Heritage Farmer adds to Farmers Market mix
Rose O’ Dell King had never sold items at a Farmer’s Market before deciding to be part of the one that just opened Dec. 4 at Marinatown.
She makes her living mainly on the organic livestock she raises at her Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm in North Fort Myers.
But when she saw many of her customers shopping around, she knew she made the right decision to take part in the new – an popular- North Fort Myers venue.
There, they sell Heritage-breed Longhorn cows, pastured Red Wattle pigs and poultry, which is the mark of all-natural breeds.
The cows are 100 percent grass fed and all their breeds are slow growing and raised organically, holistically, sustainably and humanely.
That means no hormones, steroids or antibiotics, which are found on non-organic farms so they can be grown and put on the table as quickly as possible.
“These animals have to be raised on pastures. They grow slower, but the flavor of the meat is better, all our animals are all Heritage breed,” King said. “It’s not a brand, it’s a way of doing things.”
Heritage breeds, King said, are falling out of favor. Many of the breeds are being genetically modified to grow fast, taste bland and not made to last.
King, who started out as a writer, sheep farmer and chef, started the farm three years ago on 100 acres, with a large section devoted to produce and another devoted to livestock.
“When we look at the food system in our country, it inspired me to start farming. I would have liked to do sheep, but they don’t grow well here, so I went with the cattle and pigs,” King said.
At the farmer’s market, King brought sausage and chimichurri made in the farm’s state-of-the-art kitchen, as well as bread, homemade apple butter, a roasted beet Romesco, cranberry and country sausage and more.
Remarkably, all this had only been sold on the farm, never at a market, until now.
“Mike from the North Fort Myers Civic Association has been very welcoming and we want to be part of the community by being part of the Farmer’s Market,” King said. “We didn’t do farmers markets because we’ve done really well selling things direct from the farm.”
Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm is at 8250 Nalle Grade Road. For more information, contact King at 233-4888 or visit www.rosy-tomorrows.com.
The Farmer’s Market is a weekly happening at Marinatown. Mainatown Lane, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from now until the end of March. sneighbor.com/page/content.detail/id/524064/Farmers-market-opens-in-Marinatown.html?nav=5123#sthash.Dg5CRjHD.dpuf