Busy blog post today! Read on for some notes on the slow start to the growing season; a closer look at Drift Coffee, our featured vendors of the week; and top it off with a sneak preview of who and what you can expect to see at market this Thursday. (Pro tip: for early notice of who's bringing what each week, make sure you're signed up for our newsletter!) And then mark your calendar for Thursday, May 5th - Market Day!
What a long, slow spring it’s been! I’m almost stumped for new things to say about this weather, which I probably shouldn’t admit out loud at the risk of losing all my Midwestern cred.
But I’m not just making small talk. For folks whose livelihood depends on the weather, the subject is anything but small. This cold, slow start to the growing season, while great for crops like strawberries and apples, means a delay for rhubarb and asparagus and other early-season delights we’ve all been looking forward to, and that’s just facts.
"I know a lot of people will be disappointed that there are no flowers for Mother's Day, but that's just how it is this year,” says Betsy Pierce of Running Hills, the fresh-cut flower farm just outside of town. “No two seasons are alike – last year we had already harvested most of our Tulips by the first week of April!”
I would have been happy to make the point metaphorically, but since the weather is giving me this assist I guess I’ll take it: supporting our local farmers means learning to live in rhythm with the seasons along with them, learning to cook with veggies we’ve never tried before while waiting for the asparagus and cucumbers to ripen, accepting that lean seasons happen and showing up for farmers markets and CSAs anyway to make the most of what’s available.
Pat and Sarah of Squashington Farm put it very well when they’re talking about the importance of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model: “Community members show their support of local farms by signing up for CSA shares, a.k.a. ‘memberships’, and taking on the inherent risks of farming, and inherent benefits, with the farmers themselves [by paying] for your share of goods in advance, in Spring, when farmers need financial aid the most.”
Two of our vendors have CSAs, so if you’re in the market for a share be sure to check them out:
But I’m not just making small talk. For folks whose livelihood depends on the weather, the subject is anything but small. This cold, slow start to the growing season, while great for crops like strawberries and apples, means a delay for rhubarb and asparagus and other early-season delights we’ve all been looking forward to, and that’s just facts.
"I know a lot of people will be disappointed that there are no flowers for Mother's Day, but that's just how it is this year,” says Betsy Pierce of Running Hills, the fresh-cut flower farm just outside of town. “No two seasons are alike – last year we had already harvested most of our Tulips by the first week of April!”
I would have been happy to make the point metaphorically, but since the weather is giving me this assist I guess I’ll take it: supporting our local farmers means learning to live in rhythm with the seasons along with them, learning to cook with veggies we’ve never tried before while waiting for the asparagus and cucumbers to ripen, accepting that lean seasons happen and showing up for farmers markets and CSAs anyway to make the most of what’s available.
Pat and Sarah of Squashington Farm put it very well when they’re talking about the importance of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model: “Community members show their support of local farms by signing up for CSA shares, a.k.a. ‘memberships’, and taking on the inherent risks of farming, and inherent benefits, with the farmers themselves [by paying] for your share of goods in advance, in Spring, when farmers need financial aid the most.”
Two of our vendors have CSAs, so if you’re in the market for a share be sure to check them out:
We’ll talk more in a minute about who you can expect to see and what they expect to be selling at Market this Thursday, but for now let’s shift gears and talk about a crop that isn’t quite so affected by our flighty midwestern weather: coffee!
Our headliners this week are Ben Lizdas and Christine Tanzer and their Mount Horeb-based, small-batch roastery: Drift Coffee.
Dedicated home-roasters for ten years, it’s fair to say that Ben and Christine know how to make a great cup of coffee! All that time spent perfecting their technique put them in the perfect position to scale up in 2019 when their friends Matt and Marie of Brix Cider asked if they’d ever consider roasting commercially.
“Drift is 25 years in the making,” says Ben, “and it ties in to the things that brought Christine and I together. We worked on organic farms in college, and engaging with real food and quality food has been a part of our lives since before we met.”
Coffee is on a very different timetable from the crops around here, and yet in this instance it’s still brought to us by people who live very much in harmony with the natural world. Ben and Christine’s professional backgrounds are in ecological conservation, nature education, wildlife travel and bird watching, and their business practices reflect their environmental beliefs from the beans they source to the packaging they use. (Their coffee bags are 100% home compostable – even the label!)
Coffee is on a very different timetable from the crops around here, and yet in this instance it’s still brought to us by people who live very much in harmony with the natural world. Ben and Christine’s professional backgrounds are in ecological conservation, nature education, wildlife travel and bird watching, and their business practices reflect their environmental beliefs from the beans they source to the packaging they use. (Their coffee bags are 100% home compostable – even the label!)
"Hate filling landfills? So do we! We planted this chive in one of our bags months ago, and I love what it’s become!" See more on their facebook page
“Coffee can be an environmentally destructive crop but it certainly doesn't have to be. Finding producers who grow coffee in harmony with the environment has been a joyful part of the process for us!”
