Saturday the 5th of April will be our opening day of Cherry Street Farmer’s Market for the summer season. It will continue thereafter every Saturday till sometime in late October. Location: 15th and Peoria, Time: 7:00 AM-11:00 AM. Every season brings promise and I suppose farmers have to be optimistic, as most business people.
I was raised on a farm in western Oklahoma and my dad would constantly be worrying (and complaining) about the weather, machinery, debt and too much “giverment” as he called it, but we always kept on plugging away. Every year we would put in a new crop no matter what. I see that with many of the farmers at Cherry St, no matter what’s happened or happening you just keep you head down and keep working.
It looks like, and I emphasize looks like, maybe this year, being 2 years out from the dreadful summer of 2012, that the annuals and bi-annuals will hit this year and we should have a decent crop of honey. Anything can happen of course, but, yes, I have to be optimistic.
This year also will hold the possibility of introducing 3 new products from Gold Standard Honey. The launch will be sometime over the next 2 months or so. Hate to say what they are yet till I get closer to finalization. I have been more involved and been more work than I realized at first, but I believe the wait will be worth it.
I can’t tell you the scores of people who re-purchase my honey and say it has helped with their allergies. Some people have it bad. One lady comes by my house and buys it like medicine. She said by the time the conventional medicine wound down and the natural remedy started to help took 6 months. She said it was worth the wait. I’ve been reading a lot about it lately and honey is considered a “super-food”, like yogurt. Honey has enzymes, which are used to unlock many chemical reactions in our bodies which are essential for life.
Also, raw honey has amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. And I have recently learned that the pollen in honey has protein in it as well. That’s really something you don’t think about, normally you think just carbs in honey.
I’m going to have taste demos, (something the industry calls showcase events) at The Fresh Market 81st and Yale and Natural Grocers on 71st sometime in April. I’ll keep you posted.
I also need to mention that I talked to a gentleman named JD Hill who owns Hilltop Honey. It is local as well and a fine product. So, if you can’t find mine in the store, look for his, another great local, raw honey. All the best to him and his family.
I had a great old preacher say to us many times, “If you paint with black paint you’ll probably get some on you too.”
See you at the market,
George Brining