Sweetwater Celebrates St. Pat’s Day with Irish Band this Saturday!

Irish Musicians to Perform at Sweetwater Saturday March 14th!

Tiki O'Riley at the Ada Parks Farm Festival Fall 2008
Tiki O'Riley at the Ada Parks Farm Festival Fall 2008

Q: What do you get when you throw together a half-dozen fiddlers, assorted guitars, a penny whistle or two, flutes, dulcimers, string bass, mandolins, and bodhrans (Irish drums), and sprinkle with a liberal dose of Guinness?
A: Tiki O’Riley!

On Saturday, March 14th from 9:30 to 12:30 the Sweetwater Local Foods Market will feature (minus the Guinness) Tiki O’Riley, a loose-knit group of West Michigan musicians who play Irish “session” music – traditional tunes often played in Irish pubs. Their “performances” are generally run as inclusive, informal open sessions where anyone can join in.

“Irish music brought us together as friends,” said Tiki “Ringleader” Bobbi Sabine, of Grand Haven, a fiddler. “We met out at Fenian’s Pub in Conklin, playing the Wednesday night sessions there, and have developed great friendships. None of us are professional musicians, but we have great fun playing together – what the Irish call craic, meaning a good time.”

Songs are traditional Irish, old time, bluegrass, polkas, folk type music, including instrumentals and singing. You can hear a sampling on www.myspace.com/tikioriley.

Bluegrass Returns to Market!

Bluegrass Returns to the Market!
Bluegrass Returns to the Market!

The bluegrass musicians known collectively as Front Porch PIckin’ will return to the market this Saturday to entertain all with more great olde time music!This weeks musicians include: Merials Kitchen (Thom, Wyatt, and the Sorensons) with Jo Ann Windberg, Bill, Donna and Jeff on backup. Come enjoy the music from 10:00 to 12:30. Market opens at 9:00am.

Front Porch Pickin’ Returns!

Front Porch Pickin' at January 3rd MktFront Porch Pickin’ at January 3rd Mkt

Mix great local food and bluegrass music, and what have you got? FUN!Fiddlin' up a good time!Fiddlin’ up a good time!!

Fun time was had by all....A great time was had by all….

Sweetwater Local Foods Market will again welcome the bluegrass entertainers known collectively as Front Porch Pickin’ this Saturday, January 17th,  performing from 10:00am to 12:30. Customers can expect to hear old and new bluegrass tunes played on mandolins, guitars, fiddles, saws and dobro. This weeks musicians includes: Back Row Pickers with Jo Ann on Mandolin & Vocals; Bill on Guitar and Donna on Guitar & Vocals; and the Rhythm Wranglers with Don on the Dobro, Ginger on Guitar & Vocals, Walt on Electric Lead Guitar, and Rev Don on Upright Bass & Harmony Vocals, Jeff on the Fiddle and George on Guitar & Vocals.

While you’re enjoying the music support our local farmers and vendors and bring home some healthy locally produced foods.  Home-made soaps and body care.  And check out this week’s New Vendors!

