Meet the Vendors

Eventually our #Mountainair #farmersmarket page will include a separate "meet the vendors" section with even more about our regular vendors, including bio, vendor or artist statement, description of wares, farm or studio information, contact information, links, images, etc. The listings can also be duplicated in the Notes section of Mountainair Farm & Garden Market on Facebook. Until then, this basics list from Kristine will do nicely. If any vendors would like more added to their list, please send the whatever more my way, farmgardenmarket@mountainair-online.net, "Vendor Listing" in subject line.

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Moni's decorative plants adorn Rock Motel pavilion

Monica Gallion, Moni's Organic Greens: vegetable plants and flowers if all goes as planned; plants will either be one gallon or 6 pacs; cut flowers for Mother's Day.

Ruth Ballen,"The Wayard Elf": selected handcrafted wares including Snake Scarves; Puff Fabric Bangle Bracelets; Hand-Painted Gourds; Small Oil Paintings; and more.

High Desert Eats: Mountainair-Grown Fresh & Dried Herbs; Rosemary Grilling Scewers & Smoking Wands; High Desert Pup Tarts (home-made doggie bicuits); Sugar Pie Pumpkin Starts (young plants); and more.

Eva Pereira and the St. Vincent de Paul Volunteers will hold a "Sopapilla Making Demonstration", suggested donations only.
Celeste Simon, Mixed Media: Assemblages; Small Paintings; Ceramic & Bead Work; and more.

Mary Childers of Alpine Alley Coffee Shop: introduction of newest "surprise" menu addition; beverages and ready-to-eat items.

The Mountainair Community Garden: Tomato Plants, Seeds, and Onion Sets.

The Mountainair Chamber of Commerce: an information booth to distribute promotional materials.

Karen Lessard, Mountainair Ranger District: booth for fire awareness, safety, and preparedness information, as well as general hiking, camping, etc.

Barbara Chung may have a permit to offer prepared food by opening day, and Kathy Bauer may have a craft booth. Live music by Kay Stillion, Mountainair PS band and music program students under the direction of Virginia Hinds, and we hope, Lenora Romero

TONIGHT Apr27: Food Training at Shaffer

..sponsored the by the #Mountainair Farm & Garden Market and scheduled for tonight has been confirmed.

Don't forget: if you want to get the first step out of the way for a home-based food processing certificate from NM Dept of the Environment, the training is tonight at 6 pm at the Shaffer Hotel conference room.  It is free, the test will be open book and you'll have completed the first requirement of the certificate.   If you're at all interested in certifying or think you could be eventually, come and take the free training.

FYI ~ another overview on requirements for Food Processors at MRCOG's new expanded pages on resources for farmers markets, local growers, producers and processors (good even if not yet updated to mention us!)

Farmers Markets in Art

Today and yesterday, Oakland artist Anthony Holdsworth writes about farmers markets visited, sketched and painted from the 60s to the present. More than a change of page writing the informative and exhorting the green sustainable, pieces like this remind of the aesthetic and sensory experience of markets, suggesting a regular feature on Farmers Markets in arts (as well as images of markets around the world, which we've already occasionally touched on)

(Read Brenda Payton’s on the street commentary in the Sunday Insight Section of the SF Chronicle)

  

Old Oakland Market - April, 24"x 35", oil/canvas, Anthony Holdsworth, 2009

In these recessionary times Farmers’ Markets appear to be thriving. This is reassuring. Many of us look forward to their arrival in our neighborhood as a high point in the week. The sights, smells and flavors of the countryside spilling out onto concrete and asphalt. The opportunity to support small, family farmers, to pick up gardening tips. To enjoy the food stands and musicians. It’s  hard to imagine a time before most of these markets existed. It wasn’t so long ago.

May 5 Grand Opening: #Mountainair's new #FarmersMarket

Of course you already know the date, May 5. With the BIG notice just below the page title here as well as a smaller version as profile picture on our Facebook page, how could you not. Whether vendor, visitor or local shopper, surely you also have enough details to get you to the market opening on time.

