Dacula Farmer's Market for Saturday, April 10th

"The Dacula Farmer's Market"
at
Rancho Alegre Farm
Every Saturday
10am-2pm
Rain or Shine

Greetings!

         Spring may have just sprung, but summer is in the air at the Dacula Farmer's Market. There's more produce at the market each week as the season progresses. The weather has been gorgeous, and we love holding the market outside, which makes me think about the joy of grilling out. Bread of Life Bakery makes wonderful hamburger buns to pair with Stokes Family Farm hamburgers. Deviled eggs are delicious with spring onions, and both are plentiful now. It all tastes great with a fresh salad of mixed greens and Angie Peevy's goat cheese. There are so many wonderful food choices that it's hard to choose which to eat first.
        This Saturday will be the last day of the Spring Fever Food Drive so please bring your perishable food donations to the market. We'll also be accepting fresh foods to go directly to the Quinn House kitchen, or you can leave cash donations in the glass vase on the donation table.
       On another note, Alexis Ayala, the Dacula Farmer's Market, and Rancho Alegre are collaborating to host a viewing of the film Food Matters on April 17th. The movie starts at 7PM in the market room at Rancho Alegre, and admission to the movie is FREE. At 6PM, there will be a potluck dinner for everyone to enjoy. Please bring a dish to share and a $2 donation per person to cover iced tea and set up. RSVP's would be appreciated for food coordination but are not necessary.

Fresh wishes,

Anthony Stokes, Market Manager

678-863-9612

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What You Don't Know About Strawberries . . .

Mmm, it's almost strawberry season . . . Fresh strawberries are such a sweet and satisfying spring and summertime snack for all.

Unfortunately, those innocent-looking, juicy strawberries are one of the most poisonous foods in the produce section at your grocery store - if you don't buy organic. According to the Environmental Working Group, strawberries freely absorb toxic chemicals that are used to grow them AND expose consumers and even more so, migrant farm workers to up to 54 carcinogens as well as other toxins. Because of this, strawberries rank as one of the dirtiest fruits and vegetables.

Use of the toxic and commonly used methyl bromide is slowly decreasing due to international efforts to ban it as a result of its harmful effects on the ozone. This would be great, except the chemical that growers plan to use instead is methyl iodide. Scientists use methyl iodide to intentionally induce cancer in lab animals. Causing cancer is not just a side effect of the chemical; that's its job.- Read more of this article.

Strawberry Salsa with Avocado Slices and Spicy Cilantro Vinaigrette Recipe
strawberry salsa salad

When shopping for organic strawberries, they can be large or small in size but should be fragrant and a deep red in color. You may want to use white onions, not yellow, here for their clean, sharp flavor.

Ingredients:
2 cups finely chopped strawberries, about 1 pound
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Gently mix all ingredients together in a bowl. This recipe can be prepared in advance. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Yields 2 1/2 cups - Read more of this recipe.

Upcoming Event: Free Food Matters Screening

Find Out More About the Foods You Should Eat at the Free Screening of Food Matters . . .

Rancho Alegre Farm, the Dacula Farmer's Market, and Alexis Ayala are excited to host a free community screening of the documentary Food Matters on Saturday, April 17th at 7PM.

Food Matters is a feature-length documentary film from James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch meant to inform society about the best choices a person can make for personal and family health. Through a collection of interviews with innovative scientists, naturopaths, nutritionists, M.D.'s, and medical journalists, the film answers the following questions: how do you use food as medicine, who needs vitamins, how safe is our food, is organic really better, what are natural treatments for lowering cholesterol, are there natural therapies to treat cancer, what foods fight anxiety and depression, which drugs do more harm than good, and what are the best ways to detoxify/lose weight? - Read more of this article.

Find out more about the film and view the trailer here.
For a map and directions to Ranch Alegre Farm, click here.

Dacula Natural Buyer's Club

Bringing affordable organic and naturally grown foods to you

Large box - $50
Small box - $30

Updates: Please take a few minutes to take our Dacula Natural Buyer's Club customer satisfaction survey so that we can better serve you. We also invite you to become a fan of our Facebook page to be aware of updates and news.

By completing this incredibly helpful customer satisfaction survey, you'll automatically be entered into a drawing for a ton of awesome prizes, such as a large box of fresh produce, a one-month supply of raw milk (4 gallons total!), a one-month supply of farm fresh eggs (4 dozens total!), and a $30 gift certificate to be used toward your choice of a Rancho Alegre birthday party or summer camp.

We are excited to partner with Grains-N-More, an organic grain resource, to bring you grains, beans, seeds, and more. Take a look at the list of products here, and then call Daniel at (678) 982 4098 or email him to place your order.

We spoke with Destiny Organics about your concerns, and they have committed to fixing them as part of final trial order from them. The good news is that they have stayed true to the local atmosphere by providing produce from Florida rather than from the other side of the country.

To place your box order for next week's pick up at the market, contact Pilar by 2PM on Tuesday, April 12th either by emailing her or calling (770) 339-3065.

Click here for the complete FAQ's.

Johnston Family Milk comes to us from a small, grass-based family dairy in Newborn, GA. The milk is lightly pasteurized to preserve more flavor and nutrients and is never homogenized.

Orders are placed and picked up through
The Dacula Natural Buyers Club.

Click here for the product list and prices.

FUN Farm Summer Camps and Riding Lessons!
Rancho Alegre is ecstatic about offering our Farm and Horse Camps again this summer. Camps will run from Monday-Friday from 8am-2pm. Online registration and details will be available by April 15th.

Janice Gardner is one of the certified instructors who teaches riding lessons here at Rancho Alegre. She is also a certified therapeutic instructor and can teach anyone with special needs. Please contact Janice Gardner at (678) 316-4756 for any questions about riding lessons or to schedule a lesson.

2225 Givens Road
Dacula, 30019

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