Market News- May 14,2013

May 14th, 2013 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

I mentioned last week that Mark Kaufman, owner of Wild Mountain Farm, won’t be back at the market this year. He has cancer and is being treated at Dana Farber. If you would like to send him a card, here is his address—96 New Braintree Road, West Brookfield, MA 01585-3215.

Mark’s sister said that they have beefalo to sell. Not much hamburger, but other cuts. Also, they have 3 chest freezers, and one upright freezer that they are selling. If interested in either meat or freezers, let me know and I will put you in touch with her.

Last week’s art project was fun. We had 50 children decorate a flowerpot, and then fill it with dirt and a flower. Thanks to Leslie Hager who helped out and to all of the children who participated.

By now many of you know that a lot of the food that we eat travels about 1500 miles to reach us. But, not when you buy at a farmers’ market.

The longest distance that any vendor travels to reach us is within 50 miles. Often fresh produce at our market is picked the day of the market. Unless you have your own garden, it doesn’t get fresher than that.

All of our farms, even the bigger ones, are small farms by national standards. Small production farming is more costly than large production farming. Remember that when you question the price of something.

Also think about the costs involved in farming. Many of them are similar to what we who aren’t farmers have to pay. Fuel, health and other types of insurance, wages, equipment, maintenance, etc. Just as prices rise for us, they rise for the farmers. Everyone is entitled to earn a living wage.

Gifts and Gift Tokens

There are many items at our market that make wonderful gifts. You can put together a beautiful basket yourself. Or, purchase tokens and give them to someone so that they can come to the market and purchase what they’d like. You can use cash, debit, or EBT.

Friends of the Farmers’ Market

This year we are giving everyone who contributes $5 or more a lovely pin that looks like a sunflower. As you know, it takes money to do anything, and our market is no exception. The pins are at the market table.

Library Book Sale

The Storrs’ Library in Longmeadow is having a book sale on May 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th. The 16^th is for Friends of the Library from 4-8, Friday the hours are 10-5, and Saturday (the library part is closed due to Long Meddowe Days) the hours are 11-5.

Cook and Gardening Book Giveaway

Please bring any unwanted cook or gardening books to the market. You can take any that you’d like that someone else brings, or take none. We’ll continue doing this throughout the season. Even if you don’t bring any books to give away, you may take one or more.

PVTA Van Transportation

I know that I’m repeating myself, but I really want folks to know that we will reimburse anyone who takes the PVTA van to our market for the cost of the ride. It isn’t as easy to access our market since we moved inside the park, so this is a way to make it easy for some of our customers. Spread the word please.

This ‘n’ That

Adopt a traffic island, or a stretch of road that doesn’t have homes on it, or some spot that doesn’t have someone who regularly cleans that area. You will make a difference.

Drive down any street and look for house numbers. Are they easily readable from the street? How about yours? Remember, if you call for emergency service, it is important that your house number can be read from the street; you want someone there as quickly as possible.

Usually in a family one person handles the bill paying, etc. That’s fine, but it is really important that all adults in the family know how to do this. Also, they need to know where all of the important papers are kept. Everyone should have a letter of instruction letting your family know what you do, so they won’t have to guess about some things.

Are you superstitious? Do you think that if you buy life insurance you will die? You are going to die someday whether or not you have life insurance. (You heard it here first.)

Here are a few comments I heard when I sold life insurance many years ago—“She can always get married again.” “I don’t want them

to have fun after I die.” “She can get a job.”

While my first inclination was to ask these people how stupid they really were, I kept my mouth shut, and always said that if their family didn’t have to worry about money at the same time that they were grieving, that that would be a gift to them. I knew that from personal experience having been widowed at age 32 with 3 young children.

Many farmers are land rich and cash poor. In one of the places I lived (Spokane, Washington) there were lots of farms. Estate planning for farmers was a big deal out there. Life insurance is part of estate planning because it becomes money right away. In farmers’ estates it meant that they could keep their income producing land because they weren’t forced to sell it to raise cash.

In many obituaries of youngish people, a request is made to give donations to an education fund for the deceased’s children. How much is realistically going to be raised? And, how far will a few thousand dollars go in educating any child? Life insurance is inexpensive today. Protect your family.

Getting rid of Moles from Judie Carpenter, Master Gardener

Moles are fatally attracted to the flavor of Juicy Fruit gum. Wearing gloves (if human scent is present this won’t work) unwrap the gum and roll up like a cigarette. Using a stick poke holes every 4-6” in the mole run. Drop in the gum. Moles will eat it, but they can’t digest it. Their activity should cease in a few days.

If this makes you uneasy, here’s another way. Mole-Med has been proven to repel moles. It has been tested at universities. The active ingredient is castor oil. Here’s a recipe that costs practically nothing to make. Mix 6 ounces of castor oil with 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid (one known for its degreasing capabilities) and one gallon of water, and apply. Water your lawn to a depth of ½” before applying. This will treat about 300’ of lawn.

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Market News – May 7,2013

May 14th, 2013 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

Welcome to the 16^th year of our marvelous market. Every year it is different. Some vendors go, others come. One of the vendors who isn’t with us as we open our season is Mark Kaufman, owner of Wild Mountain Farm. Mark is ill. I don’t know if he will be back this year.

We welcome Cape Cod Fish Share to our market. They will bring us fresh fish from Cape Cod each week. You can either participate in the share, or purchase fish at retail. How much is available for individual sale depends on the supply.

Ron Starcher, owner of Town Farm Gardens grows perennials and vegetables although he won’t be selling his veggies at our market. They also have jam, pickles of all sorts and relishes that they make.

Pete Buckley from Barnum and Buckley Farm is back with us. Pete was here a few years ago. He will have eggs and chicken, and offers pork in bulk by special order.

S & P Deli from West Springfield will join us with several prepared Asian foods to either eat at the market, or take home.

3 of our returning vendors–Fior d’Italia, Tortured Orchards, and Shayna B’s and the Pickle are going to be on a twice a month schedule rather than every week.

We are going to have more prepared food this year, so plan on having lunch with us on a regular basis.

Throughout the years many people have said that their dinners on Tuesday nights are their best ones all week. With the variety that we have here, many dinners will fall into that

From the Market Manager

Pete Buckley from Barnum and Buckley Farm is back with us. Pete was here a few years ago. He will have eggs and chicken, and offers pork in bulk by special order.

