E T K R M A OUT

There

FROM FROZEN TO FRESHLY PICKED: A DIETARY RENAISSANCE

)People are becoming conscious of what they eat, and if you become a student of local food, you learn that itAs not riddled with hormones and preservatives like the processed stuff you get at grocery stores,D says Brian Cummings, founder of eatgreendfw. com, an online resource for Dallasites who want to buy from North Texas farmers and ranchers.

)People are changing the way they think about food, and thatAs changing the way they shop.D

In other words, if theyAre not growing it themselves, consumers often want to buy it from local people who are. Thus the recent popularity of neighborhood markets, often dubbed )farmers marketsD. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, farmers markets throughout the country have grown from just 1,755 in 1994 to 5,274 in 2009. Most of that growth has been very recent: From 2008 to 2009, the increase was 13 percent. ThatAs significant because the last time the USDA charted farmers market growth, it was for the two-year period between 2006 and 2008, when the number grew by only 6.8 percent.

Cummings has tracked this trend locally, helping organize several farmers markets, including the one at Milestone Culinary Arts Center in Uptown.

)In addition to the food, people also like the social aspect of local markets,D Cummings says. )ThereAs a carnival-like aspect with all these things to take in. You get to know the people behind the food youAre buying. You get to know that great Mennonite family known for its great bread. That kind of connection means something to people.D

Ed Lowe, owner of Celebration Restaurant, instituted a weekly farmers market last summer in his parking lot on Lovers near Inwood. Lowe says his eatery serves food made mostly with local ingredients, so the weekly market was )a natural progressionD.

It was a hit, Lowe says, until the city caught wind of what he was doing.

Shop Local

These farmers markets cropped up last spring and summer, and plan to open up shop again this year, if the city changes its regulations.

Bolsa

614 Davis at Llewellyn

First Sunday of the month

Five vendors who sell produce, meat and locally made gourmet items

Celebration Market

4503 W. Lovers at Elsby

Every Saturday

12 vendors who sell produce, meat, locally made gourmet items and crafts

Milestone Culinary Arts Center

4531 McKinney at Knox

Third Sunday of the month, May through November

16 vendors who sell produce, meat, specialty food items and crafts

Mockingbird Station

5300 E. Mockingbird at Central Expressway

Every Thursday evening, April through May

Eight vendors who sell produce, meat, specialty food items and crafts

North Haven Gardens

7700 Northaven west of Central Expressway

First Sunday of the month April through August

Seven vendors who sell produce, meat and specialty foods

White Rock Local Market

702 N. Buckner at Northcliff

Second Saturday of the month, March through December

40-50 vendors who sell produce, honey, meat, specialty foods, crafts, bicycles/repairs, plants and apparel

Source: City of Dallas memo to Transportation and Environment Committee, December 2009

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)A customer had complained that we had a dog on a patio, and I was not aware that we needed to have a permit to have a dog on a patio. So [city officials] came out to notify us of the complaint on a Saturday. They came here on a Saturday, something thatGs never happened in my 38 years of being in business.K

And because it was a Saturday, Celebration was holding its farmers market.

)At first, we didnGt think it would be a big deal because weGd contacted the city twice to tell them what we were doing, and they said we didnGt need any special permits because weGre already running a restaurant here.K

But it turned out to be a big deal. Officials told them they would have to start paying permit fees or shut down the entire operation.

)First off, they said we could only have a farmers market quarterly, and we were having them weekly. Then they said that they wanted us to start paying about $150, and we had just been charging the vendors $10.

So that was the end of the market for us.K Cummings says this is precisely the problem facing budding farmers markets throughout Dallas.

)One of the issues around farmers mar- kets is that municipals really don;t know how to deal with them = Dallas, for example, doesn;t have a permitting process specifically for them,D he says.

Right now, the city offers temporary food vendor permits, which are valid for only two weeks and can be used only once every three months. The permits cost $190, plus $5 for every additional booth.

KSure, that kind of permit is great if you;re working at a food festival or the State Fair because you;re making a killing,D Cummings says. KBut it;s different for someone at a small farmers market. On a good day, these vendors make $200, maybe $300. If you;re asking them to pay that much, you do the math: It;s not proportional, and it doesn;t make sense.D

Sarah Perry, who runs the White Rock Local Market, says her vendors are happy if they can make $100 in a day.

