Started as an opportunity to provide regional, fresh food to our neighborhoods, Shore Drive Farm Market will provide a greater service to the community. It will make it easier for you to find, choose and appreciate local foods while supporting the farmers, harvesters, and the land and waters that produce them. Here are a few reasons to get out and support your local farm markets:

Taste: Locally grown foods, picked and eaten at the height of ripeness have the best flavor.

Health: Supermarket produce can spend days in transit, losing much of their nutrient content. Locally grown foods are freshly harvested.

Family Farms: Money spent on food goes directly to local farmers, ensuring our local family farms providing continuing economical viability.

Environment: Locally grown foods dont travel far, reducing fossilfuel dependence, carbon emissions and packing materials.

Diversity: Local production allows for the choice of varieties thatgrow best in our climate, but may not travel or keep well enough.

w e l c o m e t o t h e

Shore Drive Farm Market!

wYear-round farm market

wEvery Saturday 9 a.m. to noon

wA local and regional

focus on fresh, natural, sustainable and delicious food.

wFood and beverage

vendors, come to the beach and

make a day of it.w

Dont eat anything your great grand-mother wouldnt recognize as food.

Michael Pollen, author of The Omnivores Dilemma and

In Defense of Food

Shore to ForkShore Drive Farm Market Newsletter

Putting your money where your mouth is.

Spread the word! Saturday mornings are Farm Market mornings. Starting June 13th on the South side of Shore Drive half way between the bridge and the woods at 2961 Shore Drive in The Lynnhaven Square Shopping Center.

June July August 2015

The average person faces many choices when purchasing food--organic, conventional, sustainable, local, popular, nutritional, artisanal. The confusion becomes greater when deciding what fits your particular needs.

Do you have concerns about the environment? Do you want healthier living? Do you want to support the local economy? Do you want buying power that decreases cost? Would you like a simpler, fresh approach to cooking?

This series will focus on the differ-ences and considerations you may want to know when making your food choices.

For the purposes of this series, the following information focuses solely on the quality of nutrition. A future article will discuss other factors in food choices such as pesticide use, environ-mental effects, etc. According to a 2009 report published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, organic food is not nutritionally superior to conventionally-grown food. What? How can this be? Remember that this discussion focuses only on nutritional value and nothing else. Compare one organically-grown tomato the same conventionally- grown tomato and nutrition

alone may not change accord-ing to this study. However, one of the greatest qualities affecting nutrition is freshness. Many factors influence the nutritional value of food be-sides the difference between organic vs. conventional. For instance, a large-scale farmer in Florida chooses to-mato varieties based on shelf life, appearance, durability during multiple handling phases, pack-ability, consistent appear-ance, size, etc. The tomato vari-ety must survive the multi-state trip in a truck from the field to our grocery store without rotting

before it gets here. Often this means picking the fruit before it has ripened. Ripe produce contains the highest concen-tration of nutrients. The tomato must look visually consistent. A variety that produces different sized or shaped tomatoes from the same plant doesnt meet the needs of this grower. It must fit in its packaging properly, fur-ther emphasizing the need for perfect dimensions. The tomato must withstand more handling and the physical transport without damage. Damaged product reduces revenue. Find a variety that does all of this and

What we do have in

Virginia Beach is the

local farmer choosing

and growing seasonal

produce.

Nutrition

M a k i n g B e t t e r f o o d c h o i c e s p a r t o n e : N u t r i t i o n

produces quickly with high yields and youve got a profit-able product even after factor-ing in the shipping costs. Taste and nutritional value dont even matter for this model. Taste and nutrition--the two things most important to the consumer, take a back seat to the practical needs of the prod-uct. The product is made spe-cifically for you, to purchase and consume, and the two most valuable qualities to you arent considered. Every consumer has experienced this type of to-mato --bland, mealy, tasteless and found on mediocre salads

