Sticky Sweets & Eats - Honey Edition

Honey is Back!

By: Samantha Snyder

We are so excited that Sunflower Hill Farm’s local honey is once again available!

Raw honey is a versatile, delicious, and shelf-stable superfood that everyone should have in their pantry. It contains antioxidants, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, can potentially provide cardiovascular protection, and much more. Battling illness this season? Treat a sore throat with a teaspoon of honey in warm water with lemon, or in your favorite herbal tea.

HONEY RECIPES

Sunflower Hill’s honey has a spectacular, unique flavor, and is an excellent addition to home-cooked dishes. Try mixing it with Ashe County butter - honey butter makes the best topping for biscuits, cornbread, or Rabble and Rise sourdough (or pancakes). Make honey glazed chicken using Crossings chicken breasts. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a lovely honey cake. For a new dip, try spicy honey sriracha sauce!

Ribs

We have two different types of ribs available - pork from Klymer Ridge, and wagyu from Rocky Forge. For the pork, try oven baked fall-off-the-bone ribs with homemade sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. For the beef, try easy baked ribs in a rich, red wine based sauce. Serve with coleslaw, cornbread muffins, collard greens…or your own favorite fixin’!

Snacks

As you go about your day, it’s important to keep your body fueled, no matter how busy you are. Keep a bag of vanilla nut trio granola from Rabble and Rise with you for a quick snack. This granola uses sourdough starter as a binder, which means less sweetener and more probiotics in each batch! Peanut butter protein balls from SandyCreek Farm will satisfy your sweet tooth and provide you with a boost. Say goodbye to being “hangry” with these treats!

**** REMINDER: BLUE TOTES ****

Your orders are delivered in insulated blue totes - please bring these back (to any of the five pickup points, during any of their business hours). We re-use these bags in an effort to practice sustainability while keeping your food fresh!

The Piedmont Fresh shopping window is OPEN until Monday at 11:59 pm. Don’t forget to finalize your order when you finish filling your cart, and sign up for SMS alerts (on our home page) for reminders on when the cart opens and closes. 

Say ~ Cheese!

Savory Pairings: Gouda Cheese, delicious treats, & Gourmet Meats

By: Samantha Snyder

New Cheeses Now Available!

Thanks to SandyCreek Farm, try new mouthwatering Ashe County Cheeses!

HOOP CHEESE

Experience a southern classic - authentic Carolina hoop cheese. Ashe County uses their traditional recipe and old world techniques to make this rich and creamy cheese. Try it in nostalgic mac and cheese, or get adventurous with an apple cheese casserole.

CHEDDAR AND GOUDA

If you are of the opinion that “cheddar is better,” you’ll love Ashe County Mountain Cheddar. Try it sharp, or opt for the super sharp version, which is aged for five years! Treat yourself to the perfect brunch with a bacon cheddar quiche, or bring a jalapeño popper potato casserole to your next party.

Gouda cheese effortlessly elevates any dish. For a fun finger food, make apple gouda pigs in a blanket. Warm up on rainy winter days with smoked pepper and gouda soup. Put a slice on your wagyu burger for melt-in-your-mouth results!

DINNER FOR TWO

Valentine’s Day may be over, but any day is a good day to treat your partner to a delicious dinner at home. Keep things spicy with Brick Chicken using a whole chicken from Sunflower Hill Farm - shred and freeze the leftover meat for easy tacos on busy days, and use the bones for homemade bone broth. Prepare steak with mushroom cream sauce using Klymer Ridge sirloin. Country Hearth sourdough from Rabble and Rise makes an excellent side to any meal. And of course, finish it all off with something sweet - perhaps a ChocFulls cookie stack!

The Piedmont Fresh shopping window is OPEN until Monday at 11:59 pm. Don’t forget to finalize your order when you finish filling your cart, and sign up for SMS alerts (on our home page) for reminders on when the cart opens and closes.

Happy shopping!

Hands-On Cooking: Learn & Grow

Cooking Classes at Greater Vision Outreach Center

By: Samantha Snyder

Thanks to funding by Resourceful Communities, we are excited to partner with Greater Vision Outreach Center in Thomasville and provide a four-week cooking course for Greater Vision clients. These classes are led by instructor Jonathan Seelig of Kitchenology. Class participants learn and practice cooking techniques as they prepare nutritious and delicious meals.

Each week, Jonathan walks attendees through a different recipe, introducing cooking techniques, food safety practices, and basic nutrition guidelines. The clients are provided with cooking stations (utensils and tabletop burners), as well as all the ingredients they need to follow along in real time. At the end of the class, they all get to enjoy their finished product, and they leave with a bag of ingredients to make the recipe again at home. So far, they have made taco bowls and veggie pita pizzas.

The class includes families, couples, and individuals of all ages (including children). Greater Vision provides childcare as needed. The response to the class has been enthusiastic; one attendee, who used to cook more but hasn't had the time in recent years, was inspired by the course to take it up again. We were thrilled to see a beautiful picture of the taco bowls he prepared for himself and his wife at home!

The next cooking series, coming up in March, will be for Spanish-speaking clients, with an interpreter provided by Greater Vision. We look forward to continuing to learn from Jonathan and bring people together over delicious, nourishing food!

If you or someone you know is interested in Greater Vision's services (or in volunteering, or donating to the ministry), visit their website or Facebook page for information.

Scholarships and Internships

Juneberry Education Foundation Programs

Non-profit public charity Juneberry Education Foundation is offering a wealth of workshops and agricultural programs this year. Make sure to read through and consider what they have to offer, from their farming series "Listening to the Land," to high school and college internship opportunities, to their Piedmont Ag Scholar program. There is something for everyone!

Upcoming Workshops and Events:

Davidson County Winter Market at the Depot

When: March 1, 2025 (And every first and third Saturday until April 19th)
Time: 12:00pm - 3:00 pm
Location: 129 S. Railroad Street, Lexington, NC

Find fresh, local seasonal produce, meats, eggs, pastries, jams, breads, baked goods, crafts, and other items at the Davidson County Winter Farmers Market located at The Depot. All products sold at the market are grown, baked or made by the vendors.
SNAP EBT will be accepted at this market!

12th Annual Gardeners’ Conference at High Rock Church

When: Friday, February 21, 2025
Time: 8:30am - 3:30pm
Location: 135 Lowes Boulevard, Lexington, NC 27292

Gardeners’ Conference Sponsored by Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Association of Davidson County. Click here for details and tickets

Soil Health - Small Farm Boot Camp

When: February 27th, 2025
Time: 5:30pm - 8:00 pm
Location: 301 East Center Street, Lexington, NC 27292
Admission: $15

Soil health is the backbone of growing plants. Whether growing vegetables, fruit trees, or pasture grass, soil health is crucial. Learn about soil properties and how to build healhty soils that support plant growth, cycle nutrients, hold water, prevent diseases, and sustain farm productivity. Register here!

Blueberry Pruning Workshop

When: February 28, 2025
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: SandyCreek Farm- 3160 South North Carolina Highway 150, Lexington, NC 27295

Get hands-on practice pruning blueberry bushes from NC State Specialists!

Blueberries are a potentially profitable specialty crop that commercial and backyard growers can produce successfully. Participants will be guided through the pruning decision making process as well as discussing production aspects of blueberries. Participants will gain hands-on knowledge of proper pruning techniques to maximize disease and insect control thus maximizing plant health and productivity.

Free admission! Located at SandyCreek Farm. Reserve a spot here!