Sierra Vista Farmers Markets Update for 01-24-19

Countering the Counterfeits – –
Unfortunately not everyone comes to the Farmers Market to enjoy the good company, great produce, delicious food, and creative arts and crafts. Last week the market had an unwelcomed visitor who used a counterfeit $100 bill to get change from one of our vendors. The person was not apprehended, so please, if you are a visitor or a vendor and you are asked to make change, ensure that you verify if the currency is real before you offer your change. When in doubt, don’t make change for large bills.

Counterfeit Countermeasures 
One way to verify if the currency is real (though not fool proof) is to check it with a currency pen. The currency pen detects Iodine or starch in the bill and will change to a specific color showing if the currency is authentic. The market manager has one as well as some of the vendors. If you want your own pen you can purchase them at Walmart or other retailers. Make sure you also check the bills for their water mark and magnetic currency strip.

$5 Market Tokens – (a.k.a – Wooden Nickels)
In a couple more weeks we should have our $5.00 market tokens available at the information booth where visitors can purchase them by credit card. So if you are visitor who forgot to bring cash or just a vendor who doesn’t want to risk giving change for large currency, make sure you visit the information booth for all the details.

Gardening Tip – Pruning Your Fruit Trees
It’s time to starting thinking about pruning your fruit trees for the new growing season. Pruning is an essential part of proper tree care that will help ensure a healthy tree and a bountiful fruit harvest. The next few weeks are an ideal time to start cleaning up your trees and directing their new growth in a way that most benefits the tree and its future fruit production. The U of A College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Cooperative Extension has a helpful pruning guide (here) for newly planted fruit trees. You can also learn how to prune your trees at one of the workshops put on by the Cochise County Master Gardeners. To learn more you can visit there website here: Cochise County Master Gardeners 

Getting Connected to your Food
Shopping at your local farmers Markets has many rewards. Not only are you supporting your local economy – your friends and neighbors – but you get to shake the hand and look into the eyes of the people who take pride and pleasure in growing your food. You won’t find that at your local super market.

Later when you get back home and take out all the newly picked seasonal  produce, fresh baked goods, or naturally grown meat products, you’ll have the added satisfaction of your conversations and interactions with the ranchers, growers, and bakers who labored to bring some of Cochise County’s finest, freshest, and healthiest food to your table.

This Week At the Market

Agricultural and Produce Vendors Spotlight

San Ysidro Farms
If you are looking for quality grass fed beef or lamb for your next meal or special occasion, Nathan Watkins of San Ysidro Farms will be at the market this week. If that’s not on your menu tonight then you might try their alfalfa fed and non-GMO grain supplemented pork.  Make sure to ask him about their other fine meat products as well. If a quick bite to eat is more your speed try one of Nathan’s warm (or take home frozen) pasties (pictured). 

Arevalos Farms
This week Aaron Cardona with Arevalos Farms will have delicious salad greens mix, spinach, kale, rainbow chard, kohlrabi greens, and the first of their amazingly sweet baby carrots. Still available are their Delicata and Butternut squash and don’t forget the Smiling Eye and Huckleberry potatoes. If you are more inclined to take home some frozen ready–to-eat non-GMO goodies, then ask them about their hominy, green chili posole, mole tamales, or green chilies. Never hurts to add a bit of spice to your life, so ask Joan or Aaron to crack open their freezer for you so you can take some of their yummy frozen southwestern fare home to spice up you next meal.

The Lettuce Man
It doesn’t get much fresher than the Lettuce Man’s greens picked by his daughter Donna just before or the day of Thursday’s market. This week she’ll have Swiss chard, salad mix, spinach, green and red leaf lettuce, as well as Bok Choi and Romaine. Be sure to pick some up for your next fresh salad or smoothie.

News and Events 

27th Annual Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering
 This week the good folks from the 27^th  Annual Cochise County Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering will be at the market distributing info and selling tickets for their splendid Poetry and Musical event on February 8th and 9th. More than 40 poets and musicians will entertain you with some of the Southwest’s finest Cowboy genre. If you can’t make it to the market to talk to them yourselves you can visit there website here: Cochise County Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering

This Week’s Market Music
Rick Rice will be playing at the market this week. Be sure to stop by and say hello.

We hope to see you all at the Market this week!

This Week’s Weather Forecast

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