From Lisa Dearden at The Center for Rural Culture:
GOOCHLAND, VA DECEMBER 15, 2008:
The Center for Rural Culture, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Goochland County, Virginia, in conjunction with Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market, is hosting a seminar on Traditional Foods & Healthy Communities with keynote speaker Sally Fallon – author of Nourishing Traditions and President, The Weston A. Price Foundation, on Saturday, January 10th, 2009.
This daylong seminar will raise awareness and educate communities about their health, their food supply and sustainable farming practices for environmental preservation. There will be other experts who will speak, as well as Sally Fallon, on the important links between health and communities. A delicious lunch featuring locally sourced traditional foods will be provided by Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market.
The seminar will take place at the Montpelier Center for Arts and Education, 17205 Mountain Road at the western edge of Hanover on Route 33 in Hanover County (just west of Richmond) from 9:00am-6:00pm. The seminar will include the following lectures/lecturers:
“The Power of Food: a Virginia Dietitian's Perspective" (Lynda Fanning, MA, MPH, RD - Clinical Nutrition Manager, University of Virginia Health System)
“The Basics of Healthy Diets” (Sally Fallon)
“The Politics and Economics of Food” (Sally Fallon)
“Planning for a Healthy Environment” (Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director – Partnership for Smarter Growth)
”How Sustainable Farming can Promote Public Health” (Sally K. Norton, MPH - Scientific / Program Administrator, Department of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University)
“How to Change Your Diet for the Better” (Sally Fallon)
Panel Discussion
Cost for the January 10th seminar is $65 in advance or $75 at the door. Pre-register on the Center for Rural Culture’s website (www.centerforruralculture.org). Center for Rural Culture and Weston A. Price members’ cost is only $50 (and also students), but those folks must register by mail. Call 804-314-9141 for a brochure.
The Center for Rural Culture will host two other book-signing and lecture events with Sally Fallon on the same weekend. Participants can meet and talk with Sally Fallon and bring or purchase their own copy of Sally’s Nourishing Traditions book to be signed.
Friday, January 9th 5:30-9:00pm Book signing and Meet & Greet starts at 5:30pm. Lecture - “The Oiling of America/The Cholesterol Myths” begins at 7:00pm. Delicious food and alcohol/non-alcohol beverages will be available for purchase before, during and after event! Cost: $10 suggested donation at the door or pre-register on the Center for Rural Culture’s website (www.centerforruralculture.org). Location: The Camel Restaurant & Bar, 1621 W Broad St. Richmond, VA 23220 (804) 353-4901.
Sunday, January 11th 11:00am-1:00pm Book signing and Meet & Greet starts at 11:00am. Lecture -“Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: Having trouble getting started with a traditional diet?” starts at 11:30am. Sally will offer suggestions for no-fuss, economical meals based on traditional foods. Cost: Free, although seating is limited, so pre-registration is suggested. Go to the Center’s website to pre-register. Location: Ellwood’s Community Coffee, 10 S. Thompson St. Richmond, VA 23221 (804) 359-7525.
The mission of the Center for Rural Culture is to educate, promote and inspire members of our community to sustain a culture that supports agriculture and the local economy, protects natural and historic resources, and maintains our rural character and traditions. The Center founded and manages the Goochland Farmers Market and offers many educational programs and opportunities to learn about sustainable agriculture, conservation practices, local foods and local foods systems, smart growth, traditional rural arts, music and rural history.
The movement for a more sustainable local food system is in full swing in Central Virginia, and the opportunity to learn more about traditional foods and their relationship to the health of communities is an important and timely topic. Who should come? – Everyone…students, doctors, mothers, farmers, healthcare providers, teachers, or anyone who is interested in radically strengthening the very foundations of their health and their community.
For additional information, contact Lisa Dearden @ 804-314-9141 or admin@CenterForRuralCulture.org.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
On Milk and Drinking it Real
For a very long time now I have been wanting to do a "quick" post about local milk and dairy products. For me when I buy milk I am looking for Organic, hormone and antibiotic free, non-ultra-pasteurized. Ideally, I want to buy milk from cows that feed on pasture. I'd like to have the option of buying milk that is non-homogenized and perhaps even... gasp!, "raw."
