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August 26, 2017 Market Newsletter
This Week’s Newsletter:
Food Festival Update
Market Chitchat
In Season
Grower Notes
COMING SOON . . .
The countdown is on! Five weeks from today Market at Dothan and Dothan Nurseries will host the city’s first ever Fall Farmer’s Market and Fall Food Festival. This event will occur every two weeks ending on Veterans Day, November 11. We plan to do something special that day to commemorate the occasion . . but that announcement has to wait.
This won’t be your typical Farmer’s Market! As a SUSTAINABLE Market our growers do not use GMO’s, chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides in the growth of their products. In other words, this is a HEALTHY market!
The Fall Food Festival portion of this event consists of two classes each week in our regular Market pickup area. Last week we introduced Greg Lolley and Susan Avello who will be teaching on Sept. 30. Greg’s class that day sets the tone for the rest of the season as he will talk about the Health Differences between Organic Foods and Traditionally Grown Foods. Susan is a personal chef with Lean Bean Chef and will be teaching about Transitioning to a Gluten Free Diet.
Greg will joined by wife Carole on October 14 teaching about Fermented Foods. Following them will be Katherine Johnson (pictured on the far right with one of her cutie pies) who will teach about Water Kefir. Katherine is a health conscious mom of four with extensive experience maintaining her family’s health through nutrition. You will enjoy hearing this delightful lady.
MARKET CHITCHAT
A hearty THANK YOU to Koda, his handsome handler, and the Lolleys who joined us at the Market yesterday for Dog Days. We sent home as many dog treats as we could and enjoyed the visits, the fellowship and the smiles.
Thank you too, to our Daleville Customers: who were so kind and so flexible with the irregular delivery schedule on Friday. Wendy Robbins who normally does those deliveries will be back and on time next week.
Last but not least, your market manager has egg on her face. We told a fib unintentionally because we didn’t check the calendar. Last week was NOT the last week that new customers can join the Market without any fees. The Sept. 1 deadline is next Friday so orders placed between now and Market close on Tuesday still qualify for that permanent exemption from a participation fee. More info is available on our Question & Answer page. Please accept our apologies, but also please take advantage if you’re considering joining our happy & health conscious group.
ADVENTURES IN OKRA
Ummm . . . . you almost know one is from the south if they LOVE their Okra. While the geographical origins of this beloved dish is uncertain (according to Wikipedia), what is certain is that it has become a staple food in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions where it is cultivated. Like here!
There are many varieties and some color differences of okra. Gumbo and fried okra are the most popular southern dishes with some even liking the slippery consistency of eating it boiled. More and more people are enjoying tender young pods eaten raw.
THIS WEEK’S GROWER NOTES
We have the best Growers in the Wiregrass! Please learn more about them on our Grower Page.
AVALON FARMS: We’re back, well physically we’re back. Part of us will always be sitting by a stream somewhere. Unfortunately, the farm did not miraculously produce new crops while we were gone. This week I’ll be planting those first transplants. (Only 80 days till harvest! Sigh.) They include broccolis, cabbages, brussel sprouts, kales, spinach, chard, cauliflower (will they grow here? We’ll see.)
HAWKINS HOMESTEAD FARM: To continue our conversation from last week I’m going to talk about the difference between store bought eggs and farm fresh eggs. Not too long ago I had an experience with a woman who told me that she gets the SAME eggs from our local warehouse store here in town. Nope! Those are not the same eggs! That experience led me to believe that some people really think that organic eggs from the store are the same as farm fresh eggs. So in an effort to educate and raise awareness, I type this message today. Most store bought eggs are massed produced. I’m talking about lots of chickens in factories, with their beaks cut off to avoid pecking and confined to one tiny space with automated feed and water, laying eggs.
That doesn’t sound like an egg I want to eat. Not to mention that by the time you purchase these eggs, they could be 30 to 60 days old. Have you seen all of those cartons at the big box store? Just do some checking for yourself. Look up egg labels and learn how to tell when the eggs were packaged. Learn about and how to do the egg float test and please check out all the health advantages to fresh local eggs. Happy hens produce fresh healthy eggs!
FOOTNOTES
We would love to hear from you! If you have a favorite recipe, want to write a product review, have an idea or request for an article or information, let us know! You can reply to this newsletter or write marketatdothan@gmail.com.
Order Saturday 5pm to Tuesday 5pm weekly for Pickup the following Friday
Dothan Pickup: Dothan Nurseries, 1300 Montgomery Highway, Dothan, AL 36303
Daleville Pickup: Daleville Chamber of Commerce Office
Our Website: marketatdothan.locallygrown.net
Our Email: marketatdothan@gmail.com
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarketatDothan
Be sure to use our hashtag! #marketatdothan
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!