IT'S DECEMBER AND THE FRIDGE IS STILL FULL FROM THE ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET

THAT'S RIGHT. The word went out in October to stock up, and am I glad I did. The wonderful smell of cooking drove me to the computer to update the blog about how the harvest from the Espanola Farmers Market lives on. Think apples, squash, onions, carrots, garlic. Everything else is a memory now. But if you remember those huge onions, four for a dollar, imagine them swimming in green chile stew that's in the crock pot in the kitchen right now. Last week I made baked apples for the Christmas party at the Abiquiu Library, and there's nothing like simple sliced apples from the Espanola Valley, baked in cinnamon. Great hot and later cold. Shopping at the Espanola Farmers Market is like a holiday celebrated weeks and months later.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING. . .

from everyone at the Espanola Farmers Market! Enjoy the bounty!

SO MANY ESPANOLA FARMERS' MARKET CONTEST WINNERS!

WINNERS OF THE ESPANOLA FARMERS' MARKET
TENTH ANNUAL BIGGEST VEGETABLE & BEST POEM CONTEST HELD ON October 12, 2009

Vegetable Judge: Jan Matteson, Director, NNMC Commercial Kitchen
Poetry Judge: Beata Tsosie-Pena, Santa Clara poet

BIGGEST HEIRLOOM SQUASH
First Place: Eufelia Martinez, La Puebla
Second Place:Elefio & Seraphine Montoya, Chimayo
Third Place: Tranquilino & Floraida Martinez, Rio Lucio

BIGGEST PUMPKIN
First Place: Tranquilino & Floraida Martinez, Rio Lucio
Second Place: Nicolas Romero, Vadito
Third Place: Tranquilino & Floraida Martinez, Rio Lucio

BIGGEST APPLE
First Place: Marie & Tony Maestas, Chamita
Second Place: Marie & Tony Maestas, Chamita
Third Place (smallest): Solomon Jaramillo, San Pedro

BIGGEST CHILE
First Place:Rosa Espinosa & Antonio Velasquez, Chimayo

BIGGEST ROOT VEGETABLE
First Place: Elefio & Seraphine Montoya, Chimayo
Second Place: Nicolas Romero, Vadito
Third Place Tie:Eufelia Martinez, La Puebla and Jolyn Reeves, Dixon

ODDEST VEGETABLE
First Place: Vanessa Gonzales, La Puebla
Second Place: Elias Gomez & Mary Trujillo, Alcalde
Third Place: Elefio & Seraphine Montoya, Chimayo

WILD CARD VEGETABLE
First Place: Vanessa Gonzales, La Puebla
Second Place: Ty Yoder, Santa Fe
Third Place: Nicolas Romero, Vadito

BEST POEM
First Place: Shannon Fonseca, Santa Fe Girls School
Second Place: Floyd Gonzales, Pojoaque High School
Third Place: Cippie Marquez, Chimayo Elementary School

LAST DAY FOR ESPANOLA FARMERS' MARKET

Hurry over to the Espanola Farmers' Market today because it's the last day of the season. It will take some hardy souls because winter has laid a light layer of snow on the countryside, but don't despair. Bargains are still available! And watch for the award winners for 2009 which will be posted soon.

MORE ON OCTOBER 12TH

The Espanola Farmers Market is hosting its Tenth Annual Biggest Vegetable & Best Poem Contest on Monday, October 12, 2009. The big vegetables will be displayed all morning and the selections of winning vegetables and poetry will be announced at 1:30 pm. Ribbons will be awarded in several categories: biggest pumpkin, biggest heirloom squash, biggest root vegetable, biggest apple, biggest chile, oddest vegetable and wild card vegetable. NNMC Commercial Kitchen Director, Jan Matteson, will be the judge for the vegetables. Santa Clara poet Beata Tsosie-Pena will select and read the winning poems in the children’s poetry contest. Copies of the 2007/2008 Double Edition of A Farming Chapbook will be available free to participants on the Contest Day.

Our October 12th Contest Day is also a regular Market Monday, 10 am- 5pm. The Market is located at 1005 N. Railroad Avenue. Visitors can find heirloom squash, pumpkins, apples, onions, late tomatoes, chile, horno-roasted chicos, and other treats. Children will be able to select a book from our free Kids’ Book Exchange. Join your neighbors and friends at the Espanola Farmers’ Market on October 6th, enjoying the fine produce, the award-winning vegetable giants and the children’s poetry. Every Monday is a special day at the Market!

APPLES ARE PLENTIFUL & CONTEST LOOMING

The apple crop is plentiful this year! Get to the market soon to stock up for the winter because the last market day is the last Monday in October.

Also, mark your calendar for October 12th for the 10th annual Biggest Vegetable and Best Poem Contest. Awards will be presented at 1:30 p.m. The vegetable judge is Jan Matteson and the poetry judge is Beata Tsosie-Pena.

OPEN GATE CONTINUES AT ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET

Apples are plentiful as the weather turned cold suddenly and the wind threatened to make vendors' booths tumble at the Espanola Farmers Market this week. The growing season is winding down. However, it's still possible to fill your fridge with the last of the summer veggies and prepare colorful salads with fresh ingredients.

