Number 1 Fall 2008 Celebrating the Abundance of Plymouth & Bristol Counties, Season by Season
edible south shore
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Why Local? Beaver Brook Farm Turkeys at Plymouth The Raw Side of Milk Member of Edible Communities
contents edible notables
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• Doing Good For Others: Cranberry Hospice’s Annual Kitchen Tour • Bioneers by the Bay • “Hannahbells” from Shy Brothers Farm • A Local Hidden Gem
Fresh and Local
by Mary Blair Petiet
the raw side of milk
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by Ellen Petry Whalen
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An Apple a Day…
WHY LOCAL?
Keeping the farm: generations at beaver brook 20
kidding around
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How Many Colors Have We Eaten?
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feeding our community
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by Kezia Bacon-Bernstein
Plymouth Food Warehouse
turkeys at plymouth —fare and fowl
Farmers Markets
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advertisers directory
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edible oddity
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by Elizabeth Gawthrop Riely
liquid assets
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Mayflower Brewing: Taste the History
Photographed at Colchester Neighborhood Farm
edible SOUTH SHORE Publisher & Editor
Grist for the Mill
O
ur edible journey began when my attention was drawn to a copy of edible Phoenix during a trip to Arizona in 2006. I had somehow found a magazine that featured local foods, and what could be better? Just had to have it. And as I read it from cover to cover, I realized that the photographs, the recipes, the information and even the ads were all incredibly fascinating and intriguing. That single issue traveled with me for the entire visit, even though my time was to be spent in Tucson, not Phoenix. The following summer, I happened to discover a copy of edible Cape Cod during a day trip to a pick-your-own farm. Intrigued by the similar style, thousands of miles apart, yet with the same theme of promoting local seasonal foods, I had to find out more. I soon discovered that we could in fact start our own edible magazine and bring to our hometowns the same education and resource information that edibles Phoenix, Boston and Cape Cod (as well as almost 50 others) are so effectively accomplishing across the country. This incredible journey toward publishing our premiere issue has been exciting, educational, eye opening and delicious! We sincerely thank everyone who has so graciously helped us learn and progress along the way. We would also like to thank you, the reader, for taking the time to join us on this journey to discover our local food gems and for helping to define the culinary culture of the South Shore. From Hull to Horseneck Beach, Attleboro to Plymouth, edible South Shore will strive to introduce you to the abundance of our local growers, fishers, food artisans, stores, chefs and restaurants devoted to supporting our region’s local food resources and food culture. Edible South Shore presents in its premiere issue a special feature that is at the core of our mission: the importance of buying seasonally and locally. We’ll also discuss timeless ideas such as drinking raw milk and helping others in need. We’ll explore our traditions as we learn about the Thanksgiving Day turkey, and we’ll trace the history of a present-day, family-owned pumpkin farm. In future issues, we’ll delve more deeply into the areas that challenge our local food supply, our health and the health of our environment. This is an amazing journey for us, and we’re thrilled to have you on board! Welcome to edible South Shore! Laurie Hepworth
Michael Hart
edible South Shore is published quarterly by Hart Design LLC. Telephone: 781.582.1726 Distribution is throughout Plymouth & Bristol Counties of Southeastern Massachusetts and nationally by subscription. All Rights Reserved. Subscription Rate is $32 annually. Published seasonally- spring, summer, fall and winter. Call the number above to inquire about advertising rates, deadlines and subscription information or email us at: info@ediblesouthshore.com
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Laurie Hepworth
Co-Publisher Michael Hart
Sales & Marketing Julie Williams
Contributors Noelle Armstrong Kezia Bacon-Bernstein Michelle Conway Emily Goodwin Kristen Lofstrom Mary Blair Petiet Elizabeth Riely Dedee Shattuck Ellen Whalen Marjorie Williams
Copy Editor Kimball Worcester
Photography Beaver Brook Chris Dempsey Michael Hart Carole Topalian
edible South Shore Published By Hart Design LLC 15 Evergreen Street Kingston, MA 02364 781.582.1726 info@ediblesouthshore.com www.ediblesouthshore.com Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you. edible South Shore is printed on recycled paper. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. ©2008 All Rights Reserved
notable edibles
bioneers by the bay
T
he Marion Institute presents the fourth annual Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change conference October 23-26 in historic downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts. Bioneers by the Bay is an internationally acclaimed annual gathering of environment, industry and social justice innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and its inhabitants. Over 2,500 students, teachers, green business innovators, scientists, grassroots leaders and everyday folks from all over the Northeast will gather to learn, teach, celebrate and connect for change. Bioneers by the Bay promises to be an unforgettable weekend of live keynote presentations, afternoon workshops, a downlink from Bioneers San Rafael (bioneers.org), an extensive Youth Initiative program, an exhibition hall featuring sustainable businesses and organizations, films, music, an open mic night and art installations. As seagulls glide overhead in the crisp fall air, participants can shop at the vibrant Farmers Market, which will offer fresh vegetables and fruit, apple cider, baked goods, jams, jellies, chutney, relishes, honey, eggs, flowers, plants and much more. Bioneers by the Bay is an advocate of sustainable agriculture and has partnered with SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership) and Fine Catering by Russell Morin to present the rich bounty of our south-coast farms for all the Continental breakfasts, lunches and snacks. “Local, fresh and seasonal” is the catchphrase this year for Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change. For more information please see : connectingforchange.org or call 508-748-0816
“Hannahbells” from Shy Brothers Farm by Marjorie R. Williams
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ow do four shy brothers make a living on an old dairy farm? Arthur, Norman, Kevin and Karl Santos — two sets of fraternal twins — hit upon a winning recipe for making tiny artisanal cheeses. Their third-generation dairy farm occupies the highest land on a peninsula between two branches of the Westport River, but the inspiration for their tasty thimble-sized cheeses came from France’s Burgundy region. The French call them “boutons de culottes,” (trouser buttons). The ones from Shy Brothers Farm are named “Hannahbells” after the brothers’ mom. These single-crème cheeses taste smooth and rich as triple-crème, and they pack big flavor into their tiny shape. They come in Classic French, Shallot, Rosemary, Lavender and, the newest addition, Carrot and Crystallized Ginger. Flavors vary slightly by season (Chipotle and MintBasil will return next summer). No surprise that they are quickly gaining popularity among chefs and caterers. Hannahbells make a delicious and easy pop-in-the-mouth appetizer. While complex in flavor, the cheeses also combine well with other foods. Classic French is favored by chefs who roll them in panko crumbs or crushed nuts for salad croutons. All varieties of Hannahbells melt beautifully and can be stuffed in mushroom caps, added to pizza or thrown into steamed vegetables, pasta and risotto. The possibilities are endless. But the supply isn’t. They sell out fast. You can find them at Lees Market in Westport, Alderbrook Farm in Dartmouth, How On Earth in Mattapoisett, Milk & Honey Bazaar in Tiverton, Tihonet Village Market in Wareham, the Silverbrook Farm stand at local farmers markets, Foodies in Duxbury, Whole Foods Market in Hingham and online at www.shybrothersfarm.com. Shy Brothers Farm Tel. 508-965-6560
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notable Edibles
Avant Gardens by Marjorie R. Williams
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ustomers often exclaim, “This is the best secret in southeastern Massachusetts!� when they discover this nursery on High Hill Road in Dartmouth, just minutes from Rt. 195 near the border with East Freetown. Run by wife-and-husband team Kathy and Chris Tracey out of the picturesque farmhouse property that serves both as their home and business, Avant Gardens has been surprising and delighting customers for over 20 years. The Traceys specialize in hard-to-find plants — ones that mass retailers and other nurseries don’t typically carry. And that makes all the difference if you are interested in creating a distinctive garden filled with dramatic foliage. While the nursery is well known among horticulturists, the attitude of the owners is anything but exclusive. The Traceys’ passion for uncommon but easy-to-grow and low-maintenance plants is available for all to enjoy and learn more about, whether strolling through their gardens, sitting under their pergola during peak season or surfing their online catalog at www.avantgardensne.com any time of the year. 508-998-8819.
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HOW ON EARTH IN OUR CAFE
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644 Washington St. (Rte 53 - Across from Starland) • Hanover, MA Mon - Fri - 10am - 7pm • Sat - 10am - 5pm • Sun - 11am - 4pm
781-826-3100
All Major Credit Cards Accepted www.bradfordsmeatshop.com
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Local, organic produce. Breads & cheeses. Health & beauty products & gifts. Free range chicken & Grass fed beef. Organic coffee. tea and pastries. Lunch served from 11-2. f Grilled pizza & prepared meals to go. Tues-Fri 8-7 Sat. 8-5 62 Marion Rd 508 758 1341 Mattapoisett, MA
THE STORE
w w w . h o w o n e a r t h . n e t
notable Edibles
DOING GOOD FOR OTHERS: CRANBERRY HOSPICE’S ANNUAL KITCHEN TOUR by Michelle Conway
T
he kitchen is the heart of the home. Family and friends gather around the table to share the stories of the day over a meal or a soothing cup of tea. Children are welcomed home from school with snacks, relatives are greeted with festive dishes and the sick and bereaved are given warm, nourishing meals, all created with love in kitchens large and small all around the world.
year’s tour will take place on Sunday, October 19th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For a $25 ticket, kitchen lovers and dreamers alike can take a self-guided tour through six kitchens where Cranberry Hospice volunteers are available to answer questions about hospice, the décor and the design of the kitchens and to offer unique recipe cards.
How appropriate that the volunteers and staff of Cranberry Hospice of Plymouth would offer a Kitchen Tour to benefit the many programs and services provided for those in need of compassionate end-of-life care.
