In my younger days, I read all of the Little House on the Prairie books and was entranced by the image of general stores, packed from floor to ceiling with everything that couldn't be produced on the farm. Shelves were filled with bolts of material, candle molds and cast iron ware, barrels of nails hugged the wall, and glass jars of penny candy sat on the counter. Today's 'general stores' are Target and Home Depot. But modern homesteaders still have need of many of the same products their great grandparents used. And there are, in a few locations around the country, stores that carry these self-sufficiency wares.

The three companies I'm most familiar with, Lehman's, Cumberland General Store and The Vermont Country Store, all offer print catalogs, online shopping and actual stores filled with simple-living products. Lehman's, which bills itself as 'the worlds' largest purveyor of historical technology,' is located in Kidron, Ohio; The Cumberland General Store is in Alpheretta, Ga., and The Vermont Country Store, which offers classic clothing designs and natural body care products, has shops in Weston and Rockingham, Vt.

It is just amazing the range of products these stores offer, and it's great fun to peruse their catalogs, dreaming of a simpler, handmade life. You can find kerosene and propane lanterns, cultivators, garden carts, wood cookstoves, milking pails, crosscut saws and peavey poles, pitcher pumps, cotton sleepwear, soap flakes, sorghum and even penny candy.

If you are looking for old fashioned, hand operated or classic 'Americana' products, request a catalog, brew a pot of coffee and spend a quiet rainy afternoon exploring the pages of these wonderful publications. You'll recognize all kinds of things that your grandfather and grandmother used on the farm and in the kitchen. But these products are all shiny new and ready to perform well on your 21st century homestead.

There's been a lot of talk recently about the 'eat local' movement, which centers around the premise that food from local producers is fresher, boosts local economies, and most importantly, completes the cycle of farm-to-fork without wasting massive amounts of fuel in transport. This makes a lot of sense to me, so I was surprised and disappointed to see an op-ed in The New York Times by James McWilliams, author of A Revolution in Eating: How the Quest for Food Shaped America, in which he cited a study that challenged the theory.

How could cutting out the transportation factor not reduce fossil fuel consumption? According to McWilliams, considering a producer's externalities, such as water use, harvesting techniques, fertilizer and chemical use, renewable energy offsets and others, makes a product's 'food miles' an inaccurate representation of its environmental impact. The study (conducted by New Zealand's Lincoln University) found that residents of Great Britain would promote greater carbon dioxide emissions by purchasing locally raised lamb instead of lamb shipped across the ocean from New Zealand. The reason was that New Zealanders raise their animals on pasture, and the British rely on the use of feed.

Could it be that I'm wrong?  I'm willing to consider the possibility. McWilliams says that, 'As concerned consumers and environmentalists, we must be prepared to seriously entertain these questions. We also must be prepared to accept that buying local is not necessarily beneficial for the environment.'

But wait. New Zealand is a tiny country. I had the opportunity to visit last year, and it is indeed forward-thinking in its agriculture policy. Nonetheless, New Zealand's ag industry is dependent on exports, and a successful worldwide eat-local campaign is not something they're likely to support. I was happy to see that my favorite Grist columnist Tom Philpott had the exact same thought:

'But pasture-based organic U.K. lamb exists and is available. Wouldn't buying that be the greener option for U.K. consumers? The study doesn't comment on this option — perhaps because, as Small-Mart Revolution author Michael Shuman points out, its authors are funded by New Zealand agribusiness interests that rely on export markets.' Philpott goes on to make many excellent points in his column.

I live in Kansas. I suppose if, in the interest of buying locally, I traveled a short distance to a feedlot for some steak, it is true that I would not be making a sustainable choice. Furthermore, it's doubtful to me that any local-food advocate is buying from large, input-intensive, commercial scale farms. It's not difficult to see how your local producers do business — I'm sure they'd be glad to show you around if you'd like.

So for now, I'll continue with my plans to visit the farmers market tomorrow morning.

August – the tomatoes are ripening faster than I can eat them. This is good! I don't do a lot of food preservation, but I do make tomato sauce each summer. Hopefully, I am able to freeze enough to take me through to next summer when the new crop of those red, sweet globes ripen on the vine.

I realized, this year, that almost all of the ingredients for my tomato sauce were growing (or had grown) in my garden — tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, oregano and basil. Most of the tomatoes were already sitting on the kitchen counter, just waiting to be popped into the pot. The garlic and onions had been harvested earlier in the summer. And the basil, parsley and oregano were just waiting for me to stroll to the garden, scissors in hand, to snip a few sprigs.

