October already?

Is it really October already? I supposed I should have been more prepared, the crisp evenings and chilly mornings have been rapidly encroaching on the hot days of summer. What do these pieces of fall have to do with the Bentonville Farmers Market?

The Bentonville Farmers Market ends on October 27. That means the market has four more Saturdays to bring you fresh local produce. You can expect to stock up on squash, pumpkins, apples, okra, beans, potatoes, greens, meats and cheeses.

One of my favorite fall activities is making caramel apples! I love the smell of the caramel in the house, the juiciness of fresh apples, and the laughs shared over a stove on a chilly day. I have been wanting to try a recipe for Inside Out Caramel Apples from our Bentonville Farmers Market Pinterest page for a while now. Looking at these locally grown apples, I think it is a must!

This week at the Bentonville Farmers Market, the Benton County Master Gardeners will be set up with fall themed activities for the whole family. I hope to see you at one of the bountiful October markets, held at the Downtown Bentonville Square from 7:00am to 1:00pm. 

Dog Days: The Sequel

As the dog days of summer fades into fall, I take great pleasure in spending quality time with my dogs outside. I am so delighted that Bentonville has a plethora of great places that we can enjoy! 

Keema, my German Shepherd Dog, is very social and playful and loves going to the Bentonville Bark Park. 

Headed to the Bentonville Bark Park with my friend Winfree!

Kora, my Australian Cattle Dog, doesn't care where we go as long as she can be right in the middle of everything. 

A great activity to take your socialized dog to is the Bentonville Farmers Market Dog Days. This Saturday, September 15th will be a day for the dogs. Special vendors include True Science, Camp Bow Wow, Hup and Running Agility, The Great Plains Mastiff Rescue, Joey's Dog Bakery, Every Dog Can, Main St. Pawstries, All Pets Animal Hospital and more! 

There will be a dog parade with prizes starting at 10:30am on A street behind the Crepes Paulette trailer. 

Take your best friend outside and explore what Bentonville and Arkansas have to offer! 

Our dogs can lead us back to the balance that nature intended for us, if only we are willing to follow.

Yarnell's Tryathlon

It is well known in my circle that I am an ice cream addict. I like ice cream floats, hot fudge sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, shakes, ice cream cakes, ice cream in cones and in bowels. I also like Arkansas products. Yarnell's Ice Cream is just that, being manufactured in Searcy, Arkansas. Could you imagine slicing up one of these juicy peaches and mixing it with some vanilla ice cream? Just trust me, its good.

This Saturday, August 11th, Yarnell's Ice Cream will be holding the Yarnell's Tryathlon at the Bentonville Farmers Market! Chef Rob from Tusk and Trotter will be showing you how to use local ingredients with Arkansas made Yarnell's Ice Cream to create ice cream masterpieces. The fun will begin at 10:00am at the Bentonville Square, don't miss out!  

Stone River Ash Garden

I don't know about you, but I am LOVING all of the ripe red tomatoes at the Bentonville Farmers Market right now. I have been making tomato bread, tomato cucumber salad, and salsa. Last week, I went to Stone River Ash Gardens.

Jessica is a new farmer and I think she is doing great! All of her tomatoes are grown chemical free. She has turned her backyard in to a suburban garden. 

What a beautiful space to sit and sip tea. Stone River Ash Garden grows many unusual heirloom tomatoes. Jessica has tiny, big, red, green, heart shaped, skinny, plump, sweet, juicy tomatoes. 

All of the tomatoes are started from seed. You may remember buying tomato plants from Stone River Ash earlier this year.

If you are looking for something different or familiar check out her booth on Central Street. Jessica is more than willing to help you pick out the perfect tomato for the foodie in you. 

Don't forget to vote for the Bentonville Farmers Market as your favorite farmers market! See you Saturday from 7:00am to 1:00pm on the Downtown Bentonville Square!

Tomato Bread:

Loaf of french bread

Fresh mozzarella sliced

Fresh basil chopped

Butter

Tomatoes sliced

Set your oven to a low broil. 

Slice the french bread to about 1/2" slices

Butter the bread and place on cookie sheet. If you like put some garlic on the bread

Put in the oven for a few minutes until slightly toasty

Remove from oven and place basil, tomato and mozzarella on the bread

Place tray of bread back in oven

Monitor until mozzarella looks melted

Serve and enjoy!

Vote for Bentonville Farmers Market!

It’s summertime and that means two things:  

1) There are loads of delicious farm fresh produce available at the Bentonville farmers market every week; and 

2) American Farmland Trust’s America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest has kicked into gear and we need your votes to win! 

The process is simple.  To vote for our market, all you have to do is:

1.)    Go to www.farmland.org/vote

2.)    Type in Bentonville Farmers Market; and,

3.)    Click “Vote”

That’s it. That’s all it takes to bring the Bentonville Farmers Market one step closer to being America’s favorite farmers market!

