Dominica organics

ORGANIC COMMUNITY NEWS:

Dominica Organic Agriculture Movement (DOAM) is making progress. USAID COTS support has paid for a consultant who has reviewed and made recommendations for organizational development and for Dominican organic certification standards. There is great need, however, for a part-time volunteer who will organize and run the DOAM office -- making sure communications and follow-through are accomplished, especially as DOAM begins more concentrated efforts to build community awareness and support and to enhance the technical and marketing capacity of existing and new organic farmers. There is also a need for someone to design and build a website for DOAM to facilitate communication and community building. Please contact Vanessa Prevost if you're able to help: 225-0207. Next scheduled quarterly meeting will be 11 March 2008 at 4:30 P.M. (location to be announced).

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"Organic" means different things to different people. To us, it means all agricultural decisions are made on the basis of the long term health of the land, people (both consumers and workers), and environment. Only natural manures and products certified for organic farming are used. NO HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS OR CHEMICALS, OR GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEEDS (GMO's) are used.

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ORGANIC PRODUCE
 

FRUITS: $2/bag

Common/Valencia Oranges: for juice

Ortanique Oranges: Great flavored orange for juice and now getting sweet for fresh eating.

Red & White Grapefruit: For juice or fresh eating.
 

ROOTS:

Asian Radish: Daikon types. "Daikon is very low in calories, ...high in vitamin C and ...contains active enzymes that aid digestion, particularly of starchy foods. Daikon can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, it has a crunchy sharp flavor like other radishes, but when cooked it turns soft and deliciously sweet. Cut it into match-like strips and use it in salads, or grate it, sprinkle with soy sauce to use as a garnish, spooned over fried foods, grilled fish, or even steak. It is also good in soups, steamed, stir-fried, or pickled." (Description and suggestions by Jeanne Chin, Karen's sister, who runs an organic food buying club in MA and loves radishes.) $3/lb

Japanese Salad Turnip: Hakurei: Wonderful, crunchy, sweet mild flavor, with texture like an apple. Roots and leaves good raw or cooked. $3/lb
 

VEGETABLES:

Chinese Cabbages: heading and other types, including Tah Tsai that looks like dark green flowers. For salad or stir fry. $ by size.

Chinese and Japanese Leafy Greens: 3 types, for salad or stir-fry. $ by size.

Eggplant: long, slim, mild, delicious Asian and other special types in a rainbow of colors. $2.50/lb

Lettuce: assorted varieties, including some lovely Romaine, oak leafs, and French/Summer Crisps. $ by size.

Mustard Leaves: Another healthy green used young and relatively mild or mature and strong flavored, for pepping up your salad, sandwiches, omelets, or for cooking. Mustard's bite mellows when cooked. $ by size.

HERBS: $2/bu unless otherwise noted

Arugula, also known as Rocket: Strong, some say "nutty," flavor for your salad or enjoy cooked or wilted -- even as the base for pesto. $2.50/bu

Basil, Holy Red: lovely in a bouquet or for tea or cooking, but not really a substitute for Italian/pesto basils. Super herb medicinally: supports cortisol, blood sugar, protects cells from radiation damage, and so much more.

Chinese Garlic Chive aka Chinese Leek: Wonderful in and on most everything, raw or cooked. Flavor like a mild garlic-onion cross.

Papalo: Mexican herb used as a substitute for cilantro but different taste and crisp, fresh sharp scent.

Parsley, Curly: Used extensively as garnish and flavoring and as a major ingredient of tabouleh, this common herb is vitamin and mineral rich. Medicinally, parsley tea is used as a diuretic and for high blood pressure.
 

FLOWERS:

Anthurium

OTHER:

Breads: may not arrive at market til after 7 A.M. $4/loaf

Nora's fresh-baked Butterzopf: braided bread made from top quality ingredients like real butter. Similar in taste and crumb to a Jewish Chale (challah).

Nora's whole wheat/multigrain zopf: Again all top quality ingredients: whole wheat flour, multigrain flour, real butter, honey, yogurt, salt & water.

Kathy's Jams/Jellies: Made with organic fruit, white sugar, pectin by Kathy George and supplied in jars you can recycle with us. Carambola and Apricot (Mamey Apple): ($8.00/jar) and Pineapple: $9.00/jar. This will be the end of jam for a while as Kathy has had difficulty obtaining jars.

PICK-UP INFORMATION:

We do our best to keep your orders in shade at market; still, we urge you to pick up your orders as early as possible for best produce quality and longevity and in any case, please arrange to pick up your order NO LATER THAN 10 A.M. unless you make other arrangements with us. If we are ready to leave before you are able to reach market, we can leave your order with Frances or another market vendor of your choice or you can pick up at our house at River Estate later on Saturday, but we must know what to do by Friday evening.

