The enticing array of colors and textures on the table ranged from deep shades of purple cauliflower, beets and radicchio, to the greens of Swiss chard and fresh spinach with caramelized walnuts and goat cheese.
This was the scene that a diverse group of foodies recently encountered when they gathered to share a gourmet brunch prepared by the talented Chef Nori at his restaurant, Café Shiraz, in Brownsville.
The culmination of this feast, which was serenaded by musicians, was a delectable mango-strawberry-liquor-infused “tres leches” dessert that was to die for. The added beauty of the gathering was that the dishes were cre-ated almost entirely from ingredients sold at the Brownsville Farmers’ Market and prepared for a fundraiser brunch to support the market’s efforts to reach lower-income folks in our community so they too can have access to fresh, locally grown produce.
The brunch was delicious, complete and very healthy. this wasn’t an exclusively vegetarian affair by any means as it featured fresh-caught Gulf shrimp, and locally grown tilapia, free-range chicken and beef. none of the guests left hungry, but neither did we feel as stuffed as we might normally following a meal of several courses.
Pam Walker, Houston-based author and food activist, was at the event signing her book “Growing good things to Eat in Texas” (TAMU Press, 2009). her book is a result of her research on folks who make a living as small farmers in Texas. She is actually in the Valley researching her next book about local farm and food communities.
“I am so fortunate to be here,” she said. “I am impressed with the level of support for your market and I am hopeful that it will continue to grow and benefit local farmers and the community at large.”
We each left the event with the gift of a small herb plant, donated by Debbie Cox, the “plant lady” at the Farm-ers’ Market. I walked out with my cilantro seedling in hand, marveling at how far the market, and Brownsville as a community, has progressed over the last several years.
You see, less than five years ago a group of individuals representing several local non-profit organizations, health clinics, hospitals, higher education, the city of Brownsville and the School of Public Health sat in a confer-ence room dreaming of a Brownsville Farmers’ Market.
I was present because the School of Public Health hosted the meeting, but more importantly because I selfishly wanted to live in a city that has a Farmers’ Market, having lived in other places where I experienced the benefits of eating yummy locally grown produce and shopping in a healthy, natural environment that allows you to chat with the people who grow your food.
The Brownsville Farmers’ Market opened in the fall of 2008 at Linear Park in the beautiful Mitte Cultural Dis-trict. If you have the misconception that this type of venture in a community such as Brownsville is immediately profitable, think again. It took all of the collaborating entities, individuals and institutions donating, volunteering, fundraising and grant-writing to get the market off the ground, and it continues to take enormous amounts of time and effort by volunteer board members, the city, the growers, Market Manager Jack Morfitt and others who make it happen every Saturday morning.
On the other hand, local folks have been able to make some money, or at least break even, on what they grow and sell, and there is enormous potential for generating even more income. Developing the “market for the Mar-ket” is a process as the community is educated about the benefits of locally grown produce, and farmers and backyard gardeners develop their strategies for growing volume and figure out what sells.
A couple of years ago organizers of the market realized the farmers needed more venues to sell in order to pro-duce more volume, so farmers’ markets opened on South Padre Island, in Harlingen and now several in the upper Valley. Price competition from the big-box stores and larger grocers is fierce, but the Farmers’ Market fills a unique niche in our community. It was never meant to replace larger stores but rather provide an additional alter-native with the added value of supporting the local economy and educating the community about where food comes from and the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diet.
In fact, the mission of the Brownsville Farmers’ Market (brownsvillefarmersmarket.com) is “to create an event that brings nutritional education, health services and fresh, locally grown produce to individuals living in South Texas,” which is why the market often features health screenings, community events, cooking demonstra-tions and other wellness activities.
The longer-term vision of the market is to “promote policy and environmental changes that make healthy foods and active lifestyles an easy choice for all families in South Texas.”
Current initiatives include a Farmers’ Market voucher program in conjunction with BISD Parental Involvement and Proyecto Juan Diego, research and education. Farmers’ Market Board President Belinda Reininger shared, “A grant in 2009 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided the ability for the market to accept electronic benefit transfers from the Lone Star card (food stamps) making healthy, locally grown foods more accessible to more of the population. Our customer surveys indicate folks from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds come to the market, are very satisfied with what they purchase and have actually increased the amount of fruits and vege-tables they consume since shopping at the Brownsville Farmers’ Market, which is a great benefit to their health.”
Back at the fundraiser, blue grass tunes plucked on the banjo, guitar and bass by the lively band Mr. Whiskey livened up the small space, and folks were recognized for their continued support of the Farmers’ Market, includ-ing Chef Nori and his staff for donating their time and talent to produce the delicious meal.
Folks mingled and chatted over glasses of mimosa made with fresh-squeezed, locally grown oranges. Cassandra Andrews, a UTB-TSC student and native of Trinidad, shared that the food and the market remind her of her Car-ibbean Island home where her mother grew most of what they ate, and local vendors sold fresh fruits and vegeta-bles on every corner. “in our small yard we had chickens, ducks, fruit trees and a small garden. Here and in Dal-las where I lived before, people eat so much processed food. The Farmers’ Market is awesome and reminds me of home.”
Keely and Michael Rodriguez attended the fundraiser because, they said, “We love the market and want to make it accessible to everyone in Brownsville. The market helps us introduce our kids to good, healthy food. We just want to support it any way we can and don’t ever want it to go away! also, we are big fans of Chef Nori and we knew this meal would be amazing!”
Even Chef Nori took time from the kitchen to share a few words with the crowd. “A local produce market is im-portant to every city. It helps me produce a nice product and I am glad to have it here.”
The Brownsville Farmers’ Market currently has 23 vendors and is open every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon in Linear Park in front of the Museum of Fine Arts, in the Mitte Cultural District. brownsvillefarmersmarket.com
Aaron Miller of Miller Livestock in Kinsman, Ohio, recently received Food Alliance certification for his pastured pork and lamb and has started selling to Bon Appetit. (Bon Appetit Management co.) Hoping to set a standard for others in the industry to follow, food-service giant Bon Appetit Management Co. announced today that it will purchase pork, liquid eggs and veal only from producers who follow more humane animal agricultural practices.
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