And Bruce Bagelman, who owns Green Spot Market & Fuels, which sponsors the White Rock Local Market, says city officials should consider that local markets bolster budding entrepreneurs.

Pastry chef Katherine Clapner is one such success story. She started selling her unusual handmade chocolates at markets such as the White Rock Local, and her business gained enough steam that she opened a retail space, Dude, Sweet Chocolate, in the Bishop Arts District last year.

KIt gives family-owned and small farms an outlet,D Perry says. KMost of them don;t grow enough to sell to a wholesaler.D

White Rock Local Market has its first meet of the season March 13, and Perry says it;s operating under the same guidelines as last year. The market applies for a special event permit and makes sure that all the vendors have the appropriate permits, such as certificates of inspection and state licenses.

Perry is planning to hold two local markets a month this year, as opposed to just once a month last year, because the market was so popular.

KThe idea is to bring fresh and nutritious and locally grown food to our community and thereby strengthen our community,D she says. KA lot of people walk to our market and push strollers or ride their bikes. It creates a townsquare type of feel.D

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by the Lake

WILL SMALL FARMERS MARKETS BE ABLE TO SPROUT ROOTS IN DALLAS?

City officials are now reconsidering the way the city treats farmers markets.

Assistant city manager Jack Ireland is heading a committee of farmers market stakeholders who are brainstorming possible ordinance changes, specifically to help out small vendors who want to sell regularly in our city.

That committee has its work cut out for it. City spokesman Frank Librio says the city must iron out a host of wrinkles before moving forward H zoning, enforcement of health codes, and payment of sales tax, just to name a few.

LSome [of the markets] are not allowed based on the current zoning,P he says.

For example, sometimes zoning prohibits the outdoor sale of food.

LThe group thatQs charged to work on this is trying to come up with a permit process that allows them to override the zoning temporarily,P Librio says.

And the city wants to make sure that the markets are safe from a health standpoint. But by and large, Lthe city isnQt trying to control what happens at local markets,P Librio says. LThe city fully supports the neighborhood farmers markets.P

Part of the regulatory initiative comes from a fear that the local markets could compete with the downtown farmers market. The City of Dallas owns and operates the nearly seven-decades-old market, and city officials set aside $6.6 million in 2006 bond dollars for infrastructure and improvements to the market.

It doesnQt appear that the city will see a payback on its investment in the near future: The 2010 budget for the market includes $1.7 million in revenue, but $1.8 million in expenses.

Cummings says even though the Dallasarea grocery business is an extremely competitive industry, neighborhood markets donQt negatively impact the main Dallas market.

LSure, we will have to spread those markets out so thereQs not an oversaturation H after all, we have got to protect the granddaddy [downtown farmers market],P Cummings says. LBut given our cultural shift toward shopping local, I think thereQs now room for multiple farm-

Backyard Veggie Garden Basics

If the thought of picking your own vine-ripened tomatoes makes you salivate, but your thumbs are brown, take some advice from the Dallas Arboretum’s senior horticulture manager, Susan Morgan. Her tips will help neighbors who are ready to turn their backyards into fertile ground for vegetables.

Soil is the foundation

Morgan was emphatic about potential vegetable growers using only the quality stuff. “Soil is probably the key ingredient to any garden. It’s often the most overlooked as well.” She suggests adding compost, which can be purchased at any garden center, or made in your backyard. (For a how-to, Morgan suggests turning to local experts Neil Sperry, neilsperry.com, or the “Dirt Doctor” Howard Garrett, dirtdoctor.com.)

Morgan also strongly recommends taking soil from various spots in your yard, bagging up the samples, and sending them to the Texas A&M extension center (urbansolutionscenter.tamu. edu or 972.231.5362). For a small fee, the center will analyze the soil and make recommendations based on the results.

Location, location, location

Choose an area of your yard that receives “full sun” (six to eight hours a day). Morning sun is best, Morgan says, because the “Texas afternoon sun can be brutal.” Less than six hours, she says, and “you’re going to be strapped for any kind of vegetable production.” Rent a tiller from your neighborhood garden center, or break up the soil “the old-fashioned way — a pitchfork and shovel,” Morgan says.

Start small

“It’s easy to have grand, lofty ideas about a half-acre garden, but it’s best to start small and experiment,” Morgan says. “Once you get that first year under your belt, you’ll have learned what you can and cannot do. Maybe you just want to experiment with tomatoes and get that under your belt, and next year experiment with peppers.” The process will also provide time for more research and some Q&A with garden center professionals. “The nice thing about being a gardener is everybody has some experience, whether killing their plants or having a flourishing garden,” Morgan says. “Talk to people and gather information. That said, everybody has their own opinion on what they think works best.” When researching online, Morgan always adds “Texas” to her search engine phrase. “Texas tends to be a whole different ball o’ wax,” she explains. “I like to have [advice] tailored to the Texas growing conditions.”

Pick your plants

Don’t let temptation get the best of you, Morgan says. “It’s easy to buy everything because everything just looks so beautiful at the store or on the seed packets,” she says. Find a garden center with a good plant selection because that will lead you to knowledgeable people who can help you. Ask them what they recommend, and whether you should start with seed packets or transplants, or live plants that are past the seeding stage and have fairly developed root systems.

What you plant will depend on what season it is, the cool season (fall/winter) or the warm season (spring/summer). When starting out, good bets in the cool season are mustard greens, collard greens and lettuce, and radishes are one of the quickest seed starts, Morgan says. In the warm season, “tomatoes and peppers are the good standbys,” she says, and squash is another fairly easy vegetable to grow. The North Haven Gardens website (nhg.com) has a great resource on what to grow when, Morgan says.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 41>> ers markets to survive.J

According to a memo from city staff to the Transportation and Environment Committee, drafted guidelines on the table allow for no more than 10 neighborhood market locations per year, and they would have to be at least three miles apart from each other. The markets would be allowed to open up shop weekly for a six-hour period, with a limit of 24 occurrences per year. It would also be required that all of the produce sold be grown within 150 miles of the downtown farmers market.

Of course, all of these are just ideas at this point. After reviewing input from city staff and stakeholders, the Transportation and Environment Committee will submit its proposal to city council. The hope is to have a policy in place by late spring.

Ultimately, neighbors having more options for local produce will be a win-win situation for both neighborhood markets and the downtown market, Cummings says, because it creates healthy competition.

ILike they say, rising tides lift all ships: The more farmers markets we have out there competing,J he says, Ithe better they:ll all get, which will ultimately improve the quality of life for all of us in Dallas.J

Shopping for local produce isn:t the only back-to-basics trend on the rise. Some neighbors may be just as likely to grow their produce as they are to buy it.

When A.L. Nickerson was a kid, almost every backyard had a vegetable garden, and nearly everyone kept chickens for eggs and poultry. His mother canned peaches from their peach tree, and they traded fruit with neighbors who had apple and fig trees.

IWe had all kinds of vegetables all summer long,J Nickerson says. IEvery square inch had something edible. We:d have things coming up from early spring until the first freeze.J

That was life in the 1940s. With our nation in the midst of World War II, these backyard Ivictory gardensJ were encouraged by the government as a way to make sure civilians and troops had enough to eat. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted her own victory garden on the White

>>CONTINUED

From Page 39

Let them drink

Ample watering of your veggies is “crucial” the first few weeks, Morgan says. They need a “good, deep watering” once a day and perhaps twice in the heat of summer. If you’re a lazy gardener, as Morgan professes to be, drip irrigation can help. Buy a soaker hose, which has a porous lining and slowly oozes water. Hook it up to your water spigot, and situate it along the base of your plants for an hour or two. This method is “slightly better than overhead watering,” Morgan says, because too much water on plants’ leaves makes them more susceptible to rotting, mildew and disease.

Mulch also helps plants retain their moisture. It can be made of anything, Morgan says —straw, hardwood, newspapers, compost, etc. — but with a vegetable garden, it’s especially important to make sure that the mulch doesn’t contain any compounds. “Think about it — whatever you put into your soil, whatever you’re feeding your plants, you’re eating that later,” she says. “These are veggies, not just beautiful flowers you’re looking at.”

Have fun

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the details of gardening, Morgan says, but it’s most important to simply enjoy the process without worrying too much about the results. “I’m a horticulturist, and if you came to my house, you would not be able to tell that somebody who works at the Arboretum lives here,” Morgan quips. “I have some dead plants in my backyard.” It’s all about what you’re able to accomplish in your yard with the time that you have, she says. “The actual act of doing it and talking to people and seeing what happens is part of understanding how your garden is going to work for you.”

