The Weblog

This page contains news, event information, and other announcements about our organization. If you have any questions about this program, please email us at littlerockfoodclub@gmail.com or call 501-396-9952.



 
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Market Reminder!


I’m often asked by new and potential members why we have a membership fee, and where that money goes. As a nonprofit organization, we strive to be upfront about what we charge and why. Our fee structure is explained in brief on our Welcome page and Q’s and A’s page of The Market, but we’re always happy to provide more information.

Essentially, the membership fee is what allows us to function differently than a traditional farmers’ market and provide our members with additional benefits. You can browse and order ahead of time from the convenience of your home or office, even research growers or products and ask us questions during the week. You can sleep in on Saturdays knowing that you won’t miss out on the best fruits and veggies. You can pick up your order while enjoying the comfort of air conditioning in the summer, heat in the winter and stay dry in rainy weather. You can set up your orders to be automatically charged to a credit or debit card. If Saturday’s don’t work for you or your plans go awry, we also offer a Monday evening pick up. We generally have 20-30 growers and artisans with active listings at any given time, even in the middle of winter, and are able to offer products from wholesale vendors who don’t participate in open air markets.

In order to provide you with all of these benefits, we incur more overhead than a conventional farmers’ market. We pay the locallygrown website 3.25% of total sales. We pay rent for our office and kitchen space. We pay for the purchase and maintenance of our appliances and Health Department licensure of our space and practices. We also pay for supplies (paper, printer cartridges, etc.), staff and administration, and snacks and coffee for our volunteers.

We feel that all we do is well worth the membership fee, but we also understand that $60 can be a lot to pay all at once. The website automatically charges the full amount every time membership is due, but we’re happy to let our members pay in increments as small as $5 monthly. Just let us know in your order comments or when checking out and we’ll make the adjustment to your total. We also offer members who volunteer to help out at pick up a $5 credit which can be applied to membership. If you have a few hours to spare one Saturday morning each month, you can enjoy all the conveniences we provide for free!

So start making the most of your membership by ordering each and every week before The Market closes on Wednesday morning at 7:30.

-Rebecca Wild
Program Manager

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!

The Market is Open and Community Fund Update!


Happy Sunday, Y’all,

The market is open and full of all sorts of local goodness! It’s been a wonderful weekend of cool weather and yummy local food: Yesterday’s Food Club was a veritable melon fest, I had a great time at the Root Cafe and the Green Corner’s Store’s Birthday Block Party yesterday, and as you’re reading this weblog you just might still have time to catch the tail end of today’s Watermelon Fest at the Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market. Even as the weather warms back up to actual Arkansas summer temps, it’s such a wonderful thing to be part of such a blossoming local food scene. On the market this week…

  • After carving up 10 lbs. of Hardin Farms’ yellow meat watermelon, the girlfriend and I wondered what could be done with all that leftover rind (It was more than even three dogs could handle). Luckily, she found some incredible recipes that include everything from pickling to wrapping in bacon…though I’m pretty certain we’re set on trying this watermelon rind curry.
  • Though we were so, so sad to see MeatWorks go, we’re thankful that Bluebird Hill Berry Farm is back with all of their great cuts. They’ve got beef bratwurst, brisket, liver, ribs, heart, roasts, tips, soup bones, and all sorts of steaks, as well as whole chickens and fully cooked Barbeque Pork. YUM!
  • Lucky for us, Kornegay Berry Farm has five varieties of fresh blueberries that produce at different times. Undeniably one of the healthiest foods out there, blueberries aren’t just for baking: Someone made an incredible blueberry salsa at the Root’s potluck yesterday.
  • There’s a new honey on the market courtesy of Green Acres Atkins. This is pure wildflower honey from Mr. Green’s organic farm out in Atkins, and boy does it look fantastic! And yes, you can put it on just about everything.
  • I’ve been loving a bit of Bee in my Bonnet lemon basil with just about everything I eat. It provides a great balance to spicy-grilled anything, but is absolutely perfect with some local tomatoes and cheese.
  • Each week at Food Club some folks are inevitably disappointed that we’ve run out of Arkansas Fresh breads on the extras list. To fix this, I suggest ordering a sourdough, honey flax sourdough, ciabatta, or birdseed multigrain to have one waiting with your name on it!

