Farmers Markets - Have You Visited Your Local Farmers Market Recently?

Dear Folks,

As many of you know I have been a supporter and participant at local farmers markets for going on 2 decades.

Since I began participating, the number of markets in the valley has grown exponentially.  What started out with as few as 6 or so has grown to dozens and dozens!  A real achievement in an area many visitors and outsiders consider improbable if not impossible.  A Farmers Market? In the desert?  Locally grown?

I decided a little reminder was in order.  It is no coincidence that the chain grocery stores highlight Arizona Grown.  The growth in local farmers markets triggered those chain stores to at least try to keep some locally grown or produced food in stock.  However the chain stores do not have the wide breadth of offerings compared to YOUR local farmers market

Just remember - local means seasonal!  That means fresh, best for nutrition and taste, and sustainable.

Many of the markets offer entertainment and informational assistance along with all the locally grown or raised foods, craft foods (breads, jams, tamales, sausages, cheese, candies, cookies etc.), and local crafters.

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market to host a class on Edible Flowers.

The week before that I hosted my thrice annual seed share at the Mesa Community Farmers Market.

I am at the Mesa market each Friday (9 am - 1 pm), one of the oldest markets at 20+ years, going on year-round.  (FYI the new location at 20 East Main Street (north side across from the light-rail station) offers better parking access -- off of Pepper Place.)  This Friday looks like a beautiful day to come on out.

In Phoenix, this coming Saturday, the Uptown Farmers Market in Phoenix is beginning a series of classes each Saturday.with other local experts.

Jump Start Your Spring Garden with Greg Peterson 
9 a.m. the Market is on the southwest corner of Central and Bethany Home Road.

Saturday should be a gorgeous day to get to the market, take in a class before heading out to SHOP LOCAL!

Not sure where your local farmers market is in the Valley and  State?  Check out these links:

http://www.arizonacommunityfarmersmarkets.com/

http://www.localfirstaz.com/directory/category.php?catid=1243

FACT:  Did you know many local farmers (big and small) started out selling a few things at the farmers market?  And "grew" from there!

Likewise, many beloved local foods like jams, tamales, and bread producers got their start at a farmers market?

So, what are you waiting for?  Find, shop and support your local farmers markets.  The more you shop, the more local producers bring out foods you love or will fall in love with.

Have a great week!


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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What did I plant there? - June Garden Tips

Dear Folks,

If all the people who get help from my work and writings could see me in the garden, they might wonder how I manage to actually get the information out :-)   After a friend gave me an ornament with "Trowel & Error" as the name on the representative potting stand, I adopted it as my motif.

Case in point is that while I constantly experiment in the garden on where and how best to grow something -- I am not real good at marking what I planted.

While thinning out the epozote, I finally remembered the leeks I planted - in February!  I had actually started them as seed a month or so before and then transplanted the little darlings into the epozote bed.  As soon as the warm spring air warmed the soil the leeks took off but so did the epozote (which can top 4 feet if I let it), obscuring the growing leeks.  Don't they look great!

If you look closely at the one at the top you will see the baby bulbs - which I removed and transplanted back in the garden.  With the warming weather, they may not make it, but I know where they like it when I plant next fall -- the actual proper time to put the seeds in.

Think of leeks as a scallion on hormones --  they make a great addition to soups, stews and the grill.  As tender as scallions, if you are going to use them within a week or two, harvest them, otherwise leave them in the ground for another couple of weeks, they store better there (or in a bucket of sand stored at refrigerator temperatures).

We grilled Memorial day and I tossed a halved and cleaned leek (they really do get a lot of debris and grit between the growing leaves) on the grill with squash and onion (from the Mesa Friday Farmers Market - my squash is just getting started - I planted late - come to think of it I didn't mark that either) for our side dish.  I like Queen Creek Olive Mill's blood orange EV olive oil for grilling or roasting vegetables.

Speaking of Farmers Markets (of course you are supporting your local farmers, right!), for you East Valley-ites, there is a new farmers market - at a farm - in the far east valley.

Superstition Farms is a working dairy - family owned for generations.  They have gradually increased their family-farm-friendly experiences and have now added a weekly Thursday afternoon/evening indoor farmers market.

This brand new, cool, indoor farmers market takes place on an actual farm every Thursday from 4:30 to 7:30 with the Grand Opening Thursday, June 2nd. Superstition Farm is conveniently located off the 202 and Elliot at 3440 South Hawes Road, Mesa AZ 85212.