NEWS! Follow us on Twitter @Mountainair_Mkt

The poster (last and latest I hope) below has already been posted on Facebook as well as on other Mountainair blogs, but somehow missed getting posted here ~ chalk that up to the barefoot shoemakers' children syndrome.

There will be more to come about the Grand Opening, special attractiMFGMons and features. I've been collecting information but want to make sure details are correct and as complete as possible. If you have news to add, please send it to me directly at vcrary@yahoo.com, not to the address on the flier. 

BYOP: Farmers Market Guide [video]

Get the skinny on how to buy fresh and save money shopping at a farmers market, filmed in Boston. I just saw how many farmers market videos are on YouTube and see BYOP (Bring Your Own Popcorn) as a regular series here ~ maybe renamed from popcorn to crudités. Yes, a quick and easy way to get a blog post ~ but entertaining and informative too.

Real Food: News from NM Farmers Markets

What lovely timing indeed for the NM Farmers' Marketing Association newsletter to appear just few weeks before #Mountainair's May 5 market opening ~ and right when I'm planning a social media blitz for the occasion. Just so you don't think you are seeing double, that blitz starts with cross-posting to both Mountainair Arts and our own page for the Mountainair Farm & Garden Market. At least I resisted the temptation to triple, quadruple, quintuple, etc post... for now (just spreading them out) ...