Part of my education on the subject of fresh milk was from Nina Planck, who writes about the importance of consuming traditional foods. She believes that the road to health lays in consuming the foods that Humans have been eating for thousands of years and have evolved alongside, while staying away from "novelty" industrial foods and the man made alterations and additives that make such foods possible.
In her book Real Food: What to Eat and Why, she has something like 70 pages just on milk and manages to make it all very easy to um, "digest." She discusses the benefits of raw milk, siting studies that show reduced risk of heart disease among groups consuming whole milk, and the dangers of industrial creations such as powdered milk. Planck site's Dr. Kilmer McCully's work The Heart Revolution as pointing out that powdered milk may be the reason why in studies where milk is the one thing changed in the diet, Heart Disease is greater among groups that consume 2% milk and skim milk rather than whole milk.
Planck writes on page 65 that "[d]ried milk powder is created by a process called spray-drying, which creates oxidized or damaged cholesterol. Researchers in 1991 wrote, 'Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is more atherogenic than native [unoxidized] LDL.' In other words, oxidized LDL causes atherosclerosis."
"Milk Powder containing oxidized cholesterol is a common ingredient in industrial processed foods including milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese, cheese substitutes, infant formula, baked goods, cocoa mixes, and candy bars. Nonfat dried milk is also added to industrial skim and 2% milk. In fact , skim milk may be made entirely of dried milk powder mixed with water."
It would be important here to note two things... First that anyone thinking of switching from skim to whole should certainly consult someone other than me (or even Nina Plank!), and secondly that the finer dairies will make skim milk simply by skimming off the milk fat. Here you just need to do some research, because according to Planck, no labeling is required to indicate if your lowfat milk is made in this way or from a powder. Since reading this book, I can verify that dried milk powder really is in all sorts of unexpected items.
Later, on page 68, Plank also goes on to say that "[c]ompared to industrial milk, dairy foods from grass-fed cows contain more omega-3 fats, more vitamin A, and more beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Butter and cream from grass-fed cows are are a rare source of the unique and beneficial fat CLA. According to the Journal of Dairy Science, the CLA in grass-fed butterfat is 500% greater than the butterfat of cows eating a typical dairy ration, which usually contains grain, corn silage, and soybeans." She goes on to say that as a "polyunsaturated omega-6 fat, CLA prevents heart disease,(probably by reducing atherosclerosis), fights cancer, and builds lean muscle. CLA aids weight loss in several ways.".... "CLA inhibits growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro. A Finnish team found that women eating dairy from pastured animals had a lower risk of breast cancer than those eating industrial dairy."
So these are just a couple paragraphs from those 70 pages and all of those pages are choc-full of information and anecdotes such as above here. Sometimes she leaves me doubtful, but generally her arguments made good sense to me and the numerous studies and the other authors she cites are a great introduction into a whole world of work being done. Erin, who is just about a life long vegitarian, loaned me this book saying that she actually enjoyed it more than Michael Pollan's work. (This book also has just as much info. on beef, pork, fish, poultry, eggs and more.)
Okay, so enough on Plank.... if you want fresh, local, milk from pastured cows where can you go?
So far as I know there are only a few options and only one, Avery's Branch , seems to satisfy all of these. Since selling raw milk is illegal, Avery's branch farm provides the option of you going in with other like minded inidivuals to buy a cow that they will then board for you. After you pay for your share of the cow ($100 I believe), you then pay for the up keep and care of the animal, plus the milking and delivery of the milk to you via several local market pickup sites. I believe this is another $35 per month. So the milk is not cheap, but by all accounts, including my husband's, it is wonderful. I have not tried it myself, because of certain medical reasons I am being extra cautious about the unpasteurized aspect.
The Second option is Homestead Creamery.
