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Health & Fitness

This Week at Smart Markets Reston Farmers Market

This Week at Our Reston Market 
Wednesday 3–7 p.m. 
12001 Sunrise Valley Dr. 
Map

We have joined with a national campaign to demonstrate support for local farmers’ markets all across the country -- see our blog for details -- and we are doing everything we can to attract and keep your interest in our farmers and vendors. We are always open to ideas and opportunities to reach out to the Reston community through its schools, churches and other organizations, especially but not limited to those that are already working on issues of better health, sustainable living and economic development. Let us know what we can do.

Thanks to all of you who came to see and hear Lena Seikaly and her band last week; they loved being with us and hope to return before the season ends. Next time we have music, bring a blanket or a lawn chair and sit and enjoy the concert, which would cost you at least $30 per person in a D.C venue.

This week the veggies are rolling in, even in the wake of more rain than the soil can handle. The farmers have lost some fruit and vegetables to flooded fields and too much water being absorbed by small fruits, but at the same time some plants have loved the cool spring thus far. The cool temperatures have delayed the ripening of tomatoes and peaches but have given us a long and lush season of gorgeous lettuces and greens.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

You will find raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries this week, and the cherry tomatoes are starting to show up too. The green beans and yellow wax beans are gorgeous, and if you look carefully, you will see shelled peas, but only for another week or so.

And just a reminder as we head up to the 4th of July weekend, we have everything you need for great grilling and dining: the best beef ever at Angelic Beef; pork, lamb, and chicken at Heritage Farm and Kitchen; and more recipes for a wide variety of cuts. Both vendors bring sausages; we have hot and sweet and robustly spiced, including lamb sausages, which can also be grilled. Valley View Bakery will have buns for burgers and sausages. Preorder this week if you want to be sure to have them for your holiday party.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I overheard a shopper last week at Reston exclaiming to a friend that she could get everything she wanted at the farmers’ market. It’s true! Just keep looking.

See you at the market!

From the Market Master

I Love My Farmers Market Celebration™ marks the fifth year American Farmland Trust has hosted a summer-long event in honor of the nation’s farmers markets. Previously called America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™, this year instead of voting for your favorite market, participants are pledging to spend dollars at Smart Markets.

The pledging process is easy. Simply look up Smart Markets at www.lovemyfarmersmarket.org and select the market you visit to make your pledge.

Once you have pledged to support farmers at our markets, you will get a free No Farms No Food® bumper sticker from American Farmland Trust.

I Love My Farmers Market Celebration™ aims to secure $1 million dollars in pledges supporting family farmers and farmers’ markets by the end of the summer. The celebration is part of the American Farmland Trust’s No Farms No Food® Campaign. Since its founding in 1980, AFT has helped save more than 5 million of acres of farmland. Thank you for considering this pledge to support the farmers who bring their local produce, meats and dairy to our guaranteed producer-only local market.

This event is an attempt to raise public awareness of the importance of showing support for small farmers by buying their products. But throughout the year, the American Farmland Trust educates and informs farmers’ market managers about the issues that affect the ability of the small farmer to survive. We participate in numerous activities to represent our farmers and shoppers throughout the year. This is an uphill battle against the continued use of your tax dollars (without a pledge) to support very large and certainly non-local commercial farmers who do not care what they add to your broccoli to keep it looking fresh over 3,000 miles and many weeks in transit, or what they have to feed their chickens to make them grow like weeds.

The average size of a farm in Virginia is 40 acres, so making an impact in this state can affect more small farmers than in most other states in the Union.

Remember, No Farms No Food. But even more importantly, No Small Farms, No Unadulterated Food!

Photo by Sarah Sertic

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