Newsletter for Friday February 3, 2017

Winter Market hours 3:30 - 6:30
Be aware that vendors are not permitted to sell items to customers until the start of the market at 3:30.  Thank your for your cooperation with this.

Please note the following remaining dates of the 2016-2017 Winter Market:

February 3 and February 17
March 3 and March 17
April 7 and April 21

Lettuce Eat Well Farmers' Market is held inside year-round for your shopping comfort at Cheviot United Methodist Church 3820 Westwood Northern Blvd. 45211.  Most weeks the market is held in the church's Narthex, which is just inside the main entrance of the church.  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.



THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHT
BYOB: Bring Your Own Bags to Market
This week marks the launching of our BYOB Campaign.  As a way to help reduce the use of plastic bags, we are asking customers to bring their own reusable bags to market.  I realize that many of you are already doing this and we very much appreciate you doing so.  For those who are not yet in the habit of grabbing a few reusable bags as you leave for market, it might take a bit of extra effort to develop this new habit.  Doing so will result in short and long term benefits.  To gain some insight into the importance of reducing the use of plastic bags, take a look at this brief video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhxX1g9A2OM

If you don't have any reusable market bags we've got you covered.  Beginning this week I will have free reusable bags courtesy of Green Umbrella 10% Local Food Shift.  To receive your free bag, check out this link for directions for signing up for the 10% Shift.  https://greenumbrella.org/10shift  Then, when you come to market just let me know that you've signed up for the 10% Shift campaign and I'll have a bag for you: one per customer, while supplies last.


SOME PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
From Honey Tree Acres:
LEWFM Market Meal *** PRE-ORDER ONLY ***

Check out this week’s LEWFM Chicken and Potato Salad Market Meal.  We will be offering samples at the Market.  This is a pre-planned meal that will serve 3-4 people and can be prepared on a stove top or in an oven. 

All the key ingredients as well as simple and easy to follow directions for just $18.00.  A great meal for wintery days!



The meal includes:

  • Homemade dill pickles from the Pickled Pig
  • Fresh green onions from Honey Tree Acres – 4-6 stems
  • Potatoes from Honey Tree Acres – 1 lb.
  • ½ Chicken from Honey Tree Acres
  • ½ doz. Eggs from Honey Tree Acres
  • Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper


From The Healing Kitchen:
Do you need a little inspiration for a delicious snack? This is one of my favorites and it's super easy and incredibly tasty! You might just want to make these for yourself!


Stuffed Baby Portebellas :                                               

1 jar of Savory #wisebutter (The Healing Kitchen)                        
1 package baby portebellas, stems removed
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Fresh or dried rosemary
Spoon in cashew butter and drizzle with oil and seasoning. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes . They will make you MELT!
(You can also use small peppers like jalapeños for a little heat 👿)

Come stock up on all of the great food the market provides!
If you are trying to snack a little healthier and spread the love to your family and friends, you can count on me to have the following:

Flaxseed Crackers- $6
Savory Cashew Butter- $9
Toasted Pecan Butter- $11
Bone Broth- $10

If you would like to pre-order to make sure you get what you need, please feel free!


As you can see, some items are pre-order only.  In general, pre-ordering is recommended so you won't be disappointed when you arrive at market; vendors do sometimes sell out of items.  Vendor contact information is on the vendor page of the market's website lewfm.org  Or, to make it even easier to pre-order see further details in the Previously Announced section.  

All vendors will be at market this week, including our once-a-month vendor, Abundant Green Pastures Ranch.  See details in Previously Announced section.



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. 

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BEEF AND PORK
The first Friday of each month, Mike & Deb of Abundant Green Pastures Ranch, who supply us with their 100% grass fed beef from their Red Devon heritage breed cattle, will be selling pastured pork from Mahlon Schlabach.  This collaborative arrangement between Mike and Mahlon will be more efficient for Mahlon who, being Amish, necessitated hiring a driver to bring him to market.  This arrangement will be a win-win for all.  If you are on the market's pre-order list you will receive further info from Abundant Green Pastures Ranch about the pork.  If you are not on the pre-order list and would like to be, please see further details below.

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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 market week you will receive emails 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.  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

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