More Organic Finds at the Green Market

More Organic Finds at The Green Market

Saturday - Market Day

Fresh organic produce is available only on Saturdays at the Green Market.  Find herbs, fruits and vegetables of unusual variety, all tastier and healthier than those grown by conventional methods.  Seedlings and plants are also available for sale in case you wish to start your own organic garden.  Do remember that if roundup or other non-organic chemical was used on your land, you will need to wait for three years before planting those non-GMO seedlings or plants.  More tips will be shared soon on growing organics at home.

Body Care

Along the Market's walkway you will find lots to eat, from crepes to quiches, fried bakes (that local oxymoron) and pies with various fillings as well as empanadas, arepas and polourie.  You can wash those down with coffee (see my last post), a fresh fruit smoothie or a glass of local wine... that is, if you can get to the top of the long line of wine tasters and buyers.

As you stroll down the pathway, stop by the body care booths to sample the Coco Luscious and Coco Dreams hand and body creams, manufactured from the finest locally grown cocoa and said to have the ability to heal eczema and other skin problems.  The Soap Shack blends essential oils and herbs into concoctions that promise to make your skin more radiant, even skin tone and repair damaged skin.

Art

This blog is intended to focus on organic food but my quest led me to persons who bring to market non-food organic objects.  I took note of three artists on my visit to the Green Market, each showcasing extraordinary work.  T-Shirt artist, Kavir Mootoo works with acrylic fabric paints on organic apparel tees, a brand dedicated to using only organically grown cotton and no sweat shop or child labour.  Each piece is unique and is a composite of techniques from printing with leaves to detailed textural patterns.  Kavir has a deep concern for the environment and seeks through his work to bring awareness to the damage done by oil spills in the our local waters.

Interesting designs made from pebbles were on display as well as what looked like decoupage work on decorative signs by a talented painter.  Details however will have to follow my next visit to the Market.

Zen's Organics

Last Saturday morning at the far end of the Green Market, I caught up with Zen, a petite lady in flowing garb, roasting corn cobs still wrapped in their sheaths, atop a charcoal grill.  A huge stock pot stood next to the grill with corn cobs on the boil, seasoned with favourite local herb, chadon beni (aka long coriander/false cilantro).  Zen offers for sale organically grown produce from her family's  garden : plantains, avocados, corn and other fruits and vegetables.

We chatted for a while about the two most prevalent GMO products, corn and soy (click link for information on the 7 most prevalent GMO crops).  Asked about how insects and other pests are controlled on their farm, Zen shared a simple method used on their farm to prevent 'ear worm' infestation of their corn and her ongoing quest to source a variety of non-GMO seeds such as kale and red lettuce.

Zen's Corner - organically grown corn - roasted or boiled, plantains and other organic produce

Sunday - Eat Ah Food

Sundays are special at the Green Market.  No fresh produce available but instead there is an array of cooked foods to choose from including a variety of wholegrain breads and samosas with various fillings.  While I can't say that all the food available for sale at the Market is made from organic ingredients, I can safely recommend Appolonia's Select Provision Pies and Zen's Corn Soup both of which I found delightful.  Combined with lentils, black beans or beef, the provision pies are a complete meal in a bowl, easy to freeze and take with me to the office for lunch.  

Zen's heart warming corn soup is completely vegan and gluten free with chunky vegetables and ground provisions, seasoned with aromatic local herbs.  The term 'ground provisions' is used by West Indians to describe a group of complex carbohydrates including yams, sweet potatoes, cassava, breadfruit and green figs (bananas) usually boiled or steamed to melt-in-your-mouth consistency as in the case of Zen's Sunday Corn Soup.    

Zen's heart warming Corn Soup with herbed bread

Next - Be Free Foods, an Organic Store in St. James, Port of Spain.

Cheers,
Omgrowntnt

Organic Finds at the Green Market Santa Cruz

Green Market Santa Cruz - Agenda
Saturday 24th September 2016

I am always delighted at the waves of positive energy infusing the atmosphere at the Green Market.  Lively chatter, infectious laughter, children's shrieks of delight, warm hugs as friends greet one another, the casual arrangement of trees and plants filtering the sunlight, as people set about sampling the goods brought to market by the vendors.  

This morning, with the infectious rhythms of reggae in the background, I headed for the Elixir Hut where smoothies were made from your choice of fresh fruit juices and the inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee drew those seeking its comfort.  It was here I met entrepreneur, Ryan Stollmeyer who shared the story of Appolonia's Select Premium Trinidad Blend organic coffee, while I enjoyed a cup of the 'warrior elixir' as he referred to it, ‘... a potion for the warrior fighting to restore our connectedness to the land, our heritage, our true home…Rastafari'.

The berries are harvested from various locations across Trinidad and the  blend served today, Ryan said, came from the hills of Madamas in the Northern Range.  From picking to packaging the entire process is very labour intensive and done mostly by hand.  Ryan himself gets involved at every stage of the process, ensuring  consistent flavour and high quality in the end product.  

Ryan Stollmeyer with specially packaged Appolonia's Select
Trinidad Blend Organic Coffee 

The ‘potion' I savoured had a robust flavour with berry notes and an aroma that took me back to childhood days at my grandparents' when a cup of the home-grown brew would be served to young and old alike; now that was coffee!  In all the years I searched for a similar flavour, Appolonia's Select Premium Trinidad Blend comes closest.  

In her blog, Organic vs. Conventional Coffee Sara Fiore states that over 12 billion pounds of coffee are produced annually to meet the demands of coffee drinkers across the world.  In order to meet the high demand growers rely heavily on synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.  These chemicals alter the taste of the fruit and leave a bitter taste in the mouth.  A chemical-free growing process however delivers the true flavour of the fruit - delicious. sweet. natural. rich with flavour. 

