Morgantown
Post by: The Dalai Mama
Town: Morgantown
Website: Chez Mama
This is my first post here at PWV, and I look forward to becoming a part of this blog. My town is currently Morgantown, and it has been for nearly 16 years now. I spent my first 17 years in Petersburg. I spent nearly every minute there wishing I was somewhere else. It is a beautiful town surrounded by mountains. It was a wonderful place to grow up. I just always felt like I needed to live in a place that offered a little more diversity.
I decided on WVU for college, and while I liked Morgantown during college, I didn’t plan on making it a permanent home. As a matter of fact, I’d always planned on leaving WV. The thought of that now is actually frightening to me. I absolutely love West Virginia, and can’t imagine raising my children anywhere else.
Well, I obviously never left Morgantown! I met my husband (Bryan/SleekPelt) while I was still in college. Shortly after, he pretty much landed a dream job here. Dream jobs are hard to come by in WV. So, here we are.
Anyway, since I love cooking (and food), I am going to write about some of the wonderful, local options we have here in Morgantown. For the last several years, we have bought a CSA share from Evans Knob Farm. Evans Knob is located in Bruceton Mills, about 30 miles from Morgantown. From late May to early October, we get a weekly bounty of fresh, organic vegetables. Evans Knob is certainly one of the few (if not only) USDA certified organic farms in WV. USDA certification is a process that takes years, and much hard work. The Evans’ are dedicated to their work while also practicing their farming in a way that is safe for the environment. I admire that immensely.
A few years ago, Morgantown finally got it together and organized a nice farmer’s market. Other towns in WV have really nice, big markets with such variety. That is definitely enviable, but what I love about the Morgantown Farmer’s Market, is that all products sold there must be produced within 50 miles. That’s truly locally produced! The market starts in just over three weeks. I can’t even say how much I’m looking forward to that! Much of the produce there is grown without pesticides or added chemicals. I think all of the meat sold there is grass-fed and hormone/anit-biotic free. We really are lucky to have options like that available locally. In many urban (and even some rural) areas in the U.S., you just wouldn’t be able to find fruit, veggies, meat and eggs that were essentially raised in your backyard. Just one of the many wonderful things about West Virginia!
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April 22nd, 2008 at 10:42 am
” all products sold there must be produced within 50 miles”
Dude, that is AWESOME!
Spencer is just starting up a local farmer’s market. By just starting up, I mean, this is the 2nd year for it, but it’s just for local growers. I think any farmer in the state can set up shop there, but they can’t bring produce from outside the state. I don’t know how they check that, but I am really looking forward to seeing “the corn guy” — a local farmer who grows THE BEST bicolor corn around. He says it’s called “peaches and cream” — it’s ungodly sweet and good. Yum!
I love farmer’s markets.
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:34 am
For the longest time, my only experience with a farmers market was the one in Charleston. If you have never been, you should check it out. It is an indoor/outdoor market that, AFAIK, is open year round 7 days a week. They have a wine and cheese shop, and bookstore, and it is also home to the fabulous SoHoS restaurant.
Last Summer, my wife, daughter and I took a trip North to Maine to see our friends Dave and Laura. They took us to their local Market, and it was great. Although it was not a permanent structure like in Charleston, that were lots and lots of vendors. Their market took place 2 times a week. Dave and Laura also participated in a CSA with one of the vendors there. At this market you could get all kinds of produce and meat, but what I liked best was the Milk and Cheese selection. There were at least 3 Dairy Vendors.
When we got home, we investigated to find out if we had a local market and, of course, we do. The choices here are pretty much limited to produce and some meat, but it is nice none the less. I asked why there were no Dairy Vendors at the Morgantown Market and was told that the Health Department is too strict and will not allow it.
One of my favorite things about Morgantown is getting peaches from the WVU farm, but the hours there are kinda crazy. Tuesday from 12 noon to 4 PM?
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Becky: I’ve had peaches and cream corn before. So good! A farmer over in Hampshire or Hardy county grows it. My mom gets it every summer. I’m nearly drooling over the thought of corn-on-the-cob right now!
$: I have been to the market in Charleston, and the variety is truly amazing. I definitely plan on going there again when I’m in Charleston next month. You can get eggs at the Morgantown farmer’s market. You can also buy local, pasture-fed eggs at the Mountain People’s Market. I’ve tried looking for a local dairy farmer. I can’t find one. I’m going to ask Kathy from Evans Knob Farm if she knows any. I think it’s illegal to sell dairy privately in WV, so I’m sure they keep it on the down-low. Ohhhhh. The peaches. I love it when it’s time for the peaches.