12th Street Bakery // A Community Supported Approach
by Spencer Valdespino, Writer & Videographer Baking and community just go together. And Alaskan native Elizabeth Cotter is putting the community into her bakery with a community supported approach — instead of going to a storefront, customers sign up for weekly bread drops. Formerly a resident of Alaska, Cotter had a bakery called “Bun on the Run” that specialized in the making and distribution of different breads. She met her husband while taking a bicycling tour around the country, and when the tour took them through the South they fell in love with the small town vibe of Thibodaux. Cotter eventually sold her Alaskan bakery and headed south to Thibodaux to continue the business — now called 12th Street Bakery. Unlike most, 12th Street Bakery has no storefront, but is instead produced from Cotter’s home kitchen. Thanks to a Louisiana law that was passed in 2014, The Cottage Act, home bakers are allowed to bake in their own kitchens and sell their specific foods. This has helped her business grow tremendously. The promotion of the bakery is spread through word of mouth and seems to be working so far, according to Cotter. She brings her creations to the Rienzi Market on Thursday and Saturdays, and on Saturday she brings them to markets in Houma. This gives her the ability to get her product out to the public. People of the community are able to sign up for a monthly subscription. Customers can receive one or two loaves of bread per week from pickups located at Peltier Park or the St. Francis gardens. The two loaves are broken down into two categories of artisan and sandwich variety. This past week, April 28, 12th Street Bakery produced a sunflower brand for the artisan bread and a French rosemary for the sandwich category. Currently, 12th Street Bakery is “piggy backing” off of the community supported agriculture. CSA is a system in which farm operations are supported by shareholders within the community who share both the benefits and risks of food production. It is also a way to cut out the middle man and for the community residents to become investors who can receive weekly fresh produce items. Cotter noticed that Baton Rouge and New Orleans had CSA programs but Thibodaux did not, so she decided to start her own rendition of it. As of now, Cotter is close to finishing her 3-year-long project of building a bakery in her backyard. She said the electricity will be assembled within the next couple of weeks, which will help quicken the process of building a business that will be able to grow and accommodate more customers. She looks to expand to more residents as well because her backyard bakery will allow her to finish more orders more quickly. Just like her bakery in Alaska, Cotter hopes that this one will grow to be just as successful. “This bakery has been educational to say the least,” Cotter says. “In due time, it will expand and become a promising business.” https://youtu.be/9JbEnrf-wOo
Cinclare // Fresh, Local Dining
by Ian Shows, Video/Audio Editor
Fresh, Local Food // A South Louisiana Movement
by Betsy Davis, Features Editor More and more people are demanding FRESH, LOCAL AND HOMEGROWN GOODS from the communities they live in, and Louisiana is responding. Farmers markets are on the rise, community gardens are sprouting up and businesses are staying true to their southern roots and all of the natural ingredients it has to offer. As an area that’s known for its rich food culture, Louisiana is already a cornucopia of good eatsfrom its fresh seafood to its fertile soil where almost anything grows. But, as the daily consumer is becoming more health and environmentally conscious, the demand for locally-produced, direct-to-consumer goods has increased three-fold between 1992 and 2007, and markets listed in USDA National Farmers Market Directory has grown four times the amount over the last two decades to meet their demands according to a 2014 study by the United States Department of Agriculture. And this rise in local goods is because more consumers are turning into locavores looking for fresh foods, showing a willingness to learn about farming processes to maintain integrity of the goods and producing a growing support for local businesses, farmers and agriculture—all sensible reasons to buy and eat local. The markets featured here are only a few of the 100-plus that Louisiana has to offer today. Along with the growth of community gardens and businesses with a local edge, it’s obvious that this fresh-food demand is more than just a fad. “We’ve come to know recently in the last few years that it’s always best to eat food from where you live,” says Randy Cheramie, executive director of the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. “Simply put, the best vegetables are at farmers markets. There’s no two ways about it — it’s cheaper and it’s just all around better for you.” A world-travelled and renowned chef, Cheramie has had more than a lifetime’s worth of experience with food. From owning and running a restaurant, to coaching in the American Culinary Federation and the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competition, gaining the acclaim of one of the top 25 chefs in Louisiana by the American Culinary Federation and now part of the full-time faculty at the culinary institute, Cheramie is well versed in all things good when it comes to what to eat and how to get it. “If you look on the side of boxes and the ingredients in foods, like breadcrumbs for instance, there’s everything but bread in there!” Cheremaie says. “It’s scary. I made a pledge a long time ago, if I can’t pronounce it, I’m not eating it. [People] need to eat real food.” And Louisiana really makes it easy to eat real food. Cheramie points out that the region is rich in alluvial soil that can produce almost any crop imaginable, it’s positioned next to a the bountiful Gulf of Mexico where fresh fish of all varieties fill nets to the brim. Even more so, aiding those that bring these goods to our dinner tables is valuable in these times of big industry and fast food franchises. “We have a real commitment to Louisiana,” Cheramie notes. “A commitment to both the Louisiana fishermen and the Louisiana farmer cause we’re losing both of them. Generations of them are dying out and they need our support.”
