FRESHFARM Markets: Market News

In the Kitchen April 3, 2012

Many people are immersing themselves in the wonderful world of plant-based cooking. It is not that we are anti-meat, but there are so many delicious recipes without it that we find we don’t eat it as much anymore. Bill Clinton, perhaps one of the most prominent proponents of plant-based eating, made the courageous decision over two years ago to pursue a predominately vegan diet. Even Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, U.K. celebrity chef and author who is best-known for his butchery at the River Cottage, has become a passionate campaigner for vegetables and has given up eating meat. “When meat or fish are always thought of as the main dish, we become lazy with preparing our vegetables,” he has said. Switch it up and you will become more creative with how you cook.

With that said, one of the best things about shopping at FRESHFARM Markets farmers markets is seeing the first crops of a new harvest, which gets us excited about cooking in sync with what’s in season. For us, this means first asparagus, baby peas and knotted bundles of pea shoots. Here are three recipes based on these early spring vegetables:

Wilted Pea Green Salad with Sesame Dressing
Fettuccine Tangle with Spring Asparagus Pesto
Pea Soup with Greek Yogurt, Toasted Pine Nuts & Dill

Bettina Stern and Suzanne Simon of Loulies.

Loulies is a resource for cooking inspiration. We are dedicated to promoting home cooking, seasonal ingredients and sharing meals.

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From the Field March 27, 2012

THE WINTER THAT WASN’T

It’s official. The National Weather Service has determined that the winter of 2011 – 2012 is Washington’s warmest on record. To those in the DC area, mild temperatures meant light sweater weather and not having to bundle up for year round farmers’ markets. But to our Chesapeake Bay region fruit growers, it meant lots of worries about what the weather was doing to their trees.

To find out how the mild winter has affected farmers and to learn what shoppers can expect to find at market this Spring, FRESHFARM Markets Co-Executive Director Ann Yonkers talked to Mark Toigo of Toigo Orchards. Mark and his family grow apricots, apples, peaches, plums, cherries and nectarines as well as field fruit such as raspberries and strawberries on their 400 acre farm in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Toigo Orchards sells at 4 FRESHFARM Markets: Dupont Circle, By the White House, Penn Quarter, and Crystal City.

Tell me how this warm weather has affected the trees and the farm?
While Shippensburg is north of DC and had slightly cooler temperatures, it was the warmest weather I can remember. It wasn’t good for much, but operationally it had some good effects. We could catch up on all the seasonal farm work such as pruning the trees. Our crew was happy because they kept working and earning money all winter. Without a snowfall, we had no trouble getting into the orchards and taking care of the trees.

It’s so rare to be able to get through the pruning process systematically due to cold, rain, mud and bitter conditions. Pruning is usually a rush job in early spring because of the conditions. We prune the trees to open them up to sunshine and air circulation. This promotes healthy trees, less subject to a myriad of diseases and to insect damage. Pruning also promotes healthy fruit set and beautiful large fruit that our customers love at farmers’ markets.

What happens to the trees when you don’t have a real winter?
The trees never go into dormancy, which prepares them for another year of the hard work and stress of bearing fruit. This winter our fruit trees never got this rest. So, they are a little like teenagers. All raging hormones, and unsure what to do next. Bud? Flower? Grow? In short, they’re confused and agitated.

How much earlier are the trees flowering?
We had apricots blooming before St. Paddy’s Day. Now that’s a record.

How does early flowering put the trees in danger?
The trees are exposed earlier and longer to cold nights. When flowering trees get hit with a spring frost, the fruit never develops. That means the tree has no or a very limited quantity of fruit that season. Frost could happen anytime between now and May. Around here, fruit growers think of the first moon in May as the safe date when the danger of frost is passed.

Fruit growers around here can talk of little else but the warm weather. Should they prune the trees harder and risk less fruit damage or leave more branches in case the frost damages more fruit? Farming is a usually a dance with Mother Nature, but this year it’s more like a jig.

What does this mean for farmers’ market shoppers this Spring?
It’s really hard to predict, but if current trends continue spring vegetables such as English peas, Spring onions, asparagus and green garlic will be coming in earlier. They’ll also be in abundance much earlier too.

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From the Field March 7, 2012

A TRIBUTE TO JIMMY HOGGE

FRESHFARM Markets Co-Executive Directors Ann Yonkers and Bernie Prince reflect on the life of Jimmy Hogge of Buster’s Seafood.