S & P Deli from West Springfield will join us with several prepared Asian foods to either eat at the market, or take home.

3 of our returning vendors–Fior d’Italia, Tortured Orchards, and Shayna B’s and the Pickle are going to be on a twice a month schedule rather than every week.

We are going to have more prepared food this year, so plan on having lunch with us on a regular basis.

Throughout the years many people have said that their dinners on Tuesday nights are their best ones all week. With the variety that we have here, many dinners will fall into that

From the Market Manager

Pete Buckley from Barnum and Buckley Farm is back with us. Pete was here a few years ago. He will have eggs and chicken, and offers pork in bulk by special order.

S & P Deli from West Springfield will join us with several prepared Asian foods to either eat at the market, or take home.

3 of our returning vendors–Fior d’Italia, Tortured Orchards, and Shayna B’s and the Pickle are going to be on a twice a month schedule rather than every week.

We are going to have more prepared food this year, so plan on having lunch with us on a regular basis.

Throughout the years many people have said that their dinners on Tuesday nights are their best ones all week. With the variety that we have here, many dinners will fall into that category.

Free Ride for Seniors

If you take the PVTA van to our market, we will reimburse you for the cost of the ride which is $5 round trip. You will receive 2 market tokens to use at the market. Van reservations are a must.

Master Gardeners

The MGs will be at our market every week until sometime in August. This week and next they will be doing soil sampling. Bring a little soil from several areas of your garden, mix them together, and bring to the market. The gardeners are only here until 4PM, so make sure you get here early enough to get it tested. The testing is different than it has been, so these will be the only two weeks that it will be done.

This ‘n’ That

If you don’t own a food processor, buy one. It is an extremely versatile appliance. Get an 11 cup Kitchen Aid one. It has a small bowl that fits in the bigger bowl if you have a small amount to process. This processor is very easy to use and clean. If you like to cook you will find that this machine is a huge time saver.

If you have to cut crusts off of bread, make bread crumbs out of them in the food processor, but store them in the freezer otherwise they will get moldy.

Look for cheese ends in the grocery store for making macaroni & cheese. They are way cheaper than buying a regular piece of cheese. Also you will have different cheeses

category.

Free Ride for Seniors

If you take the PVTA van to our market, we will reimburse you for the cost of the ride which is $5 round trip. You will receive 2 market tokens to use at the market. Van reservations are a must.

Master Gardeners

This ‘n’ That

If you have to cut crusts off of bread, make bread crumbs out of them in the food processor, but store them in the freezer otherwise they will get moldy.

Look for cheese ends in the grocery store for making macaroni & cheese. They are way cheaper than buying a regular piece of cheese. Also you will have different cheeses

in one package, so will have a nice blend of flavors. Making homemade macaroni & cheese is so easy.

Tokens

We sell wooden tokens at our market for your convenience. You can use a debit, credit, or EBT card. The tokens are used just like cash. We follow USDA regulations for EBT purchases which means that they can be used for food, and plants or seeds that grow food, but not prepared food.

This year, in order to help defray the cost of having the wireless transfer machine, we are charging a $1 service fee per transaction of more than $10 when a debit or credit card is used. Last year we paid over $800 for the monthly and transaction fees. Thanks for your understanding.

Friends of the Farmers’ Market

We are trying something new this year to raise money. For a donation of $5 or more you will receive a pin that looks like a sunflower that says that you are a friend of our farmers’ market. We have the pins at the market table.

Buy Your Park Passes Here

For a small fee you can have unlimited access to all of the parks in Springfield. We will be selling them at the market table. All we need is your auto registration, and your money.

Our Market’s History

Some of you have been coming to our market from day one, and know our history, but others don’t, so here it is.

In the fall of 1997 I mentioned to my friend Karen Thomes that it would be really good to have a farmers’ market in our Forest Park neighborhood. She told me that her husband Michael had recently said the same thing, so the next day I called him, and we were on our way to organizing the wonderful market that we have today.

We have been extremely fortunate to have had excellent cooperation every step of the way. The X Main Street Corporation was our initial non-profit sponsor, and Goodwill hosted us in their parking lot for 8 years. When we needed to move for a variety of reasons, Trinity United Methodist Church agreed to host us. Concerned Citizens for Springfield became our sponsor. That was a terrific location, but we ran out of space, so that’s when we moved to Forest Park.

One of the reasons that having a non-profit as a sponsor is important, is that it allows us to apply for grants, many of which only go to non-profit organizations.

We started with 5 vendors. Outlook Farm has been with us from day one.

While we weren’t totally ahead of the curve (Massachusetts had 98 markets in 1998, now there are over 250), we were on the cusp of the huge increase in markets and the increasing interest in purchasing locally grown/raised food.

We currently have the most diverse market in the Greater Springfield area. Since we started there have been 8 markets that have cropped up. (Pun intended.) Lots of folks want a farmers’ market. In many areas there are too many markets. That’s a topic of discussion among the farmers’ market community nationwide. Just because you want one doesn’t mean that you need one.

No market is going to be convenient for all consumers, but it is what it is especially when the market is only once a week. We are fortunate to live in a region that still has lots of farm stands to shop at.

Music at the Market

If you would like to volunteer at our market please let the manager know. You can play for tips, and a gift from the market. Music is a nice addition, so if you or someone you know wants to add to our ambiance please do.

Once again, welcome back to our market. We are here rain or shine through the last Tuesday in October.

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Market News – October 16, 2012

October 22nd, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

There is good news on the Massachusetts agriculture scene. Farms and farmers are increasing. Many young people are going into agriculture. The Stockbridge School at UMASS now has bachelors, masters, and doctorate programs. Massachusetts is second in New England in dollar amount of sales per farm.

Many of the people that I have met who are interns interested in farming, or who have become farmers, are very well educated. Let’s hope that this trend continues.

Two more weeks after today until our market ends, then the winter market begins on November 10^th. We will have many of the same vendors there.

Remember those of you who have elder or WIC coupons—you must use them by the end of this month. They are not good after that.

What Makes You Crazy?

Litter, graffiti, and people who complain, but never do anything to make whatever they’re complaining about any better are high up on my list.

