The Davidson Farmer's Market

Twin Oak produce

  Saturday, July 30, 2011, 8 a.m.-noon

Even though preparing for the Market is a lot of work we have been very blessed to be able to make and grow things to sell at the DFM.  ~ Emily Imhoff 

In This Issue
* Salsa Showdown Champs
* Gleaning News - Cool Article
* Annual Farm Tours
* Egg Vendors
* Weekend Events
* Chef Vera's Grilling Fajitas
* Composting is Fun
* Growing Kids
* How the Imhoff's Make it to Market
* Fresh at the Market this Week

Market open rain or shine!

 

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The DFM accepts SNAP, Debit or Credit.  Come by the DFM Booth to buy tokens to shop the Market! 

snap

 

The DFM booth is located at the heart of the Market - stop by!

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Follow us on Facebook

 

Find us on Facebook 

Join the DFM Mailing List 

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 volunteers

Help the Market - Volunteer!

 

Love the Market?

 Vote for us in America's Favorite Farmer's Market Contest!   

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Lost and Found

If you lost it - we may have found it.

Come by the DFM booth.

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 Quick Links Recipes

The ingredients for these recipes may be found at the Market!
  
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We love dogs!

 Help us to keep the DFM dog-friendly by adhering to our Pooch Policies.


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 Salsa Showdown Champs

 Salsa being made

Last Saturday the DFM tried to match the summer heat by bringing back the Salsa Showdown for the second year in a row.

 

The contestants arrived at the Market before it opened for their debriefing followed by a bout of competitive shopping. Farmers and vendors pitched in their wisdom, letting contestants in on the secret to what tomatoes taste best, which peppers kick harder than the rest, and everything in between.

 

Around 8:30 a.m. contestants went to their stations and began work on bringing their creations to life. Over the hubbub of a busy Market contestants brought out all the stops, bringing professional cooking techniques and a few family secrets to the table. The chopped and diced vegetables astounded Market goers with a cornucopia of colors as contestants finalized their creations.

 

Finally, the salsas were ready to be tasted and judged by DFM patrons. Organic chips were donated thanks to the local Harris Teeter. The final tally was very close, and after a careful recount, Ashley and Brian Neff's Kaleidoscope salsa won "Best Salsa in Davidson!"

 

We congratulate the winners and thank everyone for their involvement! See you at next year's showdown, and remember, bring the heat!

salsa showdown champs

Gleaning News

For the past month, Market vendors have been donating their leftover and unusable produce to the Society of St. Andrews (SOSA).  SOSA arrives at Market closing to gather the produce and deliver to a pre-determined need house.

 

Here's a great article about SOSA from the Charlotte Observer this week.

 

Thanks DFM vendors for helping our community.

2011 Know Your Farms Annual Farm Tour

The 3rd Annual Farm Tour is on Sept. 17-18 from 12:30-5:30 p.m. (both days). Tickets are on sale now here.  Mark your calendars now so you don't miss out on Charlotte's best annual event for our local farmers!

This Week at the Davidson Farmer's Market!

It's fajita time!  It's burrito time!  It's taco time! You can't go wrong with these Tex-mex treasures. Simply put, you cannot mess em' up!  Any Market foods you put in your tortilla will be fabulous!

 

Sautee, grill or bake your meat, poultry or seafood.   Add your veggies - you may cook em' or keep em' raw.  Use whatever you like - onions, peppers, tomatoes, corn or squash.  Fill your corn or flour tortillas with your protein and veggies, then top with a sprinkle of your favorite cheese.  You can stop right there or go one step further and add your homemade salsa (using last week's recipes) and finish with a dollop of sour cream! 

True fajitas are made with Skirt Steak, but you can use anything you want - that's the beauty of it.

And if only we could grow avocados in this "First in Flight" state - guacamole would be the ticket!  Any vendors up to the challenge?

Chef Vera will be back at 9 and 10 a.m. demonstrating her spiced-rubbed Fajita Skirt Steak with sauteed onions and peppers.  Vera's Skirt Steak is being donated by Gilcrest Natural Farm.  Visit Gilcrest and the other meat and produce vendors to find your fajita fixings.

For more ideas and inspiration check out the recipes on the left-hand side of the page.

Thank you farmers and producers for bringing this delicious food to our community.  Yum, yum, yum!
  

Eggs!

If you want eggs - come to the Market early!  Typically, eggs sell out within the first 45 minutes of the Market.

 

These vendors will have eggs this week: Calico Farmstead Cheese, Coldwater Creek Farm, Gilcrest Natural Farm, KC Farm and Wild Turkey Farms.

