News
Jimtown Store Celebrates 20th Anniversary
the
In
Current owner Carrie Brown and her late husband John Werner
restored the historic 19th century community market founded by
Jim Patrick in 1991. She is celebrating the milestone by sharing her
fresh condiments with her customers. “We have been selecting a
different flavor from our line of Fresh Jimtown Condiments each week
to give to our customers who purchase any spread at the store and
our booth at the Farmer’s Market in Healdsburg, Calif.”
Spicy Pepper Jam and
Romesco are the two latest
additions to the refrigerated
line that includes Chopped
Olive and Fig & Olive, and
were exhibited at the Savor
California booth at the Fancy
Food Show in Washington,
D.C., last month. The fresh
and lively tasting natural
products are vegan and
gluten-free, and are healthful
alternatives to jarred condi-
ments. As Carrie says, “the spreads are vegan until you pair them with
cheese!” They all make great companions to a wide variety of youthful
and aged cheeses, and cured meats like prosciutto and salami, too.
One of the current menu’s most popular sandwiches is a grown-up
PB&J made with the Spicy Pepper Jam and bacon grilled on whole
wheat. The SPJ is a natural when paired with chevre for an appetizer
on a crostini, an updated version of the ’80s pepper jelly and cream
cheese combo. A little bite is tangy and mouthwatering, perfectly
performing the task of a successful hors d’oeuvre. Jimtown excels at
making comfort food contemporary and sophisticated.
Jimtown’s celebrated café was recently featured on “Guy Fieri’s Diners,
Drive-Ins and Dives” show on the Food Network. Fieri cooked with
Jimtown chef Peter Brown, no relation to Carrie, and asked to take
home a quart of the famous Chain Gang Chili for his sons. The episode
is titled “Porktastic” and has brought a new wave of customers from
around the country to experience the authentic charm and stylish
wholesome food from the Jimtown kitchen.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) launched an online resource today that makes it easier than
ever for small and mid-sized producers to find markets for their products.
With the new Food Hub Web page,
www.food-hub.org, producers,
buyers and others can now access a central clearinghouse for resources,
news and information related to food hubs and similar enterprises that
provide infrastructure support for small and mid-size producers. Contents
of the Web page will continue to evolve as USDA expands its understanding
of the unique food hub business model, which pairs producers with buyers
to serve local and regional food systems. Ultimately, such enterprises support
local economies and create jobs by offering services that enable farmers to
break into new, higher-volume markets and preserving product identity.
“We know that farmers, especially small and mid-sized producers, often
have big challenges when it comes to getting their products efficiently off
the farm and into the marketplace,” said Rayne Pegg, AMS administrator.
“But we also know they don’t have a lot of time to search the Internet for
solutions. The Food Hub Web page is a good place to start. It is equally
useful to entrepreneurs, advocates, researchers and others who want to
strengthen regional food systems and local economies.”
The Web page features information from numerous USDA agencies and
other leading research and practitioner organizations in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. A comprehensive, evolving directory of identified
food hubs and financial resources will allow users to find desired markets
quickly, without spending hours collecting information from various locales.
USDA is preparing a more comprehensive resource guide for food hubs
and similar enterprises for release later this year. Additionally, visitors will
be able to access USDA-generated research and presentations on food
hubs and similar enterprises and relevant research from nonprofit organizations, universities and industry experts.
USDA’s work is part of the National Food Hub Collaboration, a partnership
among USDA, the Wallace Center at WinrockInternational, National Good
Food Network, National Association of Produce Market Managers, and
Project for Public Spaces. The Collaboration collects and analyzes the latest
data, research and activities related to food hubs, and works to ensure
the success of existing and emerging food hubs in the United States. More
information is available at
www.ams.usda.gov/foodhubs.
USDA Launches Online Resource to Help
Producers Get Products to Market