I don’t go on the MassLive Springfield forum very often because the level of discourse is low. Because it is anonymous the complainers are out in force. They are sexist, racist, homophobic, and they almost never have anything good to say about Springfield. Plus most of them sound really stupid and they can’t spell. (Yeah I know, tell us how you really feel Belle Rita.)

Do we have problems? Sure. Do other municipalities have problems? Sure. Do we wish that we could wave a magic wand and have everything that ails us made better? Sure. But what’s the reality folks? It takes concerted effort to make changes.

If everyone were to do something, anything to improve our city, we would see positive changes. Perhaps if the complainers spent less time complaining, and more time doing something positive, we’d see a difference.

This ‘n’ That

You can freeze cider. Either pour some out of the plastic bottle it comes in, or put it into other plastic containers. Don’t fill it too full so that it has room to expand.

Save leftover crackers and bread, freeze them, and use them for poultry stuffing. Do the same for chicken carcasses and make chicken broth with them.

Buy cheese ends at the grocery store and use them for home made macaroni and cheese. It is so much tastier than the boxed stuff.

Keep several types of vinegar and olive oil in your pantry. You can make your own salad dressing for way less cost than the bottled dressings, and using different vinegars and oils will give the dressing different flavors.

Check out the ethnic stores that we have in the Springfield area. Generally what they sell is less expensive than the same item in a large grocery store.

Recipes

Stir Fried Greens

Use chard and beet greens, kale works also. Cut the stems from the chard and beet greens, (throw away the kale stems), sauté them with some onions and garlic until they are tender; add the chopped up greens. Stir until they are the texture you like; sprinkle with some kosher salt. Enjoy.

Candied Parsnips

Peel, cut then boil parsnips until they are tender, drain. Melt butter, add some brown sugar. When that has mixed together well, add the cut up parsnips, and cook in that mixture for a few minutes. You can do the same thing with carrots, but you knew that already.

Winter Squash Soup

Sauté some onions in butter or salad oil until softened. Add peeled, cut up winter squash, then cover with chicken or vegetable broth. Cook until the squash is tender, puree. Add some apple cider, or some milk, yogurt, or cream then season it with curry powder or ginger, or allspice. You can also leave the seasonings out, always your choice.

Winter Market

We will begin our winter market on November 10^th, have another one on the 17^th, and then from December through April on the SECOND AND FOURTH SATURDAYS ONLY. From 10-2. Same place as the previous 2 years—the old monkey house. We aren’t there every other week. So, mark your calendar. Come in the Trafton Road entrance for easiest access. Spread the word please.

Apples, etc.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, we are so fortunate to live where we live with such access to farm products nearby.

If you want apples and it’s not a farmers’ market day, go to The Apple Place in East Longmeadow on Rte. 83, aka Somers Road. They are open Tuesday through Sunday. They also have a bakery on site. Everything is made from scratch. They will start carrying frozen pasta products from our vendor Fior d’Italia soon. Green Acres Fruit Farm in Wilbraham on Main St. (toward the Hampden end) is open every day from 10-5. They have apples, potatoes and onions. The latter aren’t theirs, but they are local.

Buy utility apples for baking or applesauce. Applesauce freezes perfectly, so make extra.

Food Day 2012—A National Program that Aims to—

Promote safer, healthier diets
Support sustainable agriculture
Reduce hunger
Reform factory farms to protect the environment
Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers

Join our farmers’ market in celebrating this day. We will support our local farmers and feed the hungry all at once. We encourage you to “BUY AN EXTRA POUND OR TWO” on Tuesday, October 23^rd. All extra purchases can be left at the market table for distribution by Rachel’s Table to agencies that serve the hungry and homeless.

Rachel’s Table is an agency sponsored by the Jewish Federation and Channel 22 that delivers surplus food to non-profit agencies that benefit the hungry and homeless. Except for one paid office person, Rachel’s Table is staffed by volunteers. They pick up from grocery stores, restaurants, catering facilities, etc., but not from homes, and deliver it to agencies that can use it. Everything is coordinated. Their # is 733-9165.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

Recycling benefits our municipalities in two ways—it keeps trash from the landfills, which means it costs less to dump, thereby saving money, and it earns money by selling the recycled waste. Truly a win-win situation.

I find that I am throwing away almost no trash each week because I recycle so much. How about you?

New Restaurant in Forest Park

Don Rico’s Café, authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, opened at 686 Belmont Ave. where the 3hree Café used to be. 726-4711. Open every day.

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Market News – October 9, 2012

October 22nd, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

Recently I’ve been part of conversations where the subject of the cost of food has come up. Some folks seem shocked. You have noticed increases yourselves I’m sure. In recent years many packages have gotten smaller, but look similar to how they used to; the price doesn’t go up, but we’re getting less. Coffee used to be sold in pound cans; for many years the can has weighed 12 ounces. The same goes for many other products as well.

We live in a global economy. Much of the food that we consume does not come from local farms.

We in the U.S. spend a smaller percentage of our income on food than most other people do in the rest of the world.

Yet, the prices rise, and they are noticeable.

The cost of energy, specifically petroleum products, drives some of the rise in prices. Think about what it costs you to fill up your car’s gas tank. Then think about the farmers not only having to do the same, but also having to heat greenhouses, keep trucks and tractors running, and buy supplies, many of which contain petroleum.

Then, there are the weather troubles in many parts of our country. Last year Hurricane Irene devastated several farms in New England and New York. The drought in the mid-West this year devastated the grain crops, so the cost of feeding animals has gone way up. Many tree fruit growers in our area lost part or all of their crops due to hot weather in the spring followed by a frost. All of these things add to the cost of the food that we buy.

Although we can’t undo the major reasons for food costs going up, one of the things that we do have control over is what we buy, and how we prepare it. If you cook from scratch you will cut down your food costs. Also, if you buy as much as you can that is in season, you will have better tasting food, and way less waste because it is fresher.

Register to Vote

The last day to register to vote for the election on November 6^th, is October 17^th, so if you haven’t registered, pick up a form at our market table, fill it out, and mail it in. If you are registered, but have moved in the last year, you should fill out a new one with your current address so that you can vote where you are supposed to.

Winter Market

Gifts

This is the last month of our Tuesday market, so start loading up on gifts. Each of our crafters will be here one more time this month, so take the opportunity to check out what they have to offer.

We also have vendors who have non-perishable items that make terrific gifts.

