Buy Local Food In Kitsap

Buy Local Food In Port Orchard

The Port Orchard Farmers’ Market, one of the largest on the Kitsap Peninsula opens on Saturdays, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm from roughly April through October. For more information visit Port Orchard Farmers’ Market.

The food is great, the farmers are the best and we love Port Orchard!

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 21 September 10, 2009

Last modified on 2009-09-11 03:11:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Alvarez Farms
Pirate Weekend
Great Tomato Taste Off
Local Food Chef Showoff

From The Prez,

“WILL WORK FOR FRESH PRODUCE” – MEET OUR MARKET MANAGER

I’ve said before, Farmers Markets don’t just happen, people make them happen.  This usually means people volunteering their time and energy, or working for low pay, as most markets are non-profit and operate under really tight budgets.

You may have met our market manager Valerie, and you’ve probably seen her around the market in her bright orange vest.  I’d like to tell you a little bit about her because she helps make our market happen.

Valerie has lived in Port Orchard for 8 years.  A native of New Jersey (honest you can’t hear an accent at all), she came to live in Seattle and eventually made her way over to our side of the water.

She is a self described workaholic.  She holds a full time job in government finance with the City of Seattle, so of course does the early morning ferry boat ride.  She and husband Chris became proud parents of baby boy Fischer four months ago.  She also has a 21 year old daughter.  So, a pretty full day and a busy life.

On top of this, for the past 4 seasons, she’s spent most of her Saturdays beginning at 6am or earlier, May-October, managing our market.  It is not everyone who wants to get up really, really early every Saturday morning in the summer to work for very little money.  I asked her why she does it.  Well, she doesn’t do it for the money, in fact she usually spends more each Saturday grocery shopping than she makes.  She likes to joke that she “will work for fresh produce”.

Valerie has always been interested in being involved in her community and in community service.  Even her job, while in finance,  is in the human services field.   She is a member of Beta Sigma Phi, a National non-collegiate sorority.  When she moved to Port Orchard she started coming to the farmers market every week with children she fostered, to do her shopping and to meet people and socialize.  When she heard we were looking for a manager, she saw it as a great opportunity to invest in her community by supporting something that is of value.  To her, our market is a real treasure and is worth her time.  She believes Port Orchard would be a much poorer place without the market.

Valerie strongly believes all people should have access to quality local food and the farmers market helps provide this, especially through its Food Stamp, WIC and Senior Nutrition programs.

Through my years of involvement with several farmers markets, I have found that it is people like Valerie, who have a true passion for what they see as a community treasure, who get things done and “make farmers markets happen”.   If you’d like to support your local farmers market by volunteering your time or skills, either a little, or a lot, please contact me at 360-876-8394 or president@pofarmersmarket.org.

Come see us at the market this week, it is going to be a lovely day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Upcoming Events:

September 12 Avast, me hearties, it’s Pirate Day at the market!
September 15 Local Food Chef Showoff dinner
September 19 Tomato Taste Off Day, bring your prize beauties in for judging

Alvarez Farms

Our market is very excited to welcome Alvarez Farms as our newest produce vendor!

A family owned and operated business for over 20 years, the Alvarez Farms are located in Mabton, about 40 miles east of Yakima in the fertile Yakima river valley.  They grow a tremendous variety (and quantity) of vegetables, including 150 varieties of peppers, 27 varieties of tomatoes, 15 types of eggplant (who knew there WERE that many different eggplants?), 11 varieties of zucchini, peanuts (!), I think you get the idea.  And as you can see from the pictures, they bring many of those varieties in their big truck over the mountains late Friday night to Port Orchard.

Alvarez Farms supplies over 20 farmers’ markets throughout the state, including Pike Place Market in Seattle where they are one of the most esteemed vendors of fresh produce.  Farmers praise Alvarez Farms as well – there was a walking tour held there last month to help educate farmers on sustainable organic vegetable production.  The story of the farm is an interesting one, and a real success story for the American dream.  For more information click here.

A true family enterprise, Alvarez employs 30 full time farm workers and many more part time.  And EVERYTHING they grow is CERTIFIED ORGANIC.

Veggies, and lots of them, fresh and healthy, grown sustainably.  Please stop by their booth and welcome Rick and Octavio Alvarez to our market.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

(but hopefully they buy some tomatoes)

The 4th Annual Murder Mystery Weekend with a pirate theme, of course, happens Saturday and Sunday in Port Orchard.  Come to the market in your finest pirate gear while you and your kids participate in all the dastardly events, search for clues, stop by the library for a pirate story, or take in Goonies at the Historic Orchard Theater.  It’s always a fun weekend for the whole community.

For a complete list of happenings, check this link:
Murder Mystery Weekend Schedule

The Great Tomato Taste Off

Attention all tomato growers!  Next week, September 19, will be the markets’ Great Tomato Taste Off.  Here’s your chance to see what varieties produce the tastiest fruit in our maritime climate.  The taste off is open to everyone, amateur tomato growers and professionals, market customers and vendors, EVERYONE!  No cost to enter, and bring as many varieties as you wish.

There will be three classes, and the number of tomatoes you need to enter varies by class.  For cherry tomatoes bring 6 or 7, plum or paste types bring 3 or 4, and for the larger slicing, salad or beefsteak varieties bring 2 or 3.  You can fill out an entry form when you submit your entries.

Entries will be accepted at the Tomato Taste Off booth between 9 and 11 AM on the day of the contest.  Judging will be start at 11:30, and the winners of each category and the overall “best of show” will be announced immediately when the judging is complete.

Prizes will be awarded to the category winners and the best of show.  You do not need to be present to win, but you do need to be present to brag.

So take care of those gorgeous Brandywines, Mortgage Lifters, Early Girls, or what have you, and bring them to the market on the 19th.  Or, just stop by and watch the judging.  It will be a LOT of fun.

For more information click here

Local Food Chef Showoff

Local celebrity chefs (from Brix 25, Cosmo’s, Harbour Pub, Two Snooty Chefs, etc.) cooking exclusively with locally-produced food.  An evening of music and entertainment.  And education to boot, from Nash Huber, the 2008 American Farmland Trust Farmer of the Year, and Kate Dean, co-founder of Mt. Townsend creamery and specialist in connecting young farmers with the land.

Are you interested in preserving local farmland?  Or do you enjoy a fabulous gourmet meal made from the freshest ingredients possible?  If you answered yes to either question, then be sure to attend this great gathering.  Next Tuesday, September 15, at the President’s Hall at the Fairgrounds.  This event is sponsored by KCAA, Kitsap Community Agriculture Alliance.

Please click here for more information, especially how to get tickets.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront (arrr, where else t’would it be, matey?) in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 20 September 3, 2009

Last modified on 2009-09-04 17:52:22 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Local Food Chef Showoff
Great Tomato Taste Off
Recipe – Creamed Corn

FROM THE PREZ

Last week’s Cedar Cove Days was a lot of fun.  Thanks to all our regulars who came to the market.  It was moved slightly but our manager did an awesome job getting everyone in.  I thought it looked great and it was very busy indeed.  There was a lot of fresh produce at market, which will continue right up until market closes for the season in mid October.

I didn’t have a chance to visit the Kitsap County Fair this year as I was at Cedar Cove Days all week, but I was gratified to see there was good weather (last year the cowboys worked in a mud lake all week).  There is always a great display of fresh and preserved produce, all grown locally, which is always a reminder to me to get to work preserving my own harvest.

STORE FRESH FOOD NOW FOR WINTER

Those of us who are canners know this is peak time to seriously put up fruits and vegetables for winter enjoyment.  My tomatoes and beans are coming in like mad now and I know I need to get my boxes of nectarines soon from the market so I can can them.  Home canned peaches are way, way better than anything you can buy and my family begs me for them.  Nothing in the garden goes to waste either, my excess zucchini & green tomatoes make delicious chutneys & relish that I’d pay a pretty penny for at the grocery store.

Anyway, if you’ve never tried it, you might consider doing some simple canning at home.  Buying your produce in season at the market makes this a very cost effective option.  To keep it really simple, maybe freeze your produce or make freezer jam.  You can also dry many foods for later use – roma style tomatoes are excellent for this, as well as herbs, among others.  These can all be fun to do with your kids or a friend.

There are a number of good web sites for more info and recipes but I think the best place to start is – National Center for Home Food Preservation http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html.  This site covers all the ways to preserve the harvest, including canning, freezing, drying,, fermenting, pickling, & making jams and jellies.  This WSU Extension Food Safety site also has food safety & preservation info food safety link

IT’S LABOR DAY & BLACKBERRY FESTIVAL WEEKEND!

Remember, you can hop over to Bremerton and back for the festival.  The foot ferry docks about 100′ from the market.  If you have goodies you want to buy at market, ask the vendor if they’ll store them for you so you don’t have to lug them back and forth.  That way, you can visit the market and the festival and you won’t even have to drive to Bremerton!

Labor Day actually originated in Canada out of labor disputes which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872. The parades held in support of the Nine-Hour Movement and the printers’ strike led to an annual celebration in Canada. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired, he returned to New York and organized the first American “labor day” on September 5 of the same year.

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. Personally, I try very hard not to do any labor on Labor Day.

We hope to see you at the market this Saturday.  It’s going to be a good Labor Day Blackberry Festival weekend.

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Upcoming Events:

September 12      Avast, me hearties, it’s Pirate Day at the market!
September 15      Local Food Chef Showoff dinner
September 19      Tomato Taste Off Day, bring your prize beauties in for judging

Local Food Chef Showoff

Customers of our market know how much better freshly grown and harvested fruits and vegetables taste.  Many share recipes and preparation techniques with us vendors each week.

Now is your opportunity to see what these locally produced foods taste like when our area’s celebrity chefs work their magic!

The first ever Local Food Chef Showoff will be held at the President’s Hall at the Fairgrounds on Tuesday, September 15.  Buffet style service will begin at 4PM.  This event is held under the leadership of KCAA, Kitsap Community and Agriculture Alliance, and the long list of sponsors is a “who’s who” of local food leaders in our county.

Music, information on local farms and food sources, and an evening program are all included in the ticket price.

Nash Huber, 2008’s American Farmland Trust “Farmer of the Year”, and Kate Dean, co-founder of the Mt. Townsend Creamery, will be on hand to talk about preserving farmland and keeping it in production for future farmers.

Come celebrate the harvest, have a great meal, and meet some of the local farmers who make it all possible.

For information on where to purchase tickets, please click here.

Great Tomato Taste Off!

Did you purchase some interesting tomato plants this spring and you have been enjoying the best tomatoes you’ve ever tasted?  Did you start a couple of exotic varieties from seeds you received from an uncle in the Ukraine and you’re amazed at the flavor and color?  Or maybe you love Early Girl and know there’s no better tomato anywhere.

Well, now you can find out for sure which tomato reigns supreme.  The first annual Tomato Taste Off at the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market will take place on Saturday, September 19.  This event is open to everybody, hobby gardener and professional grower alike.  No charge to enter, and you can bring as many varieties as you wish.

There are three categories — cherry, plum, and slicing tomatoes.  Check the information posted on our website to see how many tomatoes of each category to bring in your entry.  Bring those beautiful tomatoes to the market between 9 and 11 AM on September 19 to enter the competition.

Our judges will start their deliberations at 11:30, and there will be prizes for first place in each category as well as an overall “best of show” award.  No need to be present to win, but in order to brag about your triumph you really should hang around, don’t you think?

Stop by the market booth if you have more questions, or just send a note to the email at the bottom of this newsletter.

Creamed Corn
Everyone has a favorite corn on the cob method, but for those occasions when you want to eat corn with a fork, this is a great alternative.

8 ears corn
1 C. half and half
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 T. butter

Cut corn off the cob about two-thirds the depth of the kernel.  Scrape cob to remove the remaining corn, but not any of cob.  You’ll have about 4C.  Combine corn, half and half, salt, sugar, and pepper.  Place in greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.  Dot with butter.  Bake in 350 degree oven until corn is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter – Issue No. 19 August 27, 2009

Last modified on 2009-08-28 03:19:31 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Martin Family Orchards
Fair Youth Animal Auction
Recipe – Georgia Peach Pie

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!
From the Prez,

Eating Seasonally
By Heather Bauer, R.D., nu-train.com (edited for content)
In the last few years, Farmer’s Markets have been popping up and becoming increasingly popular. While many look at jaunts to the Farmer’s Market as occasional quaint outings, however, there are major benefits to regularly frequenting the local markets and to eating seasonally.

Health
Whether or not we realize it, the foods that are grown locally are essentially preparing us for the days ahead. Spring vegetables, like lettuce, kale, asparagus, and spinach, help to clean us out after a long winter. The summer harvest of grains and fruit helps to give us energy for the long days. The produce of autumn, including squash, apples, carrots, and beets, provide warmth and sweetness to help nourish us prior to the long winter. And finally, the winter foods, which generally are stored, like dried fruits, nuts, and other, heavy, dense foods, help to provide resilience.

Intact Nutrients
As soon as a piece of fruit (or any produce) is plucked from the tree, the nutritional breakdown begins. Certain vitamins, particularly vitamin C, are very unstable and though they may be present fresh off the vine, are largely depleted after a few days. Supermarket produce may be shipped from a thousand (or more) miles away. As a result, the produce sits around for many days constantly losing some of the key nutrients.

Since local farms must adjust to the seasonal weather, the fields are also turned over more frequently. Thus, a patch of land that held cucumbers in the summer may hold root vegetables in the fall and winter. This turnover encourages a more nutrient-rich soil, which translates into a more nutrient-dense product (not to mention a tastier product).

Freshness
Locally grown produce is typically picked the day before arriving at the Farmer’s Market. As a result, the produce is picked ripe or at its peak. Moreover, after a day at the Farmer’s Market, leftover produce is generally not saved to be sold the next day. Instead it is used for jams and baked goods, donated to the food bank, fed to farm animals, or added to the compost pile. . On the other hand, supermarket produce is harvested well before ripeness so that it can withstand bulk handling and long range shipping. That means that when supermarket produce first hits the shelf, it is at least a week old. In fact, the automatic spraying of the produce section every few minutes is mainly done to perk up the week-old vegetables. It doesn’t help that nutrients of the produce leach out at each spraying.

Fewer Preservatives
Many of the small growers at Farmer’s Markets are organic growers, which mean they do not use any synthetic compounds on their fields. Even for those local farmers who do use some chemicals, however, the amount which they use is far less than large commercial farms. Moreover, because local farms pick their produce at its peak, they do not use any chemical ripening agents. And because they get their produce to market almost immediately, they do not need to coat their produce in wax or add any other preservative.

