Newsletter for Friday December 11, 2015

Lettuce Eat Well Farmers' Market is held year-round at Cheviot United Methodist Church 3820 Westwood Northern Blvd. 45211.  The market is usually held in the church's Werner Lounge.  Follow the sign that says OFFICES and we will be right inside that entrance.  Please note that this location could vary depending on other activities taking place at the church.  Follow the happy voices and you'll find us.  

We are now on our Winter Market schedule:  Fridays 3:30 - 6:30 P.M.  Please see Previously Announced section for dates of the Winter Market.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHT
Beauty & Bounty at Market

Poinsettia and Farmer's Almanac                          

Jenny the Pie, & Much More, Lady will be selling beautiful poinsettia this Friday.  Also, again this year, Jenny is selling The Old Farmer's Almanac.  First published in 1792, it is the oldest continuously published periodical in North America.  With age comes wisdom and this publication offers much wisdom on many topics, including cooking and recipes, home and health, gardening, weather, sustainable living, folklore, and much more.  Curling up with The Old Farmers Almanac on a cold winter's eve can be both nostalgic and informative. 

Linda of Honey Tree Acres will also add to the beauty and bounty of the market.  In addition to a plethora of produce, Linda will have her handcrafted wreaths and the infamous Christmas Crunch and caramels.  And, yes, I did say that there will be a plethora of produce.  You will find at least 2 dozen types of produce awaiting you, along with recipe and serving suggestions.  If all goes according to plans, we expect to have produce throughout most of the winter. 

IMPORTANT HAPPENING AROUND TOWN 

We cordially invite you to join us at our upcoming Chapter Meeting, featuring presentations by OEFFA staff members on policy issues and updates. This event is free and open to the public. Date & Time: Sunday, December 13th from 1:00 pm - 3:30pm Location: Xavier University, Room: Hailstones 2 Facebook event invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/1709182899301620/ Special guests: Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA's Policy Program Coordinator Milo Petruziello, OEFFA Program Associate Amalie Lipstreu will share information about current food policy issues and updates. This is a great opportunity to learn about important issues OEFFA is working on and have the chance to ask questions. Milo Petruziello will share updates from OEFFA central, developments from other chapters, and information on upcoming programs including the OEFFA conference in February. (Scroll down for complete event schedule.) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OEFFA has been working specifically on the following policy issues: * Farm Bill * Fracking * GE Labeling * Food Safety * Climate Change * Clean Water Farm policy matters. It matters to the small family farmers and organic growers who are on the frontlines of our local food movement. And it matters to the consumers who are demanding access to safe, local and sustainably-raised food because they care about the health of their families, their communities and the environment. Unfortunately, the livelihood and viability of sustainable and organic family farmers--and the consumers who count on them--are constantly under threat from policies which tilt the playing field in favor of large-scale, corporate-controlled, industrial agriculture. OEFFA works to counter the special interest influence that large commodity groups and factory farms have over our decision-makers, give voice to the needs of small- and mid-sized producers, and demand that policies work in the interest of the family farmers who enhance our rural communities and safeguard the environment. Please visit http://oeffa.org/ and click "Farm Policy Matters" to learn more. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EVENT SCHEDULE: 1:00pm - Arrive and mingle. Feel free to bring a snack or dish to share (if you would like). 1:15pm - Welcome and Introduction. 1:30pm - OEFFA Policy Issues. Presentation by OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator Amalie Lipstreu. 2:15pm - Updates from OEFFA Central and other Chapters in Ohio. Learn about OEFFA farm tours, events, educational opportunities, and the upcoming conference in February. Presentation by OEFFA Program Associate Milo Petruziello. 2:45pm - Learn about upcoming local SouthWest OEFFA events in the Cincinnati area. (We will have member engagement surveys available for people to fill out. Please let us know what you are most interested in. Your feedback will help us know how to best serve you, foster engagement, and active local participation.) 3:00pm - Building a regional food system - potential projects and group discussion ideas. David Rosenberg would like to share some of his ideas for our region that could support the food movement and make local farming more viable. The goal is to gauge interest in a subsequent series of discussions that could evolve into local projects. 3:15pm - Meeting ends, feel free to stick around and mingle.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED

Some of you are long-time readers of the newsletter; others are new to the market and are reading the newsletter for the first time.  This section is included each week to bring your attention to important happenings around the market and around town. 

