Thanks to YOU, Our Third Annual Oktoberfest Was a Smashing Success!

Last Sunday's Oktoberfest was an amazing event.  We broke the record for attendance...3,000 of you came out to have a good time and show your support for the Traders Point Rural Historic Districts. 

THANK YOU ALL - WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!!!

See you next year!

Burgers and Brats - Friday's Dinner in the Loft

This Friday join us for Dinner in the Loft with live music by Benito Dibartoli.  He'll be playing the blues, southern rock and folk music on his acoustic guitar.  We'll be serving burgers - and not just any burgers, but TPC 100% grass-fed burgers that are "the best in Indianapolis" (according to Indianapolis Monthly magazine). That burger will be stuffed with our very own Fleur De La Terre cheese.  For those wanting other options, we'll have Feidler Farms Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and Balsamic Portabella Burgers. Each entree comes with a side of Sweet and Red Diced Sauteed Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs, and our Orchard Trio Yogurt Fruit Salad.

Beverages: Choice of ice tea, lemonade, water

Tuesday and Thursday Evenings - Half Priced Bottles of Wine in the LOFT!

Stop by for dinner in the Loft on Tapas Tuesday or Mediterranean Thursday and enjoy  half-price bottles of wine.

Yes, we said HALF-PRICE BOTTLES OF WINE on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Come check it out - the food is great and the wine is waiting...

 

 

 

 

Mediterranean Night -Sea Bass Special this Thursday!

 Head over to the farm on Thursday Night for Mediterranean Night!  The Loft is serving cooked-to-order dishes accentuating the roasted, mouth-watering flavors of the Mediterranean every Thursday.  Many of our dishes can be ordered Vegetarian too!

And with whatever you order, you'll want to enjoy a bottle of half-price wine...yes, that's right Thursday night we have half-priced wine bottles!!!

What are you waiting for?!  Come and enjoy some food from Southern Europe and a bottle of wine.  Perfect way to spend an evening with family or friends......Many of these dishes are large enough to share!

Dinners in the Loft- Open Six Nights a week!

It's a weeknight and you and friends are looking for a nice dinner spot...look no further than the LOFT at TPC!  We also have your romantic, candlelight dinner on Saturday night covered.  And you'll have more time to spend with your family if you come to our Family Style Sunday Dinner!

The farm has a full line-up of specialty night dinners, with delicious made-to-order entrees, including:

• Tuesday Night Tapas
• Wednesday Night Pizza and Lasagna
  
• Thursday Night Mediterranean
  
• Friday Night American Grill
  
• Saturday Night Continental Classics
  
• Sunday Night Family Style Dinner
  

We've got you covered SIX nights a week from 6 to 9:30 pm.

Check our website www.traderspointcreamery.com for Menus

Ghost Chiles: Get 'Em, They're HOT!

Think you can handle hot things?!  Then visit Jacob at the Redwine Farms booth at our Green Market this Friday.  But you need to get there early, because last week, he sold out of the hottest peppers in the world! 

The ghost chile, aka the "King Cobra Hot Pepper", has the "bite" of the deadly snake it's named after.  The chile looks similar to a Habanero, but packs a whole lot more punch.

Hot pepper "heat" is measured on the Scoville scale - this one comes in at approximately 1,000,000 (1 million!).  To give you an idea of what that means: jalapenos register at 2,500 - 8,000. The Scoville scale is similar to the Richter scale (used for earthquakes) - each jump of one number represents an 10-fold increase. 

This is the last week Jacob will be selling the Ghost Chiles.  Stop by his booth during the Green Market (4-8pm on Friday) to try them, if you dare!

Is that Organic Item really "Organic"?!

You know what you're getting when you come to the farm to pick up our products, or shop at our Green Market.  In these situations, you encounter people who know where and how the food came to you.  In many cases, you are talking with the actual grower, milker, or owner of the land. 

But what about items at your local supermarket?  Can we really trust that the organic bananas are organic?  And what about when half the fruit in the bin is labeled "organic" and the other half isn't?  Might retailers be misleading consumers into thinking that non-organic products are organic?  According to the Cornucopia Institute, the answer to that question, at least sometimes, is "yes."  They filed a complaint this week with the USDA's organic program, alleging that Target Corporation (as in "SuperTarget") is misleading customers into thinking foods that are conventional are actually organic.

