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April 13, 2024: M@D is Open for Orders!
MISC MARKET NOTES
One of the things I love best about our M@D Market is wonderful give and take between our vendors and customers. On any given pickup Friday there’s going to be multiple people present usually having lively conversations about something. I think all of us who’ve hung around can remember something significant that has enriched our lives.
For this manager one of those conversations inspired me to join the sourdough cult. I say cult because I frequently find my thoughts in that realm: “did I feed the starter today”, “what am I going to do with all this discard”, and “I’d like to try that design or that recipe”. While it’s been a fun and tasty adventure, it’s also been frustrating and discouraging at times. Perhaps the main thing I’ve learned is that there are principals that must be respected but there are no hard and fast rules.
Bread aside, loving to learn is the gift that keeps on giving. We all understand how important it is for children and young adults, but perhaps it best serves those of us 60 and above as it creates resilient cognitive abilities. In one study researchers tested the verbal working memory of older adults (average age 66) compared to younger adults (average age 22) simply by having them determine if pronouns in sentences were used correctly. Besides doing as well and sometimes better than younger adults there was evidence that older adults used additional brain regions with cognitive activities.
Other research has found that continuing education adds to cognitive resiliency. Learning new things helps the brain create new neural pathways associated with problem solving and memory.
What it all means is that intellectual ability doesn’t necessarily decline as you age and that lifelong learning is important for continued mental health and wellness.
Even simple activities like reading a book or watching a documentary can help with:
1. Increased Neuron Generation. Lifelong learning has been found to stimulate greater neuron generation and connection in the brain. Neurons are responsible for sending information throughout the body and when this is improved, it positively affects memory, attention, thinking, and reasoning skills.
2. Reduced Risk of Forms of Dementia. This greater neuron generation can maintain and enhance brain health. Activities like learning a new language and mastering a new gardening technique are cognitively stimulating and may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
3. Improved Ability to Handle Challenges. Simply reading a book or practicing an instrument can decrease muscle tension and blood pressure. Lower stress levels can help you better cope with challenging situations and changes in life.
4. More Socialization. One of the best parts of lifelong learning is it can be done with others! Learning courses, discussion groups, and book clubs can spark social interaction that is intellectually engaging and helps you avoid depression and isolation.
MOTHER’S DAY OPEN HOUSE is Saturday, May 11! Mark your calendar and plan to join us on this special day! Many of our vendors will be set up on site and in person.
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
March 30, 2024 M@D Newsletter Easter Edition
MISC MARKET NOTES
As promised we are announcing our schedule for the next two quarters. After a lot of deliberation and consulting we will continue with the bi-weekly schedule that has served us well these last six months. Please note these dates on your calendar and be watching for your Market newsletter when we open.
Please note that if you have an emergency and need something RIGHT NOW all you have to do is reach out to us and we’ll do everything in our power to locate what you need.
#1 Rather than write out a bunch of stuff we’re just going to copy part of Dothan Nursery’s most recent newsletter . . .
Well, you know you are special, right? You are! So you are the first to know about our upcoming Pollinator Party starting April 5th – 13th! So many cool things are happening. The big announcement will be next Tuesday, but I’ll let you know few details no one else knows.
First, our Butterfly House will open next Saturday April 6th. It will be beautiful and full of cute little painted lady butterflies.
Second, on April 13th our brand new Pollinator Paradise Garden will open. This is still being worked on, but will be ready for you on the 13th. Stay tuned for more details.
And . . . . since you are so special you get a chance to be the first to pre-order the Hummingbird Falls Salvia. This is the best plant we’ve found for attracting hummingbirds to your garden. We are doing our best to produce less waste here at Dothan Nurseries, and your pre-orders help us to bring in just the right amount of these lovely pollinator plants.
SO . . . April 13! This will be a special event and several of our vendors will be on hand to celebrate the Pollinator Paradise opening. We hope you’ll drop in that day.
#2 MOTHER’S DAY OPEN HOUSE is Saturday, May 11! Mark your calendar and plan to join us on this special day!
Food For Thought:
Yes, that is asparagus. As you can see it’s in very sandy soil that hasn’t been tended for years. But there it is. The tallest stalk was about ten inches high when we first saw it poking up . That piece of ground had been scraped and run over by heavy equipment maybe fifty times. You would think all plant life would get the idea . . . but no – the asparagus missed that memo and sprang up happy as it could be.
