CHASING SPRING: Organic Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday!

easter_egg_hunt_party_sign
Hunt Starts Promptly at 10:30!

Sweetwater Local Foods Market

Saturday, March 30th, 2013, 9:00am to 1:00pm
 Mercy Health Partners/Hackley Health at the Lakes
On 6401 Harvey St. at US31/Pontaluna Rd. Exit. 1st Bldg North of Pontaluna Rd.

We accept Bridge Cards Year Round!

 

CHASING SPRING EASTER EGG HUNT!

http://sweetwaterlocalfoodsmarket.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/easter-egg-poster.pdf

The “Hunt” will start promptly at 10:30, so Parents please have Kids at the market at least 5 minutes early.

 

How to  Dye Easter Eggs Naturally!

Amanda Jones will have an ongoing demonstration table at her booth. See how easy and beautiful eggs can be dyed naturally!

 

Attending this week’s market:

Chickadee Creek Farm of Nunica

Put a locally grown ham on your Easter dinner table this year and the rave reviews will pour in!  We will be at market Saturday with more of our delicious picnic hams, pork chops and steaks, smoked ham slices, smoked hocks and more! Our Mulefoot pork was selected as a Heritage Breed by the Slow Ark of Food. If you haven’t tried our pork yet—you are missing out!

 

Hickory Ridge Family Farm of Ferry

Be sure to check our stock of Easter Hams! Weights range from 4 to six pounds. Nitrate-free. Raised on pasture, our pigs get 60% of their diet from foraging. We’ll have all other cuts: bacon, pork steaks, ham roasts, ham slices, ham hocks, ground pork in one pound pkgs, shoulder roasts and our newest product –  Smoked Ham Ends & Pieces! Use for flavoring all your soups, stews and casseroles.

 

Shady Side Farm of Holland

Special of the Week, and an Easter Basket idea! Lona of Shady Side Farm will be at market again this week with wool products and certified organic beans. It’s maple syrup season, and so we’ll feature the Jacob’s Cattle Gold Beans as our Special of the Week. This week the 2-lb. bags will be available for $10, regularly $11.50. Jacob’s Cattle Gold Beans are eye-catching heirloom beans that are a stabilized cross between Jacob’s Cattle and Paint Beans. This unique bean is gold in color and has white speckled markings. It soaks up flavors well and holds its shape under long cooking. Lona will also have along wool felting kits and roving if you make Easter Baskets–craft supplies are much healthier than candy!

 

Funny Farm of Grant

Spinach & Spring Mix!

 

Maple Moon Farm of Shelby

This week we have SPINACH, fresh picked from the hoop!

Our delicious and versatile Red LaSoda potatoes are still storing well.  Come and get the last of potatoes.

We have our normal spread of herbals; teas, creams, lip balms, and few remaining salves.  Do you want something herbal that we don’t make?  Let us know!

PRE-ORDER ONLY: Sliced bacon and ground breakfast sausage from our pasture raised pigs.  Our pigs forage and have access to non-GMO grain.  Please email orders to maplemoonfarm@gmail.com by Friday evening.

We are seeing sure signs of spring coming, which means more veggies!  Check out our FB page for photos and updates on what is growing on our farm.  Did you see the wee tomato plants poking out of the soil?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maple-Moon-Farm/266858233357042

 

Crow Feather Farm of Hesperia

Greens! If you were on the Dec 2nd Farm Tour you will remember the first stop at the farm of Nick Partee and Carolyn Harper. They are excited to be bringing their greens to market for the first time, and you can find them at the Earthscape Farm vendor booth!

 

Earthscape Farm of Hesperia

Cabbage – red, smooth green, and Savoy.  Potatoes ~ Red Norland, White (Kennebec, Russet, Bintje, Augusta).  We have really nice ones and some seconds. Garlic.

Eggs ~ our own, and we will be selling Nic and Carolyn’s (Crow Feather Farm) eggs, too.

The BOBIER BEEF Story ~  Our steers and cows were born on our Farm, as were their great-great-great Grandmothers.  We’ve been doing rotational pastures since the 70’s.  We only buy bulls for breeding, and they come from reputable farmers in Michigan.  Our cows raise their own calves until they are weaned at about 9 months.  We raise our own hay, plus what we buy comes from our own neighborhood so we know how it was grown. Our cattle have access to 3-5 acre yards through the winter, with some barn access, fresh water, bedding straw, and all the hay they can eat.  The steers get minimal amounts of homegrown and ground grain during the colder months (like Dessert!).  We think this makes our beef tasty and tender, with all the benefits of grass-fed beef, too!

