It's all about media this month - join our Facebook group, watch some video coverage of local food events and plan your tv viewing schedule so you don't miss a program about the markets airing in April.

I can't possibly eat another....

Apple, Beet or Carrot. The long winter months can test even the best chef's ingenuity when it comes to coming up with new and interesting things to do with these market staples. But let's review - this trio is heart healthy, packed with nutrients and fiber and so gosh darn delicious that there are more than enough reasons to keep loving them all the way 'til Spring.

Apples
Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala apples earned spots on the USDA's top-20 list of antioxidant-rich foods thanks to high quantities of the flavonoid quercetin (flavonoids are natural chemicals that remove free radicals, fight inflammation, and impede cancer). Bonus: Apples are a rich source of pectin, a soluble fiber.

Try these ideas:
Chop an apple and add to hot cereal.

For a portable snack, cut up an apple and place the slices in a zipper-lock plastic bag with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Carry it with you in an insulated lunch bag (with a freezer pack) to eat at lunch or as a snack. It tastes like apple pie, without the crust or the sugar.

For an easy baked apple, core an apple, pack the center with dried fruit and walnuts, and dust with cinnamon. Place it in a muffin tin with 1/4 cup of apple juice or water and bake until soft.

Beets
It is difficult to believe how the hardy, crunchy often rough looking exterior of raw beets can be transformed into something wonderfully soft and buttery once they are cooked. With proper storage, beets are available throughout the year.

beets Edible green leaves are attached to the tapered round or oblong root portions that we know as beets. While we often think of beets having a reddish-purple hue, some varieties are white, golden-yellow or even rainbow colored. The sweet taste of beets reflects their high sugar content; they have the highest of all vegetables, yet are very low in calories.

How to cook them:
Roast them in the oven unpeeled - once they're done, the skins peel off easily. Check out our Whole Food Recipe of the month for a great recipe using roasted beets.

Simply grate raw beets for a delicious and colorful addition to salads or decorative garnish for soups.

Add chunks of beet when roasting other vegetables in the oven.

Serving homemade vegetable juice? A quarter of a beet will turn any green drink into a sweet pink concoction, pleasing both the eyes and the taste buds.

Healthy sauté beet greens with other braising greens such as chard and mustard greens.

Marinate steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs.

Carrots
carrots These veggies' brilliant orange hue is a sign of super-high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that guards against artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. Only foods like carrots offer this protection--recent studies suggest that antioxidant pills don't help your heart. Cooked carrots have twice the antioxidant power of raw carrots because heat breaks down tough cell walls so that your body can use what's inside.

Serve 'em up:
Set out a bowl of baby carrots when you're cooking as a healthy snack that won't fill you up with unwanted calories or wreck your appetite.

Add sliced or shredded carrots to soups, salads, and casseroles.

Instead of chips, serve sliced carrots with dip.

Add finely grated carrots to muffins, tuna or salmon salad, and casseroles.

Steam sliced carrots and stir in a dollop of honey for a sweet side dish.

Roast carrots in the oven with olive oil.

Find our more about the A, B, C's (apples, beets, carrots) at the Winter Farmers Markets upcoming on: Feb. 23/08, Mar. 8/08, Mar. 22/08, Apr. 12/08, and Apr. 26/08. Market time is 10 am - 2pm, and admission is free. The WISE Hall is located at 1882 Adanac Street at Victoria Drive. Check out our line-up of nearly 40 vendors at the Winter Market by following this link: www.eatlocal.org/wfm/february.htm

Upcoming Summer Season Dates

We're very close to confirming the dates at all markets - just a few details to iron out. In the meantime we do know that the market's summer season will officially begin at Trout Lake with our opening date confirmed as May 17 - Victoria Day weekend. Mark it on your calendar and stay tuned for more info coming as soon as we have it.

Vendor News

Scentimental Creations
Check out this feature on Scentimental Creations skincare in the latest issue of Shared Vision Magazine: Shared Vision (scroll down to the section marked "Face Time")

Klippers Organic Acres
See how many times you can spot a Klippers Organic Acres apple in this video clip from a recent Eat BC! event held in Burnaby. How about them apples!

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks
Ever thought "I love cheese so much, I should make the stuff!" Well here's an opportunity to learn how! (The markets are always looking for more cheese vendors by the way). Little Qualicum Cheeseworks is offering cheese making courses this year - what an awesome opportunity! Check out the details here and get in touch with them quickly because it all just sounds too good to be true.

