Happy New Year! Closed Sat., Jan. 1, Reopening Jan. 8

Happy New Year from the market! The market will be closed this Saturday and reopens on Jan. 8 and each Saturday thereafter.

The market is open rain or shine from 9 am -12 pm on Saturdays this winter, but please do check for weather updates if we are having wintry weather. Some vendors may not be able to get to market on icy or snowy mornings.

All winter the market features local, seasonal produce, local meats free of antibiotics and hormones, eggs from local, happy chickens and more. See you at the market on January 8!

Hoppin' John and Greens: For Wealth, Luck and Good Health!

Happy New Year! Here in the South, Hoppin’ John is a traditional New Year’s dish, and they say it brings wealth and luck for the new year. The peas are said to represent pennies or coins, and the collards, the color of money, represent cash. With the nutritional punch this dish delivers, why not take a chance on wealth and good luck for the new year?

Seasonal Frittata

A few weeks ago, I baked a few pans of a local, seasonal frittata to share with market customers in celebration of the last day of our regular season. I intended to post the recipe right away, but since I had "eyeballed" the ingredients, I needed to re-create the recipe, this time jotting down the proportions.

Ring in the New Year with Local Food and Tradition!

Enjoy some hoppin' john and collards on Sat., Jan. 1 at Slow Food Triangle's third annual Traditional Southern New Year’s Day: an event to celebrate regional culinary traditions, local farmers, and artisan food producers! The event is 4-7 pm at Durham's Fullsteam Brewery, and the meal will be served at 5 pm.

What's on the menu? Hoppin' john and collard greens of course, along with cornbread, fresh, hearth-baked loaves, sweet potato pie, and more (vegetarian options will be available).

Admission is $15 for Slow Food members, $18 for non-members, and free for children 10 and younger. Wine Authorities and 3 Cups will offer wine to purchase by the glass; Counter Culture Coffee will provide coffee; and the Fullsteam bar will be open for business. All wine sales will benefit the healthy snack program at Club Boulevard Elementary School in Durham.

To keep waste down, you're invited to bring your own plates. Volunteers are needed, so if you'd like to help out, email Mark at Slow Food Triangle. Tickets are for sale online now.

Local Food Makes A Thoughtful Gift!

Inspired at the CFSA Sustainable Agricultural Conference

Written by Juliann Zoetmulder, President WWFM Inc.

It was the 25th annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference (Dec 3-5), but it was the WWFM’s first time in attendance. We were delighted and humbled to be asked to speak during a workshop called “Getting the Basics Right: The Nuts and Bolts of a Successful Market.” Kim Hunter, WWFM Market Manager, and I told people how we were able to start a successful farmers’ market. The amazing part about our story is that it was our community that started this together, and our community is what continues to make it successful. We are professional and we take our business seriously, but the volunteers, vendors, and customers that come week after week deserve the most credit.

Organic Roots: Singing Turtle Farm

Vendor profile written by Meghan Prichard, UNC-Chapel Hill
Sharon Funderburk of Singing Turtle Farm was born into a farming legacy—and a legacy of organic farming. As she tells it, her ancestors, who immigrated from Germany, arrived in Charleston, S.C., in 1767. “We’ve been farmers ever since,” Sharon said.

Farmers' Market Tapas Night

Originally a Spanish tradition for workers who took small meals into the fields, tapas has become popular everywhere as a delicious and fun way to try lots of little dishes. Jim Pellegrini of Muddy Dog Roasting Co. recently enjoyed a Farmers' Market Tapas Night with his family; they shared Curried Sweet Potatoes and Chard, Pepperonata, October Bean and Tuna, NC Shrimp Skewers and Marinated Shitake Skewers

Take a look at Jim's Food Whisperer blog for the recipes and photos. Thanks, Jim, for buying your ingredients at the market and sharing!

Photo Tour of Fickle Creek Farm

Last month Chatham County Extension Agent Debbie Roos led several Costa Rican agricultural scientists on a tour of area farms, including WWFM vendor Fickle Creek Farm in Efland. The scientists were visiting NC State University and wanted to learn more about sustainable and organic farming.
If you've never been to Fickle Creek, you'll enjoy this photo tour of the farm from Debbie. Many of our vendors welcome visitors to their farms — just talk to them at market about a date that would work well!

Food Is Art! "Cabbage Family" on Display

Stop by the Cary Senior Center to see winners and entries in the 3rd Annual Cary Photographic Artists Open Juried Exhibition, including "Cabbage Family," which is featured in the gallery.

Kirsten Lechner photographed "Cabbage Family" at the Western Wake Farmers' Market. You can view Kirsten's other market photos at her site, A Simple Focus, and even order a 2011 calendar featuring market foods from her at kirsten.hope@hotmail.com.

There is a reception on Friday, December 10, 5:30-8pm at the Cary Senior Center, and the show closes Dec. 17.

Market to Menu: Mustard Pork

Chef Martin Sreshta of Martin’s Curry Rice in Morrisville shares this fusion recipe of French and Manglorean pickling of pork with vinegar and mustard, pepped with Indian seasonings. “Its a great dish to make a large portion and keep,” Chef Martin said. “It’s a great snack with white wine and a fine recipe to enjoy locally raised pork.” He gives credit to his sister Berna for documenting the recipe.

Sourdough Sweet Potato Pancakes

Many thanks to WWFM volunteer Kevin Gordon for sharing this recipe and manning the griddle at the market this weekend for Volunteer Appreciation Day! Kevin prepared and served up the pancakes as we celebrated all the volunteers, musicians and guest educators who their time and talent at market each week. Kevin adapted this recipe from pg. 478 of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (available at Wake County libraries, local bookstores, and Amazon).

Ingredients:
2 cups freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour (or spelt, kamut flour)

2 cups yogurt, buttermilk or kefir
1 large sweet potato
1 cup crispy pecans (pg. 513 in Nourishing Traditions (optional)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (optional)

2 TBS melted butter

Preparation:
Soak flour in yogurt (or buttermilk/kefir) in warm place for 12-24 hours. Bake sweet potato until soft (400 degrees for 0.5-1hr) and mash or puree. Chop/grind pecans to desired consistency.

