Mo's Market Morsels 
Tidbits from the Market Manager
Our opening market was a huge success last Saturday.
We had a record 23 vendors and more than 750 visitors. Now we are planning to make every week better.
This week we're doing it for Mom.
Kids, Don't tell Mom, but you can stop by our kids corner to plant a sunflower just for her! Shhhhhhhh...
Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Lettuce.
Lettuce who?
Lettuce tell you why you don't want to skip your salad.
(See "What's fresh" for details.)
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Ursinis College holds its graduation this Friday, May 11, and we at Collegeville Farmers would like to take a moment to thank and congratulate former market manager, Julia Bull,
and committee member and intern-extraordinaire,
Brian Lyons.
Both saw the Collegeville Farmers' Market through its inaugural year and they have been essential to its success.
Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
Brian and Julia, we wish and expect no less of you. The market won't be the same without you. So don't forget to drop in.
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What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's a great way to support the efforts of local farmers and to get a variety of veggies and fruits and other products fresh-from-the- fields. The way it works: You pay an upfront fee, which entitles you to a share of the harvest for a given year, spread out over a number of weeks. So when lettuces and spring greens are in season, you get a portion of those. When tomatoes and carrots are ready, you get some of those, too. Many of our vendors here at Collegeville Farmers' Market offer CSAs. For produce, we are a pick-up location for Down Home Acres, Oley, PA, and Longview Center for Agriculture makes their shares available at thier Stump Hall Road location. North Star Orchard has both fruit and veggie CSA's available for pick-up at their Cochranville location. For details, check out their websites. |
 What's Fresh?
(Our Pick of the Week)
Lettuce Sing the Praises of Salad Greens, Fresh from the Market Of course, you know lettuce is good for you, but you might not know how good.
Like for example, in addition to being low-calorie, low-fat and delicious, those who regularly include green salads in their diets reduce the risk of osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia and even cardiovascular diseases, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
Dark green lettuces, like leaf lettuce provide ample amounts of Vitamins C, A, and K, plus calcium and iron.
At 6 to 20 calories per cup that is a nutritional bargain, especially when you consider all the variety that is available. There are so many choices; your salad never has to be boring.
Botanically, lettuce belongs to the daisy family. It's scientific name is Lactuca sativa, and a common characteristic of the leaves is that they exude milk-like fluid when cut.
Lettuce is a fairly hardy, cool-weather vegetable that thrives when the average daily temperature is between 60 and 70°F. So spring is the perfect time to enjoy the freshest best lettuce of the year. There are five distinct types of lettuce: leaf (also called loose-leaf lettuce), Cos or romaine, crisphead, butterhead and stem (also called asparagus lettuce).
In addition, the best salads for taste and nutrition include other greens like peppery arugula or watercress, beet greens, and mustard greens.
The trick to keeping lettuces and greens fresh is to buy local. Jet-lagged veggies that travel hundreds of miles from farm to warehouse to supermarket lose much of their nutritional value.
Our greens from Down Home Acres and Longview Agricultural Center are hand-harvested right before they come to market, and they taste amazing, in addition to keeping you healthy
You can find great ideas for keeping your greens fresh and delicious here. And if you'd like to taste all the best flavors of the spring on one plate, this salad recipe is one of my favorites.
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Momma Loves to Get Fresh
She brought you into this world.
She changed your diapers, did your laundry, cooked your meals, drove you to soccer practice, lent you money and loved you...even when you crashed the car or weren't particularly loveable.
She deserves the best, doesn't she? So don't worry,
if you haven't given Mom's Day a moment's thought yet. We've got you covered.
Here are some of the best reasons why you won't have to go any further than Collegeville Farmers' Market to make Mother's Day weekend special for your Momma.
 A chance to start early.
Why wait until Sunday to celebrate Mom? Bring her to the market where she sip, savor and shop. She can get a $1 discount on Jenny and Frank's Artisan Gelato, and Kay Bryant - Handmade Jewelry & Clothing is offering all mom's an exclusive buy one pair get one half off earrings sale.
While there, Mom can kick up her feet to the homegrown, "Country-Folk Bluegrass-Pop" music of The Barn Swallows and put up her feet while the kids are entertained in the kid's activity area.
Brunch.
We make it easy to spoil Mom with a special "farm to a breakfast-in-bed" surprise.
