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April 22, 2023 M@D Newsletter
MISC MARKET NOTES
Have you ever run across a phrase, an idea, a piece of music, book or article call to you then latch on once you answered the call? If you’ve lived long enough there’s a good chance you’ve had that experience. This writer has several times. Many years ago a book practically leaped off the shelf into my hands – in the end it helped shape the lives of my children and the generations that will follow. Another time a song by an artist I considered offensive gripped my heart and helped me get through a difficult few years. A side benefit is that now I occasionally enjoy that loud annoying music at the top of my lungs when nobody is listening.
I have no clue where what follows will take myself or anyone else, but it’s been so beautiful and encouraging that I hope you’ll be blessed as well. This is from 6 Powerful Lessons from Japan that Helped Me Heal My Health.
1. Find one or two contaminating habits to quit. You don’t have to overhaul your life – just figure out a couple of things you could give up that would improve your life.
2. Go on walks. The more you walk, the better you feel and the longer you live. Workouts are fine for focused improvements, but they don’t provide the mental, emotional or long term benefits of walking. One region of Japan was able to reverse their high stroke rate by incorporating walk routes.
3. Forget progress, focus on the immediate payoff. The immediate payoff when you do physical work or walk or move is that you FEEL GOOD.
4. Embrace convenience. I found this section on Bento Box (food) culture intriguing as it had to do with balancing beauty and nutrition with microwave convenience.
5. Go Outside. Every chance you get. If you need to sit and read, do it outside. If someone comes to visit, sit on the porch. “Spending time in nature has proven health benefits, such as strengthening your immune system, lower levels of mortality and illness, decreased anxiety, and increased self confidence. “
6. Choose moderation over perfection. While this article doesn’t go into depth, the author does advocate Harahachi-bunme which is a a long-standing Japanese saying that directly translates to “8/10ths your stomach”; meaning, you should only eat until you are 80% full.
If you wish to look deeper this Medium Digest article can be found with the link below.
Avalon Farms:
It’s that time of year, the farm calendar seems to compress and there’s more to do every day. We are getting ramped up for summer farmers market. Started the 2nd succession of assorted squash and cucumbers using my “staby” planter. These went into plastic covered beds due to weed pressure. Snacked on the very first Sugar Snap Peas. Delicious as always!
Potatoes are blooming. Some say that means the tators are sizing up. Oh, and the first baby tomatoes! Which are already on an 8 ft trellis. Yay us, because we frequently run behind on that trellising chore.
Rather than continue to be a pest asking folks to contact their elected officials below is an email I recently sent one of our Representatives. Feel free to use it as a springboard for your own correspondence:
To:
anthony.daniels@alhouse.gov
Fri 4/21/2023 5:39 PM
Dear Sir,
As the manager of a very tiny organic farmer’s market in Dothan (marketatdothan.com if you care to look it up) I’m more than a little familiar with health from a nutritional standpoint. Last year when my husband ran for Senate we agreed that should Alabama ever consider a grocery tax reduction that foods you can buy tax free RIGHT NOW from a state sanctioned farmer’s market should be tax free in a grocery store.
Norman lost the primary so nothing ever came of that idea, but it’s been encouraging to see strong support for a grocery tax reduction this legislative session.
Using WIC as a guideline is closer to the farmer’s market definition than SNAP which I know you favor. Please consider the following:
1. Snap includes the unhealthy foods that has contributed to Alabama’s obesity problem. Carbonated beverages, empty calorie foods like chips, a multitude of foods containing high fructose corn syrup (a leading factor to high cholesterol but nobody wants to talk about Coke and Pepsi leading to strokes and heart attacks) . . . . I could go on but you get the idea.
2. Our state has been educating people to eat healthy as long as I can remember (I’m 65 if that tells you anything.) IT HAS NOT WORKED. Eliminating tax on healthy food would give people a financial incentive to choose a piece of fruit over a pack of cookies when they have a choice. At least if they go for the cookies the tax could go toward Medicaid . . . which they could wind up needing.
3. Ideally incentivizing healthy food purchases could eventually lower overall health care cost in the state.
Thank you kindly for your time and attention. And think about this the next time you go into a convenience store and watch what people set on the counter to purchase for their travels.
Roslyn Horton
Newville, Alabama
Don’t Forget . . .
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!