Superstition Farm is a fun and educational working dairy farm run by the Stechnij Family, now raising its third generation on the farm. The farm offers tours to school groups, scout groups, and the general public. The farm also provides a dairy CSA, horse riding lessons, a petting zoo, Wednesday night Chicken Dinners, Moosters Mootique, a milk bar, as well as a tie-in to a great local ice cream shop, Udder Delights. The family believes in helping to create a strong sense of community.

Did you see the Summer 2011 issue of Edible Phoenix?  Too many great articles to list here, go check them out, find them at your local farmers market information tables or subscribe and support them and the local farmers and ranchers they support.


. . . 


About the farm in YOUR backyard -- as we head into the warm summer months, check your watering cycles, use that water meter to make sure you are giving the plants enough but not too much.  If you are seeding in anything the stop soil does need to be misted each night until you see growth, then you can back off the misting to encourage deep root growth.

GARDEN TIPS for June
June through August in the Desert Southwest is the equivalent of winter in North Dakota — you maintain what you have planted, taking special care of young or sensitive plants. With the exception of August when the heavy pre-fall seed planting begins, it is a good idea to hold off on any major transplanting until the fall when the temperatures (below 90 daytime) drop back to prime planting weather.

Our Flower Mulching technique can be used to protect young plants by canopying the soil around them, placing the flowering plants very close to the base of the young plants.

Heavy watering requirements may result in yellowing of leaves due to iron deficiency, especially of fruit trees (Chlorosis).  Apply Ironite before next watering to correct - or a more natural option is "Green Sand."

JUNE PLANTING:  Cantaloupe, Corn (for fall harvest), Cucumber, Armenian ; Eggplant, Gourds, Luffa Gourd, Melons, Musk; Okra, Peas, Black Eyed; Peppers, Chiles, Portulaca (Moss Rose), Potato, Sweet; Purslane (Portulaca X Hybrida), Sunflower.

Luffa gourds are great to grow - BUT be aware of the size of a happy plant - 30 feet of vine - they make a good arbor cover, the young squash (yes all gourds are squash family members) can be eaten like zucchini and the vine produces lovely, large yellow flowers.  Deane was photographing them when I grew them a couple of years ago and the bees love them - so much so that a carpenter bee arrived at the same flower as a honey bee drinking and the carpenter kicked the honey bee off the flower!

Sweet potatoes are fun to grow - they grow the opposite season of regular potatoes and the young leaves are edible - you get a 'two-fer!  (Sweet potatoes are NOT from the solano family.)  Make sure you give them room - another large vine plant.


. . .


Finally, Thanks to all of you who took the time to answer my survey question (upper side bar here on the blog)  The survey is now closed but I will leave the results up for a few days.  In looking at the results, I am going to put together a "program" of some sort and get the information out to you - my probable time frame is early fall, when the weather is more conducive to being outside.  I am leaning towards a tour/sampling/Q&A combination based on how many folks wanted both "dinner/class" and a tour.  Numbers of invitees will be kept very small for each event to allow concentrated attention and enough time for all to enjoy.  I will keep you posted.


If you need help with gardening and cooking - I'm always happy to answer questions.  For quick resources, consider my books available in both print and e-book/download form.  Publisher site.


Have a wonderful day!



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Greening - Ideas Whose Time Has Come -- Again

Dear Folks,

Greetings from the far east valley where the grass is crunchy and soggy! (After winter rains clear out, you can usually count on clear cold nights, meaning probably light frost.)

We received just under 5 inches in the storms which ‘visited' us this week.

One of the last times I recorded near that amount of rain in a short period of time was a 24 hour period in July 2008, where I measured 3.3 inches of rain from July 10 through the 11th.

Needless to say, you can shut the automatic watering off for about a week right now and save money and your plants. Use the water meter to check when next to start watering again, we are going to be having "intermittent sun" instead of rain for the next couple of weeks, according to the current long range forecasts.

. . .

Back to today's topic

Greening - Ideas Whose Time Has Come -- Again!

--Do What You Do Best!

--Grow a Community, with a Garden!

--What resources do you have in abundance--Use them!


Folks, when times get tough or challenging, history shows us how resourceful people can be. A bad day makes us sit back and take stock of what we have and what we can do. Today's post is a bit lengthy, but I think you will find it interesting and hopefully helpful as you look about for things to do.

First, ponder this bit of wisdom.

