Foothills Market:  The Market is Open!

Based on the responses to the survey last week, we’ve decided to continue with Foothills Market for the time being, even though the in-person market started yesterday. Most of the responses indicated that people like the ability to pre-order, so we will keep making that option available for you as long as it seems viable this summer.

A few new items are starting to show up on the market as we get more into spring. The most abundant vegetable is still greens, but we have a good variety ranging from arugula to collard greens to Swiss chard. We also have a couple of root vegetables available in small quantities. Happy Horseshoe Farm also picked up a new order of beef from the butcher shop, so we have lot of different cuts to choose from.

Shop the market between now and Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. We’ll have your order ready for pickup on Thursday between 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Eat something fresh this week!

CLG:  Duck eggs! Opening Bell: Basil plants, Honey, Coffee!

Hello friends!

Early shoppers on Friday found lots of asparagus, lettuce and spinach on the extra table! We never know what’s going to show up on the extras table so come early for the best selection.

The ducks at Funny Farm are laying regularly now. Duck eggs are great for all your baked goods and breakfast favorites. Try them :-)

We’ve got lots of basil plants at Cedar Rock Ridge: Dolce Fresca Genovese basil for only 50 cents each. 4-packs for only $2.

Looks like the volatile spring weather is behind us, and blue skies and rainbows ahead. It was so good to see the mountains of local produce at the market on Friday. Those carrots from Rattle’s Garden were some of the best carrots ever pulled from the earth! And it’s been a super asparagus season! Check out the wide assortment of coffee listings this week.

Be sure to SEARCH for your favorite items using the search field. For instance, type in the word “sale” or “pork” and see what pops up. We have almost 500 items available now!

Most items are listed by 6pm Sunday, but check back again before the market closes Tuesday night to see if any other items are ready to be harvested for you! Eat fresh! Eat local! Eat for better health!

And save your eggshells throughout the week for the laying hens! :-)

In accordance with the current guidelines, we will not have more than 10 people in the lobby at any time. We have four volunteers who can bring your order to your car if you prefer, just call or text 501-339-1039.

The market is now OPEN for orders. Click here to start shopping: *https://conway.locallygrown.net/market

How to contact us:

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Instead…

Phone or text: Steve – 501-339-1039

Email: Steve – [email protected]

Green Acres Atkins:  Good afternoon

Good afternoon

The market is open please place those orders by noon on Thursday at greenacresatkins.locally grown.net

Have a great week
Tom,kami and Oliver

Berea Gardens:  Open for orders

Hi Folks,

I first want to thank all of you that came out in the miserable weather last week to support our market opening. It was great to see you all again.

We have some additional tomato plant varieties for you this week. Broccoli and beets will be ready soon, so we will be adding those in the next week or two.

Melody will be here with more baked goods, and Connie will have more of Tom’s awesome early onions.

Hope to see you!

Bob and Lynnita

The Wednesday Market:  Happy Sunday! The Market is Open!

Good morning.

The Wednesday Market is open for orders. Please place your order by 10 p.m. Monday. Orders are ready for pick up between 2 and 4 p.m. Wednesday. Check the website for this week’s product offerings. Here is the link: https://wednesdaymarket.locallygrown.net/market

We hope you have a great Sunday, and we’ll see you at the Market.

Thanks,

Beverly

Champaign, OH:  Long Strange Trip

Sometimes the lights all shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it’s been…
(Truckin’-written by Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter. Performed by The Grateful Dead)

Well, here we are…Sunday, kicking off my birthday week, the market orders are booming, and, I’m sitting with coffee, thinking back over the past 12 years, the baking, the soup making, the restaurants who have featured me, the shop fronts I’ve had, the everyday hustle, the catering….it’s all there, mixed in with my little clothing business…the technicolor hippie clothing, mixed with pieces of vintage. It’s all there. All on the road map of my life. Ups, downs, triumphs, failures, a million farmers markets, a trail of friendships made along the way.