Variety
Nowadays, when you walk into a supermarket, you may never know the season. Due to global trade, the supermarkets will always have melon, tomatoes, and tropical fruit. Without any new options, we can easily encounter food fatigue. And when we tire of fruits and vegetables, it is too easy to fall into the rut of treating ourselves with high-fat and high-sugar foods to perk up our food repertoires. However, when we eat seasonally, we can look forward to the juicy summer watermelon or the savory autumn artichokes. Plus, by purchasing seasonal foods, and not splurging on that $10 clamshell of blueberries in the dead of winter, you can also save money.

Incorporating seasonal eating into your lifestyle demands a bit more time, thought, and commitment. As a result, however, you will be rewarded with more robust flavors and loads more nutrients – your body, your palette, and the Earth will definitely thank you!

What’s Fresh & Seasonal
Washington: Late August
Apples
Apricots
Beans
Beets
Blackberries
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Currants
Eggplant
Garlic
Gooseberries
Green Beans
Hearty Greens (Bok Choy, Kale, Mustard Greens)
Jerusalem Artichokes
Kohlrabi
Leaf Lettuce
Leeks
Melon
Nectarines
Onions
Peaches
Peppers
Plums
Potatoes
Radishes
Raspberries
Shallots
Spinach
Strawberries
Summer squash
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Turnips

CEDAR COVE DAYS ARE HERE!
The market is operating as usual, but will scootch over to the area behind Amy’s restaurant. All around will be Cedar Cove Events, including the Cedar Cove Arts & Crafts Festival along the waterfront. Many of our regular vendors will be participating in this Festival, so if you don’t see them at market, look for them there.

We hope to see you at the market this Saturday. It’s going to be a lot of fun!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Upcoming Events:

August 26-30 Cedar Cove Days
August 29 Youth Animal Auction at the Kitsap County Fair
September 12 Arr, it’s Pirate Day!
September 19 Tomato Tasteoff Day, bring your prize beauties in for judging

197 miles from Orondo to Port Orchard. That’s how far Melissa Martin drives early every Saturday morning to bring the freshest fruit possible to you.

The Martin Family owns and operates orchards in Cashmere and Orondo, Washington’s orchard capitol. Cherries, plum, apricots, peaches, apples – the Martin family grows them all and sells them at many farmers’ markets throughout the state. Melissa, who lives at the orchard in Orondo with her husband, estimates that they supply produce to 30-35 markets every week.

In addition to fruit, the family also has a small (by their standards) garden in the center of the orchard. Melissa occasionally brings tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, and other delectable veggies when they are available.

Melissa has been selling at the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market for over 5 years. You know the Martin Family booth – it’s the first booth you see when you enter the market, and it is usually the most busy. No wonder, the fruit is outstanding.

Melissa has some advice for telling when peaches are ripe. Handle peaches with care, don’t squeeze them! Peaches bruise so easily and premature squeezing is the biggest cause of those bruises. Instead, you can see the ripeness by the color of the skin and the smell. And more advice – the uglier the peach the better. That bad looking peach with the bumps and bruises? It is probably the sweetest of all.

Come to the market early on Saturday, buy your favorite produce and crafts, then speed up to the fairgrounds for the annual Youth Animal Auction. Kitsap County 4-H and FFA students will be auctioning their cattle, pig, sheep and goat project animals, and these locally, lovingly raised animals can quickly be providing nourishment to your family. The auction starts at 11AM in the swine barn. Local slaughter and butcher folks will be standing by to assist the process. For more information on the auction, please check out this link: Kitsap Fair Animal Auction

Georgia Peach Pie

4 C. pared, sliced peaches
¾ C. sugar
3 T. flour
1 ½ tsp. lemon juice
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
¼ C. flour
3 T. butter
½ C. chopped pecans
Unbaked 9″ pie shell

Combine peaches, sugar, 3T. flour and lemon juice in bowl; mix well.

Combine brown sugar and ¼ C. flour in another bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly, using a pastry blender. Add pecans, toss to mix. Sprinkle one half the pecan mixture in the pie shell. Arrange peach mixture over pecan mixture. Top with remaining pecan mixture.

Bake in 400 degree oven 40 minutes, or until peaches are tender. Cool on rack. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note – pie should be consumed within two days of baking in order for the pecan mixture to remain crunchy. This is rarely a problem.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard!

And during Cedar Cove days, we’ll still be on the waterfront, look for us in the usual spots and in front of Amy’s
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 18 August 20, 2009

Last modified on 2009-08-23 19:56:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Herron Hill Dairy
Cedar Cove Days
Recipe – Warm Summer Squash Salad

From the Prez

HOW TO ENJOY YOUR DAY AT THE MARKET

*Come early for cooler temperatures and the very best selection of produce & flowers.

*Come later for lunch at the market!

*Dress for the weather.  Down on the water, it is often either warmer or cooler than surrounding areas and there is often a good breeze too.  It can change in 10 minutes.  Wear comfy shoes too.

*Bring friends and family with you, or meet them.  The waterfront is a great place to “hang out” and socialize.

*Bring your children with you so they can meet farmers and connect with where their food comes from.  There’s often some fun “crafty” kind of thing for them to do at the market booth.

*Bring your own tote bags, small wagon or whatever else you might need to haul your “goodies” home.  Yes, vendors have plastic bags for you but then you have to get rid of them later.

*Bring smaller bills and change, because many vendors don’t take checks or credit cards.  Kitsap Banks ATM is a couple of blocks away and may charge an atm fee.

*Vendors like selling at the farmers market for the same reason people like buying at them.  Part of the fun of shopping at the market is the social atmosphere.  It’s cool to know the person that “grows your lettuce”; it’s almost like having a personal gardener.  For the vendor, it’s cool to know someone really wants and appreciates the effort they make.

Master Gardeners*Have a gardening problem?  Bring plant samples to the Master Gardeners from 10-1.

*Many vendors will store your purchase for you so you don’t have to carry it around with you.  This way, you can get what you want without turning into a pack mule in the process.  So, just ask.

*Buying something heavy or awkward and can’t figure out how to get it to your car?  Ask at the market booth.  There is a “load out” area right outside the market.

*Speaking of cars, parking can be an issue, so be prepared to walk a block or two.  Instead of driving, consider taking the bus, or riding your bike.   If you live in Bremerton, the foot ferry docks very close to the market.

*Have a question, suggestion, compliment, complaint, or a problem at market?  Come to the market information booth.  Our staff is here to help.

We hope to see you at the market this Saturday.  It’s going to be great!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Upcoming Events:

August 26-30      Cedar Cove Days
August 29         Youth Animal Auction at the Kitsap County Fair
September 12      Arr, it’s Pirate Day!
September 19      Tomato Tasteoff Day, stay tuned for more info

Herron Hill Dairy

It all started 9 years ago when Mary Brennan got some goats to eat down the brush in her pastures.  Following the “one thing leads to another” principle, Mary now operates Herron Hill Dairy in Home, WA, and has just received all the equipment and permits to sell her hand-made goat cheese at our market.

Mary has about 30 goats altogether, some kids, some older ladies, some gents, and 12 milking females.  Most of the goats are LaManchas, but she keeps a few Nigerian Dwarfs in the mix because their milk is so sweet and rich.  In fact, Herron Hill Dairy is the home of Baby Belle, a notable Nigerian Dwarf that is particularly dear to Mary.  That’s Baby Belle’s picture that Mary is holding.

Mary’s goats kid at different times of the year to stagger their freshening and to keep the milk supply steady.  A goat’s lactation period is usually 300 days, but some will continue to produce milk for two years after a single kid delivery.  Mary hand milks until there are 6 or 7 girls fresh, and uses a bucket milker when the numbers get greater.

Now to the cheese.  Herron Hill currently sells chevre and halloumi at the market, and this humble writer can attest that the cheese is fabulous.  Chevre (French for goat) cheese is pure white, slightly crumbly, somewhat mild but with more of a bite than cream cheese.  Mary brings two varieties, one containing Herbes de Provence and the other sweetened with honey.  Chevre is perfect for spreading on crackers, adding to salads, or, since it melts beautifully, crumbling atop warm vegetable or meat dishes.  The other cheese variety available from Herron Hill is halloumi, which has the interesting property of NOT melting when it is heated, but instead forming a beautiful golden crust.  Slices of halloumi grill well and make fine appetizers, or cut it in chunks and use in your favorite kabob recipe.

Many people find they can digest goat cheese easier than cheese made from cow’s milk.  Goat milk tends to be more alkaline, while cow’s milk causes an acid response in the body.  Goat milk is creamier than cow’s milk, and naturally higher in antioxidants.

Mary tells us that goats are very intelligent and versatile, in fact wethers (neutered males) can be used as pack animals.  Predators can be a problem, however.  While coyotes can be a hazard, the greatest threat comes from packs of neighborhood dogs.  Atticus, Mary’s Great Pyrenees guardian dog, does a good job of defending the flock.

Goat cheese at the market!  Oh boy!

Cedar Cove Days

The town is spiffed up, the planters on Bay Street (oops, I mean Harbor Street) are overflowing with color, and all the plans are in place for a big party.  Cedar Cove Days is nearly upon us!

The Farmers’ Market will take place mostly in the usual spot and at the usual time on August 29, but many of our vendors will have their booths open for the entire festival in the normal market area.

And of course the Farmers’ Market has to be on the waterfront on Saturday, because that’s what happens in Cedar Cove!  Be sure to come to the market and join the fun.

Warm Summer Squash Salad

This dish can be made with only one type of squash, just adjust the amounts accordingly.

2-4 T. olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini (1/2 pound), very thinly sliced
2 medium crookneck or pattypan squashes (1/2 pound), very thinly sliced
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano, plus sprigs for garnish
2 T. crumbled chevre cheese with Herbes de Provence

Coat a large skillet with oil.  Add half of the garlic and heat over medium-high heat until sizzling, 1-2 minutes.  Add half the squash and cook until just wilted and browned at the edges.  Transfer to a plate.  Repeat with remaining garlic and squashes.  Stir in vinegar to last batch, and let evaporate slightly.  Return previous batch of squash to skillet and stir in oregano.  Serve warm or at room temperature, garnish with oregano sprigs and chevre cheese.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 17 August 13, 2009

Last modified on 2009-08-14 18:52:24 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

In This Issue
Sanzalone’s Greenhouse
Kitsap County Youth Animal Auction
Recipe – Cabbage and Yukon Gold Potato Casserole

FROM THE PREZ:

Well, this past week was a good one. The weather cooled off and we all got to celebrate Farmers Market Week. The market was pretty busy. There were lots of kids playing with the noisemakers they made at the market or coloring in books. We also gave away quite a few “lavender wand making kits” and I personally enjoyed making them at market all day and giving mini lessons and tips. We also had several free drawings for fresh produce baskets & other market goodies, which were a big hit.

Anyway, sometimes you can get something for free…you just have to be in the right place at the right time. Thanks for supporting our market.

WHERE DID THE POTATOES GO?
Ok, this week I am going to tell a story on myself. Like many folks, I use organic growing methods, and so I rotate my crops around from season to season. Well, if you’ve ever grown potatoes, you know that it is impossible to dig them all up so you always end up with potatoes in the same area for several years from the “volunteers”. I’ve grown potatoes for years, so I have them all over now.

I decided to outsmart the potatoes by growing them in the “Ruth Stout” method, which several people told me works really well. Basically, you don’t “hill up” the potatoes with more soil as they grow, you just heap straw on them. The vines get taller and longer and the potatoes form on the vines. The straw keeps the sun off the tubers and makes for an easy harvest; no digging, and the ability to get all the spuds out so something else can be planted. So, this is exactly what I did, and my reward was an abundance of beautiful flowering potato vines peeking out from big piles of straw.

But I went to harvest some baby spuds and couldn’t find any! As I was digging thru the piles of straw, wondering where all the potatoes were on my beautiful vines, a mouse jumped out. Eeeeek! Ok, what I now know is that instead of growing a lot of potatoes for me, I was actually building a rodent condo complex, or at the very least, a smorgasborg “all you can eat” cafeteria. Yes, I have 3 cats (useless creatures apparently…). Out of 60′ of potatoes, I have about 5 pounds total, ouch. There are some very big fat mice waddling around my farm now too.

Live and learn.

Hey, we hope to see you at the market this Saturday. It’s going to be great!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Upcoming Events:

August 26-30 Cedar Cove Days
August 29 Youth Animal Auction at the Kitsap County Fair

Sanzalone’s Greenhouse

Dawn and Jack Sanzalone own and operate Sanzalone’s Greenhouse in South Kitsap. They have been growing and selling trees, shrubs, perennial flowers, grasses, and fruit trees for 12 years.

You’ll find Dawn every Saturday at the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market. While she is manning this booth, Jack is doing the same at the Gig Harbor Market. Occasionally they sell at the Bremerton Market as well.

The Sanzalones have two greenhouses at their place and also raise cows and chickens. Like most farmers in the area, they try to free range their laying hens but do battle with local predators, namely coyotes and eagles. The coyotes have become so brazen that the (remaining) Sanzalone hens are now protected behind stout chicken wire.

Future plans call for opening their place up to the public for plant sales, hopefully in a year or so when Jack retires from the Navy.

In addition to being an important vendor at our market, Jack also serves on the board as a Market Representative.

Dawn tells us that they specialize in Japanese Maples with over 15 varieties in stock, and also in perennial grasses. She has some advice for planting Japanese Maples – attention to watering for the first year until the tree is well established! Also, please talk to them about your planting location before you make your selection – how big an area to you have to fill, and what kind of sunlight does that spot receive? Make sure you get the right plant for the right place, and both you and your new tree will be happy for years to come.

Kitsap County 4-H and FFA Market Animal Auction

Defrost that freezer, it’s time to stock up on some succulent, locally-grown, lovingly raised beef, pork, or lamb. And you can help out a local 4-H or FFA youth as well.

The annual market animal auction at the Kitsap Fair will be held on Saturday, August 29, 11AM, at the Swine Barn on the fairgrounds.

Here’s how it works. Bid on an animal during the auction, and when you win you can arrange immediately with Farmer George to transport, slaughter, age, and cut and wrap to your specifications. You will pay at the auction for the animal, and then pay Farmer George for the rest of the processing.

Can’t use a whole beef or hog? Go together with your friends or neighbors to split up the meat after processing.

There’s no better way to supply your family with wholesome, humanely-raised, nutritious meat and support the community at the same time.

Please check this link for more information:

Kitsap County 4-H and FFA Market Animal Auction

Cabbage and Yukon Gold Potato Casserole

Yukon Gold potatoes
Fresh sage is my herb of choice for preparing this casserole in the winter, but you can give it a summery touch by using fresh dill or basil or whatever herb you like best that is fresh and in season.

Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
3 cups sliced peeled Yukon Gold or other baking potato ( 1 pound)
8 cups (1-inch-thick) sliced green cabbage (1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1 large egg white

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place potato in a large Dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring potato to a boil, and cook for 6 minutes or until tender. Remove potato with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid in pan. Place potato in a large bowl, and set aside. Add cabbage to the cooking liquid in pan, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the cabbage to potato.
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat; add sage and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir the chopped sage mixture, salt, and pepper into potato mixture. Spoon potato mixture into a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, milk, and remaining ingredients, and stir with a whisk. Pour milk mixture over potato mixture (do not stir). Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 225 (30% from fat)
Fat: 7.4g (sat 3.9g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 12.2g
Carbohydrate: 28.5g
Fiber: 4.2g
Cholesterol: 90mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Sodium: 613mg
Calcium: 256mg

Recipe from Deborah Madison, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2000

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard!
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 16 August 6, 2009

Last modified on 2009-08-07 16:58:06 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Grillside Mobile BBQ
Noxious Weed Booth
Kitsap Food Co-op Raffle
Farmers’ Market Week!

From The Prez,

WHAT IS A FARMERS’ MARKET – Part II-

WASHINGTON STATE FARMERS MARKET ASSOCIATION   (WSFMA)
The Port Orchard Farmers Market is a member:

Mission

To support and promote vibrant and sustainable farmers markets in Washington State.

Vision

Our vision is to have a thriving and sustainable farmers market within reach of every resident in Washington State. Washingtonians understand the importance of farmers markets in developing healthy communities and a sustainable local food system. WSFMA is a national leader in the movement to increase access to local foods through farmers markets.
Values

• Healthy local food system
• Economically & environmentally sustainable farms
• Community gathering places where all people have a sense of belonging and connection

Goals

Provide support & technical assistance to farmers markets in WA state
Educate public on benefits of buying fresh & local farm products
Increase knowledge and understanding of farmers marketsʼ role in community development, sustainable local agriculture, and access to nutritious food

PORT ORCHARD FARMERS MARKET – WHO MAKES IT HAPPEN

Farmers Markets don’t just happen, people have to make them happen.  Our market is a success, and has been around for 31 years because local farmers, artists & others want and need a place to sell their products and local people want and need a place to buy them.

Our market is run by volunteers and by a very small paid staff, with all expenses paid by the vendors.

Our market cannot operate without the blessings and support of our community.  We thank our mayor, city council, police & fire departments & city marina.  They give us a place to operate and help us keep it safe and secure for everyone.  We also thank our local business community, for being so welcoming and supportive of us as neighbors once a week.  A special thank you to Peninsula Feed for sharing their water with our vendors, and for storing the Master Gardeners supplies.

Most of all, thanks to our loyal longtime customers and to our new customers too.  We truly cannot operate a market without you!  As a market vendor, I know I can speak for others when I say we treasure the friendships we have developed with you through our farmers market.
Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
president@Pofarmersmarket.org

Upcoming Events:

August 8                        Farmers’ Market Week Celebration –  music, kid crafts, garlic tasting

Noxious Weed Booth

Farmer George gift certificate drawing at Kitsap Food Co-op booth
August 26-30 Cedar Cove Days
August 29  Youth Animal Auction at the Kitsap County Fair

Grillside Mobile BBQ

Green bean time!On a sunny day at the market, it is hard to ignore the scent of barbecue in the air.  It meets you before you set foot in the market, and draws you over to the shady area where Ken Brown and his family set up the Grillside Mobile BBQ stand.

The Brown family of Port Orchard has been cooking up ribs, bratwurst, pulled pork, and turkey legs for 16 years at the PO Farmers’ Market.  And it really is a family affair.  All four sons have worked in the booth (or sat beside it in strollers when they were little), and the kids working the booth now are the youngest sons plus various cousins.  Ken figures having a business like this is a way to help the kids earn money plus spend family time together.

Ken gets up at 4:30 on Saturday mornings to fire up the grill and get the barbecue simmering.  He buys locally as much as possible.  The bratwurst is from a local source – Farmer George in Port Orchard.

In addition to the Farmers’ Market, Grillside Mobile BBQ also serves at the Blackberry Festival, the Bluegrass Festival, The Cruz and will also do Cedar Cove Days.  Want them to come cook for your party?  They’d be happy to do that – call 871-4617 and set it up!

Noxious Weed Booth August 8

Don’t forget to bring a sample of any suspected noxious weed to the market on August 8.  To celebrate Weed Awareness Week members of the Noxious Week program will be at the market to identify weeds and help you with strategies to eliminate them.

If you have grazing animals, you probably already know the danger of tansy ragwort.  The plant contains alkaloids that are toxic to cattle and horses.  The plant is gregarious, and rapidly takes over an open area.  Tansy ragwort is in bloom right now — its easy to spot and pull out before it goes to seed.  If you have a pasture or other open area, please take a walk around to find any of these nasty characters before they go to seed and create thousands more in your neighborhood.

Kitsap Community Food Co-op raffle!

Farmer George Meat has generously  donated a $100 gift certificate to their meat shop In Port Orchard, to help raise funds for the Kitsap Community Food Co-op. Tickets are $3 each or two for $5 and there’s no limit to the tickets you can purchase. The drawing will take place at 1PM this coming Saturday, Aug. 8th, at the Co-op information booth at our market. You do not need to be present to win! For more information click  here

IT’S FARMERS’ MARKET WEEK!

Gov. Gregoire proclaims Aug. 2-8 as Washington Farmers’ Market Week

Washington’s 140 farmers markets benefit farmers and consumers

The popularity of farmers markets continues to increase with the number of markets doubling in the past decade. Consumers are visiting Washington’s 140 farmers markets to enjoy the freshest, locally grown produce, meats, cheeses and specialty food products.

“Farmers markets not only support our local growers, but play a key role in uniting our communities,” Gregoire said. “It is encouraging to learn that more communities across the state are hosting farmers markets, ensuring neighbors have a positive place to socialize and enjoy the nutritional benefits of Washington growers, while supporting our local economies.”

“People are watching their budgets today,” said Jackie Aitchison, executive director of the WSFMA. “They are getting value at farmers markets near their homes as farmers bring fresh, nutritious local foods directly to consumers.”

Federal and state nutrition assistance programs are also using farmers markets to invest in healthy lifestyles across all income levels. Now, more than 3,300 markets accept Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers and more than 3,100 markets participate in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). In 2008, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service reported that over $40 million was spent at farmers markets through these two programs alone.  The Port Orchard Farmers Market participates in ALL of these programs.

Know that when you buy a tomato, peach, ear of corn or fresh bread at the farmers market, you are buying it because it probably looks good and tastes even better. But you are also buying into your health, your community, and your economy.

WASHINGTON STATE FARMERS MARKETS  -  QUICK FACTS

• 1998    # of markets -                         60
• 2009    # of markets -                         140 & counting
• 2006    sales statewide -                    $38 million
• 2007    sales statewide -                    $55 million

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 15 July 30, 2009

Last modified on 2009-07-30 21:47:14 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Davis Farm
Celebration Wine
4H and FFA Animal Auction
Noxious Weed Booth
Food, Inc. showing
Farmers’ Market Week

From the Prez,

Ooh lah lah, has it been hot!

The good news is my watermelon vines and tomatoes are growing like crazy, the bad news is I, along with many other Western Washingtonians, am melting.  Our kind tends to prefer it between about 65-75 degrees and while we did have those pleasant temperatures this week, it was at 3 am.  I am happy it won’t last.

Well, we are now more than half way through the market season.  FARMERS’ MARKET WEEK is happening all across Washington Aug 2-8. In anticipation of that, I thought I’d spend a bit of time talking about our own market.  Next week, I’ll talk a little more about farmers markets in general & the financial impact we have in Washington.

WHAT IS A FARMERS’ MARKET – Part I-  Port Orchard

There are small and large farmers markets all across the country, in small and large communities.  They have different organizational structures but the one thing they have in common is that they exist so farmers and consumers can connect with each other.  Often they are non-profit associations that oversee the actual running of the market.  These associations may consist of farmers or other market vendors or community members who are passionate about local agriculture, or a combination.

In our particular case, we are a member of the Washington State Farmers Market Association or WSFMA (wafarmersmarket.com).  There is strength in numbers and our state association helps with information, insurance and marketing and also provides us with a connection to other farmers markets and agricultural issues in the state.  If a problem or project arises, usually another market has looked into it, and we can learn from them, without having to totally re-invent the wheel, as it were.  As a member of WSFMA, we abide by their operating rules, plus additional ones we have of our own (examples, our market requires artisans to reside on the Kitsap Peninsula and requires all farm produce be grown within Washington State).

The Port Orchard Farmers Market has been around 31 years now.  Chris Smith and Charlotte Garrido are a couple of names you may be familiar with who were chiefly instrumental in our founding.  Thank you, Thank you!

Our market is the oldest of the 12 current Farmer’s Markets in Kitsap County.  We have @90 members and usually about 50 vendors on a Saturday.  We operate 25 Saturdays a year, attracting 2000 customers each week.  In 2008, $237,000 was earned by our vendors, which stayed working in our community, and if you know how economics formulas work (I don’t, but trust me…), this results in a $700,000 dollar infusion to our area.

The market is actually operated by the Kitsap Regional Farmers Market Association, a WA not for profit corporation.  Anyone can join the market association.  You don’t have to be a vendor.  Annual dues are currently only $20, which come with 1 vote.  Our market was intentionally established so that smaller farms & businesses have as much say as the larger ones in how our market is run.

Our market has an unpaid Board, called the Executive Committee, elected by the membership at our Annual Meeting (Feb).  There are 6-7 members serving on the board.  Much of the work involved in operating our farmers market is done by this unpaid board and other market volunteers, although the framework for doing so is decided at the Annual Meeting by vote of the membership as a whole.  In this way, our market differs from others; we are still primarily a member run market.  Many other markets are now run by a manager & board, who tell the vendors the rules.  Our member/vendors decide, through setting the budget & electing the board.

On market days, our wonderful Manager Valerie and Assistant Manager Josh are on site to manage market operations so that all member/vendors can attend to their business.  They do some behind the scenes work too!

The cost of operating the market is paid by our vendors through annual dues plus a flat weekly “stall fee”.  Any monies left over go towards the following years operating costs.

So, who can be a vendor at our market?  We have a screening process and are always looking to maintain a good balance of products at market.  Overall sales of farmers must exceed non-farmers, because we are, after all, a Farmers Market.  ALL produce in every case must be grown within the state of Washington.  We can accept farmers from anywhere in Washington State, which is how we get the yummy nectarines and the like from Eastern Washington.  Farm brokers (they don’t grow the produce they sell) are acceptable if they meet WSDA requirements but they can’t sell products competing with our own local farmers (example, no raspberries from a broker if our farmers have them).    Artisans must reside on the Kitsap Peninsula and make the goods they sell.

This winter, the board and interested volunteers will review this season and plan for next year.  We invite comments from our community and more than that, we invite community volunteers to, well, volunteer!  Opportunities exist from itsy bitsy to large time commitments, so there is something to fit a variety of schedules and lifestyles.  Possibilities include, website, newsletter writing, budgeting, grant writing, foodbank programs, market csa, marketing & advertising, special events. If you have a skill or talent and an interest in helping the Port Orchard Farmers Market be a strong and viable community asset into the future, I and the board would love to speak with you to give you more information and answer your questions.

A farmers’ market doesn’t just happen, people have to make it happen.

We’ll see you at the market.  It will be a beautiful day (and not quite so hot)!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
president@Pofarmersmarket.org

Upcoming Events:

July 31 – August 6               Food, Inc. showing at the Historic Orchard Theater
August 2                                  Help the POFM team “Paint the town”,  see Valerie at                                                the Market Booth for info
August 8                                  Farmers’ Market Celebration, see article below for                                              details
August 8                                   Noxious Weed Booth
August 29                                Youth Animal Auction at the Kitsap County Fair

Davis Farm

The Davis family of Belfair has been a mainstay of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market nearly as long as the market has been in existence.

Thirty years ago, Irene Davis was convinced by her sister to take some produce to the market, which was just one year old.  Irene’s daughter Marilyn was roped in to help.  Now Marilyn carries on the family tradition by selling fruits and vegetables grown on that same farm.

The Davis family farms about 80 acres altogether – pastures, hayfields, forest, and about 2 acres of vegetables.  Oh, and a few goats too, mostly to help stamp out weeds.  And stamp out blackberries.  While Marilyn does pick some of the Himalayan blackberries for market, she admits those vines grow far more vigorously than necessary.

Marilyn has a day job at a local greenhouse, so she keeps very busy maintaining such a large garden and harvesting produce for our market.  Luckily there are younger family members and local neighbor kids to help out.

Many of our market customers think that summer isn’t really here until Marilyn returns to the market each year.  Summer is officially here!

Celebration Wine

It all started when Betty and Phil Harrison attended their son’s graduation from pilot school.  The event was commemorated by gift bottles of wine with a special label created specifically for the celebration.  The Harrisons saw a wonderful business opportunity, one that would combine their long-time hobby of wine making with Betty’s artistic flair.

The Harrisons began making wine in their college days, starting with blackberry wine.  But in 2006 they started their business, Celebration Wines, in earnest.  They currently produce several red wine blends — Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot/Cabernet Franc, and Merlot/Syrah.  Coming soon in August will be two whites – Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.  All the grapes for these wines come from the Yakima grape-growing region and the Harrisons press the grapes and craft the wines in small batches here in Port Orchard.

The extra special touch, though, is the label, decoration, or packaging that comes with the wine.  Any cause for merriment – birthday, graduation, new baby, anniversary, moving away, moving here, hole in one, successful diet, new job, new pet, engagement, broken engagement, vacation, you name it – can be commemorated with a unique label that you help design.  Betty can work with you, emailing designs back and forth, until you are pleased with the layout.  Just need one bottle and in a hurry?  Stop by their booth and select a beautiful bottle that already carries a unique label or great decoration.

Celebration Wines presents you with that old conundrum about having your cake and eating it too – should you enjoy the wine, or keep the bottle intact forever?  Hmm, maybe you should get two.

Youth Animal Auction

Our market tries to bring you the best local, fresh, delicious, nutritious food available from our local farmers and vendors. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to round out your family food basket with everything you need for the week from our market. Meat and poultry is one example of food items that are difficult to supply due to health regulations and frankly, a lack of local growers with protein to sell.

One of the best opportunities to obtain local, quality, animal protein comes around only once a year at the Youth Animal Auction at the Kitsap Fair. Bidders at the auction get free admission to the Fair and the opportunity to acquire quality meat at a bargain price. The young farmers presenting animals are members of the Kitsap 4H Club and the Future Farmers of America (FFA).

This year, the Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance is promoting the animal auction as part of their task force to help young and beginning farmers get help to get out on the land. Please view their recent article about the auction for details. Better yet, come to auction and help build our local food network now and for the future.

For more information on the Youth Animal Auction, please check this link.

Noxious Weed Booth August 8

Giant Hogweed

Don’t forget to bring a sample of any suspected noxious weed to the market on August 8.  To celebrate Weed Awareness Week members of the Noxious Week program will be at the market to identify weeds and help you with strategies to eliminate them.

