Get documents about "Fabulous Farmers' Markets
Document Sample
Fabulous Farmers’ Markets
By Alison Stoven, Horticulture Agent
Drake Road Farmers’ Market
Day: Saturday
It’s the time of year when farmers’ markets are in full Dates: April 18-September 26
swing. Fresh produce, baked goods, cut flowers...you Time: 10am-1pm
just can’t beat the selection and the chance to chat with Location: Cafe Columbine Parking lot in Fort Collins
local producers. Farmers’ markets have gained in (intersection of Shields and Drake)
popularity over the last few years, and with local food Visit www.drakeroadfarmersmarket.com.
movements, will continue. Fortunately, in Larimer
County, you can shop and eat fresh nearly every day of Loveland Farmers’ Market
the week: Day: Tuesday
Dates: May 3-October 27
Larimer County Farmers’ Market
Time: 11am-3pm
Day: Saturday
Location: Hobby Lobby Parking lot in Loveland
Dates: June 27-October 10
(NW corner of Orchard and N. Lincoln)
Time: 8am-noon
Location: 200 W. Oak Street, Old Town Fort Collins
Estes Park Farmers’ Market
(Larimer County Courthouse Parking lot)
Day: Thursday
Note: The Larimer County Farmers’ Market is
Dates: June 4-September 4
celebrating its 34th year in Old Town. Proceeds support
Time: 8am-12:30pm
Larimer County Extension and the Master Gardener
Location: Stanley Park Fairgrounds (1209 Manford
program. Extension Master Gardeners and Master Food
Ave., Estes Park)
Safety Advisors are on hand every Saturday to answer
Notes: Extension Master Gardeners are available to
gardening and food safety/preservation questions. Free
answer gardening questions each market.
children’s activities are offered the first Saturday of
each month.
Berthoud Farmers’ Market
Visit www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org.
Day: Thursday
Dates: June 25-September 24
Fort Collins Farmers’ Market
Time: 3pm-7pm
Days: Sunday and Wednesday
Location: Railroad Park on 3rd Street, north of Mountain
Dates: May 3-October 25; June 27-October 28
Ave. in Berthoud
Time: 11am-3pm
Extension Master Gardeners are available to answer
Location: Harmony Place Parking lot (intersection of
gardening questions each market; Master Food Safety
Harmony and Lemay in Fort Collins)
advisors will be available once per month for food
Visit www.fortnet.org/market.
safety and preservation inquiries.
Be Sure To Check Out:
2009 Colorado Extension Annual Report
Larimer County Extension
featured on pages 5, 17, and 24—25
“Learning by Doing”
By Wendy Woerner
4-H Agent
Ask any Larimer County 4-Her if they’ve been busy Dog project members had weekly training and
learning…chances are they’ve been running from here practice opportunities to train their pup in Agility
to there with mom and dad trying to keep up! Of our and Obedience…with a few Fun Matches along
1,100 Larimer County 4-H youth, many of them are the way for the competitive bunch.
active in quite a few other activities apart from 4-H, Poultry, Cat Rabbit project members had several
such as school programs, intramural sports, youth clinics each to help them learn about raising and
group and more. Yet, they still find time to attend many showing their furry creature.
great workshop and clinics because they love to learn! Dairy, Fiber and Pygmy goat members spent the
But who wouldn’t…especially when the 4-H educa- spring attending various clinics and workshops
tional opportunities are fun and “hands-on”. This regarding health, and showmanship.
spring there were over 200 individual activities avail- Dairy Cattle kids enjoyed lots of hands-on training
able . Included in this list are a host of project work- at local dairies around Larimer County .
shops, clinics and meetings where hands-on learning is Sewing and Quilting classes were a hit with six
a guarantee. Additionally, there were numerous leader- different opportunities to learn, and Cake Decorat-
ship opportunities, monthly 4-H club meetings and ing members had the chance to decorate their
project Fun Matches. cakes with the help of qualified leaders.
