No really...GET HAPPY cuz the local bounty is still in full effect. In fact, it is downright overflowing. It's crazy - there is so much organic produce right now that the market is completely packed and I am having to turn away farmers left and right...in December!! Who would have thought? As eaters, you should be very thankful. Summer was pretty harsh with the excessive heat and drought which certainly affected farmers' yields, but fall made up for it with a heck of a harvest that is still going right into winter. That being said, this could be the last week for a lot of stuff so GET YOUR GREEN GROOVE ON...
...this Friday @ the BADSEED *Winter* Market from 4-8 pm!
Good ol' John and Micki of JJ Farms will be keepin' it real with bodacious bok choy and beets;
the infamous Lew of Herb'n'Gardener will be toting his final harvest of "mean greens" including arugula and spice on spice mix;
the lovely Alicia of Cultivate KC will be boasting rockin' root veggies and a funky-fresh selection of gourmet greens;
Tom of Fair Share Farm (a rare treat!!) will be intoxicating your taste buds with beautiful bulb fennel, luscious leeks, and a whole lot more;
last but not least, farmer Dan and I will be busting out with the last of the URBAVORE bounty including wicked watermelon radishes, buttery "Gold Ball" turnips, wild persimmons, and free-range eggs. Veggies aren't the only thing on the menu of course. We also have grass fed meats, artisan cheese, hand-crafted breads, ORGANIC CHESTNUTS, micro-roasted coffee, gourmet granola, and more. For a full list of vendors and products please see below.
Hmmm....what else.....oh yeah! - it is "first" Friday in the Crossroads! Therefore, you can really make a night of it. Bundle up and walk the vibrant streets, see some art, partake in FREE wine tasting next door, and end your night with some of KC's craziest farmers and the finest homegrown foods this side of the Mississippi! As always, your local/organic/free-range musicians from Checkered Past will be performing some super fresh tunes from 6 to 8 pm. Dance, eat, be merry.
See you Friday.
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THIS WEEK'S ORGANIC OFFERINGS
URBAVORE Urban Farm
A project of BADSEED - Brooke Salvaggio and Daniel Heryer
5500 Bennington Ave., Kansas City, MO 64129
Welcome to URBAVORE - an off-grid, diversified, urban farmstead in the heart of KCMO. Born in 2011, URBAVORE is working towards the creation of an “edible oasis” that brings organic growth, sustainable life, and creative solutions to a city neighborhood. We grow an extensive variety of heirloom vegetables noted for their unique appearance and extraordinary flavor, as well as an array of culinary/medicinal herbs and edible flowers. URBAVORE is a non-certified, beyond organic operation dedicated to respecting both the health of the individual and the environment. It is our aim to build community and collective consciousness through the universal pleasure that comes from eating good food.
OFFERINGS:
*Watermelon Radishes
*BLACK SPANISH RADISHES
*Gold Ball Gourmet Turnips (amber flesh, buttery, the best cooking turnip on earth!)
*GARLIC (the very last of it!!)
**WILD PERSIMMONS (so freakin' good...)
*FREE-RANGE EGGS
Herb'n Gardener
Lew Edmister
17th and Belleview, Kansas City, MO 64108
For the “meanest greens” in town, check out Lew's gourmet selection of urban-grown goodies. He grows a mouthwatering array of lettuces, spicy mustards, arugula, and gourmet salad mixes on KC’s west side. Other tasty morsels include heirloom tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, okra, and filet beans. New For 2011 -RUSTIC BREAD straight from Lew’s hand-built wood-fired oven. YUM!
From the lips of Lew:
"i guess i'll just hush my mouth and accept the luck i'm having by not having everything frozen out. however, this will have to be the very,very,very,very last veggie harvest. there's rustic sourdough bread on the horizon now and through winter in my future. but for this week, i'll have some new arugula, spice on spice mix, mesclun mix, russian kale and a ton of small lto medium leaf swiss chard. if you can work up the will to freeze or can the chard, it will be priced in bulk for that purpose..."
JJ Farms
John and Judy Kaiahua
8531 E. 81st Terrace, Raytown, MO 64138
816-356-3938
John has been growing organically since 1984!! He plants, weeds, and harvests all his own crops on urban land that has been chemical free for over 20 years. Produce includes a wide array of vegetable offerings as well as apples, peaches, and pears in season. John is originally from the far off lands of Hawaii where he comes from a long line of pearl divers!! Now he spends his days out of the ocean and in the dirt, growing righteous foods for the Kansas City community. Lucky us!
OFFERINGS:
*Lettuce Heads
*Spinach
*Beets
*Swiss Chard
*Bok Choy (red and green)
Gibbs Rd. Community Farm of Cultivate KC
Alicia Ellingsworth, Farm Manager
Kansas City, KS
Cultivate KC promotes small-scale, community-based, entrepreneurial farming in the KC metro area. Their 2 acre training farm produces some of the tastiest certified organic veggies on the market. Catch them every week during the regular growing season at the Brookside Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings.
OFFERINGS:
*Beets
*Carrots
*Turnips
*Scallions
*Arugula
*Salad Mix
*Funky Fresh Saute Mix
*Bok Choi
*Kale
*Spinach
Fair Share Farm
Rebecca Graff and Tom Ruggieri
Kearney, MO
Tom and Rebecca organically produce GORGEOUS GOURMET vegetables and fruits on 5 fertile acres for their 125 member "Community Supported Agriculture" program. Occasionally, we get the pleasure of having their delicious homegrown goodies at the BADSEED Market! Dig in....this is a special opportunity!!
OFFERINGS:
*Leeks
*Bulb Fennel
*Hakurei Turnips
*Cabbage
*Romaine Lettuce Heads
*Herbs
*Kohlrabi
*Beets
*other assorted goodies...
