Behind the Quiet Creek barn sets a green metal shed that puffs out more smoke than a chain smoker.  Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year for the past twelve years, our outdoor wood burner has faithfully supplied the house and barn with warm heat and hot water. 

Many a visitor has queried with a pointed finger, “Is that a smokehouse?”  Rusty actually planted a smokehouse apple tree next to the boiler so he could reply “affirmative” without fibbing or going into detail about our renewable energy heating system.  Finally, he can truthfully state “yes, it is a smokehouse!”  

It all came about when desiring smoked meats without synthetic preservatives.   He investigated a venison ham rub recipe that required forty hours of cold smoking.  Needing a simple source of smoke, he then created his “redneck smoker” in conjunction with our heat source. 

In the development stages, Rusty noticed nine out of ten days, the wood burner smoke blew to the north.  Hoping to capture the majority of it, he acquired twelve feet of furnace pipe (six inch diameter) with assorted tees and elbows from his dad.  Then he attached a one by two by three foot plywood box to the nearby tractor shed.  Cutting a hole for the furnace pipe, he began telescoping sections toward the wood burner chimney with a few screws and wire strap and the pipe was angled straight to the smoke.  Finally, Rusty rigged up a metal garbage can with a hole cut out of the bottom.  The garbage can funnel was wired to a metal ladder leaning against the wood burner and extended it to a spot just north of the chimney. 

The wood burner gleefully puffs away as the wind pushes the smoke down the funnel through recycled furnace pipe and into the plywood smoking chamber.  There hangs the ham from a wire, basting in the swirling cold smoke.  An exit hole with an elbow allows the smoky air to flow through.  There are two hinged doors on the box’s side make for easy access to hang items (i.e. hams, cheese, and jerky) and for checking the smoke progress. 

Rusty is particular when it comes to high quality smoke.  His first ham was completed with green maple and oak and the next is to be christened with hickory or apple wood. 

Come on out for a Quiet Creek visit any Friday and Saturday to warm your hands and/or sample some hams.   

For many years, students “in the school of life” have graced the farm with their presence, hard work, and learning spirit.  In fact, the boys would find it odd not to have one or two extra folks at the dinner table on a regular basis. 

Quiet Creek interns are an important component to our non-profit organization.  The idea was adopted from other farms that open their doors to apprentices, interns, and volunteers.  In lieu of forty hours of work, our interns are provided with room/board and as much information they can absorb from our knowledge, classes, network, computer files, and gardening library. 

Many have come to learn the ropes of starting an educational facility; some have a keen interest in growing vegetables organically while others want to glean the medicinal, nutritional, and spiritual aspect of sustainable living.  The process begins with an e-mail from a prospective intern who has read a posting on a website or book, or conversed with a former intern. 

The next step is a phone call where Rusty has perfected, through the years, the proper interview technique.   He attempts to talk the person out of coming to Quiet Creek.  This may sound counter productive, but “if you are looking for a social life – try the city, if you need a mental health consultant – see a psychiatrist, and if you don’t like to weed – hang up.”  

His intent is to NOT paint a rosy picture; the internship can be challenging and lonely.  If the potential volunteer is still interested, we invite that person for an overnight stay and work day.  This includes experiencing whole food meals, playing with the boys, and whatever farm project is in progress. 

After checking references on one another, we as a team decide if there is a mutually benefiting fit.  If so, interns are given ownership in part of the farm to match their learning expectations.  They are mentored and nurtured in all they do.  Rusty explains, if they don’t make mistakes, they’re probably not doing enough. 

His famous question, “What is the best answer you can give your supervisor when asked to do a task?”  Most reply, “Yes, I’ll do it right away.”  Although a good response, he shares the best answer, “It’s already done.” 

The internships are challenging to both the Quiet Creek family and the new residents, but the experience yields many rewards for all.  We have been blessed with caring folks who have become family members.  They have shared stories from when they have lived, Vermont, California, and Ireland.  They relish the sustainably-grown food grown and prepared by all of us. 

Arriving as wandering workers and leaving as lifelong friends, we continue to converse, send computer files, network opportunities, and pray for one another.  Pearl, who arrived a year ago this month, will now journey on to her next “school of life.”  She has brought three of her eight siblings into our lives; grown, harvested and preserved a beautiful bounty displayed on shelves she built; kid-sat our boys while we toured Italy; and made gallons of Kim chi. 


