Next Generation Organics

Guy Hand, who does  the radio shows Edible Idaho and NW market news on BSU radio did a piece on our Mulberries today. How cool is that?  He writes on all sorts of great food and ag stories as well as the restaurant reviews for the Statesman. He comes by the stand on Saturdays sometimes and was pretty intrigued by the Mulberries. His piece spoke of the Farmers Market being the perfect venue for super short season, fragile produce like the Mulberries.  The Redfeather lounge is running a Mulberry soufle special this month also. MMMM…. Matt at the Bittercreek/Redfeather is always looking for unusual stuff so the Mulberries were a perfect fit. We sold some to them last year and this year people were starting to ask and request them again so thats pretty cool.  This will probably be the last week on the Mulberries, there might be a few next week but the trees are looking pretty thin. Next week we will have red and black raspberries though…. IF you come early we might even have a few this week.    Here’s a link to the Mulberry story and Guy Hands website.

http://www.nwfoodnews.com/2010/07/09/market-garden-report-mulberries/

http://guyhand.com/

As I was walking past the greenhouse yesterday I saw this bright purple berry just laying there in the dirt????? I realized it was a whole ripe mulberry a bird had dropped.. what are the chances?   So that’s Natures way of saying “Hey, there are ripe Mulberries back there go pick them”    They are delicious, they are almost like a concord grape with a real mild flavor. They are the  most organic product we have. We don’t do a thing to them.  They are considered a wild harvest product under our organic plan. The trees are about 40 feet tall and chock full to the top. We let the birds pick the top, and they stay off the raspberries.  

I took some of the B grades and made a syrup we had over vanilla ice cream last night.  IT WAS GOOD……  We will have some available at the Capital City Public Market this saturday. We are on the NW corner of 8th and ID. Look for the Next Generation Organics banner with the picture of my grandparents sitting on the old Ford Model A.

The Capital City Public Market is opening a new wing. It will extend down ID st. from 8th st. The T we are calling it. It should be pretty cool.  It will centralize the market more and there will be fewer busy roads to cross. We will be down ID st somewhere. Come on down, we will have lots of plants still. We have herbs, including Basil, and summer squash, winter squash, cucumbers, the tomatoes and peppers are done but there are still a lot of great things. We have a bunch of gourmet herbs to put in the windowsill and use as you need. That way its right there when you need it, instead of running outside to the garden and burning the food.

Come on down to the mkt for the last of the tomatoes. We are sick of watering them and looking at them. I want to start harvesting already, so should you. This weather has set everything back so there is still time to plant but you better hurry. We got all sorts of other things gourmet herbs, 9 different types of Basil, summer and winter squash, a few peppers left mostly anaheim types, cukes, lettuce 6 pks and Kales too. More stuff than I can remember.. Fresh picked Kale and Lettuce blend too. All Certified Organic of course…So come on down and have a Saturday morning out at the market and then go home and plant a garden.  See you there. OH and get a stroopwafel cookie at the booth next door, oh god they are good. on 8th between Idaho and Main

Oh Boy, yet another study linking pesticide exposure to some nasty disease. This one involving kids. Read more about it here:http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/20100517_nr_Study-ADHD-linked-to-pesticide-exposure  That just one more reason on  a list of hundreds to eat organic. Kids don’t always have a say at what groceries go in the fridge or the cupboard so be sure and provide them with the best you can. Check out this list of the top foods to eat organically:http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods its pretty interesting.  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ORGANIC FARMERS!!!  please

Its a cold wet spring thats for sure. Farmers are behind at least two weeks even more in some areas. I was talking with Lee Rice of Rice Family Farms at the market this weekend and he was saying this is the coldest spring he has seen in 20 years of growing for market. When the ground is cold seeds don’t germinate and things don’t grow nearly as well. Greens and lettuce do OK, but tomatoes and peppers aren’t that happy. Tomatoes and peppers are transplanted from greenhouse stock, but things like cukes and melon are direct seeded into the ground. Seeds like a nice warm soil to get germinated and up and growing. In weather like this its pretty tough to warm up. So don’t look for melons any time soon. Lee Rice estimates some items to be 3-4 weeks behind schedule. Lets hope there are watermelon in July but maybe not. So get out there and do a sun dance if you want to support local agriculture. Don’t forget to come out to the market on Saturdays and get your certified organic plant starts at the Next Generation Organics stand. Its a perfect time to transplant tomatoes and peppers when the weather is nice and cloudy. We have been selling out on a lot of peppers but there are tons of toms still around. Also, all sorts of gourmet herbs, cukes, summer squash, melons, all sorts of great stuff ready to go out in the garden.  Plus its the coolest place to be on a saturday morning.

Stop by  Touch of Dutch. the Stroopwafel stand next to us, and have a waffle cookie with homemade carmel filling. THEY ARE SO GOOD. The gal Jeanne is a sweety who lived in Holland for 3 years. The Stroopwafel is like the dutch national cookie. My Saturday isn’t complete until I have at least one or five.

We were sorta surprised to see a bunch of people talking on banana phones at the Capital City Public Market yesterday. It was a Flash mob.  A group of people doing something crazy just for the sake of doing something crazy. I thought for a second someone has slipped something in my coffee. It was fun though and pretty harmless. It made the soggy, rainy day a little brighter. If you look quick you can see the NGO booth in this youtube video at :42 until the end and it closes on us sorta out of focus which is pretty fitting for the event and day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfxF-rkudLg

Come see us at the Capital City Public Market on 8th st. Saturday. Its been the happening place to be. We have 40 varieties of Tomatoes mostly heirloom and open pollinated types, 30 varieties of peppers, including those hard to find Basque peppers, all your gourmet kitchen herbs, lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, mustard greens, 6 different onions. bunches of different eggplants… All sorts O’ fun stuff, all certified organic. Not to mention our amazing salad mix which has over 15 different greens in it and has been selling out by 11:30 or 12. We sold over 11 pounds last week each leaf cut by hand and triple washed. Sheesh what else. I think thats about it. There will be a cool seed swap put on by Beth Rasgorshek of Canyon Bounty Farm, and Casey O’Leary of Earthly Delights farm, and sponsored by yours truly. Read about it here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/04/30/1173715/seed-swap-planned-in-boise.html

Thanks See you at the market…

Today is Earth day, give her a hug. Come see us at the College of Idaho vendor fair on campus in the dining hall. Bon Appetit, which runs the food service at C of I is one of our biggest supporters. They don’t just say they support local ag they actually reach into the safe and and do it….  They have a really cool “Farm to Fork” program, that highlights all the items on the menu from local producers. We have been selling them greens and spinach all winter. Its on campus and open to the public. Go check it out if you are ever in Caldwell and want a great price on a gourmet lunch featuring tons of local items.  Have a good Earth day. Get out there today and love your mother.

Thanks to everyone who came out to support us at the opening day of the 2010 Capital City Public Market. Its still a bit early for most peoples gardens so let us keep your peppers and tomatoes in the greenhouse a bit longer. We are still figuring this whole thing out and have yet to determine when our on farm sales will be. We are thinking a couple of larger sales instead of regular hours at the greenhouse. I have been working away from the farm and its tough for us to coordinate my schedule with being open here. Please call to make an appointment to come and get cold weather starts that are safe to go out now. Otherwise sit tight and either come see us in Boise on Saturdays or wait for the announcement about our Homedale sales. Thanks

Bart   697-2409