Ohio Events, Holmes County Ohio

Several Ohio events favoring the interests of men, but great for the entire family, are two steam power shows, one of them taking place in Mt. Hope, at the auction grounds August 4, 5, & 6, 2011.  Hours are Thursday 9 a.m. - 11 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. - 11 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  Activities will include contests for adults and children, threshing, chain saw art, rope making, baker fans, steam engines, and a vast selection of antique tractors and more.  This Holmes County Ohio event is always a crowd pleaser and is guaranteed to bring hours of pleasure for everyone.

Mt. Hope Power Show

Thursday, August 4, 2011



Plow at Amish Farm

  9:00 a.m. - Show opens
2:00 p.m. - Fast tractor race
2:30 p.m. - Slow tractor race
3:00 p.m. - Rope Tractor Pull
4:00 p.m. - Threshing demonstration
5:00 p.m. - Children's petal tractor race
6:00 p.m. - Entertainment
7:00 p.m. - Horse pull, Light and Heavy weight

Friday, August 5, 2011
9:00 a.m. - Show opens
10:30 a.m. - Threshing demonstration

Amimals, Barn Inn Bed and Breakfast

11:00 a.m. - Bale & skillet throw
12:00 p.m. - Noon Whistle blowing
1:00 p.m. - Steam engine parade
2:00 p.m - Tractor barrel race
3:00 p.m. - Kids petal tractor pull
3:30 p.m. - Machinery demonstration
4:00 p.m. - Tractor pull weigh-in
5:00 p.m. - Entertainment

Witness old-fashioned steam power at the Doughty Valley Steam Show, taking place in picturesque Charm, Ohio, July 21, 22, and 23, 2011.  As usual, several sawmills and several engines will be on display.  Demonstrations will include shingle making, plowing, saw milling, and threshing.  Steam engine tractors are invited by invitation only.  All other antique and stationary engine exhibitors are welcome.  A great "Spark Shower" show will take place on Saturday night. Admission is $4.00 per day or free with a paid 2010 membership.  Their address is Doughty Valley Steam Days, P. O. Box 74, Charm, OH  44617.

Cows in rural Holmes County, Ohio

We've heard good reports about past Holmes County Farm Bureau tours.  Expected to be educational and fun, the 2011 Holmes County Farm tour will take place Saturday, August 20, 2011, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.  Your self-driving tour will begin at the Holmes County Fairgrounds at 8381 St. Rt. 39 in Millersburg, Ohio.  Maps will be given to participants at the fairgrounds.  The tour inclues farms and businesses representing beef, dairy, sheep, bees, alpacas, pottery, electric company, waste management, candy, timber-framing, and an Amish school.  For information call Denny Snell at 419-827-2220 or Andy Stitzlein at 419-651-1670.

Experience farm atmosphere at the Millersburg, Ohio Barn Inn Bed and Breakfast where you'll sleep in a beautifully restored dairy barn.  A hot country breakfast is served daily and innkeepers share Amish culture and history.

Submitted by Loretta Coblentz
July 15, 2011

Make Laundry Detergent, Duggar Family



Loretta Making Detergent

 Here at the Millersburg, Ohio, Barn Inn Bed and Breakfast we have, for many years been recycling and using energy efficient lighting in an effort to transition to a greener property. We have recently, for pennies on the dollar, made our own chemical-free laundry detergent.  Easily made with a few common ingredients, a ten gallon batch of laundry detergent costs only $2.00 to make, is phosphate free, cleans well, and smells wonderful. This is the recipe obtained from the Duggar family who, in May of 2009, stayed with us at The Barn Inn Bed and Breakfast.  At the cost of $2.00 per batch, using 1/4 cup of soap for front loading machines, the cost is less than .01 per load.  A top loading machine uses more water; therefore requires 5/8 cup of soap per load.  Here's the Duggar Family Detergent recipe.

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (must be "Super Washing Soda", sodium carbonate not Arm & Hammer Detergent!)
1/2 Cup Borax

Grate the Fels-Naptha soap bar.  The easiest way is in a food processor.  You must grate it so that it will dissolve easily.  It does not melt quickly if chunked with a knife.  Place the grated soap to a saucepan with 4 cups of water and stir continually over medium-low heat until soap is completely dissolved.

Fill a five gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.  Add the melted soap, washing soda, and Borax and stir well until all powder is dissolved.  Fill the bucket to the top with more hot water.  Stir, cover and allow it to sit overnight to thicken.

Stir and fill a used, clean laundry soap container half full with soap, then fill the container with water.  Shake the container before each use as the soap will jel.

The Fels-Naptha gives the detergent a pleasant lemon scent; however, if you wish to add more scents, you may do so after the soap has cooled.  Options are essential oils, lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil, etc.

This recipe yields 10 gallons.
Top Loading Machines require 5/8 cup per load (yields 180 loads).
Front Loading Machines require 1/4 cup per load (yields 640 loads).

For comprehensive, step-by-step detergent-making instructions with photos, please visit the simple dollar a key site for stretching the dollar and improving your finances.

Submitted by Loretta
July 2, 2011