Attack of the killer tomatoes??

I'm sure everyone is aware that the FDA and the CDC are fervently trying to track down the genesis to the recent salmonella outbreak. At first it was thought that tomatoes were the culprit, now according to a Washington Post article, about two weeks ago the tomato theory began to falter.

FDA and CDC officials currently believe other salsa ingredients deserve closer examination. Experts in food-borne illness say that jalapeños are on the short list of suspects since they would best fit the timing, duration and distribution of the outbreak.

But I believe, whatever is determined as the cause of this outbreak, should spur us to be more informed consumers and try our best to buy fruits, veggies, meats, etc. as close as we can to home and get to know local farmers.

Every Saturday (9AM-1PM) folks certainly have the option of visiting the SS Farmers Market on Ellsworth where local farmers sell cheeses, meats, veggies, fruits, and more. If you miss it, you can head a little southeast of SS and visit the Takoma Park Farmers Market (10AM-2PM) in the old town area. Now I know this option is not for everyone. Cost of the items most definitely limits the clientèle - which is unfortunate since many of these products are top notch. But these small farmers cannot compete in price with factory farms.

But I do want to alert folks of an option of which you may not be aware. Now this is not an option for all your food needs - just some - but typically the price is right! This option is the urban farmer - Charlie Koiner - right in SoCo (NE corner of Grove St and Easley St), just a few blocks from downtown SS. Charlie has more than an acre where he grows a variety of fruits and vegetables and if you visit his farm you can purchase items for very reasonable prices. You can typically guess that Charlie will be selling whatever is in season - greens and scallions early in the year, tomatoes in July and August, etc. His fruit is also quite popular - blackberries, blueberries, and many other varieties.

If you haven't met him he's a great guy and my guess is that tending to his farm keeps him young (he's in his mid-80s). So do yourself a favor, if you're in the area stop by and check out the urban farm. He has a sign posted right near Grove and Easley listing what he has for sale. And if you see his silver truck (with a cab) you know he's home and open for business. But more than likely you'll see him in the garden taking care of everything.