This Week's Visit to the Market! 5/18/11

Hi everyone!

I should probably start off by introducing myself.   My name is Sarah and I’m usually found over at the Little Boy Green.  I write about raising my son, Atticus, as naturally and eco-friendly as possible while living here in Nashville.  It is very important to me that Atticus learns where his food comes from and meets the people who put their whole heart into making and growing wonderful food for us to eat. 

 My husband, Mark, Atticus, and I moved here last July after living in Clarksville for the last 5 years.  Last year, before moving, Atticus and I drove all the way from Clarksville almost every Wednesday just to attend the East Nashville Farmers Market (ENFM.)  You have no idea how excited I was when we moved closer.  This summer we plan to attend ENFM as many Wednesdays as we possibly can and I can’t wait to tell you about our adventures. 

Unfortunately, last week we didn’t make to the market.  Go me!  Missed the first day of the year.  That’s like skipping the last day of school!  So this week I made a point to be there… and early too boot! 

The market officially opens at 3:30pm but Atticus and I pulled up at 3 sharp.  With kid strapped to my back and basket in hand along with a wad o’cash, I was ready!  Ready to see, smell, taste, and of course buy ENFM.  We didn’t stay too long because, as you may know, our warm spring weather seems to have been eaten by mid-November!

First we said hello to a few people and learned that this year ENFM will be accepting EBT, Food Stamps, and Snap cards.  You just go to the information tent and they will set you up with some tokens!  Now there are even less excuses as to why someone can’t shop the market.

Our first stop was the Raw-Food Warrior tent.  They didn’t have anything to sell but they did have quite a few yummy raw foods to try.  Eating raw doesn’t mean just fruits and veggies and they totally proved that with falafel, crackers, chocolate cake, and a delicious apricot & something or other tart.  Atticus seemed to like everything.  In our house the saying is “if Atticus eats it, it MUST be good!”

Next we visited Green Market Farm’s tent.  They are a small, organic farm from Gallatin, TN.  We discussed growing garlic and onions.  Atticus tried lentil sprouts for the first time and loved them.  I bought a carton of sprouts, which he snacked on all the way home and then had more for dinner!

We made a quick stop by Rainbow Hill Farm for some delicious sugar snap peas before heading over to The Bloomy Rind for some cheese.  Even though Atticus typically doesn’t “do” dairy, I let him try some Thunder Mountain Swiss cheese.  I love all cheese so I didn’t sample any before jumping in and buying a wedge of the Swiss.  The cheese wasn’t made locally, but rather in North Carolina and then packaged here in Nashville.  I’m almost embarrassed to say that when we got home I meant to sample some of our new cheese and may have possibly eaten the whole wedge in one sitting!

I have to admit that I have a slight addiction to Noble Springs Dairy’s goat cheese.  So to feed my addiction, I bought a log of The Busy Bee.  Just imagine a log of chevre that has been rolled in honey and cranberries.  Ummmm… YUM! Every time I think I’ve tried all their varieties, my surprised that there is one that I’ve missed. 

Atticus loves baked kale chips, so our last purchase was a bunch of Kale from Delvin Farms.  It was fun seeing all of their CSA boxes for pick up.  If you’ve never heard of a CSA I highly encourage that you do some reading about them.  They are a really great way to help support agriculture in your area. 

It was so much fun browsing the different tents and listening to the music.  Many vendors were familiar from last summer like Peaceful Pastures and Flying S Farms comes to mind.  My goal is to visit and make at least one purchase from every single vendor of the course of the market season. 

We can’t wait until next Wednesday!

Love, Peace, and Good Eats!

Sarah

Email: lbgsmama@gmail.com

It's Time for the Farmers Market!

Hello there and welcome to my little corner of the East Nashville Farmers Market blog! My name is Carolyn and I moved to Nashville with my husband a year ago, the day before the flood in fact, and through one little connection after another, I now find myself here, writing to you about various local food related topics that interest me, and hopefully interest you as well. 

I’ve been a longtime proponent of eating and shopping local, of putting my dollars right back into the community, supporting farmers and artisans by handing my money directly to them, doing what I can to reduce my footprint on this earth. To me, it’s as much about the personal connections as it is about what you’re buying and where you’re buying it.

As I’ve watched the local food movement grow in the various cities I’ve lived in over the years, it always bothers me a little bit when I see guilt used as a way to market the message of sustainability. That sort of “shame on you for not remembering to bring your own bag” type of attitude. While in the short term, that approach may get a few more people to rethink using plastic bags, but what it lacks is any real foundation. 

When I moved to Nashville I was surprised by how close-knit the community of farmers, artisans, chefs and local business owners were and how as a consumer, that connection made it so much easier to eat local and support local businesses along the way. Say you go to the farmers market one afternoon and buy some goat cheese from Dustin at Noble Springs Farm, you ask him a couple questions about his goats, taste the various cheeses, hand him your money and take some home with you (Have you tried the garlic and herb, by the way? It’s incredible). Then maybe a few days later you go have dinner at the Village Pub and see that same cheese right there on their menu, or on the menu at The Silly Goose or in the cheese section at the Turnip Truck, and then without it even seeming like that big of a deal, you realize, “I know that goat cheese guy, I met him just the other day.” 

