blossoms from the fields are distinctly tastier than the small yard-variety clover blooms. I find myself nibbling clover blossoms every time I take a hike.

MAY APPLE

After the first few warm days of spring, our closest woods seems to be filled with umbrella-like plants growing in dense clusters. Each of these May apple plants, with a stem that forks into two of the characteristic umbrellas, will develop a waxy-white blossom at the "V" of the stem. The blossom is soon followed by a single, smooth, yellow fruit about the size and shape of an egg. When the May apples are ripe, in late summer, they may be picked and eaten.

The taste of the musky May apple is difficult to describe: It has been likened to the guava and the passion fruit. Those who may not appreciate the flavor can liquify May apples in a blender and add the juice to lemonade or mix it half and half with a table wine. The wild food gourmet should also consider making May apple Marmalade. It's reputed to be the finest product of this fruit.

SORREL

Another tasty green that grows abundantly in our nearby fields is sorrel. The spearhead-shaped leaf, one-half to two inches in length, grows in clumps and sometimes virtually covers the ground in overgrown and unused pastures. Of all the wild greens I've eaten, I prefer sorrel. It's very tender and has a slightly sour taste that some describe as lemony (which suggests using the blender to make sorrelade).

There is an old axiom that "the better the taste, the higher the nutritive value". I've found this true when comparing wild foods and, although I haven't seen an analysis of sorrel, I believe the plant has sufficient value to justify my preference for this salad green.

There are more than enough vitamins and minerals in wild foods to sustain health. Indeed, many uncultivated plants contain more food value than the best garden vegetables and fruits. Freshness is one rather obvious reason why wild foods outscore grocery store produce but, beyond that, analysis has shown many wild plants to be vastly superior to the garden variety.

Unfortunately, our palates have become accustomed to certain foods for reasons other than nutrition. Few people will ever become ecstatic over a strict diet of wild foods but, thanks to my recent relatively short but intense exposure to foraging, I am no longer impressed by shelves of processed garbage in the supermarket. I am sure that we could, with benefit to our health and well-being, forget the grocery store altogether, in preference to that which grows wild in the fields.

I'm amazed at how eagerly our children have responded to our foraging experiments. They have been quite willing to try every new wild food we've selected and they have not rejected any of these unfamiliar taste sensations. They've also come to know our Mother Earth to be a provider of abundant resources which may suggest to them that some of the finest things of life are still free.

Although this article does not exhaust my own experience with wild eats, my knowledge is vastly limited compared to what I have yet to learn. Some of the more experienced foragers could find hundreds of valuable crops in the territory I've walked. A few even suggest that practically every plant can be eaten and contains some food value.

As a general rule, for those who attempt survival living, any plant that tastes good is edible. If you want to experiment, then, don't swallow anything that is particularly bitter. And, when you do swallow, always first try just a tiny bite of the new plant. If you don't experience any nausea or upset within eight to ten hours, chances are that your potential food source is edible.

I would further recommend that the neophyte forager carry the field guide edition of Euell Gibbons' Stalking the Wild Asparagus. It is also well to be accompanied by an experienced guide but almost anyone can easily identify the foods recommended in this article and those suggested by James Churchill in the last issue of THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

Downright dazzling: Main Street works hard to be downtown Evergreen’s main event

By Stephen Knapp

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 3:31 pm (Updated: August 30, 3:25 pm)

he next time you contemplate abandoning Evergreen for a restorative weekend somewhere cool and green and busting with local color, hang the car keys back on their hook and contemplate this — shoals of discriminating day-trippers from the Front Range and beyond have already done the math, and they’re coming to the heart of Evergreen.

Stephen Knapp

Free to all comers, the Evergreen Town Trolley gives folks a leisurely tour of downtown from Forest Hill Road to the dam.

“If you look at the percentages, the majority of people downtown on the weekend are from out of town,” says Janice Stutters, board member of the Evergreen Downtown Business Association.

And she would know. As the owner of Seasonally Yours, Stutters has a front-row seat to the weekly parade of smiling strangers strolling the boardwalk, lounging alongside babbling Bear Creek, sampling the indigenous cuisine, and generally appreciating what the natives too often take for granted.

“Main Street has something for everybody, and people from Aurora, or Parker, get the feeling of visiting the mountains without using a tank of gas. And they like that it’s 10 degrees cooler, too.”

True, downtown Evergreen is many degrees cooler — literally and figuratively — than, say, downtown Commerce City, but reasonable temperatures are just the tip of the iceberg. Within a tidy two blocks, Main Street offers enough food, fun and flavor to keep even the most particular perambulator engaged. Just ask Joey Veltman of Commerce City, who joined the flood up Bear Creek Canyon and came ashore on the Ice House patio.