Whole foods' blog site has a quick piece about Homestead Creamery and a couple of people asked some very direct questions concerning the ultimate fate of the cows at Homestead and if the cows are pastured. On the pastured question the answer seems to be Yes, but you can click here to read the questions and answers in full. For other information about the dairy you can
click Here to read a cute news story about Homestead Creamery's home deliveries. Click Here to see a business summary for Homestead Creamery including their annual estimated sales (a lot higher than you might think. And discover that they also seem to own multiple meat processing plants. ) Click here to see a photo of their shop where you can buy their products including ice cream, butter and beef. Here is a cute slide show of a 4H trip to the Homestead dairy I found on flicker. It has one intriguing photo of cows lounging in in a field of green grass with a sheep dog nearby, and another of the cows eating grain from a trough. Their milk comes in glass bottles, and they actually charge a deposit that you get back if you return your empty milk bottle to the store! Around Richmond you can find their milk, eggnog, buttermilk, etc. at Kroger's Grocery Stores.
Finally there is Yoder Dairies. You can read the rather interesting history of the Virginia Beach Dairy here. It includes a line or two on how government regulations requiring pasteurization in 1931 forced the family farm to become a larger co-op in order to offset the expense. For a very small delivery fee Yoder Dairies has home delivery to several areas east of Richmond. Just like when I was a kid, you can set your glass bottles outside your door and they will replace them with full ones. They have a very long product list and you can get a mixed product delivery as well. However, it looks to me that while the milk is hormone and antibiotic free, these animals are probably grain and silage fed, and may or may not ever step outside.... I'll have to get back to you on that.
Part of my education on the subject of fresh milk was from Nina Planck, who writes about the importance of consuming traditional foods. She believes that the road to health lays in consuming the foods that Humans have been eating for thousands of years and have evolved alongside, while staying away from "novelty" industrial foods and the man made alterations and additives that make such foods possible.
In her book Real Food: What to Eat and Why, she has something like 70 pages just on milk and manages to make it all very easy to um, "digest." She discusses the benefits of raw milk, siting studies that show reduced risk of heart disease among groups consuming whole milk, and the dangers of industrial creations such as powdered milk. Planck site's Dr. Kilmer McCully's work The Heart Revolution as pointing out that powdered milk may be the reason why in studies where milk is the one thing changed in the diet, Heart Disease is greater among groups that consume 2% milk and skim milk rather than whole milk.
Planck writes on page 65 that "[d]ried milk powder is created by a process called spray-drying, which creates oxidized or damaged cholesterol. Researchers in 1991 wrote, 'Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is more atherogenic than native [unoxidized] LDL.' In other words, oxidized LDL causes atherosclerosis."
"Milk Powder containing oxidized cholesterol is a common ingredient in industrial processed foods including milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese, cheese substitutes, infant formula, baked goods, cocoa mixes, and candy bars. Nonfat dried milk is also added to industrial skim and 2% milk. In fact , skim milk may be made entirely of dried milk powder mixed with water."
It would be important here to note two things... First that anyone thinking of switching from skim to whole should certainly consult someone other than me (or even Nina Plank!), and secondly that the finer dairies will make skim milk simply by skimming off the milk fat. Here you just need to do some research, because according to Planck, no labeling is required to indicate if your lowfat milk is made in this way or from a powder. Since reading this book, I can verify that dried milk powder really is in all sorts of unexpected items.
Later, on page 68, Plank also goes on to say that "[c]ompared to industrial milk, dairy foods from grass-fed cows contain more omega-3 fats, more vitamin A, and more beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Butter and cream from grass-fed cows are are a rare source of the unique and beneficial fat CLA. According to the Journal of Dairy Science, the CLA in grass-fed butterfat is 500% greater than the butterfat of cows eating a typical dairy ration, which usually contains grain, corn silage, and soybeans." She goes on to say that as a "polyunsaturated omega-6 fat, CLA prevents heart disease,(probably by reducing atherosclerosis), fights cancer, and builds lean muscle. CLA aids weight loss in several ways.".... "CLA inhibits growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro. A Finnish team found that women eating dairy from pastured animals had a lower risk of breast cancer than those eating industrial dairy."
