July 26, 2010

Market News - July 27, 2010

From the Market Manager

   What a pleasure it is to open the refrigerator and know that there is a variety of tasty local items in it with which to make a meal.
   When you make a salad, first off know that it doesn’t have to contain lettuce, and go from there. If you make a green salad put some fruit in it.  A nectarine goes really well in a salad with a vinaigrette dressing. If you go to kitchengardenfarm.com, you will find several excellent salad recipes.
   Use Outlook Farm’s bulk breakfast sausage to stuff vegetables. You have to add other ingredients to it just as you would when you use ground beef.  It is very lean.
   Do any of you want to enter a gazpacho contest for next week? So far no-one has expressed an interest. If we have 5 entries we’ll do it, otherwise we won’t. Email me at bellerita@verizon.net or call me at 737-1724. You don’t have to make a huge amount, but at least a couple of quarts would be good. We’ll have ice to keep it cold.

Farming Terms

   Locally-grown: Food and other agricultural products that are produced, processed, and sold within a certain region, whether defined by distance, state border, or regional boundaries. The term is unregulated at the national level, meaning that each individual farmers’ market can define and regulate the term based on its own mission and circumstances.
   Naturally-grown/all-natural: USDA guidelines state that all “natural” meat and poultry products can only undergo minimal processing and cannot contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, or other artificial ingredients. The claim “natural” is otherwise unregulated.
   No spray/pesticide-free: While a farm may not be organic, “no spray” or “pesticide-free” indicates that no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides have been applied to the crop at any point in its production.
   No-till: A method of reducing soil erosion by planting crops without tilling the soil, which may rely on herbicides to control weeds.
   Organically-grown/certified organic: All products sold as “organic” must meet the USDA National Organic Program production and handling standards. Certification is mandatory for farmers selling more than $5,000 of organic products per year, and includes annual submission of an organic system plan and inspection of farm fields and processing facilities to verify that organic practices and record keeping are being followed.
   Sustainable agriculture: Farming that is socially just, humane, economically viable, and environmentally sound. The term is unregulated.
   Transitional: Farmers must practice organic methods for 3 years on a given piece of land before the products harvested from that land can be sold or labeled as organic. “Transitional” is an unofficial term meaning that the farmland is in the midst of that transition period toward organic certification.

   Vine-ripened/tree-ripened: Fruit that has been allowed to ripen on the vine or tree. Many fruits that are shipped long distances are picked while still unripe and firm, and later treated with ethylene gas at the point of distribution to “ripen” and soften them.

This ‘n’ That

   There are many non-perishable items to purchase as gifts at the market. You can make up your own gift baskets or bags.
   Don’t forget our cookbook giveaway. Bring your unwanted books and if you have the willpower, don’t take any others home with you. We have a table set up next to the market table.
   Pick up a flyer about donating other books also at the market table.
   Forest Park Middle School has a new principal. Her name is Medina Ali. If you’d like to discuss anything about the school and its relationship to the neighborhood, give her a call—787-7420.
   Springfield will be distributing the blue recycling containers on wheels to the rest of the city this summer. It is so easy to recycle with this container. Paper, glass, and metal all go in the same one and then you wheel it out to the street every other week. FYI—recycling one glass bottle saves enough electricity to light a 60-watt bulb for 4 hours. It is amazing how little trash you can have when you recycle. Don’t recycle pizza or Chinese food containers.
They don’t want anything that has grease on it.

   This Wednesday at noon, the new Forest Park Apartments on Longhill Street will have a ribbon cutting. All of the apartments have been refurbished and they are all rented. Drive by and take a look; it looks terrific.

SevenArs Concerts

   The 43rd season of this small music festival is happening now. Every Sunday at 4PM at the Academy in Worthington, you can hear world-renowned artists and/or prize-winning newcomers perform. The cost is $20 and that includes refreshments during intermission. You owe it to yourself to go to one or more of these concerts. The setting is lovely and you will feel as though you are among family. There are 4 more performances through August 22nd.
   Directions: Go through Westfield to Rte. 20. Follow Rte. 20 until you pass through Russell and you see a sign that says Rte. 112. Take that right and eventually you will see a sign that says SevenArs and you are there.

Vendor Stores

   A few of our vendors have stores that you can visit if you can’t make it to the market. Some have websites also. Hickory Dell Farm is located off Rte. 66 in Florence on West Farms Road. Outlook Farm is on Rte. 66 in Westhampton. Both are open 7 days a week. Trinity Farm in Enfield, CT is open M-F 6-6, and Sat. 6-4, closed Sunday. Sweet Pea Cheese (Hayes Dairy Farm)  151 East St., North Granby, CT is open 10-7 daily or by appointment. You can get the complete list of our vendors on our website.

