Sustainable Food Center

The Weekly Dirt

THIS WEEKEND AT THE MARKETS
Highlights, Vendors, Events and more. Downtown and Sunset Valley - Sat, Mar. 28

Markets are open this weekend! Come visit over 60 local farmers, ranchers, and small food businesses to keep your pantry stocked with fresh and delicious food.

Keep in mind that due to social distancing measures there may be a short wait upon your arrival to the markets, for more information please read our blog post on our new rules and safety commitments.

Would you like to get in and out in even more time? Check out our post on food access resources and preorder from your preferred vendors!

WHAT WE'RE READING THIS WEEK
We've dug up the dirt so you don't have to.

"Central Texas farmers have overcome freezes, fires, summer droughts but have never dealt with a pandemic until now"
By Jack Flagler, Community Impact - Farmers and market managers are shifting their operations to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic and keep the community fed. Read more »

"Getting groceries in Austin during a pandemic: Where to shop, how to help employees"
By Addie Broyles, Austin360 - There are things that shoppers can do, both to help grocery store employees keep up and to buy food and supplies that they need without venturing into already crowded stores. Read more »

"There’s psychology behind the foods we don’t buy in a crisis"
By Julia Sklar, The Counter - During emergencies, shoppers fall back on similar behavioral traits in the supermarket aisle. What happens when the crisis has no end date? Read more »

"Viral tweet asks grocery customers to be mindful about WIC items. Here's why"
Brett Molina, USA TODAY - Before you drop that box of cereal or loaf of bread into your cart, it's worth paying extra attention to the pricing label at the store. Read more »

SFC UPDATE
SFC events, news, blogs and more.

First Step Toward Aid for Farmers in Senate Pandemic Package
We'd like to thank everyone who called their member of Congress to advocate for our local farmers, ranchers and producers in the Coronavirus Relief Bill. Read more from National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition on the aid included in this package »

"Food Access Resources in Central Texas"
With the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic setting in, we have compiled a list of food access resources for our Central Texas community. From farmers' markets, CSA's, delivery options, and everything in between, we will keep our blog up-to-date with a list of ways you can ensure that healthy food stays on your table at home. Read more »

Texas Mamma Jamma Ride
Sept 19. Resolve to exercise more, connect with new people, and give back to your community in 2020 with the Texas Mamma Jamma Ride! Registration is open now and we're proud to be one of the beneficiaries. Learn more »

THE WEEKLY
We'll be sharing recipes to cook, terms you should know, and more in our weekly selection!

Recipe: Quarantine Cooking with SFC
We know cooking can feel intimidating amongst everything else happening, so we would love to help you cook more from scratch using whatever you have available! Check out our Instagram, blog, and Facebook over the coming weeks for Quarantine Cooking with SFC to learn tips and tricks to using both fresh produce and pantry staples to create simple, hearty recipes. Until then, we have a few ideas from our archives to get you started. Read more »

Term You Should Know: "CSA"
Community Supported Agriculture. A membership driven food access model that directly connects a regional farmer to a group of individuals who want to buy locally grown, high quality, fresh produce. Some farmers also offer fruit, dairy, eggs, meat, and other local products. A member purchases a “share” of vegetables from a regional farmer before the start of the season. Every week or every other week farmer delivery will deliver that share of produce to a convenient drop-off location or to your door in your neighborhood.