What's fresh this week?
Michigan is ripe!
Basil
Beets
Carrots
Chard
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Green Onions
Herbs
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuces
Peppers*
Potatoes
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinach
Strawberries
Tomatoes - yes, really!
New item from Brenda Jo: Rosewood Tofu
Seedlings - herbs, flowers, and vegetables - not too many left!
And always - meat, cheese, eggs breads, honey, and baked goods.
*Out of season - from storage or grown outside of Michigan
Featured veggie:
Kohlrabi
Instead of a recipe this week, I'd like to introduce you to my new favorite vegetable, kohlrabi. It looks like a little alien (especially when you turn it upside down and stick a radish on a toothpick in its base for a head, like in the picture above), and its flavor really is out of this world.
Kohlrabi is actually the same species of plant as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and brussels sprouts - they were all bred from wild cabbage. Kohlrabi was selected for its edible flesh: the part that you eat is the engorged stem of the plant. It will grow almost anywhere, making it a versatile addition to all diets.
Kohlrabi has a mild but spunky flavor, like a cross between cabbage and radish, and a texture like a raw potato or a very crisp apple.
Ready to try this fantastic vegetable? It's easy to prepare. You should discard the leaves, skin the bulbous part of the stem, and slice it thinly. Eat it raw, or steam or blanch it for about 8 minutes until tender. Kohlrabi makes a great addition to salads or a tasty, simple side dish.
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New Market Money!
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Have you seen our new market money? To make credit cards and EBT easier to use, we're introducing market tokens! Go to the Ypsilanti Food Co-op table to run your card, then spend your colorful wooden tokens with any of our vendors!
We also have "Market Dollar" tokens available for purchase. Business owners, buy them as rewards for your employees. Parents, give them to your kids as allowance. You'll know you're supporting local farmers and helping someone eat healthier - and that's worth more than a wooden nickel!
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Lettuce enjoy our Michigan summer!
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I've got lots of news for you this week, so I'll try to make it quick:
First of all, by unanimous consent of our vendors, the Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market will stay open until 7pm from July 1 until September 17. Spread the word, and take advantage of the long days!
Second, also starting July 1, everything at the Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market is Michigan-grown! You can be certain you're supporting your local farmers and shrinking your carbon footprint when you shop with us.
Third, continuing while supplies last, for every EBT dollar you spend at the market, you'll receive one free market dollar token to spend with any of our vendors! Limit $5 per household per week.
And finally, thanks to the addition of some new vendors, you can really make a full meal out of what you can find at our market! Lester Coblentz is now bringing us farm-fresh, cage-free eggs along with homemade noodles and fruit jellies. Don't forget Brenda Jo has grass-fed beef and buffalo and organic tofu, Zingerman's has cheese, and the Ypsi Co-op has bread. Combine some of these items with the great fresh veggies that abound at the Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market, and you've got a complete meal! Who needs grocery stores when you can shop fresh, local, and outdoors in your own neighborhood!
Do you have a suggestion for an event at the Market? Email me! rachel@growinghope.net
Would you help us spread the word about the DYFM? Forward this newsletter to a friend!
Did you friend forward you this newsletter? Thank him or her - then click on "Join Our Mailing List" below!
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Featured vendor of the week:
Tony Scampa
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At the end of the row, in a tent adorned with handmade birdhouses and copiously flowering plants, you'll find Tony Scampa, our accidental farmer. Tony moved to his seven-acre property outside of Ypsilanti in 1999, just to get out of town. When he lost his small business a few years later, he began doing handyman work, and then took up gardening. "The farming thing was sort of an accident," he says, "you really can't even call it farming yet." He gardens on two of his seven acres -- the rest are fenced for his two dogs, Kimba and Millie. He got a taste of marketing at the Tecumseh Farmers' Market last season. Wanting to move up from the small Tecumseh market, but not ready for the Ann Arbor "mess," he found our little Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market, and signed on for the season.
Tony sells a large selection of perennials, including his favorite, purple coneflower (also known as Echinacea). He also has a constant supply of fresh greens and a wide selection of vegetables and herbs. He'll bring a little bit of whatever is in season and ripe. You can count on his produce to be fresh and tasty, and you'll usually find something surprising in his coolers, like chervil, French radishes, or his favorite vegetable, kohlrabi. Stop by and visit Tony this week at the market - he thinks farming is fun, and loves to share the fun with his market customers!
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The Farmer's Market Is Open Until 7pm starting on July 1!
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Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers Market
SUMMER HOURS: Tuesdays 2-7 pm
Extended hours July 1 - September 17.
Corner of Michigan Ave & Hamilton in the Key Bank parking lot (#6 AATA bus)
EBT, Credit Cards, Cash & Project Fresh accepted all market days!
Upcoming Events:
July 1: Michigan Fest! Kickoff to our all-Michigan-grown season.
July 8: WIC and Senior Project FRESH Distribution Day. Cooking demonstrations and samples for Project FRESH participants.
July 15: Artist and artisan vendor day! Want to sell? Email rachel@growinghope.net
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The Market Relies on Volunteers Every Week-- Will you help?
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Volunteers are essential to making our market work. By volunteering, you can get to know the market and feel a part of the community!
Downtown Farmers' Market:
On Tuesdays, volunteers are needed for shifts between 12:30 and 7:00 pm, and include set up, signage, transporting market supplies, helping other vendors, helping seniors cross the street, and counting people at the market. Volunteers are also needed to do demos, play music, and hand out signs.
Choose a shift that works for you and contact Growing Hope at 734-786-8401 to volunteer once or every week!
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