“Coffee really brings together economy, ecology, and people,” Christine adds. The route that coffee travels to reach us follows the migratory route of the birds they love to watch, like the Chimney Swift that adorns the Drift Coffee logo. The Swift spends its winters in Brazil before traveling north where it is ubiquitous to Mount Horeb summer evenings. “We love to sit outside at Brix enjoying a cider and open mic while the Swifts swoop around enjoying their insects.”
“Coffee really brings together economy, ecology, and people,” Christine adds. The route that coffee travels to reach us follows the migratory route of the birds they love to watch, like the Chimney Swift that adorns the Drift Coffee logo. The Swift spends its winters in Brazil before traveling north where it is ubiquitous to Mount Horeb summer evenings. “We love to sit outside at Brix enjoying a cider and open mic while the Swifts swoop around enjoying their insects.”
Ask Ben and Christine what they love about what they do and the word ‘connection’ pops up all over the place: “We love community and connecting with people and love the fact that sharing coffee with others can be another way of connecting.” Flavor and quality are always the goals, but they are dedicated to getting there by way of sourcing their beans as sustainably as possible and from processors where there’s a restorative aspect to the communities they serve.
“Coffee is a ritual,” they explain, “and it’s a meditative experience for us.” Every morning Ben and Christine make each other a cup of coffee, and then they sit and drink it together.
Want to add a little ritual to your own mornings? Learn to brew pour-over coffee like a pro! Here is Drift Coffee’s recipe for the very best way to enjoy their fresh-roasted beans:
Equipment: A small digital kitchen scale, a decent burr grinder (grinding your coffee on demand makes a huge difference in the flavor and experience), a Hario V60 dripper and some paper filters.
Process: Weigh out 25 grams of coffee in the V60, placed on top of your favorite coffee cup, and add 350 grams of boiling water. Enjoy the best cup of coffee you've ever had!
Ben and Christine look forward to seeing you at the Market this season – and then after the market, enjoying cider and live music just down the street at Brix Cider every Thursday afternoon!
“Coffee is a ritual,” they explain, “and it’s a meditative experience for us.” Every morning Ben and Christine make each other a cup of coffee, and then they sit and drink it together.
Want to add a little ritual to your own mornings? Learn to brew pour-over coffee like a pro! Here is Drift Coffee’s recipe for the very best way to enjoy their fresh-roasted beans:
Equipment: A small digital kitchen scale, a decent burr grinder (grinding your coffee on demand makes a huge difference in the flavor and experience), a Hario V60 dripper and some paper filters.
Process: Weigh out 25 grams of coffee in the V60, placed on top of your favorite coffee cup, and add 350 grams of boiling water. Enjoy the best cup of coffee you've ever had!
Ben and Christine look forward to seeing you at the Market this season – and then after the market, enjoying cider and live music just down the street at Brix Cider every Thursday afternoon!
Who’s Bringing What to the Market This Week?
This is by no means a complete list of all the vendors or all the goodies you can expect to see on Thursday the 5th, just think of it as a sneak peek to whet your appetite; you’ll have to show up for the full show!
Bures Berry Patch will be at market this week with their beautiful farm fresh eggs and local honey.
Bures Berry Patch will be at market this week with their beautiful farm fresh eggs and local honey.
Kingfisher Farm is bringing some herb and veggie plant starts, including: Kale, Chard, Basil, Marjoram, Catnip, and a few others! They will also have their full line up of ferments, and their grass-fed lamb.
Squashington Farm has had an unexpected harvest of overwintered (read: extra sweetened) parsnips!
Squashington Farm has had an unexpected harvest of overwintered (read: extra sweetened) parsnips!
Tisha’s Delicious Bakery (gluten-free dairy-free and delicious: yes, really!) will not be at the first market, but if you need your DF/GF fix for the week you’re in luck; you can order ahead and pick up your goodies on market day! The pick-up spot is just a few blocks off Main Street. More details here.
Whoopies Cookies and Sweets will have Mexican Chocolate whoopie pies this Thursday: chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne, whoopie!
Additional confirmed vendors: Double Dutch Sourdough, Open Kettle Farms, Farmer John's Cheese.
Additional confirmed vendors: Double Dutch Sourdough, Open Kettle Farms, Farmer John's Cheese.
A note from the Market Board: After a two-summer hiatus, the Community Table is back at the market!
“As stated in our mission, our market is motivated to provide a chance for the people of our town and its environs to come together as a community. As a way of facilitating this goal, we offer up a Community Table. Each week the market provides an opportunity for a local organization to be present to explain its mission and attract new members, volunteers, or participants.”
Interested? Click here to read more and to apply!
Interested? Click here to read more and to apply!
SEE YOU THURSDAY!