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August 6, 2008
By Cheryl McCord
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Dwight and Debbie Buck joined the Kuna Farmers Market this season and brought a
new product to the Market—lamb. Available cuts of lamb include lamb chops, roasts,
legs, ribs in half racks or wholes, and chunks for stews and kabobs. Whole lambs
can also be purchased.
The Bucks have raised lambs for 20 years on their three acres south of Nampa. Up
until this year most of the lambs were sold through the livestock auction. The change
to selling their meat through the Farmers Market came after several years of study
and planning. They completed the 18-week course, Living on the Land, from the University
of Idaho and the Sustainable Agriculture class from the Ada County Extension. This
background enabled them to fulfill their desire of sharing healthy, local food directly
with the consumer.
The lambs are raised on pasture, natural grains and hay. Dwight describes their
nurturing as “fed for flavor” instead of fed for fast growth and rapid weight gain.
The lambs are processed by Northwest Premium Meats in Nampa, a USDA inspected plant.
Chicken will be available at the Bucks’ booth on August 16. Chicks were purchased
in the spring and have grown to fryer-sized birds. They will be processed by HomeGrown
Poultry, the state approved poultry processor in New Plymouth.
Also in the barnyard is a llama. This llama was given to the Bucks several years
ago and has turned out to be the guard of the other barnyard animals. No coyotes,
skunks, or other predators have bothered since the arrival of the llama.
Dwight operates Buck’s Tractor Work and provides a variety of tractor services for
residential lots and small acreages such as rototilling, weed mowing, and landscape
grading.
He is also developing the Stand-Up Garden. This garden box is made from pallet-sized
apple boxes that orchards can no longer use. One advantage of the Stand-Up Garden
is that it reduces back strain because the garden is at table-top level. The box
can be filled with rich mixes of potting soils and composts without having to work
with the heavy, sticky clay soils in most of the valley.
Debbie and Dwight are testing the Stand-Up Garden this year. They will bring a variety
of vegetables to the Market grown in the boxes in their garden.
In his spare time, Dwight enjoys his hobby as an old cars enthusiast. He belongs
to the Treasure Valley Model A Club and has a project Model A he is restoring. He
has a 1948 Plymouth and a 1966 Ford pickup that he drives. Debbie is pursuing her
CPA certification to add to her credentials as an accountant.
Stop by the Market to see Dwight and Debbie, or call them at 870-6535.
Visit the Market this week and pick up sweet corn, green beans, carrots, and onions
that are now available. The Kuna Methodist Women will hold a bake sale with a delicious
spread of home baked treats.
Coming Aug. 16 — Market Luau with roast pig, corn on the cob, Elvis Hawaii
music, and old cars.
The Market hours are 9 am to noon. The Market location is at Sandstone Plaza at
the west end of Main Street. For more information, contact Cheryl McCord at 922-5113
or visit the website at
www.KunaFarmersMarket.com.
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