A neighborhood market with a mission - Cobblestone Farm Market starts May 21
Greg Vaclavek of Native Plant Nurseries
Photo courtesy of Cobblestone Farm Market
“Sustainable farms are to today's headlong rush toward global destruction what the monasteries were to the Dark Ages: places to preserve human skills and crafts until some semblance of common sense and common purpose returns to the public mind.” - Gene Logsdon
For more than 40 years only the ghosts of farmers have resided at Cobblestone Farm, the living history museum on Packard that began as the 183 acre Ticknor Farm in 1835. Purchased by the city of Ann Arbor in 1972 and restored with gardens and farm animals, the Cobblestone Farm property has long been used as an educational and event space.
But it took the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods to bring back the farmers. Since 2012, they have breathed agricultural life back into the property with the all-organic Cobblestone Farm Market every Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. starting May 21 and running until Nov. 5, 2013.
Offering prepared foods, native plants, baked goods, and cheese in addition to organic produce, health and the Slow Food principles of "good, clean and fair" are the guiding lights of the market.
They say: "When you buy produce at our market, you can be sure that the food is good for you, good for the people who grow it, and good for the land. Our farmers use traditional production methods that maintain fertile soil, clean water and fresh air. Prepared foods are free of GMO's and coffee is roasted locally with Fair Trade beans. We ask our vendors to avoid refined sugar and use whole grains whenever possible."
The neighborhood instigators of this new organic, family-friendly market call themselves "parents, farmers, gardeners, teachers, radical homemakers, naturalists, neighbors and friends." Among them is the beloved early childhood educator and community activist, Jeannine Palms, who is a member of the market's coordinating team. I was able to ask Jeannine about the principled focus on health for the neighborhood and the market.
Briefly, how was the Cobblestone Farm Market formed?
Several neighbors got the idea, explored the possibilities with other neighbors and farmers, were joined by several other neighbors to form a working team, considered different venues, grappled with some obstacles that finally lead to partnering with the Cobblestone Farm Association, and then finally pulled it all together to open in June 2012.
What is the vision for the market?
We have been working on refining our vision statement, but the discussion focuses on these aspects: To create and sustain a community-run market that strengthens local food networks, features quality food that can be trusted and is bought directly from the producers, has fair prices for both consumers and producers that foster local economies, provides access to good, clean and fair food from the local area in order to reduce food miles and shorten the food chain, provides a structure for consumers to become co-producers, learning from producers and from educational activities, and that grows community by providing a welcoming place to share food, music, skills, and activities in an earth friendly manner.
What would you say is unique about Cobblestone Farm Market?
It was initiated and is managed by volunteers; it is an organic produce market; it is on the grounds of an historic farm with buildings and live farm animals that can offer visitors a view into some historical aspects of farming and family life; besides a variety of vendors, it offers child friendly activities, music, tours of the farmhouse, live animals and re-skilling activities.
Why does the Buhr Park/Cobblestone area need its own market?
A neighborhood market is more accessible for people to get to, offers a wider variety of opportunities for building community, brings people to a market who may rarely if ever go to a market.
Are you working toward becoming certified as a Slow Food "good, clean and fair" Earth Market?
We have begun exploring what it means to be an Earth Market and if it would be a good match for us. We look forward to continuing discussions with ourselves and others.
Why did you decide that it was important to be an organic market?
Basically we decided to be organic because:
1. Organic produce and other organic food is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, neurotoxins or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are not given antibiotics or growth hormones.
2. Organic food produced by organic farmers emphasizes the use of renewable resources, the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations and  supports wildlife habitats. It is a sustainable way to grow food that respects all life and works in collaboration with the eco-system.
3. Organic food is higher in nutrients, tastes good, is much safer for farm workers.
4. Customers like it because they don't have to worry about how to find out themselves; it puts the farmers more in an even place with each other.
Some further explanations for these reasons are at http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/reasons-eat-organic-food.htm.
