The Arbor Market

2011-12-23T17:48:00.004-05:00

Just a reminder, the Market is open all Winter, Saturdays only. The egg and meat vendors bring their fresh products all winter. Other vendors bring products that store well, such as apples, potatoes and onions. In addition some vendors have hoop houses or greenhouses and bring fresh cold tolerant produce in the winter.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-23T10:33:00.003-04:00

Spring is officially at the Market. Dennis Sparr and many other vendors have returned with flowers.

Market in Winter

2011-02-03T14:29:00.006-05:00

The Market is still active in winter, just a reduced selection. Brines Farm (shown) has been there every Saturday so far with fresh greens from their hoophouse. Unfortunately the supply in the extreme winter period is limited to their CSA customers.

Goetz Farms has also had a limited supply of fresh greens so far. We had a very nice salad one night last week that included their beets. A few days later the tops of the beets and Swiss Chard, also from Goetz was the basis for a very good Chinese stir-fry.

Of course the meat, eggs, apple, bake goods, and some artisan vendors are there all winter.

In Closing

2010-12-29T16:50:00.001-05:00

This year marked the passing of several people instrumental to the Market.

Virgina Johansen was a long term past member of the Market Commission. She had the unusual background, at least for this century, of growing on a farm, but then moving to the city. This dual experience provided her with the insight of what the Ann Arbor citizen wanted the Market to be, and what was also advantageous for the farmer.

Peter Pollack will also be missed. Peter served on the Market Commission until a few months before his death in December 2010.

Hoophouse II - A Qualitative Investigation

2010-12-21T16:25:00.004-05:00

Let's think about how a hoophouse works. This is the first step toward ideas to improve the design.

First, consider why there are the seasons. The reason is that the axis of the earth's rotation is inclined to the plane of the orbit around the sun. In our summer the northern hemisphere is more directly exposed to the sun; that is, the surface is more nearly perpendicular to a line between the center of the earth and the center of the sun. As a result each unit of surface area receives more solar radiation in summer than it does in winter when it is inclined to this line. In addition, the surface is exposed to the solar radiation a greater length of time each day. For both of these reasons the hemisphere that is in summer receives the greatest amount of solar energy per day.

There is an additional effect that contributes to the timing of the seasons. In the northern hemisphere the maximum solar energy is received around the summer solstice, about June 20. But the hottest days occur in July and August. In these months we receive less energy per day than at the end of June, but we still receive more energy than is being lost each day, consequently the temperature of the surface of the earth continues to rise. A similar effect occurs in winter. The winter solstice is around December 20, but the coldest days are typically in January or February. In this case the surface of the earth is receiving less energy than it is losing, stored heat continues to be lost, and the surface continues to cool. This lag in the maximum and minimum temperatures is a result of the earth storing thermal energy. This storage is often called the “thermal mass” of the system

What does this have to do with a hoophouse? An unheated hoophouse modifies the season to make winter in the hoophouse milder than winter outside. But it cannot increase the solar energy received, in fact it reduces it slightly. Therefore the effect must be a result of reducing the heat lost. The hoophouse reduces the heat loss and allows the stored thermal energy to maintain a higher internal temperature.

It may seem surprising that a few thousandths of an inch of plastic can provide sufficient insulation to change the climate in the hoophouse, but it can because the effect is accumulative over a long period. This is exactly the same reason that the slight increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere can lead to global warming.

How can you use this information to improve the design of your hoophouse? The micro climate in the hoop house is a result of the solar energy received, the stored thermal energy, and the rate of heat loss. You need to decide which of these variables you can modify, the effect you may achieve, and the cost.

The hoophouse designer has very little control over the solar energy received, other than the transparency of the covering. Theoretically, one could collect solar energy from a larger area and transport it to the hoophouse, but in practice this would be more a method of heating than increasing the solar energy received at the hoophouse. The solar energy received is a variable the hoophouse designer cannot control for a given location.

In a similar manner the hoophouse designer has little control over the stored energy, or thermal mass of the system. It may be possible to have an effect with something like barrels of water in a very small hoophouse, but in any moderate sized system the thermal mass of the earth inside the hoophouse will be many times larger than any energy storage system that is practical to add. If you chose to grow hydroponically the nutrient solution will had some thermal mass, and you will probably need to heat it to prevent freezing. But again this is more an approach to heating the hoophouse or greenhouse than increasing thermal mass.

This leaves the insulation variable. If 6 mill polyethylene can create a more favorable micro climate, clearly better insulation would have a greater effect. The problem is that the hoophouse covering must be transparent. Transparent materials that are also good insulators are expensive. The way to avoid this dilemma is to look for areas and times the hoophouse does not need to be transparent.