After soaking flour, stir in all other ingredients, and add water to obtain the desired thinness. Cook on a hot, buttered griddle or cast iron skillet. The pancakes cook longer than regular pancakes, have a slightly chewy texture, and mild pleasantly sour taste. Top with butter, maple syrup, raw honey (with plain yogurt if more tanginess is desired), pureed fresh fruit (with maple syrup if more sweetness is desired). Makes 16-20 pancakes.

Butter-poached Shrimp and Grits with Mustard Greens

The shopping list at market for this recipe is simple: shrimp from Southport Seafood Co., mustard greens from Fickle Creek Farm or another produce vendor, cheese from Hillsborough Cheese Co., and grits from Muddy Dog Roasting Co.!

Thanks to Jim Pellegrini at Muddy Dog for sharing this recipe and the photo! You can read his blog post about the process and see photos; Jim warns this is simple but not necessarily quick--so consider it for a weekend meal when you have more time.

For four servings (to double, double everything except butter, as 1/2 lb produces enough clarified butter to poach 2 lbs shrimp if you do it in batches)

1 lb shrimp
1 cup Muddy Dog Roasting Co. Roasted Grits

3 cups water
1 tbsp salt
8 cups chopped mustard greens
1/2 lb butter
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup cream, milk, or buttermilk
1/2 cup grated cheese of choice (gouda, cheddar, asiago, parmesan, manchego all good choices)
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

Prepare grits: place dry grits in large saucepan with salt, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk and cheese. Simmer another 15 minutes. If grits seem too thick at any point in the process, add small amounts of milk or water (1/8 cup at a time) to adjust consistency. If they are too loose, simmer them harder to evaporate liquid. They should be soft, but a scoop should stay in one place and not ooze all over a plate. (Kind of like the consistency of mashed potatoes or maybe just a little more loose than that.)

While grits are cooking, clarify the butter. Melt it GENTLY in a small saucepan. As soon as it's all melted, remove from heat. Allow milk solids to settle. Skim foam off butter and add the foam to the grits. Then carefully pour off the clarified butter into a shallow saute pan, taking care not to transfer the milk solids.

Add the milks solids to the grits. Add a bay leaf and smash garlic cloves to the clarified butter and bring the clarified butter to about 170F (not higher than 200F). Allow to stand at that temp for at least 10 minutes to infuse garlic and bay leaf flavors.

Prep the greens: Wash well and remove leaves from stems. Retain stems and use them as you would celery. This recipe used mustard greens, but any greens will suffice: collards, kale, chard, spinach, bok choy, tat soy are all great substitutes. Coarsely chop the leaves.

When the grits are done, poach the shrimp by adding them to the 170F butter. Adjust temp to maintain 170F. Let the shrimps poach until they start to look cooked, about 4 or 5 minutes. Turn the shrimps, cook another 3 or 4 minutes.

While shrimps are poaching, wilt the greens in hot oil (use a little clarified butter in a separate saute skillet). Add some raisins (optional). The greens will only need a 20 seconds or so to wilt, so do this immediately before you are ready to plate.

Plate by putting on a thin layer of greens. Add a generous dollop of grits (maybe 1-2 cups). Top with a few poached shrimp. Drizzle with clarified butter (2 TBS per plate). Garnish as you like.

Note that your infused clarified butter will keep well in the fridge and can be used to cook fish, can be added to soups (especially a soupe de poisson, bouillabaisse, etc), eggs, etc., so don't discard it right away. Experiment!

Holiday Shopping: Check Out Our Artists and Crafters

Many thanks to all the local artists and crafters who braved the unforecasted rain and cold last Saturday to bring their beautiful work to the market! We would like to share their names so you can shop with them online (in some cases) or look them up for other craft shows this fall. We've created some general categories, but some artists offer a variety of products, so check them all out!

Accessories/Decorative
Little Purple Dragonfly (Angie Coleman)
Judy Humphries
Andrea Lambert
Dana Dockser
Kristy Umphreyville
Bob Searles

Food/Baked Goods
Laura Tapp
Rhett's Candy (Beth Gozon and Jennifer Wood)
Rustique Bakery (Susan Levitt)

Bath and Body/Candles/Cleaning Products
Tracey Gurley Bath and Body (Tracey Gurley)
Naomi's Gift Shop (Tina Box)
Just Neem (Magda Ratke)
Kafuman's Kommon Scents (Carlee Kaufman)
The Farm Fairy (Sandra Sarlinga)
Sunday Morning Farm (BJ Whitley)
Louise Brown
Bethany Bennett and Diane Helman

Clothing/Cloth Accessories
Gracely Girl Designs (Amy Gracely)
Crown Jules Clothing (Julie Zerbe)
Wrascally Wristers (Susan Martin)
MMH Designs (Michelle Huffman)
Victoria Hassnik

Holiday
Littlest Christmas Trees (Jennifer Maddocks)

Baskets, Stones, Paintings, Pottery, Wood
Dillardville Birdhouses (Karen Dillard)
Rabbit Patch Baskets (Eva Green)
Natural Stone Creations (Kerrie Frederick)
Bethany Bryant (paintings)
Studio 21 Art (Molly Auble)
Cary Clay Cooperative
Lonebrook Pottery (Stephen Nesnow)
Personality Rocks! (Thad Tremaine)
The Wood Slab (Alan Montgomery)
Redbud Farm (Clay Smith and Nancy Joyner)
Jennifer Blakeslee
Susanna Portanova
Andy Clayton (Clayton Orchards)

Jewelry
Artist NC (Andrea Wilson)
Shore Debris (Vicky Brown)
Lucy Dog Jewelry (Judy Hall)
I've Been Framed (Stacie LeGrow)
Silverkiln Studio (Sarah Parker Heermann)
Beyond Words (Dana Smith)
360 Handcrafted Silver (Joanna Gmyr)
Vintage 2 Creations (Lori Dillard)
Teresa Pritchard and Megan Pritchard
Gems by Em (Emily Pritchard)
Tres Deva Designs (Pat Lykins)
Crystal Love Jewelry (Veronica Protor)
Carolyn Cockerman Wiggins
Beyond Words (Dana Smith)

Children's and Baby Gifts
Busy Little Hands (Janice Kalin)
Little Snap Pea (Carrie McDonald)

Market to Menu: Squash-Rice Bake

Thanks to Jim Pellegrini of Muddy Dog Roasting Co. for this recipe and taking the fear factor out of dealing with "big, gnarly, hard-to-handle ingredients" like pumpkins and squash. Try this recipe out, and read what he has to say about cooking with "difficult ingredients" at his Food Whisperer blog.