Tickets are limited and are available at the following Duxbury businesses: Casey’s Fine Wine and Spirits, The Studio and Westwinds Book Shop, all located in the Duxbury Marketplace, Depot Street, Duxbury. On the day of the tour tickets can be purchased at Casey’s Fine Wine and Spirits or at Timeless Designs showroom, 459 Washington Street.
Founded seven years ago by Hospice volunteers as a way to connect the community to the cause, the Kitchen Tour is a unique opportunity to experience some of Duxbury’s finest kitchens. This
For more information, call Cranberry Hospice at 508.746.0215.
Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans Recipe provided by Bonnie Casey, Kitchen Tour Chairperson Serves 4 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach, chopped (about 8 cups) 4 cups hot cooked penne (about 1/2-pound uncooked tubular-shaped pasta) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely crumbled feta cheese Combine tomatoes and beans in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add spinach and cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring occasionally. Place 1 cup pasta on each of four plates. Top each serving with 11/4 cups sauce and 2 tablespoons cheese.
Martha's Stone Soup at the Tavern From Homestyle to Haute Cuisine
A large selection of daily specials
and soups complement a menu of favorites such as Scallops in Ginger Sauce, Country Roast Chicken, & Pasta with Gorgonzola Hours: Luncheon & tea: Tuesday - Saturday 11-4 Dinner: Thursday & Friday 5-10 Serving local, organic, & biodynamic products. Community Supported Agriculture member. Vegan and vegetarian dishes always available.
RESTAURANT DEBUT SOUTH
517 Old Sandwich Road in Plymouth (508)224-8900 - www.marthasstonesoup.com www.ediblesouthshore.com
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notable edibles
A Local Hidden Gem
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ood’s Seafood Market and Restaurant, perfectly situated on Plymouth’s Town Pier, is the ideal clam shack. It’s what you are looking for and hoping to find when you venture out for that plate of New England fried ocean goodness. The site has sported a fish market since the 1920s, and Wood’s has been serving up fish to hungry patrons there since 1957. It’s been under the ownership of Jay Kimball, the current proprietor, for 19 years. The establishment is divided into two connected sections. To the left is the extensive fish counter, stocked with abundant seafood. Many of the species there are from local waters. For example, the striped bass, flounder, tuna and bluefish are all from Cape Cod Bay. The clams are local, too. Kimball states that at Wood’s you can see what you are going to eat just before it is cooked. The right side of the building houses the casual restaurant, which overlooks Plymouth Harbor. There are large windows framing views of the harbor. Pleasure boats, the masts of the Mayflower and the dock all fall into the panorama which provides diners with instant entertainment at this local hidden gem. Wood’s is located on Plymouth’s Town Pier and is open year-round, seven days a week. Fish market open 9 am – 7 pm. Restaurant open 11 am – 8 pm. 508.746.0261
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fresh & Local the entire fruit, peel and flesh, offers the largest health benefit, but even peeled, they taste fantastic, are a healthy choice for a sweet treat and can be prepared endless ways.
An Apple a Day… by Kristen Lofstrom, CHHC
C
runch! What tastes better than a fresh, crisp, sweet apple picked fresh off the tree? Delicious, juicy, local apples are a treat we New Englanders look forward to as summer winds down. From late August until early October, families flock to local farms to “pick your own”. And why not? With many farms offering tractor rides out to the fields, as well as so many other events and activities to entice us, apple picking is a traditional family favorite. The tried and true phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may sound like a tale your parents told you, but in reality it could not be truer. Apples offer us many health benefits that make eating them even more enticing. While you’re out picking, munch on a Braeburn or a Granny Smith – because of their high concentration of phenols (antioxidant compounds) these varieties both offer natural sun protection. Apples can lower cholesterol levels, reducing your risk of hardening of the arteries, heart attack, and stroke. This is because they contain both insoluble and soluble fiber. The insoluble fiber works like bran, latching on to LDL (bad) cholesterol in the digestive tract and removing it from the body, while apple’s soluble fiber pectin reduces the amount of LDL cholesterol produced in the liver. Adding just one large apple to the daily diet has been shown to decrease cholesterol levels. All of this sounds like reason enough to enjoy an apple (or two) a day. For a sweet treat, try dipping sectioned apples in peanut butter or honey. Or for a nice change for your salads, try adding sliced apples for some crunch. Consuming
Keep in mind that apples are among the 12 foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found — “the dirty dozen”*. Therefore, to avoid pesticide-associated health risks, consume only apples that are grown locally and/or organically. Have you ever noticed the difference between a freshly picked apple and the conventionally farmed, waxed, shiny ones in the supermarkets — the ones that travel halfway around the world to get here? That coating, toxic itself, also traps pesticides that were sprayed onto the fruit. Rinse apples under clear running water like you would any fruit. To prevent browning when slicing apples for a recipe, put the slices in a bowl of cold water and add a spoonful of lemon juice. Apples surround us with their abundance on the South Shore (Paula Reds, Macintosh, Red and Golden Delicious, McGowan) and there are so many options for pick-your-own farms. My personal favorite is C.N. Smith Farm in East Bridgewater where all of your senses are entertained as you visit. The choppy hum of a tractor in the distance, children laughing, chickens clucking and the sun warm and comforting on your face. The smell of chrysanthemums, fresh air and earth. The 75-year-old family owned and operated farm is a gem, and a day here is beautifully spent with family and friends. Enjoy! *The not-for-profit Environmental Working Group ranks the pesticide residue content of over 40 different fruits and vegetables according to tests conducted by the USDA and the FDA. The fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues are commonly referred to as the “dirty dozen.” They include: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach and potatoes. Kristen Lofstrom is a Holistic Health Counselor, speaker and writer focused on working with children, parents, and the community. She received her health counseling training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City and she holds a BA in Communications and Special Education from Bridgewater State College.
Live Happier. Live Healthier.
508.697.2334
Inspiring Books, Gifts, Café Fare Healing Arts and Workshops www.upliftingconnections.com 1355 Pleasant St.(Rte. 104) Bridgewater, MA 02324
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WHY LOCAL? by Kezia Bacon-Bernstein
Photograph taken at Soule Homestead Education Center
E
ating locally grown food is becoming more relevant to the residents of Southeastern Massachusetts. We have an extensive array of farms, orchards, vineyards and cranberry bogs right in our back yard, and we’re seeking them out in greater numbers. The popularity of farmers markets is on the rise, and we’re purchasing local produce, eggs, milk, bread, meat and plenty more at farm stands, Pick Your Own venues and specialty stores. Plus, a number of area chefs are seeking out local foods for their restaurant tables. What’s good about local food? Where can we get it? Why should we eat it?
Local Is Fresher “What our customers get is a thousand miles fresher than what you find at a supermarket. That’s one of the main reasons the Fruit Center Marketplace in Milton and Hingham stocks local foods,” says marketing director Michael Dwyer. Locally grown produce doesn’t have to cross the country by plane or truck or sit in cold storage for days. Most often it is picked within 24 hours of when it is sold to you, which is significantly shorter than what you’ll find in the average grocery store. Because local food doesn’t have to travel as far, it can be harvested at its peak. A peach picked in Bridgewater this morning and sold at a farmers market this afternoon can be ripe to bursting. A peach picked in Georgia, trucked to the airport, flown to a produce 8 | edible south shore fall 2008
distributor in Boston, then transported to your local store is just not the same: it has to be picked sooner and less ripe in order to survive the long journey.
Local Tastes Better–and It’s healthier According to the FDA, some of the vitamins in fresh produce are depleted 50% or more within a week or two of being harvested. This means a tomato from Middleboro will give you significantly more nutritients than one from New Jersey. You’re also lessening the risk of contamination. When you buy local, your food travels a much shorter route from the farm to the table. Thus it’s easier to track potential problems. “There is a certain comfort in knowing where your food comes from. All those recalls really make you think about who’s handling your food,” says John Hornstra, fourth-generation owner of Hornstra Farms in Hingham. “We firmly believe in supporting agriculture in the Northeast, so we have better control over what we’re eating,” says his sister and co-worker Alison. “Knowing the source of our food, protecting the food supply, making sure that we have local land open to grow food on in the future.” By shopping at farm stands or farmers markets, you’re more apt to know what you’re eating. “People like to see where their food came from, to actually talk to the farmer, to find out how the food was grown, if it was sprayed with something,” explains Karen Biagini, co-manager of the Marshfield Farmers’ Market. Rehoboth resident Prudence Stoddard says she feels good knowing where her food is coming from.
It’s Better for the Local Economy
It’s Better for the Environment
Buying local helps keep money in our communities. When you buy lettuce from Carver instead of California, your money goes right back into the local economy, supporting the value of our real estate, the maintenance of infrastructure like roads and bridges, the quality of our schools
According to Rich Pirog of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the average fresh food item on our dinner table travels 1500 miles to get there. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and other best-selling books on food, elaborates on this point. “It takes seven to ten calories of fossil fuel energy to deliver one calorie of food energy to an American plate,” he writes. “Only a fifth (of that energy) . . . is consumed on the farm; the rest is spent processing the food and moving it around.”
The influx of big box stores just off the highways has put the pinch on many of the smaller, family-run businesses of Southeastern Massachusetts. As a result, our downtown areas — take Plymouth for example — have seen better days, but this summer, Plymouth has received a boost in the form of a Saturday farmers market on the Courthouse Green. “People were eager to come. Right out of the gate they were here, walking downtown and checking it out,” says market manager Barbara Anglin. “It reminds people that there is a heart in the center in their town. It helps them to remember and appreciate that there is commerce going on here.” “Farmers markets are a proven tool to do that,” says Anglin, citing a nationwide study. “For every dollar spent in a farmers market in a downtown district, four more dollars are spent in that district.” A British study discovered that money spent on local food was twice as likely to be reinvested in the area than money spent at a supermarket chain.
