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Microwave meals

sbradford — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:14:20 +0000

Microwave meals

May 1, 2026

No need to waste precious time in the kitchen - these quick, microwavable recipes keep meal prep to a minimum: Microwave Meatloaf (with two sides!), 5-Minute French Toast, Omelet Anytime, and Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo.

Microwave Meatloaf (with Two Sides)

Yield

4 Servings

Preparation time

10 minutes

Cooking time

21 minutes

Total time

31 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large egg

1⁄4 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon onion soup mix (stir before measuring)

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

3 tablespoons thick BBQ sauce (divided)

1 1⁄2 cups water

2⁄3 cup milk or water

1 teaspoon garlic salt (divided)

1 1⁄2 cups instant mashed potato flakes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large crown of broccoli

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together beef, egg, breadcrumbs, soup mix, mustard, and 1 tablespoon of the BBQ sauce. Shape meat mixture into a loaf and place in a lightly greased, microwave-safe casserole dish or loaf pan. Cover dish with a microwave-safe lid or plate and microwave on high 9 to 12 minutes, until the center reaches 160 F. Keep covered and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine water, milk, and a ½ teaspoon of the garlic salt. Stir in potato flakes until just moistened and top with butter. Cover bowl with a microwave-safe plate and microwave 3½ minutes on high. Carefully remove from microwave and fluff potatoes with fork while mixing in the melted butter. Cover and set aside. Place broccoli stem-side down into a microwave-safe mixing bowl with 2 inches of water in the bottom. Microwave on high 6 to 8 minutes, until the thickest part is easily pierced with a fork. With tongs, transfer broccoli to a serving bowl and cut into pieces with a knife and fork.

Glaze meatloaf with remaining 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce; cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Slice meatloaf. Sprinkle mashed potatoes and broccoli with remaining ½ teaspoon garlic salt; serve hot.

Notes

NOTES: Jazz up the vegetables with cheese sauce, gravy, or a drizzle of BBQ sauce. Use a towel or oven mitts — the dishes will be hot!

Per serving: 476 calories, 21 grams fat (9 grams saturated fat), 42 grams total carbohydrates, 140 milligrams cholesterol, 1,038 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber, 33 grams protein.

5-Minute French Toast

Yield

2 Servings

Preparation time

4 minutes

Cooking time

1 minute

Total time

5 minutes

Ingredients

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk*

1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sugar, honey, agave syrup)

2 1⁄2 cups cubed bread**

Optional Ingredients

Additional Ingredients

Powdered sugar, fruit, maple syrup

Instructions

*Any milk you have on hand will do, including sweetened and vanilla-flavored milk alternatives. **Rustic, crusty, and sturdy breads will retain more texture than soft, squishy breads in the microwave.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sweetener with a fork. Add bread cubes and toss with fork to thoroughly coat. If there’s excess egg mixture at the bottom, add a few more bread cubes until fully soaked up. Split between two microwave-safe mugs or bowls. Microwave 45 seconds, stir, then cook in 15-second increments until bread is no longer shiny. Protect hands with a towel to remove from microwave. Let cool slightly before topping with powdered sugar, fruit, and/or a drizzle of maple syrup (optional).

Notes

Per serving (not including toppings): 256 calories, 6 grams fat (0 grams saturated fat), 39 gram total carbohydrates, 94 milligrams cholesterol, 393 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber, 11 grams protein.

Omelet Anytime

Yield

1 Servings

Preparation time

3 minutes

Cooking time

2 minutes

Total time

5 minutes

Ingredients

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons water

1 dash salt and pepper

1 tablespoon mix-ins*

Instructions

*Omelets are versatile, with countless cheese, meat, vegetable, herb, and seasoning combinations to choose from. Omelets shown have Parmesan pesto, goat cheese and spinach, and cheddar and salsa.

In a small bowl, thoroughly whisk together eggs, water, salt, and pepper. Add mix-ins, whisking once more. Coat a 2-cup microwave-safe mug or bowl with cooking spray (the eggs will puff up to almost 3 times their size). Pour in egg mixture. Lightly cover with a microwave-safe plate or lid (don’t seal; steam should escape) and microwave on high, checking doneness in 30-second increments, until eggs are fully opaque. Use a towel or oven mitt — the dish will be hot! Let cool slightly before eating.

Notes

Per serving (not including mix-ins): 143 calories, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 1 gram total carbohydrates, 372 milligrams cholesterol, 266 milligrams sodium, 0 grams fiber, 13 grams protein.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Alfredo

Yield

2 Servings

Preparation time

5 minutes

Cooking time

20 minutes

Total time

25 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds spaghetti squash

4 tablespoons water

8 ounces precooked chicken*

7 ounces Alfredo sauce

1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan

minced parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

*Diced grilled chicken shown, or use rotisserie, baked, or canned chicken.

Pierce exterior skin of squash with fork 6 to 10 times. With a sharp knife, cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and ribbing. Place one half hollow side down in a microwave-safe dish with lid (such as CorningWare) along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook 8 to 12 minutes, until fork easily pierces all the way through the flesh. Set aside to cool and repeat process with the second squash half.

Spread chicken pieces onto a microwave-safe plate and microwave until warmed through but not piping hot. (Time will depend on size of pieces and if chicken is frozen.) Meanwhile, scrape the inside of the spaghetti squash with a fork to create “noodles,” transferring the strings to two microwave-safe bowls. Split the Alfredo sauce and warmed chicken between the bowls; toss with fork to coat, then top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Microwave each bowl until cheese has melted and dish is hot throughout. Garnish with parsley (optional). Makes two meals or four side-dish servings.

Notes

NOTE: If you don’t have a microwave-safe dish with lid to fit the spaghetti squash, try placing a microwave-safe plate on top. Otherwise, cook uncovered but double the water and expect it to take longer to cook.

Per serving: 584 calories, 34 grams fat (16 grams saturated fat), 28 grams total carbohydrates, 154 milligrams cholesterol, 657 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber, 42 grams protein.

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Service and Sacrifice

cwhitney — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:38:22 +0000

Service and Sacrifice

November 18, 2025

Robyn Tate

Local veterans take Honor Trip to D.C.