If, however, you have a weed on your property that looks like the picture on the left, like a Queen’s Anne Lace on steroids, DO NOT bring a sample of it to the market.  It is a Giant Hogweed, and the sap from the plant is quite dangerous, causing severe skin blisters and skin discoloration that can persist for a very long time.  This plant is a notoriously bad actor and requires a thoughtful and serious plan for elimination.  Come talk to the folks at the Noxious Weed booth.

Food, Inc.
The Kitsap Community Food Co-op is working with the Historic Orchard Theater in Port Orchard to sponsor a showing of Food, Inc., a documentary on our nation’s food industry.  Want to really know where your dinner comes from?  For more info about the movie, click here.

Print out a copy of this voucher and bring it along – more of your ticket price will go to the Co-op if you do.

Voucher for Food, Inc.

Farmers’ Market Week Celebration August 8 – mark your calendar!

Big doin’s at the market on August 8 to celebrate Farmers’ Market week -

* Music 10AM to 1PM
* Garlic tasting all day (uhoh, bring the breath mints)
* Lavender wand making 11AM to 1PM
* Kids’ crafts 10AM to 1PM
* Kids’ giveaways (while supplies last)
* POFM produce baskets – Free Drawing!

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday on the waterfront in Port Orchard
9AM to 3PM
Come join the fun!
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 14 July 23, 2009

Last modified on 2009-07-24 18:00:32 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

In This Issue
Garlic!
JD’s Woodcrafts
Paint the Town
Noxious Weeds
Recipe – Kitchen Sink Sandwich

From the Prez,

Why Buy Local? (includes excerpts from local harvest.org, edited)

People worldwide are rediscovering the benefits of buying local food. It is fresher than anything in the supermarket and that means it is tastier and more nutritious. It is also good for your local economy–buying directly from family farmers helps them stay in business.  Why is this important?

Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold. And this is when taking into account only US grown products! Those distances are substantially longer when we take into consideration produce imported from Mexico, Asia, Canada, South America, and other places.

We can only afford to do this now due to low energy prices that we currently enjoy (yes, $2.75 a gallon is still cheap compared to the rest of the world) and because our government subsidizes large scale, agribusiness-oriented agriculture.  This makes it much harder for small local farmers, who don’t get these subsidies, to compete on price.

Cheap oil will not last forever though. Demand for energy continues to grow and prices will only go up long term.  We’ve also seen real threats to our current food systems with e-Coli, and other health scares.  As soon as it gets expensive enough, and scary enough, we’ll be forced to reevaluate our food systems and place more emphasis on energy efficient agricultural methods, like smaller-scale organic agriculture, and on local production wherever possible.

So, why wait?  Let’s start now in Kitsap County, because we need time to build our own quality local food systems (farmers that have local places to sell and local buyers).  Farmers Markets are one way of supporting and encouraging local farms to keep farming and help our county develop a more self sufficient food distribution system it will certainly need in the future.

It’s kind of a catch-22 thing; the farmer needs a buyer and the buyer needs a farmer but they need to find each other at the same time or both are disappointed and start “looking” elsewhere.  The worst is when the farmer just quits because it is too much work for the income or because the land is more valuable financially being used for something else.  We’ve seen this happen a lot in Western WA over the past couple of decades.

We can all nurture our own local agriculture by buying locally grown food whenever possible. By doing so you’ll be helping preserve the environment, local farmlands, and you’ll be strengthening your community by investing your food dollar close to home. Only 18 cents of every dollar, when buying at a large supermarket, go to the grower. 82 cents go to various unnecessary middlemen. Cut them out of the picture and buy your food directly from your local farmer when you can.  In the grocery store, try to buy local in-season produce as much as possible, and ask your grocer to stock more.

We’ll see you at the market.  It will be a beautiful day again!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
president@Pofarmersmarket.org

Upcoming events:
July 25    Marilyn Davis returns with her truck full of vegetables!
Christina Collins hosts crafts and face painting for kids

August 2   Help “Paint the Town”!

August 8   Noxious Weed booth, come learn about Kitsap’s worst weeds
Garlic!
Puzzles made by JD Driskill
If you think “garlic is garlic” and the supermarket variety is all there is, you’re in for a big surprise at John Rollins’ Fragaria 2 Acres booth.

John got started growing garlic 12 years ago when his wife began making fabulous salsa.  Now he plants about 3000 garlic cloves each fall in his Olalla garden.  John usually tries 8-12 varieties each year, mostly hardneck but he has some softnecks as well.  (Garlic note – hardneck varieties don’t have as long a shelf life as the softnecks, so you won’t find them in the supermarkets.  They have superior flavor, however, and are prized by most gourmet cooks.)

Garlic grows over the winter and is harvested in early summer.  After digging the bulbs, John ties his garlic up to dry, using his old horse stall as the drying area (he traded his horse in on a Harley a while back).  By late July the garlic has cured a bit and is ready for market.

Growing garlic is both an art and a science.  John reports that the best soil for garlic is very well composted horse manure (and just why did he get rid of that horse?!?).  However, you have to know when to water, fertilize, weed, mulch, weed some more, remove the mulch, harvest – it requires dedication.  John is very dedicated to that tasty salsa.  In addition to garlic, he’ll be bringing other salsa ingredients to market this summer, including tomatoes and hot peppers.  Yum!

John will tell you all about his garlic varieties – you can find the perfect one for that prized recipe you have, or maybe the best type for keeping the vampires away, if that’s a problem at your house.

Want to try growing garlic for yourself?  Master Gardener Ed Fessler tells us there is good information on growing garlic at this website:  Hood River Garlic

JD’s Woodcrafts
Puzzles made by JD Driskill
Talk to JD Driskill for a minute and you’ll know he’s a transplanted Washingtonian.  JD moved here from Texas a few years ago to be closer to his son and family.  But he didn’t come alone – he brought along 35 years experience in woodworking.  JD’s Woodcrafts features beautiful walking sticks and canes as well as wooden puzzles, figurines, toys, and birdhouses.

The wood used in the walking sticks and canes is all from downed trees (no tree suffered in the creation of JD’s items).  He uses hemlock, fir, pine, or alder, and he tests the strength of each piece to make sure it will always bear the weight of its user.  He uses a drawknife to remove the bark, then sands the wood satiny smooth.  If a handle is to be added, he shapes the pieces for a perfect fit and uses strong glue and a long screw to make sure it will never come loose.  Perhaps a stain or wash is next, and the final coat is an oil-based polyurethane.  The result is an item that is both utilitarian and beautiful – perfect for your next hike or stroll out to the mailbox on a slippery day.

JD will do custom items as well – check out his tic-tac-toe games made for specific holidays or professional ball teams.  Or do you have a horse-loving little girl in your life?  Does she collect Breyer or other types of horse figurines?  Does she have a birthday coming up?  Or maybe you’re planning ahead for Christmas?  JD builds barns to order for just such horses – with details all the way to feed boxes and hay lofts.  Stop by his booth and check out the pictures.

Paint the Town

Calling all market vendors and dedicated market customers!  We’re getting a team of folks together to help “Paint the Town” on Sunday, August 2nd.  You may have seen the article about this in the local papers, check it out at Paint the Town .

Please help join the market team and let’s have fun putting a fresh face on downtown Port Orchard!  Stop by the market booth Saturday for more information.
Noxious Weeds in Kitsap

Japanese Knotweed
Do you have a mysterious plant growing in your yard or garden?  Does it thrive even in harsh/dry/cold/wet/hot conditions?  Is it spreading even though you attempt to stamp out the new shoots?

Chances are you have a noxious weed.  To find out for sure, bring a sample to the market on August 8.  To celebrate Weed Awareness Week representatives from the Noxious Weed program will be at the market to identify weeds and help you with strategies for eliminating the weeds from your property.

The plant pictured at the left is Japanese Knotweed, one of the worst weed thugs in our area.

Kitchen Sink Sandwich

Japanese KnotweedHeirloom tomatoes will be in the market very soon.  Here is the classic tomato sandwich recipe.

One heirloom tomato, preferably warm from the sun
Two slices white bread — crusty French bread if you have it, but really any kind will do
Mayonnaise, salt, pepper

Core tomato and cut into thick slices.  Slather mayonnaise thickly onto one side of each bread slice.  Place tomato slices atop one piece of bread, and salt and pepper to taste.  Top with second bread slice.  Eat sandwich while standing at the kitchen sink because the juice from the tomato will run down your arms to your elbows.  This is summer bliss.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 13 July 16, 2009

Last modified on 2009-07-17 01:18:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Issue No. 13     July 16, 2009
Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter
In This Issue
Ambergardens Farm
Gems and More
Lavender-Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

From the Prez,

THE HAZARDS OF FARMING aka WEATHER HAPPENS…

Along with the costs of land, labor, supplies and seed, the farmer always has critters, weeds, diseases, and most unpredictably, weather to contend with.  Farming is a bit of a dice game and not for the faint of heart.  We sometimes hear comments, especially in the spring, about “where is the produce & why is produce so late coming in this year?”  Well, this year we had a really cool wet spring, which slowed things up to start for everyone.  Then, they were going along nicely when parts of Kitsap County were hit with hail in June and some of our farm crops were damaged.  Flowers were knocked down, lettuce crops were smashed and the growing tips of vining crops such as cukes and beans were broken off.

We had a bit of a thunderstorm this last week and they can be really impressive, but from a farmer’s viewpoint, they make us a little nervous because that’s when we get the hail storms and the pounding rain that just ruin our efforts.  Luckily, this time it didn’t happen.

Many of you know Davis Farms, a fixture at our market for many years.  Eager veggie eaters line up in front of their produce stand each Saturday.  They were one of the farms hit with hail in June.  So yes, they will be here, maybe this week but we’re told definitely before the end of July.  We do have lots of fresh produce of all kinds in the market though as not all farms had hail & not all crops suffered damage.  So come down for those veggies and fruits, because we have them!

Thank you as always for supporting the Port Orchard Farmers Market.  Without you, we don’t have a market in our wonderful community.

We’ll see you at the market.  It will be a beautiful day and there’s a lot to do and see at our waterfront market.

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
president@Pofarmersmarket.org

Ambergardens Farm

Hidden away in South Kitsap, Ambergardens is an intensively managed organic farm owned and operated by Laura Pittman-Hewitt and her husband Gene.  On an acre and a half, Laura produces an abundance of annual and perennial plant starts, gorgeous vegetables, fruits, lavender plants and bouquets, herbs of all kinds, and from this plenty she also makes herb-based skin care products such as lotions, soaps, and salves.  To achieve this abundance while being gentle to the earth, Laura blends and uses her own recipes of organic fertilizers.

Not busy enough?  Laura takes her products to three area farmers’ markets – Tacoma, Gig Harbor, and our own Port Orchard market.  Still not busy enough?  Laura is a Master Gardener and volunteers her time doing, among other things, an organic gardening class held over the winter.  And STILL not busy enough?  Laura is the president of the board of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market and writes a weekly column in this newsletter.  And she is an excellent cook — many of the recipes appearing in the newsletter are from her.

As you might have guessed, in a former life Laura was equally intense – an insurance broker doing world wide consulting to Fortune 500 companies in the area of global risk management.  Opting for a better quality of life, she made the switch from whirlwind executive to organic farmer, and we’re all glad she did.  Think of the impact she has made to gardeners in our area.  This year, she started over 5000 seedlings, 1600 of which were tomatoes.  Hundreds of families will be enjoying fresh tomatoes this summer from the seedlings she has nurtured.  Now that’s making a difference in our community.

Bracelets from Gems and More

Mavis and Dan Eastlick of Port Orchard have been mainstays of our farmers’ market for ten years.  Crafters for a long time in diverse products, they have found real delight and success with beautiful jewelry.

Mavis creates gorgeous necklaces and bracelets from freshwater pearls.  She hand ties these, explaining that hand-tying keeps the pearls from rubbing against each other and also guards against the pearls spilling if the strand is broken.  Mavis can tie a strand of pearls in half an hour, while watching TV.  Like all really talented crafters, she finds it relaxing to keep her hands busy working with beautiful objects.  Dan is the support member of the team, using his carpentry skills to make display racks and other provisions as needed.

Gems & More covers the spectrum with products for every age and price.  Big sellers are their hematite necklaces, $3 and $5 earrings, and their line of summer jewelry for youngsters.  The Eastlicks attend jewelry shows to purchase the pearls and stones for these products – some of these shows are in the Pacific Northwest, and they also attend the big jewelry show in Tucson.

Mavis has a bit of advice for keeping your pearls in good shape.  Remember that pearls are living things with a delicate porous surface that can absorb odors.  Avoid, or be very careful, with perfume or hairspray when wearing pearls.

Lavender-Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
2 tsp fresh lavender blossoms, finely chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
zest of one lemon, finely chopped
3 Tbsp canola or peanut oil
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Blend together the lemon juice and milk and let stand to curdle. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, lavender blossoms, blueberries, and lemon zest.  Toss to make sure the blueberries are well coated with flour.  In a separate bowl, mix the oil, egg and curdled milk.  Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, stirring only until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Work quickly and do not overmix.  Spoon the batter into well-oiled or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the center rack of the oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 12 July 9, 2009

Last modified on 2009-07-24 21:15:19 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

In This Issue
NWSlugs Handcrafted Mosaics
Tiny’s Organic
Raspberries with Lavender Cream
July 4 raffle vendors

From the Prez,

We hope you enjoyed our nation’s birthday last Saturday and thank you for sharing some of it with us at the farmers market.  We sure couldn’t ask for better weather!  It looks like another good weekend coming up too.

This week the Chris Craft Rendezvous is happening on the waterfront this week so you are likely to see lots of boaters strolling around the market.  This has been an annual event since 1989.  I have a friend bringing his boat over from Seattle and look forward to making some music on board after market (a bunch of us are guitarists and singers).  In any case, even if you don’t like boats all that much or know much about them, you’ll see some really neat ones tied up at the docks that are sure to make you say “ooh”.  Boaters are an extremely friendly bunch and will talk to you all day about their boats too, so you could easily make a new friend.  Take a few minutes while you are down at the market to walk the docks and see for yourself.

Chris Craft Rendezvous

The market continues to enjoy lots of fresh fruit so come get it!  Cherries are really going strong now so we’ve included info on how to freeze them.  I like to eat them frozen, it’s like eating a popsicle and they seem to be even sweeter.

The lavender is just starting to bloom and for the next few weeks you can find fresh cut lavender bundles, in addition to the other wonderful flowers coming in now.  The English Lavender is coming in now, which is the kind you need to cook with.

Thank you as always for supporting the Port Orchard Farmers Market.  Without you, we don’t have a market.

We’ll see you at the market.  It will be a beautiful day.