Community Events and News

February 22: Hijacked Future
When: 6pm
Where: Unitarian Church of Vancouver, Hewitt Hall, 949 West 49th Avenue (at Oak Street)
Advance Tickets: $20 ($25 at the door) Phone 604-730-0450 (Toll-free 1-888-730-0452)

USC Canada and FarmFolk/CityFolk and present a preview excerpt of David Springbett's new film, Hijacked Future.

Join us for a delicious Dinner, Film, and Special Guest Panel: David Springbett (Producer/Director, Ashnan Films), Brian McFarlane (USC Canada), Heather Pritchard (FarmFolk/CityFolk), Patrick Steiner (Stellar Seeds) and Marti Martin-Wood (Two Wings Farm).

"It's 7 am: Do you know where your toast came from? Eating breakfast toast: a simple ritual to start the day. The bread probably came from a bakery or grocery store, but beyond that who knows where the wheat came from never mind the seeds that grew the wheat. Do we need to know? A new documentary, "Hijacked Future" says yes, because those seeds that became the toast you ate this morning are being hijacked - right into a looming world food security catastrophe."

POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 08
February 23, 24- Growing New Farmers: The Next Generation
Your Local Farmers Market Society has decided to postpone the presentation
and workshop on this important topic until the fall. February has turned
out to be a very busy month for the agricultural community and as a
consequence, registration has been slower than anticipated.

We are looking to November to re-launch the presentation and workshop on
succession planning and the next generation of farmers, so look for updates here and at the market.

New farmers:
Please contact christine@bcac.bc.ca to learn about BC Young Farmers, a new
organization started by the BC Agriculture Council. They are having a
panel discussion and networking event on April 8th at the Ramada Inn in
Abbotsford.

If you have questions or comments please contact Erin Nichols, Vendor Business Development Project Co-ordinator.

February 23 - Seedy Saturday VanDusen Botanical Gardens
10 - 4 pm
Speakers this year:
Brian Campbell - 'Gardening for Bees'
Sharon Hanna - 'How to' workshop for seed starting for better results;
Brian McFarlane, USC Canada - 'Seeds (Food, Farmers & Climate Chaos)
There will also be 'how we do it' demonstrations by VanDusen Garden seed collectors. Exhibits, vendors and concession.

February 24, 2008- Sugar: Refining the Truth- Sugar from the holistic nutrition perspective. We will explore the nutritional, cultural, and historical aspects of sugar. This three hour workshop will include a viewing of the documentary 'Big Sugar', followed by a discussion on discovering the truth through label reading and information on how to make the best sweet choices for yourself. With Paula Luther, RHN, Holistic Nutritionist, 604-254-4510. Contact instructor with any food allergies or sensitivities and for more information. Time: 1pm-4pm. Cost: $15.

To register: Britannia Community Centre, 604-718-5800. Space is limited – pre-registration required.

Opportunities

The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm is excited to offer Sowing Seeds: a new, hands-on, season-long apprenticeship-style course in Organic Agriculture hosted at the UBC Farm, starting mid March 2008.

What? ~ The Sowing Seeds Apprenticeship
This part-time (approx 20 hrs/wk) eight-month apprenticeship offers instruction and daily work experience in small-scale organic farming. In a balanced, hands-on learning approach, students work alongside staff in the greenhouse, gardens, fields, and orchards, as well as attend talks and workshops, demonstrations, and field trips. The program is designed as an entry point for aspiring growers, educators, and agricultural professionals.
Apprentices can come from all backgrounds and are expected to be passionate about pursuing a career in the organic agriculture sector. A certificate of completion will be issued to graduates who complete the program satisfactorily. This is a non-credit course. UBC students who participate in the program, however, have many opportunities to apply their on-farm experience towards directed studies credits in the Agroecology program.

Where? ~ The UBC Farm
Located at the southern end of the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus, on the traditional territory of the Musqueam people, the UBC Farm stewards a 24 ha site as an integrated, working farm system. The UBC Farm student driven and all practices voluntarily adhere to COABC standards for organic production. In a given year, we cultivate up to 250 different varieties of annual and perennial crops.. Vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, edible and cut flowers, transplants, eggs, and honey are all produced. Annual crops and grazing livestock are managed in a multi-year crop rotation.
For more information please visit our website at: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/apprenticeship.php

Get Local Update

Meet Your Maker: Where Food Producers and Food Buyers Meet Each Other
On February 5, producers, chefs, buyers and farmers met to create a stronger local food network. Click here to see some video of the event - interviews with David Van Seters of SPUD, Robert Clark, Executive Chef of C, Nu and Raincity Grill, Andre LaRiviere of the Green Table Network and Tara McDonald from Vancouver Farmers Markets are included. It was a great event and an excellent step towards increased access to local food at your neighbourhood restaurant and grocery store.