 Marcy's Granola is hand-made in small batches using raw, all natural ingredients. It is made with oats, dried fruits, nuts, and seeds, using only the finest oils and sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup or blue agave to give it a "touch" of sweetness. Marcy is offering a 6-flavor Mother's Day gift package, perfect for the health conscious mom. She can choose to share it ...or not!
Or get cookin'. Bendy Brook Farm's products are all produced from animals that are hormone-free and raised on chemical-free land. That means the healthiest and tastiest free-range eggs, farm-fresh bacon and sausage links.
Give mom the night off.
It's simple to make her a special dinner with market products.
 Grilled Burgers made from Bendy Brook's organic grass-fed beef is a simple meal solution, but if you want to get fancy, they'll also have Italian pork sausage, plus chicken legs and thighs--all raised on their 25-year-old family farm.
Just grab a bottle of Big Dutt's all-natural BBQ sauce and fresh-picked salad greens from Down Home Acres and Longview Center for Agriculture and a bottle of local wine from Adello Vineyard. With a meal like that, she can really brag to her friends about you!
Don't Forget Dessert.
 Top dinner off with one-of-a-kind sweets from John and Kira's Chocolates, Jenny and Frank's Artisan Gelato, wholesome and delicious cookies from PhilaDing and gluten-free indulgences from All Hands in the Cookie Jar. Mention you are buying some ICED by Betsy cupcakes to celebrate Mom and they will include a special "MOM" cupcake pick with your order!
Collegeville Farmers' Market Spring Celebration 460 E. Main Street in the large parking lot behind the AmeriGreen Gas Station. Saturday, May 5, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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"You didn't have to do it, but you did"
...And we thank you
We took some time during our opening market to thank a few folks who make it all possible. Believe it or not, we still have a more to thank, so keep an eye out for their pictures next week.
 Farmer's Market Committee Chair, Cathy Kernana, was honored by Brian Dubas of the Collegeville Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) for her tireless efforts and leadership at our market. Our Farmers' Market Committee is an amazing and talented group of volunteers!
Some of our neighborhood partners, who offer us support, facilities, time and donations, were also honored.
 Larry Hoak, Our "Good Neigh-Bear" in every way.
 Schrader's Ameri-Green Station
 Lunch Box on Main
 And a big thanks to the CEDC for their total - and financial - support of our market and our community.
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Over the Fence (News from our Neighbors)
Little Lost Creek Alpaca Farm will not be joining us at the market this week. They will be getting ready for a goat-shearing at their farm at 1 pm on Saturday. All are invited to this event, which owners, Alex and Sandra Frazier describe as "an entertaining and informative experience."
Once the goat is shorn, the Fraziers "skirt the fleece" to clean out unwanted materials. Then they send the wool to a mill, where it is made into "rovings," which are sold to hand-spinners, or the Fraziers use it themselves for felting or to blend with alpaca wool for knitting yarn.
The Angora fiber of the goats, which is known as mohair, is very soft, though not as soft as alpaca, and it has a high luster that when blended gives alpaca its shape and memory.
The Fraziers will be back to the market soon to showcase their wool, yarns, fleece-flops and other handmade fiber goods. Ask them for a short felting demonstration. It is very interesting.
Little Lost Creek Alpaca Farm
Alex and Sandra Frazier
1980 Quarry Rd.
Salford, PA 1895
How does Your Garden Grow? Don't miss Penn State Extension's annual plant sale on May 19th from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at their 4 -H Center on Rt. 113 in Creamery. The sale will feature perennials, shrubs, herbs, a wide variety of vegetables for your garden, berry plants, woody shrubs, pond plants, annuals and grasses. There will also be special exhibits and children's activities. For more information call 610 489 4315.
A Garden Party
Frecon Farms is rolling out the green carpet for moms this Sunday May 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a Garden Party Celebration featuring: a guest chef and food sampling; wine, mead and cider tasting; and a variety of planters, flowers and arrangements. They are located at 501 South Reading Ave. in Boyertown. We'll see them at our market as soon as the cherries are ripe.
Mark your calendar for Second Annual Collegeville-Trappe Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 28th from 10 a.m. until noon. The Collegeville Farmers' Market will be participating. More details to come next week.
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Moms love to help things grow.
Our seedlings can bring joy to Mom all summer long.
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