Gastronomy

Hey, there, folks!

This weekend is the last market of the season.  It's time to take stock, and think about what we can do differently and better next year.  2010 is already looking like an exciting season, with a renovation to the existing market and some new projects and prospects from our vendors.  I am putting together a plan for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project for next year and I will share this as soon as I have a basic outline completed.  I am also working on a comprehensive food sourcing guide for our area- a list of all producers of quality foods and where to purchase them.  I will hopefully complete this over the winter and have it available for free for everyone next spring.

Tomorrow's vendors include:

 Gully Creek Farm will bring lots of dried shiitake mushrooms, and maybe some fresh. We are so lucky to have a local shiitake producer right down the road in Lowgap. Brenda does a GREAT job sun-drying these super nutritious mushrooms- they are not the shriveled up remnants of culls, but whole slices carefully dried and bagged.  These will last all winter for you, and Brenda has lots of recipe suggestions.  She may also bring some big bunches of rosemary.

Groundswell Farm will attend for the last Friday of the season with baby turnips, stir fry mix, arugula, flat leaf parsley, and free range eggs.  No salad mix this week; apologies.  If you are not able to make it to the market, I will take preorders and deliver when the market is over- just reply to this and tell me where you'll be between 12 and 1pm.

Hopefully, we'll see our fellows Kenneth Walker with baked goods and homemade applesauce and Leroy Guynn with the last of the apples, cabbage, irish potatoes, and who knows what else!

Saturday, Halloween morning:

The Second Annual Pumpkin Carving! Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes will be available for children and adults to decorate and take home.  Supervised carving will begin at 9am, and assorted decorating materials will be available for
younger children.  This event is free. The public is invited to provide feedback and suggestions for the farmers market for the 2010 season during this event.  Chestnut Creek School of the Arts will be showcasing the fall class lineup, including several choices for handmade holiday gifts. This will be a great way to end the market season, learn about upcoming classes at CCSA, and have fun all at the same time!  Join Chris, Ella, Eamon, Gabe, and me!

Special thanks to Andrews Farms of Galax for their generous donation of pumpkins---They even loaded them into the back of my van!  Now, that's service!

Thanks everyone, for a great season and your support.  I feel lucky to live in such a beautiful place, and fortunate to have met so many remarkable people in my two years here.  THANK YOU.

Sara

Good Afternoon, Market People!

This weekend's market has few vendors, but some really delicious items you should get while you can!

 Mountain Memories Farm will return on Friday with grass fed lamb and (hopefully) fresh eggs.

 Leroy Guynn from Cana has Stayman apples, cabbage, green peppers, and honey- and always some surprises!

 Mr. Walker brings home baked cakes, pies, cookies, cherry tomatoes, and applesauce from Mr. Guynn's apples.

 A  new vendor in Lowgap, NC contacted me this week about bringing fresh shitake mushrooms to our market!  She said she didn't know if she'd be able to harvest enough this week, but she would come if she could. If not this week, then next! Local mushrooms- how lucky are we?

 Blue Bee Farm (Tim and Stacy Phipps) will not attend this weekend, but will hopefully have enough of their gorgeous squashes left after their church sale to return next Friday, the 25th.

 Groundswell Farm has a pitifully tiny harvest this week, and I will be skipping market tomorrow.  Next week I'll be  back with lots of eggs, parsley, turnip greens, lettuce, radishes and dill. I've been busy planting a variety of salad greens and roots this month and will harvest these into the winter months after the market season is over, so see me at market if you want to be on the email list for the remainder of 2009 and 2010.

Arwen Cayton may be able to see us with her beautiful winter squashes and gourds tomorrow- she brings recipes and all kinds of wonderful tips and we will hope to see her!

Raymond Worrell of Lazy Branch Creations in Ennice will not join us this weekend, but he sends his well wishes and hellos to everyone that has been asking about him.  He says he will do his best to see us soon!

Take care, everyone, and have a great weekend!

Best,

Sara

Greetings, Market People! 

