January 2009

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!

Can you hear the whooping and hollering! Can you see the dancing in the street? Drum roll….. Savannah officially now has a weekly farmer’s market with local produce, most ( if not all ) is organic and grown by small family farms in the area. Here is the info about the Market as well as the info on where you can sign up to be part of their email distribution list.

I went yesterday for the first time and was so happy! I just love farmer’s markets and being part of a community event. This completely fit the bill, including an excuse to get to go into downtown historic Savannah. Even the location of this farmer’s market is special.
I purchased organic brown eggs ( same price as what I usually pay at Publix) organic turnips, lettuce and peppers, plus some handmade lavender soap! Best of all was knowing that not only am I going to be eating local, organic food, but I’m also supporting my neighbors who farm. You don’t get that warm and fuzzy feeling at Publix! Here is their newsletter….

January 12, 2009
The Market at Trustees’ Garden Newsletter

The Market Local Seasonal Shopping List
FRESH THIS WEEK!
Kale
Strawberries
Turnips
Tomatoes
Bok Choy
Arugula Mixed Greens
Mustard Greens
Buttercrunch Lettuce
Speckled Trout

Lettuce

Market this Wednesday January 14 (4:00pm – 7:00pm)
Located at
10 East Broad StCharles H Morris Center (behind the Pirates House Restaurant)

Local farmers and craftsmen unite to provide Savannah with the freshest organic produce and great homemade crafts & goods.

In 1734, on a high bluff overlooking the Savannah River, James Oglethorpe planted a garden to nourish a young city in a new world.
In 2008, Charles Morris assumed the cultivation of Mr. Oglethorpe’s garden to nourish a great city
for the whole world.The Market at Trustees’Garden is an effort to revitalize this rich legacy of Savannah. It is an attempt to reinvigorate the first experimental garden of the Unites States of America.

As we reach frosts of the season and tender fruits and vegetables go into hibernation until spring, many greens, like kale hit their peak. During the warm summer months, greens are sitting ducks for their many predators, including rodents, insects, and birds. As a protection mechanism, greens emit a bitter taste to discourage nibblers. When the weather cools down, there are far fewer of these threats to contend with, and so winter greens reduce the production of these bitter chemicals and get sweeter and sweeter. Kale, a member of the cabbage family, is the most robust of winter greens; some plant biologists consider its hardiness unmatched by any other vegetable. Kale also tolerates a huge variety of soils and temperatures. While young leaves can be enjoyed raw in salads and slaws, more mature specimens benefit from cooking before being eaten.Until the middle ages, kale was the most prolific edible crop in Europe, and it obviously has endured, as seeds have migrated from continent to continent. Kales, like other dark, leafy greens, are steeped in vitamins A, B, C and K, beta carotene and even calcium, as well as sulphoraphane, a chemical believed to be an effective anti-carcinogenic. Consider cozying up to kale this winter!

For more information about the market contact:
The Market at Trustees Garden
Maria Castro (912) 443-3253

http://www.trusteesmarket.com/

Hope to see all of you next week at the market!