Farmers Market time!

There's nothing I love more on a summer afternoon than a farmers market, even though they're usually pretty expensive, limited, and with quality that can be hit or miss.  Rave review, I know - but here's the thing: nothing gives you a warm fuzzy like buying blueberries directly from the family that grew them, or bread from the woman who baked it that morning using an old family recipe, or gourmet sausage from the maker's proud dad, who will tell you all about his son's store's breakfast specials (I'm looking at you, Maiale Sausages).

According to this article on the Dept. of Ag's website, there will be a record 27 markets throughout Delaware, nearly half of them having their inaugural year (such as markets in Trolley Square and Talleyville).  And this doesn't even take into account some great markets in nearby PA, such as Kennett Square. 

That also means I have my work cut out for me as I try to include a lot of markets in my weekly calendar.  In the meantime, here's the most recent list, as published by the Dept. of Agriculture (well I was going to copy and paste it here, but the list is 7 pages long):

http://dda.delaware.gov/marketing/2012/2012Farmersmarkets.pdf

Allright, maybe just some Wilmington-centric highlights:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trolley Square Farmers Market (brand new this year)
Location: Delaware Ave. & DuPont Street (next to Logan House)

Days of Operation: Tuesdays

Hours of Operation: 4-7:30 pm

Cool Spring Farmers Market
Location: Cool Spring Park (10th & Jackson Streets)
Days of Operation: Thursdays
Hours of Operation: 4-8 pm

Village Fresh Farmers Market
Location: Concord Ave. & Market Street (across from the Cathedral of St. John)
Days of Operation: Thursdays
Hours of Operation: 3-6pm

(It's interesting that there are two Thursday markets relatively close to one another.  Maybe the clustering will work in their favor).

Wilmington Farmers Market
Location: Rodney Square
Days of Operation: Wednesdays
Hours of Operation: 10-2

Carousel Park Farmers Market
Location: 3700 Limestone Road (Rt. 7), Pike Creek
Days of Operation: Fridays

Hours of Operation: 2-6pm

(I'm surprised the Carousel Park market is continuing, actually - they had half the vendors last summer as the year before.  But it's such a great park, with a good portion of it dedicated to a dog park, that it's worth a visit if you're free on Friday afternoons).

Co-Op Farmers Market

Location: Newark Natural Foods, 280 E. Main Street, Newark

Days of Operation: Sundays

Hours of Operation: 10-2

Kennett Square Farmers Market
Location: the main intersection in Kennett
Days of Operation: Fridays
Hours of Operation: 2-6pm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are also a ton of markets downstate, useful for that week at the beach.  The ones closer to the beach areas tend to be very expensive but very scenic and fun for a walk-through, and the ones further inland tend to have more reasonable prices.  Check out the Dept. of Ag. list I linked above.

Note: I decided to stop putting that apostrophe after the word "Farmers".  I started doing it last year because the News Journal or the Spark wrote it that way, but then I realized that the Department of Agriculture's own website does not put that possession apostrophe at the end.  And maybe it's kind of precious to do so.  So the apostrophe is out.  How nerdy am I that I had to just sit here and explain that. 

Message from Cool Springs Farmers' Market:

"IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN! The Cool Spring Farmers Market is now accepting applications! Not only will we be bringing back the wonderful fresh fruits, veggies, baked goods, meats, and hot meals that made our market so popular last year, but we are also diversifying to bring you other products! Vendor space is filling up fast, so call Hayley at 302.658.4171 or hschmittinger@westendnh.org for your application today!
See you at the Cool Spring Farmers Market!
THURSDAYS MAY 3rd- OCT 25th from 4pm-8pm"

Local produce news: farm co-op is accepting new applications, and a health food co-op is looking for new committee members.

1. Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative is accepting applications for winter and spring/summer 2012 shares.

Unfortunately it's hard to tell from this what the cut-off date is for applying for winter shares, which start next week.  More info here:
http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/csa/default

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2. Newark Natural Foods is looking for people who are interested in being committee members and having input in the future direction of the co-op. 
More info and sign-up here:

http://www.newarknaturalfoods.com/#co-op_committee_signups

New iTunes app from the State of DE leads you directly to the closest fresh produce.

It's called 'Delaware Fresh', and features the locations of over 80 farm stands and markets in Delaware that feature fresh, local produce.  Best yet - it's free.  What I like about it is that you could go down to the beach, where you're not necessarily as aware of the different produce stands, say "Man, I'd like to get some fresh watermelon to take on the beach, and I hate to get it at Food Lion when I know there are a bunch of places around here where I can buy a watermelon that was on the vine this morning.  But where's the nearest farm stand?"  So you open the Delaware Fresh app, and voila.  No more driving up and down Coastal Highway because you think you remember seeing a stand somewhere last summer.

Here's the app:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/delaware-fresh/id446665507

Delaware Local Food Exchange's newsletter.

