- Worthington Farmers Market
Perfect Pairings x 2. Black History in Agriculture. Freezer Meal Caramel Apple Pie. Egg-ucation!
The Worthington Farmers Market is open Saturday, February 27, 9am to Noon, for pre-order pick-up, home or curbside delivery by The Grocery Boss and in-person shopping with pandemic protocol in place at The Shops at Worthington Place.
Veggie Spy
Booker T. Whatley, Modern Agriculture Pioneer
February is Black History Month, an opportune time to recognize the enormous contributions of Booker T. Whatley to sustainable agriculture and what has become the modern famers market movement. He was born in 1915 on a small family farm, the oldest of 12 children. He earned a Ph.D. in horticulture and was an agriculture professor at Tuskegee University in Alabama.
Dr. Whatley focused on ways to make small family farms economically viable. This was (and is) an especially acute problem for Black-owned farms who could not get loans through banks or government agriculture agencies due to discriminatory lending practices.
It is sad but unsurprising that these kinds of racist practices caused Black farmers to lose 80% of their farmland between 1910 and 2007. Today, less than 2% of American farmers are black.
One of Dr. Whatley’s innovations in the 1960’s was the Clientele Membership Club, a concept where city dwellers would pay the farmer directly and pick the crops themselves. This was a precursor to the modern Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement where customers pay a farmer at the beginning of the season for a “share”, and then receive a weekly basket of farm products. Several farms at our Market have a CSA program including Franklinton Farms and Van Scoy.
And U-Pick farms are now popular worldwide for apples, peaches, blueberries, and other produce. Besides reducing labor costs for the farmer, Dr. Whatley believed city dwellers would greatly benefit from a brief escape to a farm where they would do a little work and learn where their food comes from.
Dr. Whatley proposed that small farms avoid commodities like cotton, corn, and soybeans where they must compete with large high-capital farms. Instead, he suggested growing a variety of vegetables, beekeeping, and other ways to have a diverse product mix so a failure of one crop will not bring down the entire operation. Another of his key concepts was to market directly to customers to avoid the middleman and his cut. These techniques are now common in contemporary farmers markets.
Dr. Whatley was also a proponent regenerating the soil through the use of compost, appropriate crop planting and rotation, and minimizing the use of pesticides. This was in the 70's and 80's, long before these practices reached the mainstream. So give thanks to Booker T. Whatley the next time you are enjoying a stroll through the Market! You can learn more about America’s Black farmers at The National Black Famers Association and SAFFON.
Fresh Picks for This Week Producers have the following available for online pre-order and/or at the Indoor Market.
Apples, Beets, Carrots, Claytonia (Miner's Lettuce), Garlic, Herbs, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Microgreens & shoots, Mushrooms (shiitake & oyster), Popcorn, Radishes, Scallions, Spinach, Sunchokes, Sweet Potatoes, Squash (multiple winter varieties)
CABB Farms & Raven Rocks Return!
Visit Raven Rocks in Booth #24 in our Meat, Eggs & Dairy Section
Visit CABB Farms in Booth #27 in our Meat, Eggs & Dairy section.
Did You Know . . . ?
An excerpt from Shelby Toops' Red Moon Ranch blog provides a little insight into chicken and duck egg production . . .
"The chickens and ducks have been on break for a few months now, not laying many eggs. They need around 14 hours of daylight to produce an egg, we do not get that this time of year. They still produce some eggs, but production is around half of what it is in the summer. You can supplement with artificial light, but I choose to let their bodies rest through the winter, as that is what nature intended.
It’s fascinating to me that nature controls so many things, as small as allowing a chicken to rest through the winter."
Sign up for the Red Moon Ranch newsletter and learn more about Shelby's daily farming adventures!
Perfect Pairings x 2!
#perfectpairings - Lunchtime edition!
Market volunteer, Jen, frequently picks up tamales made by Columba's Mexican Food to enjoy for a hearty, work week lunch.
For her #perfectpairing, she added the heat-and-eat shredded chicken from Oink Moo Cluck Farms, a fried egg from Jorgensen Farms, and the mild, chunky and flavorful Fiesta salsa from MONTEZUMA Brand Sauces & Salsas.
No more sad desk lunches!
Market volunteer, Sylvia, paired #NationalDrinkWineDay with some #perfectpairings from the Market for an (almost!) effortless accompaniment to your aperitif.
As a wine and cheese enthusiast, Sylvia used the mild microgreens mix (an assortment of mostly brassica sprouts) from Jorgensen Farms as a fresh topper for
her favorite snack - Crostini!
Sylvia selected the garlic and cheese loaf from Weed Knob Acres as her base, added a generous spread of Kokoborrego Cheese Company's creamy Enceladus cheese and a final flourish of the mixed microgreens. What time is Happy Hour, Sylvia?!
Partnership Programs
More virtual experiences to enjoy from local businesses #inWorthington!
Take a look at the upcoming schedule which includes: Charcuterie and ARt Green beers Self-care facials!
Details and RSVP here: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/ODg0Mjg=
Freezer Meal February
We are excited to team up with Stephie from The Freezer Meal Club for “Make One, Freeze One” Fridays in February.
Stephie has the perfect #freezermealfriday recipe for warming up your kitchen and your belly on these cold, winter days... Salted Caramel Apple Pie.
While your pie is baking, check out Stephie's blog for even more freezer meal inspiration - https://www.thefreezermealclub.com/blog
Get the recipe here:
https://www.facebook.com/worthingtonfarmersmarket/photos/a.123569381005964/4340684465961080/
When you make this recipe, we'd love to share your success with a photo on our Facebook or Instagram page!
Next Week's Freezer Meal Teaser:
Classic comfort food with a Turkish twist!
February 27 Vendor Roster & Market Map
Pandemic Protocols
The health and safety of our customers, our producers, our volunteers and our staff remains our highest priority. We remain committed to our pandemic safety protocol to continue to provide a direct source for local food. Masks are required for all guests visiting the Worthington Farmers Market and must cover nose and mouth at all times.
Capacity into the Market space is limited to ensure proper social distancing. And, space between producer stalls has increased to allow for wider aisles and additional space for customers waiting to make their purchases. Our pandemic safety protocol can be found here: https://www.worthingtonfarmersmarket.com/covid-19-operations
We will continue to adhere to the requirements set forth for us by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Columbus Public Health Department. Should we need to change the format of the Market, we will post updates on our website: https://www.worthingtonfarmersmarket.com/
The Worthington Partnership is pleased to announce that COhatch is furthering its investment in the Worthington community. Together the organizations will continue to drive initiatives to bring positive attention to the historic district, and support professional development and educational seminars for local merchants and business owners. The Partnership also will support soon-to-be-announced COhatch community events geared toward improving the lives of local residents.
COhatch will provide funding, hosting venues and people resources to help design and plan future programs for the community in collaboration with the Old Worthington Partnership. You will also see the COhatch airstream trailer, a multi-purpose office on wheels named "Mobi" at various events.
Thanks to COhatch for bringing energy and resources to Old Worthington! We are thrilled to work even more closely together to enhance the Old Worthington experience.
For more information, or questions related to any of our services, please contact us via email at worthingtonfarmersmarket@gmail.com.
The Worthington Farmers Market is an event of The Worthington Partnership.