GROWER NOTES

DANNY’S GREENS: We’re going strong over here and have limited quantities of collards and red russian kale this week in addition to the salad greens. The carrots and beets will be ready in a week or two.

LAURA’S CONFECTIONS:
“President declares a national emergency; Panic; Mixed Messages; Fistfights over Toilet Paper, Wine; Empty Shelves; Cancellations; and a host of other illogical and sometimes dangerous behaviors are all contributing to a societal devolution that, no doubt, will terminate with the Zombie Apocolypse. 

I have lived long enough to witness many healthcare crises billed as worldwide pandemics which spike then disappear as our attention span diminishes and we move on to other more mundane tasks of daily living. What I do find somewhat alarming is that the industry being hit hardest centers on foodservice and I believe it is time to remind everyone at Market at Dothan the practices I employ to ensure my baked goods are prepared, handled, and packaged with the utmost of care.

I am obsessively clean and acutely aware of the responsibilities that fall to me in the preparation and bringing to market not only exceptionally delicious confections but the health and well being of my customers. I wash my hands with hot soapy water dozens of times a day drying them with a clean paper towel. Every morning my kitchen surfaces are disinfected, the floor is swept and every other day washed. The refrigerator interior and exterior are kept spotless. All door handles and cabinet hardware is cleaned daily. Every single piece of hardware I use for baking has been sterilized in the dishwasher and put away on sanitized shelves behind closed doors or in drawers. Ingredients are properly stored in sealed containers and/or refrigerated. My stovetop and oven are immaculate. Even my recipe binders are cleaned with disinfectant wipes. All products used for packaging are stored on disinfected shelves behind closed doors. The ingredients I use are of high quality and safe for consumption. Just the other day I learned two things. The baking powder I use contains aluminum and the lemon and orange extracts I’ve been using contain terpenes. Terpenes are the waxy part of the fruit and cause the extracts to go bad quickly. The source of this information came from Olive Nation where I purchase vanilla extract. I have ordered from them aluminum-free baking powder and organic, terpene-free extracts.

Very soon I will add to my repertoire Lavender Buttermilk Scones. Yesterday I placed an order for “Organic Dried Culinary Lavender”.

Finally, I would like to share with all of you something I discovered completely unrelated to what we do at Market At Dothan. It is called an Aviation Cocktail which tastes like Spring. In a shaker with ice add 1 oz. FRESH lemon juice, 3/4 oz. cherry liqueur, 1 3/4 oz. high-quality gin, and 2 ozs. Creme de Violette liqueur. Shake and pour into a martini-type glass. I wouldn’t normally mention something so off-the-beaten-path, but I think we’ve all been somewhat traumatized by the Coronavirus scare and we deserve to sip on Spring."

AVALON FARMS:

What a beautifully colored ladybug on this potato plant!

What’s happening down on the farm with this virus threatening, gatherings canceled and physical set-up farmer’s markets in limbo? We are all unclear on what the future holds. So the question arises, do I continue with “the Plan” for planting, scale back or ramp up?
For today I am continuing “the Plan”. That means squash and cucumber seeds went in the ground this week. The 2nd round of potatoes (both fingerling and new potatoes) will be planted today. There are transplants in the greenhouse. Tomatoes and fish peppers are ready to get planted. Eggplants and more peppers in a couple of weeks along with several new to me Asian greens that are quick growing and sound delicious.
Squash should start making in 45 days (give or take). Cukes take a couple weeks longer. Greens should come in sooner (I think).

Other things currently growing in the ground but not ready for harvest are leeks, garlic, onions, radishes and sugar snap peas.

Also part of “the Plan”, 100 fluffy baby chicks were delivered this week. 50 are meat birds. 50 are layers. The cycle continues.

I’m doing what I can to hurry spring production and get some kinds of quick growing green things available as soon as possible.

We still have plenty of fresh eggs, whole chickens, feet and livers available, along with watermelon radishes (Cube and roast in the oven – yum!)

In the meantime, remember Who is ultimately in control. Take care of each other and be safe.

MAYIM FARM: Needless to say, these are unprecedented times. Carole and I are taking every possible precaution suggested by the CDC and our market manager to prevent any kind of contamination on any of our fresh veggies and medicinal products. 
We believe as a whole these times will change our attitudes for the better on food and medicine supplies, IE local food and herbal medicines. In our view, not a necessarily bad thing. There has been very little information given from any source I have seen, on what to do before getting the virus other than washing your hands.
It has been our main focus and continues to be, with our medicinal products to bring back the knowledge of our grandmothers on using herbals and keeping us healthy. We are not medical practitioners nor can we give advice other than to say “what we do personally”. We are farmers with a passion to help people. This is why we do what we do.

We are continuing to grow and make our medicinal products available. While we are unable to prescribe for any particular ailment, there is a wealth of information available to educate yourself on these formulations and products. We suggest everyone do that for yours, and your family’s benefit. As you might expect, there is increased demand nationwide for herbal products. Several national retailers have completely shut down all herbal product ordering. All orders from M@D have priority over any of our website sales. If we can be of service in these changing times please let us know. We are here for you! Sincerely, Greg and Carole      Stay Healthy!