this little piggie went to market

You can’t really see it but his tail was not a corkscrew;  it looked like a little black licorice whip. Maybe they get curly when they get older.  Directly above his head they were setting out samples of pulled pork (very tasty, by the way) and it got me to thinking about the disconnect between us and our food–I know this isn’t exactly new ground, there’s been a lot written about this lately–but I did wonder, how do you reconcile the cute animals who on a smaller, family run farm have names (Crystal is running a contest to name this pig) and personalities, with what ends up on your plate?  (One option, of course, is to not eat meat, but I’m not one of those people.  My philosophy is to buy high quality meat raised organic/sustainable and enjoy it as an occasional meal.)

I ended up talking about this with another vendor whose farm raises animals for her own families’ consumption only.  She admitted that she does feel a pang when they are sent off to the butcher, but she also stressed that she believes it’s her job to give these animals a good life, in all senses of the word, while they are in her care.  Not a stance that vegetarians may agree with, but it made sense to me.  And being able to know how my food (animal or non) is raised is feeling more and more important to me!  It’s one reason I like being a manager at the market, I love being able to discuss this kind of stuff with the vendors.

Fyi, this little piggie won’t be heading off the farm anytime soon–he’s destined to be a breeding boar who will grow to about 900 pounds, ie bigger than a Volkswagen.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…well, not totally, but I thought you’d like to know a little bit about us, your Andersonville Farmers Market managers.  Find out all about David and I after the jump:

Tomato ecstasy!

Market Manager Joan

Local girl, lived in Andersonville for 20+ years.  Totally dedicated to/thrilled about having a market in the neighborhood.  Long time local foods advocate/farmers market devotee/avid cook, happy to have a market to call her own.

Vegetable I most resemble: An artichoke, because they’re a little prickly but have a sweet, tender heart (aw).

Five favorites from the market: Bennison’s Bollstock (don’t ask what it is, you just have to try it), any kind of berry, toscano kale (makes great kale chips), fresh eggs, sugar snap peas

New items I’m most looking forward to trying: Everything!!!

Market Manager David

Born and bred in Chicago.  Genetically programmed to love farmer’s markets, has visited markets and road-side stands with his grandfather since he was a young sprout.  Culinary school grad who’s addicted to fresh ingredients, makes a mean scone.

Fruit I most resemble: A honeydew melon because they’re sweet, cool, and summer is their season, baby.

Five favorites from the market: pumpkins, Bennison’s chocolate croissants, Rare Bird Preserves, lamb steaks (grill, baby, grill), heirloom tomatoes

New items I’m most looking forward to trying: Everything!!!

Come see us at the market tomorrow!

Volunteering is a great way to experience things  from “the other side” by greeting shoppers, helping setup or break down the market, and/or assisting the vendors.  Last summer our dedicated volunteers were a big part of making the market so successful.  Plus it’s fun, very very fun, forgot to mention that.

Break out the sunscreen and volunteer, the summer is way too short to stay indoors!

You can volunteer for the following shifts at the market:

• 1:00-3:00pm (market set-up)
• 3:00-5:00pm (market help)
• 5:00-7:00pm (market help)
• 7:00-9:00pm (market help and take-down)*

Let us know when you can help by filling out the online form!

Questions? Contact David Oakes at market@andersonville.org.  We hope to see you there!
*Shift changes to 6:30-8:00pm during the last 4 weeks of the market to accommodate the shorter market time.

]]> http://blog.andersonville.org/2010/06/15/volunteer-at-the-farmers-market/feed/ 0 http://blog.andersonville.org/2010/06/03/help-us-get-link-processing-at-the-andersonville-farmers-market/ http://blog.andersonville.org/2010/06/03/help-us-get-link-processing-at-the-andersonville-farmers-market/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:21:22 +0000 JessicaHammer http://blog.andersonville.org/?p=1408 Even before our first market day last year, the Andersonville Farmers Market has always been a grassroots effort. Without the support of neighborhood businesses, block clubs, local elected officials, and individual community residents, this huge undertaking would not have been possible.

Today, we’re asking for your support again. We want to be able to offer the Link program at the Market so that lower-income community members on cash assistance or SNAP (food stamps) can buy local produce and other food goods at the Market. Because of changes in the economy that we’re all feeling, the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce doesn’t have the budget to pay for the start-up costs associated with the program – the most expensive of which is buying a wireless terminal to process the Link transactions.

