What's Happening in June at the Market!!!

First...

Cabin Creek Roaster won't be at the Farmers Market for the next two weeks due to prior commitments. Free Spirit Farms will have some of the roasted coffee that has all ready been tasted just in case you're having withdrawals. If you have any special orders please provide them to Allyson so she can get them to the Roastmaster prior to the next Farmers Market. Cabin Creek will be returning on June 18th and will be featuring three new coffees. The iced coffee, with French Vanilla, Roasted Hazelnut or Creme Caramel, was a big hit on May 28th and will be featured again on June 18th...

Second...The events...

June 4th - Join us and the Shenandoah County Animal Shelter as they bring in some sweet little cats and kittens to adopted...

June 11th - Have you ever milked a cow? Would you like to try? The 4-H Dairy Club will be at the market with an artificial cow just for you to milk...come on...you know you want to!

June 18th - we kick off our Food drive for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in New Market...we are trying to collect at least 500 non-perishable items...and if we do...New Market's Mayor Larry Smith will kiss a cow!

June 25th - Tacy Hawkins will be there with her weaving machine and if you've ever wanted to know how to weave, she'll show you how...

Those are just some of the things we have going on in the month of June...We hope you will come and visit once, twice or every weekend!

Remember, we're open from 8 a.m. to Noon...Every Saturday through October 8th!

What's happening at the market!

I can't believe the first month of the market is over all ready! We've enjoyed seeing familiar faces and meeting new people. And can't wait to see what fun we can have in the next few months!

GRAND OPENING THIS SATURDAY!!!

Did you hear me? The Farmers Market on Congress Street in New Market will be opening up this Saturday, May 7, 2011...

Come by and sign your mom up for several prizes to be given away on Saturday...Bring your youngsters by so they can plant a flower for their Mom and give it to her...

Enjoy the wonderful products from our vendors...not to mention our smiling faces...and don't forget we'll have the Klymer Kurtz Band playing music and the Girl Scouts will be there selling hot dogs and nachos...

So much fun...and we can't wait to see you there!!!

It's Almost that Time of the Year Again!!!

We are so excited that the Farmers Market will be opening up soon...Only 19 more days!!! We hope to see ya there...

So here's what we have planned for the month of May...

May 7 - Grand Opening!!! We will have music and Mother's Day activities and giveaways!!! We will have flower pots to decorate and flowers to plant for you mom...and the Girl Scouts will be there selling hot dogs and nachos!

May 14 - We are having our first Seed Swap! Bring in your seeds and swap them for different seeds...do you have flower seeds that you want to swap for vegetable seeds? Or vegetable seeds that you want to swap for flower seeds? Then this is the weekend for you!

May 21 - This is a weekend to get some wonderful information to help the senior in your life. Lifecare Rehab Services in New Market will have information on their Senior Fitness program and on Fall Prevention. Cornerstone in Mt Jackson will have information on their Silver Care product. This is a Personal Medical Emergency program. And the Red Cross will be there with information on all their programs...you might just be shocked at how much the Red Cross does...

May 28 - Memorial Day weekend...doesn't mean we are taking the weekend off...oh no...instead we are having the American Legion selling bbq chicken...so come support your local veterans.

All this and wonderful vendors too!!! You just can't miss this...so remember:

Farmers Market is opening up on May 7, 2011 and will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to Noon through October 8, 2011...Oh...and don't forget...We're in a new location...in the parking lot right next to Jalisco's Mexican Restaurant!

Hope to see you there!

What do YOU think makes a good Farmers Markets?

A few days back we posted some reasons why you should go to a Farmers Market, but what we would really love to know is...

What do YOU think makes a good Farmers Market?

Only TWO More Months!

I can't believe that it is almost that time of the year again...The Farmers Market on Congress Street will be open in just two short months!!!

That's right...May 7, 2011 we will be open for our new season...

New Location! Same Great Vendors!

We are planning a great opening day (more details on that to come later on)...

Can't wait to see our customers from last season and to meet our new customers this season! Hugs!

So Why Go to a Farmers Market?

For the Consumers

• They provide direct contact and feedback between customers and producers, so you can be sure how your vegetables are grown and meat produced.
• They help to improve diet and nutrition by providing access to fresh food.
• They play an important role in educating the consumer as to the production and origin of their food.
• They can be a source of information and inspiration on how to cook and prepare fresh ingredients.

For the Environment

• They help reduce food miles, thus vehicle pollution, noise, and fossil fuel use.
• They help to reduce packaging.
• They encourage more environmental production practices, such as organic or pesticide free.
• They encourage farm diversification and hence bio-diversity.

For the Community & Local Economy

• They help bring life into towns and cities aiding regeneration.
• They encourage social interaction particularly between rural and urban communities.
• They stimulate local economic development by increasing employment, encouraging consumers to support local business, and thus keeping the money within the local community.
• They attract business to retailers in the vicinity.

So visit your local Farmers Market and enjoy the locally grown, locally made items...

Calling all Vendors!

Calling all Vendors! The Farmers Market on Congress Street is looking for vendors for the 2011 season! If you are interested, please email belocalnewmarket@yahoo.com for an application and more information! We're also looking for musicians interested in joining us for a couple hours on Saturdays! :-)

Vegetable Spotlight: Bell Peppers!

Why should you eat Bell Peppers?

Let's find out!