Western Hills Produce
Alice and Marvin Huenefeld
Wellington, MO
816-934-2549
Alice is famous for her utterly delicious baked goods made from homegrown, hand-milled whole wheat flour. Her tasty breads, cakes, cookies, and muffins are complimented by an assortment of jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes all made from ingredients sustainably grown on the farm. Marvin adds his own touch with one of a kind wood-turned items handcrafted with the utmost care and creativity. Products can be found during the regular growing season at the Westport Farmers' Market.
OFFERINGS:
*Farm Fresh Brown Eggs
*Wholesome Baked Breads
*Sweet Treats
*Canned Goods
*Wood-turned items by Marvin
Parker Farms All-Natural Meats
Tom and Paula Parker
Richmond, MO
"We produce all-natural gourmet beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and eggs. All of our beef and lamb is 100% grassfed. They are never fed any grain, animal by products, antibiotics, or injected with growth hormones. We have been practicing Management Intensive Grazing since 1997. It is our goal to care for all of the livestock that we have been blessed with, in as natural and humane a manner as we can. Our chickens for meat and eggs are also raised on pasture with green grass under their feet as much as the weather in this part of the world allows. Our hogs are fed grain, but do live outdoors with dirt under their feet. We do not use any petroleum based pesticides or fertilizers on our pastures. We believe that healthy people, and healthy animals start with healthy plants and a healthy, biologically active, soil community. Our meats are available at the BADSEED Market or through our Community Supported Agriculture shares."
OFFERINGS:
*Grass-fed BEEF in ground and assorted cuts
*Pork Products: Chops, Brats, Breakfast Sausage, Italian Sausage, and Spare Ribs
*Lamb Cuts: Ground Lamb, Shoulder Steaks, Rib Chop (butterfly cut, loin chops), Leg (bone in whole, shanks, lamb liver)
**Pastured Chickens !!!!
*Tea Towels, Hand-made Teas, Candles, and Gourd Bird Houses from the lovely Parker Girls!!
* HOT PEPPER JELLY !!!
Green Dirt Farm
Jacqueline Smith and Sarah Hoffman
Weston, MO
"Life is too short to eat grocery store cheeses! Green Dirt Farm, LLC invites you to try our HANDCRAFTED ARTISANAL SHEEP CHEESES created with milk from our very own PASTURED ewes. You can be assured of a richness and depth of flavor unique to the rolling bluffs of Weston, MO. Also on the menu is 100% GRASS-FED LAMB which is of unsurpassed quality, tenderness, and flavor."
OFFERINGS:
*Grass-Fed Lamb
*Artisan Sheep's Milk Cheese in aged and fresh varieties
Wells Family Farm
Kim and Steve Wells
King City, MO
Our Grass Fed Operation has proven time and again that quality, taste, and tenderness take a dedicated plan. Not only the processing aging, but the types of feed our animals consume are of vital importance. We inter seed our pastures and hay fields with additional varieties of grasses and legumes each year. We also learn from our neighbors and contacts of many new veggies that are wonderful forage. learning all we can to create a superior product.
OFFERINGS:
*Certified Organic Grass-fed Beef
Chestnut Charlie's
Charlie NovoGradac and Deborah Milks
Lawrence, KS
Charlie started planting chestnut trees in 1995 on old farm ground north of Lawrence, Kansas. Following organic practices from the start, the orchard has been certified organic annually since 1998.
Growing up around wild black walnut trees in eastern Kansas, and being inspired by the visionary economist J. Russell Smith, author of Tree Crops, a Permanent Agriculture, Charlie has always been driven to plant trees that produce food. Whether talking about erosion, water quality, dead zones or global warming, trees are part of the solution. "The more we learn about modern petrochemical-based agriculture, the more convinced am I that tree crops offer a lifesaving, sustainable path to the future."
OFFERINGS:
*Certified Organic FRESH Chestnuts
New Traditionalist - Artisan Bread
Chris Glenn
Kansas City, MO
Chris produces old-world, rustic loaves from the finest locally-grown and milled flour on the market. His breads are made from a sour-dough "starter", lovingly kneaded, and baked to perfection in a wood-fired oven. Flour and water never tasted so good!
OFFERINGS:
*Country Loaves
*Whole Wheat Loaves
*Fig Loaves
*Rye Loaves
Miller's Honey
Les MIller
Independence, MO
Les Miller only produces the best damn RAW HONEY on the market. No joke!! He is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to sustainable bee keeping and uses 100% natural and holistic methods for managing his hives which range from 60 to 100 at any given time. His honey is sold in various quantities, and 1 gallon jugs are available on request! Bees wax candles and other by-products are also available for purchase.
OFFERINGS:
*Raw Honey
*Bees Wax Candles
**DISCLAIMER - We haven't seen Les in weeks!! Where is that guy?? I cannot get a hold of him. Cross your fingers that he shows up this Friday!!!
Hippie Chow Granola
Valerie Jennings
Suburban Kansas City
- Our gourmet granola is made with all natural ingredients. You won't find any artificial flavors or preservatives in our food, thank you.
- Each batch is handmade to ensure premium quality and freshness. It's a lot of work but we think our customers are worth it.
- Hippie Chow is an independent, local company based in suburban Kansas City. We are committed to outstanding corporate citizenship in the communities in which we live and work.
OFFERINGS:
*Original Mix
*Cafe Blend
*Chai Spice
*Peanut Butter Banana
*Mocha Hazelnut
Oddly Correct Coffee Roasters
Kansas City, Missouri
"Serving the nano coffee needs of the believers in a nano consumer lifestyle"
OFFERINGS:
*Micro-Roasted Coffee by the bag and by the cup
Other goodies include:
