What can I say......it has been one of those days!! I have been attempting to write this damn "market e-mail" since 2:30 in the afternoon. It is now 8:30 at night and I have managed one sentence! It must be my busy farm schedule, right?.....(restless crops demanding my attention). Nope! How about a restless baby demanding my milk! In fact, Farmer Brooke is no longer a Farmer at all. My new occupation is that of "Milk Machine". We'll see how far I get before the little "milk monster" wakes up. If I'm lucky, I'll get through the next paragraph!
Anyway, I haven't slept for three days but I'm not complaining!! I LOVE my "newest crop". That being said, it is a hard transition. Before I gave birth to Mr. Percival James, my sole purpose in life was to feed all of you. Now my sole purpose in life is to feed him....and only him! But hey, he's only 3 weeks old. Soon enough I'll strap that little "sucker" on and head back out to the field. The "milk wars" can continue in the dirt, and if I'm lucky I'll manage to grow something in between.
As for all those grumbling bellies out there, have no fear! This milky mistress may be out of commission, but Farmer Dan and the BADSEED Gang of Gregarious Growers are still in full effect with a plethora of "earthly delights". Experience the Food Revolution in the flesh this Friday from 4-9 PM at the BADSEED Farmers Market! Being "first" Friday, you'll be serenaded as you shop by our folkie friends of Checkered Past. Don't miss the music & the mouth-watering madness that will leave your belies screaming for MORE, MORE, MORE!
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A BIG THANK YOU!!!
Before I go on any further, I just want to extend a great big THANK YOU to all of my wonderful customers and die-hard local foodies!!! In last week's market e-mail, I had expressed my frustration with decreased customer turn-out and a general lack of support for an ethical/alternative food culture. Well, apparently my little "rant" was effective because the market was bangin' last Friday just like the good ole' days!! The farmers moved A LOT of product. Those grumpy bastards (myself included) were "happy campers" to say the least. Us farmers live hand to mouth, day to day. You have no idea how much of a difference YOU make in our lives simply by showing up to market and spending a couple bucks on turnips or snap peas. Really!! It allows us to gas up the truck and make it back to the farm after market! (Okay, Okay....hopefully our financial situations are a bit better than that, but I wouldn't bet on it!). The point is, we appreciate your support and we depend on it. In turn, you can depend on us to provide you and your families with wholesome, mouth-watering morsels yanked straight from the dirt! There are very few things more sacred in life than the relationship between farmer & eater. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to feed you and we look forward to doing so AGAIN this Friday!!
**One more thing - To all of you who showed up last Friday (with gifts no less!!) hoping to see me and get a peak at lil' baby Percy, I'm sorry we were MIA. A lovely volunteer of ours offered to work the market, so it got me off the hook. Besides, we have an awful deer problem on the farm and "deer watch" starts promptly as the sun sets. Therefore Percy and I had more pressing responsibilities. I do plan to be there this Friday......(unless the "milk monster" has other plans!!).
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Sexy Veggie of the Week
This week's Runner-Up is the oh so crunchy, oh so curvy Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash. First of the season!!
These canary yellow beauties are a true sign of summer. When harvested small, their flesh is mild (almost sweet!), crisp, and incredibly refreshing. Summer squash comes in an impressive and tasty array of shapes, sizes, and colors. Unfortunately, the standard "zucchini" is the only variety most of us are familiar with. Like zucchini, crookneck squash is incredibly versatile and can be prepared in endless ways. Eat these young, supple fruits raw in a salad or lightly saute them in olive oil with spring garlic and herbs. They go great in a pasta primavera or just about any stir-fry. For your 4th of July feast, slice em' and marinate them along with your favorite seasonal veggies & thrown em' on the grill.
This week's Grand-Prize-Winner is the totally outrageous and undoubtedly radiant Chioggia Beet!!
