VA Home Grown feature on June 29,2010

You are also invited to visit us weekly at any of the following Richmond area locations:

1. THE AGRIBERRY CSA  WEEKLY PICKUP WILL be at the following:

Tuesday  At 9077 Atlee Station Rd Mechanicsville 3-6pm and Byrd Market 4-6pm 224 So. Cherry St Richmond

Wednesday at Lakeside Farmers Market 4-6pm  6110 Lakeside Ave.Richmond, VA 23228 and West End Market 3-6pm at 12450 Gayton Rd, Richmond

Thursday at 17th street market 9-12noon downtown, and Great Big Greenhouse Market 11-2pm 2051 Huguenot Road Richmond

2. We are attending from 8 a.m.-noon the following ADDITIONAL Farmer's Markets

SATURDAY-FARMERS MARKETS (NO AGRIBERRY CSA DELIVERIES ON SATURDAYS)

1. St Stephens Church Market 6000 Three Chopt Road at Grove Ave

2. South of the James Market locate Forest Hill Park at Forest Hill Ave & 42nd Street

3. Monument Market in the "fan" at the corner of Robinson St. 27019 Monument Ave Richmond

 Cultivate A Taste For Life!

Berry best regards to all,

Anne Geyer and the Agriberry Team

CSA shares in August will include sometimes more, sometimes less an array of late summer berries and fruits. True to a CSA, our abundance or lack is shared with our members. We will be including berries but supply may be limited due to the bizarre ripening and harvest patterns farmers are experiencing in 2010. Thankfully, peaches from the Westmoreland orchard are long established and abundant this year. We are leaning heavily on the tasty peach parade of varieties for multiple share units too. Hanover neighbor George Rice once more has saved a portion of his summer abundance to allow us to include a mini seedless watermelon or cantaloupe again.

Our mission to develop a premier training program for motivated first time workers is moving forward. This is a process that is involving lots of learning opportunities for all of us. Thanks to everyone's texting ability progress with clear communication for daily scheduling of workers is coming together. Quality picking techniques are improving for some faster than others. Thanks for your patience!

We always are seeking chefs and local retailers to add to our list of priority wholesale buyers. If you are one yourself or know someone that qualifies, please contact us with your wholesale needs for fresh picked berries. Even if the harvest for 2010 has passed too quickly for your favorite berry, not too early to be on board for 2011.

The sun is rising and the berry plants are blessed to have trickle irrigation at Agriberry - Cultivate A Taste For Life!

Below is an excerpt about figs from www.welovesuperfoods.com

Health Benefits:

• Figs have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. A 40 gram (1/4 cup) serving provides 244 mg of potassium (7% of the DV) (four figs will contain slightly more than one cup of orange juice), 53 mg of calcium (6% of the DV) (ounce for ounce, figs have more calcium than milk) and 1.2 mg of iron (6% of the DV).
• Good source of Vitamins A, B, and C
• Contain pectin
• High in antioxidants
• According to Gabriel Cousens, M.D., figs help increase serotonin.
• Figs are high in fiber, providing 20% of the Daily Value - more dietary fiber per serving than any other common dried or fresh fruit. Of the approximately five grams of fiber per serving of figs, four grams are insoluble and one gram is water-soluble.
• Contain ficin, a proteolytic (protein breaking) enzyme similar to papain in papayas and bromelin in fresh pineapple. Proteolytic enzymes split long chain protein molecules into subunits.
• Good source of the indigestible food fiber lignin which retains water and helps bulk up the stool. Together, lignin and ficin make dried figs an efficient laxative food.
• Figs are fat-free, sodium-free and, like other plant foods, cholesterol-free.

Suggested Uses:

• Figs can be substituted for raisins or prunes in some recipes where a variation is welcomed.
• Blend into smoothie as a whole-food sweetener.
• Chop into small pieces to sweeten your trail mix.
• Use in your favorite dessert recipe.
• Add to your favorite granola recipe.
• Just eat 'em!

The alternative? Preserve it.

By canning, freezing, or dehydrating your fruit, you can reap the benefits of your Agriberry harvest even in the midst of winter! Below are a few links to help get you started.

Freezing fruit

Drying fruit (oven method)

Drying fruit (dehydrator)

Canning fruit

If you have an experience you'd like to share here on the site or any other advice, please let us know - we'd love to hear from you!

The wonderful fresh local Strawberry and Asparagus season is upon us!

