CSAFarmersMarket.net

NETTLE & NEW PRODUCTS

Linda & Lee Purdy had decided that they wanted to spend more time on the farm and to BUILD A NEW facility on their farm so they put the old historic mill up for sale. They assumed it was going to take a long time to sell so no anticipated changes were expected to me made.

Surprise, someone saw the mill and thought it would be a really cool rustic restaurant. So the mill is sold! They anticipate it will be between 6-8 months before their new building will be put up on their farm and at that time they will go back to milling flour and baking bread.

All products from Linda and Lee are removed from the website temporally and the mill will no longer be a pick up location.

We do have alternative location in the works in the same geographical area.

<Nettles and Romanian Culture

Periods of fasting are common among traditional Romanians. “The Big Fasting” takes place during the spring and nettles are an integral part of this fast, especially for poorer individuals that search for them growing wild. Nettles contain amino acids, carbs, amines, sterols, volatile oil, formic and acetic acid, folic acid, chlorophyll, carotene, trace mineral salts, and the vitamins C, B2, and K. Try this traditional Romanian soup found at WWW.uncover-romania.com:

Finding nettles on CSA Farmer’s Market is possible this time of year, they’re also often available at Whole Foods Markets. Buy a bunch when you can, and double or triple this recipe, as needed, and freeze some, because my fortune-telling powers tell me you’ll want to twirl the pesto up with long pasta again long after the season has passed. If you have time to be thoughtful and a bit patient, you can add toasted breadcrumbs, for a bit of crunch, or chopped sundried tomatoes.

NEW PRODUCTS

Toni Oliver is now offering 5 lb blocks of mozzarella cheese on the website. Perfect for the organic pizza lovers everywhere.

Finally someone locally (Engelhard farms) grew some organic cranberry beans. They were the favorite bean for many customers, finding them seemed futile until one day when we were at Dr. Brockreides Farm in Columbiaville (he grows the large white kidney, also known as Cannellini beans) and there sat a small bag of cranberry beans. Alas! Most dry bean growers grow many acres of beans and have them cleaned at a few organic facilities in Michigan and Dr. Brockreide owns one of those facilities. The other one belongs to Everbest Organics.