The Weblog
This page contains news, event information, a copy of the weekly email and other items added by the market managers. Be sure and check back frequently. Thank you for supporting Lilburn Locally Grown.
Weblog Entry
This post expired on May 26, 2023.
Greetings All:
We have had another fabulous weather day for our Memorial Day Weekend! Are you grilling out using some of the fabulous food you picked up from our great Farmers and Growers this past Thursday? Wow! There were some divine looking veggies from Fry Farm, Doug’s Garden and Back River Farm and many people ordered from our new meat Farmer, Linda Brady of B&G Farm!
Now – If you want to skip reading my musings, which do include Market News, Weekly Specials, Farmer of the Week information, news about upcoming Events and Classes, little known facts and tidbits about ‘this and that’ and links to interesting Blogs and/or articles, and a personal note from me then click Take me to the Market.
You can access this and other Newsletters/Blog postings by clicking on the Weblog tab on the website!
Still here? Great! Grab a large glass/cup of your preferred beverage and read on…my head is swirling with all the news I want to share!
Market pickups just keep getting better and better! Mary and I both enjoy seeing all of you and getting to talk with you! Lynda G, our newest volunteer, was a tremendous help is getting the Market organized and ready for pickups and we thank her for her hard work! We had veggies on the Farmers’ Sale Table from Fry Farm as well as yummy items from My Daily Bread, but they sold out within the first 20 minutes of pickup! Amazing! The moral of that story — be sure and order what you want so you aren’t disappointed in not getting exactly what you want!
I went to the Monroe Farmers’ Market yesterday to check our their offerings! There were some good products and I took my time checking out everyone’s offerings. One of the folks I met is Shalley Carrell of Carrell Farms just outside of Monroe. She and her husband David Carrell raise Water Buffalos and Alpacas! I purchased some ground Buffalo meat and some Bratwurst which I shared with Mary and daughter Leah last night! Not knowing what to expect, (having never had Water Buffalo meat before), I was truly surprised and very pleased! The Brats were marinated in beer and cooked on a low grill, taken off the grill and let sit for about 10 minutes before they were served. Grass-fed meats, because of their lower fat content need to be cooked “low and slow”, then left to rest prior to being served. These Brats were absolutely divine! (We had a “doggie incident” (more on that at the end of the Blog..) in the middle of cooking so we probably could have taken them off a bit sooner, but we must have done it right because they were flavorful and fabulous! Some sauteed onions, gourmet mustard and a salad of Kale, beets, onions and Mary’s Goat Feta cheese with a Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing completed the meal! Mary and I will be visiting Carrell Farms in the very near future and hopefully adding them as one of our Meat Farmers! We will have a tasting prior to the meat going on the Market so you can try some, meet the Farmers and find out more! We are hoping that Carrell Farms will be able to offer fiber and other Alpaca products, also! I will keep you updated on the progress! Can’t wait to make a burger with the ground meat!
This coming week, I will be going to the Grayson Farmers’ Market on Wednesday evening held at the little park in downtown Grayson, Lilburn Farmers’ Market on Friday night (in the parking lot across from the Police Station in Lilburn) and Saturday morning to the Snellville Farmers’ Market in downtown Snellville! Who knows what I will find next? Growing the Market means increasing the offerings, increasing the customer base and maintaining a good balance. If you have a favorite Farmer or Grower that you would like to see selling their wares at the Market, please let us know.
Education
CheeseMaking 101 is scheduled for June 22nd – Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm. There are still a couple of spaces left. Make your reservation today and join Mary for a FUN and informative class. Take home 3 different cheeses that you will prepare in class. Learn the basics so you can join in the Intermediate and Advanced Classes to be offered later this summer!
Unfortunately, there was little interest in the GMO…OMG…! What in the World Am I Eating? class, so it has been put on hold for the present. If you would like information about GMO’s, I will be happy to send you some articles and links.
With the summer produce coming in, it is vital that you are aware of the dangers of GMO’s and use discretion in your purchase of non-organic produce. Environmental Working Group, (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/) is a great resource for information. They have created the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen chart which shows the produce proven to contain pesticides. I found this chart on mommygoesgreen.com. Pop over and take a look! You can easily return to the Market by clicking on the link at the bottom of the document! Get the Chart.
Updates and Offerings
Joyful Noise Acres Farm just processed chickens and there were many offerings and orders this past week! In addition, Mary Beth added a few Pork products and a Combo Chicken and Pork Box! Boneless Breasts were a favorite followed closely by Pork Breakfast Sausage, whole Chickens, Ham, Combo Boxes and Chicken Feet! Be sure and grab the recipe for Bone Broth at Market this week. Adding chicken feet to you Broth adds minerals and flavor! Breakfast Sausage from Joyful Noise found its way to my plate this morning and it was yummy! Check out offerings from Joyful Noise Acres Farm! You will be delighted!