Well, all this rain has certainly helped the turnips, radishes, carrots, beets,lettuce, arugula, and scallions to germinate.  At the same time, though, the moisture has spread blight all over my tomatoes, so c'est la vie, or whatever they say in France. :)  Luckily, our little market goes 'til Halloween this year, so there's time for lots of other vegs to strut their stuff!  The market news for August 28 & 29 follows.........

Newest vendor!  Arwen Cayton of Galax has a stellar backyard garden and she will join us this Friday!  She specializes in the squash family and she'll have:sweet dumplings, Delicata, Cornell's bush delicata, Blue Hubbard, Full moon Pie pumpkins, Kakai, American Tondo and birdhouse gourds, and some other gourds, too.  Come by and see her for education on these crazy varieites and hopefully some recipes, also!

This is what the listing in the paper on Wednesday was supposed to say:

This weekend the Galax Farmers Market will host the Second Annual Tomato Tasting.  Yellow Pear, German Pink, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Mountain Gold and Lemon Boy are some of the varieties the public is invited to come and taste.  The tasting will be held on Friday from 9am until 12 noon.

In addition to tomatoes, vendors this week will bring:

Lazy Branch Creations, Ennice- blackberries, green peppers, jams and jellies including gooseberry and jalapeno

Robert and Judy Dalton, Meadows of Dan-  sweet corn, cabbage, green peppers, apple pie filling,cucumber pickles, crab apple jelly, pickled cauliflower and the last week for Summer Rambo apples

Groundswell Farm, Galax- fingerling potatoes, lots of sweet basil, and limited eggs

Susan Littrell, Galax- carrots, cucumbers, zucchini

Hollerview Farm, Galax- potatoes, beans, cut flowers, green peppers

Peaches, half runner beans, various baked goods, honey(with and without comb), and chili peppers will also be available. You know Mr. Guynn and Mr. Walker always have some surprises! Hours are 8-1 Friday and 9-1 Saturday, or until sell out.

Take care, see you at the market, and have a WONDERFUL day!
Sara

Oh, this week!  Summer summer summer stuff!
 
This time of year, we are all beginning to feel a little weary of the beans, squash, cucumbers and potatoes.  That's why I want to encourage you to share your favorite ways of preparing these seasonal foods with the rest of us:  Tell me, and I'll copy and distribute at the market's recipe table.  There are many free recipes already in our files and everyone is welcome to look through and choose some to take home- no purchase necessary.  Also, this Friday we'll be hosting another cookbook exchange at the market.  Please bring your least used books by and trade them for something new!  I brought a stack home from my brother's house in Chicago last week, and I have a few left from last summer to get us started.  Clean out your shelves and join us at the market tomorrow!

Our most favorite and wonderful vendors this week include:
Raymond Worrell of Lazy Branch Creations in Ennice, NC will bring his homegrown blackberries, tomatoes, cucumbers and Susan Worrell's jam, jelly, and fresh baked breads.

Robert and Judy Dalton of Meadows of Dan have cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, bicolor corn, and lots of canned goods to choose from like tomato juice, peach melba jam, cucumber relish, and pickled cauliflower.

One of our newest vendors Otis Griffith will be back with sweet corn and tomatoes.

Dave and Sara Byrne of Hollerview Farm will return with potatoes, cut flowers, green peppers, heirloom tomatoes, and some of the nicest looking garlic anywhere. 

Groundswell Farm in Galax will have Russian Banana fingerlings, pesto-batch sized sweet basil, Zephyr squash, cherry tomatoes, and surprisingly, radishes.  Oh, and eggs.

Leroy Guynn in Cana always has a large selection- and this week he'll have peaches, nectarines, Golden Delicious, Summer Rambo and Gala apples, sweet corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes.  He usually has a few surprises, too, so his table is worth a look either way.

We'll look forward to seeing you this Friday and/or Saturday 8-1 and 9-1 respectively.  Bring your cookbooks, appetite, and favorite recipes!
Take care,
Sara

It's a little long, but if you have the time (and the internet connection speed to justify)  I highly recommend:  http://www.flyingbeet.com/  It's pretty entertaining.

Hello, everyone!