The long strange trip of it all. Much like this market moving into it’s 10th year in operation. Talk about a long strange trip!! We’ve come so far, the journey was been interesting, to say the least, and here we all are. Still going strong, still the little market that could, because we all refused to ever give up on it.

It’s Sunday, and since I am now back from vacation, I am throwing out another Cosmic trivia question of the week!! It’s a two part question, for two separate winners!! REMEMBER…you must be an ordering customer to be able to win!!

Here we go…which local eatery first featured my Cosmic Soups? And, which of my soups was the first to debut, there? It’s still a soup that is my most requested, and still on heavy rotation in my weekly soup set lists…

There you go…and, while you are thinking of answers, don’t forget to get market orders in!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Washtenaw Organic Collaborative:  Market is open for Washtenaw Organic Collaborative!

Washtenaw Organic Collaborative is open for a second week of our second season! We hope this message finds you healthy, safe, and sound. We are happy to offer you another season of delicious local foods, with all our vendors returning, plus a few new ones.

Ordering at https://washtenaw.locallygrown.net/market is open now and will close Tuesday at 5pm, with pickup being this coming Saturday, 9am-Noon. Head over there for a refresher on how to place an order.

A few important notes as we transition from last season to a new season:
- you are receiving this message because you have an active account at washtenaw.locallygrown.net. You can deactivate or delete your account there.
- be sure to update your credit card on file as needed.
- at this time there is no delivery option and there will be just one pickup location at Slow Farm on Saturday mornings.

Please invite your friends and family to check out the Washtenaw Organic Collaborative!

We appreciate your support! Following is a list of this week’s offerings!

Stones River Market:  Market is OPEN -- See you Wednesday on the Porch or Curb or request Delivery

Welcome to the April 25th and 26th Stones River Locally Grown Online Farmers Market.

The Market opens 8:00 am on Sunday Morning and closes 10:00 pm Monday evening. Order early before quantities available run out! https://stonesriver.locallygrown.net

We look forward seeing you on the Porch or Curb Wednesday April 228th from … 5-6:30pm … with deliveries following. Please comment to Manager when you checkout that you would like curb service and approximate time of arrival so we can have your order ready and watch for you. https://stonesriver.locallygrown.net

Also be sure to check back again over the next 2 days as some of our Growers may be updating their inventories.

• Reminder…Delivery Service is available within a 10 mile radius of Murfreesboro, outside areas will be considered and delivery is available to Woodbury at a host location. If this is the first time you’ve requested delivery please put your address in comments before you check out….Method of Payment is Cash, Checks or Credit/Debit Cards or we can email an Invoice including a $1.00 service fee. For Delivering and Invoicing please make sure your account information is current.*

Thank you for supporting our Locally Grown Market, it means a lot to our Growers and Community by Shopping Local and Staying Local!

News From Our Growers:

• Meet one of our Youngest and Newest Growers on the Market!* KK’s Happy Chickens: Our eggs are from free-ranged hens that receive additional organic, non-gmo feed, depending on the needs of the season. They enjoy spending their days scratching and searching the pasture. Our pastures are natural and untreated, with hens having access to garden areas a few weeks a year, where we use primarily organic methods. Your eggs will be a minimum of 50 grams, which equates to a “Large” size egg. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you have on how we raise and care for our hens! Come say hello on Facebook too!

Spring Meadow Farm: This is one of our best time of year because our delicious Strawberries are Ready & Ripe! Sweet Delicious Chandler Strawberries are Here! They are bursting with Sweetness and handpicked just for You. Available in Quarts and Gallons.

Mama D’s Bakery: Hi everyone! We have everything available this week! We have Strawberry Swirl Bread, Raspberry Swirl Bread, and Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Blueberry Muffins, Crusty French Bread, Organic White Wheat Bread, Mocha Muffins, Chocolate Swiss Roll, Cinnamon Rolls, Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls, Blueberry Lemon Yeast Rolls, Banana Bread and Pumpkin Bread(with the option of nuts or not), Bagels(plain, cinnamon-raisin, blueberry, and everything), Donuts(cake and yeast), Cream Cheese Danishes, Pies(chocolate fudge, pecan, chocolate chip pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato), Cookies, Granola and Protein Bars, Yeast Breads, Sourdough Breads, and Fruit Scones. Thanks so much to everybody for your business!!