It says a lot about the power of strong roots. The Bible refers to Jesus as a “root out of dry ground”. He had been there for His people all along waiting for the right time and right circumstances to surface and bring life to barren places. That’s what He still does. He’s always there. And that’s what He still offers humanity. Life. Always THE root waiting to spring life into our barren situations.
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
March 16, 2024 M@D Newsletter - Last order before EASTER!
MISC MARKET NOTES
We are happy to have several growers that produce fresh eggs from healthy happy chickens who enjoy sunshine, fresh air, green grass, vegetable scraps and scratching for what God gives them. With Easter coming in a few weeks it’s a good time to think about stocking up on eggs because FRESH EGGS DO NOT BOIL WELL. Actually they boil just fine, but peeling them is a different story.
Most of the Market eggs are brown in color. One of the wonderful things about brown eggs is that you can create beautiful Easter Eggs with them just as easy as white ones, and brown eggs produce prettier colors: they’re earthy and less garish than the stark colors on white eggs.For our customers who have their own chickens, you’ll want to make sure to thoroughly wash your eggs if you choose to dye them. Especially when you have your own hens, you’ll need to wash the eggs before dyeing… not because they’re dirtier than commercial eggs, but because they’re cleaner. Strange, huh? Eggs laid by your own hens still have the “bloom” on them, which is a natural barrier left by the hens to keep eggs fresh. Often, grocery store eggs must be washed (sometimes in chemical solutions containing chlorine or lye (yuck)because of the unsanitary conditions they’re laid in, so commercial eggs will already be missing the bloom. Your eggs will not have been treated this way, which is a good thing in most cases… but in the case of dyeing eggs, unfortunately the bloom can interfere with the process, so be sure to wash and dry your eggs first. If you have to use grocery store eggs, we’d also recommend washing them, mostly to remove any chemicals used to “clean” them, but also because some factory farm eggs are coated with mineral oil, double yuck.
Avalon Farms:
Strawberries are here, sort of…. at least I think. There are at least 2 pints almost ripe right now! So I’m cautiously listing a few.
These are listed as “Estimated” quantity available, so the number can go negative. Please forgive my ignorance, I just don’t know how fast these will ripen.
These have absolutely NO pesticides on them (organic or conventional).
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
March 2, 2024 - M@D is Open for Orders!
MISC MARKET NOTES
At some point in life we become more conscious of making and cherishing good memories. One of my best recent memories was laughing and crying till it hurt while my son shared YouTube videos with me.
So what’s that got to do with the Market?
Well, the videos were basically about us. He had found a channel that involved pretty much everything we’re about:
Sustainability
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Natural Healing
Organic and sustainable foods
Avoiding Toxins
Etc.
And . . . it was pure satire. So much straight faced satire that if you didn’t realize it was satire it could be really REALLY offensive.
So today I want to introduce you to ReallyVeryCrunchy. For me this channel was a refreshing opportunity to laugh at myself without compromising any principals. In fact I doubled down on learning to make sourdough after seeing it (see photo below if you don’t believe me – it came out of the oven last night.)
This video about selling GIRL SCOUT COOKIES is a great place to start.
My personal favorite is the VALENTINE’S DAY short video.
Grier Acres: Hi everyone Harry and Jeannie are overwhelmed as usual but HAPPY. We purchased a 100% Kiko goat herd from a rancher in Albany Ga who was retiring. 1 buck and 13 does. That brought our herd up to 23. Our original plan was to only breed one of the does that was old enough and let the 12 doelings get to 1+ year of age. All 13 arrived on our farm on September 16, 2023. Goats have a gestation period of 150 days +- 5 days. Well 150 days from September 16, 2023 is February 13, 2024.
February 12 we had twin doelings delivered, and February 13, we had a single buckling born. Who’s the baby daddy? Is he the buck that arrived with the does or is the baby daddy another buck that was still in Albany? DNA tests will tell. (yes with a 100% New Zealand Kiko registered herd, we get DNA tests.) At any rate, the twin doelings, Speckles and Ames are both healthy and doing well. They are smart and intuitive. Blue, the buckling, is rock solid and growing at .55# per day. He can keep up with his mother anywhere she goes. We’re excited to have him on the farm regardless of who “da baby daddy is”. (inset photos here)
Males are always so PRETTY and Blue is no exception. Goats are doing extremely well and we are so relieved this particular kidding is over. However, lots more kidding coming. LOL.
