The Wichita Farmers' Markets Ebulletin
Wichita Farmers Market P.O. Box 49043, Wichita, Kansas 67201-9043 316.992.0413
If you have any further questions please feel free to call 316.992.0413 or email.
Special Announcements
Events and Programs
This Week’s Feature:
Market schedule
East Side Farmers' Market
Wednesday: May 17th thru September 30th
3pm - 7pm
Old Town Farmers Market
FALL SCHEDULE --NEW HRS
Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. - 12:30
May 20 thru October 20
Parking
Plenty available free all around the plaza, parking garage between 1st Street and 2nd Street on Mosley
Come Join the Fun!
This Week's Produce Highlights:
| ||||
A shopping list for those who love the seasonal variety of the Farmers Market.
1. Melons
2. Eggplant
3. Tomatoes
4. Fresh Baked Bread
5. Summer Squash
6. Naturally Raised Pork, Beef,
Chicken & Buffalo
7. Fresh Basil
8. Fresh Baked Pies
9. Sweet Potatoes
10. Country Eggs
11. Cut Flowers
12. Okra
13. Artisan Jewelry
14. GREAT UNIQUE GIFTS
:Can't find items on the list? Check at the Information Booth for directions.
Wichita Farmers Market East
Your East Wichita Farm Connection
Open Rain or Shine!
Wednesdays 3 pm-7 pm
Know Your Farmer
Know Your Food!
Location
Cambridge Market - 21st & Webb Road
Listen for the latest market news on the Guy Bower radio show;
The Good Life - Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. on KNSS Newsradio 1330
Food, Wine & Fun...for your ears!
| ||||
Musical Performance 10 - Noon
Musical Guest: Joe Stumpe
In addition to being the Wichita Eagle’s food editor, Joe is a multi-talented singer, guitarist and songwriter who performs frequently around town. Joe has used his extensive experience in honky-tonks to pen such soon-to-be classics as “Sorry ‘Bout Your Luck,” “Women Who Sell Beer” and “Wrong Side of Wichita”. You won’t want to miss seeing and hearing the “other side” of the multitalented Mr. Stumpe!!
Contamination of air and water is greatly reduced when food is sold locally and grown ecologically. When you choose to buy produce from the Old Town Farmers Market, you reduce the amount of toxins that we breathe and drink.
See you at the market!
Visit us at www.oldtownfarmersmarket.com
The Hows and Wise
Chefs Table at 9:00 am
Chef: Brian Mangers
Brian Mangers is going to try it again this week at the chef’s table after being rained out on his recently scheduled visit. Brian will be the Executive Chef at Oneo, a unique wine bar that will be opening soon in Old Town. In the meantime, he assists the chefs at Old Town’s Uptown Bistro and Bellini’s.
Kid’s Corner will be open from 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Bring the kids to complete a "make it take it" craft compliments of the market.
The Hows and Wise
of Shopping at the Old Town Farmers' Market
(Referenced from Jane Fletcher's book "Fresh from the Farmer's Market"l]
Don't go with a firm shopping list--. You may have ideas about dishes you want to prepare in the next few days, but try to be flexible. It's wiser to plan menus once you get to the market and see what's best.
Make the rounds before you buy anything.-- See who has what and at what price and quality. Taste and compare different vendors' peaches or melons. Then make your selections, secure in the knowledge that you won't find tastier and cheaper items at another stand.
Buy something you haven't tried before--. A farmers' market is a great place to get educated about food, if you make the effort. Never cooked kohlrabi? At the farmers' market, a grower can advise you on how to select and prepare it.
Take your own canvas or net bags or baskets--. Farmers' markets rarely provide shopping carts. Wide woven baskets are ideal because tender fruits and vegetables don't get piled on one another. As you add to your purchases, make sure to shift the heavy items to the bottom. To avoid squashed berries and flattened tomatoes, consider shopping with several bags or baskets.
Plan to go straight home after your shopping expedition so you can put away your purchases. Don't leave ripe berries, sweet corn, tender spinach-- or anything-- sweltering in your car. The heat will suck all the life out of them. If you can't go home right away, bring a cooler for the most delicate items.
Try not to over-buy -- one of the main reasons to shop at a farmers' market is to get fresh food and cook it while it is fresh.
Take your children with you. --Too many kids have no idea where food comes from or how it looks in its unprocessed state. Seeing zucchini with blossoms attached, carrots with tops, or cauliflower with its green wrapper leaves gives them an idea of how vegetables grow. Sampling a half-dozen tomatoes or selecting a peach will awaken their senses.