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5 DO’S

1. Use compost. (it adds life and energy to your soil)

2. Pull weeds. (it aerates the soil, burns calories and some go great in salads)

3. Disinfect and sharpen all landscape tools. (grass is supposed to be cut not beaten to death)

4. Mow higher. (the roots will grow deeper and you will water less)

5. Plant at least one edible plant in your garden and release beneficial insects. (it helps connect you to the earth)

5 DONT’S

1. Don’t use salt based chemical fertilizer. (it burns the life and energy out of your soil)

2.Don’t use herbicides. (they kill trees and pollute our water)

3.Don’t use pesticides. (if you touch or smell it, it starts causing metabolic mayhem)

4.Don’t over-water. (you are wasting money and stressing your plants)

5.Don’t scalp your lawn. (sun’s ultraviolet light destroys the microbes in your soil)

House lawn. Fast forward six decades, and vegetable gardening has returned the White House, courtesy of first lady Michelle Obama.

Nickerson now teaches a class called FThe Modern Victory GardenJ, and advocates for community gardens throughout the city.

Little Forest Hills resident Leslie Halleck tends a garden in her backyard, and because she has a chain-link fence, it offers her the chance to get to know her neighbors well. Farmers markets arenMt the only places where people should see their neighbors, Halleck says.

After all, thereMs something about fellowship with oneMs neighbors and certainty about oneMs food that fosters a feeling of community and independence that many find comforting.

FWhen you start a garden, youMre outside all the time,J Halleck says. FIt helps bring neighbors back together. It brings people back in touch with the earth, with their food and with their neighbors. And it feels good.J

CRITTERS THAT AREN’T PETS

Raising backyard hens for fresh eggs is also becoming more common. For proof, simply pick up a copy of Backyard Poultry magazine or drop in at the next Dallas Backyard Poultry Meetup Group, which is more than 120 members strong and meets monthly at North Haven Gardens.

KI totally take blame for the chicken thing here M that was all my doing,N jokes Halleck, the general manager at North Haven Gardens.

She began a push to sell backyard hens at the garden center last year, but much like the farmers markets, the plan hit a roadblock in terms of city regulations.

KIt all came down to a zoning issue,N Halleck says. KWhen North Haven Gardens first opened, it was out in the country. But as the city expanded, it annexed this area, and we were zoned as residential.

KYou can go sell live chickens in

APPLES TO TOMATOES?

Here’s a look at how we stack up compared to other Texas cities also dealing with neighborhood farmers markets:

Fort Worth front of Walmart because it1s zoned for retail, but we weren1t.7

The city ultimately agreed to change North Haven Gardens1 certificate of occupancy, recognizing hens as garden-related accessories. And the law for homeowners remains the same: We can keep hens, but roosters are

Rob

Houston outlawed due to cockfighting.

Austin

Jim

Interest in backyard hens remains high, Halleck says, with 50 to 100 people showing up every time North Haven Gardens offers a workshop on how to care for the birds. Whether you1re growing your own veggies or buying them locally, whether you1re keeping your own hens or getting fresh eggs at a nearby farmers market, it all boils down to a better quality of life, Halleck says.

JIt1s really about controlling your own food. There1s really no reason why us urban dwellers can1t do that. Just because we live in the city, that doesn1t mean we don1t have a right to that.7

The only issue she takes with the back-to-basics trend is the fact that anyone is calling it a 5trend8.

5I;m always amused when people call this a trend, like it;s some new concept. People have always grown their own food, and there used to be chickens all over Dallas. It was a very common thing. It was only in recent decades as Dallas became more urban that the practice stopped. It;s certainly not a new thing for Dallas.

5I mean, after all, we are in Texas for Pete;s sake. This lifestyle is our roots.8 its local farmers roster has grown from 50 in 2008 to 150 in 2009? its non-farmer vendors include 47 produce (38 retail and 9 wholesale), 20 food, 7 non-food and 2 floral/plant?

Many of us have strolled through the Dallas Farmers Market, at the corner of Harwood and Marilla downtown. But did you know that ... its attendance is estimated to be 2 million per year, according to data released by the City of Dallas?

For more information, visit dallasfarmersmarket.org.

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