The Market: Certifiably Natural and Organic

Good Morning Community,
I trust everyone is looking out on the same bizarre almost-May morning that I am. I’m sure it’s all you’ve been talking about, but it seems we’re experiencing (1) a depressingly normal Spring (as opposed to our previous few) or (2) a straight-up weird Spring. My weather memory is too short to know for sure. Either way, this Spring is no friend to tomatoes or squash.
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In our market…
It IS, however, a friend to our early Spring crops. (The Market is open, by the way). You’ll find cabbages, broccoli, and kale galore today, as well as carrots, but by the time you’ve read this, those’ll probably already be gone. I just grilled a mix of Kellogg’s broccoli florets and North Pulaski’s broccolini last night, and it was delicious. Yes, I grilled last night, and it was not good grilling weather.
Strawberries from three farms: Barnhill, Kornegay, and 5k Farms. Live it up, fruit-eaters. This is the beginning of fruit season. Kornegay is offering a special deal: 1 flat for $32. Jam, anyone?
Plenty of good grilling meats, if you’re feeling hopeful. Ratchford is offering a beef sampler, grill special, and bulk ground beef. Don’t forget your sausages and chicken hearts. Can you grill chicken hearts?
And, of course, plants. We may finally be in the clear to get our tomato plants into the soil safely. Plenty of people left with herbs and tomatoes yesterday. Kick your green thumb up a notch.
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A little informal educational fun…
So, Certified Naturally Grown. What is that about? Our very own Kellogg Valley Farm is Certified Naturally Grown. Typically, CNG is overlooked in favor of Organic certification. Both are excellent programs, but CNG has its own unique values. Check the link out for more info. CNG excludes some synthetic substances that Organic allows. More interestingly, CNG has a participatory guarantee system, in which inspections are carried out by other farmers. In a certain sense, this may be a better guarantee of natural and organic farming practices, because, in the words of our own Rebecca Wild, when your inspector is also your competitor, he or she is a lot more likely to do a serious inspection. It’s an interesting alternative to the top-down system of inspections from officials who only visit every year or less.
A final feature about Certified Naturally Grown that I find interesting is that it’s meant as a complement to the National Organic Program. While the NOP primarily serves medium and large-scale agricultural operations, CNG is tailored for direct-market farms selling in their local communities. These farms often find that the NOP’s heavier paperwork requirements are not a good fit for their small-scale operations. The dynamics of certification are complicated, and education is the best way to navigate all these programs. Don’t overlook Certified Naturally Grown, and show your support of this certification by buying from Kellogg Valley Farm!
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Southern Roots: An Evening of Local Food & Farmers.
Have you heard about our exciting upcoming fundraiser? Read the details and purchase tickets here. We’re partnering with the Oxford American and their new space on South Main to celebrate local food! So far, we’ve got an amazing list of farmers and artisans who will be contributing and even attending the event. A big THANKS to Special thanks and recognition to our contributing farmers:
Arkansas Natural Produce – Arkansas Fresh Bakery – Armstead Mountain Farm – Barnhill Orchards – Bussey-Scott Urban Garden – Farm Girl Natural Foods – Falling Sky Farm – Flyway Brewery – Kellogg Valley Farm – Kent Walker Artisan Cheese – Laughing Stock Farm – Loblolly Creamery – McSwain Ranch – Ratchford Farms & Exotic Meats – Rattle’s Garden – Rocktown Distillery – Stone’s Throw Brewery – Willow Springs Market Garden – Youngblood Grassfed Farm.
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And some social networking from our farmers…

From Drewry Farm & Orchards: "several swarms today, note to self: tuck in pant legs next time…, the bees tend to crawl up your pant legs, they also like to sting the warm parts of your body, like top of the head, arm pits, and other spots, its the “other spots” that concered me..Nan"

From Tammy Sue’s Critters:
“The rain stayed away and we had a great morning at the Farmer’s Market. Thank you to all our friends!”

and from ABC Nature Greenhouse:
“It seems I have 2 of the very rare and hard to find, maybe soon to be extinct grapes in my front yard. They are the Muscat of Alexandria and the Black Monukka grapes. Woo hoo! I love it when you find things that are just on the verge ………….. and they are growing right here in Arkansas!”

See you guys next weekend!

Sincerely,
Sam Hedges