Their journeys span continents and conflicts, from the battlefields of Europe during World War II and the jungles of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War to the deserts of Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. But one element shared by more than 160 local veterans who have participated in the HolmesWayne Community Honor Trip through the years istheir love for the United States of America. Their service,sacrifice, and stories are woven together by a commonthread of patriotism and duty.For the seventh time since the inaugural journey in 2016, a bus departed from the Shreve American Legion Post 67 on Friday, Sept. 26, at 7:00 a.m. sharp to travel the nearly 400 miles to the nation’s capital to honor the veterans aboard with a trip of a lifetime — visiting the national monuments and memorials dedicated to their service. The initial phase of this three-day trip is typically quiet, as nervous excitement and anticipation fill the air. By the first stop at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, new friendships are forming and the strong bonds created by this trip are beginning to take shape. These bonds unite individuals who have walked similar paths, even if they were at different times and places. By nightfall, there are no longer strangers among the group as veteran and guardian participants begin their journey through the memorials honoring our nation’s history. Softly illuminated at night, the Air Force and Pentagon memorials reveal a different splendor, one that resonates deeply with the stories and sacrifices they commemorate. As the group prepares for much-needed rest Friday evening, a sense of anticipation fills the air. The first stop in the morning will be the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. For many, it will be their first time visiting the black granite walls, where the names of more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives or remain missing are etched permanently in history. Nestled between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument along Constitution Avenue, this two-acre site is one that can elicit an array of emotions — anger, sadness, peace, and perhaps a sense of pride. Some choose to silently observe the names of their comrades, some take paper and pencil and gently rub over the name of a lost friend, and some are greeted for the first time with a “welcome home” — words they waited nearly a half a century to hear. For many, this is the most emotion-invoking stop on the trip, but one that allows a sense of peace and healing from thoughts and feelings that have been stored away, deep down inside, for years. For John Pumneo, a Vietnam veteran from Marshallville, finding the names of four family and friends from the Orrville area was a highlight of the trip. “It was humbling seeing all of the names on the wall and remembering the sacrifices made by so many,” he says. Etching the name of a close family friend, Dennis Flemming, will be a memory that he will hold near and dear to his heart and one that may not have been possible without the encouragement of his son-in-law and trip guardian, Nolan Hartzler. “I’m forever grateful to Nolan for encouraging me to participate in this incredible opportunity with my fellow veterans,” he says. “It’s been quite a moving experience.”

As the day crept on, the group made additional stops at various monuments strategically placed through the city: the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the U.S. Marines Corps Memorial, and the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, just to name a few. Each stop offered an opportunity to engage with history and reflect on the past. Each was a stark reminder that freedom is not free. “Everything about this trip has been memorable, from the new people that I have met to the time spent at the memorials; it could not be better,” says John Cannon, a Vietnam veteran from Ashland. “The opportunity to spend this time and share this experience with my grandsons, Cole Marley and Logan Asbury, is something I will never forget,” Cannon says. Cole was his grandfather’s guardian, while Logan, currently a sergeant in the U.S. Army and stationed in Fort Meade, Maryland, surprised his grandfather when the bus arrived in Washington on Friday.

After a day filled with mixed emotions, the group enjoyed an evening gathering at the Silver Diner, with its nostalgic 1950s theme. The chrome accents, red leather booths, and vintage jukeboxes transported the veterans back in time, offering a comforting and familiar atmosphere. This diner was more than just a place to eat; it was a place where stories of the past mingled with the present, providing an opportunity to unwind before the next day’s adventures.

Early Sunday morning, the group descended upon Arlington National Cemetery in their matching Honor Trip shirts — guardians in red and veterans in blue —showing solidarity for their new friends participating in the solemn tradition of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The wreath, on behalf of all area veterans, was offered in silence by Daniel Flory, Charlie Kiper, Mike Hufford, and Jim Cannon in honor of unidentified U.S. service members who died in combat.

Besides the wreath presentation, one of the most memorable aspects of visiting the tomb was witnessing the Changing of the Guard ceremony performed by the Sentinels of the 3rd U.S. Infantry regiment, known as the “The Old Guard.” The click of the sentinels’ shoes on the marble surface, the white-glove inspection, and passing of orders from one sentinel to the next all contribute to an atmosphere of profound respect.

As the group of new friends boarded the bus to begin their journey home, little did they know that an alreadymemorable day was about to get even better. A long overdue “welcome home” awaited them.

Back home, friends, family, and community members gathered with excitement. American flags waved in the breeze and colorful welcome home signs decorated the heart of downtown Shreve. Emotions were high as the bus crested the train tracks guided by their fire, police, and motorcycle escorts — our heroes were finally home!

The group was met with tears, hugs, and many thanks for their service. A brief ceremony included posting of colors by the Shreve American Legion Honor Guard, a welcome from Holmes-Wayne President/CEO Glenn Miller, and moving words of thanks from Shreve Mayor Josiah Martin and retired congressman Bob Gibbs. To end the night, each veteran was individually honored with a certificate of congressional recognition from the offices of congressmen Troy Balderson and Max Miller.

Whether they received a Bronze Star or a Purple Heart, served in active duty or during peacetime, each veteran on this trip was deserving of this recognition and honor.

The community shared the message loud and clear: “Welcome home, veterans. We are glad to have you back.”

If you are interested in supporting or participating in the Holmes-Wayne Community Honor Trip, please contact us toll-free at 866-674-1055 or visit the Honor Trip page on our website.

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Local Story Test Post

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 19:12:03 +0000

Local Story Test Post

November 13, 2025

Sean Walker

In the early 19th century, public city parks were virtually nonexistent. That doesn’t mean, however, that there was no green space in urban areas.

In fact, cemeteries were commonly found within the city limits of even the largest of cities. Most were in churchyards, where bodies were lined up with soldier-like precision to make the most efficient use of available land.

Around that time, Europe embraced a different concept. Instead of a precise grid of graves lined up row by endless, nondescript row and sometimes even stacked upon one another, “garden cemeteries” were designed with trees, ponds, and winding paths. They became places where the living could enjoy a visit, a stroll — even a picnic if they wished.

The trend quickly made it across the pond, and parklike cemeteries began popping up in the eastern U.S. and, before long, in Ohio.

Visit your local cooperative at [selected_context:field_cooperative:entity:field_web_site_url:url], located in [selected_context:field_cooperative:entity:city], [selected_context:field_cooperative:entity:state].

Ohio’s urban garden cemeteries are some of the country’s most distinctive memorial parks, and stunning examples can be found in nearly every population center. Here are three that are particularly outstanding and accessible.

Lake View Cemetery

Garden cemeteries like Cleveland’s Lake View “were made for the living,” says CEO Katharine Goss. Early on, though, only people who owned burial lots could enter Lake View, founded in 1868. A ticket booth stood at the entrance. Now anyone is welcome to visit, and anyone may be interred there.