April 15, 2023 M@D Newsletter
MISC MARKET NOTES
It has been a couple of weeks since we notified our M@D family about the state grocery tax initiative and asked that you contact your elected officials. To recap that message, there is very strong support to use surplus funds to reduce grocery taxes in our state. This would be like EVERYONE getting a raise. M@D has long believed that consumers should not have to pay tax on foods they could purchase directly from a farmer tax free, at least if the farmer’s market is state sanctioned (which we’re not but that’s a different set of circumstances.)
There are currently two systems in place in our state’s grocery system that would be easy to modify for reducing/eliminating tax – SNAP and WIC. SNAP pretty much includes anything edible that can kill you over time – carbonated beverages, processed GMO foods . . . long list of nasty stuff that most M@D customers won’t touch.
WIC (“Women, Infants and Children”) on the other hand focuses on HEALTHY FOOD. We believe, and more people are figuring this out, that eliminating tax on healthy food can eventually increase overall health in our state. Which is why we asked that you contact your elected officials. They need to be encouraged 1) support grocery tax reduction/elimination and 2) limit untaxed food to WIC items. I would especially encourage you to reach out to House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) about this as he’s currently supporting SNAP.
Here is a recent update:
THANK YOU in advance for getting involved with this. Individual notes, emails, and calls DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE and who knows, yours might be the one that tips things in the right direction.
Don’t Forget . . .
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!
April 8, 2023 M@D Newsletter - Happy Easter!
MISC MARKET NOTES
If April Showers bring May Flowers then this year’s approaching May should be glorious! We know of at least two events that were canceled today because of heavy rains. With tomorrow’s forecast looking to be dreary as well I am reminded that the first Easter was not marked by happy gatherings, spring events, bright colors or tons of candy. The times were perplexing and people wondered what would become of all the chaos going on around them. People were faced with hard realities and had to choose what to believe about what had happened and was taking place around them.
That sounds a little too familiar doesn’t it? The important questions haven’t changed and mankind is still faced with the same questions – Is Jesus who He said He was, and Did he indeed raise from the dead?
At it’s core Easter celebrates those answers. And we don’t need sunshine to appreciate what that means for mankind.
Mark this on your calendar:
Avalon Farms:
Asparagus has started popping up so there will be a few listed this week. With the cooler cloudy forecast for this next week, it will probably only be 3 bundles. Hey! They’re doing the best they can. Ha ha
Onions are starting to bulb. Sugar Snap Peas have put on their first blooms. Little tomato plants have a few blooms. Soon we’ll be overrun with tasty natural goodness.
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!
April 1 M@D Newsletter (No JoKe!)
MISC MARKET NOTES
Good Afternoon – and THANK YOU to everyone who participated in last week’s order cycle. We had a delightful day at the Market Shed. It’s always a joy to put the orders together and see everyone.
And we hope and pray the recent weather hissy fits have not caused any problems for our Market family. Systems like the ones we’ve seen recently are poignant reminders that we are at the mercy of powers far beyond our control.
Some exciting things are happening:
Mark this on your calendar:
Avalon Farms:
Spring is doing it’s thing at Avalon Farms. This past week we planted our first round of squash and cucumbers. Three kinds of yellow squash, 2 kinds of zucchini, some patty pans, and 3 kinds of cucumbers. Plus, zephyr squash, ‘cause they’re in a category of their own. So yummy!
We’ve got 3, maybe more, new veggies that will hopefully be available later this summer. Don’t want to spoil the surprise so you’ll have to wait to find out. (Assuming we don’t kill them.)
Speaking of killing things, if you didn’t hear about the great St Patrick’s Day plant massacre you can read about it on our website
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 Call to Arms (this is not a regular newsletter)
This is Ros – Your M@D Manager and this email is to encourage you to contact your senator and representatives TODAY.
At long and at last Alabama is considering legislation that would reduce our grocery tax burden. Many in the state house are on board with it.
Our family has been pushing this idea in Montgomery for at least a year now and I’ve even spoke with senators about the idea of eliminating tax on HEALTHY FOOD. This would give an incentive for people to make smarter choices statewide. Our idea was that anything you could get tax free at a Farmer’s Market should be tax free in a grocery store. In time this has the potential to to reduce obesity and improve everyone’s health, ultimately lowering Medicaid costs.
Apparently that would mean overhauling every grocery computer system in the state. There are however two taxed/non-taxed systems already in use in Alabama, SNAP and WIC.
