The Market is Open

Good Morning Market Goers,
What can I say? This weather. Wow this weather. We should all want to be farmers right now.
It occurs to me that I’ve developed an interesting relationship with earth’s produce. I treat it like a hot commodity. When beets are in season, I could buy 40 plus pounds, for fear that I may miss my chance. I guess seasonality kind of warrants a gatherer’s complex: collect your food before it’s gone. The difference is that, if I don’t get all my squash and sausage from the market, I can go to the grocery store. I just don’t feel that way. I feel like this is my only option, which gets me in trouble sometimes, budget wise.
On the other hand, as a cook, accepting the limitation of seasonality is beneficial. I cook what I get from the market, with just a little supplemented by the grocery store, and it’s helped. I think it makes for a more creative cooking experience, with less pressure on what you cook being restaurant-quality. It just needs to be good enough and effective at utilizing what’s in season.
Speaking of which…
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What’s in season…

• I’m in the mood for beef. Third most widely eaten meat in the world. In 2009, on average, people in the U.S. ate 88lbs of beef per person. Probably best it comes from cows raised humanely, on land that is being enriched instead of depleted or clear-cut. Ratchford Farms has a variety of beef cuts available, from steaks to roasts. His cattle are spring-fed in the Ozarks. I encourage you to read L.C. Ratchford’s descriptions for his products: it tells you a lot about the character of his farm.
• It looks like Bluebird Hill recently picked up some ducks, ’cause they have duck eggs available.
• Winter Squash. My favorite part of Fall harvest may be winter squash. Their flavor is excellent, and in an age of cookie cutter vegetables, they astound in their variety and bizarre, gnarled fashions. Barnhill’s Sunshine Squash are vibrant orange. Spaghetti Squash, Pumpkins, Acorn Squash, all so varied in appearance. Butternut Squash apparently had a good growing season: our farmers have plenty, and they will keep on your shelf long after they disappear from the market!
• Sweet Potatoes from Drewry Farm. Another Fall favorite for me, and Drewry is currently offering a 40lb box for $32, roughly $.80 per pound. I’m soarly tempted.
• GREENS! Yes, greens are back. Barnhill has collard, mustard, and turnip greens. And there’s KALE, certified naturally grown from Kellogg Valley. I think it’s time for some Coconut Curry Greens.
• With greens, I always need pork. MeatWork’s smoked ham hocks or Falling Sky’s bacon perhaps.
• It’s still Apple season, and Drewry’s got four varieties of apples. I love apples, but I rarely buy them from the grocery store, where they’ve been sprayed with antibiotics for a longer shelf life or transported from New Zealand. These apples, on the other hand, I know are picked fresh and in their prime.
• Sweet Life Apiary has successfully captured the elusive Little Rock Honey Bear, but there’s only one! If I miss it, I can always try some of Sweet Life’s spring honey. Let’s hope his Fall honey comes soon.
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Know your Farmers…
Ratchford Farms is a farm worth knowing. L.C. Ratchford is a second-generation farmer, and he’s been tremendously successful in turning his parents’ strawberry farm into a thriving business, built on providing Arkansans with high quality food. If you’ve not had the pleasure of meeting L.C. Ratchford, I encourage you to seek him out the next time we have an event (he almost always attends). His passion in raising happy animals is evident, and his personality is on the strong side. Check out his website and shoot him an e-mail, just to say “Hey”. Customers are kind of his favorite thing. Plus, word on the farm is, he’s starting an agri-tourism business on his land, cabins and tours included.

Last but not least, check out this video posted by Drewry Farm of their bees in action.
See you soon!
Sincerely,
Sam Hedges