So these are just a couple paragraphs from those 70 pages and all of those pages are choc-full of information and anecdotes such as above here. Sometimes she leaves me doubtful, but generally her arguments made good sense to me and the numerous studies and the other authors she cites are a great introduction into a whole world of work being done. Erin, who is just about a life long vegitarian, loaned me this book saying that she actually enjoyed it more than Michael Pollan's work. (This book also has just as much info. on beef, pork, fish, poultry, eggs and more.)
Okay, so enough on Plank.... if you want fresh, local, milk from pastured cows where can you go?
So far as I know there are only a few options and only one, Avery's Branch , seems to satisfy all of these. Since selling raw milk is illegal, Avery's branch farm provides the option of you going in with other like minded inidivuals to buy a cow that they will then board for you. After you pay for your share of the cow ($100 I believe), you then pay for the up keep and care of the animal, plus the milking and delivery of the milk to you via several local market pickup sites. I believe this is another $35 per month. So the milk is not cheap, but by all accounts, including my husband's, it is wonderful. I have not tried it myself, because of certain medical reasons I am being extra cautious about the unpasteurized aspect.
The Second option is Homestead Creamery.
Whole foods' blog site has a quick piece about Homestead Creamery and a couple of people asked some very direct questions concerning the ultimate fate of the cows at Homestead and if the cows are pastured. On the pastured question the answer seems to be Yes, but you can click here to read the questions and answers in full. For other information about the dairy you can
click Here to read a cute news story about Homestead Creamery's home deliveries. Click Here to see a business summary for Homestead Creamery including their annual estimated sales (a lot higher than you might think. And discover that they also seem to own multiple meat processing plants. ) Click here to see a photo of their shop where you can buy their products including ice cream, butter and beef. Here is a cute slide show of a 4H trip to the Homestead dairy I found on flicker. It has one intriguing photo of cows lounging in in a field of green grass with a sheep dog nearby, and another of the cows eating grain from a trough. Their milk comes in glass bottles, and they actually charge a deposit that you get back if you return your empty milk bottle to the store! Around Richmond you can find their milk, eggnog, buttermilk, etc. at Kroger's Grocery Stores.
Finally there is Yoder Dairies. You can read the rather interesting history of the Virginia Beach Dairy here. It includes a line or two on how government regulations requiring pasteurization in 1931 forced the family farm to become a larger co-op in order to offset the expense. For a very small delivery fee Yoder Dairies has home delivery to several areas east of Richmond. Just like when I was a kid, you can set your glass bottles outside your door and they will replace them with full ones. They have a very long product list and you can get a mixed product delivery as well. However, it looks to me that while the milk is hormone and antibiotic free, these animals are probably grain and silage fed, and may or may not ever step outside.... I'll have to get back to you on that.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Genius Grant for Urban Farmer
Pictured above is Will Allen, CEO of Growing Power, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community on home growing, food production and distribution within areas lacking viable options for fresh produce, and working to influence agricultural policy in a way that supports local economies and small farmers. Allen is now a 2008 MacArthur Fellowship winner, for his efforts as a farmer and community organizer. MacArthur fellows win no less than $500,000, and though the funds are unrestricted, Allen seems motivated to use all of his winnings to build his project even bigger.
Read the NY Times article here, which talks about Allen's farm and his plans for the future. I noticed Allen uses the term "food deserts" -- exactly the same term used by Mark Winne in his book Closing the Food Gap. I am really inspired by people like Allen and Winne. These kinds of leaders understand that in order to effect lasting change, actions must be taken to influence the structure of food systems and the communities that make use of them. Check out Growing Power's food policy initiatives -- exactly the kind of thing I'd like to be seeing in Richmond and the rest of Virginia.
More on Allen, if you're interested:
Friday, December 12, 2008
Vendors and Products to be at the Goochland Holiday Market
Here is the latest update on the Goochland Farmers Market. It will be held indoors this Saturday, December 13th, from 10:00 AM through 2:00 PM
at the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Western Campus in Goochland, 1851 Dickinson Road.
It looks as though they have lots of really good vendors to choose from for this last Holiday Market. And Don't forget the William Byrd House Market, also held tomorrow (see earlier post).
