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Evergreen Elm’s biodynamic gardeners won 30 ribbons out of 30 entries at the vegetable judging during the 2016 McKean County Fair: 24 first place blue, 3 second place red, 2 third place white, and 1 fourth place yellow. L.A. Rotheraine, their master gardener said, “Our success is due to our gardeners’ love of working in the garden and the laughter and fun we have working in the special soil we’ve created as our growing medium. Our special soil and compost is the Elm Street Garden!” Left to right in the photo are Randy Johnson, Patty Price, Jeff VanScooter, Brandi Buck, Lisa Williams, Sunflower supported by L.A. Rotheraine, Kari Johnston, and Robert Tubbs.

Evergreen Elm Biodynamic Gardeners swept the McKean County Fair’s vegetable entries with 30 out of 30 ribbons: 23 first place
blue, 5 second place red, and 2 fourth place yellow. Their master gardener, L.A. Rotheraine said, “The secret to our success this year was teamwork, a lot of laughter, and everyone performing in harmony with the natural earthly and heavenly forces that permeate the Elm Street Garden.” Assembled in their city garden area, from left to right are Jeff Van Scoter, L.A. Rotheraine (behind), Karie Johnston, Patty Price, Randy Johnson, Robert Tubbs, Brandi Buck, and Lisa Williams. While many local gardeners have had varying success with their produce over the years, L.A. Rotheraine and the Evergreen Elm Gardeners have had blue ribbon prize winning crops every year for the last 23 or so years, regardless of the climactic conditions. Rotheraine suggests that this is probably due to, “ the use of ‘open pollinated’ seeds, and that no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used in the garden. In addition, our success can also be attributed to Evergreen Elm’s unique organic hilling system.

Biodynamic Gardeners
Winners Again 2012

Bradford Journal Photo
Biodynamic Gardeners sweep 2012 McKean County Fair in 30 out of 30 major vegetable entries. They took 21 first place Blue Ribbons, 4 second place Red Ribbons, 3 third place White Ribbons, 1 fourth place Yellow Ribbon, and 1 fifth place Green Ribbon. Left to right in photo are Brandy Buck, Garden Supervisor with biodynamic gardeners Lisa Williams, Patty Price, Randy Johnson, Robert Tubbs, Jeff Van Scoter, and Kari Johnston.  Biodynamic Master Gardener L.A. Rotheraine credited this year’s success with teamwork and the lighthearted atmosphere that radiates in the Elm Street Garden. He continued, “I’m thrilled at the worldwide acceptance and popularity of the biodynamic system of farming and gardening.”

-by Grant Nichols

Biodynamic Gardeners
Winners Again 2011

Everygreen Elm's Biodanmic Gardeners captured 24 blue ribbons , 4 red and 2 white out of 30 entries at the 2011 Mckean County Fair. Everygreen Elm's Master Gardener , L A Rotheraine said this years success was due to all our biodynamic gardeners working together and the laughter and good spirits that permeate the Elm Street Garden.

Bradford Journal Photo

Some of the members of Evergreen Elms Biodynamic gardening team pose for us at their garden location in Bradford, PA, August 26th. The gardeners won big again during their annual McKean County Fair competition with 20 first place, 5 third place, 2 second place and one 4th place ribbons out of 29 entries.

-by Grant Nichols

Another Big Win In Spite Of Adverse Conditions

Bradford Journal Photo

Some of the Evergreen Elm Gardeners pose with their vegetable stand along Elm Street, Bradford, where they were selling their award winning produce to passers-by August 25^th. In spite of terrible climatic conditions, Evergreen Elm Gardeners once again outdid the competition. Their vegetables  glowed with health and vitality as usual. Included in the photo (l-r) are Patty Price (5 ribbons), Jeff Van Scoter (5 ribbons), Kari Johnston (5 ribbons), Brandi Buck (garden supervisor), Lisa Williams (2 ribbons), Renee Chittester, and Randy Johnston (3 ribbons). Gardeners not included in photo are Jim Oehler (3 ribbons), Robert Tubbs (5 ribbons), and Betty Bailey (1 ribbon). Evergreen Elm's Master Gardener, L.A. Rotheraine tells us that with 21 years of consistently great results he could wish that more of the U.S. crop production could take place under the Biodynamic common sense agricultural practices. Rotheraine emphasized, We are not organic gardeners, rather, we are Biodynamic gardeners in which we utilize all the energy from all the stars and planets in the universe that radiate their light to earth.