During the night the hoophouse does not receive solar energy and the plants can be covered with an insulating blanket to retain more heat. The hoophouse side walls and end walls do not receive very much solar energy and they can be insulated with very little reduction in solar energy received. Night time insulation and insulation of the areas that receive little solar energy can be very cost effective, yet are rarely done. Of all the hoophouses I have seen, only one used side and end wall insulation and night time row covers.

If anyone is interested in this analysis continuing in a more qualitative manner, leave a comment or email.

Hoophouses

2010-12-14T14:51:00.014-05:00

An item of great interest at the Market this season has been hoop houses. It seems many vendors either have one or are considering one.

What is a hoop house?

The best definition is that it is an unheated greenhouse. Most hoop houses are built with steel or plastic arches, or 'hoops', and that is the basis for the name. But whatever materials are used the primary distinction between a greenhouse and a hoop house is that the hoop house is not heated.

What can you do with a hoop house?

You can extend the season. If you cover your plants to protect them from frost in the fall, a hoop house will do this much better. In the spring a hoop house will act like a cold frame and allow plants to be started earlier. A reasonable estimate is to expect to extend the season from about two weeks to a month in both fall and spring.

You may be able to 'over winter' plants that are not normally be hardy in this area. The hoop house captures passive solar heating and provides some insulation. It also provides protection from wind and rapid temperature changes. The climate zone in the hoop house is probably increased by 1/2 to 1 USDA zone. Ann Arbor used to considered zone 5, with climate warming many charts now consider it to be zone 6. A well designed hoop house should be able to keep most zone 6 and some zone 7 plants alive over winter. This will depend on the plants, the design of the hoop house and the severity of the winter.

You can harvest cold hardy plants later in the season. My wife occasionally sends me out to our herb garden to cut fresh herbs in the winter. Plants like oregano, thyme and sage are winter hardy. But it is troublesome to find them under a blanket of snow. A hoop house makes this much easier.

Can you grow plants in the winter?

Not really, most plants require about 65 degrees F for photosynthesis. This will not occur in an unheated hoop house in a Michigan winter. To actually 'grow' plants, that is to have the plants increase their vegative mass during the winter the building must be heated.

What vendors at the Market have hoophouses?

The ones that I know have hoophouses are Shannon Brines (Brines Farm), Dwight Carpenter (Carpenter Organic Produce) and John Hochstetler (Farmer John of Our Family Farm) Much of the information of this post is a result of conversations with Shannon Brines and Dwight Carpenter and visits to their hoop houses.

Brines Farm

Shannon Brines (Brines Farm) was one of the first vendors at the Farmers Market to construct a hoop house. They are now growing plants in three separate hoophouses. Shannon plants cold tolerant greens in the fall and uses the advantage of the hoophouse to continue to grow them in an extended season. The greens survive all winter with the hoophouse protection and Shannon harvests them and sells them all winter at the Market.

Brines Farm uses all of the potential hoophouse advantages to produce and sell excellent greens all winter. Much of their produce goes to the members of their CSA program customers. The produce has such a good reputation that they often cannot meet the demand from other customers.

Here is link to the Brines Farm website: http://www.brines.org/

Here is a photo of one of their hoophouses.

Carpenter Organic Produce

Carpenter Organic Produce also has three hoophouse. In addition, Dwight also has one large heated greenhouse constructed in the manner. Some photos from Carpenter's green house are on the May 8, 2010 post of this blog. Some photos of his excellent produce are in the previous post on this blog.

John Hochstetler (Farmer John of Our Family Farm)

I have not visited Our Family Farm and do not have any information about their hoophouse. The produce they have been bringing to Market have been a hardy salad mix of spinach and members of the cabbage family. These greens have been very good, particulary when used in an oriental stir fry dish.

Here is a link to their website with a photo of their hoophouse : http://www.ourfamilyfarmllc.com/ The hoophouse is a larger version of plastic pipe construction.

I discussed hoophouses with John on Dec 18, and he mentioned that at least one of his hoophouses was heated. To me, this would make it a green house, but there was an interesting aspect of his method of heating. His lettuce is grown hydroponically and he heats the hydroponic solution. For the small producer that wants to grow plants that do well in a hydroponic system this is an ideal approach. If you are concerned about organic production, it is possible to grow organically, even certified organic, with the correct hydroponic nutrients.

In a few days I will add a post discussing how a hoophouse works and how they might be improved.

The Market in Winter

2010-12-11T14:36:00.006-05:00

It is obviously winter, but the Market is sill very active. Many of the stalls are selling holiday greens, but there are still many selling produce from green houses or hoophouses. Of course, the meat vendors are there and are happy to be able to display their products without refrigeration.

Just a few days ago we had a very nice dinner from local food sources. It was not a planned effort to eat local, it was just a typical dinner from items I had purchased at the market.