It sounds like we received plenty of rainfall this past week, and everyone coming to the market tomorrow and Saturday will have the produce to show for it.  Hopefully we'll see all you local folks along with some visitors because the big news this week is Tomatoes!  We've finally reached the point in summer when our local plants are producing, and I think everyone at the market this weekend will have some: hybrids, heirlooms, cherry, plum.......the Annual Tomato Tasting at the market will be this month, too, and I'll let you know the dates in next week's email.

Along with the Symbol of Summer, several of us will have cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, and beans- snaps, pole, and half-runners.  Glenwood Methodist had a marathon canning session this past week, and Dave Byrne will have several choices of the result to choose from.  Fingerling potatoes are still available, along with apples, peaches, sweet corn and green peppers.  We'll have cut flowers, jams and jellies,basil, parsley, and free range eggs also.

Market hours are 8-1 tomorrow and 9-1 Saturday...come down and we'll see you there!

Take care,
Sara 

Hello, Market Friends!

Well, last weekend's market was strange and unusual.......after relocating during SOTM, rain showers Friday morning, and relocating again for Saturday, I felt dazed and confused!  Apologies to any of you local folks that tried to find us and couldn't- and thanks to those of you that followed my half-hearted signs to the appropriate place. In addition to our regulars we met many new people over the weekend- Susan sold most of her eggs, Leroy sold out of peaches on Friday, Dave moved a lot of blueberries, and I sold fingerling potatoes to anyone that would take them- all in all, I'd say we did alright!  I am interested, though, in feedback for the Smoke on the Mountain weekend- is it worth relocating? Should we skip the whole event? Is there a better place?  Should our hours be different?  How could we advertise better?  If any of you have an opinion on any of these questions, please come talk to me.

As for this week, we will be at our usual location on N. Main street on Friday and Saturday- thank goodness!  Mr. Walker will bring his baked goods, Leroy "the Loveman" Guynn from Cana will bring peaches, summer apples, cabbage, squashes, honey and the first tomatoes of the year?  Maybe!   Hollerview Farm/Glenwood church members will be with us Friday with fresh produce, flowers, and some baked and canned goods.  Please help me welcome a regular vendor from last season, also: Robert Dalton from Meadows of Dan will join us again with cauliflower(!), cabbage, jams and jellies, and whatever else is ready to pick from the garden today.

Groundswell Farm will have plenty of Russian Banana fingerling potatoes, some Zephyr squash, a few bags of kale/chard mix, and some spicy salad mix with arugula and baby mustard greens.  I have a few bunches of french breakfast radishes, sweet and thai basil, and eggs, too.  Groundswell Farm will be at the market Friday only, and will not attend next weekend (31st and 1st) due to Road Trip 2009: the Midwest.  I'll be back for market Friday, August 7.

As soon as everyone has a good selection of tomatoes, we'll have the Tomato Tasting- probably one or two Saturdays in mid-August.  Stay tuned!  As always, thanks for your interest, take care and see you soon!

Sara

Howdy, Market Friends!

The market will relocate during Smoke on the Mountain to the parking lot behind 200 N. Main street.  This is the former Wachovia bank building and the market vendors will set up directly behind it.  Please utilize the entrance on Center street to access the market and parking lot.  Next week the market will return to its original location on N. Main.  While you're on Center St., why not check out the new community garden in Galax- just up the road across Stuart Drive.  I can point you in the right direction if you need help.

Hollerview Farm in Galax will offer red, white, and blue potatoes, baked goods, purple and green snap beans, cabbage, onions and cut flowers for sale.  Groundswell Farm, also in Galax, will have eggs, snap beans, Zephyr squash, fingerling potatoes, basil, dill, and flat leaf parsley.  Susan Littrell may also join us with her fresh chicken eggs.

Other vendors this weekend will have peaches, Summer Rambo apples, beets, half runner beans,annual bedding plants, irish potatoes, zucchini, and new crop honey.  Apple sauce, apple butter, cakes and pies will also be available.  All foods grown or prepared by the vendor selling them- all local, all the time!  Market hours are 8-1 Friday and 9-1 Saturday, or until sell-out. 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/13/MN0218DVJ8.DTL

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday week and is ready for another weekend!  I want to thank all of you that came out last Friday- we had a great time and got a lot of positive feedback about our little market. New vendor applications continue to come in, along with all the usual summertime produce, and we're looking forward to some new and different folks to begin selling over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

 There are a couple of details I'd like to share with you regarding the Galax Farmers Market:
 July 17 & 18 the market will set up in the parking lot next to Rooftop of Virginia.  Main street will be pretty full with the Smoke on the Mountain BBQ events, so please use the entrance on Center street.  This is a temporary location for that weekend only, and we'll be back at the usual market pavilion the next weekend, July 31 & August 1.  Special thanks to the Gregorys for their generosity in lending the space.

