Fresh Sheet: May 15th

Pretzel (left), Puppets On A String (centre), Dolphin Lady (right)

The first market day of the season always brings with it tremendous excitement, and this season is no exception! We're hosting Puppets on a String... entertainers that are always huge hits with children. Wee ones can get their faces painted with wonderfully creative and vivid designs by The Dolphin Lady that will be sure to spark their imaginations and instil a little wonderment into their lives. Pretzel will be there as well, creating amazing balloon figures in fabulous designs and colours as only he can, sure to amaze the inner child in all of us! And Edmonton Public Librairies will be on site giving out free library cards. There will also be an incredible...

Truck Rally

Be sure to make Wednesdays, Dinner At the Market Night 

for you, your family, friends & neighbours this week and every week!

Our Grand Opener will see us hosting a terrific line-up of food trucks! All the rage on the North American Foodie Scene, some of our food trucks bring unique fusion cuisines and gourmet twists on comfort foods to our market. Expect to try delicious things like:

• a wonderful Greek gluten free option: lemon roasted potatoes topped with slow roasted lamb shoulder is gluten free from Theo at the Little Village Food Truck
• the ever-famous Mac & Cheese or Smoked Beef and Roasted Veg Salad (featuring beef from Red Tractor Meats and veggies from Riverbend Gardens) at Bully Food Truck
• a Coconut Bacon BLT Wrap served on a flour tortilla, with coconut bacon, home made roasted garlic mayo, fresh lettuce, tomato and shredded carrot at Sailin' On

Sometimes the list of vendors on our website can be a tad confusing. Some only come part time, some vendors are there all the time, and some miss just one market in the entire season. On Tuesdays during market season you can check here, on the blog, to see who's coming to market this week....

Here's Who Will Be At Our Market This Week!!!

For information on these vendors, be sure to go to our website Browse Vendors By Category. There you will find excellent descriptions & eye catching photos of the vendors that come to our market & the products that they bring. Browse by category to find out more about the personalities behind the creations, the produce & the food items, and to find out what each vendor will be bringing to market. Please note that not all vendors you see here will be at EVERY market as some come part time (like when their items are in season, or once or twice a month, etc.).

You will be amazed when you see the wealth of creativity, the level of inspiration and the amazing quality of goods that will be at the Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market... your neighbourhood market where communities, artisans and farmers all come together .... this season.

Artisans & Crafts People:
Expressions by Lori (custom fit women's clothing)
Farmstead Bath & Body (cold process soap, lotions, lip balm, scrubs, bath melts, bombs, bubble bars)
Jewels by Amy (crystal & silver jewellery)

Orange Avocado (silver)
Tea Garden (tea cup bird feeders)

Traveling Author, Lynn Link

Baked Goods:
Celebrate Gluten Free (gluten free; flax bread, cheese buns & bread, multi grain bread, banana & lemon loaves, cookies, cupcakes, cinnamon buns, brownies)
El Mercado Tortillas (2 types of corn tortillas)
Inked Cakes (sweet breads & loaves, brownies, bars & squares... formerly Robert's Loaves from Alberta Beach)
Prairie Mill Bread (organic, preservative-free bread)
Sweet Stuff Cakes (cupcakes)

Food Trucks:

Bully Food Truck (gourmet comfort foods like mac & cheese, poutine, turkey burger, salad, pulled pork grilled cheese sandwich)
Fat Franks (gourmet hot dogs, smokies & drinks)
La Poutine (gourmet poutines... it's not 100% sure that they can come opening day)
Little Village Food Truck (Greek street food)
Original Canadian Kettle Popcorn (kettle corn, cotton candy, soft drinks)

The Pink Kernel (mini donuts, cotton candy, shaved ice, kettle corn, lemonade, water, yo yo balloons)

Sailin' On (Vegan)

Meat & Dairy:

Butchers' Bus (Sausage, smokies, pepperoni, pork or turkey jerky)
Food Direct (fish)
Greenstein Farms (lamb)
Red Tractor Family Farm (fresh, frozen meat) 
Sunworks Organic Farm (chicken, beef, prepared sausages)

Fruits And Vegetables:

*** Note... many of our vegetable producers will be bringing plant starts, stored potatoes and garden plants to the first few market days until their produce is ready. Only greenhouse operators will have fresh vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, long beans and cucumbers at the early season markets. Fruit vendors do not start coming until mid June.

Dargatz Family Farm (produce, bedding plants, eggs, pickles)
Holden Colony (vegetables, pickles, salsa, garlic powder)

Riverbend Gardens (vegetables)
TR Greenhouses (veggies, jellies & salt)

Prepared Foods:

Back to Basics (frozen lasagna using fresh pasta including gluten free and vegetarian versions, homemade soup, homemade ice-cream & icecream sandwiches)
El Mercado (authentic mexican tortillas)
Fruits of Sherbrooke (jams, jellies & condiments)
Good Morning Honey (packaged honey in various sizes, beeswax candles, beeswax, lip balm, night cream)
The Maple Farm (organic maple syrup)
The Mallow Fellow (gourmet marshmallows in 20 flavours)
The Maple Farm (maple syrup)
Melodi's Kitchen (Turkish food)
Phil's Fudge Factory (Fudge, fudge dipped apples)
Simply Supper (burgers, ribs & ready to go meals)
Theo's Greek Kouzina (prepared Greek food)

A Few Reminders:

• If you are new to farmers' market shopping and want to read a few tips, check out this old blog post, Farmers' Market Shopping Tips. 
• Remember, because food is served at our market, only service dogs are permitted. This is in compliance with Alberta Food Safety Protocol. So please leave your dogs at home.

• The market is now located directly on the corner of 23rd Ave and Leger Road, across from the Leger Bus Station and across from the Terwillegar Recreation Centre. It is no longer tucked around the side of the Rec Centre in the overflow parking area.
• There is PLENTY of parking. Be sure to follow Leger Road past the market. There are overflow parking lots located all along that road. You just might have to park a bit far away and then hike in to the market. Better yet, ride your bikes to the market or walk there!
• There is no ATM on site (though one is available inside the rec centre). Please bring cash with you for your purchases.
• We are still looking for a few volunteers... feel like being a Sign Angel? We would love a few people to babysit SWEFM signs and put them up in their neighbourhoods the evening before the market, and remove them the morning after the market. This will save us a lot of time, driving around & putting them in place. Contact our market manager, if you can help, or come and see us at the Southwest Edmonton Far,ers' Market Info Tent at the entrance to the market.
• Have a blast! Community Farmers' Markets are a terrific place to meet up with friends, families and neighbours. They're fun, vibrant places where connections can be made and where the community spirit comes alive!

Visit our website at http://www.swefm.ca
Like us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/swefm.ca
Contributed by Sheri Hendsbee