UDJ 02-13 Column
From CFI
The Heart of the Winter Market
Selecting fine, fresh food and cooking it together is romantic. Start your perfect Valentines day together by planning a meal together at the farmers’ market.
The winter market is slowly building back up after our local “hunger moon” period. Last week Jim Nuefeld of Neufeld Farm rearranged his schedule so that he can attend the Ukiah market in person. Nuefeld brings us a huge array of sun dried fruits (plus a bit of fresh citrus). Last week he had varieties of dried peach, cherry, blueberry and lots more for folks to sample. The return of fruit was obviously welcome as he had a line up to a half dozen long at times.
Even the local chickens seem to be starting to recharge after this season’s molting. Last Saturday we had fresh local eggs from a record three farms. The supply is still slim, but it is a promising trend and a clear response to local demand. Get ready to have some great meals as you search for your personal favorite local egg.
As we begin the slow swing back to abundance (assuming we get enough water this year) it seems appropriate to pay tribute to the farm we relied on most to keep us supplied with great fresh produce all winter. Not surprisingly, the same farm has provided early abundance when the traditional season starts for many years. It’s the Ortiz Brothers.
The Ortiz Brothers is a family run operation that farms about 45 acres, spread across four locations in Sonoma, roughly half owned and half leased. Eight family members participate in the farm operations, supplemented by hired hands at peak times. During peak season they may attend as many as fifteen farmers’ markets in a week. They hope to add a family farm stand someday as well.
Founder Pedro Ortiz is one of the most reliable vendors at the Ukiah market. All winter his produce has anchored the Southwest corner of the pavilion (diagonal from the Fish Peddler). He is joined on most Saturdays by his nephew Alex. Pedro tells me he came to his vocation as a farmer accidentally when he arrived in Northern California more than two decades ago and happened across someone looking for help. A happy accident for us all.
Due to the cost and heavy paperwork requirements Ortiz Brothers do not currently maintain an organic certification from any agency. Hence, they describe their farming method as conventional. However, Ortiz Brothers was a CCOF certified organic producer for four years and they continue to follow the same basic farming practices, including crop rotation to control pests and the use of organic compost from Sonoma Compost. Pedro also affirms that they still do not use of pesticides.
The quality of their produce is impressive. For example, a farmers’ market customer wrote me this year and described the Ortiz Brothers romaine lettuce as “…the most fantastic taste and after-taste of any Romaine I have ever eaten. Even the core, which usually is bitter, was spectacular---after I tasted it, I cubed it and threw it into the salad.”
They also leverage the relatively moderate climate in Sonoma and extensive use of row and hoop covers to grow a truly impressive array of produce year-round. Their producer certificate for 2008 indicates that they planted forty-six floral varieties, six herbs, ninety fruits and vegetables and peanuts.
Peanuts? Yup. When I asked Pedro about his favorite thing to grow he responded that he relishes new challenges, like his current four year effort to perfect the Sonoma grown peanut. So far, the results have not been satisfying. But, he promises to consult further with experts, tweak the process and give it another run this year. Keep your fingers crossed. It would be an excellent addition to the range of products at the market.
Ortiz Brothers are also savvy marketers. For example, they plan so that they can almost always include an eye catching floral component to their display, not so easy in deep Winter. Last week they were low on standard flowers but had bundles of pussy willow and of curly willow branches, which Holly has demonstrated make a bold¸ beautiful wintery arrangement.
Congratulations to December/January raffle basket winner Roma Biester. Roma collected her basket on Saturday and seemed thrilled with the bounty of local food and crafts donated by our market vendors. Get your ticket for the next raffle starting tomorrow.
Your inland fall/winter farmers’ markets are in Anderson Valley at the Philo Grange on Sundays from noon-2 p.m., Ukiah in Alex Thomas Plaza on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Willits in the Community Center on Thursday from 3-6 p.m.