Earthscape/Full Circle Farm of Hesperia
We are glad to be back at the Market this week!
HIGHER GROUNDS COFFEE! I’ll be bringing an assortment of 1# bags. All profits from the coffee will be donated to Sweetwater Market.
Bobier Farm-Raised Beef ~ Ground Beef, steaks, roasts, stew meat, short ribs, soup bones, heart, tongue and beef liver. Our newest beef is 100% grass-fed; stock your freezers for winter! We are bringing more recipes this week. Check us out.
Pork ~ We have 1 side of pork available for sale. Call or email if you are interested.
Veggies ~ Red and Yellow Onions, Garlic Bulbs and Red and Savoy Cabbages ~ from storage in our root cellar.
Fresh Rosemary from the Greenhouse.
Organic Olive Oil! These oils are imported from all over the world. They are grown, pressed and bottled on small organic farms. Incredible quality! Check out http://organicoliveoilcompany.com
Now in stock:
Lakelands 250 ml decanter $25
Mansur 375 ml $15; 750 ml $25
Villa Stabbia 375 ml $25
Catalan 250 ml $16; 500 ml $24
Moutere Grove 250 ml $20; 500 ml $35
Earthly Kneads of Muskegon
Kudos to Gail for the wonderful article in the Muskegon Chronicle!
Check it out at:
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/01/sun_biz_knead_bread_downtown_m.html
This week’s goodies from the bakery:
Scones: Dark chocolate cherry and other favorites.
Cookies: Gluten-free Peanut Butter cookies.
Breads: Pumpernickel, Seeded Spelt, Whole Grain Spelt, Breakfast Bread, French Bread and Just Plain Gouda. If time allows, Gail will include that to die for Chocolate Cherry Bread.
Granola & Gorp
Nice selection of fresh-baked customer favorites.
Extras
Peanut Butter & Almond Butter from Naturally Nutty
Preserves, Hot Sauce, Salsa, & Vinegar from Food For Thought
Steve n’ Sons Grassfields Farm of Coopersville
Certified Organic raw milk cheeses in the Dutch process tradition. Gouda, Gouda with Dill, Leyden (Gouda with Cumin), Gouda Spice (garlic & onion), Edam, and Lamont Cheddar.
Creswick Farms of Ravenna
Handcrafted Sausages and Specialty Meats
Fresh-Aire Pastured Pork.
Hickory Smoked Nitrite-Free Bacon, Boneless Pork Chops, Pork Breakfast sausage in links & bulk. Soup Seasoning Bacon Ends.
Pork Sausages: Garlic Kielbasa
Chicken Sausages include: Apple/Chicken Sausage Links and Chicken with Spinach & Feta Cheese.
Pastured Chicken
New! Smoked Chicken. Also: Whole Broilers, Ground Chicken.
Grass-fed Beef
Filet Mignon, Round Roast and Ground Beef in 1 lb pkg and ¼ lb Beef Burgers 4/pkg
New Product! Pet Food. Beef, lamb, chicken in ½ # pkg $2.00. Try it, your carnivores will love it!
Pre-Orders: Email Chris Bedford at chrisbedford@charter.net by Monday before the market and he will have it ready for you to pick up on Saturday. For a complete list of products, please see the website: www.CreswickFarms.com .
Ag and Health Alive of Marne
From Nantucket Bread Company of Grand Rapids: Chilled Whole Wheat Pizza Dough! Sold in single size bags, just roll out on a pizza tin, let rise a bit and then add your favorite toppings! Also: Whole Wheat Raisin Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, Seven-Grain Sourdough bread, Cranberry Walnut bread and Health Muffins. Made of whole grain organic flours.
Again this week! Duck Eggs. Fed certified organic feed. Find out why many bakers insist on using Duck Eggs.
Lamb! This week at the market: We have individual cuts of lamb in chops, roasts, ground lamb, stew meat and shanks. We are an authorized Fertrell Dealer and have a huge list of available organic garden supplies.
Veggies from our Root Cellar: Turnips & Butternut Squash.
Olson Farm of Shelby
Taste of Spring Maple Syrup. Making maple syrup from the over 300 trees on the farm has been an Olson tradition for three generations now.
Potatoes. Red Norland, Pontiac and Reddale Red potatoes, the Butte White Baking Potato; and Swedish, Russian & Banana fingerling potatoes.
Onions. Red Zeppelin and white keeping onions.
Happy Hill Farm of Hart
Turkey Sausage and Ground Turkey . Breakfast, Italian, Brat & Chorizo. Breakfast & Italian in links/andor bulk. Turkeys were fed certified organic feed.
Ducks! Young and tender. The drakes weigh about 6 lbs.; the hens are just over 3 lbs.
Pastured turkey: Fed certified organic grain. We will have frozen packaged thighs, drumsticks, breast roast, sliced breast, and tenderloin.
Pastured chicken: Two options: Frozen chicken fed certified organic grains or chicken fed our own 2nd year transition corn. We have all cuts—whole, cut up, bone-in and boneless skinless breast, drumsticks, thighs, leg quarters and wings, soup stock, feet, liver, hearts and gizzards. All of our meats are raised on pasture with daily moves, and are processed on farm: no stressful transporting.
Stewing Hens. Hens retired from laying eggs make the best chicken soup in the world! Simmer these gals for several hours and you have genuine old-fashioned chicken! Or roast on high in the crockpot with no water for 8-12 hours for scrumptious roasted chicken!
Rabbit. Whole, frozen. Raised by David Filbrun on the farm.
Pastured Eggs. Large Eggs from free-range chickens.
Abundant Harvest Bakery Granola Breakfast Cookies plus a gluten-free option will be at Happy Hill booth.
Martinus Maple Syrup of West Olive
We learned the art of sugaring off via apprenticeship from an elderly neighbor, and it was soon in our blood. Our home-operation started in the early 1990s, and moved indoors into our sugar shack in 2001. Yearly, we tap about 80 trees, and with 150 taps, produce on average, 25 gallons.
Bill and Shirley Martinus
17300 Beach Ridge Way
West Olive, MI 49460

HandCrafteds
Locally made products good for the body and spirit!