Safety Tips for Fresh Produce

Buying: Tips for Fresh Produce

You can help keep produce safe by making wise buying decisions at the grocery store.

Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.
When selecting fresh cut produce such as half a watermelon or bagged mixed salad greens—choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from meat, poultry and seafood products when packing them to take home from the market.

Preparation: Begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce.

Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Produce that looks rotten should be discarded.
All produce should be thoroughly washed before eating. This includes produce grown conventionally or organically at home, or produce that is purchased. Wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting, or cooking.
Even if you plan to peel the produce before eat, it is still important to wash it first.
Washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent or using commercial produce washes is not recommended.
Scrub firm produce such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
Drying produce with a clean cloth or paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present.

What about pre-washed produce?

Many pre-cut, bagged produce items like lettuce are pre-washed. If so, it will be stated on the packaging. This pre-washed, bagged produce can be used without further washing.

As an extra measure of caution, you can wash the produce again just before you use it. Precut or pre-washed produce in open bags should be washed before using.

Separate for Safety: Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from other foods such as raw meat, poultry, or seafood—and from kitchen utensils used for those products.

In addition be sure to:

Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot water and soap between the preparation of raw meat, poultry and seafood products and the preparation of produce that will not be cooked.
For added protection, kitchen sanitizers can be used on cutting boards and counter tops periodically. Try a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water.
If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use.

The above information s from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

WIC/Elder Coupons

You must use all of your coupons by the end of October; they do not carry over to the winter market, nor to next year’s Tuesday market.

This market ends on the last Tuesday of October which this year is October 30^th.

Dog Supplies Available

If you know anyone who will be getting a dog soon, I will have dog leashes, 2 dog bowls, a dog bed, and 2 HeartGuard tablets for a medium-size dog available on the 19^th. Ask at the market table.

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Market News – October 2, 2012

October 2nd, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

The form allows you to register as either Republican, Democrat, or unenrolled. What the latter means is that you are independent, you are not declaring any party affiliation. If you want to vote in a primary, you MUST request a party ballot, which will then have you, listed as that party on the election rolls. But, you may declare yourself unenrolled right after voting if you wish.

I know that there are people who think that their vote doesn’t matter, but it does. It matters as much as anyone else’s vote. I have been to a few pro-choice marches in Washington attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Each one at those marches is just that—one—but together we have a large voice. Please don’t throw away your right to vote, it’s too precious.

Conventional vs. Organic Farming

The word organic refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don’t use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds, or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weed killers, organic farmers may conduct sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed.

Any farmer or food manufacturer who labels and sells a product as organic must be USDA certified. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt from this certification; however, they’re still required to follow the USDA’s standards for organic foods.

If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it’s produced and processed according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it. Products certified 95% or more organic display this USDA seal.

Springfield Symphony Orchestra

We are extremely fortunate to have an excellent orchestra in Springfield. This is its 69^th year. The next concert is on November 3^rd;all Russian music. All concerts are held in Symphony Hall.

When I was a child, our local school system used to have children’s concerts at Symphony Hall. Those concerts were magical, and I know that they were instrumental (no pun intended) in developing my love of classical music.

Having an orchestra in a city our size is very special. Please support it.

Make your own Pudding

Many years ago I made cream puffs. I also made the filling, and it wasn’t until I was at the very end of stirring it that I realized that I had just made pudding from scratch. It couldn’t be easier, and it has only a few ingredients. If you make it with Trinity Farm’s milk you will have a truly special dessert.

I use this recipe from my old Fanny Farmer cookbook.

ChocolatePudding—can be doubled easily

Scald 2 cups milk

Mix together–

3 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Add and stir until smooth—

¼ cup cold milk

Add to scalded milk. Cook stirring constantly until the pudding thickens, then occasionally. Cool slightly and add

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chill

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This is the month when we are inundated with lots of information about breast cancer. The following information is from a woman in her 30s who is being treated for metastatic breast cancer, so she has had to gather lots of information in a relatively short period of time. She says that we should all “Think before we pink.” The following organizations directly help someone with breast cancer.

United Breast Cancer Foundation—ubcf.info
The Actors’ Fund—actorsfund.org
CancerCare—cancercare.org

The Pink Daisy Project— pinkdaisyproject.ning.com

Winter Market

Gifts

This is the last month of our Tuesday market, so start loading up on gifts. Each of our crafters will be here one more time this month, so take the opportunity to check out what they have to offer.

We also have vendors who have non-perishable items that make terrific gifts.

Springfield Public Forum

Tomorrow, October 3^rd at 7:30 PM in Symphony Hall, Jeffrey Toobin, writer for the New Yorker, and Senior Legal Analyst for CNN will speak and give us an insider’s account of the momentous ideological war between the Supreme Court and the Obama White House. Should be fascinating. It’s free.

Anne Garrels, former NPR Senior Foreign Correspondent, scheduled for November 14^th has been cancelled. For those of you who may not have known, Anne grew up in Longmeadow.

Thanks!

The following individuals have contributed to our market—Fred Kool, Allen Agnitti & Sandra Collins, Bea & Jay Loevy, Eleanor Cress, Jane Landon, Harold Grinspoon, John & Pat Sullivan, Jim & Elaine Tourtelot, Bill & Fidele Malloy, and Robyn Newhouse. Concerned Citizens for Springfield, The Forest Park Civic Association, United Bank, and TD Bank have all contributed. And, as always, thanks to our marvelous Parks and Recreation Department.

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Market News – September 25, 2012

September 30th, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

What crazy weather we had last week! Yet, many of you managed to come to the market and support the vendors who were here. Even though some vendors were missing for various reasons, we had a good selection of items to buy.

As much as I like politics, I will be glad when this political season is over. It seems as though our presidential campaigns are 9 years long.

There are lots of orchards that have pick your own apples, so I hope that you go to one or more. It is a terrific activity with children. Go to CISA’s website, buylocalfood.org and you will get information about the orchards that let you pick your own.

Did you know that there are thousands of apple varieties in the world? You would think from what is available in grocery stores that there were maybe 10. It is thought that apples came from China.

Springfield’s Food Safety Council is having its 3^rd annual meeting and celebration this Wednesday, September 26^th, from 5:30-7:30 at the Holy Name Social Center, 53 Alderman St. There will be free food, raffles, and lots of information about food initiatives in Springfield. Call Alex at 750-2896 for a reservation or more information.

