The Market is Open

Well it appears summer is here. As a person who grew up in Nevada, I am always amazed at the weather here in Western Kentucky. Don’t get me wrong, I really love the fact that we have green fields and trees most of the year, but the weather changes really throw me. In Nevada, storms come from one direction – the west. Here you never know which direction to plan for. Thank goodness we have the weatherman to help us out.
The traditional farmers market is going strong and we hope to see you there too. It is open every Thursday from 4-7pm thru September 15th. Last week we had kids activities brought in by the Art Guild. I hope you will have a chance to stop by and see us there.
See you on Friday,
Angela

The Market is Open

What a nice week we are supposed to have. I am excited, because this week will also be the second week that the Traditional Caldwell County Farmers Market is OPEN. We have extended our hours from 4-7pm every Thursday through Sept 15th. We have 9 regular farmers/Growers that have signed up and will have a few more that pop in and out throughout the summer as they have items available. All of these farmers are from right here in our local area. So I hope to see you on Thursday and Friday this week,
Angela

The Market is Open

Happy Memorial Day!
This is the usually the unofficial start of the summer. The weather seems to be feeling more like summer.
For me, as a military wife, this is a holiday that really hits home. It is a day that we celebrate our military loved ones that have died giving to their country. I think many of us take for granted the service and freedom that we are afforded thanks to the their commitment to our country. I know I used to before we joined the military almost 19 years ago. I will never take that for granted again. We have lost too many of our military “family”. Our soldiers go into battle regardless of who is in the White House. They are committed to serving for our freedoms. For the wives and children left behind we stand proud next to our soldiers with fear in our hearts that this may be the last time we see them.
I have gotten off track here. My soapbox for all that our soldiers do for us is a long box. Just know that this soldier (husband Ray) that lives in your community is proud to serve you. I know we have many in our community that has served in the past. To them I say thank you, and to those that have given the ulitmate sacrifice of their life, I can only be humbled by what they have given to our country , the freedom that we have because of their life.
See you on Friday,
Angela

The Market is Open

I would like to Welcome a new farmer to our group this week. Jolly Farm Beef is a cooperative between Seven Springs farm and Jolly Farm where they produce high choice beef with a focus on quality products for the consumer. This farm is a great local choice for our farmers market as they are in Cadiz and supply the Wallonia Restaurant with all of the beef on the menu. Jolly Farm has a facebook page that can be found at https://www.facebook.com/JollyFarmBeef/?fref=ts . Please help me welcome Jolly Farm Beef to our market this week.
I will see everyone on Friday,
Angela
P.S. If you want to order for the week, but will be out of town this weekend, I can hold onto your order in my refridge and freezer and you can come by the farm next week.

Weblog Entry

Good Morning-
I thought I would include a recipe with today’s web-blog. Carrots are one of my favorite spring time veggies. They are so beautiful and are a harvest treasure as I pull their colorful bodies out of the ground. I hope everyone is enjoying this cooler weather before the heat of summer arrives.

HONEY GLAZED CARROTS WITH THYME AND LEMON

Tender carrots are glazed with honey, seasoned with fresh thyme, and hit with a bright splash of lemon juice in this easy, delicious side dish that’s perfect for ushering in spring!

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced at an angle, 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons honey, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Place carrots, broth, 1 tablespoon honey, and salt in an approximately 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carrots should be almost tender when pierced with the point of a knife.
Uncover pan, increase heat to high, and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced to a couple of tablespoons.
Add butter, remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, and thyme to skillet, tossing until butter is melted and carrots are coated. Cook for about 3 more minutes, stirring frequently, until carrots are completely tender and glaze has thickened and turned a light golden color.
Remove skillet from heat, stir in lemon juice, and season with pepper. Serve immediately, spooning glaze over individual servings.
See you at the market on Friday,
Angela

