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A message from Rachael
I have a few apologies to pass on from last month's pickup.
- Noah from Traditional Foods forgot 11 bags of potatoes last month and did not have time to drive back to get them. Sorry to the 11 people who did not get potatoes. We put a sign near the pickup slips, but I think it was pushed off the table, They should have all the potatoes you order this month!
- Perry from Oak Manor is working hard to make his system work. He's trying to iron out the kinks and will try to do a better job of filling orders this month so we'll hopefully get some of the products that have been out of stock in the last few months.
- Pete from Apple Creek Farm asks that you check the jars of apple sauce from December. Mine and at least one other customer's jar (as well as Pete's stock) were not properly sealed and a bit mouldy on top. Pete will replace a jar if yours was mouldy too (please email us). Pete's Apple Sauce is now available frozen in 1L containers.
Meals that Heal sent me an email to let me know that their soups are now available in glass jars! They should serve two people. I also tried their Lamb Shepherd's pie last week. Mmmm! I asked them if we could sell it so you'll find it on the order from this month! It had parsnips in it! I'll put the ingredients up online soon!
I got a message from the Galapagos Islands today asking when the order form would be open. Two friends are travelling and plan to order from South America this month. They return from a month's travels on the pickup date... it's almost like they planned it that way.
Steffanie sent on an invitation to a Family Day Event - Organic Stone Soup at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener on Monday, February 15, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm. You can get more information at this link.
Rachael
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Hi Everybody,
I miss you during these long winter months when we only "chat" monthly. I've started checking our Bailey's Local Foods Facebook page more and staying connected that way. Too see us there go to http://www.facebook.com/baileyslocalfoods. We're also putting events in there that are related to changing the local food system.
So how is deep and dark February eating going for you? Have you crawled in bed with a plate of cupcakes yet? I've never tried it but it sounds like the ultimate winter hibernating. I have cupcakes on my mind because I'm making them for my hubby's birthday this weekend. Emily, a beloved check out volunteer, made us winter squash cupcakes that were divine. I was thinking about those but everybody is a sucker for chocolate. What would we do without chocolate?? Nothing local comes even close. What is the local equivalent of chocolate for you? Creme fresca on fresh raspberries?
Farmer Changes for 2010
Okay, must think about something other than sweets. Carrots. Still loving those carrots. I found 100 lbs of carrots that Lester and Irene Brubacher stored from the Fall. They live north of Elmira and grew 4,000 lbs of carrots last year. Happens to be the same amount that our buying club members bought in 2009! I'm trying to talk them into planting and storing 1,000 lbs for us. They have a vegetable washer and a place to store them so they are well set up. Funny thing, farmers don't do whatever I want. They say, "Well, I'll have to see what the children say about planting more carrots." Or, "I'm kind of tired of growing carrots and thought I'd try tomatoes this year." But but but, we NEED more carrots! I try not to sound desperate. I almost begged Eva to grow more of her super crisp and sweet carrots but her answer - after consulting with her children - is that they'd just grow as many as they did last year. I respect that.
I'm excited to be able to buy more from Brenda Knechtal this year. She lives near Wellesley and is certified organic. The barrier has been transportation but now that her neighbours Mike and Debbie are delivering their cucumbers and tomatoes to us, they can bring her order in too. Brenda is going to grow for us a mix of cherry tomatoes that made my mouth water when we were talking on the phone. She will even grow us Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato which is a variety that is tiny and grows like a branch of currants. She has a perennial tea garden which she is considering harvesting tea mixes for us. She has dried calendula tea ready for us now!
Selema has decided not to grow lettuce heads for us this year. Too much work and one of her children is leaving home so won't be able to help out. Selema's heads of lettuce are sooo lovely. So I'm looking for another farmer. Lester and Irene grow lettuce too but they don't grow it through the summer like Selema did, just in the early summer and then in Fall.
Traditional Food Hamburger Should Be Called Steakburger?
Noah and Bruce from Traditional Foods surprised me by stopping in on Wed night. We'd just eaten so I heated up plates for them of our not-so-local supper (salmon, pasta, and white sauce with peas on the side) and they sat there for a couple hours. I think they were just too tired to get back in the truck and drive the hour home. They were telling me that they did the number crunching on the costs of raising and butchering the steers and they have to raise the price of the hamburger. The other important reason the price is higher is that they are grinding up steaks into hamburger. Most places the hamburger is made from all the lower quality cuts and so it is higher in fat and those little pieces of cartilage or whatever it is that makes those chewy bits in cheap beef. Not Traditional Foods. This is NICE hamburger. So I don't think the price is raised yet this month but it will happen soon. I asked them to offer a 10lb box of hamburger at a bulk price this time for those of us who use that much in a month or two.
St. Agatha Farm Workshops and CSA
If you are finding that Bailey's Local Foods ordering and pick up does not fit into your life, take heart, we're going to try to offer a Wed and Fri pick up this season. If that still won't work for you, or you want a more direct connection to a farm and farmer, consider signing up for a CSA share with Garden Party and picking up your box near St. Agatha once a week. Theresa, the farmer and owner of Garden Party is also offering some tempting farm experiences. On Feb 13 you can hang out in the greenhouse with a small group of fellow gardeners and Theresa and pick your seeds for the year. Then she serves lunch in the greenhouse and grows the seedlings for you to pick up in June. Doesn't that sound lovely!? Check out her inspiring website: http://www.gardenparty.ca
It looks like Stuart's greenhouse tomatoes are not ready yet. Hang in there. We should be able to taste them in March. Antony has about 18 bags of gourmet salad mix. Shall we arm wrestle for it? I love eating it in a whole wheat tortilla with chevre.
Look for these foods this month:
- Celeriac from Paul Bowman is excellent in soups. Use in recipe in place of potatoes or celery.
- Ham or Roast Beef from Stemmler's is great on pizza or in wraps
- Frozen butternut squash from John and Lena Burkhardt. Because it is pureed, it is super easy to make a soup or muffins.
Garlic
My garlic has not stored well at all. That's an understatement. 50% of it is mouldy and moths have infested it. YUCK. I talked to Paul about it (who grew the garlic) and we have several theories. #1 It was a wet year which means produce has more water in it and does not store as well (often doesn't cure as well either). #2 We should not try to store seconds of garlic because only the blemish free ones keep well. #3 Paul had problems with nematodes in the garlic roots (wormies). He thought they were only in the roots but maybe some of them got into the heads and matured into moths. Conclusions: #1 Try try again. #2 Ask Country Flavour to can minced garlic that we can buy and use all winter.
Help Plan the Next 20 Years
The City of Waterloo is asking for input on our 20 year plan. See their website for the areas they are looking at and how to put your two cents worth in. If you want to see Waterloo a leader in a relocalised food system, tell them. How can Waterloo lead in this? With flexible zoning to encourage local food initiatives, stopping urban sprawl, and listening to local food leaders like Foodlink and the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable.
The City of Waterloo is asking for input on our 20 year plan. See their website for the areas they are looking at and how to put your two cents worth in. If you want to see Waterloo a leader in a relocalised food system, tell them. How can Waterloo lead in this? With flexible zoning to encourage local food initiatives, stopping urban sprawl, and listening to local food leaders like Foodlink and the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable.
Keep eating with intention. You're changing the local food system one grocery shop at a time.
With respect,
Nina
Bailey's Local Foodswww.baileyslocalfoods.ca
P.S. We can use your fruit baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.
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