According to American Farmland Trust (AFT), the purpose of this contest is to re-connect local consumers to local farms, with the ultimate goal of keeping our nation’s farm and ranch land productive and healthy!  Buying at the farmers market keeps money in the local community and helps farms and ranches remain economically viable. By voting, you’re helping support farms and communities across the nation. As American Farmland Trust says, “No Farms No Food™!”

So don’t forget to vote for the Bentonville Farmers Market at www.farmland.org/vote and spread the word!  Big thanks to everyone who has already voted! 

McGarrah Farms

Have you ever eaten a blackberry straight from a bush? That is one of my favorite childhood memories. My family and I would go down into the woods and pick wild blackberries and raspberries and eat more then we brought home. Our hands would be stained purple and usually one of us ended up with a thorn. 

McGarrah Farms offers this experience but better! Dennis has a you pick farm of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and pumpkins. Unlike our wild blackberries, the berries at McGarrah Farms are larger, sweeter, and have no thorns! 

Dennis is a new vendor at the Bentonville Farmers Market this year. You may have purchased strawberries from him earlier this year. McGarrah Farms is located in Pea Ridge, about a 20 minute drive from Downtown Bentonville. 

Right now Dennis has corn, tomatoes, okra, squash, cucumbers, and lots of other great veggies growing. In the fall, there is a maze, tractor pulled hay rides, and pick your own pumpkins. 

This is only a few of the tomato plants at McGarrah Farms. Dennis likes to grow heirloom tomatoes. There are some ripening on the vine, as I type! 

We drove to another farm, about 7 miles away to get to the blackberry and raspberry patch. This berry is just about ready to eat!

With everything going on, Dennis and his wife still have time to maintain beautiful butterfly bushes. 

This fall, if you have the desire to experience a working farm and also get a great pumpkin head on over to McGarrah Farms. Also say Hi! to Dennis and his crew at the Saturday Bentonville Farmers Market, on the Downtown Bentonville Square from 7:00am to 1:00pm.

LOMAH Dairy

Does this van look familiar?

If you answered "of course!" then you have had the pleasure in consuming cheese from LOMAH Dairy. LOMAH Diary is located in Wyandotte, Oklahoma, about 50 minutes from Downtown Bentonville. Every Saturday, Donna and one of her children make the commute to provide cheese to the Bentonville Farmers Market

The roads to the farm were twisty and hilly, but the dairy wasn't hard to find after spotting the welcome sign. Donna told me that they often times have school groups to the farm to do tours, and their hand painted sign helps visitors find the place!

The barn is a classic red and white restored dairy barn. The Johnson's have a store at the front of the barn that is based on the honor system. There are coolers in the front with product, a log of names and items bought, and a hole in the wall to drop your money.

Inside the barn, there is the cheese making room. I believe this vat is going to be gouda cheese, Donna informed me that this is a small batch of cheese! 

There are two different coolers, this one houses the hard cheeses. The other cooler contains soft cheeses and cheese that have to age, such as blue cheese. 

Now this is one HUGE block of cheese! I asked Donna if her family still eats cheese after making it all day. She exclaimed yes! She knows what goes into her cheese, and it is all natural ingredients. 

Of course, you can have no dairy without cows! These sweet girls are Jersey cows. They get to graze on pasture, play in the streams, and socialize throughout the day, come 4:00am and 4:00pm they mosey over to the barn to get fed and milked. 

Don't forget to stop by LOMAH Dairy's booth at the Saturday Bentonville Farmers Market from 7:00am to 1:00pm and sample cheese made by local people and local cows! 

Horn Farms

While touring the different farms, one thing always comes to mind, pride. Each vendor at the Bentonville Farmers Market takes pride in being an agriculturalist. Fay Horn, from Horn Farms, is no different. He radiated joy while showing me around his farm. 

You may be familiar with Horn Farms booth at the market. Fay and his crew are on Main St., or the Northwest corner of the square. Fay is a full time farmer, and currently is farming about 15 acres. Have you tried the sweet red strawberries from his farm? While walking through the fields, Fay would occasionally stop and eat a berry. I informed him that if I had this huge strawberry patch only 50% of the berries would make it to market, because I would pick one for the basket and pick one to eat. There is nothing better than a strawberry straight from the field. 

In addition to strawberries, Fay has rows of watermelon, squash, okra, tomato, cucumber, eggplant, pumpkin, and other delightful crops planted. He also has an orchard and a raspberry patch, which should be ripe soon!

Soon you will be seeing tomatoes at Horn Farms booth, how is this possible? There are 2 huge greenhouses that Fay also tends to. They have a wood burning heating system, this allows him to start plants earlier. How cute are the baby cucumbers?

In addition to the greenhouses, Fay has two nurseries where he starts seedlings. The nurseries also have wood burning stoves to keep them warm in the winter. 

There is also a commercial kitchen at Horn Farms, where jams, jellies, and pickled items are made. Beehives also occupy the farm, so if you are looking for local honey don't forget to visit Horn Farms at market. 