ALFN is proud to announce that this past Spring, we gave $500 grants to three awesome organizations through our Community Fund: CANAS, the Dunbar Community Garden Project, and Little Rock Summer of Solutions.

  • The Dunbar Community Garden Project used their grant to fund their garden-to-cafeteria program. With ALFN’s support, Dunbar harvested 91 pounds of lettuce that were donated to Dunbar Magnet Middle School. The lettuce was used to make salads that sold out each day they were available!
  • Little Rock Summer of Solutions is using their grant to expand access to fresh, local food in the 12th Street Community, transforming the 12th and Oak Garden into an urban oasis of fresh fruits and vegetables.

For more info and pictures of these wonderful community organizations at work, or to apply for the next round of funding, go to our website.

Happy Summer, Y’all!

- 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!

OMG! Have you, like, SEEN what’s on The Market!?


Not only does summer boast the widest and most colorful assortment of seasonal foods, it also offers some of the easiest. Instead of overnight oatmeal, it’s eggs over-easy and fresh fruit. Instead of six hour stews, it’s quick simple salads. Instead of slow cooked roast, it’s quick grilled kebabs. If you need ideas for some speedy snacks, let The Market be your guide.

It doesn’t get any simpler than chilled, sliced large, seedless, and yellow watermelon from Hardin Farm. Or throw in a couple of certified organic tomatoes from Crimmins Family Farm, a little feta from White River Creamery, a pinch of fresh mountain mint from Food for Thought Farm, and a dash of balsalmic vinegarette and you’ve got a satisfying salad.

If something savory is a little more your style, say hello to certified organic fresh okra from Green Acres Atkins. I’ve found okra to be a very divisive topic, but most naysayers have never tried it roasted. Whole pods are the norm at my house because they’re so darn easy, but if you really want to minimize okra’s great gooiness, try chopping it a bit smaller.

If you still insist that okra isn’t nature’s greatest gift to mankind, I suppose there’s other summer food to be had. In fact, order before The Market closes tomorrow morning, and you’ll only be four steps away from a delicious dinner. Step 1: cube things. I recommend Clara eggplant from Rattle’s Garden, candy onions from Armstead Mountain Farm, and beef stew meet from Ratchford Farm. (No chopping required for that last one!) Step 2: skewer things. Step 3: apply marinade. Step 4: apply fire. Oh, wait. There’s actually five steps. Step 5: enjoy!

-Rebecca Wild
Program Manager

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!

The Market is Open and Tammy Sue Needs Our Help!


Howdy Food Club,

The market is open and SO ready for as many orders of local food as you can muster! Temperatures and mugginess would seem to indicate that we’re now officially into the real Arkansas summer, when simply stepping outside brings sweat stains almost instantly. It’s times like these that make me actually thankful to have a cozy job in the air conditioning. Farming is always tough work, so I really can’t even imagine what it’s like to toil in the over 100 degree heat. Thankfully, we’ve got a committed, talented, and tough team of growers that continue to provide us with the highest quality food all year-round. Thanks to their hard work, we’ve got…

