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Happy New Year! January 5, 2019 M@D Newsletter
This Week’s Newsletter:
Welcome 2019!
You Can Help!
Market Chitchat
Grower Notes
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I’m sure they’re still popular but we’ve quit watching all the “Year in Review” and “Top 10” type programs that have dominated network television for as long as I can remember. If you check any of the brower home page storys you’re sure to bump into them there as well.
Rather than look back, this year I choose to look forward to see what we can expect in health and wellness trends for 2019 . . . and had to laugh, because it’s mostly stuff we already know!
Like much of the research our Market family is involved in, this can get quite involved so we’re going to hit the high nutritional points. Links are included at the end if you wish to do more reading. Be warned, some of the trends are, well . . . not exactly dinnertime discussion material!
HEALTHY FOOD: Low Carb and Ketogenic Diets seem to have brought healthy fats back into vogue. Even pork fat is reported to be a nutritionally dense food. The Farm to Table movement (we’re part of that!) is gaining as more people seek clean fresh foods sources. As vegan-keto diets gain in popularity plant based proteins will gain in popularity.
CBD & Medicinal Herbs: Cannabis Oil and things made with it are on the rise as more people are gaining relief and demand is increasing. Both CBD and medicinal herbs are increasingly being added to foods. By way of an announcement, Market at Dothan has moved all our Medicinal Herbs into a separate category on the Market Page.
Fermented Foods: “In 2019, more individuals will seek their probiotics from fermented food and drink such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha tea. Since high-fiber foods act as prebiotics fueling probiotic growth, there are now more reasons to consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.” Dr. Mindy Karr, NYIT
FROM SHEENA BAIN . . .
Well it is 2019! We cannot believe it! We are looking to 2019 as a year of growth! I like the way Mr. James Cash Penny, founder of J.C. Penny stores, said it: “Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” You marketeers are a force to be reckoned with! Much of our growth has been a beautiful side effect of the Market at Dothan. Thank you for your support.
We hope you will stand beside us, Bain Home Gardens, & Hawkins Homestead Farm as we undertake a new venture. Both of our Farms have applied for the Cultivating Change grant. Funded by the Greener Fields Together network, this program is truly about helping small farms grow and further help their communities. To learn more about it click here .
Since we are not are not a Greener Fields Together farm, our winnings are based on a what is called a popular vote contest. This is where you come in Marketeers – we need your votes! You are allowed to vote for multiple farms daily after you register here . So if you can find the time between now and the end of the month, please vote as often as you can remember for both our farms! Voting closes January 31st. Your efforts are so appreciated. A big thank you from Bain Home Gardens & Hawkins Homestead Farm to you all & Roslyn for helping us find our voice!
MARKET CHITCHAT
Several Announcements:
Vivian B. Adams School in Ozark will be hosting a backyard garden workshop next Friday on January 11. If you have been considering getting your hands in the dirt to grow some of your own produce this is a fabulous opportunity, and if you’ve been with the Market 5 years or so you’ll be delighted to see what our own sweet Susan Owens is doing these days. More information is in this document.
And then . . . there’s HYDROPONICS! Virginia Schafer along with Clifford Judge will be teaching and demonstrating hydroponics at Dothan Nurseries on February 16 at 10am. They will remove the mystery from this form of gardening and show how you can produce as little or as much in the space you have. We hope you’ll join us.
Coastal Sharps has promised to join us in February for KNIFE SHARPENING. We’ll let you know as soon as the date is set. Amory was trained by some pretty sharp folks (no pun intended, seriously!) and can make your old dull blades cut like new. Word on the street is “good enough to skin an elk”.
DALEVILLE & ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS – Regular Delivery this week.
New & Relisted Products
- Farmer’s Market Fun Kit– ages 6 & up
- Danny’s Greens are Relisted
THIS WEEK’S GROWER NOTES
We have the best Growers in the Wiregrass! Please learn more about them on our Grower Page.
BAIN HOME GARDENS: Marketeers!
We are happy to be back with you guys! Much of our break was rained out sadly. However, when it didn’t rain, we very were productive! From mulching to planting to planning – ah a farmers life!
New to the market this week are Collards Greens. We have had several losses with these due to the ground being so wet. So these are in limited supply. Also on the market we have Green Mustards, Premier Kale bundle, Kale Salad Blend, & Pepper Jelly. Peas & various Lettuce plantings are coming along nicely and there is a slim chance we will get more planting done on Monday. Till next week – from our family to yours!
AVALON FARMS:
Broccoli, being a cool weather crop, is loving these warmer temperatures a little too much. The florets that make up the broccoli heads are immature flowers. Every plants goal in life is to flower and produce seeds. Unfortunately, even though edible, those pretty yellow broccoli flowers just aren’t quite as tasty. Personally I love the stems best anyway, so I’ll be keeping all those flowering stems for me….the chickens get the flowers.
Cooked up some of the oldest and I assumed toughest, Senposai leaves. They were awesome! Even the “big old” stems cooked up tender and sweet in just a few minutes. These greens are very tender, but held up better than spinach. Will be using these as a spinach substitute in recipes.
Here’s 1 of our favorite spinach recipes. I’m going try use Senposai next time.
Creamy Chicken with Spinach and Chickpeas
1/3 cup chicken broth
8-oz. pkg. Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, divided
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
8 small bone-in chicken breast s (3 lb.) (I use boneless, cut in bite size pieces.)
4 slices Baked Cooked Ham, chopped
2 pkg. (6 oz. each) baby spinach leaves
Directions
Blend broth, cream cheese, pepper and 1/2 cup chickpeas in blender until smooth.
Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8 min. or until browned on all sides, turning occasionally. Add ham and remaining chickpeas. Pour cream cheese sauce over ingredients in skillet; cover with lid. Simmer on medium-low 15 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).
Add spinach; cook, covered, 5 min. or until spinach is wilted.
DANNY’S GREENS: Danny reports that ALL his beds are in production now and he’s able to list full weekly quanities of greens despite the slower winter growth. His garden is loving the recent spring like weather and all the bed covers are in place, ready for cooler temperatures. No matter what type farming one does, you can do everything perfect, yet remain at the mercy of nature’s forces. Last year a hard freeze killed ALL the lettuce beds and it took a few weeks to get back in production. We’re hoping that don’t happen again!
RICHTER FARMS:
Viki shared some cute photos of her goat standing on a pig. The pig was ok with it for maybe 5 minutes!
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.
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Dothan Pickup: Dothan Nurseries, 1300 Montgomery Highway, Dothan, AL 36303
Daleville Pickup: Daleville Chamber of Commerce Office
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