What will be new or upcoming for this year?
New vendors, some with new offerings including cheese, meat, crafts, nut butters, and soaps; food equity programs including SNAP that will make organic produce more accessible to more people, expanded Re-skilling activities, and more.
Kim Bayer is a freelance writer and culinary researcher. Email her at kimbayer at gmail dot com.
Comments
Steve Bean
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 1:31 a.m.
We saw friends and family and loaded up on some great food. We'll definitely be going back.
UloveM
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 11:59 p.m.
It was my dream science to create high yield, pest and pesticide resistant crop varieties GMO foods have saved over a billion lives from starvation.
Bryan Ellinger
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 12:01 a.m.
Oooh, you'd better cite that!
Bryan Ellinger
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 11:27 p.m.
Vivienne demands citations from me yet fails to produce any of her own to back up her assertions that: 1. Round-Up is a pesticide 2. Combining genes from diverse species produces food products that are harmful to humans, or somehow unsavory. Here are some facts: Organic produce is grown using "organic" pesticides, some of which are as harmful as some of the dreaded synthetics. http://goo.gl/z1EVT Irradiating produce makes it last longer, i.e. sustain it's benefit to the consumer. Using the scary term radiation is an appeal to emotion. http://goo.gl/kFex8 2. Organic farming need not be sustainable and is causing unnecessary soil erosion on organic farms right now. No-till organic farming is still in the research stage. http://goo.gl/Oitz4 It typically uses more water, has lower yields, and higher costs than conventional farming. http://goo.gl/gV4xK http://goo.gl/8UcSO
Bryan Ellinger
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 11:43 p.m.
Vivienne, That's an interesting point about selective pressure promoting resistant pests. How does a GMO with "built-in" pesticide compare to conventional pesticide use? What do you think about the citations? Thanks, Bryan
Vivienne Armentrout
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 2:58 a.m.
I'll look at your citations later, thanks. I don't understand your passion. I'll admit to using a fair amount of shorthand in my comments. That is because to discuss the points fully would be beyond the scope of an online comment. My background: I am a plant pathologist (Ph.D., former professor) who has been following these issues for decades. I have also in the past been an (anti) pesticide activist and an advocate of local food. I used to lecture on "least toxic" agriculture (not organic but minimizing pesticide use). Why is Bt added to plant genomes a bad idea? Because this is one of the best biopesticides known, but already we are seeing some resistance in some insects. If you have studied epidemiology, you would understand that putting that kind of selective pressure on any pest is dangerous. The danger is producing pest resistance, like the multiple drug resistant bacteria that are now causing serious problems in hospitals. Also, we don't have any information on the long-term effects of humans ingesting those proteins. When applied to plant surfaces for short-term protection, they wash off early and are considered to be harmless. But that is not the same as eating plants with it incorporated into the genome. Round-up resistance increases the use of this pesticide. (And, no, I don't consider it necessary to provide a citation for Round-up being a pesticide.) That is a complex effect that I don't have space for here. No appeals to emotion here - just advocacy based on long study of these issues. If you don't like the idea of organic agriculture, why not just buy supermarket industrially produced food? What is the source of your passion against the preferences of others?
Bryan Ellinger
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 2:03 a.m.
Steve, I'm happy to learn that an herbicide is a subclass of pesticide. Thank you. How big a leap is it between "scary"; or "unsavory", and harmful to humans? Consider the context. Vivienne asked me to try harder, so why not to provide some citations? How convincing are the conclusions presented in the cited papers? How far do we take the precautionary principle? Why not raise crops that inherently grow more efficiently, i.e. use fewer resources?
Steve Bean
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 1:26 a.m.
Re: 1, herbicides are a subset of pesticides, as "weeds" are considered pests. Re: 2, she made no such assertion about harmfulness to humans. You're trying too hard, Bryan.
Bryan Ellinger
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 9:23 p.m.