Linda Brady of B&G Farms joined the Market last week and there was great demand for Beef and Pork products. Bacon, Ribs, Sausages and Hot Dogs, Ground Meat and Steaks topped the list. All grass-fed, pasture raised Pork and Beef! Bacon is on the menu for tomorrow Breakfast! The Bacon and Sausages are nitrate-free! Sausages have no fillers, no MSG, just pork and spices! Tomorrow, you will find us grilling the Hot Dogs from B&G and the ground Buffalo Burgers from Carrell Farms, and veggies, some grilled and some not, from – well, actually from each of our Produce Growers!
Fry Farm also joined our list of Growers this past week! The Cabbage heads were huge, the Broccoli stalks big, green and delicious, the Golden Beets and Red Beets, beautiful! This week they are offering all of the above plus: Green Globe small to medium Artichokes, Nappa Cabbage, Blankoma Beets (white and the mildest of all the beets); Vicky says these are sweet and the greens can be cooked and eaten like Spinach! Rainbow Carrots, New Potatoes, Lettuce Mix, Parsnips, Sugar Snap Peas, colorful Swiss Chard and Zucchini round out the list!
The Produce Box offered by Doug’s Garden has a great variety of Veggies! Swiss Chard, Turnips, Kale, White Radishes, Red Radishes, Lettuce and Green Onions are still available! Other goodies that have just entered the race are: Cauliflower, Pearl Onions, Carrots, Beets and Broccoli and soon Yellow Squash, Green Beans, Cucumbers and Tomatoes will make an appearance! English Peas are sadly gone until the Fall! I so enjoyed them! Doug will include vegetables that are ready for harvest Thursday morning! The produce boxes are bountiful and the veggies beautiful, freshly harvested and delicious! Order one today! Look for individual Veggie offerings too! And please check in with Mary at pickup for recipes to help you make delicious meals using everything in your Produce Box!
Raspberry Alert Doug of Doug’s Garden, has Raspberries this week. The supply is limited, so order quickly if you want to be enjoying this delicious fruit later in the week. He says they should be available for the next several weeks! Doug picks daily, so your Raspberries go from bush – to Market pickup in a matter of hours!
Note: All of your produce is picked on the day that it is delivered to Market! Talk about fresh! Everything is ‘field washed’, meaning the dirt is mostly gone, so you do need to wash your produce before storing!
Back River Farm has Hakurei Turnips! I am mentioning these again because they are so yummy! If you have never tried these little treasures you are in for a treat! Crispy and flavorful! I have sauteed, roasted, sliced for salads and fried to make chips! I have just put some in the dehydrator — sliced VERY thin for chips! Also doing Kale for Kale Chips! Check out Farmer Brown’s offerings! Ricky will be our Farmer of the Week soon!
Phoenix Gardens veggies are starting to come in and this week they are offering Beets! Snap Peas and other goodies are on their way!
God bless Russell Johnston of Johnston Family Farm. He had promised we would have raw, cream y fresh milk for the last 2 weeks, but with his Mom’s surgery, several crops to get in and others to get planted, moving, there-just-isn’t-time-to-get-it-all-done and an old, huge and cantankerous cream separator, have all served to thwart his efforts of producing cream y milk for Market. During a visit and chat with Russell this past Saturday, he assures me that it is a priority and he will get it done as soon as possible! Look for this product to be available in the sooner-rather-than-later time frame!
Lisa of Bo and Lisa’s Lil Patch is constantly looking for natural products and ways to help us replace those nasty chemical laden items that we feel we need to clean with, kill pests with and solve other issues! Last week Lisa added some great new offerings : A Fruit Fly Trap, Carpenter Bee Trap and a Natural Mosquito Repellant! This week she has helped us out by adding a Natural Toothpaste! Check out all of her offerings under the Natural Products Category!
Weekly Specials
From my last communication from Rusty: This is the last week that Goat Milk from Little Tots Estate will be Buy One – Get One Free! This is the best Goat Milk I have ever tasted! (All Goat Milk is labeled for ‘Pet Consumption’ as required by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and is the only way raw milk can legally be sold in the state of Georgia.)
Please Note: After 2 phone calls this week from folks who had purchased raw milk for the first time I want to clarify once again: In the state of Georgia, the only way that Raw Milk (cow or goat) can legally be sold is with a label that says: “Raw (Cow or Goat) Milk for Pets” and with the Warning “Not for Human Consumption…” In some states you can walk into a grocery and purchase Raw Milk! Not so in Georgia; however the Farmers who milk the cows, who produce the milk we receive at Market are licensed dairies and their sanitation practices, flawless. So, purchase Raw Milk with the knowledge that you are doing so legally … if your “pets” decide to share the bounty…you reap the benefits of all of the good enzymes and vitamins of milk that has not been processed in any way!
And the weekly update on The Black Lab and Goat Milk – Dudley is still on his best behavior as far as stealing helping himself to my milk. He enjoys his daily ration and loves his goat milk kefir!
Phoenix Gardens is still offering 6 Heirloom Veggie Seedlings at $10.00! I am thinking that these will not be available much longer! The seedlings are good sized and ready to plant. Four different varieties of Tomatoes are available! This is a fantastic opportunity to get GMO-Free seedlings! Be sure and indicate the NAMES of the seedlings you would like in the Product COMMENT section!