She will always be welcome as a daughter, a sister, a colleague, and a steward of God’s resources.  We love her and wish her the greatest success in all she does.  Gladly, we will let her next fortunate mentor know, “She’s a Pearl.” 

With negative temperatures last week, we were prompted to empty our upright freezer, temporarily.  The ice monster had accumulated an over abundance of frost on its coils, limiting the storage capacity and efficiency.      Claire emptied the frozen vegetable, bread, meat, and assorted containers of leftovers into laundry baskets and set them outside in God’s ice box.   She then filled the freezer with bowls of hot water, closed the door, and periodically cleaned up the unwanted pools of frost that heaped on the freezer floor.  After a day of thawing, Rusty accepted the job of sorting, composting, organizing, and eating the freezer goodies.  

The most valuable content returned to the clean shelves was a baggie of pepper seeds from Italy awaiting a spring planting.  The strangest item was a frozen weasel wanted by our taxidermist friend from Punxsutawney.  A few compostables included unlabeled broth cubes and homemade coffee ice cream, whereas the majority of the inventory equaled weeks of soups, casseroles, and steaks.  Even a hidden chunk of cheese made for a tasty pizza over the frigid weekend.  

We appreciate the twenty-first century convenience of keeping food cold and/or frozen, but lately Rusty is investigating sustainable cold storage systems from his Father’s time.  Grandpa Russ recalls the only “refrigerator” they had in the house was an oak cabinet with chunks of ice cut out of their pond insulated with sawdust.  He also had an ice house where ice was stored year round.  His spring house was used for cooling food, primarily milk.

Rusty dreams of using these techniques for the future, but presently he hopes to eat up the freezer food and travel over to the taxidermist.  

 Our family looks forward to the annual pilgrimage to State College for the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) conference the first week in February.  The three day event is packed with inspirational workshops of ordinary farmers doing extraordinary farming. 

After ten years we know to expect the experience will be graced with movies, meals, and vendors promoting local sustainable interests.  We relish the opportunity to kindle new friends and connect with lifelong ones. 

One such acquaintance richly blessed our lives two years ago --Steve and Jenn Kurian from Bloomsburg.  This school teacher/tree trimmer couple shared a PASA dinner and their Alaskan fishing adventure with Rusty.

He discovered how they grew up in the country and couldn’t afford the luxury of seafood.  As adults they traveled to Alaska to fish and brought back a cooler of salmon for friends and family.  Enjoyed by so many, Steve and Jenn returned the following years and eventually bought their own thirty-two foot boat and now provide wild Alaskan salmon at affordable prices for rural Pennsylvanians.  

Wild salmon is a great source of vitamins A, D, B6 and E, as well as good amounts of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus.  The omega-three fatty acids in this cold water fish help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke having shown to improve symptoms of immune and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.   

For years the boys grudgingly slurped their tablespoon of cod liver oil chased with organic ginger ale.  Now they are hooked on the Kurian’s marvelous brain food.  The high quality polyunsaturated sockeye salmon is administered without any opposition.  In fact, they ask for it weekly fully aware of the healthy benefits.  The flavor of the wild caught salmon is rich, but not fishy, solid but still flaky and pleasing to the palate. 

They also know this salmon is responsibly and sustainably harvested.  In the opposite arena “farm fed” and “ocean raised” fish are usually fed antibiotics in their pellet food artificially-colored to make the fish look pink.  Often the fish are fed genetically-modified corn and confined in pens that promote disease and weaken the muscle.   

Jenn and Steve spend seven summer weeks in the great Northwest where they flash freeze and vacuum seal their crop full of quality and taste year round.  Their product can be found online, at farmer’s market, and through local buying clubs.  For recipes, beautiful photos, and purchasing information go to www.wildforsalmon.com but they usually sell out before their next trip to Bristol Bay. 

We look forward to seeing our fishing friends at PASA next week and to catching up on fishing stories. 

Ya Mon - Over fifty volunteers organized by Won by One to Jamaica, a non-profit Christian mission group, will be traveling to the mountain town of Harmons, Jamaica the last week of February.  Rusty and Walker will be joining them. This is Rusty’s second trip and he is anxious to share the experience with all of us. Walker just happens to be the first.


For nearly twenty years the dedicated Won by One to Jamaica folks have impacted many lives.  Not a minute is wasted, nor a penny squandered, as this well-oiled machine ministers in many ways to the Jamaican community. Building houses, teaching school, and offering medical assistance are a few examples.  


Every American taking the trip packs two fifty-pound suitcases full of items needed by the people of Harmons. Every ounce is shared including the baggage; the workers return with only the clothes on their backs.  