Vote for Your Favorite Market

   Go to Farmland.org and you will find a place where you can vote for your favorite farmers’ market. I think there’s a prize for the most votes.

Market Table

   There are recipes and all sorts of information there, and it’s all free, so help yourself.

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July 23, 2010

Market News - July 20, 2010

From the Market Manager

   Hickory Dell Farm and Dr. Cookie are on vacation, and Glenn Butler doesn’t have enough to sell right now, so they aren’t here this week.
   Now is the time to enjoy our local tomatoes. I put some new recipes in the crate at the market table, so take a look.
   Thanks to those of you who have already donated books. We’ve made $25 already. Ron Haislip-Hansberry, the proprietor of PZA Books suggested that we have a book sale at the end of the market. What we don’t sell we can donate to a charity. Pick up a flyer at the market table about book donations.
  

Farmers’ Market WIC Coupons

   They will become available in early August. This year new coupons for the grocery store became available. They are also for produce, but they aren’t for any farmers’ market. The FM coupons are for $2.50 each.

IPM

   You may see these letters on some of the signage at our market. What that means is integrated pest management. It is not the same as organically produced.
   You know that there are good insects and bad insects. Bees, good, Japanese beetles, bad, etc. What IPM does is to integrate good insects and other methods such as sticky balls that look like apples, to combat the destructive pests that abound.
   Scientists are always trying to find ways to increase yields using as few herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides as possible both for the health of the land, and the health of people and other animals. IPM does that.

Why are Barns Red?

   Last week while at Trinity Farm a conversation ensued about why barns are mostly red. The man with whom Dale Smyth and I were having the conversation said that blood was mixed into the “paint.” We couldn’t imagine that. Turns out that there is some truth to that.
   Here’s what I learned: Hundreds of years ago European farmers started painting their barns with linseed oil, adding milk and lime to the mixture. This combination made a pretty good paint that protected the wood. Sometimes they’d also add ferrous oxide or rust to the mixture because those hindered the growth of mold and fungus which cause wood to decay. When linseed oil dries, it turns the wood darker and the addition of the rust and/or ferrous oxide makes it redder. Sometimes a wealthy farmer would also add animal blood to the mixture after the animal was slaughtered.
   The tradition of painting barns red continued after Europeans came to North America even after commercial paint was available.

Gazpacho Contest

I wish that I could claim all of the good ideas for our market, but I cant. Barbara Garvey suggested that we have a gazpacho contest similar to what they do with clam chowder on the Cape.  So, let’s do it. On August 3rd, no matter what the weather is like, let’s have a contest. We will supply the cups and spoons, so let me know if you’d like to enter. I’d like to have at least 5 people participating.

   Gazpacho is best when all of the ingredients are local which I why I don’t make it until August.

Something Cute

   While picking blueberries again yesterday, I heard this exchange from a brother to his younger sister. “Only pick the blue ones, not the pink ones. I know that pink is your favorite color, but only pick the blue ones.”

This ‘n’ That

   Sheila McElwaine will be leading the Riverwalk this Wednesday, July 21st. Meet at the Monarch Place fountain Downtown at 12:15, and walk to the Riverfront walk. It takes about an hour altogether.
   Take down your tag sale signs (or someone else’s) when the tag sale is over. It’s litter at that point.
   The Trinity Church neighborhood party was a huge success. What a great idea.
   Trinity has two more Thursday night concert/suppers left this month.
   The woman with the tie-dye clothing, etc. will be here next week.
   A concert featuring folk singer July Polan will be held at the Chicopee Library this Thursday night at 6:30. The library is at 449 Front Street. FREE. Judy has a beautiful voice.

 

Bing Arts Center

   The Bing is featuring a series of cultural events on the first Friday of every month. On August 6th, Chris Marion, a “flippant and conscientiously caustic comedian” will perform. This is NOT for minors. On September 3rd, Doug Ratner, a local rocker with a following will perform. Doors open at 7:30, performance at 8. A $5 contribution is suggested.

Recipe-Green Beans with Charred Onions

From: “Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking”
Kosher salt
1 pound young green beans or haricots verts
2 medium sweet onions
1 ½ Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons orange juice
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 T kosher salt. Add the beans and blanch until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain the colander and cool under cold running water, drain well.
Halve the onions lengthwise and trim off the ends. Cut lengthwise into ½” wide slices. Heat a dry 12” sauté pan over medium high heat until very hot. Add the onions and sauté until charred in spots but still crunchy, 4-6 minutes. During the last minute or so, add the beans, stirring and tossing to warm them through. Transfer the beans and onions to a large bowl.
Whisk the vinegar, orange juice, and oil together in a small bowl. Pour over the beans and onions, tossing to coat. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour before serving.  

 

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