Please include WITH EACH ORDER a phone number where you could be reached Saturday morning. Thanks for your understanding and for helping us supply you with the best possible quality produce. .
 

TRANSITIONAL and ORGANIC CITRUS:

In Spring 2005, we added some additional acreage containing citrus that had been farmed by the previous owner with modest use of agricultural chemicals. For more than two years, there has been no use of ag. chemicals there. Most of the Ortanique Oranges and some of the white grapefruit and common oranges that we are now selling are from this land so, strictly speaking, they should be called "transitional," not "organic." Northern organic agencies use a period of 3 years under organic culture before one can call a crop organic. In tropical climes, the breakdown of chemicals and rejuvenation of the soil is significantly quicker, but as yet there is no formal organic standard for Dominica to define when transitional can be called organic.

No matter whether citrus is organic, transitional or conventionally grown, citrus trees in Dominica (actually worldwide) have been hit hard by an incoming disease called tristesia. The disease kills the trees. Citrus will be rarer and considerably more expensive this year. We are replanting with some wonderful uncommon fruits (e.g., mangosteen, lychee, mamey) and even some nuts...but it will be years before they bear.
 

BAGS, BOXES and JARS:

Thanks so much to those of you who have recycled your bags with us. We would greatly appreciate if you would continue to bring us your extra, clean plastic handle bags for re-use; all sizes are good, but we especially covet large ones. We also could use clean cardboard boxes of various sizes. For those of you who order in large quantities that we have to pack in flour bags: we need to charge a deposit of $1 each on those bags (our cost) so they will more reliably be returned to us for re-use or so we can buy replacements for those that don't make it back to us. We expect these deposits will allow us to avoid raising prices for produce by instead targeting just the actual expense. Again, a big thank you to all of you who have been bringing us bags and boxes all along!
 

ORDERING INFORMATION:

We need your orders no later than Thursday night, so we can pick Friday to have fresh at market for you Saturday. Except for curly parsley, when available, we generally bring herbs only if you order.

If you need different quantities, maturities, or mixes of produce, just let Karen know. If we can accommodate your needs, we will.

Our retail prices are generally between those at the Roseau Produce Market and those at the Supermarkets. We reserve the right to change prices without prior written/email notice. Wholesale quantities/prices for some items may be available; just call or email. For other items, quantities may be limited. If you order by email, you will receive an email acknowledgment; if you don’t get a reply, please try to email again or phone (before 8 P.M., please).

Please include with your order – even if you have told us previously -- your telephone number and any instructions for leaving your order in case we are ready to leave market before you are able to reach.
 

AVAILABILITY:

Availability of produce listed may be affected by prior sales, weather conditions, pest incursions (including human thieves) or our standards for quality. Also, we are always testing new varieties. Our first trials are small plantings, not always enough to go around. Our apologies if you have to miss out the first time around on a new item.
 

PICK-UP INFORMATION:

Our produce sells out quickly at the Roseau Market and we are often ready to leave by 10 A.M. Please either pick your order up between 6:30 and 10 A.M. or tell us with which vendor you would like us to leave your order. If we are ready to leave market before you reach and we do not have other instructions from you, we will leave your order with Frances and Merlin who have the corner permanent booth on the Hanover Street side of the market. Please pay them for us.

If you order and do not pick up, we still have to collect for the cost of the ordered produce we are otherwise unable to sell. Please, if you are unable to pick up your order Saturday A.M., try to let us know by Friday night. You can also try calling us at market at 245-3038. If you call early enough, say by 7-8 A.M., we may be be able to sell your order off the table.

If pick-up at the market is impossible for you or you have any questions or concerns, give Karen a call or email to see if other arrangements can be made.

PLEASE NOTE: There are usually additional unlabeled Roots Farm organics on the table that are not on this list and there may be some non-organic, non Roots Farm produce that friends have asked us to put on the table to sell for them. Just look for the Roots Farm label or ask Roy or Karen if you want to be sure.
 

STORAGE TIPS:

To maintain quality through the rigors of market, we bag most produce slightly wet. For storage of more than a day or so, however, the produce needs to be shaken/spun or otherwise dried and put into dry plastic bags in the fridge. Except for arugula (which yellows quickly), most of your produce, dried, bagged and refrigerated, should maintain good condition for at least 1 week, and probably 2 weeks.
 

GENERAL REQUESTS:

Please let us know of others who might like to receive this list by email, if there is something you would like us to grow, or if you have any suggestions for us.

We take great pleasure and pride in providing outstanding varieties of common and exotic produce of highest quality by growing, picking and preparing for market in ways that maximize freshness, taste and nutritional value. PLEASE, PLEASE tell us if there is ever a problem with your order.

We greatly appreciate your interest in and support of Roots Farm Organic Produce.

767-449-3038

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