Sue McPhail, APR, President, Ideaology
http://www.ideaologists.com/, writes a daily Monday-Friday email ‘idea' using a great/good thought from a famous or popular person, she then expounds on what that thought means and what you can do with it. Although focused on corporate / company ‘culture' for making the companies better, I think this idea from last week is something we can all identify with personally and within our community.

Turning to Farming in Detroit

"The greatest thing is, at any moment, to be willing to give up who we are in order to become what we can be." -- Max Depree

A native of Michigan [Sue writes], I've watched Detroit grapple with its identity for the past 30 years. I believe that the fastest path to success is building a future around what exists in abundance. I've been troubled as the city sought to redefine itself as a center for motion pictures and air travel. The bottom line is simple -- what Detroit has in abundance is water and fertile land.


So, today, we present Ideaology's Good Thinking award to millionaire John Hanz, of Detroit, who has pledged $30 million of his own funds to transform Detroit from an urban wasteland to fertile farmland. Hanz isn't whistling Dixie, he's hiring full-time workers at this very moment to bring his ideas to bear. Have a look for yourself. http://tiny.cc/w9UiO


If you don't think it's viable, look to the east and you'll see Ontario, Canada's fertile crescent where most of that nation's crops are grown. Come on. It's not that hard to envision: vacant, fertile land, great transportation, abundant water, lots of labor. It's good. In fact, if I were back in Michigan, I'd be calling Hanz to see how I can help make this inventive idea reality. You grow, guys.


The most difficult part of this idea is giving up the notion that Detroit is a center of manufacturing; that it is the automobile capitol of the world. Who cares. Imagine it as a Sonoma or Salinas. Could be breathtakingly beautiful, serene, profitable and amazing. All you have to do is give up your vision of factories, abandoned homes and crack houses. Put me in coach, I'm ready to play.


What can Ideaology do? Innovation is not an end product, it's a way of thinking and acting that results in an ongoing flood of uncommon, profitable ideas. Ideaology creates the climate in which ideas flourish. Call 248 879 9129 to engage us.


Sue McPhail, APR, President
Ideaology
http://www.ideaologists.com/


Max Depree is an American writer and former CEO of Herman Miller, a leading manufacturer of office furniture. He is best known for "Leadership is an Art." Named a member of the Fortune Magazine Hall of Fame, Depree also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Business Enterprise Trust. In 1996, the Max Depree Center for Leadership was formed in Pasadena, CA.

--What resources do you have in abundance--Use them!

Like John Hanz, can you see what your family, neighborhood, community has in abundance? We may not be millionaires like Mr. Hanz, but we all have something to contribute to our family community.

If your apartment complex, dormitory, street or neighborhood were a mini-village or town, what would each of you have as a product, service or skill that would be useful to everyone? Think of it this way — do you know your neighbors? If there were a major emergency you would turn to each other because they the closest.

--Do you have extra time and like to be outdoors? Check out http://www.phoenixweedwackers.com/ — A non-profit all volunteer organization dedicated to eradicating invasive plants from our desert environs.

--Do you have extra garden produce and not interested in selling it - give it away! To neighbors, senior or crisis centers (call first).

So what will ‘giving' something ‘get' you? Years ago when I volunteered my extra time in the office of a charity, I learned soon-to-be valuable skills which I in turn used in my career choices. I also met many interesting and great people. Networking at its finest!

--Do What You Do Best!

Are you good at organization, details, quietly working behind the scenes. Those who only sit and wait provide an invaluable service and support to the ‘action'. Can you knit, grow tomatoes, cook simple meals - fast?

--Grow a Community, with a Garden!

Nothing is more precious to people and places which are challenged, than food and water.

If you do not have a garden of your own, find a community garden, or start what I like to call a neighborhood garden. If you can't use all the bounty, share it. Learn to can (really easy, and not as scary as you may think) or freeze the extras for later.

A neighborhood garden is a way of developing a mini-community. Each neighbor grows what they are good at, then they get together and share the bounty at each seasonal harvest. (This works for apartment buildings as well as student dormitories - you need a sunny balcony or patio to make it work.)

You can begin with nothing more than a large pot (try for 2 foot wide diameter), good soil mix, lots of sun, proper water and package of seeds. Maintained properly the pot garden can work for you from season to season, all year long here in the valley.

Do you have horrible soil - my friend Kathy has her own dairy goat herd and is more than happy to give away great manure, which can be mixed into poor soil and used in the garden or containers (add some vermiculite or leaf compost to keep the mix loose).