“Lake View is an all-walks-of-life place,” Goss says.

One of Lake View’s most appealing aspects, Goss says, is the “natural layout … winding roads, big tree canopies. You walk in and you immediately feel your blood pressure go down.”

Lake View’s 285 acres include a large pond, where people may choose to scatter ashes; Daffodil Hill, site of 150,000 daffodils; and walking paths and trails.

The cemetery hosts many events, including concerts, 5Ks, trolley tours, and twilight tours of “Millionaires Row,” whose occupants include Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, the nation’s first billionaire. (Rockefeller’s obelisk is Lake View’s tallest memorial.) Seasonal programs, such as an October Owl Prowl and a December Winter Walk, also are offered.

Lake View memorial adviser Petronella Ragland says the cemetery is welcoming and busy. “People walk their dogs
here, they run, they walk,” Ragland says. (Bicycles, however, aren’t permitted.)

The Haserot Angel, which honors businessman and prominent Clevelander Francis Haserot, appears to be weeping black tears. Weathering is the scientific explanation for the bronze figure’s tears, but visitors nevertheless are startled and moved by the statue.

Disc jockey Alan Freed, credited with coining the term “rock and roll,” is memorialized with an intricately carved jukebox. Garret Morgan, inventor of the three-color traffic light and the gas mask, is at Lake View, as is Eliot Ness, the Prohibition officer who brought down Al Capone.

Two steps from Ness is underground comic book artist Harvey Pekar. His grave is blanketed by colorful pens and markers, each poked point-first into the soil.

The display is a spontaneous tribute by the artist’s friends and fans, Goss says. Groundskeepers try to keep leaves and other natural debris from tangling in the pens, but Goss gives Pekar’s widow primary credit for keeping the site tidy.

Raymond Chapman’s memorial also is laden with mementoes. Chapman, who played major league baseball for the then-Cleveland Indians, died when he was hit by a pitch in 1920. He remains the only major league player to be killed during a game.

Chapman’s fans leave many items on his stone. Caps, baseballs, coins, and a Beatles CD were there recently. Cemetery groundskeepers understand fans’ impulse to leave something. They also understand why others take things away.

Visitors don’t swipe mementoes out of malice, Goss
says. They take them for the same reason others left them: because they cherish Chapman’s memory and want a keepsake.

Lake View Cemetery, 12316 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106. Open 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. from November through the end of March and 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. from April through the end of October. 216-421-2665, www.lakeviewcemetery.com.

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum

The Cincinnati Horticultural Club chartered Spring Grove’s 220 acres in 1845, and future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Salmon P. Chase, who’s interred at Spring Grove, helped prepare the cemetery’s charter.

For the cemetery’s first 10 years, lot owners tended their own family plots, which made for quite the cluttered look. A new superintendent came on board in 1855, however, and “changed the flavor” of Spring Grove by removing graveside decorations, private plantings, and even fences, says Debbie Brandt, docent liaison at Spring Grove.

He also drained a swampy area, created ponds, and “opened up the vistas,” Brandt says. Visitors in the Victorian Age soon flocked to Spring Grove to see and be seen.

Two of Spring Grove’s more notable spots are a pair of chapels: the Dexter Chapel and Mausoleum, designed to resemble Paris’ La Sainte-Chapelle but never completed despite a staggering $100,000 being spent on it; and the Gothic Norman Chapel, built in 1880 and still the site of funerals, weddings, and even concerts.

Architect Samuel Hannaford, known as “the man who built Cincinnati,” is interred at Spring Grove, along with several names familiar to retail junkies, including Shillitos, McAlpins, and Kroger. Both William Procter and James Gamble are there; Procter’s grave is modest and unassuming, while Gamble’s features a towering obelisk. Brandt theorizes that Procter’s first wife died, and the family lot was created, before the company had risen to obelisk-worthy success.

Also at Spring Grove: mattress manufacturers George Stearns and Seth Foster; yeast maker, Cincinnati mayor, and Reds owner Julius Fleischmann; third baseman Henry Knight “Heinie” Groh, who played from 1912 to 1927, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants; and, maybe, George Turner’s dog.

A story claims that Turner’s dog, Old Man, was buried with his master, thanks to an amiable superintendent. Brandt notes that Ohio law forbids animals from being interred in human cemeteries and no records verify the story. “So I can’t say yes or no,” she says.

Living dogs, normally also forbidden on the grounds, are welcome each Dog Day, held on the fourth Sunday in June. Other events include an annual Lantern Lighting, when participants send paper lanterns, illuminated by tea candles, afloat on a pond, and an annual car show in October. Brandt says 25 docents lead tours — on foot, by golf cart, or on trams — that focus on topics such as history and heritage, the cemetery’s circus connections, or “Movers and Shakers of Cincinnati.” One of the most popular is the Beer Barons Tour in August, featuring well-known brewers such as Christian Moerlein.

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45232. Open 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. daily. 513-681-7526, www.springgrove.org.

Green Lawn Cemetery

When Green Lawn Cemetery opened in Columbus in 1849, occupants of older nearby graveyards were relocated there. Adrianne Reese, a Green Lawn family service adviser, says those existing urban burial grounds had been overcrowded and landlocked, so “everybody was moved over here.”

Green Lawn was chartered during a cholera outbreak. First to be interred was cholera victim Leonora Perry, 7, who was buried two days before the cemetery’s grand opening. Another cholera victim, Dr. Benjamin Gard, who contracted the disease while tending patients at the penitentiary, soon followed.

Howard Daniels designed the cemetery to complement the site’s natural beauty. It’s a registered arboretum and is an Ohio Audubon Important Bird Area.

Randy Rogers, Green Lawn Cemetery Association executive director and a tireless cemetery worker, praises Daniels and his foresight.

“We’re unique,” Rogers says. “We still preserve 200-year-old trees that had been preserved by ranchers” who owned the land before Green Lawn existed.

Green Lawn’s 360 acres are home to five Medal of Honor recipients, five governors, and 6,000 veterans.

Writer and cartoonist James Thurber’s marker is flush with the ground, as are those of his family. The only monument in the plot honors a Thurber dog, Muggs, who was immortalized in Thurber’s story, “The Dog That Bit People.” A sculpture of Muggs, looking peevish, is above the engraving, “Nobody knew exactly what was the matter with him. Cave Canem.”

“Little Georgie” is another well-loved grave. George Blount was 5 years old in 1873 when he fell off a banister and hit his head on a stove. His memorial shows him sitting, one leg tucked under the other, a cap in his lap. Visitors once dressed the statue in scarves and hats in cold weather. Now, Green Lawn asks donors to bring such items to the office, to be donated, instead.