Here is a long list of the vendors that will be there tomorrow, along with a nicely detailed account of what each vendor will be offering. This is an excerpt from the e-mail sent by the Goochland Market Manager...
"This week, we will be featuring the following vendors:
Amelia Soap & Herb Company: We will be at the market this Saturday with our fragrant soaps, along with Lavender Laundry Sachets, our Boo Boo Bags, our Gift Kits, Lavender Lovers, and Kitchen Hands and Garden Hands. There will also be Soap and lotion gift bags for $12.00. We will have our therapeutic Hot/Cold Herb Packs, Neck Rings and Lavender Eye Pillows.
This week we also have our Snowman Bird feeders, these cute little feeders are decorated for the season and are filled with premium bird blend feed. Come on by and check them out, priced at just $10.00. We will have plenty for those of you who missed out last time.
Ault's Family Farm: We will bring Pastured Pork, Grassfed Lamb, Pasture Raised Christmas Turkeys and Fresh Brown Eggs from Free-Range Laying Hens. All of our animals are naturally raised on pasture and fed only non-genetically modified feed with no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Ault's Family Farm & Apiary Pamplin, VA www.aultsfamilyfarm.com
Blue Roo Farms: Gregory will be vending this week with eggs. Find him again in spring for mushrooms as well.
Classics by Patrice: Patrice Simpson will bring hand made jewelry designed with genuine gemstones, freshwater pearls, mother of pearl, .925 sterling silver, and 14 kt gold.
Cross River Farms, LLC: The Moyers family will be offering various steaks and ground beef along with dog bones. Make sure to get some beef sticks for stocking stuffers. All calves are pasture weaned and silage finished. All cattle are Goochland natives.
Dover Nurseries: Ennion and Mary Williams will be featuring furniture, bird houses and flower prints made from local sustainable wood and flowers. In the Christmas spirit think of Adirondack chairs, end tables, an oak bench or a cherry saddle rack.
Earthscapes: Rare and unusual succulent plants from Madagascar and Africa. You won't find these in local plant stores. Unique plants for that hard to shop for person. We will also have handmade crafts just in time for Christmas. Come see me. Mike Wallace
Goats R Us: Donna will be vending goat cheese products. She will need to leave a bit early, so don't come late!
Grayhaven Vineyard: Grayhaven Winery will be providing samplings and sales of their hand-crafted Virginia wines including unusual varieties such as Pinotage, Touriga and Traminette. www.grayhavenwinery.com
Hang-Ups: Helen James will bring hand quilted pillows, wall hangings, table runners, and other decorative hand-sewn items.
Manakintowne Specialty Growers: We will have fall salad mix, arugula, pea shoots, collards, sugarloaf chicory, red giant mustard, bok choi, sweet white and scarlet turnips, baby beets, rosemary, sage, and more. . . .www.manakintownespecialtygrowers.com
Thanks, JoMelinda's Garden Designs: I will be offering landscape design and consultation services, as well as evergreen containers, seasonal evergreen centerpieces, and wreaths.
Look forward to seeing you! Melinda CrouchMustard Seed:
Courtney Guido will bring wreaths made fresh with Virginia local greens and centerpieces, potted amaryllis and paper whites in decorative pots and unusual succulent house plants for holiday gifts.
Nanci's Creations: Nancy Crymes will bring decorated wreaths and silk flower arrangements with a Christmas theme.
Obsidian Studio: I will bring fused glass gift items including earrings/pendants, decorative plates and Christmas ornaments. Stained glass gifts include boxes, sun catchers and panels. All are one-of-a-kind, handmade in Goochland by me, Ellen Blake. See my work at www.acggoochland.com
Outside the Box Designs: Alisa Clark and Sharon Johnson will be vending. Come and see our new purses and jewelry for winter.
Phoenix: A Wildlife Alliance: We are ready to celebrate the holiday season! We'll have Christmas ornaments, wreaths, birdhouses, Trim-a-Tree for wildlife kits, Japanese Maple tree saplings as well as our usual assortment of crafts.
Recursive Paths, LLC: Rhonda will bring photography, cards, earrings, and soap. An eclectic mix.