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April 2011 REAL FOOD  News from New Mexico's   Farmers' Markets   Welcome, Spring!  Spring is an exciting time of year. The days are longer. The trees are in bloom, showing their promise of summer fruit. Evenings and weekends are spent working in the garden. And, one by one, farmers' markets begin to open for a delicious new season. Depending on where in the state you live, most markets start to open for the regular season anywhere from mid-April to late July. Markets in the southern part of New Mexico, for example, tend to open a bit earlier than the cooler regions in the north. Be sure to check our website often, as we continue to update market schedules and new markets opening this year.  Find your area markets on our website.      New Mexico Winter   Farmers' Markets Markets will be opening soon for the regular season, but until then, visit these last few winter markets. Every Wednesday through June: Red Willow Winter Farmers' Market (Taos Pueblo) Thursday, April 14th: Los Alamos Winter Farmers' Market Every Saturday through May: Santa Fe Farmers' Market and the Otero County Farmers' Market in Alamogordo Click here for details!  New Officers Elected to NMFMA Board  The New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association elected new officers and welcomed recently elected board members at its spring Board meeting in Albuquerque on March 15, 2011. Elected to the position of President is Douglas Findley, owner of Heidi's Raspberry Farm in Corrales. Findley has served as Vice President of the Board for three years, and has been a member of the Board for six years. Findley replaces Michael Reed of the South Valley who served on the Board for nine years. Robert Ardovino, manager of Sunland Park Farmers' Market was re-elected Treasurer; and Nadine Ulibarri-Keller, a Socorro farmer was elected Secretary. Newly elected Board members include: Nora Haskins, executive director and board chair of the Permaculture Guild in Santa Fe; Shirley Holden, manager of the Le Jardin Verde Urban Growers' Market in Albuquerque; Rubina Cohen, founder and president of Firefly Innovation Group in Santa Fe; and, Jedrek Lamb, manager of the Albuquerque North East Farmers' & Artisans' Market. Continuing to serve on the Board are: Cecilia Rosacker-McCord, El Rancho Nido Farm in Lemitar; Cindy Talamantes, Los Alamos & Pojoaque Farmers' Markets; and, Eric Montgomery, Las Cruces Farmers' & Crafts Market. Featured Market: Red Willow Winter Farmers' Market    "The Red Willow Co-op set out to experiment with season extension for our area and to support a year-round market. And, like any experiment, there was a lot of trial and error involved," explained Gordon Hirsch, manager of the Red Willow Farmers' Market in Taos Pueblo. With the help of a sophisticated and efficient wood-burning boiler called a garn, two large greenhouses, and a team of area youth working in the greenhouses as an after-school job, the Red Willow Center has been growing a variety of crops to supply their farmers' market with produce year-round. Despite a mechanical problem that put the greenhouses out of commission for a couple of months, the operation is back on track and producing a wide variety of greens, root vegetables, and even some peas and tomatoes that will be coming up soon. "We did well until about about mid-December thanks to our stored winter squashes, onion, garlic, and cabbage," said Hirsch. "We kept the market open despite our lack of produce with the mechanical problems, and it warmed my heart to see that the community continued to trudge through the mud and snow to come out and support us through that." Now, with the greenhouses back in operation and the crops doing well with the increased sunlight since the Winter Solstice, the market is once again bountiful. Market shoppers can expect to find a variety of products such as greens and salad mixes, carrots, radishes, turnips, Chinese cabbage, and soon, the ever-popular peas. Though the winter market is primarily supplied by the greenhouses, other vendors from the pueblo supplement the market with handmade goods such as breads, pies, soaps, tortillas, and crafts. Hirsch noted that they learned a lot during their first winter market, and now have plans for the future. "We figured out that adequate winter storage is really advantageous," said Hirsch. "Those stored winter squashes really helped get us through when we didn't have the greenhouses." He hopes that in the future, the Red Willow Center can provide a place for winter storage and drying facilities for crops produced by pueblo residents in the summer and fall. You can visit the Red Willow Co-op's indoor winter market every Wednesday from 10 am to 6 pm at 885 Starr Rd in Taos Pueblo. The market can be reached at redwillowfarmers@gmail.com. Raspberry Grower Adds a Sweet Touch to All the Seasons       Link to full story      By Denise Miller, NMFMA Executive Director, for the Albuquerque Journal  Shoppers who venture to local growers' markets during the off season can find a taste of summer awaiting their discovery. That's because of dedicated growers such as Madelyn Hastings of Duke's Raspberry Ranch in Edgewood. She grows enough raspberries during the season to keep the rest of us flush in raspberry delicacies all year. Other well-known raspberry specialists in the state include Salman Raspberry Ranch near Mora in La Cueva, San Patricio Berry Farm in southern New Mexico not far from Las Cruces and Heidi's Raspberry Farm in Corrales. You also may find smaller berry growers at markets during the peak season. "Raspberries are my favorite food, and I figured if I liked them this much, there must be other people who do, too," she says of her decision to quit teaching and start farming raspberries about a decade ago. Hastings' five-acre farm in Edgewood has 1½ acres planted in raspberries. She can't keep up with production during the season, so many berries go to the freezer for later processing. From these Hastings creates cooked raspberry jam, uncooked freezer jam, no sugar jam, raspberry barbecue sauce, raspberry vinegar and raspberry baked goods.   Read the full story here, including recipes!  Spring Crop Coming Soon: Sugar Snap Peas! The ever-popular sugar snap peas are a true taste of spring. Sugar snaps, a result of crossing green garden peas with snow peas, don't require shelling, which makes them an easy snack or salad topping. They are also sweeter and crisper than garden peas. Nutritionally, sugar snaps are a good source of iron, vitamin C and fiber. They are also best enjoyed fresh, as the sugars begin to convert to starch after picking. Keep your eyes out for these tasty treats coming to a market near you. Five Ideas for Enjoying Sugar Snap Peas Snack on them raw with a dip of 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup crumbled feta, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns   In succotash, sautéed with corn kernels, scallions, and cherry tomatoes Blanched and tossed with buttered egg noodles, parsley, and garlic (blanching means to  boil very briefly then plunge into cold ice water) Roasted with olive oil and sea salt beneath the broiler until crisp-tender and lightly browned on the edges; drizzle with a few drops of toasted sesame oil before serving. Tossed warm with fresh pesto and toasted pine nuts Recipe ideas adapted from www.care2.com The New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association (NMFMA) is committed to   supporting our state's farmers' and growers' markets. These markets are the  most important survival line for small farmers today, offering them direct  access to consumers, enabling them to make a profit and stay on their farms.  For more information, visit our website at www.FarmersMarketsNM.org.