Buying local supports our farmers Nationwide, farmers on average receive only 20 cents of each food dollar — the rest covers costs like transportation, processing, packaging, refrigeration and marketing. But if they sell directly to the consumer, they receive much more. So when you buy produce or eggs from the farm stand or the farmers market, you’re helping the farmer get the full retail value for her food. Even if you’re buying it from a store, it still helps the farmer because you’re choosing her lettuce over the lettuce from California.
This massive consumption of fossil fuel for the sake of feeding ourselves takes a huge toll on our environmental resources — and it is largely unnecessary. While we may not choose to source all of our food locally, even committing to buy 10 percent of what we eat from within a 100-mile radius could drastically reduce our nation’s reliance on fossil fuel. A study in Iowa found that a regional diet consumed 17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country. “We just can’t have strawberries in the middle on winter from Chile — it isn’t sustainable,” explains Margie Baldwin, co-owner of Mattapoisett’s How on Earth, a store that sells only local products. “We are used to having what we want when we want, and that doesn’t work anymore.” We’re not only paying the price through the challenges associated with global warming, we’re getting poorer quality food. “You can buy strawberries in the grocery store in winter but they don’t taste like strawberries,” says Karen Biagini. “They’re just these big red things.” continued >>
“The interest now in local growers -— it’s really nice to see,” says Donna Blischke of Web of Life Organic farm in Carver, who offers seedlings, produce and eggs, as well as chicken and turkey. Marlon Garcia, produce manager for Whole Foods Market in Hingham, says that it is company policy at Whole Foods for produce buyers to pay a little bit more for local food. Especially in the summer, “we can pay the farmers 10-15% more than we do for the stuff from California or other countries. It’s more expensive for us, but we do it to support the farmers.” Why should we support local farmers? For one thing, farms provide jobs. Furthermore, the taxes towns collect from agricultural development actually earn communities 70 cents on the dollar. Compare that to residential development, which costs a community $1.25 per dollar earned. When we support farmers, it gives them an economic incentive against selling their land to the highest bidder, which in turn helps us to preserve open space. “It’s more power for all of us,” explains Anglin.
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Maintaining local crops also makes us less susceptible to diseases and natural disasters. “The important thing is that there be multiple food chains, so that when any one of them fails — when the oil runs out, when mad cow or other food-borne diseases become epidemic, when the pesticides no longer work, when drought strikes and plagues come and soils blow away — we’ll still have a way to feed ourselves,” writes Pollan.
Local vs. Organic People who are conscientious about what they eat often wonder which is better: locally grown food or organic. “Organic” means the produce grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and the animals are raised without growth hormones or antibiotics. People choose it to avoid the threat of what may result from consuming such chemicals. These days, however, organics are often grown on giant factory farms, usually on the West Coast, and thus rely on a huge outlay of energy in order to reach our dinner plates. In addition, they require packaging and refrigeration, so the cost to the planet is high. The best solution would be to choose local produce that is organically grown. Often a local farm is already using organic methods but hasn’t gone through the complicated process of obtaining organic certification. And even if it’s not organic, a small farm is probably less aggressive about using chemicals than its factory-size counterpart.
Local Food Is Social Nearly everyone I spoke with for this article — growers, chefs, store managers and consumers — seemed to agree on a single point. Buying local helps to build community. “It’s neighborly,” says Lorrie Gampp of Summer Dreams Farm in Marshfield. Going to the farm stand and chatting with the grower, running into a friend at the farmers market, striking up a conversation with a stranger at the You Pick It raspberry farm . . . we’re creating social ties that only strengthen our communities. “You meet up with people that you haven’t seen in a while, and that makes you feel good,” says Debbie Lenahan of Norwell. Buying local encourages you to try something new. At the farm stand, you may find an item you haven’t tried before — squash flowers or mustard greens, bite-size plums or purslane. Local growers may offer more variety, too. Talk with the growers, they are often willing to try out a new type of lettuce, for example, when a grocery store won’t because the demand isn’t there. “We offer 14 varieties of heirloom tomatoes,” Gampp says.
Local Can Save You Money “I price everything I have at or below grocery store organic prices. Some are one-third the grocery store price,” says Gampp. Because costs such as cross-country transportation are not a factor, local food is often less expensive than what you find in the supermarket.
Photographed at Round the Bend Farm, Dartmouth 10 | edible south shore fall 2008
“We’re eliminating the middleman,” says Biagini. Blueberries at Tree Berry farm in Norwell this summer were $2.60 per pound to pick your own. They averaged around $2.99 per pint at the grocery store. But saving money is not really what it’s about. “It’s about superior nutrition, superior freshness, and if it costs a few pennies more, I think it’s worth it,” Biagini continues. The farmers have to support themselves and justify the work involved in transforming dry seeds into fresh produce. ”Even if you do pay a premium, when you get home, everything you bought is good. The berries on the bottom of the carton are as good as the ones on the top,” says Linda O’Callahan of Marshfield. “It’s a better value because you’re getting everything you pay for — nothing has to go into the compost.”
But Can We Do It Year-Round? One of the major challenges of eating local is what to do in the winter when nothing much grows here. The first step is to buy extra when a certain food is in season. You can freeze strawberries or make jam. You can turn an abundance of tomatoes into sauces and salsas. You can make pesto or pickles or fruit leather and stock it all away for the colder months. If you’re not adept in the kitchen, you can look to local growers, like Web of Life or C.N. Smith Farm in East Bridgewater, who have done it for you, supplementing their produce offerings with homemade goods like these. Another step is simply to be conscious about the foods you choose. Can you hold off on apples from New Zealand next summer and wait for the local ones to come through in September?
Where to Find It In the summer and fall, local foods are available nearly everywhere. Most towns host at least one farm stand, and Pick Your Own berry farms and orchards are scattered throughout the region. Even a standard supermarket stocks some locally grown produce in July and August. In 2008 there were ten weekly farmers markets in Plymouth County and thirteen in Bristol County. From Attleboro to Dartmouth, Brockton to Fairhaven, Hingham to Plymouth, you could find an outdoor market any day of the week from June to October. What could you find there? Fresh-picked produce to be sure, but also eggs, baked goods, homemade condiments, seedlings, even lobster. Produce buyer Pietra Hotokka of Good Health Natural Foods in Quincy and Hanover says her stores carry local produce when it’s available. “All of our lettuces are from Happy Valley Organics (of South Deerfield, MA),” she says. “Our blueberries come from Prospect Hill Farm in Plympton.” Whole Foods Market in Hingham boasts a relatively high percentage of local produce. “August and September are the most local, continued >>
According to the FDA, some of the vitamins in fresh produce are depleted 50% or more within a week or two of being harvested. This means a tomato from Middleboro will give you significantly more nutritients than one from New Jersey. Harvest Stew I really don’t have an absolute recipe for this particular dish, but the guidelines will give anyone who enjoys cooking stew a real treat. I make this only in the early fall, when the apples and all the other ingredients are still available. The first step is to go into your garden and/or local farm stand and get the following: Onions (1 large or 2 or 3 small) Fresh thyme, sage, garlic Red and/or green peppers (1 whole pepper) Cauliflower, ½ head (if you like cauliflower; sometimes I use it) Potatoes, 2 large or 4 small Sweet potatoes, 1 large Butternut squash Corn, 6 ears Apples, 2 (any local variety will do) Apple cider Remember all your veggies must be freshly grown or it’s not “Harvest Stew.” 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (enough to cover the corn). 2. Cut corn in half and add to pot cook for about 5 min. Remove the corn and set aside to add back in later. 3. Add minced garlic and herbs (2 cloves and ½ tsp. of herbs usually works well) to the pot of water. 4. Cut up and add all the veggies, return to the boil, turn heat down and simmer. Cook until tender. 5. Cut, core, and peel 2 apples and add to the pot. Return the corn to the pot (you can cut the kernels off the cob). 6. Add about one cup of apple cider. Simmer about 10 min. Finish off with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg and enjoy. Diane Kunkel Rockin K Cafe Bridgewater MA 02324 508.697.8278
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with 40 to 50 percent,” says Garcia. Some of his sources include strawberries, potatoes and greens from Cape Cod Organic Farm in Barnstable; blueberries, corn, squash and cucumbers from Sauchuk Farm in Plympton. The list goes on and on. Hingham’s Hornstra Farms delivers milk and other premium products to 3500 South Shore homes. “Ninety percent of what we sell comes from New England,” says Alison Hornstra. “Our milk is produced at our family farm in North Haverhill, NH. It’s antibiotic free, with no artificial hormones. And we just recently brought in organic milk from Dracut. We have Bliss Bros. ice cream from Attleboro, frozen chowders from Marion, cider from Harvard, MA, and our beef is from family owned farms in New England and New York.” The Fruit Center Marketplace is known for its fresh and beautiful produce, but it is also a leader in supporting local food. “We are very focused on our community and thankful for our customers,” says Dwyer. “As a part of that we like to support local businesses and the local economy. An example is our coffee. We have some well-known national brands like Peet’s and Green Mountain, but we also have had tremendous success with Redeye Roasters, coffee roasted right in Hingham. People come here looking for it — we’re one of the few places that have it. “ “Also, 90 percent of our bakery products are local: Fratelli’s in Quincy, Baking with Joy in Weymouth, Fancypants Bakery in Walpole. They are incredibly fresh, incredibly unique, and people understand that there is a tremendous difference from those produced in huge quantities on assembly lines.” Chefs, too, are interested in local food. “We grow as much as possible ourselves: lettuce, squash, herbs, garlic, snap peas, green beans, tomatoes,” says Robin Salazar of Pembroke-based Cooking from the Heart, which creates entrees, soups and salads and delivers them to your door. “I always get winter squashes and cranberries from Sunrise Gardens farm stand in Plympton,” Diane Kunkel, who runs the Rockin K Café in Bridgewater, adjusts her menu as the seasons change. We make gazpacho when the tomatoes, cucumbers and onions come in and corn chowder when the corn comes in. In the fall we have a local stew with
Nationwide, farmers on average receive only 20 cents of each food dollar — the rest covers costs like transportation, processing, packaging, refrigeration and marketing. squash, sweet potatoes and corn. Kunkel gets a lot of her produce from C.N. Smith and Hanson Farm, both in Bridgewater. Plus, my husband is an organic grower, so we use our own eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peaches and raspberries. People really do appreciate that we’re getting it from a local farm, she says. Executive Chef Kevin Long has been with Hingham’s acclaimed Tosca since 1995. He uses as much local food in the restaurant as he can. “Everything we can get. It’s been a huge focus of ours for a long time. It’s a little more work, higher prices.” But it’s worth it. “The products are great, and you want to be able to work with these people, support the market, support sustainability.” Long lists Island Creek Oysters of Duxbury, Lipinski’s Farm of East Bridgewater and Hornstra Farms are among his regular sources. Then there is Eve’s Garden of South Dartmouth. “We get everything from her: greens, herbs, herb flowers, squash blossoms, wild harvested roots, berries, mushrooms,” he raves. “And there’s a farmer right in Hanson with the most unbelievable tomatoes. We also buy summer squash, zucchini, snap peas there, all handpicked. The stuff is phenomenal.”
