It is Fall at the Farmers Market. The Market does not close in Fall or Winter it just changes with the season, like nature. That is the part of the charm and enjoyment of buying local produce. It can be a little sad to see a favorite fruit or vegetable leave in Fall but that is balanced by the joy of seeing it return again in the next season.
In the last few years the Market has added several new classes of vendors. One of these is the meat vendor. There are now at least three meat vendors offering beef, chicken, bacon, lamb and buffalo. I have purchase from all three and recommend all of them.
If you prefer traditional vendors here is Alex Nemeth and his apples. Apples store well and are available at the Market all Winter unless the vendors sells out of his harvest. There are usually three apple vendors at the market until Spring; Nemeths, Kapnicks, and Wasems Orchards. I regularly buy from all.
The cold tolerant vegetables are still there too. My parents made saurkrut from excess cabbage in the fall. If you would like to try that follow the Farmers Marketer link in the right column of this page. Brussel sprouts are one of my favorites and they can even tolerate some snow.
Don't give up on the flowers either. Dennis Sparr is at the Market with mums and other cold tolerant flowers late in the season. I have purchased his greenhouse roses for our Thanksgiving table. He will have poinsettias until Christmas unless it gets very cold.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Fall at the Market
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The following is an excerpt from a recent new article. The full article can be found here
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tecumsehherald.com/node/958
You won’t find a better deal on peaches this season than at Kapnick Orchards with thanks, or no thanks, to a bad hail storm that hit the area on June 21. Kapnicks are making the best of a bad situation by selling #2 peaches that are just as delicious as #1’s at rock bottom prices. The #2’s show the spots where the hail struck, like those pictured above held by owner Sharon Shaffer. Prices on the peaches, from $3.99 a quart to $22.95 for a bushel and a half, are ripe for the picking. Overall, the hail caused the loss of over 80 percent of Kapnick’s peach crop and hit over 90 percent of this year’s apple crop.
Over 90% loss on an apple crop So where are all those apples being sold at the market coming from?
Scott Robertello of Kapnick Orchards acknowledged that some of the apple orchards were "hit" by hail. He pointed out that green apples are a lot less sensitive to hail than peaches.
ReplyDeleteMr Robertello stated that he expects an increased harvest this year compared to 2007.
We will attempt an independent verification of either the "anonymous" claim or the statement by Mr. Robettello.
Just finished reading several articles on other apple growers reporting huge losses due to the June hailstorms. Many will not have crops too much damage like the peaches. Many are making cider with theirs this year.
ReplyDeleteThe gig is up!
Vendors at the Market are routinely inspected to verify that they are producing, or at least have the capacity to produce, the product they are selling.
ReplyDeleteThe Market manager responded to my inquiry about Kapnick Orchards:
"Mr. Thompson,
Kapnick Orchards was inspected on July 25, 2008, over a month after the aforementioned hailstorm.
Their inspection report confirms that yes, the quality and quantity of fruit present at Kapnick Orchards on the date of their inspection was adequate to supply their sales at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market.
Thank you,
Molly Notarianni"
Vendors are routinely inspected. When did this start? This is a false statement by Mr. Thompson.
ReplyDeleteThe position of Market Inspector was open for several years. A new Inspector was hired in the late fall of 2007. Market vendor inspections started in the Spring of 2008 and most vendors were inspected in the 2008 season.
ReplyDeleteThe Market Manager, Molly, stated that the intent is to have all vendors inspected every two years but this is something that the Market Commission might wish to discuss. For example, should a vendor that brings diverse seasonal products, such as plants and Christmas greens, be inspected more often than one that brings a single primary product like apples.