Local food may mostly be gone this time of year, but I’ve learned there’s more than I thought out there, and a return of the farmers market is just weeks away!
The Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market will open in just 11 more Saturdays, according to the newsletter that arrived today. It’s hard to believe, given last weekend’s subzero temperatures and plenty of snow on the ground, but there it is. Go to the link and sign up for the newsletter. So far, the newsletter, on which market coordinator Mercedes Taylor-Puckett does an excellent job, isn’t available at the website, so don’t miss the chance to get it in email.
The Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance, meanwhile, is forecasting a first delivery for May 1. It’s the subscription produce program I’ve subscribed to for years. That sounds a lot farther away than 11 Saturdays (and it is), but now’s the time to be looking into it if you aren’t already a subscriber and want to be.
The market newsletter, by the way, noted that farmer Kevin Irick is producing pesticide-free tomatoes, European cucumbers and basil in his greenhouses. I’d seen local hydroponic tomatoes for sale at the Merc—and maybe they’re Irick’s—but I haven’t bought any. I guess I ought to give them a try, but past hydroponic tomatoes I’ve eaten haven’t had much flavor, despite being lovely to look at. Maybe this is the year I break my typical fresh-tomato cold-season fast.
The Irick item reminded me, too, about KC Star’s report on an ex-dairy farmer now doing aquaponics just up the road in Basehor. I meant to include it in the last digest. It’s an interesting story; check it out.
The reports on Irick and the fish farmer undermine my weather argument a bit (as Ed Bruske may be pleased to note, based on his comments at Ethicurean), although the newsletter says Irick makes farm income 10 months of the year—not quite year-round.
The newsletter, meanwhile, also reminded readers of the weekly meat market 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays at Local Burger, although the restaurant also has a freezer from which you can buy local beef, pork, chicken, turkey, bison, elk and emu any day of the week.
Those are all to the good, but I can’t wait to get the local greens things as soon as they’re in the markets.
Mercedes // Jan 22, 2008 at 12:36 am
Janet-
Just wanted to say thanks for all of your efforts in covering the issues of sustainability and our local food system! I always learn something from your blog posts and I always mean to let you know how grateful I am, but….
Today’s post came at a critical time. I think I mentioned that Karen Pendleton and I are working with the Westin Crown Center’s chef (Martin Heuser) to provide locally sourced ingredients for the meals at the 2008 National SARE Conference in KC at the end of March. It has been an adventure!
We are buried in beef and value-added products; produce and fish have been a challenge. I just forwarded the info about the Basehor aquaculture farm to Karen as she is the contact person for the KS side of the state line. We have spent quite a bit of time searching for fish and weren’t successful. Hopefully that will change-thanks to you and your link. Fingers crossed.
Again, thanks for all the effort you put into creating a beautiful and educational blog!
Janet Majure // Jan 22, 2008 at 9:04 am
Hey, that’s great, Mercedes! If I knew about you and Karen and the SARE conference, I forgot, so that’s wonderful news, too. Good luck with getting all that food together, and thanks for your nice compliments!
Joanne // Jan 22, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I’ve given you an award on my blog! I love your efforts here. Also, I’ve been lucky enough to get winter greens mostly all year here, by driving out to a farm to pick them up. It’s been a shopping revolution for me!
Jennifer (Baklava Queen) // Jan 23, 2008 at 6:33 am
I’m so jealous… our farmers’ market doesn’t start until the first Saturday of June… sooooooo loooooooong a wait!
Janet Majure // Jan 24, 2008 at 11:39 am
Joanne, Thank you so much. Everybody, click on Joanne’s name and check out her blog. She writes a lot about knitting and more than a little about good food.
Jennifer, I wonder if that’s because your weather’s worse or our market people are more energetic. If it makes you feel any better, the earliest markets are long on baked goods, meats and the like. It takes a little while before there’s much in the way of fresh produce.