See you Saturday at the Bentonville Farmers Market, located on the Bentonville Square from 7:00am to 1:00pm. 

Ewe Bet Farm

Ewe Bet you can find locally grown, grass fed lamb in Bentonville! Mike and Mary Jo own Ewe Bet Farm in Cave Springs and attend the Bentonville Farmers Market. They also supply lamb to Tusk & Trotter and River Grille.

Driving up to Ewe Bet, I couldn't believe how close it was to Downtown Bentonville, it was about a 15 minute drive all on paved roads. Mike met me at the gate and showed me to the garage, where he has three freezers full of USDA lamb.

Mike and Mary Jo have a picturesque farm, with so much going on I don't know how they keep it straight! They have a small orchard with apple and peach trees. A garden, blueberry and blackberry patch also occupy the farm. 

Mike told me that the farm started with honey. They had excess honey and started selling it. They began to think what else they could produce in excess to feed others, and that is how they got started in the sheep business. Here is a picture of a bee hive, swarming with bees producing wonderful sweet honey.

Ewe Bet Farms takes delight in their sheep, that are raised on high quality pasture. Mike explained to me that they spoon feed their pastures 3 times a year and plant clover so their sheep have the best possible pasture to graze on. This is one happy ewe!

One unique service that Ewe Bet offers is a bed and breakfast. They have one spacious radiant room available, the room has a private deck and Mary Jo will serve breakfast when guests wake up. Breakfast will consist of ingredients found on the farm. Remember those apples, peaches, and berries? The guests can roam around the farm while eating a ripe apple picked directly from the tree. 

Jill, Ray, and Steve certainly enjoy the view and the food at Ewe Bet Farm. Stop by the Bentonville Farmers Market, opening April 28th from 7:00am to 1:00pm on the Bentonville Square. 

In the meantime, stop by Ewe Bet Farm's website to see what else they have in store. 

Twisted Tree Farm

I love everything about farm fresh eggs, from the super hard shell to the bright yellow yolk, farm fresh eggs just make a breakfast. Twisted Tree Farm is one of several vendors at the Bentonville Farmers Market that sell beautiful, brown, farm fresh eggs.

Lana, at Twisted Tree Farms, has one of my favorite breeds, the barred rock. The barred rock hens are the black and white speckled hens. These girls lay delightful brown eggs. This type of cage allows the chickens to be on the grass and forage while still being protected from predators. They have a huge watering tank and also shade from the sun. 

Twisted Tree Farm also sells USDA frozen farm fresh chicken. The layer hens are not the same as the broilers. As you can see Lana's trusty Australian Shepherd River, takes his guard dog job seriously. Here he is making sure the chicks are all accounted for.  

Twisted Tree farm's not only sells eggs and poultry, but they also grow tomatoes, corn, and squash. Lana informed me that she will be selling several varieties' of squash, so make sure you stop by her booth at market. 

While you are waiting on April 28th to arrive for the Bentonville Farmers Market to open, check out Twisted Tree Farms online. Don't forget to pick up a colorful fun hair wrap at her booth!

Canyon Ridge Farms

New this year at the Bentonville Farmers Market is Canyon Ridge Farms! Canyon Ridge Farms is a small family farm in Oklahoma that primarily sells goat cheese.

The drive to Canyon Ridge Farms was a long but pleasant one. I think I logged a round trip of 143.3 miles. To think, Marty and her husband Chrys will make this trip once a week to bring Bentonville goat cheese! I was welcomed to the farm by this watchful girl.

This dairy was just absolutely impressive. Marty informed me that her family built their facilities, and they have been in operation for a little over a year now. They have had dairy goats for a while, but they decided to start processing the milk and making cheese. 

The first barn I toured was the milking barn. Marty milks at 4:00am and 4:00pm. She can milk 4 goats at a time, they have around 40 milking does. The goats are fed while they are being milked. 

Next we went into the processing facility. I was told that Marty and Chrys took off in their truck to Pennsylvania to pick up their pasteurizer! The processing room is where they pasteurize the milk and make the cheese. Canyon Ridge has several new flavors they will be releasing throughout the summer. 

Canyon Ridge Farms has two different breeds of dairy goats, Lamancha and Nubian. The goats on the left and middle are Lamancha, notice that they don't have ears! The girl on the right is a Nubian, she has big floppy ears. When we went to the pasture the girls came running up to us!

In addition to goat cheese, Canyon Ridge sells farm fresh eggs and some produce. This year they are growing broccoli, and it has already come to head. 

I know that Canyon Ridge Farms loves what they do, when we were touring the kid barn Marty remarked to me "There is nothing sweeter than a baby goat."

If you want more information on Canyon Ridge Farms check out their website. Join me in welcoming Canyon Ridge Farms to Bentonville Farmers Market on April 28th at the Bentonville Square from 7:00am to 1:00pm.