New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association | 320 Aztec St. | Suite B | Santa Fe | NM | 87501

Apr20: Food Safety Training

.. for Home Processed Food, 6-8 PM, Shafffer Hotel, #Mountainair

Barbara Chung has set up the food safety training with Bill Chavez of NM Department of Environment for April 20 at the Shaffer Hotel, meeting room from 6 - 8 pm.  It will be a condensed course, open book test and everyone will pass and leave with a certification as we had hoped the first time we met.   Our special thanks to Alma of the Shaffer Hotel for offering the room again for free.   Also remember that this certification is only the first step in getting approved for the home processed food permit, but Barbara is trying to simplify the process and is working with the Bill and the Department to hopefully streamline the process for others in Mountainair.  Thank you, Barbara.   She may even have information to share by the time the class is held.  Call her if you want more information at 847-2819 before then. Submitted by Nancy Stone

Get Poetry Broadsided: Botanical Garden )

Is poetry trespassing into the garden part of iCreate's cyberspace pièd á terre? I love the smell of oxymoron in the morning. Consider it a National Poetry Month 2011 / Broadsided mashup. Throw in a touch of bridge building between groups who have more in common than they are sometimes willing to admit. 

Nature poetry is as old as the genre; the garden, an ever blooming literary trope not limited to poetry. 

The garden has always held a special place in literature – from hidden gardens to secret doorways, from giant plants to gardens that appear out of nowhere. And the Botanic Garden in Oxford is also strongly connected to literature. It was a favourite spot for the Liddell family to visit (Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland for little Lizzie Liddell); Tolkien often sat there under his favourite tree, the majestic black pine, which looks uncannily like Tree Beard the ‘Tree Ent’; and Pullman set one of the most poignant scenes in ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy on the bench under the witch-hazel, next to the Water Garden. (from Picnics inspired by gardens in literature, U Oxford)

The Guardian's John Mullen lists 10 of the best walled gardens in literature. Ecopoetry is a more recent chapter in that same tradition, as are cross-disciplinary Nature and Culture programs

Here's an article that explains more about Broadsided. So print out this poem (or another) and get broadsiding...  PS ~ wouldn't it be neat to broadside a poetry walk at the Community Garden? Publish the poetry project IRL by weatherproofing and broadsiding?

Meeting Notes: 4/1/2011

MOUNTAINAIR FARM AND GARDEN MARKET

Shaffer Meeting Room, April 1, 2011, 10 AM

2010 Sunflower Festival, photo by Dennis Fulfer

Make our Market Day look like this!

1.     Home-Processed Food Training Follow Up – Decision on Need for Further Training

·       Barbara Chung, Rebecca Lueras, Monica Gallion will take the “actual” training

·       Barbara Chung will follow up with Bill Chavez about scheduling and will let us know

·       Barbara drafted a letter to our State Representative concerning the challenges to getting the Home-Processed Certificate and recommending changes. She will seek signatures.

2.     Getting the Word Out for Produce Vendors

·       We all must work hard during April to contact, inform and persuade producers and other prospective vendors throughout the county and beyond.  This market must have produce with vendors to be successful.  Publicity and word of mouth is necessary to bring in sellers.

·       Rebecca volunteered to set up outside the Post Office to advertise the market.  A list of the permits, certificates etc. necessary for market vendors will be prepared.

3.      Advertising Budget

·       We have a small grant from NM Farmers Marketing Association for promotion

·       LAST MINUTE INFORMATION – We also received funds from the Mountainair Lodgers Tax account to spend on promotion and publicity.  If you have valid ideas for spending these funds, let me know, and we’ll present to Steering Committee.

