WHAT LIES AHEAD . . .

We’re still going to have two more Farmer’s Markets and we’re still having all those awesome classes in our Market Pickup Area! The classes this far have been so well received and we’ve got such great reports back of folks being helped by them . . . that’s what it’s all about!!! So here’s the remaining Markets:

And yes, this is last week’s photo collection, but the the classes aren’t in the same order as the teachers.

1. Birdie Martin – Tea 101 at 9:30 on November 4.
2. Melody Forsythe-Jeschke – Healthy Food Preservation on at 9:30 am on November 11
3. Ros Horton – Kombucha on November 4 at 11:00am
4. Susan Avello – Healing Through Healthy Eating on Nov. 11 at 11:00am

We will keep you updated with additional information and (hopefully not) any changes on our Facebook page if need be.

WELCOME THE TREASURE BOX

If you have noticed something new and different in the Market listings then you’ve bumped into The Treasure Box already. Mandy and her soldier husband create all the designs in the handmade bracelets they offer through the Market. You can get to know them better by checking out our Grower page and their other websites.

FOR THE SEAFOOD LOVER

One of the things about traveling with a group is that sometimes you have to put aside your preferences for the good of the group. This was the case with the recent trip to Nova Scotia and PEI with my mom and sisters. So if confession is good for the soul this is my confession – I didn’t always eat the healthiest. When there was a good choice (like the hotel breakfast buffets), I chose the healthiest foods, but the rest of the time . . . .

We spent our first night in Dartmouth, just across the bridge from Halifax. It had been a tremendously long day and this bunch of women was HUNGRY. And hopeful to experience something different. One of my sisters found John’s Lunch & Pizza which appeared to be a local favorite.

As it turns out the menu wasn’t that different from our deep south seafood menus, but there were a few subtle differences . . . the glaring absence of catfish, lots of fresh haddock, digby scallops, and what in the world was that poutine thing listed with the sides?

We wound up getting poutine as our appetizer and splitting a couple of seafood platters. The haddock was AMAZING and the Digby Scallops . . . . oh my goodness! I’m sure I read in Hezekiah 84:17 that they will be served in heaven.

Seriously, this was a new revelation to us and it’s a good thing there were even numbers on the platters or war may have broke out at our table. It turns out that Digby is a beautiful seaside community in the southwestern part of Nova Scotia with a strong fishing industry and history. It is often named as “the Scallop Capital of the World”, because its’ scallop fishing fleet is the largest inshore scallop fleet in the world.

Wiki will tell you there’s no particular difference between the Digbys and any other scallops, but I don’t buy it. If given a chance, I will partake again! And if you like seafood and aren’t allergic, I hope you get the opportunity. You won’t be disappointed.

BAIN GARDEN WISDOM #3

This week we will be covering our third and final myth of this series. This weeks myth: I do not have time to garden! This one can be an real issue because gardening can take time and that is such a precious commodity in today’s society. If you have a desire to garden but are short on time, try applying these helpful tips:

KEEP IT SMALL! So you won’t have rows and rows of peas and carrots but that’s okay! If those peas and carrots are overrun by weeds of what benefit would it be to you and your family? Truthfully a 10×10 plot is as big as you want to go if time is an issue. This will limit how much weeding, watering and other maintenance is needed. Less work = less time!

PLANT IN POTS. Notice a theme here. Yes this has appeared in our myth buster series again! Why? Because planting in pots is awesome!!! So many things are adaptable to pots: tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, radish, spinach etc. Make sure you use a well draining potting mix with some composted material and guess what, you have eliminated the back breaking labor of weeding all together!

PLANT IN RAISED BEDS. This is also a great way to limit your workload and save time but you must again use a well draining soil mix and composted material to feed your plants. It’s also important to line the bottom of your raised bed with some type of barrier between weeds and your newly acquired soil. Landscape fabric seems to be a favorite of many home gardeners.

RAISED RAISED BEDS. I cannot complete this series without mentioning these. These can be bought and assembled or built to your specific height specifications. What this means is no bending at all when watering, planting and harvesting. This is really a great option out there for people who have back issues, are disabled, or in a wheelchair. If you really want to garden there is a way!

The last Fall Food Festival we saw some of you loading up your vehicles with plants, pots and soil. We were so pleased to see some you taking the dive into home gardening. We like to think that these myth busters helped. Either way, Bain Home Gardens wishes you the best with your bug free, inexpensive time conscience garden. Please share with us on our Facebook page your gardens, pots, and raised beds!

Editor’s Note: Thank You C. Bain for all the work you put into this informative and encouraging series! If you would like to see the previous articles in this series you will find them in the Weblog section of the Market website.

FOOTNOTES

We would love to hear from you! If you have a favorite recipe, want to write a product review, have an idea or request for an article or information, let us know! You can reply to this newsletter or write marketatdothan@gmail.com.