Market Watch: Soulful Green Eggs and Honey

Albany Patch takes a look at the people behind the . Melanie Bandera-Hess is a marriage and family therapist by profession. She's also an Albany native and said it’s fun to participate in the Albany farmers market and be close to where she grew up. 

What is the name of your farm and where is it located?

It’s called Soul Food Farm and it’s in Vacaville, CA. It’s a beautiful piece of land. They have a beautiful olive tree orchard, lavender fields, and 56 acres for all of these pastured hens and chickens to run about and eat bugs and hang out in the sun and live a happy life.

What do you bring to the ?

We’re featuring our beautiful multi-colored eggs and our raw honey, which is really beautiful honey. And then I bring chicken parts. These are heads of chickens which makes a beautiful stock. We also have chicken feet and then stock birds, you have quite a bit of breast meat still and then you make a really flavorful stock with that, great for the upcoming holidays. We do have a CSA (Community Supported Agricultural program) so people are able to order their eggs. Members receive eggs, chicken, chicken parts, stock, livers, olive oil, honey, whatever they really want and they can pick up at our various Bay Area locations.

How did you get connected to the Albany farmers market?

The Ecology Center called and requested that we come so we were invited here. This is the only farmers market that Soul Food Farm does so Albany is really special and chosen. Alexis Koefeed, the owner, doesn’t usually have excess eggs and chickens because so many restaurants use up what she provides so this is the only farmers market. This and then the CSAs are the only way we do direct sales. You can always come out to the farm and have a farm tour and purchase direct from the farm.

What are your prices?

Eggs are $8 a dozen. Chickens are $6.50 per pound. Our stock birds, the smaller ones are $8 flat rate and $10 for the larger stock birds. Our livers are $6, feet, necks, heads are also $6 and then we do hearts and giblets for $3.

What do you sell the most at Albany's farmers market?

Currently eggs because that’s what we were really brought in for. And then when people find out they can get their whole roasting chicken here they get really excited and start pre-ordering. I’m seeing higher sales of chickens and then as we head into the fall I’m sure the stock birds and parts for savory chicken soup will increase. 

People have come to love our green eggs from our araucana chickens. They’re always excited to open up a dozen and see the color variety, which range from pink to mint green and sometimes army green. We have seven heritage breeds, that’s one of them. Our yolks are deep golden orange, it’s not the pale yellow that you often see in eggs in the grocery story and chefs have described the eggs as having a slightly herbal flavor. They’re very rich.

Do people shy away from the prices?

I think that a lot of what we’re doing right now is educating so that people understand why it’s $8 for a dozen eggs. The San Francisco Bay Area has some of the most educated people involved in the food movement and farmers markets and so I think, generally, there is an understanding of why it’s $8. If people are open, I’m always happy to educate and I find that people can taste the difference and it quickly makes sense and so it’s not an issue.

How’s it going so far at the Albany farmers market?

It’s great. We’ve only been here for about four or five markets and a lot of Albanians have been on vacation so we’re looking forward to them coming back and coming to the market. Soul Food Farm has a huge name so we’re finding that the people who check us out online and on Facebook are getting excited and coming to the market just for us and then they’re supporting the rest of the market. That’s really cool. 

How did you become a vendor?

I was a customer first and I would go to the farm directly and I became friends with the family and just grew in friendship and trust. I have sort of experience in sales. I’m actually a marriage and family therapist and I’m working on my hours to be licensed. I’m also a mom and my son hangs out at the farm a lot and enjoys the farm. So it was just through friendship and passion for the Koefoeds and what they’re doing and the farm. I wanted to help and this was a perfect match.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.