The Annual Tomato Tasting will be sometime in the month of August- date TBD.  Each vendor will contribute samples of the tomatoes they have for sale that week.  Greg has agreed to the Master of Ceromonies duty again this year and it should be a lot of fun.  (Of course I'm not biased at all...:))

And as always, we welcome your ideas and feedback whenever you'd like to share.  Catch me at the market on Fridays, or reply to this message, or call me at home: 276-236-4572. 

This week:  Hollerview Farm in Galax will attend Friday only, and Dave and Sara Byrne will have fresh greens: broccoli, beet,kale,mustard as well as lettuce, onions, and cut flowers for sale.  Patriotic potatoes: red, white and blue. Stringless beans, purple and green. Baked goods- I eat a square of their apple cake every Friday!  Leroy Guynn will have potatoes, honey, some squash and the season's first cucumbers!  Groundswell Farm will have dill to go with those cukes, as well as basil, parsley, eggs, baby beets, and lots of lettuce.  Please note GF vends Friday only.  Raymond Worrell from Lazy Branch Creations really is coming this week, and apologies to those that were looking for him last Friday.  He'll have a selection of sweet jams and jellies and some savory. New this week: basil jelly.  (Ask him how he eats it!)  Raymond thinks he'll have blackberries in the next two weeks, too.  Mr. Walker should attend, also, with his fresh onions, homemade breads, applesauce, apple butter and beans.

Market hours are 8-1 Fridays and 9-1 Saturdays.  Don't forget to pick up a recipe or two while you're shopping- the recipe files have lots of different types of dishes, all utilizing what we have at our market.  Bon apetit!

Take care and see you soon-
Sara

Lots of you replied last week with recipe suggestions, and I've decided to make a recipe file available during the market every week.  Feel free to contribute, and check it out when you come by.  This week:

Mr. Guynn from Cana will have his enormous cabbages, beets, yellow squash and zucchini, new crop honey, and some plants.  Mr. Walker from Galax will have baked goods, applesauce and apple butter, and some garden surprises.  Hollerview Farm in Galax will attend Friday only this week, and Dave and Sara Byrne will have fresh greens: broccoli, turnip, beet,kale,mustard as well as lettuce, onions, snap peas, and cut flowers for sale.  They will also have a selection of fresh herbs like chives, oregano, cilantro, and sage.  Lazy Branch Creations from Ennice will bring jams, jellies, and fresh baked breads this Friday- and stay tuned for Raymond's blackberries coming soon.  Groundswell Farm (Friday only) will bring lettuce mix, eggs, dill, kale/chard stir-fry mix, basil, parsley and anything else I can manage to get picked today.

Hopefully you've seen the article in Monday's Gazette about Tino Sauter and his fundraising efforts at the market these past few weeks.  He'll be back for his final sale weekend Friday and Saturday, with lots of gorgeous day lillies and hostas.  Then he's off to the Joffrey School on the 8th, and we wish him the best!

Friday hours are 8-1 and Saturday 9-1- come by!

Sara

I can't believe how quickly we've gone from deluge to bright and sunny.  On days like these, when I've been outside til dusk, it helps to have some fresh foods that are quick and easy to prepare when dinner rolls around. There are a handful of recipes I rely on at my house, but this week I'm searching for New Things.  I'll have a variety of recipes available at the market this Friday utilizing some of the great selection of foods you can find there.  Some of those items are:

 cabbage for slaw
 honey for vinaigrette or iced tea
 lettuces for salads and sandwiches
 squash and onions for a quick side dish of squash and onions :)
 parsley for chimichurri
 baby beets for an adorable side dish
 dill and eggs for egg salad
 cilantro for your guacamole
 scallions and new potatoes for potato salad
 broccoli and broccoli greens for a very quick cooking side, or main dish if you add pasta
 snap peas.......just raw!
 
 Hopefully we'll see a few cut flowers this week also, and the Gardeners Cottage will be back with daylilies and hostas- see attached flyer.  If there's someone or something you think should be at our market, let us know!  Your feedback is important.  Come by Friday 8-1 or Saturday 9-1 and we'll see you then!

Take care-
Sara

It's incredible to me that despite weather conditions and other unpredictable events, our guys
and gals show up every week- usually bringing something new or different from the week before.  It's our third week of the market season and this is what you can expect to find:

APPLES!  Lodi- only a 'couple bushels', so come tomorrow if you can.

Cabbage- Cana-grown, fresh and a bargain price

Honey- the year's first harvest.  If you want pure wildflower honey
without any water added (like most commercial honey has), Mr. Guynn is
your source.  I learned my lesson about stocking up after this past
winter of going without!

Squash- yellow and zucchini, a few vendors will have a selection this week.

Eggs- free range from chickens that eat bugs and grass

Lettuce- several different varieties, shapes, and colors

Broccoli Greens- the most nutritious green you can eat; beautiful dark
color and tasty too

Sugar Snaps and Snow Peas- get there early- Dave sells out every weekend

Onions- fresh red and white with greens included

Beets- baby and full size

Arugula- mix in with lettuce for a nice change, or eat plain if you're
a die-hard fan

Parsley and Dill- fresh herbs make most things taste better.  Not ice
cream, but ask me for good ideas!

Stir Fry Greens- multicolored chard and senposai this week, limited quantities

Cucumbers!  a first for this year- they are coming from a new vendor
in Elkin.  Consider a cucumber-dill quick pickle with your dinners
this week.

I can't believe how lucky I am to live in a place with so much fresh
food around.  Granted, I think about food maybe more often than the
average American, but each week I look at everyone's display and
marvel at the variety and quality.  Beans, potatoes, basil, and
tomatoes are still to come- stay tuned!  The MGs are returning with
plants for sale this weekend- both days- and don't forget to bring
your gardening questions for Sara Byrne!

Friday 8-1  Saturday 9-1, corner of Main and Washington streets, downtown Galax
Thank you for reading and we'll see you tomorrow or Saturday!

Hello, Market People!

Hey, it rained again yesterday!  I was picking lettuce this morning
and some of the heads are actually rotting- there is so much water in
them.  Sheesh.  I never thought I'd see that on lettuce, of all crops.
 I still got some beautiful leaves, though- around 10 pounds so far
and I'm not done picking.

This weekend is the Galax Leaf and String Festival, as most of you
know, and we are attempting our own food-themed Leaf and String at the
market.  We'll have the aforementioned lettuce leaves, plus arugula,
mustard, kale, and spinach leaves.  Hollerview Farm (that's Dave and
Sara Byrne) will bring saurkraut, sugar snap and snow peas, pickles,
and other canned goods.  Our stalwart Mr. Walker will bring his
applesauce and apple butter along with his fresh garden veggies- hope
you got some of that rhubarb last week.  I'll be bringing radishes,
parsley, eggs, salad mix, leaf lettuce, arugula (on sale), and my
eternally sunny disposition.  Also, I think we'll have a new vendor
this week- Darryl Holleman from right here in Pipers Gap.  He has eggs
also, and zucchini!  If it doesn't rain, maybe we'll see Raymond
Worrell with his jams and jellies and hilarious jokes.  Come down and
say hello before/after/during the festivities at the L and S, and
we'll see you then!

Saturday- I'll be representing the Master Gardeners of the Blue Ridge
at the market with our first-ever Plant Sale!  The MGs have really
stepped up and we have trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and
houseplants to offer.  They're all a bargain and we are there to talk
gardening, too, so bring any questions anytime between 9am and 1pm.
There's a new MG training session being scheduled for early next year
so we'll have information about that, also.

