Are you planning turkey day already? You can bet I am! I know friends are too because the questions about ‘where can I order a turkey?’ are pouring in. Here are the best local options I am aware of: Turkey Bowman and Landes – I grew up visiting my grandmother who worked at Bowman and Landes farm in Springfield, OH. The turkeys have ample room to roam and the meat is free from hormones and [...]

Fruit and vegetable Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares have been available for years here in Columbus and many of us have partaken of their local produce goodness. Today I want to highlight several new twists on the classic CSA. Follow the links in each post for registration and more details. 1) Mockingbird Meadows Honey and Herb Farm is offering a Healthy Herbs CSA from June through February. From their website: “Designed to mirror the traditional [...]

After profiling Columbus Winter Farmer’s Market last year, I returned last weekend for the opening of their 2010-2011 season in a new location, the Clintonville Women’s Club at 3951 N High Street. With the change of venue comes a large uncrowded parking lot, a beautiful stage with sound system for musicians, and larger hospitality area where visitors can sit and enjoy their purchases.  The market will be open this Saturday, November 13 from 10 am [...]

Weather has not been nice for vegetable growers this year. First, the temperatures rose so quickly in early spring that many greens bolted and bittered far before their time. Now tens of inches of rain are flooding fields. The lack of sunlight leaves fruits unripened and rotting. Those of us who don’t use pesticides are inundated with weeds. I have remarked more than once recently that I am glad I’m not a farmer. I feel [...]

The first real snow is finally on the ground here in central Ohio. It might be hard to think about summer produce but that’s just what small farmers are doing. Several farmers offering Community Support Agriculture (CSA) shares already have their 2010 signups available.  At least one is offering discounts for those who register and pay before December 31.  Others have deadlines in early 2010. What is so wonderful about giving a CSA membership to [...]

When we first became members of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), we received plenty of produce that we had never encountered before.  CSA managers are getting better about identifying everything in the share, but in the very beginning, we were given some veggies we couldn’t even name! Here’s my quickie guide for using your CSA share to full potential when you aren’t even sure what you have. Taste it raw. Not sure what part is [...]

Readers have been asking me about recommendations for Summer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscriptions.  Wikipedia has a good entry on CSAs if you are not familiar. The truth is that this year, we will not participate in one.  We think we can grow everything we need in our backyard garden supplemented with trips to the farmers market every once in awhile. For two years we participated in small CSA. We can’t remember the name at [...]