LA Hydroponics // Growing Soil-free
by Michael Ballard, Guest Contributor
Donner-Peltier Distillers // Local Spirits
by Spencer Valdespino, Writer & Videographer The sweet scent of molasses and whiskey quickly fill the nostrils of customers who walk in. The small lobby has seating for about ten people–standing room for maybe 50. The walls are decorated with the award-winning liquor bottles. Souvenirs of glasses, sweaters, t-shirts and alcohol are also on display for customers to consider buying. Clear glass windows let on-lookers view the room where the liquor is Welcome to DONNER-PELTIER DISTILLERIES. This local establishment is fully reliant on locally homegrown components. They use all natural Louisiana grown ingredients in all of their spirits and are involved with everything from its raw ingredients to the bottling process. “This may be the longer process, but the final product that is made is well worth it,” says Taryn Naquin Clement, Donner-Peltier’s manager. The distillery is popular for its three different brands: Oryza, LA 1 and Rougaroux. They have six different spirits: vodka, gin, whiskey and three rums. The following three spirits are all rums and have the same title name with different subheadings to be distinguished from each other. The title name for the trio is called ROUGAROUX, after the Cajun folklore werewolf. The story goes that this Cajun wolf has the head of a wolf and the body of a human and it lurks in the deep parts of sugarcane fields found in southern Louisiana. Like most wolf tales, the Rougaroux will come out during a full moon, which explains the name of the Donner Peltier-Distilleries’ spirit, FULL MOON DARK RUM. The Rougaroux’s lair can be found in the swamps and canes of the south. Staying true to the legend, gold eyes piercing through sugarcane is the image on the front of the bottle. This rum is aged on white oak for smoothness and flavor. According to legend, the only way to see a Rougaroux in full form is if it about to eat or put a curse on someone. If a curse is cast, it will last for 101 days which is where SUGARSHINE CLEAR RUM comes into play. This 101 proof rum is strong like a moonshine but sugar and molasses are used to make it. The ingredients are raw sugars and bold molasses that is both grown and milled from a family-owned farm two miles from the distillery. A way to stay safe from this “worldly” creature is possible. A Rougaroux in human form can be identified by having six fingers on each hand. Legend has it that if a family puts 13 pennies outside their door, the Rougaroux will start to count them before entering a home but once he reaches 12, he gets confused and begins to start over. He repeats this until the sun comes up which is when he must go back to his lair in the sugarcane field. ROUGAROUX 13 PRALINE RUM is named after this part of the story. The local aspect is, once again, brought together in this specific rum by using local raw sugar, molasses and craft-made cane syrup. The legend exists to this day and Donner-Peltier Distillery can be found with 13 pennies sitting outside their door, considering there is a sugarcane field sitting directly across from them. Not fully reliant on just rum, DPD is home to other crafts as well. ORYZA VODKA: With three different steps in creating “this masterpiece” vodka, Donner-Peltier does not cut corners to make it. Each vodka is made by hand, one batch at a time and with the use of locally grown rice, considering “Oryza” is Latin for rice. Rice is used in these spirits for two reasons, one being the homegrown effect of the distillery. The company purchases its rice from Acadian Riceville just outside Lafayette keeping with Louisiana ingredients. The second reason is that no other companies use rice to make vodka. Most will use grain but more prefer corn. “By using a completely new ingredient that no else is doing, it sets us apart,” explains Clement as she distributes small plastic shot cups to the customers for tasting. “This brings more characteristics to our vodka when most others are so neutral.” This specific vodka is one of only two rice-made vodkas in the United States. It has won the Gold Medal World Spirits Award, and it’s most recent and highest accolade came last year when it was awarded a double gold in “The Fifty Best Vodka” competition. ORYZA GIN: By law, for a drink to be considered gin, it must have a certain amount of juniper berries. After that, anything can be added to the concoction and DPD does just that. This Louisiana-gin uses 11 botanicals that, like most gin made, includes juniper, lavender, pink peppercorn, oris root, angelica root, paradise seed, cantaloupe, lemon and orange peels. But the ingredient that