The public interest group cites a Target advertisement for Silk Soymilk showing a label with "organic" on it.  While Silk Soymilk used to be organic, its manufacturer has quietly switched to conventional soybeans.  In this instance, it appears Target is advertising organic soymilk and selling conventional soymilk.

In the past, Conucopia said (and the USDA agreed) that Target was labeling its Archer Farms milk as organic, while its supplier was not giving them organic milk.

In addition to this, large retailers may also be using misleading labeling.  As with the soymilk example, products may switch from "organic" to "natural" when they lose organic certification.  Many consumers do not realize that "natural" in this context does not have a regulated meaning.  They may continue to think they are getting the same product, when they are buying an inferior product.  However, "natural" does have a regulated meaning in the meat context.

The easiest way to avoid this is to buy from local producers and growers, or buy local food and products at the grocery store.  Trader's Point Creamery takes great pride in being an all-organic, grass-fed dairy farm.  We have no non-organic milk that might get mixed up with the organic milk. We know that every customer is getting exactly what the product label says they are getting.  If you have any questions, just ask us!

If you like to read more, go to http://www.cornucopia.org/category/cornucopia-news/.

Big Business or Artisan? Who Owns that Organic Product You're Buying?

Those artisan potato chips look like they come from a small company, one that really cares about doing right by you, their employees, and the environment.  But is there another, much larger conglomerate behind the "not-well-known" name you see? 

Now there's a website where you can check this.  Go to: nutritionwonderland.com/2009/02/organic-corporate-hierarchy/ or www.cornucopia.org/who-owns-organic/ to find out if there is a big, well-known name behind the "small-company product" that you're about to buy.

Looking Ahead to the Next Season

Our Summer Market continues for another two Fridays, with the last Summer Green Market on October 30. But your opportunity to continue buying fresh local food directly from the person who grows or makes it continues non-stop!  Our Winter Market will begin its 6^th season on Saturday, November 7, and continue right through to the end of April. Winter Market meets every Saturday from 9 AM to noon, in our cozy heated Red Barn. We’re thrilled to report that all of our current summer vendors will continue to participate for all or part of the winter season, and some old favorites who have been with us every winter will be returning. In addition, we’ll have some brand new vendors who will be carrying on the tradition of selling high-quality organic or transitional organic products that you have come to expect from our market.

Meanwhile, bring your support and your grocery dollars to Summer Market for the next couple of Friday nights, and fill your frig and pantry with food that is local, fresh and chemical-free. Our vendors appreciate your loyalty.  Indeed, the survival of their businesses depends on it.
 

Vendors Attending this Week

* Aboubakar Allal - handmade silver, leather and wooden works, as well as traditional drums from Niger, Africa  

* Bluffwood Creek Organic Farm and Apiary -honey sticks, hand cream, lipbalm and honey

* Countryside Orchard – Grimes Golden, Shizuka, Nova Spy, Hidden Rose, Liberty, Rubinette, Wine Sap and Sun Crisp apples; also CARAMEL APPLES,  Fall BROCCOLI, and CARROTS

* Daina's Petite Pies - single serving dinner and dessert pies made with premium local meats and vegetables

* Farming for Life – raw sauerkraut and other lacto-fermented vegetables; real crock-fermented dill pickles, lacto-fermented beverages, including Garlic Beet Kvaas and Kombucha. Featuring this week: ROMAINE AND HEAD LETTUCE, SPAGHETTI SQUASH, LONG ISLAND CHEESE AND JARRADHALE PUMPKINS, WALLA WALLA SWEET ONIONS AND GARLIC

* Feast Catering - a variety of tamales, salsas, and gourmet baked goods.  This week’s features:  pumpkin cheesecake bars, sticky buns and SOUP

* Fields of  Agape - chemical-free grains (Omega III golden flax, hard red wheat berries, hard white wheat berries); free flour grinding while you wait

* Flower Child Aromatherapy – handmade soaps, sachets, incense, perfumes, and liquid hand sanitizer

* Harvest Cafe Coffee Company - freshly brewed coffee, a variety of freshly roasted coffee beans or freshly ground beans, loose tea, iced tea and iced mochas

* Kelsey's Cultured Foods - cultured organic vegetables

* Life Farm - certified organic produce; This week’s features include: lettuce, kale, radish, winter squash, beets, turnips, eggplants, peppers, cabbage and arugula

