The Market is Open!

Good Storming Locavores,

The market is open and boy, is it booming with freshness! It’s not hard not to tell Spring has sprung with all of the wonderful food and events going on – Just in the past week, we celebrated Earth Day three times, talked about local food on radio station KABF, and our sponsored project CANAS hosted their first ever Spring Conference! We’ve made plenty of great new friends along the way, and we welcome you to our market and the greater local food network.

This week in the market:

• Now that grilling season is really picking up, we’ve got just about any cut of meat your heart could desire. Heck, we’ve even got locally-made, all-natural hot dogs, made with 100% grassfed, angus cattle beef raised at Ratchford Farms. Mr. Ratchford promises all of your money back if you don’t love them!

• As I talk up our market, it’s hard not to mention our incredible dairy section. You’d think we’re in Wisconsin or Vermont with our wide selection that includes locally-made gouda from Kent Walker Artisan Cheese, raw milk jalapeno cheddar from Daley Dairy, and of course raspberry fig fromage blanc from White River Creamery, just to name a few!

• Can you say FRESH STRAWBERRIES!?!?! In my humble opinion, this is the most wonderful time of the year. There’s just not much that beats a fresh and local Arkansas strawberry, folks. Whether by the quart, the flat, or the case, Barnhill Orchards and Arkansas Natural Produce have got all of your fresh strawberry needs covered.

• Welcome to certified organic kohlrabi from Crimmins Family Farm. For those unfamiliar with this nutritious vegetable, it has a long and storied history of being a European favorite. Full of delicately sweet flavor and crispy moist texture, these are great raw, steamed, or sauteed, so try one today!

• Certified organic kale and kale plants from Green Acres Atkins. Whether you like making chips, a great salad, or a Portuguese soup, the possibilities are literally endless!

This week has again reminded me of why I love Little Rock so much, and how lucky we are to have such a robust local food system. We are blessed with some truly genius growers that are brave enough to take back the way food is produced for a reason. In the words of Brenda Schoepp, My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher, but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer. So thank you to all of our farmers, and thank you for continuing to support them!

- Alex Handfinger