For years, Georgie was thought to be interred alone, Rogers says. Recently, however, his father’s military grave was found behind the child’s monument and his mother is in an unmarked grave next to him.

World War I fighter pilot Eddie Rickenbacker is at Green Lawn, as are Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes; Samuel P. Bush, grandfather of President George H. W. Bush; Peter Sells, a Sells Circus co-owner; and Gordon Battelle, founder of Battelle Memorial Institute.

Green Lawn Cemetery, 1000 Greenlawn Ave., Columbus, OH 43223. Open 7 a.m.–7 p.m. in the summer and 7 a.m.–5 p.m. in the winter. 614-444-1123, www.greenlawncemetery.org.

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Discovered!

sbradford — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:33:24 +0000

Discovered!

August 1, 2025

W.H. Chip Gross

Woods, Waters & Wildlife

On Aug. 30, 1892 (133 years ago this month), the steel freighter Western Reserve went down during a furious gale on the Great Lakes, taking 27 souls with her.

The 300-foot steamer remained hidden from that day until just last summer, when it was located 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, on the far eastern end of Lake Superior, by members of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The find was not made public until March 10 of this year, after the society had formally contacted the descendants of its owner, Capt. Peter G. Minch, who was one of the casualties along with his wife, Anna, and their children, Charlie, age 9, and Florence, age 6, as well as Anna’s sister, Mary Englebry, and her daughter, Bertha, age 10.

Though the tragedy happened on Lake Superior, the most northerly, largest, and deepest of the Five Sisters, the story has many ties to the Buckeye State.

First, of course, is its name, which honored the historic 3-million-acre tract of land in northeast Ohio that was once claimed, or “reserved,” by the state of Connecticut. The ship, one of the first lake freighters built entirely of steel plate, was constructed by the Cleveland Shipbuilding Company in 1890. And Minch, the millionaire shipping magnate, was born near Erie, Ohio, in 1842. The Western Reserve was the pride of his fleet; the ship was so fast, it earned the nickname “the inland greyhound.”

So it was in August — one of the least likely months of the year for major storms on the lakes — that Minch decided to treat his family to some relief from the heat and humidity of a Midwest summer by taking them on a cruise aboard his famous freighter. The ship was scheduled to travel from Cleveland to Two Harbors, Minnesota, where it would pick up a load of ore.

The journey went smoothly as the Western Reserve steamed across Lake Erie, up the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, and northward over Lake Huron to the
St. Marys River, which links to Whitefish Bay, the easternmost point of Lake Superior, at Sault Ste. Marie. But as they entered Whitefish Bay, the wind and weather began changing rapidly. Before long, the waves had grown to gigantic heights, and at about
9 p.m., the Western Reserve began breaking apart at the seams; it sank within only a few minutes.

Most of those aboard, miraculously, were able to abandon ship. Minch and his family escaped in a wooden lifeboat while the crew clambered into a second, metal lifeboat. The metal lifeboat quickly capsized, though two of the crew were able to somehow reach the wooden lifeboat and were
taken aboard.

The remaining lifeboat containing Minch, his family, and the two crew members drifted toward land for 10 hours throughout the night before it, too, capsized, about a mile from Lake Superior’s southeastern shore. Miraculously, one of the crew members — a wheelsman named Harry H. Stewart — survived to tell the tale.

“Every shipwreck has its own story, but some are just that much more tragic,” GLSHS executive director Bruce Lynn said as he announced the discovery. “It just reinforces how dangerous the Great Lakes can be — any time of year.”

At the time of the sinking, speculation was that the ship had been made of steel that was too brittle, causing the ship to twist in two on the tall waves. Two months after the disaster, the Western Reserve’s sister ship, W.H. Gilcher, which had
been built at the same time and with similar mill runs of steel plate, disappeared on Lake Michigan. The ensuing investigation led to changes in the types of maritime steel approved for use in American and Canadian shipbuilding.

Some 6,000 shipwrecks have occurred on the Great Lakes, with more than 30,000 people losing their lives. Lake Erie, the shallowest of the five lakes, has one of the highest concentrations of shipwrecks anywhere in the world. More than 2,000 ships have gone down on Erie, but only 400 of those wrecks have been located.

To make their discovery, the GLSHS team searched a grid pattern for two years, using both side-scanning sonar and a remotely operated vehicle. The wreck revealed that the Western Reserve had broken cleanly in two, the bow now resting atop the stern in 600 feet of water.

One final tie-in to the Buckeye State: The only artifact thus far recovered from the Western Reserve is a light (top photo), which is currently housed at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo (https://nmgl.org). A matching light seen by the remote vehicle was one of the ways the searchers confirmed they had found the ship.

W.H. “Chip” Gross is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor. Email him with your outdoors questions at whchipgross@gmail.com. Be sure to include “Ask Chip” in the subject of the email. Your question may be answered on www.ohiocoopliving.com!

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Chestnuts everywhere

sbradford — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:45:25 +0000

Chestnuts everywhere

December 1, 2024

James Proffitt

Co-op People

Greg Miller’s father, Jay, planted his first bunch of trees on 100 acres in Carroll County back in the middle of the last century.

North America’s once-thriving population of American chestnuts had all but disappeared from the landscape due to a blight at the turn of the 20th century, so he planted blight-resistant Chinese chestnuts.

“He also planted every kind of nut tree that would grow here — and some that wouldn’t,” says Miller, a member of Carroll Electric Cooperative. “He noticed the walnuts and hazels and almonds and everything else weren’t doing so well, but the chestnuts were.” So more land was acquired and in 1972, Jay and Greg planted 500 more Chinese chestnut seedlings, and the Empire Nut Company was born soon thereafter.

At one point, Miller says, a local coal company took note of all those nuts and briefly entered the chestnut game as a side-gig. It soon went bankrupt, however; the folks who bought up the land were looking for deer hunting sites rather than an agricultural specialty crop.

Eventually, though, all those trees began producing high volumes of nuts, and about 20 years ago, Miller began harvesting, processing, and selling the neighbors’ crops — and thus was born the Route 9 Cooperative. Currently, Route 9 processes and ships nuts from more than a half-dozen farms, including one in Kentucky.

Treasure vault

The Chinese trees produce a nut that’s well protected right up until its dangerously sharp, spiked pod opens. Miller says the porcupine-like pods keep animals from eating the nuts too soon, but they also make it difficult to collect the delicious morsels.

