UDJ 6-13 Column
From CFI
Tomorrow the farmer’s market enters the digital age.
Well, at least the TV age. Starting at about 9:30 AM, Fuller Digital Media will be filming a TV commercial at the market. It will run on cable channels (e.g., The Food Network) in Sonoma to educate viewers about the wonderful small town experience available at the Ukiah farmer’s market and in our historic downtown.
Thanks to the City of Ukiah and Greater Ukiah Chamber of Commerce for making the production possible. We will use some funding from Measure X, which the good citizens of Ukiah passed in November 2006. Measure X increased the occupancy tax paid by visitors in Ukiah motel and hotel rooms by 2% and earmarked half those funds for the promotion of tourism in Ukiah.
Please bring the family, join in the fun and help us show off Ukiah’s excellent community spirit.
Events at tomorrow’s market include:
• Cooking demonstration: Chef Craig Strattman from Patrona restaurant will prepare spinach gnocchi. Samples provided. Time 10AM. • Ina Gordon, Childrens’ librarian, reading for kids under the trees in the plaza at 10 AM. • The Ukiah Unified School District will be giving out fruit cups and recipe books with information about nutrition. • Meet the Mayor: Ukiah mayor Douglas Crane will be available for informal discussion starting at about 9:30 AM. Find out what’s up in Ukiah! • Music by Phyllee Binder and Chris Gibson. Toe tapping harmonies in a collection of melodic folk, rock, jazz and blues covers and originals. • Introducing Nomad’s World, an independent, local business visits the pavilion
Saturday is also graduation at Ukiah High and Sunday is our first annual Concert in the Park (Riders in the Sky in Todd Grove Park at 6PM). Why not celebrate by tasting some local, fresh fruits and berries? You might also want to splurge on premium oysters from Aqua-Rodeo, fresh seafood from The Fish Peddler or local natural and grass fed beef from John Ford Ranch. All have been getting rave reviews this season.
In honor of our local seasonal milestones here is Market Tip #7: Discover the pleasure of eating seasonally. Seasonal local produce can be picked close to market time and delivered fresh, at peak ripeness and with the best possible flavor, aroma and nutrition. Thus, eating in harmony with your local landscape delivers its own reward. Ask the farmers what will be its best next week and plan a meal around it.
Paying attention to the changes at the farmer’s market also helps you stay in touch with nature, how the seasons progress in and around where you live and your physical place on this beautiful planet.
Tomorrow we bid farewell to Busalacchi Farms, which had been bringing us cherries from their orchard in Stockon. Their season is at an end. However, if you haven’t baked that fresh cherry pie yet, don’t despair. Closer to home the fruit and berries have been ripening. Cherries from Anderson Valley are now on the Gowan’s table and also from Fort Bragg’s Thompson Ranch. Allterra Organics just returned to the market with their flavorful, premium organic “Mendocino Blues” (™) blueberries. Tomorrow Grilli’s Acre rejoins the market and promises loads of Olallieberries, plus some Bosyenberries along with Olallieberry and Raspberry Jam.
The market was puzzlingly slow last week. Perhaps our friends in the Lions Club were busy elsewhere with one of their many great benefit events. Just remember, once your local farmers pick it for you, they cannot stick it back on the stem to keep for next week. Please continue your great support of our local small farms. They will not make it without you.
Ukiah’s certified farmer’s markets are from 8:30 AM to noon Saturday and 3-6 PM Tuesday’s on School Street starting at Clay Street and in Alex Thomas Plaza.