Delaware Local Food Exchange is a store within a store:  it's open 3 days a week, out of a health food store in Elsmere / Prices Corner (it's the first shopping center on the left if you're heading into Elsmere coming from Prices Corner).  See the hours at the very bottom of this newsletter.  I have not managed to check it out yet, but I really want to go today after reading this.  There's just something about fresh food in the summertime:

By: Delaware Local Food Exchange

‎"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces--just good food from ...fresh ingredients"--Julia Child

More summer fruits have arrived! Two bushels of peaches, big beautiful blackberries and loads of big, juicy blueberries are in this week. We'll have the first garlic of the year along with green peppers and red cabbage. I have some baby bok choy coming along with sweet corn, green beans, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, red, white and yellow onions, green cabbage, beets. We'll have blue potatoes for the first time along with yukon golds,baby reds and more of the Beauregard sweets. There will be plenty of hearty greens, salad greens, arugula, and the ever popular butterhead lettuce as well. Fresh herbs this week include basil, thai basil, thyme, mint, lemonbalm, dill, tarragon, chives, citrus, kafir lime and bay leaves. Certified organic Portobello mushrooms are back, too (we miss you Erika and David).


The Leraysville cheese will be restocked this week with all the favorites including the fabulous 5X cheddar, garlic cheddar, jalapeno cheddar, cheese curds, and for the first time udder delight....the non-smokey version of smokey delight. I also have in Oak View Organics blueberry jam made with this seasons organic blueberries and sweetened with agave nectar...yum!

Grass fed meats will be in abundance this week with ground turkey and pork chops in the fridge and keilbasa sausage, lamb loin chops, t-bone and sirloin steaks in the freezer.

Big Sky bread and granola are in and if the stars are aligned my order of Menta Stracciatella
(Mint Chocolate Chip), Cappuccino, and Thai Coconut Gelato will be in from Capogiro Gelato in Philly http://www.capogirogelato.com/​main.html. The mint is local, the espresso roasted locally, and the milk in all the gelato is from grass fed Lancaster County cows...cool!

For these and all of your local organic & grass fed staples come by the Exchange this week :)

In case you missed the news about the food preservation basics class coming up here is the link http://ag.udel.edu/extension/n​cc/Food%20Preservation%20Basic​s%20101%20flyer%202011.pdf.

We are here Thursdays 1-6, Fridays 1-7 and Saturdays 10-5. We are cash, check and kid friendly. Don't forget your bags (including small produce bags) and bottles but if you do...we've got you covered.

peace out,
Karen

TWO new farmers markets in Wilmington this week.

The first: Grand opening of new Cool Springs Farmers Market, Thursday, 6/30

Starting tomorrow, the Cool Spring Farmers Market will be held each Thurdsay from 4-8, at Cool Spring Park.   The grand opening will be celebrated with a performance by the Sin City Band.

Cool Spring park is in the vicinity of Ursuline and Padua Academies, near Pennsylvania Ave.  Technically it's on 10th Street between Franklin and Van Buren. 

-----------------------

The second:  New uber-local, DAILY farmers market in the parking lot of the Columbus Inn.  It opened on Friday 6/24.  Taken from the DCH's announcement:

"New farmers market in Wilmington – first day is Friday, 6/24! Open 7 days a week from 11:00 – 6:00 in the Columbus Inn parking lot (corner of Pennsylvania Ave/Rt. 52 & Bancroft). Uber-local food: all produce will come from farms less than 35 miles away. Featured this week: the first corn of the season, zucchini, and blueberries. Bring your own bags or donate your plastic bag collection. Free corn if you walk or arrive on non-gasoline-powered transportation!"

Outdoor farmers' markets reminder:

Caveat:  I actually typed this up before the Spark came out this week.  So no, I'm not just copying content from Spark.  Their list does have more state-wide markets, so consult the Spark if you're looking for a farmers' market not mentioned here.  Actually... I found at least one mistake in their list (the Carousel Park market is definitely on Fridays, not Mondays). 

The Wilmington Farmers' Market takes place every Wednesday afternoon, on Rodney Square, 10am-2pm.  Now through mid-October.

The Little Italy Farmers' Market takes place every Saturday, 9-1pm, at 4th & Bancroft, now through late September.  There is also one in Cool Springs every Thursday from 3-8, but it apparently won't start until mid-July.

The Newark Farmers' Market takes place every Sunday, at the Newark Natural Foods Co-op, 10am-2pm.  Now through late November.

The U of D Farmers' Market (including ice cream from the new UD Creamery) takes place every Thursday, next to the Morris Library, 11am - 2pm.  Now through end of summer.