Simply Southern: The Winslow family will bring delicious pies made from scratch.
Sweetwater Farm: Heather, Jerry and Morgan will be at the market this weekend with some hand forged ironwork, baskets, holiday wreaths, and greens and other natural materials for holiday decorating.
The Dutch Oven Bakery: Carmie will be there with our usual breads, cinnamon breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and some pies.
The Goochland Restaurant: We will be at the market with coffee, soup, and sandwiches.
The Original Velatis, Inc.: Bill will bring some delicious home made caramel candies. www.velatis.com
The Virginia Naturalist: Steven Davis will vend 1 gallon perennial herb pots, Virginia rocks, minerals, and fossils, gemstone jewelry, and dried and fresh herbs.
Works of Art: Lynne and Roger Fuller will be vending original oil paintings."
Be well,Cricket Rakita
at the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Western Campus in Goochland, 1851 Dickinson Road.
It looks as though they have lots of really good vendors to choose from for this last Holiday Market. And Don't forget the William Byrd House Market, also held tomorrow (see earlier post).
Here is a long list of the vendors that will be there tomorrow, along with a nicely detailed account of what each vendor will be offering. This is an excerpt from the e-mail sent by the Goochland Market Manager...
"This week, we will be featuring the following vendors:
Amelia Soap & Herb Company: We will be at the market this Saturday with our fragrant soaps, along with Lavender Laundry Sachets, our Boo Boo Bags, our Gift Kits, Lavender Lovers, and Kitchen Hands and Garden Hands. There will also be Soap and lotion gift bags for $12.00. We will have our therapeutic Hot/Cold Herb Packs, Neck Rings and Lavender Eye Pillows.
This week we also have our Snowman Bird feeders, these cute little feeders are decorated for the season and are filled with premium bird blend feed. Come on by and check them out, priced at just $10.00. We will have plenty for those of you who missed out last time.
Ault's Family Farm: We will bring Pastured Pork, Grassfed Lamb, Pasture Raised Christmas Turkeys and Fresh Brown Eggs from Free-Range Laying Hens. All of our animals are naturally raised on pasture and fed only non-genetically modified feed with no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Ault's Family Farm & Apiary Pamplin, VA www.aultsfamilyfarm.com
Blue Roo Farms: Gregory will be vending this week with eggs. Find him again in spring for mushrooms as well.
Classics by Patrice: Patrice Simpson will bring hand made jewelry designed with genuine gemstones, freshwater pearls, mother of pearl, .925 sterling silver, and 14 kt gold.
Cross River Farms, LLC: The Moyers family will be offering various steaks and ground beef along with dog bones. Make sure to get some beef sticks for stocking stuffers. All calves are pasture weaned and silage finished. All cattle are Goochland natives.
Dover Nurseries: Ennion and Mary Williams will be featuring furniture, bird houses and flower prints made from local sustainable wood and flowers. In the Christmas spirit think of Adirondack chairs, end tables, an oak bench or a cherry saddle rack.
Earthscapes: Rare and unusual succulent plants from Madagascar and Africa. You won't find these in local plant stores. Unique plants for that hard to shop for person. We will also have handmade crafts just in time for Christmas. Come see me. Mike Wallace
Goats R Us: Donna will be vending goat cheese products. She will need to leave a bit early, so don't come late!
Grayhaven Vineyard: Grayhaven Winery will be providing samplings and sales of their hand-crafted Virginia wines including unusual varieties such as Pinotage, Touriga and Traminette. www.grayhavenwinery.com
Hang-Ups: Helen James will bring hand quilted pillows, wall hangings, table runners, and other decorative hand-sewn items.
Manakintowne Specialty Growers: We will have fall salad mix, arugula, pea shoots, collards, sugarloaf chicory, red giant mustard, bok choi, sweet white and scarlet turnips, baby beets, rosemary, sage, and more. . . .www.manakintownespecialtygrowers.com
Thanks, JoMelinda's Garden Designs: I will be offering landscape design and consultation services, as well as evergreen containers, seasonal evergreen centerpieces, and wreaths.