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
president@Pofarmersmarket.org

Upcoming events:

July 11 — Chris Craft Rendezvous at the Port Orchard Marina
Apriums available now at Tiny’s Organic
Bing and Rainier cherries at Martin Family Orchards
NO Cup painting at Quitz Time Crafts, however previously painted cups may be picked up

August 2-8  Farmers’ Market Week

August 26-30  Cedar Cove Days in Port Orchard

Coming soon — special craft activities for children, watch here for more information

NWSlugs Handcrafted Mosaics

How many of us have admired beautifully-made items and idly thought to ourselves “gee, I wish I could do that?”  Lisa Infante of Dewatto felt that way about mosaics.  But she was intent on learning how to do this craft.  Unable to find a class, she bought a book and just started in.  That was seven years ago.  Now, her lovely mosaic art — vases, mirrors, frames, kitchen items, birdhouses – graces homes throughout our area.

For her glass items, she searches through second-hand stores and garage sales to find interesting shapes for the mosaic foundation.  Then she studies each piece, considering its shape and utility, until she formulates the perfect mosaic design.  The central part of the design is glued in place first, then the background.  Lisa grouts her pieces with shower grout so they can be easily cleaned (no dishwashers, please).

Lisa branched out into mosaic birdhouses during a home construction phase of her life when she had no access to cutting glass.  The birdhouses are exquisite – so quaint, such attention to detail, they seem to have stepped out of a fairy world.

And while all her items are works of art, they are meant to be used, not set on a shelf to only be admired.  Many of the glasses that Lisa chooses have a wonderful texture, so they bring delight not only to your eyes but also to your hands.

Want a specific item in just the right color and size for your home?  Lisa does custom work as well, stop by her booth and tell her what you need.

Tiny’s Organic

Favorite Farmers’ Market logoYou know summer is really here when the beautiful cherries and berries show up in abundance at the market.  Tiny’s Organic is back again this year with their bounty – sweet cherries now, and as the season progresses we can look forward to plums, pluots, peaches and nectarines, apriums (apricots crossed with plums), and apples.

A third-generation family owned and operated business, Tiny’s sells fruit at over 30 farmers’ markets across the state, including Pike Place Market, and also delivers CSA fruit and vegetable subscriptions to Seattle-area customers.  They have two orchard locations in the Wenatchee area – one that is close to the Columbia river and warm enough for stone fruit (cherries, plum, peaches) and the other that is higher in elevation and better for ripening apples with those cooler fall days and nights.

Erica Trout, who manages Tiny’s booth at our market, reminds us that everything from Tiny’s is 100% organic.  She also reports that the weather so far this year has been ideal for stone fruit – the best in years.  The cherries are so sweet – stop by and see for yourself.

July How-To: Freeze Cherries

1. Select your cherries.
Work with small amounts (3 to 5 lbs.) of fresh, sweet cherries to allow for quick handling and freezing. Select firm and ripe cherries. Stems should be green and supple.
2. Rinse and drain thoroughly.
When dealing with fresh produce, it’s always a best practice to wash it before eating or processing. This is true for organic produce as well.
3. Pack according to preferred method.
Whole with Stems Method
Spread cherries with stems intact in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm. Pack into freezer-proof containers or plastic freezer bags; remove excess air and seal.
Dry Sugar Pack Method
Add 1/3 cup sugar for each pint of pitted or unpitted fresh sweet cherries; toss lightly to coat cherries. Fill freezer containers or bags; shake to pack fruit. Add more cherries to fill containers or bags and seal.
4. Freeze immediately.

*Directions adapted from the experts at NWCherries.com.

Raspberries with Lavender Cream

½ cup whipping cream
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons light honey
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
5 lavender spikes, 2½ to 3 inches long
2 extra-large egg yolks
½ cup shipping cream, stiffly whipped
about 2 pints fresh berries, picked over, then rinsed just before serving

In a double boiler over very hot water, combine the cream, milk, honey, sugar, salt, and lavender blossoms.  Cook over simmering water for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Beat the yolks in a small bowl.  Pour about ½ cup of the lavender cream mixture over the yolks and whisk well.  Return the cream and yolk mixture to the double boiler and mix well.  Cook over just-simmering water for 10 minutes, stirring, until the mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and strain the custard cream through a sieve into a stainless steel bowl.  Discard the lavender.

Let the custard cream cool to room temperature with a piece of waxed paper covering the bowl, then chill.  Or to cool it more quickly, place the bowl of custard cream in a larger bowl filled with ice, and stir occasionally until cooled, then chill.  The cream will thicken a bit as it cools.

Remove the lavender cream from the refrigerator 10 or 15 minutes before serving.  Fold in the freshly whipped cream.  Spoon a little lavender cream onto each dessert plate and arrange the berries on top.  Serve immediately.

July 4 Raffle thanks!!

A big thanks to the following vendors who donated items for the raffle last week:

Pookie’s Precious Creations, Kerry’s Classic Condiments, JD’s Woodcrafts, Essential Elements, P’s Craft Corner, Gems & More, Barefoot Sisters, NWSlugs Handcrafted Mosaics, Dancing Light Creations, Nautical Knot Keychains, Kingfisher Cove Handpainted Floats, Big Bear Smokehouse, S&R Creations, Bella Terra Design, Spring Mountain Studio, Strong Associates, Twice as Nice Candles & Gifts, and Smiling Moon Crafts.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday 9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard

Chris Craft Rendezvous this weekend at the Port Orchard Marina
See the beautiful boats at the guest dock
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter – Issue No. 11 – July 2, 2009

Last modified on 2009-07-02 23:56:28 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Homestead Berries
A Taste of Eden
Recipe – Basil Oil

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation.

As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.  The farmers market is open on the 4th, as usual.  You’ll find it an excellent place to get fresh fruits & vegetables, bread, salad fixings, condiments, barbeque meats and seafood of all kinds for the feast.  You can pick up a beautiful fresh flower bouquet for the table too.

It’s dry out there this year, so be extra careful around fireworks of any kind.  Remember to find a quiet haven for your pets too as many of them find our celebration very traumatic.

AT THE MARKET THIS WEEK

RAFFLE  We’re holding a fundraising raffle for the market.  There will be various prizes but the grand prize is a beautiful Red, White & Blue Afghan handmade & donated by Joanne Drewes.  In case you didn’t know her, Joanne was a longtime market member and vendor who passed away last year after a long illness, but not before completing this gorgeous afghan as a gift to the market.  Come down and view this work of art.

Raffle tickets are $1 & the drawing will be at 1pm (must be present to win).

KIDS STUFF We have giveaways for children at the Market Booth so bring the kids by for patriotic pinwheel spinners, flags & pins.

ENTERTAINMENT An assortment of performers, including music and storytelling will be on hand to entertain us.

FRUITS & BERRIES ARE IN:
Several Farmers have delectable strawberries and cherries too, including organic!  Get them while they are here because they are one of the true pleasures of, and signs of, summer.  Apriums and pluots and peaches & nectarines will be here soon!

Have a safe and super fun Birthday!  We’ll see you at market, it’s going to be a spectacular day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market

Upcoming events –
July 4 — Happy Birthday USA!  Come celebrate at the market
Raffle — red/white/blue afghan, tickets $1, drawing at 1PM at the Market Booth
Kids — patriotic pinwheels, pins, flags at the Market Booth all day

July 11 — Chris Craft Rendezvous at the Port Orchard Marina
Cup painting at Quitz Time Crafts

Gary Earl
Homestead Berries

Gary and Christina Earl raise berries on their Homestead Berries farm in south Kitsap.  Lots and lots of berries – strawberries, raspberries, and marionberries, to be exact.  The Earls employ organic practices on their place, and they have about three and a half acres in berry production.  That’s a lot of hard work.  A LOT of hard work.

Gary has been selling berries at the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market for four years now.  The Earls also sell berries at the Silverdale Farmers’ Market, and they will take custom orders for flats of berries.  This year they will do some U-pick by appointment – contact them at 360-876-7205 for a custom order or an appointment to pick berries at their place.

June-bearing strawberries are ripe now, and the everbearing varieties will ripen, in lesser numbers, throughout the summer.  Expect to see Gary at the market with his beautiful red raspberries by the second week of July, weather permitting.

A Taste of Eden

We’re lucky to have a premier local bakery, A Taste of Eden, bring their bounty to the market each Saturday.  A family-owned and operated business for over 15 years, the bakery started in Gig Harbor, was located in Port Orchard for a bit, has recently been operating in Rochester, and is now moving operations to a 109-year-old building they’re remodeling in Chehalis.

A Taste of Eden offers over 1500 different items, including breads of all kinds, dessert items, cookies (!), pastries, jams and jellies, sauces, spice blends and rubs.  Their specialty item is sweet bread, and they have 94 varieties to choose from.  They also offer gluten-free and sugar-free products.  Family members do all the work, from making the products to selling them at farmers’ markets, major shows all over the state, website orders (see their website at the link below), and a soon-to-open retail store and café in their new location in Chehalis.  What more can they do?  Wedding cakes.  Soon to come.

Basil Oil
Favorite Farmers’ Market logo
1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup olive oil

Blanch basil in medium saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Pat basil dry with paper towels. Transfer to blender. Add oil; puree until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.)
Makes about 3/4 cup.  Can be used as a dipping sauce or in replacement of standard olive oil in cooking to give your meal an extra perk!

Please take the time to cast a vote for the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market as America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market!  Follow the link below, and either enter the zip code of 98367 or find us on the Google map.  (At last check, we were woefully behind the Poulsbo Market in votes.)  If we win, we get some nifty market bags that we can distribute to you, our loyal customers!

http://action.farmland.org/site/PageNavigator/Americas-Favorite-Farmers-Markets/best_local_farmers_market_vote

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday, 9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 10 June 25, 2009

Last modified on 2009-07-01 19:16:23 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue

Honey!
Chocolate!
Honey Mustard Dressing recipe

FROM THE PREZ:

AT THE MARKET THIS WEEK:
This week and thru July 4th, Fathoms O Fun activities are happening downtown & our market is usually moved a couple of blocks over.  But NOT THIS YEAR, WE ARE STAYING PUT so come see us at our usual place, with the Fathoms Vendor Craft Show right next to the market this weekend.  While you are downtown, check out the other happenings too at the quick link above.  Just down the street at Kitsap Bank, the Street Scramble Scavenger Hunt and Annual Frog Jump and Snake Races are happening.  Of course, the big parade starts at 6pm.

AT THE MARKET NEXT WEEK July 4th:
RAFFLE: There will be various prizes but the grand prize is a beautiful Red, White & Blue Afghan handmade & donated by Joanne Drewes.  In case you didn’t know her, Joanne was a longtime market member and vendor who passed away last year after a long illness, but not before completing this gorgeous afghan as a gift to the market.

Raffle tickets are $1 & the drawing will be at 1pm (must be present to win).

KIDS STUFF:We have giveaways for children at the Market Booth so bring the kids by for patriotic pinwheel spinners, flags & pins.
Weather permitting, there will be storytelling and live music.

FRESH BERRIES ARE IN:
Several Farmers have delectable strawberries and cherries too, including organic!  Get them while they are here because they are one of the true pleasures of, and signs of, summer.

FOOD PROGRAMS:
A reminder that our market participates in the WA State Food Stamp, WIC and Senior Nutrition Programs.  So, if you know someone who receives these benefits, pass the word.

HONEY!
We are so happy to have local honey back at the market!  In keeping with that, here are a few honey bee factoids.  The more you learn, the more you will appreciate our local beekeepers and those busy, busy bees.

Why should you care about honey bees?
About one mouthful in three in our diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination.

While there are native pollinators (honey bees came from the Old World with European colonists), honey bees are more prolific and the easiest to manage for the large scale pollination that U.S. agriculture requires.

The number of managed honey bee colonies has dropped from 5 million in the 1940s to only 2.5 million today, but demand has increased.

Honey bee colony health has also been declining since the 1980s with the advent of new pathogens and pests.

Are the honey bees really disappearing?
The USDA reported some beekeepers losing 30-90% of their hives starting in 1996.  This phenomenon, which currently does not have a recognizable underlying cause, has been termed “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD). The main symptom of CCD is simply no or a low number of adult honey bees present but with a live queen and no dead honey bees in the hive. Often there is still honey in the hive, and immature bees (brood) are present.

Our own Joe McManus of “Loving You Honey Farm”, longtime honey vendor at the market, lost all but two of his hives this past year to CCD and has not been able to return to the market.  It happened in short order, without warning.

Are there any theories about what may be causing CCD?
There seems to be a few common factors shared by beekeepers experiencing CCD and three major possibilities that are being looked into by researchers, but it is still basically unknown.
*     Pesticides may be having unexpected negative effects on honey bees.
*     A new parasite or pathogen may be attacking honey bees. Viruses are also suspected, as are mites.
*     A perfect storm of existing stresses (mites, nutrition, contaminated water, etc) may have unexpectedly weakened colonies leading to collapse. Stress, in general, compromises the immune system of bees (and other social insects) and may disrupt their social system, making colonies more susceptible to disease.

What can I as a member of the public do to help honey bees?
The best action you can take to benefit honey bees is to not use pesticides indiscriminately, especially not to use pesticides at mid-day when honey bees are most likely to be out foraging for nectar.  Honey bees are an excellent reason “to go organic”.  In addition, you can plant and encourage the planting of good nectar sources such as red clover, foxglove, bee balm, and joe-pye weed. For more information, see North American Pollinator Protection Campaign.

Did you know our local bees make honey locally mostly from Big Leaf Maple & Blackberry flowers supplemented by Huckleberry, Dandelion, Madrone, and various wildflowers?  Many beekeepers take their colonies to the Cascades or Olympics for the Fireweed blooms in July-Sept.

Hey, we’ll see you at market, it’s going to be a lovely day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market

Information for this article came from the following online resources:
West Sound Bee Keepers
WA State BeeKeepers Association
Colony Collapse Disorder

Upcoming events:

June 27 — Chocolate and vanilla ice cream at Carter’s Chocolates
Fathoms O Fun in downtown Port Orchard

July 4 — Happy Birthday USA!  Come celebrate at the market
Raffle — red/white/blue afghan, tickets $1, drawing at 1PM at the Market Booth
Kids — patriotic pinwheels, pins, flags at the Market Booth all day

July 11 — Chris Craft Rendezvous at the Port Orchard Marina
Cup painting at Quitz Time Crafts

Stokesberry Honey

The Stokesberry family of Puyallup has been in the honeybee business for three generations, and we are positively thrilled that they are now selling honey at the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market.

John, the youngest generation of the family, says that his dad currently manages around 30 hives.  They move the bees during the summer to the areas of bloom – logging roads around Mt. Rainier for the fireweed, local farms for alfalfa, raspberry, blueberry, and cranberry, and some hives stay at the house for whatever is blooming close by.  The blossoms make subtle, delicious differences in the honey.

Stokesberry honey is unprocessed – never heated or filtered – so all that healthy bee pollen is still present.   Honey sold in grocery stores has been processed.  If you want the best honey possible, come to the market.