The Carousel Park Farmers' Market takes place every Friday (not Monday, as the Spark makes it appear), from 2-6pm, on the Limestone Rd. side of Carousel Park.  Now through mid-September.  [Ed. note:  patronize the Maiale guy.  He puts his heart and soul into those sausages.  Patronize the produce place on the far right (not the Amish, the other ones) ONLY if they have something you really need.  In other words, don't be like me and buy expensive blueberries because you really just want to patronize farmers.  Because the rudest little girl I have ever met in three decades on this earth works there.  It was a half hour before closing, and her every interaction with us said "You are preventing me from leaving here and going out with my friends".  Everything she did from having to bark out the price of the unmarked blueberries, to 'allowing' me to give her my money (after her sister at the cash register walked away from us to do something else), to saying not a word of thanks but angrily yanking my money out of my hands, broadcast that we were putting her out by buying.  Never again].

The Kennett Square Farmers' Market takes place every Friday from 2-6pm, at the middle of the main street in Kennett.  Now through October. 

For beachgoers, there's a farmer's market in Lewes every Saturday from 8-12 (probably the most interesting/scenic in the state, but also one of the most expensive, frankly), and a farmers' market in Rehoboth every Tuesday from noon-4, next to the Commerce building on lower Rehoboth Ave.

Soft opening of the Downtown (Rodney Square) Farmer's Market is today.

The market will be open every Wednesday, from today through October 19th.  Hours are 10am - 2pm.  The grand opening will actually be next Wednesday, with a performance by a steel band. 

It's not the largest farmer's market around, and I can't comment on the prices (sometimes "Farmer's Market" means 'wholesale prices' and sometimes it means 'for Real Housewife types only') but it adds a lot of life to downtown on Wednesdays.  If you work out that way, take a walk by it when the weather is nice. 

Want to influence how the business is run at a food co-op?

Newark Natural Foods is accepting "letters of intent to run" for its Board of Stewards.  The catch is the deadline is Saturday April 30th. 

In their words, from the store's Facebook page:

"Upstanding women and men of our community, we can use your expertise, vision and guidance on our Board of Stewards. Submit your letter of intent to run by Saturday, April 30th.

Generally, the Board governs the Co-op. Individual responsibilities include attending monthly meetings, committee work and jobs related to the person's area of expertise."

No indication of who to submit this letter to, so going to the store (east Main St. in Newark) is your best bet. 

UD is still looking for volunteers for next Saturday's Ag Day.

Volunteer shifts will be only two hours long, and you'll receive a free Ag Day t-shirt.  Student volunteers will also receive service hour credits.  Ag Day will be held on Saturday, April 30th, from 10-4, on South College Ave. next to the stadium.   Interested volunteers should email agday.volunteers.2011@gmail.com

Upcoming events at Slow Food Brandywine Valley. UPDATE: Dairy tour canceled.

"Slow food" is an international movement that has gained popularity in the last decade.  It basically celebrates the slow preparation and enjoyment of foods, best enjoyed sitting around a table with family and friends, as an antidote to the increasingly fast and stressful pace of the world.  It works in tandem with the "buy local" movement. 

You have to be a member of Slow Food Brandywine Valley to participate in their dinners and classes, but this organization seems to have enough going to make it worth your while (not actually sure of this anymore, in light of the casual way they canceled their biggest upcoming event).  Many of their events take place at Coverdale Farms in Greenville, or at the Delaware Nature Society.

The next big event is:  UPDATE - it's canceled, via a Facebook post that says:  "the seven stars tour will be postponed until a less busy time! be well in the meantime!"  That's it?  No explanation?  I'm a little disappointed in the way they handled this, to be honest.

This is what the event was supposed to be:
"April 30th--Seven Stars Dairy Tour--come see what a REAL dairy farm looks like! FREE!
email mailto:slowfoodbrandywinevalley@yahoo.com for details"


SFBV also conducts regular cooking and baking classes.  To see their full event schedule:
http://www.slowfoodbrandywinevalley.com/events.html

The Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative sign-up deadline has been extended to April 25th

Originally mentioned here: http://wilmingtonic.blogspot.com/2011/04/lancaster-farm-fresh-cooperative-is.html , the deadline for this CSA, which has Trolley Square's Fresh Thymes Cafe for a drop-off location, has been extended from April 15th to April 25th.  Additionally, if you sign up and refer a friend, you get a $25 buying credit. 
Sign up online here:  http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/static/controls/?page=csa/2011signup

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative is accepting new members to its CSA until April 15th

Fresh Thymes Cafe in Trolley Square is the drop-off point in Delaware for this CSA.

From LFFC:

"Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative (LFFC) serves the Lancaster, Philadelphia, Baltimore/Washington and New York City metropolitan areas through wholesale food service, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

LFFC is a non-profit organic farmers cooperative of 75 regional farmers headquartered in Lancaster County. We focus on creating healthy, high quality foods from highly maintained and enriched soils on small scale family farms.

LFFC offers fresh, certified organic produce through our CSA program. We also have dairy, eggs, meats and prepared items available for wholesale or individual purchase. The animal products we offer are from small family farms with small herds and flocks."

For more info:
http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/static/controls/