Reading Terminal Market to Acquire Farm to City

Thanks to Bob Libkind for his informative post about this important happening in Philly's local food scene. Let's hope this merger means even more local food options for the people of Philadelphia.

Night Market Location Announced!

The Food Trust has announced the time and date and location of the first Night Market we posted about earlier in the month. It will be on September 30th, from 6-10 at the corner of Passyunk Ave. and Tasker in South Philadelphia. You know we will be there to cover it. You should come too!

Debunking the Nixon Naysayers

There has been a huge response to the Philly Food Feed's reporting the of visit of former President Nixon to the Headhouse Farmers' Market this past Sunday. It seems there are some who dispute that the picture posted on this blog is, in fact, the former President. When pressed, they say that they do not see any resemblance between the Nixon they knew, and the one photographed at the Headhouse Market. In order to put this matter to rest, I have obtained archival photographic footage of Nixon. This rare photo from 1972 pictures former President Nixon discussing the SALT Treaty with then General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Leonid Breshnev:

Apparently, Brezhnev thought Nixon needed more SALT, while Nixon felt he was seasoned appropriately. Hopefully this indisputable photographic evidence should put the whole matter behind us.

President Nixon Visits the Headhouse Market

In what can only be described as uncanny, former President Richard Milhouse Nixon paid a visit to Noelle Margerum of Margerum's Herbs, Etc. this Sunday at the Headhouse Market. Although Nixon - believed dead for over 15 years - tried to keep a low profile, the Philly Food Feed obtained photographic evidence of his brief appearance.

A Roving Night Market? Awesome!

The Food Trust is at it again! From the City Paper:

The Food Trust, nutritional advocates, local/sustainable boosters and orchestrators of Philly's many excellent farmers markets (including Big Papa Headhouse), will launch a roving night market in the month of September. Inspired by the bustling nighttime bazaars that can be found throughout Asia, these night markets will be held six times over the next 18 months, with each installment located in a different neighborhood around the city. The Food Trust does not yet have its vendor/participant list confirmed, but expect the city's most prominent street food vendors to set up shop for these special one-off events, and don’t be surprised if info on live music/entertainment emerges sooner rather than later. We hear the details and location of the inaugural night market will be released within the coming week; for now, visit nightmarketphilly.org and join their mailing list to keep posted.

What I'm Doing on Saturdays

I took the camera with me to work today in order to share with you what I'm seeing on Saturdays at Clark Park. The lighting was good and the food was on full display. Check out some of the fare from Urban Girls Produce:

         
Like Wow! These look like they could be on the cover of some sort of culinary magazine. This is in Philadelphia folks, you can get here if you want to! This is only a sample of what you will find at Clark Park. Its always bustling with people but you never feel crowded in. There are so many characters too - farmers, customers, musicians. One of those characters is my boss Noelle. She really works hard to make sure everything is out, looking good, and ready for the throngs of people who stop at our stand.
           
This picture has not been doctored, the shutter speed not altered. This is how fast she normally moves. I don't know what she looks like exactly; she is a blur. I'm kidding of course but she is super efficient and knows her stuff. I am learning a huge amount about produce, and the business of farming from Noelle. Its an education that I'm getting paid for. What a scholarship! Case in point - today I learned about a fruit heretofore not on my radar screen - the Elderberry.

I mention the Elderberry here for a myriad of reasons, the most important being that a myriad of people asked  what exactly this berry was, and what can be done with it. By the time the 73rd person asked these questions, I was begging Noelle to make a sign. So for anybody who wants to know, here is the story of the Elderberry - Elderberries grow on elder trees, sometimes called elderberry bushes. Elderberries contain sizable amounts of Vitamin C, Potassium, and in clinical studies have been proven to shorten the duration of the common cold (in fact, Elderberry Juice was used to treat a flu outbreak in Panama in 1995). They also contain anthocyanin pigments which give the elderberry their color and are great antioxidants. All of that, and you can also make wine out of them.

So that is Clark Park on a Saturday. If you have not already done so, come down and visit once in a while. You won't be disappointed.

 
No title needed for this blog post; the picture almost speaks for itself. For those of you who do not speak vegetable, this is an heirloom tomato courtesy of Barry Savoie of Savoie Organic Farm. You can catch him at the Haddonfield Farmers' Market on Saturdays and at the Headhouse on Sundays. If this tomato could only last until Halloween, I would put it out as a pumpkin. Alas, it might make it until tomorrow, right up until I put it in my next Ratatouille.