“Once they open and the nuts fall out, everything eats them,” Miller says “They’re very high in carbohydrates, have a pretty high sugar content, and are high in oil and protein, so animals love them — and when I say that, I mean everything with four legs eats them, and some with two legs.”

After falling from trees in autumn, they’re collected by hand for processing. They go onto a grading table, where odd nuts are culled (later turned into chestnut flour) and sorted.

Most of Route 9’s crop is destined for the kitchen. Despite the common belief they’re solely a Christmas season snack, they’re a consistent yearlong seller. The vast majority are purchased online and shipped around the country.

“They’re often roasted, but they can be eaten raw, too, and they’re also put in various dishes,” Miller says. “They’re delicious.”

The gathering

Each September, more than 100 residents of the area, mostly Amish, show up to work the peak harvest — which means gathering the nuts by hand or using a rolling metal basket on a pole called a Nut Wizard.

Some customers, however, aren’t interested in ordering online or buying chestnuts that have already been collected. Instead, they prefer to show up in rural Carrollton to get their own. Route 9’s self-service customers travel from Columbus, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and beyond to roam the hillside orchards gathering their own fresh-from-the-tree chestnuts.

“They’ll bring their kids out and enjoy just about the best time of year to be outside — late September, early October,” he says. “There’s something I think in humans’ nature: They love to gather things up. And yeah, people do it for fun.”

Huge, 25-pound bags are stored in giant walk-in coolers where they’re periodically hosed down with water while they await shipment. (Miller says they’re comparable to carrots in that you can eat them raw or cooked, and ideally you don’t want to let them dry out.)

Singular focus

In addition to selling chestnuts for snacking and cooking, Route 9 also sells nuts specifically harvested for seed planting, as well as small saplings. Miller also works with other chestnut varieties, including the European and Japanese trees, also grown for food, as well as several varieties planted for wildlife forage or for helping forest an area. That includes creating hybrid trees for specific uses like attracting wildlife.

But while some nut farmers have diversified their crops over the years, he’s found that the hilly, well-drained terrain around him is particularly suited to his specialty. “I just do chestnuts,” Miller says. “It was my father’s hobby. He planted his first trees in 1957 and I’m still doing it today.”

For information or to order, visit www.route9cooperative.com — though this year’s crop of culinary chestnuts is mostly sold out, the co-op is taking orders for fresh-peeled chestnuts, dry-peeled chestnuts, and chestnut flour, as well as seeds and seedlings.

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Ohio Cooperative Living's 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

sbradford — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 20:07:24 +0000

Ohio Cooperative Living's 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

November 1, 2024

Damaine Vonada

Features

Wrap up your shopping and sleigh the holidays this year with our gift guide’s selection of original, useful, and ingenious made-in-Ohio items, which will make it the most wonderful time of the year for everyone on your list.

Barb Barbee Jewelry, Delaware

At her home studio in Delaware, Worthington Craft Guild member Barb Barbee fashions jewelry using 14-karat gold-filled wire, sterling silver, freshwater pearls, and precious and semi-precious stones. Her holiday line has Christmas tree-shaped green malachite pendants; mother-of-pearl snowman earrings; and stunning Christmas spiders that channel an East European folktale.

614-206-5591; www.barbbarbeejewelry.com; Facebook: Barb Barbee Jewelry

Rubber City Soaps, Akron

Building fun and functionality into everything she makes, Gynnise Gilbert-Mills handcrafts soaps and novelty bath products like Snow Globe Bath Bombs, which feature glitter-filled bouncy balls and skin-softening cocoa butter. Peppermint-scented Miss Christmas is a cold-process soap with jolly red, pink, and white stripes, while her cupcake-shaped bath bombs conjure visions of sugar plums.

info@rubbercitysoaps.com; 330-800-0235; www.rubbercitysoaps.com

Cleveland Ketchup Co., Westlake

Matt and Lisa McMonagle started their condiment company in their kitchen with the goal of making ketchup that tastes great, has no high-fructose corn syrup, and is naturally gluten-free. Now they’ve expanded to add mustards and mayonnaise, and their products’ distinctive flavor profiles include Bacon and Bourbon Ketchup, Jalapeño Mustard, and Dill Mayo.

orders@clevelandketchup.com; 216-400-5212; www.clevelandketchup.com

Baqette, Cincinnati

Quinn Mcilhargey-Nicholson skillfully upcycles leather into luxurious handbags and accessories with luscious colors and lovely accents. Walnut and cherry handles that she designed give her Crescent Woodie bags a dash of panache, while her Party Bucket sports bespoke style with three mix-and-match options for straps: multicolor rope, leather in different lengths, and vintage glass beads that double as a necklace.

hello@baqette.com; www.baqette.com; instagram.com/baqette

Columbus Washboard Company, Logan

Founded in Columbus in 1895, the nation’s last washboard company is locally owned and operated in Logan, where a downtown building houses its factory, retail space, and antique washboard exhibits. The washboards are handmade from Ohio-grown poplar using tools and equipment dating to the 1800s. Give that person-who-has-everything their own rub-in-a-tub experience with time-honored washboards like the family-size MaidRite and pail-size Dubl Handi.

info@columbuswashboard.com; 740-380-3828; www.columbuswashboard.com

Perkie Prints, Columbus

Jonni Perkins specializes in turning mobile phone pictures of beloved pets into apparel and decorative items that their owners cherish. Hand-created and individually printed, her pet portrait products include coffee mugs, tote bags, throw pillow covers, and exclusive Pet-in-Pocket tees that are available in cropped or classic versions. And of course, Jonni’s holiday ornaments make paws-itively wonderful gifts.

hello@perkieprints.com; www.perkieprints.com

Possum Products, Newcomerstown

In his home’s basement workshop, Frontier Power Company member Russ Riggle hand-makes wooden toys that operate on brains rather than batteries. His materials all are sourced in the United States, and most of them come from Ohio. Besides his popular tractors and log trucks, Russ designs airplanes, trains, animals, and Bigfoot on wheels.

www.possumproductsllc.com

Lavender Meadows, Chillicothe

Vicki Wissler grows and hand-harvests 17 varieties of lavender on her century-old family farm. The South Central Power Company member then distills the essential oils to make lavender products ranging from room sprays and candles to body lotion and bath salts. Tip: For Christmas gifting, Vicki adorns her merchandise with little Santa hats and bells.

