Find the Joy in Farmers Markets

Opening day of the 2014 Downtown Rutland outdoor farmers market. Downtown Rutland Partnership/photo

By Steve Peters

It’s an exciting time of year. The sun has returned and so has our wonderful outdoor farmers market. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning in Rutland than browsing the foods and goods of our hardworking growers, producers and artisans. And it’s always fun to chat with friends in the process.

But not all would agree. Not everyone sees a farmers market as such a warm and welcoming space. Perhaps it’s because the market is not arranged in the fashion of a large supermarket – it takes a little experience to figure out the norms. No, there isn’t a checkout counter to scan your way through upon exiting and yes, you actually have to look up from your smart phone and talk with people. Bringing your own reusable bags, on the other hand, is an appreciated, though not mandatory practice. No one is going to turn you away if you ask for one.

Then there are other, larger barriers to overcome. In particular – how do you make local food work on a limited budget? How does a farmers market present itself in a manner that is inclusive of all sectors of the community, and not just to those with expendable incomes?

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I believe it’s a two way street. Markets need to seek ways to make themselves accommodating to everyone – from the first time shopper with the puzzled look on her face, to the guy who never misses a week. I’m not suggesting that our markets and vendors don’t already do this; in fact, I think as a whole, they’re doing a pretty good job. But as local markets continue to grow and thrive, it’s certainly something to keep in mind. It takes more than just setting up a tent and waiting for the people to arrive. In part, this goes back to Kim Griffin’s point in a Harvest Watch column a few months ago – the farmer has many roles to play in their business, including marketer.

On the other hand, people also need to know the basic skills in order to make shopping local work for them. They need to know the value and nutrition of these foods and why they should at least consider making purchases here, rather than walking by and heading to the Wal-Mart, Price Chopper, or other big box store. They need to know what to do with the foods once they’ve brought them home. Storage and preparation are only the start. Unfortunately, such basic skills and knowledge are not priorities in schools. Coming from a background in education, I’m also not blaming anyone in particular here either; it’s just the nature of society today. As much as we’ve progressed in some ways, I’d argue that we’ve also regressed a bit too.

In my position at RAFFL I’m happy to have the ability to address these issues and help support farmers with marketing (take our Locally Grown Guide, for instance) or educating community members on local food. This time of year, I start doing more local food tastings and cooking demos where I have the opportunity to share my passion and knowledge for local food with others. Of course, I realize that I’m not going to change our society alone and neither is RAFFL. It takes a combined effort throughout the community to enact the changes we’d like to see. In Vermont, we’re already far ahead of the nation in supporting our local foods and businesses, but there is still a long way to go.

For now, here are some quick tips to making local food and farmers markets work for everyone. Perhaps you can add or share these ideas with others – maybe with that friend who thinks buying local is too expensive for them, or that busy family that doesn’t see the value in a visit to the market.

1) Almost all farmers markets accept 3SquaresVT these days. Look for the signs where you can use your card in exchange for tokens. Also, if on a low income, take advantage of Farm to Family coupons available through BROC. These are free dollars to spend at a farmers market.

2) For the best deals, buy foods at the peak of their season. Search for “Vermont harvest calendar” for a handy guide from Green Mountain Farm to School.

3) When you can, buy in bulk. Bulk buying often allows for a better deal. Can’t use or store it all? Go in on it with friends or family. Or, ask a farmer if they offer a CSA market share. With this approach, you can pay an amount upfront and receive a credit throughout the season, often at a better rate.

4) Ask for seconds. Not everything a farmer grows is perfect. Sometimes, they’ll have bruised or imperfect produce available for less. These are called “seconds.”

5) Buy a few starter plants. Many farmers are offering starts right now and for just a few dollars (of which 3SquaresVT benefits can be used) you can get several plants that will produce throughout the season. Even a small garden patch or a few pots can produce a surprising amount of food.

6) Talk to a farmer. They’re always happy to tell you about the foods they grow.

Steve Peters manages communications and food education at RAFFL. He spends his free time with other food related hobbies, such as cooking, gardening and baking. Reach him at steve@rutlandfarmandfood.org.

 

 

What’s New at the Winter Farmers Market

Albert J. Marro/Photo

By Lindsay Courcelle

On Saturday, Rutland’s Vermont Farmers Market moved indoors to the Vermont Farmers Food Center on West Street. The huge industrial building is now a hub of agriculture and crafts for our region.

Over 70 vendors attended on Saturday, selling a huge diversity of goods. There were familiar faces amongst the vendors, but many new booths as well. I chatted with a mere handful of vendors to get a snapshot of what’s new at Rutland’s Winter Farmers Market. Of course, the best way to discover all of the secrets of the market is to come see for yourself!

Yoder Farm is back and stocked full of beans, apple cider vinegar, and maple popcorn. New partnerships with Windfall Orchards and Mendon Mountain Orchards have resulted in three varieties of applesauce. Each has a different shade of pink and the flavors vary in sweetness and tartness. I bought a case of their applesauce last year and never regretted it. It was a delicious and healthy dessert or complement to any meal.

Breezy Meadows Orchard & Nursery is another returning vendor with a new product to share: locally grown rice. The rice project was made possible through a successful Kickstarter campaign, allowing Breezy Meadows to form an acre of rice paddies on their land in Tinmouth. Having visited during the summer months, I can attest to the idyllic scene of rice growing on a Vermont hillside, and I can’t wait to taste it!

Nearby, the sun was shining into the big windows, illuminating colorful glass orbs at Grace Glass. Zachary Grace creates functional glassware and bowls, including some with mini copper sculptures encased in the glass. The colors and forms are truly awesome. Grace spoke poetically about how drinking from an individual and unique glass, one made with love, is like eating high quality, locally grown food. A tall glass of cider was sounding mighty tasty at that moment.

Across the aisle at Windfall Orchards, cider was bountiful, as were six or eight varieties of apples with names like Winter Banana, Black Gillyflower, and Golden Russet. Windfall has three beverages crafted creatively from local apples. Their Ice Cider is deliciously sweet and made from their own apples. Their Orleans bitters are unique, tinctured with dandelion and gentian, a wildflower. This is a perfect gift for the Old-Fashioned and Manhattan lovers out there. The Orleans herbal has similarly complex flavors and features basil and anise hyssop, a warming herb good for both the digestive and respiratory systems.

Another fermentation specialist is right down the way, Chrysalis Cultures, selling raw artisan kraut. Their sauerkraut is lacto-fermented, a type of fermentation common in many cultures traditionally. It is extremely beneficial for healthy bacteria in your gut, similar to yogurt. The business was built out of co-owner Christina Cunningham’s work as a health coach, specifically focusing on gastrointestinal wellness. Their four varieties of kraut are available for sample, of which the Dill & Garlic is my favorite. Chrysalis is teaching a Sauerkraut 101 workshop on November 13 from 6-7:30 at Green Mountain College for those curious about kraut making.

Plew Farm, a new vendor at the winter market, features pastured pork, chicken, turkey, and beef, plus maple and a smattering of canned goods. One unique product at Plew Farm is the dehydrated chicken feet, which has become a popular dog treat for Plew’s customers. I was impressed that the farm found a use for a by-product like chicken feet, which all too often end up unused despite being a good source of nutrition for our canine friends.

In the prepared food realm, several vendors are upping the ante with new hot food offerings. I tried a tasty Moroccan curry from 153 Sandwiches, topped with their signature cashew cream. Owner Dimitar Atanasov is friendly and sincere, sharing that he tries to use as many local and organic ingredients as possible for his vegan offerings. In the coming weeks, he will feature hot soups and dishes like creamy kale pasta.

As I spoke with vendors, I was reminded about the unique opportunity that customers have to ask questions of their local food producers. Though many farmers use organic methods, not all do. And though many prepared food vendors utilize local ingredients, not all do. If you have food criteria you are trying to meet, be sure to ask those simple questions of the vendors. Your voice and your wallet can make a difference, especially on a local scale. And that is the magic of the farmers market!

Lindsay Courcelle and her husband Scott own Alchemy Gardens, a farm business growing vegetables and herbs in West Rutland. You can reach her at alchemygardens@gmail.com.

The 5th Annual Twilight in the Meadow is Almost Here!

The 2011 Twilight celebration at Hathaway Farm in Rutland.

By RAFFL staff

Each year on a cool evening, just as the summer turns into fall, a large white tent is erected on one of the picturesque farms in Rutland County for a very special event. Warm light, lively music, laughter and conversation draw in visitors from near and far. The event is known as Twilight in the Meadow, an annual celebration of local farms and food hosted by the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link.

Now in its fifth year, Twilight has become an annual tradition for many locals. This year’s celebration will take place at Wood’s Market Garden in Brandon on Sunday, September 15^th in the early evening. Catered by some of the area’s top chefs and bakers, using the finest ingredients Rutland County has to offer, tickets to the event are coveted by foodies and agricultural enthusiasts alike.

This year, our Mediterranean inspired menu will be presented by Sheri Sullivan of Plan-It Sheri, Jennifer Brenner of Olive Branch Gourmet, Sissy Hicks of Sissy’s Kitchen, Amanda Barrett of SugarBees, Alison Briggs of Trillium Hill Desserts and Tracy Medeiros of The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook. Their delicious foods will be complemented by Vermont made cheeses and served with local beers and wines.

In the past, Twilight has featured a formal sit-down meal with table service. However, this year’s event will look a bit different. There will be casual seating and a more relaxed atmosphere – adding more of the socializing everyone has loved at this end of summer festivity. The caterers will be spread throughout the tent, allowing for a “grazing” dinner to be enjoyed at one’s own pace.

Twilight in the Meadow is also a great opportunity to learn more about what we’re doing at RAFFL. Visual depictions of our programs will be highlighted throughout the tent and representatives from our organization and the agricultural community will be present to help narrate and answer your questions. There will also be plenty of time to chat with local farmers and learn more about the life of a farmer here in Rutland County.

As a celebration of local farms and foods, Twilight in the Meadow is one of our greatest fundraising efforts at RAFFL. The proceeds allow us to continue pursuing our work in advancing the agricultural community of the greater Rutland region. The event has both silent and live auctions and they are a great way to contribute to RAFFL and simultaneously win a gift certificate or unique experience at a local business or venue.

This year’s Twilight in the Meadow will be preceded by an online auction hosted by the popular charity fundraising website Bidding for Good. The online auction will be a convenient way for those who can’t be present at the actual event, and out of town supporters, to donate while purchasing some truly special items. A few such items include tickets to the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, a private dinner for six in the upstairs dining room at Roots Restaurant, passes to Vermont State Parks, gift certificates to Three Tomatoes Restaurant, a gift basket from Blackpowder Foods, a garden cart from Gardeners Supply, and many more.

One item you won’t find anywhere else includes the opportunity to travel to Vero Beach, Florida.  As the personal guest of the Vero Beach Opera and Ms. Virginia Russell of Brandon and Vero Beach, you are invited to view the concert and then attend a private party with the star, Marcello Giordani, at the Moorings Club.  Mr. Giordani has been hailed by the international press as one of the most important tenors on the opera stage today.  He has appeared in all of the world’s major opera houses and has sung with many of today’s most renowned conductors.  This item includes transportation expenses, great lodging and more.  Last year’s winner absolutely loved her experience.

Another unique experience is an educational farm stay at Trevin Farms, a fantastic bed and breakfast in Sudbury offering two nights’ accommodations, a cheese making course and meals.

From the magnificent to the simply great, RAFFL is incredibly appreciative of the generosity of our community members in helping us to raise the funds we need to operate our programs that support local farms and strong communities.  We hope to see many of you on September 15^th!

Tickets to Twilight in the Meadow are available on our website www.rutlandfarmandfood.org/twilight or by calling us at 417-7331 or 417-1528.

Introducing RAFFL’s Glean Team: Harvesting Good Food for Donation

By Tara Kelly

There is untapped potential in the fields of the greater Rutland region.  Good, nutritious, tasty food could be in the hands of hungry people from Wells to Fair Haven to Rutland if a few more good hands were available to glean (harvest for donation).

Growing vegetables and fruit for sale is a tricky business.  Unpredictable weather, pests, and volatile markets are just some of the complicated factors that lead farmers to plant just a bit more than they plan to sell.  The unsold lettuce at the end of a farmers market or the row of green beans that overproduced creates an opportunity to feed more people.  But, there is only so much a farmer can do.  Choices range from turning the crops under to put organic materials back into the soil, feeding extra produce to animals on the farm (making for some happy pigs), or donating the produce back to the community.

The third option, the one farmers would most prefer when the crops are good, is also the most difficult to accomplish. Everyone knows that there are not enough hours in the day for farmers working full tilt all summer long.  RAFFL’s program ensures farmers have a reliable resource to call on, people are mobilized in quick order, volunteers have the training and supplies to handle the job, and good communication is established with food programs around the county where we deliver the donated produce.

The Glean Team (formerly known as Grow a Row) has always relied on a number of creative partnerships.  Grace Church has organized volunteers, Green Mountain College has shared resources critical to the operations of this program, Thomas Dairy and Wellsmere Farm have lent cooler space, Hannaford has donated boxes, the Rutland Area Food Coop has donated storage space, Williams Hardware has donated supplies, 22 farms have donated produce, and many, many individuals have contributed their time.  When the Vermont Foodbank opens its satellite distribution facility in Rutland, we anticipate partnering with them as well.

Another important partner is Salvation Farms.  Theresa Snow, director of Salvation Farms, is a passionate advocate for long term food security and food independence.  For nine years she has operated an effective gleaning program and helped RAFFL, as well as others, to start gleaning as a complement to our work to reconnect and strengthen our local food system.  RAFFL’s partnership with Salvation Farms is an example of collective impact.  For example, earlier this spring Bill Clark (longtime advocate for RAFFL’s work) called to say he’d been in touch with Perry’s Potatoes just over the border from Poultney in Hampton, NY.  Perry’s has donated potatoes to RAFFL’s program each year, but this year was unprecedented.  They had nearly 3,000 pounds of potatoes that were starting to deteriorate.  They wanted to donate while the potatoes were still good or else, Kevin Perry said, the cows would be happy to eat them.

RAFFL’s volunteers took a few hundred pounds, sorted out the rotten ones, and bagged them for distribution to food shelves and meals programs around the county.  Then, we called Salvation Farms.  Salvation Farms picked up the remaining 2,200 pounds and brought them to the Southeast Correctional Facility in Windsor.  Inmates on a special work program organized by Salvation Farms sorted and bagged the remaining potatoes and within a day all of those potatoes were delivered out to charitable food programs in Vermont.  This is the power of partnerships.

Theresa and I spent a day and a half last week driving around the county meeting with farmers who have donated produce to our program over the past few years.  The purpose of our visits was to plan for the coming year.  With Theresa’s expertise and coaching, the conversations went from “happy to work with you again this year” to a true spark that led to many creative ideas for how RAFFL can be of even better service to farmers in the process of collecting excess produce for donations.  There is a real, untapped potential for moving food from farms to people who have emergency food needs.  In order to accomplish this, RAFFL is scaling up our services this season.  We will continue to pick up unsold produce at the Saturday farmers market in downtown Rutland and pick up bulk amounts of food from area farms.  We are expanding our capacity to do more harvesting.  We need more gleaners.

Gleaning is fun and rewarding work.  RAFFL’s Glean Team is a chance to see food production at work and gain a deeper appreciation for everything that goes into it.  We get a day in the sun (or rain) where it is easy to see what has been accomplished by the end – crates of food ready for delivery to people who need it.

The efforts of these many volunteers do not go unnoticed.  I’m told by the folks we donate to that people recognize and appreciate it when fresh farm produce is available to them.  Not only are they receiving more nutritious options than they might otherwise, but they receive the gift of knowing that neighbors are taking care of neighbors – that their local farmers and community care.  Join RAFFL’s Glean Team.  Call 417-1528 or email gleaning@rutlandfarmandfood.org.

Tara Kelly is the Executive Director of the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link

Tending Gardens and Community

A view of the 2012 community gardens located on Allen Street in Rutland.

By Elizabeth Theriault

The United States has a long history of community gardens.  During World War I and II they were known as victory or war gardens. The government encouraged citizens to start growing their own food in order to support the war effort and reduce the pressure on public food supply. Victory gardeners contributed labor and were rewarded with fresh produce during a time when it was scarce.

In recent years, there is a resurgence of this style of community garden. People are raising their garden forks not for war on foreign soil, but a fight for equal access to fresh healthy food. In a time where people are talking about food deserts (an area that has little or no access to groceries with fresh produce), soaring food prices, fuel scarcity and climate change, community gardens can serve as a source of food and sovereignty.

During World War II farmers had been recruited into military service resulting in a shortage of farmers to grow the nation’s food supply. Today we are faced with a new type of challenge. The USDA reported that the U.S. has lost 800,000 farmers and ranchers in the last 40 years. Between 1900 and 2002, the number of farms in the U.S. shrank by 63 percent, while the average farm size increased by 67 percent. The dairy industry has suffered even larger losses over the past 35 years, between 1970 and 2006; the country lost 88 percent of its dairy farms, while the average herd size per farm increased from 19 to 120 cows.  These statistics reveal an increased reliance upon a shrinking number of larger, heavily mechanized farms.  In areas with industrialized agriculture there are signs that our food supply is vulnerable.  With water shortages in the western United States, rising cost of fuel, and soil degradation leading to ever increasing amounts of chemical “inputs” to create fertility – one has to wonder what the future will look like for food production.   Who is going to grow our food in the future?

Fortunately, there is a counter-trend.  The summer after I graduated from college I moved back home to a small town in coastal Maine to find a job. I worked for an organization called Youthlinks that provided “at risk” youth programs to teach them life skills and engage them in the community. At Youthlinks I met a young farmer named Rachel who ran a small organic farm and spent one day a week building a community garden with the youth.  Rachel taught kids how to grow organic food and flowers but she also taught them about a way of life. Rachel taught students how to be stewards of the land by nurturing the soils and plants and never using chemical fertilizers or herbicides. This little community garden plot became a place for kids to grab a healthy fresh snack right off the vine at the end of the day, connect with their environment, learn practical life skills and create a sense of community.  Community gardens have the potential to transform communities through increased access to healthy fresh food, a connection with the environment, satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement and a sense of community.

This concept is not lost on Rutland City officials and community members who have been revitalizing Rutland city neighborhoods.  In the last two weeks a new community garden has been built in Rutland’s Northwest community on Baxter Street. The garden was built by volunteers including Rutland city’s Mayor Chris Louras and many people of all ages from the neighborhood. The garden will be overseen by the Recreation and Parks Department, the Mayor’s office and Sustainable Rutland.

I spoke with Carol Tashie of Radical Roots Farm in West Rutland, a founding member of Sustainable Rutland and member of RAFFL’s board of directors, about the bigger picture for Rutland and community gardens. Carol explained that the long term goal for Rutland is to have a community garden in every neighborhood so everyone can walk from their house to a garden. Carol stated,” The community garden is designed to build community.  It is wonderful to have food and flowers grown on the land.  And, real beauty and magic comes from building community and caring for the land together.”

There are many types of community gardens all over this area from Castleton to Middletown Springs to Manchester.  Some are designed to encourage community participation and others provide plots for rent to gardeners who need more space than they have at home.  Rutland City has two gardens where plots are for rent: on Woodstock Avenue and on Allen Street.

RAFFL is starting a new project at the community garden on Allen Street in partnership with PEG TV and Rutland Recreation and Parks Department.  Called Rutland Grows!, this community growing project is for Rutland city residents who want to learn how to grow their own food and learn how we can change our food system to create a sustainable future where everyone has access to fresh healthy food. In addition to hands-on learning, PEG TV will be airing a series of shows taped at the gardens.  To get more information about Rutland Grows!  contact Elizabeth at 417-1528 or Elizabeth@rutlandfarmandfood.org.  And, remember, any excess food you grow this summer can be donated to area food shelves.  You can also drop off your donation any Saturday at the end of the Downtown Rutland summer market where RAFFL volunteers gather food and then distribute it to food shelves across the county.

Elizabeth Theriault is Community Engagement Coordinator at the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link

What I Learned about Life and Work From Sourdough

by Tara Kelly

Last week Jeremy Zietz led a workshop about baking sourdough bread at the PEG TV kitchen studio in Rutland.  In a departure from my normal routine, I decided to attend (after all, he was donating the class fees to RAFFL).   Given my full schedule, I didn’t think I would actually follow-through and bake bread.  Yet, there I was in a room full of (potential) bakers.  Jeremy had a philosophical and funny approach that engaged me.  He had structured the class specifically toward people that work a full-time job.  His class left me thinking maybe I CAN do this.

After helping the kids with their school fundraiser on Saturday morning, I found myself reading through Jeremy’s instructional booklet, feeding the sourdough “levain”, and plotting out how I would take the sourdough through the various stages of fermentation over the course of the weekend.

This type of bread making can’t be rushed.  As I carefully worked my way through the steps, my thoughts turned to my favorite puzzle: how to create food systems that give people easier access to good, healthy foods while those who labor to produce the food are treated fairly.  The process of sourdough bread making provided interesting parallels to RAFFL’s work.

Start With What Worked in the Past Then Build for the Future

The first ingredient in sourdough bread is a lump of dough that someone has given to you.  This lump is likely several generations old.  It has moved from person to person across time being fed and nourished by each person along the way.  And yet, it is viable and bursting with energy:  the perfect start to a future loaf of bread.

RAFFL began on the shoulders of many generations of farmers in this rural county.  These farmers who tended their fields and animals while they also tended their communities make Rutland County a great place to live.   When the systems for producing and transporting food went national and then international, the economic underpinnings of small, local farms suffered.  As people around the country began to understand the failings of that system, the costs to human health and rural economies, they began to take action.  In this context, RAFFL was born.  Vermont is fortunate that we haven’t ever completely lost the knowledge, land base and community connections that others are seeking.  We had saved the essence from which to build into the future.

Trial and Error, Adapt and Improve

Jeremy mentioned a dozen times that sourdough bread making requires experimentation.  There is a basic recipe that can be followed.  But, to succeed requires a willingness to take risks, do your best, learn from your mistakes, and adapt for the next time.

Farmers are masters at trial and error.  Every seed that is planted, every animal on the farm, every new acre of land that is turned over is an experiment.  Calculated risks are part of the business.  Likewise, RAFFL and similar organizations are working on complex issues in a rapidly evolving industry.  This takes a nimbleness and willingness to try new things that are unproven.  It means scanning the environment for best practices while also thinking outside the box.  It means being grounded in the realities of basic economic theory while also seeking to shift and change the “laws” by creating new and innovative approaches built on a set of values that go beyond basic supply and demand rules.  It means taking the time to review what is working, what is not, and then adapt.   As Winston Churchill once said, “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”

Patience:  Don’t Overwork it – Let it Rest – Stay on Track

One of the key instructions in the sourdough recipe repeats several times, “let the dough rest for up to 8 hours.”  It requires patience and planning in order to stay on track. As a person of action, I found it challenging to operate this way.  But, it is key.

When RAFFL began we had big ideas about shifting the farm and food system in our region.  As it turns out, some ideas were a bit cart before the horse; others weren’t needed at all.  The due diligence we conducted to get to those conclusions was a lot of work, and it took time.  Eventually, we realized that a non-profit organization relying on grants and subsidies should not create a parallel to the existing supply chain.  At that point we turned our attention to implementing projects that are not as flashy, but which are steadily creating the change we seek.   We are building partnerships with private enterprise to achieve a common good.  To reach our goal we need to keep our eye on the prize.

Pass it On

Receiving a gift from the past, making a mark on it, and then passing it forward is extremely rewarding.  I’ve already passed on chunks of dough to a couple of neighbors so they can make their own bread.  And the chunk I kept for myself will need feeding and watering if it is going to be useful in the future (Jeremy referred to the levain as his pet – now I know why).   The same is true for the work we are doing to invest in local farms so that our local agricultural economy works and grows into the future.  The work we are doing today is bubbling and growing — creating spin-off projects and new initiatives here and around the state – leaving a legacy for generations to come.