Jim suggests serving this as a main dish with a nice green salad or as a side dish.

1 small to medium pumpkin (1-2 lbs), seeds and rinds removed, cubed into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
6 TBS olive oil
6 cups cooked rice (still warm)
2 eggs, beaten
4 TBS minced herbs of your choice (sage and parsley work well)
2 cups grated semi-hard or hard cheese of your choice
salt
pepper

Saute the pumpkin and onion till squash is al dente, about 5-10 minutes depending on cube size. Mix the squash saute with the rice, add herbs and eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture into two small to medium oiled or buttered casseroles. Sprinkle one cup cheese on each.

Bake in 375 degree oven until cheese starts to brown, about 20 minutes. Broil if desired to brown cheese.

Growing Rice in North Carolina

Did you ever think you would hear about North Carolina farmers growing rice? Well, they're doing it! You may recall reading about the Crop Mob helping Jason and Haruka Oatis of Edible Earthscapes in Moncure, N.C., with rice paddy construction earlier this year. Well, now they've harvested their rice and had their first sale at their farm this past Saturday.

Chatham County Extension Agent Debbie Roos created a web page chronicling the process throughout the year, including the sale last week. Take the journey with them through this photo album!

Just 10%: You Can Do It!

Have you considered how you can help build North Carolina's local food economy by spending just 10% of your food dollars locally? Learn more at the 10% Campaign!

Ginger Pumpkin Cake--Make It with Local Pumpkins

Market Manager Kim Hunter recently made this Ginger Pumpkin Cake twice. Here are Kim's notes about using locally grown pumpkin to make this recipe.

"The recipe calls for 15 oz pumpkin. You can use canned, but for the local spin, bake some fresh local pumpkin. I had a medium-sized baking pumpkin from Farm Front Gardens, which was enough to make this recipe on two different occasions. (I froze half of the cooked pumpkin.) And you can toast the pumpkin seeds (toss with a little olive oil and salt) for another good snack.

Directions for cooking fresh pumpkin: Cut stem from top to allow steam to escape. Bake pumpkin in a 350°F oven (on a piece of parchment paper of aluminum foil lined cookie sheet) until soft. (About 45-60 minutes for a small to medium pumpkin. Check it with a fork at 45 minutes--you want it tender, no resistance to the fork. )

Remove seeds and keep in a separate bowl if you will be toasting them later. Scrape pulp from inside of pumpkin into a large bowl. Freeze any portion not being used. Squeeze out any excess moisture before cooking with pumpkin and process in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Market to Menu: Green Beans in Basil Vinaigrette

Give this easy but delicious recipe a try this fall as the green beans are in at market and the basil in your garden hasn't been bit by the frost yet. Consider it as a fresh, healthy alternative to green bean casserole for your Thanksgiving celebration.

Serves 4 to 6.

2 lbs green beans, trimmed and broken in half if large

2 cloves garlic, minced or pushed through a garlic press

20 basil leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tsp Dijon mustard

4 TBS red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

3 scallions

Bring water to a boil and cook beans until tender crisp. Pour immediately into a colander and pour ice water over them to stop the cooking action. (This can be done ahead--drain and store in a zipped storage bag.)

In a blender or food processor, put the garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Pulse on and off, then add mustard and vinegar. Pulse until smooth. Add the oil slowly in a thin stream, with the machine running, just until blended.

Place beans in serving bowl and pour vinaigrette over them. Toss to coat thoroughly. Garnish with scallions.

Local Artists Hard at Work for Nov. 6

While we go about our daily lives this month, 52 artists and crafters in our area are hard at work preparing for the Fall Craft Fair to be held at the market on Nov. 6 from 8 am-1 pm.

Be sure to mark your calendar for the fair and please help pass on the word to friends, neighbors and co-workers who may not know about it. Feel free to print this color flier as your reminder or post it in your workplace!

Last year's first Fall Craft Fair was a huge success for shoppers and artists alike!

• Get a start on your holiday shopping,
• think about teacher's and hostess gifts, or
• just pick up something for yourself!

There will be a great variety of art at the fair, including pottery, jewelry, hand-knitted accessories, holiday decor and gifts, baskets, natural soaps, lotions and cleaning products, children's clothing, hair bows, birdhouses, glassware and stoneware, woodworking and more! Here's a sneak peak at some of the artists' work:

In addition to the arts and crafts, our farmers' market vendors will have all their wonderful seasonal produce, meats, seafood, eggs, cheeses, breads, coffee, flowers and more!

Herons Executive Chef Scott Crawford will join us with free samples of a delicious autumn soup featuring local, seasonal ingredients, and friends from the 10% Campaign will be with us to educate us about how we can help build North Carolina's local food economy, one person at a time. Bring the kids by too for free face painting with LynneSue Fischer!

Make Your Own Beverages for Health and Flavor!

Alice Loyd, who joined us at market last week and will come again to the Education Tent in November with her local sauerkraut, has an upcoming beverage classes that might be of interest to the foodies in our area.

Making Cool Fermented (Non-alcoholic) Beverages
November 9, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., 3415 Noel Court, Raleigh
Sponsored by Food Is The Key
Cost: $20

Alice offers this evening workshop in Raleigh for hands-on practice in making kombucha, fruit-based sodas, and the cultured dairy drink kefir. Get off the sugar and onto the high-nutrient refreshment of enzyme-rich fermented beverages. Easy and fun!

For more information or to register, contact: foodisthekey@earthlink.net or 919-607-3081.

Market to Menu: Roasted Rosemary Butternut Squash

This simple dish has great flavors and warmth for the fall--perfect for any dinner or a side dish for Thanksgiving.

Serves 4

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4" cubes
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 TBS fresh rosemary, chopped
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss ingredients together until evenly coated with oil and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Place evenly on a non-stick baking sheet and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kids in the Kitchen: Farm to Table

If your kids are tracked out this fall and have an interest in cooking, you might want to sign them up for a new camp: Healthy and Delicious, Farm to Table, from Classy Kids Cook. This camp focuses on fresh ingredients from the farm with lessons such as Fall at Its Best, Fall into Vegetables, Apples & Pears, Oh My!, Giving Thanks, and Rustic Farm Hand Food.

