| Tip of the Week |
Preparing Baby Artichokes
1. Cut the pointy part off the tip of the artichoke and a little off the bottom of each artichoke.
2. Peel off a few of the dark outer leaves until you reach the light green tender leaves.
3. Cut the artichokes in half. (You can put them in lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.)
They are now ready to cook! You can cook baby artichokes several ways:
*Steaming or boiling takes about ten minutes.
*Braising artichokes with white wine, chicken stock, garlic, and olive oil is our personal favorite.
*You can also add a great smoky flavor by finishing them on a grill after they've been steamed.
You can eat baby artichokes alone or add them to another dish such as pasta, pizza, or salads.
--DeNoble Farm
|
Featured Produce
Part of the beauty of farmers' markets is that our produce changes with the seasons. Stay current with weekly produce highlights here!
|
 |
Meteor Patty Pan Squash
(Winter Green Farm)
Red Bunching Onions
(DeMartini Family Farms)
Mountain Huckleberries
(Peak Forest Fruit)
Goldmarie & Musica Romano Pole Beans
(Gales Meadow Farm) New Mexico Chili Peppers
(Sweet Leaf Farm)
|
|
|
It's already the end of August and the market is at it's peak with summer favorites like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, melons, and more. Before we know it, we'll be heading into fall, so don't miss out on these summer flavors!
|
Creating Truly Sustainable Food Systems
by Courtney Sproule,
HFM Board Member
When we buy food, we often look for foods that are in season, local or organic, or otherwise ecologically produced. But in order for food to be truly sustainable, it must also provide fair and stable jobs for those who produce it, from farmers to farm workers to food producers.
Ensuring that agricultural workers have good working conditions is highly important as agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. In California alone, there have been six farm worker deaths related to heat since May of this year (Associated Press, 8/21/08).
Just like labels marked "organic" or "produced in Oregon," there are also labels indicating that the working conditions for those who produced the food are fair. Many consumers look for "Fair Trade" products when purchasing goods that are not available locally, such as coffee or bananas. Even some Northwest foods are labeled with the United Farm Workers logo, which indicates that the farm workers who helped produce the food have fair union representation. However, just as the "organic" label doesn't ensure that the food is wholly sustainable, when determining whether you're purchasing food that was produced under fair working conditions, there is no substitute for asking directly. This is one of the advantages of farmers' markets -- the farmer, or someone with knowledge about the farm, is there to answer any questions you may have about how their food was produced. This is also one of the benefits of buying from small farms, whose vendors are almost always very closely involved with the daily operations of the farm and can answer questions about issues such as working conditions for employees.
Showing the agricultural industry that we care about fair, equitable working conditions for those who produce our food is a crucial step in creating food systems that are truly sustainable. Unless our food systems are just for all people, they will never be successful. Next time you purchase food, look not only for local, ecologically-healthy products, but goods that provide fair jobs for those who produced them. |
|
Community Booth Spotlight
 Learn more about the organizations tabling at the market each week in our community booth column.
Hollywood Farmers' Market Board of Directors
The Hollywood Farmers' Market Board of Directors is a great way to get involved with your neighborhood market. The Hollywood Farmers' Market is currently looking for enthusiastic
members that can help the market thrive! Needed skills and expertise
include leadership, finance, marketing, food systems, staff management,
public relations and general administration.
Find out more about the Board and how you can get involved by visiting the Hollywood Farmers' Market Board booth this Saturday!
Solar Oregon
Solar Oregon
is a non-profit membership organization providing public education and
community outreach to encourage Oregonians to choose solar energy. Major
programs include educational workshops, solar home tours, a speaker's bureau,
and a lending library. With over 20 years of supporting solar energy throughout
Oregon, Solar
Oregon is a one-stop resource for Oregonians considering solar energy. Please
stop by our booth at the Hollywood Farmers' Market this Saturday to find out
why.
|
|
Featured Vendor: DeNoble Farm  By Eliza Whiteman,
HFM Volunteer
When asked why he is a farmer, Tom DeNoble of DeNoble Farm chuckled and replied, "Because I'm not smart enough." After a good laugh he changed his answer to something more along the lines of, "It's what I know." Tom grew up on a dairy farm in Tillamook, Oregon and so farming has been in his blood all his life. As an adult he chose to switch from dairy farming to growing mixed vegetables and cut flowers. He still farms in Tillamook - on 23 acres of leased land that runs right along the Wilson River.
According to Tom, growing in Tillamook is DeNoble Farm's secret to success. The cool, coastal climate is ideal for cold crops, such as brussel sprouts and broccoli, and makes for sweeter tasting vegetables. With an average temperature of 65 degrees at his farm, Tom is able to grow cool weather crops all year round. DeNoble's location at the fog belt (right where tidal water meets fresh water) also provides the perfect growing climate for one of their primary crops - artichokes.
Farming right along the river in Tillamook is not without its drawbacks, however. During this past winter DeNoble Farm experienced 134 mile per hour winds and more than three weeks of flooding in their fields. Flooding is unfortunately not an unusual event for their area. They have experienced flooding in five of the last eight years on that land. DeNoble is going strong this season, despite the inclement weather of the winter.
The Hollywood Farmers' Market is just one of a number of Portland area markets at which they sell including Portland, Hillsdale, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and Gresham. In addition to artichokes and mixed annual vegetables, DeNoble grows many varieties of flowers. Calla lilies are their specialty, which they sell at select markets and by mail order.
Check out DeNoble Farm's artichokes at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. If you're interested in buying some of their many varieties of cut flowers be sure to visit them at their on-the-farm stand on Wilson River Loop in Tillamook. Also, for those of you who would never eat your brussel sprouts as a kid, now's your chance. Last week was the first harvest of brussel sprouts and Tom says they'll have them at market every week until the end of the season! | |
The Hollywood Farmers' Market is open Saturdays, May through October from 8am - 1pm and November 1, 8, 15 & 22 from 9am - 1pm. We are located on NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenues (one block South of Sandy Blvd).
For more information, check us out online at www.hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.
See you Saturday!
Hollywood Farmers' Market
|
|
|