  • All sorts of cuts of buffalo from Ratchford Farms. I’ve known for a while that getting it ground can make some of the most delicious, nutritious burgers around, but I can’t wait to try me some buffalo brisket, boneless strip steaks, ribeye steaks, sirloin steaks, tenderloin, or roast. The general rule is to cook buffalo pretty much the same as beef, except to watch out for overcooking because the meat is so lean.
  • Fresh purple hull peas from Hardin Farms. I’d never even heard of this highly nutritious legume until I first moved to Arkansas four years ago, but have absolutely fallen in love with figuring out new ways to enjoy them.
  • I’ve been loving the red torpedo and candy onions from Armstead Mountain Farm. For those of you that don’t know the Nuffers, they are one of the reasons that the Little Rock Local Food Club exists, which you can read more about here.
  • Fresh mountain mint from Food for Thought Farm. There’s more than a few uses for it, whether cleaning carpet, repelling bugs, making a spicy tea, or even reviving the dead? I can’t officially vouch for the last one…but the others and so much more are all possible with this versatile herb.
  • All sorts of early winter squash from Barnhill Orchards. I know, I know, it’s not quite winter yet (to put it mildly)…but these butternut, sunshine, acorn, and spaghetti squashes are all great for grilling.
  • I got to talking hot peppers with Robert from Willow Springs Market Garden the other day. I love a little heat in my life and have noticed that the jalapenos in Arkansas seem to be a lot hotter than the ones I grew up with in Pennsylvania. He reported that his Maule’s red hot is habanero hot, while the El Tiburon would be better for stuffing like a poblano. That’s also what I’d do with Bluebird Hill’s chillies. I’m determined to also try Arkansas Natural Produce’s serranos and Crimmins Family Farm’s cayennes and jalapenos to test out the different flavor profiles of all the heat Arkansas has to offer.
  • So many great goat’s milk products from Tammy Sue’s Critters. It’s hard to believe that just one person makes all of these body butters, bug banisher, laundry soap, lotions, hair bars, shaving bars, lip balms, beautiful gift baskets, and SO many kinds of incredible soaps, all with milk from her own goats. And somehow she offers all of these incredible products at an affordable price!

Speaking of Tammy Sue…she’s currently looking to crowdsource a loan of $5,000 to expand her operation by finishing phase two of her goat house and hay storage structures. By lending to her through kiva.zip, you’ll be helping an awesome local business expand through obtaining a bank-free, interest-free loan. This will allow Tammy Sue to provide more wonderful goat’s milk products, and within two years you’ll get your money back! Please help support this wonderful local business by sharing and supporting at this link.

Locally yours,

- 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!

Market Reminder!


It’s another fantastic week in local food, and Arkansas is overflowing with deliciousness! Make sure to get your order in before The Market closes tomorrow morning at 7:30.

After you’ve ordered one of everything our awesome farmers have to offer, check out another way to show your support. One of our favorite farms, Tammy Sue’s Critters, is looking to expand their herd and they need your help to do it. If you can temporarily spare $5 to help them reach their goal, you’ll be ensuring access to all those great soaps, lotions, lip balms, and body butters for years to come. Check out their Kiva Zip page to find out more.

A Note About Monday Pickup:

Opinions differ when it comes to refrigerating certain types of produce, namely tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and garlic. Whether or not these items are put in the fridge upon delivery is up to the farmer, but it’s up to us to make that call when packing Monday orders. Since the kitchen hovers around 80°F, plastic bags trap even the tiniest bit of moisture and create a perfect incubator for mold. With that in mind, we feel refrigeration is the better option. However, if you prefer some things be left out, just leave a comment on your order and we’re happy to oblige!

-Rebecca Wild
Program Manager

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!

The Market is Open!


Good Morning Market,

Hope you’ve had a relaxing and safe holiday weekend full of good food, friends, family, and fun. I always have a tough time accepting the end of a beautiful weekend; the joy of Sunday looming with the threat of Monday. The daily grind really isn’t so bad though, especially not when you can still find the time to throw all that good stuff in the mix. I’m a bit biased, but the market really is something I look forward to, especially now that the taste of Summer brings new flavors each week, including…

  • A big welcome back to the wonderful folks at Rattle’s Garden. They’ve got absolutely beautiful certified organic white clara eggplant, fairy-tale asian eggplant, and sungold cherry tomatoes.
  • I’m a believer that local fruit is one of the easiest ways to convince folks that local really does taste better. The sweetness, tartness, flavors, and personality of an Arkansas strawberry or cantaloupe just can’t be beat. I must say that the freestone peaches from Barnhill Orchards are about as juicy and tasty as I’ve ever had. Snag yourself a basket of these Summer gems under specials.
  • Loads of Arkansas-grown teas from Food for Thought Farm, including anise hyssop, basil, lemon monarda bergamot, catnip, lemon balm, lemongrass, and yellow dock root. All grown in their sustainable food forest, check out advice on recipes and uses under their product listings in Herbs & Spices.
  • Anybody can be a gardener with Garden Wall Pockets from Maison Terre! Made from donated materials, and locally designed and crafted, these wall pockets are ideal for growing in small spaces. The three-section wall pocket will hold smaller ornamentals and herbs, while the two-section wall pocket will hold larger ornamentals and vegetables, including vines, such as cucumbers. Use nails, hooks, screws, or ties to attach them to masonry, wooden, or chain link fences. Proceeds from sales go to Cereus Solutions Sustainability Center. They’ve also got mixed organic edible flowers, the uses of which can only be limited by your imagination.