Garden: We’ve been collecting natural fertilizer throughout the fall and winter. What can’t be used in our own garden will be made available for sale. Jeannie has plenty of poop from both chickens and goats. The chicken poop is not hot as it’s been aged for quite a while. Let us know if you need any poop for your compost. Harry has told Jeannie the poop is not valuable to others. So….if you want to help Jeannie prove Harry wrong ring us up. Tell your friends. Lol.
Also if anyone needs mullen let us know. We have several spots on the farm where it naturally grows.
Jeannie’s nursing home resident chickens are laying (a little). She has 10 hens and 3 have finally begun laying. We aren’t holding out for the other seven, hence the term nursing home chickens. Sigh….
Cold weather means wood for the fireplace. Harry is earning his keep by keeping the fat lighter split to help start the fireplace. If you are needing some fat lighter, we will be doing table sale bundles in Dothan when you pick up your weekly purchases. Please feel free to forward anyone to the market who might benefit from this wonderful smelling starting wood.
Avalon Farms:
So excited and a little anxious! I’ve never grown strawberries before. Silly me, didn’t realize they bear so early. They should be ready by the end of March. (Maybe sooner! I’m watching them closely.) They’ll be available in the market ASAP.
Thankfully these were planted back in October. (Before the leg issues.) It is nice to spread the farm labor out.
THIS & THAT
The state recently reported that our state grocery tax will NOT go down another 1% this year but will remain at the 1% reduction we received in 2023. This is because the reduction is tied to the state Education Trust Fund (EFT) which did not meet projected growth. For more information you may read THIS ARTICLE from 1819 News.
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
M@D Feb. 17, 2024 Newsletter - Order Time has Arrived!
MISC MARKET NOTES
Editor’s Note – We couldn’t say it better ourselves so we’re sharing Longears-n-Herbs grower information to introduce the newest member of our market family. Information about soil health and the use of their products is so helpful even if you don’t garden . . and of course there are the other wonderful products. So please get to know Danise a bit through what follows.
God created the land for us to use, tend and nurture for future generations. Our agricultural lands are dwindling and there’s no more being made. Family farms are folding. Urbanization is taking over. Younger generations are moving away from our heritage into bio-farming. With zero waste and sustainable trends rising, our mission is to foster sustainable agriculture. We are committed to helping agriculturalists (farmers/gardeners) be good stewards of our land and restoring our agricultural foundation which was entrusted to us by our forefathers.
BIOSOIL and SOILCARE – Reviving our depleted soils with patented live microbes that create the perfect environment for plant/tree growth and health. Regenerative agriculture is leading the way in higher quality crops, veggies, fruits, etc. with higher yields.
Consistent use can delete fertilizers all together for more beautiful produce whether in ground crops, potted gardening, fruit trees, etc. From the household gardener to the large acreage farmer, these products work and save money.
REBOOT and BALANCER – Our pet and livestock products, REBOOT, REVIVE and BALANCE the PH in the gut. A healthier gut in livestock and pets reduces need for antibiotics, healthier pregnancies, reduces allergies (that are so related to the gut!) The Balancer can even be used as a topical spray on wounds for enhanced skin repair. Both Balancer and Reboot act as Prebiotic/Probiotic microbes.
Endorsed by the American Grass Fed Beef Association.
Longears-n-Herbs also creates Herbal Tinctures available to support many of the body’s systems. Most of the herbs used are locally grown, others are acquired through organic herb farms. Lessening my family’s dependency on synthetic OTC drugs and prescriptions led me to clinical herbalist school to educate myself on more natural ways of supporting normal, healthy bodily function. “Then God said, ’ Let the earth sprout vegetation, herbs yielding seed, fruit trees bearing fruit after its own kind, with seed in them, on the earth, and it was so…and the earth brought forth….and God saw that is was good.” Genesis 1:11-12
Mount Moriah Farms: We just welcomed another doeling onto the farm. She was born on valentine’s day and we named her “valentina”. We will be keeping her as her mother is a wonderful milker! We have been working on adding some new products for sale. One of them Being our “Baby Bottom Cream” The ingredients in this super simple cream are all natural and effective. Zinc oxide is great for adding a barrier between the wet diaper and the skin. This gives the body a chance to heal on its own, without moisture and other not-so-pleasant things interfering with the process.Bentonite clay has amazing healing and detoxifying benefits. It absorbs moisture and removes toxins and impurities. It also fights bacteria. I love using it on my little one, knowing that there are no chemicals in it!
