In this Issue: |
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We only have a few weeks left of the Martinez Farmers'
Market and you won't want to miss a single
one. The variety at the Market this time of year
is really incredible. This past week I made a hearty
pot of vegetable soup to warm myself after a chilly fall
day. For dessert I had a juicy, sweet fruit cup with
fresh
peaches and berries. Only in California! So
get down to the Market this Sunday and enjoy the best
of what our local farms have to offer. Stop by the
Manager's stall and say "hi". 
 Over the next several weeks we will be talking about the "O" word, no, not that "O" word Dr. Ruth, but Organic. I know this is old news to some but it always bears repeating. This information has been culled from many different sources and where links are available to other websites take the time to visit them. The complexity and amount of information that is out there is staggering and sometimes drier than Mt. Diablo in August. If you are truly interested and want the foods you eat to be organic or as close to organic as you can get then Learn On, fellow Lettuce Leafers. A special thanks to all the nice folks at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) www.ofrf.org who made these articles possible. They could use your help by way of a small donation so give a little bit here, www.ofrf.org/giving/donateonline.html What is organic farming? Organic farming refers to agricultural production systems used to produce food and fiber. Organic farming management relies on developing biological diversity in the field to disrupt habitat for pest organisms, and the purposeful maintenance and replenishment of soil fertility. Organic farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. All kinds of agricultural products are produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, and fibers such as cotton, flowers, and processed food products. Some of the essential characteristics of organic systems include: design and implementation of an "organic system plan" that describes the practices used in producing crops and livestock products; a detailed recordkeeping system that tracks all products from the field to point of sale; and maintenance of buffer zones to prevent inadvertent contamination by synthetic farm chemicals from adjacent conventional fields. What does certified organic mean? Certified organic refers to agricultural products that have been grown and processed according to uniform standards, verified by independent state or private organizations accredited by the USDA. All products sold as "organic" must be certified. Certification includes annual submission of an organic system plan and inspection of farm fields and processing facilities. Inspectors verify that organic practices such as long-term soil management, buffering between organic farms and neighboring conventional farms, and recordkeeping are being followed. Processing inspections include review of the facility's cleaning and pest control methods, ingredient transportation and storage, and recordkeeping and audit control. Organic foods are minimally processed to maintain the integrity of food without artificial ingredients or preservatives. Certified organic requires the rejection of synthetic agrochemicals, irradiation and genetically engineered foods or ingredients. Since 2002, organic certification in the U.S. has taken place under the authority of the USDA National Organic Program, which accredits organic certifying agencies, and oversees the regulatory process. To find out more about the national organic certification requirements and organic program, please go to the USDA National Organic Program website www.ams.usda.gov/nop. Is organic food more nutritious than conventional food? The definitive study has not been done, mainly because of the multitude of variables involved in making a fair comparison between organically grown and conventionally grown food. These include crop variety, time after harvest, post-harvest handling, and even soil type and climate, which can have significant effects on nutritional quality. However, a 2002 report indicates that organic food is far less likely to contain pesticide residues than conventional food (13% of organic produce samples vs. 71% of conventional produce samples contained a pesticide residue, when long-banned persistent pesticides were excluded). For more information on this 2002 report (Baker, B.P., C.M. Benbrook, E. Groth III, and K.L. Benbrook. 2002. Pesticide residues in conventional, integrated pest management (IPM)-grown and organic food: insights from three US data sets. Food Additives and Contaminants 19:427-446.) Go to the Organic Materials Review Institute website www.omri.org Keith Farley can be reached at wmarket@cccfm.org |
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is officially cooler here in the far East Bay and I am suspecting
that we have seen the last of any rising mercury for a few months.
This translates into cool weather food. Winter squashes are loading
up the tables at the farmers market and the greens and spinach
are taking on that cool temperature gemstone gloss. These greens
really don't appreciate hot weather and tend to come alive
in the fall and spring. As you walk around your neighborhood you
can spot the pomegranates coming on with their rich garnet colors
peeking out from the branches of the trees. In a few weeks the
persimmons will finish their coloring process bumping out the
green and becoming bright orange globes hanging out for all to
see. We should see the fuyus showing up in the markets
in the next 2 or 3 weeks for the smooth transmission from sexy
peach to sweet and crunchy alternate winter fruit. Not to diss
the apples around now. There are some amazing flavors coming out
of Stan's van as well as all the other apple sellers too.
The strawberries will vanish with the first rain so prepare yourself
to let go and start thinking of your alternative now before the
dt's set in. We spent the last couple of days at the Troy Spencer Memorial Garden with a couple hundred 7th grade science students getting in some winter crops such as peas, lettuce and other greens, carrots and radishes. As usual the kids had a blast and got a tremendous amount of work done. They would never go back to class if they did not have to. We have harvested a couple of the huge pumpkins before they got nicked and they are residing very proudly in the office for all to see. We are having an essay contest at the school to give these beauties away. The garden is still supplying the cafeteria with copious amounts of Laurie's Sun Gold cherry tomatoes along with cucumbers and zucchini. We have the biggest Loofa sponges I have ever seen and the kids go nuts with these. They are going to dry out in the science classes all winter and we will then cut them up into sponges. We are hoping to have enough to give one to any kid that wants it. On Sunday, October 8, we will be finishing the boxes at the College Park High School Organic Garden. We hope to get the students planting by the end of the month at the latest. The salad bar at Strandwood got off to a great start this week with a whole bunch of excited little vegetable eaters with demand to buy their lunch directed to the parents or money holders. We are almost ready to get the Las Juntas Salad bar off the ground this month as we work out the kinks. Lesley Stiles can be reached at chef@cccfm.org or on the market hotline 925 431-8361 |