"Bits and Bites" August 9. 2014

Greetings Lilburn, Crossfit and Hamilton Mill Market Folks:

I worked on this Newsletter most of yesterday and just finished it this morning! I hope this finds you all well and enjoying the weekend with family and/or friends! I am back and “chatty” as ever since I haven’t really written a Newsletter in a couple of weeks! There is news about upcoming Group Buys that promise to be beneficial for all and some ideas for Market Classes that are in the works. I have lots of information to share, but first read the….

Important Reminders, Other Matters and Pertinent Information

Azure Standard

Order Deadline for this month is Tuesday, July 15th at 6:00pm

Please share this information with friends and family to ensure that we will all have this great resource available to us!

Here’s the scoop:

If you are interested in helping out at the Markets, please contact Market Volunteer Coordinator, Chance Claar-Pressley. Thank you Chance! You can email Chance at chancita@gmail.com .

“Thank You” to Marie Wheeler and Kathy Barnes, who ran the Lilburn Market on Thursday while I was off being a ‘Lady of Leisure’, (not) attending a Market sponsored event at the Hamilton Mill Market location. (More about that later!) Also thank you to Chuck Wheeler and Keb Barnes who made sure everything got packed up and loaded into vehicles! Kathy Barnes also helped with the packaging of Members’ meat orders and the setup of the Crossfit Market on Tuesday!

Sarah Rockey volunteered at the Hamilton Mill Market, as usual on Wednesday and I am eternally grateful for her great help. It was HOT, but Sarah never missed a beat getting all of the Market wares into the Market area with little or no assistance from yours truly. Further restrictions on lifting have rendered me utterly useless in toting everything in and out! Thanks, Sarah!

Susan Martinson, a Market Member and All Saints Lutheran Church Member is also helping us a Market, setting up the Market display table as well as selling Organic, Free Trade Coffees and Teas. Do try the French Roast if you like a full-bodied yummy morning coffee! All Saints is using this endeavor as a Fund Raiser, so please take a minute and check out the products. The Congregation and Pastor Stover have been wonderful friends to the Market and are very supportive of our efforts! Let’s return the favor!

If you have a couple of hours to spare between 10:00am and Noon on Tuesday, please consider volunteering at the Crossfit O-Zone Lawrenceville Market. This is prep and setup for the Tuesday Market as well as packaging meat orders for all Markets. Please contact Maryanne at 404-432-4337.

Market Growth

Over the past several months Markets have declined. I suspect that this was due to summer vacations and traditional Farmers’ Markets being open. As I have explained, there are minimums that must be met for the Farmers in order to make it worth their while to participate in our Markets. Also, the Market totals must meet a minimum that will allow me to pay for gas, ice, paper, ink and miscellaneous expenses for each Market – my time is totally volunteer, but I do need to meet expenses. I have advertised the Market on Local Grown, Got Milk, Georgia Organics and on other websites. Unfortunately, the budget does not allow for paid advertising – I truly believe the best way to spread the news is “word of mouth”.

Last week, I sent out a challenge to the Members at the Hamilton Mill Market and they came through with flying colors! (Thank you Hamilton Mill Members!) This week, I am issuing a challenge to all Members in all three Markets!
The challenge is this: Email 5 friends and write a short note in your email telling them WHY you like shopping with Heirloom Living Market and include your Market link in your email.

In addition, bring 1 friend or neighbor to Market with you. They can check out products on the Farmers’ Sale Table and the Market Display Table which will give them a fair idea of what is available! Plus they will get to meet some great folks!

and now for the news…

Ok, go take a break, get your favorite beverage and let’s get to “the rest of the story”. (I grew up listening to Paul Harvey — ask me at Market if you are too young to remember him!)

Farmer Updates

Farmer Ricky Brown of Back River Farm is offering Cantaloupes, (If you missed these last week, grab one while they are still available — so tasty!) Red Cherry Tomatoes and Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes (these are sweet and really good), Okra (admittedly not a fav of mine, but many have said it is tender and delicious), and Butternut Squash.

Cedar Seeder I am really stuck on the Micro (Veggie) Wraps! These handmade, fresh powerhouse goodies are full of 11 super Mircrogreens deliciously surrounded by either Rice Paper or Nori wraps! In addition to their Cedar, handmade planters, you can find their Microgreens for Pets combos for Cats and Dogs and for us humans: Arugula, Basil, Broccoli, Kale, Radish, Sunflower and Wheatgrass! Ready to be snipped and added to smoothies, salads or your favorite juice!

Doug of Doug’s Garden is offering: Whole Garlic, Carrots, Malabar Spinach and a combo of Tomatoes and Herbs (with recipe) for making delicious spaghetti sauce. (I got this last week and oh man — great deal, great sauce!) In addition, he has 3 different Produce Boxes to choose from: Basic Seasonal Box, Herb Lovers Box, Root Lovers Box and the new Tomato Lovers Box!