It’s no small thing, that connection. And in all honesty, that direct contact is the main reason why I try to support my local community as much as possible. Of course I want to do my part for the earth, that goes without saying, but what gives me the most satisfaction, what makes me feel the best inside, is knowing that my dollars are directly supporting some of the coolest people I’ve met. Those farmers, artisans, cheese makers, small business owners - they are doing incredible things to make sure our neighborhoods and communities are thriving.  And by supporting them, they support each other and the result is a neighborhood where it’s almost difficult not to support a local business because they’re everywhere. And that, I must say, is a pretty sweet return on a rather small investment. 

So come on down to the East Nashville Farmers Market every Wednesday from 3:30 to 6:30 at the corner of 10th and Russell, a block behind the Turnip Truck and a stone’s throw from 5 points. We’ll be there rain or shine and look forward to seeing you!

- Article & photographs by Carolyn Manney (I will be posting articles, recipes, vendor profiles and whatever else catches my fancy right here, about twice a month. So please check back).

A Brief History of the East Nashville Farmers Market and the Future...

In 2007, as the local food movement was just beginning to take root in Nashville, John Dyke, owner of the Turnip Truck Natural Market in East Nashville, envisioned having a farmers market that would bring people together in the community for fresh, local food. He approached Hank Delvin, Jr. of Delvin Farms, and together they laid out the plan to hold the market in the Turnip Truck parking lot.

Hank gathered a few farmers and artisans including James Gardener of Gardener Grove, Madison Creek Farms, Kenny's Cheese, Angel Radiance, Peaceful Pastures, Paradise Produce, West Wind Farms, Rainbow Hill Farm, Alchemy of Sol and Delvin Farms. The market was at the same time as it is today, Wednesdays 3:30-6:30. It started slow but grew in size, and soon the parking lot at the Turnip Truck became too small to hold all the customers and vendors.

Hank moved the market in 2008 to its present location, 210 S 10th Street, behind the Turnip Truck at the Freewill Baptist Church where Pastor Weeks welcomes us every week. Live music became a staple and the Howling Brothers played for customers and vendors every week. They have since become a big hit in Nashville, so it's hard to book them every week for our market!

In 2010, Sean Siple of Good Food for Good People helped Delvin Farms by taking over management of the market so Hank, Jr. could focus on farming and get the farm back on track after Hank Sr.'s tragic car accident in July 2009 left him unable to farm for a year. Sean brought in more vendors, volunteers, and different genres of music. Since then he has opened more of his own markets, so management of the market has gone back to Delvin Farms, Hank Sr., is back on the farm and able to help Hank Jr. again, and Amy Delvin is now managing the market... which brings us to the future of the market.

As the local food movement increases, people are becoming aware of eating locally and supporting the local economy.  The East Nashville market has grown to include not just farmers, but also local businesses. Shoppers can support their local economy by purchasing staples such as bread, coffee, milk, cheese, soap, candles, vegetables and fruit, all by local producers and businesses. They can now do one stop shopping at their neighborhood farmers market and not have to go to the grocery store, all by supporting the local economy!

Even more exciting news for the future of our community market- we now accept SNAP (foodstamps). We hare partnering with Community Food Advocates who is doing outreach to the community surrounding the East Nashville market and we can now truly serve the community in which we have our farmers market.

We are also collaborating with two other Farmers Markets: the Franklin market and the downtown Nashville Market. Together we will be booking live music. Groups will play for East Nashville on Wednesdays, Franklin on Saturdays, and Nashville on Sunday. We will market through the groups, getting the word out about their music, while they in turn help spread the word about our markets and bring customers in to watch them play (while shopping).  Besides the live music, working with these two Farmers markets is exciting because we are finally making a small step to bring the local food movement together. Our goal is to work together as one large community and lessen the farmers markets competition amongst markets and vendors. As farmers market vendors we all strive for the same goal- to support local businesses, but sometimes we forget to support each other. The vision for the future is to work together to make the TN local economy the best it can be!

Mark your calendar for the grand opening of the East Nashville market on May 11th at 3:30pm. Councilman Mike Jameson along with chefs Tandy Wilson, Jeremy Barlow and Jen Franzen will be doing the ribbon cutting. Children will be entertained by Loving Touch Petting Zoo, and adults will enjoy the live music, and of course, the amazing shopping opportunities!