Jimmy Hogge of Buster’s Seafood died on Monday in his home in Urbanna, Virginia. They don’t make them like Jimmy Hogge anymore. He was an old fashioned country boy with an accent that was broad and particular. It carried you directly to Tidewater, Virginia where he was born, lived and died. As soon as he opened his mouth, you were compelled to listen to the rich local color of his speech. You were charmed by his quiet unassuming manner. Paige and Jimmy of Buster’s Seafood have been coming to the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market farmers market since 2004 to sell crab, oysters, rockfish, deviled crab and occasionally eel. Their friendly manner, the quality of their products and the opportunity to chat with Jimmy and Paige built a legion of happy, loyal and curious customers.

Smooth sailing, Jimmy. May the winds push you along to rest and peace.

Ann Yonkers
~~~~~

“How are you? I’ve got something to show you.” Those were often the words that greeted me from Jimmy Hogge as he stood smiling behind his market table loaded with crabs, fresh-caught fish, jars of oysters or clams at the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market farmers market. A few weeks ago, Jimmy proudly showed me his 9 pound rutabaga. Another time it would be a live wiggly eel that Paige would rather not have brought to market. Jimmy’s distinctive fisherman’s drawl charmed me every time, and I looked forward to his weekly predictions of when rockfish or oysters would be at market so I could plan my weekly purchase. When my daughter visits from Montana, Buster’s is her favorite because she makes a breakfast of their deviled crab.

Earlier this week, I received the very sad news message that Jimmy Hogge of Buster’s Seafood died at his home on Monday, March 6th. As Paige noted “He so loved the market. God bless you all.”

Paige and Jimmy have been selling at the Dupont Circle farmers market since 2004. I first visited their home, crab and oyster sheds in Urbana, Virginia after receiving their application materials, with Paige proudly noting that they were only 130 miles from DC. I learned how they spent sleepless days trading shifts in the crab shed so they could bring softshells to market. When they brought the first fresh oysters to Dupont, Jimmy proudly shucked one for my breakfast.

Over the years, Jimmy and Paige have been like family to me. When my husband had open heart surgery, Jimmy told me about his operation and always asked how Ray was doing because he had gone through the same healing.

I can still hear his voice and see that giant rutabaga at market. God bless and keep you, Jimmy. This market lady and her family will miss you.

Bernie Prince

A memorial service for Jimmy Hogge will be held on Friday, March 9th at 11am at Hermitage Baptist Church, 94 Wares Bridge Road, Church View, VA. Lunch will be served after the service.

FRESHFARM Markets is also planning a memorial tribute to Jimmy at the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market farmers market on Sunday, March 11.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts in Jimmy’s name be made to:
- Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department, 4583 Water View Road, Water View, VA 23180
- FRESHFARM Markets, P.O. Box 15691, Washington, DC 20003

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Mark Your Calendar March 2, 2012

FRESHFARM MARKET EVENTS THAT EXCITE, CONNECT AND ENGAGE

Fundraising at FRESHFARM Markets is a joyful experience. The best fundraising events bring people together, create a deeper connection with an organization, represent staff enthusiasm and effect change. In recent years, traditional philanthropic efforts have given way to more creative endeavors. At FRESHFARM Markets, each of our events serve to enhance relationships and connect our base of supporters with other powerful people in our community such as regular customers, local entrepreneurs, neighborhood and national institutions as well as celebrity chefs. Our market communities, area partners and our national sponsors learn that FRESHFARM Markets can make a difference. By turning creative ideas into reality, we keep the energy for farmers markets alive, continue to expand our educational programs and bring everyone along for the ride.

Each partnership represents a common goal – fresh, healthy food and the power of neighborhood connections – and provides us with an opportunity for collaborating with others. Consider the breadth of those connections – the United States Botanic Garden, the Environmental Film Festival, the National Archives, local museums such as The Phillips Collection, The National Portrait Gallery and The Textile Museum, universities such as George Washington and Georgetown and area restaurant groups such as ThinkFoodGroup and EatGoodFoodGroup. All of these partners care deeply about FRESHFARM Markets and donate their time and support generously. Each event we create is developed to give our supporters the best experience possible. They are the product of a vision: a well-defined moment with a desired outcome and a set goal. Each fits in with our community, showcases our mission, incorporates a “wow” factor and captures the attention of those who support and promote us.