“My sister brought me to Evergreen Lake in 1999, and I’ve been riding up here ever since,” said Veltman, relaxing with an iced latte a few feet from his gleaming Polaris Victory Hammer, which sleek artifact somehow managed to stand out from the dozen other gleaming motorcycles lined up in front of the Little Bear. “I love the views and the small-town atmosphere. It’s a nice and mellow, and I like the people.”

Jeanne Harger would probably agree on all counts, although the Littleton resident’s mission on this sun-kissed Saturday, as on many summer Saturdays, is art-specific.

“I come here for the galleries,” said Harger, smartly dressed in a leopard-print halter, skin-tight chinos, and rhinestoned leather sandals that clearly possess more form than function. “There are a lot of good art galleries around, but these are just better. I always find something I just have to have,” she grinned, holding up a heavy bag of swag as proof. “Always.”

Fact is, folks like Veltman and Harger would probably make downtown Evergreen a regular fair-weather destination even without the enchanting boardwalk, the colorful bunting, the barrels of flowers lining the sidewalks and the 40 acres of wet adventure just a stone’s-throw away, but downtown’s merchant folk are ever willing to go the extra mile to make sure Colorado’s exurban explorers do the same. If Main Street businesses host some of the area’s best off-season parties — the Halloween and Holiday walks, to name just two — they ramp up the hospitality a notch or two about the time the pasque flowers start blooming.

“From May to September, we try to find something fun to do each month,” Stutter says. “We want to give people a reason to come downtown.”

That reason might be Go Paint’s popular Easter Egg decorating contest, followed by the Rodeo Parade in June, sidewalks sales galore during Main Street Days in July, and the Dam Ducky Derby in August. Add recurring downtown attractions like Thursday farmers markets, live music on Cactus Jack’s creek-side deck and the pulse-revving Auto Rendevous held last Fridays in happy union with downtown’s venerable Art Walk, and Main Street has a summer’s worth of family-friendly main events.

But that’s all just sprinkles on little Avery Gardner’s ice cream cone. One of relatively few locals hanging chilly downtown, Avery’s mom, Jeri, brought Avery and her little sister, Ryn, all the way from Sunset Ridge in Kittredge to ride the Evergreen Trolley, and both girls plainly consider everything else EDBA has done of small consequence by contrast.

“I sat up front!” declared Avery, still a bit giddy from the experience. “I rang the bell!”

Then she had some actual ice cream and spent a pleasant interval splashing around in the creek with Ryn and their young playmate, Logan Killough.

“Today we came to ride the trolley,” said Logan’s dad, Hunt, “but sometimes we come just for ice cream, or for pizza, or just to feed the ducks. It’s really nice. But the kids love the horses.”

The kids aren’t alone. For the last four years, from June straight through to Labor Day, the downtown merchants have hired Willard Forman of Rawhide Partners to hitch up his draft horses and give all comers a leisurely introduction to the best parts of Evergreen, so long as those parts lie between the Evergreen Dam and Forest Hill Road. Not surprisingly, Forman gets a lot of comers.

“We’ll carry up to 400 passengers a day sometimes,” he said, smiling as recently debarked children make much ado about Kit and Kat, his honey-colored team of Belgians. Constantly polished by so many wee hands, it’s a wonder the gentle giants’ noses aren’t worn as shiny as new pennies. “The kids love the horses.”

Still, if horses, ice cream, pizza and a sun-dappled creek are all the younger set needs to achieve perfect bliss, grown-ups crave a more balanced entertainment diet, and satisfying those more sophisticated appetites is Main Street’s real forte. In most mountain towns, Stutters says, regardless of their size or amenities, one tends to see a lot of the same-old, same-old. On Evergreen’s Main Street, on the other hand, merchants quite consciously conspire to variety.

“Estes Park has enough fudge shops to sink a boat, and everywhere you go you see the same T-shirts and the same product lines. Here, each store works hard to keep its unique character, to carry unique products, and to find its own unique way to make the experience fun for people who stop in. You can visit every shop on Main Street and see something new and different in each one.”

So how many out-of-town visitors take the short trip up the canyon every summer? If precise statistics are hard to come by, it may be instructive to ask Bill Ortiz, who tends the Main Street parking lot for the Ross-Lewis Trust.

“There are 109 slots, by my count, including the handicap spaces,” says Ortiz, an Aurora resident and semi-retired Pepsi Center employee who’s been at his Evergreen post for the better part of seven years. “On weekends in the summer, it’s full most of the time.”

Conservatively figuring two passengers per vehicle, that’s about 220 urban refugees savoring Evergreen’s matchless promenade at any given moment on any given summer weekend. What, we must ask ourselves, do they know that not a few locals don’t?

“It’s a wonderful thing to have lunch on the patio at Creekside Cellars or Beau Jo’s,” says Stutter. “It’s a wonderful thing to sit on the boardwalk with a cup of coffee and watch people go by. It’s a wonderful thing to get an ice cream cone and feed the ducks at Evergreen Lake.

“If people will only stop long enough to see what’s going on right here in Evergreen, they can start enjoying it.”