The Market is Open

With yesterday being Mother’s Day, I thought I would share with you about some of our sheep mothers. This year we had our first triplet birth from Lila who is a second year momma. She was ready and willing to nurse all three, but just did not have enough teets to go around. We are supplementing little Teensie with homemade milk to allow her to keep up with her bigger brothers. When we come out to the pasture she runs to us baaaaing about her bottle non stop. We had a new mamma give birth to two boys and reject one of the boys, we kept her with both boys a few weeks in a jug (square paddock just big enough to bond with babies) where she would have a better chance of nursing both of them. One brother (the rejected one) discovered early on that he needed to nurse when his brother was and so he goes in from behind momma to nurse. Very smart little sheep. My last birth was a surprise birth from Gigi who is a yearling that I did not think was pregnant. One day last week we went out to feed Teensie and found a new little ram lamb. Gigi was calling the new baby to her and he was nursing already. I am constantly in wonder over these sheep. How much vigor they have for life, how well they adapt to changing weather and forages of the seasons. How much they have taught me about trusting nature and patience.
See you all on Friday,
Angela

The Market is Open

I want to take a moment to welcome a new member to our Market. Our very own Laura with Timberdoodle Restaurant at the Eddy Grove Winery. She and Perry really understand what we are trying to do here in Princeton with Locally Grown, Sourced and Produced Food. Laura is bringing us one of her gluten free brownie deserts.

Here is a little bit from her intro into on our growers page.

We strive to bring you the best tasting and freshest food choices we possibly can. When we don’t have the items ourself we buy locally grow, or certified organic as often as possible.

On Princeton Farm Fresh, we will be starting with some of Laura’s delicious desserts! She has also recently come to love…gluten free options. Check out what we are offering this week and keep watching as we add new and different items to our product list!

Does it really matter to buy local? Yes. When you feed your family you want the best tasting, highest quality food that you can afford. Buying locally is often times much cheaper than food offerings at large chain groceries and big box stores.

When you buy locally grown, you know where, and by whom, your food was grown. You can ask questions about how, where, and what it was grown with usually from the person that grew it.

And by purchasing your food locally, you keep your money in your community. When you buy locally, that money comes right back in to the community. Local growers shop locally as well!

Thank You Laura and Perry- I can’t wait to see the other wonderful food you bring us in the coming months.

See you Friday,
Angela

The Market is Open

Hello Everyone!
Its National Poetry Month. So for today’s weblog I am going treat you to some of my favorite poet’s poetry.

Sky Seasoning by Shel Silverstein

A piece of sky
Broke off and fell
Through the crack in the ceiling
Right into my soup,
KERPLOP!
I really must state
That I usually hate
Lentil soup, but I ate
Every drop!
Delicious delicious
(A bit like plaster),
But so delicious, goodness sake-
I could have eaten a lentil-soup lake.
It’s amazing the difference
A bit of sky can make.

With all this wonderfully warm weather, our farm has sprung into color. The grasses are turning green, the vegetables are beginning to bud, and the animals are all changing into their summer coats. Even us farmers are pulling out our shorts and t-shirts. Hope you all have been getting out and enjoying the sunshine as much as we have. Don’t forget though to order your favorite spring veggies or eggs and milk!
See you on Friday!
Hannah

The Market is Open

Today is the last day to file your taxes! I know you are asking, “What does that have to do with local food”? Well in reality not much, but for this farmer, it means that I am almost done with my off farm job and I can go back to full time farming.
In all honesty I probably should not have worked this year, but the financial demands of farming are weighing heavy on me. This is my dream, and my kiddos and husband and have been willing participants in this dream. But, there are days, when farming is hard. The days when an animal dies, or a crop is destroyed that the uncertainty of farming becomes a reality. When I took this job in October of last year, I was feeling just that – uncertainty. Can I really do this and make a profit? Even more importantly- can I do this alone, as my kiddos get older and are heading out for their own lives?
Oh yea of little faith – keeps running through my head. I guess I lost that faith momentarily. It is hard farming! It is a challenge EACH and EVERY day. It is what I love about it, something new and vibrant everyday. I guess it took being off the farm for me to realize that I have to stay the course, have faith and believe in myself and the dream.
I have five more days of tax duty and then I will be back full time. I miss seeing ya’ll at the farmers market.
See you soon,
Angela

The Market is Open

Spring and all of its crazy weather is here. I am just dying to get plants in the ground outside, but hesitate to when one week it is in the 30s and the next in the 60s, I guess this is why I like growing in high tunnels so much. It allows me to plant earlier and have more available all year long.
Don’t forget that our Traditional Farmers Market Meeting is this evening at 7pm at the Caldwell County Extension Office. We would love to see you come out if you have produce, arts and crafts, or another producer in our area who would like to have more info about this market.
Hope to see you this evening,
Angela