and sandwiches throughout the country. When you want a tomato in Virginia Beach in Febru-ary, this is most likely what youll get. A possibility does exist that youll stumble across a local greenhouse-produced gem in the middle of winter, but face it--Virginia Beach just isnt known as the hotbed for alternative-ly-grown produce yet. What we do have in Vir-ginia Beach is the local farmer choosing and growing seasonal produce. A local farmer has freedom to choose varieties based on taste and seasonality. A local farmer can handpick the perfect variety for our soil and weather. Proximity means locally grown food comes straight from the plant to your table--ripe, with minimal handling, packed with nutrition and flavor. Better nutrition leads to vast benefits including reduced obe-sity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. If your produce tastes better youll eat more of the good fresh food and less of the processed bad stuff. Shore Drive Farm Market gives you options. Choose the old, traveled, tasteless, less nutri-tious tomato chosen by some-body somewhere. Or choose the ripe, nutrient-laden, flavorful, fresh tomato chosen by your local farmer who, by the way, is standing right in front of you. Introduce yourself. Ask some questions about your food. Find out where it came from and why it was chosen for you. Theyll be happy to answer.

Jill Doczi jilldoczi@aol.com

M a k i n g B e t t e r f o o d c h o i c e s p a r t o n e : N u t r i t i o n

A beautiful sight. Tomato chips of many colors and sizes are fun as a garnish and delight-ful as a snack.

Ingredients1 cup pure olive oil2 tablespoons minced garlic3 pounds assorted tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick2 tablespoons salt2 teaspoons black pepper1/4 cup finely chopped thyme

InstructionsIn a saut pan, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat until it begins to ripple slightly at the bottom of the pan, no higher than 140 degrees. Add the garlic and remove from the heat. Infuse the olive oil for 2 hours. Strain out the garlic and reserve the oil.

Preheat the oven to 250 de-grees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with Silpat mats.

Brush the sliced tomatoes with the garlic oil. Season with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Place in the pans in a single layer and bake for 1 hour, then lower the temperature to 200 degrees. Continue baking for 3 to 5 hours (or longer, depend-ing on the moisture content of the tomatoes) until the chips are dehydrated and crisp. If not eaten immediately, the chips should be stored in an airtight container.

It began almost a de-cade ago with a med-ical diagnosis and the necessity of a healthier diet. It ended up filling a community need that was shockingly scarce in Virginias largest city. Richard Welton turned to seafood to start the process of cleaner, healthier living and hit a roadblock with tradi-tional outlets. Youd like to know what month its caught and what continent it came from, and that shouldnt be too much to ask, said Welton. Un-able to easily find infor-mation, Welton decided to provide it himself. Weltons Seafood Market now supplies the seafood and the answers. Spend some time with Welton or his daughter, Ashley Welton Gnilka, and youll get all the answers you ever wanted about regional sea-food. Surrounded by water, its hard to believe it can be difficult to find fresh, untreated seafood for sale in Virginia Beach. For instance, often treated with CO2, enhanced tuna has unlim-ited shelf life once frozen and shrink-wrapped. After thawing, it has a pink color and will last almost two weeks without changing color in a cooler case.

Weltons provides only fresh, yellowfin tuna from North Caro-lina waters on the day its caught. Its red, not pink, said Welton Gnilka, tuna should always be red. The Weltons provide fresh, seasonal seafood, sourcing from trusted local harvesters with two exceptions. Wild-caught, Gulf Coast shrimp get shipped overnight throughout much of the year in Styrofoam coolers con-taining gel packs. The Welton family does not deal in frozen product. Once North Carolina

shrimp come into season (July Sep-tember), they replace the Gulf vari-ety. Weltons insists on wild-caught, not farm-raised shrimp. Farm-raised shrimp spend their lives in stagnant holding ponds, far from their natural conditionsliving in and ingesting their own waste and provided a diet. Antibiotics are sometimes used to offset the dangers of the living conditions. Weltons customers receive an education about their food and the suppliers who provide it. Welton will always choose to support a con-sistent, local supplier over a slightly cheaper, random supplier who doesnt meet standards. Supporting