This Italian Heirloom originated in the 19th century in the coastal town of Chioggia near Venice. These bulbous, fast maturing roots have a striking neon pink skin. More striking yet is the alternating pink and white rings that form the inner flesh. Also known as candy-stripe beet or bull's eye beet, Chioggias are celebrated in the culinary world for their stunning appearance and mild/sweet flavor. After cooking, the flesh turns pale pink and the superb rings become more subtle which is why some prefer to eat them raw in fancy salads. Either way, cooked or raw, you cannot go wrong. Here's a couple links to some very simple, mouthwatering summer salads: Chioggia Beets with Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette & Chioggia Beet Salad with Cucumbers, Chevre, Red Onion, & Mint. These salads would make an excellent (and absolutely festive) addition to the 4th of July Table! Yum......
SEXY Photos are attached. You know the drill - print them out, blow them up, and plaster them all over the men's room!
THIS WEEK'S ORGANIC OFFERINGS -
URBAVORE Urban Farm
A project of BADSEED - Brooke Salvaggio & 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:
*SEXY SUMMER SQUASH!! (in yellow crookneck, eight ball, raven zucchini, & french scallop)
*BODACIOUS BEETS (in Cylindra, Chioggia, and Detroit Dark Red)
*FAVA BEANS!! (limited quantities, come early!!)
*BULB FENNEL!!
*RED BORE KALE, WINTER BORE KALE, & RED RUSSIAN KALE
*RAINBOW CHARD !!!!
*Oasis Gourmet SALAD TURNIPS
*RUBY RED Oriental Turnips
*GOLD BALL Turnips (buttery and delicious)
*GARLIC SCAPES
*JAPANESE Giant Red MUSTARDS
* Succulent Braising Mix (with baby kale and baby swiss chard)
*Fresh PARSLEY
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!
OFFERINGS From the Lips of Lew:
"I'm taking a moment to talk to you today a little bit about this symbiotic relationship we share in the pursuit of eating better food and having it available. last friday many of you responded quite well to brooke's no b/s clear urging. i want to thank you for your attendance and support. please keep it up. you'd be surprised how tenuous the production side of this relationship can be and how impactful just another $100 a week in sales can be. tell your friends, drag them along to badseed, bring your bags and fill them up with the manifestation of the vendors efforts. and the next time you go to the supermarket and want to get a bag of salad mix, remember, dole is a four-letter word.
speaking of salad mix i'm still pumping out the greens. i'll have more baby arugula, more spicy mesclun mix and another load of spice on spice mix. my kale patch is about back to par and i'm bringing three types, russian, starbor and toscano. those filet beans are still lagging, but i'm bringing what i can, along with swiss chard, cilantro, flat leaf parsley, baby kale thinnings, and pesto basil bags see you friday!"
speaking of salad mix i'm still pumping out the greens. i'll have more baby arugula, more spicy mesclun mix and another load of spice on spice mix. my kale patch is about back to par and i'm bringing three types, russian, starbor and toscano. those filet beans are still lagging, but i'm bringing what i can, along with swiss chard, cilantro, flat leaf parsley, baby kale thinnings, and pesto basil bags see you friday!"
JJ Farms
John & Judy Kaiahua
8531 E. 81st Terrace, Raytown, MO 64138
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:
*Onions
*Beets
*Nappa CABBAGE!!!
*ZUCCHINI
*Yellow Summer Squash
*POTATOES!!!
*Eggplant and a few Sweet Peppers....
Bigg Blue Farm
Stan & Carmen Biggs
19801 NE U.S. Highway 69, Liberty, MO 64068
Despite full-time jobs, Stan and Carmen Biggs still find time to organically grow an impressive array of colorful vegetables, greens, and storage crops on 7 fertile acres in Mosby, MO. Stan started out growing nutritious foods for his family as a 4-H project as a small boy. Stan’s passion for gardening was renewed when he met his wife Carmen, who grew up on her family’s 1,500-hectare farmstead in Romania that had passed through many generations. Today they cultivate the earth together, bringing well-fed customers delicious homegrown foods every Friday night at the BADSEED Farmers Market and through their Community Supported Agriculture program.
