At the market – eat fresh, buy local
Ready, set, chew
The Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market is introducing families to good food one bite at a time. Good food was described by the Will Keith Kellogg Foundation in 2006 as food that is healthy, green, affordable and fair to the people who process it along the supply chain.
To paraphrase Neil Armstrong who landed on the moon July 20, 1969, it is hoped that small bites will become big mouthfuls of good food.
This Saturday will be Kid’s Day at the Alpena Farmers Market. It is part of the Nutritional Education Project supported by a grant funded by the Alpena County Youth and Recreation Committee. There will be face painting, bounce house, music and kayak pool. There is a bicycle drawing in which a child receives a ticket for each vegetable sampled. Last year over 400 participated.
What happened
to home cooking?
“Deskilled” is a term Canadian sociologists JoAnn Jaffe and Michael Gertler (2006) use to describe how consumers have become in making choices in the food they eat. Selection doesn’t include factors related to health, sustainability and local economic development. The emphasis on consistency has diminished the ability of the consumer to discern flavor, quality and freshness
Convenience has also become a priority in consumption. A survey conducted by the International Food Information Council Foundation in 2012 found that 52 percent of Americans thought doing income taxes was easier than eating healthy. The website DoSomething.com estimates that 20 percent of meals are eaten in an automobile.
Chain restaurants are able to process and serve food that is convenient and consistent. The process begins with menu development. In addition to flavor, factors such as sources of ingredients and labor cost are considered. McDonald’s at one time dealt with 175 potato farmers, which founder Ray Kroc considered inefficient. A handshake agreement Jack R. Simplot, an Idaho potato farmer with an eighth grade education reduced it to one.
Stop the trend, I want to get off
Public opinion and consumer demand can cause change. In 2004, Morgan Spurlock produced a documentary film titled “Super-Size Me.” The subject was about the physical changes caused by eating exclusively at McDonald’s for a month. Spurlock gained 24 pounds. As a result, McDonald’s dropped its supersize in its promotion and introduced salads in 2005.
Families can increase awareness of their eating patterns by keeping a log of where, what and with whom they eat. Break up the pattern by designating one day a week for a home cooked meal with shared responsibility for preparation. Keep plenty of fresh vegetables on hand for snacking and drink plenty of water.
Vendor focus
Echo Ridge Farm & Feed in Ossineke is the home and livelihood of John and Dawn Martin. They are veterans of the 4-H program and have been involved in horse breeding. They now raise poultry for eggs and meat. Quail eggs are one of their products. Dawn says a customer calls them his “nutrient M & M’s” as he eats them with the shell. They operate at both the Alpena and Lincoln ARA markets.
Market update
- Alpena Farmers Market 208 N. First, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday. Accepting Bridge Cards, WIC, Debit and Credit. This Saturday is Kid’s Day.
- ARA Farm Market 854 N. Barlow Rd., Lincoln, Saturday, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Accepting Bridge Cards.
- Hubbard Lake Farmers Market Hubbard Lake Community Center, Hubert Road, Hubbard Lake, Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon.
Note: This is a sample of what you might expect to find at the markets. Products will vary from market to market. Be prepared for the unexpected.
Can it: tomatoes, green and yellow beans, peaches, pears. Freeze it: corn, squash, pumpkin, chicken and beef. Pickle it: cucumbers and cabbage. Store it: onions and potatoes. Enjoy it: kale, romaine, eggplant, flowers and melons. Use it: soap, herbs, jams and jellies, cookies, breads and pasties. Friends, neighbors and conversation.
At the Market: Eat Fresh, Buy Local
“Giving a damn and doing what’s right are rewards within themselves.” Eliot Coleman
Eliot Coleman is a noted organic gardener and author who operates the Four Season Farm with his partner Barbara Damrosch in Harborside, Maine. They have worked to provide solutions to problems faced by those who practice sustainable agriculture. They are located in a plant hardiness zone similar to ours.
The length of the growing season is an obstacle that local growers have to deal with. Located in zone 5, Northeast Michigan’s season extends from the last frost in May to the first frost in October, about six months. This provides enough time to harvest most varieties of vegetables once and some greens twice.
Extending the season increases the availability of fresh produce and facilitates marketing. The Alpena Farmer’s Market recognized this and initiated the Greenhouse Educational Project as a model for local farmers. A steel structure covered in clear plastic was built and is called a hoophouse or high tunnel greenhouse. The hoophouse extends the growing season from mid-February to mid-November. Alpena Community College provides space and well-water.
With best of intentions
The goal of the project was to demonstrate to farmers that by using a hoophouse production could be increased. It would provide consumers and retail accounts a more reliable source of produce. Presque Farms, operated by Dion and Molly Stepanski, have put up hoophouses and are successfully marketing to commercial accounts. How much influence the project had in their decision making is unknown.
Henry Stibitz and Betsy Hale are the volunteers who are responsible for the Greenhouse Educational Project. The produce they grew in the hoophouse was being sold at the Alpena Farmer’s Market. However, it is no longer available at the market in response to concerns of competing with local vendors.
With the ability to grow but no place to market, Henry and Betsy “did what is right.” A meeting with Randy MacAulay of St. Bernard’s Friendship Room resulted in it getting the harvest. The Friendship Room now gets fresh lettuce, kale, bok choy, Swiss chard, radishes and green onions with a market value of about $6,000. There will be herbs growing in the hoophouse soon, and Henry Stibitz laughingly quoted Randy MacAulay as saying, “Alpena will soon have the first five-star soup kitchen.”
Summer is a good time of year for the soup kitchen. Jim Hiske, a vendor at the Alpena Farmer’s Market, gathers produce from all the vendors and brings it to the kitchen. Several local gardeners also make donations.
Vendor focus
Lou’s Kitchen is the name that Elsa Phillips has given to her business of making pasties. It honors her Mother Louisa, who would make them. Elsa’s interest comes from family vacations in the Upper Peninsula. It took her nine months to be licensed by the State of Michigan and she uses the kitchen of her church. She has been selling pasties of various flavors at the Alpena Farmer’s Market for four years.
Market Update
- Alpena Farmer’s Market 208 N. First, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday. Accepting Bridge Cards, WIC, Debit and Credit.
Saturday, Sept. 3 – Tomato Tasting Day
Saturday, Sept. 10 Mum Sale
- ARA Farm Market 854 N. Barlow Rd., Lincoln, Saturday, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Accepting Bridge Cards.
- Hubbard Lake Farmer’s Market Hubbard Lake Community Center, Hubert Road, Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon.
Below is a sample of what you might expect to find at the markets. Products will vary from market to market. Be prepared for the unexpected.
Vegetables: Onions, potatoes, green and yellow beans, peppers, zucchini, summer squash, carrots, kohlrabi, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, Swiss chard, Bok choy, jalapenos, micro greens, radishes, kale, watermelon, cantaloupe, corn, mushrooms. Meat and Poultry: chicken, beef, eggs, brats, pasties. Baked: breads, cookies, cinnamon rolls. Flavors: maple syrup, jams and jellies, honey, herbs, seasoned vinegars, garlic. Yard: bedding plants, perennials, birdhouses and feeders, soaps, detergents. Neighbors, friends, conversation and so much more.
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