the local economy is just as import-ant to The Weltons as their commit-ment to quality. My customers are educated. If a brand new customer comes in and has questions about why we dont have something that is out of season, I just look at an old customer and they tell them, said Welton. Hes right, said Welton Gnilka the regular customer knows and will tell them. A natural fit for the Shore Drive Farm Market movement, Weltons Seafood Market will provide year-round, fresh, regionally-sourced seafood and products to Great Neck, Shore Drive and North End.The Weltons joined the Shore Drive Farm Market effort with a com-mitment to participate as the first vendor. Welton Gnilkas husband, Mike, plans to open the first market day with their number one summer itemtunaalong with the other popular staples like shrimp, crabs and Eastern Shore seaside scallops, clams and aquaculture oysters. We really want to bring fresh seafood to people on Shore Drive, said Welton Gnilka. In addition they plan on continuing the mission of educating the public while provid-ing quality seafood at the farm mar-ket. We know what were selling, we know where it came from and when it came in. We really want to educate people about great sea-food. Jill Doczi jilldoczi@aol.com

W e l t o n s S e a f o o d M a r k e t

Shopping at a farm market is the easiest way to eat locally. A little bit of thinking ahead can keep weekly shopping at the farm market fun and make cooking easier all week.

1. Know your seasonsLearn what grows in your area, when, and talk to the growers about what will be coming to market in upcoming weeks.

2. Go early or lateFor the best selection, go to the farm market early. The best goods go first. Popular-but-lim-ited items may even sell out before the day is done. But, for the best deals, go late. Farmers and other vendors often prefer to discount products instead of loading them back up and schlepping them home. Remember, these farmers raise this food for a living, so dont expect, or ask for, deep discounts.

3. Bring bags & changeSome farm market vendors offer bags, but they tend to be thin and flimsy plastic ones that groan under the pressure of any substantial produce purchase. Make sure every-thing gets home from the farm market without crashing onto the sidewalk or spilling onto the floor of your car by bring-ing your own sturdy canvas or nylon bags. Although vendors will make change, purchases will go easier and faster if you have exact (or close to exact) change.

4. Sketch weekly mealsSince you know what youre likely to find at the farmers mar-

ket, you can do a bit of meal planning and shop accordingly. For example, if local asparagus has just come into season and you cant get enough, you know youll want to eat some roasted, some cooked into a soup, and some sliced raw in a salad. So youll know both how many bunches of asparagus to buy and that youll also need some spring onions and herbs to add to the soup and some salad greens.

5. Plan spontaneityYes, youll fare better if you plan your trip to the farmers market. However, you need to leave a bit of wiggle room for those strawberries you didnt know would be at market so early, or the zucchini blossoms youve never tried before. Trying new things is part of the fun of going to farmers markets.

6. Work In volumeThe best deals at the farm market are had when you buy in bulk. Youll enjoy the best fla-vors and the best prices when you buy lots of whatever is at its harvest peak. How to use it all up? Try new recipes with favor-ite vegetables or learn the lost art of preserving food. I freeze lots of corn and tomatoes when theyre in season and theyre delightful throughout the winter.

7. Whole foodsNo, not the grocery store think in terms of how food grows and comes to the farm-ers market without being pro-cessed first. Like carrots come whole and unpeeled. Some beets still have greens (and

dirt) attached. Learning to handle just-harvested produce can take some getting used to, but the superior flavor is worth the adjustment, and the throw away parts are great for mak-ing flavorful stocks and soups.

8. Ask questionsIf you find a vegetable thats new to you at the farmmarket and want to give it a try, ask the farmer how to pre-pare it. For the best tips specifi-cally ask how they like to eat it.

9. Be mindfulBe mindful of all the smells, col-ors, sounds and beauty of the farm market. Its a gift to us all.

10. Keep It SimpleYoure buying ultra-fresh pro-duce when you shop at the farm market, so let its natural flavor show when you cook it. Keep preparations simple. Youll make cooking easier and youll be likely to try (and eat) even more amazingly delicious local foods from the farmmarket next week.