The Main course was lamb chops from Hannawald Lamb. The side dishes were; potatoes from Donahee Farms, sliced and browned with a bit of bacon from Earnst Farm; tomatoes from Carpenter Organic Produce; and coleslaw made from a cabbage sold by a market vendor that did not display his farm name. Only the mayonnaise in the coleslaw was from a supermarket and probably not local.

End of season tomatoes from the greenhouse of Carpenter Organic Produce

Peppers - Chiles at the Market

2010-10-10T08:53:00.008-04:00

I like peppers, chiles if you prefer. They are a very diverse, colorful, late season market item. Botanically they are a fruit but they are legally considered a vegetable in the US.

Here is a bowl of mixed sweet peppers from DeVulders Farms and a few hotties from Wilczewski Greenhouses. The dip in the center is humus with sun dried tomatoes from Sparrow Market. I remove the seeds from all but the smallest peppers, slice into strips, dip and eat. My favorite one is the poblano, which usually has just a mild touch of the chile heat, but can vary from sweet to fairly hot.

I first encountered humus as a dip from a vegan friend. At first I thought of it as her non-dairy substitute for a sour cream based dip, but now I really consider it my preferred dip for vegies. The humus (or homus) is available plain or with many added vegetable flavors such as tomatoes or garlic.

September - Harvest Season

2010-09-12T11:04:00.003-04:00

I have noticed a greater number of vendors offering produce in larger quantities, such as these tomatoes. This reminds me of the Farmers Markets when I was young and I welcome the trend.

In addition to the tomatoes I have seen pickle sized cucumbers, peppers, peaches and apples offered in peck to bushel volumes.

Early Fall Harvest

2010-08-16T14:40:00.004-04:00

The early Fall produce is now arriving at the Market

Corn

Melons

Peaches

and Raspberries

Vendor Personal Interest Story

2010-08-08T10:31:00.004-04:00

John C. Hochstetler, known at the Market as Farmer John, recently won the Republican primary for the 18th district of the Michigan Senate. The 18th district includes Ann Arbor.

Here is a link to his campaign website http://hochstetler.wordpress.com/
This is an outstanding opportunity to meet the candidate, buy some of his produce and decide if he should be Farmer John or Senator John.

June - Berries and Cherries

2010-06-27T18:21:00.030-04:00

It is the height of the berry season.

Strawberries from Gibbs Farms and others.

Blueberrries from . . . .

And the beginning of cherries from Kapnics

First Local Tomatoes

2010-05-22T13:53:00.002-04:00

Carpenter's Organic Produce now has the first locally grown tomatoes of the season at the Market.

The plants were started in the green house in January. They are drip irrigated with an organic nutrient solution. This seems to give the plants all the diverse micro-nutrients they require to produce really good tomatoes.

First of May and the First Strawberries

2010-05-08T11:52:00.019-04:00

Carpenter Organic Greenhouses and Produce have the first very early strawberries at the Market. The available yield is small so you have to get there early.

Here is a close up of the berries being grown. Note the drip irrigation tube.

The variety is "Seascape" a relatively new day neutral variety developed by the University of California at Davis.

Day neutral strawberries produce fruit throughout the growing season. They are great when space is limited, but the fruits are usually somewhat smaller than June bearers.

Here is a shot of the berry patch.

Rhubarb at the Market

2010-05-01T11:01:00.025-04:00

Rhubarb from Wasem Fruit Farm.

The first rhubarb pie of the season

Very early strawberries are also at the Market, but you have to come early to get them.

Early Spring Produce is at the Market

2010-04-29T12:07:00.021-04:00

The early spring produce, such as this asparagus from the Merry Berry Farm and rhubarb have appeared at the market.

The first fresh asparagus soup of 2010

Spring has come to the Market

2010-04-08T16:55:00.016-04:00

It is official Spring must be here, Dennis Sparr has returned to the Market.

An interesting article on another vendor, Shannon Brines, was in the Freep.com

Early Spring at the Market

2010-02-20T11:30:00.009-05:00

It is early Spring at the Market.

The first flowers have appeared
from the Platt Road Farm and Greenhouse.

The Market in Winter

2009-12-29T15:01:00.002-05:00

In winter the market rests, but it is still open. Unless the weather is very cold there will be a few vegetables from the hoop houses. The apple vendors are almost always there. The beef/buffalo and the egg vendor are almost always there too.

In winter we continue to go to the Market, Kerrytown shops and the Peoples Food Coop every Saturday just as we do in the warmer weather. It is only that more of the purchases are from the indoor shops in the winter than in summer.

