Fresh Sheet: May 21, 2014

Get ready for our second market of 2014!

Join us WEDNESDAY in the Terwillegar Recreation Center Parking Lot from 4:30-7:30

The weather forecast is looking great this week, and so is our lineup of vendors, entertainment and great eats!

For market shopping tips, be sure to check out this page to ensure your market visit is everything it should be. And remember, please leave Fido at home- no dogs are allowed where food is being served!  

 

We're launching our Experience This! table at SWEFM this week. Stop by the info tent for a themed display of fantastic products from our vendors, nutrition tips, vendor challenges and more! We're kicking off the fun with Everything Garden this week, where you'll be able to spot all of our flower and garden-related products all in one place before you get shopping. It's just in time for your lovely spring gardening in the days and weeks ahead!

Participating this week:

Sweet Stuff with her adorable flower miniature and full-sized cupcakes. 
Riverbend Gardens with gorgeous bedding flowers, vegetable seedlings and tomato plants. 
Celebrate, Gluten Free with cupcakes iced to look like frosted roses.
Morrie's Handicrafts with his handmade garden stones.
Dargatz Family Farm with their delicious Fresh culinary pot filled with parsley, rosemary, purple sage, thyme and tarragon and the "Aussie" variety of tomato plant that produces giant tomatoes!  
Ada's Soap Shop with his "Loofa Soap", made with loofa, a member of the cucumber family. It's great for scrubbing away dirt and grime after a long day of gardening!
The Owlery with her beautiful garden-inspired jewelry pieces. 

Swing by Experience This! every week to see what's new and exciting at market!

  

The inflatable slide is back! Bob the slide guy is back for the season this week, bringing his giant slide and combo bouncing unit for kids of all ages to enjoy. It's only $5 for unlimited rides all market and is the perfect way to burn off extra energy (or that extra cupcake!) before bedtime.

 







The Sprouts Program for kids continues this week. Children who enrolled last week between 4-12 will receive a $2 token to spend with our fruit and vegetable vendors. Be sure to stop by to fill out an an entry to win a healthy prize pack from Choose Well! We only have five spaces left in the program this week, so come early to ensure your child can participate. For more information on the Sprouts Program, click here.

We don't fail to entertain at the Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market! Check out this week's entertainers and buskers below. 

Our resident balloon artists, Pretzel and Russ, and the face painter extraordinaire, Lady Dolphin, will be joining us this week. Their services are great for kids of all ages (even you, Dad)!















We have a great lineup of buskers this week, including Matt Graham, Clinton Richardson, and our feature busker this week, Spencer Vaughn. Spencer is pursuing a music diploma from MacEwan University, and draws upon a wide range of influences including Coldplay, John Mayer and Ray Lamontagne. He will, along with our other talented buskers this week be playing acoustic in the market.

 The Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market aims to enhance and support our vibrant community. Check out how to engage with your neighbours this week! 

The River Valley Alliance will be joining us in our Community Tent to connect with you and fill you in on the Terwillegar foot bridge, awesome trails to explore and new bike paths to enjoy this summer. They're your connection to outdoor fun this season, so stop by and ask them a question or three!

The Terwilegar Riverbend Advisory Council will be promoting their 10K Rock N' Run coming on June 1st. Stop by, say hello and sign up for this fun run! 

There's nothing more refreshing on a summer day than biting into a fresh piece of fruit from the farmers' market... Get your fix of nature's candy this week!

Red Apple B.C. Fruit is joining us for the season this week with their delicious pears and apples. They have multiple varieties of these ripe favourites, so branch out and try something new!

 

Veggies may not be coming from the fields yet, but we'll have piles of root crops, greenhouse favourites and bedding plants available this week:

Dargatz Family Farm will be bringing their herb pots and other plants to market again this week. With instructions from Keith, they're perfect for green and not-so-green thumbs alike!

Holden Colony will be bringing a variety of fresh vegetables, including peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes, along with root vegetables and delicious preserves.

Riverbend Gardens will have herbs, tomato plants (see the varieties available here), flowers, vegetable seedlings, hanging baskets, along with potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage.

