Extension Cookout and Promotion Event - Tuesday August 5th!

Dent County Extension will host a cookout and promotion event at the Salem Farmers’ Market on Tuesday, August 5 from 3-6 p.m. This event is an opportunity for the public to meet and visit with the Dent County Extension staff and council members and learn about the programs offered in Dent County – from agriculture, nutrition, community development, 4-H and more. View program exhibits, 4-H demonstrations and projects, and enter to win great prizes. The new regional agronomy and horticulture specialists will be available to answer your farm and garden questions.

SACBA Cookout - Saturday!

Stop by the market for a cookout sponsored by Salem Area Community Betterment Association. Now's the time to buy fresh peaches, watermelons, tomatoes, peppers, and much more!

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

So Michael Pollan writes in his new book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. The book is about why we need to think about eating as something more than just providing nutrition, why the more we worry about healthy eating, the more unhealthy we've become. He suggests, "We forget that, historically, people have eaten for a great many reasons other than biological necessity. Food is also about pleasure, about community, about family and spirituality, about our relationship to the natural world, and about expressing our identity. As long as humans have been taking meals together, eating has been as much about culture as it has been about biology."

A visit to a farmers' market is one path to happy eating: fresh, local food grown without chemicals, a chance to know the farmer who grows it, support for local businesses, and time to visit with friends at the market.

July 26 Featured Vendor: Mint Springs Farm

Lori Sommer raises organic vegetables, fruits and herbs on her Meramec valley farm. She especially enjoys growing unusual and heirloom varieties. Come by and visit on Saturday mornings. A long-time member of Missouri Organic Association, she loves to discuss sustainable agricultural practices.

This Saturday at the Market: Pressure Cooker Testing!

Bring your pressure cooker to the farmers' market from 9:30 till noon on Saturday, July 19, and have it tested by University of Missouri Extension Nutrition Specialist Cammie Younger. Cammie will also answer your questions and provide information about canning and food preservation techniques.

Featured Vendor: McBride Family Farm

Visit with Alan and Kate McBride and their family at the Saturday farmers' market. The McBride Family Farm produces pumpkins as well as other vegetables. They specialize in heirloom vegetables and plant starts.

Featured Vendor: Reisner Ranch

Visit Craig and Susan Reisner and their family at the Salem Farmers’ Market to purchase all-natural beef. Their steers are raised in a stress-free natural environment and are finished out on an all-natural grain feed -- no hormones, steroids or antibiotics. Check out Reisner Ranch online at www.reisnerbeef.com.