How to Spread the Word As more of us eat local, the more it will help our farmers, our economy, and the planet. They key is to get the word out. Talk to the managers of the stores you frequent and ask them to stock local products. Tell your friends and family about the benefits of eating what’s grown nearby. Consider creating just one meal a week with foods grown or produced only within New England. Share this magazine with them too. The mission of edible South Shore is to transform the way consumers shop for, cook, eat and relate to local food. We are committed to sustaining the unique local flavors and economic viability of Plymouth and Bristol counties, connecting people with local growers, retailers, chefs and food artisans and encouraging those relationships to thrive. Kezia Bacon-Bernstein’s monthly column, “Nature (Human and Otherwise),” has appeared in the Community Newspaper Company’s South Shore newspapers since 1996. She also writes a weekly “Around Town” column for the Marshfield Mariner, and occasional articles for other publications. Also a yoga teacher, she lives in Marshfield with her husband and son.
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Massachusetts-Grown Produce Availability Calendar JA
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edible TRADITIONS
Turkeys at Plymouth Fare and Fowl by Elizabeth Gawthrop Riely
W
hen the Mayflower landed at Plymouth in December 1620, abundant game on the new continent — furred, feathered and finny — greeted the arrivals. Among the birds were an estimated 10 million wild turkeys, a number impossible for us to establish and even harder to imagine. One early Plymouth colonist, astonished by the large flocks of wild turkeys passing by his doorway, asked an Indian how many were to be found in the forest on a given day. “Neent Matawna” was the reply in his Wampanoag language, “a thousand a day.” Whether or not that figure was metaphorical, “the plenty of them is such in those parts,” the chronicler wrote. Today more and more Americans know that the First Thanksgiving is a myth as we continue to create our sense of heritage. The
one and only firsthand account of that harvest feast, thanksgiving spelled in lower case, is a letter written by Edward Winslow in 1621 where he mentions “fowl.” To his friend in England he wrote from Plymouth, “our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, so that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week.” The passage continues, naming deer and Indians — but no cranberries, no pumpkin pie and no turkeys by name. Those “fowl” were probably wild ducks and geese as well as turkeys, all of them plentiful, but we cannot know specifically. continued >>
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The wild turkey in the region of Plymouth in 1621 was Meleagris gallopavo silvestris, otherwise known as the eastern wild turkey. This true American native inhabited a vast swath of the continent, what is now most of the eastern half of the United States, excluding Florida. The bird thrived in the hardwood forests of New England among the oak, hickory, beech, walnut and chestnut trees. During the region’s cold winters, roosting in trees and walking atop the crusty snow, the non-migrating turkey managed to find enough mast (nuts) and berries to survive until spring. The little band of Puritans from the Mayflower undoubtedly hunted this turkey to put food on their tables and in their stomachs. After that first winter in which they struggled for survival, they were grateful for its abundance. They also liked the large size of the wild turkey that, boiled or roasted, provided a generous amount of dark, flavorful, nourishing meat. M.g. silvestris then and now is striking for its typically dark brown plumage, with tail feathers tipped chestnut or dark chocolate, with black or white bars. The body feathers are accentuated by coppery bronze with flashes of red or green iridescence. The male’s bald head has white, blue and red skin with wattle, the colors changing especially in mating season. The hen is duller in color, usually with more feathers on the head, and sometimes with the black beard that males always have on the chest.
but not enough for serious concern. Meanwhile, the native birds had not yet learned to be wary of the colonists. But considering gunfire, and woodland being cleared for new settlements and farmlands, agricultural practices by the colonists were different indeed from those of the Wampanoags. Wild turkeys were beginning to lose their habitat. By 1640, some people noticed that the numbers of wild turkeys were seriously decreasing around Plymouth. Over the next century colonists established yet more towns, so that by the 1730s wild turkeys in coastal New England neared extinction. The last in Massachusetts was shot on Mount Tom, overlooking the Connecticut River, in 1851.
As early as 1629, ships from England supplied the Massachusetts colonies with domesticated turkeys of a very different sort. Incredible as it seems, these imported turkeys were descended from birds introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers a century earlier. The docile, smaller birds caused a sensation and quickly caught on, bred and spread throughout Europe both as a status symbol and as a tastier alternative to peacock. These turkeys with a Continental upbringing came from another subspecies of wild turkey brought back by the Spaniards from Mexico and Central America, where the Aztecs had already domesticated them and raised them extensively.
Crossing the eastern wild turkey with domesticated turkeys introduced from England created a new breed later named the Narragansett, for the region where it was developed. This was the main turkey breed of New England, also well known in the midAtlantic and mid-western states, throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Its beautiful and distinctive coloration is predominantly black, gray, tan and white. The steely metallic cast of its body feathers is set off by white stripes on tail and wings, also by the red wattle and white head.
The tame domestic turkeys, probably a breed that was later standardized in England as the Norfolk Black, were easy for the settlers to keep near their houses and on their farms. There were occasional complaints in town of some that escaped their pens,
Colonists liked the Narragansett turkey for many reasons. This big, hardy breed produced a lot of eggs and flavorful meat. Its large flocks didn’t stray; ate the crickets, grasshoppers and other insects that might harm crops; and needed little feed. The hens
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were “broody”: good layers who took care of their poults (chicks). Farmers valued Narragansetts for their calm disposition and early maturation. As the breed was improved and standardized, a fullgrown tom might weigh 22 to 29 pounds, a hen 12 to 16. Harvest celebrations were occasionally declared during the 17th century. These holidays, religious and family-centered, were held during the week at home, so as not to compete with the Sabbath. The table at such an occasion in Plymouth would be graced with a Narragansett turkey, along with other meats, especially chicken and pork. Fish and shellfish played a part as well, also corn — not the sweet summer green corn we eat on the cob but rather the staple maize or flint corn, whose meal was ground for puddings and porridges prepared in the English style. The first reference to cranberries was in 1643, by Roger Williams, but he used the Narragansett word, sasemineash, rather than “cranberry.” The scarlet cranberry and orange pumpkin kept well in cool autumn weather, along with nuts and root vegetables. By mid 17th century, hard cider or beer was the drink for all men, women and children. During the 18 century, this harvest dinner gradually became more elaborate and less austere but not yet a ritual celebration. In 1841 Massachusetts chronicler Alexander Young discovered the 1621 letter written by Edward Winslow and called that feast “The First Thanksgiving,” even suggesting the menu and turkey’s place on it. Especially in the Northeast, this eventually was formalized into Thanksgiving Dinner — capitalized. Idealized descriptions in the New England novels of writers like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Sarah Josepha Hale set the image of what it should be, drawing on their childhood memories, as by mid-century the slavery question intensified. th
For some 40 years the influential Hale began her campaign to have Thanksgiving declared a national holiday for the whole country. She saw it as a way to draw the nation together over the divisions from the question of slavery. President Lincoln declared it so in 1863 during the Civil War and set it on the last Thursday in November (changed by Franklin Roosevelt to the fourth Thursday). After the war, upheavals and industrialization brought waves of immigrants from many parts of the world. In their own ways
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they used this unique holiday to forge identities in their newly American heritage. Farmers found a new interest in breeding poultry in the later 19th century, developing several varieties that we now call heritage turkeys. The American Bronze, larger than the Narragansett, became extremely popular. When crossed with the Holland White, a new strain was created that transformed the market, especially as turkeys began to be sold by the pound rather than the bird. This turkey, named the Broad-Breasted Bronze in 1938, took well to the new technology of freezing whole or in parts, as in TV dinners (1953). Starting in the 1960s, its exaggerated figure — short legs and large breast for the white meat Americans had come to prefer — necessitated reproduction by artificial insemination, so it was no longer a heritage bird. The still newer Broad-Breasted White superseded it to become the industry choice, which was raised in close confinement. Its blander flavor required “all the trimmings” on the Thanksgiving table. As for the Narragansett turkey, in 1938 this heritage breed remained popular, as almost ten percent of the American turkey farmers’ crop. By 1999, however, a census counted only six breeding Narragansetts in the entire country. By 2006 efforts by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and others increased that number to 868, making the breed no longer “rare” but “threatened,” a remarkable achievement. Ironically, as the iconic American bird became ever more industrialized, the wild turkey faced extinction. In the 1930s, the budding conservation movement and the disuse of small farms during the Depression allowed the return of shrubs and trees that form its habitat. In 1951, after several failures, state wildlife agencies found that flocks trapped in nets and moved elsewhere —a method adapted from the Native Americans — succeeded. In this way, and with the help of under-appreciated hunters, the wild turkey has been restored, a near-tragedy turned into triumph. This fall you may see a few of Massachusetts’s 20,000 M.g. silvestris in your backyard or along the roadside. If you haven’t a hunter in your circle of friends, a Narragansett or other heritage bird would make a fine centerpiece on your Thanksgiving table. More likely, a bird raised on a local poultry farm will grace your table, along with cranberry sauce and all the trimmings. Share your favorite dishes with family and friends, as we continue to recreate this great and mythic American holiday. See www.ediblesouthshore.com for turkey resources in our area. Elizabeth Gawthrop Riely edits the Radcliffe Culinary Times, published by the Schlesinger Library. Her dictionary, The Chef ’s Companion (John Wiley & Sons) is in its 3rd edition, marking changes in the edible landscape.