S4 Greenhouses will be bringing their freshest tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and more (along with adorable $2 bags for our little Sprouts).

Our meat line-up has some old favourites and some new vendors to try: 

Sunworks Farm brings a variety of grass-fed and organic meats to market. They have delicious samples, so be sure to swing by and try one!

Jerky Jerky is back this week bringing fantastic jerky products. Our guests last week said it was the best jerky they'd ever eaten... try it yourself and be the judge!

This season we're proud to include baking vendors that cater not only to your sweet tooth, but to your dietary restrictions, too! From gluten-free to nut-free, everyone can treat themselves at SWEFM this season. 

Celebrate, Gluten Free is the perfect option for those with gluten sensitivities. Try their rose-themed cupcakes this week along with their other fantastic baked delights!

Sweet Stuff is bringing her adorable garden-themed cupcakes this week. Try a little bite of heaven with her mini flower cupcakes!

Confetti Sweets will be back again with their awesome cookies. If there was a flavour you didn't try last week, here's your chance! 

Cafe O' Play's Little Crumbs is back this week with more of their hit nut-free baking. They'll be bringing all of the kids' favourites including their delightful "Little Crumbs" and cookies.

Prairie Mill Baking Co. will be offering their delicious fresh bread. Our favourite this week is the Sunflower Whole Wheat, so be sure to pick up a loaf!

 

Want a quick and delicious take-home food item? We've got you covered!

Birds and Bees Winery will be bringing their delicious honey wines and meads to market this week. Grab a bottle to enjoy on the deck after dinner!

Cravings Gelato will be bringing their fantastic gelato in a wide variety of flavours. Get more than one... we won't judge!

Fruits of Sherbrooke will be bringing their delicious preserves made from rescued fruit.

Melodi's Kitchen will be bringing baklava, beef and feta cheese sigara boregi, spinach boregi, apple cinnamon cookies, raspberry jam cookies, Easter bread with raisins, simit, lentil burgers, tahinli corek, eggplant dolma, and yaprak sarmasi.

Mini Kitchen specializes in delicious Indian and Thai food. Stop by and say hello!

The Mallow Fellow is back with new and old favourite flavours including cotton candy, licorice, bubble gum, espresso, grapefruit, toasted coconut, cinnamon roll,
and more!

Theo's Greek Kouzina bringing their well-loved greek dips and treats to market this week.

Honest Dumplings will be bringing five types of dumplings this week, all made with organic unbleached flour and fresh ingredients: Maple pork belly with quinoa and baby bok choy; pork with edamame beans and shrimp; spicy chicken with peanuts and flat beans; spicy tofu with peanuts, and new this week, ginger beef.

The Violet Chocolate Company is back with their delicious specialty chocolate!

Simply Supper brings ready-to-eat meals to market to make your busy life easier.

 

No farmers' market visit is complete without dinner at one of our fantastic food trucks. Where will you eat this week? 

Sailin' On Food Truck will be joining us this week with their ever-popular vegan menu! If you're hesitant to try vegan foods, Salin' On will be the food truck to make you fall head over heels in love. 

Bully Food Truck makes drool-worthy comfort food using fresh and local ingredients and will be joining us again this week.

Fat Franks is back and will be ready to serve you their delicious hot dogs and smokies with all the fixings!

The Pink Kernel will be at market for all of you who can't turn down childhood favourites like mini doughnuts, cotton candy and snow cones.

Original Canadian Kettle Corn, a farmers' market staple, will be here this week satisfying all of your cravings for this summer favourite!

Yellowbird Food Truck will be offering their fantastic Japanese fusion cuisine this week.

Ada's Soap Shop will be selling cold-processed soap along with lip balm, lavender flowers and more. 

Forgotten Favourites will be selling their fantastic self-published cookbook this week. It's a great book to find inspiration on how to use your great market ingredients in new ways!

Morrie's Handicraft is back this year with his beautiful handmade stone housewares. He's joining in the fun garden theme this week with his beautiful garden stones.

The Owlery is new to the market this year, and will be selling her quirky jewelry made from found objects. Be sure to swing by and give her a warm welcome!

See you at market!