1. THE AGRIBERRY CSA 1st WEEK PICKUP WILL BEGIN THE FIRST FULL WEEK IN MAY the 4th, 5th, and 6th.

Tuesday May 4 At 9077 Atlee Station Rd Mechanicsville 3-6pm and Byrd Market 4-6pm 224 So. Cherry St Richmond

Wednesday May 5 at Lakeside Farmers Market 4-6pm  6110 Lakeside Ave.Richmond, VA 23228 and West End Market 3-6pm at 12450 Gayton Rd, Richmond

Thursday May 6 at 17th street market 9-12noon downtown, and Great Big Greenhouse Market 11-2pm 2051 Huguenot Road Richmond

2. We will be attending from 8 a.m.-noon the following ADDITIONAL Farmer's Markets

starting with the season opening date Sat May 1:

SATURDAY-FARMERS MARKETS (NO AGRIBERRY CSA DELIVERIES ON SATURDAYS)

1. St Stephens Church Market 6000 Three Chopt Road at Grove Ave

2. South of the James Market locate Forest Hill Park at Forest Hill Ave & 42nd Street

3. Monument Market in the Fan at the corner of Robinson St 2709 MONUMENT AVE.CHMONDGayton Rd. 12450 Gayton Rd.

 Bring on the berries...as we Cultivate A Taste For Life!

Berry best regards to all,

Anne Geyer and the Agriberry Team

Spring is in full swing on our Agriberry Farm - the thousands of raspberry and blackberry plants over the 10 acres are pushing new leaves, new primocanes, and the flowering trusses are emerging! It is a sight to behold. With most of the varieties trained up on trellising now it gives a true 3-D scope to the farm site. It is tough for pictures to capture any farm emerging in the spring...but I know you can imagine it!

Spring is also THE key time for Community Supported Agriculture memberships for a share in the Agriberry harvest.

Choosing to support the annual start up of a local farm business is valuably significant for all parties involved. As owner of Agriberry I can gratefully say that support by Agriberry CSA members has been vital to the progress of the project since 2008. To recap, in '08 CSA support funded the introduction of our fresh,local berries and fruits in the summer time. Plus the Agriberry CSA pickup site infrastructure was created. In 2009, CSA memberships allowed Agriberry to expand the locations for CSA pickups. Most importantly the 2009 CSA funded the 10 acre prototype farm establishment. It requires about $10,000 an acre to start a berry planting.

In 2010 expanded CSA support is being applied toward the 2nd year care and most importantly to fund the training and support toward the first worker portion of the Agriberry mission. Therefore CSA members may enjoy the fruits of all 3 years of labors in 2010! Bring on the berries...as we Cultivate A Taste For Life!

Berry best regards to all,

Anne Geyer and the Agriberry Team

Spring is in full swing on our Agriberry Farm - the thousands of raspberry and blackberry plants over the 10 acres are pushing new leaves, new primocanes, and the flowering trusses are emerging! It is a sight to behold. With most of the varieties trained up on trellising now it gives a true 3-D scope to the farm site. It is tough for pictures to capture any farm emerging in the spring...but I know you can imagine it!

Spring is also THE key time for Community Supported Agriculture memberships for a share in the Agriberry harvest.

Choosing to support the annual start up of a local farm business is valuably significant for all parties involved. As owner of Agriberry I can gratefully say that support by Agriberry CSA members has been vital to the progress of the project since 2008. To recap, in '08 CSA support funded the introduction of our fresh,local berries and fruits in the summer time. Plus the Agriberry CSA pickup site infrastructure was created. In 2009, CSA memberships allowed Agriberry to expand the locations for CSA pickups. Most importantly the 2009 CSA funded the 10 acre prototype farm establishment. It requires about $10,000 an acre to start a berry planting.

In 2010 expanded CSA support is being applied toward the 2nd year care and most importantly to fund the training and support toward the first worker portion of the Agriberry mission. Therefore CSA members may enjoy the fruits of all 3 years of labors in 2010! Bring on the berries...as we Cultivate A Taste For Life!

Berry best regards to all,

Anne Geyer and the Agriberry Team

Greetings Agriberry and fruit locavores,

FAQ of the month: question-a few of our 2010 members have emailed queries about having sent in the application/check how do they know they have been accepted for the Agriberry season? Answer-the following is on the application just after the address to mail: "If we receive your application after the membership is full, payments will be returned and you will be contacted about joining the waiting list. Therefore as the old adage goes: "no news is good news" for your membership. If your check has cleared at the bank then your application has been accepted along with your first choice pickup location. As we become more proficient with list management and maybe time management too, we can improve this procedure for next year.

1. It is official WestEnd Farmers Market *will be the Agriberry west end in Richmond Wednesday CSA pickup location! Interest for this location is strong so those of you that have been waiting I hope this will help you decide to apply and mail in soon. 

*The location is in front of Ollies Bargain Outlet at the Corner of Gayton Rd. and Ridgefield Pkwy. We share the same parking lot with Ollies.  As far as a street address, you can use 12450 Gayton Rd. Richmond, VA 23238.

2. A few are wondering why we did not make the Saturday morning at St Stephens Market a CSA pickup location. The reason being, that we were able to attend it in the fall when we had a good supply of both Agriberry Farm's Raspberries and Westmoreland Farm's apples and cider. In May the volume of Strawberries and Asparagus may be too variable for certain Saturday supply. By June it is quite likely that at least the Agriberry Blackberry and assorted Raspberry harvest will be plentiful to attend more Saturday markets.

Again a really big "Thank You" to our returning and new CSA members for sending in your '10 applications. Your committment to support local farming creates a wonderful local community synergy.