by Jack Moffitt
2010 State of the Foodshed Address
My fellow locavores. One year ago, the Brownsville Farmers Market was in its infancy. A dedicated Board of our fellow citizens were admiring the first fruits of over a year of planning. All involved were busy implementing the many improvements which unfolded over the next year.
Prior to this Market, the small agricultural producers of the County had no suitable venue at which to sell their crops. Crops were planted on the hope that a buyer could be found before harvest, and often the crop was relegated to livestock uses or even composted. One regular vendor at the Brownsville Farmers Market has told of destroying 5 gallon buckets of eggs – spoiled while waiting for a buyer; the dismantling of a laying hen flock assembled over years of care, and considerations of moving to more ‘farmer friendly’ environs. That same family now produces an abundant crop each week – eggs and vegetables; and enjoys a reliable income for their efforts.
Success breeds emulation and the Brownsville Farmers Market success spawned two additional farmers markets in Cameron County. In early December, the Harlingen Farmers Market kicked off with a bang, and this past Sunday, the South Padre Island Farmers Market opened to huge crowds. The assembly of local vendors, the benefit of the Brownsville Farmers Market experiences, and even direct, volunteer assistance by the Directors of the Brownsville Farmers Market helped these additional markets form, without “re-inventing the wheel”.
Local small agriculture producers, artisan bakers, and small scale food processors, benefit greatly from this development in the local foodshed. Three markets to sell in, means the producer can plant more, yet be assured that they can expose their crop to 3 robust markets. Small specialty vegetable crops can be explored. When a grower considers planting a crop of celeriac – there are 3 venues to find celeriac fans.
Finally, the farmers markets expose the local producer’s local products to local restaurants and other markets, further bolstering producer confidence that they can sell their crops.
For many years (a dark age indeed for Brownsville locavores), local produce was found only by luck, and the discerning veggie lover had only one expensive store in McAllen to shop at, for sustainable, natural products. We were relegated to feed only found only from mainstream commodity food channels. When a contaminated food scare struck, centralization demanded destruction of all tomatos – now we have alternatives.
It is important that we don’t go back to those dark ages and lose a valuable resource by disuse.
Support your Brownsville Farmers Market – come out and visit us each Saturday from 9 to noon!
Change in hours of operation
Commencing this Market, the opening time has been moved to 9 a.m. This fine-tuning will allow some extra harvest time for producers and better match the market hours to the peak shopping hours. Let us know what you think!
The Graybill Report
Hello Jack,
I have been around farmers all my life. My father was a crop consultant and sales rep for an agricultural chemical company prior to his retirement (he now volunteers his time to help farmers in Mexico develop cash crops).
Farmers are the most optimistic, persistent people I know, and the growers at our market are no different. In visiting with you all last Saturday and getting your freeze reports, the words I heard over and over were: Oh yes, we had freeze damage. But we have already replanted.
In other words, by the following Saturday, the freeze was old news.
This is the farming mindset. Yes, there are freezes, torrential rains, no rain, bugs, animal damage, etc. Crops are sometimes (ofttimes) lost.
So we re-plant, and thus re-hope.
Seen at the market last week:
River’s End had tangelos, blood oranges (which Kathy says likes the cold and thus taste fabulous), kumquats, starfruit, calamondins, avacados, chicos, black sapotes, honeybells, guavas, West Kena oranges, mineolas, pon can, Rhode Red Valencias, Marrs oranges.
Bayview Veggies had their special salad mixes, mustard greens, sprouts (broccoli, mung bean, alfalfa, french garden, daikon), turnip greens, Swiss chard,arugula (small and large), carrots, and onions. Rhonda says they will have the return of the delicious oak leaf lettuce, anas well as two other lettuce varieties – Red Sails and Anuinui. She says they will also have some new sprouts this week: Kamut, and a variety called Amber Waves of Grain, the latter of which is a mix of different grains.
Yahweh Farms had radishes, cilantro, mustard greens, grapefruit, eggs, and romaine lettuce.
Two Pines was donating half of their profits for the day to the American Red Cross for Haitian relief. They had radishes, young mixed lettuces, Rainbow Swiss chard – a colorful mix of different varieties, mustard greens, assorted lettuces (including Romaine, bib, and beautiful curly leaf), cilantro, dill, New Zealand spinach, and leeks.
Resaca Grove had grapefruit and pecans.
Dickerson’s Backyard had grapefruit, green beans, dragon tongue beans, royal burgandy greens, cucumbers, and lemons.
Gracia Farm had eggs, red and white radishes, leaf lettuce, icicle radishes, turnips, beets, cilantro, Swiss chard, carrots, and daikon.
By Ruth was out of town visiting grandbabies; look for her and her garden bounty, handmade aprons and table linens, and handcrafted jewelry to be back this week.
Acacia Farms had broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, bok choy, cilantro, carrots, turnips, grapefruit, chinese cabbage, and rutabaga. They report that they have new lettuces coming in this week.
Nam Nguyen had his winter melons in three varieties and daikon.
Bella Vista had oranges, grapefruit, passionfruit, limes, bananas, and lemons.
The Alaniz family had cabbage, green tomatos, and dates.
The Gorgas Science Society had grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, and navel oranges.
Alice, of Alice’s Kountry Kitchen, had her nutritious baked goods made with organic flour and local honey.
We were glad to see Texas Gold Shrimp were back with their wild caught gulf shrimp.
Perrenial Favorites had their vegetable, herb, and ornamental transplants available for all the re-planting!
Valley Baptist Medical Center had free blood pressure and blood sugar screenings.
We (the Graybills) of course had our valley honey, and we brought our 100% beeswax candles.
We’ll see ya at the market!
Erin
Your humble correspondents, friends and loyal vendors – Jack Moffitt and Erin Graybill
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