9/10/2008 1:06:02 PM
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liquid assets
Mayflower Brewing: Taste the History by Emily Goodwin
“I
t’s Friday. It’s beer.” This was Matt Steinberg’s explanation for the number of people filtering in for samples and brew tours. Steinberg is the director of brewing operations at Mayflower Brewery in Plymouth. He and the president/founder, Drew Brosseau, were particularly busy this Friday afternoon chatting it up with the locals, filling Growlers and offering samples of their four signature brews: the Pale Ale, the Golden Ale, the IPA and the Porter. “Are we allowed to bring our beer [on the tour] with us?” asked one Cape Cod native. Steinberg’s response: “Yes. It’s required.”
Mayflower began brewing in January of this year and bottling in May. For Brosseau, this is a lifelong passion turned into a second career. He grew up in wine country in California, which he credits as the spark to his interest in craft brewing. He moved to New England and continued home brewing throughout college and a 20-year career on Wall Street, during which he made the decision to launch his hobby into a full-time business. He saw an opportunity for a brewery on the South Shore and fittingly settled in Plymouth. Brosseau is a 10th great-grandson of John Alden, a cooper aboard the Mayflower whose job it was to build and repair wooden barrels. And what did those wooden barrels contain? You guessed it: beer. “An early booze cruise,” describes Brosseau. Since water would spoil too quickly, and beer was naturally preserved by alcohol and hops, it became the drink of choice for everybody on board, men, women and children. The Mayflower voyage took twice as long as anticipated, “perhaps because of the beer,” adds Brosseau. By the time they reached Plymouth, the ship was very low on supplies, most important the beer, and was forced to land. A quote direct from William Bradford’s journal says it all, “We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer.” In less than a year, Mayflower beer is already featured in 75 bars and restaurants and 60 package stores in Plymouth and surrounding areas including Cape Cod, Boston and Western Massachusetts. Also a supporter of local farms, Mayflower donates the “spent grain” (basically, wet grain of a porridge consistency) from their brews to three farms in the Duxbury and Plymouth area to be used as feed for cows and pigs. Brosseau sees the local food
A Growler is a way for people to get fresh beer straight from the tap to home. As legend has it, the term “growler” came from the late 1800s. Men would visit the local pub and carry fresh beer home in a small covered pail. When the beer sloshed around inside pail, CO2 was slowly released through the cover, creating a rumbling, or growling, sound. Mayflower offers all four brews on tap, but it is the IPA that is in the highest demand, as it is not currently being bottled. Customers can return with their Growlers for refills, and many do, as one customer claims, “Gotta get my Growler fix.” movement on the rise and attributes people’s desire to eat locally as part of his success. He goes on to say, “There’s not a whole lot ingredient-wise we can do locally, but what makes any brew unique is the local water that it’s brewed with.” Although, he did express hopes to someday incorporate cranberries into a recipe. “That’s the benefit of running a smaller brewery,” Brosseau says, “You have the flexibility to experiment with different recipes and different seasonal ingredients.” Be on the lookout to try Mayflower’s first seasonal brew, a Thanksgiving Ale.. For more information on the Mayflower Brewing Company, check out their web site www.mayflowerbrewing.com. Don’t see Mayflower in your local bar, restaurant or package store? Make a request for them! Mayflower Brewery is located at 12 Resnik Road in Plymouth, MA. Their retail, tasting and tour hours are Thursday and Friday 4:30 pm–6:30 pm. No reservations are necessary, and families are welcome. A recent Bridgewater College graduate, Emily Goodwin is a part-time freelance journalist specializing in local food events and activities.
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Keeping the farm generations at beaver brook by Mary Blair Petiet
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he land at Beaver Brook Farm in East Bridgewater has been under the plow for a very long time. The history of the land’s use to the present proves its ability to constantly meet the changing needs of the people who have farmed it. Beaver Brook is the story of 300 years of land symbiotically linked to the farmer. It is a story about the importance of farm survival and continuity in a modern age that is just now beginning to rediscover and celebrate its agricultural roots. Today Katie Cavanagh, who has deep roots on the land, and her husband, Brian, farm pumpkins at Beaver Brook. Although they both work day jobs, they are both completely committed to their farm. Katie’s situation is especially interesting, since in her professional life she is the coordinator of the SEMAP (Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership) Farms Forever Program. This yearold non-profit seeks to preserve farmland as farmland. Katie’s job clearly overlaps her home life — during the day her office works to ensure continuity in farmland, while in the evening she returns to her own continuously working acreage. Katie Cavanagh and her mother, Norma Callahan, who also lives at Beaver Brook, think that the old New England family Thatcher may have owned the land for a period in the 1800s. She knows that her grandfather, Burns Walton from Whitman, bought the parcel, approximately 120 acres, in the 1920s. The land was shy a house, but it sported a magnificent barn that dates to the 1890s
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and remains a standing sentinel. Burns Walton was a second-generation American of English and Scots extraction and established the Double Bridges Dairy Farm, named for the two bridges that still cross the property’s river. The dairy farm was a success until Burns Walton developed an allergy against either his cows or his hay, which led to him contracting pneumonia and to the end of his dairy business. Norma’s mother, Beverly Walton Beach, who grew up in the new farmhouse built by her father, Burns Walton, had moved next door to a 50-acre farm. She returned home to Double Bridges with her family when the dairy closed. Through the Depression and the Second World War they grew their own produce, and now, instead of producing dairy, they grew corn under the new name Beaver Brook Farm. At Beaver Brook, Norma sold corn from the old farm stand that remains out back to this day. Her father was a plumber, and he farmed at night and between jobs. He developed a way to plant corn from the back of his tractor by rigging it with headlights so he could work in the dark. When the demand for corn fell, the family changed strategy again and concentrated on strawberries with a pick-your-own emphasis through the 1970s into the early 1980s. This seasonal crop was convenient for the older generation, who were thinking of retirement, as well as for the younger generation, who thought they wanted to leave the land.
When Norma’s parents moved to Florida, the property went to her younger brother, who farmed it briefly. Later, Norma returned to Beaver Brook with her husband, Fred Callahan. They worked the land together until Fred’s death in 2002. The farming stopped with his death, and they let other people hay it for several years. Katie and Brian Cavanagh represent the newest generation to run Beaver Brook Farm. Both in their early thirties, Brian is a mutual fund investor who loves farming, and Katie is a former advocate against domestic violence. Their lives were changed when they got involved with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Explorer Program, which helps potential farmers assess the real possibilities of farming. While participating in the program, the Cavanaghs realized that their position was unique in that they actually had significant land to farm — Beaver Brook.
tractor. Pumpkins were their choice of crop because it left them free to be in their offices for most of the year except for the month of October, when pumpkin pickers besiege the farm. This fall marks their second pumpkin crop. They have eight acres planted and should produce 800 to 900 pumpkins. Brian followed family tradition by planting the seedlings from the back of the new tractor. The pumpkins are grown without pesticides, and weeds are controlled by roto-tilling between rows. Usually that is enough, but if not, they hand roto-till closer to the plants. Cover crops provide nutrients, and Katie describes the whole experience as a learning process. Bees are actually the Cavanaghs’ greatest allies. Their crop hums each morning with wild bees from nearby hives, and they rent an additional four hives from a beekeeper to help pollinate. To create fruit, a bee must pollinate at least 20 times. The bees are essential, and the Cavanaghs hope to have honey made from the pumpkin crop.
