Volume 124 Issue 133
kansan.com
Thursday, April 12, 2012
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FEATURE
Abby Oclese, KU graduate, and Sarah Taggart (right) pick locally grown pumpkins from West Red Barn Farm in Weston, Mo.
REVOLUTION
From the farmers, to the restaurant to the consumer, learn how local food is taking over Lawrence. //ALLISON BOND
It's a cold rainy day in February as I pile into a van with my environmental media class, headed to Sweetlove farm, about 20 miles away from Lawrence. Pulling up to a 65-acre farm, all I see is untamed grass everywhere. I think to myself, "This is a farm?" When I think of farms, I think acres and acres of one crop such as wheat, soybeans or corn. Or I think of hundreds of an animal, such as cows, pigs or sheep.
Sweetlove farm, owned by Phil Holman-Herbert in Jefferson County, is anything but my typical image of a farm. By the front of the house is a small chicken coop. In the back near the house stand a handful of Katahdin sheep and Dexter cows. All of Phil's animals are grass-fed, meaning a diet of only a mix of grasses, forbs and legumes nature provides in the pasture. Pasture farming, the healthier
option for animals, is not the norm anymore as bigger companies are resorting to feeding animals corn feed, which is not natural for animals to eat.
It wasn't until I took an environmental media class that I came to realize how important it is to know where our food comes from. With each experience of shopping for groceries, getting my hands dirty in the dirt and talking with local farmers, my knowledge of food in America grows. The more I learn, the more I realize the benefits local foods bring.
Within local markets, produce is usually sold within 24 hours after harvest, retaining its peak freshness, ripeness and nutritional value, says Harvard's University Center for Health and the Global Environment. Barbara Clark, owner of Maggie's Farm located just north of Lawrence, says the benefits of eating local
food are numerous, including freshness, flavor and the nutritional quality of foods consumed close to the source. I don't think anything can compare to the fresh taste of produce picked right from the ground, as I got to experience this spring break when I visited Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Ark. Looking forward to fresh salad greens everyday for a tasty mixed salad was the highlight of lunch.
Abby Olcese, a 2010 KU graduate who also is involved in Environs, a KU student environmental group, found that the more she got involved with environmental issues, the more she learned that local food is part of a bigger picture. "Not only is eating local food good for you" Olcese says, "it is good for the economy by supporting local businesses, and it's good for the environment because the food doesn't travel as far."
winning a conference championship, clinching a spot in the NCAA Tournament twice and winning 30-plus games in seven of nine seasons. The Jayhawks' two trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2009 doubled the number of appearances they made at the tournament in the 100 years before Price's arrival.
Price significantly changed the baseball program's fortunes during his tenure, but is it time for a new direction?
Kansas baseball is a tough sell for high school recruits who are searching for a program that can prepare them for the major leagues.
As long as the Texas and Oklahoma schools are in the Big 12 conference, Kansas probably won't find themselves atop the Big 12 standings, but they shouldn't find themselves last in the conference either.
"C" D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger is serious about revamping the Kansas football program because it's a cash cow, but if the baseball team's struggles continue, he should make an effort to revitalize the program.
Wide receiver Marquis Jackson evades a tackle in a game last season. After having a chance to watch his team, coach Charlie Weis is making some changes to his line-up during spring practices.
Edited by Jeff Karr
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
After two weeks of spring practice, football coach Charlie Weis has had a chance to look at the team and has mixed feelings about what he has seen. He beamed about quarterback Dayne Crist during yesterday's press conference, but noted lingering questions about depth at positions across the board. This is a time for adjustment in the university sports scene, and his football team, which is preparing for its first season under a new coach, is no exception.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
The team is also adjusting after losing leading rusher James Sims, who has been suspended for the first three games of the season following a DUI arrest. But Weis will keep him productive while he is gone.
"We going to have the best show team running back in the country," Weis said of Sims' new role of preparing Kansas' defense for opponents in scrimmage. "The only way to not get rusty is to go over there and run show team."
moving sophomore wide receiver Marquis Jackson over to running back during spring practice. Jackson adds size and a physical element to the position that Weis has not seen from other players.
At the running back position, the Jayhawks have sophomore Brandon Bourbon, sophomore Tony Pierson and Sims. That leaves a deep roster at wide receiver with six options for Kansas.
One way Weis is adjusting is by
Weis said the Jayhawks would focus on getting Pierson more touches this season, but there is a challenge because he and running back coach Reggie Mitchell have to discover a balance to keep him productive, but fresh and injury free for the 13 game season.
"You are in a catch-22 now, because every time he touches the ball, he has the chance to score a touchdown." Weis said.
That is where the other ball-carriers will support Pierson and keep the offense moving forward.
That depth and versatility gives the coaches the ability to keep adjusting throughout the season to keep the ball with the hot hand.
They can tap their helmet when they want to go out, but I will wave them back in," Weis said. "You can get a break after you score."
"I don't care how tired they get.
Currently, training is a balance between weight-lifting for maintenance and conditioning. After
"You can't play this game without having stamina," Weis said. "That is true on both sides of the ball and special teams."
practice, Weis plans gassers, which is an attempt to increase the team's stamina.
The focus will be on short-burst running and weight transfer to prepare the Jayhawks for a tough and physical Big 12 season.
Edited by Corinne Westeman
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