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FIRST TIME CUSTOMERS You are invited to watch our Market Tutorial before you begin. If you do not receive an email confirmation immediately after you order, then you did not click the SUBMIT ORDER button and we did not receive an order from you. Call your Market Manager for help.

So “WHAT’S NEW?” To You?

One thing our Market is becoming known for is the diversity of “unusual” fare NOW GROWING and local products being made right here in the St. Petersburg Area:

• Guava Leaves are usually grown in Asian countries but also is grown right here in St. Petersburg! According to this article Top 10 Health Benefits of Guava & Guava Leaves “The anti-plaque properties of guava leaves are effective in preventing and treating oral problems.”
• Collard Greens are always a great standby for substantial greens. We love them in the beginning of the season but many of us get bored with them way before the season ends. Besides the traditional ways of “porking up the collards” there are great ways to use collards in wraps after blanching the leaves to make them more pliable.
• Coconut Oil is well known for tons of health benefits. If you didn’t know cocunut oil has been used to treat Alzheimer’s you are going to want to read this article shared with us by Coeurisma’s Jenifer Slocum whose mom and mom-in-law both benefited from taking it regularly. It’s a fabulous story!
• If Ginger root is not part of your diet you may want to consider introducing it (slowly) because there must be a reason that this “spice has been a staple in kitchens and medicine cabinets for over five thousand years.” Here are “10 Health Benefits of Ginger Root – The Wonder Spice We don’t currently have any fresh local ginger so we get ours from the same source as local retailers, Peru. That said, with the onslaught of fresh local tender eggplant I am using ginger (and garlic) often when I make my spicy eggplant recipe.

Message from Your Market Manager

MEMBERSHIP FEES
Effective Fall Season 2015, Membership Fees are NON-refundable but are transferrable. Call your Market Manager for qualifying details.

STILL ON CLEARANCE
Dog shampoo, Pork fat, jowls, and neck bones, and Smoked salmon. Get them while they last! No more salmon coming…

ECONOMY SIZED PACKAGING
Abundance of Lacinato (Tuscan) kale, arugula, collard greens, and tatsoi (see last week’s weblog piece for tatsoi recipes).

PORK SAUSAGE ON SALE THIS WEEK
Locally grown pork sausage produced by the renowned Geiers Sausage Kitchen in Sarasota is what’s on sale THIS WEEK ONLY with intro pricing of $8.99 per one-pound package of 4 links which are MSG and nitrate-free. Bratwurst, Mild Italian, and Chorizo, are LEANER than anything you can imagine with EXCELLENT flavor and just the right amount of spices. So lean that I cook them in coconut oil. Limited to one package per type per customer. In other words you can order all 3 types if you want to try them all—while they last.

SPLG’S FRUIT BASKET
Fresh coconuts, calamondin (aka sour oranges), and papayas (ripe & green!) are both available—all locally grown in St. Pete. Concorde pears from Washington State and Florida tangelos coming as well!

GCF PURCHASE DEADLINE
Your order for veggies from Geraldson Community Farm must be submitted no later than Monday 8pm TONIGHT. If you’re late then you’ll have to wait two weeks for another chance. I will send you a reminder at 6pm but you should set your own reminder in case I am delayed. You don’t have to submit your entire order by 8pm tonight, just what you want from GCF. For first timers, I suggest you submit your entire order all at once just to avoid the multiple orders. The system will think it’s time to charge a membership fee on your second order. If this should happen to you just call me so I can adjust your invoice.

HOW IS ORGANIC FOOD BETTER FOR US?
This article from Local Harvest’s Newsletter of 4/24/14 explains that a growing body of research demonstrates not only that organic food is better for us, but how. BTW, did you know that SPLG is a proud contributing member of Local Harvest? Please visit our listing and post a review while you’re there.

Grower Jim Kuntzelman of Sunset Ranch, who has supplied the homegrown pork for our sausage products, has recently sold off this portion of his business to Low Hills Cattle Company in Zephyrhills. I am encouraging the new owner to continue production of this incredible product or find someone else who can do it better. (My bet is on Geiers!) Plus, GOOD NEWS if we decide to take advantage of this new service: New Owner Matthew Grisham will soon have USDA Certified processed pork cuts for sale. I would prefer to buy a half or whole pig to get a better price but need to know if you all are interested in paying in advance to make it work. Let me know if you have interest and I’ll get the details I need.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO DELIVER ON FRIDAY
We promise to make this a fun experience for you. Yes, there are some details to manage on paper but honestly, it isn’t rocket science, and you’ll have a great ride being greeted by grateful customers. Plus you get to see all the beautiful veggies as they get delivered. It’s a great way to get familiar with our Market customers, growers, AND volunteers-by being one! Please call Tina at 727-515-9469 to get on the schedule for this Friday or an upcoming Friday. Your shift will be about 2 1/2 hours long.

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS

• “Everything was wonderful & all went smoothly! We’ll be signing up for a season membership.” Customer Sarah H.
• “Really enjoy the goodies and being part of this wonderful network of local growers. Just had dancing goat scrambled eggs & the best goat yogurt money can buy. Making green papaya salad today with the green beans and cherry tomatoes from our local providers.” – Customer Chana P.

BUSY BEES
Do you have news worthy accomplishments to share with your fellow locavores? Just send a brief email with details to tlevy@tampabay.rr.com.

• Customers—as well as Volunteers—Rita Sewell and Phyllis Hand are members of the choir at Grace Lutheran at 16th St N. and Haines Rd where a choir performance is scheduled for Dec. 13th at 3pm. Several choruses, including “For Unto Us”, “Glory to God”, and “His Yoke is Easy”, are sung between scripture readings. There are also solos ranging from bass to soprano interspersed throughout the choruses. And the “Halleluiah Chorus” is the finale. A chamber orchestra will accompany the interdenominational chorus. I’m going! Meet me there for an inspiring, feel-good Sunday afternoon.

• New customer, Beverly Sweetman, is a poet writing under the name B.J. Lee. She recently contributed to an agricultural anthology called “Dear Tomato: An International Crop of Food and Agriculture Poems” and offered on Amazon since February 2015. For ages 8-12 (though adults will enjoy the anthology as well). Special thanks to Beverly for sharing with us her wondrous vision of a very productive garden.

Contain Your Imagination

Raspberries trellis up old wicker chairs.
Parsley in tea-kettles sits on the stairs.

Blackberries thrive in Dad’s busted-up dinghy.
Pole beans in wash baskets grow tall and stringy.

Cabbages nestle in cracked kiddie pools.
Peppers in wheelbarrows glisten like jewels.

Summer squash tumbles from Mom’s torn rain boots.
Tomatoes in tool boxes show off their fruits.

Cucumbers spill out from watering cans.
Seedlings sprout quickly in used muffin pans.

Strawberries thrive in a little red wagon.
Basil erupts from a porcelain flagon.

Colander, egg-carton, bathtub, or wok?
Containers with whimsy make gardening rock!

~B.J. Lee, 2015, All Rights Reserved

We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!