RIGHT NOW there is debate in the State House about what system to use, to determine what foods would and would not be taxed.
This is because it is the closest to the Farmer’s Market definition of healthy foods. The SNAP system would not discourage people from continuing to abuse themselves with highly processed things that contribute to health problems.
Again, Please email or contact your elected officials TODAY to make your own voice heard. It’s taken this many years to reach this point and we’ve only got one shot at getting it right.
March 25, 2023 M@DS Newsletter
MISC MARKET NOTES
Last week’s really cold snap was tough. Various reports have come in from the region about fruit blooms being damaged, tender crops having to be replanted, all kind of difficulty for folks who work the soil.
You wouldn’t know it today. It’s been a lovely spring day – the kind that makes you want to sit outside with a glass on lemonade and watch puppies, children and birdies play in the grass; the kind of day you hope Easter Sunday will be. The kind of day that makes you want to go to Dothan Nurseries and spend too much for beautiful plants to adorn your home the rest of the year and for years to come.
For several of your Market vendors it means our chickens have amped up production – just in time for healthy egg dishes, colored eggs, and thinking about new ways to enjoy this classic staple protein. No wonder it is used so many ways at Easter.
We hope you’ll take advantage of the many unique products M@D offers for your observance. You can’t go wrong with any of the sweet treats, jams, jelly or honey on your table. And if you opt for a great chicken over pork, this is the right place!
This beautiful dish (and yes, you can tell eggs are on our mind today) is a FRITTATA, a very easy and versatile dish that can be used for any meal. https://carlsbadcravings.com/frittata, is the best instructional site we’ve run across and will give you plenty of great ideas to incorporate your favorite flavors. Enjoy!
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 18, 2023 M@D Newsletter
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
We received a text early today that Mount Moriah had listed/relisted some of their soaps – good news for all of us! A quick look at our soaps subcategory was a huge reminder of just how blessed M@D is to have gifted soapmakers. If you’ve ever watched a youtube video about the process you can appreciate the combination of science, imagination and art that go into every bar. What follows is a sampling from Mount Moriah, St. Andrews Soap Company and Bella Eden Farms, all of whom make luxurioius bath products.
Top Left: Rice Milk Soap from Bella Eden Farms. “Want a smooth and clear complexion? Try this Rice Milk Soap! “
Top Center: Glacial Stream from St. Andrews Soap Company. Cool water type fragrance blended with aloe vera and other greens. Deep but subtle. Contains ground oatmeal and sea salt as exfoliants.
Top Right: Oatmeal, Milk & Honey (100% Goat Milk Soap) from Mt. Moriah Farms: “We couldn’t leave this fragrance out and yes, there is ground oatmeal,obviously our trademark goat milk, and raw honey from our bee hives! The oatmeal is a natural cleanser and helps absorb dirt, oil, and odor. Oatmeal can be used to help relieve acne, skin irritations, rashes, eczema, and symptoms of aging. Honey has tons of healing properties as well! Our favorite benefit to share is that honey contains amounts of natural hydrogen peroxide which works as a form of neosporin. So lets just say this bar is chalk full of good for you skin repair! “
Center Left: Pine Tar (100% Goats Milk Soap) from Mt. Moriah: “If you were like me when I first heard of this soap, you are thinking “What is that?”… glad you asked because you are fixing to be amazed! Pine Tar soap has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is very useful to soothe and treat symptoms of poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Pine Tar is also used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis: it relieves the itching caused by big bites. We have many folks who use this for their psoriasis with wonderful results in healing! If you know of someone who suffers from psoriasis give them a gift that can give them relief from the pain!”
Center Middle: Kudzu Loofa Soap from St. Andrews: “Loofah grown locally along with most ingredients. Great for exfoliating. Very light scent. Ingredients: tallow, olive oil, coconit oil, lye, fresh kudzu, spirulina, and french green clay, sage and ginger essential oils. “
Center Right: Apple Pie Cream Soap from Bella Eden: “The smell of Autumn is here! Awaken your senses and soften your skin with this creamy apple and cinnamon soap. “
Bottom Left: Black Raspberry from St. Andrews: “One of our favorites, black raspberries blended with vanilla beans. Once you smell it you’ll be in love.
