Remember way back in March when Michelle Obama broke ground at the White House garden with a group of Washington D.C. fifth-graders? Now, the Obamas have taken another, even bigger step towards promoting local, sustainable food–this time, with an entire farmers market!

Fresh Farm Markets, a nonprofit group that operates several farm markets around the Washington and Maryland area, recently won approval to set up a market on Vermont Avenue near the White House. White House officials have not commented on the amount of their involvement in the project, however, the co-director of Fresh Farm Markets says that the Obamas “support the idea of farmers markets.”

The market kicks off this Thursday, with weekly runs on the same day until October 29th.

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Once the summer squash and zucchini start popping up, they don’t really stop–not for a while at least. (Anyone who’s ever grown either of them in a garden before will definitely be familiar with this!) While most of us could probably eat warm-weather treats like strawberries and blueberries by the bucket, however, eating plain, raw summer squash can get sort of boring after a while. Sure, its cool and crunchy, and goes well in salads or with any number of dips, but after that, you need to branch out–probably one of the reasons there are so many great recipes utilizing the veggies in all sorts of ways. If you’re looking for a way (or more than one!) to use up your summer squash and zucchini, check out some of these deliciously good-for-you recipes:

• Ditch cold cereal in favor of a savory breakfast cake loaded with eggs and summer veggies–including zucchini–courtesy of KIWI’s Food Editor, Cricket Azima.
• 101 Cookbook’s Special Zucchini Bread certainly lives up to its name, made with whole wheat pastry flour and walnuts, plus some crystallized ginger for added zing.
• With its mild flavor, zucchini works well in many raw food dishes, including a bean-free zucchini hummus and “noodle” dishes like zucchini marinara or zucchini alfredo with basil and cherry tomatoes, all whipped up by Choosing Raw.
• Thinly sliced zucchini carpaccio with grated Parmesan from the Smitten Kitchen is the perfect stand-in for your typical romaine side salad.
• Finally, you can’t forget dessert! (Albeit a super healthy one.) Try SweetSavvy’s recipe for zucchini brownies, made with whole wheat pastry flour, date sugar, yogurt, and of course–tons of zucchini.

Got a favorite way to use up all of your zucchini and summer squash? Tell us about it!

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Did you know that Hammonton, NJ is the Blueberry Capital of the World? Lucky for us in KIWI’s New Jersey office, Hammonton is less than a half-hour away, meaning we have access to one of the best, most abundant sources of blueberries on the planet! Pretty cool, huh?

This was the first week that I saw blueberries at the farmer’s market, and they couldn’t come soon enough. During the winter, I sometimes make a compote out of frozen berries to stir into my oatmeal. And it’s good…but it’s not the same as putting a fresh one in your mouth and having it POP when you bite down. So yeah, I like to eat my blueberries straight out-of-hand (though they’re not bad in pies, muffins, or smoothies, either!)

Further, when doing some research on The Dirty Dozen, (twelve fruits and veggies that are most important to buy organic) conventional blueberries were listed as a safer alternative to conventional cherries or strawberries, which are both part of the must-buy-organic list. Conventional blueberries may be safer, but those suckers have pretty thin skins, so I’ll stick with organic.

What about you? Do you seek out organic blueberries? What are your favorite way to eat them?

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

At your local farmers market this summer, ask your farmers if they have in place, an option for buying a share of their farm. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms operate as a partnership between farmers and members of the community who buy a share in a farm’s harvest each growing season. Each share that is purchased contributes a fee, typically between $300-500, to cover the farm’s yearly operating costs, and, in turn, purchases a share of the yearly harvest. Typically, the result of each share is a weekly supply of organic produce at the peak of its growing season, between June and October. In addition to vegetables, some CSAs can include flowers, fruits, eggs, meat and milk, in its weekly allotments.

This innovative model of sustainable agriculture has steadily gained popularity over the last twenty years, but in particular, in the past few years. In 1985, this practice was first brought to the U.S. from Europe, where it was originally inspired by the biodynamic farming methods of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (who also started Waldorf Education). The first two CSA farms in the U.S. formed independently in 1986, as the Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts, and the Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire. In 1990, there were already 50 CSA farms in North America. Today’s estimations vary, with reports of at least 2,000 CSA farms, and perhaps as many as 3,000.

A CSA is usually run as a small, independent family farm. After community members sign up to purchase shares, a yearly budget is drawn up to determine what the production costs will be for that year. The budget is then divided by the number of members who have signed up, which, in turn, determines what the cost of each share will be. Members either buy their shares up front, or arrange to pay in installments throughout the season. Many CSAs also offer a work option for families who cannot afford to buy a full share, where as they can help plant and harvest to work for a portion of their share. The close proximity of the farm to its members strengthens local economy by keeping local food dollars circulating within the community, allows for consumption of fresh and healthy foods, as well as educates members on the natural cycles of food and plants. In a CSA, farmers can concentrate on producing the highest quality produce because they do not have to worry about finding potential buyers for their product. As a result, the weekly crop is delegated solely for the shareholders.

To find your local farmers market, check out www.farmersmarket.com.

–Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.