Patchwork Pastures has continued the GREAT deal this week on Laundry Detergent! I have to admit I was skeptical when Mary gave me some to try, but WOW, it REALLY works and smells good too! The refill is also available at a discount!
Graduation celebrations are coming to a close! It is not too late to choose a Graduate Gift Bag from Good Shepherd Herbals which contains many herbal items (3 goat milk soaps in yummy scents, a jar of Beulah Balm and a bag of Wise Woman Tea) – a $37 value for $30! This is a perfect gift for that special graduate embarking on a new adventure (and perhaps getting her own apartment!).
My Daily Bread has a Bakery Basket which would make a great graduation gift! What a great idea for a Hostess Gift if you are visiting friends! Dabrielle will help you customize it! You can be sure you your recipient will have their favorites!
Bo and Lisa’s Lil Patch still has Free DE (Diatomaceous Earth) with the purchase of the Pest Pistol this week. This is a natural way to kill fleas and other pesky critters!
Farmer of the Week
Patti and Jay of Dances With Bees will be our featured Farmers of the Week! Be sure and stop and say hello at Market pickup. Their honey is delicious! Jay makes several different varieties of minimally processed ‘creamed honey’! I got the Cherry Creamed Honey last week and it is mighty good on a slice of toasted Spelt Bread from My Daily Bread! Patti makes some wonderful natural personal care products using the honey and beeswax from their bees! Mary swears by the Gardeners’ Friend soap that Patti makes! I believe that she is out of stock at the present time – but look for it soon! They will have goodies to taste and stories to share and products to buy! Stop by at Market pickup and say hell-o! I am sure that Jay will be happy to share bits of wisdom about bees!
As always there will be items to purchase from the Farmers’ Sale Table! Pickup some extra fresh Veggies from Fry Farm or Doug’s Garden or wonderful Breads or Bakery Treats from My Daily Bread! Don’t take the chance that your favorite will be there – Place your order today! Last week, all items on the Farmers’ Sale Table sold out within 20 minutes of Market opening!
The Farm Tour of Little Tots Estate is scheduled for Saturday, June 15th. We will have a sign-up sheet at Market pickup with all of the particulars! This is a chance for you to meet Rusty and Lucy, tour the Farm, check our the Nigerian Dwarf Does that give us such splendid milk and play with the ‘kids’! A family friendly outing that promises to be a enjoyable adventure!
Let us know what Farm you would like to visit and we will plan it! What fun!
We are working with Vicky and Steve to do a “Farmer for the Day” Event at Fry Farm sometime in late June! This event will include ‘playing in the dirt’ for a couple of hours, a tour of the Farm and a lunch! Meet the Farmer, see the Farm, get to know other members of the Heirloom Living Market Family …and a good time will be had by all! Of course children will be welcome – what better way for them to get to know how food is grown and comes to them!
Ok, you have all heard about the Black Lab and his antics… He is 8 years old, generally mild mannered, obedient and well-behaved! I took him to Mary’s last night for dinner so he could romp and play with his buds, Broccoli, Kirby and Murphy! Unfortunately, his behavior was less than stellar as he took offense to Kirby’s desire to romp and play! (Kirby is Mary’s Westie, who is just absolutely the cutest and most-gentlemanly little dog!) I was horrified as I rushed out into the yard to separate the 2 of them. Kirby is missing some of his fur, at least a mouthful, and has 3 puncture wounds! I am mortified that The Black Lab became aggressive and hurt the little one! Mary and Leah applied doTerra oils to Kirby’s wounds and I restrained myself from strangling The Black Lab! Kirby, Murphy and Broccoli spent 5 days at my home and all of the guys got along famously! The moral of THIS story, dogs are animals and no matter how old they are, how many times they have acted appropriately and how well you think you know them…they are unthinking and reactive. Be comfortable with them but be AWARE. At this writing, Kirby is doing well, Mary is a bit sleep-deprived (as she ended up taking him to the Doggie ER in the middle of the night) and I am still kicking myself and shaken! …Lesson learned!
Tomorrow is Memorial Day – a day to remember those who have fought and died for our freedom. Fly your flag proudly and say a prayer for those who have gone before us and those who now serve!
I have given you the news, The Black Dog update for the week, told you about Weekly Specials, Classes, Farmers of the Week and my own personal thoughts… It is time, once again to say- thank you for taking the time to read this missive and…
We will see you Thursday at Gwinnett Gymnastics Center between 4:30pm and 7:30 pm!
As always, Mary will have a couple of recipes featuring products she has purchased from the Market! Look for the recipes but this week Mary is heading to Chicago for her niece’s graduation! Emily Gaines and Lynda Grolliher will be helping this week! Thank you ladies!
Have a wonderful week! I am not including a list of the Market Products in this email because they now number over 250! Besides, all the pretty pictures are on the website! So, now, pop on over to the Market! Happy shopping!
Joyful thoughts and bountiful blessings!
~Maryanne and Mary 
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