That’s where you can help! We’re trying to raise $500 to cover part of the start-up costs (which will total approx. $1,000). If we can raise half of the total amount, we’ll be able to afford to start the Link program this year, as well as sustain the program for the future.

Every little bit helps – there is no minimum donation amount! To support this effort, check out our campaign on The Point. You can also join using the widget at embedded in this post. The Point makes it easy and secure to give a donation – and your card is only charged if we meet our goal!

Thank you for helping us make sustainable, locally-grown goods accessible for all!

Returning vendors

Bennisons www.bennisonscakes.com-European Bread & Pastries
Brunkow Cheese www.pcmli.com/cw_bk.htm-Freshly made cheeses and cheese spreads
C & D Farms www.cdfamilyfarms.com-Pork, beef, chicken & eggs
Gethsemane-Herb www.gethsemanegardens.com and tomato plants
Grassroots Farm www.grassrootsfarmllc.com-Vegetables
Hardin Farms -Fruit
Herbally Yours www.herballyyoursvinegar.com-Flavored vinegars and spice mixtures
Hillside Orchard www.hillsideorchards.us-Fruit, chestnuts, preserves
Iron Creek ironcreekfarm.com/default.aspx-Vegetables, fruit
Mint Creek www.mintcreekfarm.com-Lamb, goat, beef
Nessalla Kombucha www.nessalla.com-Brewed kombucha teas
Paul Friday www.flaminfury.com-Fruit
Phoenix Tofu www.phoenixbean.com-A variety of tofu products
Rare Bird www.rarebirdpreserves.com-Preserves
River Valley Ranch www.rivervalleykitchens.com-Mushrooms, salsa, sauces, vegetables
Specialty Pasta -Gourmet fresh pasta
Tomato Mountain www.tomatomountain.com-Tomatoes, salsa, sauces
Triple A www.tripleavegetables.com-Vegetables, melons
Twin Gardens Farms www.twingardenfarms.com-Vegetables
Videnovich Farms www.videnovichfarms.com -Vegetables, wool, flowers

So now you may be thinking, “same old same old?”  Not so fast, there’s a  big crop of new vendors at the market this year:

New Vendors

B True Bakery www.BTrueBakery.com-Baked goods
Breadman Baking www.breadmanbakingcompany.com-Bread & foccacia
Garden Offerings -Flowers
Katherine Anne Confections Katherine-anne.com-Chocolates, caramels, marshmallows
Nice Cream www.nicecreamchicago.com -Ice cream (1/2 and full pints) & gourmet popsicles
One Sister Pierogi www.onesisterinc.com-A variety of pierogies
Oriana’s Oriental Orchard www.asianpearfarm.com-Asian Pears, Paw Paws, Black Walnuts
Prairie Fruits & Cheese www.prairiefruits.com-Goat & Sheeps milk cheeses

Keep in mind that there will also be great entertainment, eco-Andersonville presentations, and maybe a surprise or two.  The first market is from 3-8pm on June 23rd,  see you there!

Photo courtesy of Bart and Julita Siegel.

Well, it’s week 12 of the Andersonville Farmers Market and we’re so happy that we don’t have to say good-bye to it yet!  We can’t wait for the fall’s huge crop of apples, squash, pumpkins, and especially the apple cider.

We’ve had many people tell us how excited they are that they will now get to enjoy the market for 4 more weeks. We’re definitely excited as well, but putting on a market each week is a lot of hard work!  We depend on the help of many volunteers each week to help us set-up, watch the entrances, assist farmers, and take-down when everything is over.

Find out more after the jump!

Even though running the market has gotten a lot easier each week as we figure out how to do things, we still need a lot of help to make the fall extension of the market go smoothly!

If you’ve enjoyed being able to buy fresh, delicious produce and food, meet friends, and hang out at the market this summer, please consider signing up to volunteer during the fall extension!  An hour or two of your time can ensure that we are able to keep the market running smoothly in the present and provide the support we need to make sure Andersonville has a market for years to come!

If you’re interested in volunteering, please use this online sign-up form to let us know what days and time you would be available.  We will then contact volunteers the week before each market to confirm.

Thank you for your support of the Andersonville Farmers Market!

Lots and lots and lots of peaches!