Food Safety for Seniors

Older people need a healthy diet. It can help them to avoid sickness. A healthy diet includes a range of foods. But raw foods are risky because they can have a lot of germs in them.
As we age, it can get harder to fight off germs. It’s easier to get sick from germs in your food. Having diabetes, kidney disease, or some cancer treatments also may add to your risk.

What foods should you avoid?

Raw fish
Raw shellfish
Raw meat or poultry
Raw or unpasteurized milk or cheese
Soft cheeses such as feta, brie, blue, and Mexican-style
Raw or lightly cooked eggs, or egg products such as salad dressings, cookie dough, cake batter, sauces, and drinks such as home made eggnog. (Commercial eggnog does not use uncooked eggs in their product.)
Raw sprouts
Unpasteurized or untreated juice from fruits and veggies.

This information is from the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Women’s Health. Their food information and seafood hotline is—1-888-723-3366. You can also go to foodsafety.gov for food safety information.

Hazardous Waste Disposal

Springfield will once again have a household hazardous waste collection depot. The dates are September 15^th and October 6^th from 8-noon. You MUST make an appointment by calling 787-7840. There is a 10-gallon limit per household. This is for Springfield residents only.

Open House at the Paddle Club

You are invited to swim, play, and meet other families who are part of the Springfield Paddle & Swim Club on Saturday, September 29^th from 2-5PM.

It is located on Bass Pond at 1275 South Branch Parkway in Springfield. You can get membership information at springfieldpaddleclub.org, or at 413-781-6640.

Recipe—Lazy Stuffed Cabbage

This tastes exactly like stuffed cabbage, but you don’t stuff the cabbage.

Ingredients—Sauce–tomato soup (1 can), tomato paste (6 oz.), water, vinegar, brown sugar. Mix together until you get the sweet/sour taste you want. I only use one can of water. Next chop green cabbage and add to sauce, cook until it softens. In the meantime make meatballs.

Meatballs—ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, ketchup, garlic, onion, salt/pepper, water. Use one egg per pound of meat. Cook one meatball to make sure it holds together. If it doesn’t add a few more breadcrumbs. Put meatballs on top of cabbage/sauce, cover and cook for about a half an hour. This is excellent over rice. You may need to adjust the seasoning on this after the meatballs cook.

If you want to stuff cabbage, use either Savoy or the “fluffier” cabbage you can buy at our market. Put it into the freezer until it is frozen solid. When it defrosts the leaves will be pliable and you will be able to rip off a leaf and stuff it with no additional fussing. I haven’t tried this with the regular cabbage, but it probably works well also. This dish freezes very well.

Here’s another recipe using cabbage—

My Polish Grandmother’s Cabbage Soup

Beef broth is best for this. This is a vegetable soup that is made sweet and sour also. My grandmother also threw raisins into it.

Ingredients—onions, celery, carrots, cabbage, stewed tomatoes, beef broth, salt/pepper, raisins. Put everything in a pot, and add some vinegar or lemon juice and brown sugar to taste. Some like it sweeter than others. This is better the day after it’s cooked as are most soups; the flavors blend. Gram used to “cheat” sometimes and use sauerkraut instead of fresh cabbage.

There are other cabbage recipes in the green crate.

Preventing Identity Theft

How to Guard Against it—

1. Remove mail promptly from your mailbox. Never use your mailbox for outgoing mail (especially if you are paying bills.) Identity thieves raid mailboxes to steal credit card offers and financial statements.

2. Guard your social security number. Never carry your SS# in your wallet or have it preprinted on your checks. Give out your number only when absolutely necessary. Do not give out personal information like your PIN, debit or credit card numbers over the phone or the Internet unless you initiated the transaction. Identity thieves often call you posing as an Internet provider or credit card company to gain knowledge of your accounts.

3. Be very careful with receipts. Make sure you have them when you leave the store or ATM and do not throw them into a public trash can. Thieves use these receipts to access your accounts.

4. Review your credit report from time to time. You can get one report free from each credit bureau once a year—

Equifax: 800-685-1111
Experian: 888-397-3742
Trans Union: 800-916-8800

5. Destroy pre-approved credit card offers before you throw them out. A home shredder is the best thing to use on financial statements, receipts, and old cancelled checks that you are discarding.

6. Account for all new checkbooks when you receive them in the mail. If any are missing, report stolen checks immediately. Keep new and cancelled checks in a safe place. Don’t carry around more checks, credit cards, or other bank items than you really need. Cancel credit cards that you don’t use.

7. Block your ATM transactions with your body. Keep the keyboard from view.

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Market News – September 18, 2012

September 20th, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

Recently I took advantage of MassSave’s Savings Through Energy Efficiency Program. I thought I had done a pretty good job over the years with energy efficient light bulbs, a programmable thermostat, replacement windows, a low flow showerhead, etc. But, the technician who came to my house found lots of bulbs that could be replaced, and recommended an instant on water heater, and insulation. I knew about the insulation as that is one thing I hadn’t done in the 28 years that I’ve owned my house. Previous owners had done some, but 28 years is a long time not to add to it. Most of the new insulation will be paid for by the program.

I’m not doing the water heater now, but he said that if I did, it would pay for itself in 3 years.

This is the first time that I will have benefited from any kind of rebate. When I put new windows in 7 years ago, they were one digit off from being able to qualify for a rebate. Whenever I bought an appliance, all the rebates were already used up. Then, when my boiler was replaced 5 years ago, it didn’t qualify because it’s a steam boiler and they aren’t as efficient as forced air or baseboard heat. I’m psyched.

Check out MassSave and find out for yourself if you qualify for some energy savings for your home. Not only will you save money, you’ll be more comfortable, and you’ll be doing something good for the environment at the same time.

I am writing this as I am listening to American Roots on WFCR, our public radio station. They are playing lots of 50s and early 60s music, and I am being transported back to my teens. (the good parts)

Drying Garden Produce

Mock “sun” dried tomatoes—To make approximately one pint of sun dried tomatoes, you’ll need about 5 pounds of garden ripe tomatoes, a sprinkling of herbs, salt, black pepper, sugar, and good quality olive oil for packing.

