Hot Peppers!

LFLF is back home again & shopping at the Saturday morning Beaver Farmers' Market.   Everybody has peppers right now.   We are not hot pepper fans, but maybe you are!  The colors are fantastic and I trust that the flavor is too.  I've seen this farmer sell half bushels of the cherry hots to customers .... wonder what they do with them? 
On a less adventurous note, we came home with Macintosh apples, apple cider, potatoes, brownies, basil, and our favorite heirloom tomatoes.
We talked with another local farmer last week at their farmstand and it looks like sweetcorn is done for the season for most growers.  It has been so dry this summer that the corn planted for the late season didn't do well unless it was irrigated.  Most small farmers here aren't set up for that and in most years would never need it anyway. 

One Last Post!

Final thoughts and pics from the Columbia Farmers' Market ..... If you've studied our posts in the past, you know that LFLF has to check out the baked goods!  Each state has their own regulations as to kitchen inspections & what can safely be sold at farmers' markets.   Just take a look at part of the selections from these next two vendors.  We confirmed that this is, in fact, Grandma Barb behind the table loaded down with terrific breads & cookies.  If we were closer to home, several loaves would have headed for our freezer to be warmed up when it gets colder.   You can hear a little of this vendor's story here. 
A week later and we're still nibbling on crackers from this display below.  They were the perfect travel food.

And now, finally on to the late season favorites of LFLF ..... winter squashes and pumpkins.  All I can say is WOW!  This has to be one of the most colorful gatherings of heirloom and specialty squashes that we've seen in a long time.  There will always be a place for the deep orange field pumpkins and the small sugar pie pumpkins, but LFLF gravitates to the really cool varieties of winter squash.  Most of them are great for cooking after they've been used for fall Thanksgiving table displays.  

If these folks weren't so busy, it would have been interesting to hear their recommendations for sourcing seeds.  For this kind of variety, we think of Seed Savers Exchange & Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.   If you're a grower, maybe you know of other good sources.   See how many you can identify from the catalogs!  

NAME THAT SQUASH!

This was a great "producer only" market and we didn't even talk about the pecans, cut flowers, herbs, & oyster mushrooms that were offered for sale!  "Highly recommended" if you're in the area or if you're a resident or student local to Columbia, MO .............

    

More Columbia Farmers' Market

LFLF couldn't cover it all in 1 post, so we promised more on the Columbia Farmers' Market.  This is the crowd almost 2 hours after market opened!  We were quickly impressed with the number and variety of meats available at the market.  Being so far from our home, we couldn't take advantage of the opportunity, but we saw several shoppers with coolers for their meat & cheese shopping.  

We spent some time talking to the fine folks from Sho-Me Farms about their trademarked "Born Tender BEEF".  One thing led to another and we found out that they raise Shorthorn cattle and know our local PA farm friends & farmers' market vendors, McElhaney Family Farm.  It's a small world!  But just look at their great sales set up.  The car-hauler trailer has a chest freezer up front for a stash of beef to supply the meat cases.  The case permits a really nice display of the packaged cuts of beef.  The trailer is perfectly clean & contains a poster of meat cuts and brochures for customers.   Fantastic job!  They were also one of several vendors displaying the  Agrimissouri  logo.

And, let's add to that, Sho-Me Farms Pastured Poultry .....

Next on our rounds we found the Goatsbeard Farm cheesemaker who was chatting with her customers.  Another nice display!

Here's another of the meat selections at the market.  Grass-fed lamb anyone?

And last, but not least, among all of the meat vendors scattered through out the market, we found this offering!   LFLF has only encountered one other farm selling emu products at a famers' market from our days as a Penn State Extension Educator.  

Tomorrow ...... we continue the tour with baked goods & fantastic heirloom winter squashes & pumpkins!

On The Road Again!

This time, LFLF made it all the way to the Columbia Farmers' Market !  When you're a foodie, you set these things up in advance ..... our trip to a wedding in Columbia, MO was planned months ago.  The Missouri tourism booklet had a picture of the market, so I had to check it out.  This "producer only" market has been around for 30 years.  Future plans include a pavillion to house the market & we picked up a canvas market bag for $10 to help in the effort.
We arrived around 10am and jockeyed for parking.  The lot is huge, but the crowds were still good.  The market is set up as a tailgate market, so the vendors back in and set up tents behind their trucks, car haulers, or vans with the customers shopping in a long center aisle.   We missed taking a picture, but there was music at the end of the market.

Let's start the post today with veggies!  Chert Hollow Farm had certified organic salad greens above, and a nice selection of peppers below. 

The clincher though was the selection of garlic.  Only 4 varieties were left .... the 5th consisted of a shred of garlic skin on the table.  The owner told me that they grow 12 varieties ..... wonderful! 

What else did we see in the veggie world?  Lots of greens.  Lots of Asian greens.  Stuffed bags of greens being carted off! 

Something that we don't see here in the Western Pennsylvania farmers' markets ..... sweet potatoes!  

 

It goes without saying that there were apples at the market.  LFLF watched a young mother & her son pick out a huge bag of seconds "to take home and dry".  We also saw organically grown Sheepnose apples on one of the tables. 

Tomorrow  ............ meats and cheeses.  Plus, LFLF finds a "local" W PA connection!

A Visit To Soergel Orchards

LFLF had an opportunity to pass north of the city on I79 today ..... we dropped in on Soergel Orchards  just as the Steeler fans were heading home after the game.  There was a mini-rush of customers grabbing something to take home for dinner.  We were no exception and picked up sweet corn, cheese, bakery buns, and a few other items.   

We grilled the kolbassi from Thoma Meat Market for dinner and enjoyed them on fresh baked coney buns from Soergel's bakery.  If you're a farmer/reader interested in selling a value added product, check out the "custom" section of the Thoma web-site.   And just look at dessert ...... delicious locally made nut horns from Grandma Ann's.   They really are as moist as advertised!

Don't leave Soergel's without looking over the shrubs & perennials at the garden store. There are tons of mums and I found this really nice aster ..... more "natural" looking than the mums for the farm flower bed.

More About Apples & A Giant Squash!

LFLF was off to the Canfield Fair this weekend.  So much to see, but here's a favorite feature for foodies.  In the Fruit, Hay, & Grain Building, next to the beekeepers with their honey products on display and sale, the local orchards put up a great competition display.  Beside the gorgeous display is a cold cider booth - perfect on a hot day!   We'd say it will be worth a trip out to any of these orchards for apples.  Apple pie season is now upon us!  There is plenty of time to get ready for a local pie contest .  We picked this info up in the Fall 2010 issue of Table Magazine, a great resource for local foods in SW PA.  The 5th Annual Southwesten Pennsylvania Apple Festival and Pie Baking Contest  will be held on Saturday October 23rd.  Sounds like a great place to be! 
And what trip to Canfield would be complete without the Largest Squash competion?  Here's the winner for 2010 .........

Now that's a lot of pumpkin pie!

Local Fair Food!

Here's where to go to see some of the best food that local market farmers and home gardeners raise!   Several of these winning entries are from the farmers that sell at our local Beaver County Fruit & Vegetable Grower's Association Farmers' Markets.   With the temperatures dropping, now is a great time to think about baking an apple pie ......

Although it's not a product that's "grown" regionally, chocolate is a great Pennsylvania product.   LFLF wishes that we were around for the judging of the Hershey's Cocoa Classic Contest.!   WOW!   The recipes must also be submitted with the contest entry.  I'd like to see this one .....   Brought to you courtesy of the Big Knob Grange Fair.   Admission here is free if you just want to walk around ..... Saturday is the last night!