April Farmers' Market Message

*Don't miss the low carbon recipe at the end of this message.

Thursday June 12th opening day of the 2008 Belmont Farmers' Market
season is right around the corner! This year, we are looking forward
to a special performance by the Meyer Family Brass Trio who will play
at Opening Day, June 12, 2008. Should be a great fanfare to the season!

Cheers to our webmaster Hal for his elegant renovation of the website
at www.BelmontFarmersMarket.org. We now have improved navigation,
information for our vendors, and new photography! Stay tuned to the
website for an updated list of vendors, as well as a calendar of
upcoming events.

While you're on the internet, think about writing a review! The
Belmont Farmers' Market is listed on several sites that accept
customer reviews. See our profile at:
www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M15828, Yelp Boston:
http://www.yelp.com/boston then search for "Belmont Farmer's Market", and on
Google Maps – search Google Maps for "Belmont Farmers' Market,
Belmont, MA 02478".

Stay in touch with local farming and gardening by visiting the blog
sites of our very local Belmont Farm at http://belmontcsa.blogspot.com and
http://carletongarden.blogspot.com.

This April there has been more Environmental Awareness information in the press
than ever before! While there's always a risk of overload, we thought we might
put forth a few tips for choices that make a difference.

Energy Saving Tips for the Month:
Eat one less serving of meat per week. Substitute a cheese-free
alternative each week. (Cheese, being an animal product, has the same
carbon costs as meat.) Savings: 195 pounds of carbon per year

Use recycled paper. Make sure its 100% post-consumer recycled and use
it at home and in your office. Savings: 6 pounds of carbon per ream

Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional one to warm up small
meals and quantities of food. Savings: 1 pound of carbon per meal

Choose hardwood or concrete floors over carpeting. Huge amounts of
energy are required to create and weave together carpet fabrics, many
of which are petroleum-based. Savings: 4,000 pounds of carbon per 800
square feet.

Repair, don't replace, your appliances. Whenever possible, look into
repairing your appliances rather than replacing them. For each one you
repair, that's one less you have to throw away and replace with a new
one. Savings: 13 (blender), 690 (refrigerator), and 410 (washing
machine) pounds of carbon per year

Drink tap water instead of bottled, and you'll also extend the life of
your local landfill. Plastic bottles require energy to make, fill, and
ship, and half-liter sizes generate emissions at twice the rate of
gallon jugs. Faucet water needs energy only to pump. Savings: 52
pounds of carbon per year or 2 pounds per gallon jug

Farmers Market Volunteering
We have many opportunities available, reply to this message for
further details or check the Volunteer Positions description document
on the Yahoo group page: www.BelmontFarmersMarket.org.

We are currently recruiting writers for Roots and Spouts, and
contributors to this newsletter. We also need individuals willing to
assist with our marketing efforts. Time commitment can be one hour and
up.

If you have Thursday afternoons free, we are still looking for "market
managers" to help with the logistics of market days. You don't need to
have extensive training, and it's a great way to meet new people!
Think about making a commitment for just one day, to see how you like
it. All market managers work in teams, and you only need to commit to
the first or second half of the market day.

Finally, a low carbon recipe:

Chick peas (otherwise known as `garbanzo beans') are a wonderfully
versatile food - and an excellent staple for vegetarians.
Nutritionally they're particularly high in protein, calcium, and
fiber, are low in fat, and are an excellent source of minerals such as
zinc, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

This recipe obtains its low carbon status partly because there it
includes all plant based ingredients. Reduce the carbon footprint
further by choosing certified organic or locally grown options. Feel
free to substitute some spring greens for the cooked vegetables as
soon as they are available!

Ingredients:
• 1c sunflower seeds
• 1 t salt
• 1/3c yeast flakes
• 1t dried basil
• 5c water
• 4T corn starch
- - - - - - - - -
• 2c cooked chick peas
• 1/2c cooked corn
• 1/2c cooked peas
• 1/2c cooked cauliflower
• 1/2c cooked carrots

Soak the sunflower seeds in 1c of hot water for about 30 minutes.
Place into a blender, add 1c of water (cold) and the salt, basil and
yeast flakes and blend on high until smooth. Add 2c of water and blend
again. Pour into a large pot and heat. In the meantime dissolve the
corn starch in the remaining 1c of water and add to the pot. Bring to
the boil, stirring constantly. Boil for a few minutes, until
thickened. Then add the cooked vegetables and heat through. Serve on
pasta or brown rice.