Thanksgiving Dinner from the Market

2009-11-28T16:03:00.011-05:00

Our Thanksgiving dinner items from the Market:

Turkey - Our family Farm
Stuffing bread - Millpond Bakery
Herbs - our own garden
Apples for the Pie - Kapnick Orchards
Apple, cranberry lettuce salad - Wassem Fruit Farm &
Brines Farm lettuce
Butternut Squash (not shown) Donahee Farms
Leek casserole (not shown) Garden Works leeks

November

2009-11-04T19:05:00.025-05:00

It is November and time to talk turkey. The Market is a great place to get a local turkey. Ernst Farms and John Hochstetler (Our Family Farm - an egg vendor) sell turkeys at the Market. You can also order a turkey from Gary Kunneman (TMZ Farms - the beef buffalo vendor). Ask any of these vendors for order details, but do it soon the order deadline is close.

What is the distinction? Ernst Farms and Our family Farm raise their own turkeys and sell them at the Market as a product they produce. Gary Kunneman can deliver a turkey from another local grower. This does not meet the Market requirement that items sold at the market be produced by the vendor. Therefore he does not sell the turkeys at the Market, but you can place an order with him and arrange delivery or pick-up.

Of course, Gary can sell you beef or buffalo for Thanksgiving or Judy Hannewald (Hannewald Lamb) will sell you a rack of lamb if you prefer that.

October at the Market

2009-10-19T09:33:00.001-04:00

Shop at the Market and support your local ghoul
Photo by Mary Morgan - Ann Arbor Chronicle

Peppers and Chilies at the Market

2009-10-12T17:11:00.016-04:00

We had an interesting improvised dinner from the Market this weekend that I thought I would verbally share.

It started when John, the Our Family Farm vendor, offered us a good deal on peppers. it seems the cool wet summer had made his peppers or chilies slow to ripen and now the danger of frost is near. So John had a excess of of many green peppers; bell peppers, wax peppers, jalapenos, and even green Thai chilies.

It is common in Mexican and Thai cuisine to use green chilies when a green sauce is desired, so it seemed logical to make a green dish. We did a variation of the Italian peppers and pasta but instead of using different colored bell peppers we used the variety of green ones we got from John.

The recipe is simple; saute the peppers, onions, and garlic in olive oil, add chopped tomatoes for color. We used all the types of peppers we had. The mild bell peppers, the jalapenos, even the Thai chilies. I sampled small pieces of each type of pepper so that I did not get the mixture too hot. I wanted it warmer than the traditional Italian dish but not super hot. John's peppers seemed quite mild so I used more jalapenos and Thai chillies than I would normally expect to use in this type of dish.

In keeping with the green theme we served it with spinach pasta, topped with grated Parmesan cheese and garnished with parsley. (Pastabilities Fettuccine and Parmesan from Sparrow's Market, parsley from our herb garden.)

It was really good! The process of improvising with available fresh ingredients is one of the things I like about the Market. It reminds me of past home cooking from the garden. To me, this is much more interesting and fun than searching for specific ingredients in the supermarket and measuring them to conform to a printed recipe.

We got the balance of the taste of the peppers and the heat of the chilies just right, but of course that is personal preference. In this case, I liked the result better than the standard dish that was the original basis. This won't always happen but when it does it is very rewarding and that is why I am sharing this experience. Sorry, no pictures, we ate it all.

Fall and apples at the Market

2009-09-28T14:53:00.012-04:00

Alex Nemeth introduced another variety of apples to the market this fall, the Wolf River Apple. This is not a new hybrid, it would be more accurate to consider it a heritage apple. It originated as a seedling on the banks of the Wolf River near Fremont Wisconsin about 1880.

It was long considered a very good cooking apple. It appears to have fallen from commercial favor because the apple does not store well. Fortunately the trees have remained available.

One of the characteristics of the Wolf river apple is that it is very large. OK, that isn't a full sized bushel basket, but the apple is large. This means you don't have to peal very many to make a pie.

Alex told us the story of a friend of his that used to take the Inter-Urban to Toledo with her mother. Her mother often bought her a baked Wolf River Apple on the Inter-Urban. My mother also used the Inter-Urban to travel to Toledo where she met my father. I don't know if she ever bought a Wolf River baked apple or not, but when I heard the story and saw the apple I had to try them.

The recipe we used was just to core the apple, fill the core space with brown or maple sugar; bake and periodically baste with the sugar syrup. When my mother baked apples she cut them in half, cored them leaving a depression in the center. Then she filled this with brown sugar and often raisins and walnuts. I am going to try that method next time.

Here is a link to a blog by Alex and Agnes's daughter nemethorchards.blogspot.com

August at the Market

2009-08-02T12:47:00.006-04:00

August is the beginning of the peak harvest season. Summer vegetables are there such as

ONIONS,

HERBS, and EGGPLANT. The summer fruit is also there

PLUMS, APRICOTS, and PEACHES

May at the Market

2009-05-02T16:38:00.019-04:00

It is now May at the Market. Spring is in full bloom.