It sure is nice to be affluent enough to eschew science and logic when it comes to obtaining food. The "mission" commits at least two logical fallacies: appeal to antiquity, and appeal to nature. There's so much to feel good about while patting each other on the back for being "sustainable." 1. Organic produce is grown using "organic" pesticides, some of which are as harmful as some of the dreaded synthetics. Irradiating produce makes it last longer, i.e. sustain it's benefit to the consumer. Using the scary term radiation is an appeal to emotion. 2. Organic farming need not be sustainable and is causing unnecessary soil erosion on organic farms right now. It typically uses more water, has lower yields, and higher costs than conventional farming. Still seem respectful of all life? 3. Some studies have shown that organic foods are marginally higher in nutrients, so you can eat just that much more of a tasty, conventional apple. Farm workers? See number one. The organic ideology is an elitist, pseudoscientific indulgence.
Vivienne Armentrout
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 10:33 p.m.
Talk about pseudoscientific indulgence! None of what you say is supported by any data I am aware of. Perhaps you need to add some citations.
Bryan Ellinger
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 9:47 p.m.
*"its benefit"
JRW
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 6:42 p.m.
Just wondering why they would only be open at rush hour? Lots of traffic and congestion over on Packard at that time of day. Even starting a bit earlier, like 3 pm, would help out for people not interested in fighting traffic during rush hour, those that don't commute.
Steve Bean
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 1:18 a.m.
Beth, there's food available for purchase: Sylvio's Pizza and Hut-K-Chaat; it's in a grassy area with some shade, which makes for a nice picnic whether you buy something or bring your own; and there are kids' activities—we saw a group of more than a dozen youngsters at 4:00 today.
Beth
Wed, May 22, 2013 : 12:34 a.m.
I wish they could open at 3:30. I pick my kids up at school nearby, and it would be great to go right over. When we go after school, we have to wait until 4 (and some vendors set up later than that), and the kids are hungry and tired.
talker
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 8:48 p.m.
Staying open until 8 p.m. (at least until that's beyond dusk, such as in September) would help. Otherwise, being open for a few hours on Saturday would be nice. Perhaps, they have limited hours because they won't have enough products for too many customers at least at the onset.
Billy
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 2:35 p.m.
Each and every time you speak out against GMO foods simply because they are GMO foods you are spitting in the face of Norman Borlaug. A Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is credited with saving over a billion lives from starvation deserved more respect.
Bryan Ellinger
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 11:41 p.m.
"This method simply enlarges on the traditional (for centuries) methods of cross-breeding [sic] and selection of improved varieties." This is an appeal to antiquity. Should we still be beating our raiments on stones by the river's edge and attempting to cure disease by balancing bodily humors? "The scary thing about GMO foods is when genetic material from completely unrelated species, including animal or microbial species, is inserted into plants. This is usually to confer pest resistance (putting Bacillus thuringensis [sic] toxin production into plants) or pesticide resistance (Round-up [sic] resistant plants) on crop plants. It is an unsavory aspect of industrial agriculture." Why is it scary and unsavory (appeal to emotion)?
Vivienne Armentrout
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 10:29 p.m.
In my opinion, varieties that were developed (as Borlaug's were) by conventional plant breeding techniques are not GMO (genetically modified organisms). This method simply enlarges on the traditional (for centuries) methods of cross-breeding and selection of improved varieties. The scary thing about GMO foods is when genetic material from completely unrelated species, including animal or microbial species, is inserted into plants. This is usually to confer pest resistance (putting Bacillus thuringensis toxin production into plants) or pesticide resistance (Round-up resistant plants) on crop plants. It is an unsavory aspect of industrial agriculture. And the Green Revolution was not without its unintended negative consequences. But that's another discussion.
Bryan Ellinger
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 9:24 p.m.
Science is scary!
ypsicat
Tue, May 21, 2013 : 5:48 p.m.
From Wikipedia - "... he developed semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties." This wheat is the reason why so many of us now have various gluten sensitivities and diseases. Nobel Prize winner indeed.