BUY SMART, BUY SAFE

If you’ve been with Market at Dothan more than a few weeks you recognize the above as our four core values. Another thing we value very much is the trust you place in us to deliver on those four words. It can be challenging sometimes – like the cattle at Working Cow’s getting into clover and making the milk taste bad, or the extreme cold we had last month that killed so many leafy green vegetables we’d be enjoying otherwise. But try we do and all our growers who’ve filled out our application form knows we ask the hard questions so you don’t have to wonder about the quality of food you purchase through us.

That being said – none of us assume you get ALL your groceries through Market at Dothan (though who knows – maybe some year??). But because you do, we want you to enjoy optimum health and not be hoodwinked or who-dood into taking home something you shouldn’t as we transition to more people selling fresh produce in our area.

”Greenwashing:” Have you heard that word? It happens all the time in the fresh food industry. Greenwashing is where a seller passes off industrial produce they got at wholesale prices as homegrown and uses unregulated words like “natural” and “no spray” to pass it off as wholesome and healthy. Here in the Wiregrass it is usually trucked up from Florida.

The good news is that there’s a great resource to help you ask the hard questions and avoid these food scammers. The Cornucopia Institute is a farm and food policy research group and they have developed a comprehensive guide to equip shoppers to do a background check on vendors. It provides a list of key questions about farming philosophies and daily practices that are designed to unearth detailed information about market goods. It’s not just about avoiding market fraud, it’s also about increasing the shoppers comfort level in discussing these issues with farmers.

The document may be found HERE. Yes, we realize it’s 9 pages. You don’t have to read it all at once or even read the whole thing for that matter, but we do hope you’ll take the time to familiarize (arm) yourself with some of the questions that will help you be the smartest, safest consumer you can be.

THIS WEEK’S GROWER NOTES

We have the best Growers in the Wiregrass! Please learn more about them on our Grower Page.

DANNY’S GREENS: Danny’s garden is going strong again after being frozen in January. Salad greens and onions are available this week.

BAIN HOME GARDENS: Hello Market Friend’s!
    Hello Market Friend’s!
     For three months we’ve moped around with borderline seasonal affective disorder, saddened by the gloomy damp weather that winter brings to Southern Alabama. Well, mope no more! Spring is in the air, on our vehicles and if outside long enough on you too!  Spring is such a beautiful time of year and is a time that beckons new beginnings.

With that, much welcome work is due to the garden. However, we have already noticed the allergies kicking up and Spring isn’t “officially” here yet! Knowing we will be outside more than ever, the question arises: How will we manage the symptoms? Over the next month we will be sharing some tips that we will be implementing at Bain Home Gardens.

Wear hats and scarves while engaging in outdoor activities.
It’s no new revelation that hats protect our heads from direct sun, in fact most gardeners have a favorite straw hat for the garden.  Instead of the pollen getting into your hair and working its way into your eyes, nose, or ears, it’s simply on the hat or scarf and when removed – boom, you’ve limited your exposure to the pollen. Storing these outside in a dedicated covered area will also be implemented this year. Speaking of storing outside, having a dedicated pair of garden shoes helps too. At our home we are “supposed” to remove shoes at the door before coming into the main living space but as with many good ideas, this one has become relaxed. Let’s just say the Bain family will be improving in this regard.

In the meantime we are planting new varieties of some old time favorites. Hang on to your caps guys & gals! This year will be an exciting ride as we work diligently to bring new and interesting produce from our family to yours!

HAWKINS HOMESTEAD FARM: Hello all!……..(drumroll please) We are extremely excited and anxious to introduce our organic oils and moisturizers to the market!!! Made with wonderful ingredients like Shea butter and essential oils, plus100% chemical free, we believe these products are the absolute best you can use for you hair and body. Our family uses everything we produce and it is our goal to provide products your family will love as much as we do! We hope you will give them a try.

In other news….it definitely feels like Spring has sprung with the wonderful weather we had this past week. Was anyone else pleasantly surprised? The garden has been loving it and we couldn’t be happier about it. Our peas started flowering one day and then they seemed to have grown pods overnight! We are patiently waiting for them to fatten up! Patiently…

We also have other some new offerings this week!!!! Please check out our organic buttercrunch lettuce, arugula, and collard greens. Lots of green goodness coming your way. Plus our eggs have picked up so there are plenty to go around. As always we appreciate each and every one of you and we’ll see you at the market.

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.

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!