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April 15 Market Newsletter
This Week’s Newsletter:
Ros’s Ramblings
Schedule
Market ChitChat
The Lowdown on Longhorn
This Week’s Grower Notes
Ramblings from Ros
Many of you are aware that I spent a few days in Memphis late March and early April. It was a great trip on many levels, the main one being meeting our newest grandson! Daniel Judson Cowherd arrived April 3 and joins rollicking big brother Colby who already knows more about trucks and trains than I do.
Now that that’s out of the way let me share another highlight – the MEMPHIS FARMER’S MARKET! We were able to visit on opening day, April 1.
Memphis Farmer’s Market is local within 150 miles of the city. Vendors come from Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. The city has a nice pavilion close to the river complete with electricity and bathrooms. Vendors are able to back their vehicle up to the the pavilion and work from there, or set up tents and/or tables. As expected, it is a traditional market with foods grown traditional ways, but they also had one vendors who was certified Naturally Grown. Artisans selling pottery, soap, jewelry, etc were also on hand. We all sampled bean pie which tasted a lot line sweet potato or pumpkin pie. Another unique thing was kombucha on tap. It was great! People were lined up getting growlers filled for $10!
There were a LOT of food items available, and a few food trucks, but the part that surprised and delighted me was that they didn’t have any vegetables that Market at Dothan doesn’t have. Lettuce, onions, carrots, kale and chard . . . that was about it! I was secretly delighted as the variety we have offered this year far surpasses theirs.
And of course I chuckled when I overheard one woman complain that they didn’t have any fruit.
The main thing I noticed that we don’t currently offer is cut flowers. While they were breathtaking to behold, I think Nursery plants are superior as they don’t need to be replaced in a week. Music was the other thing. I doubt we’ll have any street musicians on board anytime soon but I could bring my harmonica one day . . . .
Schedule
Market ChitChat
Ah, the joys of HTML! We worked so hard to condense some of the recipe information in last week’s newsletter . . . it looked wonderful on the Market Weblog but alas, did not transfer that way to email! Oh well, humility is good for the soul.
We hoped you noticed that the date for Spring Open House has been changed on the schedule. Normally it’s the first Thursday of May, but that’s not the case this year. It’s actually the following week on May 11. Please note the change and be sure to join us to pick up your Dothan orders and enjoy the festivities! Many of our Market Vendors will be on hand with samples and products.
Longhorn Beef Information
I would like to point out to everyone that the pork listed in the table above is not comparable to the better qualities of the pork listed through our market. These are standard grocery store cuts compared to Longhorn beef.
Longhorn cattle are “naturally lean” (not much fat to cut off). Our longhorn pasture raised & finished beef is lean and healthful, lower in fat and cholesterol than most beef. It’s also tender and great tasting!
When I was searching for a place to process my animals, I came across an interesting fact from a meat processor in Alabama. I could NOT make a claim on my meat that it was Longhorn beef because of “state laws”. However! All it takes for a package to be labeled Angus beef is for the beef animal to be black. Is that messed up or what! You could have a “mutt” of a cow but as long as it’s black it can be labeled angus beef. Don’t just know your farmer, but know a small farmer and you’ll know more about your food.
- Texas Longhorn beef cooks quickly due to its low fat content. Fat acts as an insulator so the heat must penetrate the fat before it begins to cook the meat. Therefore, the less fat, the quicker the cooking time. Be careful not to overcook it.
This Week’s Grower Notes
We have the best Growers in the Wiregrass! Please learn more about them on our Grower Page.
HORTON’S FARM: With the full moon last week we spent a lot of time planting tomatoes and peppers, including some varieties Ros found in Memphis. We hope to offer a bundles from Caspian Pink, Old German, Black Krim, Green Zebra and Cherokee Purple later this year.
MARY’S PEEPS: It’s been another wonderful week and sales were so generous. Thank you for trying my cakes and other sweets, and those who bought my eggs, I hope you made something great with them. I appreciate all of the customers, new and old who tried my products. I try to bring something new from time to time, and making them for you is my pleasure. I would also like to thank everyone who recycles, because it helps all of us in the market to reuse when we can. Again I thank all of you who supports all of little farms to bring the freshest and best we can. Mary Peeps, Mary Dale Peeples
SANDY VALLEY: We appreciate everyone buying our vegetables from the table display at the Market. This is a busy time of year for us and with unpredictable quantities and an unpredictable schedule this method works best for the time being. We are fussy about providing the absolute best products possible and won’t deliver anything that’s not perfect.
Footnotes
Our Website: marketatdothan.locallygrown.net
Our Email: marketatdothan@gmail.com
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarketatDothan
For Friday Pickup: Dothan: Dothan Nurseries, 1300 Montgomery Highway, Dothan, AL 36303
Daleville: Corner of Daleville Avenue and Hwy 134
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!