Menu examples include Cider-roasted Chicken, Shepherd's Pie, Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Spiced Pumpkin Cookies. Sounds like a delicious way to get the kids into the kitchen, eating healthy and enjoying farm-fresh food! This camp is offered the weeks of Nov. 8 and Nov. 29, and the school offers other camps and after-school classes as well. Campers aged 6 to 18 are welcome! Visit Classy Kids Cook's web site for details.

United Way: Consider Giving to the Market

For those of you with upcoming United Way drives at your office, please consider directing a portion of your donation to the farmers’ market. We are 501(c)(3) organization and use our donations to help further our mission that all those in our community be educated about and benefit from local food.

It is easy to donate! Just note the portion of funds earmarked for the market by adding a non-United Way 501(c)(3) organization to your donation roster. You will need some or all of the following information on the form. Thank you!

Western Wake Farmers Market Inc.
Morrisville, NC 27560
EIN 26-4416426

We appreciate your continued support of the Western Wake Farmers' Market!

Get Schooled in the Lunch Line

It may have been a while since you walked through the lunch line at school, so how familiar are you with the National School Lunch Program? This past spring, a lot of people took a fresh look at school lunches through "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" on television.

Now you can learn more from Lunch Line, the Documentary, which takes a new look at the school lunch program by exploring its past, current challenges and opportunities for the future. As the film follows six kids from a tough Chicago neighborhood who set out to fix school lunch, and end up at the White House, you may be surprised by what you learn.

Advocates for Health in Action (AHA) is sponsoring the screening of Lunch Line on Nov. 10 at 1 pm and again at 6 pm at Meredith College in Raleigh. After the screening, co-producer Michael Graziano will be on hand to discuss the film and talk about what is next for school meals. You can learn more and buy tickets online in advance for $8 or at the door for $10. All proceeds will benefit AHA-sponsored school health initiatives in Wake County.

TerraVITA Food & Wine Event: Saturday, Oct. 16

If you love food and wine or microbrewed beer, this is for you: TerraVITA Food & Wine Event, Saturday, Oct. 16, from 1-5 pm at Southern Village in Chapel Hill.

Enjoy organic and biodynamically grown wines from dozens of wine producers, a few microbrews, and local foods artfully prepared by North Carolina chefs at this celebration. Area chefs from Herons, Zely & Ritz, Crook's Corner, Chef & The Farmer, Watt's Grocery, Market Restaurant, Carolina Crossroads and other restaurants will prepare locally sourced meats, produce, cheese, desserts and more at this sustainable feast!

Tickets are $65 each ($75 the day of the event, if tickets are still available), and include all food and drink. You can purchase tickets online now. There will also be a silent auction at the event, and all proceeds will be donated to Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and TABLE, a non-profit coalition of community volunteers and college students committed to feeding hungry children in the Carrboro and Chapel Hill area.

Market to Menu: Clams and Shrimp in Spicy Broth

I bought two dozen littleneck clams and a pound of shrimp from Southport Seafood Co. last weekend at market, but I didn't really have a plan as to how I was going to prepare them. A quick online search yielded a simple and really tasty recipe from Giadia De Laurentiss, Mussels, Clams and Shrimp in Spicy Broth.

I made the recipe as it is featured with only a few minor changes: no mussels and only half of the crushed red pepper so that my kids would eat it. Paired with bread from La Farm Bakery and a salad of mixed greens from Ben's Produce and Farm Front Gardens, we enjoyed a great Sunday night dinner that was almost entirely local!

According to people who reviewed the recipe, you also could add fish. Don't be afraid to alter recipes for the ingredients you have or to put a seasonal spin on them!

10/10/10: Celebrate by Getting Your Hands Dirty

10/10/10 is coming...that's right, October 10, 2010, is next week, and 350.org is celebrating with a "Global Work Party" where you are invited to do something in your community to help fight global warming.

Here in the Triangle, there will be work parties at the fields of six local farms, gardens and community gardens on October 10 from 1-4 pm. Each work party begins with a local foods potluck at 1 pm, and then the work begins. Party-goers can expect to work on the farms and gardens at seeding cover crops, weeding, harvesting and cleaning hen houses, for example.

What does working on a local garden or farm have to do with addressing climate change? Organizers say it's because we need to rethink the way we produce food on the planet--moving away from industrial agriculture powered by fossil fuels, and move instead towards small-scale, local, organic farming.

How can you join the party? RSVP at this site, then go to the NC Conservation Network site for more information and to register for a particular farm. There are sites in East Raleigh, South Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Louisburg and Wendell.

When you go, you'll need comfy work clothes and shoes, work gloves, and bring a local dish to share along with your own plates/cutlery and water or drink of choice.

Girl Scouts: Market, Farming and Camping Adventure!

Thanks to market shopper and Girl Scout Troop 1196 leader Janice Crawford for sharing this story and the photos. Janice brought her troop to the market last weekend for a tour and shopping time before the gang headed out to Burlington, N.C., to Clay Smith and Nancy Joyner's Redbud Farm. At the farm, they had a great time learning about sustainable farming, digging up potatoes, playing with the dogs and camping out! They earned the "Home Grown in North Carolina" patch as a result.

After touring the Western Wake Farmers' Market and talking with some of the vendors, the girls were able to shop for their donations for the Triangle Farmer Foodshare. They bought oodles of food with money they had earned doing chores during the week! Once the vendors found out they were spending their own money for donating food, many of them even gave the girls extra produce. The scouts added a significant amount to the cause!

While at the market, we purchased the sustainably grown, farm-fresh food that was our theme for the weekend. We had grass-fed beef for hamburgers from Smith Angus Farm, whole grain buns from Great Harvest Bread Co., lettuce from Farm Front Gardens, eggs from Fickle Creek Farm, apples from Godwin Farm and Orchard, cheese from Hillsborough Cheese Co., and German Johnson tomatoes from Redbud, along with potatoes and beans that the girls harvested themselves from Redbud.