4-H judging team kids meet once per week all
Vet Science project members attended the CSU
spring to perfect their communication, public
Vet Teaching hospital for a grand tour.
speaking and teamwork skills.
Shooting Sports kids met weekly to hone their
With too many horse clinics and workshop to list,
skills and learn safety first in Shotgun, Archery,
lets just say our horse project kids stay very en-
Air Rifle, Air Pistol, .22 Rifle and Muzzle Loader.
gaged.
Small Engine project members spent a Saturday
In the midst of all this, 4-H Contests, such as
morning visiting Wagner Rents to learn more
Demonstration, Performing Arts, Creative Cooks
about the businesses that relate to their project pas-
and more were a big hit among many 4-H youth/
sion and Electrics project members came together
to fix mom and dad’s broken appliances. It’s great to know our county 4-H kids are staying busy
Leathercraft project members were able to attend 5 doing great things, and they are learning to become
different workshop sessions at Old West Leather more responsible, gener-
and Beads in Greeley where the shop owner ous citizens of their com-
teaches the lost art of leather crafting. munities along the way!
Extension and County Fair
By Laurel Kubin, Director
Larimer County Extension is the off-campus branch of In both 4-H and Open Class, the winners receive a rib-
Colorado State University that brings education out into bon and a small cash award, called a "premium". In
the communities to address economic, environmental some cases, there are also trophies or other awards pro-
and societal issues. 4-H is the youth development pro- vided by sponsors for the top award winners.
gram of Extension. The county fair offers the 4-H
members a place to show, and be evaluated, on the qual- Extension views the county fair as an opportunity to
ity of the project work they've completed during provide education for the public. People can watch the
the year. judges work in the Open Class divisions, learning what
the judge is looking for as quality is evaluated. Other
4-H projects offer youth ages 5 - 19 the opportunity to exhibits, such as the Action Exhibits during the week-
learn responsibility, leadership, and life skills as they end, offer fair-goers an opportunity to learn about skills
raise an animal, create a garment, baked product, or from artisans and hobbyists. Extension displays and the
photograph, for example. They also learn safety skills as booths staffed by Extension Master Gardeners and
they learn through the shooting sports and model rock- Extension Food Safety Advisor Volunteers in the East
etry projects. There are hundreds of different 4-H pro- Exhibit Hall, also provide opportunity to learn trusted,
jects that appeal to both urban and rural youth. In non-commercial, research based advice in food safety,
Larimer County there are more than 1000 youths in 4-H. natural resource management, and gardening, from
Their projects can be found in the Thomas M. McKee 4- Extension.
H Building and in the livestock pavilions at the county
fair. Every youth wins a blue, red, or white ribbon that If you would like to exhibit items in the Open Class de-
indicates quality and effort. partments of the Larimer County Fair, go to
www.larimercountyfair.org to access the list of items
Extension facilitates the Open Class exhibits that are you might enter. You will also find the pre-registration
found in the East Exhibit Hall of the First National Bank form at that site. Send your pre-registration form prior to
Building. People of all ages, from anywhere, can exhibit July 13 and it will cost you nothing to display at the fair.
in the Open Class departments. Within each department Open class items are to be delivered to the fairgrounds
in Open Class, there are divisions that are called on July 28 or 30. See the complete schedule at the web-
"classes". An example is the Sports Action class in the site to know when to deliver and retrieve your items.
Photography Department. In each class, up to three
awards can be given - - a blue ribbon for the first place Also, CSU Alumni Day at the Larimer County Fair is
award winner, a red ribbon for second place, and a white Saturday, August 1. Wear green and gold. Come and
ribbon for third place. The judges have discretion as to have fun!
which items receive an award.
The Larimer County Fair is a partnership among The Ranch, Larimer County Extension, Rodeo Committee, the Fair Board, and
Larimer County Commissioners. The staff and several hundred volunteers, including the Junior Livestock Sale Committee, work
with passion and dedication to conduct a great county fair each year. Many thanks to all!