Miss Vicky of Fry Farm is offering: Eggplant both the “Little Finger” and “Violette de Florence”, ‘Italian Torpedo’ Onions, Shallots, Cherry Tomatoes and some really adorable ‘Gold Nugget’ Squash. They look like miniature pumpkins and although I don’t have any recipes yet, I will see what yummy ideas Miss Vicky has and check with “She Who Cooks”! So go ahead and order if you are adventurous; recipes will be available at Market! (For sure I am getting a couple…just because they are so cute) – a good recipe, is a bonus!

Roger and Reggie Ramos of Grow With The Flow are offering: Arugula, ‘Provider’ Beans, ‘Ripbor’ Kale, Red Potatoes, ‘New Zealand’ Spinach and Tomatoes at the Lilburn Market only.

The Veggie Patch is providing a good selection of wonderful, fresh Summer veggie offerings and have fresh Herbs listed as well! 3 types of Basil, Chives, Mint, Oregano,2 kinds of Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Medicinal Herbs Chamomile and Lavender. Veggies include: Arugula, French Green Beans, Bunching Onions, Heirloom Pole Beans, Purple Beans, Yellow Beans, several types of Kale, Mizuna, a plethora of sweet, hot, and ‘my-mouth-is-on-fire’ peppers, Squash, Tatsoi, Tomatoes plus a BULK BUY of Canning Tomatoes, Zucchini and a Veggie Box.

Be sure and check out the wonderful meat selections available from B&G Farms. From Pork Tenderloin, (which is delicious marinated and grilled) to the many varieties of Sausage, Pork Chops and Longaniza (hot dogs), to any cut of Beef you want, Lynda has us covered! And Chicken too! Try Chicken Wings on the grill! (Note to Bone Broth Makers: Chicken Feet will be available in 2 weeks! Get your Necks and Backs this week while they are on sale; keep them in the freezer until you get your Chicken Feet – what a combo for great Chicken Bone Broth!)

David and Shalley Carrell of Carrell Farms are at our Markets as well as most of the popular Traditional Farmers’ Markets around the area! Check out their offerings from their Bulk Ground Buff to Steaks and Roasts! Try a Brisket smoked! Delicious! Shalley makes a wonderful line of Natural Skin Care Products using the tallow from the Water Buffalo. Her Face Creams are luscious! This week I am going to try the Tallow Foot Butter which has Peppermint Essential Oil in it. Summer and sandals have roughened up these old feet, so I am looking forward to spoiling myself with this!

Both Golden Farms and Rocky Acres offer fresh eggs from pastured chickens fed organic, soy and GMO free feed.

My Daily Bread Bruce and Dabrielle are offering lots of goodies! From Challah to German Rye, Chocolate Zucchini Bread to Cookies, Dabrielle’s Organic, Fresh Baked Goods are sure to please. Sadly we have come to the end of the Blackberry and Blueberry Harvest; I hope that you were able to stock some in your freezer for the months ahead! I do have some good news – Raspberries The second harvest started coming in last week. If the rain this weekend doesn’t do them in – we will have some on the Farmers’ Sale Table at Market! Please remember that in order for them to deliver from their wonderful Bakery and Farm located in Cleveland, GA, we must meet a minimum, so be sure and get your items ordered today!

Marie Wheeler of Bakery on Brooks is experimenting again, much to the delight of her husband and of course her other ‘favorite tester’ (that would be me!). This week, she perfected Gluten Free Biscuits and guess who made Sausage Gravy? (again, that would be me!) (Hot Sausage from B & G Farms, Milk from Cedar Rock Dairy and Gluten Free Biscuits from Bakery on Brooks) I have not enjoyed that dish for 2 years of being Gluten Free! What a wonderful treat! They will be on the Farmers’ Sale Table this week at Market. While My Daily Bread makes an amazing Gluten Free Brownie, it is not ‘legal’ for Celiac patients; Marie now is offering Brownies that Celiac and folks who can absolutely no trace of wheat in their diet will enjoy! She has a totally Gluten Free Kitchen. Brownies will also be on the Farmers’ Sale Table this week at the Markets!

Jay and Patti of Dances With Bees have Honey offerings as well as some other great products! The Candles are made of pure beeswax and the Lady Bug is as cute as it can be! I love the rolled beeswax candles also. Patti makes some awesome Personal Care products as well!

Jay has managed to slip a couple of new products in his offerings that I have not tried yet; however, because I am SO intrigued and because I really, really like the flavor of Chipotle, I will be ordering the BBQ Honey and definitely be grilling some wings or a tenderloin. Sounds just about perfect to me! He also has added Sourwood Honey; that should be an interesting Honey! My favorite by far however, is the Gallberry and if you haven’t tried it, I strongly suggest doing so. (An Aside: I tried this Honey last year, simply because I was intrigued by the name – that served me very well indeed! It is excellent!)