We are picking up another pallet of beef today so should have all cuts available! 

At the market this week:

Ground beef  1 lb pkgs, or our ground special below.

PRE-ORDER OUR GROUND BEEF SPECIAL to be sure to get some!  10 packages for $48.

New item! Ground Beef Patties!  1/4 lb each, 2-4 to a package

Ground Sirloin

Bone-In:  Rib, T-Bone and Porterhouse Steaks

Boneless:  Tenderloin – Do a stir-fry with a small package or grill some larger steaks!

We recently found a package of tenderloin from 2009 on the bottom of the home freezer.  Still as delicious, mouth watering, tender.  Vacuum-packing really keeps beef from getting freezer burn.

Boneless:  NY Strip, Sirloin and RibEye Steaks.

Roasts:  Rolled Rump, Arm and Chuck

Stew Meat

Swiss Steak & Round Steak

Short Ribs, also good for meaty soups

Tongue,  Liver and Heart

ORGANIC OLIVE OIL ~ Fair Trade, too!  Imported by Higher Grounds in Traverse City

HIGHER GROUNDS COFFEE in 1# bags.  Certified organic, Fair Trade. Various types, beans or ground, dark or light roast, full caf, half caf or decaf. Try a cup at the Sweetwater Market table!

 

Maple Creek Sugars of Fremont

NEW!! We are busy at the farm boiling for 1400 taps! Tate Luchies will be bringing the first of the 2013 Maple Syrup this Saturday, and he will also have order forms on hand if you want to place an order for Grade B Maple Syrup -first come first served.  Grade B is wonderful for health drinks (most of us agree that it contains more minerals), excellent for cooking/baking (richer in flavor, see recipe above), and some people like it better in that it can “go a little further” as most people use less of it due to the slightly richer flavor. We are anticipating a great year!

 

Laughing Tree Brick Oven Bakery of Hart

Spring comes slowly here in West Michigan, but we feel it! We feel it!  And we know it must be here because the Sandhill Cranes are flapping about and the Sweetwater Local Foods Market is now happening every weekend from here till the end of December!  We’ll be there as well as at The Cheese Lady shop this coming weekend with all the usual suspects plus an encore from our Cranberry Orange Almond loaf for the holiday weekend.  Our thanks to you for supporting our little business all winter long and we look forward to being back outside again here very soon.  We feel it!

This week’s goodies:

Mountain Crunch Granola (pure vanilla, toasted almonds, and organic coconut oil) and Laughing Tree Peanut Butter Granola (all-natural PB, pure vanilla, and Michigan honey).

Both of these granolas are baked in our wood-fired brick oven after the intense bread-baking heat has dissipated (after several days).  They are baked at a low temperature to ensure that the nutrients in the grains and seeds remain intact!  Please note, these granolas are SWEETENED ONLY WITH MICHIGAN HONEY!  There is absolutely no refined sugar in them.

OUR EIGHT WEEKLY BREAD VARIETIES:     

Homesteader’s Wheat (An extraordinary light wheat bread with a wonderfully chewy crust) $5.00

Oceana Round  ( Rustic Italian country bread) $5.00

Third Coast Three Seed  (Sunnies, Sesames, and Flax in a light wheat) $5.50

The Michigander (made with Michigan-grown whole wheat—dark and soulful) $5.50

Annie’s Raisin Spice (sweet organic raisins, organic cinnamon, and freshly ground cardamon) $6.00

Griff’s 8-Grain (Hearty, hearty! Eight organic grains and a bit of Michigan honey) $6.50

Finn’s Pecan Raisin Pecan (Jam packed with pecans and organic raisins) $8.25

100% whole grain Kamut: Light and moist with a fruity flavor, a great loaf for folks with wheat sensitivities. $6.00

SPECIALTY BREAD BAKE SCHEDULE 

Irish Cheddar Peppercorn (Smooth Irish Cheddar accompanied by tongue tingling black pepper).  Price $8.00

Cranberry Orange  Almond  (A loaf for the holidays full of the goodies its name includes). Price $8.75

PASTRIES AVAILABLE THIS SATURDAY:

Cranberry Orange Scones

Truly Ginger Scones

Michigan Cherry Scones

Pecan Date Scones

(All our scones are $2.25 each* and are handmade with our own fresh eggs, organic cream, and organic butter)

Deep Mud Brownies $2.75 each* Our brownies are made with extraordinary Callebaut dark chocolate, our own fresh eggs, and Michigan grown organic barley flour—they are amazing!!