The list of needed items is extensive.  A sewing machine will provide income for a mother and her family, brown and black school shoes will assist a child to attend school, and clean infant clothes will promote healthy babies.  


Rusty and Walker are collecting things and it occurred to them to give up some of their stuff, instead of going to the Buy-it-All marts.  This concept is reinforced in a book called The New Friars by Scott Bessenecker. 


The author points out that third world children working fifteen hour days in clothing factories are making less than two U.S. dollars a day.  Conversely, corporate CEOs enjoy eighty thousand dollars a day.  Nearly half of the 2.8 billion workers in this world make less than two dollars a day.  Buying cheap stuff (made by these workers) even if it is given back to them, perpetuates poverty.  


A twenty minute film clip, www.storyofstuff.com, shows that 95% of what Americans buy ends up in the landfill within six months.  When we reuse this stuff -- the prepackaging waste, the extraction of natural resources, and the factory pollutants are all reduced.  


Ironically, we live in a world that is dying from both being stuffed and starved. We find ourselves overweight with homes filled with duplicate items especially clothing that would last us months, without even wearing the same thing twice in that time frame.  In places like Jamaica, these hungry folks would do so much better given the tools, skills and knowledge to generate food and income without the influence of corporate America.  


If you would like to simplify your life, consider giving away some stuff.  The first century Christian church described in the book of Acts tells of Christ followers selling their possessions and giving to anyone in need.  


Check out Quiet Creek Corner on www.quietcreekherbfarm.org for a complete list to lighten your load and help Rusty and Walker’s load up for their trip to Jamaica.  

Please consider sending these used items (good quality):
1. Children’s clothing --#1 need
2. Black/brown heavy school shoes
3. Size sheets
4. Sewing machines in good working order
5. Infant clothing 
6. Tape measures
7. Composition notebooks
8. Backpacks
Feel free to drop off at 93 Quiet Creek Lane, Brookville, PA 15825

 There is a renewed interest in vegetable gardening.  Perhaps a generation has passed without exposure to hands-on lessons of this pleasure. Please allow us to share basic advice on our experience granted by our parents who lived the Victory Garden era.

Start small, if this is your first garden in awhile, or ever. No need to plow up the back forty acres. Go for quality, not quantity. A half dozen well-spaced, well cared for tomatoes will yield a greater harvest than twenty crowded, neglected, sprawling plants. 

Keep your garden as close to your kitchen as possible.  You’ll find you use and enjoy it more.  Next, choose vegetables you and your family will eat, that are adaptable to our growing zone, and are easy to maintain.  For example, Rusty has grown okra and artichokes, both with limited success because they need extra hot weather and they weren’t his favorites. Gardeners tend to baby the veggies they love. 

Choose seeds and plants wisely; there are numerous sources for heirloom and organic seeds.  “Heirloom” varieties are open-pollinated meaning their offspring will produce seed that mimics the parent plant. It also means the seeds have been passed down through many generations because of their great flavor.  Using heirlooms may not give you the ability to ship the produce 3000 miles across the country, so more for you and the local market.  

Hybrids are fine to grow. They are defined as two varieties of the same species cross-pollinated.  The only drawback, if you are a seed saver, is that their seed will revert back to one of their parents and/or grandparents. 

Genetically modified (GM) seeds have been spliced with genes from other species and/or other kingdoms. The health risk to humans of ingesting GM seeds and/or eating animals consuming GM seeds is a possible cause for inflammation (heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and some cancers). 

Look for the “Safe Seed Pledge” in the front of the catalog or on the website.  These companies vow to keep genetically modified seed out of their inventory, although research is showing this is becoming a difficult task. What a great reason for all of us to collect our own seed, if possible. The  label “certified organic” will guarantee no GMs. 

Stay away from fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides on and around your seeds.  Instead, be proactive with garden pests. Try fencing off your garden from large pests – rabbits and deer.  Row cover helps rid the smaller ones, such as whitefly and flea beetle.  Companion plant orange/yellow flowers, marigold or calendula, to attract beneficial insects that will eat the bad boys.  If you mulch with newspapers and cardboard, you will battle the weeds, conserve water, and attract earthworms. 

Please have fun, involve the entire family in planning, planting, and munching.  Preserve the excess and enjoy the fruits of your labor year round. 

Let that Sink In!  Thirteen seasons ago we began remodeling Quiet Creek with reusable items.  The large sliding door on the barn was replaced with two swinging doors removed from Great Aunt Martha’s garage from the 1960’s.   What gems! 

