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.

Market to Menu: Summer Ginger Quinoa

Market Manager Kim Hunter shares this recipe featuring protein-packed whole grain quinoa, plus peppers, peaches, goat cheese and basil that you can buy at the market.

Summer Ginger Quinoa
Makes 4-6 servings

1 cup quinoa
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoon freshly minced ginger
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, diced
½ teaspoon finely chopped hot pepper (optional)
1 bunch of chopped fresh basil (about 10 basil leaves)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 peaches, cut into thin bite sized pieces
2 ounces goat cheese

Preparation:
In a medium pot, soak quinoa in water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse, then return quinoa to pot and add 1 ½ cups water. Stir in the oil, salt and fresh ginger. Bring quinoa to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, immediately reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot. Cook for 15 more minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from heat and keep covered for five minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, sauté onion, garlic and hot pepper in a skillet until onion is lightly browned and tender. After quinoa had cooked, add onion mixture.

Top quinoa with goat cheese, basil, and peaches and drizzle with lemon juice….enjoy!

A Homecoming and a Feast for the Eyes

Between a beach vacation and trips to visit friends out of town, I missed the farmers' market four weeks in a row. You could say I was in market withdrawal. When I happily returned there this past weekend, I was rewarded with a feast for the eyes!

If you've shopped the market lately, then you know what I'm talking about. All the colors of those beautiful fruits and veggies are so inviting, and as irrational as it may be, I feel a little healthier just being around all those foods! From purple, lavender, striped and even white eggplant, to round zucchini in deep greens and yellow, to peppers in an array of colors, the foods at market right now give a whole new meaning to the advice to "eat your colors" for good health.

I took a few pictures because I can't resist how beautiful the food is, and I love that there are varieties here you simply cannot get in the grocery store. Here are a few of them, just in case you've been out of town also and need your market fix.

Home Again

I also enjoyed a homecoming of sorts, as I was able to catch up with several farmers, talk with them about my garden woes, and see what they are harvesting from their fields now that we're deep into summer. Chatting with our vendors and learning about the unique varieties they grow is part of the fun of farmers' market shopping, as well as seeing how they support each other.

From week to week, our vendors are generally in the same spot at market, so they get to know each other well and sometimes share ideas about how to use their market ingredients. For instance, last week Dorian at Hillsborough Cheese Co. offered a taste of a caprese salad, sampling sliced tomatoes from Sunburst Tomatoes, fresh basil from another neighbor vendor and his own hand-crafted mozzarella cheese. Cindy at Smith Angus Farm told me she has several new cuts of beef, including stir fry meat, and that sometimes market neighbor Ben's Produce has bags of stir fry veggies for sale. Talk about convenience — your stir-fry fixings all right there at the market!

I'm in town again this weekend and looking forward to what the market brings. See you there!

Win a $20 Gift Certificate!

In celebration of National Farmers Market Week, we're giving away a $20 market gift certificate for free local goods!

We want to say thanks to all the shoppers who come out in support of the market and the vendors who bring their beautiful and delicious local foods and products to us each week! There is a catch… only market newsletter subscribers are eligible to win. If you do not receive our newsletter, you can sign up here and print your raffle ticket from this coming Thursday's newsletter, then bring it to market for the raffle drawing.

This marks the 11^th year the USDA has declared National Farmers Market Week. In 1994, USDA said there were just 1,755 farmers' markets operating across the country, and as of the middle of 2009, there were 5,274. There was a 13% increase in the number of markets from 2008-2009! USDA is expected to release its newest directory of farmers' markets this week.

It's great to see so many markets in our area and across the country. People are reconnecting with their farmers and how their food is grown, raised and crafted! We salute the farmers!