National 5-A-Day Month

Ed and Hermilio selling hot peppers at the Sandhills Farmers Market in Spring Lake.  

September is National 5-A-Day Month, Fruit and Vegetable Month, and even Organic Harvest Month! How do you plan to get your 5-a-day?  Here are a few suggestions! 

• Eat seasonally!  Fresh fruits and veges are less expensive and healthier when you buy them in season!
• Follow a recipe.  Have fun with fresh fruits and veges by trying something new!
• Visit a farmers market or farm and get to know your grower!
• Start a garden.  Make fresh foods a family affair and grow a few vegetables. 
• Add fresh or dried fruit to your cereal. 

For more information:

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/

http://www.ota.com/news/ohmcalendar.html

http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/gottobe/

http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/

http://www.ncagr.gov/htm/educational.htm

Photo by Ammie Jenkins. 

"Fresh Ingredients for Good Food"

Julia Child once said, "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients".  Even as late summer begins its seasonal transition into early fall, North Carolina farmers markets still have plenty of "fresh ingredients for good food"!  Summer favorites like tomatoes and peppers continue to hold court on market tables well into fall and cool weather favorites like collards, turnips, mustard greens and onions become increasingly abundant. Crisp pears and apples replace sweet peaches and juicy berries.  The old Southern favorite, the muscadine grape, makes a brief appearance in September. Last but not least, the sweet potato begins a long harvest period and will be  available for months to come.  

Want to know what's in season year-round in North Carolina?  Follow this link to see fruit and vegetable availability.     http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/chart.htm 

If you're in the Fayetteville, NC area, the Sandhills Farmers Market of Spring Lake is open Saturdays from 9am until 2pm.  We are located at 230 Chapel Hill Road in the Spring Lake city limits. Call us for more information - 910-436-3406.  Would you like to receive our weekly newsletter "Market News"?  Send us your email to sign up.  Email:  sandhillsfamily1@yahoo.com .  Photo by Starr Oldorff..  

Enjoy Summer's Bounty Year Round

Red, ripe, juicy tomatoes at the Sandhills Farmers Market!


Tomatoes are known as the king of the summer garden.  Heirloon varieties are taking their rightful place next to the Big Boys, Whoppers, and Romas.  In spite of drought conditions in North Carolina this summer, their seems to be a bumper crop of tomatoes at the Sandhills Farmers Market!  We have been enjoying them in salads, sauces, and more!  Wouldn't it be great to eat fresh tomatoes all year long?

With a little time well spent in the kitchen, fresh, locally-grown tomatoes can be enjoyed throughout the year.  Tomatoes can be easily frozen to be used when the air becomes cooler, mittens and a scarf become part of our everyday attire, and the heat of the summer are a distant memory.  Is preserving tomatoes not in your current skill set?  Not a problem!  The North Carolina Cooperative Extension website provides easy to follow instructions for freezing or canning tomatoes in the traditional manner and YouTube has several easy-to-follow and informative videos on the subject. 

Tomatoes grow in the Sandhills region of North Carolina until the first frost.  However, they probably won't  last in the local markets for that long.  So, if you want to try your hand at preserving fresh tomatoes for winter use, stop by the Sandhills Farmers Market right now and get yours while they last!  Photographed by Starr Oldorff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lMKsa6Aqz8