WINTER MARKET DATES AND INFO

The remaining dates for the Winter Market are December 11, 18. January 8 and 22, February 5 and 19, March 4 and 18, April 1, 15, and 29.  

All vendors will be at market on the above dates except Mahlon.  Mahlon and his pastured pork will be at market on the following dates:  Dec. 18, Jan. 8, Feb. 5, March 4, April 1. 

Other pertinent information:  We will continue with our very successful pre-order program (more details below).  A plethora of produce is expected throughout the Winter Market thanks to our farmers who make use of their greenhouses.  Our vendors will be adding new items throughout the winter, so stay tuned for all the yummy updates.

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At Small Acres Family Farm we are passionate about providing fresh, healthy, local,

Click image to enlarge

and all natural beef to you and your family. Our grass fed beef is hormone free, antibiotic free, and humanely raised. Our happy cattle are provided rotational grazing, which means they get fresh new grass to munch on every day.

Here are a few facts about why grass fed beef is better:
1. There are higher levels of Omega 3's, more vitamins A and E, and more antioxidants found in grass fed beef.
2. Grass fed beef is lower in saturated fats.
3. There is twice as much CLA in grass fed versus corn fed.
4. The quality of the animal's life is improved... The cattle spend their days in nice open fields instead of confined to a feed lot.
5. It's better for the environment! It takes less fossil fuel to produce a grass fed cow... All they need is fresh green grass!
Our family farm is a happy farm, and a happy farm = a healthy you:)
♥- Small Acres Family Farm

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Pre-ordering Pays Off
Have you ever arrived at market to purchase your favorite item/s from your favorite vendor/s only to be disappointed because the vendor/s sold out of the item/s?  Did you know that no longer has to happen?  At LEWFM you can pre-order your items and pick them up any time during regular market hours.  Pre-ordering not only pays off for you, it also helps the vendors know how much to prepare/harvest, which greatly reduces waste.  Pre-ordering is a real win-win for all, and it only takes a few minutes of your time to plan ahead and place your order.  Given the importance of Eating Well, getting into the habit of placing your pre-orders each week will likely become a high priority on your weekly To Do List. 

There are two easy ways you can place your pre-orders, in person at market or via email.  Here's how the email ordering works:  Email me at LEWFMLOCAL@GMAIL.COM and ask to be added to the vendor email pre-order list.  Each week you will receive an email from the vendors detailing the items they have available for you to order that week.  Reply to their email, letting them know the items you wish to order, then come to market on Friday to pick up your items. 

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

• Kids & Krafts, 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.

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Produce Perks
For those who noticed the logo at the bottom of the newsletter recently and wondered what it means, here is the good news about a new program.  Produce Perks is an incentive program that is meant to encourage and help those who receive EBT (formerly known as food stamps) purchase more produce.  Produce Perks is a dollar for dollar match (up to $10), with the matching dollars used on produce.  The Produce Perks website offers the following additional information:

“Produce Perks” is an initiative modeled after a similar program in Cuyahoga County.  It is administered by OSU Extension, Hamilton County as a partnership of OSU Extension, Hamilton County; the City of Cincinnati Health Department; and the City of Cincinnati Creating Healthy Communities initiative.  Focus is on access and affordability of healthy fruits and vegetables for under-served consumers. 

Produce Perks are incentive tokens given to customers at participating farmers’ markets who use an Ohio Direction Card (“electronic benefits transfer” or EBT card) to purchase food.  A customer wishing to use their food assistance benefits can swipe their card at one central terminal, located at participating market’s information booths, and ask to withdraw a desired amount. The market provides tokens for the transaction and additional Produce Perks that can be spent on fruits and vegetables.  As the name suggests, Produce Perks are only good for purchasing fruits and vegetables.  All other tokens purchased with the Ohio Direction Card are good to use on eligible items at the market.           

Please help us spread the word about this very worthwhile program.  One way to help get the word out is to stop by the market management booth to pick up brochures to share with those you know who receive EBT benefits.  You could also leave brochures at your church, doctor or dentist's office, or any locations that would permit you to do so. 


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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!

Newsletter compiled by Mary A. Hutten, Market Manager