…about the farm and farmlife
Waaay back in 2002! Our very first farmers market booth, in South Miami, January 5, 2002
First market booth
From left to right, friends Gail (back turned), her husband Glenn (playing harmonica), our daughter Rachel (just behind Glenn), Glenn & Gail’s daughter Stephanie (back turned), and Farmer Margie. Behind Margie is a small table with some turnips, daikons and purple kohlrabi.
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Wow, what a great start to market season! Folks showed up early to see what was on hand, and they kept coming, and coming, and coming…
first week at Pinecrest Gardens market
By 9am, the official start time, we were mobbed. The weather was great. The setting was awesome. There was plenty of parking and lots of space for many vendors. The mix was good. Pretty much everyone from the old Gardners Market site was there, plus some new folks.
Even this early in the season, we had lots of great goodies, and every single thing in our booth was (and always is) locally-grown, from either our own farm or our farm partners. We had interesting things like charichuela (Rheedia spp), black sapote, root basil, YingYang salad mix, fresh oyster mushrooms, smoked eggs, Yukina Savoy, Shungiku radishes, butterhead lettuces, callaloo, our dried Fruits of Summer mix, farm honey, and lots of other wonderful goodies.
how far did your food travel
Everything comes from South Florida, Lake Okeechobee south, except for the tupelo and orange blossom honey, which are from further upstate.
In addition, everything we sell is certified organic, or pesticide-free, and direct from the farm.
Furthermore, at our booth, you will be dealing with the very folks that are growing your food. That’s our guarantee!
And, of course, in honor of the closing of Art Basel week in Miami, our booth had its own resident local artist, our daughter Rachel, complete with exhibit…
Art Basil by Rachel
This is week 2 of our eighth CSA season. Wow! We’ve been at this 8 years already – hard to believe. And how we’ve grown – from a humble beginning of 20 folks renewing every 4-weeks (with a max of 8 at any one time), picking up at the farm, to today’s 465 families in a tri-county area (Pompano to Key West), with a long waiting list. It blows my mind!
So thinking back to that, little bumps along the road like our first week’s crazyness with the truck and the WWOOFers and the reefer are really only annoying flies to swat off. Yeah, it sure doesn’t seem like that when you’re in the middle of it, trying to figure out what to do to get those shares out to everyone in good condition. But this is the kind of thing that makes life interesting – after all, it’d be mighty boring without some challenges along the way…
You know the deal with the glass half-empty or half-full? I’ve always looked at it as the glass is under a gushing torrent, and what you catch with it is entirely up to your approach. Reach out with an upright, steady arm, and your glass will overflow! Reach out holding it upside down, and it will be and remain empty.
SO- we start a new week (after a week of Thanksgiving and recovery, and off to the next adventure!
See you at the market on Sunday!
It’s starting early this year, and in a new location!
our market booth
Join us this Sunday, December 6th from 9am to 2pm for the first farmers market day of the season. We’ll be at Pinecrest Gardens (the former Parrot Jungle), located on the corner of Red Road (SW 57th Avenue) and Killian Drive (SW 112/111th Street) from 9am-2pm. There’s plenty of shady parking, and you can visit the park afterwards – a beautiful setting.
Put the farmers market on your regular Sunday schedule, so you can shop for true farm-fresh, locally-grown, certified organic (or pesticde-free) food. Our farm crew and I will be there to help you with your selections.
See you Sunday.
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