A Word (or two) From the Feed

I have definitely been lax about posting here which isn't fair to the three of you that read this blog. I complain about not having enough readership, but I never post - at least not consistently. You all know what happens (especially those of you with children). You mean to do something and life gets in the way. Its Friday now and Sarah is putting Ethan down and I am listening to the Beatles so I'm going to try to make up for a little lost time.

For the past two Saturdays, I have been helping Mark Skinner from Natural Meadows Farm at a couple of markets around the city. Last week I worked Fitler Square and the prior week I was at the Piazza at Schmidt's. I also have been trying to expand my area a little and visit markets not in my normal rotation (Clark Park, Headhouse). With those experiences in mind, I have amassed some observations that I will now share with you.

1. Highland Orchards - They are every where you want to be. - I first discovered Highland Orchards in March when the Piazza opened. Sarah is hooked on their Apple Cider Donuts and I eat pretty much everything else. The prices are reasonable and the food is always good. They have these dried strawberries that taste like they have to have sugar added but upon further investigation, do not. So far this season I have seen them at the Piazza, Fitler Square, and Schuylkill River Park.

2. Savoie Farms - I have always seen Savoie Organic Farm at the Headhouse but for some reason I never bought anything. It wasn't conscious, it just never happened. Then I saw him at the Piazza the day I worked and after we chatted for a bit I made a mental note to make sure I get something from them. On Sunday I was at the Headhouse and low and behold, there was Barry Savoie with greens galore talking to every customer about his bounty. I had to buy a couple of heads of lettuce, one red one green which Barry identified as New Red Fire and Black Seeded Simpson respectively. Sarah and I ate 3 huge salads with a mixture of these two lettuces as the base and we were certainly not disappointed. It also didn't hurt that Barry told me that each head had been picked the morning off the market. Doesn't get any fresher than that. Then last week Barry turned me onto some really spicy radishes which my wife practically eats like grapes. Savoie is CERTIFIED ORGANIC. From the Savoie Organics Website:

Produce that has been "certified organic" often bears the familiar USDA organic symbol (at right). When you see this sign, you know that the farmer has been held to the strictest national guidelines for the production of food without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and genetically-modified seed stocks...We are a small farm that is proud of its certification, because it means our customers can be confident in the quality and integrity of our produce.

This is definitely good news, especially in light of the recent study by the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics concerning the correlation between ADHD and Organophosphate Pesticides. If you have the chance, stop by and say hello to Barry and ask him about his produce. You'll get a lesson in farming, organic food...the works.