Get to Know Your Farmer and Build A Sustainable Community

      Developing mutual trust and friendship with your local farmer is one step in the process of building a truly sustainable community. In a time of increasingly industrialized food production and resulting environmental problems, it's good to know your farmer and where your food is coming from. Joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program can help you eat better while supporting family farms. Participating in a CSA offers numerous benefits. Produce tastes better because it is straight off the farm and only hours old. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are free of pesticides and herbicides. Additonally, supporting a local farming business keeps more money within our economy.
       Another way in which you can support the local economy and family farms is to shop at a local, producers only farmers market such as the East Nashville Farmers market! A local market such as the East Nashville Market provides a venue for purchasing cheese, milk, bread, meat, vegetables, soap, baked goods, flowers and even some original artisan crafts. You can even get a free massage from a certified therapist trained at the Natural Health Institute! Tell me what grocery store with tomatoes shipped from Mexico can provide you with all that and a massage!
  Don't forget to mark your calendar for the grand opening on May 11th! Your local farmers and artisans will be there every Wednesday rain or shine from 3:30-6:30. Come out and shop in your community, support your local economy.

Winter..No vacation for a farmer.

This  has been an exceptionally cold winter for us Middle Tennesseans (I'm sure I don't have to tell you this), but despite the harsh cold, we farmers are have been weathering through! On Delvin Farms, we spent last Friday erecting another hoophouse that will allow us to extend the growing season. With hoophouses, we'll have tomatoes and strawberries earlier than the field crops and we'll have greens, onions, spinach, arugula later in the year. Our hoophouses have allowed us to continue providing produce at the year round Saturday farmers markets, Franklin at the Factory and West Nashville at 47th and Alabama Ave.
Despite our desire to bundle up and hibernate we've continued farming in this unusually harsh winter. A lot of people complain about it, but I wouldn't mind one really big snow- the kind that will make it impossible to leave the house- for at least a day! Before I joined the family farm full time I had my "DC Adventure" as I like to call it, and I taught middle school Literature outside DC for seven years. The adventure part is teaching middle schoolers..but besides that, my border collie, Luna, and I had many snow adventures living in Maryland. One year we got three feet of snow and I had to shovel a tunnel for Luna to go outside. She is a true Southern belle who loves her sweaters, even here in TN, and she managed to hold it for two days before she finally gave into that tunnel!
 But I digress...my point is that farmers don't have the option to call in sick or take a snow day, and these days we are preparing for the upcoming outdoor, seasonal markets such as the East Nashville Farmers Market! We're planting seed in our greenhouses and nursing tiny plants that will be transplanted in the fields in March and April, so that by May 11th we will be ready and waiting to serve East Nashville incredible, fresh, local vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads and community fellowship! Mark your calendar for May 11th! Check out our website, www.eastnashvillemarket.com, follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/enfarmersmkt or become a fan on facebook, www.facebook.com/eastnashvillefarmersmarket. And if you're a vendor, visit the website for the vendor application and market rules. See you on May 11th!
-Amy

This week in the news..GMO and stuff...

I'm sure you've all read or heard about the latest in the battle against Monsanto and GMO foods. Even though my family and I are certified organic farmers, I am guilty of enjoying a processed food or two (ie, Velveeta shells and cheese- that stuff is addicting!). However, in light of the recent news about genetically engineered food, I decided to educate myself a little more and vow to make better food choices and at the very least, for goodness sake, I will freeze and can more of my own produce! 
The first place I researched in my campaign to eat the organic food I grow ( I know, I know, it's crazy that I eat processed foods when I come home from the farm) was Monsanto.The Monsanto Company is a multinational agricultural biotechnology Corporation. They are the world's leading producer of  Round up and  of genetically engineered seeds. Monsanto is responsible for the development and marketing of genetically engineered seeds,and bovine growth hormone(used to increase milk production in cows). What does this mean for certified organic farming?  I recently read an interesting article on commondreams.org that summed it up pretty well for me: with the exception of the “grass-fed and grass-finished” meat sector, most “natural” meat, dairy, and eggs are coming from animals reared on GMO grains and drugs, and confined, entirely, or for a good portion of their lives, in CAFOs. And using GMO alfalfa on organic farms guarantees to contaminate the alfalfa fed to organic animals; guaranteed to lead to massive poisoning of farm workers and destruction of the essential soil food web by the toxic herbicide, Roundup; and guaranteed to produce Roundup-resistant superweeds that will require even more deadly herbicides such as 2,4 D to be sprayed on millions of acres of alfalfa across the U.S. (Common Dreams.org).  
In short, I  learned to be even MORE grateful that I share a grass fed cow with my family from a local farmer we know and trust and I have a third in my freezer. And even though it makes me sad every winter when we make our own sausage, pork chops and bacon from the pigs I feed and kiss all summer, I am grateful for knowing what those pigs ate (they eat all organic,which is more than I can say about my own diet). 
What can you do? You can get to know your farmer! Go to a local farmers market, find a meat farmer for your cows and pigs, find a cheese maker, bread, milk, vegetables..it's possible to supply all your basic needs at a local market or grocery store (Turnip Truck, Produce Place, etc)! And the best news is..Nashville has three year round Farmers Markets! So this Saturday, get to a market- Nashville, West Nashville or Franklin, and get yourself a farmer! And if you see me at the West Nashville market this weekend, kindly remind me to lay off the processed food ( I do, afterall, have a wedding dress to get into in April!).
-Amy