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Sunset over a cover crop,

most likely annual rye, soon to

be plowed under for row crops.



Please remember to bring to market some reusable produce bags, and shopping bags.

If not, please recycle or reuse bags when at all possible.

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ONLINE ORDERING

For pre-order and pre-pay  "Grab and Go"

Click on shop if you already have an account

 on the new site and are ready to pre-order.

Link to the new website for signing up  

to create an account.

Email us at [email protected] or call 717-334-4582, if you have some concern that needs to be addressed person to person. You may get the answering machine, but an actual human will call you back ASAP.

~~~We have two periods for taking orders~~~

1. Ordering for the weekday markets opens up at 1:00 PM on Monday.

Ordering becomes unavailable on Tuesday at 1:00 PM, for Wednesday markets, and subsequently on Wednesday, at noon, for Thursday markets.

2. As of Wednesday at 5:30 PM we open up the Website for taking orders for all of the current weekend markets.

We do this by taking down weekday markets as pick-up locations and show only weekend locations as active pick-up sites.

At 1:00 P.M. on Friday we will remove the Saturday market locations as active pick-up locations, and only the current Sunday sites will remain. These will shut down for pre-ordering at 1:00 PM on Saturday.

Click here for our:

Market locations

Forget Probiotics, An Apple a Day is Better for Your Gut Health

BY 

By Hannah Coates

March 21, 2024

Vogue Magazine (Can't you tell by the photo, by none other than Annie Leibovitz, for Vogue, October 2014?)

Link to the article

From our mood to our skin health, everything starts in the gut. More of us now understand this core tenet of our wellbeing and act accordingly–doing what we can to feed the good bacteria in our microbiomes. But, as is so often the case, sometimes we over-complicate matters. I realized I might be guilty of the same when scientist and dietitian Dr Emily Leeming’s Substack newsletter, Second Brain, dropped into my inbox the other day. In it, she outlined the probiotic power–100 million microbes worth–of the humble apple.

Glorious, crunchy apples. Infinitely cheaper than probiotic supplements, the apple is packed with hundreds of millions of microbes–just like other fruits and vegetables, all of which contribute bacteria to the microbiome. “Apples contain fibre, and particularly a probiotic fibre called pectin, that feeds your ‘good’ gut bacteria,” says Dr Leeming, whose forthcoming book Genius Gut: How to Eat for Your Second Brain, comes out in July. “It also contains plenty of polyphenols, which have a prebiotic effect on the gut microbiome.”

The growing obsession with probiotics means many of us could be tempted to prioritize taking a supplement over incorporating more microbe-rich plants into our diets–but you can’t out-supplement an unhealthy lifestyle. Many of us don’t actually need to be taking them in the first place. Yes, taking certain strains of bacteria via (evidence-based and well-made) probiotics can help us treat health issues, such as IBS-related bloating, or aid the microbiome’s recovery after taking antibiotics, but Dr Leeming says you “don’t need to take a probiotic supplement if you’re already well and just generally want to support your gut microbiome. What you eat has a far bigger impact,” she says.

Leeming describes the probiotic supplement market as the “wild west.” Many brands make big claims with scant evidence to support them. Some of the bad supplements on the market contain multiple types of probiotic bacteria, which haven’t been tested as a combination–and they can act differently when put together. Others have been shown to deliver the opposite effect to what they promise on the box. “As an example, cognition may get worse rather than better, or the gut microbiome may recover slower after antibiotics,” she warns.

But you can’t go wrong with the health benefits of an apple–or, indeed, any fruit or vegetable. Experts now recommend eating at least 30 different plants a week – including spices, herbs, legumes and grains, alongside fruit and vegetables–to improve your gut health. There is clear evidence that demonstrates how impactful fiber and polyphenols are on feeding the gut microbiome, so aim to incorporate more plants into your diet each day to nourish yourself. It really is as easy as that.

