Current things to check out

Lots of farmer's markets open now with great fresh, local foods and crafts. Here is a listing of some of them:
Charleston Farmers Market, Marion Square downtown Charleston, 8 AM to 2 PM on Saturdays
Daniel Island Farmers Market, Family Circle Tennis Center, 161 Seven Farms Drive, 3 to 7 PM on Thursdays, http://www.danielislandfarmersmarket.com/
Market at Rosebank Farms, 4455 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, John Island, 9AM to 6 PM daily, http://www.rosebankfarms.com/
Mount Pleasant Farmer's Market, Moultrie Middle School, 645 Coleman Blvd, 3:30 PM to dusk on Tuesdays, http://www.townofmountpleasant.com/
North Charleston Farmers Market, Felix C. Davis Community Center, 4800 Park Place E., noon to 7 PM on Thursdays, http://www.northcharleston.org/
Summerville Farmers Market, 218 S. Main Street, 8AM to 1PM on Saturdays

Some other great low cost or free activities to check out:

Friday:

Lowcountry Cherokee and Native American Art Showcase, free admission, 9 AM to 5PM, Charleston Area Convention Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston
Piccolo Beach Music Bash, free and for all ages, U.S. Custom House on the corner of Concord and Market streets downtown, 7 - 11PM. This features beach and Lowcountry-themed entertainment by a variety of local musicians.
Moonlight Mixer, dance on the Folly Beach Fishing Pier, $10 admission, 7-11PM, June 4 and June 25. Best to purchase tickets in advance, http://www.ccprc.com/
Chopsticks, free, all ages, Charleston County Main Library, 68 Calhoun St., 3-5PM Fridays. Light classical music and favorite children's songs.

Saturday:

Early Morning Bird Walks at Caw Caw, Caw Caw Interpretive Center, $5 admission, 8:30-noon, preregistration encouraged but walk-ins welcome (every Saturday and Wednesday)

Art Discovery Walking Tours, $20, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting Street, 10:30 on Saturdays. 90-minute walking tour of historic sights, http://www.charlestonwalks.com/

Arts & Crafts Shows, Tea Farm Cottage, 808 N. Cedar Street, Summerville, free admission, 11
AM to 4 PM on first Saturday of each month through October. Merchandise from 30-50 vendors as well as food and music. 871-1113

Okay, now there is no reason to sit home and be bored this weekend!

FIRST CSA DELIVERY!

Hi, Mary here. We picked up our first bag of goodies from the CSA on Friday, and we are delighted with both the selection and the quality.

Yes, this is a picture of what was in the bag, and no, I didn't take the picture - I'm not that talented! My son-in-law is a professional photographer, and the credit for the picture goes to him. Included were asparagus, beets, green onions, sweet onions, two kinds of lettuce, and some absolutely scrumptious strawberries. Also included were several recipes with ideas for how to prepare the beets and sweet onions.

It is really exciting to know that we have twelve more weeks to look forward to.

Charleston's Mexican Hot Spot

This maybe the best prize yet, something to make your tummy and your pocket happy at the same time. Growing up in Charleston all my life, I've always heard we have no clue about "real" Mexican food.

Michael's mother, sister, and brother lived in Mexico for several years, so when they heard about this place called Zia Taqueria, they had to go check it out for themselves. I don't think I've ever seen such a happy bunch of people come back from dinner. It was like someone had taken away their favorite food for years and at last they were just getting to experience it again. So, my family, Mike, Gabriel (3), and Devin (2) saw a perfect Blog opportunity!

When we got there, I noticed it was laid back and everyone was just as friendly as can be (and we all know you don't find that a lot of places anymore). The best thing on the menu (in our opinion) was their famous Baja fish taco. I had never associated "fish" with "taco" before, but it was just incredible. The Nachos were really cool. They weren't just a bunch of chips with stuff dumped all over it but instead were individually prepared corn tostada shells topped with black beans and cheese. The results were....my family and I have found the most authentic Mexican restaurant in Charleston and we will be going back, especially for the famous Zia Rita Margarita (all I can say is WOW)!

Meet the owner.....