4-H Teaches Life Skills Dealing with
Tough Times
By Kathy Wolfe
4-H Agent
By Laurel Kubin
Family & Consumer
The 4-H program promotes life skill Science Agent
development and has made this claim. Credit cards are a necessary part of our financial transactions.
Recently, we’ve studied the effect of
They are required for many purchases including renting a car or
being in 4-H and can definitely prove our
reserving a hotel room. Avoid charging purchases unless you
claim.
know you can pay for them in a short time, preferably at the
In late summer of 2008, a survey of end of the billing cycle.
1,843 Colorado 4-H members was
Important tips to keep in mind:
conducted including 200 members from
Larimer County. 4-H members 1. Make your credit card payments on time. This is the
responded affirmatively to the following: number one factor that impacts your credit.
Because I’m in 4-H… 2. Maintain balances well below your credit limit. A
benchmark is to use no more than a third to half of your
I know how to keep records
credit limit to maintain a good ratio of credit to debt.
I know how to do community
3. Don’t use convenience checks sent to you in the mail or
service
cash advances. The credit card companies usually charge
I take leadership roles 3% - 4% to use these checks in addition to no grace period
I can give a talk or a demonstration and higher interest rates.
I can made good decisions 4. Read the fine print! Know what terms and conditions that
are on your cards. If your credit score is above 700 you may
I can solve problems be able to negotiate better terms.
Conclusions of this study are that 4-H
membership makes a positive difference Ask yourself:
in the lives of young people regarding the Do I really need this?
six life skills analyzed. The longer Is it even good for me?
young people are members in 4-H What would happen if I couldn’t have it?
program, the stronger the life skill Is there an alternative I can accept?
development. 4-H makes a difference in
Is there a better way to use this money?
the lives of young people!
Firing Up the Grill
By Nora Garza
Nutrition Agent
As warm weather greets you at your doorstep and sunny days inch into long, colorful evening sunsets, you
may be inspired to fire up the grill! But wait-before you use the traditional grilling methods and foods you
may have used in the past, take a moment to learn about the best grilling techniques and new foods you may
not have tried, or even thought of grilling.
Research has shown that when foods come in contact with intense heat and/or smoke during grilling,
carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
are formed. However, you can reduce the amount of these compounds in the food you consume, simply by
adopting several 'healthy' grilling tips:
Cook food at a lower temperature (embers should Use low-fat meats and trim off fat to avoid fat
be low-burning) and flip often. dripping into the grill. Also, use punctured foil
Use small pieces of food to shorten cooking time. to further eliminate dripping, since dripping can
Raise the grilling surface from the heat source. cause flare-ups and result in smoke, which
Remove portions of food which are burned or contains PAHs.
charred before eating. Marinate meat before cooking.
You can further eliminate carcinogenic compounds through the foods you choose to grill. Meats increase the
risk for the formation of HCAs. So, why not mix up your grilling repertoire with enticing veggies, fruits, or
even pizza? Or, impress your friends with a tasty dessert, hot off the grill.
Grill your favorite veggies. Peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli, and asparagus are a few options. Make sure to
brush veggies with olive or canola oil so they don't get stuck on the grates. If the veggies you choose are too
small to sit on the grates, use a grill pan or place veggies on a piece of foil.
Enjoy a colorful veggie pizza. You can use a homemade or store-bought crust, but make sure it's thin.
Otherwise, the crust may be blackened, but not completely cooked. Brush the crust with olive oil before
grilling and top with tomato sauce, low-fat cheese, and grilled veggies of your choosing.
Invent your own 'combo kebab'. The options here are only limited by your imagination! Combine different
veggies with meats, or create a fruit kebab. Use a variety of spices to make these kebabs even more mouth-
watering.
Create a refreshingly fun, fruity dessert. Grilled fruit is a terrific treat at the end of any meal! Like
vegetables, make sure to brush fruit lightly with olive or canola oil, or wrap fruit in foil. Cut fruits like apples,
bananas, pears, or peaches in half, or into chunks. Pineapple is also a tasty choice. For added sweetness or
flavor, top fruit with a bit of brown sugar, honey, or cinnamon.
