http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog Musings and locally grown discoveries Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:39:18 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en What unites a cupcakerie, a dog bakery, and a pesto makerie? Their common-thread is their shared kitchen space in Cranston, RI. The road to the retail shop was long, but it all began with a farmers market! Marni MacLean Karro took her love of dogs and love of baking, and created ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2010/02/19/local-food-businesses-use-the-farmers-market-as-a-launching-pad/ New at the market just in time for Valentine's Day! Aquidneck Honey will be joining the market. Port Clyde Fresh Catch will have sustainably-caught shrimp for sale outside by the Chez Pascal hot dog truck. Farmacy Herbs herbalist Mary Blue will be doing a free demo of making herbal fire cider at noon ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2010/02/12/woo-your-valentine-start-early-with-the-wintertime-farmers-market/ The chart above shows EBT (aka Food Stamps aka SNAP) sales at our farmers markets for every month of the year between 2007, 2008 and 2009. Not counted in the graph is an additional $11,000 in 2009 from the Bonus Bucks program described below, bringing the 2009 total to over ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2010/02/02/fresh-for-all-at-the-2010-ri-local-food-forum/ Even though RI grows a lot of tomatoes, how many farms at your farmers market sell tomato sauce? True enough, practically no one cooks their RI tomatoes into a sauce to sell. That's despite the fields of tomatoes that all turn ripe at the same moment, often creating an ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2010/01/23/the-harvest-kitchen-creating-new-opportunities-for-ri-farmers-and-youth/ Reminder: The market will be closed on December 26. See you on January 2! Buy local food & share!  The 50 producers of the Wintertime Farmers Market have delicious goodies – coffee, jam, potted herbs, chocolate, soaps, roasted nuts, dog treats, Fresh Bucks gift coins – that will bring a big ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2009/12/18/wintertime-farmers-market-gets-fishy-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/ Stock up: this Saturday 12/19 is the last Wintertime Farmers Market until January 2nd! Good food is a great gift. Perhaps we're biased, working every day with people who make their living producing food here in Rhode Island. But you really can't undervalue a gift that can be such a source ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2009/12/12/a-farm-fresh-holiday-gift-guide/ Back this summer, when Genie Trevor let us know that the Winter issue of Edible Rhody would be all about dairy, we knew there was a important story to be told. However, it was bigger and timelier than anyone could have expected. Just weeks later, the US Department of Justice launched ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2009/12/08/the-dairy-issue-in-rhode-island/ Pete Fratantuono of Moosup River Farm, a familiar face at so many of our farmers markets, passed away this weekend. He always made it a priority that the fruits and vegetables he grew be within reach for low-income families in Providence, Pawtucket and Woonsocket. Without his commitment, many of our ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2009/11/24/thanksgiving-reflections-good-people-good-food/ After a rough start to the season – tomatoes and potatoes got blight, strawberries rotted in the rain – a mild November is producing a bounty of late fall veggies. Slightly frost-kissed, their flavor is rich and crisp and perfect for a celebration of the harvest. It's a fitting turnaround ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2009/11/18/thanksgiving-at-the-wintertime-farmers-market/ Our 2nd Perfect Pickle Contest drew a enthusiastic audience on the opening day of the Wintertime Farmers Market. On Saturday, November 7 at noon, twenty-four entries were sampled. By 1pm we knew the Perfect Pickles of 2009: Best Traditional Brine: Liz's Luscious Spicy Garlicky Cukes (Pippin Orchards) Best Alterna-Brine: Angela's Amazing Pickled ... http://www.farmfreshri.org/blog/2009/11/13/pickle-pros-2009-winners/