Avalon Farms:
I’m back! Well, sort of. Ha Ha
There aren’t any vegetables yet, but all our tasty jams, pepper jellies, pickles and praline pecans are available again.
Still experiencing some pain in left leg. But SO much better than before. I’ve been able to start working outside for short periods of time. Also have to build up normal strength after being idle for 2 months. Diagnosis is basically nerve compression in lower back and left hip, causing crazy pain. Fun times. With continuing physical therapy and slow careful physical activity I am improving.
Thank you for checking on me and especially for all your prayers. Making a little progress everyday.
Wendy
THIS & THAT
Good News! The Alabama Senate recently voted 32-0 to ban laboratory grown meat in Alabama. 1819 News has a great opinion piece on this issue if you wish to learn more.
Social Media Fun: Hopefully by the time you get to this little paragraph you’ll have time to become one of the first 1000 followers of a great little Instagram account called StrangeThingsInAlabama. Its a fun compilation that covers events, people, places, history and great stories in our state. Your editor is anxiously waiting to see if there’s one about the world’s smallest museum in Seale or the Haunted Chicken House up in Chulafinnee, both right on 431. Who knows what other oddities may lurk on our familiar state highway!
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
Feb. 3, 2024 M@D N3WsLeTteR - Time to Order!
MISC MARKET NOTES
And here we are two weeks later with a glorious spring like day – I hope you have enjoyed it as much as possible. Since it’s official that Sand Mountain Sam saw his shadow we should be able to enjoy more warmer days going forward.
We love Phil and Sam and our other cultural icons that encourage us to wait out winter weather, but there are actually other actual “things” in nature that tell us what to expect. Phillip Carter whom many may remember as a local extension agent is now a State Bee Inspector recently wrote, “Despite some very cold weather it appears that it hasn’t slowed the honey bees down very much. Here in the southern part of the state we are seeing plenty of drone brood so they are already gearing up for swarming so be prepared.” In bee language this means that the bees are gearing up for warm weather.
While observing the inside of a honeybee hive done only by a few, there are other easier and more accessible ways to watch for spring. Old Farmer’s Almanac says to simply observe the buds on a tree. This editor had a college assignment to do just that. While there was still snow on the ground we had to choose a 6 – 8 inch section of a tree of our choice and draw it once a week for 6 or 8 weeks. By the end of the assignment I couldn’t wait to see how my little twig had changed in such a short time.
Lastly, in our household we are content knowing that the forces that govern our weather patterns are pretty much beyond man’s control. We all know about sunspsots, but how often do we stop to realize that solar flares affect the temperature on planet earth? Heat from those events cannot travel through space to warm the earth but that infrared radiation . . . oh yeah. Given recent solar activity (remember that some cell towers went out temporarily a few weeks back?) should we be surprised for an earlier spring?
Folklore, observation or hard science, we’re thankful for the change of seasons regardless and rejoice in the beautiful days to be a part and partner with God’s creation.
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
Jan. 20, 2024 M@D Newsletter - Open for Orders!
MISC MARKET NOTES
Two weeks ago we were enjoying a blessed warm day and and today well . . . blessed COLD! May as well try to be positive about it! It seemed like a good time to check in to see what some of our Market vendors are doing these winter days:
Steve of 3LC Apiaries has been giving his bees supplemental syrup to help them get through the winter. He always leaves ample honey on his hives to accomplish this but they’ve consumed so much during previous cold snaps this winter that they risk starvation without intervention. This food will be consumed during cold weather and not stored as honey.
Amanda at Casablanca Ranch reports that their cattle have been eating extra during the cold weather which means giving them extra hay. They also have to make sure pipes don’t freeze so the animals have plenty of water. Sometimes this means busting up ice in water tanks as well.
Dianne, D’s Jellies, is busy in the kitchen. Today she’s making Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and Butter Pecan Ice Cream from her cookbook, D’s Farmhouse Kitchen Recipes! She will be making Blackberry and Mahaw jelly in the near future from frozen produce grown on her farm. They are looking forward to growing more peppers this year as their famous Pepper Jelly is completely sold out.
Duck Nugget Farm reports that they have to be more diligent to protect their birds from predators in winter. They feed crows year round (did you know crows keep hawks away?) to protect their ducks, geese, and guineas, but with less crows around in wintertime those pesky hawks and owls still sometimes manage to steal a meal. Another protection measure has been to add wind blocks and structural integrity to the shelters where the animals are locked up at night. Besides the added security, they have planted clover and winter rye so their animals can forage on fresh food during the winter months.
