THE SCOOP ABOUT COMPOST

(editors note: THANK YOU Hawkins Homestead for this valuable information.!)

Let’s talk about compost. What exactly is it? Compost consists of vegetables, fruits, plant waste (banana peels), egg shells, fallen leaves, really almost any organic matter.

How do I start one? Got an old bin or can laying around? Well, start adding what you would normally throw away into it. Or just pick an unused corner of your yard and there you have it. Did you let those veggies sit around too long? Add it to the compost. Cooking eggs for breakfast? Save the shells and add those to your compost. Potato peels, cucumber skin, grass clippings, recyclable boxes, or cartons, manure (certain animals only), all great for your compost. They key is to have an equal balance of “green” fertilizer to “brown” fertilizer.  

What are the benefits of it? Compost is essential to organic gardening. When you think about the word sustainable, this is one major way that we do it.  We turn what grew from the soil, back into the soil. Healthy organic plants, start from healthy soil. Even if you don’t garden composting decreases waste and having less in the landfills is a win for everyone!

So try it for yourself or you can buy it from us. At Hawkins Homestead Farm, we raise chickens, grow produce, and make dirt!

MARKET CHITCHAT

It seems we always start this section with a THANK YOU! As we approach Thanksgiving season the more I think about it the more I see to be thankful for! In particular as I think about the Market this week I’m thankful for all our very excellent vendors, our amazing customers, and the patience and trust you show us every week.

That being said – THANK YOU to the Dothan folks who claimed their orders as early as possible on Friday and the Daleville folks who were kind enough to coordinate their schedule for Wendy’s absence. We hope you don’t mind doing it again this coming Friday as Ros will be doing the Daleville deliveries again.

Speaking of Wendy, Avalon Farms will be back after Thanksgiving. You’ve probably noticed other growers not listing recently – its a busy time of year! Mayim has things going on out of town, Restoration has things going on, and Mary’s Peeps continues to recover after a medical procedure. Those are just the ones I know about so if I missed mentioning anyone it was not intentional!

Today was the last of the Fall Farmer’s Market and while attendance was more sparse than previous, those of us there had a great time. Your editor even got to sit in on the Lean Bean Chef’s final class and it was EXCELLENT!

Be sure to note Christmas Open House on Dec. 7. . . can’t say too much just yet but it promises to be the best one yet!

Lastly . . . Thanks for your patience with this hasty newsletter!

2017 FOOD & FARM FORUM

The Food & Farm Forum is a statewide event that’s part-conference, part-fair, and part-reunion.  The Forum will consist of peer-to-peer, hands-on, and experiential learning, in the form of workshops, panel discussions, and breakout conversations, on topics ranging from herbal medicine and seed saving, to livestock production and farmers market management.
 
Approximately 200-250 farmers, gardeners, community leaders, and advocates for local and sustainable food, will convene for a weekend of “cross-pollinating” – swapping stories, ideas, and wisdom, with the shared goal of building a more robust and resilient agricultural system in Alabama.

Anyone who is interested is invited to attend; participants need not be existing members of ASAN’s network, and the Forum is designed to welcome people of all levels of skill and experience.
 
Parts of the Forum will be modeled after the folk tradition of the “bee,” in which community members come together to do shared work while also socializing, learning, and celebrating.  While participating in peer-to-peer discussion, participants may also be invited to shell peas, or crack pecans, or sew some stitches on a quilt.

LOCATION:  The Forum will be held at Camp McDowell (105 Delong Rd, Nauvoo, AL 35578), a summer camp owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, located in Winston County.  It is also home to the McDowell Environmental Center, the McDowell Farm School, and the Alabama Folk School.  Camp McDowell is roughly 1 hour from Birmingham, 

REGISTRATION AND LODGING:  The cost for adults is $80, which includes six high-quality locally sourced meals and all Forum programming.  Several options for on-site lodging (not included in registration) are available to accommodate different budgets.

Click here (then scroll to bottom) to reserve your spot today — registration deadline is Wednesday, November 22.  Certain lodging options are limited so early registration is encouraged!

 
___CHILDREN:  People of all ages are welcome at the Forum!  On-site child care will be provided, to make the event more accessible to people with children.  There are several different registration prices for younger participants.

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.