Fresh Sheet: May 14, 2014

 

Welcome to the 2014 Market Season!

Join us WEDNESDAY in the Terwillegar Recreation Center Parking Lot from 4:30-7:30

Opening day is going to be a blast as we launch our Sprouts Program for kids, host Puppets on a String, eat dinner at our favourite food trucks, browse our artisans' wares, and load up on the best vegetables, meat, baking and ready-to-eat foods the city has to offer. 

Join us here on the "Market Fresh Sheet" every Tuesday to see what's fresh and happening at your favourite farmers' market! For market shopping tips, be sure to check out this page to ensure your market visit is everything it should be. And remember, please leave Fido at home- no dogs are allowed where food is being served! 

  

We are very excited to be launching our Sprouts Program for kids this season. Children between 4-12 will receive a $2 token every week to spend with our fruit and vegetable vendors, along with their own mini shopping bag and an entry into a draw to win a healthy prize pack from Choose Well! Come early to ensure your child has a spot in this fantastic new program. For more information on the Sprouts Program, click here.

Momstown is back this year! Bring your child to their tent for a fun craft throughout the summer. This week, crafty kids will be creating newspaper planters and planting vegetable seeds to grow for The Edmonton Food Bank's Plant a Row, Grow a Row program. Children can bring their full-sized veggie back at the end of the season to donate to the Food Bank!

We don't fail to entertain at the Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market! Check out this week's entertainers and buskers below. 

Puppets on a String is back for opening day this season! This local group will be performing a puppet show for children by the info tent. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the puppeteers and their fuzzy pals!

Two balloon artists, Pretzel and Russ, and the face painter extraordinaire, Lady Dolphin, will be joining us this week. Their services are great for kids of all ages (even you, Dad)!

Austin the Busker is back with his guitar this week, and we all know he has the powers to make the ladies dance! If you think you have what it takes to play your instrument at SWEFM, be sure to check out our Become a Busker page. 

The Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market aims to enhance and support our vibrant community. Check out how to engage with your neighbours this week!

The Edmonton Food Bank will be in our community tent accepting donations and promoting their Plant a Row, Grow a Row program. Learn what you can plant in your garden this year to help those less fortunate come harvest time and be sure to bring a non-perishable food item to donate!

Servus Credit Union, a sponsor of the Southwest Edmonton Farmers’ Market, will be on site beside the community tent on opening day.  Come on by to the Servus tent and play their gumball game. If you get a green gumball, you will win an awesome pair of green color pop Servus ear buds!  They will even be giving away reusable totes to anyone who drops by the Servus tent (limited quantity).  On top of all the fun, there will be a contest to win a Servus gift package including 4 Telus World of Science tickets and more.  Come by the Servus tent to learn more!

The Terwilegar Riverbend Advisory Council will be promoting their 10K Rock N' Run coming on June 1st. Stop by and say hello! 

 

Veggies may not be coming from the fields yet, but we'll have piles of root crops, greenhouse favourites and bedding plants available this week:

Dargatz Family Farm will be bringing four culinary herb pots to market: "Country Kitchen" with basil, garlic chives, parsley, thyme, sweet marjoram and purple sage; "Italian Chef's Choice" with two kinds of basil (green and purple), lemon thyme, rosemary and two kinds of oregano (variegated and hot & spicy; "French Cuisine" with parsley, rosemary, purple sage, thyme and tarragon and "Tasty Tomato" with a large tomato in the centre of the pot surrounded by various herbs.

Holden Colony will be bringing a variety of vegetables and preserves.

Riverbend Gardens will have herbs, tomato plants (see the varieties available here), flowers, vegetable seedlings, hanging baskets, along with potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage.

S4 Greenhouses will be bringing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and more!

Our meat line-up has some old favourites and some new vendors to try: 

Sunworks Farm brings a variety of grass-fed and organic meats to market.

Jerky Jerky is new to market and will be bringing a variety of dried jerky products. Yum!

This season we're proud to include baking vendors that cater not only to your sweet tooth, but to your dietary restrictions, too! From gluten-free to nut-free, everyone can treat themselves at SWEFM this season. 

