Think Kit Dec. 19th - With No Limits, I Apparently Become the Speedcat Baron

Today's ThinkKit prompt:

No Limits

If money, time or other commitments were no obstacle in 2014, what would you do? Describe your vision!

No worries about logistics?  No worries about money?  No problem.  I would jump headfirst into rural America city building.  I would buy downtown Dunkirk.  My full time focus would be preserving and growing my hometown.  I would buy property and surround myself with top notch city and rural planners and I would celebrate the legacy of that small town by building its future.  Obviously I'm emotionally tied to my hometown.   That's the point.  I would buy places like the Glass Museum, the property around this Main Street intersection, the Opera house, Stewart Brothers, the old Fire House, and other buildings that are not occupied and have fallen into disrepair.

This no limits project is a great intersection of past and future.  Like many small towns, there is so much rich history to this small town that is meaningful to so many people.  My project would keep this nostalgia alive by ensuring it would be a thriving little unique community in the future.  I'm not looking to build a totalitarian community draped in false utopia.  I want to just provide a restriction free, financial foundation to preserve and grow a tiny, rural town into the 21st century.  Maybe it's a community trust that dishes out money and strategic leadership operating off of a charter that seeks to meet my lofty, community oriented goals.  I know I'm looking through the world with rose colored glasses at times, but that's where the vision is nurtured.

Think Kit Dec. 17th - A Stand Out Moment: Hoosiers Watching Hoosiers

I'm very fortunate to have many stand out moments in my life.  It's not that I lead some rock star life (though my life for years now, has been great).  It's more that I'm able to really make something memorable out of a somewhat mundane experience.  Take for instance, watching Hoosiers at the IMA's summer nights series.  

The IMA summer nights movie series, for the uninitiated, is great in part due to the classic movies they play.  Classics like Gone With The Wind, Aliens, and The Breakfast Club are examples of movies that have played to audiences over the years.  These movies are the absolute classics of my generation.  That's the great thing about modern movies.  Old movies are not lost on the newer generations. Each generation ahead of us is lucky to have yet another generation worth of classic movies to enjoy and add to their personal library.

The annual event at the IMA is also memorable because of the venue.  You're watching movies in quality Indiana summer weather, i.e. heat and humidity.  The outdoor amphitheater itself is relatively secluded and quite.  Because of its popularity and first come, first serve seating you have to get there early.  This only means that you have to bring a lot of food to picnic with and drink lots of SunKing to wash it down.

But what is probably the most appealing aspect of this annual movie season is the audience it draws. These movies attract the super fans, the fans that know every line and are there to watch the flick for the hundredth time. Hoosiers is no different.  Allison and I had shipped the kids off to my parents farm, had our delicious spread of food before us, and reveled in the nostalgia. While I obviously didn't grow up in the period of the movie, Indiana basketball was engrained in my person.  Because of my parent's ties to the school system, we attended every home Jay County boys basketball home game.  I'd been to the largest and second largest high school gyms in the world numerous times, New Castle and the now shuttered Anderson Wigwam, and didn't think much of it.  The final game of the movie is based on a game against the 'big city' Muncie Bearcats, a neighboring rival the Patriots played annually.  I've been a part of a community that rallied around its high school basketball team.  I'm now rambling on about some alleged street cred to paint myself as some expert in high school basketball and to a point, I'm right.  But that's the beautiful thing about this one evening at the IMA, I wasn't alone.  Countless others in the audience are able to say the same story, slightly tailored to their hometown.

As you would guess, there was cheering during the movie.  lots of it.  And you know that slow clap scene in the locker room?

Yeah, we did that too.  There was the guy sitting next to us explaining the importance of Indiana high school basketball and the pertinent scenes to his woefully ignorant, likely out of state college girlfriend. We didn't mind the tourist, we were attending an evening worship service and all were welcome.  We were Hoosiers watching Hoosiers and it was a glorious night.

ThinkKit D18. Or, The One Where I Get All GOB Bluth on ThinkKit

"If money, time or other commitments were no obstacle in 2013, what would you do?" 

