Next Generation Organics

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.

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.

Last year, 2009 there was a severe outbreak of late blight in the eastern states and even into the midwest.  Many university researchers and county extension agents attributed this to infected plants bought in large retail stores such as Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes. These stores are supplied nearly exclusively by Bonnies Plants.  While these stores have great deals on plants they are not worth a thing if they shrivel up and die a month after you plant them. Buying from a local organic greenhouse is a good way to prevent this from happening here in the west. Smaller greenhouses are better able to monitor their stock than a greenhouse with millions of plants that are shipped hundreds of miles away.  It just makes sense to buy local.

Come see us at the Capital City market starting April 17th.