“We don’t yet know if organic fruit and vegetables contain more microbes than non-organic and if that makes a difference to the gut microbiome,” adds Dr Leeming. “But soil health likely plays a huge role in how microbe-rich the foods we eat are, particularly for fruit and veg that are grown close to or in the soil, like root vegetables–soil is particularly dense in microbes. One teaspoon of soil contains more microbes than people on the planet.”



Above is our table grape planting,

all trimmed and waiting to bloom.

Five photos of primarily plums in bloom, though above

you can see some pink peach blooms popping open.



Cliff took all these orchard photos yesterday

while mowing. The shot above is through the tractor's windshield. Not a bad way to spend the day.



Now that you've perused all these blossoming trees it's time to tell you that last night it dipped below 32º and tonight looks to be even a bit colder.

Below is a photo Jesse took of a peach blossom, obviously from quite close up.

He says it was mush inside. Let's just say that there was damage to the crop, but the extent won't be known for days. Say a prayer or two for our stone fruit crop, and you are a part of the 'our' to which I'm referring.

Cliff and crew are planting both Sweet and Sour Cherry trees today.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

by Guy Fieri

Kalettes may also be used in this recipe.

Readers' Notes:

• I wasn't sure if Brussels Sprouts were going to fly with the family at Thanksgiving. It turned out to be the favorite dish! The Brussels sprouts were tender and cheesy and full of flavor. No stinky, soggy Brussels mush with this one. Just yummy goodness! Thanks Guy Fieri!
• We use gruyere as the cheese. This is an incredible vegetable dish. Even family who do not like Brussels sprouts liked this! I usually cook it a little more than the recipe calls.
• This recipe is simply fantastic!!!! So quick and easy. I use the slicing blade of my food processor for the sprouts and half onion...then throw the other onion and garlic in (along with two Kung Pao peppers from the garden) and use the chopping blade. Have made it with and without the parsley, depending on whether I have it on hand or not. Have sometimes used freeze-dried garlic. Always delicious! I LOVE not having to make a separate béchamel sauce. 
• This is so tasty and is just such a breeze to make. Definitely worth doubling the recipe......fantastic, easy, and quick cooking side for holiday dinners.  
• This is my new best Brussels Sprouts recipe. Delicious!
• Couldn’t be easier, I doubled the recipe, using cheddar and Swiss. EASY and delicious

How ultra-processed food

harms the body and brain

National Geographic Magazine

By Janis Jibrin

February 28, 2024

Consuming ultra-processed foods that are typically high in salt, sugar, and fat—and cheap and accessible—may boost the risk of heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.

Diets heavy in ultra-processed food are linked with increased morbidity and mortality, including increased risk for metabolic syndrome, obesity, and depression.

Although many ultra-processed foods—soda, candy, energy bars, fruit-flavored yogurt, frozen pizza, and frozen meals—can satisfy cravings for sweet, fatty, salty foods, emerging research suggests these items are particularly bad for the heart and brain, with mood and cognition taking a hit.

The most recent meta-analysis looking at the impact of ultra-processed food, published in BMJ in February, found the most far-reaching and unsettling results. Researchers identified direct links between higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and a greater risk of heart disease-related deaths, type 2 diabetes, obesity, wheezing, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and deaths from all causes.

These results are consistent with earlier studies. Diets high in these foods were linked to a 44 percent greater risk of depression and a 48 percent higher risk of anxiety, according to a meta-analysis published in the journal Nutrients. In one of these studies, risk rose from consuming just 33 percent of calories from ultra-processed food. A separate study from Brazil that tracked 10,775 people found that taking in just 20 percent of calories from these foods was linked to a 28 percent faster rate of cognitive decline compared with people who ate less processed food.

Also alarming is a study tracking about half a million people living in England, Scotland, and Wales that found the risk of dementia went up by 25 percent for every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food. 