We’ve already had a lot of fun. In 2010, we created Landscape and Local Food for the Georgia O’Keefe: Abstraction exhibit at The Phillips Collection bringing together a local winemaker, an area farmer and a local chef. What began as a partnership with The Environmental Film Festival evolved into a panel and the first screening of The Symphony of the Soil complete with edible “soil,” dirt-roasted potatoes and a mineral-inspired cocktail. In 2011, we used Kickstarter.org to raise funds for our FoodPrints Food Lab, held a cultivation event for DC singles highlighting Washington Post Food Editor Joe Yonan’s first cookbook Serve Yourself and hosted iconic American composer Philip Glass at The Phillips Collection followed by an exclusive dinner by Chef Brian McBride to support our Matching Dollars program.

Each year, a huge portion of our fundraising efforts has been focused on our annual Farmland Feast gala celebration. Every November, our cocktail reception, dinner and auctions showcase the bounty of our markets, our farmers, the local wine movement and a most extraordinary roster of area chefs. While an exceptional night, the Farmland Feast goes far beyond a wonderful evening. Every year we expect to strengthen community ties with each delicious bite, create an experience that moves our guests and also motivates them to act.

We are still in the process of planning 2012 and will soon present a new series of exciting events including our 15th anniversary celebration at the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market in July. In addition, this year we will celebrate 10 years of Feasting!

Our first event of this season, Grow. Bloom. Tea., is an afternoon reception taking place after the Sunday Dupont Circle FRESHFARM farmers market. It will highlight our flower growers as well as a new partnership with the Embassy Circle Guest House and a well-honed connection with both Neighborhood Restaurant Group and Passenger Bar.

With every event we create, every donation request we make, and every donor we thank, the FRESHFARM Markets fundraising focus is clear, innovative and…relationship building.

Amanda Phillips Manheim, Associate Director of Fundraising

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Beyond the Field February 6, 2012

GIVING THE GIFT OF NOURISHING FOOD AND MORE

A few years back, FRESHFARM Markets changed my life. Up until then, I was what I like to call a “lazy” healthy eater. I didn’t really care to know what went into my food and I mostly trusted marketing executives when they labeled something as “natural” or “healthy.” (Go ahead laugh. It’s ok.) I ate a lot of processed foods labeled as “low-fat” or “whole grain.” My fruits and vegetables were rarely “in season.”

Through all this, Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” sat patiently on my bookshelf. Like any non-believer, I kept telling myself I’m just not ready yet. Until one day, I was. I opened the book. I devoured it. I read other books. And being that I like challenges, I decided I would try to do more of my shopping at a farmers market. I was aware the FRESHFARM Markets farmers markets existed, but I’d only dropped in out of novelty in the past. It was time to get serious.

FRESHFARM Markets made it easy for me to make changes. Each of the markets I frequented were filled with gorgeous produce, healthy meats and fresh baked goods. The farmers were friendly and helpful. Before I knew it, my entire diet had changed, and I felt fabulous. As an added bonus, I began to get to know the staff at FRESHFARM Markets and started doing occasional chef demos and volunteered for various projects. I learned that the organization goes way beyond just snazzy farm stands and tasty food samples.

Of their many educational programs, the program closest to my heart is the Matching Dollars program . Because my work involves teaching nutritional cooking classes to low-income clients, I realize that procuring affordable fresh produce is not always within reach. FRESHFARM Markets recognizes this too and created the Matching Dollars program to address it. Because of this incentive, SNAP (Food Stamps), WIC (Women, Infant and Children) and SFMNP (Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program) recipients shopping at six of the FRESHFARM Markets can have their governmental funds matched to enable them to double the amount of money they have to spend on seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Although I have supported the program personally in previous years, I can only give so much. In 2012, I struggled to think of a way I could give this program an added boost. Finally, I thought, why not combine a yearly celebration with a fundraising opportunity? This February, I will mark another birthday by gathering with friends at a local restaurant. In lieu of any gifts or contributions towards dinner, I will be collecting donations for the FRESHFARM Matching Dollars program. Even if each of the 50 or so guests only gives $20 each, we’ll raise $1,000 for the program by the end of the night.

I hope basing my diet on the abundant, local produce available at the FRESHFARM Markets farmers markets gives me many more vibrantly healthy birthdays to celebrate. And I can’t think of any better way to mark another year than by sharing with others the gift of nourishing food, as well. Thank you, FRESHFARM Markets!

