MARKET CHITCHAT

THE WEATHER! It is glorious today even with the wind. This week is somewhat of a transitional period for Market at Dothan as we’re almost out of winter and into actual spring foods. Mayim has announced they’re almost out of winter vegetables. Several of our growers are taking a taking a well deserved break this week this week and soon we’ll see berries and more summer type vegetables listed. Till then, we hope you’re enjoying this time of year to the fullest!

It’s also a sad week for Market At Dothan. Working Cows Dairy will no longer offer their products through the website. This has been a long, hard, and COURAGEOUS decision for them. We hope all of you will continue to support them whenever/wherever you get the opportunity as you just can’t get better dairy products anywhere. And if you have the opportunity, visit them at the farm in Slocomb where they have products available to the public 24/7. If you’re lucky you might just run into Rinske and be able to see part of the farm operation.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for our next Healthy Lifestyle Class at 10 am on April 21st. Our topic will be More than Food: Honey and Health. We’ll explore the chemical composition of honey which gets into why is is so good for the human body both internally and externally. Hope to see you then!

THIS WEEK’S GROWER NOTES

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

AVALON FARMS: This time last year we were happily picking and listing lots of asparagus, however the cooler temperatures have discouraged it from coming up as early this year. It is too unpredictable to list with confidence so we are keeping a close watch on our beds in hopes to have some available for tables sales this week.

BAIN HOME GARDENS: Hello Market Buddies,
    These beautiful spring days have been improving my whole mood! Bye-bye seasonal affective disorder!
    Speaking of good a mood … our potato raised bed is coming along very nicely. At least we think so. With potatoes being one of the cheapest produce items you can pick up from the grocery store, one may ask, ‘Why bother growing them?’ In a word: PESTICIDES! Root vegetables – potatoes – absorb pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides that have been sprayed on top of the soil. The really scary thing is that these chemicals cannot simply be washed off. Vinegar, salt, baking soda – nothing rids it! Pesticides often sink into the most beneficial part of the root! There were 35 pesticide residues found by the USDA Pesticide Data Program! Thirty-five! Among these there were 6 known or probable carcinogens & 7 neurotoxins! Appalling? Yes. THIS IS WHY we do what we do at Bain Home Gardens! Who knows how our potato adventure will end, at least we gave it a try and will keep doing so till we get it right! Follow our adventure on our Facebook page.

The Bain Family is taking a spring break staycation. We are off market this week, but will be back the 31st! From our family to yours – now go grow some taters!

HAWKINS HOMESTEAD FARM: If you’re looking for us on the Market this week, I’m sorry, but you won’t find us. We are taking the week off to enjoy and celebrate our wedding anniversary. Brandon and I both work full time jobs in addition to running our small urban farm. So with raising a family and everything else that life throws at us, we’re extremely (understatement) busy! Still we feel it’s important to just take a minute or maybe two and relax. So that’s what we plan to do! Not to worry though, we will be back next week. We hope to have lots of salad greens, eggs, peas, and maybe a few radishes too. Enjoy your week and remember to take a break for yourselves!

MAYIM FARMS: Last call for cut/clean Collards and Mustard this week, making way for more planting. ByeBye winter hello Spring… (editor’s note) If you’ve been following Mayim on Facebook, stay tuned as they have been busy creating a new space on the farm especially for botanical medicinals.)