The Weblog
Our goal is 100% Customer Satisfaction…comments, questions or concerns always welcome!
www.Facebook.com/MarketAtDothan
FALL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENT
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!
Sept 17, 2022 - M@D is OpEn! VIP info in Newsletter!
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
This is our last bi-weekly order cycle before resuming a weekly schedule when Market opens on October 1. And since we’re speaking of October 1, please mark your calender that day for:
Dothan Nurseries Fall Festival
AVALON FARMS:
Thankfully all the fall transplants were in the ground before we got sick (mostly). We wondered why it was SO exhausting. Then the next day Wendy had 101 fever. They did get planted. Watered by way too much rain and ignored by the farmers. We’ll see what we get in a month.
Transplants consisted of: sprouting broccoli/broccolini, green cabbage, napa cabbage, kohlrabi, bok choi, semposi and other greens.
Direct seeded were: zucchini, yellow squash, zephyrs, cucumbers and green beans. Had intended to plant carrots, beets and radishes, but that hasn’t happened yet.
And now we know . . .
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!
Sept. 3, 2022 M@D Opening Announcement
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
Greetings from central Florida where your Market manager is in day 12 of “Operation Evacuate Frankie”. I arrived on Ms. Frankie’s due date and as of this writing she has resisted every natural effort to encourage her arrival. She’s going to be one interesting Irish lassie!
Baby watch aside, the change of scenery and catching up with family has been refreshing and I’m eager to incorporate new ideas, new recipes and new flavors into our routine at home. Plus it’s been fun seeing how these city kids are honoring their farm roots. Every week they get a box of organic bounty from a regional farm and cook pretty much everything from scratch. Last night we compared notes on cream of squash soup recipes and today’s yummy lunch was chickpea curry.
VIP, Please save the date for Saturday Oct. 1 as we are in the planning stages of a Saturday Tent Market to get the fall season off to a good start.
MOUNT MORIAH FARMS: Life here on the farm has changed for sure since the arrival of our precious baby! We have finally settled into a nice routine and are starting to get a little extra time to catch up on things. Thank you to everyone who has continued to purchase from us! We have added a few more goats to the herd and as of last week all of the does have hopefully been bred. Lord willing come early 2023 we will have lots of tiny ones jumping around the pasture.
I’m proud to say the day I went into labor I was out there still milking my girls. I would say chores are a lot easier now since I don’t have to worry about weight restrictions or my bump getting in the way. I do have my little one with me during chore time (most days) and have learned how to take care of him and the farm at the same time! I love this new chapter and am so thankful for y’all’s continued support!
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!
August 20, 2022 M@D Crazy Early Newsletter
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
Good Morning and SURPRISE! We’re sure you weren’t expecting Market to open this time of the day but due to obligations and knowing there will be no cell signal where your manager will be at 5 pm today we’re doing things a bit different this week.
That being said, you may want to wait till later in the day to place your order as our growers update their inventory on Saturdays.
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!
August 6, 2022 M@D Newsletter - OpEn 4 oRdErS!
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
Open Mouth, Insert Foot! In our last newsletter we announced our bi-weekly schedule for these two months due to lack of produce . . . so it was a bit of a surprise to see all the wonderful greens that Scrappy Chic has listed! No complaints and we hope you’ll give some of her unusual items consideration.
Isn’t this beautiful? When Alabama Homestead listed Hibuscus Flowers this week we had to check it out and found multiple uses for them, this beautiful tea being the most intriguing. You may find the recipe for Hibiscus Tea by clicking on THIS LINK.
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!
July 23, 2022 - M@D is OpEn f0r OrDeRs
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
For several years now M@D has taken a breather at the end of summer. The biggest reason for this remains the inavailability of fresh local produce. Okra is about the only thing that loves August and September weather! The break has provided a great time for our vendors to vacation, regroup and plan. Not everyone farms plants however and we will continue to offer meats, eggs, honey, baked goods, etc. every other week, at least that’s the plan! I suspect Grier Acres will continue to offer okra too!
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!
July 16, 2022 M@D NoTeS - We R OpEn!
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
At the Robinson homestead we believe in living life the healthiest so that we may live our happiest & most fulfilled lives! We eat and therefore cook/bake “partially paleo”, meaning from our business you can find baked goods made with natural and usually all organic &/or local ingredients! We use Paleo flours like almond, coconut, cassava, sweeteners like coconut sugar, monk fruit, maple syrup, etc! You’ll also find active sourdough starter to make all kinds of amazing things from breads to brownies! We make nutritious bone broth & I have an amazing recipe for Bone Broth hot chocolate that has so many benefits and it’s delicious! You can also buy my mini recipe book featuring sourdough cinnamon wreaths, sourdough pancakes/waffles, sourdough tortillas, pizza dough, & more!