The Happy Cows belonging to Sam Jones of Cedar Rock Dairy continue to produce wonderful milk (for our pets)! The cream line on the jars these last couple of weeks has been impressive! Keep up the good work, ladies! Located in Butler, Georgia, Sam’s cows enjoy grazing on 1200 acres of this Certified Organic Farm and we are fortunate that he is willing to transport this fresh, creamy milk to us. Working together, we need to ensure that we meet a minimum order for each Market so it remains economically viable for deliveries to continue! Share the goodness of Cedar Rock Dairy milk with friends and family!

Going forward all Markets will have a Jar Check In Sheet that must be marked when you return your jars each week. This is to relieve the headaches of jar inventories. This week there will also be a space to indicate how many jars you brought initially and how many jars you are returning to the Market. Admittedly, it’s a pain and an extra step, but humor me, please. I love the jars but they can make me crazy and grumpy!

I get it if you think that Sam should be able to keep track of your jars – however, when you consider the fact that for our Markets alone he handles over 150 jars a week, add two other Locally Grown Markets PLUS his Markets south of Atlanta, PLUS the milk drops that he handles every week – the number of jars that are handled are well over 1100!

Sam doesn’t always pull the jars himself, so if some of our jars have gotten into the incorrect Market inventory, things get a little confusing! A “oops” here and there is totally understandable! I so appreciate the Jar Program, as I believe that milk stays fresher longer and has a “cleaner taste” when it is bottled in glass. I handled a small Glass Jar system and trust me it is labor intensive. My hat goes off to Sam for providing this service!

Remember, you need 3 sets of jars to keep things flowing smoothly. If you order extra one week, you likely will be missing one the following week. The Market can no longer absorb the cost if you receive your milk in plastic and you will be charged the difference. Your jars need to be ‘sparkling clean’ and completely dry (jar and BOTH lids)!

Rusty Repp of Little Tots Estate offers the sweetest goat milk I have had since I was a child, growing up in Ohio! (Did you know that Rusty is from Ohio? True!) The milk comes from Nigerian Dwarf Goats who are known to have the highest Butterfat of any milking goats! The milk from Little Tots also makes wonderful cheese! It is great for pets with stomach issues, also! To keep The Black Lab, healthy, he enjoys some everyday!

Lizzie’s Pantry provides some wonderful products from Montana Wheat! She also offers a Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Georgia Farmer.

Blue Moon Creamery, the Goat Cheese Artisan is re-evaluating his participation in all of his Markets and I do not know at this point if he will be returning. I am searching for another source for Goat Cheese. Any suggestions?

Kathy Barnes not only helps out at the Markets, she is also the wonderful lady that makes the great lanyards, aprons, pillowcases and tiny purse bags (for carrying your own sweeteners, salts, etc.) Check out her products that are all hand made with love!

Monique from Mo’s Tats and Stitches has some tatted earrings at every Market. These are lovely and so delicate looking, it is hard to believe that she can make these with her own two hands. Intricate designs and beautiful colors!

Group Buys in the Works

Recently I met a retired Naturopathic Physician at the Hamilton Mill Market. He told me about an Amish Farmer from Indiana from whom he routinely gets raw cream, raw butter, cottage cheese and other raw milk items. The Farmer currently delivers to the Atlanta area once a month. I am in the process of discussing adding our Market to his delivery schedule. I am hopeful that I will have a hand out and sign up sheet this week at all Markets. Dr. Ruben also told me about an excellent Dairy Farmer/Raw Cheese Producer and I am following up on that great bit of information and will disseminate it as soon as it is available.

This week we will have sign up sheets for Green Pasture Fermented Cod Liver Oil and High Vitamin Butter Oil. To get a discount, we must have a minimum of 12 bottles of products ordered. Some of you already order this product and are familiar with the great benefits of vitamin D and getting this vital nutrient from fermented Cod Liver Oil. For those of you who have not tried this product, please check out their website and become informed. Green Pasture.

… this and that …

Thursday I missed the Lilburn Market – well, actually, I was there to help setup, but then left before Market began, leaving it in the capable hands of Marie Wheeler and Kathy Barnes. I attended an event out at the Hamilton Mill Market location. This was a mini-seminar given by Dr. Karen Jacobs, a veterinarian who uses natural practices and is mobile. Although she is based in Monroe, she will travel to evaluate and treat your pets! (She is LOCAL, so let’s support her!) Look for more information in the next Newsletter! There were few people in attendance, so it became a discussion format and issues were addressed for the pets of those attending. I hope to schedule Dr. Jacobs for another mini-seminar at another location very soon.

The Black Lab has decided that he has an affinity for Tomatoes! He has stolen and eaten 2 that he took from the counter – and I was home when he grabbed them! Oh, the joy of sharing a home with him! Marie’s ‘grand dog’, might have him beat tho’, Cantaloupe seems to be the favorite at their home!

I wish you all a happy day and a wonderful week!

Thank you for taking the time to read this long missive…