Colorful Protection Against Free Radicals

Want to color your life healthy? Brightly colored bell peppers, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. To start, peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A, two very powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint pain and damage seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and the wheezing and airway tightening of asthma. By providing these two potent free radical destroyers, bell peppers may help prevent or reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions by shutting down the source of the problem.

Promote Optimal Health

Red peppers are one of the few foods that contain lycopene, a carotenoid whose consumption has been inversely correlated with prostate cancer and cancers of the cervix, bladder and pancreas. Recent studies suggest that individuals whose diets are low in lycopene-rich foods are at greater risk for developing these types of cancers.

Promote Lung Health

If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A- rich foods, such as bell peppers, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.

While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.

Seeing Red May Mean Better Eyesight

Bell peppers appear to have a protective effect against cataracts, possibly due to their vitamin C and beta-carotene content. Italian researchers compared the diets of hospital patients who had cataracts removed with patients who had not undergone the operation. Certain vegetables, including sweet peppers, reduced the cataract operation risk. The red variety of bell peppers also supply the phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been found to protect against macular degeneration, the main cause of blindness in the elderly.

Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis

While one study suggests that high doses of supplemental vitamin C makes osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative arthritis that occurs with aging, another indicates that vitamin C-rich foods, such as bell and chili peppers, provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid arthritis involving two or more joints.

How can you enjoy bell peppers? Here's a great recipe for orzo stuffed peppers!

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- 4 large red, yellow or purple bell peppers
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup Orzo
- 2 spicy chicken sausages, casings removed
- 3 tablespoon organic virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped and drained
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 Jalapeno pepper, roasted peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and discard seeds. Rub bell peppers with 1 tablespoon of olive oil coating both the inside and the outer skin. Set aside in a baking dish. Bring 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock to a boil (reserve remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock for later use), add Orzo, cover and simmer for 20 minutes without removing lid during the cooking time.

- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, break up sausage into small pieces. Saute until browned, draining any excess oil when completely cooked. Add organic olive oil, onion, diced chili, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, celery seed, cilantro, Orzo and remaining chicken stock. Cook until heated and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste.

- Stuff peppers with orzo mixture and place back in the baking dish. Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to the dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are hot. Serve immediately with a side of sour cream.

Yum!

* Information taken from http://www.whfoods.com

Why Buy Local?

The New Market Farmers Market aims to be a resource for healthy eating and to promote our local community of artisans, food vendors and farmers. "Buying local" may be a popular catch phrase, but its meaning is far from a fad or trend soon to be replaced by something else. Supporting our local farmers and merchants supports our local economy. It assures that our dollars stay in our community, where they benefit us and those we share our homes and neighborhoods with.

On the environmental front, buying local means reducing the energy used to transport grapes from Chile and potatoes from Idaho. Our carbon footprint is reduced and stays where we can see it, and the planet we share with billions is a little better off.

Did you know?
"Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shopped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold." (And this is only counting the US!) -Local Harvest

"If every US citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil per week. That's not gallons - but barrels."* Imagine that.

So join us and spend some time every Saturday shopping at the New Market Farmers Market. Your family benefits, your town benefits, our planet benefits. Invest in your community.

* Quote from * from “Animal, Vegetable Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver.

Some of our wonderful products!

Calling all Musicians!

The New Market Farmers Market is looking for musicians interested in free exposure! You're more than welcome to sell CD's! If interested, please email Allyson at freespiritfarm@ymail.com!

Peaches, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini, Plus A Great Summer Recipe!

We have peaches from Turkey Knob and lots of other fresh produce (tomatoes, berries, zucchini, cabbages, and more!) from Shenandoah Farm Market! Join us this Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon!


Don't know what to do with all of your produce?
Try this recipe!

Garden Casserole

- 2 pounds eggplant, peeled
- 5 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 5 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Cut eggplant into 1/2-in.-thick slices; sprinkle both sides with 3 teaspoons salt. Place in a deep dish; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water; drain and dry on paper towels.
Cut eggplant into 1/2-in. cubes; saute in oil until lightly browned. Add onions, garlic and zucchini; cook 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, celery, parsley, basil, pepper and remaining salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in Romano cheese. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Combine crumbs and butter; sprinkle on top. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 12 servings.

** I made my own version of this for dinner last night with summer squash, zucchini, onion, tomato, celery, asparagus, carrots, and parsnips! I used less cheese and bread crumbs, and it was still delicious! Be creative!

- Allyson

Locally Grown Corn!

Make sure you visit the Locally Grown, Locally Made Market this Saturday! We will have some locally grown corn for sale! Mmm, mmm!

We are open on Saturdays through October, 8am-noon! If you'd like more information about us, please feel free to pop off an email to us at belocalnewmarket@yahoo.com .

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Also, I popped into Organic Grounds Coffeehouse & Cafe for the first time this evening, and I wanted to share what a wonderful place it was! I had the most perfect Chai Smoothie, and was able to sit down, relax and read one of their "earthy crunchy" books! You should check them out (they're super friendly, too!)

Their website is: http://organicgroundscoffeehouse.com

And they're located in Park View Plaza off of Mt. Clinton Pike, in Harrisonburg.

Our First Market Day- June 5th

B's Bakery!

Fresh Produce from Shenandoah Farm Market in Mt. Jackson!

Raw Honey from Pure & Simple Farm in New Market!

Kathy with her wonderful doo-rags!

Bread and more!

Free Spirit Farm from Edinburg!