The Farm Report

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Mar 16 2008 ELMER’S STORE is OVERFLOWING with VEGETABLES Vermont tomatoes, bright red peppers, Ashfield apples, huge portabella mushrooms, dark green Lacinato kale, Plainfield fingerling potatoes,colorful mesclun, and tangy arugula are all in stock at Elmer’s this week. Plus much more! Nan says some people print out the Farm Report and use it as their grocery list. So all produce items in stock are listed below for convenient reference. In order to reduce our use of plastic bags but also keep the vegetables moist, I will display items in a large plastic bag from which you may choose your pick. There are paper bags and handle baskets available for your use. Some items like mesclun and herbs will still be individually wrapped ahead of time.

Mar 7 2008 SPROUTS ARE POWERFUL As you are planning your meals this week , consider adding vitamin rich sprouts to your salads. Elmer’s is carrying both alfalfa and radish sprouts! Nutritional info for radish sprouts: Vitamins A, B, C, E and K Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc Carotene, Chlorophyll Amino Acids Trace Elements Antioxidants Protein: 35% http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/radish.html Nutritional info for leafy sprouts like alfalfa: Vitamins A, B, C, E and K Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc Carotene, Chlorophyll Amino Acids Trace Elements Protein: up to 35 http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/leafy.html

Mar 1 2008 MORE ORGANIC PRODUCE AT Elmer’s Store We have found a new produce distributor: Black River Produce of North Springfield, VT. They focus on organic and/or local products as well as seafood.

Feb 19 2008 Fruits, Vegetables and Cardiovascular Disease I have been researching nutritional information this morning and found the website of the Harvard School of Public Health. The following is a quote from there section on fruits and vegetables with respect to cardiovascular disease: "Fruits, Vegetables, and Cardiovascular Disease There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke.(2) Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions." www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fruits.html#references SO COME INTO ELMER'S TO GET YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES AND SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY!

Feb 11 2008 The Farm Report Michael and Anna of Manda Farm in Plainfield brought in POTATOES AND PORK PRODUCTS on Friday. The potatoes are firm and haven’t been exposed to light so they are sprout-free! Elmer’s Store is selling their Fingerlings, Elbas (white), and Sangres (red) potatoes. We are also selling a variety of their frozen pork cuts: Ham steaks, pork chops, slab bacon, and Italian sausage. You must visit www.wiserearth.org - it is an index of over 100,000 non-profit and civic organizations that are focused on creating a just and sustainable world through community. Plus it has listings of resources, jobs, events, and you can edit the entries and add new ones. The idea is to speed up the exchange of information. “WiserEarth . . .serves the people who are transforming the world. It is a community directory and networking forum that maps and connects non-governmental organizations and individuals addressing the central issues of our day: climate change, poverty, the environment, peace, water, hunger, social justice, conservation, human rights and more. Content is created and edited by people like you.” (a quote from the website). So come in to Elmer’s and get your local fruits and veggies and support our efforts to support our community!

Dec 31 1969

Feb 5 2008 The interest in local foods is thriving, even through the winter, as indicated by the turnout at two weekend events. One was the Ground Hog Day Farmers Market in Greenfield where I hear from Mary McClintock, the event organizer, that close to ONE THOUSAND people attended. Local growers, Mary Beth and Derek Richie of Sangha Farm, sold garlic and a wide variety of dried herbs! The second was the Local Potluck Supper held at the Congregational Church in Ashfield. Over FIFTY people came with a dish to share. The table was overflowing with the bounty of delicious local foods like peach ambrosia, curried scalloped potatoes, grated beet and carrot salad, garden vegetable soup, and bottomless blueberry pie!

Feb 7 2008

Jan 30 2008 Beets! And other things to cure what ails you by Donna Elwell, Produce Manager I was just reading about the benefits of eating BEETS! They are particularly beneficial when we eat them raw. 1. They contain folate and betaine which help lower the amount of homocystine in our blood stream. This is good because homocyseine is an inflammatory compound that can damage our arteries and increase our risk of heart disease. 2. The natural pigments in beets – betacyanins –“ have proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.” This information is from the following webiste: http://men.webmd.com/features/10-best-foods-you-arent-eating The other 9 best foods are cabbage, guave, swiss chard, cinnamon, purslane, pomengranate juice, goji berries, dried plums, and pumpkin seeds.

More From Donna Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake (Makes one 9-inch cheesecake) For Crust combine 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted 1 1/4 cups graham crackercrumbs 1/4 cup sugar Press firmly in 13x9 inch baking dish For filling mix well: 3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened 1 (16-oz) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk) 1 (16-oz) can pumpkin (2 cups) 3 eggs 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp salt Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 1/4 hours or until cake springs back. (It may crack – that's OK). Cool. Chill. Top with glaze: Boil for 5 min 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

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