We know that everyone needs a little inspiration in the kitchen from time to time, so we put together a list of the ALFN board and staff’s favorite food blogs to share with you! What are your favorite go-to food websites?
ALFN loves our growers, and we want to take every opportunity to share their stories! L.C. Ratchford of Ratchford Farms is a long time member of our market, and a well-known figure in the Arkansas farming community. Ratchford Farms is located in Marshall and known for its amazing buffalo meat (their buffalo sticks were the official campaign snack for Mike Huckabee back in the day).
How did you get into raising buffalo?
L.C.: When I was just a teenager I was watching TV and saw a short show about raising buffalo, at that time I knew it was what I was meant to do. I graduated high school and went on the get a welding degree. I knew that the buffalo had to have extremely extra heavy duty fences and holding pens so as I was rebuilding my cattle fatalities I built them with welded steel pipe. Which is ongoing even today.
Why did you get involved with ALFN, and how has it positively impacted your business?
L.C.: I got involved with ALFN so I had a direct market my products. This has drastically impacted my business by increasing my sales and allowing me to get to know my consumers on a personal level, as well and getting to know their wants and needs for my products.
If you weren’t a buffalo farmer, what do you think you might be doing?
L.C.: I know that I will always be involved in buffalo ranching in some capacity or another. I am strongly considering seeking an elected political office so that I might be a voice for the small family farmer\ rancher and business owners that choose to operate differently than some of the large factory farms . I believe that this can be another way that I can have a positive on the world around me.
Do you have any heartwarming stories from your time farming?
L.C.: A few years ago on a very cold January morning I was out on the farm feeding hay and checking the cattle when I noticed a young calf that had the misfortune of wondering out onto the snow covered ice onto a frozen pond. The poor calf had fallen on the ice and was unable to stand. The big problem was that he was about 30 feet from the edge of the pond, on the ice. I drove to my mother’s house (she was about 85 years old at the time ) and requested her assistance and expertise in dealing with this time sensitive and dire dilemma. It was decided that I would take a rope and secure it around my shoulders and chest and that I would take another rope to be placed around the calf. The other ends of the ropes would be secured to the bumper of the truck. I walked out onto the ice and put the rope on the calf but I soon found that I could not stand on the ice and pull the calf, so I just laid down on the ice and held onto the rope that was that was tied to the calf and instructed my mother to drive forward. She pulled both the calf and myself to the safety of dry ground, and the calf was reunited with his mother. The point of this story is that I as a farmer\ rancher put the animals welfare first with little regard for my own safety or well being. I never stopped to think about the possibility of falling through the ice into the deep, dark cold water where I might drowned or die from hypothermia. This is not just a job to me but a way of life and a commitment to the animals and the land.
Which of your products would you recommend to new customers?
L.C.: I would encourage everyone that reads this to join ALFN so that they can try all of the high quality, nutritious and tasty products that are offered (which changes from season) on the site, and not just from my farm but from all of the many growers. Being a member also gives you a chance to meet and interact with a lot of like-minded people, know where and how your food is being produced \ grown, and at the time support local economy.
To learn more about L.C. and his farm, visit him on Facebook.
Roasting a whole chicken is a great way to plan ahead meals for a busy week. It becomes a star staple for lots of easy recipes! We found five ways to use up that whole chicken.
Roast a whole chicken on the weekend to use in any of these 5 delicious recipes below!
Substitute canned chicken in this recipe with your roasted chicken meat.
If you’ve been to the Saturday market, chances are you have met and been helped by Jack, one of our most lively and frequent volunteers! Jack has lived in Little Rock his whole life, and enjoys spending his down time on creative projects. This week we wanted to highlight his experience working with ALFN.
When and why did you start volunteering with ALFN?
Jack: I started volunteering for ALFN when I first heard about them back in December of 2015. Within the first week I placed an order and realized they needed volunteers, and figured it would be a good way to learn more about local farms, merchants, and projects.
Do you have a funny or heartwarming story from volunteering?
Jack: No stories in particular that I can think of, but I like to think each week I volunteer is at least a little funny or heartwarming in some way, haha!
What is your favorite item to order from the market?
Jack: What I order most often is the green eggs from Green Acres in Atkins! They’re never anything short of delicious. Some of my favorites includes shiitake mushrooms from Arkansas Natural Produce, cilantro-almond pesto from Geek Eats, and -when they’re in season- peaches and spinach from Green Acres, as well as Jonathan Apples from Drewry Farms! I’m also very fond of all the bath and beauty products I’ve gotten from Tammy Sue’s Critters!
In January, it seems we are all reminded of the unsung hero of Southern Culinary Magic, the Purple Hull Pea. Today we have two recipes for you to serve up some yummy dishes featuring this star pea!
If you really want to cook this dish up the Southern way (aka bacon bacon bacon and greens) head over to South Your Mouth for a tasty, easy-to-make dish.
If you’ve had enough of winter soups and one pot meals this season, check out this great recipe for a Rainbow Power Greens Salad from Cotter Crunch. Fresh, simple and so delicious!
No matter which route you go, don’t forget to pick up your ingredients from the ALFN market!
An organization can only be as good as the people in it, and today we would like to highlight a very special member of the Arkansas Local Food Network! Sarah Donaghy has spent the past year leading the board of ALFN, and is now passing that torch on to another amazing team member. We were able to sit down with her and ask her a few questions about her time with us. And don’t worry – she’s not going anywhere! Sarah will continue to serve on our board for the upcoming year. No goodbyes yet, but let’s give her a hearty round of thanks for her time and dedication!
*If you are interested in joining the ALFN board, we have position openings! Please submit your inquiries to arlocalfoodnetwork@gmail.com*
Tell us about getting involved with ALFN and why you joined the board.
Sarah: I joined ALFN as a member pretty early on and started volunteering shortly thereafter. I joined the food club committee first and then became a food club coordinator in 2013 and was later asked to consider becoming a board member that year. I’ve been on the board for three years, serving as chair in 2015 and 2016. I loved volunteering and coordinating because it was a great way to check out different products and vendors. I’d see something beautiful while volunteering and then include it in my own order the next week. I also liked the sense of community that came along with being more involved in this way, like getting to talk with other members about how they use various items. I joined the board as it allowed me to make a deeper commitment to supporting local food systems and to lend my professional experience to an organization in transition.
What advice would you give to someone considering a board position?
Sarah: I’d recommend board service to folks interested in making a significant and sincere commitment to ALFN as an organization. This is not a figurehead role. Board members with a passion for ALFN and the time and talents to lend the team are critical to the health of the organization as a nonprofit.
What’s your favorite item to order from the market?
Sarah: I can’t possibly pick just one favorite item to order from the market – I have many favorites!
This week’s blog post comes to us from ALFN Board Member and Volunteer, Cathi Watkins. In celebration of the New Year and as a incentive to buy and eat more local foods, we are offering a free T-shirt to new customers who make their first order during the month of January! Happy New Year everyone!
As 2017 dawns, I’m making plans for the coming year. My plans for 2017 include: camping more, cleaning out the basement, and dining on a delicious local meal at least once a week. Eating locally will increase our consumption of fresh healthy foods, support Arkansas farmers, and decrease our carbon footprint. (On average, U.S. produce travels 1,500 miles prior to consumption). Eating locally will also help us tune-in to the seasons and mother earth.
With an assortment of vegetables, fruits, nuts, cheese, eggs and meats from Arkansas Local Food Network (ALFN), I expect to be able to accomplish my 2017 weekly eating-locally goal. ALFN is a year-round farmers market with a convenient online ordering system. Once the market opens on Sunday afternoons, I can order from a wide variety of local foods. I’ll pick-up my selections the following Saturday or Monday, mingling with fellow locavores at Christ Church. (Find out more here: https://arkansaslocalfoodnetwork.org/.)
With a nod to New Year’s traditions, our first meal of 2017 will be cabbage and bacon (Emeril’s recipe) alongside spicy purple hull peas and Marconi peppers. I’m swapping local purple hull peas for store-bought black-eyed peas. Jeff and I picked up our ALFN order this morning, so we’re starting out right! We’ll toast the New Year with good friends and a local beer, of course!
For next week, I’ve planned a shepherd’s pie with a layer of ground beef, fresh carrots and some green beans I froze in the fall, topped with a layer of mashed red potatoes and turnips, seasoned with green garlic. I purchased all of these yummy ingredients at ALFN also.
From winter squash and pecans, to early spring greens and leeks, to summer tomatoes and peaches, and then fall apples and turkey, we are joyfully ready to be more intentional about eating locally-grown foods. By purchasing food year-round through the ALFN market, our meals will bind us to the community of farmers, gardeners, bakers, and makers whose labor sustains us.
-Cathi
From everyone at ALFN, we wish you all a wonderful Christmas and safe, happy holidays!
It’s that time of year. T-minus 7 days until Christmas morning! Families are gathering together, cookies are rolling out of ovens by the dozens, cats are tearing apart Christmas trees (for the 4th time since you put it up), garland is going up…and without fail, people everywhere are realizing that they have only a few days left to finish buying gifts. If you fall into the latter population (it’s OK, we’ve all been there) have no fear! We have compiled a short list of fantastic gifts that are sure to please everyone. All of these ideas support the local food economy and can be easily picked up on your way to grab kids from school or driving home from work.
OK, so you knew this one was coming, right? Give someone the gift of local food year round with a membership (or gift certificate!) to ALFN. For purchasing gift certificates or membership, shoot us an email and we’ll get you set up in time for the holidays.
If you haven’t stopped by the Green Corner Store yet, you’re missing out! This is truly a one stop shop for all the people on your list. The Green Corner Store boasts a variety of fantastic products ranging from local food products to baby toys. We dare you to not find something for everyone there!
The Root Cafe is a localvore’s food dream. With plenty of options for every diet, a meal from here is sure to please.
Any home gardeners on your Christmas list? Give them a subscription to The Urban Food Loop. This local social enterprise sets up customers with a yuck-free home composting kit, and comes every week to pick up your kitchen scrap container right off your front porch. This food waste is then turned into high-quality compost and then returned to customers whenever they want. The business also supports hunger-fighting efforts across the city. Win-win!
Part of our mission at Arkansas Local Food Network is “to make nutritious and delicious food available for all people.” One way that we work towards that goal is by supporting Green Groceries.
In partnership with Christ Episcopal Church, Green Groceries is a food pantry that gets fresh, local food into the hands of low-income Arkansans. Green Groceries benefits local farmers by providing them with consistent and large sources of income while getting delicious, quality, and nutritious local foods to members of our community that do not otherwise have access.
How does it work?
Every two weeks we order directly from our local farmers to create a food basket for between 20-25 families. These baskets include tons of fresh produce, farm eggs, meat, and potatoes. Best of all, these baskets include a recipe card with instructions on how to prepare the meal. In 2016 ALFN has helped provide Green Groceries with 567 meals for their participants.
Joe Lampo gathers the food donated for Christ Episcopal Church’s Green Groceries program.
When you support Arkansas Local Food Network, you also support programs like Green Groceries in our effort to make nutritious and delicious food available for all people. Please consider giving to help us further this mission. Donate online at this link or mail a check to:
Arkansas Local Food Network
c/o Christ Episcopal Church
509 Scott St
Little Rock, AR 72201
Thank you for supporting our mission at Arkansas Local Food Network!
Arkansas Local Food Network 