ties this gin closer to the Louisiana culture is satsuma. “Everyone in Louisiana has a satsuma tree in their backyard,” Clement says with a laugh in-between words. Obviously an exaggeration, but not by much. “We usually grab about 500 satsumas from my grandfather’s tree here in Thibodaux to use in the gin.” Keeping up the trend of award winning liquor, Oryza Gin has a total of four awards, the most recent being in 2015 when it won gold at the Beverage Testing Institute. LOUISIANA 1 WHISKEY: The most popular and historical spirit that DPD has to offer is the whiskey. Not only named after Highway 1 that runs parallel with the distillery, LA1 gets its name from being the first aged whiskey in Louisiana since the prohibition ended in 1933. This specific whiskey can be found with four special ingredients inside it: barley, corn, rice and rye. According to the Donner-Peltier homepage, barley is used for the balance and for a cocoa taste, rye is used for spice, corn for the body and of course, local rice for the sweetness. “It’s incredible to think that this is the first aged whiskey since prohibition because down south, we have some heavy whiskey drinkers,” explains
Poirier Cane Syrup // Sweet Traditions
by Spencer Valdespino, Staff Writer This is a commodity that goes with pancakes, waffles, ice cream and it’s even used for marinades. Actually, the list is endless of what people put it on. From the kitchen of residential Louisiana homes to the fanciest of shelves in chef’s restaurants, CANE SYRUP is essential in the south. Specifically, Charles Poirier’s Cane Syrup. Sugarcane can be found in most backyards around the state. If you have ever lived here or even traveled here for vacation, it’s something the eye catches as you look out the window on the highways. And with a plethora of this specific item, companies look to find ways to use it. Poirier’s Cane Syrup has done just that. This time consuming process of making the product is well worth the wait. The labor put into it shows the true passion that the workers embrace while making the syrups. The process can be grueling. Growing the sugarcane takes time and there is little to do to hurry the process up. Cultivating is the first step once the sugarcane is fully grown. The employees of Poirier’s go out and manually cut the cane, which is then put it into 60-gallon syrup kettles until it comes to a boil. Afterwards, they examine the sugarcane, skim off all impurities and cook it down. The last step in the process is to bottle the syrup to bring it from the factory and onto people’s breakfast tables. This syrup is meant to be lighter when it comes to both taste and color. The reason the time is longer for certain batches is so that there is full control of how much is being caramelized. The idea of making cane syrup was something of a dying truth in the area. Youngsville, home of Charles Poirier Cane Syrup, wasn’t producing as much as it had in the past. The small town used to have a syrup mill but it shut down. It seemed to be time for a change and maybe a reboot from the local community. Thirteen years ago, Poirier’s father told him of the great business back in the early 1900’s that his great grandfather had started in the sugarcane industry. In 1941, his great grandfather has passed away and the business had slowly followed suit. “Throughout the years, no other family members had interest in starting the business back up until my father told me of the past business,” says Poirier. “Twelve years ago to this season is when I decided to start the business back up.” Poirier started from scratch with mills dated 100 years old. No machines from the older times seem to work anymore and new equipment was needed to upgrade. It started as bringing a hobby back into the family because he was basing it out of his backyard. The biggest batch in the kettle was 15 pounds. He would only make it for himself, family and friends. As time passed, though, more people became interested and he figured he’d sell it to the public. Now, bigger batches are needed to be made in shorter periods. Years later and he is still going strong with his business. Selling to residents and only Louisiana businesses, mainly in New Orleans and Lafayette, he still is able to double his profits every year. With something that seems to be on a continuous wave of falling down and gaining momentum, Poirier isn’t going to stop the cane syrup making anytime soon. “I am just going to keep making syrup until I can’t make it anymore,” Poirier says. “I see where the demand is and I take care of the people year by year. As long I am making money from it and make a living, I am going to keep this process going and hope for the best.”
