Check out the Farmers and Artisans Market in the North Village Arts District on Sundays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information visit their website here.

The July 2011 issue of Ag Opportunities is now available online at http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/agopp/index.htm Please feel free to share with others who may be interested.

Of particular interest to local farmers might be the “Selling Directly to Consumers Workshop” and the article called “Pricing Goods for Profit!”

• July Webinar – Marketing on the Web
• Have You Missed any Missouri Beginning Farmer Webinars or Workshops?
• Berry and Grape Production Workshop
• Selling Directly to Consumers Workshops
• Upcoming Missouri Beginning Farmers Program Workshops
• A Preliminary Assessment of Agrotourism in Missouri
• Cover Crops
• Pricing Goods for Profit
• Grants and Assistance
• 2011 Green Hills Farm Project Farm Walks
• Regional Grazing Schools for 2011
• ON THE CALENDAR

Did you know that you are part of an all-local, innovative program that will  help to ensure that healthy, fresh and local foods are available to those most at risk of disease due to poor nutrition?  Did you know that the AHF program was profiled in USA Today as the top news story out of Missouri?  Did you know Boone Hospital Center’s President Dan Rothery is this year’s (2011) Honorary AHF Chair?  Did you know that we need your support now to launch this important program in May?  Please visit the AHF page link below to see the letter from Boone Hospital Center, the USA Today story and to contribute to this exciting new program!  We need your help TODAY! 

AHF INFORMATION

I found this simple but helpful website and wanted to share it with all of you.  Some good ideas on cutting the cord to the box stores and planting your own flag of food independence.  I have you heading to the “winter” section but check out the table of contents at the top of the page for other ideas.  Give it a look!
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Achieving-Food-Independence-Winter.html

!!!THE FORECAST IS FOR RAIN BUT THIS EVENT IS BEING HELD INDOORS IN THE NEW CONFERENCE CENTER AT BRADFORD!!!

Tomorrow, Thursday September 9, from 4 to 7:30 PM, Bradford Research and Extension Center will host the annual Tomato Festival.  This family event will feature more than 50 different kinds of tomatoes that include popular garden types and the old varieties that our grandparents grew (heirlooms).

This year the festival will include the hottest pepper on earth–the Bhut jolokia–in 10 different salsas to sample.  Think you can handle a pepper that is four times hotter than the habanero?????  Try it and see!

The 6th Annual Tomato Festival at
Bradford Research and Extension Center
When: 4 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday Sept 9
Where:  4968 Rangeline Road. Directions: Go east on Broadway past Columbia city limits. Turn right at Rangeline Road. After about two miles, turn right into the Bradford Research farm. 
Take this short and beautiful drive out into the country and have a great family time that is FREE of charge!

Casey Corbin will lead a parade of cars who would like some guidance to the farm at 5:20 pm tomorrow from the Columbia Farmers Market Gravel Pad across from the ARC.  Meet there and we can all carpool and follow each other out to the festival!!  If you want to join in the carpool parade, email casey — casey@farmersmarketpavilion.org or call 823-FOOD 
Rain?  Who cares? This event is indoors in the new conference center at the reseearch center!

For more info:

http://aes.missouri.edu/bradford/events/tomato-festival.php

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/09/06/how-hot-can-you-go/

by Carrie Koepke

I have a particular weakness for soups.  In general cooking soup makes me happy because it is one of the most forgiving dishes as far as a recipe goes.  You can go with what you have and alter liberally.  Sadly, the summer heat fights off my craving for a sauté and simmer ritual.  I tend to freeze single servings of each batch of winter soup to hold me off.  Come corn season, however, I have to pull out the soup pot.  When it is cold I sweat onions and garlic for at least an hour before even deciding what kind of evolution will simmer through the afternoon.  In the heat I forgo the fancy good smelling embrace.  I tried chilled fruit soups, but decided they were just weak smoothies.  So instead I trust this simple base and embellish with sharp cheddar if there is rain, add slices of venison on top for my meat eating husband, cucumber seeds for my son, and a few kernels of frozen corn for my daughter and myself.  If you have some extra time when you cut your kernels off the farmer’s market corn, soak the cobs in the milk and broth to ease out the last of the deliciousness before you start the blending and cooking.  If you know you will be in a rush just cook extra corn the night before and have the bowl of kernels waiting for you when you get home.  From that point on it is only ten to fifteen minutes from blend to table depending on how smooth you want the soup.

