My commitment to locally grown food began years ago when Clearly Nature’s Own, now the Wild Oat’s at 43rd and Main, began selling Mark Moreno’s organic lettuce. Mark went on to found Earthbound Farms, selling his organic produce nationwide. I later would trek to the City Market on Saturdays to shop his booth and perhaps the two or three other local growers committed to natural methods. Since then, local and organic markets have sprouted all over the area. This month’s theme, “locally grown,” inspires me to share some of my favorite local growers and producers.
You will spot Calvin and Laura Benedict easily by their Mennonite dress and glowing smiles at the Brookside Farmer’s Market. Stop to chat and you will walk away with an education in the benefits and methods of pasture fed poultry, meat and eggs, and perhaps some of their enthusiasm, too. Their eggs are hands down the best I’ve ever tasted and fresher than any grocery store egg. This is just one more reason why I look forward to spring. They sell out of eggs early, so make Benedict Builder’s your first stop at the Brookside Farmer’s Market.
I know spring is coming when oatmeal seems too warm in the morning. That’s when I switch to Windwalker granola. Baked in the ovens of Joan Vibert, co-owner of Windwalker Farm, she has found the perfect combination of oats, barley, kamut, rye, raisins, wheat germ, walnuts and honey collected from her own apiaries. All the ingredients except the walnuts and honey are organic. I top it with warm soy milk on the cooler days and cold soy milk on the hot ones. She sells her honey, too. It would take a wine critic to describe its flavor. I’ll just say that it makes my tongue dance. Find Windwalker Farm at the Brookside Farmer’s Market.
Walk into Fervere (fur-vair-ay) Bakery after noon and you are sure to be disappointed by the “sold out” sign. Thus I call first thing Saturday to reserve a loaf of what I think is the finest 100 % whole grain bread around, Pain Complet. We slice it and place it into freezer bags two slices at a time. Frozen the same day it’s baked, it loses very little after thawing. Open Thursday through Saturday, Fervere Bakery is located at 1702 Summit on the Westside, 816-842-7272.
Every Sunday I indulge in my husband’s buckwheat pancakes. The buckwheat flour comes from Acme Grain owned by Lee and Cindy Quaintance. They grow and mill whole wheat, gluten-free buckwheat, soy and sorghum flours in Edgerton, KS. The Bluebird Bistro and Eden Alley are some of their better known customers. Cindy meets her customers for delivery in Mission. Call 913-893-6797 to order.
This article originally appeared in the March 2006 issue of the Kansas City Wellness Magazine, www.kcwellnessmagazine.com.
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