We’re excited to announce that the University District Neighborhoods Association is hosting a Vegetable Swap & Trade next Saturday, July 12th from 8am-noon in the parking lots of Curran Conway Park. Gardeners from throughout Pulaski County are invited to swap and trade vegetables, fruits, eggs, flowers, and plants from their gardens’ bounties with other gardeners. All items are to be swapped or traded with no cash being exchanged. The event will allow gardeners to visit, gather information on new items, share gardening tips and recipes, and share the excesses of their gardens. The best part is, any leftover vegetables can be donated to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance at the end of the swap & trade.

Hope to see you there and that you have a great conclusion to your holiday weekend!

- 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!

A Fond Farewell to a Favorite Farm


It’s a sad day here at ALFN. One of our most beloved growers, MeatWorks Butchery & Market, has made the difficult decision to close their doors. For years we enjoyed the incredibly high quality meats provided by Youngblood Grassfed Farm, and the transformation into MeatWorks Butchery & Market last year only brought greater variety, innovative sausages, and unique blends. As a source of great food, as a pillar of ethics, as substantial part of the local food community, they will be missed.

The good news is, you have two weeks to stock up on all your favorites! Make room in the freezer, because you’ll want a little bit of everything. Allow me to make some suggestions:

  • Beef short ribs and pork spare ribs for all your summer barbecues.
  • Bulk ground beef. Put away 5, 10, or 25 lbs for a rainy day.
  • Whole broiler chickens and lamb shoulder roasts for those lazy Sunday dinners to come.
  • New York strip, ribeye, sirloin, T-bone, and tenderloin steaks for the days you just gotta grill.
  • Farm to Family Sampler. If you can’t decide, this is the package for you. 1 beef roast, 1 whole chicken, 2 packages each of cube steak and pork steak, and 3 packages each of breakfast sausage and ground beef.

However you choose to fill your freezer, be sure to place your order before The Market closes tomorrow morning at 7:30. If we must part ways, let’s do it right and make these last two weeks really count!

-Rebecca Wild
Program Manager

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!

The Market is Open!


Good Morning Marketgoers,

Thunderstorms and tomatoes, humidity and okra, burning heat and spicy peppers; if you weren’t already aware, Summer is officially here. That’s exciting news for us local-food lovers, as each week the market expands with new flavors and varieties, and we get to truly taste nature’s bounty. The market is open and getting yummier by the day. New offerings include…

  • Can you say Hardin Farms’ CANTALOUPE?!?!? Excuse my obvious excitement, but these are quite literally my favorite melons on the planet. Snag a melon and some of their peaches & cream sweet corn and taste why the Hardins are some of our favorite farmers around.
  • Fresh okra is back from Barnhill Orchards. I was raised a Yankee and never heard of okra until I moved down here. I was first taught that it was only for frying, which, while absolutely delicious, doesn’t quite compare to stewing it with tomatoes, in my humble opinion.
  • Kohlrabi kraut from Garden Works. This delicious, nutritious, and all-local fermented condiment goes great on grilled meats and morning omelettes.
  • Cajun spiced mixed nuts from Maison Terre. Created by Maison Terre staff and Food Club Coordinator Karl Heinbockel as a birthday gift for his sister, I’ve tasted these nuts and they are nothing short of addictive!

A few years ago it was discovered that one of our growers, Petit Jean Meats, was mislabeling out-of-state products as their own. When caught, they were banned from the market and got in a bit of legal trouble. There’s currently a pending court case against Petit Jean Meats and they’re looking for folks that bought their products because they thought they were local in 2010 and 2011. If you bought Petit Jean Meats in that timeframe and are interested in giving a statement, e-mail it to prosecutor contact Jeff Wieners at jeff.wieners@fsis.usda.gov.

Thanks for supporting local!

- 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!

Market Reminder!


It’s another hot, muggy day here in The Natural State. Fortunately, when the worst heat of the year starts to roll in, it brings with it some of the best food there is to be had! What does that mean for The Market?