To do: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Slice tomatoes about a half-inch thick. If you slice them thinner, they will dry sooner, but for best results cut at least 1/3” thick to prevent hard, tough tomatoes. Lay tomatoes out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and allow to set for up to an hour to draw out the natural juices. Drain moisture, discard paper towels and place tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for several hours, turning over at least twice until tomatoes have shrunk and dried, but are pliable (think raisins). Allow to cool on wire cake racks.

To pack: Mix together a good quality olive oil, black pepper, salt, a dash of sugar (optional), and add herbs of choice and garlic cloves to taste. Pack tomatoes in sterilized jars and cover with olive oil mixture. Store in the refrigerator or tomatoes can be frozen for longer storage.

Free Ride for Seniors

If you take the PVTA van to our market, we will reimburse you for the cost of the ride which is $5 round trip. You will receive 2 market tokens to use at the market. Van reservations are a must.

This ‘n’ That

We have only 7 weeks including today left to this season’s market. The last Tuesday in October is our last day.

We will have a winter market beginning November 10^th. We will also have it on the 17^th as Thanksgiving is the following Thursday. After that we will go to the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. We’ll be in the old monkey house, the same location as last year. Come in the Trafton Road entrance for the easiest way to get to us.

Garlic Festival Coming up

The North Quabbin Garlic Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 29^th and 30^th, from 10-5. Go to garlicandarts.org for directions and specifics. It’s enjoyable. There is a fee.

Majestic Theatre Season Begins

We have a terrific regional theater in West Springfield, The Majestic. Their first play, Blood Brothers is ongoing now and it continues through October 28^th. It was first produced in 1983 and still runs in London in 2012, making this one of the longest running musical productions in history. Their phone # is 747-7797. Website is majestictheater.com.

Springfield Public Forum

We have one of the nation’s longest-running public speaker series in Springfield, and it is FREE! All speaker events take place at Springfield’s Symphony Hall. It starts tonight at 7:30 with An Evening with the Puzzle Master WILL SHORTZ. Will is the New York Times crossword puzzle editor, and a contributor for NPR’s Weekend Edition. Their Website address is—Springfieldpublicforum.org.

We are so fortunate to have this available to us. It’s been going on for over 75 years.

Gifts

Some of you are probably very organized when it comes to buying gifts; you don’t wait until the last minute. Our market is an excellent place to satisfy your gift giving needs. Look around and you will find many non-perishable items that you can purchase now and set aside for when you need them.

Reflection

It is the Jewish New Year, 5773. It’s a time when we who are Jewish are supposed to reflect on our lives this past year, and think about what we can do to improve ourselves this coming year. Although many of us get together with family and friends, it isn’t a time for parties; it’s a time for thinking.

The cantor at my synagogue, Martin Levson, is 48. He told us a story the other evening as an introduction to a lovely song about not letting opportunities to be kind slip away. He said that when Facebook was fairly new, a woman he didn’t know wanted to “friend” him. He wrote to her and asked her who she was. She told him that they had been classmates at the same high school. He told her that he was sorry, but that he didn’t remember her. She said, that’s okay, I remember you because you were one of very few people who was kind to me.

I mention Martin’s age because this high school relationship happened several years ago, yet it was still memorable to this woman.

You never know how our behavior, good or bad, resonates with someone, and for how long. My friend Myra and I have been friends since we were 16. She said that I was the first person to say hello to her when she was new at our high school.

Time to Make Applesauce

Use apples you pick, or buy utility apples. Use a food mill and you won’t have to peel and core the apples. Wash, cut into halves or quarters, cook until mushy. Put into food mill over a big bowl. Turn until you’ve gotten all that you can get out of the apples. Add a little sugar (or not) and some cinnamon. Done.

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Market News – September 11, 2012

September 16th, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

Do you ever think of the “simple” things in life that most of us take for granted? Those of us who have always lived in the U.S., and who haven’t been poor, have had enough to eat, have lived in decent homes and communities, have had access to good health care, education, etc.

We turn on a faucet and clean water comes out; we don’t have to gather it ourselves, nor do we have to worry about how safe it is to bathe in, or drink. We don’t have to use an outhouse in all kinds of weather.

We have central heating so that we can be comfortable in the colder months, and air conditioning if we want it.

I don’t take my good fortune for granted. I’ve never been wealthy, but compared to most people in the world, I am.

What got me thinking about this in particular was raspberries. I picked 3 pints on Saturday, and made jam with them later in the day. If you’ve ever picked raspberries you know why they’re so pricey. Picking is slow, they’re fragile, and they don’t last long after they’re picked.

My fruit/vegetable picking has always been for my own use and pleasure. I’ve never had to make my living doing this. While I do make jam, chutney, pickles, and more, by no means is it anywhere near the work that our farmers do to provide what they do for us. I always think of this when I’m picking something.

We are fortunate to live where we do and to have such bounty available to us. Thanks farmers. I appreciate all that you do.

A few Cooking Hints

To cut corn off the cob, place the cob in the hole of a tube cake pan. The kernels will fall into the pan and the cob will be held steady. If you place the unpeeled corn in the microwave for a few minutes, the silk will come off easily. Careful as it has steamed and it will be very hot.
Before adding flour to a batter in a mixer, place a dishtowel over the mixer; it will keep the flour from going all over the place which it does even at a slow speed.
If using bread from the grocery store that comes in a printed plastic bag, and you need to cut off the crusts for a recipe, process them into crumbs and store in the freezer in the bread bag. You’ll know what’s in the bag at a glance.
Smash olives with pits with the side of a chef’s knife; the pit comes out easily. Ditto for garlic. The skin slips right off.
Unless you are baking where your amounts need to be exact, you can add or subtract an ingredient.
Make your own flavored cream cheese. Using a food processor, chop up whatever you are using then add the cream cheese, and perhaps a little milk or half and half. Make this at least a couple of hours before you are going to use it to let the flavors blend. Much better than store bought.

Jewish Community Center

Either stop by the JCC on Dickinson St. in Springfield, or go to their website Springfieldjcc.org to see the amazing number of activities, physical education facilities, classes, etc. This is an organization that truly has something for everyone–young children through senior citizens. Membership is open to everyone. It’s clean, people are friendly, and it’s affordable.

UMASS Design Studio Project

On September 19^th at 6:30 PM at the Bing Arts Center, a project focused on the Forest Park neighborhood will be presented. It is titled Street Arteries and Terraces as Green Streets in Springfield’s Forest Park Neighborhood. It will be presented by senior landscape architecture students from UMASS. This will be an educational and informative session, and everyone is welcome to attend.