lavendermeadowsohio@gmail.com; 740-649-6148; www.lavendermeadowsohio.com

R & R Candles, Columbus

Brenda Recife’s small-batch candles are planet- and animal-friendly. She recycles and repurposes discarded beer, water, and soda cans into candle containers and donates a percentage of the candles’ proceeds to animal rescue groups. Tip: Use Brenda’s custom services to create a novel and memorable gift by choosing the candle’s container, label, type of wax, and fragrance.

rrcandles2@gmail.com; 614-600-7729; www.rrcandles.com

The Cat’s Meow Village, Wooster

For decades, Faline Jones has made small wooden replicas of structures and scenes that keep customers’ memories of events and places alive. Always displaying a black cat, her distinctive pieces cover national locales from Alabama’s state barn to Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, and they capture Ohio’s Yuletide season with merrily embellished models of landmarks such as the Marblehead Lighthouse and Hale Farm’s Meeting House.

cmv@catsmeow.com; 330-264-1377; www.catsmeow.com

Hooked by Angel, Grove City

A crochet hook, high-quality yarns, and plenty of imagination are the only things Angela Doherty needs as she designs and crafts adorable canine cup and mug cozies. Although her personal favorite is the Schnauzer, Angel’s cozies cover breeds from Australian cattle dogs to Yorkshire terriers with lots of “doodles” — including the Labradoodle, goldendoodle, and Bernedoodle — in between.

hookedbyangel@gmail.com; 614-395-3214; hookedbyangel.etsy.com

Sweet Memories Vintage Tees and Candy, Girard

Chock-full of retro sweets, toys, and proprietary T-shirts whose yummy themes include Good Humor bars, Dots, and Tootsie Rolls, Linda Barton’s retail store is a fun destination. Her special “Made in Ohio” box features candies from the state — think Spangler Circus Peanuts, Original Candy Buttons, and Waggoner Buckeye Bars — plus an Ohio “Home Sweet Home” tee.

info@sweetvintagetees.com; 330-759-3500; www.sweetvintagetees.com

That Dam Jam, Milford

Barbie Hahn’s versatile jams contain pineapple plus peppers picked by Ohio farmers. While all four flavors are sweet, they have varying levels of heat. Her Pineapple Yellow Pepper Jam is an “All Sweet, No Heat” product. Pineapple Jalapeño Jam tastes mildly spicy; bestselling Pineapple Habañero Jam delivers a kick; and Pineapple Ghost Pepper Jam packs a fiery punch.

513-310-0399; www.thatdamjam.com

Farmhouse Stoneware, Chardon

Making durable, practical, and artful pottery is a vocation Jim and Betsy Anderson have pursued for more than 30 years. The Andersons’ combination studio and showroom is in a barn behind their farmhouse, and their individually crafted wares are lead-free and microwave and oven safe. Bestsellers include clever microwave bacon and egg cookers; chicken roasters; apple bakers; and French butter keepers.

farmhousestoneware@windstream.net; 440-286-1100; www.farmhousestoneware.com

The Oak Barrel Company, Berlin

In the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative member Chris Deffenbaugh makes unique household furnishings from used oak barrels. His bestsellers include handsome barrel sinks and leather-topped ottomans, and his serving trays and lazy servers can be personalized with a family name or crest. Tip: His Berlin retail store has gift items starting at $5.

chris@theoakbarrelcompany.com; 330-466-0636; www.theoakbarrelcompany.com

Tickled Sweet, Milford

Chocolatier Bambi Merz loves candy, and thanks to her passion for high-quality sweets, her downtown Milford shop is a delectable destination. Among Bambi’s many fine confections are supersized “Galapagos” turtles; chocolate bark with festive flavors such as pumpkin spice and peppermint; and 40 kinds of fudge that encompass everything from traditional chocolate to trendy orange cream.

bambi@tickledsweet.net; 513-880-4169; www.tickledsweet.net

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Splinters from Ohio's ‘Presidential timber’

sbradford — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:28:29 +0000

Splinters from Ohio's ‘Presidential timber’

November 1, 2024

Damaine Vonada

Features

Of the 46 individuals who served as U.S. president before this month’s election, eight came from Ohio — more than any other state — inspiring the nickname “Mother of Presidents.” This presidential election month is the perfect time to ponder the influence (in matters great and small) of Ohioans who occupied the nation’s highest office.

William Henry Harrison

The Whigs picked Harrison and Virginia Sen. John Tyler to top their 1840 ticket. Their campaign slogan — “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!” — reminded voters that the Ohioan had defeated Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe. His supporters pushed a giant ball of paper and tin, plastered with pro-Harrison messages, from town to town, generating publicity and ushering a new phrase into America’s lexicon: “Keep the ball rolling.” Harrison, the nation’s ninth president, died of pneumonia a month into his term.

Rutherford B. Hayes

After the abandoned British ship HMS Resolute was discovered adrift by an American whaler in 1855, Congress allotted funds to return her to Queen Victoria as a goodwill gesture. Victoria reciprocated in 1880 by presenting then-President Hayes, the 19th president, with a handsome desk made from Resolute’s timbers. Upon its arrival in the White House, Hayes famously wrote a thank-you note on the Resolute desk, and it has been used by every president since then, with the exceptions of Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.

Benjamin Harrison

The 23rd president was born on his grandfather William Henry Harrison’s North Bend farm with a remarkable political pedigree: not only had his grandfather been president, but his great-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence and his father was a U.S. Congressman. Benjamin was a prominent attorney before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1880, and during his presidential run in 1888, he cannily revived his grandfather’s publicity stunt by replicating the 1840 “victory ball” and rolling it state to state for some 5,000 miles.

William Howard Taft

The only person to serve as both U.S. president (the 27th) and chief justice of the Supreme Court, Taft was also a lifelong baseball fan, and started the presidential tradition of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on Major League Baseball’s opening day. On April 14, 1910, at a game between the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics, he tossed a baseball to Senators pitcher (and future Hall of Famer) Walter Johnson, and then watched from the first row as the home team beat the Athletics, 3–0.

Ulysses S. Grant

The U.S. Army’s first four-star general and the 18th U.S. president was born in Point Pleasant and raised in Georgetown. After winning the Civil War and serving two terms as President, he retired to New York City, where an unscrupulous business partner ruined him financially. To provide for his family, he wrote his autobiography, The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, finishing it just days before he died in 1885. Mark Twain, who admired Grant, arranged to have it published, and it is still regarded as a masterpiece of unadorned American prose.

