photo credit: ?erry

Thanks to You, Hartke Is Online!

First of all, I want you to know that this blog was started a year ago, July 2008. From July to August I had approximately one reader. Me. My first burst of gratitude goes to my supportive husband, Keith. I am obsessed with blogging, and he has made a beautiful peace with my obsession. Thanks, my love.

Then, I met Ann Marie Michaels who taught me SO much about blogging. I joined her way cool blogging network, Realfoodmedia.com. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, RFM is a blogging network for traditional food bloggers. All of our articles feed up to this one site, and from there, our readers can follow all of our blogs from one portal. It is like an online magazine, and a tremendous way to learn loads about green living, small farms and real food!

In January 2009, at Ann Marie’s suggestion, I moved my blog to WordPress, and signed up for my own URL. Steadily, my readership has increased, and I am thankful that with her help, since January 1, 2009, 72,014 people have visited this blog 104,186 times! Today, Hartke is Online! has 493 subscribers (I am half way to my goal of having 1000 subscribers by year’s end. All I want for Christmas is to double the subscribers, are you listening Saint Nicholas?)

On average we have 400 visitors a day. The most ever, in one day, was 1,154 visitors! It is gratifying to know that other folks are finding this blog, and perhaps learning about sustainable farming, homemaking, home remedies, etc.

My favorite photo of the year, Mike Peterson carrying a calf.          Photo Credit: Molly Peterson

The most exciting thing has been the commenters, contributing writers and guest bloggers that have come alongside me to help build a site that is a terrific resource in cyberspace. I wish to thank all of those who have helped make this year a big success (click on the name to see their blog(s). If I have forgotten anyone, please email me and I will add you. A HUGE thank you to (in no particular order):

Andrea Milstein, Cheryl Hadden, Chrys Ostrander, Pascal Destandau,  Cornucopia Institute, Janice Curtin, Kevin Trudeau, Jim Bynum, Jordan Wright, Mark McAfee, Mike Peterson, Tim Wightman, NTP Talk, Robert Burns, Sally Fallon Morell, Stanley Fishman, Stephanie Small, Sylvia Onisuc, Peg Beals, Ted Beals, Susan Blasko, Tom Maurer, The Bovine, The Complete Patient, Steve Bemis, Cellulite Analyst, Linn Cohen Cole, Matt Rales, Bill Jones, Deborah Williamson and Deanna Child, Melissa Makris, Bonnie Koenig, Cynthia Z., Jessica Haney, Maria van Heemstra, Robyn O’Brien, Robert Waldrop, Sarah Pope, John Coles, Anthony Kovats, Bobbie, Paul the Drywall Guy, Drugless Doctor Bob DeMaria, R-Calf, Judith McGeary and all you Anonymous Bloggers (you know who you are)!

I am also thankful for the many food documentaries that have come out this year, which are a tremendous boon to the local foods movement. My favorite course in college was film studies, and I have had a ball blogging about these films. Keith and I had the privilege of attending screenings for Food Fight!, Fresh, and a theater showing of Food, Inc. I have screening copies of Michael Schmidt-Organic Hero or Bioterrorist and Polycultures, both excellent films, which I still plan to review for the blog. I also am thankful that my foodie friend, Vija and I saw Julie and Julia!, the first major motion pix about food blogging.

PBS has an upcoming special documentary, Nourish, which makes me so glad. I once heard it said that when the artists join your revolution, it is all but won. So these filmmakers and their films will help us spread the good news of local and sustainable foods, in a major way. See the trailer below.

I would like to thank the local food magazines, like Edible Chesapeake, and Flavor Magazine in the Piedmont region. I am especially thankful to Editor Tracy Sutton, of Lancaster Farming, who has invited me to write opinion editorials for her paper, not just once, but twice. For a non-farmer, this was quite an honor.

The other Realfoodmedia.com bloggers have been a source of strength and inspiration, and they have had an inestimable impact on my blog. Thanks, to my blogging “crew”!

And a shout out of glee goes to one beautiful soul, Cathy Raymond, who is ever my cheerleader and encourager.

Love and Special Wishes for you and yours this Thanksgiving.

Kimberly Hartke, your Grateful Blogger

My favorite photo of the year in this article was taken by Mike Peterson’s wife, Molly M. Peterson www.mjmphotography.biz. Molly is a portrait photographer and her work also appears in Flavor Magazine.

Dear Readers, what are you thankful for?

Please share in the comments, below!