Tag: farmers market
Duerksen Turkey Farm: Mancelona, MI
I’m having a great time working as an intern for Taste the Local Difference. Over the past few month I’ve been able to dive even further into Northwest Michigan’s local food scene and learn more about the great farmers, retailers and producers we have throughout this region.
I’ve known Sue Duerksen and her husband Rick for about three years now though the various local farmers markets I help to manage. In a recent newsletter and posting on the Taste the Local Difference Blog I was able to interview the Duerksen’s to understand more about their farm and why Duerksen’s turkeys are so highly sought after throughout the region. You’ll find the original article below. Enjoy!
Tomato Basil Quiche
Quiche is so versatile. It’s a dish that can be made into breakfast, lunch or dinner. Nearly any ingredient you think of can be added to a quiche and turn out incredibly delicious. This versatility makes it a staple in any kitchen. Once you’re familiar with the crust and egg:cream ratio, the variety of quiche are endless. With the bounty of tomatoes in my garden and the beautiful fragrant basil that sits in my kitchen, this Tomato Basil combination just seemed natural. This quiche not only served us up a FULL helping for dinner, but breakfast or lunch the next day as well!
Dill, Cucumber & Heirloom Tomato Salad
Heirloom tomatoes are beautiful, colorful gorgeous fruits. They make salads brighter and bolder. These heirloom varieties also have a historical context too, as their seeds have been passed down through several generations. Preserving their diverse varying colors and incredible flavor.
Raised Beds
Lets just say, It’s been a process to get my backyard into working condition. We purchased the house last October and immediately knew we had a space with incredible potential. The 50 x 50 backyard lot is a city dwellers dream garden, but the landscaping (or lack there of) was underwhelming and it was left seriously overgrown, with a jungle of weeds, vines, and untended brush to clear.
BLTs and Carrot Apple Slaw
Simple.
After a long work day, I dream of the word simple. A dish with few ingredients and one that takes only minutes to prepare. Dinner, in this case, was a gathering of laid-back ladies; Myself, my boyfriends mother Susan and her dear friend Tracey. We spent the late afternoon drinking red wine and discussing how to make a new house into a new home. Both Tracey and I are recent new homeowners and thus the topics of discussion ranged from paint colors and shag carpets to our love of woodstoves.
Potted Herb Garden
I’ve always wanted an herb garden in my kitchen window sill. Its a long horizontal window filled with sunlight and the perfect location for accessible fresh flavors for a meal. I just love to see green thriving growth throughout my home; in every possible window, nook and cranny. I’ve been so excited for the local farmers market season to start because I knew that instead of growing my herbs from seed I wanted to purchase the “starts” (pictured below) from a local farmer in the early season.
Vegetable & herb “starts” are a great way to get thriving plants ready to plop into a home garden or container. Local farmers are packed with growing experience (obviously). In Northern Michigan many of our area farmers need a greenhouse and thus they have a prime growing environment with opportunity to grow from seed in early spring. Not only will the starts purchased at market often be much stronger and heartier than homegrown wiry seedlings, but you’re also supporting local farmers at a time when harvest (in Northern Michigan) is not at its peak.
The herbs I chose for my windowsill were must haves that I use frequently, but they were also picked with intention paid to the amount of space available, companion plantings and soil profiles.
Basil- Basil is pretty much a breeze to grow, but it thrives in well-drained soil so be certain that you choose a pot with drainage holes (a necessity for nearly every potted plant)
Rosemary & Thyme- These two are a great pair, they both prefer a coarse textured, well-drained and sandy soil. Mixing in gravel with your ordinary potting mix can help to keep the roots from getting waterlogged.
Sage & Chives- This pair of herbs are happy in an ordinary well-drained potting soil.
Lemon Balm- Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family. It adds a great lemon flavor to teas and pairs well with fruit. Just as mint grows in clumps and spreads quickly, lemon balm needs to be kept in a container by itself or it may overtake its companions.
Oregano- Another herb that is characteristic of rapid, spreading growth, oregano (marjoram) should be put in a container on its own.
If you’ve always wanted a fresh herb garden like I have, now is the time! Pick your favorites, research their soil preference and go get ’em! The best part is that you can have these little green, bountiful beauties all year long. The portability of herbs in a container only amplifies the fact that they’re a great and inexpensive investment. All of this new growth and windowsill garden planting has got me in a “Terra Cotta Craze” so don’t say I didn’t warn you.
If you’re like me pretty soon you’ll be dreaming of beautiful clay pots filled with fresh herbs.
It’s time to make your dreams a reality.
love,
tricia
The Fourth Annual Edible Art Show: Traverse City, MI
The Farmers Market at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is more than just a place to pick up your week’s worth of groceries. Its a community gathering place; an event, more than simply a grab and go shopping experience. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I manage the Farmer Market operations at The Village which includes marketing and developing events throughout the course of the year. The local community has supported our market for over four years now and in the hope to give back to that community, we host a monthly “Give-Back Market Date.”
Fondant Flowers by Old Hundredth Farm
The “Give Back Market Date” is held on the Second Saturday of each month and this month’s “Give Back” event was the Annual Edible Art Show, benefiting the Father Fred Foundation. Saturday, March 9th was the fourth annual Edible Art Show and the Edible Entries were some of the best to date.