The biggest challenge facing today’s potential farmers is the space needed to produce crops. Katie’s involvement led to her new position as coordinator of the SEMAP (Southeastern Last year their largest pumpkin was a Howden, Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership) Farms weighing in at 40 pounds. This year they have Forever program, which seeks to preserve planted 10 varieties, including white pumpfarmland as working farmland. While new kins, Atlantic Giants and Howden Biggys. The farmers have trouble finding the acres they Howdens are definitely the roadside favorite. need, working farmers often lack a succeeding This year Beaver Brook is also experimenting generation interested in acquiring their land. with Indian corn in addition to winter and butThe situation in which farmers find themselves ternut squash. when they finally want to retire or actually need Katie, Brian and Norma plan to keep their farm to sell and are unable to establish an heir or in the family. They all feel the same pull to find another farmer to purchase their holding the land and are equally rooted to their home. can lead to the loss of considerable farmland Where else could they the wander acres of through last-solution sales. The Farms Forever Brian and Katie Cavanagh beautiful landscape that offers them a living and non-profit program hopes to connect estabbears the marks of their ancestors? Where else could they share lished farmers to nascent farmers who cannot afford their own their home with the deer, coyote, hawks and woodchuck who land. Each farm and each aspiring farmer represent different situsomehow don’t eat their plantings as the farm is bountiful enough ations involving both land and families. Farms Forever attempts for them all? The value of the land is evident. It has sustained sucto assist farmers who often have little time for such complications cessive generations, which points to the possibilities of continuity. as navigating the choppy waters of transfer tenure issues, tax issues In her job with Farms Forever and at Beaver Brook Katie has and family/land inheritance issues. noted a huge positive public response to farming. She sees her Katie and Brain neatly straddle the past, present and future of neighbors’ enthusiasm about the shift back to farms. She is herself farming. The historic acreage at Beaver Brook is mostly intact, a product of an unbroken line of farmers, and she has firsthand and while one is constantly reminded of the past by the stone knowledge of the real work involved in farming. Sometimes her walls and historic tractors that dot the landscape, the future is also professional and private lives intersect in her family’s ongoing completely evident in this fall’s blazing orange pumpkin crop. effort to maintain their property through the generations. Today Norma still lives in the house her grandfather built in 1921, and they want to keep the farm. Today they are taking the farm into Katie and Brian live right next door. When they completed the the future with their pumpkin crop. Explorer program they knew that while they had land to work, they also lacked other essential necessities. They had little time for farming because, as is often the case with farmers, they had to work day jobs. Their farm stand was vacant, and they had no working equipment. Their first investment was a John Deere
A Cape native, Mary Blair Petiet lives with her family in Barnstable. She writes in support of local sustainability and is also a regular contributor to Edible Cape Cod.
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THE RAW SIDE OF MILK by Ellen Petry Whalen
T
om Coutu does not fit the typical farmer’s profile for Massachusetts. He is single, twenty, lives in Southeastern Massachusetts, and he is going against the grain. When most dairy farmers are closing up shop because they cannot negotiate a living wage, Tom is taking a fresh approach. He is a rare but growing breed of raw milk dairy farmer. “I want to milk cows, and you can’t make a living selling to a wholesaler,” Tom said, echoing the sentiments of the modern dairy farmer. “So I wanted to set a price and sell it on my own. And raw milk is healthier for you anyway.” 22 | edible south shore fall 2008
“The fifteen members of our raw milk coop take weekly turns driving 145 miles round-trip to get his creamy elixir.” All around the country, demand for raw milk is growing and our state is no exception. In March 2008 MSNBC reported, “In Massachusetts, the number (of raw milk dairies) has more than doubled to 24 in the past five years even as the overall number of dairies has declined.” More and more consumers are questioning the highly industrialized approach to the centralized food distribution, with its processing, chemical additives, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), irradiation, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated soybean oil, trans fats and denatured ingredients. The search for answers often lead consumers back to their local farms, looking for natural alternatives. Unfortunately there aren’t many farms left to which concerned consumers can turn.
the farm, but in Connecticut it can be sold in a store. Individual states also decide upon the inspection standards each farm must pass and Massachusetts has some of the toughest.
Some are starting to think outside the box and are joining together to get the products they desire in the form of cooperatives. When I mention that I manage a raw milk coop, I usually get one of two reactions. The first appears as a wide mouth smile followed by a fond recounting of childhood memories of milk straight from their grandparents’ cow. The second is a look of uncertainty, mixed with apprehension, followed by a questioning, “can’t it make you sick” comment.
At Realmilk.com, the specifics about the effects of pasteurization are bluntly enumerated. “Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Calves fed pasteurized milk do poorly and many die before maturity. Raw milk sours naturally but pasteurized milk turns putrid; processors must remove slime and pus from pasteurized milk by a process of centrifugal clarification. Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk.” (realmilk.com/raw.)
Tom’s family owns Paskamansett Farms on 27 acres, in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. For someone so young, Tom already has 12 years of dairy farming experience, getting his first cow at the age of eight. The fifteen members of our raw milk coop take weekly turns driving 145 miles round-trip to get his creamy elixir. It is this type of dedicated customer that Tom is counting on to help his new business endeavor succeed. And it is because of this symbiotic relationship that our raw milk coop members drive so far. Surprisingly we feel lucky to have Paskamansett Farms relatively close, previously we had been driving 170 miles to the Lawton Family Farm in Foxboro. According to Realmilk.com, operated by the Weston A. Price Foundation, Massachusetts is one of twenty-eight states permitting the sale of raw milk. Each state has different rules about the sale of raw milk, in Massachusetts it must be bought directly from
Naturally you might be wondering what is so wonderful about raw milk or, on the other hand, why anyone would put his or her health at risk just to drink unpasteurized milk. When milk comes straight out of the cow, the liquid is alive with beneficial bacteria similar to what is found in yogurt or breast milk. But when the milk’s temperature is raised rapidly to 180 degrees F, as with pasteurization, most of the bacteria, both good and bad are killed along with all the enzymes, including lactase, which helps lactose intolerant people drink milk.
Ironically, because of pasteurization, dairy farms do not have the standards that they used to have. William Campbell Douglass, M.D. writes in The Raw Truth About Milk, “Pasteurization began in 1895, and thus began the unfortunate habit of not worrying about cleanliness in dairy because, with the heating of milk, cleanliness was no longer considered necessary.” To the dairy industry, pasteurization has meant a longer shelf life, which equates to higher profits. Tom’s father, Bill Coutu adds, “Commercial dairies have no incentive to produce high quality milk, just high volume.” Bill maintains his sense of humor about continued >>
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Tom Coutu at Paskamansett Farms is leading the way using traditional farming practices, and he needs our support and our patronage.
all of the regulatory hoops the family needs to jump through. He quips, “If we grew tobacco and made whiskey it would be a lot easier to sell, and we could deliver. Maybe if the state started taxing raw milk it would be safe to drink.� With all of these glowing facts about raw milk, you might be wondering why pasteurization ever started. Before refrigeration, heifers were efficiently contained next to distilleries in cities, where they were given the left over mash to eat. The cows had no access to grass, were given a bad diet and endured horrible living conditions. Not surprisingly, many cows contracted tuberculosis and many children became sick after drinking their milk. In order to make the milk thicker and whiter, the dairies were not above putting chalk, starch and other substances into milk that was then sold to the unsuspecting public. Since the early 1900s, many improvements have been made to our food distribution system, such as refrigerated transportation and stainless steel tanks, but not all of them have been for the better,
for animal or human. At Paskamansett Farms, Tom mixes the new with the old, using modern milking machinery and bio-diesel to drive the tractors. He raises old fashioned Jersey cows bred for their rich, creamy milk, cross-bred with Holstein, producing about five gallons a day. Preferring the Jersey, he is slowly breeding the Holstein out of his herd. The modern-day Holstein found at high-production dairy farms is designed to produce two-to-threetimes as much milk as the Jersey. In turn, it is more likely to get mastitis and need antibiotics to clear the infection. Tom’s cows have never needed antibiotics — they are healthier in general due to overall farm management practices. Instead of being confined in stalls on concrete pavement, the girls are shepherded out to carefully managed, grass-covered fields. They’re allowed to pick through a salad bowl of mixed greens, usually starting with sweet clover, while basking in warm rays of vitamin D-filled sunshine. In fact, the traditional farming advocate and author, Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm believes people like Tom are grass farmers first. If they maintain the health of their pastures and soils, the land will take care of the animals. The grass diet not only keeps the cow healthy but also benefits the drinker by producing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in the milk, which is a known cancer fighter. Whether or not you embrace the raw milk movement, change is underfoot. It might be something as small as Hood announcing,
& O R % VE R Y D A Y A N D ' O U R M E T 3HOP ,OCAL 3HOP &AMILY &EATURING ,OCAL .EW %NGLAND 3PECIALTY 0RODUCTS 4RADITIONAL "UTCHER 3HOP /RGANIC 0RODUCE ,OCAL )MPORTED #HEESES "EER 7INE
7E ARE A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS PROUD TO OFFER A SELECTION UNSURPASSED BY EVEN THE BIGGEST SUPERMARKETS AT COMPETITIVE PRICES
$UXBURY
$EPOT 3T
-ARKET
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WWW FOODIES URBAN MARKET COM 24 | edible south shore fall 2008
on their web site, that they are taking the growth hormones out of the New England territory or the big-box stores jumping on the green-washing bandwagon. It might not be the changes we are looking for, but it is still change. It is up to us to tell the dairy industry how high we want the bar and to be willing to put our money where our mouths are. Change can occur more rapidly by cutting out the industrial middleman and starting a dialogue with the person who is producing your food. The conversation will build trust, community, local economic stability and even more farmland where there is open space. We have been heading in the wrong direction, but it is not too late to alter the course. Tom Coutu at Paskamansett Farms is leading the way using traditional farming practices, and he needs our support and our patronage. If you are still unconvinced about the safety and health benefits of raw milk — that is understandable. This article is about dissemination of information and education not persuasion. Support what local farming practices you do believe in, such as good animal husbandry or farming techniques that improve the quality of the land. These types of local farms have the best in mind for their animals and the land and in turn the health of our families; ultimately, we all share the same ecosystem.
raw milk Dairy resources Paskamansett Farms
Oake Knoll Ayrshires
742 Tucker Road Dartmouth, MA 02747 508.990.7859 www.paskamansettfarms. com
70 North Street Foxboro, MA 02035 774.219.6257
Lyons Brook Farm 76 Drift Road Westport, MA 02790 508.636.2552
Bettencourt Dairy 100 Simmons Street Rehoboth, MA 02769 508.252.5464 Please call individual farms for details.