February 2008 The Newsletter of Vancouver's Farmers Marketswww.eatlocal.org
What's In Season - February Apples, Beets, Cabbage, Chard, Garlic, Herbs (fresh and dried), Honey, Kale, Yellow Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Potatoes, Spinach, Mushrooms, Winter Squash, Eggs, Dairy Products, Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Ostrich, Herring, Sablefish, Pacific Cod, Dungeness Crab, Clams, Oysters, Mussels. Adapted from a great guide to seasonal availability of BC products provided by Get Local . Print your copy or pick one up at the market. Upcoming Winter Farmers Markets WISE Hall - 1882 Adanac Street 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, February 23 March 8 & 22 April 12 & 26 Market Poster Help us spread the word about the Winter Farmers Market. Download and print out a market poster and put it up where family, friends and the public will see - lunch rooms, laundry rooms, lobbies and notice boards. Stay tuned! Dates for the summer market season coming soon. Wholefood Recipe of the Month Roasted Beets with Feta You can even get fresh parsley in the winter - check out Lowland Herb Farm for more ways to inject a little spring flavour into your winter cooking! Ingredients 4 beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached 1/4 cup minced shallot 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 2. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet. Bake beets in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once done, remove from oven, and allow to cool until you can handle them. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4 inch slices. 3. While the beets are roasting, whisk together shallot, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl until blended; season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside. 4. To assemble the dish, place the warm, sliced beets onto a serving dish, pour vinaigrette over the beets, and sprinkle with feta cheese before serving. Bike to the Winter Market! We know it can be cold and wet in the winter time, but we'd like to encourage you to don the raingear and ride your bike to the WISE Hall. You'll feel refreshed and energized, and you won't have to look for parking at this busy event! There is plenty of space at the bike racks located directly out front of the hall. Travel Far with Eat Local! Do you proudly show your market shopping bag off when you travel abroad? (Well, you should!) Have you snapped a photo of yourself with your market bag while on vacation? If you've got the pictures, we want to publish them! Send us a photo of you and your market bag in a far-away place and we'll put it in the next issue of Market Share. This is an ongoing call for photos so send them in whenever you can. Photos can be sent to Jen in the market office either by mail or email (contact info below). Be sure to include where the photo was taken and your full name and address so we can thank you properly! Now get snapping! Market AGM Approaching AGM Invitation (PDF) Excellence in Craft Congratulations to our friend Keith Lehman who was chosen to exhibit as part of the Contemporary Craft in BC exhibit at the Vancouver Museum. This exhibition features innovative and inspiring craft in all media. Keith and his partner Carole Henshall were market vendors for several years and Carole has helped the market in many capacities as Market Manager/organizer, Holiday Market co-ordinator and resident craft jury expert. The exhibit runs until April 6 and features over 80 artists. More information Food 4 Thought - Set the PVR! The Leading Edge (Knowledge Network, Channel 5) on April 14, 7pm will feature the Trout Lake Farmers Market as part of an episode entitled "Food 4 Thought". Interviews with several market vendors as well as market staff were conducted in September of 2007. After the show airs in April, it will also be viewable on their website Join our Facebook Group Love it or Hate it...Yes, we admit it - we're on Facebook. The markets have a great and growing group of fans who receive updates about market events via the ubiquitous social networking site. Join us, invite your friends and spread the word! Farmers Market Facebook Group Will you be our friend?	It's all about media this month - join our Facebook group, watch some video coverage of local food events and plan your tv viewing schedule so you don't miss a program about the markets airing in April. I can't possibly eat another.... Apple, Beet or Carrot. The long winter months can test even the best chef's ingenuity when it comes to coming up with new and interesting things to do with these market staples. But let's review - this trio is heart healthy, packed with nutrients and fiber and so gosh darn delicious that there are more than enough reasons to keep loving them all the way 'til Spring. Apples Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala apples earned spots on the USDA's top-20 list of antioxidant-rich foods thanks to high quantities of the flavonoid quercetin (flavonoids are natural chemicals that remove free radicals, fight inflammation, and impede cancer). Bonus: Apples are a rich source of pectin, a soluble fiber. Try