Mangia Italia!! Friday Night Dinner on the Deck

Mediterranean Night - Warm Up on Thursdays

Mediterranean Night is here!  We are serving cooked to order dishes accentuating the roasted, mouth-watering flavors of the Mediterranean in The Loft every Thursday. 

What beautiful, brightly colored, tasty food can you expect? 

Our Cassoulet and Paella are large enough to share.  Order one, eat for two!   There will also be a Vegetable Lasagna Special, "Jonathon's Potato Lasagna with Veggie Alfredo".

The menus will change each week (though we will keep some standards, like the Paella).  Stop by and see what new item is on the menu this Thursday!

Oktoberfest - Coming Soon!

At Traders Point Creamery, we can't wait for our third annual Oktoberfest!  Mark you calendars for Sunday, October 18th, 2009 from 12 to 5 pm and come join us at this exciting event. 

PolkaBoy, complete with 13-piece band, will be back with music that inspires dancing in young and old alike. There will be hayrides, bonfires, and games. You can also watch the cow milking, pet the baby calves, or go searching in the pumpkin patch. You are also welcome to sample our Award-winning Organic Dairy Products!

Traditional German food, beer and wine will be available for purchase, as well as Traders Point Creamery Creamline ice cream, delicious cheeses, baked goods, and hot chocolate.

We are proud to be serving Upland Brewing Co. (Bloomington, Indiana) beer alongside our traditional German beers.

In addition to being fun for the whole family, Oktoberfest is a fundraiser that benefits the 7,000 acres of remaining greenspace in Traders Point Rural Historic Districts and surrounding areas.

Tickets are $8 in advance online, or $10 at the event. Children under 10 years old free.

Why Our Vendors Do What They Do

Have you ever wondered why anyone would be a small scale farmer or food artisan? It’s not hard to figure out that it’s not for the wealth, the short convenient work weeks, the comfortable working conditions, or the job security.  In fact, many of us left jobs that offered all of the above, yet gave us nothing of real value in return for our time and effort.

Whether it’s growing healthy meat, raising fruit and vegetables, formulating soap, or baking bread,  we do it because we love the challenge of producing something that is unique, wholesome, and truly excellent. We do it because there is no feeling in the world like that of seeing our business name on our banners and products, and knowing that others share our pride and sense of accomplishment. We do it because starting and nurturing a small business requires a level of courage that many would find difficult to fathom, and that sets us apart.  We do it because we know we have something worth passing along to others. Come share in the excitement of a whole group of individuals who believe in what they do, and find out what makes us special.  We’re here for you every weekend.

                                          Vendors Attending This Week

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

* Countryside Orchard – Pixie Crunch and MacIntosh apples; also CANTALOUPE and APPLE CIDER

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

* Feast Catering - a variety of tamales, sweets, salsas, and the new PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH COOKIES  

* 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. Look for new items each week as the season progresses

* 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

* Magnolia Mill Farm – yellow beans, eggplant, zucchini, peppers and OKRA

* New Leaf Farm – tomatoes, peppers 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, sweet candy onions, zucchini, yellow squash, heirloom tomatoes, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, green and yellow beans, eggplant , kale, watermelons, cantaloupe, basil, cilantro, dill

* Seldom Seen Farm - transitional organic produce. This week's features are spinach, winter squash, gourmet lettuce mix, shallots, heirloom and red tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, various bunched mustard greens, cilantro, summer squash, pea shoots, bell peppers in red, purple, green, sunflowers, flower bouquets.

* Seven Springs Farm - beef, chicken (whole and parts), eggs, popcorn. Now taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys!

* The Swiss Connection - unique (and delicious) cheeses, meats (including beef sausage products) and ice cream, plus a variety of pet products.  

* 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 and Thai basil pastas, European style lemon and orange pound cakes and spritz cookies (all made with certified organic ingredients)

* Zen Sheep Farm - wool yarn, roving, and batts

Volunteer for Oktoberfest!

Pastured, Grain-fed, Organic...What Does it All Mean?

When it comes to buying fruits and vegetables, consumers generally understand designations such as local or organic. With those items, people know what they are looking for; however, when it comes to meat, things get a little trickier.

Take beef - my local grocery store may be selling all-natural, organic beef.  That sounds healthy... At the Green Market, several vendors offer 100% pastured beef, other offer "grass-fed" beef, and still other vendors primarily feed their cows grass, but supplement with grain.  What does it all mean?  Which is healthiest?  Which tastes the best?

When shopping for beef, the first step in getting what you want is understanding the many terms:

ORGANIC - tells you that the animal was raised on pesticide-free food.  Organic does not tell you what was in the cow's diet - organic grass, organic corn, organic soybeans, or something else organic...these all may use the "organic" label.

GRAIN-FED, CORN-FED - tells you the animal was fed grain, not grass fed.  Grain and corn are not part of a cow's natural diet, so the cow's stomach has a hard time processing the grain.  As a result of this, many animals that are grain-fed are given antibiotics to prevent illnesses that commonly occur when cows eat grain. Grain feeding results in larger cows with more fat - so a pound of beef raised on grain can be produced faster and has more fat that a pound of beef from a grass-fed animal.

NATURAL - tells you the cow was not given antibiotics, but does not tell you what was in the cow's diet.  "Natural" beef is often from a cow on a grain diet, that was not given antibiotics.

GRASS-FED, PASTURED - tells you the cow grazed on grass or hay.  This is a cow's natural diet.  The beef from these cows is leaner, has a higher ratio of omega-3 fatty acids ("good for you" fat!), and takes longer to produce. 

GRAIN-FINISHED - tells you that a cow was initially fed grass, and then switched to grain.  Most commercial feeding lots can classify their meat as "grain-finished".  There are some small, local producers that sell "grain-finished" meat.  Feeding grain to a cow for a few weeks before slaughter increases the fat in the animal's meat. "Grain-finished" does not tell you how long the cow ate grain.  If a cow eats grain for months before slaughter, it will acquire the fat content of a grain-fed animal.  In this case, any health benefits from its earlier grass diet will not be passed on to the meat consumer.

With the definitions of these terms, we hope that you are now have the information you need to select the meat that you want.

Check Us Out on Channel 8!

We are proud to be an Indiana business that provides the Midwest with local, organic, grassfed products. We are thrilled that Inside Indiana Business is going to be profiling the Creamery on WISH-TV Channel 8!

Tune in Sunday, September 20th on Channel 8 at 11 am as Gerry Dick and Mary Rachael Dick visit the farm.

Quote of the Week

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.

~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

Recipe of the Week

• 8 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (a little over 2 lbs)
• 1 medium sweet onion, cut in wedges
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp salt (divided)
  
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (divided)
• 4 cups warm Trader's Point Creamery Whole Milk (divided)
• 1 can (14 oz.) or 2 cups chicken broth (divided)
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts, if desired
  

Upcoming Events

September 17 - Thursday Mediterranean Night in the Loft, 6-9:30 pm.

September 18 - Mangia Italian! Dinner on the Deck - 5-8 pm

September 25 - Chuckwagon Chili Cookout! 5-8 pm on the Deck

October 3 - Saturday Night Candlelight Dinners in The Loft, beginning weekly from 6-9:30 pm.

October 11 - Sunday Night Family Style Dinners in The Loft, beginning weekly from 6-9:30 pm.

October 18 - The BEST Day on the Farm: OKTOBERFEST!  Begins at 12 pm until 5 pm. Stop by for German brats, beer and wine, PolkaBoy Band, Hayrides, the Pumpkin Patch, and more!