OFFERINGS:
*
Zucchini – black and early prolific
*Yellow crook neck summer squash
*Cucumbers – Marketmore slicers & possibly a few picklers??
Turnips –Tokyo, Purple Top, Golden
Lettuce - various head and leaf
Carrots!!!!
Kohlrabi
THE FIRST TOMATOES.....just a few!! (Early Girl & Goliath, limited quantities)
*Cucumbers – Marketmore slicers & possibly a few picklers??
Turnips –Tokyo, Purple Top, Golden
Lettuce - various head and leaf
Carrots!!!!
Kohlrabi
THE FIRST TOMATOES.....just a few!! (Early Girl & Goliath, limited quantities)
PJ's Mushroom Farm
Paul & Judy Miller
916 SW State Route 13, Leeton, MO 64761
yopjmiller7569@yahoo.com
916 SW State Route 13, Leeton, MO 64761
yopjmiller7569@yahoo.com
"We purchase innoculated mushroom blocks from a Certified Organic supplier and place them in our growing trailer & cellar. There we water & harvest & get them to market as fresh as possible. We grow SHITAKE & OYSTER MUSHROOMS. We also have over 100 laying hens that produce wonderful, fresh, brown FREE-RANGE EGGS. We do our best to REUSE, RECYCLE and REPURPOSE our RESOURCES."
OFFERINGS:
**PJ's will be absent this week, but stay tuned for an important up-date in next week's e-mail!!!
Parker Farms All-Natural Meats
Tom & 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:
*Ground Beef & Patties
*Pork Products: Chops, Brats, Breakfast Sausage, Italian Sausage, & Spare Ribs
*Lamb Cuts: Ground Lamb, Shoulder Steaks, Rib Chop (butterfly cut, loin chops), Leg (bone in whole, shanks, lamb liver)
**Pastured Chickens (just a few available....come early!!)
**Pastured Thanksgiving TURKEYS available for PRE-ORDER!! Talk to Paula Parker at market so she can order enough babies!!!!
*Tea Towels, Hand-made Teas, Candles, and Gourd Bird Houses from the lovely Parker Girls!!
Green Dirt Farm
Jacqueline Smith & 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
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:
1) Whole Wheat Loaves
2) Country Loaves
3) Sicilian Loaves
2) Country Loaves
3) Sicilian 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
Puddin Head Coffee
Get Real Food Co.
Sean Henry
Kansas City
"At GetReal Food Company, we’re committed to creating incredible beverages made with real foods that are naturally brewed. Hand-crafted by real people who truly care about the details, from what they make to how they make it, from what they put in their bodies to what you put in yours. The result is a series of beverages that create a new expression of soft drinks and mixers."
OFFERINGS:
*Kombucha
*Micro-Brewed, All-Natural SODA!!
Harry Lee Murrell
Kansas City, KS
Harry is proud to offer both roasted and green sustainable whole bean coffees from different regions around the world. All coffee beans sold are certified organic, Fair-Trade and/or Rainforest Alliance, available in 1# packages. Coffee is drum roasted in small batches to ensure its freshness for KC customers. ”Coffee with a conscience” is available by the mug for only $1 and samples are free!!
OFFERINGS:
*Rain Forest Blend
*Ethiopian
*Peruvian
*Decaf
Other goodies include:
Certified Organic Flour from Heartland Mill
Freshly ground & locally grown whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, unbleached all purpose white flour, malted all purpose flour for bread baking, & blue corn meal !!! A bakers dream.....
Remember:
LIVE NUDE VEGETABLES!! and other organic delights...
EVERY FRIDAY AT BADSEED
Brooke
-farmer and MILK mistress of the BADSEED
BADSEED
An Urban-Organic Farm & Market Celebrating Local Food, Culture, & Community
1909 McGee*KCMO*64108