But the purpose of this tale is not to share my tomato sauce recipe (that comes later, below) but to suggest that you can tailor a small garden to the ingredients in your favorite recipes. Do you love to make salsa? Add some cilantro and a few varieties of peppers to the produce list above. Are pickles your favorite side dish? Grow beets, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, dill, garlic and onions. Maybe you only have room for a small garden patch next to your patio. You can grow culinary herbs or tea herbs such as lemon balm or a variety of mints. If you grow what you love to eat, less produce will go to waste and you will have the satisfaction of eating the freshest and most nutritious food all summer long. And by preserving the harvest in some fashion you can continue to enjoy those summer flavors for the rest of the year.

I use this with spaghetti, lasagna and any other recipe where a tomato sauce is called for.

You can adjust the measurements to suit your taste.

11/2 to 2 gallons fresh tomatoes

11/2 cups minced onions

1 whole head of garlic crushed and chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

1 sprig minced parsley

Handful of basil leaves, chopped fine

1/8 cup minced oregano

1 tbsp sugar

Salt to taste

Quarter the tomatoes and toss them into a stock pot. Add about ½ cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer until all of the skins have pulled away from the meat of the tomato. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool a bit. Run the tomatoes thru a food mill to separate the skins and seed. (If you do not have access to a food mill, you will need to peel the tomatoes before cooking them.) Put the cooked tomato and all the juice back into the pot and simmer.

In a skillet, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, but not brown. Add this to the simmering tomatoes. Add the herbs. Simmer until the sauce is the consistency you desire. I find it needs to cook down by about 50 percent. Add the sugar a teaspoon at a time to achieve the right taste. Add the salt in the same fashion.

I freeze the cooled tomato sauce in pint containers.

Living in the country frequently means having an unpaved, dirt or gravel driveway that requires periodic maintenance. Many farm lanes began life as a two-track wagon or truck trail that over the years has been slightly improved with the addition of some crushed rock, coal slag or even metal filings from a mill. The base layer of a driveway should be constructed of coarse gravel, so it drains well, but you can't count on that.

Even professionally built 'improved' roads suffer from the effects of spring runoff, heavy summer rains, and winter frost heaving. The constant erosion by nature and the occasional grading of the road or driveway to even out the high and low spots will cause the gravel layer to thin in places and 'pot holes' to form.

I had a quarter-mile driveway whose rock layer had long since disappeared into the mud. There were two places where the road bed collected water and were virtual quagmires in the spring and after heavy rains. I asked at a local gravel pit what I could do to stiffen the road surface after it had been graded. They suggested I have a load of what they called 'dirty twos' laid down. That was obviously a local term, as no one here in Kansas had a clue what I was referring to when I inquired about its local availability.

It turns out that 'dirty twos' is crushed rock, less than an inch in diameter, which includes the rock dust, called 'fines.' The angular crushed rock fits together like puzzle pieces and the fines packs down between the rocks making a dense surface. After the rock is spread on the road, it should be driven over, preferably by the heavy, large-wheeled gravel truck, to pack it well.

Maintaining your country driveway on a regular basis – grading, adding a 'dirty-twos' layer and keeping the runoff ditches clear of obstructions will add value to your property and provide an attractive introduction to your homestead.

Consumer demand is a driving force behind the policies that will affect the way our land is cultivated and the quality of food that finds its way to our tables. Whether you're shopping for groceries or going out eat, making sustainable choices is more important than ever. Thanks to Sustainable Table, the folks who brought us The Meatrix trilogy, it's also easier than ever.

Two weeks ago, I introduced the general concept of sustainable farming. If you found yourself wondering how those of us who don't farm can make a difference, Sustainable Table has created 'Three Easy Steps to Sustainability,' a guide designed to help you make appropriate choices as a consumer.

And when you're ready to learn more, visit their Web site for all kinds of useful tools such as shopping guides, informational booklets and directories. Good luck in your quest for healthier, eco-friendlier foods!

It's official: August 5-11 has been proclaimed National Farmers Market Week by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns. Now is the perfect time to check out the markets near you and show your support for local farmers.

After all, where can you find fresher produce? Why would you pay top-dollar for California carrots when you live in Missouri? They're the same pointy, orange roots either way, except one has wasted gallons of fuel in its cross-country trek and comes packaged in an unnecessary plastic bag. A dollar spent at the local farmers market is a dollar not spent in support of corporate farms.

To find a farmers market near you, look no further than Local Harvest. Simply enter your zip code for a list of organizations and their schedules.

The most satisfying part of summer, well, at least summer gardening, is the arrival of ripe tomatoes. There just is no taste comparison between grocery-store and home-grown tomatoes. Allowing a tomato to ripen on the vine gives it the necessary time to develop all of the subtle, sweet flavors that each variety is capable of.

I planted some popular hybrids this year — ‘Big Boy' and ‘Big Girl' — in order to get a bumper crop of big, red tomatoes for spaghetti sauce. The plants are doing very well and I expect quite a few more weeks of excellent eating. In the past I also grew a plant or two of an heirloom tomato, ‘Purple Cherokee,' known for its excellent flavor — meaty, sweet and not too acidic. Heirloom crops are those that have been grown for generations and are not a hybrid. They have maintained their unique flavors and may grow best in a region similar to their beginnings.

Kansas does not seem to be the optimum climate for ‘Purple Cherokees,' but even a few of the big, purplish fruits is worth the space in my small garden. So, I did put one in this spring, hoping it would not succumb before a few tomatoes had ripened. I have not been disappointed.

In our office we enjoy sharing our gardens' bounty with other staff members. A few years ago we did a taste test with a half dozen different heirloom varieties. It was quite surprising to discover the range of flavors and textures of the old types. But most of our current staff was not here then, so I thought a taste comparison between tomatoes grown under the same conditions was in order. I brought in a ‘Big Boy' and a ‘Purple Cherokee,' cut them into bite-sized chunks and passed the plate. What fun to hear the 'ahhhs' that emanated from each desk area. The ‘Cherokees' were gone in a flash. Of course, no one let the other go to waste.

If you have a little extra space in your garden, I highly recommend you plant some heirloom tomatoes. There are a number of nurseries that specialize in heirlooms or you may find them at your local garden center. If you don't have space to grow tomatoes, check out the Farmer's Markets for garden fresh tomatoes and other summer produce.

Last week I wrote about county extension offices and the myriad services they provide, including sponsoring many of the county fairs around the country. So, I thought it appropriate to visit the Shawnee County fair that was in progress here in Topeka, Kan.

A fellow staff member and I went to the fair grounds during lunch hour on Friday. We had in mind to partake of some good fair-type food after viewing the displays.

The Shawnee County fair is small by some fair standards. There were no carnival rides and only two food venues. But the energy and excitement of the participants made up for the lack of food choices and entertainment.

The main exhibit hall was a cacophony of crowing and clucking from the dozens of chickens being judged. As we watched, judges roamed up and down the aisles of caged poultry pinning blue, red and purple ribbons on the cages. The young 4-Hers were anxiously waiting outside of the judging area to see how their prized entry faired. Right next to the poultry exhibit were the rabbits – so many sizes, shapes and colors! It was quite warm in the exhibit hall and the exhibitors were busy directing fans onto cages and filling water dishes with fresh water. A few rabbits were having their coats groomed in anticipation of the upcoming judging.

On our way to the large animal exhibit barn, we strolled past photography displays, attractive dinner table settings and piles of vegetables fresh from the garden, many with prize winning ribbons attached. Many of the vegetable, canning and other food exhibits were entered by adults, in addition to the ones from 4-H members.

The livestock barn was chock full of the sounds and smells of cows, cattle, pigs, goats and sheep, many of whom were complaining loudly about being led around the show arena. The sheep were especially vociferous. Grade-school aged youngsters, dressed in their best western garb, struggled to keep their animals in line while trying to make it look as though they were pros at the fair scene.

The most engaging aspect of the animal showing was the participation of parents and other 4-H volunteers who were doing their best to assure that the kids succeeded at whatever their level of exhibiting. County fairs are about family and community: helping the younger generation to learn the self confidence and leadership skills they will need to be leaders in their own communities.

After seeing all of the exhibits, we stopped at the food court for a typical fair snack – ice cold lemonade and a funnel cake. Yes, we might have found a more nutritious lunch – but this is the fair and it only comes once a year.

Check out the county fairs in your area this summer and get a close-up view of time-honored farm life and country skills. You might even consider entering your own home-grown tomatoes, best pickles or strawberry jam.