  • Fresh Fruit Galore: Stock up on fresh blueberries from Kornegay Berry Farm. These petite nutritional powerhouses are as versatile as they are tasty. When you grow tired of muffins, make blintzes. Don’t want to set and entire day aside to make jam? Take a magical shortcut. No sweet tooth? No problem. Don’t like blueberries? (Really?) I guess that’s okay, too. There’s plenty of blackberries from Barnhill Orchard. If berries alone don’t fulfill your fruit desires, check out the specials section for a sneaky surprise. Barnhill Orchard has also listed fresh fruit baskets. Order one of these to lay claim to blackberries and peaches. You can’t go wrong with that combo.
  • Veritable Veggie Cornucopia: That’s right; vegetables are coming in left and right from all your favorite farms. Get your green beans from Green Acres Atkins, Armstead Mountain Farm, or Kornegay Berry Farm. Grab some green tomatoes from Willow Springs Market Garden, Crimmins Family Farm, or Green Acres Atkins. Crimmins is also here for all your ripe tomato needs with their certified organic slicers, Juliets, and sungolds.
  • Delicious Dairy Accompaniments: Few things go better with great produce than great cheese. I’ve taken to snacking on fresh sliced tomato with a dollop of rosemary chevre from White River Creamery. Add a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh cracked pepper, and you’ve stumbled upon a 10 second side dish that’ll steal the show. For something a bit heartier, try some 6 pepper chevre on a grilled pizza. For dessert, a spoonful of chocolate chevre pretty much perfection, but you can throw in some bread and fruit if you must.

Whatever you need to snack your way through summer, be sure to get your order in before tomorrow morning at 7:30, or you’ll be out of luck until next week.

-Rebecca Wild
Program Manager

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!

The Market is Open and FRESH is Digital!


Good Morning Market,

And what a great morning it is! We had such an amazing time celebrating the release of the 2nd edition of our FRESH Local Foods Directory yesterday at The Green Corner Store & Soda Fountain. It’s official: The 2nd edition is fresh off the press and out in the streets! If you weren’t able to grab FRESH yesterday, you can snag copies at local food locales like our market, The Root Cafe, Hillcrest Artisan Meats, The Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market, The Green Corner Store & Soda Fountain, and so many others! For those of you too eager to wait for a print copy, you can find FRESH online right here. To those that made FRESH a reality: We can not thank you enough. Thank you so much to all of our wonderful sponsors, local businesses that purchased ads, volunteers that put in countless hours, our designer, and supervolunteer Marisa Nelson for making the release party such a success. We are so thankful to be part of such a supportive and growing local food community!

Speaking of which, our growers sure are keeping the market interesting…

  • Fresh, shelled pinto beans from Hardin Farms. These beans are absolutely packed full of protein and fiber. I think I’ll eat mine with a side of cornbread.
  • Farm Girl provides another amazing deal with their pork grilling bundle, which comes with the perfect Summer mix of pork chops, andouille sausages, and baby back ribs from animal welfare approved, woodland-raised hogs. If you’re not already, I highly recommend following her blog. She provides amazing insights into the intersection of the food we eat and the land we live on; delving into the lives of hogs, the thing about trees, and plenty of pictures of newborn piglets.
  • Only the fastest-clicking customers get the limited offerings from Willow Springs Market Garden. It takes a quick click and check-out (or Sunday-morning visit to the Bernice Garden) to snag Robert’s churchill brussels sprouts, moringa leaves, defiant and sungold tomatoes, blueberries, and mulberries. I’m not telling merely to taunt you, but to highlight the amazing EPA-recognized farmer hero in our midst.
  • A huge congrats to Geek Eats on becoming a father this week! We’re so glad the Geek Family has grown and that your incredible hummuses, pesto, and granola are back on the market.

Next Saturday, June 28th, our friends at the Victory Garden Project are having a volunteer workday to help finish their hoophouse that’s been three years in the making. They recently received a $500 grant through ALFN’s Community Fund to receive the rest of the materials they needed to make this hoophouse happen. We’re so excited that this awesome community garden is growing and we hope that you’ll come out and join us.

Locally yours,

- 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!