New Vendor!
Creature Comforts of Grand Haven
Owner Eileen Petersen: “I have been quilting for friends and family for 25 years and truly enjoy it! It seemed time to expand into broader horizons so I am attempting to build a business selling to the public. All Creature Comforts items are hand-made by me in my own home, from soft pre-washed cotton. For my first market at Sweetwater I will bring hand quilted & tied baby quilts, soft baby blocks, and potholders. I’m sure there will be new inspirations in the next few months!”
Welcome, Eileen!

New Vendor!
Sochon & Halona Pottery of Twin Lake
Transplanted to Michigan just two years ago from Chicago, Sweetwater welcomes husband & wife team Flynn Sochon and Halona Gustin! Flynn holds both a B.S. and M.S. degree in Ceramics from Illinois State University. He has given many workshops, seminars, and demonstrations throughout the region, and has taught at Flatland Pottery for 30 years. His works can be found in corporate and private collections in China, Japan, Germany, Israel, France, Mexico, Canada, and throughout the U.S. Halona exhibits her work at numerous arts fairs throughout the Midwest. Her work is inspired by nature, specifically the beauty of Western Michigan. They will bring a selection of their current works.
4200 Obenauf Rd
Twin Lake, MI, 49457
(231) 821-0850

Under the Pines of Fruitport
For a fresh start to the new year, try our handcrafted soaps in the following aromas: Patchouli and Sweet Orange, Lavender & Tea Tree, Lemongrass & Coconut, Lacy Lavender. All of our soaps have 10% shea butter added to help fight that winter “dry” skin. All of the above soaps have matching body butters, wonderful for moisturizing feet, knees, elbows, cuticles and hands. Also try our new Triple Tree soap. This soap is made with corn mint, spearmint, peppermint and tea tree essential oils. Leaves your skin with that fresh tingly feeling. Nice assortment of hand crafted bath and body goodies too! Stop by and see our specials!
Bee and Botanicals of Spring Lake
Lavender dryer bags, floral and woodsy sachets, hand crafted cards and gift tags.

Organic Bluegrass This Saturday!

Sweetwater Local Foods Market
Saturday, January 31st, 9:00am to 1:00pm
Winter Market Indoors at Hackley Health at the Lakes
On Harvey St. ½ mile S of Lakes Mall-exit US31 at Pontaluna Rd
We are a Bridge Card Market

Bluegrass Returns to Sweetwater!
Join this week’s group of musicians playing your favorite olde time music!
Visit Sweetwater Good Food News Blog for Details!
http://sweetwaterlocalfoodsmarket.wordpress.com/