these ideas: Chop an apple and add to hot cereal. For a portable snack, cut up an apple and place the slices in a zipper-lock plastic bag with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Carry it with you in an insulated lunch bag (with a freezer pack) to eat at lunch or as a snack. It tastes like apple pie, without the crust or the sugar. For an easy baked apple, core an apple, pack the center with dried fruit and walnuts, and dust with cinnamon. Place it in a muffin tin with 1/4 cup of apple juice or water and bake until soft. Beets It is difficult to believe how the hardy, crunchy often rough looking exterior of raw beets can be transformed into something wonderfully soft and buttery once they are cooked. With proper storage, beets are available throughout the year. Edible green leaves are attached to the tapered round or oblong root portions that we know as beets. While we often think of beets having a reddish-purple hue, some varieties are white, golden-yellow or even rainbow colored. The sweet taste of beets reflects their high sugar content; they have the highest of all vegetables, yet are very low in calories. How to cook them: Roast them in the oven unpeeled - once they're done, the skins peel off easily. Check out our Whole Food Recipe of the month for a great recipe using roasted beets. Simply grate raw beets for a delicious and colorful addition to salads or decorative garnish for soups. Add chunks of beet when roasting other vegetables in the oven. Serving homemade vegetable juice? A quarter of a beet will turn any green drink into a sweet pink concoction, pleasing both the eyes and the taste buds. Healthy sauté beet greens with other braising greens such as chard and mustard greens. Marinate steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs. Carrots These veggies' brilliant orange hue is a sign of super-high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that guards against artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. Only foods like carrots offer this protection--recent studies suggest that antioxidant pills don't help your heart. Cooked carrots have twice the antioxidant power of raw carrots because heat breaks down tough cell walls so that your body can use what's inside. Serve 'em up: Set out a bowl of baby carrots when you're cooking as a healthy snack that won't fill you up with unwanted calories or wreck your appetite. Add sliced or shredded carrots to soups, salads, and casseroles. Instead of chips, serve sliced carrots with dip. Add finely grated carrots to muffins, tuna or salmon salad, and casseroles. Steam sliced carrots and stir in a dollop of honey for a sweet side dish. Roast carrots in the oven with olive oil. Find our more about the A, B, C's (apples, beets, carrots) at the Winter Farmers Markets upcoming on: Feb. 23/08, Mar. 8/08, Mar. 22/08, Apr. 12/08, and Apr. 26/08. Market time is 10 am - 2pm, and admission is free. The WISE Hall is located at 1882 Adanac Street at Victoria Drive. Check out our line-up of nearly 40 vendors at the Winter Market by following this link: www.eatlocal.org/wfm/february.htm Upcoming Summer Season Dates We're very close to confirming the dates at all markets - just a few details to iron out. In the meantime we do know that the market's summer season will officially begin at Trout Lake with our opening date confirmed as May 17 - Victoria Day weekend. Mark it on your calendar and stay tuned for more info coming as soon as we have it. Vendor News Scentimental Creations Check out this feature on Scentimental Creations skincare in the latest issue of Shared Vision Magazine: Shared Vision (scroll down to the section marked "Face Time") Klippers Organic Acres See how many times you can spot a Klippers Organic Acres apple in this video clip from a recent Eat BC! event held in Burnaby. How about them apples! Little Qualicum Cheeseworks Ever thought "I love cheese so much, I should make the stuff!" Well here's an opportunity to learn how! (The markets are always looking for more cheese vendors by the way). Little Qualicum Cheeseworks is offering cheese making courses this year - what an awesome opportunity! Check out the details here and get in touch with them quickly because it all just sounds too good to be true. Community Events and News February 22: Hijacked Future When: 6pm Where: Unitarian Church of Vancouver, Hewitt Hall, 949 West 49th Avenue (at Oak Street) Advance Tickets: $20 ($25 at the door) Phone 604-730-0450 (Toll-free 1-888-730-0452) USC Canada and FarmFolk/CityFolk and present a preview excerpt of David Springbett's new film, Hijacked Future. Join us for a delicious Dinner, Film, and Special Guest Panel: David Springbett (Producer/Director, Ashnan Films), Brian McFarlane (USC Canada), Heather Pritchard (FarmFolk/CityFolk), Patrick Steiner (Stellar Seeds) and Marti Martin-Wood (Two Wings Farm). "It's 7 am: Do you know where your toast came from? Eating breakfast toast: a simple ritual to start the day. The bread probably came from a bakery or grocery store, but beyond that who knows where the wheat came from never mind the seeds that grew the wheat. Do we need to know? A new documentary, "Hijacked