Chenopodiaceae?

[oxbowfarm]

Which sub-forum is most appropriate for discussion of Chenopodiaceae? Beets, Chard, Spinach, Amaranth, Quinoa, Sorrel, Buckwheat, Rhubarb, and Orach Oh My!

Incidentally, I had a guy come up to my table the other day and complain about my price per bunch for my kale and collards. Then he starts berating me for selling Swiss Chard. He said that the oxalates in Chard and Spinach leach out all the Calcium from your body and cause permanent health destruction. That Swiss Chard is poison and I was contributing to all the negative psychological effects we see in kids these days. I guess I never realized that ADD and autism are actually caused by all that spinach and swiss chards the kids are eating these days. Then he says the only healthy greens to eat are the KKK family which meant Kale, Collards, and Cabbage. I guess on his planet they spell them Kale, Kollards, and Kabbage. Maybe I should put some white sheets on mine. The hardest thing for me at markets is keeping a respectful look on my face when I meet someone who's gone so far down a fringe nutritional rabbit hole like this and assume we all came with him.

That and keeping a smile on my face while the inevitable trio of Russian ladies paws through my lettuce and then try to get me to drop my prices because they are small and have broken leaves. "Yes, they're broken because you just trashed them all. ( I never actually say this! Just think it.) I'm sorry but that is the price that I need to sell them at to make money, I'm sorry. Maybe you can find some more reasonable lettuce on the market today." Smile, smile, smile.

[johno]

Probably the best place to put Chenopodiacaea is in 'Other vegetables and flowers including exotics.'

I can only imagine the patience and self-control you must go through at the market!

[ottawagardener]

Hmmm, I wouldn't mind another category actually for that family and the asters though I would hate to think of the organization involved in sorting through the posts!

[mnjrutherford]

Now that is truly an argument for being SELF-sustaining and allowing the rest of the world to suffer their just deserts. The world is blessed by you market gardeners. If it were me, I'd probably be charging them $5 then whacking them in the head with a bat for having the audacity to continue breathing my air!

[oxbowfarm]

Two things. I actually do like selling at farmers markets very much and have met a lot of nice people and many good close friends there. I figure it is just like any workplace and you have to deal with a certain percentage of jerks and whackos whatever you do. I may even fall into one or both of those categories myself. And I actually like talking to the Russian and Ukranian expats for the most part, they just have a cultural conditioning to haggle and badmouth the produce that I do not share which causes some discomfort for me when dealing with them as I absolutely refuse to haggle on prices as a policy.

Second thing is actually to correct my first post because I realized while I was at the market today that rhubarb, sorrel, and buckwheat are actually not in Chenopodiacea. They are Polygon-something-acea.

[steev]

Maybe you need a sign in appropriate script, "Fixed Prices! You damage, you've bought!" I do agree, though, that it's interesting to surf the cultural frontier. We tend not to get enough of that in America, which is of course why we tend to be mono-lingual, our loss for sure.

[Deleted]

He said that the oxalates in Chard and Spinach leach out all the Calcium from your body and cause permanent health destruction.

But, they go great with foods that are high in calcium -- meat, cheese, eggs, etc.

I've been taken, as security, in some of these situations and respectfully ask disagreeable people to leave, well before it turns into a full-on diatribe. They had been grabbing people, and they would hold on, until the victim gave up the money.

One friend I work with leaves vegetables on the fruitstand with an abandoned lockbox, under the honor system. Claims he only had problems with pumpkins, one Halloween.

[12540dumont]

So, Oxbow are you still selling at the market or is it closed for the season? What kind of cabbage are you growing? Something is munching on my San Michelle.

I don't think the link between Swiss Chard and ADD has been proven, but there's an 8 year old in my CSA who wishes it was. He sent me an e-mail raving over Romano Beans, but asked if I would pleazzze give his mother anything but Swiss Chard. And, could I please bake more rye bread, because it's his favorite.

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[oxbowfarm]

Market runs till the week before Christmas. Then the winter market is every Saturday in January and February. Then the regular market season starts again first Saturday in April.