After the farmers' market, we visited a nearby Harris Teeter and met with the produce manager on duty. He told the girls about some of the produce and where it came from. The girls learned that one variety of eggplant comes from Holland, another is "locally grown," which for HT means within a 6-hour drive, and the eggplant they saw for sale at the WWFM was from within a 125-mile radius. They decided that buying the one from Holland probably wasn't the best for the environment, nor the nutritional content!

Off to the Farm
After a quick stop for a picnic lunch, we headed to Redbud Farm. The girls had a blast digging for the potatoes after Clay ran the tractor over the row to loosen the dirt. They would chase after the tractor to get the exposed potatoes as if it were an Easter egg hunt! The girls were so fast that they ended up picking over 500 lbs of just the fingerling potatoes alone! They also picked a row of sweet potatoes to see the difference in how they grow (more vertical, in clusters).

Next, they were off to pick enough beans for dinner and a tour of the upper garden. They learned about planting multiple crops near each other for soil diversity, using natural pest repellents such as flowers and other bugs and what it means to grow organically.

When all the work was done, we cooked dinner. The burgers were great, but the girls did manage to leave enough room for s'mores at the campfire. After one fun slumber party with 13 girls in the loft of the cabin and breakfast, the girls toured the rest of the farm. Clay showed us his woodworking shop, where he makes furniture from the trees that grow on their property. He demonstrated how many of the tools work and how a chunk of wood can be molded into a chair.

Nancy brought the girls to her sewing room, where she showed them a surprise she is making for each of them--quilted pouches made out of Girl Scout-themed fabric. We also saw Clay's Boy Scout sash and his Eagle award, and Nancy found her Junior vest. We compared badges and pins from then and now (some haven't changed!) and saw the old merit badge and Junior handbooks from her youth.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. Clay and Nancy were awesome! We could not have asked for better hosts--both of them were great with the girls and took every opportunity to educate them about farming.

Market to Menu: Brown Rice Salad with Veggies

Thanks to sponsor Whole Foods Market of Cary for sharing this Brown Rice Salad recipe and free samples at market.

This is a versatile recipe that can be tailored to which vegetables are in season. Saturday, Whole Foods Market prepared this salad with brown rice and a bit of white rice, radishes, cherry tomatoes, peppers and basil and parsley. It was refreshing and tasty!

We appreciate Whole Foods Market of Cary's support of the WWFM and local growers everywhere!

512 Pounds for Farmer Foodshare Challenge: Thank You!

Thank you, generous market shoppers, vendors and volunteers! Thanks to your efforts, we collected 512 pounds of fresh, local fruit, vegetables, breads, eggs and meats for the hungry in our area during Saturday's Triangle Farmer Foodshare Challenge! The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle came to market with its refrigerated truck and is distributing all those wonderful foods to the food insecure in our area.

We're so appreciative of all the people who bought extra foods for our Donation Station, as well as those who donated $361 in cash for our volunteers to buy foods for the donation boxes! Cary's Pocket Community Garden donated watermelon, squash and other produce from the garden, and Girl Scout Troop 1196 came to learn more about the market and local farming. Plus, the girls generously bought foods for donation with their money.

Market to Menu: Cooking with Shitake Mushrooms

Thanks to Linda Spain of Spain Farm for these recipes--something for the meat lover and for the vegatarian too!

Beef Burgers with Mushrooms and Aioli

5 large Spain Farm shitake mushrooms, stems removed

1 1/4 lbs lean ground chuck

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 TBS olive oil

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp minced garlic

4 4-inch square or round ciabatta or foccacia squares, halved horizontally

2 cups fresh arugula

Directions:

Combine the ground chuck, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Shape the mixture into 4 (1/2-inch thick) patties.

Lightly drizzle both sides of the mushrooms with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix the mayo, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl to blend. (The patties, mushrooms and garlic may can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. cover them separately and refrigerate.)

Prepare the grill (medium-high heat). Grill the burgers until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes for side for medium rare. Grill the mushrooms til just tender, about 5 minutes per side. Grill the focaccia squares cut side down, til lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

Spread the garlic mayonnaise over the roll bottoms. Cut the mushrooms into strips and arrange them over the mayo. Place the burgers on top. Spread garlic mixture on the cut side of tops and arrange a handful of arugula on each. Cover the burger with roll tops and serve. Enjoy!

Shitake and Black Bean Quesadillas

4 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas

1/2 lb Spain Farm shitake mushrooms, sliced

2 TBS balsamic vinaigrette

1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

1 2-oz jar dice pimiento, drained

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 TBS olive oil or butter

chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

salsa (optional)

Directions:

Stack tortillas and microwave for 1 minute, or put into a warm oven. Keep warm.

Heat oil or butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Add vinaigrette, beans, and pimientos. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until liquid evaporates. Mash bean mixture slightly with a potato masher or fork.

Spoon about 1/3 cup bean mixture onto each warm tortilla. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese and 1 TBS onions. Fold tortillas in half.

Wipe skillet with paper towel; heat over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden and cheese melts. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges. Garnish with cilantro and salsa, if desired.

Pigaerator Pork: A Market Shopper's Visit to Polyface Farms

Thanks to market shopper Kevin Gordon for this article and photos. He is pictured with his wife Gwen and their sons. Joel Salatin and a few of his pigs are in the other photo.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Polyface Farm in Virginia, which is the now-famous farm of local food/farming hero Joel Salatin. Joel was hosting was the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund annual fundraiser. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization that provides much-needed legal support to small farmers legitimately selling products directly to consumers, and Joel is a big supporter of theirs, since he has used their services to fend unwarranted attacks from various regulatory agencies.

The event included a very eye-opening tour of Joel's farm, in which he explained (in the enthusiastic way that only Joel can) the sound scientific and ecological reasoning behind the farm's highly sustainable operation. Another exciting moment was the 'hot-off-the-presses' release and book signing of Joel's new book, The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer. I even purchased extra copies of this book, with the plan of donating them to the local library so that others can appreciate and learn from Joel's positive approach to farming, and life itself.

Perhaps the overwhelming theme of the discussion during lunch (of course with all local ingredients, including Joel's fabulous 'Pigaerator Pork') was the concern over the impending food safety legislation (Senate Bill S510), and of the general trend towards reduced consumer choices due to seemingly well-intentioned government food policies. I was sincerely moved and left the event with an even stronger commitment to do whatever I can to protect the rights of small farmers and the consumers that wish to obtain healthy food from them. Of course, contributing the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund was a good start!