Ellen Petry Whalen is a freelance writer. She grew up spending her summers on Cape Cod and has been calling it home for six years, with her husband and their two organically, home-schooled daughters. Before having children she worked in sales and marketing in the medical nutrition industry for Novartis Nutrition and in the wine industry for Brown-Forman. She holds a B.A. in Economics and in Spanish from Wellesley College.
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kidding around
How Many Colors Have We Eaten? By Noelle Armstrong
S
ummer has ended, back-to-school shopping is complete, and the school busses are coming down the street. Now we’re thinking about healthy snacks and lunches to pack for school. What do the children like, what do they eat, what comes back unopened in the lunchbox? I have two children, and I know how frustrating this whole process can be. How do we get our children to eat healthy or want to make better choices? One way is to talk to your kids about why it’s important to try healthy foods. We know that fruits and veggies are good for you; they have antioxidants and fiber, vitamins and minerals. Kids will hear this speech, and they may listen, or they may not. Let’s try it another way. Talk to your children about the activities they enjoy. Soccer, baseball, dance, basketball. Certain foods will give them more energy, make them stronger and help them run faster, throw a ball harder, think better and give them more energy to play. I call these green-light foods. Green means go — go ahead and eat them. Some foods are okay to eat sometimes, but they can slow you down if you eat too many. These are more of a yellow-light food: cupcakes, juice boxes, donuts, fast food and white bread. Then there are some foods that don’t do anything to help your body; hot dogs, soda and chips can make you feel too full to eat your healthier food. These are red –light foods. Red lights mean stop, and these foods won’t give you any energy, slowing you down and making you feel like sitting on the sofa, not playing or doing your homework. Getting your kids involved in shopping at a local farm stand or grocery store will help with what they are willing to try. I am a big fan of Hanson’s Farm on Rte. 104 and Peterson’s Farm stand on South St., both in Bridgewater. Both have great selections, always fresh, and it’s actually fun to stop and check out what they have in that week. The kids love to go and find how many colors we can put in our basket. Colors are a great way to get them involved and interested. Talk to your kids about colors of food. The deeper the color the better it tastes and the better it is for your body. Brown rice is better than white rice; dark lettuce has more nutrients than light green lettuce. This is a fun way for them to learn about nutrition. Bringing your kids into the kitchen will help also. I don’t mean they have to prepare the whole meal, but if my Jack helps me chop one carrot or take the ends off of the green beans, he will be happy he helped to make the meal and will try a new vegetable.
Kids need to train their taste buds for new foods. They might taste a little strange at first, but if they try even a few bites when something is served the better it will taste to them later. A few bites can go a long way. This can be a great process for the whole family. Pretty soon you will notice that there is less time spent on “food battles” and more time spent enjoying yourselves together. Here is a great-kid friendly recipe and easy to make, too. You can also prepare this in the microwave for a hearty but healthy breakfast. By including the pumpkin or the sweet potato you are also eating foods that are fresh and in season in the fall.
Oatmeal 1 cup nonfat milk or soy milk ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown organic sugar ¼ cup canned organic pumpkin or sweet potato puree. (Fresh pumpkin would be better, but you can use canned organic for quick and easy.) 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract ¼ tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 1 cup old-fashioned oats 2 tsp. natural peanut butter Dried fruit and nuts Pure maple syrup for serving In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in the peanut butter. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts, if you like, and serve warm with maple syrup. Serves 4 Recipe idea from Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld Noelle Armstrong is a certified Holistic Health coach who works with individuals and families, helping them to “clear up the confusion” around healthy eating. Complimentary initial consultation. She may be reached at 508-245-9716. HolisticandRealistic@gmail.com, or www.HolisticandRealistic.com.
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feeding the community
Plymouth Food Warehouse by Michelle Conway
T
he deep rumbling growls of hunger are morphing slowly into a dull stabbing pain; kitchen cabinets are stacked with dishes, but little food. It’s another two weeks until the next paycheck, which must be stretched to cover rent, electricity and gas for the car. The hunger pains turn to anxiety as the realization settles in; it’s time. The bills can’t be paid and there isn’t enough food in the kitchen to feed the family. It’s time to ask for help. For families hovering around the poverty line in Plymouth and Bristol Counties, this desperate moment is all too real. The Greater Plymouth Food Resources Group, a division of the South Shore Community Action Council (SSCAC) answers the need to fill the local food pantries and soup kitchens in an ongoing mission to combat hunger on the South Shore. Their ultimate goal is to “get more nutritious food to more hungry people in a more cost-effective way through coordinated food pick-up, transport, storage and distribution.” To qualify for federal assistance, a family of four must make less than $407.80 per month, that’s $13.59 per day to feed, clothe and shelter four people. As of the 2006 census, over 123,000 people in the 36 towns in Plymouth and Bristol Counties live below the federal guidelines for poverty. The number of people who are
marginalized between official poverty and a decent living wage is a “moving target and difficult to quantify” says Beth Thompson, Food Resources Manager for the South Shore Community Action Council. For these families, hunger is real. Beth, a handful of part time employees, and a small corps of devoted volunteers operate the Greater Plymouth Food Resource Group Food Warehouse which acts as a central location to receive and distribute donated food items for emergency food providers such as food pantries and soup kitchens. Volunteers and staff members from these agencies visit the Food Warehouse and distribute the food to those who fall within federal poverty guidelines and to those who are living in between federal poverty guidelines and a living wage. Through resourcefulness, creativity and the cooperation of local communities, the Food Warehouse supplies much needed staples for 14 emergency food providers from Wareham to Norwell, three Head Start programs, and many Meals-on-Wheels programs. In all, over 200,000 pounds of food move through the warehouse each year and even that isn’t enough to satisfy the growing demand brought on by the difficult economy. While the need for food is great, many generous and thoughtful people throughout the South Shore hear the call to action. School groups, civic organizations, churches and local postal carriers collect non-perishable food items for the Food Warehouse throughout the year. Beth Thompson and the staff members at the SSCAC coordinate the food drives and find new ways to bring healthful, fresh foods to those in need of assistance.
HEALTHY PERISHABLES PROGRAM For families and individuals fighting poverty, purchasing high cost fresh fruits and vegetables is nearly impossible. Feeding a family and providing staples on fewer than $5 a day forces lower-income shoppers to purchase economically priced items that are not nutritionally diverse. Food pantries are stocked with non-perishable canned fruits, vegetables, pastas and convenience foods. The SSCAC, in an innovative bid to bring fresh produce to the table, has created the “Healthy Perishables” program with funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and assistance from Senator Therese Murray. Senator Murray has worked with the Healthy Perishables program since its inception to ensure it is funded. The SSCAC contracts with three local farms to sell their 28 | edible south shore fall 2008
fresh produce to the Food Warehouse at below market value. The fruits and vegetables are picked up weekly from Colchester Farm in Plympton, Golden Rule Farm in Middleboro, and Hanson Farm in Bridgewater by volunteers and delivered to 14 Councils on Aging as well as to the Food Warehouse for distribution to food pantries and soup kitchens. Fresh lettuces, squash, tomatoes, peas and berries provide a much-needed boost of nutrition, color and flavor. A handful of smaller growers and food providers donate fresh eggs, small batches of seasonal produce and local products which are stored at the Food Warehouse and picked up by local food pantries and soup kitchens. Frank Albani, Director of the Soule Homestead Education Center and an organic farmer for Golden Rule farm in Middleboro, provided fresh zucchini, summer squash, lettuce, cucumbers and onions this past summer - 3,000 pounds of produce in all. “We have all experienced hunger at one time or another; I myself went on food stamps for a while right out of college.” Frank is excited to share his organic vegetables with people who might not have access to the produce he sells at farmers markets and stores such as Whole Foods; the need to reach out and help “is always in the backs of our minds” at Golden Rule. Michelle Conway has lived on the South Shore for 8 years and is the Manager of Gourmet Services at Foodie’s Market in Duxbury. As a freelance writer, she has penned articles for the Boston Globe and writes a regular column, “South Shore Gourmet”, for the Duxbury Clipper and the Express papers. Michelle is taking classes towards a Masters in Gastronomy at Boston University and is the Membership Director for the Boston Chapter of Les Dames D’Escoffier
TO DONATE: • Donations of non-perishable food items are accepted on Wednesdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Plymouth Food Warehouse, 14 Apollo Eleven Road, Plymouth • The Food Warehouse also holds four major collection days each year in the greater Plymouth area on the first Saturday in March, June, September and December. The next food drive will occur on December 6th. Note: The September 2008 Drive brought in over 3000 pounds of food. • Monetary donations can be mailed to: South Shore Community Action Council, Inc. 265 South Meadow Road, Plymouth MA 02360 • Businesses, civic organizations, farms and food producers looking to participate as well as anyone with general questions should contact Beth Thompson at 508-747-7575, ext. 251 or at bthompson@ssac.org. • For additional information please go to: www.sscac.org
Store Hours Monday to Friday 9 to 6 Saturday 9 to 5 Closed Sundays
Alfredo Aiello Italian Foods, Inc. The finest in Italian foods prepared in your kitchen
LOCAL RESTAURANTS HELP The Olive Garden and Panera Bread in Plymouth, and the Longhorn Steakhouse in Wareham make regular donations to the Food Warehouse through nationwide programs created by their headquarters. Phillip Sheinis, General Manager of The Olive Garden in Plymouth explains that his restaurant participates in “The Harvest Program” as a way of extending the “Italian spirit of generosity” to those in need. His chefs follow stringent guidelines for packaging and freezing menu items that aren’t used within a specified meal period. The Olive Garden packages “made from scratch”, homemade items such as lasagnas, pastas, soups and sauces. Volunteers from the Food Warehouse pick up several hundred packaged meals each month and return them to the Warehouse’s freezers. Soup kitchens and emergency food assistance organizations “shop” the freezers and serve these healthful entrees to their clients.