This Week’s Vendors Include:
Creswick Farms of Ravenna
Handcrafted Sausages and Specialty Meats
Fresh-Aire Pastured Pork.
Hickory Smoked Nitrite-Free Bacon, Boneless Pork Chops, Pork Breakfast sausage in links & bulk. Soup Seasoning Bacon Ends.
Pork Sausages: Garlic Kielbasa
Chicken Sausages include: Apple/Chicken Sausage Links and Chicken with Spinach & Feta Cheese.
Lamb Sausages include: Moroccan Lamb Sausage.
Pastured Chicken
Ground Chicken is all that will be available until close to spring.
Grass-fed Beef
Filet Mignon, Round Roast and Ground Beef in 1 lb pkg and ¼ lb Beef Burgers 4/pkg
New Product! If you’re as tired and worried as we are about problems with contamination of our pets food, there’s hope! Creswick Farms is now offering a combo ½# package of ground beef, lamb, & chicken for $2.00! Meat is frozen, uncooked. Cook, add your own fresh greens and cooked rice and you have a great locally made food your pets will devour!
Pre-Orders: Email Chris Bedford at chrisbedford@charter.net by Monday before the market and he will have it ready for you to pick up on Saturday. For a complete list of products, please see the website: www.CreswickFarms.com .
Earthscape/Full Circle Farm of Hesperia
HIGHER GROUNDS COFFEE! I’ll be bringing an assortment of 1# bags. All profits from the coffee will be donated to Sweetwater Market.
Bobier Farm-Raised Beef ~ Ground Beef, steaks, rolled rump roast, heart, and beef liver. We should have a fresh supply of beef (by the piece/pound and quarters) by the end of February. We can butcher again as soon as the snow melts enough to dig out the livestock trailor and haul more steers to the processor!
Pork ~ We have 1 side of pork available for sale. Call or email if you are interested.
Veggies ~ Red and Yellow Onions, Garlic Bulbs and Savoy Cabbages ~ from storage in our root cellar.
Fresh Rosemary from the Greenhouse.
Organic Olive Oil! These oils are imported from all over the world. They are grown, pressed and bottled on small organic farms. Incredible quality! Check out http://organicoliveoilcompany.com
Now in stock:
Mansur 375 ml $15; 750 ml $25
Villa Stabbia 375 ml $25
Catalan 250 ml $16; 500 ml $24
Moutere Grove 250 ml $20; 500 ml $35
Earthly Kneads of Muskegon
Gail has been called out of town on an unexpected emergency. Her shop is closed as well. We will keep everyone posted when she returns.
Steve n’ Sons Grassfields Farm of Coopersville
Certified Organic raw milk cheeses in the Dutch process tradition. Gouda, Gouda with Dill, Leyden (Gouda with Cumin), Gouda Spice (garlic & onion), Edam, and Lamont Cheddar.
Ag and Health Alive of Marne
From Nantucket Bread Company of Grand Rapids: Chilled Whole Wheat Pizza Dough! Sold in single size bags, just roll out on a pizza tin, let rise a bit and then add your favorite toppings! Also: Whole Wheat Raisin Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, Seven-Grain Sourdough bread, Cranberry Walnut bread and Health Muffins. Made of whole grain organic flours.
Again this week! Duck Eggs. Fed certified organic feed. Find out why many bakers insist on using Duck Eggs.
Lamb! This week at the market: We have individual cuts of lamb in chops, roasts, ground lamb, stew meat and shanks. We are an authorized Fertrell Dealer and have a huge list of available organic garden supplies.
Veggies from our Root Cellar: Turnips & Butternut Squash.
Olson Farm of Shelby
Taste of Spring Maple Syrup. Making maple syrup from the over 300 trees on the farm has been an Olson tradition for three generations now.
Potatoes. Red Norland, Pontiac and Reddale Red potatoes, the Butte White Baking Potato; and Swedish, Russian & Banana fingerling potatoes.
Onions. Red Zeppelin and white keeping onions.
Happy Hill Farm of Hart
Turkey Sausage and Ground Turkey . Breakfast, Italian, Brat & Chorizo. Breakfast & Italian in links/andor bulk. Turkeys were fed certified organic feed.
Ducks! Young and tender. The drakes weigh about 6 lbs.; the hens are just over 3 lbs.
Pastured turkey: Fed certified organic grain. We will have frozen packaged thighs, drumsticks, breast roast, sliced breast, and tenderloin.
Pastured chicken: Two options: Frozen chicken fed certified organic grains or chicken fed our own 2nd year transition corn. We have all cuts—whole, cut up, bone-in and boneless skinless breast, drumsticks, thighs, leg quarters and wings, soup stock, feet, liver, hearts and gizzards. All of our meats are raised on pasture with daily moves, and are processed on farm: no stressful transporting.
Stewing Hens. Hens retired from laying eggs make the best chicken soup in the world! Simmer these gals for several hours and you have genuine old-fashioned chicken! Or roast on high in the crockpot with no water for 8-12 hours for scrumptious roasted chicken!