St. Francis Vegetable Garden // Feeding the Community
by Claire LeBeouf, Staff Writer When Kimber Ratcliff, Chris Ledet and Nancy Bernard discussed the idea of opening a LOCAL GARDEN, they never expected that two months later they would break ground with the help of Catholic Charities and quickly become one of the most successful charitable organizations in the area. The original St. Francis Vegetable Garden, which is located behind the Thibodaux CivicCenter, has grown into the size of a football field that is home to fresh fruits and vegetables and lots of underlying meaning. The garden, which was started in memory of founder Chris Ledet’s father who was an avid gardener, now serves the community in more ways than one. It offers not only a place for volunteers to come together, but a place where food is grown with the purpose of helping those in need. All of the food grown in the garden goes directly to the local food bank as a way for the needy to receive healthy food choices. While most people think of a garden as a small patch of land in a backyard, Ratcliff sees it as an opportunity to build a sense of community. With the garden now expanding to different locations, Ratlciff, Ledet and Bernard are seeing their dream come to life. “When we started our organization, we wanted to make it possible for gardens like ours to be in parishes across the state. With the addition of the Southdown location in Houma, the food banks in Terrebonne Parish will have fresh produce to distribute at the food bank,” says Ratcliff. “Teachers in Terrebonne Parish now have a free living outdoor classroom to visit with their students.” The success of the garden is something that Ratcliff believes is not only a reward, but something that is very important to share with the younger generation of garden enthusiasts. “Watching children who visit the garden eat veggies they just picked, learning about where their food comes from, and healthy eating is rewarding,” says Ratcliff. “Not only are they learning about health and wellness they are learning to help those most in need in their community.” The garden’s mission to serve and build community has spread from Thibodaux to Houma. The garden’s produce is featured in the weekly Rienzi Market and gives people in the surrounding areas an opportunity to access fresh, local foods and support the ones who grew them. Also, with the garden branching out to locations in different schools, it is able to bring the teachers, parents and students together for a good cause. “Teachers and parents use the garden as place to teach lessons in science, nutrition and community giving,” says Ratcliff. “Children see up close how food grows and have the opportunity to pick vegetables, snack on them and take some home to share with their family.” The St. Francis Vegetable Garden serves many purposes and strengthens families, schools and communities. Working for the greater good of the Thibodaux and Houma areas, the garden proves that it is certainly special and one of a kind. https://youtu.be/SUTuPsU4fco
Rienzi Market // Connecting Food and Community
by Andetrie Vicks, Writer & Special Sections Rienzi Market is more than just a place to buy FRESH PRODUCE, it’s a place that gives back — the local bounty — to the COMMUNITY. “There is something special about going to the market and buying fresh food that has been grown by members of the community you live in,” says Kimber Ratcliff, the Rienzi Market coordinator. Located behind the Thibodaux Civic Center on Rienzi Drive Extension at the St. Francis Vegetable Garden, the market got its start in 2015 as part of the St. Francis Vegetable Garden’s mission to educate and give the community access to fresh, local foods. The market originally was open for eight weeks in the spring and fall at peak growing seasons, but vendors and the community wanted more. And as of this spring, the market is now open year round from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, making it convenient for the public to shop for items after work and/or school. Depending on the growing season, the market features citrus, eggs, mushrooms, sprouts, carrots, lettuce, shallots, kale, Swiss chard, honey, chicken, crabs, vegetable plants (for the planter working on their own garden), jams, jellies, pickles, all grown and produced by the farmers themselves. Coming in a few weeks are fresh caught, local crawfish, crabs and shrimp. There is even an Alaskan native who now lives in Houma, who fishes in Alaska and then brings wild Alaskan salmon to the market. “All your grocery shopping can be done in one spot and it is more affordable,” Ratcliff says. There is always a crowd of community members at the market buying their produce and meats fresh from the growers/producers. No matter the weather the shoppers still show up because as Ratcliff says, “they value what our farmers can produce.” Many farmers develop relationships with the community members, even the children. Some of them sit on the trucks with the farmers talking to them while their parents shop, and everyone is invited to walk through the garden to see what’s growing. The setting is an open field with each vendor showcasing their wares on either a table or the back of their truck. Being out in the open field, there’s a sense of openness and freedom that’s separates it drastically from a regular trip to the grocery store. There is no selection process for the farmers/producers. The only requirement is that the farmers grow their own crops, or fishermen catch their own seafood and they are welcome to come and sell their goods at the market. There is no requirement to grow using any particular method or soil, either. Farmers can use whatever growing method works best for them including organic, natural (meaning they don’t use any chemicals, not certified organic), greenhouse, hydroponic, and conventional. Consumers are welcome to talk to the farmers about their growing practices and the products they have for sale. For more information on the vendors and their goods go to the market’s website at http://rienzimarket.com/. And, a Ratcliff says, the market will remain open as long as the vendors show up to sell their products. It’s a way of letting the community know that there are local farmers who need local support in order to remain in the farming business. So stop by, have a chat and buy some produce!