The Espanola Farmers Market is part of a large network of people and organizations active in sustainable agriculture and bringing food to the table. One such farm is dedicated to growing food for community organizations in the Santa Fe area. It's The Community Farm, just north of Agua Fria and San Ysidro Crossing in the heart of Agua Fria Village where volunteers are busy picking produce to take to Food for Santa Fe, The Food Depot, Kitchen Angels, Saint Elizabeth Shelter, The Salvation Army, Saint John's Soup Kitchen and Bienvenidos Outreach. Go to: www.santafecommunityfarm.org for more information.

1,000 FREE BOOKS GIVEN TO CHILDREN AT MARKET EACH SEASON

Visiting the Espanola Farmers Market is loaded with surprises for young people, and one of them is the free distribution of children's books at the manager's booth. Each market season there are an estimated 1,000 books taken home by young people as one of the many benefits of shopping at the market. Young people also participated in improving the market by planting wildflowers in the gardens in the front of the Espanola Farmers Market site.

The harvest is plentiful this year, and there's plenty to choose from...including: tomatoes, chiles, apples, watermelon, squash, corn, melons, chard, turnips, string beans, onions, peaches, honey, flowers, plums, cukes, garlic and more. Plus, there's the ice cream truck making periodic visits to the market and a stand of hot food, including burritos. Mmmm

RECORD NUMBER OF VENDORS

Maybe it's the economy. Maybe it's just that the word is getting out. Whatever... there were a record number of vendors at the Espanola Farmers Market this past week. Fresh local produce is not only economical. It's delicious, and a highlight of the summer. Some people are showing up to sell excess produce from their gardens, and others are experimenting with special products that speak to a diversity and awareness that going green is not only good for the earth, but good for us.

A DAY AT THE ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET!

A sunny day yesterday. More vendors than usual at the farmers' market. And so much to buy. Good thing there was an empty shelf in the fridge at home or it would not have fit. I tried, really tried to keep my purchases at $10 tops, but I couldn't resist the temptation.

At Monday's market I walked away with fresh beans, flowers, three kinds of squash, onions, garlic, corn, peaches, cukes and a chipote-garlic sauce from Moon Dance Farms. The word about the Espanola Farmers Market is getting around, and at ten o'clock as the market opened, the parking lot was full.

The gardens tended by the young people of Espanola are beautifully landscaped and one thing was for sure. People looked well fed and happy from the local bounty.

Driving home, my car was filled with an aroma like none other. MMMmm. You don't get the smell of freshly-picked produce at the supermarket. It filled the car. Yes, it was indeed intoxicating!

GREEN CHILE CROP EXPECTED TO BE STRONG

A look into the crystal ball suggests a great season for New Mexico green chiles. This is such good news that the Associated Press story circulating throughout the state has been appearing in the news media around the country. With no diseases, fungal or insect issues on the horizon, growers and consumers are gearing up for a great season. And this means plenty of frozen chiles to last throughout the winter.

WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET?

There's plenty that's new. Indian bread is back. On a market day, it isn't unusual to listen to musicians, buy freshly made sprouts from Taos Home Grown (five types of sprouts, crackers and raw food). They also post recipes on a blog (www.rawfoodepicure.blogspot.com). You'll find honey, squash galore, lettuce, garlic, onions, radishes, fruit and many surprises. "Zephyr" De Pino offers herbal salves, a horsetail toothpaste, and a guide of handmade examples of wildflowers used in northern NM for medicinal purposes. The students were also busy with the wildflower garden.

QUELITES or LAMBS QUARTERS: Recipe for the Week

Quelites, also called lamb's quarters, are a real bargain this week. Quelites sell for about $2 for a huge bag. It's a delicious wild green. Saute onions in a skillet and maybe also cook salt pork. Then pull the leaves off the quelites and discard the stems. Some people feed them to their chickens. Chop up the leaves and while the skillet is hot, throw them into the skillet and stir until limp. Then add a tiny bit of water, turn off the flame and smother the greens for a few seconds, then eat.

WILDFLOWER GARDEN PROJECT AT ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET

The Espanola Farmers Market will be hosting five high school students at the Market starting Monday, June 29th. The students will be working with a rotating series of farmer/ mentors to shape and plant our forty-foot wildflower garden at the entrance to the Market. They will create eight oval beds lined with river rock, install wood chips on the garden paths and install a picket fence around the garden’s perimeters. They will also learn how to make a red worm compost and plant the garden with a variety of native and cultivated plants. The Market welcomes donations of flower bulbs or native wildflower seed anytime during the month of July. The students will work with the farmers for nine Market Mondays and also assist farmers as needed. The Wildflower Garden Project is funded by the New Mexico Community Foundation and the Pojoaque Valley Fund.

Next Monday, The Missing Parts, a blue grass band from Tucson, Arizona, will be performing at the Espanola Farmers Market from 10:30am until mid-afternoon. Visitors are invited to stop by the Market to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, look at our wildflower garden in progress, and enjoy the music.