Dennis Sparr is back with many flowers and plants.
Linda Hormes is making her selection.

Early spring food has also appeared.

Asparagras from the Merry Berry Farm

and Ruhbarb from Alex Nemeth

First Spring Flowers at the Market

2009-03-02T13:36:00.002-05:00

These daffodils were at the Market February 28. A little warmer March weather and they will be joined by many others.

Puzzy willows may not be generally considered as a flower, but they really are the flower of this shrub. Bruce Upston stated that these are field grown, not assisted by a green house so they are the first true native Michigan flower of the season at the Market.

Valentine's Day Dinner from the Market

2009-02-17T11:41:00.007-05:00

The Farmers Market may not seem a likely place for the basis of a fresh locally grown dinner in February, but it is possible. We didn't start with the goal of an all local dinner but we were surprised how close it came.

First course was fresh salad greens from Brines Farms. I think february 14th was the first time Shannon Brines was at the Market in 2009. The earlier absence was hardly surprising considering the temperature and snow. I was quite happy to see his hoop house could keep a crop even under the January adverse conditions and deliver fresh greens with just a bit warmer weather and some sunshine.

The main course was an elk steak. The steak came from Gary, the beef/buffalo vendor at the Market, through his speciality food distribution company. It was not local and is not available at the Market. Gary has been at the Market all winter representing TMZ Farms and substituting a cut of beef or buffalo from them would have kept the main course local and from the Market.

The final element of our dinner, was dessert from the market. Two alfajores from Maitelates of the Market were an outstanding conclusion to a simple, but elegant diner, primarily from the Market.

Late Winter at the Market

2009-02-03T18:31:00.017-05:00

There are two primary reasons to shop at the market, local and fresh products.

In the middle of Winter the meat and egg vendors are the only farm vendors meeting both of these criteria. But Millpond bakery and Maitelates , the chocolate cookie person, were there last week with fresh local baked products. Maitelates now sells jars of Dulche de Leche, a creamy caramel, that is wonderful as a sauce over Hagen Daz vanilla ice cream from Sparrow Market.

All three apple vendors are very consistently there selling local farm produce from storage. One vendor was there with stored root vegetables. A few artisans also come all year. Throughout the coldest days of Winter there has been 10 to 20 vendors at the Market every Saturday.

Last Saturday, Gary the TMZ beef/buffalo vendor was using the very cold weather to complete the freezing of some freshly packed beef and buffalo. Of course we bought some. At the time another customer asked "What does buffalo taste like" Gary referred the question to me, and the short answer is beef. A more complete comparison is here.

The Ann Arbor Chronicle has more information on Maitelates.

The Market in Winter

2009-01-01T17:42:00.009-05:00

The Farmers Market changes after January 1. The Saturday market is still open but the Wednesday Market does close. The Saturday Market becomes very peaceful. In general the apple vendors, the egg vendors, meat vendors, and some bakers will continue to come unless the weather is very bad.

The food vendors at the Market on Jan 3, 2009 included:

Alex Nemeth - apples
Kapnicks Orchard - apples
Wassem Orchard - apples and jams
Our Family Farm - eggs and honey
TMZ Farms - beef and buffalo
Millpond Bakery - breads
Fusilier - eggs
Hannaweld - lamb
Brines Farm - fresh salad greens
Maitelates - chocolates
Kern Road - jams and jellies
about 4 artisan vendors

Holiday Dinners from the Market

2008-12-07T17:02:00.016-05:00

The Holiday season is upon us and it is a reason for a great dinner. You can go from very good to really interesting and great by choosing something different, something from a local farmer, or both. Here are a few of our past Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners from the Market vendors for ideas. Just remember that an unusual item will be a special for a vendor and may require ordering well in advance.

First, here is a buffalo standing rib roast from TMZ Farms. Garry is the vendor for TMZ beef and buffalo at the Market. This was the main course of our 2007 Christmas dinner. The carrots and parsnips were also from the market.

This is the turkey of our 2008 Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing else seems quite as appropriate for Thanksgiving. It was locally raised and provided by Farmer John of Our Family Farm. During the winter John is at the Market almost every Market day, look for him selling eggs.

Here are some dessert and table decoration ideas. Roses from Dennis Sparr, apple and pumpkin pies.

You probably won't find roses at the Market at Christmas, but there are many evergreen table decorations available. If it warms up a bit Dennis Sparr will be there with poinsettias.

Apples for an apple pie will certainly be plentiful from Kapnicks, Wasems, and Alex Nemeth. Wasems may still have pie pumpkins. If you don't want to make the pie yourself, there is a vendor that makes very good sweet potato and other pies. Both Millpond bakery and Anatolian bakery often have a delectable selection of holiday cookies.