“While the exact cause-and-effect relationship is still unknown, the strongest observational evidence from prospective studies leans towards the idea that eating high amounts of ultra-processed foods increases the risk of depression onset in the future,” lead researcher of the Nutrients article, Melissa M. Lane, wrote in an email. She is a post-doctoral research fellow at Deakin University’s School of Medicine, in Geelong, Australia.

It is common knowledge that eating too much salt, sugar, and/or saturated fat is linked to chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. What the public may not appreciate, however, is that all these conditions affect the brain by raising the risk for vascular dementia—which is decreased blood flow to the brain. Additives such as certain artificial sweeteners and monosodium glutamate may also interfere with the production and release of brain chemicals such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which can adversely affect mental and emotional well-being.

Another problem with ultra-processed foods is that they might be addictive. “Ultra-processed foods have more in common with a cigarette than foods by Mother Nature,” says Ashley Gearhardt, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

That’s by design; “multi-billion-dollar companies create these foods to hook us, so our agency around food is low. I see this as a food sovereignty issue,” says Cindy Leung, assistant professor of public health nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston.

Humans have evolved to respond to foods that are sweet, fatty, and high in calories. For most of human existence this helped us survive. But in nature, foods are only modestly high in sugar—like berries—or high in fat, like nuts.

“You don’t find foods high in both sugar and fat,” says Gearhardt. “That’s a hallmark of ultra-processed foods. Add in salt, artificial flavorings, and bright colors, and our brain simply loses control over these foods.”

Unprocessed vs. processed vs. ultra-processed

Processed foods can be healthy, it’s the ultra-processed items that are linked to poor health. What’s the difference? Very generally, ultra-processed foods use ingredients not found in a home kitchen. A more precise description comes from the NOVA classification system.

Unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as fresh or frozen fruit, vegetables, seafood, meats, flour, and pasta, usually have just one item on their ingredient lists.



Processed ingredients, such as vegetable oils, sugar, corn starch, are extracted directly from unprocessed foods.

Processed foods, such as bakery bread without preservatives, most cheeses, and tuna, beans or vegetables canned in salt and water have short ingredient lists with recognizable terms, and salt is the main preservative.

Ultra-processed foods include items such as soda, candy, cookies, cake, energy bars, fruit-flavored yogurt, meal replacement bars and shakes, hotdogs, many types of packaged breads and cereals, and frozen meals. They are often high in fat, sugar and/or sodium and typically enhanced with flavorings, dyes, artificial sweeteners and/or other additives. Ingredient lists can be long, like the 48 items in a Nutri-grain Soft Baked Strawberry Breakfast Bar.

How ultra-processed foods mess with your brain

A diet high in ultra-processed foods could hurt your brain for similar reasons that these diets are linked to a slew of other chronic diseases. They’re often high in calories, for example, there’s nearly a day’s worth in the 1,603-calorie Burger King Texas Double Whopper. High calorie diets can lead to obesity, which is linked to depression. One reason why might be that fat cells become dysfunctional and release inflammatory molecules, which are triggers for depression, anxiety, and dementia.

“Ultra-processed foods are effortless to consume in large quantities because they’re generally soft and easy to chew,” Lane explains. They’re also hyper-palatable—that’s the research term for very tasty. “These attributes may disrupt and override the normal 'I’m full' communication between your gut and your brain.”

“That means you’re shortchanged on nutrients that are good for the brain, including phytonutrients—beneficial substances in plants,” Lane wrote. For example, there are about 8,000 varieties of polyphenols that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; early studies indicate that diets low in these compounds are linked to depression.

Who’s eating them?

U.S. adults take in about 57 percent of calories from ultra-processed foods; children and teens a whopping 67 percent, according to the government’s most recent Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is nationally representative. That’s high—levels as low as 20 percent have been linked to ill effects on the brain.

