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Health & Fitness

At Smart Markets Oakton, Super Specials for a Super Day

Visit our farmers' markets this weekend for some great Super Bowl specials from our vendors.

This Week at our Oakton Market
Saturday 10am–1pm
2854 Hunter Mill Rd.
Map

Our vendors are taking this Super Bowl stuff very seriously — from specials on chicken wings at Heritage Farm and Kitchen, wonderful sweet and savory platters from our bakers, combo discounts all around and cake pops celebrating the two bowl teams. Check our website for a roundup of what our vendors will have for you.

A reminder for those of you who may not have noticed the signs — like me: Heritage Farm has a good supply of lamb in the freezer. Look for the chops, bone-in and boneless leg of lamb, shoulders, lamb sausage and ground lamb. Check out the new lamb recipes at the Smart Markets table, and this one for an easy lamb stew. There will also be some good ideas for new ways to spice up those chicken wings.

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From the Market Master

I love this time of year! It is busy in a different way from the height of the season. And so exciting!

I spend much more time on the phone — which is not one of my favorite things to do — because so many new vendors are calling to inquire about joining our markets. We are already expecting to bring in some amazing new vendors, including our first certified-organic farmer. We also look forward to hosting several new sustainable farmers — the term we use for farmers who are farming organically but either cannot afford or do not want to go through the hassle of the federal “organic” certification program.

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Years ago, the large grocery chains predicted the coming demand for organic products and, as often happens, corporate farmers lobbied for federal takeover of the certification process. Of course, they won the battle to wrest this process away from the states, and now we have very few “certified organic” farmers.

But that does not mean that the farmers at the markets are not farming sustainably — using little or no chemicals for any purpose and incorporating nutrient-rich growing methods that leave the soil even healthier after a crop is harvested than before. That’s the beauty of a market. You do not have to trust that the Chinese and Mexican and Peruvian farmers are actually growing organically. No matter what the sign says, you can ask your farmer and buy from the one that meets your standards.

So while I am out here improving the markets for the new season, please think about those vendors who are persevering through the winter markets. Please take a little time to plan your Super Bowl Sunday with your local options in mind. And above all — have a safe and insane Super Bowl experience.

See you at the market!

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