If you are under 40 and don't know of the TV show Arrested Development, sorry, we can't be friends.  For those that make the cut, know that I feel like the eldest Bluth in the episode, "switch hitter." I'm using a particular scene from that episode as inspiration for this post.  In this scene, G.O.B. is working for Sitwell and fires off 6 months of (Michael's) ideas in a single meeting. What I have here is a list I've cultivated over the course of time and if I were a smart blogger, I would string all of these ideas out into fifteen blog posts. But no, you're going to get my list of projects and ideas that I would realize should my biggest obstacles disappear - time, space, and self consciousness. 

Food Related Things I would do For My Community

• I read about a grad student who staged a Food Book Fair in Brooklyn last year.  I want to organize one in Indianapolis.  Kind of like Food Con, but with more books, panels, and speakers.
• Another idea I read about awhile back described an interesting distribution model.  I would create a supply chain that would maintain small refrigerators with produce in convenience stores and gas stations in an area food desert. The produce would be locally and regionally sourced as much as possible.  My user experience tendencies kick in with this project as I think that, with emphasis placed on presentation and display, consumers would be drawn to these fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods filled with Frito Lays and Nestle products. 
• I love the idea of a pocket shop for urban farmers. I would start a little shop that focused on gardening, chickens, hydroponics, etc. I would sell supplies and educational material and foster a support network for people looking to get hyper local with their food.
• There's only one Indiana school participating in this farm to school program and I think that's kind of ridiculous.  I'd like to change that.

Personal Food Projects
Again, if time and money were not obstacles, I would focus on a few personal projects like:

• I would have a greenhouse built where I could practice growing food year round.
• I would restart my failed hops experiment.  My vision with this project has always been to grow hops and sell them to an Indiana brewery.  As part of the agreement, I would want the name and marketing for the brew named after my hometown, Dunkirk, IN.  Think "Speedcat IPA."
• I would build an aquaponics system near or in my newly constructed greenhouse.

My Experiments in Fiction Writing
These ideas are probably the most likely to be achieved, so long as I can muster the courage to share my amateur writings with the world.  My wife has been the only one to read any of my work and even then, it's only been a small sample as I haven't had time to edit and refine my drafts to a point where I feel comfortable enough to share them even with her.  She's suggested that I release some stories in a serial format here on my blog.  Then, at the conclusion of a story, I would collect the sections/chapters, have them bound, and try to sell a few.  I think it's a novel idea and is likely something I will explore in the coming year.
I would also like to serve as a producer / editor for some super hero comics with strong gender images for both boys and girls.  It's possible, I know it.  I strive to find this sort of material for my daughter, but always wince when I find some fault in the art or story of most work I come across.   

Long Term Projects
I suppose a lot of the above mentioned projects could be considered long term as they would either take a few years to achieve or would be projects without end.  Specifically, I would: 

• Run Walmart out of every small town that I could.  We don't need cheap Chinese imports and I feel we need to foster small rural business development.  This country needs a spirited campaign to disuade people of all socioeconomic stripes to just say no to Walmart.
• Create organic and boutique farm jobs where I grew up (again, Dunkirk, IN and the surrounding areas in Jay county).  I would create, nurture, and maintain a supply chain to Indy or maybe Muncie or Anderson, given the geographic location. 
• I would assemble an exploratory campaign to run for office.

Ambitious much?  Idealistic much?  you bet.  But why not, right?  These obstacles, like everyone else's are just in my head.  Zack de la Rocha creeps, "What better place than here?  What better time than now?  All hell can't stop us now."  Come on self, let's get this started.  

Obviously to accomplish even half of the projects listed here, I would have to bend space and time.  If any of you know how to do this and can teach me, that would be appreciated.  That aside, I'm open to suggestions and advice from anyone on any of these projects.  I wouldn't expect to realize success with any of these projects while in isolation.  I need guidance, expertise, and help.  Find me at jonwillford <at> gmail <dot> com or on twitter @HoosierJonFord.  Until then, I will look for opportunities to accomplish some of these ambitious goals and smash my obstacles into oblivions.  I will also continue to be content with my current kick ass lot in life and bring home the bacon for my unbelievably wonderful family. Now, it's time to go watch some more Arrested Development.

ThinkKit D15 - FMG, It's Time.

Today's prompt: Handwrite a tweet to a friend. What's it look like?

Foster-Martin Ground: it's been around 15 years. Time to get the band back together. a weekend in the promised land / Bloomington? #FMG4life

ThinkKit D12 - Top Ten Flannel Songs That Give Me That High School Feeling

Before my current abrasive metal and punk rock dual eras, and before my dabbles in electronic and the Grateful Dead, and during my long lasting classic rock immersion, there was the grunge era.   I graduated from high school in 1996, deep in heart of God's country (a.k.a. east central Indiana).  The Internet was nowhere near where it is today and there were lots of open space.  So, there was some musical isolation at play.  Yet my adolescent ear holes were filled with the sounds from alternative rock radio in Indy, a rock station in Fort Wayne, and MTV.  Yeah, I listened to Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, and some Anthrax (still do).  But I think it is this grunge/alt rock era that stirs the most very vivid and fond memories from my high school days.  I will therefore be taking a lifeline today and deliver to you my top ten high school tracks.  

This list of songs have been so fused with friends, ex-girlfriends, places and events that a song can hit me strong when played today.  It's really pretty cool that one of these songs can do this, so many years later.  So, in no particular order the top 10 high school tracks that evoke consistent and rich memories:

1. Rotten Apple - Alice in Chains
2. River of Deceit - Mad Season
3. Alive - Pearl Jam
4. Superunknown - Soundgarden 
5. Good - Better Than Ezra
6. Molly - Sponge
7. Say Hello To Heaven - Temple of the Dog
8. Champagne Supernova - Oasis
9. Interstate Lovesong - Stone Temple Pilots
10. Backwater - Meat Puppets

I'm really glad that I have never given up on looking for new music.  It's all been money well spent. I don't mind at all that these tracks listed have the distinction of being among the first batch of albums that I listened to all the time and everywhere.  To me, these songs have become timeless.

Writing about my grunge era has really got me thinking about the 80s hair metal era that predates high school.  I can almost guarantee I could assemble a playlist from that era that would rock you like a hurricane.  Though the Scorpions would not be on that list.  Anyway, For now I'll spare you the junior high cassette tape super mix.

ThinkKit D6 - My Home State Will NOT Institutionalize Hate

Today's question:
How do you want get involved in your community this year?




This coming year, I'll probably do something I've never done before.  Depending on the behavior of my state lawmakers, I will likely put feet on the ground and protest.  For those that know me, I'm a rather opinionated guy.  But I've never felt compelled to mobilize (right or wrong). It will likely be my entire family, including my 4 year old and my 18 month old.  I want to be a role model to my children and by not getting involved in my community by making presence felt in front of that state house when the time comes, I feel I will have failed them in some way.  I don't know the details yet, but soon after this past election I experienced a moment of clarity that it was not a matter of if, but when my elected officials will begin the process to institutionalize hate by banning gay marriage.  This is my community and I will be involved.

As my fellow politically attuned Hoosiers know, we're being governed by a Republican super majority.  Both legislative bodies as well as our governor are dominated by Republicans - rather socially conservative, libertarian shunning Republicans.  It is likely that these hypocritical big government types  just won't be able to help themselves and will look to begin the process of altering our state constitution to explicitly ban gay marriage.  There are already statutes on the books here in Indiana declaring that marriage can only be defined by a man and a woman.  But apparently, that's not enough.

I get where they're coming from in that their interpretation of the Bible tells them this is wrong. I'm not going to recite all of the oddball things the Old Testament also tells us we shouldn't do in order to marginalize that single verse in Deuteronomy at the center of this controversy.  Honestly, it wouldn't do much to sway opinions and I don't want to come off like I'm disrespectful.  You can believe anything you want.  You can even say just about anything you want.  That's what I love about this country.  But when you try to negatively impacting others' lives over something so basic and decent in order to satisfy some insecurity and you're using my government to do it, I'm going to get upset.  Besides, don't we all understand how hard it is for so many to find someone in life to truly love and befriend so much that you don't want to be with anyone else until your last breath?

respect and love will crush their hate and that's how I will get more involved in my community.

ThinkKit Day 1: My Year in Photos

The opening salvo in the 30 day ThinkKit blogger challenge is depicting my year in photos. They give us the option of one photo or a gallery.  For those of you that know me, I can ramble and get a little wordy.  So, it should be no surprise that I'm not content with just one picture describing my year.  