CISA’s Taste the View

September 14^th, this Friday, will be CISA’s annual fundraiser, Taste the View which offers a delicious meal made with local ingredients, an auction, and music. It also includes local beer and wine. It’s at Quonquont Farm in Whately. Tickets are $115.

Go to their website, buylocalfood.org,to purchase your ticket, but do it now as space is limited and it is THIS Friday.

Hazardous Waste in your Home?

Springfield will once again have a household hazardous waste collection depot. The dates are September 15^th and October 6^th from 8-noon. You MUST make an appointment by calling 787-7840. There is a 10 gallon limit per household. This is for Springfield residents only.

Rachel’s Table

Rachel’s Table is a central food distribution service to help feed the hungry. Their mission is to relieve hunger in Greater Springfield and to reduce waste of our food resources. Each week volunteers come from that organization and pick up food from our market that some of our vendors donate.

Restaurants, grocery stores, caterers, but not individuals can donate food to them. For instance, if you have a party at home, no matter how good the food may be, or how much is left over, you can’t donate it through them. You can bring it to one of the shelters yourself though.

If there is something to be donated, a call is made to RT, they then make calls to find out who can use the donation, then a volunteer picks it up and delivers it to the organization who will use it.

Rachel’s Table is a project of the Jewish Federation of Greater Springfield, Inc., and WWLP-TV22.

Open House at the Paddle Club

You are invited to swim, play, and meet other families who are part of the Springfield Paddle & Swim Club on Saturday, September 29^th from 2-5PM.

It is located on Bass Pond at 1275 South Branch Parkway in Springfield. You can get membership information at springfieldpaddleclub.org, or at 413-781-6640

Recipes

Tomato and Peach Salad

Heirloom tomatoes, peeled peaches, mild onion, cider vinegar, dash of sugar, salt.

Cut up tomatoes, peaches, and onions, add other ingredients to taste, serve.

Panzanella Salad

You must use a good chewy French or Italian bread for this.

Tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, olive oil, red wine vinegar or another kind, broken up bread, salt and pepper.

Mix together and let it sit for about a half an hour before you serve it.

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Market News – September 4, 2012

September 6th, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

There is a primary election this Thursday, September 6^th. Since Thursday is an unusual day to have an election, I’m sure the usual lousy turnout will be worse.

The voting age was 21 when I was younger, and I can still remember how excited I was to register to vote. I was going to be 21 on Election Day, so I was allowed to register the day before. I have missed one primary election in my life and I am 70. That was when I was in the hospital after having given birth to my daughter; there were no absentee ballots in New Hampshire for primary elections then. I do not understand how so many people can be so casual about not voting. I would never forfeit my right.

We have voter registration forms at the market table and the League of Women Voters has been at the market registering voters also.

Trinity Church, the big stone church right next to Forest Park, is having its annual neighborhood block party this coming Sunday, September 9^th from noon on. Everyone is invited. It’s free.

We will be having a winter farmers’ market again this year beginning in November. We will have it on the second and fourth Saturdays just like the previous two years. It will be in the old monkey house here in the park. And, no, it doesn’t stink. The monkey house was used for park maintenance projects for over 30 years.

Be very careful if you receive an email from your bank or credit card company. It may look official, but you should always contact the customer service department before responding to any message. They will tell you whether or not it is a real message.

Check out the green crate at the market table for new recipes each week.

If you don’t get the newsletter at the market, you can always go to our website and get it online. We have archived recipes there also.

Volunteer Needed

One of our volunteers can’t help us anymore, so we’d like to have another person who could come and help us from about 12-3 on Tuesdays. Let Belle Rita know if you can do this. Thanks.

Western Mass Master Gardeners

For gardening questions call their horticulture hotline at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens—(413) 298-5355, Mondays and Thursdays from 9-noon, May through October, or login to their Website at—wmassmastergardeners.org.

Free Ride for Seniors

If you take the PVTA van to our market, we will reimburse you for the cost of the ride which is $5 round trip. You will receive 2 market tokens to use at the market. Van reservations are a must.

This ‘n’ That

You can freeze tomatoes. Core then peel them (the easiest way is to plunge them in boiling water, put into cold water, slip off the skins) and freeze. Use for soups, stews, etc.

Roasting is also easy. Core, cut into halves or quarters, place on cookie sheet with sides, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. 400 degrees until they’ve softened somewhat, about 30+ minutes (probably depends on the type of tomato, I use a variety). Puree. You can add fresh basil prior to pureeing. This is either good by itself as it’s delicate, or the beginning of a sauce. Freezes perfectly.

You can freeze garlic. Peel it first. Then use it straight from the freezer. It won’t dry out, and the flavor is the same.

Roasting vegetables is a terrific way to preserve all the flavor of the vegetable. It’s Brussels sprouts season, so try them roasted. You might have to cut a little of the bottom off, and cut off any brown spots. Cut the large ones in half; leave the others whole. Place on cookie sheet that has sides, toss with olive oil and sprinkle kosher salt on them. Roast for about a half hour at 400 degrees. Delicious!

Neighborhood/Police Meeting

It’s that time of the month when the Forest Park/East Forest Park neighborhoods meet with our Sector H police officers. It will be this Wednesday, September 5^th, 6 PM at Sinai Temple, 1100 Dickinson St. Go in the right rear door. Everyone is welcome whether or not you have a problem. The meeting lasts for about an hour.

Garlic Festival Coming up

The North Quabbin Garlic Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 29^th and 30^th, from 10-5. Go to garlicandarts.org for directions and specifics. It’s enjoyable. There is a fee.

Chili Fest

The Kitchen Garden Farm is having its 5^th annual chili fest on Sunday, September 16^thfrom 12-5. Cost is $5 per person; kids under 5 are free. Go to their website for directions, etc.

Corn Chowder Recipe

Use as many local ingredients as possible; it makes a difference.

Ingredients: bacon, onions, potatoes, corn, corn water, half and half, flour, salt and pepper.

Method: cook bacon until crisp, crumble and set aside. Sauté onion in bacon fat until softened. Put into pot and add corn water, potatoes, and corn kernels. When potatoes are cooked add half and half and salt and pepper. You can put some flour in with some half and half, shake it up and add it to the pot if you’d like your soup a little thicker.