There are many other options. If a rack or crown of lamb appeals to you, then talk to Judy Hannewald, the lamb vendor at the Market. For a traditional goose, talk to John, the egg vendor. He may not be able to supply one from his farm, but may know of another local source. Garry, the beef/buffalo vendor is another possible resource. His sister company, Eat Local Eat Natural, supplies many restaurants with local farm produce. There is a link on the blog list in the side bar.

Some vegetables will still be available at the Market. Look for Dwight Carpenter and Shannon Brines as two notable winter sources.

One great convenience of the Market is that the Kerrytown Shops, the Peoples Food Coop, and Zingermans are all very close. If a food item that you desire is not available at the Market it is very likely available at one of these shops.

Early Winter at the Market

2008-11-26T19:12:00.034-05:00

It is now early winter at the Market. The Market does not close but it does change. Many Ann Arborites may not know, but it is a good location for seasonal decorations such as:

a large wreath,

smaller wreaths,

or a tree.

Traditional produce is also still available at the Market. Many items such as:

apples,

and fresh greens will be available all winter.

Fall at the Market

2008-11-02T16:50:00.038-05:00

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.

Food Gathers at the Market

2008-09-06T16:32:00.032-04:00

This post is a little different. I want to recognize a little known contribution of the Market to the Ann Arbor community. Many of the vendors regularly contribute their excess produce to Food Gatherers. Michael Scott of Food Gatherers stated that a typical pick-up from the Market is 1,000 to 2,000 pounds during the harvest season.

Duke Donahee selects tomatoes . . .

and puts them in the Food Gatherers boxes.

Valerie of Jeff Nemeth's farm also packs a Food Gatherers box . . . .

as does Tina Koski

Micheal Scott picks up the boxes from the vendors stalls . . . .

and loads them into the Food Gathers truck.

Our thanks to Food Gathers and the many vendors that support them.

Labor Day

2008-08-31T13:18:00.008-04:00

Here is another very simple dinner from the Market. Grilled shish-ka-bob from Hannewald Lamb. I added some mild chili peppers, also from the Market to the skewers.

Marinate the lamb in olive oil and lemon juice. You can substitute balsamic vinegar for a different taste, or soy sauce for an oriental flavor. A hot oil or chillies in the marinade would be a central Asian variant.

End of August - Hotel Ozone

2008-08-29T18:30:00.017-04:00

Following the theme of the simple Pizza I will present some more of the simple foods that I associate with the harvest season.

One is grilled eggplant. The goal is simply to grill the eggplant until it is soft without burning it or having it stick to the grill. This doesn't require a recipe but it may take a few tries to get it just right.

Start with small eggplants 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. As small as you can conveniently cook without having them falling through the grill. I like the white and purple ones, like these from Tom Rumple. It is a lot easier to see the color change of the skin of these as they cook than it is on pure purple ones.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place the cut surface in a pan of olive oil and lemon juice for about 1/2 hour. I use about 2 parts oil and 1 part lemon juice. The ratio is not important and you can use oil only. The eggplant will absorb the oil, reduce the tendency to stick to the grill, and increase the heat transfer. The lemon juice reduces the amount of oil absorbed and reduces flame up on the grill.

Place on a moderate to low temperature oiled grill, cut side down. The ability to close the grill cover to stop any flame up is helpful, but you can start cooking at the grill edge and then move them to the center. Cook and time the cooking until the eggplants look done but not burned. It will only be 3 to 5 minutes, flip and cook on the reverse side for about the same time, maybe a minute less.

Eat them!

Pizza from the August Market

2008-08-11T11:00:00.010-04:00

Many years ago when I attended a conference in Naples I bought pizza from a vendor near the harbor. I was surprised at how simple and how good the pizza seemed compared to a typical US pizza of that time. Maybe it was just the location, but I have enjoyed making and eating simple pizza ever since.

Here is our variation of a simple pizza from the Market produce with a little help from the neighboring stores.

Baking the pizza strongly concentrates the flavor and sugar of the small tomatoes. The rosemary produces a very aromatic pizza, oregano would be more traditional, and basil an interesting alternative.

The hardest part of making the pizza is making the crust. Mill pond bakery used to bring pizza dough to the market. Perhaps if we start asking them for it they will resume bringing it and even place a sign when they have it.

August at the Market

2008-08-06T10:25:00.004-04:00

August is the beginning of the Fall Harvest Season. Perhaps the best time at the Market. Corn and tomatoes are plentiful. The early squash are in.

But best of all is the beginning of the fall fruit. Apricots are one of my favorites. Fresh peaches may be nicer for immediate consumption, but apricots make a better pie.

July 26, 2008

2008-07-26T15:50:00.005-04:00

Mildred Parker, one of the long term regular vendors at the market recently celebrated her 93rd birthday.