My Little Warrior Princess

I raise girls and when my oldest (above) was born, I vowed that I would raise them to be strong, smart, and self-determined.  Needless to say, I was a proud poppa when I witnessed this earlier this summer: a crowned, pink Minnie Mouse clad paladin wielding a sword and shield.  So far, so good. 

A Super View of the Super Bowl

I work downtown and have a heck of a view of downtown Indy.  I'm on the 9th floor of the OneAmerica building which means I'm across the street from the Indiana State House.  I snapped this picture during the Super Bowl and thought I had to include it if nothing more than my obligatory Super Bowl reference. 

State Fair Junkies

If you don't know, now you know: I try to maintain my Hoosier street cred by attending the Indiana State Fair three to four times a year for as long as I've lived here in Indy.  The agriculture displays, the 4-H, the people watching...I love it all.  I guess I'm a foodie, but despite fitting the description of a typical foodie, I devour the 'cuisine' that is State Fair food.  I don't know that I always try the weird deep fried novelty of the year.  But I'm known for eating a couple of dinners, and a dessert or two, given any one visit.  And I always start my State Fair food experience by eating at the Pork Tent.  Primarily because I love that magical animal, but also because I like saying Pork Tent.  I'm a simple guy like that.

2012: The Year of Weddings

This year was a great party wedding year.  My good friend and college roommate Jason got married out in Denver.  A really close friend, who might as well be a brother, Derek and his wonderful wife Suzanne also tied the knot.  My younger cousin Whitney's wedding was a great time.  Last, but not least, my brother got hitched to a wonderful girl.  Pictured above are this generation's Ford men (sans Dakota) with grandma at my brother's wedding.  Good times.

The Pride of Indianapolis  

Hats off to the city for taking advantage of the Super Bowl to further saturate this city in art.  This is one of my favorites for obvious reasons. This guy here is where it's at because he knows what this town is about:  

“All my jokes are Indianapolis...All my attitudes are Indianapolis. My adenoids are Indianapolis. If I ever severed myself from Indianapolis, I would be out of business. What people like about me is Indianapolis.”

Vonnegut circa 1986 

We love you too.

Closing The Door On My M.A.

Years ago, pre-kids, I was bored and had some extra time on my hands.  So, I signed up for a graduate class on a whim and ultimately chose to pursue an M.A. in Applied Communication at IUPUI.  My initial motivation was purely educational. My undergrad was at the Kelley school of Business down in Bloomington.  So, the notion of college level liberal arts classes was new to me.  It was a tremendous experience and I've met some unbelievably smart and inspirational people, including my adviser pictured above, Dr. Cathrine Dobris.  The crazy thing about my graduate studies is the relevance and connection to my work as a User Experience web designer.  It's dumb luck, really.  It's been really gratifying to be able to apply my graduate studies to my professional work.  Communication theory has the opportunity to bring a different and beneficial perspective to a User Centered Design practice.  There's more to come from me on this relationship.

Home

I'm from the corn fields of east central Indiana.  This is me wondering through the fields at my family farm.

Indiana Popcorn at the Ford Farm

Last I checked, it was April since I posted to Fridays With The Fords.  I've had quite a bit I've been dedicating my time to this past summer and fall that's been keeping me from blogging. Maybe I'll get around to posting what I can about some of these adventures in volunteering and consulting work.  Until then, I'll warm back up with some talk about popcorn. Fun fact, Indiana is the second largest popcorn provider and the 2013 Indiana State Fair theme is, "the year of popcorn."  We've been in the know about Indiana popcorn production as the farmer leasing our farm land has been growing popcorn in his rotation for a couple of years now.  As a result, we've taken to scouring the fields after harvest for our personal popcorn stash and learning how to prepare some really good stove top popcorn.

Popcorn, as a different strain, has different properties that make it different than feed corn or the corn that's used in nearly every aspect of your McDonald's experience.  Of note, the moisture content requirements are different and the harvesting considerations.  Because of the late rain in the season, the popcorn in our fields held a higher than desired moisture content and was harvested only last week!  