Celebrate, Gluten Free is the perfect option for those with gluten sensitivities. They're bringing many items this week including multigrain buns and Celebration Cakes for pick-up or order.

Raspberry & Cocoa is back and will be bringing their delicious croissants and other baked treats to market.

Sweet Stuff is back this season with her delicious and adorable mini and full-sized cupcakes. They're perfect for a sweet little treat!

Confetti Sweets is our latest specialty cookie vendor at SWEFM. Try a coconut cookie this week; they're fabulous!

Cafe O' Play's Little Crumbs is our brand-new nut-free baker. They will be bringing Fruity Pebble squares, pumpkin seed macaroons, "Lemon Crumbs", "Little Crumbs", pizza buns, cinnamon buns, Oreo pops, cookies and locally-roasted coffee this week.

Prairie Mill Baking Co. is back this season with their locally-baked bread. They have something for everyone, so say hello this week!

 

Want a quick and delicious take-home food item? We've got you covered!

Birds and Bees Winery will be bringing their delicious honey wines and meads to market this week. Grab a bottle to enjoy on the deck after dinner!

Cravings Gelato will be bringing their fantastic gelato in a wide variety of flavours. Get more than one... we won't judge!

Fruits of Sherbrooke will be bringing their delicious preserves made from rescued fruit.

Melodi's Kitchen will be bringing baklava, beef and feta cheese sigara boregi, spinach boregi, apple cinnamon cookies, raspberry jam cookies, Easter bread with raisins, simit, lentil burgers, tahinli corek, eggplant dolma, and yaprak sarmasi.

Mini Kitchen specializes in delicious Indian and Thai food. Stop by and say hello!

The Mallow Fellow is back with new and old favourite flavours including cotton candy, licorice, bubble gum, espresso, grapefruit, toasted coconut, cinnamon roll,
and more!

Theo's Greek Kouzina bringing their well-loved greek dips and treats to market this week.

Honest Dumplings will be bringing four types of dumplings this week, all made with organic unbleached flour and fresh ingredients: Maple pork belly with quinoa and baby bok choy; pork with edamame beans and shrimp; spicy chicken with peanuts and flat beans and spicy tofu with peanuts.

The Violet Chocolate Company is back with their delicious specialty chocolate!

Simply Supper brings ready-to-eat meals to market to make your busy life easier.

Freaking Fantastic Flax will be bringing whole golden flax seed, ground flax, granola bars and trail mix to make snacking easier in the coming week!

 

No farmers' market visit is complete without dinner at one of our fantastic food trucks. Where will you eat this week?

Bully Food Truck makes drool-worthy comfort food using fresh and local ingredients.

Fat Franks is back and will be ready to serve you their delicious hot dogs and smokies with all the fixings!

The Pink Kernel will be at market for all of you who can't turn down childhood favourites like mini doughnuts, cotton candy and snow cones.

Original Canadian Kettle Corn, a farmers' market staple, will be here this week satisfying all of your cravings for this summer favourite!

Yellowbird Food Truck is back this season with their Japanese fusion cuisine.

Knosh Food Truck will be joining us on opening day with their UK comfort food. This week they'll have scones and clotted cream and their very own version of "Harry Potter Butterbeer". You'll have to stop by to see what they mean!

Ada's Soap Shop is joining us again this season, so be sure to stop by to try their wonderful handmade soap and bodycare products.

See you at market!

Plant A Row, Grow A Row: A Unique Partnership

FINALLY.... after yesterday's amazingly warm temperatures it feels like spring and so it is finally time to make our announcement.... I am writing today with EXCITING news! We have created a fantastic opportunity for the Southwest Edmonton Farmers’ Market: an opportunity that will set our market apart from the rest and make it a truly special entity on the Edmonton Market landscape!

We are going to be partnering with the Edmonton Food Bank in a very unique way. Come harvest time, our market will be the city’s collection site for the Plant A Row, Grow A Row donation drop off. So mark your calendars for

September 18th, 2013

Plant a Row, Grow a Row is a nationwide initiative that collects fresh produce for local food banks. It encourages people to plant a row of vegetables in their home gardens in the spring that they, in turn, harvest and donate to their local food bank in the fall. Hosting this collection event at our market will allow people to donate to the food bank in a highly personal way, and it will allow non-gardeners to participate as well, as they can purchase produce from our market’s vendors and donate those purchases at the harvest time event.