Honey will last practically forever stored in your pantry at room temperature.  If it crystallizes, you can return it to its original thick, liquid form by setting the jar in a pan of hot water for an hour or two.

Carter’s Chocolates

Matt Carter knows chocolate.  All kinds of chocolate.  From the fine chocolate he purchases to make his products to the fabulously flavorful chocolates he creates.

Over 75% of the chocolate consumed in the world is sold bulk (and made cheaply) through the commodities market, and originates in Ghana or the Ivory Coast.  Fine chocolates, on the other hand, are like fine wines – the plantation of origin is identified and prized, and top-notch companies take those beans and turn them into chocolate that is a totally different sensory experience than your average chocolate bar.

Drawing on his background as a professionally trained pastry chef, Matt purchases these fine chocolates and turns them into truffles, caramels (and salted caramels like Obama’s favorites), and even ice cream.  Flavors like his dessert wine line (from Washington state wines), ale flavors featuring Pike Brewery varieties, even chile flavored using Two Snooty Chef’s SW Sedona Blend chile.  Carter Chocolate truffles are decorated in jazzy colors and designs – Matt will create a special design for you for weddings and other special events.

In addition to these fabulous confections, this week Matt will be bringing vanilla and chocolate ice cream to the market.  Ice cream!  You can choose from a waffle cone or a waffle cup – with a biodegradable spoon for slurping up every last droplet.  Wow.
Carter’s Chocolates

Honey Mustard Dressing

There are lots of greens in the market now, whip up a simple Honey Mustard dressing to make your salad extra-special!

5 Tablespoons honey
3 Tablespoons smooth Dijon-type mustard
2 Tablespoons light vinegar, such as rice wine

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  Use as a salad dressing or a dip.

What could be easier?

Do you love the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market?  Would you like a nifty bag proclaiming the POFM as the favorite farmers’ market in the country?  Vote for our market by clicking on the link below and typing in our zip code — 98366.  If we win, we’ll get a bunch of neat reusable bags that we’ll distribute to you, our loyal customers.  Let’s make it happen!

America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
(some vendors will be staying open until after the Fathoms O Fun parade this Saturday!)
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter – Issue No. 9 June 18, 2009

Last modified on 2009-06-18 17:21:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Les Santos
Kingfisher Cove
Noodles with Sugar Snaps

FROM THE PREZ:

Ok, it’s no secret we have dogs coming into the market or passing through on the way to the beach or marina, or just walking the boardwalk.  Most folks like having them around, but some do not.  We want a safe & enjoyable place for everyone. Our erstwhile New Dog Owner, Market Member & Volunteer extraordinaire, Sharon Howard, who has apparently been paying attention in her puppy training class has some tips to share:

“The beautiful weather we have been having has brought lots of customers to the market, and with them lots of dogs!  Our market is a great venue for dogs since it is outdoors, spacious, colorful, with lots of pup-walking space along the waterfront and past the beautiful gardens of the marina.  Many folks bring their dogs to enjoy the day and to provide a socializing opportunity for their pups.  Since the safety of our customers is paramount to our market, we ask that dog owners observe the following guidelines:

1.  Dogs must be under firm control at all times.  This can be on a leash, in your backpack, in your arms, whatever works for your pup.  The leash also must be short enough that your dog cannot lunge towards another animal or person, or trip someone when venturing away from you.
2.  Non-aggressive dogs only!  If your dog has shown aggressive behavior towards other dogs or unfamiliar people, please keep her home from the market until she is more at ease in a mixed environment.
3.  Please ask permission for your dog to meet another dog or person, & be especially cautious around children – your dog may be fine, but the child may not know that.
4.  Watch your pup closely.  If she is getting anxious, having a time-out in your car or in a quiet spot may be a great idea.
5.  Come prepared with a Mutt Mitt in case there is an embarrassing accident!  Mutt Mitts are available in the marina lawn area.
6.  The cuter the better – feel free to dress your pooch up in adorable attire or just a jaunty collar.
7.  Leave your cat at home.  For obvious reasons.

Please note our market staff can ask a pet to leave the market at any time (& take their owner with them) if they see a problem or potential problem.

Our staff has taken some great pictures of our market dogs, check them out at dog pics.  We’ll continue to add pictures throughout the year – bring your dog to the market and maybe she will have her photo on the website.”

We look forward to seeing you and your cute, mannerly dog at the market on Saturday.  It’s going to be a lovely day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, President of the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market

Vote for us!  Vote for us!

Please don’t forget to vote for your favorite Farmers’ Market!  Click on the link below and use our zip code, 98366, to vote for the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market.  If we win, we get some neat market bags that we can distribute to you, our loyal customers.

America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market

Les Santos
Big and little dog at the market
The Port Orchard Farmers’ Market has a unique feature among local markets – the backyard gardener category.  Smaller producers, generally folks with large personal gardens, can bring their excess vegetables, plants, and cut flowers to the market and sell them from smaller booths.

No one epitomizes the backyard gardener notion better than Les Santos.

Les sells gorgeous cut flowers, potted perennials and small shrubs, and vegetables from the garden she and her husband Esmeraldo tend in Port Orchard.  Their garden area takes up about a quarter of an acre.  In terraced beds.  On a steep hillside.  In our average rocky Kitsap soil.  Most of us would have thrown our hands in the air with such a garden site and just let the blackberries take over.  But the Santos have instead created a lush, beautiful garden.

Their secret?  Hard work, daily attention to the plants, careful nurturing with water and fertilizer, and providing the proper location to meet the needs of each plant variety.  Every plant in their garden looks happy and healthy.  (Except for the bean plants that have been attacked by the rabbits.  Rabbits love the Santos’ garden as well.)  Flowers, shrubs, squash, beans, peas, peppers, cabbages, tomatoes, and eggplant – scores of eggplant – all flourishing on the hillside behind their home.

Les says working in the garden keeps her and Esmeraldo healthy – well, gardening and lots of medicine!
Kingfisher Cove

One of the new vendors at the market this year is Sue Nelson of Kingfisher Cove.  Sue is an artist who has a passion for painting typical Kitsap scenes on wooden plaques, signs, garden stakes, rocks, mailboxes, and floats.

Sue retired from a career of early childhood education and toy store management and took up a paint brush.  Although she has been painting off and on her whole life, now she has the time to devote to her art and finds herself spending more and more time at it.  Even at the market – you can watch Sue create yet another lovely sign or plaque in her booth.

Sue’s products are all painted with acrylic paints and sealed with urethane.  They are weatherproof and will last for years with annual reapplications of urethane.

Want a painting of your house, boat, or other important item?  Want a classy and unique mailbox?  Sue is happy to do custom work, just bring a picture with you to her booth.

It’s time for sugar snap peas to be showing up at the market.  Assuming you can get the peas home without eating them in the car on the way, give this recipe a try!

Noodles with Sugar Snaps

1 lb. sugar snap peas
1 lb. dried fettuccine
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 C. heavy cream
4 oz. fontina cheese, grated
handful toasted hazelnuts
salt and pepper

Trim the tops and tails of the sugar snap peas and remove the strings on the sides.  Bring a large saucepan of water to boil, add a little salt, the noodles and the sugar snap peas.  Cook for about 5 minutes, then drain and toss with the oil to prevent the noodles sticking.  Meanwhile, boil the cream in a pan for about 5 minutes, add the noodles with the sugar snap peas, and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes.  Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with the fontina cheese, pepper to taste and the hazelnuts and serve immediately.
Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter-Issue No. 8 June 11, 2009

Last modified on 2009-06-11 18:53:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Farmers’ Market Contest
Tom Farmer Oysters and Clams
Whirliwind Whirlies
Julies’ Secret Salad Dressing

From the Prez,

(distilled from 10 Reasons to Eat Local
by Jennifer Maiser, editor & founder
posted @ eatlocalchallenge.com website,)

Locally grown produce:

Is fresher
Just plain tastes better
Fruits & vegetables have longer to ripen

Buying & Eating local food:

Is better for air quality and pollution (less travel)
protects us from bio-terrorism (less contamination risk)
keeps us in touch with the seasons
is fodder for the wonderful story of where your food comes from (& your farmer!)
translates to more variety (you can’t get lemon cukes at the grocery store!)
supports responsible land development

note – This is extremely abbreviated.  Go to the website listed above to read the full article & find other interesting facts.

See you at the market Saturday — it’s going to be a lovely day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, Port Orchard Farmers’ Market President

America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market Contest!!

American Favorite Farmers Market logo
Do you love shopping at the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market? Isn’t our market the best farmers market in the country?

If you find our local farmers market to be a great source of fresh and locally grown foods, make sure to participate in America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest and let the world know why you love the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market!

Farmers markets are an asset to our communities and deserve our support. You can help your favorite farmers market gain the recognition it deserves and ensure that it and others like it continue to thrive. How can you help? Start by casting your vote at the link above.  If we win, we get some nifty bags that we can pass out to our customers.

Vote early!  Vote often!!

Tom Farmer Oysters and Clams

Geraniums from Hamilton Family Farms

Tom Farmer has been in the oyster/clam business now for 26 years and selling at the market all that time – he reports that he didn’t have any gray hair when he started!  Tom and his wife Jean own a farm in Allyn and farm oysters and clams from their own and leased tidelands.

Their business is split into 3 different segments.  The largest is the commercial end.  Twice a week, all year round, Tom Farmer Oyster Co. ships 800 dozen oysters and 600 pounds of clams to a broker in San Francisco.  From there they are sent out across the country from Maine to Hawaii.  Their two other segments are the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market and a retail store on the farm.  While the farmers’ market operates 6 months of the year, the retail store is open all year just like the commercial portion.

Tom and Jean encourage people to take the beautiful drive out to Allyn to see their farm, walk the gardens or meander down to the lake.  Don’t be surprised if Finnegan Farmer (their giant dog) wants to stroll with you, or Maggie (their kitty) rubs up against your leg.  While you are waiting for your order to be processed, enjoy the peacefulness of their lovely farm.

Whirliwind Whirlies

Whirligig

You can’t miss the Whirliwind Whirlies booth at the market, especially if the day is a bit breezy.  Hanging from a hook or mounted on a stake, the colorful, clever and energetic whirligigs by Olalla artists Jan and Bill Olson will catch your eye and your imagination.

The whirligigs are all wood, made from pine and plywood.  Bill does the cutting, sanding, and he paints the larger areas of each figure with acrylic craft paint.  Jan is in charge of the finer line painting, applying the two coats of sealer, and quality control.  The Olsons use only non-toxic paint.

Know someone who is putting in a garden this year?  The Olsons are also making cute and colorful garden stakes, which would make a nifty gift, especially if that gardener is you.

Recipe — Julie’s Secret Salad Dressing

Lettuce is coming into the market now, so here’s a great salad dressing recipe.  The acid in the dressing will wilt young lettuces, so toss it just before serving.  Extra dressing can be kept in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for a few days.

1 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
good squirt of Worcestershire sauce
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 T. dry tarragon

Mix all ingredients together for dressing.  Add to a large bowl of mixed salad greens (use a colorful mixture from the market).  Add freshly-grated black pepper, salt (if needed, I usually don’t), and LOTS of grated Parmesan cheese.  Toss well. Guaranteed to get raves from your guests.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
9AM to 3PM
Every Saturday until October 10

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 7 June 4, 2009

Last modified on 2009-06-04 18:41:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Garden Treasures
Kerry’s Classic Condiments

From the Prez,

IT REALLY DOES PAY TO SHOP THE MARKET:

A new study is being released about how farmers’ market produce prices compare to grocery stores.  This is the third year Stacey Jones, Seattle University Professor, has conducted the study.  The study was done in two Seattle neighborhoods, with almost identical results.  There is no reason to believe the results wouldn’t be similar here in Kitsap County.  Following are some excerpts:

Learning Statistics at the Local Farmers Market
Stacey Jones, Albers School of Business and Economics, Seattle University, June 2, 2009

…Many people seem to believe that farmers’ market prices are high.  The data gathered by my students allow us to see how farmers’ market prices actually measure up against the price of comparable produce in grocery stores and food co-operatives….

…we compared the prices at the Broadway farmers’ market to those at Madison Market, QFC, and Safeway….The average price of the ten common items was $4.40 per pound at the Broadway farmers market, $4.57 per pound at Madison Market, $5.82 per pound at QFC, and $8.04 per pound at Safeway.

…To be sure, the farmers market did not offer the lowest price on every item, but did tend to have the lowest prices for produce in its peak season…This year’s results were consistent with our May 2007 and 2008 studies, which found farmers market prices to range from about one-third less to roughly equal in price to comparable organic produce at neighboring grocery stores and food co-ops.

If you are interested in more information, you can contact Ms. Jones at sjones@seattleu.edu.

More next week on why being a “locavore” is good for more than just your pocketbook.

See you at the market – it’s going to be a lovely day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt, Port Orchard Farmers Market President

Did you know –

all the produce, plants, and animals sold at a certified Washington State Farmers’ Market must be produced on land within the State of Washington or in a county bordering our state?  For more information on WSFMA markets click on the link above.

Wondering when various kinds of produce will be available at the market?  The Harvest Calendar (link above) is a great guide, but weather conditions play a big role as well.  So far this year we have had a fast start for the heat-loving plants.  If the warmth continues, produce such as beans, tomatoes, corn and squash may appear at the market sooner than usual.

Bill and Ilene’s Garden Treasures

Bill and Ilene Alvis’s Garden Treasures features hardy garden succulents, and lots of them.  Ilene got hooked on succulents 30 years ago, and now grows over 345 varieties of semperviviums, 125 varieties of sedums, and 12 saxifrage.  It may appear that Ilene is over the top with succulents, but she points out that there are over 2000 varieties of semperviviums and she has only 345 of them.  Hmmm.  She produces all these plants from their home garden in Gorst.  There, she lovingly tends the mother plants and brings the offspring to the market for you.

Ilene’s advice on growing succulents – lots of sun, well-drained soil (absolutely no standing water), use fertilizer sparingly, and don’t allow dead leaves to accumulate atop the plants in winter.  Sempervivium translates to “lives forever”, so plants from Garden Treasures should last you a very long time.

Ilene is a great source of information on succulents, and would be happy to talk to your garden club on the topic.  Stop by Garden Treasures and set up a date!

Kerry’s Classic Condiments

Hungry for some relish, jam, or chutney that you remember from your grandma’s pantry?  Then head to Kerry’s Classic Condiments, you may just find exactly what you’re hankering for.

Schoolteacher by day and canner by night, Port Orchard’s Kerry Christofferson buys fruit and vegetables locally when they are at the peak of perfection, then crafts delicious concoctions from very old recipes.  Her most popular product is zucchini relish from an 80-year old recipe.  The relish goes great with hot dogs, tuna fish, sloppy joes, and is very likely close to what your grandma used to make.