Sassy Cassies: This is the last week to order our Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole and Carrot Cake yeast rolls. They will be replaced with May specials next Sunday. For all orders of the Cordon Bleu, we will throw in an order of Carrot Cake rolls. You have dinner and breakfast covered.

Trinity Rose Oberhasli Dairy Goats: The Ladies are beginning to produce, slow start but have 2 Ladies coming online soon. Also have delicious Free Range Chicken Eggs.

Sow’s Ear Piggery: PRODUCTS Include 1-lb+/- packages of 2 pork chops, Top Round and Bottom Round Roasts, and Skin-On Boneless Pork Loin Roasts. The Top and Bottom Round Roasts come sleeved in netting for a professional presentation. The skin-on loin is our first-time experience with skin-on pork, and more of these products are soon to be added. Cross-hatch the skin for a crispy finish, while the modest middle layer of fat keeps everything tender and juicy. Or, choose our boneless, skinless loin.

Emerald Acres: Brighten your day with a bunch of our beautiful colorful Ranunculus Flowers, 10 stems assorted colors, long lasting. We also have delicious Green Garlic, season most anything just not as strong as bulb Garlic.

Flying S Farms: Our produce is slowing coming in, this week radishes and salad onions are making an appearance. Sour Dough Breads and Sweet Breads and Bars and of course Biscuits and Cornbread. Our delicious Chicken Eggs are available every week.
Start watching our Jam inventory it is filling up! Along with our most requested Seriously HOT Strawberry Jam, Peach Habanero Jam, we have Concord Grape Jam, Just Peachy and a new one Tart Sweet Cherry Jam.

Body & Soul Teas: We offer teas for sipping and teas for soaking. Our herbal tea blends nourish and support the body and soul. Our most popular blend, Tennessee Sunshine, is a tribute to the place I have called home for the past 18 years. It contains hibiscus, rose, and mints which impart a sweet, tart taste. It is delicious served hot or cold. We also offer blends that support specific body functions such as stress relief and digestive support. Our bath teas and soaks offer soothing relief and relaxation to tired achy bodies. To see our full product line, read our blog, and join our newsletter, please go to http://www.bodysoulteas.com. May you be blessed body and soul. Pat

Short Mountain Cultures: we are best known for making a wide range of small batch fermented foods and beverages such as sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut Kefir(non-dairy), tempeh (soy & soy free), water kefir and kombucha. SMC also offers a varied selection of organic bulk foods from their shop ranging from beans and grains to dried fruits and raw nuts. Also amongst many locally made/ sourced options are Hatcher Dairy Milks, Olive & Sinclar Chocolate Bars and Alchemy of Sol Soaps.

RC Farms: Several selection of Grass Fed Beef options this week; Brisket, Roast, Stew Meat Mix, Ribeye, Mignon, Meat Balls, Sirloin Steak along with our Smoked Cured items.

Thank you for supporting your Locally Grown Market, it means a lot to our Growers and Community by Shopping Local and Staying Local!
We look forward seeing you “On the Porch or At the Curb" of Quinn’s Mercantile Wednesday April 28thth from 5:00 – 6:30 pm, please contact me if you are unable to make delivery or are running late, please phone, email or text me so we can make arrangements to get your order to you. After trying to reach you and if we don’t hear from you, your order will be donated and you will be invoiced for the amount since we still need to pay our Growers for their products. Remember we do have Delivery if you think you will be later than 6:30 pm.

How to contact us:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://stonesriver.locallygrown.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/StonesRiverMarket
Locations: Quinn’s Mercantile on Wednesdays: 301 North Spring Street, Murfreesboro
map: https://goo.gl/maps/GAkJS1wawb

Middle Tennessee Locally Grown:  Market is OPEN for ordering!