Of course you can make this vegetarian, but you should use the corn water. You could always put in a vegetable bullion cube for more flavor. Sauté onion in butter.

Corn water—use water that you have cooked corn in, or if you are taking the corn off the cob, put the cobs in water and cook for about 10 minutes. It is sweeter than just using water. You can freeze the corn and the water and make this soup when corn isn’t in season; don’t bother blanching the corn first; it isn’t necessary for soup.

Tomato Blight

Those of you who are regular customers of our market appreciate the hard work that goes into being a farmer. Of course there are many things that are not in their control, weather and disease being two of them.

There is widespread tomato blight in the Pioneer Valley this year. It is a fungus that destroys the crop. Both Red Fire Farm and The Kitchen Garden have been hit with it. Fortunately both of these farms have greenhouses where they grow some of their tomatoes. They are grown in dirt, so taste the same, but are not as susceptible to blight when they are under cover.

So, once again, I encourage everyone to think about some of what our farmers have to endure when purchasing their wonderful products, and, if the price is higher than usual, know that they have lost thousands of dollars, and must try to recoup some of these losses.

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Market News – August 28, 2012

August 28th, 2012 Posted in Newsletters

From the Market Manager

Sunday, August 26^th was the 92^nd anniversary of women winning the right to vote. Women’s suffrage began in the 1800s, but it took over 50 years of active campaigning until the 19^th amendment to the Constitution was ratified.

A couple of weeks ago a politician someplace in the U.S. was quoted as saying one of the worst things the country did was to give women the right to vote. Unbelievable that anyone would say this in 2012.

It is too late to register to vote for the state primary on Thursday, September 6^th, but it is not too late to register for the November election. We have forms at the market table that you can just fill out and mail into your town/city’s election commission.

Please vote, every vote does make a difference. And, if you don’t vote, don’t complain.

This past Saturday I volunteered for CISA at Atkins’ Farm in Amherst. There were lots of food samples given out. Every year there are more people making prepared food using many local products. There were samples of ice cream, milk, kielbasa, pickles, sauerkraut, cheese, salsa, pasta sauce, horseradish, beer, wine, applesauce, jam, yogurt, maple syrup, and more. Everything I tried was excellent.

Some of the food sampled was from farms that, like our own Trinity Farm and Hayes Dairy Farm (Sweet Pea Cheese), have developed products using their own milk. These are called value added products.

If you go to an orchard and they are selling apple pies for example, that is a value added product. It is more work for them, but the profits are considerably more than if they were to just sell apples.

The apple season is upon us, and it is earlier than in previous years. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone as the harvest for most things has been earlier this year.

Electronics Recycling

September 8^th at the Greenleaf Community Center (behind the 16 Acres Library) 1187 Parker St., 9-2. Sponsored by Keep Springfield Beautiful. It’s free.

Western Mass Master Gardeners

Free Ride for Seniors

For some reason this hasn’t caught on this year, but once again here is some information that should be of interest to senior citizens who don’t drive.

If they take the PVTA van to our market, we will reimburse them for the cost of the ride which is $5 round trip. They will receive 2 market tokens to use at the market. Van reservations are a must.

Consumer Chicken Facts—Sorting it out

Free range: There’s no precise federal government definition of “free range,” so the USDA approves these label claims on a case-by-case basis. The USDA generally permits the term to be used if chickens have access to the outdoors for at least some part of the day, whether the chickens choose to go outside or not. In practice, most chickens stay close to water and feed, which is usually located within the chicken house. Chicken labeled as “organic” must also be “free-range,” but not all “free-range” chicken is also “organic.” Less than 1% of chickens nationwide are raised as “free-range,” according to the National Chicken Council.

Farm-raised: All chickens are raised on farms. So any chicken could be labeled “farm-raised.” When this term is used on restaurant menus and the like, it usually refers to chickens raised on a local farm.

Natural: Under USDA regulations, a “natural” product has no artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients, or chemical preservatives, and is minimally processed, just enough to get it ready to be cooked. Most ready-to-cook chicken can be labeled “natural” if processors choose to do so.

Organic: The USDA has a very specific rule to define “organic” production, and prohibits the use of the term “organic” on packaging of any food product not produced in accordance with its rule. According to the USDA, the organic label does not indicate that the product has safety, quality, or nutritional attributes that are any higher than conventionally raised product.

No hormones added: Despite what you may hear, no artificial or added hormones are used in the production of any poultry in the U.S. Regulations of the Food & Drug Administration prohibit the use of such hormones. So, any brand of chicken can be labeled “Raised without hormones,” or something like that. However, any package of chicken with that type of label must also have a statement that no hormones are used in the production of ANY poultry.

Raised without antibiotics, or Antibiotic-free: raised without antibiotics on a package of chicken indicates that the flock was raised without the use of products classified as antibiotics for animal health maintenance, disease prevention or treatment of disease. “Antibiotic free” is not allowed to be used on a label, but may be found in marketing materials not regulated by the USDA. It means the same thing as “raised without antibiotics.” All chicken is “antibiotic free” in the case that no antibiotic residues are present in the meat due to the withdrawal periods and other precautions required by the government and observed by the chicken companies.

Enhanced chicken products: Some fresh, raw and uncooked, chicken products are enhanced with chicken broth or a similar solution. The presence and percentage of the broth or other solution must be stated clearly and the actual ingredients listed on the label. Both enhanced and non-enhanced products are currently available in the marketplace. Sodium is used in the broth or solution of some enhanced products, usually at very low levels. The presence of salt or sodium is noted on the label.

Retained water: A “retained water” statement such as “may contain up to 6% retained water” is often found on packages of fresh poultry. USDA prohibits retention of moisture in meat and poultry except for the amount that results from essential safety procedures, such as chilling processed chickens in ice-cold water to reduce their temperature and retard the growth of spoilage bacteria and other microorganisms. If any moisture is retained by the product after this procedure, it must be stated on the label.

All-vegetable diet: Poultry feed is made primarily from corn and soybean meal. Poultry feed sometimes includes some processed protein and fats and oils from meat and poultry by-products. The composition of all animal feed ingredients used in the U.S. is regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. If the chicken company chooses not to use these ingredients, the feed would contain no ingredients derived from animals and could be described as “all vegetable.”

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