 5 cups of corn

2 cups of milk (or soy milk)

2 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth or even water)

1 Tablespoon hot salsa (or 5 sun dried tomatoes)

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree or use a stick blender in the pot.  Heat on medium until slight simmer starts.  Serve with a few local spinach leaves and some fresh sour cream.

Thanks to everyone who made the 2010 Taste of the Market such a great success. 

Here is just a partial list of folks to THANK!

Emcees: Peggy Kirkpatrick & Judy Baker and Win Grace

Sponsors:  Boone County National Bank, The Columbia Farmers Market, Columbia’s Kitchen, Kilgore’s Medical Pharmacy, MFA Oil, Missouri Legacy Beef, MU Bradford Research and Extension Center, Twaddle Orthodontics

Food from:  Annie’s Breads, Boley Farm, Crocker Farm Pork, Kenny Duzan, Grower, Main Squeeze Natural Foods Café, Missouri Legacy Beef, Nobis Farms, Pete’s Produce, Phil’s Garden, Rt. B Greenhouse, Shepherdsfield Bakery, Show Me Farms Beef, Shrock’s Greenhouse & Produce, Thoenen Ag Sales, Uprise Bakery, and Walk-About Acre- Honey Ice Cream

Entertainment from:  The Bubbas, The Rambling Daniels, LaMovida, Dancers- Ashley from studio B, Face Painters: Ami Romero-Perez & Sam Albert

IRON CHEFS: Craig Cyr from The Wine Cellar & Bistro; Aaron Wells-Morgan from Les Bourgeois Blufftop Bistro; and Jina Yoo from Jina Yoos Asian Bistro.
The Iron Chef Judges:  Mayor McDavid, Andrea Cobb  Karen Touzeau, John Turchiano, and Nick Twenter.  Sous Chefs: With Craig Cyr- Martha Dragich, With Aaron Wells-Morgan- Mindy Lonkausky, With Jina Yoo- Nazak Birjandifar

Event Photographer Kevin Dingman

The Steering and Advisory Committee Members for the Pavilion Campaign

And the nearly 100 Volunteers who helped plan, set up, run and clean up the 2010 Taste of the Market!  We could not have done it without you!!!

ENJOY THE SLIDESHOW.  If you have any fun pictures from the event and you are willing to share them with our site, please email them to me!  casey@farmersmarketpavilion.org.

Read about a massive egg recall!  Head on over to the Columbia Farmers Market this weekend and try some fresh, safe eggs!! 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/19/eggs.recall.salmonella/index.html?hpt=T2

Judy Baker, Chris Stevens, Don Ginsburg and other local celebrities enjoy the feast!

At the Taste of The Market, 2009, three Local Chef/Local Farm Dinners were auctioned to benefit Sustainable Farms & Communities Pavilion Project. Chef Ben Randolph and farmer Dan Kuebler teamed up to host a dinner for eight at the Salad Garden Farm. Our dinner was bought by Sharon & Don Ginsburg, Judy & John Baker, Bonnie Trickey & Larry Giddeon, and Jennifer Perlow & Chris Stephens. Kim Coldicott and I were on hand to assist.

We began with icy mint tea and a tour of the farm showing vegetable production in the fields and high tunnels, along with the solar powered irrigation system. Dinner started on the deck under a canopy but rain moved us inside to a grand harvest table.