Here's a link to a more detailed online write-up of the event, complete with useful links, pictures, and videos.

The Local Food Scene: Mark Your Calendar

Here's a quick reminder of some area events in the local food scene the next few weeks.

Hungry for Green Screening: Tues., Sept. 28, 7 pm, Fearrington Village Barn, Pittsboro. This movie ties together sustainable agriculture and hunger around the world, and it emphasizes what we as consumers and farmers can do. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Get more info from ChathamArts.

Local Farming (& Eating): Thurs., Sept. 30, 7 pm, North Regional Library in Raleigh. Learn more about the local farming and food scene and how good food choices matter for your health and your community! The session is free, but call (919) 870-4000 or email Katrina Vernon to pre-register.

Food Fight: The Movie: Thurs., Sept. 30, 6 pm and 8 pm, Meredith College, Raleigh. This screening is free, but you do need to register here for a ticket.

Pittsboro Pepper Festival: Sun., Oct. 3, 4-7 pm, Pittsboro. This fun event will feature 40 different types of peppers and plenty of dishes to taste from area chefs, along with local beer and local wine. Tickets are $15 until Oct. 1--then they go up to $25; kids 12 and under are free.

Sept. 25: Help Us Collect 4,000 Pounds of Local Food in 4 Hours at 4 Markets!

Join local farmers, shoppers and volunteers on September 25th from 8 am – 12 noon for the Triangle Farmer Foodshare Challenge—a one-day effort to raise over 4,000 pounds of fresh local food for hungry people in the Triangle!

The Western Wake Farmers’ Market (WWFM), Carrboro Farmers’ Market, Durham Farmers’ Market, and the S. Estes Farmers’ Market in Chapel Hill are joining together in this effort to provide fresh, local food for the food insecure in the Triangle and to help support area farmers.

Partner organization, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, will pick up donations at WWFM at the close of market and deliver foods right away to pantries, shelters and others who can use these foods immediately!

Donation Station: It's Easy to Buy a Bunch, Give a Bunch!

How can you participate? It's easy.

1) Buy market foods for your family, and buy some extra for the Donation Station at market.

2) Or you can donate cash at the Donation Stations, and volunteers will shop the vendors' tents for foods for the donation boxes.

3) Or, if you simpley cannot get to market on Saturday, donate donate online at the Abundance Foundation.

Each market hopes to collect 1,000 pounds of food. So come on out and get some great local food for your family, and buy some extra for families in our area that just don't get enough fresh fruits and vegetables!

WWFM's Goal: Healthy Food for All

WWFM has collected 2,975 pounds of local food for donations since April 3. Way to go WWFM shoppers! With your generosity, hungry people have access to locally grown and hand-crafted foods that are healthy, rather than process.

“So often food drives involve highly processed, unhealthy foods. With Foodshare, we can help feed hungry families with seasonal produce, whole grain breads and other healthy foods from the market,” said Juliann Zoetmulder, WWFM president. “We’re really excited to be part of this challenge, and we’re continually amazed by the generosity of our shoppers, vendors and volunteers to make this happen. We are looking forward to a great turn-out!”

The Need for Fresh Food and Local Farms

“Despite some great efforts across the state, North Carolina is not measuring up,” said Diane Beth, Nutrition Unit Manager/N.C. Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinator, N.C. Division of Public Health. The report on ‘State-Specific Trends in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults -- United States, 2000-2009’ was released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the September 9th edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

This report provides the most recent fruit and vegetable consumption rates along with trends across the decade to assess whether North Carolina residents, along with adults across America, met the Healthy People 2010 fruit and vegetable goals. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a fundamental need for a healthy life. Community efforts like the Farmer Foodshare Challenge can help get more fruits and vegetables to the tables of our state’s citizens.”

Between 2002 and 2007, NC lost 164 farms and over 500,000 acres of farmland; the percentage of farms reporting net losses grew from 54% to 58%. Local markets, by contrast, are a growing industry. The value of direct sales to consumers by NC farmers increased almost 60 percent from 2002 to 2007, and the number of farms selling directly to consumers increased by 21% (data: NASS Census of Agriculture).

“Farmers’ markets are one of the most direct ways that N.C. citizens can support their local farmers,” said Freda Butner, Nutrition Marketing Specialist, N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. “Events like Farmer Foodshare Challenge help communities support their local farmers and enhance access to fresh food for those who may not otherwise get to enjoy fresh produce often.”

Each farmers’ market will donate to local charities, including Inter-Faith Council for Social Services, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, TABLE, Urban Ministries, as well as local senior centers and churches that feed the hungry.

Volunteers from each market, as well as UNC’s Fair.Local.Organic. organization Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Society of St. Andrew, will help to collect and deliver the food.

Join us at market on Sept. 25, 8 am-12 pm, and give generously to help us collect and donate 1,000 pounds of food! Thank you!

Pittsboro Is Rocking with Local Food Fun

The Abundance Foundation is hosting the Third Annual Pittsboro Pepper Festival on Oct. 3, 4-7 pm. This fun event will feature 40 different types of peppers and plenty of dishes to taste from area chefs, along with local beer and local wine. Tickets are just $15, and kids 12 and under come for free! Come see how creative these chefs can be with local peppers and enjoy some spicy tunes from Holy Ghost Tent Revival!

Proceeds benefit the Abundance Foundation and the Piedmont Biofarm Breeding and Research Program.

Take a Walk Through the Lunch Line and Learn

It may have been a while since you walked through the lunch line at school, but how familiar are you with the National School Lunch Program? This past spring, a lot of people took a fresh look at school lunches through Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on television. Now you can learn more from Lunch Line, the Documentary, which takes a new look at the school lunch program by exploring its past, current challenges and opportunities for the future.

As the film follows six kids from a tough Chicago neighborhood who set out to fix school lunch, and end up at the White House, you may be surprised by what you learn. After the screening, co-producer Michael Graziano will be on hand to discuss the film and talk about what is next for school meals.

Advocates for Health in Action (AHA) is sponsoring the screening of Lunch Line on Nov. 10 at 1 pm and again at 6 pm at Meredith College in Raleigh. You can learn more and buy tickets online in advance for $8 or at the door for $10. All proceeds will benefit AHA-sponsored school health initiatives in Wake County.