10 Farmers Market Shopping Tips

Tammy Deane tdeane@vittleinformation.com

Agave Bar and TaqueriaWhile making a life in San Fran-cisco, Agaves founders, Kelly and Matt Weinberg, fell in love with freshly made, West-Coast style tacos and decided to bring them back home to Vir-ginia Beach. At Agave, Kelly explains, I am cooking like I cook for my family. Everything from our marinades to our salsas are house-made with the fresh-est ingredients we can locally source. For example, Agaves Baja fish tacos feature local and sustainably-sourced mahi, topped with cabbage and house-made crema, wrapped in a 100 percent organic masa soft corn tortilla made minutes before serving.

Bay DazeBay Daze is the feeling you get after spending the day on the water. Whether youre a fisher-man, sailor, pleasure cruiser or beach goer, we all know what that feeling does to us. Bay Daze, tries to capture that es-sence in our clothing. We offer a variety of styles celebrating life on the bay. While we are based out of Virginia Beach. Visit us at www.baydaze.net and see what the Bay Daze is all about.

The Creative WedgeArtisan market featuring Virginias finest gourmet products, American farmstead cheese, Virginia wine, craft beer and gifts handcrafted in the USA.

Cullipher FarmFamily-owned/operated by fourth, fiftth and sixthth genera-tion Culliphers, we grow over 250 varieties of fruits and vegetables year-round. We have a portion of our farm USDA certified organic produce and provide herbs, flow-ers, jar goods, plants, CSA and baked goods.

Flowers and CrystalsHandmade snow globes crafted with natural gems and crystals. Rock bags for children. Fresh flowers and lavender. Fun colorful small rocks and positive message paintings.

Flour Child BakeryWe bake old-fashioned American desserts 100 percent from scratch. Pies, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, brownies, cake pops, cinnamon rolls, etc. We can also provide high-quality, gluten-free and vegan options Mother/daughter owned and operated since 2010.

Full Quiver FarmOur family is first about joyfully rais-ing and training our nine children. Next, were about producing en-vironmentally responsible, clean and delicious food for your table. Our Commitment: As stewards of our environment and farm, were committed to the following old-world practices: We fertilize with compost and manure. Our ani-mals are raised outside in the fresh air and sunshine and graze on fresh pasture. They are treated lovingly and humanely. And, of course, we use non GMO feed. Products: Chicken, pork, beef lamb, rabbit, turkeys, eggs and cow-share dairy.

Gateaux BakeryGateaux is a scratch bakery pro-viding the community with excep-tional products made with natural ingredients at reasonable prices. Taking advantage of local produce, our premium offerings include handmade French macaroons, artisan breads, European-style pastries and desserts. We also spe-cialize in wedding and special event cakes.

Lynnhaven Coffee Roasters

Small batch coffee roaster sourc-ing green coffee globally with the intention it will be enjoyed locally. By acquiring in-season we start with the freshest available prod-uct. Then we roast frequently, in smaller batches, benefiting the consumer, because the flavor of roasted coffee reaches its height within the first week after its trans-formation.

Pendulum Fine MeatsPendulum Fine Meats is a family- owned, local butchery that sources ethically-raised, local meats and other carefully selected products. We believe in the power of the table to bring people together over food. Working with local farmers, processors and skilled craft butchers, we create honest, good food and custom-cut whole animals. Whether you are looking for a fine bavette or tri-tip to grill or a sausage made with fresh in-gredients, Pendulum Fine Meats is your source for just what you thought you were always buying.

Rusty CottageAn eclectic mix of re-purposed and renewed functional items created from antiques and vin-tage furniture and salvage.

Sandy Toes Sea GlassOriginal beach art pieces hand-crafted using seaglass and shells.

Sarah Linsly PhotographySarah Linsly produces photography, framed pictures, matted pictures, canvas prints and unmatted prints.

Savor the OliveSavor the Olive is a stylish tasting room featuring one of the finest and most extensive selections of ultra-premium, extra virgin olive oil and authentic aged balsamic vinegar in North America. We

s h o r e d r i v e f a r m m a r k e t f o l k s

strive to bring Old World ideals to an elegant, modern setting where stellar customer service, great taste and health benefits are emphasized above all else.