Zia Taqueria is a locally owned Mexican restaurant that knows how to cook it up!

Kevin Grant, Owner, & Chef of Zia Taqueria, started this company with a passion for Mexican food. He grew up in Houston, Texas and has been in the Mexican food business for 10 years. Growing up in Texas, there was no place for still another Mexican restaurant so he ventured to Charleston, SC to pursue his dream of introducing a new market to the way authentic Mexican food should be prepared. This place is the type of place where you can come in and grab a taco to go or you can hang out with your family and eat, drink and be merry.

Kevin has combined three different types of Mexican flavors, - New Mexico, Tex Mex, and Regional Mexican - into one mouth-watering flavor! Let me tell you, this isn't your everyday restaurant. Kevin says, "This is a place people can go for quality food at a moderate price" . This guy actually knows how to do it right! From the moment you step inside and get in the self-order line, Kevin wants you to have a great experience. Zia uses all fresh ingredients and spices straight from Mexico to give it the flavors that make it so unique.

Kevin's purpose is to make you experience and fall in love with the true flavors of Mexico. You will never think of Mexican food the same way again. Don't take my word for it - try it for yourself. You are also helping our LOCAL market take control again. To help one lucky winner do just that, our contest prize this month is a free dinner for two at Zia's. (See contest rules on the right sidebar.) Zia Taqueria is located on Maybank right next to the Terrace Theater. For more information, visit their website at http://ziataco.com/

What is a CSA?

It is CSA sign up time again, and several area farms are taking applications. Click this link to go to a list of local CSA's. http://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org/program/Community_Supported_Agriculture.php


CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture", and it is a concept rapidly growing in popularity across the nation. A farmer plants a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and sells shares of the harvest for a lump sum paid up front. The shareholder shares both the risks and the rewards - if it's a good season, their weekly boxes are fuller, and if it's a poor season, there is less. The advantage for the shareholder is a variety of extremely fresh produce delivered to a central pick-up point every week, and the advantage to the farmer is knowing their crops are sold and getting their money up front to help cover their costs when the majority of them occur.


It is important to be comfortable with the farm you select, and also with their growing methods - conventional, organic or somewhere in between. I will tell you about my personal experience with a CSA a couple of years ago. The grower wasn't certified organic, but was committed to using chemicals only when absolutely necessary, and then using the safest and smallest amount. During the time I was a shareholder, she only had to do so once, and immediately notified all the shareholders of what had been treated. I was very pleased with my experience, but unfortunately the grower moved to another farm out of the area.


My daughter and I went together to purchase one share, which entitled us to a box each week for 13 weeks with an assortment of fruits, vegetables, herbs and sometimes even flowers. There were some things that we had never heard of, much less eaten, but the grower had that covered - a recipe book was included with our first delivery. We were already fairly adventurous eaters, but this really pushed us out of our comfort zone and encouraged us to incorporate a larger variety of veggies in our meals. In the end, we ended up with some new favorites.


It can seem a bit pricey going in, but we definitely saw a difference in our weekly grocery bills, and ended up saving money in the end. A great way to test it out is to split the cost and the bounty with a friend or two. It can also be fun to take turns preparing different recipes and letting others sample them.


The downside to getting these weekly deliveries is when it is finished. Kayte and I had gotten so used to fresh-picked produce that we struggled to adjust back to supermarket groceries - it's just not the same! We have once again signed up for a CSA and are looking forward to getting our first delivery next month. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Celtic Harp at Muddy Waters Coffee Shop

Hi guys,

As promised, if I hear of any cool events, I will let you know. Muddy Waters is a locally owned coffee shop located in West Ashley and James Island. This is the best spot to grab your latte and lap top and hang out. They have a special event called Palmetto Acoustic. This is where local artists come in and play their hearts out for the Lowcountry, and what's even better is that this event is FREE. So, bring all your friends and family because you don't want to miss this!

You get to sit back, relax and listen to great music while sippin' on your coffee. This is the ultimate cafe' experiment!

On Saturday, March 20th, the West Ashley location is featuring a Celtic Harp event from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.

