Market News - August 5, 2008
Two restaurants that I have eaten at recently are using products from some of the farms at our market. I know this because it’s on their menu.
Blueberry season at Val’s Berry Farm in East Longmeadow has another 2-3 weeks to go. Blueberries are plentiful, so go get some. 8-12 and 3:30-6:30, every day. We FINALLY have everything in place in order to take EBT, debit and credit cards. We have ordered the wireless transfer machine which hopefully will arrive this week. Except for the EBT cards, we will be charging a small fee for the convenience of using a debit or credit card. Probably $1 per transaction. You will receive tokens which you will use as if they were cash. This will keep you from having to go to the ATM when you run out of money here. Rich Valley Farm
Susan Parks and her partner Jane Kerstetter moved to their small three-acre hillside property in West Stafford, CT from the Northampton area in 1990. Because they look out over a small valley and because they feel blessed to live there they call it Rich Valley Farm. Their small goatherd moved with them and they were first housed in a small temporary shelter, which Susan built from an old wooden double waterbed frame! They are still using that small building to store hay. Their goats, meanwhile, moved to a newly built very small barn about six years ago. One of the reasons they chose their particular piece of land was a large outcropping of ledge below the house, which the goats love to play and stand on. The sight of spring kids frolicking on the rock sometimes distracts folks driving up the road.
They currently milk three Nubians which are known for the richness of their milk. Susan makes soap from their milk and Jane makes cheese. Because they are not a licensed dairy the cheese cannot be sold. It is the soap that supports them during the season and their goatherd all year long.
Susan has been making soap for about eight years. Soap making encompasses many disciplines: chemistry, craftsmanship, art and graphic design, packaging and display. The interaction with market customers, and being able to tell them how soap is made, makes farmers’ markets her favorite venue for selling her quality products. For 17 years until 1983, she was a faculty member in the Art Department (Ceramics) at UMASS Amherst. She has a Masters degree in Fine Arts and an undergraduate degree in Zoology from Mt Holyoke College. After teaching she had her own ceramic tile business until she moved to CT. She fabricated and decorated tile for bathrooms, kitchens and anywhere else her customers wanted tile. In those days it was almost impossible to find interesting tile.
Rich Valley Farm has a new hillside barn, which is almost finished. There is room for the goats on the lowest level with a garage and hayloft above. This barn will also provide more space for soap making.
Susan’s lotions and soaps make lovely gifts. Gift CertificatesWe have certificates that you can buy to give to a friend who has everything. The market manager has them.
Recipe (thanks Mariana Bauman)Vegetarian Gumbo
This is a Louisiana -style gumbo with a rich roux. Feel free to substitute any vegetables you have on hand. Altho it is vegetarian, it works well with leftover fish added toward the end of cooking time. (The original includes fish.) Serves 8.1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup flour
1 small onion chopped ( 1 cup)
1 small green pepper, chopped (1 cup)
3 ribs of celery, chopped (1 cup)
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh (or frozen) green beans (2 -3“pieces)
3 carrots, sliced (2 cups)
1 parsnip, diced (1 cup)
1 cup fresh (or frozen) okra, sliced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste
2) Add onion, bell pepper and celery and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
3) Stir in all remaining ingredients and 4 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium -low , cover and cook 40 minutes or until carrots are tender. Serve over rice.
per serving: 216 Cal; 3 G Protein; 14.5 G Total Fat (2 G Sat. Fat) ; 21 G Carb; 0 MG Chol.; 309 MG Sod; 6 G Fiber; 8 G Sugars
From Vegetarian TImes May 2008
Farmers’ Market Week Aug.17-23—Proclamation from the Governor
Farmers’ markets are essential to the vitality of MA farms and are part of the cultural tradition of the Commonwealth; FM create a festive open air setting which enhances community spirit and civic pride by offering a natural place for community gathering; MA is home to more than 160 FMs; increasing consumer demand for fresh produce, FMs ensure both urban and rural citizens access to a wide variety of high quality nutritious produce that is locally grown using environmentally sound methods; FMs heighten public awareness of agricultural diversity of MA and the benefits of buying local and preserving open space; it is befitting for the citizens of MA to recognize the continued contribution of farmers’ markets to local consumers as well as their positive impact on the economy of the Commonwealth.
