Vendors for September TFM

Check the September market listing for your favorite vendors at http://www.tappahannockmarket.com/tfm-vendors-2014-sept.htm

Guest Artist: Cecilia Aquino

Cecilia Aquino pursued her B.A. in Studio Art and B.S. in Business Administration-concentration in Marketing at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Before graduation, she took internships in the field at the Greater Reston Arts Center in Reston, VA and studied "Orvieto and the Art History of Central Italy" in Orvieto, Italy. Cecilia works in mediums of painting, drawing and mixed media and has done commissions around the East Coast. Recently she began using iPhone cases as a canvas for her art and has been participating in painting demonstrations, and teaching cork and canvas classes. Most recent exhibitions have been at The NightGallery inLeesburg, Torpedo Factory's Target Gallery, Art Jamz, Mayflowers, Greater Reston Arts Center, and the Ronald Reagan Building.  
"Portrays portraiture through a visual interchange of abnormality and mixed media throughout" I explore the variety of ways people externalize emotion. These portraits embody the vulnerability and strength that are present in human beings. By capturing the features and then by enhancing and distorting the faces gives the portrait a sense of freedom through interpretation. Both the elements and characters in my work communicate stories that are open to the viewer's imagination. Inspired by the action of taking away the realistic aspect of a self-portrait and focusing on human abnormality, traditions, fashion and culture. Through the organic overlay of sand texture and color I am able to make features stand out at the points of transition where emotion changes. 

Guest Artist: Anna Raff

Anna Raff has painted her entire life. She grew up in Virginia after her parents immigrated from England when she was six years old. The landscapes, rivers, valleys, and mountains of Virginia inspired her earliest works. She studied at the Corcoran Museum under French Impressionists and later in London, Paris, New York, Quebec, and throughout the United States. Presently, a series on the Rivers of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay are her subjects. She is living on the Rappahannock River, enjoying its wildlife and skies.  In 2002 a very large exhibit of 5' x 8' oils was presented in Washington, D.C. for 3 months. The series is called "From Sea to Shining Sea" American Series. There are over 2,000 major works throughout the world that "Anna Christina Pryce" has sold—predominately oil on canvas. A three year project painted in Quebec, Canada, a large church mural (16,000 sq. feet), is her only acrylic work. It was sponsored by Nobel and raised well over 200,000 Canadian dollars. Creating 7 companies in her lifetime, most design related, she helped raise 6 children and enjoys 2 grandchildren. "It is very nice to come back to Virginia. It is home, its beauty inspiring and its peacefulness restful. I'm hoping to concentrate my efforts on Virginia's landscapes in order to create a pictorial history of the way it looks today—for posterity and in order to make a significant difference in the protection of its environment.

Ask a Northern Neck Master Gardener!

Ask a Master Gardener at the Market - Every Market you have the opportunity to solve a garden problem with the help of the Northern Neck Master Gardeners - here are Priscilla Wellford, Martha Franks, Darlene Nelson and Diane Hagler (not shown Diane Kean). The Northern Neck Master Gardeners’ booth provides research-based answers to all of your gardening questions each month.. In September they will have information on preparing your lawn for next year by applying the correct ...amount of fertilizer this fall. The first step to a beautiful lawn is to have a soil test done. The Master Gardeners have soil test kits available to tell you how to determine the number of tests you need, where to send the kit and how to read the information you will receive back from Virginia Tech’s Soil Test Lab. For everyone with a garden, now is the time to prepare your garden for the winter. What needs to be cut down and what needs to be left until spring are common questions we will be happy to answer. Fall is the perfect time to transplant and divide perennials so you may want to find out what perennials are recommended for this area and what plants are “Natives”.

Toby Calloway and Larry Heatwole feature in Market Music!

This month's Virginia-born musicians have woven music into their entire lives.  Guitarist Larry Heatwole toured with The Platters, One Step Away, the United States Air Force Band, and Fat Ammons Band.  Singer Toby Calloway got his start early at The Little Ole Opry in Mathews before joining The Silver Dollar Band.  They are both teachers now and have performed together since 2001.   

Beef from Mount View Farm

Barry Bates has beef!  Mount View Farm is a family owned cattle farm located in Essex County, Virginia that offers naturally raised beef.  On their 140-acre farm they raise cattle in a free roaming environment. The animals have daily access to pastures, free choice hay and NON-GMO grain, which is grown on the farm.  In addition, they hydroponically grow a barley seed grass (aka fodder) to ensure the herd has fresh grass 365 days a year.  They never give added hormones, steroids or antibiotics for sub-therapeutic purposes (i.e. to promote growth).  Their meat is USDA inspected, flash frozen, and vacuum-sealed.  Their philosophy is to provide top quality beef in a sustainable and consistent manner, in order to benefit their family and community.

Arlington Lodge does VA CHIP Child ID's

Arlington Masonic Lodge will be offering free Virginia Child ID Program Cards during the Farmers Market on September 20th, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm. Completed while you wait - it only takes 5 minutes.

Pork providers from right here in Essex County

Local, naturally raised produce gets a new dimension this month with the addition of pork and beef providers from right here in Essex County.  

Did you know there were 50 hogs living in Center Cross?  At Black Boar Farm, they raise two kinds of heritage breed hogs: the Ossabaw Island hog and the Berkshire hog.  These two breeds are distinctly flavorful even without adding seasoning to the meat. The hogs are free range, raised in the woods and their feed is supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetable from a local farmer in the summer and hay in the winter. This naturally raised pork does not contain any antibiotics, hormones, preservatives or anything else other than the food and water the hogs consume.  The proof is in the taste. They produce the following pork products at Black Boar Farm: brined and plain sliced bacon (the plain bacon is excellent for people who cannot eat food with added salt or sugar); pork loin chops; shoulder cutlets; sage, sweet Italian and hot Italian sausage; a mild Italian sausage whose main flavor is fennel and which contains no added sugar; ground pork; ribs; leaf fat; jowls; fatback; and hog feet.  Their pork is processed at a USDA facility, which meets all standards for safely selling meat to the public.

A little history: Ossabaws are descendants of Iberico hogs introduced to the Americas by the Spaniards nearly 400 years ago.  They live on Ossabaw Island, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia.  Ossabaws have adapted to the brackish water and erratic food cycle on the island becoming smaller in size over the years.  They weigh between 100 to 250 pounds fully grown and have the ability to store unsaturated Omega 3 fats to sustain them through lean times. The lard of the Ossabaw hog is high in oleic acid, which is also dominant in olive oil.  The meat is marbleized and a rind covers the ham and shoulders. The Berkshire is the oldest recorded British hog.  This hog was "discovered" by Oliver Cromwell's invading army 350 years ago.  Today's animals descend from the herd maintained for 300 years by the England's royal family and is known for its succulent pork. The first boar was brought to the United States in 1841 and weighed 1,000 pounds.  The Berkshire is a very pleasant hog to work with and quite intelligent.  Their farmer friend has a Berkshire hog that can sit on command like a dog.  Berkshires weigh around 250 to 400 pounds fully-grown (at one year of age) and have marbleized meat.