It Feels Like Spring! Come Visit the Leesburg Farmers Market!

Leesburg Winter Farmers Market, every Saturday, 9am until Noon in the Virginia Village Shopping Center on Catoctin Circle.

Group AMA will be at the Leesburg Winter Farmers Market on March 6 performing Bolivian Folk Music for your entertainment while you shop.

The Leesburg Winter Farmers Market is open every Saturday except if conditions are dangerous. There will be a recorded message on 540-454-8089 if the Market is closed--or check us on Twitter!

Follow the Loudoun Farmers Markets on Twitter!
www.Twitter.com/LoudounFarmMkts

The Loudoun County Master Gardeners will host a Gardening Symposium on March 20 & 21 at the Ida Lee Recreational Center in Leesburg. The 2 Day Seminar features nationally known speakers including "Joe Gardener" from DIY Network and Ellen Ogden from "The Cook's Garden"--plus LVHMA Member Jaanine Glascock of Quail Hollow Farm speaking on Herb Gardening! For ticket information visit www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org

If you have an interest in becoming a farmer, you may want to attend the Forum for Rural Innovation which is being held on Friday, March 19 in Winchester, VA. This Forum stresses innovative ideas for enhancing farm and rural business profitability. More information can be found online at www.loudounfarms.org

This Week on the Farms

Each week we try to let all of the friends of the Farmers Markets in on what is happening on our Member's farms and businesses.

The snow and extremely cold weather has taken it's toll on many bee hives in the area. Kim and Doug Bowman of Hidden Creek Apiary in Purcellville, VA report that they have been trying to determine how many hives of bees are still alive. The temperatures have been so cold the bees are not going to the sides of the hives to get honey to live on, but they are going straight up the center of hives to stay together (and warmer) and so they are starving. Doug has been taking a number of specialty beekeeping classes this winter and has heard that a lot of the area bee keepers are having this problem. The snow has finally melted to the point that they are able to get out to some of their hives to assess the damage--so far they have only lost 1 or 2 hives and hope that will be all! Kim says that they have baby chicks hatching--7 so far with more on the way. After the big snow storm it took Kim and Doug 1 1/2 hours to walk to the chicken house to check on them; the second day they had to get a dozer to plow through the drifts! But Spring is not far away--Kim has started planting lettuce, onions, radishes and some flowers in the green house.

Winter is experiment time at Staff Of Life Bakery in Broadway, VA. Abbey doesn't participate in many Farmers Markets during the Winter months, so it gives her more time to develop new breads (and take trips with the children or catch up on reading)! Here at the Leesburg Winter Market, all of their breads seem new as this is their first season, but the kuchens, the unnamed Multigrain and the Olive bread are all examples of what has developed over these winter months. Abbey's created some other winners, so be on the lookout for more!

Check back next week for more news from the LVHMA Farms!

Ideas for an Oscar Night Party!

Serve "Oscar-themed" snacks this Sunday night while you watch the Academy Awards with ingredients found at the Leesburg Farmers Market. Salute "Avatar" with Staff of Life's Rhapsody in Blue Bread, made with walnuts and gorgonzola cheese. Great for a sandwich or just toasted until the cheese melts and spread with fresh butter from Blue Ridge Dairy. If you enjoyed "The Blind Side", serve up some good old Southern Pork Barbeque--use a slow cooker with a pork butt or shoulder and douse it with Baker's Family Recipe BBQ Sauce--see this week's recipe. "Inglorious Basterds" calls for Haskin's Family Farms Garlic Bratwurst. "Julie and Julia" could be represented with just about anything, but a roast from Milcreel or Mill Road Farms would make a perfect Beef Bourginon. And top it all off with mini Cupcakes in a presentation pack from Sweetz.




Earth Day Every Day Tip:

Reduce Your Use of Packaging

Isn't it amazing how much packaging ends up in the recycling bin? Although recycling is a good thing, using less in the first place is even better! Keep using your reusable bags (be sure to clean them often!), but be aware of what you put into them--follow these tips to reduce the packaging that ends up in recycling plants and landfills:

Buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of produce in cans, frozen boxes and bags.

Buy in bulk, using your own containers from home to eliminate the use of can, carton, and plastic bag packaging.

Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.

Buy big boxes of cereal instead of individually packaged cereals.

Never buy individual “snack-sized” boxes or bags.


Products in season for the month of March

Arugula Beef Breads Cheese Chicken Cider * Eggs Flowers Goat Jams & Jellies Kale Lamb Lettuce Mushrooms Pastries Pies Plants Pork Salsa Soaps Soups Spinach Turkey Wine Winter Squash * Wool & Products Yogurt