Conference Joins Farmers-Market Enthusiasts from Ellisville and Beyond

I love food and I especially love home grown fruits and veggies like heirloom tomatoes.

I'm talking about tomatoes that are so juicy you stand over the sink when you eat one, dreaming of childhood days when you could pick a tomato from the vine, sit down on the back porch with a salt shaker in hand, and devour an entire tomato like it was dessert. Because it was that good.

A few years ago, I rediscovered tomatoes that actually brought back memories of those juicy, great tasting tomatoes. And I found them at a farmers market. This discovery crystalized my feeling that local and organic foods meant a lot to me.

I had long believed that organic was healthier for my family and the planet. I was thinking about sustainability, pollution, water quality and quality of life in general—nevermind the incredible taste difference. At the Ellisville Community Farmers Market last year, I met Desiree Rutherford of Rutherford Farms.

While purchasing eggs and red wattle pork from her, I listened as she talked about the Missouri Organic Association. I realized that there must be a critical mass of people in Missouri interested in organics if such an organization existed. Desiree is vice president of the association and is enthusiastic about its future. The mission statement of MOA is to "bring together Missouri organic growers, gardeners, consumers, and all advocates of organic methods in an united effort to spread an understanding of the importance of a healthy food supply system, and to promote the growth and eating of organic foods.”

Fast forward to mid-winter and I now realize that a lot of behind-the-scenes work has taken place to insure that we have fresh, healthy, locally produced organic foods available. Think about the people who have been working hard since the end of the traditional growing season, conspiring to bring healthy, organic foods to the market for us. Not only are they starting seeds, mulching and enriching the soils, building ponds, tending to their herds and flocks, they are convening to share ideas about organic methods with one another and with the public.

This weekend in St. Louis, the Missouri Organic Association Conference is meeting for three days ending Saturday. The conference is open to the public. While this event may not have appeared on your radar, I think it's an event worthy of our support.  I'm proud to say that the Ellisville Community Farmers Market is a Gold Level sponsor of the conference, which means they have donated more than $2,000 in cash, products or services.

Last season, in my quest to buy locally, I attended almost every market day during Ellisville's Community Market. Healthy Harvest Gardens, a regular at the Ellisville Community Market, will have a booth at the MOA Conference. Healthy Harvest Gardens is the sole distributor of organic olive oil, olives and other products from the Kronis family in Sparta, Greece. Owner Karl Burgart also has a large organic garden in Wildwood where he grows a variety of produce. I had so much fun at the Ellisville Community Market last season that I devoted much of my "all things local" blog to the weekly event. Not only did I enjoy visiting with the vendors each week and learning about their products, I felt a sense of community that was reminiscent of years gone by. Crown that with the fabulous food that we enjoyed and you can bet that I'll be at the season opening again this year.

I'm sure the market shoppers will benefit from the knowledge shared by participants at the Missouri Organic Association Conference this week. I'm definitely going to try to drop in on the conference. I'm thinking it might be the next best thing to an actual farmers market experience. Hope to see you there!