Ritas Shore DriveCold delicious Ritas Italian ice is made fresh daily with real fruit used in all fruit flavors.

Speedys Hot SauceWe created Speedys Hot Sauce out of a desire for something with flavor, not just heat. Our philos-ophy about condiments is that they should enhance the flavor of what you are eating, not overpower it. Speedys #44--The Original--is a rich, smokey carrot-based haba-nero sauce. Speedys #45--Honey Habanero--is a sweeter, smokey, honey-based habanero sauce. Speedys #46--Citrus Jalapeno--is a milder, brighter, jalapeno and poblano-based sauce. We make or sauces in small batches from fresh ingredients, right here in Vir-ginia Beach.

Thirty Seven North Farm Market fare will include BLTs using Cullipher Farm tomatoes and lettuce with house-made bacon. Head in the direction of Thirty Seven North, the new dining desti-nation for elegant farm to table American cuisine. Our Virginia Beach restaurant provides a ca-sual on-the-water atmosphere in the Shore Drive area that is warm, local and far north of ordinary. We pride ourselves on bringing you the freshest seasonal ingre-dients available and preparing modern fare using local produce, meats and seafood with both traditional and exotic recipes. Our menu is ever-changing so that we can evolve with the seasons and todays freshest catch.

Treasure Chest AntiquesLocally owned and operated an-tique shop featuring fine antiques from 19th century to mid-century modern. We buy, sell and consign

all types of antiques. We are always glad to find a particular piece for customers. Auction services: Full service auction provider with and experienced, licensed auc-tioneer on staff and on hand. We have handled hundreds of estate auctions. Call for free consultation today.

Victorias la Dolce Vita Bakery Cafe

Locally owned and operated bakery cafe. We use local-ly-sourced products when possi-ble. All baked goods are made from scratch.

Weltons Seafood MarketWe are dedicated to providing the freshest seafood available to the local community. We strive to educate our customers about the benefits of buying fresh, local or domestic seafood vs. buying imported, farm-raised seafood. yellowfin tuna, wahoo, flounder,

gulf shrimp, North Carolina shrimp, dry-packed sea scallops, fresh local jumbo lump crabmeat, clams and oysters are a few of our top sellers. Carrying a variety of marinades allows us to help customers get the most out of their seafood experience. Jill Doczi jilldoczi@aol.com

CATCHESHIM IN THE ACT

Cox HomelifeSM is available to residential customers in select Cox service areas. Internet connection is required. Applicable monthly service charges, installation, additional equipment, taxes, trip charges and other fees may apply. Subject to credit approval. Other restrictions may apply. Local ordinances may require an alarm user permit. Service provided by Cox Advanced Services: Virginia, LLCLicense #11-7776. 2015 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

1-855-372-4420 | cox.com/homelife

We cant teach Buster new tricks, but we can let you see when hes up to his old ones. In addition to pet cameras, Cox HomelifeSM lets you know hes safe with fire, smoke and carbon monoxide detection. So you know hes protected, even when youre away.

T:4.25

T:5.5

Edward Jones Financial Advisor: John Nagle (757) 481-0023

1432 N Great Neck Rd Ste 201 Virginia Beach, VA 23454

The Shore Drive Farm Market is lo-cated at 2961 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, and is open every Saturday (year round) from 9 a.m. to noon

For information on becoming a vendor call Jill Doczi at

(757) 407-5595

To advertise in Shore to Fork go to www.shoredrivefarmmarket.com.

Want to proudly proclaim you shop locally for the freshest and

best foodstuffs available? Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming T-shirts, bumper stickers, koozies and more from our department of schwag.

Contact Information

Department of Schwag

Saturdays all year long from 9 a.m.- noon at 2961 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach in the Lynnhaven Square Shopping Center

Many thanks to all our sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and supporters including: John Nagle, Cox Communications, its a Shore thing and Lynnhaven Coffee Roasters, Vittles food marketing, The city of Virginia Beach, Bayfront Advisory Commision, and the surrounding Shore Drive communities.

M e r c i A D a n k g r a t z i e a r i g a t g r a c i a s T h a n k s