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

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