Ben Randolph, former Executive Chef at Trattoria Strada Nova and currently Chef at Harpo’s, created a seasonal tasting menu highlighting local foods from our farm and others at the Columbia Farmers Market. The multi course meal featured many small plates giving a sense of the chef’s style and range.  The guests enjoyed seven courses:

Tomato Trio
Gazpacho
Caprese Salad
BLT with Crocker Farm’s Bacon & Heirloom Tomato

Yellow Sweet Corn Bisque
Powdered Salsa
Shrimp Ceviche

Herd Salad in Truffle Vinaigrette

Troutdale Farm’s Trout
Sautéed and Sweet pickled Chard
Baby Patty Pan Squash
Green Beans

Susie’s Grass Fed Lamb Strip Steak
Mint
Eggplant
New Potato
Red Onion
Chili Oil

Grilled Peaches
Ginger Crème Anglaise
Beurre Noisette (Brown Butter handmade) Ice Cream

 Goats Beard Farm Fromage
Feta with Pink Peppercorns and Bonne Femme Honey
Chèvre with Country Goodies Apricot Preserve
Missouri Moon with Dates and Norton Syrup

 The presentation was glorious with unique and artistic plating. Chef Ben did an excellent job matching the impromptu selection of wines brought by the guests with the corresponding courses. Fabulous food and excellent  conversation were enjoyed by all.

Chef Ben Randolph and Farmer Dan Kuebler will be donating another Chef’s Tasting Dinner at this year’s Taste of the Market. Other auction dinners available are Chef Trey Quinlan at Deep Mud Farm and finally Mike Odette of Sycamore will host a dinner for six in the winning bidder’s home!!  These auctions will be held at the 2010 Taste of the Market this Saturday, Aug 7, from 6-9:30 pm across from the ARC!

Go to the homepage to get tickets to the event and bid on one of these amazing dinners!

Diane La Mar
The Salad Garden
Diane is a local psychotherapist and freelance writer, and lives at The Salad Garden Farm with her husband Dan Kuebler.

By Leigh Lockhart

I have planted a garden every season for 13 years.  The first few were motivated by a simple desire to grow some of my own food.  I rented a farmhouse in Hartsburg and just started digging.  I still remember how it felt (and tasted!) to eat that first radish I had grown myself.  As any gardener can attest, some seasons were better than others, but regardless, I was hooked.  The physical labor, being outdoors, the delicious rewards all made gardening a labor of love.

When I opened Main Squeeze in 1998 I tried to grow at least some of the produce we served at the café.  I concentrated on the things I did well: tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, zucchini, beans.  I bought a house in town and began tearing up more and more backyard to dedicate to garden space.  When I tell a customer that the produce they are enjoying came from my garden, grown in the café’s composted food waste, well, that’s just the best, best feeling.

In 2008 my gardening efforts turned more serious as the economy worsened. I planned that season’s garden more carefully, fearing that for the first time, the garden HAD TO PRODUCE.  With the help of friends that summer we had a great garden, even had enough tomatoes to sell extras at the cafe.  We love to support local farmers, but providing produce from my garden helped the bottom line so I began planning for the following season, bigger and better than ever.

When my dad died suddenly in December 2008 and the economy had my business teetering on the brink, I considered my next garden.  I didn’t even want to do it.  Growing $500 worth of tomatoes wasn’t going to save Main Squeeze and frankly, after losing dad, I couldn’t see the point in the labors of gardening, or much else.  All winter I paged unenthusiastically thru seed catalogs, but failed to order any.  Or do anything else to prepare for the upcoming season.  With the help of friends I managed to put in tomatoes, cucumbers and beans, but most of it rotted on the vine, a metaphor for how I felt about losing dad. I couldn’t envision the day when I would want to garden again.

As a hospital chaplain and grief counselor Daddy knew how to offer the deepest kind of compassion and comfort, the kind that really healed people.  So I relied on his words to help pull me out. “Time, tears and talking” he would say, and by this spring I was buying seeds.  I spent many solitary hours digging in the dirt this spring and it seemed with every new bed built, every seed planted, every plant staked and trellised, every tomato harvested, I felt more and more my old self.  As the plants grew taller I could feel myself healing, even having moments of joy, like the warm June evening when a neighbor played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. I felt Daddy right there beside me in the dirt and it was magical.

You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt, that’s for sure.  Next year I will grow beets.  Lots and lots of beets because these were his favorite.  I will roast them, top them with Goatsbeard Farm Moniteau Blue Cheese, maybe some crushed walnuts and lemon.  I will serve them with ice cold buttermilk, cornbread and tomatoes.  Closer to daddy and heaven never will I be.

Leigh is a culinary wonder and owner of Main Squeeze Natural Foods Cafe in Downtown Columbia
Visit Main Squeeze Here!