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September 2, 2009
By Cheryl McCord
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Last year Debbie Buck declared September the month she and her husband would eat
only local foods.
Debbie and Dwight Buck are vendors at the Kuna Farmers Market under the Bucks’ Barnyard
canopy. They raise lambs, chickens and garden produce. They believe that locally
grown food is fundamental to good health and building a strong local community and
economy. As advocates for agriculture, farmers markets and home gardens, they felt
it was important for them to know first hand what it means to eat local foods and
support local farmers. Is it really possible to build family meals using the foods
produced just in the Treasure Valley?
She chose September as the month to test the local foods concept because fresh fruits
and vegetables are abundant and the diversity and choices are wide-ranging. It would
be an easy way to begin.
During the month-long experiment, Debbie read the book “Plenty: One Man, One Woman,
and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally.” It provided guidance on how to seek out local
foods and improvise with the foods that were available.
Dwight and Debbie have some of the basic foods covered from their production of
lamb, chicken and eggs. Their garden provides sufficient tomatoes, zucchini, peppers
and grapes. Debbie shopped at the Farmers Market to find what other items could
be included in the week’s meal plan. She purchased beef and pork. Peaches, apples,
pears and melons were available for fruit needs. She found different vegetables
and some that she had not tried before such as okra and .
To substitute for pasta, Debbie learned that squash could be used. Zucchini can
be cut with a fine French-fry cutter or grated lengthwise to create long spaghetti-like
strands. Either can then be sautéed or dropped into a pot of spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti
squash is another option. Dwight and Debbie made their own sauces from tomatoes
in their garden.
For breads and pastries, they located wheat grown in Nampa and ground flour for
making bread. They also purchased other breads at the Farmers Market for variety.
Breakfast cereals were forgone for the month.
Finding local dairy products took considerable research. Debbie contacted a local
milk processing company and found the specific codes stamped on milk cartons that
designate milk from Treasure Valley dairies.
Looking back on the month of local eating, the Bucks realized they included much
more variety in their meals. They ate more vegetables, tried new items, and learned
creative ways to incorporate the foods in season into meals. Debbie did miss chocolate
and sweets but Dwight’s suggestion of making raisin cookies using dried grapes from
their vines, flour from the Nampa-grown wheat and honey from Emmett proved to be
a delicious substitute.
Debbie and Dwight invite everyone to take advantage of the bounty of local fresh
produce available in September at the Farmers Market while it is at its peak. Now
is also an excellent time to preserve some of the exceptional flavors through canning,
freezing, and drying.
Stop by the Market and talk to the Bucks or any of the vendors about finding and
preparing local foods and suggestions on putting them away for winter months.
Fresh produce at the Market this week includes sweet corn, grapes, peaches, apples,
green beans, blackberries, melons, tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, peppers and tomatillos.
Coming Sep 12--Tomato Tasting. Ask how you can enter your favorite tomatoes into
the tasting contest.
The Market is held Saturdays from 9 am to 12 noon at Sandstone Plaza in Kuna 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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