Source: Healthy Heart Beats, Vol. 29, Issue 2
Processing canned foods
Preserving Summer’s Bounty in a boiling water canner
or pressure canner using a
By Edie McSherry tested recipe is necessary
Food Safety Agent for safety. In addition,
adjustments in processing
Springtime is the ideal time to begin planning how time and pressure must be
you will preserve the fruits and vegetables that will made at our altitude. Botulism can occur when safe
be abundant in the coming months. Even if you canning methods are not used.
don’t have time or land to grow your own food, you
Dehydrating or drying is one of the oldest methods
can take advantage of a wide variety of high quality
of food preservation. Drying preserves foods by
produce at local farmers’ markets and roadside
removing the moisture so that microorganisms
stands. There are three main methods of preserving
cannot grow and spoil the food. Since most of the
food: freezing, canning and dehydrating. moisture is removed, dehydrated foods take less
Freezing is an excellent way to preserve the storage space than frozen or canned foods and their
freshness, flavor, texture and nutrients of fruits and flavors become much more concentrated.
vegetables. Freezing slows down enzyme activity
Drying food is simple and easy to do. Foods can be
and retards growth of microorganisms. Most
dried in an oven or in a food dehydrator where there
vegetables will need to be blanched, or briefly
is control of warm temperature, humidity and air
cooked before freezing, to prevent loss of color,
circulation. Dried foods are versatile - just think of
flavor and nutrients. The key to successful freezing
the possibilities. Cherries, grapes, pears, and apples
is to always use airtight containers to prevent freezer
make flavorful snacks. Celery leaves, onions and
burn. Freezing works well for fruits, some
parsley season soups and stews. Thinly sliced and
vegetables and herbs. seasoned zucchini make tasty chips. You can
Canning is the process in which foods are placed in dehydrate corn and sweet peppers or even make your
jars and heated to a temperature that destroys own fruit leather and jerky.
microorganisms and inactivates enzymes. This
Preserving food at home means having an abundant
heating and later cooling forms a vacuum seal which
supply of a variety of food when fresh produce isn’t
prevents further spoilage during storage. available, and having specialties like raspberry-
The first step in canning is to know which of the two jalapeno jam or green tomato salsa that can’t always
safe processing methods you should use, and that be purchased, and the satisfaction of actually
depends on the acidity of the food. High acid foods preserving foods yourself!
such as fruits, jams, jellies, relishes, most tomatoes
For resources, recipes, fact sheets, food preservation
and anything pickled in a vinegar solution, can be
workshop schedule and answers to your food
processed in a boiling water canner. Low acid foods
preservation questions,
such as vegetables, meat, poultry and fish are
call CSU Larimer County
processed using a pressure canner.
Extension at 498-6000.
Family Together Time
By Jacque Miller
Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
When 1,500 school children in a national study were asked what they thought made a happy family, they didn't
list things like money or cars - - their number-one answer was doing things together. Children want parents
and caregivers to show interest in their activities, do things with them, and talk with them.
Giving time is an important way of showing love and appreciation. A strong family finds that opportunities for
quality time emerge from quantity time: the more time you spend together, the better chance you have of
sharing quality experiences. Eating meals together, talking about the events of the day, sharing joys and
defeats, doing household chores together, and spending some evenings popping corn and watching movies are
examples of shared activities.
Here are some ideas for doing things together as a family…for LE$$
Take advantage of local public resources
Spend time together at the park or local community festival.
Go for hikes or bike rides.
Go for a family picnic.
Go swimming at the local pool, lake, ocean, or springs.
Take advantage of free programs offered by the library, museums, and
community bands or orchestras, or other free community events.
Check out books, music, and videos for free from the library.
Find cheaper entertainment at home:
Have a family game night.
Rent or borrow movies, pop some popcorn, and have a family movie night
at home.
Bake or cook together as a family.
Read stories to one another.
Go on evening walks together.
Help your children learn new skills and ideas
Teach children how to garden.