·       Plans now are to print flyers and posters, buy a banner and develop more ideas.  Kristine Lauritsen will get the banner ($60) and will coordinate printing of more posters.

4.     Market Manager Duties

·       We need volunteer market managers for each day of the market.  The market cannot function without someone willing to take the responsibility.

·       A calendar has been established and we need more people to volunteer for empty spaces.

·       You can download attached calendar, write in your name on a date, save it and return it to Steering Committee Chair Nancy Hand as an attachment so she can to maintain a master calendar and distribute to each person OR just let her 0know when you can work and she’ll write it in.

·       It will be your responsibility to find a replacement in the event you can’t make it.  A list of the steering committee with telephone numbers will be sent out again.

·       It would be desirable to have a permanent market manager but we have no funds to pay anyone.  Monica will contact Sherry Bean who ONCE expressed interest.

 A yellow binder and a black briefcase for the Manager will  include:

·       List of Duties

·       Manager’s Form for each Date of Farm and Garden Market for NMFMA Reporting

This form is really all the paperwork necessary.  It includes # of vendors, estimated # of customers and estimated gross sales along with manager’s name and date.  It has been suggested that manager walk around at the end of the market day and ask vendors to write down their sales on a piece of paper and put in a container.  It can be anonymous and is only used for reporting at the end of the season.

·       Rules and Regulations to hand out to Vendors

·       Vendor applications and plastic sleeves to store applications and copies of License

·       Cash Bag for money collected

·       Deposits from the day of the Market should be made directly to MyBank using the enclosed deposit slips.  The confirmed deposit slip from MyBank should be attached to the Manager’s Form for the Day.

·       Briefcase w/binder must be transferred to the next Manager of the Market or make arrangements to get it to the next Manager.

5.     Bank Account

·       Set-up at MyBank in Mountainair under Mountainair Farm and Garden Market.  Susan Bunnell and Nancy Stone can write approved checks.

6.     Market OPENING Day Set-Up – Cinco de Mayo Celebration/Opening Day

·       Kristine Lauritsen and Rebecca Lueras will coordinate

·       Should have Table/Chair for Manager or bring your own

·       Cones from the City will be available to block out general space for vendors

·       Music and other activities will be scheduled.

7.      Other News, Ideas or Concerns

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011 IN FRONT OF DR. SAUL COMMUNITY CENTER.  TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO COME TOO  

THIS IS YOUR MARKET.  PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO HELP.    THANK YOU.

 Submitted by Nancy Stone, meeting notes by Joan Bybee. Ed. Note: forms referred to above are or will be available on this page as well as on our Farm & Garden Market Facebook page

April 5: Gardening Workshop

Tuesday's Claunch-Pinto sponsored Gardening Workshop in the Mountainair High School Library, 901 West 3rd St, will cover "Vegetable Gardening" ~ x-posted to Announcements, Mountainair Farm & Garden Market and iCreate: please excuse any duplications in your mailbox or feed reader

The presentation by Gene Winn, County Extension Agent-Agriculture, NMSU-Torrance County Extension Office starts at 6pm. 

The Library is located at the back of the school, at the north - just follow "Gardening Workshop" signs from the parking lot. If the gate on 3rd St is locked, you may need to enter the parking lot from the alley next to the high school.

Submitted by Carla Cope, Claunch-Pinto SWCD, P.O. Box 129, Mountainair, NM 87036, 505-847-2941

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Ed. Note and FYI ~

Check home vegetable gardening in NM and other Extension gardening information pages.  Did you know that NMSU College of  Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Services (CACES) has a YouTube Channel with 419 videos, 200 in the Southwest Yard and Gardening section alone? Better than a good Aggie joke but on't expect all of them to be about organic gardening. To find more gardening resources on YourTube, use the handy search bar at the top of the page.