Thanks, gang, take care and whatever you do this weekend, make it a good one!
Sara

Hello, everyone-

I was sitting here earlier, thinking about what news I had to write in
this week's note, and what I came up with was "It's been raining" and
"I saw two groundhogs eating the peas".  It really didn't seem like
enough to go on but luckily before I wrote a word my older son ran in
the house yelling about the snapping turtle being caught in the pond.
I put my shoes on and went outside to see what he was talking about
and sure enough, there was the turtle that has been living in our pond
for the past year or so, caught head first in the overflow pipe.  His
body was dangling above the water line, helpless and hopeless.

We tried several implements to prod him out- a shovel, a T-post, a
hoe....but the suction was too great.  Greg finally decided to go
barefoot into the water and grab his tail.  This is a good time to
mention that we all thought he was dead.  When he moved as Greg had a
hold of his tail, I yelled "He's alive!", which prompted Greg to drop
him in the grass immediately.  He gaped his maw at us for a few
minutes, opened one eye (the kids were sure his eyes had been sucked
out and were far past rescue downstream), and seemed to be alright.
There's no telling how long he had been hanging there, but we moved
him to a suction-free area of the pond and as of nightfall, he was
still there and breathing.  Slowly, but, hey- he's a turtle.

This week- order deadline for delivery Friday is Thursday May 28 at
9pm.  Orders are first-come, first-served.  Delivery to the general
Galax area is noon-2pm on Friday, so let me know where you'll be
during that time.  If you live far out and want to meet me, let me
know that, too, and we'll work it out.  I will not be in Independence
this Saturday.  Orders can be picked up here at the farm- you are
welcome, the place is a mess and that's your warning!  Next week I
will begin the more general Galax Farmers Market newsletters and
discontinue this one until the fall, when hopefully I'll have other
food ready as the market season is waning.

Lettuce- mixed varieties, very colorful and pretty $3/box

Spinach- really producing now, mid-sized leaves $3/box

Arugula- first cutting of third sowing, smallish leaves $3/box

Beet Greens- thinnings of our beet beds, very delicate, tiny root
attached  $3/box

Eggs- free range, most likely fertilized $3/dozen

Cilantro- fernleaf type $1/bunch

Parsley- italian flat leaf variety $1/bunch

Lovage- strong celery substitute $1/bunch

This is the first week I'm offering the 'mixed bag'- something I aim
to have each week during the market season (June-October, y'all).
It's like a CSA arrangement, but instead of the customer paying for
everything at the beginning of the season, you can take it week by
week.  There will be 4 or 5 items in the bag, it costs $10, and you
get a surprise selection of what I have available that week.  For
example, if you ordered a mixed bag this week, you would get 3 boxes
of greens and one bunch of an herb.  I will not give you $10 worth of
lettuce or any single item- the idea is you get a mixed variety of
what's in season.  If you'd like to order a la carte, that's still ok,
too!

As always, please let me know if you have any comments, questions, or
suggestions.  Thanks, all, and see you soon!
Sara
276-236-4572
704-999-9344

Howdy, y'all......

Sorry for the abbreviated note, but I'm catching up from the last two
weeks of rainy weather by cramming all the work into these few sunny
days.  I'm so, so glad to see the sun, and all the plantings seem to
appreciate it, too.  The lettuces have recovered somewhat from the
munching of last week; they've been under row cover since, and have
pushed some new growth.  The radishes have root maggots-yuck- and so
we'll wait for the next planting to mature to offer those again.
Spinach looks good, warm weather stuff made it through the frost
unscathed, and I'm gearing up for Galax market season beginning in two
weeks!

If you'd like to place an order, please do so by 9pm tonight
(Thursday). I'll deliver to the general Galax area between noon
and 2pm on Friday, so let me know where you'll be during that time.  I
can leave produce in a cooler on your porch if you'd like, and keep a
tab if you're not in.

If you're on the West Side, I'll be at the Independence Farmers Market
again this Saturday, from 8am until 12noon.  You can always place an
order and I will hold it for you until you get there.

This week:

Lettuce- very colorful and delicious, mixed varieties, leaves only- $3/box

Spinach- mostly baby leaves, some larger, mild- $3/box

Eggs-free range hens, multicolored- $3/dozen

If anyone has cartons or boxes to return, please do!  See you soon!