Market to Menu: Apple Crisp

Fall is in the air, and the apples have come to market! Many thanks to The Produce Lady for sharing some great apple buying and storing tips, as well as this Apple Crisp recipe.

In her September newsletter, The Produce Lady says to look for apples that are firm and have no bruises, then store them in the refrigerator for one to two weeks. Larger quantities can be stored in a cool dry place, such as a garage or cellar. Be aware that apples stored at room temperature turn soft faster.

"This is a wonderful, healthy substitute for apple pie. Leave the peel on the apples to increase nutrients and save time. Additional mix-ins, such as fresh or dried cranberries, walnuts, pecans or almonds, can be included as well," The Produce Lady said.

4 cups sliced apples

2 TBS butter

¾ cup quick-cooking oats

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Peel apples and cut into slices. Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except apples. Stir until well blended. Place apples in baking dish and spread oat mixture on top. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until desired brownness. Serves 6.

Hit the Farm Tour Sept. 18-19 for Fun and Food

Attention foodies, families and everyone interested in great food from local farms: the 5th Annual Eastern Triangle Farm Tour is on September 18 and 19, 1 to 5 PM on both days. Two market vendors, Edible Earthscapes and Spain Farm, are on this year's tour, along with 22 other sites. Download the farm tour brochure for full details on all the farms so you can map out your route, and purchase a "button" online now or at Whole Foods Market of Cary.

Learn about fourth-generation Spain Farm's stewardship techniques to trying to preserve the land for the next generation. Shitake mushrooms are their specialty, but come see the friendly ducks too! They have Muscovy ducks for meat and Cayuga and Khaki Campbell ducks for eggs, along with free-range chickens, goats and beautiful fig and pawpaw trees! (Please note: Spain Farm is only open on Saturday's tour.)

Edible Earthscapes is a small, sustainable farm with an emphasis on Asian heirloom varieties. See a mixture of Western and Japanese growing techniques and the farm's first-year rice fields in full growth during the tour! Jason and Haruka Oatis are using the model brought to the West by the Fukuoka's famous book, The One-Straw Revolution.

Plus, visit other farms, gardens and wineries during this educational event and fundraiser for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA). Load up a car with your friends and family, choose the farms you will visit, and enjoy the countryside! The tour is self-guided, and farms and sites are located throughout the Eastern Triangle in Wake, Durham, Franklin and Chatham counties. Visit any farm in any order. Many farms also will have foods for sale so bring a cooler!

Farm-fresh Food in Our Schools

This week, the first deliveries of North Carolina produce hit Wake County school cafeterias and 54 other school systems as part of the Farm to School program for the 2010-2011 school year.

Started 13 years ago, the N.C. Farm to School program is managed by the agricultural department's Food Distribution and Marketing divisions, supplying fresh North Carolina grown fruits and vegetables throughout the year to school districts statewide. The Food Distribution Division works with child nutrition directors to secure orders and is also responsible for picking up and delivering the fresh produce from the farm to school systems. The Marketing Division works with local farmers to source the commodities for orders and designs promotional materials for school districts that focus on nutritional information and the benefits of locally grown produce.

The fruits and vegetables in the N.C. Farm to School program are grown by farmers located from the coast to the mountains. Each participating farm is certified in Good Agricultural Practices, which is a food safety certification that ensures all produce is grown and packaged under safe conditions.

You can check this calendar to see what local produce is scheduled to be delivered to schools.

Go a Step Further for Healthy Schools

If you want to learn more about how you can have a positive impact on making your kids' school lunches, snacks, class rewards and celebrations healthier, and to increase the amount of local foods in our schoools, check out the resources for parents and school staff at Advocates for Health in Action's web site. You may also get involved in the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), which serves as the primary health advisory board for the Wake County Public School System.

Fields of Fun: Area Corn Mazes

Forget about the field of dreams. We've got the field of fun right across the street from the market! It's hard to miss that beautiful farm with its red barns and, right now, its tall cornfields, just waiting for loads of visitors willing to lose themselves in fun and cornstalks for a while this fall.

Established in 1898 by owner David Ferrell's great grandparents, Green Acres is still home to the Ferrells today. They are the fourth generation of Ferrells to work the land and live on the farm. Green Acres corn maze, featuring 1.5 miles of maze fun, continues through October. If you're game for some time in the cornfields, check it out, plus hay tunnels, hay rides, pony rides, cow milking, bounce houses and slides, and a corn hole game. Not sure what that is--we'll have to go check it out! The farm hosts school groups and birthday parties, and offers a coupon at its web site this year, along with some special child ID events this fall. Check their web site for hours and details.

Phillips Corn Maze, just down the road at 6701 Good Hope Church Rd., also opens on Friday with two fields and two different maze designs, hay rides, a pumpkin launcher, corn cannon, corn box (think sandbox, but filled with corn kernels instead), a cow train, and lots more. A portion of every adult admission is donated to the Kay Yow WBCA Cancer Fund, and if you were to fly overhead, you would see an image of legendary NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow in the maze design.

Both farms, which also will have pumpkins soon, are among the many agritourism sites in North Carolina. You can check this online directory for other farms, bed and breakfasts, and other opportunities where you can keep your dollars local year round. Come on out and support these two local farming families and have fun this fall!

A Trip Through the Rice Paddies of North Carolina

Rice paddies in North Carolina? Yes, indeed, it is happening. Better yet, Jason and Haruka Oatis of market vendor Edible Earthscapes are in their first season of attempting to grow rice at their Moncure, N.C., farm right now. Haruka says they are cautiously optimistic about the harvest and their ability to bring the rice to market.

This week the couple took a field trip with Chatham County Extension Agent Debbie Roos to visit several Hmong rice farms in the area that were recently profiled in a News & Observer article and see what they could learn. "We had a great time visiting the Hmong farms with Debbie," Haruka said. "It was a very valuable learning experience for us."

You can tour the farms visually through Debbie's photos here: doesn't that rice look fantastic! We wish Jason and Haruka the best in this farming endeavor and hope their first harvest is a huge success!

So About Those Recalls...