Ginger Mud Brownies $2.75 each* Deep Mud brownies infused with dried, candied ginger.

 

Liberty Family Farm of Hart

Farm offerings:

Farm Fresh Eggs!!!

Bakery Offerings

Breakfast Cookies all flavors.

Spinach & Cheddar Quiche small & large

Sausage & Cheddar Quiche  small & large

Veggie Turnovers

Challah Bread

Herb Easter Bread

Butternut Galettes

Raspberry Galettes

Gluten Free Muffins, Brownies, Bread, Cookies and Quiche

Morning Glory Muffins, Berry Muffins, and Poppy Seed Bread

We will be busy with more Easter goodies.  We hope to see you there!

Timothy is still in Utah shearing sheep.  We expect him home late

Saturday.  We miss him!  He is looking forward to coming to market

soon!

 

Creswick Farms of Ravenna

We have a schedule conflict this week and won’t be at the market.

Donna and Jim will return to Sweetwater on April 6th!

If you need anything in the meantime, please feel free to contact the farm store at: 616/837-9226 or Contactus@CreswickFarms.com

 

Saving Face Organics of Fruitport

About SFO: Less than two years ago Susie Meyers became concerned about all the unknown chemicals in her body care products. She started to make her own, and then give samples away. Reaction was immediate and so overwhelmingly positive she started making cleansers, make-ups, masks, scrubs and lotions. Now she has also added products for men, and children!

 

Pet Chef Lakeshore of Twin Lake

Barb Pitcher, vendor of all natural dog and cat food, treats and dog chews.

Pet Chef Express quality dry kibble pet food. Made with high quality, human grade proteins, no meat byproducts, seven different vegetables, kelp, flax, oatmeal for healthy immune systems, pre- and probiotics for digestive health, omega 6 & 3 oils for a shiny healthy coat, glucosamine/chondroitin for joint health, low temperature cooking process to .prevent heat damage. Contains NO artificial preservatives, NO wheat, corn, soy, cereal fillers, artificial coloring.

Six specialty formulas for dogs with sensitive digestion and food allergies to cater to your pet’s need from weaning through all life stages, and three formulas for cats.

Pet Chef Express food is manufactured FRESH each month, available at the market or I deliver direct to the consumer with FREE HOME DELIVERY. Not available in retail stores, never sits in warehouses. Orders can be placed no later than FRIDAY evening by calling Barb at 231-288-9805, or email petcheflakeshore@gmail.com

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What is a CSA?

The vendors listed below are all accepting applications for CSA Shares for 2013.

Community Supported Agriculture connects farmers with people who want the freshest, most local produce in-season. It works like a cooperative – you buy a share of the season’s produce and get a variety of vegetables every week of the summer (with extended options for those who want to include fall and spring veggies from hoophouse farmers).  Joining a CSA lets you support a family farm and help them get started early in the spring when capital is most needed. It is by far the most economical way a family can “buy local” and support the movement while getting the freshest, most nutritious produce possible.

 

Five Oaks Farm of Montague

We’re excited to be offering several different CSA options including a Main Season, Peak Season, Extended Season and a Bridge Card Share. Stop by and meet our 2013 Farm Interns, Logan Jancek & Walker Hopkins and get info about our CSA! Contact us at fiveoakscsa@gmail.com

 

Funny Farm of Grant

Long time Muskegon area organic farmers Jim and Barb Loe are offering a CSA again this year. Contact them at Jim & Barb Loe <funyfarm@riverview.net>

 

CJ Veggies of Zeeland

Contact them at: Charles Johnson <charles.johnson.1123@gmail.com>

 

Friends of the Market

Sweetwater Hugs & Thanks! To AJ Bougher for renewing his FOM membership!

If you would like to become a Friend of the Market for a suggested donation of $20.00, 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.

 

Happy Easter!

Diana Jancek
Market Manager

Contact info: (231)292-1152, dijaan1@charter.net

 

We are a BRIDGE CARD market!