JUICING - A KEY TO YOUR HEALTH

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Dunedin market an organic garden of delights

By Theresa Blackwell, Times Staff Writer

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article930787.ece


Linda Taylor sets up her “It’s Our Nature” booth at the Dunedin Green Market. She sells organic cotton and hemp clothes that are made with fair labor practices and safe dyes.

DUNEDIN — On Wednesdays through Saturdays, many North Pinellas towns have farmers markets. They all make for great strolling in Florida's best weather, but each one is unique.

The Dunedin Green Market in Pioneer Park emphasizes organic.

In the sunshine there Friday, T-shirts were warm enough. The crowd roved from booth to booth while recorded voices sang, "Everywhere around the world, there'll be dancin'. They're dancin' in the street."

Gregory Jones of St. Petersburg, in a crocheted cap, was juicing and mixing organic smoothies. In business for nearly 20 years, he has set up his booth in 35 states.

"Could I have a carrot-apple-ginger?" said Donna Hey of Dunedin.

She took a sip and declared: "Boy, it's delicious."

Next booth over, Debra Chatfield of Lutz was selling products from her business, Lutz Nutz Co. She and her husband rent a Riverview restaurant on Sundays, so they can dry roast the nuts.

Grilled franks and fresh seafood, including humongous shrimp, were nearby. There was coffee grown with a conscience: by adults paid a living wage.

British meat and savory pies beckoned near a booth filled with baked dog treats.

Michael's Extraordinary Desserts had a Christmas stollen, a sweet yeast bread containing fruit and nuts, made in the German tradition and wrapped in red cellophane. It's 3 1/2 pounds of pastry filled with marzipan and candied fruit soaked for at least four months in rum.

"It gets better as it gets older," said Michael Ostrander.

Multicolored bougainvillea flowers bloomed along Douglas Street at Mitch Armstrong Nursery. Other plants had an array of leaf colors and shapes from jagged to ruffled, hairy to smooth, broad to slim.

Linda Taylor's It's Our Nature organic cotton products features "healthy wear for people who care." She sells T-shirts, hats, socks and hemp bags, as well as buttons like one quoting Mahatma Gandhi: "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

The market features two busy produce vendors.

Joe's Market has some little-seen vegetables like a small round zucchini, white asparagus and baby eggplant. Shopper Evie Dann of Dunedin suggested roasting the baby eggplant whole.

"You don't even have to peel them," she said.

Theresa Blackwell can be reached at [e-mail] or [phone].