Market Events this Week

*Music: Ellie & Michaela 

*WOW: Stop by and see what's happening!
*Sponsors of the Day: Mi-connection, Flatiron, Wooden Stone, JJ Wade
*Growing Kids: Stop by the Growing Kids booth this Saturday!

Chef Vera's Grilling Fajitas

Join Chef Vera under the demo tents at 9 and 10 a.m. this Saturday for fajita grilling!   You don't want to miss this!

The DFM is Composting!

Composting is a natural process which helps recycle things like kitchen scraps and yard waste, and turns it into nutrient rich soil. The N.C. clay is tough to dig up in the heat, and harder to grow plants in. Composting is mother nature's secret to efficiently getting rid of leaf piles, newspaper clippings, kitchen scraps and mowed grass and turning it into a useful product. This sustainable practice is great for gardeners and farmers and is simple to do; once you put the pieces in place nature does the rest!
 

Wanna get started? Read the full article here to find out how you can easily compost at home.

Are you a Growing Kid?

If you are a kid and like to plant and grow things...you could be a "Growing Kid" at the DFM.  Come sell your home grown fruits and veggies two times during the Market season.

 

Stop by the DFM booth for more information or Email info@davidsonfarmersmarket.org 

How the Imhoff's Make it to Market

d-nuts

What are we up to right now?

  

Well, yesterday was a busy day with five kinds of cookies to bake, and lots of tomatoes to make into salsa. We four oldest girls take care of the cookie baking, which takes till after lunch to totally finish the whole process. With only one bake oven we do one batch (kind) at a time; after the first girl is done with hers she can begin packaging and labeling her cookies, while the next girl begins mixing up and baking her assigned batch.

 

Meanwhile any helpers that are available are cutting celery, chopping tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers in the food processor, and preparing jars to put salsa in. After the first big kettle has all the necessary ingredients it goes onto the stove to begin cooking. Mom keeps a watchful eye on the salsa making sure it cooks the right length of time and adds the spices, etc. needed to finish it. After it is done cooking she fills the pint jars and puts them into another kettle to hot water bathe them. As soon as she's done with one batch she has another one ready to start cooking. The process repeats itself several times till the salsa is all in jars, ready to be labeled for the market. 

  

We also get some free time to enjoy ourselves after our work is completed. And, as children of a produce grower we enjoy yummy watermelons for snacks. :)

 

On Friday, Mom and a few of the girls work at making bread, cinnamon rolls, and zucchini nut bread, and we also do more canning if there are tomatoes that need to be worked up. 

 

Dad, with the help of several of us, picks the tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, etc. on Friday evening in preparation for the Saturday market.

 

Early Saturday morning, two of us girls get up and make the doughnuts. We finish the last ones just in time to be sent along to the market.

 

Even though preparing for the market is a lot of work we have been very blessed to be able to make and grow things to sell at DFM.  It has been a wonderful market!

 

~ Emily Imhoff



Fresh at the Market this Week

 Big Jim's  Sign 

   Many of our DFM Vendors may be contacted by phone or Email pre-ordering before the Market.  Click the farm names below to see if they have websites available.

 

Audrey's Produce
Audrey Miller 

Mooresville, NC
704.663.3472
audreysproduce@aol.com

Audrey will be back in the Fall with a beaucoup of apples! 

 

Barbee Farms

Tommy, Anna & Brent Barbee

Concord, NC

980.521.1395 

For this week we will have squash, zucs, cukes, eggplant, irish potatoes, peppers of all kinds, garlic, red and white sweet onions, sweet corn, tomatoes, tree ripened peaches, melons of all kinds for the hot summer days, okra, and fresh herbs.

 

Big Jim's Produce

Jim & Chris Arthurs

Troutman, NC

Seasonal produce, loaf breads, pound cakes and fruit preserves. 

 

Big Oak Farm

Mike & Dawn Smith

Denver, NC

mikesmith1859@yahoo.com 

Beef & Pork products. Beef - pastured beef ribeyes, skirt steak, flap meat, cubed steak, ribeyes, sirloins, NY Strips, kabobs, ground beef, should and rump roasts, stew mean, beef jerky.  Pork - chops, ribs, roast, uncured bacon, Boston butts, Grandpa Johnston's real old fashioned breakfast sausage, kielbasa, ground pork and Cajun sausage. Email your order by 6 p.m. Friday and we'll have it ready for you on Saturday.  

 

By Lucille

Lucille Benoit

Charlotte, NC

Lucille will have a selection of organic artisan baked goods, with many wheat free options including organic breads, muffins, scones, cookies, cinnamon rolls, as well as Lucille's Signature Jams and hand-thrown pottery by Susan Benoit.  