This has the potential to increase foot traffic through our market, media exposure to our market, and support the community all at the same time... making it even more of a destination... a happening place! And it has the added bonus of promoting a very worthy cause, one that will enrich the city, and the greater community, in which we live.

Through the Plant A Row, Grow A Row initiative, people can donate healthy, fresh, nutrient-dense, high quality food to the Food Bank for people who are in need of food, financial and educational support (when it comes to budgeting, shopping, cooking & preparing nutritious meals) in our city. The Edmonton Food Bank has a number of creative supports in place to teach their clients how to use this fresh food simply and easily, and it supplies much of the fresh food that charitable organizations like The Hope Mission and the Salvation Army use to feed their clients in their soup kitchens. This food will not go to waste and will be greatly appreciated.

With this unique partnership between the Southwest Edmonton Farmers’ Market and the Edmonton Food Bank, we will be giving you, our market shoppers, an opportunity to support a charitable cause in an unexpected, meaningful, and interactive way. 

We wanted to share our excitement with you. And we can't wait to see what you grow, and how much food we can collectively raise, purchase and donate to the Edmonton Food Bank. More details will follow...

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

Food And The Local Economy

Let’s face it: food truly lies at the foundation of every culture, and of every economy. We all must eat. Most family celebrations and community gatherings happen around food. And food begins with farms.

Our farmers, with the knowledge that they apply, the experience that they bring to their land, and the labour with which they toil, are the basis of our local economy. Support them, and you support the health not only of your families (through the amazingly fresh and nutritious things that you can buy and put tantalizingly… even decadently on your kitchen table), but the health of our local economy as well. It is one of the key reasons to shop at farmers’ markets.

But there is more to the story. There is an untouchable richness of experience that you will harvest, spending time at your local farmers’ market with a local producer. Do not rush the process. Stop and hear the stories of the farmers and craftsmen, the food producers and artisans. Get to know them. They will give you amazing insights into life itself, and they will give you a sense of the history of the item that you are purchasing. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. You will be richly rewarded with advice, and a connection. Yup. I firmly believe that a farmers’ market is a place to set down roots.

Too often in our society, we are distanced from the things that we buy. We do not know where they come from, what experiences they had (both good and bad) to wind up in our bodies, in our homes, in our lives. Get to know your grower and producer, your artisan and craftsman, and you get to know a little more about this rich culture that we live in. Hear the stories and the advice and your life will be richer for the interaction. For the connection.

Here are two of our market's vendors from T.R. Greenhouses and Prairie Mill Bread Company.

Stuck for ideas? Here are some questions to ask of your farmers’ market vendor:

• Where did this come from?
• How did you come up with the design for this item?
• Where did you gather the materials to make this item?
• How have you found the growing season so far?
• What is really good at your stall today?
• What can I do with (insert the name of something that you are unfamiliar with… kale, kholorabi, a particular bedding plant, an intriguing spice mix)?
• How are your animals raised?
• What is it like to be a (insert occupation here… chicken farmer, meat producer, food truck vendor, jewelry designer, hot house grower)?
• What, in the world, is that!?
• What did this item do to wind up here, at your stall?
• What is your favourite way of preparing this vegetable? This cut of meat? This partially prepared food item?

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

Welcome to the Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market Blog!

We are so excited to be launching our blog! This platform will be used to communicate to you, our loyal patron, any recent news and upcoming events. It will also become a hub for articles and special interest discussions surrounding the market, our city, and the importance of supporting our local economy.

Blog posts will be primarily written by Zita Dube-Lockhart, the Southwest Edmonton Farmers' Market Manager, but we will also be seeking guest bloggers including some of your very favourite vendors.  If you are interested in being featured as a guest blogger, make sure to send us an email at swefm.ca@gmail.com!

We will be updating this blog often, so make sure to check back with us regularly or subscribe to us for email updates.

Thank you for your continued support of our market, our community and our City!

The SWEFM team