Winners Again! 2008

Photo by Grant Nichols www.bradfordjournal.com

Biodynamic Gardeners Are Winners Again
These Evergreen Elm Gardeners sit on their plot of land on which this year's prize vegetables were grown. They were big winners again at the McKean County Fair where their 29 Biodynamic entries earned them 28 Ribbons in all (20-lst place blues, 7-2nd place reds, and 1-4th place yellow). All their entries were large, meaty, and colorful due to their hard work and the diligence of their Master Gardener, L.A. Rotheraine who helped them apply the principles and elements of Biodynamics to their work. We laud the many individuals and organizations worldwide who continue along the lines of this science in an effort to protect the germ stock for future generations. And we are especially happy to see this endeavor flourishing in Bradford. Seated in the front (l-r) are Lisa Williams, Betty Bailey, and Kari Johnston. Standing in the back (l-r) are Brandi Buck (Garden Supervisor), Jeff VanScoter, Robert Tubbs, Patti Price, Jim Oehler, Randy Johnson, and Rhonda Colts. (More photos are found in the photo gallery at www.bradfordjournal.com. for this, August 21st issue.)

Winners Again! 2007

Bradford Journal Photo

Some members of Evergreen Elm's Biodynamic gardening team pose for us at their garden location in Bradford, PA on August 24th. The gardeners won big again in the August 2007 McKean County Fair competition. They won 24 first place blue ribbons, one third place white and two fourth place yellow ribbons out of 29 entries during the fair. Their Master Gardener, L.A. Rotheraine attributed their success this year to teamwork, hard work, and the Biodynamic Field and Garden Spray. Of the 24 blues, says Rotheraine, the most important for all biodynamic and organic growers throughout the world is the first place taken in the cherry tomato competition. Our Selke Biodynamic Cherry Tomato has become the standard bearer against the genetic engineering and terminator seed companies. It cannot be duplicated by the technology these companies use. Only the biodynamic agricultural science as deployed by Evergreen Elm and our special method of producing tomato seeds can create this superior plant. One can picture all seeds as crystallized energy from different stars or groups of stars, each plant species an earthly replica of its heavenly source. It's important to remember, however, that the success of all our winning entries was assured through the use of the Biodynamic Field and Garden Spray and the unselfish efforts and dedication of Evergreen Elm's gardening team and their rigorous adherence to chemical free growing methods. Pictured from the left, holding their tools and ribbons are Jackie Wolfe, Robert Tubbs, Betty Bailey, Jim Oehler, Randy Johnson, Supervisor Brandi Buck, Lisa Williams holding Frankie the garden cat, and Patty Price.

Winners Again! 2006

Bradford Journal Photo

Evergreen Elm captivated McKean County Fairgoers with twenty-three 1st place blue, four red, one white, and one yellow ribbon out of 30 entries at the 2006 Fair. Biodynamic master gardener L.A. Rotheraine said, "The best part of this year's Fair was the enthusiasm Evergreen Elm's gardeners exhibited. It was contagious and showed in the results. Also impressive were the teamwork, unselfishness and good humor throughout vegetable selecting at the garden, and during the in-processing procedure at the exhibit hall. This year's fair results indicate once again that the Evergreen Elm's gardeners can hold their own when their production and quality are compared with that of their European counterparts, even though some of the European gardeners have biodynamic soil that is well over 50 years old!" From the left are Robert Tubbs, Jeff VanScoter, Betty Baily, Patty Price, Jackie Wolfe, Jim Oehler, Karie Johnston, Jean Rothermel, Rhonda Colts, Lisa Williams, and Brandi Buck

Evergreen Elm Gardeners Win Big Again! 2005

Bradford Journal Photo

The biodynamic gardeners at Evergreen Elm have again dazzled fair-goers with 28 money finishes out of 29 entries. Pictured above are some of Evergreen Elm's biodynamic gardeners with some of their blue ribbon entries. Pictured from left to right, standing are : Jay Furman, Jim Oehler, Lisa Williams, Jackie Wolfe, Robert Tubbs, and Jeff Van Scoter. Kneeling left to right are: Patty Price and Karie Johnston. According to Evergreen Elm's Master Gardener, L. A. Rotheraine, "The secrets for our success this year were the enthusiasm of our biodynamic gardeners and the biodynamic field spray that we applied to the soil and plants. We are especially pleased with the three blue ribbons out of three entries in the tomato competition - A blue in the cherry, pear shaped, and plum shaped tomato categories."

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Photo credit: Nathaniel Dorn

Glendorn is a luxury retreat and private estate nestled in the hills of McKean County, PA. It is known for its excellent food and pastoral, European atmosphere. Their executive chef Jason Gulisano uses as many vegetables and herbs as the Evergreen Elm biodynamic garden can spare to sell.

Pictured above is Chef Gulisano (center), Cook Joshua Graff (right), and Cook Gary Rey (left). They are holding some of Evergreen Elm's blue ribbon tomatoes. Chef Gulisano calls them, the finest and best tasting tomatoes he's ever come across. The Chef simply serves them raw with fine Spanish olive oil and a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel.

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Chart of Evergreen Elm's Biodynamic Garden vs Traditional Agricultural Growing Methods in open competition at the McKean County Fair:* **  YEAR ENTRIES RIBBONS BLUE (First Class Money)  1991  14  11  8  1992  21  18  11 In 1993 Evergreen Elm's Master Gardener L.A. Rotheraine began experimenting with unorthodox combinations of the biodynamic preparations at the suggestion of Hugh Courtney* ** of the Josephine Porter Institute of Applied Biodynamics:  1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 27 33 34   30* 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 29 29 29 29 30 30 30 30 30 30 28 28 25 31 34 30 28 30 29 30 29 30 29 30 28 29 27 28 29 28 30 30 30 30 29 30 28 27 17 17 27 21 26 20 20 22 24 23 14 22 18 23 24 20 21 20 24 21 23 20 20 24 17 20

Proudly Display Award Winning Entries (2004)

Bradford Journal Photo

Evergreen Elm's Master Gardener, L.A. Rotheraine attributed this year's successful vegetable crop production to using unusual amounts of the biodynamic preparations to create heat, early fruition and ripening of the plants. He sprayed with juice of valerian, the equivalent of over twenty times to overcome the cold wet conditions. This enabled Evergreen Elm's gardeners to capture 30 ribbons out of 30 entries at the McKean County Fair. Twenty-two of these were blue. Standing (l-r) are Jim Oehler, Jay Furman, Laura Zandy, Patti Price, and L.A. Rotheraine. Sitting left to right are Kari Johnston, Lisa Williams, Betty Bailey, and Jackie Wolfe. They are displaying their award winning biodynamic vegetables.

Evergreen Elm blue ribbon winners Robert Tubbs and Jeff van Scoter point to a transfigured biodynamic cherry tomato. Rotheraine attributes this phenomenon to the purified atmosphere in the biodynamic garden
	Bradford Journal Photo

Evergreen Elm Gardeners Win Big Again! (2002)

August 2002, Evergreen Elm Gardeners are seen with this year's premium winning McKean County Fair entries. The competition brought them a total of 30 ribbons for 30 entries: 23 First Place Blues, 4 Seconds, 2 Thirds, and 1 Fourth. Sitting from the left are Betty Bailey, Jackie Wolfe, Lisa Williams, Kari Johnston, and Jeff Van Scoter. Standing from the left are Randy Johnson, Robert Tubbs, Jay Furman holding Moses, Jim Oehler, and Mary Williams. Master Gardener, L.A. Rotheraine says that there were two major factors in garnering so many blue ribbon premiums this year:

First, Mary Williams and Melissa McGuire faithfully maintained a living atmosphere through the use of the Biodynamic sprays. And second, Bob Cummins, under the guidance of Mary and Melissa helped water the plants while Rotheraine was on vacation.

(Photo credit: Grant Nichols, Bradford Journal)