Dothan, Alabama:  Ordering is Open! April 24, 2021 M@D Newsletter

COOKING GRASS FED BEEF

Admittedly M@D is in a bit of a lull right now with our beef listings, but since the issue has come up recently and barbecue season is already upon us we think it’s a good time to take another look at the difference between grain and grass fed beef and how that impacts the way you cook it.

Grass-fed beef is not easy to describe, which is why it’s important to give it a try. When you talk to grass-fed beef fans, they all explain it in their own distinct ways. One thing that’s universal is that grass-fed muscle has a unique mouth feel. You don’t notice it with ground meat but it’s very noticable with steak and roasts as it has a particular bite or a chew to it. Not only does the diet affect this texture, but it is also tied to the genetics of grass-fed animals and the way their muscles are used. That’s why Dexter steaks may differ from Santa Gertrudis and Black Angus. Grass-fed flavor and texture also depend on the the methods the farmer is using.

Generally speaking, grass-fed beef has very little fat. It’s lean. It needs to be cooked in differently than grain fed beef. Don’t salt it before cooking as that can really draw out its moisture. You can add salt (and pepper) for taste after, not before. Also, when you’re cooking grass-fed beef, lower the temperature by 50 degrees and always give it time. “Low and Slow” is the rule. You don’t want to cook it quickly over high heat — in a pan or on a grill. Heat also draws out moisture. It goes from medium to well done in seconds. The less fat in a muscle, the faster it goes between temperatures. Fat is a buffer. It has a different melting point than muscle. When there’s no fat, there’s no buffer. 

One tried and true method of cooking grass fed beef to perfection is a nifty tool invented by the French called Sous Vide.

Photo shows one of several Sous Vide machines available for home use.

Pronounced “sue veed,” the term means “under vacuum.” Simply put, meat, vegetables, and so forth are vacuum-sealed in bags prior to being cooked using precise temperature control. The practice of Sous Vide cooking has long been employed in fine restaurants because of the many advantages it offers compared to traditional slow cooking methods.

With traditional oven-cooking, food is only perfectly cooked for a relatively short window of time. Take it out too soon and it’s undercooked (possibly dangerously so), take it out too late and it’s overcooked: dry, tough, blackened…ruined. This is because food in an oven or on a burner continues to cook as long as heat is applied to it, and for a while after. Thus, it’s relatively difficult to time everything in order to ensure perfectly-cooked food, and even the best chefs will occasionally under or over-cook meals. With Sous Vide, food will never exceed the programmed temperature controls. What this means is that once the perfect temperature is reached, it will not overcook. Even novice cooks will find it virtually impossible to produce anything less than perfect meals. Sous Vide guarantees consistent results with textbook doneness. Even the toughest cut of meat can be served fork tender when cooked for the right time at the right temperature.

And Sous vide cooks a lot more than just meat! Your market manager became a believer, and after that a user after trying sous vide keto cheesecake. As time has gone on an increasing number of our M@D family uses them so if this info has piqued your interest and you’d like additional first hand information, all you have to do is ask. :)

GROWER & MARKET NOTES

NEW & RELISTED 3 new Bok Choi varieties – Win Win (white stems), Green Oak (dark green leaves with green stem) and Rosie (purple/red leaves) – Avalon Farms 2 Summer Crisp Lettuce varieties, a green and a red – Avalon Farms

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MARK YOUR CALENDAR And Plan To Join Us! Many of your favorite M@D growers will be present . .. and some friends! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Avalon Farms: Hi everybody! I’m on the road today picking up a 55 gallon drum of organic fish emulsion fertilizer. Buying in this quantity is a first for me. 

The new Bok Choi varieties are ready. They are doing awesome on the (new to us) plastic covered raised beds. This is a new method of growing for us with lots of things to learn as always.

Broccoli and cabbage are also growing well and will soon be available. Summer squash are blooming. And the very first baby tomatoes are on the vines. (Well, they were this morning before the 50 mpg winds came through. Hopefully they hung on!)