This survey also reveals that Americans of all education and income levels exceed the 50 percent mark for calories from ultra-processed foods. “But people with low food security have an even higher intake,” says Harvard’s Leung, who has done this research.

One reason is that food companies target lower income communities with advertising for soda and other ultra-processed foods. These items are also often the most affordable and accessible, flooding the likes of Dollar Stores and corner markets.

Kicking the habit

Want to reduce the quantity of ultra-processed foods in your diet? Here are some recommendations from our experts that might help.

The first step, says Gearhardt, is to “treat yourself with compassion. It’s not your fault, you’re in an environment designed to addict you.”

Strive to eat three meals and one or two snacks each day. Regular meals prevent you from getting overly hungry, which leaves you vulnerable to impulse purchases of quick, cheap, ultra-processed food that stimulates the reward centers of the brain.

Switch to less processed foods you still enjoy, such as nuts, and in-season, ripe fruit. “One of my go-to lunches is eggs, a green salad tossed with a delicious dressing and topped with Parmesan cheese, and handful of berries,” says Gearhardt.

Compare labels and choose foods with less sodium and added sugar; and focus on those with a short list of recognizable ingredients.

Some ultra-processed foods are healthier than others, such as supermarket whole wheat bread which offers fiber and other nutrients. “For most people, it’s not practical to go to a bakery to buy bread that doesn’t contain preservatives or other additives,” says Leung.

Leung also suggests that parents make children aware of how the marketing departments of food companies are trying to trick them into buying certain ultra-processed products, and the consequences of eating these items. “Tap into children’s sense of righteous indignation,” she suggests, “by telling them how food companies manipulate them, from the way ultra-processed foods are formulated, to the packaging with cartoon characters, to the placement at eye level and at the check-out aisle.”

Readers, are you trying to kick the habit of ultra-processed foods? Do you have any tips for the rest of us? Let us know!

Isla, queen of the mountain

We are beginning to get into the newest, and pinkest of the strains of Pink Lady, Ruby Pink. This strain is a great version of the wonderful Australian (originally) apple.

We actually had a very nice, large crop of these beauties and Michael wholesaled some as we simply have too many to retail the entire crop.

We held them till last as their reputation is that they hold up better in cold storage than other older strains of Pink Lady.

• Ruby Pink was discovered in May 1999 in Main Ridge, Victoria, Australia as a limb sport growing among a uniform block of Cripps Pink. The variety is distinguished by the following unique combination of characteristics: the fruit is uniformly ellipsoid, as compared to the symmetrical ellipsoid shape of Cripps Pink; the fruit has a higher percentage of red color than Cripps Pink; the fruit matures later than Cripps Pink; and the fruit has a higher firmness rating than Cripps Pink.

🍏🍎🍏 Apples 🍎🍏🍎

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Honeycrisp

These are still far and away our bestselling apple, with only Goldrush and Crimson Crisp nipping at its heels.

They will be gone soon, perhaps two more weeks.

Granny Smith

This variety needs no introduction as it has been made into pies, cobblers, even cakes, for decades. It is now even referred to as an heirloom apple.

A rather tart apple it has its place amongst our tangier varieties, though I'm not a huge fan of it as a fresh eating apple; I'll take a Goldrush for a tart fresh eating apple.

Goldrush - The crop is wonderful this season, the apples have good color and great flavor and crispness. We consider this the best cooking apple, or at least one of the very best, there being so many good ones.



Evercrisp - These became my favorite apple last season, please give them a try. You won't regret it.

Pink Lady - Some gorgeous 'Ruby' Pink Lady will be on all loads very soon.

This is a really firm semi-sweet apple, good for both fresh eating and any cooking purpose.

Cameo - These are a fine crisp eating apple, kind of what I think Red Delicious would be like if they hadn't been ruined by breeding them for looks rather than flavor and texture.