Lafourche Central Market // A Rural Market
by Andetrie Vicks, Writer & Special Sections With hog headcheese and cracklings, chicken and duck eggs, beef and turkey jerky, arts and crafts, starter plants and more, there is something for everyone at the LAFOURCHE CENTRAL MARKET, where all the items here are fresh, homegrown or made by their vendor with no middleman involved. “The vendors love to talk to customers, and they always have interesting stories,” says Brooke Guidry, Coordinator for Lafourche Central Market. They are there and eager to answer questions, like what type of fertilizer they used to grow their plants, how much time it took to cultivate them, how they make their products or how they grow their fruits and vegetables. This experience gives the customer more knowledge about the food and crafts they are buying, one they can’t get at grocery stores or other businesses. At the same time, it allows the community to come together and have a good time. “The market is a way to get the residents together and celebrate its rich southern and Cajun culture,” says Guidry. “It’s a nice relaxing place to be.” The atmosphere is very open and carefree and the people are friendly and personable. It’s held under a pavilion with the vendors set up like a square within a square, shaded from the heat of the Louisiana sun. On the stage, local bands set up to play soft music to add to the relaxed atmosphere. Lafourche Central Market opened for business in October 2012. Originally, it was opened by Options for Independence, a non-profit organization providing community based services to persons with disabilities. The organization turned it over to the Lafourche Parish Government in January 2016, and now its chief objective is to provide Lafourche Parish with a central place to get fresh produce and meats and to display the craft talents of the local residents. It is open year-round on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., located at 4484 Hwy 1 in Raceland, under the Hwy 90 overpass. It’s easy to find by its big white sign off of Highway 1 in Raceland with the words “Lafourche Central Market” printed on it. Once there, everyone can enjoy in the experience of buying directly from local farmers and crafters who are there to offer their goods to the surrounding community, some of which includes fresh-caught seafood when the season is right. To ensure that each product offered is indeed homegrown and produced, each vendor is subject to periodic inspections whether they sell crafts, produce, or fresh fruits and vegetables. The market is also on Facebook, where photos, video and more information on the products and people can be found. Nothing takes the place of the actual experience, though. There’s fresh food, handmade crafts and conversation waiting to be had. Guidry says, “Come out, enjoy the atmosphere and have a conversation with our vendors.”
Mudbug Brewery // Locally Inspired Beer
by Betsy Davis, Features Editor Anyone with a craving for some liquid Cajun culture can take a ride down Highway 3185 and indulge their senses at the Mudbug Brewery, a young Thibodaux-based manufacturing and distribution business that’s got something to different to offer even the most curious pallets. The King Cake Ale is one of Mudbug’s flagship beers. Tones of cinnamon and vanilla bean give it that sweet king cake flavor connecting it to Mardi Gras and the regions favorite sweet treat. The Intercostal IPA brew is named for the Gulf Intercostal Waterway that runs through the state, and the Pelican Pilsner pays homage to the Louisiana state bird, the brown pelican. In each of these, and the others like the Café au Lait Coffee Milk Stout, there’s little flavor of the South’s colorful culture, and that is something that the native owners of the brewery have worked hard to capture from day one. “We want to keep it as culturally relevant as possible,” said Leith Adams in a Times Picayune article shortly after the brewery first opened its doors. Looking in on it now, Adams and the other two owners of Mudbugs, Brance Lloyd and Peter Leichty, seem to have done just that. Since Mudbug’s opening in 2014, they and the surrounding community have watched the brewery blossom into a reputable and culturally-rooted establishment. The business distributes its brews to local restaurants and bars like Pepper’s Pizzeria, Fremin’s and Spahr’s Seafood Restaurants in Thibodaux, and it has branched out to the Houma and New Orleans area as well. For anyone interested in a tasting, though, all they have to do is walk through the front doors of the brewery itself and settle in at the bar of the tasting room for an order. The setting is rustic and clean with a comfortable décor, ambient lighting and a variety of ales to choose from. Tables and seating are available throughout the room, when there is space, and right across from the bar is a wide window that lets customers take a peek at where all of the magic happens in the back half of the building. This is where the large metal tanks and brewing equipment busily works to churn out one Cajun themed ale after another. Thus far, the response has been positive with the locals and surrounding community. Mudbugs has almost 1,000 followers on their Twitter feed and a few thousand more followers on Facebook. The brewery uses these media sites to keep in touch with customers, answer questions about machinery, equipment and distribution, and to let everyone know what Cajun-themed ale they will be brewing up next. Some of the ales offered are seasonal, like the Burning Saison that’s brewed with local molasses for the sugarcane harvest season in the area, or a Cajun Stout brewed with cayenne pepper to add a little kick to the Louisiana winter. Now as summer approaches, locals can expect some new and enticing flavors from the Mudbug Brewery, but throughout the year everyone will know that one thing is certain: This is one place that is mixing up its batches Cajun-style. https://youtu.be/SV9JiRzkHs0