Kerry’s jams are low sugar, and her relishes, chutneys and pickles have that punch and sparkle that honors her classic recipes.  And just like at grandma’s, save the jar!  Bring it back and receive $1 off your next purchase.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No. 6 May 28, 2009

Last modified on 2009-05-29 18:23:23 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Growing tomatoes
Farmer Al’s Peonies
The Barefoot Sisters

FROM THE PREZ

Wow, three absolutely gorgeous weekends in a row.  This is why I live here!

There is no place more beautiful than Puget Sound.

I for one ended my three day “weekend” with total exhaustion.  Four farmers markets and two evenings out on the town (well one of those nights was on a boat actually) start to take a toll after a certain age.  Hard work and hard play makes for a satisfying time though, it’s a very good kind of tired.

I had an opportunity to see at least some of the cool old boats at the Port Orchard Marina for the Kitsap Harbor Festival, but didn’t have time to board the Virginia V (I heard from my most reliable 10 year old sources, it was way fun).  However, I was lucky enough to see what must be the world’s largest rabbit on the docks, being wheeled around in a cart by its owners.  A giant flemish named Beaver, weighing in at 23 pounds!  Oh my.  I ALWAYS check out the rabbits at the fairs and have never seen one this big.  Seriously, it was making jaws drop.

Anyway, rabbits aside, the farmers market was in full swing both Saturday and Sunday.  The produce is starting to come in a little, along with flowers, and vegetable plant starts are very plentiful and in high demand.  As usual, fresh fish and shellfish was a big hit with shoppers.   But probably the single most popular item the last couple of weeks has been tomato plants.  It appears a lot of tomato plants are going to be grown in a lot of back yards this year.   Our market is lucky to have several vendors with a vast selection.  So, for all you growers, we’re sharing tips to help ensure a delicious harvest:

Thank you for supporting your local farmers market.  We appreciate it and hope to see you again soon.

Laura Pittman-Hewitt
President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Tips for growing tomatoes successfully in Puget Sound

from Ambergardens Farm and Nursery

Farmer Al’s Peonies Tomatoes are tender to frost and light freezes and like soil temperature at least 55-60 degrees.  Plant in full sun into well worked garden soil.  Work 1/2 cup of blended fertilizer (we use organic 5-5-5) into the planting hole.  If you have acid soil or have had problems with blossom end rot (a large round black spot on the bottom of the tomato) in past years, a handful of bone meal or fish bone meal should also be added and you probably need to add some lime.  Follow label directions.

You can plant them deep; the stems will sprout roots.  Or, plant them on their sides in a sloping trench so that the stem and roots are near the surface where the heat is and the top is out of the soil.  Remove the leaves from the part of the stem that will be buried.  The plant will start growing upwards right away.

Water very lightly at first and cover the plants with Wallo Waters or a cloche, if the weather is still cool.  Red or black plastic mulch on the ground increases heat and yields and reduces weeds.

Keep your tomatoes off the ground by staking or trellising them.  This reduces pest & disease problems & makes picking easier.  Usually, the small hoop tomato cages are too flimsy for any but the smaller determinates – do yourself a favor and use something sturdier.

Determinate varieties usually don’t need much staking.  Tomatoes on determinate varieties usually ripen together, so are a good choice for canning, drying, etc.  Space determinate varieties 18-24″ apart in rows 36″ apart.  These are the best type for growing in containers, which we recommend be 5 gallons or bigger.

Indeterminate varieties just keep growing and growing and must be staked or trellised.  They will fruit until frost (or in our case, the monsoon season), leaving some green tomatoes at the end of the season. Space indeterminate varieties 20-30″ apart in rows 36″ apart or more.

Water:  Medium and deep until harvest.  Even moisture helps prevent blossom end rot.  Drip watering is preferred; avoid overhead watering to reduce fungus and disease problems.  Don’t water every day; once or twice a week so that the top 6-8″ of soil are moist is better.  It’s time to water again if you dig down 6″ into the bed and the soil is dry.  Blossom end rot is a sign of lack of calcium, which can be from over watering.  Over watering during fruiting leads to watery, split fruit.

Fertilizer:  Tomatoes are heavy feeders but too much leafy growth may indicate too much nitrogen or water.  Every 2-3 weeks apply light supplements of weak fish emulsion or compost tea.  When blossoming, side dress with a calcium source to prevent blossom end rot.

Diseases:  To help control or prevent diseases, especially blight, avoid planting tomatoes in the same place for at least three years if you can.  Destroy the vines at the end of the year (don’t compost).  Copper sprays are also effective but they do kill earthworms.  Compost teas used as a foliar spray have shown promise as well.  Liquid kelp is fabulous!

Companions/ Allies:  Brassicas (broccoli & such), carrot, celery, chive, cucumber, borage, cilantro, dill, marigold, onion, pepper.  Parsley, basil and bee balm are reputed to improve growth.  Marigolds may repel aphids and tomato hornworm.
Farmer Al’s PeoniesFarmer Al’s Peonies and other flowers

Al Mottl of Port Orchard sells peonies, lots of them.  Over twenty varieties in fact.  But that’s not all you’ll find at Farmer Al’s booth at the market.  Hellebores, iris, fuchsias, petunias, delphinium, columbine, and then there are the vegetables – tomatoes, herbs, onions, strawberries, eggplant, and horseradish.  Yes, horseradish.  If you are one of the stalwart folks who enjoy grinding horseradish roots, stop by Al’s booth for a start.

Al reports that every variety he sells grows well in the Port Orchard microclimate.  And he has some advice for growing beautiful peonies:  don’t plant them deeper than two inches, make sure the soil is well drained, and full sun if at all possible.  If you live in the deep woods and still lust after the lush scent of a peony, stop by and talk to Al, he may be able to help you out.
The Barefoot Sisters

The name came from where you would imagine.  Refusing to wear shoes in the summer, years ago someone pointed and said “those barefoot sisters” and the name stuck.  Joan Sauer and Louise Anderson of Port Orchard, who do wear sandals in their booth (I checked), have been bringing beautiful pottery, soaps, lotions, plants and baskets to the market for 5 years.

The soaps and lotions are all made from natural ingredients – no artificial dyes or scents.  Many are made from juices, and all are good for bare feet!  (These ladies would know.)  The Barefoot Sisters grow all their own botanicals for their products.

The pottery is amazing.  Stop by and have Joan describe the firing process in the anagama kiln – two days to load, five days to fire, and a week to cool down.  Pottery fired this way takes on the colors of the wood and ash that are used to stoke the flame.  The Sisters use alder which imparts lustrous golden tones to the pieces.   The finish is quite different from conventionally glazed and fired pottery.  Stop by The Barefoot Sisters and check it out.
Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM – 3 PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter Issue No 5

Last modified on 2009-05-22 00:10:58 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
Randy’s Nursery
Quitz-Time Crafts
Handling salad greens

FROM THE PREZ
We had another really awesome day at market this past week, and I am not just talking about the weather.  OK, the weather had a lot to do with it.  A truly perfect day like that one is why we slog through those other ones…

KITSAP HARBOR FESTIVAL IS THIS WEEKEND
We are officially asking the weather gods for another beautiful weekend.  But even if it isn’t beautiful, it will still be great because the market is operating both Saturday and Sunday from 9-3, right on the waterfront as usual.  We’re part of the Kitsap Harbor Festival.  There are lots of classic boats, including tall ships, in the harbor for the festival.  The foot ferry will be going frequently over to the Bremerton side too.  It will all be going on around us so come enjoy!

DID I MENTION THE FESTIVAL IS FREE???

MEMORIAL DAY is MONDAY MAY 25TH – Did you Know?
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.  It was first observed in 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  I used to live in DC and have been to Arlington a number of times for this ceremony & others.  The place will move you, no matter your politics, or you just aren’t human.

However, as a nation, we have kind of forgotten this day, and tend to treat it like just a day off work.  To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to ‘Taps.” …Just thought you should know…

See you at the market.  It’s going to be a lovely day with beautiful boats sailing by!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt
President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 23 and 24 — Two day market during Kitsap Harbor Festival

May 30 — Cup painting at Quitz-Time

June 27 and July 4 — Fathoms O’Fun

Looking for starts
Randy’s Nursery

Maybe like me you didn’t get out often enough last winter to brush the snow off your trees and hedges during our heavy snows.  Or perhaps you are thinking about replacing those overgrown shrubs in your front yard.  If you’re looking for a source of beautiful, robust,  locally-grown hardy plants, look no further!  Lilac, deciduous azaleas, tree peonies, even Japanese maples, are all available at the market at Randy’s Nursery.

Actually, at the market you’ll be talking to Debbie Raub.  Her husband Randy manages their booth at the Gig Harbor Farmers’ Market each Saturday.  They offer over 300 varieties of plants, propagating most themselves in their greenhouses in Burley and Silverdale.

Debbie says folks are always welcome to call them with plant questions, or call to request a particular plant – she will bring the plant to market the following Saturday.  You can reach Debbie at 360-895-4307.  Randy’s Nursery will be at the market all season.

Plan ahead for Fathers’ Day!
Looking for starts
Is Dad a coffee drinker?  Wouldn’t he love a cup designed and decorated just for him?  By all means stop by the Quitz-Time Crafts booth on May 30 and visit with Virginia and Edward Robinson.  Virginia and Edward will have blank mugs there that day and a table set up for kids (of all ages) to decorate them.  They’ll have samples, decals, lots of ideas so you won’t have artist’s block.  The Robinsons take the cups home, glaze and fire them, and bring them back the next week for pickup.  The mugs are safe for all kinds of drinks – absolutely no lead in the glaze.  All for the amazing price of $5.

And mark your calendars for the rest of the cup-making dates: July 11, August 15, and September 12.  The cups will be returned to market the following week.

Virginia brings lots of her other ceramic pieces to the market for sale, and well as knit and crocheted hats and scarves.   Edward will have wood crafts in the booth later in the year – planters, trellises, and wood toys.

HOW TO WASH AND STORE SALAD GREENS

Naturally, the fresher the produce is when you take it home, the longer it will keep, and the better it will taste.  Here are some tips:

STORAGE
Store unwashed lettuce or mesclun in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. (Wet greens will spoil quickly, so make sure they are dry before refrigerating them.) If you have a salad spinner, wash and spin the greens before refrigerating. Greens last longer if you place a damp paper towel in the bag.  Don’t close the bag up tightly though.

If you just don’t have time, and the greens are a bit wet, put a dry paper towel in the bottom of the plastic bag to absorb moisture.  You can remove it later.

HANDLING
Salad greens bruise easily, so be sure to handle them gently. For lettuce, slice the head at its base with a sharp knife and let the leaves fall open. Discard any damaged or leathery outer leaves. Wash lettuce and mesclun mix by swishing them in a basin of cold water. Dry the greens in a salad spinner. (Or place them loosely in a mesh bag or thin towel, then go outside and swing the bundle.)

If you want to prep your greens to eat over a few days, tear them with your hands or use a plastic knife.  A metal knife will cause lettuce to deteriorate quicker.
Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday (and this week Sunday!) until October 10
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers Market Newsletter for May 14, 2009

Last modified on 2009-05-22 18:53:34 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

In This Issue
Hamilton Family Farms
P’s Craft Corner
Recipe — Pasta with Asparagus

I feel rather psychic because I predicted it and it came true – Wow, last Saturday was an awesome day to be at the market.  Now if I could only parlay this talent into something gainful such as a winning $2 ticket on the ponies… ah well.

You have to agree, a beautiful spring day on the waterfront is pretty darn hard to beat!  The market was filled with vendors of all types and lots of shoppers too, all day.  Quite a few children were given balloon flowers (& a couple I couldn’t figure out what they were, but the kids seemed to know & liked them).  And, the produce is starting to come in now – yay!

EARLY NOTICE – TALL SHIPS!

Clear your weekend schedule for extra fun on the waterfront in a week.  We will be holding our first ever Sunday market day on May 24th, in conjunction with the Kitsap Harbor Festival.  We’ll have our regular market on Saturday as well.  Both days market is in the same place & from 9AM-3PM.  If you have trouble making it to market on Saturdays, this is your chance.  There will be lots of really neat stuff going on all weekend.

Check out the entire festival via the quick click above.

See you at the market.  It’s going to be a lovely day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt
President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Hamilton Family Farms
P’s Craft Corner sweaters
Who could imagine – three siblings who work together to manage one of the largest booths at the market?  Meet Matthew, Michael, and Anna Hamilton of Hamilton Family Farms.  At the market for 6 years, Matthew started with just a small table selling produce.  Then vegetable starts.  Michael and Anna joined the fun, and now they offer all kinds of vegetable seedlings – tomato, lettuces, corn, pole beans, and squash to name a few.  And also herbs, strawberry plants, and flowers.  Lots of flowers, from seedlings to lovely blooming hanging baskets ready to add instant punch to your landscape.  Clearly they all spend lots of time in their greenhouse at home southwest of Port Orchard.

Knowing that gardeners get quite dirty and need some TLC when cleaning up, Anna makes a variety of handcrafted goat milk soaps.  They smell divine and are so soft on your chapped and scraped knuckles.

Hamilton Family Farms will be at the market through the end of June.
Where Grandmas Go To Shop

P’s Craft Corner sweaters
And there’s a good reason for that.  P’s Craft Corner has an amazing collection of hand knit and crocheted booties, layettes, baby afghans, toys, and sweaters, in a rainbow of beautiful pastel colors.

Carroll and John Farafontoff have had a booth at the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market over 20 years.  Carroll estimates it takes two hours to create a pair of booties.  She doesn’t keep track of how long the larger projects take.  Her prices don’t reflect the hours that have gone into them – she does this beautiful work for the love of the craft.  Her yarn products are extraordinary and have been sent all over the world.

Not to be outdone, John clearly spends a lot of time in his garage turning out gorgeous wooden chests, racks, hangars, toys, doll cribs, and many other items.  He reports that his garage is unheated so he is busy in his woodshop only in the spring and summer.

Looking for a lovely and unique baby gift?  Come to the market.

Recipe – Pasta with Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, and Parmesan Cheese

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
8 ounces sugar snap or snow peas, tips snipped off
8 ounces bow tie pasta
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 C. freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add asparagus and cook over high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes more, until the vegetables are al dente and still bright green.  With a slotted spon, transfer the asparagus and peas to a bowl and set aside in a warm place.

Bring the water back to a boil and add the pasta.  Cook until al dente.  Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl.  Add the olive oil, asparagus and peas, and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste and serve immediately.

Note: this is a basic veggie and pasta recipe that will work with all kinds of pasta shapes and vegetable combinations.  Get creative and try some fun variations this summer — add some cherry tomatoes at the end, or sauteed garlic and summer squash, substitute broccoli for the peas, or maybe green beans — you get the idea.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM

On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter For May 7 2009

Last modified on 2009-05-12 01:52:08 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

IT’S A BOY!