Their twelve panels of bubbled swirled glass reside next to the six pane door gifted by brother-in-law Joe.  The second floor of the barn enjoys a support beam from brother Frank’s one hundred year old log cabin. Thus the journey began --reusing and rebuilding. 

Mrs. “Sweet Thing” Willis offered some treasures from her attic and garage.  Three old doors and two sinks recently were pulled out of storage and became handy fixtures highly admired by all. 


Specifically, a corner sink, her husband Joe had saved from a hospital remodeling project, works perfectly in the shop.  The sink stamp reads March 16, 1954 which seemed ancient to Walker and Ashton, but Rusty felt young standing beside it. 


Sister Maryellen donated a sink that Rusty has been sizing up for the basement.  He’s not quite sure if he’ll install that one or the one he recently salvaged from his father’s barn.  The porcelain beauty came from his grandfather’s house with a stamp dating 10-27-99.  Knowing that it had been collecting pigeon excrement since 1980, the ’99 was a sure 1899.  Grandpa Orner renovated his bathroom in 1930; so it likely was removed from another after thirty years of suds.  

We predict five generations of hands will be washed in that sink, thanks to the “reusing” mentality of many folks. Let’s continue the legacy of passing down high quality items from one remodeling project to another.  

Our first born and his Dad just returned from a week in Jamaica.  This being Walker’s first trip to the island inspired Rusty to guide his soon-to-be eleven year old into manhood by teaching him how to serve God’s people.

The two joined sixty joyful folks lovingly organized by Won by One to Jamaica, a hands-on mission group who has been helping the Jamaican people for over twenty years.  

After traveling three hours up the mountainous trail, Rusty and Walker befriended a tall thin Jamaica named Jerry who ran up an orange tree and threw down fresh fruit.  Jerry borrowed his aunt’s knife who was sitting on a bucket cutting yams.  The knife spiraled the fruit into bite size treasures causing Walker to remark, “Oh my gosh, this is good!”  Jerry’s bright white smile about split his face in two.  This was the beginning of the fruit-of-the-day club. 

Later that night he brought his younger brothers to the Harmony House, where the Americans were staying.  Here Rusty purchased ice cream for the boys from “Creamy” who uses his income to send his daughters to school. 

The next morning Jerry was patiently waiting with two green coconuts to quench the crew’s thirst while building two green houses.  These structures will be used by the locals to grow vegetables without the destruction of heavy rains. 

He expertly macheted the nut, whacking off the outer husk, clipped a nib off the end, and handed it to Walker who kindly repeated his enthusiasm and faithfully continued carrying maul (heavy limestone) up the hill to the construction site.

Rusty bartered a trail mix of raisins and peanuts for the refreshment and gladly provided more when bulging bags of grapefruit from Jerry’s buddy, Garnet, arrived after a long hot sweaty day of building two regular houses for Jamaican residents. 

Walker loves grapefruit, even the bitter kind, but this fruit was bursting with sweetness serving the group with many nutritious breakfasts and snacks.  His spiritual level was overflowing as well, especially, when visiting with the infirmary. 

This is where the sick that have no family are hospitalized.  There Walker sang Amazing Grace, read scripture, and prayed with these smiling, destitute invalids.   He even made sure Gavin, a prisoner who had his Bible stolen, was awarded a new one. 

More trips into the mountainous jungle offered our weary workers papaya and bananas plus many more opportunities to share God’s love with such warm and genuine people. 

Walker was touched by the generosity and the love of his new friends.  He found true peace and happiness in people who are the poorest in material things.  He discovered that hard work can be really rewarding.  He felt blessed by his wealth in God’s love. 

Even after eighteen hours in the air and airports our little boy never lost his self-control as he stepped into manhood.  The fruit of the spirit was flowing super sweet and extra juicy this past week.  Thank you to all who helped share God’s fruit. 

Our youngest turned eight this week.  We’re sure it was just yesterday that Rusty caught this bundle of joy as he made his world debut.  Claire witnessed bewilderment on his proud papa’s face that special day, March 9, 2001.  Our midwife Mary and Rusty were speechless, so his mother announced, “He’s a boy!”

Everyone had anticipated a girl, so when “Bailey Kate” arrived as “Ashton Grey” there was a lot of convincing taking place.  Eight years later there is no doubt, he is all boy.