AVALON FARMS: Things are really slow on the farm right now. It’s sad. But soon the green house will be full of fall and winter transplants; broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, bok choy. Direct seeded will be; carrots, beets (try again), turnips, winter and summer squash, cucumbers, radishes…All the things?
Any other suggestions? Requests? Maybe napa cabbage?
Send me your thoughts at Wendy@AvalonFarms.us
Meet The Grower: We love the community and friendship of our Market family, and while it may take a couple of visits to correctly match names and faces it’s a joy serving both growers and customers. Your market manager knew folks by name only before 2016 and it’s still that way with some growers and vice versa just because paths don’t cross.
Alabama Homestead gave me the idea to to bridge the gap a little bit after volunteering in the Market shed early yesterday. And below is Christine who refered to herself as “Raggedy Alabama Homestead” in this photo. We think she looks exactly like a Master Gardner inner city organic medicinal herb farmer should look. Don’t you?
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!
July 9, 2022 M@D Newsletter
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
MOUNT MORIAH FARMS Mia graciously gave us permission to share the newest addition to their lives. There is no doubt that Remington Wade will be a fabulous farmhand!
4 . May have anticancer properties: Okra contains a type of protein called lectin, which may inhibit the growth of human cancer cells. One test-tube study in breast cancer cells found that the lectin in okra may prevent cancer cell growth by up to 63%. Another test-tube study in metastatic mouse melanoma cells discovered that okra extract caused cancer cell death.
Keep in mind that these studies were performed in test tubes with concentrated and extracted components of okra. More human research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
5. May lower blood sugar: Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is very important for your overall health. Consistently high blood sugar can lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Research in mice indicates that eating okra or okra extract may help decrease blood sugar levels. In one study, rats given liquid sugar and purified okra experienced fewer blood sugar spikes than animals in the control group.
Researchers suggested that the okra decreased sugar absorption in the digestive tract, leading to a more stable blood sugar response. That said, okra may interfere with metformin, a common diabetes medication. Therefore, eating okra is not recommended for those taking this drug.
6. Beneficial for pregnant women: Folate (vitamin B9) is an important nutrient for pregnant women. It helps lower the risk of a neural tube defect, which affects the brain and spine of a developing fetus. It’s recommended that all women of childbearing age consume 400 mcg of folate every day. A review that included 12,000 healthy adult women found that most consumed just 245 mcg of folate per day, on average. Another study that followed 6,000 non-pregnant women over 5 years discovered that 23% of participants had inadequate folate concentrations in their blood.
7. Easy to add to your diet: Though okra may not be a staple in your kitchen, it’s quite easy to cook. When purchasing okra, look for smooth and tender green pods without brown spots or dried ends. Store them in the fridge for up to four days before cooking.
Usually, okra is used in soups and stews like gumbo. It contains mucilage, a thick substance that becomes gummy when heated. To avoid slimy okra, follow these simple cooking techniques:
- Cook okra at high heat.
- Avoid crowding your pan or skillet, as this will reduce the heat and cause sliminess.
- Pickling okra may reduce the slime factor.
- Cooking it in an acid-like tomato sauce reduces the gumminess.
- Simply slice and roast okra in your oven.
- Grill it until it’s slightly charred.
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!
July 2, 2022 M@D NeWsLeTteR - OpEn 4 oRdErS!
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
New & Relisted Products
This is one of our family’s favorite quotes and has been a lifelong principal. It came to mind this morning thinking about the awful heat we endured last month. Now that we’re into the “hot” summer months in some ways it feels like we’ve already gone through them. Yet we press on, doing things the hard way because the hard way is the RIGHT way. Our growers have chosen a different path than traditional mainstream gardening. Sustainable practices involve a lot more WORK, and ours have chosen that path. Some would say it’s unreasonable, but it’s what makes it possible for our customer friends to enjoy CLEAN SAFE food every week. THANK YOU for supporting our local farmers and it is our deepest desire to be a blessing to you and your good health.
ALABAMA HOMESTEAD has a few new products listed this week in the Medicinal Herbs category. The product descriptions contain a lot of information about the various items and we hope you’ll take the time to learn about them and how to incorporate these safe items into your own health regime.
AVALON FARMS: Squash and cucumbers will not be listed this week. With that excessive heat last week the plants didn’t set any fruit and look rough. I’ve hit them with some kelp fertilizer to give them a boost. Some already look much better and have baby squash. I’m hopeful that they’ll be back in the market next week.
The blackberries are finished for this year. Blueberries will be available this week and maybe longer.