James Garfield

When Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881, only months after he had taken office as the 20th president, telegraph wires and newspapers carried the grim news, instigating a protracted death watch that’s considered the first mass-media event. Physicians’ futile attempts to find the bullet riveted the nation — even Alexander Graham Bell tried to help by developing a rudimentary metal detector. Garfield’s struggle finally ended in September, when he died of an infection likely caused by doctors probing his wound with unwashed and unsterilized hands.

William McKinley

McKinley, who was born in Niles, established a law practice in Canton. In 1876, he ran for Congress against Levi Lamborn, a horticulturist from Alliance who bred carnations, and whenever they debated, Lamborn gave McKinley a red carnation. When he was elected the 25th President in 1896, McKinley considered red carnations his good luck charm, habitually wearing them as boutonnieres. On Sept. 6, 1901, moments after he had removed the red carnation from his lapel and given it to a little girl, an anarchist assassinated him.

Warren G. Harding

Harding, campaigning from his Marion home following World War I, promised a “return to normalcy.” But, because the Senate never ratified the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, the nation was still officially at war when he became the 29th president in 1921. Congress passed a resolution ending U.S.-German hostilities that year, and four months later, Harding symbolically ended the war’s horrors when he dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and delivered a poignant speech eulogizing America’s heroic dead.

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The Indian art of Robert Griffing

jmccallister — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 20:41:48 +0000

The Indian art of Robert Griffing

July 1, 2018

W.H. Chip Gross

Features

A journey into America's 18th-century eastern frontier

Where others see modern-day cities, he sees ancient Indian villages. Where others see today’s crop fields, he sees vast virgin forests. In short, Robert Griffing sees Ohio as it was long before it ever became a state. He also sees — and paints — the Native American people who lived here more than 250 years ago.

Born and raised in the extreme northwest corner of Pennsylvania (Linesville, to be exact), Griffing has been intrigued by North American Indians ever since that memorable day as a boy when he found his first flint arrowhead lying along the shoreline of nearby Pymatuning Lake. “That was the beginning of my fascination with Indians,” Robert says.

Possessing an innate talent for drawing, Griffing enrolled in art school after high school, and became art director at an advertising agency in Pittsburgh for the next 30 years, but he pursued his painting hobby during odd hours. “I just couldn’t get Indians out of my head,” he says.

In 1991, Griffing’s alma mater, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, offered him a one-man show featuring his art. It was an evening that changed his life. “Within an hour, all of my paintings of Eastern Woodlands Indians had sold, and many people ordered prints of those seven original portraits,” he says.

Soon after, Griffing resigned from his ad-agency job and turned to painting full-time. “It was the best career move I ever made,” he says. Since then, he has created more than 325 paintings of Eastern Woodlands Indians, and he shows no sign of slowing his pace.

Prices for his original artwork now range from a few thousand dollars to as much as five figures. Lithograph prints of his original paintings, more within the financial reach of most people, sell from $40 to several hundred dollars each.

What makes Griffing’s artwork so popular are not only the subject matter and historical accuracy and detail of his paintings, but also his use of dramatic lighting, reminiscent of the Dutch master painters of the 1700s. Not surprisingly, it’s the same type of light frequently found in old-growth forests. His paintings tell a story, creating a certain mood.

Ohio has a rich Indian history, and Griffing takes full advantage of that fact. For instance, one of his more recent works depicts a dozen warriors traveling along a small stream. The background setting for the painting is Old Man’s Cave, today part of Hocking Hills State Park in southeast Ohio.

Models for his paintings during the early years of his career were mainly re-enactors — non-native people interested in 18th-century living history. But during the last decade, Griffing has developed relationships with Native Americans of several tribes who have become good friends and now act as his models. One of those people is Roger Moore, who lives in Mansfield. Moore’s portrait graces the cover of the first of two books of Griffing’s art.

“When I got the natives involved, my paintings began to take on a different look,” Griffing says. “There’s just something about a real Native American in the way he stands and in his actions that gives my paintings the authentic look of a warrior, chief, or Indian woman.”

W.H. “Chip” Gross is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor.

A third book featuring Griffing’s paintings will be published in August, to be unveiled during a three-day celebration (August 3–5, 2018) honoring him and his art in his hometown of Linesville, Pennsylvania. The celebration will include a major exhibit of his work, his largest ever. A listing of the weekend’s events can be found on the Linesville Community Business Alliance Facebook page. To see Robert Griffing’s latest works online, or for more information about purchasing his prints or original art, go to www.paramountpress.com

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Sand man

sbradford — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 17:41:04 +0000

Sand man

July 1, 2024

Jamie Rhein

Features

When a rig filled with 20 tons of sand arrives and dumps it on a beach, Carl Jara digs right in. Armed with shovels, buckets, imagination, and technical ingenuity, Jara turns massive amounts of sand into art.

Swimming pool liners, tiered like a wedding cake and stacked five to six tiers high, become packed with sand and compressed with water. Jara nimbly moves up and down the tiers, working from top to bottom — pulling away, adding to, carefully carving each tier until he’s skillfully turned those billions of glacial till particles into masterpieces.

Jara is a professional sand sculptor, and he’s been at this experiential public art form for 33 years. It’s a career that has taken him to 38 states and 13 countries, as far away as Australia. He’s won 14 world championships and earned medals at countless other contests along the way.

So how does a kid from Akron rise to the top of the sand-sculpting profession? It started back at Firestone High School. When he ran out of art classes to take, his teacher connected him to Tom Morrison, president of the International Association of Sand Castle Builders. Jara had found his fit. Under Morrison’s tutelage, he learned how to work sand and envision a business. In the early days, his only pay was a trip with free food and a free hotel room. But paired with his day job as exhibits fabrication specialist at the Cleveland Natural History Museum, Jara’s sand sculpting has become a lucrative career.

He’s been featured in the Travel Channel’s Sand Blasters and Sand Wars, and he’s even made a sculpture on billionaire Richard Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Isles. “I sunk up to my knees in sand,” Jara laughs, recalling the challenge.

Meeting challenges is Jara’s forte.

“Sand sculpture is a muscle. The more you do it, the more you know what to do,” he says. Earlier in his career, when he did as many as eight contests per year, Jara improvised his designs, making them up as he went. These days, he has a plan in mind before he tackles a sand mountain.

Although he uses sculpting tools, Jara relies the most on his hands. “I like smooth and clean work,” he says. “My hand is more sensitive to imperfections. We respond to the beauty of the material, and the beauty of the sand is that I can take it away and I can add. It allows me to adjust the piece. Light is the biggest issue. It can throw you off. When the sun comes out, mistakes are glaring. I work the entire piece and go back at different times of the day to see what’s there and make adjustments.”