Rabbit. Whole, frozen. Raised by David Filbrun on the farm.
Pastured Eggs. Large Eggs from free-range chickens.
Abundant Harvest Bakery Granola Breakfast Cookies plus a gluten-free option will be at Happy Hill booth.
Martinus Maple Syrup of West Olive
We learned the art of sugaring off via apprenticeship from an elderly neighbor, and it was soon in our blood. Our home-operation started in the early 1990s, and moved indoors into our sugar shack in 2001. Yearly, we tap about 80 trees, and with 150 taps, produce on average, 25 gallons.
Bill and Shirley Martinus
17300 Beach Ridge Way
West Olive, MI 49460
HandCrafteds
Locally made products good for the body and spirit!
Under the Pines of Fruitport
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Pretty drawstring bags with our product tucked inside or soaps with soap dishes and sisal bags tied together with a ribbon make nice little presents for friends and family. Try our handcrafted soaps in the following aromas: Patchouli and Sweet Orange, Lavender & Tea Tree, Lemongrass & Coconut, Lacy Lavender. All of our soaps have 10% shea butter added to help fight that winter “dry” skin. All of the above soaps have matching body butters, wonderful for moisturizing feet, knees, elbows, cuticles and hands. Also try our new Triple Tree soap. This soap is made with corn mint, spearmint, peppermint and tea tree essential oils. Leaves your skin with that fresh tingly feeling. Nice assortment of hand crafted bath and body products and essential oils. Hand crafted dog soap and paw pad balm too!
Bee and Botanicals of Spring Lake
Lavender dryer bags, floral and woodsy sachets, hand crafted cards and gift tags. *New for kitty-organic catnip toys. Theresa’s Bags n’Blooms of Ravenna
If you attended a market last summer chances are you remember Theresa and her beautiful flowers and hand-sewn bags. She returns to the market this week with a new batch of produce bags and all-purpose bags.
Brittanie’s Thyme
Nancy Schaap will return with lots of great all organic body care items, including
Organic Citrus Facial Cleanser (4oz – $12.00) and organic Hair Silk (1oz – $7.50). The Organic Citrus Facial Cleanser uses organic aloe, organic jojoba oil, organic grapefruit and rosemary essential oils to gently remove make-up, dirt and oils from your complexion. It also promotes hydration and moisturizing, even after you rinse your face. This product is an excellent part of daily skin care for all ages an especially teens as it will not over dry or clog pores. A great partner for some with our Organic Acne Treatment!
Brittanie’s Thyme is listed at Coop America (www.coopamerica.org) and Safe Cosmetics (www.safecosmetics.org), two entities who patrol the authenticity and safety of organic products. We are also making plans to become USDA certified organic very soon.
Imagination to Creation Jewelry of North Muskegon
I.C. Jewelry was begun nearly 6 years ago by local artist Patti Featherly, who will join us again this week showing some of her beautiful and functional jewelry items.
Last week for year-end sale! I will be offering 40 to 70% off on necklace sets, 30% off earrings. These items will not be available again, so be sure to stop by and have a look! In preparation for Valentines Day I will also offer some new pieces, not on sale.
Creature Comforts of Grand Haven
Owner Eileen Petersen: “I have been quilting for friends and family for 25 years and truly enjoy it! It seemed time to expand into broader horizons so I am attempting to build a business selling to the public. All Creature Comforts items are hand-made by me in my own home, from soft pre-washed cotton. For my first market at Sweetwater I will bring hand quilted & tied baby quilts, soft baby blocks, and potholders. I’m sure there will be new inspirations in the next few months!”
Sochon & Halona Pottery of Twin Lake
Transplanted to Michigan just two years ago from Chicago, Sweetwater welcomes husband & wife team Flynn Sochon and Halona Gustin! Flynn holds both a B.S. and M.S. degree in Ceramics from Illinois State University. He has given many workshops, seminars, and demonstrations throughout the region, and has taught at Flatland Pottery for 30 years. His works can be found in corporate and private collections in China, Japan, Germany, Israel, France, Mexico, Canada, and throughout the U.S. Halona exhibits her work at numerous arts fairs throughout the Midwest. Her work is inspired by nature, specifically the beauty of Western Michigan. They will bring a selection of their current works.
4200 Obenauf Rd
Twin Lake, MI, 49457
(231) 821-0850