~~~~~

"Trust" Tomatoes

We again have a pretty good picking going into this weekend, but perhaps not quite enough.

The second tomato planting is producing a fair number of Sungold cherry tomatoes, starting to ripen the Dasher a red pear tomato and we are now picking the first of the Trust (red slicing tomatoes) out of the 2nd planting, thus more able to meet the increasing demand as we move into spring.





Sweet Peppers - Arturo predicts about 1 week 'till we see the first to ripen. We don't harvest them when unripe, i.e. green, but wait till they are fully colored, at their sweetest and most nutritious.

Brussels Sprouts - Arturo is predicting that we will have these for about 4 or 5 more weeks.

We have the sprouts, still on the stalk, in lined bins in our cold storage.

"Soggy sprouts should be off the menu say Newcastle researchers – and not only for reasons of taste.

Scientists have found that steaming Brussels sprouts helps the vegetable retain its glucosinolates, which may aid the body in fighting chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cancer.

Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli, cabbage, collard greens and kale, which are laden with healthy properties.

In particular, they have a high content of glucosinolates – an important molecule that interacts with proteins associated with repairing damaged DNA and promoting cell death in cancer tumours. (Can you tell it's a British article?)

Whilst glucosinolates are highest in raw Brussels sprouts, cooking affects their contents and a Newcastle University study has looked at roasting, boiling, or steaming and how it impacts the chemical composition of the vegetable.

Dr Kirsten Brandt, Senior Lecturer in Food and Human Nutrition at Newcastle University, said: “If you boil the Brussels sprouts then you lose a lot of the important compounds into the water.



“If you roast them, they are being broken down during the cooking, so steaming is the one that gives most of these tasty and healthy compounds in the final product.” I'd still roast them!



Winter Sweet - the variety which we always hold back until we've sold out of Sunshine. It is another wonderful kabocha variety.



Butternut - we grew plenty this season, as seen to the right. This is the great old 'standby' which most winter squash recipes call for.

Ina Garten's

Roasted Butternut Squash

Shallots

Our shallots are wonderful

this season. They are a

French variety called

Ambition.

Onions - You will see both red onions and yellow - AKA 'Spanish' onions (Stanley). Though a strong onion they sweeten up rapidly when cooked.

Sweet Potatoes

Orleans, a new and improved Beauregard sweet potato; this is a traditional orange fleshed and orange skinned one.

Prepare For Baked Sweet Potato Fries That Are ACTUALLY Crispy

Researchers at Newcastle University have found that the popular festive side-dish of carrots could help reduce the risk of cancer by almost a quarter.

In new research, published today in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, experts found five servings of the vegetable per week was linked to a 20% reduction in developing all types of cancer.

In addition, eating just one serving per week still gives a significant reduction, with a 4% lower chance of the disease compared to those who never eat the vegetable.

Carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of nearly 200 studies and 4.7 million participants.

Carrots contain an abundance of different compounds that have been investigated for health benefits with β-carotene, the compound causing the red-orange pigment of the vegetable, being most researched in the past.

However, Newcastle University experts have shown that the whole carrot, rather than carotenes, provides an anti-cancer effect when consumed in enough quantity.

They showed that carrot intake had a reduced cancer incidence across a number of different groupings, from geographic region to exposure and cancer type.

PhD student Charles Ojobor, from the Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre at Newcastle University, led the study.

He said: “Many researchers have noticed the benefits of carrots previously, and this is a reason why there was so much data for us to analyse.

“However, most of the previous studies focused on beta-carotene, one of the orange carotenoid phytochemicals, which give the orange carrots their colour.

“Unfortunately, beta-carotene did not show much beneficial effect on cancer in controlled experiments.

“As a result, we studied carrots due to their content of a different type of phytochemicals, polyacetylenes, which are colourless but have strong effects on cancer.



“For our study, we looked at different types of cancer and our analysis showed that people who eat five portions of carrots per week had a 20% reduced risk of developing the disease.”

Parsnips - This wonderful root crop is actually often sweeter than carrots and seems to be an under-appreciated crop in America.

Manar Cucumbers

We are much closer to having enough of these wonderful thin skinned, seedless cucumbers



How to store cucumbers.