Look forward to seeing you! Melinda CrouchMustard Seed:
Courtney Guido will bring wreaths made fresh with Virginia local greens and centerpieces, potted amaryllis and paper whites in decorative pots and unusual succulent house plants for holiday gifts.
Nanci's Creations: Nancy Crymes will bring decorated wreaths and silk flower arrangements with a Christmas theme.
Obsidian Studio: I will bring fused glass gift items including earrings/pendants, decorative plates and Christmas ornaments. Stained glass gifts include boxes, sun catchers and panels. All are one-of-a-kind, handmade in Goochland by me, Ellen Blake. See my work at www.acggoochland.com
Outside the Box Designs: Alisa Clark and Sharon Johnson will be vending. Come and see our new purses and jewelry for winter.
Phoenix: A Wildlife Alliance: We are ready to celebrate the holiday season! We'll have Christmas ornaments, wreaths, birdhouses, Trim-a-Tree for wildlife kits, Japanese Maple tree saplings as well as our usual assortment of crafts.
Recursive Paths, LLC: Rhonda will bring photography, cards, earrings, and soap. An eclectic mix.
Simply Southern: The Winslow family will bring delicious pies made from scratch.
Sweetwater Farm: Heather, Jerry and Morgan will be at the market this weekend with some hand forged ironwork, baskets, holiday wreaths, and greens and other natural materials for holiday decorating.
The Dutch Oven Bakery: Carmie will be there with our usual breads, cinnamon breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and some pies.
The Goochland Restaurant: We will be at the market with coffee, soup, and sandwiches.
The Original Velatis, Inc.: Bill will bring some delicious home made caramel candies. www.velatis.com
The Virginia Naturalist: Steven Davis will vend 1 gallon perennial herb pots, Virginia rocks, minerals, and fossils, gemstone jewelry, and dried and fresh herbs.
Works of Art: Lynne and Roger Fuller will be vending original oil paintings."
Be well,Cricket Rakita
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Saturday Dec 13th Holiday Market at William Byrd House
Support your community, find unique gifts, and keep the holiday spirit local by shopping at the WBCH Holiday Food and Craft Show.
Saturday, December 13th
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
William Byrd Community House224 South Cherry Street
Featuring vendors from the Byrd House Market plus local handcraft artisans.Prize drawings every half hour and for $1, you could win a beautiful handmade quilt!
Find out what our vendors are bringing at www.byrdhousemarket,blogspot.com
There are a lot of vendors listed for this market including several great vendors like Lavender Fields that are not on the regular Richmond Farmers Market rotation.
And don't forget WBH market is still operating on Tuesday evenings renegade style with vendors like Faith Farm, Victory Farms and No Wonder Bread. Faith Farm is operating in conjunction with other vendors who provide produce as well.
Saturday, December 13th
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
William Byrd Community House224 South Cherry Street
Featuring vendors from the Byrd House Market plus local handcraft artisans.Prize drawings every half hour and for $1, you could win a beautiful handmade quilt!
Find out what our vendors are bringing at www.byrdhousemarket,blogspot.com
There are a lot of vendors listed for this market including several great vendors like Lavender Fields that are not on the regular Richmond Farmers Market rotation.
And don't forget WBH market is still operating on Tuesday evenings renegade style with vendors like Faith Farm, Victory Farms and No Wonder Bread. Faith Farm is operating in conjunction with other vendors who provide produce as well.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
New Green Grocer in Richmond
At the Bryan park market on Tuesday, I was joking with Charlie Collins of Victory Farms about how crazy he is to double the size of his farm next year to four acres. Where was he going to put all of that produce? He told me that he and Gina are looking for a spot in the fan as a green grocery. How exciting is that? The Collins' are having a bit of trouble getting a permit for a building because many places in the fan do not have adequate parking spots for a store. Which is sad and ironic in a place with actual sidewalks, but exciting news none the less. We'll keep our ears out for more details.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Cooking with Booze
I found out that today is the birthday of the Bloody Mary, so I have some ideas to help you celebrate. Let's start with cocktail hour.