Last but not least: A bit of a belated thanks goes to Julie Myrmel for her super generous gift to market vendors at Christmas of handmade wooden bowls beautifully crafted by her father Robert Frantz.

We would also like to thank Jo Ann Windberg for her contribution to Friends of the Market! Jo Ann is the organizer behind the wonderful music we’ve been hearing at the market for the last month!

If you would like to become a Friend of the Market for a suggested donation of $10.00, which entitles you to a free cup of coffee at every market you attend for a full year, please see me at the market this Saturday! We will also have Higher Grounds Coffee by the Cup for a suggested donation of $1.00.

Please remember that we are closed next Saturday, February 7th. We will be open again on Saturday, February 14th, and every other Saturday thereafter until spring.

Winter Market Season Opens with Customer Appreciation Day!

Mercy General Partners Hackley Health at the Lakes
Mercy General Partners Hackley Health at the Lakes
Sweetwater Winter Market inside Lobby
Sweetwater Winter Market inside Lobby
Sweetwater Winter Market View from 2nd floor
Sweetwater Winter Market View from 2nd floor

Saturday, November 22nd 9:00am to 1:00pm

Sweetwater Local Foods Market will open its Winter Market Season with a Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday, November 22nd from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Shoppers can sample free cookies and organic coffee and sign up for gift drawings at each vendor booth. Field Reichardt, owner of Organic Olive Oil Company of Spring Lake, will be on hand to offer tastings of his newest oils.

Sweetwater will offer market-goers a great option for shopping for locally produced holiday gifts. Each Saturday a unique assortment of gift items will be available from local artists and craftspeople including: holiday jewelry gift sets, felted scarves & purses, Christmas wreaths and garlands, handcrafted soaps, lotions and body care products, and much more. Of course there will also be all of the wonderful locally grown meats, eggs, cheeses, baked goods and fresh winter veggies customers have come to expect from Sweetwater Local Foods Market farmers & vendors.

The Sweetwater Winter Market will be open every Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm through December 20th. The market will be closed on December 27th and will reopen January 3th and every other Saturday thereafter until May, when the market resumes its every Saturday market.

The Market operates in the lobby of the Mercy General Partners Hackley Health at the Lakes building on Harvey Street south of the Muskegon Lakes Mall near the Pontaluna Road/US31 interchange.

For more information contact:

Market Manager Diana Jancek

231 893-0323

Website at www.sweetwaterlocalfoodsmarket.org

ROTHBURY the name will never be the same….

Sweetwater Vendors at ROTHBURY Festival
Sweetwater Vendors at ROTHBURY Festival

Well, we did it! A Four day Farmers Market at a festival with 40,000 people!
The freak storm the day before the festival took two of our pop-up tents and twisted them like Tinker Toys and damaged 3 more. We got soaked at the beginning and end of the festival, and didn’t sell nearly enough of our wonderful food because we ended up in a quiet cul-de-sac but still, most of us said we would go back next year.

On day two I started to write down names of states as people walked up: Oregon, Maine, Ohio, New Jersey, Tennessee, Colorado….that whole day there was only 1 couple from Michigan, and they had just gotten back from East Africa! They were coming home to be married and then returning after the festival. Working with kids in a refugee camp.

The festival itself was truly amazing. The way the visual arts were woven into and around the music, one could walk from a huge red-curtained venue ringed with food vendor booths, mega pop stars (John Mayer, and is that….her?) and thousands of cheering fans, to an eerily quiet woods with wonderful hammocks to swing in, bathed in soft swirling lights, and then back to a rave dome packed with frenetic dancers and a never-ending thrumbeat. It just went on and on.

The people who did find us, who made the U-Turn away from the main path out of the campground back to us, appreciated finding such great fresh organically grown food. There were many many great conversations around food, just like at our regular market. Only difference was sometimes you would be talking to a person dressed in a turquoise sequined rabbit suit, or a fairy with wings.

These are a few of my favorite things….

Brief rainstorm at market early summer 08
Brief rainstorm at market early summer 08

The market yesterday was lovely. Cloudy skies and a weirdly wild but brief storm the night before had us worried that we would have to cram everyone inside, but positive thinking sent the clouds away and we had a good market. Our fundraiser the week before for the Groundswell Community Farm netted $220 for Katie and Anna – we hope that helps them get back to us soon! Thanks to everyone who contributed, and the Groundswell Gals thank you too!

This morning I was thinking what a blessing it is to be associated with such hard working splendid people like the farmers and vendors of Sweetwater. This came to me as I cut two thin slices of Das Brot, Earthly Kneads fabulous Spelt Bread, and toasted it. To this I added a schmear of Dancing Goat Creamery’s plain Goat Cheese, and topped it off with a dollop of Food for Thought’s Wild Blueberry Merlot jam. We had strawberries from Fruitful Acres so I added a handful to a smoothie made with my own homemade Keifer made with raw milk from our milk share with Liberty Family Farm. Breakfast, and what a great one!

Anyone have other Sweetwater food stories to share? Do tell!