With more than half a billion eggs recalled and now a new recall on deli meats sold at Wal-Mart, I'm particularly glad to know my farmers. Knowing the people who grow the produce, raise the animals and bake the foods that I buy at market provides me with an extra sense of security when I hear about these recalls. Clearly the FDA is simply ill-equipped to make all the necessary inspections, and the massive industrialization of our food supply continues to compromise food safety.

While I recognize illnesses can come at any time from any farm, the likelihood is so much less from small, sustainably managed farms. In this article, well-known farmer Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms discusses the conditions of so-called "factory farms" are breeding grounds for disaster. Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat, points out that the huge centralization of egg-producing farms compounds the risk. Nestle said about these large producers, "...if there’s a problem, it’s going to get magnified over many states and many people.” Salatin agrees, saying that “Whereas a problem in the local food system only affects a few people, a problem in a factory farm can infect, for instance, hundreds of millions of eggs and tens of thousands of people.”

When you factor in the nutritional value of the eggs, those from sustainably raised chickens and sold at farmers' markets are so much better for you. According to the Sustainable Table, "eggs from poultry raised on pasture have 10% less fat, 40% more vitamin A and 400% more omega-3s." That gets my attention!

Yes, the eggs are market cost more than those in nearby grocery stores, but for the flavor, my own health, the good of the environment and the animals, that expense is worth it to me. If you want to know more about eggs (everything from fun facts to storage to washing them), check out this article.

Back to School--Not Just for Kids

As summer winds down and September draws nearer, it's not just the kids who are headed back to school. There are plenty of opportunities for adults to hone their skills or learn something new about food and living sustainably. Check out these resources for a little schooling that may interest you, but remember space is limited, so don't wait too long to register.

Don Your Apron

• Back to School Cook for Good with Linda Watson of Cook for Good, Sept. 18, 2 - 3:30 PM at Chatham Marketplace, $15 ($10 for owners). Pre-register at the Marketplace or call (919) 542-2643.
• Cooking from a CSA Box with Chef Sarig Agasi from Zely & Ritz – Sept. 25, 10 am to 2 pm, $40 and eat what you cook. Whether you get your veggies in a weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box or buy them at the farmers' market, sometimes it's tough to come up with ideas with what to do with all that local goodness. Join Chef Sarig for this hands-on workshop where you'll learn a few tricks and techniques and make lunch together.
• Homemade read Quick and Slow – Linda Watson of Cook for Good, October 24…save the date and check The Abundance Foundation's site for details soon on this baking workshop.

Dig in to the Garden

• Fall/Winter Gardening – The Gardener's Kitchen – Ginger Zucchino, Aug. 28, 1 - 5 PM, $50: Here in western Wake County, you can garden year-round! Learn from this expert right here in Cary about how to prepare and plant your garden for the colder months ahead. September, October and November classes added!
• Edible Classroom – Catherine Cadden, Sept. 4, 9 AM - 4 PM, $85, includes lunch: If you work with kids aged 4-14, this workshop will help you teach them about growing, cooking and eating organic food.

Saving the Flavors

• Basic Water Bath Canning – The Gardener's Kitchen – Ginger Zucchino, Aug. 21, 1 - 5 PM, $50: This hands-on workshop will demonstrate harvesting, selection of produce, and food preservation techniques for saving and storing food. Class demo includes preparation and canning using the water bath method of seasonal vegetables or fruits.
• Canning 101 – Rachel Huff, Sept. 11, 1 - 4:30 PM, $45: Learn how to can summer abundance so you can enjoy summer and fall flavors all winter long. Take home a pint of something wonderful!

Sustainable Energy Sources

• Energy Solutions Seminar – Yes! Solar Solutions, Sept. 18, 11 AM - 12 PM, This 1-hour seminar hits the highlights on how you can save money by saving energy. It's free, but space is limited so contact them to register.
• Building Small Scale Off-grid Solar Electric (Photovoltaic) Systems – Rebekah Hren, Sept. 18 & 19, 9 AM - 5 PM, $270, includes a sandwich from Chatham Marketplace both days: for someone with a real DIY attitude, this intensive class covers off-grid solar electric basics. Students will help install a code-compliant 500 watt PV system on a small cabin.

Chain of Restaurants Promises Farm to Table

When a chain restaurant is offering locally sourced ingredients, it's a great sign that the demand for local, healthier and safer food is really taking root across this country.

Last week while visiting family in the Washington, D.C. area, we had spent several hot, but fun, hours outside at WolfTrap National Park. The afternoon was marching on, and we needed to find a place for lunch quickly. We settled on Silver Diner, a chain with more than 15 restaurants in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, because it was nearby and everyone could find something of interest on the menu.

I was a little skeptical of the banner hanging out front proclaiming "Farm to Table," but a hand-written poster in the lobby greeted us with its welcome news of local ingredients on the menu. It highlighted which items were local and which area farms had supplied them. Tomatoes, peppers, herbs and some other produce were featured from a nearby Virginia farm, as well as eggs, cheese and artisan breads from local farms and bakeries. I chose the tomato mozzarella sandwich since I knew it was all local and seasonal. It was delicious!

Silver Diner notes that it uses local ingredients whenever possible and that its meats are hormone-free. If you find yourself on the road near a Silver Diner, you should be able to find something on the menu to meet your "local food" standards. It's not all local, but it's certainly a start. You can view a list of Silver Diner's locally sourced, fresh ingredients and watch a short video about its commitment to farm to table.

If you have come across a chain or restaurants serving up local fare in your travels, send us a message. We'll share the news with fellow market shoppers and local food enthusiasts.

Local Farming (& Eating): Join the Conversation!

Whether you're a die-hard locavore or someone who simply wants to know more about the local farming and food scene, this informative session is for you: Local Farming (& Eating). Mark your calendar for Thursday, Sept. 30, 7:00 PM at North Regional Library in Raleigh for this discussion.

See how good food choices matter for health and community! John M. O'Sullivan, professor of Sustainable Agriculture, Local and Community Food Systems at NCA & TSU in Greensboro, will lead this discussion. He serves as a farm management and marketing specialist with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Program.

Plus learn more about the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) research, the State Action Plan, the 10% Campaign and ways you can be involved. Find out how to become a partner in the discussion of local farming and join the conversation!

The session is free, but call (919) 870-4000 or email Katrina Vernon to pre-register.