To win a contest, Jara explains, a sculpture needs to have three things: “The number one factor is the ‘wow’ factor. Does it take your breath away? Does it have a concept? How well is the concept explained?” Then there is a technical component. “Are people playing it safe?”

Jara’s strength is not playing it safe, even if it means figuring out how to have a 700-pound head hang over nothing. Or creating a sculpture of a man holding himself in the palm of his own hand and repeating that four times with each identical man smaller than the last — Infinity won him a world title.

He gets much of his inspiration from his own memory. “I’m translating pieces of my life like pages of a diary,” he says.

Entropy, for example, was a sculpture of the head of a man seemingly buried to his nose, with pain etched across his face and vacant eyes, looking as if it might sink further and disappear into the sandy beach. Inside the head were family photographs. The sculpture, which won third place at the Hampton Beach Masters in 2022, was inspired by his father’s longtime dementia.

“I want you to have your own ideas about what a sculpture means. I don’t have to make it obvious.” Whether Jara is creating a work-for-hire sculpture or getting inspiration from his own life, he sees the importance of the moment. “Sand sculpting is like a symphony experience. You do it for the experience. When it’s done, it’s done.”

See Carl Jara’s sand creations:

Headlands Beach State Park, July 10–12 (the Headlands BeachFest has been canceled, but Jara will be creating a sculpture on-site).
Cleveland Octoberfest, Berea, Aug. 30–Sept. 2 and Sept. 6–7.

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Corn mazes

sbradford — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 19:08:37 +0000

Corn mazes

October 1, 2022

Margo Bartlett

Features

As viewed from above, some corn mazes are complicated labyrinths of intricate, themed designs. Whether they’re looking for a challenge or just an autumn atmosphere, enthusiasts of all ages are attracted to corn mazes.

Add other activities — hayrides, pumpkin picking, campfires, and farm-themed playgrounds — and the result is autumn entertainment that many embrace as an annual tradition.

With cornfields covering over 13% (3.5 million acres) of Ohio land area, it’s only natural that corn mazes proliferate around the state; a quick online search found more than 100, so there’s sure to be one near you. We visited a few for a behind-the-scenes look.

McPeek’s Mighty Maze and Fall Festival

Located at the Coshocton KOA Holiday in Coshocton, the Mighty Maze is a part of the fall festival held by Ryan and Camille McPeek. Employee Amy Hamilton says they plant the corn like normal, and the maze is cut with a tractor and a GPS device.

Do mazers ever get lost?

“Some do need help,” she says, noting that guides are always available. Before closing each evening, employees sweep through the maze, looking for stragglers.

“We leave no man behind,” Hamilton jokes.

She says the maze can be navigated in 10 minutes or two hours, depending on one’s sense of direction and desire to stay lost.

On designated nights, adults can sample beer and wine from Ohio breweries and wineries at stations inside the maze. Flashlight nights are for intrepid souls who enjoy navigating a maze in the dark.

Other activities at McPeek’s include live music, food trucks, pumpkin painting, wagon rides, and trick-or-treat on October Saturdays — but the Mighty Maze is mighty popular. Hamilton says on their busiest day last year, over 1,000 people ventured through the corn.

McPeek’s Mighty Maze at Coshocton KOA, 24688 County Road 10, Coshocton, OH 43812. Open noon–9 p.m. daily through Oct. 30. 740-502-9245,
www.coshoctonkoafallfestival.com

Lynd Fruit Farm

Amy Pausch, the “director of laughs and smiles” at Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala, designs each year’s corn maze in the spring, a project that takes about two weeks. Her finished design is programmed into a GPS device, and the maze is planted, not cut, into the field.

Pausch’s 2022 design, The Toga Maze, observed from a lookout tower in late July, was knee-high-ish. Mazes are planted much later than farmers plant corn crops, Pausch says, because a corn maze should be green, not harvest-ready.

Each maze includes a child-friendly “mini-maze” in one corner — this year’s corner is Gnomesville. Pausch’s past designs include patriotic themes, Jurassic Park, Journey to Oz, and Middle-earth. Visitors can participate in a scavenger hunt while they explore.

“We just want to keep it unique, so people have a reason to come back,” Pausch says.

Other activities include wagon and barrel train rides, a farm-themed playground, and individual campfires. Employees provide the wood, light the fire, and ensure no sparks remain at the end of the evening.

“We do get a little spooky at night,” Pausch says. “Doing the maze in the dark is very different from daytime.”

Guests who prefer to explore the corn-walled bowers at leisure may follow the “cheat line” and stroll smoothly from entrance to exit. As many as 1,000 people go through the maze each day. Pausch said the 2021 season’s total visitor count was 22,000.

During Extraordinary Days, people with autism and other disabilities can navigate the mini-maze, accompanied by trained employees, and enjoy the other activities, which are adapted as necessary.

Lynd Fruit Farm, 9851 Morse Road SW, Pataskala, OH 43062. Open 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sundays through
Oct. 30. 740-927-8559, www.lyndfruitfarm.com

McDonald’s Greenhouse

Susan and James McDonald of McDonald’s Greenhouse in Zanesville created their first corn maze 17 years ago.

The maze, Susan McDonald says, was a natural progression, given their business of growing chrysanthemums and pumpkins. In other words, the McDonalds already had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

What’s more, James McDonald’s father called himself “Old McDonald,” and after he died, his son assumed the title.

Using pencil and graph paper, Susan designed their first maze, a jack-o-lantern. “We had no idea what we were doing, and we were broke,” she says. The next year, the maze was a John Deere tractor, chosen, Susan says, because the corn was green. The third year, they created Noah’s Ark. That season kicked them into another level, corn maze-wise, Susan says. Now they welcome 10,000 to 12,000 visitors each year.

Each maze takes about 20 minutes to navigate, though many will intentionally extend that a bit. “You don’t really get lost,” Susan says. Road traffic and the barn help orient guests, and roving helpers rescue any anxious mazers.

This year’s maze design is the Three Billy Goats Gruff, because one of the McDonalds’ two sons raises goats. “Baby goats are the cutest things ever,” Susan says.

She stressed that her family’s fall festival isn’t scary. “Nothing haunted,” she says. Activities include a basketball grain wagon, backyard Twister, a bounce pad, child-size tractors, and doughnuts.

McDonald’s Greenhouse, 3220 Adamsville Road, Zanesville, OH 43701. Open 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturdays; and noon–6 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 31. 740-819-5814, www.mcdonaldsgreenhouse.com

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