Bottom Center: Pumpkin Pie Cream Soap from Bella Eden: “A delicious pumpkin and cinnamon soap! It leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth, all while awakening our senses to our favorite season of the year! Bathe with the scent of pumpkin with essential cinnamon oil. Made with a cream base and sparkles with Mica glitter powder.“
Bottom Right: Nerdi Neroli from Mt. Moriah: “Requested from our customers this is our newest addition to our soap line! Our traditional, cold process soap recipe with a earthy, floral fragrance. All of our soaps are made with 100% hand milked, 100% raw goat milk.”
Ordering Note Today is BUSY and many of our growers are participating in local events. This means that Market inventory may be added AFTER 5 pm today! Feel free to leave your brower page open and refresh it just to see if anything changes!
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 Fourth 2023 M@D Newsletter
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
Between cold and dreary skies it seems like the winter was long, but something in Tractor Supply last week made my heart happy:
The tanks had everything but the chicks, probably a good thing as I would have taken at bunch home with no preparation. We all know impulse buying is dangerous, but in the case of chicks there are lives at stake!
But we are getting chicks, from a reputable hatchery no less! And if the summer of 2023 goes anything like the summer of 2021 we’ll continue to feast on glassed eggs during the winter months.
Speaking of glassed eggs, there are rumors that some of our vendors may start listing them. If you’re not familiar with this very old practice this is a GREAT article.
Rather than provide inspirational or educational information this week we’re just going to have fun and enjoy some signs of the season.
D’S JELLIES: Our Mayhaw Trees have been in full bloom and the honey Bees found them. We now have lots of Mayhaw berries and we’re hopeful a late freeze won’t get our berries this year. As jelly jars become available, I am adding them to my supply. I hope to be making D’s Mayhaw Jelly in May, D’s BlackBerry Jelly in June, and D’s Hot Pepper Jelly in July. D’s Farmhouse Kitchen Recipes is a good one to add to your collection of Cookbooks. It’s a good one for yourself or for a gift for a friend. Thank you so much for your continued support!
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 18, 2023 M@D NeWsLeTteR
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
Yes, it’s COLD outside today, but the sudden appearance of these makes my heart happy.
Not everyone is a fan of dandelions. My pastor recently shared a story of how a neighbor once protested when he sprayed the ones in his yard.
My heart was not on his side in that situation.
Most beekeepers recognize that dandelions are the absolute perfect food for honeybees. They contain all the protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals a hive needs to survive, so much so that if there were no other food sources the honeybees would survive just fine. This beekeeper thinks God is very wise to provide such a rich food source late winter/early spring when food reserves are often low.
Dandelions are every bit as good for humans as honeybees. Every part of the plant, from the flower to the leaves and even the root, are both edible and medicinal with each part of the plant having different properties and uses. Potential benefits of dandelion include:
1. Providing antioxidants – Antioxidants work to neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. The human body produces free radicals naturally, but they cause harm by accelerating aging or the progression of certain diseases. Dandelions contain beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. Carotenoids such as beta-carotene play a vital role in reducing cell damage. The flower of the dandelion is also full of flavonoids and polyphenols, which are other types of antioxidants.
2. Reducing cholesterol – Dandelions contain bioactive compounds that may help lower a person’s cholesterol. Research has shown that dandelion may be able to help reduce blood lipids. This can include lipids, including cholesterol and triglycerides.
3. Regulating blood sugar – In 2016, some research suggested that dandelion’s antihyperglycemic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties may help treat type 2 diabetes.
4. Reducing inflammation – In one 2014 study, researchers found that chemicals present in dandelions had some positive effects on reducing inflammatory responses.
5. Lowering blood pressure – There is little research to support the use of dandelion for lowering blood pressure however, dandelion leaves are a good source of potassium. There is clinical evidence that shows that potassium can help reduce blood pressure.
6. Aiding weight loss – Researchers believe that compounds found in the dandelion plant may promote improved carbohydrate metabolism and fat absorption.
7. Reducing cancer risk – Some limited, but positive, research has indicated that dandelion may help reduce the growth of certain types of cancer. So far, studies have looked at dandelion’s impact on cancer growth in test tubes and found that it may help with slowing the growth of certain cancers.
8. Boosting the immune system – There is growing evidence that suggests that dandelions can help boost the immune system. Researchers have found that dandelions show both antiviral and antibacterial properties. For example, one 2014 study found that dandelions help limit the growth of hepatitis B in both human and animal cells in test tubes.
