A Word from
The Photo: Round bales of hay sit covered with snow on a field of Marshall county farm.
January Farmer’s Market Newsletter:
Comfort Food
bowl of chick soup
It’s the season for sneezing. The chilly weather we’ve been shivering through has caused colds, coughs and flu bugs to make the rounds. While it doesn’t take the place of a trip to the doctor, a good dose of comfort foods can make you feel better. For example, there’s chicken soup. It’s been a trusted home remedy to fight colds and though science has never nailed down its exact medicinal values, there are some things we know: warm chicken stock helps to ward off chills; the vapors from the soup help loosen nasal and respiratory congestion and it’s a tasty, easy way to get some calories and nutrients in back into your system. So, get back on the road to feeling better this Saturday. Stop by the West Wind Farms booth at the market and pick up some tender chicken. Then, cook up a big pot of soup with a different twist: Mexican Chicken Soup. You’ll find this recipe and other favorites in the Weekly Features section of the Franklin Farmers Market’s website.
Farms are in Fashion
summer fashion cow
Well, not quite like the fashion modeled by our cow in the picture. Instead, it’s the food from local farms that are in fashion. A listing of the top 100 trends for 2010 has been published and greening your palate is on the list. Being more aware of where the food you eat comes from is becoming a big issue across the country, for both health and environmental reasons. Also on the top trends list is organic foods to go. There will be a number of new fast food restaurant chains opening this year that will serve only organic foods.
Good and Stinky
compost
One other item listed in the top trends for this year is composting. Compost can make huge difference in the condition of garden soil. Making compost is a relatively simple process. Waste products, such as left-over produce, fruits, leaves from your yard and manure can help to create a compost pile. While the materials of a well-constructed compost pile will break down quickly, sometimes active compost piles smell like ammonia. So, what’s the solution for the stink? Just add water. The heat of a compost pile “cooks” the ingredients, breaking them down to a healthy amendment for garden soil. But that heat can cause the compost to become smelly. Adding some water will initially bring down the temperature of the compost, but it will recover in a few days and resume the “cooking” of the ingredients in the pile. However, the smell will be significantly reduced.
Winter Market Hours:
9am until noon, Saturday mornings
www.picktnproducts.org
This newsletter is made possible by the funding support of the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Fund.