Teach children craft skills you enjoy and spend time doing these together.
Teach children about issues that are important, such as politics, news, the environment, or others. Are there
opportunities in the community to volunteer as a family for a cause you all believe in?
Plan time together. Extra time will not just “appear” in a hectic schedule. But if you plan ahead, mark family
events on a calendar, and work together, you will discover creative ways to find time for family fun. And your
family will be healthier, too!
Meet The Staff
Laurel Kubin Kathy Wolfe Jacque Miller LuAnn Goodyear Edie McSherry
Director 4-H / Youth Family & 4-H Horse Food Safety &
Consumer Program Health
Donna Goodwin Alison Stoven Nora Garza Wendy Woerner Pam Heeney Fred McClanahan, Jr.
Support Staff Horticulture SNAP 4-H Youth Support Staff Support Staff
Nutrition
Education
Extension County Office Phone Numbers
Larimer Edition Adams ............................(303) 637-8100 Kiowa ............................ (719) 438-5321
Alamosa ........................ (719) 852-7381 Kit Carson .................... (719) 346-5571
Is a publication of Arapahoe ...................... (303) 730-1920 La Plata ......................... (970) 247-4355
Colorado State University Archuleta ...................... (970) 264-5931 Larimer ......................... (970) 498-6000
Extension Baca .............................. (719) 523-6971 Las Animas .................. (719) 846-6881
Bent ............................... (719) 456-0764 Lincoln .......................... (719) 743-2542
1525 Blue Spruce Boulder ......................... (303) 678-6238 Logan ............................ (970) 522-3200
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 Broomfield .................... (720) 887-2286 Mesa .............................. (970) 244-1834
(970) 498-6000
Chaffee ......................... (719) 539-6447 Mineral .......................... (719) 852-7381
FAX (970) 498-6025
Cheyenne ..................... (719) 767-5716 Moffat ............................ (970) 824-9180
Conejos ........................ (719) 852-7381 Montezuma ................... (970) 565-3123
Costilla .......................... (719) 852-7381 Montrose ...................... (970) 249-3935
Colorado State University Extension’s programs are avail- Crowley .................... (719) 267-4741 x7 Morgan .......................... (970) 542-3540
able to all without discrimination. The information con-
tained herein is provided as a public service with the under- Custer ........................... (719) 783-2514 Otero ............................. (719) 254-7608
standing that Colorado State University makes no warran- Delta .............................. (970) 874-2195 Park ............................... (719) 836-4289
ties or endorsements, either expressed or implied.
Denver .......................... (720) 913-5270 Phillips .......................... (970) 854-3616
Colorado State University Extension, U.S. Department of Dolores ......................... (970) 677-2283 Prowers ........................ (719) 336-7734
Agriculture and Colorado counties cooperating.
Douglas ........................ (720) 733-6930 Pueblo ........................... (719) 583-6566
June 2009 Eagle ............................ (970) 328-8630 Rio Blanco .................... (970) 878-4093
El Paso .......................... (719) 636-8920 Rio Blanco .... (Branch) (970) 675-2417
Elbert ............................ (719) 541-2361 Rio Grande-Saguache.. (719) 852-7381
Elbert... (Branch office) (303) 621-3162 Routt ............................. (970) 879-0825
Fremont ........................ (719) 276-7390 San Miguel .................... (970) 327-4393
Garfield ......................... (970) 625-3969 Sedgwick ...................... (970) 474-3479
Gilpin ............................ (303) 582-9106 SLV Area Office ........... (719) 852-7381
Grand .............................(970) 724-3436 Summit ......................... (970) 668-3595
Gunnison ...................... (970) 641-1260 Teller ............................. (719) 689-2552
Huerfano ....................... (719) 738-2170 Washington .................. (970) 345-2287
Jackson ........................ (970) 723-4298 Weld .............................. (970) 304-6535
Visit us online: www.larimer.org/ext Jefferson ...................... (303) 271-6620 Yuma ............................. (970) 332-4151