Do you own or know someone who owns empty lots or land? Can it be made into a temporary or permanent garden?

Do you know you can legally use gray water from washing machines and non-contaminated (like toilet) water sources to water fruit and nut trees? It is important to make sure only environmentally safe soaps and cleaners are in the water.

Mesquite trees are an important way to reclaim land using things like gray water. There is a mesquite project whose aim is to reclaim land and also provide a source of food in Arizona. Mesquite is an ancient native plant source of flour from the pods and beans. Mesquite honey and wood are also by-products of growing these desert-adapted trees.

Desert Harvesters promotes the project and can even arrange grinding parties with their huge mill on wheels for those already growing mesquite. http://www.desertharvesters.org/

If you have never tried using mesquite flour - contact or find Arizona Mesquite Company http://www.arizonamesquitecompany.com/ at one of the local farmers markets to try their tasty foods and buy the flour. Desert harvesters also teams up with local farmers to produce special events like a mesquite pancake event with Crooked Sky Farms in Glendale last fall. http://www.crookedskyfarms.com/

NOTE: I have a concept in mind to assist low income home owners to reclaim their back yards for an edible garden beginning with mesquite trees and gray water. The idea would also help provide necessary shade in the summer. Contact me if your organization would like the details.

So folks, what can you do with your own skills and resources to enhance your life and the life of your neighborhood and community?

Happy gardening,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Greening - Locavore Sightings for October

Dear Folks,

Can you fall in love with a winery? Well if it is Kief-Joshua Vineyards in Elgin/Sonita area (520.455.5582) - it is perfectly possible. First, it is not enough to have the gorgeous ambiance of the hills of Elgin/Sonita and a building borrowed from Tuscany or Provence, or that the grapes are raised in a holistic manner and tended by hand, or that heritage sheep are used for weed control, nor that natural controls via hawks and owls are used -- the wine has to be outstanding — and it is.

In any wine tasting I've been to - and no, I do not get to many - but I am a huge fan of good wine - there are at least one or two wines which do not ‘grab me.' Not so with the current offerings at Kief-Joshua Vineyards -- each was great in its own way.

Chenin Blanc (good with spicy food, grilled fish or light dessert).
Vognier "vee-on-yea" (fresh fruit, pork, chicken, light salad or Thanksgiving Turkey).
Cabernet Franc (fish, chicken, beef or pork or Thanksgiving Turkey).
Syrah (beef, game, grilled meat or barbecue).
Nebbiolo (red meats, tomato based sauces or heavier chicken dishes)
Cabernet Sauvignon (red meats, tomato based sauces or sharp cheeses)

The Thanksgiving Turkey note above for the Vognier and Cabernet Franc are my own - either of these, a white or a light red, would perfectly compliment the turkey whether roasted, grilled or deep fried. If you are serving tamales - try the Vognier.

I was on a tour with some folks, and had no prior knowledge of Kief-Joshua except that they practiced holistic viticulture (the science and tradition of growing grapes for wine) and used a heritage sheep known as Baby Doll (not to be confused with the dahl sheep variety) as some of the weed control in the vineyard. Well as a current "natural" gardener/farmer and a former owner of miniature goats, I was looking forward to seeing and experiencing the winery/vineyard. (FYI if you are not familiar with the distinction - a winery is where the wines are produced from the grapes and bottled and a vineyard is where they are grown — both are not necessarily at the same location. In the case of Kief-Joshua Vineyard they are both.)

So when we arrived at the beautiful building and vineyard, and the very nice young man who looked to be about 19 and half to these older eyes, proceeded to politely and knowledgeable disburse the samples of the wine, I was surprised and impressed to learn we were speaking to Kief-Joshua. He then gave us the highlights of the wine making area.

I highly recommend a trip to the Kief-Joshua Vineyard, but if you can't make it down just yet, their wines are available at retail locations around the state click here for their website/retail page.

They also have a Sunday Omelet Brunch, and are going to be exhibiting at the Tempe Art and Wine Festival December 4-6, 2009. Open seven days a week from 11 am to 5 p.m. (520.455.5582) Website
. . .

FRESH the movie October 8th at Madcap Theaters in Tempe - $7 presented by Edible Phoenix Magazine -- Celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system.

. . .