 

Calico Farmstead Cheese

Jackie & Larry Gerringer

Gibsonville, NC

landjdairy@aol.com

336.516.0750

Butter, fresh and aged cows' milk cheeses - ricotta, queso fresca, havarti, mozzarella, farmer cheese, fromage blanc, feta, camembert, cheese curds, skillet cheese, several varieties of spreadable cream cheese and farm-fresh eggs.  Several varieties of fresh artisan goat cheeses made by us from Wilderness Trail Farm goat milk.

 

Caroline's Chocolates

Caroline's Chocolates will be back in the fall!

 

Chef Charles Catering

Chef Charles Semail

Charlotte, NC

Handmade sausage (Roman, Provencal, Pork & Apple, Chicken Cordon Bleu & Merguez). Vanilla Custard Peach Pie, Brioche, Croissants, Focaccia, New Homemade Pizzas, BBQ packages, Herb Vinaigrette, Pear & Ginger Chutney, Green Tomatilla Jam, Pate (wild mushroom & green peppercorn), Cured Chirizo.

 

Coldwater Creek Farm

Brad Hinkley & Eric Williamson

Cabarrus County

Certified organic produce including Kale, Swiss Chard, peppers, beets, green beans, okra, onions, cucumbers, squash and garlic scape pesto.  From Cackleberry Farms: eggs, yogurt cheese, Queso Fresco, Feta, butter and specialty farmstead cheeses.

 

Correll Farm/Red Barn Market

David & Cheryl Correll

Cleveland, NC

Tomatoes are still in full swing and looking great!  Check out our peach and nyagous tomatoes for something different. Also, we'll have artichokes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, hot peppers, garlic, summer squash, sweet peppers, tomatoes, peaches, cantaloups, watermelons and sensatin melons. See you Saturday!

 

Elliott Apiary

Glenda & John Elliott

Davidson & Harmony, NC

Local wildflower honey. We will be bringing new honey crop this week!

 

Elma C. Lomax

Lynn MacDougall-Fleming & students of the Incubator Program

Cabarrus County

Seasonal organically certified produce - summer tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, squash and more! 

 

Flying Fish Seafood

David & Peggy Meeks

Davidson, NC

Red Snapper is back on line for the season. (This is one of my all time favorites!) We will also have Grouper, Tilefish, Mahi-Mahi, Flounder, as well as Dry Pack Scallops (super sweet), Jumbo Shrimp, and N.C. Little Neck Clams- by the dozen. All of the above is N.C. caught.

 

Gilcrest Natural Farm

Gil & Amy Foster

Iron Station, NC

amyjofoster@yahoo.com 

704.308.1431

Gilcrest Natural Farm will be on hand with our pasture raised meats (no hormones or antibiotics).  Chicken: whole birds, split breast, boneless/skinless breast, wings, leg quarters, drumsticks, ground chicken.  Beef: steaks - ribeye, sirloin, flank, philly and cube.  Roasts: chuck, sirloin tip, shoulder, eye of round, brisket.  Good stuff: ground beef, hamburger patties, stew beef, stir fry stips, liver, dog bones, breakfast sausage, Jerry's beef jerky and our delicious hot dogs!

 

Grateful Growers

Natalie Veres & Cassie Parsons

Denver, NC

Grateful Growes will be back the first weekend in August!  Round pork (amazing burgers), bratwurst, chops, shoulder roasts (great BBQ), italian sausage.  We'll also have breakfast sausage, chorizo, and uncured bacon for the best BLT ever.  Be sure to try our thin-slice dry cured ham...aged 9-months, this ham is not quite prosciutto, but is still amazing with peaches, melons, figs, fish, grits, beans, eggs, rice, and anything else you can come up with.   

 

Half Moon Gardens

Trish Raglin & Patrick Poitras

Mooresville, NC

We won't be at the Market this week, but if you need soaps or plants, Email Trish at trishraglin@yahoo.com

 

Happy Hound Bakery

happyhound@roadrunner.com 

Stacey & Keith Ulaszek

Mooresville, NC

We will have our usual treat flavors: Barkberry, Gingerbark, Carob Nip, Peamutt Paradise and Pawfect Pizza. We will also have extra large specialty bones in Peamutt Paradise, Pawfect Pizza by the Slice and miscellaneous specialty cookies.  Handmade reversible dog scarves in a variety of cute fabrics will be available again (xs, s and m/l). 

 

Henry's Wholesome Foods

Henry Imhoff & Family

Cleveland, NC

henryandritaimhoff@juno.com 

704.278.0503

Freshly baked loaf breads: Honey Oat, 60% Whole Wheat, cookies, fresh-made doughnuts, lemon bars and more.  We will also have blueberries and tomatoes.