ANTIPASTO TO ZAFFERANO… Defrost and bake entrees Fresh Pasta, Tortellini and Sauces Gnocchi, Ravioli, Manicotti and more… Italian deli featuring our home made Sausages Italian Breads delivered daily from Boston Italian Specialties including Pasta, Oils, Vinegars & Sweets Tiramisu and Fresh Cannoli A LITTLE BIT OF ITALY ON THE SOUTH SHORE! www.aapasta.com
8 Franklin Street in Quincy 617-770-6360 72 Washington Street (Rte 53) in Norwell 781-878-2500
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farmers markets 23 Court Street, Plymouth, MA 02360
508.746.0707
Plymouth County
Breakfast / Lunch: Mon-Sat Dinner: Wed-Sat
Brockton Fairgrounds
Saturday, 9:00 am - 1pm July 12 to October 25 Brockton Fairgrounds
Dinner Reservations Recommended
www.sabordining.com
Brockton/City Hall Plaza
Friday, 10:30 pm - 1:30 pm July 11 to October 31 City Hall Plaza Carver
Sunday, Noon - 4:00 pm June 8 - October 26 Shurtleff Park, Route 58, across from Town Hall Hingham
Saturday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. May 24 to October 25 Hingham Bathing Beach Parking lot on Rt. 3 A Marshfield
Friday, 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm June 6 to October 31 Field adjacent to Marshfield Fairgrounds, Rt. 3A Middleboro
We’re Expanding Our Palate
Saturday, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm June 14 to October 25 Route 105, Town Hall Lawn Plymouth Stephen’s Field
Thursday, 2:30pm-6:30 June 19 to October 30 Stephen’s Field off 3A near Plymouth Center Plymouth Court Street
As SABOR prepares to celebrate its 11th year marked by great success, Vinicio Cordon feels that the time is again ripe to explore new beginnings with the opening of his second location, SABOR Market, on Long Pond Road in Fall 2008.
Market Tapas Bar Dining Culinary Classes
Diners can expect to find the same congenial atmosphere and impeccable service at the new SABOR Market that remains the hallmark of his flagship restaurant, SABOR, located on Court Street in Plymouth.
Saturday, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm June 28 to October 25 Courthouse Green on Court Street, Downtown Rochester
Saturday, 8:00 am - Noon May 10 to October 25 Rochester Center, Route 105, Plumb Corner Market Parking lot
Bristol County Attleboro/Downtown
Saturday, 8:00 am - Noon July 19 to October 25 Gilbert Perry Square, Downtown Dartmouth
Friday, 1:00 pm - 6:00pm June 13 to October 31 Rex Field, adjacent to St. Peters Church 351 Elm St., Padanaram Village Fairhaven
Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm June 22 to October 19 Fairhaven High School, Rt. 6 and Main Street Fall River / Kennedy Park
Saturday, 7:30 am - 12:30 pm May to November Kennedy Park
Fall River / Ruggles Park Wednesday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm June to November Ruggles Park Mansfield
Thursday, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm July to September Public Parking, 80 North Main Street New Bedford/ Brooklawn Park
Monday, 2:00 pm - Dusk July 7 to October 27 Brooklawn Park, Ashley Blvd. Entrance New Bedford/Clasky Common
Saturday, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm July to October Pleasant Street between Pearl and Pope Streets. New Bedford/Wings Court
Thursday, 2:00 pm – dark July 10 to October 30 Wings Court, Union Street, Downtown North Easton
Tuesday, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm and Saturday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm May 6 to October 25 261 Main Street, in field across from Sheep Pasture Rehoboth
Sunday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm June to October 25 Anawan School, 53 Bay State Road Taunton
Thursday, Noon - 5:00 pm July 10 to October 30 Town Green Westport
The Shoppes at Long Pond, 63 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
508.747.7690 www.sabormarket.com
30 | edible south shore fall 2008
Saturday, 8:30 am - 1:00 pm July 5 to October 11 Westport Grange, 870 Main Rd.
Find Copies
of
edible South Shore
A.D. Makepeace
The world’s largest cranberry grower, the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, and a recognized leader in responsible real estate development and land stewardship. 158 Tihonet Road Wareham, MA 02571 508.295.1000 www.admakepeace.com Alfredo Aiello Italian Foods, Inc.
The finest in Italian foods prepared in your kitchen. 8 Franklin Street Quincy MA 02169 617.770.6360 72 Washington Street Norwell, MA 02061 781.878.2500 www.aapasta.com Artisan Kitchen
A small bakery specializing in making your sweet dreams come true. 265 Walnut Plain Road Rochester MA 02770 508.763.4905 www.theartisankitchen.com Bioneers: Connecting for Change An internationally acclaimed annual gathering of environmental, industry and social justice innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and its inhabitants. October 23-26, 2008 Downtown New Bedford www.connectingforchange.org Bradford’s Meatshop & More
A unique meat shop specializing in premium quality beef, poultry, pork, lamb and veal. 644 Washington Street (Rte 53 – Across from Starland) Hanover MA 02339 781.826.3100 www.bradfordsmeatshop.com Cinema Plimoth Plantation
The Best in Current Independent & Foreign Films Shown Daily at Plimoth Plantation. 137 Warren Ave Plymouth MA 02360 508.746.1622 ext. 8877
at these fine establishments:
www.plimoth.org Fedele’s Hand Dipped Chocolates
Small batches are made daily and are always fresh. Anderson Plaza 95 Church Street, Pembroke MA 02359 781.826.0669 Village Landing Marketplace 170 Water Street Plymouth MA 02360 508.746.8907 www.fedelesChocolates.com Foodie’s Market
A family-owned business proud to offer a selection unsurpassed by even the biggest supermarkets—at competitive prices. 46 Depot Street Duxbury MA 02332 781.934.5544 1421 Washington Street South End Boston MA 02118 617.266.9911 www.foodies-urban-market.com Hart Design
508.224.8900 www.marthasstonesoup.com Holistic & Realistic health & wellness
A realistic approach to health & happiness Noelle Armstrong 508.245.9716 508.697.9824 www.holisticandrealistic.com Organic Valley
A Farmer-owned co-op that produces milk, cheese, butter, eggs, juice, soy beverages, produce and meats—all organic. Available at major grocers and health food stores. One Organic Way La Forge WI 54639 888.444.MILK www.organicvalley.coop Pillsbury Florist
Custom built specialty food baskets. Delivery available. 685 N. Bedford Street Route 18 East Bridgewater MA 02333 508.378.8141
Creative Art Services 15 Evergreen Street Kingston MA 02364 781.582.1726 www.ediblesouthshore.com
506 N. Elm Street West Bridgewater MA 02379 508.583.6587 www.pillsburygourmet.com
Healthy Animal
Thursdays – Stephens Field, Through October 30 Route 3A, just south of Plymouth Center 2:30pm – 6:30pm
A health food store for pets. Town Line Plaza 808 Washington Street Route 53 Pembroke MA 02359 781.826.9760 www.thehealthyanimal.com How on Earth – The Store
Featuring items produced by local farmers and artisans, including breads, meats, honey, jam, pickles, herbs, flowers, botanicals, crafts, and more! 62 Marion Rd (Route 6) Mattapoisett MA 02739 508.758.1341 www.howonearth.net Martha’s Stone Soup
From Homestyle to Haute Cuisine. 517 Old Sandwich Rd Plymouth MA 02360
Plymouth Farmers Market
Saturdays – Courthouse Green Through October 25 Court Street – Plymouth Center 9:30am – 1:30pm 508.732.9962 www.plymouthfarmersmarket.org Sabor
Offering fine dining, tapas bar, and culinary classes. 23 Court Street Plymouth MA 02360 508.746.0707 www.sabordining.com
Sabor Market
Opening Fall 2008 The Shoppes at Long Pond 63 Long Pond Road Plymouth MA 02360 508.747.7690 www.sabormarket.com Sauchuck Farm Corn Maze
Open weekends thru October 26th Plympton MA 02367 781.585.1522 www.sauchukfarm.net Square Café
A restaurant that is modern and earthy with food to “nourish the soul” and customer service to please. 150 North Street Hingham MA 02043 781.740.4060 www.thesquarecafe.com Silverbrook Farm
Growing organically and participating at many local farmers’ markets. 52 Chase Road Dartmouth MA 02747 508.991.5185 www.silverbrookdartmouth.com Uplifting Connections
A positive energy place for your mind and body. 1355 Pleasant Street Route 104 Bridgewater MA 02324 508.697.2334 www.upliftingconnections.com Western Growers
www.Producepedia.com www.wga.com 949.885.2259 Westport Rivers Winery
A family owned vineyard and winery producing estate grown wines from New England’s largest vineyard. 417 Hixbridge Road Westport MA 02790 800.993.9695 www.westportrivers.com Whole Foods Market
Selling the highest quality natural and organic products. 94 Derby Street Hingham MA 02043 781.741.8050 www.wholefoodsmarket.com
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edible
ODDITY
“BOTTLED MILK” Not necessarily where your milk comes from, but definitely fresh! Photographed at the Dartmouth Grange Fair September 6, 2008