What surprised me the most was the fact that accepted yields in popcorn are about half of standard "dent" corn.  This is partially due to the way the plant grows, but also is due in part to harvesting methods that leave sizable amounts of perfectly usable corn on the ground.  Ball park estimates around here are that about 20% of what's grown lays on the ground after harvest. It's essentially given back to the land and animals and considered acceptable loss.  Harvesting popcorn requires additional care so as to not damage the kernel.  Damaging the kernel releases the trapped moisture that, when heated, pops the corn.  What's left is quite possibly a literal ton of popcorn laying in the fields around our farm. So, we take to the fields with buckets and gather what we can.  

buckets and buckets of popcorn

Over the years, we've found that we can just leave it unshelled in a dark, dry place for a month or so before shelling.  Hand shelling, as it turns out, is the best way to ensure minimal seed damage. As you would imagine, it's also the most inefficient means to shell corn.  For large commercial producers, it's shelled as its harvested and then dried with forced hot air.  But for our needs, we'll shell it by hand (or with a hand tool) and cook it over the stove.  Later, I'll post my recipe/process for popping corn over the stove.  I don't cook or prepare a lot of food I would consider delicious (I usually stick to the dishes).  But my stove top popcorn is salty, buttery perfection without the unpronounceable ingredients in microwave popcorn.  It ensures my status as corn-fed Hoosier like few others.     

The farm

Creative Food at the 2012 Indiana Artisan Marketplace

Hey folks, it's been awhile since I've last posted.   I've been trying to get some loose ends tied up with a thesis and some promised web work for StudioAMF.  I've got a few exciting things I'm working on this summer and am looking forward to sharing them with you.  I did take a few moments to write up some of my favorite food vendors at this year's Indiana Artisan Marketplace.  If you're looking for unique and local, value-added food additions to your pantry, consider some of my favorites below.

A taste  of bourbon with your pancakes?  I'm game.

Food artisans from Indiana and Kentucky descended upon the Indiana State Fairgrounds a few weekends ago (March 31st) for the second annual Indiana Artisan Marketplace.  A three day event, the Marketplace showcased a variety of regional artists that are Indiana Artisan.   Attendees enjoyed potters, painters, and jewelers in addition to experiencing a number of unique and delicious value-added foods and wines.

Brownsburg rising stars Hoosier Mama was on hand to provide samples of their popular and locally sourced bloody Mary and margarita mixes.  Of particular interest were their hot pickled carrots, a tasty alternative to what will always now be a boring celery garnish in your bloody mary.  Another favorite, 240 Sweet are masters at producing surprisingly delicious yet peculiar flavors of gourmet marshmallows and were presenting their Pomegranate Kick marshmallows.  For the more adventurous, 240 Sweet dish up a bacon, maple, and toffee flavored marshmallow.  Yes, bacon and yes, it's great.

The chilies sneak up on you, but it's pleasant

Salsa and sauces were also on display including Screamin’ Mimi’s sweet hot salsa and Crazy Charlie’s award winning salsa.  Attendees purchasing Best Boy’s sauces, which include a Carolina BBQ sauce and a hot chili fudge sauce enjoyed a well crafted product coupled with a philanthropic cause.  One hundred percent of their profits are donated to charity. 
 

There was no shortage of confection food makers among the attending artisans.  The sisters of St. Benedict, hailing from Ferdinand, IN, were on hand again selling almond flavored Almerle cookies as well as Hildegard cookies.  According to their website, the Hildergard cookie counters the aging process and “releases” intelligence.  Given the source, can one really question these skilled bakers at For Heaven’s Sake bakery?  Another returning confection artisan was Persimmon pleasures.  Hailing from Bedford, IN, this bakery uses locally grown persimmons in nearly all of their wares to produce a variety of cookies with a subtle and unique flavor.  The Best Chocolate in Town, offered various truffle flavors, caramels, and buttery toffee.

Abandon your celery, bloody Mary drinkers

Butler Winery, Winzerwald Winery, and Easley winery were not the only food artisan vendors serving alcohol themed wares. Howard’s Creek was on hand with their seventy year old, Kentucky River Valley spicy beer cheese. Burton’s Maplewood Farm presented attendees their unique bourbon infused maple syrup.   

In an attempt to nurture this growing food scene, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman used the 2012 Marketplace event to announce her office’s newly minted Indiana Grown marketing campaign.  This program, intended to showcase Indiana food producers, coupled with success of food craftpersons at the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, ensure a bright future for local foodists.