* Litterally Divine Toffee and Truffles-chocolate and vegan truffles (made with organic ingredients) and almond toffee (both vegan and organic), coffee toffee made with Harvest Cafe Coffee's beans, and ice cream toppings

* New Leaf Farm – tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cabbages and spinach

* Pet Lover’s Organic Bakery - handmade organic pet treats; 50% of sales go to benefit the Humane Society

* Phelps Family Farm - a variety of beef and pork meats, sausages and eggs

* Redwine Farm - farm fresh eggs, hot sauce and pepper seasoning, hot peppers, sweet peppers, mustard greens, pie pumpkins, turnips, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, butternut squash and  snow peas.  LAST week for the hot and sweet peppers

* Seldom Seen Farm - transitional organic produce.  This week's features are BRUSSELS SPROUTS, BROCCOLI, CARROTS, BEETS, SPINACH, SQUASH (ACORN, DELICATA AND BUTTERNUT), VARIOUS BUNCHED MUSTARD GREENS, KALE, COLLARDS, GREEN ONIONS, CILANTRO, KOHLRABI, NAPA CABBAGE, GREEN AND RED CABBAGE

* Seven Springs Farm – Will not be returning to Market until November 15 to deliver turkeys. You can still order a turkey by calling 317-691-3948 or at Luella@sevenspringsindiana.com

* The Swiss Connection - unique (and delicious) cheeses, meats (including beef sausage products) and ice cream, plus a variety of pet products.  Featuring for a limited time: LAMB CUTS, including lamb chops, ground lamb, stew meat, shoulder chops, leg steaks, rack of lamb, leg of lamb (both with bone and bone out), and shank

* Trader's Point Creamery - organic milk, ice cream, pourable yogurt, artisan cheeses, eggs, and ground beef

* Valentine Hill Farm - variety of whole grain breads, English muffins, Mediterranean herb pasta, European style lemon and orange pound cakes,  and spritz cookies (all made with certified organic ingredients) 

* Zen Sheep Farm - organic ground lamb and lamb riblets, organic pie pumpkins and Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins, and organic wool products, including yarn, roving, and pillows.

First Movie Night at the Farm, Friday November 6th

The movie Food, Inc. is totally inline with Traders Point Creamery's philosophy and mission to bring you fresh, simple and organic food. At the Farm we are inspired by this movie and the way it's revolutionizing attitudes towards food. We're celebrating the DVD release in style:

FIRST MOVIE NIGHT AT THE FARM!

• Friday, November 6th, 8:00 pm

If you saw Food, Inc. in the theater, then you know this documentary is changing people's views on food, the industry that has grown up around it, and how many different (and totally processed) versions of corn exist! If you didn't get a chance to see Food, Inc., we can't stress enough that you should!

Eat a delicious, healthy dinner in the Loft and then stay for the movie! Tell your friends, tell your family, and bring everyone you know to our Food, Inc. Movie Night at the Farm!

Recipe of the Week

"Get me to the Gym in the Morning" Energy Drink - just in case you need a little extra as we head into the winter...

• 1 cup Trader's Point Creamery milk
• 1/2 cup of juice or green tea - we recommend acai, pomegranate, or coconut
• 1 cup of fruit - fresh or frozen, use one or mix several
• 2 tbsp of protein powder (if that's your thing)
• 1 cup of ice, or, if it's cold enough outside, skip it!

Blend all ingredients and enjoy.  For best results, follow up your workout with a glass of Trader's Point Creamery's Chocolate Milk, the ideal drink for refueling tired muscles, according to researcher Joel M. Stager, PhD, from Indiana University.

Quote of the Week

Major food processors have recognized the meteoric rise of the organic industry, and profit potential, and want to create what is in essence ‘organic light,’ taking advantage of the market cachet but not being willing to do the heavy lifting required to earn the valuable USDA organic seal.

Mark A. Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst at Cornucopia

Upcoming Events

Saturday, October 25--Continental Classics Dinner on the Farm! Come by for a delicious menu from 6 to 9:30 pm

Friday, October 30--Dinner in the Loft--Mangia Italia!

Friday, October 30--Last Green Market of the Summer! 4 - 8 pm. (Winter Green Market starts Saturday mornings November to April)