“When enough people come together, then change will come and we can achieve almost anything.” – Greta Thunberg
Over 100 people attended “Spring into Health” at the Randolph Community Center. The keynote speaker, Klaas Martens, was the first farmer in his county to use glyphosate (Roundup). He was a successful conventional farmer for 20 years. One day while wearing protective garb and following precise herbicide instructions for 2-4-D, he became paralyzed within an hour. The entire summer, his right side was paralyzed.
Klaas is a man of deep faith and eventually regained his health. He discussed with his wife that because of what happened to him, there was no way he could hire anyone to do the spraying for him. That fall, five local organic farmers shared their wisdom and markets with him. For the past 30 years, he has farmed over 1,600 acres organically. Klaas shared that his yield per acre is now much more than he ever made as a conventional grower. To help out his neighbors, in 1995 Klaas and his wife, Mary-Howell, constructed a grain mill which many local farmers have used.
In 2017, their half-acre barn caught on fire. That evening, more than 200 farmers, some conventional, some organic, all came together to fight this blaze. In the end, it was more than a million-dollar loss. The day after the fire, one of their neighbors said, “Don’t you worry about rebuilding this barn — you just do what you do best, which is farming, and we’ll take care of the rest.” Within a month, their neighbors had reconstructed his barn.
Later that year, Klaas and Mary-Howell purchased equipment for seed cleansing. Peter Martens (Klaas and Mary-Howell’s eldest son) is the owner of Seneca Grain and Bean, which provides high-quality, organic food-grade bean and grain seeds to restaurants, bakeries and coops. The Martens continue to help grow their community by buying their neighbors’ organic crops. Klaas is on the Farm Advisory Board at Cornell University, which brings forth research-based farming practices. To be uplifted, watch the videotape of Klaas here: https://youtu.be/jtJ9IM5wDYI.
David Stotler mentioned in his well-attended talk, “Apples are difficult to grow in our area without fungicide due to our climate. In Washington State, they can grow organic apples because they grow them in the desert.” David is an expert in raising tasty apples, plums and peaches, and our community is blessed to have an abundance of fruit available for purchase at Stotler’s Orchard every summer.
With the numerous challenges farmers face today, having compassion and gratitude is important. None of us would be here if it wasn’t for farmers. However, those of you who farm conventionally, please note that bees, sensitive plants and your neighbors do not have protective garb. By calling or texting your neighbors before you spray, will enable them to cover their beehives, help protect their specialty crops and stay inside during those times.
At the end of Spring into Health, it was revealed how this free event came to be. Last summer, a Randolph farmer shared how they have had difficulties with paralysis/neurological issues due to an herbicide incident. That night, I said a prayer and asked, “God, I am only one person, but is there anything I can do to make a difference to help farmers and gardeners whose quality of life may be curtailed due to agricultural chemicals?” In the middle of the night, I woke up and was asked to run an event called Spring into Health to promote the health and wellness of farmers and gardeners. With no grants or funds, little by little this event came to fruition because of the support of the community. Five speakers spoke for free. Sarchione Chevrolet paid for the keynote speaker’s fee. The Randolph Massage & Wellness Center donated funds for Klaas’ traveling costs. Numerous local farmers and writers donated door prizes. Tom Mayer donated a painting for a silent auction. Thank you to all of you who made my dream come true and for reminding me that miracles emerge when we work together.
Another miracle has happened in our community due to the vision and action of Waterloo parent Kelly Wiles. For the first time in eight years, Waterloo Schools will have a school musical. At 7 p.m. May 9 and 10, the “Matilda” musical, which includes a cast of 25, will be held at the Waterloo Elementary School cafeteria. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Waterloo High School office.
– In the midst of federal funding cuts which impact our local food shelf, thank you Atwater Township for donating $5,000 to the RSA Foodshelf!
– The Randolph Garden Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. April 21 at the Randolph Senior Center. Bob Lange will speak about plant/tree identification.
– The Ladies Cemetery Association will meet at noon May 7 at the Randolph Senior Center. New members are welcome. We will be making baskets for the cemetery.
– Township trustee meetings will be held at the Randolph Senior Center on April 24, May 8 and May 22. Meetings start at 6 p.m.
RANDOLPH LIBRARY EVENTS
– May 2, 4-5 p.m.: Watercolor fun for ages 11-18
– May 15, 4-5 p.m.: Bicycle Safety Program for children and teens. Limited to 15 participants.
For a list of all library events, visit www.portagelibrary.org.
Since 2019, the Randolph Lions Club has recycled more than 38,000 pounds of plastic!
To enhance the coverage of your yard sale, consider being listed in the Randolph/Atwater Community Yard Sale, which will be held May 17-18. This is a free service provided by Waterloo Community Helping Hands. Contact WCHH via its Facebook page or at 330-808-3199 to list your address. Maps depicting the locations of yard sales will be available at local businesses in May.
“Average people and the average community can change the world. You can do it based on common sense, determination, persistence, and patience.” – Lois Gibbs
For news, events or stories you would like published, please contact Sandy Engle at 330-569-4801 or [email protected]. Thanks!