FIRST DAY OF 2009 ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET

On the first day of the Espanola Farmers Market, there were 15 vendors, more than any other first day opening the season. The anticipated changes are many, and the number of vendors and shoppers are expected to skyrocket as the season progresses. Here's a special highlight of the market on its first day --the arrival of Paulie's Ice Cream truck. It has been a regular feature at the Espanola Farmers Market for the past nine years:

Michelle and Ciddio of Esquibel Orchards had plenty of cherries and greens spread out on their table.

Cherries were the specialty of Peggy, Elefio and Methias Montoya.

Onions were plentiful, as well as peas, salad greens and chard. Sprouts are a new item. And underlying everything was the tender loving care of gardeners and farmers who proudly displayed freshly-picked fruits and vegetables.

GET READY FOR ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET'S OPENING DAY

Monday, June 15th is Opening Day for the Espanola Farmers Market’s 2009 season. We invite the public to visit the Market at 1005 N. Railroad Avenue from 10 am- 5pm and enjoy the first fresh fruits and vegetables of the season -quelites, sweet peas, lettuce, mixed greens, onions, garlic, herbs, peaches, apricots, plums and other fruits.

We will have horno bread (we welcome the return of our Pueblo horno bread baker), pastelitos, honey, jams, USDA-certified grass-fed lamb, dried chile, beans, blue corn meal and other special treats.

We have enlarged the market area to create a shady comfortable plaza with spaces for thirty vendors, more shade canopies, tables and chairs for our customers, and additional public parking spaces. A wildflower garden will grow this summer, as students work with farmer/mentors to shape and plant the garden near the Market entryway.

The Market accepts WIC, Senior WIC, SNAP (formerly EBT) and Debit cards. Espanola Farmers Market will be open every Monday, including holidays, from mid-June through October. Children can select a free book at our Kids Book Exchange. We also have a colorful selection of Market aprons, tee shirts or post cards and issues of A Farming Chapbook from previous Market seasons. Come visit us! Every Market Monday is a special event!

NEWS OF INTEREST!

Gene Lopez is in the state, US and international news with his concern that local New Mexico chiles may be in danger of extinction. The Associated Press carried the story. Gene roasts chiles at the Espanola Farmers Market.

Farmers' market season is upon us. The publication Edible Santa Fe has a listing of area markets in its current issue. The Espanola Farmers Market is on the list.

ESPANOLA FARMERS MARKET TO START NEW SEASON

June 15th opens the 2009 season for the Espanola Farmers Market. The theme of the season is "MORE." There will be more vendors, more shade, more chairs for sitting and visiting. For example, there will be 14 canopies comparied to four last year. The participation in the market dramatically increased after the move to the new location. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available! During the summer and fall, the Espanola Farmers Market is open every Monday from 10 am until 5pm, including holidays, throughout the growing season. We are located at 1005 N. Railroad Avenue just down the street from the corner with Fairview.

Our hats off to the current board of directors for the behind-the-scenes work to keep the Espanola Farmers Market moving forward: Fred Martinez, President; Seraphine Montoya, Vice President; Patti Lounsbury, Secretary; Johnnie de Schweintz, Treasurer; Sabra Moore, Market Manager. Board Members: Rudy & Bernie Cordova (Espanola); Johnnie DeSchweintz (Santa Cruz); Leonard & Luz Lopez (Santa Fe); Patti Lounsbury (Los Alamos); Fred Martinez (Dixon); Mary Parsaca (Velarde); Sabra Moore (Abiquiu); Tomas Cordova (Fairview); Gene Lopez (Alcalde); Susio Lucero (Dixon); Joseph Merhege (Fairview); Elefio & Seraphine Montoya (Chimayo); Ida Salazar (Espanola); Clark De Schweinitz (Legal Advisor); Marguerite Kearns (Blog).

ESPANOLA MARKET MERITS SUPPORT

January 2, 2009, Opinion piece from the Santa Fe New Mexican

The compilers of The 2008 New Mexican Piglet Book are right! The farmers at the Espanola Farmers Market have shockingly exceeded their station and are no longer content to pile their vegetables onto the back of pickup trucks and pull over in a hot parking lot to sell their produce.

Our customers have gotten uppity as well. Many of them are low-income mothers and seniors using WIC coupons to buy home-grown produce. They like the new permanent site that the State Legislature funded with $440,000 "to purchase, design and develop land" for the market. The market even plans to install plumbing and indoor toilets! We give away free books to children each market day and plan to use the lower irrigated fields to teach students how to farm.

What were we thinking!? That the farmers who grow our food could have their own market place in the very same valley where they live and work? Let them eat vegetables!

Sabra Moore
Manager
Espanola Farmers Market

2009 HAS ARRIVED WITH PLENTY OF WEATHER BEHIND IT!

Farmers markets are receiving more attention these days in the larger discussion of focusing on local economies and reducing dependence on oil. Going green these days means going to your local farmers market. The 2008 season was proof positive of the new role the Espanola Farmers Market is playing in the lives of northern New Mexicans. It means produce locally grown and available to large numbers of people. Reasonable prices. Food for the table grown with love. No huge shipping costs. Carried from the field to the market to the table.

Happy New Year from the growers and their families and the many people responsible for the new Farmers Market site!