But don't take my word for it, taste the organic difference with  Appolonia's Select Premium Trinidad Blend. As Ryan said, it's so good, you might have to have two, but I must confess, I had 3 and the pleasure was all mine.

Appolonia and Ryan Stollmeyer with their little ones

 Stay tuned for more Organic Finds at the Green Market....

OmGrowntnt

The Green Market Alternative

Gardening the Organic Way

One would think that when I moved out of a small townhouse with a tiny garden a home with a large outdoor space I would have mastered organic gardening.  But sadly no; I did however manage to grow without chemicals one tasty cabbage of the three I had planted, two prolific tomato plants of four and one healthy baigan (eggplant) of two.  Only the fittest survived while caterpillars, aphids, whiteflies and little green bugs destroyed the weak.  In time even the survivors fell defeated to the armies of insects, so I gave up. In fact, I now have greater respect for gardeners.  They know how to grow the stuff that nourishes our bodies, from seed to harvest and my attempts clearly demonstrate thadoing it without the use of chemicals to control pests and weeds requires specialised knowledge, strong commitment and immense manual effort.

I prefer effortless gardening; like the piece of ginger I simply stuck in a flowerpot two months ago that is still doing well;  all I do is water it three times a week. I  sprinkled tomato seeds in the same pot and one of the plants is doing really well.  No bugs.  At least not yet.  It could have something to do with the strong taste and smell of the ginger, I think.  

Tropical Fruits; Source: Peter Hendrie, Getty Images

The Alternative

In the meantime, I get some of my 'organic' produce at the Santa Cruz Green Market  also known as San Antonio Green Market.  This farmers' market is the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago and brings together produce vendors, craftsmen and artisans in the lush, rain-forested valley of Santa Cruz.

I have wondered whether the produce is really organic, and if so how is a buyer to know in a country like ours where there are no measures in place even for the monitoring the levels of chemicals used by farmers on their crops...more on this in a future blog.  For now, let's go with the Green Market's  Vendor Policy statement  which gives me some level of comfort, particularly because it states, "The Green Market will visit your farm or garden before you can sell at our Market".

They are open this Saturday although it is a Public Holiday in Trinidad and Tobago.  'Make a turn' and come visit the Santa Cruz Green Market... get yourself something organic, taste the difference and let me know what you think.  Maybe I will see you there!

Cheers!

Omgrowntnt

Welcome to We Organic TT

Welcome!

Farmers' Market - Santa Cruz, Trinidad

We Organic TT is about the organic choices available to you the Caribbean person, at markets, supermarkets, speciality shops, artisan and farmers' markets as well as in your own backyard.  You will get lots or recipes, cooking and food prep tips, all with your health and well-being in mind.  Those with outdoor spaces will get suggestions for growing organic edibles and lots of encouragement to keep the faith in organic sustainability.

The Term Organic means
- no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, weedicides, fungicides, insecticides or other chemicals to control the forces that naturally challenge the plant.
- plants are fed chemical-free water and organic composted materials
- produce are grown from non-genetically modified seeds
- sustainable agricultural methods are employed

The last point has important implications on entire eco-systems.  For example, coffee grows naturally on shaded slopes however to meet the demands of mass consumption,  a hybrid was developed to tolerate the full sun.  On estates with these plants, without the protective canopy of taller forest trees, the soil around the plants is quickly eroded by rainfall.  Conventional (non-organic) methods also involve clearing large portions of forest for cultivation resulting in destruction of the natural habitat of several different species of flora and fauna.  Sustainable practices work towards restoring healthy eco-systems by reintroducing cultivars to their natural habitat together with small rodents which help with the break down of living matter, releasing nutrients to the plants. Read more here.


The Dangers of Non-Organic products

Two words: chemical residue.  Here are a few more important links to the major concerns of non-organic produce: #roundup (learn about the dangerous weed-killer we love to use), #the dirty dozen list of foods that retain the highest amount of chemical residue and #the clean fifteen foods that are always safe to eat.

Certification/ Standards
At this time, there is no statutory body in Trinidad and Tobago monitoring and measuring chemicals used in the agricultural sector.

Our Organic Story

My very own fig (banana) patch

Less than 30 years ago most of the food we ate were organic foods; most came from our very own backyard or the neighbours' and in some cases from our uncle's or grandparents' estate in the countryside. With fruit-laden trees growing in our backyards there was always enough to share during the bearing season, from mangoes to portugals, soursop, papayas and coconuts, all organic.  So too were our eggs and chickens. Home grown, free range, organic. 

In those days every home had its own group of banana trees, known to Trinis as the 'fig patch'.  The young, green bananas (figs) were a dietary staple that were boiled, fried, baked or curried; recipes here.  

Successive generations gradually moved from homegrown to store-bought produce as we moved into tiny apartments with little or no space for gardening and our parents homes were with multi-storeyed apartment buildings. Store-bought often means wrapped in plastic and styrofoam, pesticide treated, chemically fertilised, force-ripened and maybe even genetically modified produce. With these practices farmers are able to pick, pack and ship their produce to us, with little deterioration so we receive them in picture perfect condition.   

Now it seems like we in the Caribbean are getting increasingly nostalgic about what we eat; artisan markets and farmers'  markets become trendy, supermarkets are stocking eggs labelled 'free range' or 'organic' and entire aisles are dedicated to pricey 'certified organic' foods, mostly imported from the USA.

Be Organic-Smart

Together, let's spread the word, organic does not have to be costly, we just need to remember how it was done by our parents and grandparents.... before roundup came on the scene.

Cheers, 

#Omgrowntnt

Coming up - The Green Scene, a community-based market place