Herndon Farmers Market Opens
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Herndon Farmers Market Opens

“A mixture of seeds works well that way if some don't work, others will, and there is something to put on the table. Some of our seeds are organic; most are conventional and hybrids. We also use open pollinated; that way we can save the seeds for plants such as peppers and tomatoes and have fresh seeds every year. We use heirloom seeds from around the United States for some of our tomatoes and peppers; however, heirloom plants do not grow as well, as the weather does affect them, lowering productions. They split, and with too much rain, the blooms do not set.” — Jose Medina, Santa Cruz Produce, Westmoreland County; offering fruits and vegetables; production practices: integrated pest management and extended growing season.

“A mixture of seeds works well that way if some don't work, others will, and there is something to put on the table. Some of our seeds are organic; most are conventional and hybrids. We also use open pollinated; that way we can save the seeds for plants such as peppers and tomatoes and have fresh seeds every year. We use heirloom seeds from around the United States for some of our tomatoes and peppers; however, heirloom plants do not grow as well, as the weather does affect them, lowering productions. They split, and with too much rain, the blooms do not set.” — Jose Medina, Santa Cruz Produce, Westmoreland County; offering fruits and vegetables; production practices: integrated pest management and extended growing season. Photo by Mercia Hobson.

By Mercia Hobson

Friday, May 3, 2019

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Grace O. Banahene, Grace's Pastries, Herndon, baked goods and savory treats. “I'm thankful to be here since the beginning of the market in 1989. Children who came here in 1989, are returning with their children. God is good.”

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

James Bourne, 1690 Farm, Calvert County, MD; offering free-range poultry products and meats; production practices: antibiotic and hormone free, non-GMO, holistic management and uncultivated landscape management. "The farm has been in the family since 1690. It's always been about the pasture. We spread our manure on the land; nothing is imported. During three seasons of the year, the animals are rotating through the fields and spreading the manure naturally. The key is rotation. We don't bring in anything else. We are a closed system. I will donate surplus eggs to SLHS Food Pantry.”

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Manny Medina, J & W Valley View Farm; Westmoreland County, Va.; offering fruits and vegetables. "We use best practices in farming. We only spray fungicide, not pesticide and that is only for corn. We don't worry about the pests since we plant so much if you lose 500 plants, it won't hurt anything, but there are thousands and thousands of plants, 10,000 tomato plants. We use 8/8/16 as fertilizer. We never plant the same thing in the same spot the next year. If you plant the same thing, it will soak up the nutrients. We start in the heated greenhouse in January and then transfer the seedlings to the black-mulched fields. We put in 9,000 feet this year.”

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Emmanuel Ahoussou, sales director Arnaud Curaud Artisan Bakery, Metropolitan Bakery, D.C.; offering rustic, old-style French bread and pastries. "Buying is what we want to see in a customer and smiling. Since we're new here, some of the loaves of bread are momentarily exposed so shoppers can see and smell them.”

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Customer Charles Fullilove Senior on customer etiquette: “Be kind, considerate, inquire gently, ask questions and take the vendors recommendations and listen. Always have the spirit that you can learn something. Enjoy the moment."

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Brad McCLeaf, McLeaf's Orchard, Adams County, Penn.; offering fruits, berries and grapes; production practices: integrated pest management. “We practice integrated pest management, essentially we spray pesticide and fungicide as little a possible. We set traps that have hormones that repel insects, but we also have traps that catch the insects which we can ID and control. A lot of farmers do a mass spray for every insect. However, we only spray for the insects we have. We donate a lot of our unsold produce to gleaners, part of churches or nonprofit organizations.”

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Hala Elbarmil, Program Assistant, Fairfax County Farmers Market. "All of our markets have gleaners, which is beneficial for the market because we have our non-profit partner, Food for Others. They usually come each week. It helps the farmers because they have a place for their food instead of going to waste; and in turn, it helps those who are in need to get access to fresh, local produce.”

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Esther Corporan, Chef Eloy Kickin' Salsa; Loudoun County, Va. “We have been here for five years and have been making Kickin' Salsa for over 30 years.”

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

John Dudzinsky, Farmers Market Manager. “This is the 30th Anniversary of the Herndon Farmers Market."

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Photo by Mercia Hobson

Andrea Young of Hidden Creek Farm, Delaplane, Va.; offering value-added products: jams, jellies, pickles, bread/cake/cookie mixes. "We are certified humane and certified organic. Humane means that all of our animals are raised and treated in a natural environment with respect and with all of the comforts that they need to thrive. Being certified organic doubles our costs. It costs to be certified. It costs time and efforts to keep the records, which we have to present to the inspector. The feed is twice or more expensive, and because we don't rely on chemicals or medications, all of our processing and interventions take a lot more time, planning and effort.”

The magic of the ten Fairfax County Farmers Markets and the USDA's encouragement to, "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food," is that the middleman is missing. If market shoppers want to know if the strawberries are pesticide- and chemical-free, grown in the field rather than a hothouse or certified organic, they ask the farmer standing in front of them for a first-hand account.

On Thursday, April 18, the 2019 Herndon Farmers Market operated under Fairfax County Park Authority opened. The Connection reached out to Hala Elbarmil, Program Assistant Fairfax County Farmers Market and John Dudzinsky, Herndon Farmers Market Manager to learn more about the markets and to the market vendors to learn about their farming practices such as pest and disease control, fertility systems, seed sources and environmental and social impacts.

The Herndon Farmers Market is located in the 700 block of Lynn Street. It runs weekly every Thursday now through Nov. 14, 8 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. According to the county, the market aims to improve the health of citizens, support local food producers and protect the environment. Like the nine other county markets, the one in Herndon is strictly producer-only. That means farmers and producers must come from within 125 miles of Fairfax County and may only sell what they raise on their farms or make from scratch. Shoppers using their Virginia EBT card at the Herndon market will receive up to $20 in matching funds through the SNAP Double Dollar Program.