Growth Spurts

By Jim Jacenich

The changing color of the leaves is a sure sign of fall. Our gardens are reacting to the shorter days and cooler nights. Sunflowers are turning black and falling down, acres of corn are drying out to a dull tan.

Tomatoes are plentiful, bending branches under their increasing weight. Squash are coming into season as other, more delicate garden plants, are dying back.

Squirrels are making the most of the walnuts in a nearby tree, tossing shells on unsuspecting pedestrians below. The road is stained black from the walnut oils.

Apple trees are giving up their bounty in these final days of summer. Neighbors visit a favorite local apple tree, picking delicious, red, fruity orbs off the ground.

Harmony Leonard sent me an note from Denise Mainville, a Virginia Tech Extension specialist in agricultural economics. Mainville is starting a listserv for direct marketers of beef. A listserv is an address where messages sent to it are distributed to all the names on the list.

"The purpose of the listserv is to provide a forum for communication among direct marketers of beef and other professionals, such as extension agents and specialists, researchers and others, to share experiences and ask questions, to teach and to learn," says Mainville. "There is a huge range of relevant topics to discuss — everything from production issues such as pasture-management and feeding to processing and marketing. By joining the listserv you can initiate, respond to or simply listen to discussions among producers as well as the extension and science community that serves them."

Sarah Chaney received a Virginia Grown bag from market master Scott Smith. Her son J.R. received a child's gardening set and wildflower seeds as the door prizes for Children's Day at The Highland Farmers' Market held at The Highland Center Pavilion. (Photo courtesy The Highland Center) If you are interested in participating, copy and paste the following link into your Internet browser: https://survey. vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1215625517882 to go to a site where you can register for the listserv.

Beagle Ridge Herb Farm in Wytheville is online at www.beagleridgeherbfarm.com. Looking through its calendar of events, I noticed the farm is creating its own festivals, based on the farm's production schedule. Eagle Ridge directs those visiting the farm or taking a class there about local bed and breakfasts and other accommodations. The farm gives helpful gardening tips, too, making the Web site a valuable resource not only to those interested in buying from the farm, but in herbs and gardening in general. I can see how a lot of people in Wytheville and the surrounding area benefit from Beagle Ridge Herb Farm.

Bath and Highland farmers might get some ideas of how to start their own small farm business, how to reach customers and how to create their own festivals to attract visitors. I think Beagle Ridge Farm is an example of how small scale farms can compete in the world food market by carving out their own unique niche.

Some local producers can be found by going to the Highland County Chamber of Commerce Web site — http://www. highlandcounty.org. One local source for grass-fed beef raised humanely is Against the Wind Ranch near McDowell. Visit www.againstthewindranch.com for more information. Another online resource for Highland County farm products is Mad Maggie Farm at www.madmaggiefarm.com. Maggie Morse makes sauces, marmalade and pear butter, among other things. She also raises sheep at the farm near Blue Grass and sells the wool, a locally grown product, and socks made from the wool.

The local foods movement might not make us all rich, but if it saves some of our farms by providing a decent living for hard-working neighbors, if it provides fresh, healthy food for our tables, if it helps make our community a little more self-sufficient and introduces neighbors to neighbors, and if it makes us a little happier to live closer to the land and one another, then it's something worth our time, effort and investment.

It's a little early to proclaim victory, since the season isn't over yet, but from what I've seen, the foods movement in Bath and Highland counties is alive and well and growing. The Highland Market opened this year under a new pavilion, which provided a much-improved venue over the temporary shelters used in the past for local producers to sell their wares; and the Bath Market opened for the first time in Millboro. The response there was overwhelming, organizers say.

Now is the time to start thinking about local food opportunities next year. Consumers, like me, want to see more vendors, more choices, more opportunities to buy local. I'm making the farmers' markets my first choice for freshness. Judging by the size of the crowds I saw at the markets and the way the garden goodies flew off the tables and departed in the hands of the happy, hungry hordes, I'd say I'm not alone in my opinion. The local foods market appears to be wide open and ready for another Growth Spurt.

On a sad note, Lisa's mother, Frances Micocci, died last week. We have been in northeast Pennsylvania, awaiting the funeral Friday. Both of Lisa's parents are now gone, but I remember the first time I met them, 13 years ago. It was Thanksgiving and we were visiting from Northern Virginia. The food was homemade and filled the table to overflowing. Francis sat at the head of the table, surrounded by friends and family, while his wife, Frances, prepared the meal, overseeing every last detail and adding her own special touches passed down to her from generations before. There was much laughter and happiness that night. I felt welcomed by people who would soon become my new family.

The Micoccis enjoyed dining out, too. One of Frances' favorite restaurants was Hottle's in Wilkes-Barre. The restaurant specializes in seafood. Lisa, one of her sisters, and I sat down to dinner at Hottle's Tuesday night in honor of Frances. They ate her favorite dishes. Frances' favorite dessert was peach melba. Nothing special here — half a peach topped with vanilla ice-cream (locally made, of course), melba sauce, whipped cream and a cherry.

But the memories of many wonderful occasions make the dish special.

Bath Farmers' Market

The Bath farmers' market is open Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon until Oct. 11. It is under the porch at the Lickety Splits restaurant near the intersection of Routes 39 and 42 in Millboro Springs. Call Leonard at (540) 997-0239 or co-organizer Donna Campagna at (540) 997-0098 or email bacofarmmkt@yahoo.com for more information.

Highland Farmers' Market

The Highland farmers' market is at The Highland Center Farmers' Market Pavilion on Spruce Street, Monterey and is open from 3:30-6 p.m. Friday. For more information, email farmersmarket@htcnet.org or call (540) 468-1922. This week is reduce, reuse and recycle day. One of the things this market has done well is provide educational services to the community. The market is more than a place to buy local foods, it is also a place to learn more about your community.

Final regular season market day is Friday, Sept. 26.