Watercress

With the "roots on" 

We have pretty much what we need.



Basil - We are back to having a fair amount.

~~~~~~~~~~

Twin Spring's Canned Goods

No preservatives have been added to these products

Vegetarian Chili - though this may certainly be eaten "as is" it may also act as a base on which to build. It has our tomatoes as its first ingredient then fresh peppers and onions, as well as Great Northern Beans and even Butter!



Jarred Peaches - They are now $8.00 a jar, and a case of 12 is $86.00, just a tiny bit better than 10% off.

Chipotle Ketchup - A wonderful and mildly hot ketchup of which we are quite proud. It is now back in stock.



Mesquite BBQ Sauce - A new smoky, slightly sweet sauce with lots of flavor.

Peach BBQ Sauce - Pretty spicy but not overly "fruity" tasting.



Marinara Sauce - Both the large and the small sizes, great as is, or can be used as a base for other recipes and additions.

Medium Salsa - Not too hot, not too mild.

Tomato Soup - We have plenty now.



Apple Sauce - No sugar or preservatives added, it is smooth and semisweet. If ordered online specify either Cortland or Stayman. At market it is more the luck of the draw, but is stamped on the lid as to what variety of apple we used.



Apple Butter (Fruit Spread*) - Some spice added, but no sugar or preservatives. If we were to call it "apple butter" the regulations say we must add sugar - go figure?

~~~~~~~~~~

All canned goods may be purchased individually, or by the 12 jar case at 10% off. Many items may be ordered by going on the pre-order website, and it may go to any site.

Cherry Juice may be ordered and is actually less expensive than purchasing the case right at market; i.e. it is considerably less expensive at $60, than the 10% off would make it.

~~~~~~~~~~

*Fruit spread is a designation for preserves, as well as our Apple Butter, which are low on added sugar, the way we prefer it. Roseanne, who, along with her husband Philip, produces all our jams and jellies has all of her products lab tested for sugar and lets us know whether to call the product Fruit Spread or Preserves, the FDA sets the guidelines.



Hot Pepper Jelly

Golden Raspberry Fruit Spread

Fig Preserves

Strawberry Fruit Spread

Blueberry Fruit Spread 

Blackberry Preserves

Black Raspberry Fruit Spread

Blackberry Seedless Jelly

Red Raspberry Preserves  

Red Raspberry Seedless Jelly

~~~~~

The items in the section below are offered both online and at "Certain Locations". The list of those markets is right below the next section.



• Spinach - greenhouse grown

• Red Beets are back, from storage thus no greens.

• Mushrooms - We have a very consistent supply of fresh mushrooms, but I'm never on top of the varieties which come in (may include Black King, Lion's Mane, and a couple different kinds of Oyster mushrooms as well as Shiitake).

• Pea Shoots

• Jerusalem Artichokes (A.K.A. Sunchokes) - are available this week, online and at certain locations.

• Purple Daikon Radishes

• Fingerling potatoes - "La Ratte" fingerlings are still available, but they are only online at this time.

• Cabbage - Red (will soon be gone) are still available. (NAPA cabbage is only available online.)



Uncle Henry's Hard Pretzels - They are made with their own sourdough yeast, kept from batch to batch, as well as unbleached local flour. Whole wheat pretzels are now available, as are 'low salt' pretzels.

Dipping mustard from McCutcheon's is now available; trust me, it's very good.

Lenca Coffee - We have both whole bean and ground. This is a "bird friendly" coffee, as it is truly shade grown. I'm going to link HERE to their website so that you can easily get to know them.

Michele's Granola - Baked fairly locally (near Baltimore), this granola has been a mainstay at these locations for a few years. I've found that this is a great topping for cobblers and such. It comes out super crunchy.

Breakfast Loaves - have returned. Not only has Lori been making her own recipes for items like Caramel coated loaves but Elizabeth and Gary are back to baking for us!

