Winter Is Here (01/12/2018)

~~ Time to bundle up for another round of colder temperatures starting this weekend! Once again our beautiful kale will have to wait out the harvest as it has not recovered from the last freezes.  We should have a couple bundles of our heirloom collards, a couple of Charleston Wakefield cabbages, and some bags of Spinach.  Please understand that some of our produce will show signs of cold damage, but it does not affect the flavor or quality, other than maybe making it sweeter! We will have a good supply of Green leaf lettuces–and a few redleaf this week, and we’ve planted many more seedlings.  Unfortunately opossums enjoyed ripping out our newly planted seedlings that were treated with fish emulsion. Nothing bothers the Green onions and carrots though, so we should have a good supply of those, as well as some dandelion greens, more Sweet Potatoes and a few other items.  Due to lack of enough fresh seasonal greens there will be no pesto this week, but that should be available soon. The best bet is to bundle up and come out early for best selection.


~Raw Water Buffalo Milk & other ‘Pet Consumption’ *;) winking products (ask us if you don’t know what this means):  When milk is plentiful we’ll have good farmers cheeses, Kefir, buttermilk (best for cooking; the fluffiest pancakes ever!), unsalted creamy white butter, Whey  http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/05/36-ways-to-use-whey-and-5-ways-to-make-it/

and of course Raw Milk, which is regularly priced at $9/half gal. or $17/gal. However, we have been eating/drinking all of this ourselves and other than the Raw Milk can only make it for you if you order ahead of time(Please give us a week – ecofarmfl@yahoo.com).

~~For our complete availability list (except for last minute items) check the bottom of this email.
~~Thanks for your support!!  See you at the Market Saturday *:) happy
Check this out from the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curbmarket Newsletter:Text to Win!

Keep up with Market news via text message!

  • Just to make it fun, we are running a weekly contest. Text Keyword CURB to 51660 to join our text program and enter to win $10 worth of Market Bucks, which can be spent with any Market vendor. Winners will be notified via text each Saturday.
  • What happens if you don’t win the week you joined? No worries! You can try again week after week. Just text CURB to 51660 each week (SundayFriday), and you’ll be entered for that week’s drawing!
 
~~We are always happy to take your used, clean plastic grocery bags (no garbage please) and green pint baskets that strawberries come in…Please remember to bring them to us this week…Thanks!
~~ Italian ischia sourdough starter http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkadvice/10638629/Pizza-recipes-how-to-make-artisan-pizza-in-your-own-home.html

and Pizza dough, ready to use right away–active and ready to use (please pre-order this a week before so it can be activated) $9. Also, let me know ahead of time and we can have a Kombucha ‘mother’  available for making your own brew (also $9).


 
~~Raw Water Buffalo Milk sales: We normally sell milk in plastic half gallon containers @$9 and a convenient quart size plastic container for $5. If you would prefer quart or half gallon wide mouth glass containers there will be a $1& $2 deposit to cover the cost of the jars and you will need to let us know ahead of time by email. Kefir only comes in quart sized jars ($8 or $7 with a wide-mouth quart jar to trade). Butter comes in 8 oz. plastic containers for $8. Remember, this is for ‘Pet Consumption Only’ by Florida law. Your ‘Pet’ will be eating like royalty 🙂 


~~We grow everything organically; all ‘chemicals’ are OMRI approved for Organic growers and our fertilizers consist of composted manures (buffalo and more) and fish emulsion. We are not Certified Organic as the cost and ongoing paperwork is prohibitive for ‘real’ farmers–and there are too many variances allowed for Corporate Organic farms–and now they are certifying hydroponics so many original Organically Certified dirt farmers are speaking out and/or dropping their certifications, which are now meaningless. Remember: Ecofarmers do it in the Dirt!

 
Ecofarm is currently able to participate in only one market with super fresh, organically grown produce (not Certified) and other farm products for your convenience:


Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curbmarket Saturday8AM-2PM all year except August. We are located on Kentucky Avenue in front of Crispers restaurant. Check out the market website at www.ldda.org/home/farmerscurbmarket.aspx

 and sign-up for the market e-newsletter. Dogs, children and fun galore!

Temple Terrace Farmers Market – Saturdays 9AM-1:00PM – A true Farmers Market – For more information check it out at:http://www.ttfarmersmarket.com/

or https://www.facebook.com/ttfarmersmarket 


Note: We have been providing some of our produce to this market and will continue to increase our support whenever possible. 


~~The Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curbmarket is now taking your EBT/SNAP cards; and you can double your dollars by purchasing Florida grown produce & honey!! There are about 25 of us selling honey, cane syrup, cottage industry foods, produce, breads, seeds, edible plants and more that qualifies for SNAP; and about six of us that can double your money with our produce, thanks to the Fresh from Florida program. The Market booth is set up at the south end of the market and they can explain the process and you can purchase tokens. Vendors participating in the program will have a sign in front of their booths. In addition, you can ride the bus free in Polk County to come to our market and participate in this program. Please pass the word!


Following are some of the products we may be bringing to the market this week:


Super-Nutra Loaf – Fresh weekly; full of seeds & nuts. 
Pesto! Various Seasonal ingredients – great for seafood, pasta, potatoes and more! Currently out
Florida Red-Bay leaves – use like other dried bay leaves in soups, beans, etc. 
Sweet potatoes – our original red-skinned, sweet fleshed sweeties!
Daikon radishes – versatile large, white, radish; use raw, fermented, cooked, shredded, to dip or whatever!
Dino kale! & 5-kale mix – hit hard by recent freezes and still not available
Lettuce/romaine – Green & Red leaf lettuces; good supply
Beets – small beets with gorgeous tops in bundles
Sungold Cherry tomatoes – all done until late spring
Heirloom Tomatoes – totally done for the season; watch for them in late spring
Spinach – our luscious, semi-savoy spinach – Some available this week
Green onions – beautiful bundles this week!
Heirloom collards – nice bundles; only a couple of bundles
Mustard greens – done for now
Mizuna – very small crop – beautiful, lacy red mizuna is a mild green good for salad mix or lightly cooked
Arugula – small supply
Red radishes – small supply this week
Cilantro! not currently available
Carrots – perfect bundles with tops intact–and very edible
Strawberries -small supply!
Turnips & greens- not currently available
Lambs-quarters – Wild greens that are super nutritious and tasty; re-growing, available again soon
Powdered Moringa – just a teaspoon in your breakfast or other meals does wonders
Dandelion – a few bundles
Homemade jams made with very little sugar (organic)   strawberry, strawberry/basil, peach and Cranberry Hibiscus

Pure Cane syrup – Yes!  Give our own local, sustainable sweetness a try; not just for pancakes.
Luffa seed packets – not currently available
Luffa sponges – Check out the real thing–and no, they don’t come from the ocean!
Java Planet Coffees (whole bean, Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown & Bird Friendly!) Good selection, including holiday flavored beans

Thanks for supporting local farmers, artists, musicians and craftspeople!

Debbie, Jon & Billy plus C.J. & Hayley–the kiddies that inspire us
Ecofarmers do it in the dirt!