Muddy Waters Coffee Bar
1331 Ashley River Road, West Ashley
(843) 225-3683

http://www.muddywaterscoffee.com/happenings.htm

Organic, Natural or . . . ?

Everyone has heard that organic food is better, safer. . . and more expensive. Unfortunately, (in my opinion), it has also become a big business, and the bigger it gets, the further it is from the original meaning. One reason it costs more is because it is difficult and expensive for a producer to get the original certification, and then there is a substantial yearly fee to maintain it. This puts it out of reach of the average small family farmer.

Another term that has become popular is "Naturally Grown". This designation is rapidly accumulating the same baggage as "Organic" - legislation defining who can use it, ongoing costs, etc. Just as with the "Organic" label, when large agribusinesses adopt these terms, they also find loopholes to allow them to very narrowly apply the labels. For example, it is legal to describe eggs as "free range" if there is one small door that opens to the outside of the building, even if no chicken knows it is there or uses it.


The picture at the left shows what it really means for chickens to be "free range". They have total freedom to run around, eat grass, catch bugs and just live as nature meant them to live.

What I am interested in is how the food was raised. I don't care about labels, I just don't want any added chemicals or antibiotics, and I want the animals raised humanely, not in crates or feedlots. Cows, goats, sheep and pigs should have access to pasture and chickens need to be able to scratch, eat bugs and grass, and move around freely. I like meat and eat it regularly, but hate the thought that the animal that provided it lived a miserable life. What I want is to meet the farmer and even visit the farm. One term for this concept is "Transparent". Most farmers will welcome your visit, but remember that they are busy people. Always contact them and set up a time when it is convenient for you to come.

Have you ever hugged a goat?

The food from happy, healthy animals, be it milk, eggs or meat, is far superior in both taste and nutrition. Check out http://www.eatwild.com/ and click on "Benefits for your health" on the left hand side. That same website has lots of other interesting information, also.

The first and easiest step in becoming a "localvore" is to look for locally grown and produced items at your supermarket or restaurant. If you don't see anything marked "locally produced", ask the manager to carry it and mark it clearly.

We are fortunate here in Charleston in that there is a very active movement advocating that we all try to buy at least 10% of our purchases at locally owned stores. Go to http://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.com/ to learn more about it, and to find the local businesses.

Don't forget to enter the contest for free tickets to visit the Yorktown! See "contest rules" on the sidebar to see what you need to do.

Building Communities

Hi, my name is Mary Pendley and I am part of the team here at Hobson Group Realty. My passion is encouraging people of any age and from all walks of life to come together as a community.

First, a little background about me. I grew up as one of eight children on a small farm in Wyoming. As a child, I milked cows (by hand), slopped hogs, gathered eggs and plucked chickens. Nearly all the food we ate was grown on the farm - meat, milk, egg, vegetables.

When I married, I left the farm and have never again had the opportunity to live on a farm, although I have had a vegetable garden whenever possible. I have six children (all grown) and a whole passel of grandchildren. I have lived a lot of places including Germany and Mexico, and have been here in Charleston since 2002.

About three years ago, my daughter loaned me a book called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, and it literally changed my life. Barbara Kingsolver is a well-known author of novels, and this is the true story of her family's commitment to grow as much of their own food as possible and buy only things that were produced locally for one year. It is a very entertaining book, and if you read it, you will never look at supermarket food the same again. I decided to make an effort to seek out local sources of food whenever possible. I found that the most difficult part was finding the producers. I frequented farmer's markets, bought a share in a CSA, and found where I could buy meat and eggs directly from the farmer. I've made some friends and eaten some truly delicious food in the process.

How does this relate to building communities? Locally produced and direct from the farm products can sometimes be more expensive than the chain stores, although often they are not. However, your dollars support your neighbors, and that in turn allows them to do the same. Your immediate reward is healthy food that is truly fresh and delicious, and you may also make some new friends in the process.

I will be blogging periodically about where to go and how to find these direct connections, as well as on related topics. There are many different producers to be found, but I will be talking primarily about those that I have personal experiences with. If you know of good sources, please leave a comment with that information. Any comments you leave will also enter you in the current contest - it's IMAX tickets this month!