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to our market manager Valerie and her husband Chris (who also helps out at market) who are the proud parents of a healthy bouncing baby boy, Fischer, born on May 1st.  Needless to say, Momma will be home for the next little bit tending to baby. In the interim, our market manager will be Barbara Fangen.  Some of you know her as a past vendor (she will be again this year a little later) and/or as our market secretary.  We are grateful to her and to our market staff & volunteers.

MOTHERS DAY FUN

If you are looking for something for Mom, or if you are a mom & feel the need to treat yourself (and you should, you really should because no one deserves it more!) check out the market this week.  There will be great gifts for Mom on hand in all sizes, types & price ranges; plants, hanging baskets & planters, arts & crafts, jewelry, handmade soaps & lotions, to name just a few.  You are sure to find something “just right”.  Bring the kids to market to create the perfect card for Mom at the market booth.

See you at the market.  It’s going to be a lovely day!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt
President
Port Orchard Farmers Market

Secret Garden Boutique

Does your mom like fuchsias?  Either to plant in her yard or to hang from the eaves in gorgeous baskets?  Then be sure to stop by Secret Garden Boutique and visit with Faye Aune and Ken Pierce.  The Port Orchard couple grows and overwinters about 300 varieties of fuchsia in their greenhouses and they bring a lovely selection of them to the market each week.  Gunnera, rhubarb, dahlias, miniature roses – many potted in lovely vintage containers – so many beautiful things to pick from!

In addition to plants, Faye also handcrafts handbags in many sizes, colors, and shapes.  And did I mention the vintage jewelry?  Any item in this market booth would make a great gift for Mom.

Michael’s Greenhouse

Does Mom like to garden?  Or does she like to cook with fresh ingredients that you grow for her?  Michael’s Greenhouse of Lakebay sells a wide variety of vegetable and perennial plants for your selection.

Tomatoes, squash, broccoli, cabbage, beans, corn, and lettuce – the lettuce is large enough that you can pick a few of those leaves for dinner tonight!  The tomato plants are large and strong, too – they were started in the greenhouse in late January.  Herbs of all sorts, but Michael’s real specialty is basil — Italian, Thai, and also Sacred basil which is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine.  Get out those pesto recipes!

EQIP funding available for organic farmers

The USDA has announced a new initiative to encourage more organic food production.  $50 million is available to current organic farmers and also to farmers who are transitioning to organic production.  Click here for more information.

Recipe — Fast and Easy Asparagus

2 pounds asparagus
1/3 C. butter
1/3 C. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Break off each asparagus stalk as far down as it snaps easily.  Cut stalks diagonally into 1 inch pieces.

Heat butter and water to boiling in a heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid.  Add asparagus and seasonings.  Cover and cook over high heat, shaking skillet occasionally, for 5 minutes, removing cover during last minute.  Asparagus should be tender-crisp, and all the water should be evaporated.  Makes 6 servings.

2009 Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday until October 10
9AM to 3PM
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

Local Food Fun In Port Orchard and Kingston This Weekend

Last modified on 2009-05-01 17:26:25 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Zoom down south to Port Orchard or zip up north to Kingston this Saturday and check these towns out – they’re THE places to be in Kitsap County this Saturday.  Buy and eat local food, enjoy local entertainment, learn about our local environment and or just have a fun, inexpensive family outing.

Celebrating its 31st season, the Port Orchard Farmers Market on the downtown waterfront is once again outdoing itself with a wonderful selection of the best in local produce, plants, flowers and shrubs, fresh ready-to-eat food, and a great selection of arts and crafts vendors. Some of the interesting locally produced food items include honey, beef jerky, fresh oysters and a terrific variety of jams, jellies, and home-made pastries. Hours are: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 10.   For more information on joining the market or finding specific vendors and products go to:  www.pofarmersmarket.org

But one of the biggest draws this Saturday will be the quirky, fun-filled Sea Gull Calling Contest. Located near the market by the gazebo in the marina park, callers will be clad in crazy seagull costumes, as they vie to see who can screech, holler and shout out the best gull call.  And there’s more – another contest will be held among local caterers, bars and restaurants for the best “Seagull Wings” (chicken) recipe. After the judging, wings will be sold to benefit local Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce programs and services. A third contest (new this year) challenges all would-be mixologists and bartenders to compete in concocting a “Seagull Squirt” non-alcoholic beverage.   Wings and beverage judging will be at 1 p.m. and seagull calling at 3 p.m. A pancake breakfast will also be held up McLendons Hardware. For participation in one of the contests or more information go to www.portorchard.com or call (360) 292-2679.

“Everyone loves this event and we hope to have lots of participation from all over the county,” says Corene Johnson of the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce.

Meanwhile, up in Kingston, there will be more fun-filled festivities afoot.  Many of these will have an emphasis on environmental awareness and education and using locally grown and made items – all are planned with the entire family in mind.

Saturday will commemorate the opening and 20th anniversary of the Kingston Farmers Market and 18-year market manager Clint Dudley promises a great time for everyone with mountain blues and country music provided by Cort Armstrong and lots of early season produce.

“We’ll have salad greens, chard, kale, over-wintered carrots potatoes, broccoli and leeks and the Kingston Kiwi Company has saved a select batch of fuzzy kiwis especially for opening day,” says Dudley. The Kingston Farmers Market will be open Saturdays 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. through Oct. 10 and is located at the Mike Wallace Park next to the Kingston ferry terminal.  Web site is www.kingstonfarmersmarket.com

But there’s an added bonus in Kingston this weekend too.   A shuttle will go back and forth between the Market and EcoFest 2009 at the Stillwaters Environmental Center at 26059 Barber Cut-Off Road in Kingston so people can easily go back and forth between the two events.

Stillwaters is an environmental education center in the Carpenter Creek watershed area of Kingston with eight acres of wetlands and one of its goals is to teach sustainability in the use of the earth’s resources.  EcoFest 2009 will provide lots of fun along with education at  more than 50 environmental information booths  Locally made  food, classes in cooking from your garden, a native plant sale, live farm animals, and a variety of kids’ crafts and nature fun will be going non-stop from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Stillwaters can be reached  at www.stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org , e-mail info@stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org or at (360) 297-2876

“EcoFest is a community celebration with all kinds of enviro-education and eco-friendly products from electric bikes to bamboo floors – it’s growing every year in size and quality,” says Stillwaters co-founder Naomi Maasberg.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market Newsletter-Issue No. 2 April 30, 2009

Last modified on 2009-05-01 02:04:02 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

In This Issue
What’s fresh?
Master Gardener Clinic
Aunt Billie’s
Recipe – Rhubarb Crunch
Subscribe to Our Newsletter!
Quick Links
Port Orchard Farmers’ Market
Seagull Calling Contest

Master Gardener Clinic

MAY DAY!! MAY DAY!!

I can’t believe it is already May!  Time is just flying by this year – must be having fun…

As a farmer, I am busy, busy, busy, and as a gardener, I am busy, busy, busy too.  I’m sure it is the same for you, as spring finally arrives & we start to enjoy the outdoors more.

Opening day last week was a good day overall.  A big Thanks to everyone who showed up in the cool and drizzly weather.

This Saturday is the Annual Port Orchard Seagull Calling Festival which is right next door to the market at the gazebo.  The actual “calling of the gulls”, which is highly amusing & fun, starts at 3pm, so come to the market & then stay for the festival.

Thanks for supporting your local farmers market.  Buying local gets you better quality, fresher food, and helps keep your dollars working in your community.

See you soon at the market!

Laura Pittman-Hewitt
President
Port Orchard Farmers Market
What’s fresh at the market now…

Vegetable starts of all kinds, herbs, perennial flower plants, shrubs, trees, fish, oysters, clams, rhubarb (plants and cut), eggs
Master Gardener Clinic

Wonder what’s eating those little notches on your pea or rhodie leaves?  Are the tips of some branches on your cherry tree drooping and turning brown?  Should you be worried about that big spider that sprints across your bedroom floor?  And what the heck is the name of that lovely shrub at the corner of your yard that blooms every fall?

Bring all those questions to the Master Gardener Clinic, 10AM to 1PM, every Saturday at the market.  Master Gardeners will be on duty, armed with books, pictures, and lots of training, to answer your plant and insect questions.

Please bring samples for identification.  For bugs, put them in a clear jar and pop them in the freezer long enough to kill them.  Plants – bring a sufficiently large sample to see the leaves and stem.  Lawn problems – if it is a large area, bring a picture.  And dig up a sample at the boundary, where healthy lawn borders the problem area.

Master Gardeners love tough questions.  Give them a challenge this week.
Aunt Billie’s — candy and more
Ray and Bobbie Davis of Belfair have been cooking up sweet treats for years – eight to be exact.  Using the kitchen at the Airport Diner late at night, they concoct fudges of all kinds.  Over twenty kinds.  And brittles, molded chocolates, toffees, and sugar-free candies as well.  Bobbie is diabetic so she is steadfast in her mission to make excellent sugar-free treats.

Aunt Billie’s is named to honor Bobbie’s deceased sister, Billie Jean Walker.  In addition to the sinful sweets, Aunt Billie’s features kitchen towels, lotion bars, jewelry, and marshmallow guns.  Marshmallow guns?  Stop by next Saturday and see for yourself.

Recipe

Rhubarb is growing like crazy right now.  You’ll find rhubarb plants for your garden as well as cut rhubarb for your kitchen at the market on Saturday.

Dad’s Favorite Rhubarb Crunch

1 ½ C flour                                          Sauce:
1 ½ C oatmeal                                     1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar                                  2 T cornstarch
¾ C melted butter                               1 C water
1 T. cinnamon                                     1 t. vanilla
4 C sliced rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first five ingredients until crumbly, and press part of the mixture into a 9×9 pan.  Put rhubarb over the “crust” in the bottom.  Combine sugar, water, vanilla and cornstarch in saucepan and cook until clear.  Pour over rhubarb.  Top with remaining crumbs.  Bake one hour.

Wonderful when served warm with cream or ice cream on top.

Port Orchard Farmers’ Market

9AM to 3PM
Every Saturday
April 25 – October 10
On the waterfront in Port Orchard
P.O Box 8247
Port Orchard, Washington 98366

New Beginnings For The Port Orchard Farmers Market

Last modified on 2009-02-24 21:10:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kitsap CSAs and Growing For The Farmers Markets
Tuesday, March 10, 2009   7:00 pm
Norm Dicks Center, Main Auditorium
345 Sixth Street (Near 6th and Pacific)
Bremerton, WA 98337

Managers, board members and vendors for farmers markets are heroic people. The vast majority are volunteers. Producing a market every week from April through November in some cases is a lot of work, some of it fairly thankless. Doing a great job in an environment where you are working with everyone as equals and the demand is for consistency and quality could be called a work of art, social art.

That’s why I am always impressed when I meet the people that do this work. They are truly dedicated and amazing people. Probably most of the buying public are not even aware of the time and sacrifice involved. So, when the opportunity arises we always want to give recognition where it is due.

Our champion writer, Sue Edwards, has already written about an eleven year market veteran, Pam Moyer, a.k.a. the Herbal Princess and her retirement from the demanding position as president. She has done a great job leading the market through good times and bad.

We can all be grateful that there are people willing to take up the plow and the Port Orchard Farmers Market has an industrious new board for the 2009 season:

President: Laura Pittman-Hewit
VP: Matthew Hamilton of Hamilton Family Farm
Secretary: Barbara Fangen
Treasurer: Jean Farmer of Tom Farmer Oysters
Market Rep: Jack Sanzalone of Sanzalones Greenhouses
Faye Aune of The Secret Garden
Farmer Rep: Tom Farmer of Tom Farmer Oysters
Market Manager: Val Starrett
Asst. Mgr: Josh LaLanne

Congratulations and Thank You to all of the new people. I have heard that you have ambitious plans for the market that will likely help it to continue to be one of the largest and most exciting markets on the Kitsap Penisnula.

The market is recruiting new vendors and wants to especially encourage home gardeners and small plot farmers to produce for the market. Sharon Howard, another ambitious volunteer will be presenting the opportunity at our KCAA March meeting. Gayle Larson and Ann Burkhardt will be on hand to introduce their classes for urban gardeners about how to grow food beautifully and profitably. Here are the details:

Kitsap CSAs and Growing For The Farmers Markets
Tuesday, March 10, 2009   7:00 pm
Norm Dicks Center, Main Auditorium
345 Sixth Street (Near 6th and Pacific)
Bremerton, WA 98337

Herbal Princess

Last modified on 2009-03-02 02:18:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Pam Moyer, a mainstay of the market with 11 years on the board and two years as president, is retiring. Moyer, perhaps the best-known herb farmer in Kitsap County, owns Gold Mountain Herb Farm. It’s located on the original acreage her parents bought in 1953.  She says she is also retiring from the herb nursery business as well.

Moyer’s guiding hand and steady presence will be missed by many at the Market but Pam says she won’t be turning in her planting and gardening tools just yet..  She’s pretty excited about the seeds she’s been procuring and getting read to plant for short season crops, though she’s not presently planning to sell any at the farmers market.

“It will be fun for me to just do what I want for awhile – I’m going to do some experimenting with different short-season crops to see which ones I like and will grow well,” says Moyer.

And Moyer says she will continue to maintain her amazingly comprehensive web about herbs.  Her web site,  www.goldmountainherbfarm.com is a virtual encyclopedia on herbs. Just about anything you want to learn about them can be gleaned from this site.  Here, you can learn about medicinal properties of herbs, which herbs to use with which meats, soups, casseroles and vegetables,  what effect different herbs have on each other, herbs that can be used for “deer proofing”, and other valuable information about herbs and herb farming.

Moyer has raised more than 200 varieties of herbs on the farm near Gold Mountain that her parents, Bob and Evelyn Seabolt bought in 1953.

“When I grew up on the farm it was an all-purpose subsistence farm to feed the family like so many others were at that time,” says Moyer.  “And we kids all had to do our share of chores to keep it going.”

Her dad traveled a lot in the Navy though the family always stayed at the farm.   Moyer and her husband John eventually built a house on the family property in 1989 and helped her aging parents who passed away four years ago.

At first, both Moyers were working six days a week off the property, she as a division manager of the old Bon Marche in Silverdale. She says with a chuckle that they decided to grow herbs because they thought they’d be low maintenance.

“I had to try to learn which ones grew best by planting massive amounts the first couple of seasons,” said Moyer.

She eventually retired from the Bon and hit her stride with herb growing to achieve one of the most comprehensive herb farms in the state.  In addition to the farmers market, Moyer also sold herb plants directly at the farm’s nursery.

But this year she will try her hand at raising 40 different short-season vegetables for the couple’s own consumption, something she has not had time to do for many years, though she says she might open the farm up to the public again if they have a surplus.

Like most active farmers, Moyer is concerned about the future of farming in Kitsap County.  She says the farming community needs to cultivate a whole new generation of farmers who can make a living from farming.  To that end, she feels that more CSA’s are needed, further diversification of farmers markets are necessary, and much more work needs to be done in forming direct sales links like farm to chef and farm to school sales.