9. Aiding digestion – Some people use dandelion as a traditional remedy for constipation and other digestion issues. One study investigating the effect of dandelions on digestion found that certain chemical compounds present in dandelions improved gastric emptying. It saw a reduction in the resistance of food moving to the animal subject’s small intestines.
10. Keeping skin healthy – Dandelion may help protect the skin from sun damage. Ultraviolet (UV) light causes considerable damage to the skin and contributes to skin aging. A 2015 study on skin cells in a test tube found that dandelion could reduce the impact of one type of damaging UV light.
11. Promoting liver health – Research shows that dandelion may be able to help prevent and treat some liver diseases. This includes acetaminophen-induced liver injury (AILI), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and alcohol-related liver damage.
Dandelions have been harvested and used for centuries, everything from jelly (made from the blooms) to leaves in salad to root tonics. Today there are many online tutorials, including videos for how to make and use various parts of the plant. So knowing all this don’t it make sense that we at least leave the dandelions for the bees if we don’t use them ourselves?
After conferring with our growers and their projected harvest schedules we will be extending our bi-weekly order schedule through March.
MOUNT MORIAH FARMS: Hello everyone! We are so happy to be back!!! A lot has changed again within our farm but we are happy to have our products available for sale. We had a wonderful kidding season in which the females dominated! Five doelings and one buckling born! Our goat herd has grown and we are enjoying watching the babies hopping about! I wanted to do a product shoutout… Remington (our 7 months old) had super dry spots on his legs for several months, I had been using my breastmilk soap on him as well as our lotion but they were still there! One day I decided to rub some of the Heel-It-All balm on his legs and within TWO days his legs were smooth! My neighbor also reached out to me saying he has super dry skin and needed something to give him some relief… he used it and has had wonderful results as well! It is a solid form of lotion that stays on longer then lotion does because of the beeswax!!! The blend of essential oils in it helps repair skin damages like burns and scars!
We 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. 4, 2023 M@D Valentines Newsletter - Time to Order!
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
Ahhhhhhh . . . love is in the air! Valentine’s season is upon us and expressions of affection are encouraged in all ages from kindergarten to seniors in all it’s resplendent expressions. One of the favorite ways to express affection is with chocolates. Some of us are still carrying around results of overdoing the chocolate in days gone by!
Regardless Chocolate is not something to be feared or avoided as the right chocolate in the right amount is actually quite good for you.
Here are 7 health benefits of chocolate from BULLETPROOF
1. Chocolate for a better mood. It can improve your mood, especially in high-pressure or stressful situations.
2. Chocolate makes you eat less …
3. Chocolate for a healthy heart …
4. Chocolate for glowing skin and sun protection …
5. Chocolate may lower inflammation …
6. Chocolate is a prebiotic …
7. Chocolate for anti-aging
If chocolate is not your thing there are still great healthy ways to celebrate. Following are some blast from the past reasonably healthy ideas:
D’S JELLIES: D’s Jellies & D’s Farmhouse Kitchen Recipes – We have added 16 Apache BlackBerry plants to our fruit orchard. Fresh blackberries are sold in late May and early June. I don’t have any Jellies listed right now because I am sold out! It will be late July before I will have D’s Hot Pepper Jelly. I should have Mayhaw & BlackBerry Jelly in May. My Cookbook has been a successful venture for me! There are 180 Recipes for delicious main dishes, desserts, breads, salads, and soups. Have you got your copy yet? Dianne Herring
AVALON FARMS: Hello from a bright brisk sunny farm day. Been out doing odds and ends, but mostly waiting for the soil to dry out so I can plant Snap Peas.
As you can see (above), some things are actually growing out in the field. From left to right, we have Leeks, 2 rows of Kinston Sweet Onions, and then 2 rows of Elephant Garlic. These take a long time to grow so they get mulched with peanut shells. Helps to reduce weeds and retain moisture. I run string on electric fence posts to mark the bed sides and leave them till the plants size up.
Finally all the planning, counting and scribbling has started to turn into seeds in dirt. These will be on the heat mat till they sprout and then will move off till another cold snap.
HORTON’S FARM: What is sweeter than chocolate? HONEY! And we’ve packaged our Classic and Cinnamon Creamed Honey for your sweetest gifts this Valentine’s Day.
We 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!