Sunday, April 21st: Happy Earth Day Tomorrow! Let’s See What Lessons We Can Learn From Our Vendors About Respecting Mother Earth!

Oysters on the half-shell, on the beach at Hama Hama Oyster Company. Photo courtesy Hama Hama Oyster Company.

Happy Earth Day! Most of us have a sense about your Ballard Farmers Market helping us tread a little lighter on our Mother Earth, but today, let’s take a look at many of the ways the Market’s vendors teach us about living more in harmony with our environment. Take oysters from Hama Hama Oyster Company, for instance. Oyster farming in our local waters requires clean water, and as such, this industry actually encourages us to keep Puget Sound cleaner. But did you know that our environmental sins from years ago, and seemingly unrelated to water pollution, are actually threatening our beloved bivalves today? You see, all that carbon we are pumping into the atmosphere from our coal power plants, our cars and our furnaces has to come down somewhere, and a lot of it is being absorbed into our oceans, where is settles to the bottom in an acidic soup. Now, the North Pacific currents are pushing all that acidic water right up into Puget Sound and Hood Canal, where it is beginning to dissolve oyster larvae and other shelled species before they can even get settled in the mud. It is called Ocean Acidification, and we all need to learn about it, change our habits — drive less, get more efficient cars, switch to electric heat pumps, etc. — and we need to Stop The Coal Trains from shipping more coal to China, where it will just make matters worse. If it isn’t good to burn here, we shouldn’t be giving it to them to burn there!

Terry Meyer of Stoney Plains Organic Farm stands alongside garden starts. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Plant a garden with local, organic veggie starts from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Sure, we want you to visit us every Sunday all summer long for the best fresh, local produce anywhere, but if you are planning to plant your own garden, get your veggies starts here, too. That way, you’ll know how they were raised, and using what kind of seed. And the more food we can grow right here in Puget Sound, the less we have to import from other parts of the country and world!

Nash’s cover crop seed blend returns nutrients to your garden’s soil naturally, without the need for harsh chemical fertilzers. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Skip the nitrogen chemicals in synthetic fertilizers, and enrich your soil naturally with nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Nash’s Organic Produce offers a nice cover crop seed mix that you can toss about your garden to help draw the nitrogen your veggies will need right out of the air and ground. Then, when you turn it into the soil before your planting, it will breakdown, leaving all those nutrients right there in your garden to feed all your plants!

Pink Beauty radishes from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

One Leaf Farm will have these lovely Pink Beauty radishes today, as well as Tom Thumb & Little Gem lettuce, at your Ballard Farmers Market. Did you know that One Leaf is only in its third year of operations? Yup. We are adding farms to King County — they are located in Carnation, for instance — and that means less need to import. During the WTO protests in Seattle back in 1999, visiting farmers from around the world taught me that the best thing we can do to help them in their countries is to buy local food here. That’s because when we buy imported produce, we are supporting a system of corporate agribusiness that takes over local farmland in other countries to grow large amounts of mono-cropped foods for the U.S. market. In the process, they force the local farmers, who are growing culturally relevant and organic foods for their local communities off of their land, resulting in lost crop diversity and food insecurity in regions of the world with very fertile farmland. So, Think Globally. Eat Locally!

Wild morel mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat wild foods! Before European settlers came to Puget Sound, local Indian tribes practiced a form of agriculture that would be almost invisible to us today. They managed the native, wild edible plant and animal species on a grand scale, so that come berry season, mushroom seasons or time for a clam bake, they knew right where to find dinner. In that spirit, folks like Foraged & Found Edibles today try to protect their harvesting grounds, as their livelihoods also depend on them. So enjoy some wild morel mushrooms, stinging nettles or fern fiddleheads this week from your Ballard Farmers Market, and get back in touch with your wild side!

Andrew Your Knife Sharpening Guy. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Keep your knives and tools sharpened and healthy, so they last longer, all while supporting an ancient artisan trade that does not required electricity! Your Knife Sharpening Guy will put a fresh edge on your kitchen knives, garden sheers, shovels and even your reel lawnmowers, all with a zero carbon footprint. There is no need for you to buy new stuff. Your old stuff can be made new again!

Ikura from Loki Fish. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Support your local fishery! Washington does a very good job managing its commercial fisheries. So you know, when it’s caught in Washington waters, it is done so sustainably. Loki Fish catches Keta salmon, from which comes this Ikura, right here in Puget Sound. And this summer, they will also catch Pink Salmon here, too. Wilson Fish catches King Salmon along the Washington Coast. Your support of these local fishing vessels at your Ballard Farmers Market ensures their ability to keep catching the best fish around, and keep family traditions — and wages — alive, as well!

Wines from Lopez Island Vineyards & Winery. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Support Puget Sound Appellation wineries, like Lopez Island Vineyards & Winery. Most folks think all the wine grapes in Washington grow east of the Cascades, but the truth is that there is a robust grape-growing region right here in Puget Sound! Lopez produces three certified-organic estate wines from their island-grown grapes, including Madeleine Angevine, Siegerrebe and Wave Crest White. These wines win many awards, and we are lucky to have them right here at your Ballard Farmers Market!

Fresh kombucha from CommuniTea. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Cleanse your body, rejuvenate your soul, and reuse your bottle! Communi-Tea Kombucha let’s you do all three! This fermented tea beverage will give you a boost of energy, cure what ails you, and when you are ready for your next bottle, they will even take your old bottle back, wash it, and reuse it! Unfamiliar with kombucha? Try one of these handle 250 ml. bottles. This is the finest, freshest kombucha you will find anywhere!

Sunshine rings from Itali Lambertini. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Reuse your gold… or someone else’s, at least. That’s what Port Townsend jeweler Itali Lambertini does. Gold mining around the world is very toxic and destructive, and many of us are familiar with the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, that threatens to destroy the largest wild salmon spawning grounds left on earth — home to more than half of the planet’s remaining wild salmon. And yet, there is plenty of gold already in circulation, mined decades and even centuries ago. So why go to some generic jewelry store in a mall to get a ring made of virgin gold that is the same as a thousand other rings, when you can get a unique ring, made with recycled gold, made by a local artist, right here at your Ballard Farmers Market? I mean, it’s not just the thought that counts. The materials and craftsmanship count, too!

Pea vines from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Oxbow Farm & Education Center is another King County farm, and besides bringing us amazing local veggies, like these pea vines, in season now, they also operate an educational program that teaches children and adults alike all about organic farming and its benefits, right in Duvall! Of course, supporting them also means you are keeping your dollars recirculating in our local economy, thus creating local, living-wage jobs, instead of exporting your dollars to another state or country. Your support of local jobs means that local farmers are able to support you right back, as they, too, support local businesses. You see, a rising tide floats all boats. We all succeed together… or the alternative.

Kale, zucchini & collard chips from House of the Sun. Photo copyright 2011 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat lower on the food chain! House of the Sun produces delicious, nutritious raw and vegan foods, like these awesome kale chips! They get their ingredients from Market farmers. They have a smaller carbon footprint, because they aren’t heating things to cook them. Not cooking foods preserves many nutrients that can be destroyed by cooking them. And you can get your savory and sweet snack on without having to go to the Big Box store to buys some over-packaged “food” made who knows where with who knows what!

Golden Harvest Bee Ranch. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat local honey! Local honey, like from our own Golden Harvest Bee Ranch, supports to protection of local bees, which do a lot of the heavy lifting around here, pollinating most of the crops we know and love here at your Ballard Farmers Market. But did you know that the bees themselves are in trouble? And if they are in trouble, we are in trouble. There’s a thing called Colony Collapse Disorder that has devastated honey bee populations far and wide. So remember, while supporting your local bee can help you will allergies and sweeten your tea, you should also learn more about CCD and what you can do to stop it.

Pumpkin bread from d:floured gluten-free bakery. Photo copyright 2013 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Eat gluten-free! More and more Americans are finding they have gluten sensitivity. But that is no longer a life-sentence of really crappy baked goods. Not at your Ballard Farmers Market, at least. That’s because we have d:floured gluten-free bakery, makers of all manner of sweet and savory gluten-free deliciousness that does not skimp on flavor in its pursuit of gluten-free goodies. Take this pumpkin bread, for instance. I beseech thee to find another pumpkin bread around that is better than this! Quite simply, whether or not you are avoiding gluten, you will love everything on d:floured’s tables.

Julianna from Ascents Candles. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Detox your home! Ascents Candles makes their candles with natural oils, not petroleum products, which means you are not filling your home with toxic fumes when you burn them. Plus, they are scented with various natural essential oils that will help set the mood, whatever mood you are aiming for. And if you’re eating dinner and want no scent at all from your candles, they’ve got them, too. Because after all, Earth Day ultimately starts at home!

One more way to celebrate Earth Day every Sunday is to remember bring your own bags every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, December 9th: Beautiful Bowls, Sunny Honey, Fresh Rolls, A Real Jerk & More! Happy Chanukah!

Honey & beeswax products from Sunny Honey. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Happy Chanukah, all y’all! Yup, at sundown yesterday, Jews all over Ballard broke out their menorahs for the first night of Chanukah 2012. And hey, look! We’ve turned on the falling snow again here on your Ballard Farmers Market blog for the remainder of the holidaze. Enjoy! For some extra fun, try moving your cursor around on your browser window. You can make the snow change directions like the wind. Now, let’s sweeten up the season with some fresh, local honey from Sunny Honey, from up in Everson. Annie’s bees help pollinate the crops up at Alm Hill Gardens, and then they give us this lovely deliciousness. Sunny Honey has a variety of honey flavors, as well as honeycomb, beeswax, candles and even beeswax lip balm! Plus, they’ve got those irresistible honey sticks for the kids. Stock up for the holiday for yourself, and remember that Sunny Honey products make great stocking stuffers. And if you are traveling by plane for the holidays, they’ve even got little jars that you can carry on the plane with you!

Beautiful, hand-turned wood kitchenware from Vern Tator Woodturner. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Talk about stunning, just take a gander at this stuff! Vern Tator Woodturner is, well, a woodturner. In other words, Vern turns wood and works it with his tools to make these spectacular wood salt & pepper mills, bowls, kitchen utensils, bottle stoppers and more. These are heirloom quality pieces you will be proud to display in your own home, and that anyone on your gift-giving list will remember you always for. In fact, if anyone is shopping for me, I’d love one of those magnificent salad bowls. Just sayin’.

Collard greens from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It has come to that time of the year that we find ourselves bidding adieu to some of our farmers, particularly those in extremely cold or flood-prone areas of the state. One of those farms about to part for the next few months is Oxbow Farm. This will likely be their last week until spring, so stop by and gather up the last of their fantabulous produce while you can, and wish them a happy and uneventful winter.

Handmade soaps from Karmela Botanica. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

If you are still buying soap at a Big Box store, you are probably torturing your eyes and skin whilst you miss out on some of the beautiful handmade soaps available direct from the producer right here at your Ballard Farmers Market. Soaps like these from Karmela Botanica, for instance. With an interesting variety of natural fragrances, you’re bound to find one to please everyone on your list. And because this soap is made with gentle, natural ingredients, it will leave you clean and refreshed — not with flaky skin and burning eyes. And it bears repeating: soap makes are great stocking stuffer!

Daikon radishes from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Another farm in the flood plains of the Lower Snoqualmie Valley, One Leaf Farm will only be with us for another week or two as well. By now, they’ve been around your Ballard Farmers Market long enough that you have come to count on them for some of the finest quality produce to be found anyone. Take these daikon radishes, for example. Gorgeous, aren’t they? They’ve also still got a few winter luxury pumpkins, celery root, parsnips, dried beans and more. Stop by today and thank them for another great season, and grab one last load of their deliciousness for your home!

Handmade garments from Suzanne de la Torre. Photo copyright 2009 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Looking for something special for someone that is bigger than will fit in a stocking, or just looking for something beautiful, cozy and warm for yourself? How’s about one of these lovely hand-knit garments from Suzanne de la Torre. Suzanne tries her best to come to your Ballard Farmers Market as much as she can, but as you know, we favor our farmers with vendor space. But with more and more farmers now taking their winter breaks from the Market, Suzanne is back for the holidays. And good timing that, eh?

Fresh sodas from Soda Jerk Soda. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I try to be positive about the vendors at your Ballard Farmers Market, but I have to be honest about this guy. He’s a real jerk. Seriously. A real jerk. Yup, this guy makes fresh sodas the old fashioned way, just like George Bailey did in It’s A Wonderful Life as a kid working at that drug store and soda shop. This is Soda Jerk Soda Company (brought to you, perhaps, by the Department of Redundancy Department… but I digress), and this jerk… this soda jerk is making fresh syrups from local, seasonal ingredients, and then he is mixing them, with the jerk of his tap handle, with soda water, to make the best, freshest soda you’ve probably ever tasted! Please welcome this jerk to your Ballard Farmers Market today, and thank him for being a real jerk, while you’re at it.

Fresh rolls from Four Sisters Gourmet Chili Sauces. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Did you know that Four Sisters Gourmet Chili Sauces has begun making Vietnamese fresh rolls and spring rolls? And like their chili sauces, these rolls feature plenty of local ingredients from your Ballard Farmers Market farmers, and her shrimp fresh rolls use Gulf prawns from Texas, supporting American fishers while not destroying Mangrove habitats. She sells them regularly, while they last, in small packages, but I bet, if you give her enough notice, and a deposit, she’ll make a bunch of them for your holiday party. What is up!?

Yogurt from Samish Bay Cheese. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Are you missing you some local yogurt? Then you should beeline it to Samish Bay Cheese at your Ballard Farmers Market without delay. They’ve got regular and Greek-style yogurt from cows milk, and they just introduced their Whey Tastier berry yogurt drink (above, right). Of course, they’ve got lots of great cheeses for your holiday celebrations, as well as pork and beef, too!

Seasonal gluten-free deliciousness from d:floured. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I finish off this week’s installment of local deliciousness with seasonal treats from d:floured bakery. These lovely, luscious morsels are, believe it or not, gluten-free! Yuppers. And your palate will not be able to tell the difference, I promise. What you see here are chocolate-pepperment sandwiches resting on top of peppermint brownies alongside of cranberry citrus bars. Boy, howdy! What’s not to love here? Check out their various savory snacks and breads, while you’re at it, and they’ve got a lovely, seasonal pumpkin mini loaf now, too.

Please remember bring your own bags every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, October 14th: Hardy Kiwis, Carving Pumpkins, Holiday Hams, Celery Root, Cheesecake & More!

Hardy kiwis from Greenwater Farm. Photo courtesy Greenwater Farm.

The rains have returned, and frankly… yippee! Don’t get me wrong. I, too, enjoyed having a summer that, well, was a summer. But I wouldn’t live here if I didn’t like rain. And after 81 days without it, it is quite refreshing. The air smells cleaner. The dust is washing off of, well, everything. And I can hear each and every blade of grass cheering. Imagine how our beloved farmers are feeling! So, it really is October. Most farms have already felt a nip of frost by now, and your Ballard Farmers Market is awash in fall crops. Today, we celebrate the arrival of a particularly special Northwest fall crop, the hardy kiwi. These tiny jewels of sweet deliciousness are indeed kiwis, but they have evolved so that they thrive in a cool, temperate climate like we have here in Western Washington. Greenwater Farm grows them in Port Townsend, and they’ll only have them available for a few short weeks. If you’ve never tried them, avail yourself of this opportunity!

Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Halloween is fast approaching, and it is high time to get that perfect pumpkin and carve it. Grab one of these lovely Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins today from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Cut the top out. Scoop, wash and roast the seeds, and carve it up with some menacing looking face. Just be sure to let your kids pick out a pumpkin, too!

A holiday ham from Skagit River Ranch. Photo copyright 2010 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Have you ordered your holiday turkeys and hams yet? It’s not too early. Heck, it’s already October 14th! Thanksgiving is less than five weeks away. Seriously. It’s early this year — November 22nd. Swing by Skagit River Ranch today and place your order, so you’ll been sure to have a delicious, humanly-raised, local centerpiece for your Thanksgiving feast.

Celery root, a.k.a., celeriac, from One Leaf Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It is by no means the most handsome of fall vegetables, but celery root, or celeriac, is an essential ingredient to many fall dishes. From soups to roasts to amazing mashes — think celery root, parsnips and potatoes! — you’ll need it. In fact, many have been asking about it for weeks. Well, One Leaf Farm, which returned to your Ballard Farmers Market just last Sunday, wins this year’s celery root sweepstakes, being the first farm to roll in with it this year. Woohoo!

Farm-fresh honey from Boistfort Valley Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

We’ve been a little short on honey this past year at your Ballard Farmers Market, so we’ve allowed some of our farmers to bring in honey produced on their farms for sale. This honey, from Boistfort Valley Farm, is made by their resident bees that also pollinate all their crops on the farm.

Kale and collard greens from Gaia’s Natural Goods. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Gaia’s Natural Goods returns today to your Ballard Farmers Market will lots of tasty greens, like the above kale and collard greens. See, with a little nip of frost in the air recently, greens have gotten a lot sweeter, making this a great time of year to enjoy them. Plus, cooking them helps warm up your kitchen and takes the nip out of your house.

Bosc pears from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Bosc pears from Collins Family Orchards are in their prime right now. Sweet, juicy, and wonderful to eat, they make for a great addition to junior’s lunchbox, a salad, or a snack at the office during your afternoon break. Enjoy this fall treat while you can!

A colorful fall display at Nash’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Just had to share this photo of the display at Nash’s Organic Produce last week. It comes under the heading of “spectacular displays.” Oh, the fall colors of golden, chiogga and Detroit beets, turnips, celery and arugula. Comforting veggies for cool fall days!

Daikon radishes from Colinwood Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

And how’s about some daikon radishes from Colinwood Farms? They have a bright, clean, mild flavor, with just the slightest hint of spiciness. Add them to salads like any radish, shred them as a garnish or to use with sashimi, sauté them. These Asian delights are deliciously versatile!

Cheesecake from Pasteria Lucchese. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

While you are ordering your holiday turkeys, roasts and hams, don’t forget about dessert! From sweet breads to pies to one of these amazing cheesecakes from Pasteria Lucchese, check in with your favorite Ballard Farmers Market dessert makers now to learn about what you’ll need to do to ensure you’ll bring the best dessert with you to whatever holiday festivities.

Finally, another reminder to please bring your own bags every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.

Sunday, September 2nd: Westside Sweet Corn, Bartlett Pears, Soft Pretzels, Padron Peppers, Turkish Eggplant & Some Very Large Stories!

Sweet corn from Stoney Plains Organic Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

I cannot remember a year in which sweet corn from Western Washington came into season this late. What a bizarre year this has been. And now, we are in what seems like an endless summer pattern in which we are well positioned to break the record for the most consecutive days without rain. Huh? Weren’t we just whining about too much endless rain?  Wasn’t July the wettest one ever? Well, we’re heading into El Nino, folks, and according to the weekend weather woman on Fox News, that means it’s likely to be a warmer, drier fall than normal, so things may be coming on late, but hopefully they will stick around longer, too. Anyway, this is all to say, enjoy some Westside sweet corn from Stoney Plains Organic Farm today at your Ballard Farmers Market.

Oh, and while you’re at it, please vote right now for your Ballard Farmers Market in the 2012 America’s Favorite Farmers Market Contest. See, voting closes tomorrow, and we need at least 200 more votes to finish where we did last year, in the top 10, though 400 more would put us up in the top 3. Now, I know about 1,500 people are going to read this today. Voting only takes about 30 seconds. Click the link, click on “Ballard Farmers Market”, and then vote. Simple. Please don’t be the person who figures that the other people with vote, so you don’t have to. If they think the same way, then who’s gonna vote? I mean, we know you love your Ballard Farmers Market, since you read these words of, ehem, wisdom every week. Please share that love with the world with your vote! Thanks!

Fortuna plums & Bartlett pears from Collins Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

It’s plum and pear season, folks! Woohoo! Check out these gorgeously delicious Fortuna plums and Bartlett pears from Collins Family Orchards. The plums will certainly satisfy the making a mess of your face and shirt requirements for this weekend, and those pears will easily pack with you in your lunch box next Wednesday when you head back to school, bringing with you a little yummy reminder of the wonderful summer we’ve had.

Meadowfoam honey from Golden Harvest Bee Ranch. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

This Meadowfoam honey from Golden Harvest Bee Ranch comes with a bigger story than most honey, and that’s saying something, because all honey comes with a big story. In this case, this honey is the product of the bees of Tom Schioler, the man behind the tables of honey you see every week at the Market, in front of Bastille, and he and the bees both have found themselves in a bit of a squabble with some apparently not so neighborly neighbors. On paper, it’s a squabble over property lines and land use issues, but in the end, what’s at issue is Tom’s bees, and the meadow on his property upon which they dine, and from which they produce this Meadowfoam honey. See, some people still just don’t get the importance of bees, and they see them as a nuisance. And one person’s beautiful meadow for bees is another person’s unkempt lawn that would do well with a nice application of Roundup. But without bees, a huge percentage of the food we eat would simple disappear, as it depends of the bees to pollinate it. The full story here is long and complicated, but ultimately, what you need to know is Tom’s bee ranch is under siege, requiring him to need to mount a legal response and hire a surveyor in order to set things straight and protect his bees. And you can help simply by purchasing this Meadowfoam honey. Oh, and I imagine Tom would be happy to give you the unabridged story, too, if you ask him!

Serrano peppers from Alvarez Organic Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Ah, pepper season. And to say Hilario Alvarez of Alvarez Organic Farms is proud of his pepper crop is an understatement. He should be proud. He grows around 200 different varieties of peppers, some of which he has developed himself. An immigrant farmer from Mexico, Alvarez worked for years as a farm laborer for other farms in the Yakima Valley, eventually working his way up to being a foreman, the entire time squirreling away his wages and slowly investing in land of his own. Now, he is one of the most renowned organic farmers in the nation, Hispanic or otherwise, and his pepper fields are the stuff of legend. During the harvest season, these fields look much like the tulip fields of Skagit County during the spring Tulip Festival, awash in a rainbow of colorful peppers. For the next two to three months, we get to enjoy these peppers at your Ballard Farmers Market, in every color and intensity imaginable, from the mild gypsy sweet peppers, to the pleasantly spicy serrano peppers pictured about, all the way up to the notoriously hot ghost chili. Plus, they have their beautiful pepper wreathes and garlands to brighten up your home!

Soft pretzels from Grateful Bread Bakery. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These are Grateful Bread Bakery’s new soft pretzels, and they are perfectly soft, salty and chewy. They made this Philly ex-pat a little homesick, in fact. Seriously. The only thing they lack is some yellow mustard. Lots of yellow mustard! Nuff said.

Suncrest peaches from Martin Family Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These are the big, juicy peaches dreams are made of… and messy shirt fronts! These are Suncrest peaches from Martin Family Orchards. Several years ago, I visited a Serbian restaurant in Milwaukee, and the owner told me this amazing story of fighting with the Yugoslavian resistance during WWII, and how he and his two brothers escaped Yugoslavia in 1956 by climbing over the Alps into Austria when the Soviets invaded Hungry, as the Yugoslavian military left the border along the Alps open as they scrambled to the Hungarian border. He told me that they then joined their father in Milwaukee at his restaurant, which he had named Three Brothers in just the hope his three sons would eventually join him there in freedom. It was one of the great life stories I’ve ever heard. But when he heard I was from Washington, all he wanted to talk to me about was these big, beautiful, juicy peaches!

Padron peppers from Full Circle Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Padron peppers are beloved in Spain, where they like to flash fry and salt them and snack on them. They serve them this way right down Ballard Avenue at The Walrus & The Carpenter, in fact. But not too many folks grow them around here. One farm that does is our own Full Circle Farm from over in Carnation. These peppers are mild, with a lovely, green flavor, though it seems that due to some weird genetics, one in 10 of them turns out spicy hot. It makes eating them a little bit of an adventure!

Heirloom tomatoes from Oxbow Farm. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Speaking of “finally on the Westside”, how’s about these heirloom tomatoes from Oxbow Farm? Again, I cannot recall a year in which these came into season so late. Confounding, really. But here they come, so dive in and enjoy them while you can. Go tomato crazy! Because they’ll be gone again soon enough.

Berries from Hayton Farms. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

Berry season seems to keep plugging along, though. Seems like it may go on forever, and I can live with that. Especially when Hayton Berry Farms keeps bringing this dazzling, colorful collection of berries for us to enjoy. Just remember, alway get twice as many berries as you think you’ll need. Trust me on this.

Turkish eggplant from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These stunning fruits are Turkish eggplant from Tiny’s Organic Produce. Sure, you may know Tiny’s for all the amazing kinds of tree fruit they grow, but they also grow some fruits of the vegetable persuasion. Fruits like cucumbers and eggplant. And not the ordinary varieties either. They grow an amazingly collection of heirloom varieties of these two crops. You know, sometimes I think that Tiny’s uses three criterion to choose what crops they plant — they have to be delicious, stunningly beautiful and have a really cool name and story behind them!

Early gala apples from ACMA Mission Orchards. Photo copyright 2012 by Zachary D. Lyons.

These early Gala apples from ACMA Mission Orchards are a little less sweet and a little more tart than their winter counterparts, making them perfect for adding to salads. And they are wonderfully fresh and crisp right now, providing a satisfying crunch when you bite into them.

Finally, another reminder to please bring your own bags today, and every Sunday, as Seattle’s single-use plastic bag ban is now in effect. Also, please take note of our new green composting and blue recycling waste receptacles throughout your Ballard Farmers Market, and please make an effort to use them correctly. Each container has what’s okay to put in it pictured right on the lid. Please do not put the wrong materials in, because that drives up the cost of recycling and composting, and it can result in the entire container being sent instead to a landfill. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated.

There is plenty more local deliciousness waiting for you today at your Ballard Farmers Market. Just check What’s Fresh Now! for a more complete accounting of what is in season right now.