Newsletter for Friday May 16, 2014

Lettuce Eat Well Farmers' Market is now on its summer schedule, which means market is held every Friday from 3:00 until 7:00 P.M. at the market's year-round location at Cheviot United Methodist Church 3820 Westwood Northern Blvd.  Where market will be held at the church will vary depending on the weather, which can change with little notice.  Look for us out front or follow the happy voices and you will find us inside.

WHY SHOP AT THE FARMERS' MARKET?

It seems that nearly ever week, or every day, another report about what is in the food we consume makes headlines.  It is not surprising, then, that more and more people are becoming concerned about what is really in their food. Are you becoming concerned about what is really in your food?  If so, you might want to consider the following:    

If you make your purchases at the grocery store you will likely not be able to learn much at all about how the items were produced.  Not so when making your purchases at our market.  Our vendors welcome your questions about their production methods.  Our vendors are so proud of their production practices that they are happy when customers make inquirers.  And remember, all produce sold at our market is grown using no synthetic chemicals and the meat and eggs are from pastured livestock who receive no GMO feed.  

In addition to obtaining information from the vendors, you are welcome to stop by the  market management booth to ask questions about any aspect of the market.  We love to brag about our Very Valued Vendors and their superior products that make LEWFM so great.
  
 

For a full listing of our vendors, their products, and services including:

• Kids & Krafts (available starting at 4:45), where the kids can have loads of fun so you can leisurely shop the market
• Many food and non-food items
• and a list of vendors who accept credit cards

Check out our Vendors.

RECENTLY ADDED ITEMS

Click image to enlarge

Several vendors are making additions to their lineup.   
Yellow Creek Weavers will have 2 new rugs debuting this week--a reweave on Artist's Palette and restock of AZ Sky.  If you have not yet purchased a handcrafted rug from Mari Ann because you think handmade crafts would be too expensive, please stop by Mari Ann's booth.  You will be pleasantly surprised about how affordable the rugs (and other items) are.  Mari Ann believes everyone should be able to have quality handcrafted rugs for their home; therefore, her prices are quite reasonable.  You can even request specific colors to match your home decor.   

Calendula sun oil/blossoms

Also, Green GRRRL Wisdom continues to add more items to her great lineup of products.  This week she will be introducing her Calendula soap with her own calendula sun oil and blossoms, scented with gardenia.  Yes, Karen actually grows the calendula herself.  Now that's local.  While checking out the new soap you could ask about her herbal teas and body care products.  Karen is a Certified Herbalist and can offer information about various herbs and their medicinal qualities.  
  

HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN

You and your family are invited to attend Local Fest: A Celebration of Local Food, Local Art & Local Music on Saturday, May 24th, 2014, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Grailville, 932 O’Bannonville Road, Loveland OH. This event is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 per vehicle.  For more information, you may visit their website http://www.grailville.org/news-calendar.php

REMINDERS
While some of you are long-time readers of the newsletter, people who are new to the market are reading the newsletter for the first time; therefore, the Reminders section is included each week so new folks can see what's happening around the market and around town.

NEW AT THIS SUMMER'S MARKET 

PRE-ORDER AND SAVE $$$

Bread varieties sold by L2LS Click image to enlarge

Would you like to save $$$ on your food purchases while not compromising on quality?  We thought your answer would be yes, so we devised a way for you to accomplish this.  During the summer market season, a number of our vendors will be participating in Pre-order and Save $$$.  Following are examples of the promotions that two vendors will be offering:  Angelia’s Homemade Pies (& more) will be offering a 10% discount on all pre-ordered baked goods.  Learning to Live Sustainably (L2LS):  After customers have pre-ordered a total of 12 loaves of bread they will receive their 13^th loaf free.

Jenny of Angela's Homemade Pies

As if Saving $$$ isn't enough, Pre-ordering has additional bonuses for both customers and vendors.  When you pre-order your items you are ensured that your favorite foods will not be sold out before you arrive at market.  Additionally, pre-ordering cuts down on waste of perishable foods.  When you let your favorite vendors know in advance what items you want to purchase, the vendors can then produce/harvest the quantities needed to supply their customers.  Furthermore, our already-overly-busy vendors can use their time to make what their customers most want.  Stop by your favorite vendors' booths to inquire about how to Pre-order and Save $$$.  

As more vendors become involved in the Pre-order and Save $$$ promos we will highlight them in future newsletters. You can also see up-to-the-minute news on the market's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lewfm.org 

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IMPORTANT LOCAL HAPPENING

THE WHYS & HOWS OF EATING LOCAL

A Series That Takes the Mystery Out of Eating Local

Although this series has already begun, it's not too late to attend the remaining sessions.  Also, note that the series will repeat; therefore, you can pick up any session when they are offered the next time.

When: Tuesdays March 25, April 29, May 27, June 24 *

Time:    7:00-9:00 P.M.                                                                  

Click image to enlarge

Where: Cheviot United Methodist Church

3820 Westwood Northern Blvd. 45211

Cost: $10 (free) per session**, $30 (free) for series**

Student rate; $5 (free) per session**, $15 (free) for series**

Presented by Learning to Live Sustainably,

with support from Lettuce Eat Well Farmers’ Market

*We encourage participants to attend all four sessions; nevertheless, each session is stand alone and participants may pick and choose which sessions they wish to attend.  Sessions 1 & 2 cover the Whys.  Sessions 3 & 4 cover the Hows.  Series is scheduled to be repeated the last Tuesdays of July through October.

**The sessions are essentially free because each participant will receive 10, 30, 5, or 15 free Market Bucks, redeemable at any vendor booth at Lettuce Eat Well Farmers’ Market.

Thanks to the folks at Cheviot UMC for allowing the program to be held at their church.

To RSVP or for further information, call (513) 481-1914 or email   mary.learningtolivesustainably@gmail.com

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SPECIAL VOLUNTEER REQUEST:  If you have experience in developing software programs and/or web based online ordering systems we would love to hear from you ASAP.  To learn more, please email us Here.

WANTED:  VOLUNTEERS.  We're always looking for volunteers!  If you're available to lend a hand at the Market any time between 1:30pm and 7:30pm on Fridays, or during the week for more behind the scenes activities, check out the link below to contact us!

VENDORS:  We currently have openings for a meat vendor, produce vendors, and vendors offering value added items.  If you are interested or know someone who might be, you may email us through the link below. 

Vendors/Volunteers Click Here!


Please share this newsletter with friends and family to help spread the word about LEWFM!

We hope to see you real soon at Lettuce Eat Well Farmers' Market!