Boyce Thompson Arboretum events:

October 9th -- Opening day of the Annual Fall Plant Sale, you find me giving a lecture and Thrillin Grillin food demo from 11 am to about 1:30 p.m. This is a members only sale (for the discounts) — and by the way membership is reasonable and the park is dog-friendly — the lecture and food demo are open to all visitors with admission to the park. The plant sale is open to the public from October 10th through the 25th.

Also at the BTA on October 16th Cedar Flute Musician Joseph Leal provides entertainment for an outdoor evening of enjoyment (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. - bring a picnic or grab some friends and make your own pot-luck).

If you enjoy music at the BTA make sure you check the same link for the upcoming Folk Festival November 14th, which has always been a real treat to listen to a variety of entertainers in different areas of the arboretum.

. . .

Desert Botanical Garden events:

Fall Plant Sale - October 16-18th - To shop the plant sale you do not need to pay to get into the Garden (Friday Oct 16 is members only, though), but you may want to shop then go into the garden for the annual Monarch Butterfly exhibit (an extra fee to the admission price to see the butterflies - well worth it).

. . .

Schnepf Farms annual October Chili - Pumpkin festival 480-987-3100.

. . .

Coming up in November - something to check out and mark your calendars.

Short subject presentations in a new type of forum TEDxPhoenix November 6th at the Mesa Arts Center, $5 tickets. (TED stands for Technolgy, Entertainment, Design) this program is a series of short (18 minutes) presentations by a variety of speakers. Similar to ignite-phoenix , this event includes Greg Peterson, green lifestyle expert from the Urban Farm. with others offering mini lectures on a variety of interesting and/or timely subjects -- it is a way to engage you, the audience, in sharing of ideas and networking. Greg is a regular contributor to Edible Phoenix Magazine.

The magazine is available with a subscription or at one of the sponsoring farmers markets check out http://www.foodconnect.org/ where you can find Arizona farmers markets.

For farmers markets in other areas click here and to find an "Edible" magazine for your community click here .

Support your local businesses!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

Green Politics - the new farm bill.

Dear Folks,

If you have not heard of US House Bill 875, you should look into this proposed legislation. As with all bills this one is long and laborious reading. However well-meaning any bill to increase food safety in our country is, this one is not it. I do try to stay neural on political stuff, keeping my focus on the importance of gardening and cooking with our families, but occasionally something like this bill comes up and I feel the need to let folks know about it and make their choices on the issue.

Many organizations are seriously concerned about:

1) who and why this is being sponsored (the initial sponsor's husband is associated with Monsanto), Arizona's own Representative Raul M. Grijalva (D) for Arizona's 7th Congressional District (www.grijalva.house.gov) is a co-sponsor (If you live in his district by all means contact him).

2) the provisions which may create unrealistic registration and oversight for backyard farmers, small farmers and organic farmers — under the worst case scenario overenthusiastic enforcement could put farmers markets out of existence.

3) the possible "requirement" to use chemicals.

I have pulled several (there are more) sections of the bill for you to read for yourself, and this link will take you to the government's page on it where you can read the full text.

While some provisions by themselves may not be of concern, when read in conjunction with others it is alarming.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875

DEFINITIONS:
(14) FOOD PRODUCTION FACILITY- The term ‘food production facility' means any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation.

[External Note by Catherine: The act wording includes the full ability to 'inspect' any 'food production facility' but then conflicts with exclusions - the lack of clarity makes it appear that registration and inspection of any of the listed food production facility entities can be required to register and be inspected at will and then to be subject to various penalties under the law including criminal acts.]

(19) PROCESS- The term ‘process' or ‘processing' means the commercial slaughter, packing, preparation, or manufacture of food.

SEC. 202. REGISTRATION OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND FOREIGN FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.
(a)In General- Any food establishment or foreign food establishment engaged in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding food for consumption in the United States shall register annually with the Administrator.

PROHIBITED ACTS:
(3) for a food establishment or foreign food establishment to fail to register under section 202, or to operate without a valid registration;


(b) Purposes- The purposes of this Act are--
(4) to establish that food establishments have responsibility to ensure that all stages of production, processing, and distribution of their products or products under their control satisfy the requirements of this law.

(8) CATEGORY 4 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT- The term ‘category 4 food establishment' means a food establishment that processes all other categories of food products not described in paragraphs (5) through (7).

9) CATEGORY 5 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT- The term ‘category 5 food establishment' means a food establishment that stores, holds, or transports food products prior to delivery for retail sale.

I promise my next blog will be back on subject!

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady