This spicy tart remedy is used as a tonic and also to prevent colds and flus, to stimulate immune function and aid circulation. Made from late summer crops like peppers, horseradish root, garlic and onions steeped in apple cider vinegar, Fire Cider has to be made weeks before you’ll actually use it during cold and flu season. It takes time for the ingredients to infuse into the vinegar before it is ready.
There are key varieties of apples that pinpoint where we stand in apple season. We consider the true beginning of apple season in Sacramento when the Gravensteins from Sebastopol appear, usually by August first.
The season is at its peak in October with Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and loads of other varieties. You know the season is slowing down when you see Arkansas Black. Shortly after that, growers put their harvested apples into cold storage to ship to us as we need them well into springtime.
During my visit to Soil Born Farm, I got to experience a small look into what urban farming is all about. I was able to plant different lettuce blends and better understand how these vegetables grow. To my surprise, a lot more work goes into growing lettuce than I imagined. Putting lettuce in the ground is one thing, however, making sure they flourish is another.
The Co-op has been building strong relationships with local farmers and ranchers for over 45 years, so of course we love Farm to Fork month! We feel the solidarity when the rest of Sacramento joins us to celebrate the folks who work so hard to steward the land and nourish us.
So if you’d like to dig in and learn more about our local farmers and ranchers and other programs that support our local farmers, we’ve rounded up a list of podcast episodes featuring these fine folks.
September is Farm to Fork month and we’re kicking it off by featuring our Round Up at the Register recipient, Soil Born Farms! We feel such a sense of pride in our strong relationship because we have supported them in their growth since the beginning. Farmers Shawn Harrison and Marco Franciosa began their small for-profit urban farm on Hurley Way in 2000. In 2002, Co-op’s Marketing Manager at the time, Janet Whalen Zeller joined their team as a co-director to support their shared vision. In 2004, the three founders transformed the farm into a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
There is a misconception that chickens labeled as “free range” and “cage-free” and even “organic” have been raised outdoors. Unfortunately, that is not the case and poultry production has a long way to go to reach the idyllic conditions most folks envision with those labels. In 2019, 99% of U.S. farm animals were raised on a factory farm.
And as our country’s cultural values continue to shift to speed, convenience and low-cost food options, Pasturebird was developed to show that there is a better way. Pasturebird’s vision is to reinvent agriculture and to lead the way to a future where factory farms don’t exist.