I have a very adventurous cousin who would indulges my every whim when it came to making fancy drinks. Ok, so I realize that it is inherently beautiful to mix drinks where one can simply go outside and harvest citrus for one's fancy mixed drinks, and truly, a real whiskey sour is a gift, but have you ever had a Gin Fizz or a, get ready, Lavender Sidecar? Regardless of where you are in the country, a Gin Fizz is a really fun drink- kind of a mix between eggnog and an eggcream soda. Here is one recipe, but we used one closer to this.
Also fun and impressive, (but might have to wait for summer), is a Lavender Sidecar. This is really fun, and different from fruit based cocktails. The recipe my cousin based his creation on is:
1 1/2 oz brandy
1/4 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz lavender honey syrup (Lavender flowers heated with honey and water)
1/2 oz lemon
dash orange bitters
Now, on to the soup course.
On cold and rainy days, I make gallons upon gallons of soup. Here is one of my favorites, which will help use up the lifetime supply of vermouth we all seem to have around.
Potato soup with Leeks and Fennel
3 TBS butter
3 leeks, sliced and rinsed well
1 bulb of fennel, sliced (save the tops of these to make broth at a later time)
3 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled
2 tsp dry Vermouth
8 fresh, fist sized potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
salt to taste
2 Cups homemade broth
4 Cups water
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 Cup heavy Cream
Heat butter over medium heat in stock pot. Add leeks, fennel and garlic sauteing until soft- about 10 min. Add vermouth and cook about 5 minutes until liquid has evaporated. Add potatoes and salt, mixing with veggies. Add stock and water and boil for 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Add nutmeg. Puree in food processor in batches, adding cream until totally smooth. Serve with toasty bread and olive oil.
Ok, now onto dessert- pie crust to be exact.
My cousin Jack, (who also happens to be the fantastic bartender,) used this recipe for the crust of his Chocolate Walnut pie. The recipe uses two teaspoons of vodka instead of the entire amount of water in the dough. Vodka prevents gluten from forming, resulting in a flaky crust. I must say, it was delicious.
I have a very adventurous cousin who would indulges my every whim when it came to making fancy drinks. Ok, so I realize that it is inherently beautiful to mix drinks where one can simply go outside and harvest citrus for one's fancy mixed drinks, and truly, a real whiskey sour is a gift, but have you ever had a Gin Fizz or a, get ready, Lavender Sidecar? Regardless of where you are in the country, a Gin Fizz is a really fun drink- kind of a mix between eggnog and an eggcream soda. Here is one recipe, but we used one closer to this.
Also fun and impressive, (but might have to wait for summer), is a Lavender Sidecar. This is really fun, and different from fruit based cocktails. The recipe my cousin based his creation on is:
1 1/2 oz brandy
1/4 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz lavender honey syrup (Lavender flowers heated with honey and water)
1/2 oz lemon
dash orange bitters
Now, on to the soup course.
On cold and rainy days, I make gallons upon gallons of soup. Here is one of my favorites, which will help use up the lifetime supply of vermouth we all seem to have around.
Potato soup with Leeks and Fennel
3 TBS butter
3 leeks, sliced and rinsed well
1 bulb of fennel, sliced (save the tops of these to make broth at a later time)
3 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled
2 tsp dry Vermouth
8 fresh, fist sized potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
salt to taste
2 Cups homemade broth
4 Cups water
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 Cup heavy Cream
Heat butter over medium heat in stock pot. Add leeks, fennel and garlic sauteing until soft- about 10 min. Add vermouth and cook about 5 minutes until liquid has evaporated. Add potatoes and salt, mixing with veggies. Add stock and water and boil for 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Add nutmeg. Puree in food processor in batches, adding cream until totally smooth. Serve with toasty bread and olive oil.
Ok, now onto dessert- pie crust to be exact.
My cousin Jack, (who also happens to be the fantastic bartender,) used this recipe for the crust of his Chocolate Walnut pie. The recipe uses two teaspoons of vodka instead of the entire amount of water in the dough. Vodka prevents gluten from forming, resulting in a flaky crust. I must say, it was delicious.
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