Grows in Rows has seedlings going in the hot house!
Hortons Farm has been preparing to move bee hives to a more favorable location. The trees surrounding the original bee yard have grown so that the shade is affecting bee health. It’s too early to attempt relocating right now but we are preparing the new site.
Kathy’s Churpers has been working on rotating their chickens. They report seeing a LOT of deer close by their property including a doe with triplets recently.
Special shout out to Mia at Mount Moriah for the cutest photo (below) this week. No explanation needed about how she cares for her goats!
MT MORIAH FARMS: Hello Winter! We currently have 9 does in milk and lots of little babies running around. Our first rabbit to have babies “kindled” out a couple days ago. I’m very excited to see what they look like. We have been busy working with troy university’s Small business division and i’m so excited about the opportunities this year will bring. We hope y’all have set some goals for this year and are working towards fulfilling them. Thank you for supporting local!
AVALON FARMS: Due to life circumstances, I have put all of Avalon Farm’s products on hold. That means none of our products will be available for now. I hate doing that but I hate even more canceling your orders last week and don’t want to have to do it again.
Starting in mid December I started experiencing pain in my left leg when I walk or stand for more than a couple minutes. Have not been able to get a diagnosis so far and we’re just doing the best we can.
Looking forward to a better Spring,
Wendy
Grows In Rows wanted to share some recent photos:
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
Jan 6, 2024 M@D Newsletter - New Year Ordering is Open!
MISC MARKET NOTES
After many weeks of mostly mild winter weather today (Saturday, Jan 6) is a breath of fresh air and this editor was counting on rain to justify staying indoors for desk work. So I’m dealing with both gratitude for warmth and open doors and discontent that I’m not outdoors doing something my body thinks I probably shouldn’t attempt, lol.
Most people go into a New Year with resolutions; they resolve to do something to benefit them personally or professionally. This never a bad thing, but it can be attempted badly resulting in failure. Failure leads to discouragement and eventually discouragement leads to “why even try?”
My own experience is that I always attempted too much at one time and expected too much too soon. Last year, 2023, I went a different direction and did something different by making myself accountable to an outside authority. It worked, but it took a whole year to actually see results. The key was little changes over a long period of time. Then the blessing showed up.
Change is like that – in the case of resolutions in order to be permanent, it needs to happen slowly over a long period of time.
So whatever your 2024 goals are, make your plan, call in help if you need to, break it up into bite size chunks and keep working your plan. Eventually you’ll look back and be proud to say “I DID IT!”.
D’s JELLIES: D’s Farmhouse Kitchen Recipes: A Recipe Book with 180 recipes that are simply delicious. The recipes are easy to follow. The Cookbook is perfect for someone who wants to learn to cook as well as for someone who wants to add a Cookbook to their collection. I was a Contributing Chef for Wiregrass Living Magazine for 9 years. D’s Jellies – I am sold out of D’s Hot Pepper Jelly and it will probably be late July before Peppers will be ready and Jelly can be made. D’s Mayhaw Jelly and BlackBerry Jelly will be available in February. Thank you to my customers who continue to shop with me. Dianne Herring
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. 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!
Dec. 9, 2024 M@D is Open for Orders - Last order cycle of 2023
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
While this is NOT a Christmas song for sure, after a chance encounter recently with someone of a darker belief structure I realized that the Christmas message is about bringing HOPE to a broken world. This person openly had no hope, only fear, and after meeting him/her Louis Armstrongs rich voice brought this song to mind.
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and for you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying
“I love you”
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more
Than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Ooh yeah
To borrow from “Oh Holy Night”, this is a very weary world. So very many of us are weary of the increasing darkness that threatens to overtake. BUT, the HOPE brought by the Christ Child reminds us that it wasn’t always this way nor was it ever meant to be. And someday it won’t be. The LIGHT of the World still shines bright and His invitation is still “Come Unto Me.”
Due to the busyness of this time of year we encourage you to order EARLY to get items of limited quantity currently listed. Items and quantities may be added over the next couple of days so be sure to check back before closing on Tuesday (5pm) in case there’s something else available that would be a blessing to you and yours.
THANK YOU for allowing us to be part of your life this year. We count it a privilege to serve you and look forward to serving you in 2024. May you and yours have the most blessed Christmas and New Years season ever!
VIP / CRITICAL(?) M@D ANNOUNCEMENT