July

2008-07-12T12:29:00.006-04:00

It is summer at the Market. The field grown tomatoes and other summer produce are there. Wilson Farms estimates that their heirloom tomatoes will be there next week.

Here is a photo of a great tomato sandwich from last year. Made with a yellow heirloom tomato, basil, and cheese, all available at the Market.

May and June

2008-06-04T15:19:00.063-04:00

In May the Market begins its transition
from early flowers to the spring produce

first asparagus

and rhubarb

then lettuce

carrots

And then in June

Strawberries and

fresh greenhouse tomatoes

April - Spring is Finally at the Market!

2008-04-03T16:00:00.019-04:00

Dennis Sparr's flowers

Deloras Gracia's herbs

Denise Brock's plants,
and

Joe Ray 's tulips from
his Platt Road Greenhouse

March at the Market

2008-03-01T18:23:00.005-05:00

The forest gnomes have appeared with the first harbingers of spring.
If the pussy willows are here can the flowers be far behind?

Februrary at the Market

2008-02-23T16:08:00.003-05:00

We are beginning to see the early signs of spring. More sun, longer days, and slightly warmer temperatures make the hoop house growers happy. Last Saturday Shannon Brines didn't sell out until noon. Here is his story.

January at the Market

2008-01-16T14:49:00.001-05:00

In the winter months of January and February the Market rests. It does not sleep or die it just relaxes.

Many varieties of apples will keep 5 months under simple cold storage, longer under controlled atmosphere (low oxygen) conditions. So the apple vendors are usually there unless, or until, they
sell out

The chickens keep laying eggs, so the egg vendors keep coming to the market

.
Farmer John from Our Family Farm, L.L.C.

Ralph Snow is usually there with his maple syrup, but again this is the end of the season, so it depends on the yield last spring.

Ralph Snow - Snow's Sugar Bush

The real prize is fresh lettuce from Shannon Brines if the weather is not too cold. But you have to get there early.

Christmas Dinner from the Market

2007-12-25T09:10:00.001-05:00

This year we did a very nice dinner from items purchased at the Market with a little help from the Kerrytown shops and the Peoples Food Coop.

Buffalo Standing Rib Roast from TMZ Farms
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips from the market with herbs
A salad of fresh spinach (not Shown) from Brines Farms
Dessert was a Tangerine Barvarian Cream - Kerrytown shops and the Peoples Food Coop

The Market in December

2007-12-02T18:47:00.001-05:00

The Market is open all year, but it changes with the seasons. In December the fresh produce fades, replaced by apples and root vegetables that store. Poinsettias replace the summer flowers.

Not all of summer is lost. There are still a few vendors extending the season with greenhouses or hoop houses. Brines Farm is likely to be there with fresh salad lettuce and spinach. Dennis Sparr will probably be there with roses until Christmas.

But the real life of the Market in December is the Holiday greens. The Market has become the premiere Ann Arbor location for trees, wreaths, and other decorative greens.

Photos by Jessica Black

Update - revision

As a result of the recent cold weather Sparr has not been at the Market. There are many vendors selling holiday greenery, but not poinsettias.

October at the Market

2007-10-07T15:42:00.001-04:00

Now is the time for pumpkins and squash.

But peppers and corn are still at the Market until frost.

Pies

2007-09-04T12:49:00.000-04:00

Fall is a great time for pies. My brother-in-law thinks elderberries make the best of all pies. He picks copious quantities from the edge of his farm fields to bring to my sister. She freezes them so that he can have elderberry pie in winter.

I saw these at Wasem's and decided to make one too. If you continue to the recipe page there are illustrated instructions for the pie filling and crust. The crust recipe can be used for peach, apple and other pies. (continue)

Ratatouille – A Fine Mess of Vegetables

2007-09-01T17:20:00.000-04:00

Every fall I make a large batch of ratatouille. That way I have lots of this great vegetable stew left over to freeze. Why don't you make some too?
Step 1 is to go to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and purchase the vegetables. The fall harvest has arrived and all the necessary veggies are there. You will want tomatoes, eggplant, summer squash, garlic, peppers and herbs. The choices are flexible and it is not important to use the exact ratios I use.

Buying a loaf of bread Mill Pond bread to go with the ratatouille is a great idea. If you continue to the ratatouille page. the recipe and the method of production is there. (continue)

Summer Basil

2007-08-15T17:57:00.000-04:00

Fresh basil is at the market. By the bunch, about $1, or by the bushel, about $30. OK, a bushel of basil is a lot of pesto. But it is a long time to next summer.

Kim said:

Tomatoes, corn, basil. The summer trifecta. The real summer ephemerals. Daily happiness for about 1 or 2 months, then gone for another year. Everyone has the experience of looking forward to and waiting for your own county's tomatoes and corn to be ripe - because they are the best. Wherever you are, the ones from the farmstand down the road are the best in the entire country. Period. They just are.