Future" says yes, because those seeds that became the toast you ate this morning are being hijacked - right into a looming world food security catastrophe." POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 08 February 23, 24- Growing New Farmers: The Next Generation Your Local Farmers Market Society has decided to postpone the presentation and workshop on this important topic until the fall. February has turned out to be a very busy month for the agricultural community and as a consequence, registration has been slower than anticipated. We are looking to November to re-launch the presentation and workshop on succession planning and the next generation of farmers, so look for updates here and at the market. New farmers: Please contact christine@bcac.bc.ca to learn about BC Young Farmers, a new organization started by the BC Agriculture Council. They are having a panel discussion and networking event on April 8th at the Ramada Inn in Abbotsford. If you have questions or comments please contact Erin Nichols, Vendor Business Development Project Co-ordinator. February 23 - Seedy Saturday VanDusen Botanical Gardens 10 - 4 pm Speakers this year: Brian Campbell - 'Gardening for Bees' Sharon Hanna - 'How to' workshop for seed starting for better results; Brian McFarlane, USC Canada - 'Seeds (Food, Farmers & Climate Chaos) There will also be 'how we do it' demonstrations by VanDusen Garden seed collectors. Exhibits, vendors and concession. February 24, 2008- Sugar: Refining the Truth- Sugar from the holistic nutrition perspective. We will explore the nutritional, cultural, and historical aspects of sugar. This three hour workshop will include a viewing of the documentary 'Big Sugar', followed by a discussion on discovering the truth through label reading and information on how to make the best sweet choices for yourself. With Paula Luther, RHN, Holistic Nutritionist, 604-254-4510. Contact instructor with any food allergies or sensitivities and for more information. Time: 1pm-4pm. Cost: $15. To register: Britannia Community Centre, 604-718-5800. Space is limited – pre-registration required. Opportunities The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm is excited to offer Sowing Seeds: a new, hands-on, season-long apprenticeship-style course in Organic Agriculture hosted at the UBC Farm, starting mid March 2008. What? ~ The Sowing Seeds Apprenticeship This part-time (approx 20 hrs/wk) eight-month apprenticeship offers instruction and daily work experience in small-scale organic farming. In a balanced, hands-on learning approach, students work alongside staff in the greenhouse, gardens, fields, and orchards, as well as attend talks and workshops, demonstrations, and field trips. The program is designed as an entry point for aspiring growers, educators, and agricultural professionals. Apprentices can come from all backgrounds and are expected to be passionate about pursuing a career in the organic agriculture sector. A certificate of completion will be issued to graduates who complete the program satisfactorily. This is a non-credit course. UBC students who participate in the program, however, have many opportunities to apply their on-farm experience towards directed studies credits in the Agroecology program. Where? ~ The UBC Farm Located at the southern end of the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus, on the traditional territory of the Musqueam people, the UBC Farm stewards a 24 ha site as an integrated, working farm system. The UBC Farm student driven and all practices voluntarily adhere to COABC standards for organic production. In a given year, we cultivate up to 250 different varieties of annual and perennial crops.. Vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, edible and cut flowers, transplants, eggs, and honey are all produced. Annual crops and grazing livestock are managed in a multi-year crop rotation. For more information please visit our website at: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/apprenticeship.php Get Local Update Meet Your Maker: Where Food Producers and Food Buyers Meet Each Other On February 5, producers, chefs, buyers and farmers met to create a stronger local food network. Click here to see some video of the event - interviews with David Van Seters of SPUD, Robert Clark, Executive Chef of C, Nu and Raincity Grill, Andre LaRiviere of the Green Table Network and Tara McDonald from Vancouver Farmers Markets are included. It was a great event and an excellent step towards increased access to local food at your neighbourhood restaurant and grocery store.
Banner photo by Roland Tanglao Vancouver Farmers Markets 1163 Commercial Dr, #2, Vancouver, BC V5L 3X3 Tel. 604-879-FARM (3276) i nfo@eatlocal.org Executive Director, Tara McDonald tara@eatlocal.org Roberta LaQuaglia Operations Manager roberta@eatlocal.org Assistant Operations Manager, Sarah McMillan sarah@eatlocal.org Office Administrator, Jenefer Pleadwell jen@eatlocal.org You have received this email because you sigend up for the monthly newsletter from Vancouver Farmers Markets. If you would no longer like to receive this newsletter, please click here and press send.