Dear Family and Friends,

The Bounty of the Barrens Market opened on Saturday in Glasgow. It was a gorgeous day, sunny with a cool breeze. More than 15 vendors showed up at 6:30 am to be guided to their spots. Once in place a 10x10 white tent was set up for each one with the vendor's name attached bannerlike across the front. Our St Andrew's Market has a tent where we will continue to sell the fair trade Bishop's Blend Coffees. Most of the vendors from the church market as well as many of our regular customers were there too. Lots of other people came to wander about, talk with vendors, and buy. They could chose from a variety of fresh local greens and herbs, meats, honey, bedding plants, hanging baskets, handmade soaps and other crafts. A local cable TV-chef demonstrated cooking with local ingredients, producing delicious breakfast fajitas. Meanwhile a local musician, Eric Albany, provided upbeat country music for the occasion. By mid-morning all of us who had worked toward this day were grinning from ear to ear. Some photos from the first day appear at www.sustainableglasgow.blogspot.com.

I spent many days during the past month driving around the countryside with Lauren, our market manager. Three of us who had been vendors at St. Andrew's market were invited to propose guidelines for the new market. One big item was that it should be producer's only which means vendors are expected to sell only what they raise. Thus we visited each farm to verify that they had the capacity to produce what they intended to sell. One afternoon we left a farm just as a thunderstorm was breaking. We continued to drive for a few miles but soon the rain was coming down so hard we literally could not see. We found a driveway and stopped. I looked up and noticed a huge black cloud with lots of ragged edges. Next day we read that several tornadoes had touched down not far from where we had been. Many of the people we met are transplants: a retired couple from Vermont, a middle-aged couple from Rhode Island, a couple from the Virgin Islands, all working to develop sustainable "family farms" with various combinations of vegetable crops, plants, cut flowers, poultry, pork, beef cattle, diary cattle. The "natives" include a 4th generation hog farmer who has developed a line of pork products that he processes himself. (Well, with a little help from his wife, his father, his grown up son). Ironically, he had to figure out how to build a USDA approved processing facility with almost no help from USDA. I had a recommendation of his products by a friend who told me, "Moore's Sausage is to die for".

All of us have had to continue to deal with unusually cold and rainy weather. Our animals were having a tough time finding adequate forage. They were getting out almost every day. "Grass" was growing like crazy but was too wet and muddy to mow so the clover and other more nutritious forage was being taken over by the tall stuff. It became clear that some drastic measures were necessary. We sold 18 of our lambs to a man who said he was interested in starting a Jacob flock. That same evening the farm family took 5 of our ewes (selected because of poor wool quality) to a local livestock auction. Madeline noticed that 10 of the morning's lambs appeared in the holding pens. That was a bit of a shock. They stayed to see what the lambs would bring. Turned out the buyer (who was not there) did not make that much profit considering what he paid us plus transportation and his time. They also realized that once a decision is made to sell livestock they have to let go of what happens next. A decision is still pending about our two cows. They each have a beautiful little calf born a week apart toward the end of the month. It is clear we cannot support all of them past the summer.

The pasture crisis also dramatized the need for a much-discussed ride-on mower. That same week Paul and Robin selected a fine Craftsman 54" riding mower. The very next sunny day Robin was out in the pastures mowing away. Amazing the difference the right equipment can make.

Our delivery season finally began on the 23rd. We had lovely strawberries, salad turnips, radishes, and lettuce for the first basket. It is a relief to know we will get our 20 weeks in before it is time to leave for California in October. Meanwhile I will visit Atlanta to meet Denise' parents and family at a party they are giving for her and John. Love, Louise