The Father Fred Foundation is a local organization whose mission is to “listen to the community needs, care for the distressed, the poor, the hungry and the suffering, and share resources in a loving and respectful manner.”
The Foundation and its local food pantry accepts no state or federal funding, but instead relies entirely on the care and generosity of our local community. The Edible Art Show at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons Farmers Market is an annual event that raises money for this incredible organization and the members of our local community in need.
The Edible Art Masterpieces are created by our Farmers Market Vendors and the “Village People,” a name that refers to the residents and merchants that make up the Village Community. Members of the public in attendance are the official judges, and money is raised by The Father Fred Foundation through ticket sales. Tickets are placed in the respective bag for your favorite Edible Art Entry. You can vote as many times as you like, purchasing as many tickets as you’d like and the winners are determined by the highest number of ticket votes collected.
Paul Murray with his edible wheatgrass hat
This year we raised over $280 dollars for the Father Fred Foundation through the efforts of the Edible Art Show. None of it would be possible without the generous support of our public judges and the creative efforts of the “Edible” Artists.
Winners in each category of the Edible Art Show received a beautiful trophy, this year the “Golden Pear.” The Golden Pear trophies were made of a piece of brick from the “Traverse City State Hospital” built in 1885, the site which is now known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.
The Winners of each Category were:
Best in Show- Diana Jelenek from Spring Hollow Farm with the “Chick-a-Saurus”
Best Farm Vendor– Kim Norton from Confections by Kim with “Keeping us Safe”
Best Village Merchant– Michigan Farm Market with “The Green Tractor”
Best Village Resident– Kristen Messner with “Haiku”
I’m so grateful to have received such incredible edible entries, and for the support of our local community coming together to raise funds for this great cause. The Edible Art show is always the second Saturday in March so if you’ve never been, mark your calendars for next year!
“The Fruit Mouse” by Boss Mouse Cheese and
“Pleasanton Loafers” made from loaves of Pleasanton bread by Fred Lortet
Stephanie Wiitala and Family from Black Star Farms, created this
creative collection of friendly edible creatures!
I put together an edible art piece of my own, and called it “1,2,3…Zucchini!”
With two Zucchinis, some toothpicks and a half of a tomato, the zucchini camera was born! I was far from being a “winner”, in terms of votes, but it was an absolute blast to create and I’ll certainly be dreaming up something new for next year’s Art Show.
Thank you to all the Artists and our Public Judges, every edible entry was unique and creative, and your efforts were absolutely appreciated! The Edible Art show is always one of my favorite events at our Indoor Farmers Market and I’m looking forward to celebrating next year’s Fifth Annual event with another successful fundraiser and many more edible masterpieces on display. Remember…
You ART what you EAT
love,
tricia
The Village Indoor Farmers Market: Traverse City, MI
Farmers Markets are one of my favorite community gatherings. You might say I’ve got a resume to prove it and its true. I love what I do and I love being involved in Traverse City’s community markets.
I help to manage the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market as well as the year-round Farmers Market at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. The later as I mentioned is a year-round market. In the summer it takes place outside on the Piazza, an ample open green space on the beautiful campus, perfect for the event.
During the cold months, it’s held within the walls of the Mercato, the marketplace of retail shops, cafes, galleries & boutiques at The Village.
Now its important for me to preface the unique location of the Village market for those of you who aren’t familiar with Traverse City, so I’ll make it short and sweet. The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is one of the largest Historic Redevelopment projects in the country. The Campus was formerly known as the Northern Michigan Asylum or Traverse City State Hospital built in 1885.
After 100 years in operation, the hospital was left empty to decay and with threats to demolish these beautiful historic buildings, a group was formed to save the State Hospital. My boss, Ray Minervini became a part of that group, later sharing his vision of redeveloping the campus into a mixed-use community called The Village, open to the public and thriving with renewed life. Today, 10 years later and with many years to come, The Village Farmers Market adds a heavy dose of healthy well-being and social interaction to this vibrant community.
From fresh local produce, honey, and maple syrup to homemade salsas, tamales, pasties, and delicious baked goods; the Village Farmers Market fills the hallways with about 45 vendors every Saturday.
The Market is lively, friendly and simply an enjoyable place to spend your Saturday morning. With a cup of coffee in hand and the weekly update from friends throughout the hallway you can pick up greens for your salads, pastas or smoothies as well as bread & croissants baked fresh that morning. Root Vegetables line the hallways as do coolers stocked with fresh meats, cheeses, butter and milk.
The most unique element is that all of this exists inside a century old building with an existing stable marketplace of retail merchants, galleries, boutiques, wineries, a cafe and an incredible Italian restaurant. You can wander in and out of the shops as you gather produce and other treats in the hallway all the while enjoying the company of our community gathering together.
Saturday at The Village Market is an incredible event that is great to watch on camera (see below) but even better experienced first hand.
-Watch this feature on Up North Media to hear me share details on the market’s beginnings and our upcoming special events!
-View the thriving market in action on 9 & 10 featuring Sandee Ware from Ware Farm!
Where is your favorite place to get fresh produce this time of year?
love,
tricia
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