We had a very strange thing happen this week. We found a kitten in our Mazda van! Apparently it was in there for 2 days!!! Black van, in the sun, in South Alabama summer heat…..don’t know how it survived. Or how it got in. It seems ok. Very thin. But getting it’s energy back. Must have climbed into the van when we were picking things since we leave the back open then. Makes me wonder/worry how many more babies are around.
1. Rich in nutrients: Okra boasts an impressive nutrient profile.
One cup (100 grams) of raw okra contains:
*Calories: 33
*Carbs: 7 grams
*Protein: 2 grams
*Fat: 0 grams
*Fiber: 3 grams
*Magnesium: 14% of the Daily Value (DV)
*Folate: 15% of the DV
*Vitamin A: 14% of the DV
*Vitamin C: 26% of the DV
*Vitamin K: 26% of the DV
*Vitamin B6: 14% of the DV
Okra is an excellent source of vitamins C and K1. Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient that contributes to your overall immune function, while vitamin K1 is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s known for its role in blood clotting.
Additionally, okra is low in calories and carbs and contains some protein and fiber. Many fruits and vegetables lack protein, which makes okra somewhat unique.
Eating enough protein is associated with benefits for weight management, blood sugar control, bone structure, and muscle mass.
2. Contains beneficial antioxidants: Okra packs many antioxidants that benefit your health. Antioxidants are compounds in food that fend off damage from harmful molecules called free radicals. The main antioxidants in okra are polyphenols, including flavonoids and isoquercetin, as well as vitamins A and C.
Research shows that eating a diet high in polyphenols may improve heart health by lowering your risk of blood clots and oxidative damage . Polyphenols may also benefit brain health due to their unique ability to enter your brain and protect against inflammation. These defense mechanisms may help protect your brain from symptoms of aging and improve cognition, learning, and memory.
3. May lower heart disease risk: High cholesterol levels are associated with a greater risk of heart disease.Okra contains a thick gel-like substance called mucilage, which can bind to cholesterol during digestion, causing it to be excreted with stools rather than absorbed into your body.
One 8-week study randomly divided mice into 3 groups and fed them a high-fat diet containing 1% or 2% okra powder or a high-fat diet without okra powder. The mice on the okra diet eliminated more cholesterol in their stools and had lower total blood cholesterol levels than the control group.
Another possible heart benefit of okra is its polyphenol content. One 4-year study in 1,100 people showed that those who ate a diet rich in polyphenols had lower inflammatory markers associated with heart disease.
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!
June 18, 2022 M@D NeWsLettEr
GROWER & MARKET NOTES
Welcome Alabama Homestead! Alabama Homestead is a very small inner city farm run by a Master Gardner who utilizes organic practices to produce high quality culinary & medicinal herbs. Some may know Christine Springis from her lectures on diy vermiculture composting which she incorporates into her gardening. She will be offering a variety of herbs, medicinals and hopefully a few vegetables on down the road.
New & Relisted Products
RICHTER FARMS: Thank you everyone for your prayers, notes and concern for me after my car accident. As some of you know my right wrist was severely broken and I have not been able to participate in the market. Good news is I am now in Physical Therapy and getting stronger each week. I have included a picture of my x-ray so you can see how extensive the break was and now with a titanium plate I’m officially a “bionic farmer” ! I look forward to seeing everyone soon. Viki Richter
AVALON FARMS: This is heating up to be a really hot summer. Our little weather station has been recording temperatures over 95 most days, with a heat index of 108. Always thankful for some clouds and a breeze. These temperatures are way too much for snap peas and lettuce. I’m still hoping the sprouting broccoli might manage to make, but don’t hold your breath.
The earliest spaghetti squash are looking nice. (They like heat. Ha ha)
Elephant Garlic is drying under the pole barn. Yeah! The other garlic is not looking great, too hot and wet. I think there is some rot going on. We’ll harvest them in a couple of weeks.
Speaking of Elephant Garlic I’m trying this recipe.
Elephant Toes (Baked Elephant Garlic)
Baked cloves of the giant elephant garlic, lightly salted and spread on sandwiches or crackers. Also great in vegetables, potatoes or pasta and on meats. Recipe from The Lazy Gastronome.
Ingredients
1 full head elephant garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° -
Elephant garlic has much larger cloves than regular. Separate those cloves and lay them, unpeeled, in a small baking dish.
Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cloves are fork tender. Remember the small ones will get done first, so watch them and remove them when they are done.
Once they are soft, remove them from the oven and add some salt to the top. Let them cool before you try to handle them. Carefully remove the skins and the hard ends.
Slice or mash the cloves and serve with crackers. Or store in the refrigerator to use in potatoes, on meats, with vegetables or as a sandwich spread.
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!