For best selection and quality, shop early.-- Growers often bring just a few pounds of something and, naturally, the choice produce goes first. In addition, on warm days the quality of unrefrigerated fruits and vegetables can decline from morning to afternoon. On the other hand, if it's a good price you are after, shop late in the day when growers are more inclined to deal.
Take time to chat with farmers.-- Building relationships is part of the fun of shopping at farmers' markets. You will become a wiser shopper, probably improve your cooking skills, and perhaps take home an occasional "special customer" treat.
Wise reasons as to why one should shop at Farmers? Markets
For the source of this information, visit http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com
Consumer benefits at farmers' markets are considerable. The number one reason consumers shop at farmers' markets is quality. Fresh picked, vine and tree ripened quality produce continues to attract regular patronage at the farmers' markets in Colorado today.
The markets produce a strong sense of community identity, bringing people from diverse ethnic and other backgrounds together. They also serve to unite the urban and rural segments of the population. This rare meeting of farmers and consumers serves as an educational experience whereby customers learn about their food sources, have access to nutritional information, engage in a multi-cultural experience and become aware of agricultural issues. Farmers' Markets truly have become the face and spirit of the communities they serve. The Farmers Market concept is an effort to re-establish the traditional link between farmers and consumers. Put simply, Farmers' Markets are "the real thing", places where genuine farmers sell their crops directly to the public. It is where the agrarian community relates to the urban community.
Farmers Markets provide multiple benefits for small farmers, consumers and the community. For farmers, the markets provide an outlet especially suited to moving smaller volumes of produce, thus creating a marketing channel outside of the traditional large volume distribution systems. Farmers' Markets also allow farmers to sell field run produce not restricted to pack and grade standards. This enables the farmer to sell tree ripened fruit which is too delicate for the packing and shipping process. It also increases profits for the farmers because of the cost savings.
Seasonal Eating? Have you ever walked around the Farmers' Market and wondered what to do with the different produce that appears over the growing season? You can help support local farms while cooking delicious and nutritious foods by learning how to identify, cook and preserve the produce you buy at the Market. After you've learned how to eat a seasonal diet, you are encouraged to find about why it's important to buy locally grown produce. Only about 10% of the fossil fuel energy used in the world's food system is used in production; the other 90% goes into packaging, transportation, and marketing. source.
For the final three weeks of our Wednesday market (9/13, 9/20, 9/27) Piztros Bistro will be joining us to provide samples from their restaurant which is located at the Waterfront, just a short distance south of the Cambridge Market on Greenwich Road. In addition to some great samples, they will be ditributing some valuable $ off coupons for your next visit to their restaurant. Hats off to Piztros for enriching our market during our final weeks.
| ||||
August 19, 2006 Edition
Twice Baked Sweet Potato Recipe
8 small, unpeeled sweet potatoes
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Wash outside of potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Let cool until potatoes can be handled.
Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Leaving a small amount of potato attached to the skins, carefully scoop out the remaining potato and place into a bowl. Mash potato and stir in raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pineapple until mixed. Spoon mixture back into potato skins and sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Makes 8 Servings
Serving Size: 2 potato halves
Support local (within 150 miles) farms, ranches, dairies and nurseries and have a hoot of a time while you are doing it in our beautiful site in Old Town Wichita! The Old Town Farmers' Market (OTFM), a growers market, is an exciting and bountiful place to buy your fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, eggs and plants. When you shop at the OTFM, you get the freshest, most delicious foods available from the growers themselves! There are plentiful prepared foods, farm products turned into jams, salsas and honey, and hand-made crafts. Chef's demos, children's activities, and live local musicians make supporting local growers fun!
Located in the heart of Old Town at Farm & Art Market Square (2nd and Mosely), the market is a vital part of the community and the Old Town experience.
Welcome to: Wichita's Front Porch!
Live Entertainment ~ Good Food ~ Produce and Plants ~ Arts & Crafts
We have so much to offer
September 16, 2006 Edition
Would you be interested in picking up a prepare bag of food offerings from the Farmers' Market Vendors after the markets closes this fall and before they open next Spring?
Place your order on line for pick up the next Wednesday at the Wichita East Market Location. If you are interested in "Real Food Wednesday":
Real Food Wedneday
On line ordering of Farmers' Market items after market closes
Are those eyes looking at me?
Click on Picture to see.
Safe Food?