It is hard to believe that we are over 1/3 done with the Farmer’s Market and nearly halfway through with our 20/20 challenge!   Oh well, the good news is that there is still plenty of time to pick up yummy produce and to buy more great stuff in Andersonville (and with the Sidewalk Sale coming up next weekend, there will be lots of great stuff all over the place).  So sit back, relax, and enjoy the staff recap from week 9.

JESSICA

$18 at the Wooden Spoon for a tomato knife – it’s serrated so it won’t bruise my tomatoes (courtesy of the Andersonville Farmers Market) when cutting.  Bruschetta, here I come!

$21 at Mr & Mrs DIGZ for an awesome pair of wool trouser/shorts with a herringbone pattern.  A  classic piece for summer days in the office.

JASON

After a slow week the previous week (just $25 – very strange for me) I really picked up the slack in Week 9.  I bought a t-shirt ($20) and hat ($14) at Hip Fit, had lunch at Kopi ($12), indulged in a full week of Dolce Iced Teas ($2.50 each) from The Coffee Studio, made one trip to Piatto Pronto and got lunch for the remaining 4 days for $11.  And I took advantage of having the night off from the Farmer’s Market to stop in to Cattle Call for the phenomenal drag revue at 9:00 pm on Wednesday night and enjoyed a couple of vodka tonics ($4 each).  I also really stocked up at the Farmer’s Market, so that was another good chunk of money I spent last week with delicious results!

SARA

On my walk home on Friday, I stopped at the new-ish Mr. & Mrs. DIGZ, a “unique boutique” on Andersonville’s north end between Hollywood and Edgewater. I am hesitant to admit that I’ve seen this movie, but I had a “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” moment with a pear of jeans! Totally didn’t look like they were going to fit…and then VOILA! Perfect fit. Only $28.00 and a fun start to the weekend.

Throughout the week, I also indulged in a junior cup of Espresso Oreo ice cream at George’s ($2.50- an affordable trick!); a hummus roll from Kopi ($6.50); and Hamburger Mary’s new brew, the Lightweight Ale ($4.25). Now Mary’s, an eco-Andersonville certified business, brews their own beer in the “Rec Room.” Check out the Dandy Shandy, Gangsta Ale, or Lightweight! It is delicious beer!

Tell us how you spent your 20 bucks in Andersonville in the comments below!  To learn more about Andersonville 20/20 or to take the 20/20 Challenge, click here.

Customers line up for delicious fruit from Hillside Orchards.

Laura, who we first met as an Andersonville Farmer’s Market volunteer, has been interning  in our office for the past few weeks helping our busy staff prepare for the Sidewalk Sale and the Taste of Andersonville Dinner Crawl as well as continuing to assist with the market.  Unfortunately this is her last week with us, but considering she has been working with Hillside Orchards selling their delicious fruit we thought it would be fun for her to write an account of what it is like to work a typical night at the market.  After the jump, read what it is like to be behind the table!

At 2:30 pm on Wednesdays, Paul backs his truck up to Hillside Orchard’s slot at the Andersonville Farmer’s Market and greets me with a cheery “How long have I got you for?”  “All day,” I answer.  “Great!” calls out his assistant.  The three of us, helped by other volunteers, unpack the two tents, four tables, five tablecloths, and innumerable berries, cherries, apples, apricots, peaches, preserves, honey and chestnut products.  Box by box the farmstand emerges from the truck.  Flats (plastic open top boxes) filled with fruit must be rolled (inspected for damage) into quarts, pints and half pints.  Tender apricots must be gently stacked into green boxes, setting aside the bruised for tasting.  I carefully tumble out red and black raspberries into the small half pint boxed, pulling out a squished one and pop it into my mouth, staining my fingers guilty red. “Let’s checkerboard the raspberries,” says Paul.  Black and red are alternated, creating a (hopefully) eye-catching display of the tender, juicy fruit.  Stacked in tiers on empty boxes, Paul hopes that bringing the raspberries up to the eye, our customers will find them irresistible.
The highlight of Hillside Orchards is their cherries.  Along with the classic sweet Bing cherries, Hillside Orchards carries sweet White Lady and Rainier cherries, all free for the tasting.  I put out our “Pit Stop” for people to plop their cherry stones.  It’s been a hard year for cherries in Michigan.  Endless rain causes the cherries swell and burst, making them vulnerable to insects and disease.  We pick through the endless bushels, tossing the damaged and bruised into bags that will be used for composting.  The pie cherry season just ended last week, and personally, I am glad to have seen the last of the sticky neon red sour cherries.  Now it’s rows and rows of sweet cherries.
Blueberries are the other hit at the Andersonville Farmer’s Market.  The large Michigan blueberries are wonderfully sweet and burst in my mouth.  As a Maine girl, I was more than hesitant about what I considered monstrously oversized berries.  But my reservations are long gone.  After working for Paul for three weeks, I take home 2 pints a week and make blueberry pie, blueberry scones, blueberry pancakes, drizzle them with honey and eat them by the handful.
Around 3 pm the early customers begin trickling into the market, curiously tasting the early (and extremely tart) Lodi apples.  At 4 the market officially begins, and the stand becomes a blur.  People love our tips about keeping raspberries fresh (spread them on a plate lined with paper towel, unwashed, in the refrigerator and they’ll keep twice as long), and the infinite free samples.  It’s a constant rush of helping customers, rolling fruit, and restocking the display, and it doesn’t let up until around 8pm.  As the shadows get long, we pack up the leftover fruit back into flats, stacking them gently in the truck.  The last stragglers to the market come racing through, and we sell the last few peaches to a breathless, grateful couple.  We toss the cash box and plastic bags into the back of the truck, and Paul turns to shake all our hands.  “Thanks you guys.  Great market.  See you next week.”