Baked Goods - From Stonehearth Bakery, located in Frederick; all items are baked "that" morning, and now individually wrapped or bagged: Baguettes, innumerable kinds of fresh breads, both sliced and unsliced, as well as croissants, scones and cookies, bags of rolls.  

"How to keep Breads Fresh 7 methods"

Tart Cherry Juice - Full of antioxidants, this tangy, pure fruit juice, no sugar or preservatives added, is great at taming aches and pains from conditions such as arthritis. It also helps extend your sleep time by perhaps 84 minutes.

"Family of Nuts" - lightly salted roasted cashews, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, and mixed nuts, all are nicely done, light on the salt. There are also dry fruits: apricots, figs, dates and raisins.

HERE is an article on tart cherries entitled "Cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer of both men and women in North America. Changes in diet and exercise can go a long way in helping to keep your heart healthy."



Increase sleep by 84 minutes per night. See below for a write-up* 

Allen's, as well as some from other sources, fresh local eggs - Brought to Twin Springs weekly, both white and brown eggs from happy "free walking" hens, raised just outside of Gettysburg.

Pure Local Honey - Jim Small continues to keep us supplied with his local wildflower honey, totally unadulterated, and minimally heated -only when needed to get it to flow for bottling.

Honey - more popular than ever.

Fresh Hard Pretzels - Locally made, coming in both regular and Honey Whole Wheat. Hand made and freshly baked in our area. 

Artisanal Cheeses - Curt's locally produced cheeses: sharp cheddar, cheddar, Conall's lava cheddar, smoked cheddar, as well as smoked Jalapeño; also available are goat gouda and goat cheddar. 

Maple Syrup and Maple Sugar - Tapped and bottled on the Patterson Farm in Pennsylvania. Did you know that a jug of syrup may be frozen to keep it fresh; it will still flow, though quite slowly, when brought out of the freezer. Unlike honey, which simply won't go bad, other than perhaps crystallizing, maple syrup should at least be refrigerated, once opened, as it can develop mold.

I'm going to LINK HERE to an article, from Canada no less, which enumerates many recent discoveries about the benefits of replacing some sugars with natural maple syrup. Studies have uncovered a multitude of compounds in the sap, therefore the syrup, which can act as anti-inflammatories, many of which will be familiar from past newsletters, but who knew they were in maple syrup?

McCutcheon's Products - We carry an extensive line of jams, some fruit sweetened, i.e. no cane sugar or corn syrup, and jellies, as well as many other great products, like Bread and Butter Pickles, Chow Chow, Relishes, and much more created right in Frederick Maryland. 

*Health Benefits of Tart Cherry Juice

A study of distance runners by Texas A&M University, in College Station, determined that short-term supplementation of dried tart cherry powder* improved running times, decreased inflammation and increased muscle metabolism and immunity.

The researchers divided 27 endurance-trained young adult athletes into two groups. Eleven participants were given a daily powdered tart cherry supplement for 10 days, and 16 were given a rice flour placebo. All completed a half-marathon near the end of the 10-day trial. The researchers tested fasting blood samples and a quadriceps muscle soreness rating prior to the run, 60 minutes after the run and 24 and 48 hours post-run.

The tart cherry group reported 13 percent faster average running times, as well as significantly lower inflammatory markers. They also reported 34 percent lower quadriceps soreness prior to the run. Tart cherry supplementation also increased immunity and resulted in better muscle metabolism. 

And another write-up, from the AARP Bulletin:

From the AARP Bulletin: "Talk to your doctor about ways to relieve pain without drugs. Heat, massage and acupuncture, for example, are effective for lower-back pain. Or try tart cherry juice. Drinking eight ounces twice a day has been shown in preliminary research in older adults to reduce pain and increase sleep by 84 minutes per night, says Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute in Mebane, N.C."

*We, of course, sell the 100% tart cherry juice bottled by our cider mill, Kimes, in Bendersville Pa. A case may be ordered at 10% off. 

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