Peas, (har har)
Sara

Hello, everyone-

All in all, this week has turned out all right!  After so much rainfall
last week, the garden is growing!  With the ground so wet, it was easy
to get a lot of weeding done.  It was dry enough today, though, for
Greg to disc the tomato patch and set the rows for me: four 95
footers, enough to hold all our tomato plants and basil, too.  We
broke up a setting hen, spent an afternoon transplanting greens (me),
picking up rocks (children) and hilling potatoes (Greg).  The squash,
fourth planting of lettuce, dill, and third planting of arugula have
all germinated, too!  I mulched the snap peas and spinach with straw,
thinned the beets, and covered the broccoli beds with row cover
because someone was eating them.

I guess that is as good a segue as any- we've had A LOT of garden
visitors this week.......those of you that got lettuce last week are
lucky, as we will not have that to offer again until it grows back.
Yesterday afternoon I noticed all 450 of my beautiful lettuces in the
field had been chomped!  There were plenty of signs of the (hoofed)
beast, so we know how to fix it, at any rate.  The hoophouse had a
least one visitor, also- the cilantro has been totally eaten- though
the greens and tomatoes were untouched.  The snap peas have also
mostly been decapitated, but by whom is still a mystery.

I've been dragging my feet about putting up an electric fence, but it
is officially on the list.

This week I'll be delivering as usual to the general Galax area, but
for you Grayson county people, I'll be at the Independence Farmers
Market on Saturday also.  It's from 8 until noon, and if you send me
your pre-order, I'll have it ready for you when you get there.

The list:
Arugula- last week for this planting, more on the way, $3/box

Spinach- first picking of this planted back in March, limited quantities, $3/box

Stir Fry Mix- senposai and yukina savoy mustard greens, mild, tender,
quick cooking $3/bag

Eggs- free range hens, most likely fertilized $3/dozen

Lovage- celery-like herb, stronger flavor than celery $1/bunch

I will scrounge as many radishes as possible and bring them to market
on Saturday.  I have a new package for some of the greens this week-
it's a clear plastic box that I hope will be reusable and last a long
time.  I looked into the corn-based compostable ones, but they are
only stable to 110 degrees, which means I would have to sanitize them
with bleach instead of hot water.  Anyway, if you return them to me I
will use them for as long as possible.  Order deadline for this week
is Thursday (5/14) at 9pm.  Please let me know if you'd like delivery
or if you'll pick up at the Independence market.

Thanks!
Sara

Hello, everyone- I hope this week finds you well!

Yesterday's rain should help to push the baby seedlings of spinach,
lettuce, and beets a little further along- at least I hope so.  I'll
be transplanting lettuces today while it's cool and wet, and if it
dries out I'll be preparing some more beds for greens, herbs, squash
and beans.  The broccoli will get it's straw mulch today, also, and
maybe I'll make some progress on those potato rows!

This week's harvest looks alot like last week; I understand the desire
for more diversity- we are eating these ingredients, too!  I've gotten
lots of feedback about how you all are using our eggs, greens and
radishes.  Some of you are eating the stir fry mix as salad, with
toasted nuts and blue cheese dressing, some are steaming the greens
and using them as a filling for a (really yellow!) omelet, some are
sautéing the mix in garlic and olive oil and serving as a side dish
with a pasta casserole or quesadillas.  It's always interesting to me
to learn how folks enjoy their food, so please continue to share!

This week, I'm picking Friday morning and will deliver in and around
Galax from noon- 2pm.  I will have my cellular phone with me: 704 999
9344, if you need to contact me during that time.  Otherwise I can be
reached here by email until 9pm tonight, or our home number is
236-4572.  I am not usually inside during the day, but leave a message
and I will call you back as soon as I can.  In any case, I will
confirm receipt of your order and delivery site for tomorrow.

Eggs- free range from our mixed flock $3/dozen

Stir Fry Mix-asian mustards, cooking tempers the flavor quite a bit, $3/bag

Arugula- peppery little leaf people love or hate! $3/bag

French Breakfast Radishes- new picking from a later sowing, $1.50/bunch

Thanks, all, take care, and I'll see you soon!
Sara