For time, location, dates and complete list of vendors at the Andersonville Farmer’s Market, click here.   We look forward to seeing you out at the market!

Scoping out the Hillside Orchards display at the Andersonville Farmers Market.

The staff is finding that the Andersonville Farmers Market is quickly becoming the highlight of our week.  We love scoping out all of the fresh produce and other yummy treats, talking with the farmers, and watching our community gather to celebrate the bounty of summer.  Since it is 6 days until we get to go to the market again, we wanted to share some videos that Jason took at last night’s market to re-live the good times and introduce you to some of the farmers and their goods that make this market possible.

An abundance of berries

Well, we’re eating like kings here in Andersonville. The diversity, volume, and eye-popping freshness of the goods at last week’s farmers market was truly astonishing. Our staff has been happily munching on blueberries, raspberries, and cherries, and trading recipes that make use of the market’s array of fresh veggies, meats, and cheeses. You’ll find a few recipes direct from the farmers below.

We’re also thrilled to announce that it took us only two tries to get the market “just right” in terms of the amount of goods the farmers bring. They brought about three times as much as they had the week before, and by the time the market closed at 8PM there was still a reasonable selection for latecomers but very little that the farmers had to take home. Perfect! And by the way, whenever we do have leftover produce, we will be donating it to Edgewater’s food pantry, Care For Real.

New to the market last week were Bruncow Cheese, whose grilled mozzarella samples drew appreciative crowds (and whose aged cheddar has been a part of most of this writer’s meals since), and Paul Friday Farms, who will soon be adding fresh Michigan Flaming Fury Peaches to their offerings.

Enjoy these recipes from two of our farmers, featuring what’s in season now!

River Valley Ranch’s Cream of Mushroom Soup

4 T butter
1 medium onion
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup flour
4 cups broth (mushroom or vegetable)
4 cups water
2 lbs. mushrooms, chopped
up to 1 cup heavy cream

Saute the onion and celery briskly until the onion begins to brown. Then lower the heat, throw in the thyme and flour, and stir. It will be very pasty. Slowly add the broth and water, always stirring to keep the paste smooth. Bring the soup to a simmer while chopping the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms, cover, and gently simmer for about 30 minutes. Puree the soup, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream, cook for a few more minutes, fine tune seasoning, and serve.

Videnovich Farms Lavender Lemonade with Blueberries

1/4 cup dried lavender buds
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup white sugar
8 – 10 lemons
5 cups cold water
ice
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons water

Steep lavender in a bowl for 5-10 minutes with the boiling water. Strain and stir in sugar. Pour into pitcher filled with ice. Add lemon juice and cold water and stir. Puree blueberries in a blender with 2 tablespoons water. Add to lemonade and stir. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Vera Videnovich

Videnovich Farms Mustard Greens

1/2 C thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 lb mustard greens, washed and torn into lg pieces
2-3 tbsp chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 t salt, pepper
1/4 t dark sesame oil

In a large saute pan, saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until onions begin to brown and carmelize — about 5-10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook a minute more, until fragrant. Add mustard greens and broth and cook until greens are just barely wilted. Toss with sesame oil. Season with salt & pepper.