Music this Saturday by Sean & Will!

Leesburg Farmers Market Saturdays 8am-noon Virginia Village Shopping Center Catoctin Circle.

Kids and Dogs at the Farmers Markets

We love 'em, and they are always welcome, but we have had a few incidents at the Markets lately which prompts this reminder to all.

Dog Parents: Loudoun County requires that your dog be on a lead at all times when out in public, and that the owner clean up any "messes" they make. LVHMA also asks that you keep track of both ends of your dog around the food on display at the Markets' please keep noses out of products, off the edges of tables and displays and watch what is going on with the rear! If there is an accident, every vendor has plastic bags you can use to scoop the poop. If you have a male dog, take care that he doesn't mark his favorite spot at the Market--your inattention could result in an unplanned purchase of a bushel of corn!

Kid Parents: Please do not let your children run unattended through the Market. We would appreciate it if you would monitor the kids with the perishables and samples. The kids are welcome to try the samples put out by vendors, but please assist them so that everyone can enjoy!

The Loudoun County Master Gardeners will be hosting a series of FREE Children's Garden Workshops at their Demonstration Garden in Ida Lee Park in Leesburg. These workshops are open to any child accompanied by an adult (not recommended for children under 3) and will expose your child to the love of gardens and the outdoors. The next class is "Animal Homes" and will be held on Tuesday, July 14 from 10am-11:30am--no pre-registration required. Another class, "Wiggly Worms" is scheduled for Saturday, July 18. For more information, visit their web site: http://www.loudouncountymastergardeners.org/ and click on the Children's Garden Workshop Schedule.

The Loudoun County Department of Economic Development will be conducting a survey about the Farmers Market on Saturday, June 11. Please give a few minutes of your time to answer their questions. Your participation helps all the LVHMA Farmers Markets by giving a "voice" to the support we get from the community.

This Week on the LVHMA Farms

Each week we try to let all of the friends of the Farmers Markets in on what is happening on our Member's farms and businesses.

You never know what will show up at the Farmers Markets! On July 4th, the Leesburg Independence Day Parade ended in the Virginia Village parking lot. Vendors and customers were treated to a mini parade that included 2 sheep that belong to Ashley Wells of Willow Hawk Farm in Lovettsville VA (Leesburg Market)--Nicolas Flammel (named during the Harry Potter year) and Lucretia (named during the President's and their wives year)--all dressed in their red, white and blue finery. Lew Parker, owner of Willowcroft Vineyard in Leesburg drove his antique car to the parking lot, receiving lots of admiring looks! We'll have to talk him into bringing it back to the Market for a display and photo op--check back for more info!

More fame for LVHMA Producers! This past week, Jim Dunlap of Snow Bear Farm in Lovettsville (Ashburn Market) was featured in an article on the front page of the Food Section of the Washington Post! Unfortunately, the article didn't mention that Jim also sells his chemical-free produce in Ashburn on Saturdays as well as in DC on Sundays. Read the entire article (and view the slide show) at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063000924.html
The Loudoun County Master Gardeners (Leesburg & Purcellville Markets)were also featured in the Washington Post last week. The article in the Home Section, by Adrian Higgins, told about the increased interest in home vegetable gardening and how the LCMG Volunteers have helped provide information to many beginning gardeners. The article can be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062903732.html and the LCMG will be at the Leesburg and Purcellville Markets every week to help you with your gardening problems.

Although we are finally enjoying some dry, sunny weather, the heavy rains we experienced in May and June have affected this Spring's honey crop. According to Joe Orlando of St Ambrose Apiary in Front Royal, VA (Purcellville Market) even though the rain created great blooms, bees don't fly in the rain, so the honey industry is missing important nectar flows. When the bees do fly, they may be bringing back diluted, water ladened nectar. To make honey, bees gather the nectar and load it into the comb, then it is fanned with their wings to reduce the water content and mature the honey. With diluted nectar, the bees may reject it completely, or if they do gather it, the high water content is fanned off leaving half the amount they would normally have gathered in a foraging flight. The bees have to work harder and longer to fill their comb. Bees consume almost thirty pounds of honey to make the wax for one pound of comb. Diluted nectar, fewer foraging flights and less honey means a slow comb building process for the bees, less honey storage area and less overall honey crop. Reports of problems with rain and honey production have been coming in from all parts of the US which may lead to higher honey prices next season.

Check back next week for more news from the LVHMA Farms!

New at the Market: Patty Pan Squash!

Also know as Scalloped Squash, Button Squash (in Australia) or Scallopini, these cute little "flying saucers" are one of the most unusual shaped members of the summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) family. Originally found as a light green color maturing to white, there are varieties of Patty Pans in all shades of green and yellow available. These squash can be harvested at any size, from 1" diameter gourmet baby squash to a more mature 6" across--the smaller ones generally having a better taste and texture.

Patty Pan Squash is a good source of Vitamins C, A, magnesium, iron and folic acid. A cup of steamed Patty Pans has only 30 calories and no fat.

Patty Pans can be used in any recipe that calls for summer squash--try it in this week's recipe for a Summer Vegetable Beef Stew! They can be sliced and sauteed with onions and tomatoes in a bit of olive oil or cut into quarters and roasted with sea salt and olive oil.

Earth Day Every Day Tip:

Don't throw away your old cell phone. Donate it to charity, or return it to the manufacturer for recycling. Electronic trash amounts to 70% of America's toxic waste.

Products in season for the month of July

Apples * Apricots Artichokes Arugula Basil Beef Beets Blackberries Blueberries Bok Choy Breads Broccoli Cabbage Carrots * Cheese Cherries Chicken Cilantro Collards Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Eggs Fava Beans Figs Flowers Garlic * Goat Gooseberries Green Beans Jams & Jellies Kohlrabi Lamb Lettuce Melons Mint Nectarines Okra Onions * Pastries Peaches Peppers Pies Plants Plums Pork Potatoes * Radishes Raspberries Sage Salsa Soaps Soups Strawberries Summer Squash Sweet Potatoes Swiss Chard Tarragon Tat Soi Thyme Tomatoes Turkey Wine Wool & Products Yogurt