This kid hit the ground running and has never slowed down.  He doesn’t even stop to put on his shoes.  When winter teased us with near seventy degree weather last week, Ashton was leaving bare footprints in the mud and snow. 

Often we catch glimpses of him on your computer screen saver, an accumulation of photographs taken over the past eight years.  The majority of the photos depict our towhead climbing trees.  If we totaled all of Ashton’s waking hours, more than half would prove to be spent in the air.  We find him in our eighty foot hemlock, the kiwi trellis, the white pines, and/or on top of the roof. 

While Rusty views trees as potential building material or firewood, Ashton sees them as something to explore.  No matter what the occasion, where we are, or what he is wearing, if Ashton can touch it -- he climbs it.  This bothered his parents at first, until Irene, a veteran of two energetic boys, shared “the ground hasn’t missed catching one yet.”

We know our Tom Sawyer who loves pocket knives, rocks, and toads is growing fast.   We’re thankful for the guardian angel who has worked overtime since his birth.

In eight more years, this lad will be driving, in another eight he may be married, finishing college, and climbing Mount Rainer.  We won’t rush any of these years, they come fast enough.  For now, we’ll enjoy him as a precious gift and allow him to be the boy God created. 

Rusty spent last week showing, Alice and Kevin, Quiet Creek’s newest apprentice couple, the ABC’s of maple sugaring.  To begin the lesson, the A’s consisted of acquiring tools, appropriate atmospheric conditions, accumulating sap, and the unplanned accident. 

Rusty’s dad contributed his three by five foot evaporating pan, as well as a hand brace for drilling holes in the maple trees.  The crew acquired tubing and connectors from the plumbing shop and glass gallon jars from Angelo’s Pizza. 

The appropriate weather appeared, a cold night followed by a warm day, causing all of our juices to begin flowing (especially the maples).  We headed to the woods with our wares when Ashton tripped sailing a gallon jar.  It picked the only rocky spot on the path and it crashed.  No one was injured, and we graciously accepted the lessening of one of our taps. 

Ashton’s accident was a blessing in disguise as we attempted to push a dull drill bit into a tree.  The progress was slow but steady; fifteen minutes later sap was drip, drip, dripping into the bottom of the jar.  Six taps later and almost dark, we tucked the boys into bed with visions of pancakes soaked in syrup dancing in their heads. 

Alice and Ashton joyfully accumulated several gallons and stored them in our refrigerator ready for Saturday slated for ‘B’oiling day.  A cement block pit with metal roof was erected with hot coals from the wood burner.  Even in the pouring rain the sap in the evaporating pan began to steam.  Alice continued to add her collection, but by evening we were down to half a pan.

We charged up the fire with new wood and went to bed.  At five thirty a.m. Rusty awoke to check the process and here begins ‘C’onsternation. 

As he approached the site he noticed a sweet burnt smell and said, “Crud!”  The liquid had evaporated completely, even with the fire out.  The center of the pan was crispy but the outside perimeter was crystallized candy caramel. 

The trees are still flowing and we anticipate more chances to produce maple syrup, until then, we love the sweet ‘D’elight found from our ABC sugar adventure. 

It appears that neither the calendar, nor the neighboring groundhog, is needed to know that spring has arrived. In fact, the world-renowned weather rodent has been sighted sunning himself in the field and playing chicken on the road. 

Signs of spring are everywhere. Rusty heard the ‘pete’ of the woodcock; this is his mating whistle spiraling in the air. The robins are flitting here and there. The red-winged blackbirds and multiple Vs of the Canada goose are high and low. Even the bees are out collecting nectar.

You may ask, what is flowering in March? Dale, our bee keeping friend, dropped by to see how our hive survived winter and he mentioned that skunk cabbage is the first flower to provide food to the honeybee here in western Pennsylvania.

Sure enough, when we hiked Quiet Creek’s nature trail last week, Walker excitedly spotted the purple cone poking through the dried  leaves on the forest floor with his favorite insect doing her work.  Nearby, the dandelion look-a-like, Coltsfoot, is showing its bright yellow face. Tulips, daffodils, and crocus are following in its footsteps.

Each spring we anxiously await the sound of peepers, an early morning turkey gobble, and the peewees pee weeing. It is time for new beginnings, another chance at a garden of fruit, vegetables, and flowers.  In addition, we can count on Rusty asking his annual question, “Why do we spend all winter chipping ice and cutting wood?”

The answer is quickly revealed; we step outside and take a deep breath of fresh, spring air. Spring has come to Quiet Creek!