What I wonder about us as Americans, is why we're so easily pacified with inferior substitutes…

Tomatoes

2007-08-08T13:28:00.001-04:00

There are tomatoes, tomatoes, and more tomatoes at the market. So why not have a red and yellow tomato sandwich? This one was made with organic heirloom tomatoes from Wilson's Produce. Garnished with basil and blue cheese, but Zingerman's goat cheese would work well also. Top with a dressing of your choice.

Joann Wilson said:

Thank you for the tomato feature. The photo of the sliced tomatoes looks very appetizing. :-) I will send this web site to my customers that I email every week.

Hotties at the Market

2007-07-30T08:06:00.002-04:00

These identify a market season. And just like the arrival of the first tomatoes and the first sweet corn of a season, when they first appear I always indulge.

My favorite way to prepare them is simply to roast, peal and eat. Roasting and pealing is the basis of using peppers in many cuisines, from mild sweet Italian roasted red pepper sauces to the fiery roasted red chili pastes of Thailand. The roasting seems to impart a sweet taste to the pepper, and in the case of a hot pepper reduces the heat.

I remove the tops, cut the chili in half and then remove the center stem and seeds. Grill over a hot fire, skin side down until the skin is blackened and uniformly blistered. Let the chili cool to comfortable touch and then peal the skin, which will remove easily. Then eat.

Alternately you can cook the chili whole and then skin and remove the stem and seeds. There are descriptions of many variations of the roasting process on the web.

Kim said...: Regarding chiles, I have a friend who lives in Santa Fe and she says that there are places there where you buy roasted chiles by the bushel - just roasted - and at the time of year when they're doing that (around September I think) the air in town everywhere smells like roasting chiles. ;)

Kim

Summer at the Farmers Market

2007-07-24T15:08:00.000-04:00

Are you glad to see the glads
or
aghast that it is nearly August?

Fresh apricots,
or better yet a potential
apricot pie!

And nectarines too!

Revised Market Ordinance and Market Rules

2007-07-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

The revised ordinance and Market Rules are on tonights agenda, July 16, 2007. It is public hearing three. You can speak without signing up in advance. Hope to see a few there.

Here is the email I sent to the Mayor and Council.

Mayor and Council Members:

I believe that the proposed reorganization of the Market Commission will be an improvement. At the very least, some alternative to the current Commission organization should to be considered.

In general the proposed Market Rules are also an improvement, however there are three areas where further improvement should be made.

First, the rules do not require that a vendor presenting his product as organic be a certified organic grower. If the Market is to prosper, customers must have the equal confidence in the advertising honesty at the Market as they would in a food store.

Second the rules introduce a new class of vendors, food cart vendors. If these vendors meet the same requirements as other vendors, why is a new class needed? Past experience indicates that this class of vendors may be allowed to simply buy resell products. If this is the intent, it is inconsistent with the Market Ordinance and other Market rules and this class of vendors should not be introduced.

Finally, the rules as amended by council, make it possible for a vendor to be permanently removed from the market without any opportunity to present his/her explanation or to appeal. The vendors need and deserve better procedural rights.

The attached PDF file contains additional supporting documentation and suggested modifications to the proposed Market Rules. I encourage you to pass tonights resolution and to direct the Community Services Administrator to promulgate these suggestions as technical corrections. The CSA has the authority to make these corrections with returning to Council for formal approval.

July at the Market

2007-07-07T19:31:00.001-04:00

Peaches!

Corn!

A new vendor too!

Comment Received

2007-07-07T07:15:00.000-04:00

The great thing about the market is the availability of things not commonly found in grocery stores.

My parents grew gooseberries and currants. Currant pie was one of my favorites.

Thanks to Wasems I am able to still enjoy this treat

July 1, 2007 9:12 AM

Summer Market

2007-06-26T13:12:00.001-04:00

The summer produce is now at the market. The veggies are coming on strong: lettuce, onions small cucumbers and eggplant. But I like foraging for berries. And there are many to choose from. The strawberries are still there, but there are also:

Blueberries

Gooseberries

and Cherries too.

Cherries

2007-06-21T15:21:00.000-04:00

Kapnick Orchards, Detroit Street aisle near the center, reports that they will have sweet cherries at the Market this Saturday, June 23, 2007.

Introduction

2007-06-20T17:22:00.001-04:00

This is the premier post of the Arbor Market Blog. The blog topic is all things about the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. It is an independent blog, not officially associated with the city of Ann Arbor.

We welcome vendors posting the seasonal arrival of their fresh produce. Suggestions for use of your produce or recipes are also encouraged.

The Market is presently in the process of change. Both physically and organizationally. We will try to keep all advised of these changes and encourage everyone to express their opinions here and to their elected representaives.