 

Herr's Fresh Flowers

Jefferson Herr & Family

Vale, NC

828.308.3074

Custom or pre-order flower bouquets.

 

Houston Farm

Patsy & Bobby Houston

Huntersville, NC

Yellow Squash, Acorn, Butternut and Spaghetti Squash, Zucchini, Assorted Variety of Egg Plants, Red Potatoes, Peppers, Garlic, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Corn, Okra and maybe Green Beans.  Thanks to all for coming out every week and supporting the Market!!   

 

Inspired Garden

Colleen McDaniel

Kannapolis, NC

Colleen will be back soon with her assorted organic vegetables.

 

KC Farm

Chris & Kristi Goodrum

Mt. Mourne, NC

This week we will have watermelons, cantaloupes, eggs, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, kale, collard greens, beets, Swiss Chard, red onions, turnips and turnip greens, tomatoes and eggplant.  For baked goods we'll have banana bread, lemon pound cake and chocolate cake with icing.

 

Landis Gourmet Mushrooms

John & Kris Herron

China Grove, NC

Blackberries, a variety of herbs and maybe some figs!

 

Laughing Llama 

Robert & Kia Mulligan

China Grove, NC

Laughing Lama will be back in the fall!

 

The Lavender Garden

Rita Rodelli

China Grove, NC

I will be bringing Lavender/Sage Astringent; Lavender Spa Lotion; Lavender Bud Sachets; Lavender Wands; Linen Spray; Goat's Milk Soap; Olive Oil Soap; and SKY Perfume to the Farmer's Market on Saturday, July 9th,  as well as the Lavender Dried Stems for Flower Arrangements.  See you there!  .

 

Millstone Meadows Farm

Mark & Sara Hord

Morganton, NC

828.433.7126

mhord828@bellsouth.net 

Artisan breads, beer breadsticks, homemade potato chips with Rosemary and sea salt, sweet and savory cobblers (peach & blueberry and nectarine), pesto and cherry tomato Batons, gluten-free peanut butter and chocolate cookies.

 

Outdoor Feasts

Dan Huntley

803-487-6876
danthepigman@mac.com 

We'll have ribs, pulled pork and brisket sandwiches, and breakfast biscuits w/ livermush, country ham, sausage and egg. pre order to go orders by 5 pm Friday (we will sell out by 11 sat.)

 

The Pasta Wench 

Andrea Morrell

Deep Gap, NC

Delicious gourmet ravioli and butters.

 

Peaches & Cream Farm 

Calvin Phillips

Wadesboro, NC

Fresh peaches! Come early!

 

Renn Bee Farm

Marcel Renn

Cleveland, NC

Local wildflower honey.

 

Twin Oaks Farm

Greg Hartsell

China Grove, NC

A beautiful variety of fresh produce and herbs.

 

Wild Turkey Farm 

Lee & Domisty Menius

China Grove, NC

704.202.9348

Great products from our own Pasture Raised Berkshire Pork and 100% Grass Fed Angus Beef.  Restocked with Lamb and Free-range whole chickens.  All of our producets are 100% Rowan County born and raised. 

Thank you DFM Sponsors 

 

DavidsonNews.net, Media Sponsor
  
Woods Stone Gallery, FlatIron Kitchen & Taphouse, Mi-Connection
  
5th/3rd Bank (office space); Baybridge Management; Bragg Financial; Brenda Pressley, CPA, PA; Campagnia Cafe; 'Cats on Main; Cocoon Salon; Davidson Chocolate Company; Davidson Family  Medicine; Davidson Lands Conservancy; Davidson Village Inn; Downtown Davidson Inc.; Edmond Morgan Massage School; Home Careolina; Ingersoll Rand; JJ Wade Agency; John Marshall Custom Homes; Know Your Farms; Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce; Lake Norman Realty; Lake Norman Embroidery and Screen Printing; Lake Norman YMCA; Little Fish Marketing; Main Street Books; Mayes, Wilson and Associates; McIntosh Law Firm; North Carolina Medical Specialists; Our Town Cinemas; PiEs - Project for Innovation, Energy and Sustainability; PostNet Davidson; Prudential Carolinas/Mary Lib Richards and Julie Lopez; Robinson, Bradshaw and Humphrey; Sandy and Rex Kragh and Family; Smarthiking PR; The Cycle Path; The Stewart Group; The Village Store; Town of Davidson (market site and storage); and Triple Play Farm.

www.davidsonfarmersmarket.org