Using my birthday as a creative way to raise money is just one way to give back. Other ways to get involved include making a donation, becoming a sponsor and more.

Melissa Jones, FRESHFARM Markets volunteer
Melissa is a food educator focused on teaching people how to incorporate more fresh, delicious, local produce into their diets. She works with local non-profits and health centers to create and demonstrate recipes that are fruit and vegetable-based and simple to prepare. Melissa hopes the merger of her Johnson and Wales culinary degree and master’s in nutrition education produces dishes that keep people happy and healthy for years to come. Melissa’s recipes and more can be found here.

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From the Field January 30, 2012

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FARM IN THE WINTER

It’s a common misconception that farmers’ lives drastically change in the winter season as the temperature drops and snow covers the fields. Some may think this is a time for farmers to kick back and relax, with not much to do on the farm. However, that is far from the truth. Typically, the winter months require more work to grow food or care for livestock and more time devoted to planning out the upcoming growing and selling season. Since our farmers do it all, from growing or producing the product, to bringing it to market and selling it to customers, they tend to many different needs this time of year. To find out exactly what our farmers were up to this winter, I decided to ask them at our year-round Saturday market in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Most farmers said that work was about the same in the winter when they’re coming to our year round farmers market, but that things are different on the farm. Those farmers who pasture livestock said it is much more difficult in the winter because you have to make sure the animals have enough water and feed. So this means much more attention to detail and much more work lugging water and hay to the animals. Jeanne Dietz-Band of Many Rocks Farm notes that her breeding schedule is such that all her goats are born in the colder months in order to help them build immunity for the hot summer months.

Winter is a little different for vegetable farmers. Most of the produce that is being grown is mostly done in greenhouses, which are heated by wood or gas furnace. This time of year farmers are growing a variety of greens, such as kale, mixed salad greens, herbs and Swiss chard. They are also producing some root vegetables such as turnips, baby radishes, daikon radishes, carrots and sunchokes.

Vegetable farmers also prepare their fields for the winter months by planting cover crops such as rye, barley and hairy vetch. These cover crops improve the quality of the soil by breaking up compacted areas, providing fresh plant material for beneficial organisms such as earthworms and helping keep moisture in the fields. These cover crops also provide erosion control, improve soil fertility and contain weed growth. Before the planting season these crops can simply be tilled back into the soil. Farmers also plant their garlic in late fall/early winter since it can grow with a good snow or straw cover. The garlic is generally harvested in the spring.

At Quaker Valley Farm & Orchard the winter months are the time to prune their fruit trees, a daunting activity to say the least that typically takes the entire winter season. Annual pruning allows for a more productive fruit crop throughout the growing season. Trees that are not pruned become congested with old branches and yield less fruit.

The winter is also a time for farmers to attend farming conferences to learn about sustainable practices that can enhance their farming operations. Julie Stinar of Evensong Farm will be attending PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) Farming for the Future conference as will Paul Mock of Mock’s Greenhouse and Fredi and Winn Schulteis of Quaker Valley Farm & Orchard. Jeanne Dietz-Band of Many Rocks Farm is planning to attend the Women in Agriculture conference hosted by the University of Delaware.

Other farmers use the winter as a time to be creative about bringing in additional revenue. Eli Cook of Spring Valley Farm & Orchard cuts and sells firewood from his land in West Virginia. Chicano Sol keeps its organic production up by selling to two restaurants and the Tuscarora Organic Cooperative. Some farmers do take the time to have a little fun and relax. Paul Mock jokingly notes he likes to sit down in the winter, an activity that doesn’t happen too often in the busier spring, summer and fall seasons. He also enjoys skiing and indoor tennis. Winn Schulteis of Quaker Valley likes to go snowmobiling (snow willing) and take a family vacation to Florida. Others have fun coming to market in the winter and seeing their happy customers.

Last but not least, the winter is the time farmers do all the accounting and paper work that was pushed aside in the summer and fall, as well as set their business goals for the upcoming season. Our farmers run every part of their business and the start of the New Year brings time to reset, refocus and plan out the coming season. As with any business, there is always work to do, even in the winter months.

Reg Godin, Program and Markets Manager

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