The Market is Open!

Good Rainy Day Food Club,

The market is open and needs your help! The Little Rock Local Food Club would not be possible without the assistance of our amazing Saturday volunteers, but lately, we’ve been having a harder and harder time finding folks. I’m asking those that can to volunteer a few hours a month for your Arkansas Local Food Network. Early risers can set up and inventory during the first shift from 8-10:30am, or sleep in and help members fill their orders from 9:45-12:30. Perks include tasty local snacks and coffee, a $5 credit towards your food or membership, first dibs on the extras list, and quality time with other food-loving folks. E-mail Food Club Coordinator Rebecca Wild at littlerockfoodclub@gmail.com to sign up for a shift and get on our volunteer listserv. Thank you so much for your constant support of our local food system!

Some of the wonderful products you could be sorting next week include…

• A new week, a new fresh berry. A big market welcome back to blackberries from Barnhill Orchards. I don’t think I need to tell you what to do with those, but they’ve also got loads of onions listed as well. Onions are simply something I cannot cook without, and throwing them on the grill is perhaps my favorite way to do so. For those having a hard time choosing between their sweet purple and white vidalia, they’re offering combo packs both large and small.

• Could it really be? Is it truly locally-grown peppers from ANP I see?!?!?! A big welcome to green bells for stuffing, Romanian sweets for an incredible salad, and jalapenos to add a little locally-grown heat to just about anything you eat.

• Organic, culinary celery from Crimmins Family Farm. Celery is not just a low-calorie snack, but packed full of nutrients and absolutely delicious prepared a variety of ways.

• When most of us think basil, we think of the sweet Italian variety most renowned for it’s perfection in pesto. Food for Thought Farm has gone and grown us some thai basil for our favorite East Asian dishes, as well as some tulsi for healing beverages.

• The products just keep on flowing from the expansive mind of Maison Terre. Check out our bulk items section to find her veritable organic spice store, from allspice to white ceremonial sage and just about everything in between. New this week are also an anti-fungal dog wash to keep canines clean and a yummy Caribbean paw paw sauce in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month. Maison Terre gets many of her product ideas from customer requests, so feel free to contact her if you’ve got any yourself.

• Unavailable this week will be our wonderful selection of Geek Eats products. The Head Geek had to take a few weeks off in preparation for an incoming baby geek. While we’ll certainly miss his hummuses and granola, a big congrats to him and his partner on this joyous occasion!

ALFN is thrilled to partner with the Terry Branch Library for a local foods program this Thursday, June 12th at 6:30pm. We’ll be talking to folks about why they should eat and grow local and have them compare veggies from the grocery store to those on our market so they can taste the difference. If you’d like some free snacks or want to share why buying local is important to you, I’d love to have your support.

Here’s to a fantastic week full of good food and friends!

- Alex Handfinger
Director of Operations

Do you have questions or comments about this, or any, weblog? Thoughts on local food, goods, or events? Reply to this email and let us know what’s on your mind. Your feedback is always greatly appreciated!