Winchester Farmers Market Newsletter for July 17

On the Town Common, Saturdays, 9:30 - 1:30

July 17, 2010

Dear :

Lots of fun, delicious, and useful things will be going on at the market this week!

Have you ever tried the delicious cupcakes at Winchester's own La Patisserie? La Patisserie owner and chef Steve Pazyra will be bringing cupcakes to the market this week and demonstrating how to ice and decorate them with different colors of icing. This hands-on activity for kids will take place at 11:00 in front of the music area.

Siraco Sharpening Service will be at the market this week sharpening kitchen knives and garden tools. Anyone who tried their service at the market last year know what a difference sharp tools can make in the kitchen or garden. Look for Siraco's van parked on Laraway Road.

Beat the heat with a strawberry basil popsicle from Soluna Garden Farm--homemade from Warner Farm's organic strawberries.

After the scheduled musicians perform at the market this week, there will be another informal jam sessionon the common with some of the farmers, market organizers, and any musically inclined customers at the market. Bring your instruments and join the fun!

Thank you to the customers who have used our system for advance ordering from participating farmers and other vendors. Try out advance ordering when you have a busy Saturday scheduled or on days when rain is predicted. Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions about advance ordering.

Check the farmers market website for additional information about the market, including vendor profiles, frequently asked questions, and the schedule for artists, entertainers, and the rotating business, food, and community group tents. Visit the website for Sustainable Winchester, the sponsor of the farmers market, to get information about current projects, monthly meetings, and volunteer opportunities.

Remember that the market will take place rain or shine throughout the season. Try to bring your own shopping bags to the market, and please ride your bike or walk to the market if you can. If you drive, park your car in the Aberjona or Shore Road lot to leave parking spaces surrounding the common open for short-term parking near downtown businesses. The Aberjona lot, which runs along the commuter rail track across from the post office, is free on weekends, including the permit spaces in the end of the lot.

We look forward to seeing you on the common on Saturday.

Sincerely,
Winchester Farmers Market Organizing Committee

This Week at the Market

Vegetables: beans (burgundy, green, roma, wax), beets, broccoli, cabbage (green, napa, red, red savoy, savoy), cauliflower, chard (bright lights, green, red), collard greens, corn, cucumbers (pickling, salad), Japanese eggplant, escarole, fennel, green garlic, kale (green, red), lettuce, radishes, squash (kousa, patty pan, starship, summer, sunburst, zucchini), tomatoes (cherry, grape, yellow, red), zucchini flowers

Fruit: apples (Vista Bella), apple cider, black raspberries, blueberries, currants (pink, red), golden raspberries, gooseberries (green, red), peaches, raspberries, rhubarb

Herbs: basil (green, purple, Thai), chives, cilantro, dill, mint, sage, stevia, thyme, dry herb and spice blends, herbal tea, herb plants

Other products: grass-fed beef, bread, candy, chocolate, cheese, cut flowers, eggs, fish, honey, jams and preserves, lobster, strawberry popsicles

Entertainment: Linda Emmanuel, Winchester Community Music School; informal jam session

Artist: Mary Hart, collage, lettering, cut paper

Community Group Tent: Green City Growers

Business Tent: Greenbridge Wealth Management; Siraco Knife Sharpening (parked on Laraway Road)

Food Tent: Deborah's Kitchen, homemade jams and preserves; Sweet Lolo's, handmade candy

Nutrition/Cooking Demonstration: La Patisserie, cupcake decorating hands-on activity for kids

Featured Artist of the Week: Mary Hart
Winchester artist Mary Hart will be at the market this weekend with examples of cut paper and collage. She will demonstrate both arts, which are related by their use of found and painted papers. Mary has been practicing this craft, called Scherenschnitte, for 30 years. She will also create market-inspired collages using less traditional techniques.

Support Taza Chocolate As They Recover from Flooding in Their Factory

Taza Chocolate has been a favorite vendor at the market since the first year of the market. Last week, they had a big setback when their brand new factory and retail store were damaged by flash flooding. Reproduced below is the text of Taza's recent message to their customers. Stop by Taza's tent at the market this week and show your support by making a purchase to help this great local business as they rebuild.

Today, Taza is reaching out to our wonderful, loyal fans and asking for support. If you live in the Boston area, you saw how much water dropped suddenly from the sky last Saturday afternoon. Traffic ground to a halt as streets flooded out just minutes after the rain began.

Around 3pm, Taza's Director of Manufacturing (i.e. Head Chocolate Making Guy), Mike Schechter, thought maybe he'd pop by our newly renovated, first floor chocolate factory for a quick look, just to be safe. He arrived to find Windsor St. more river than roadway. And once inside, he found water pouring unchecked into the factory via a breach in our building's front exterior wall, and bubbling up from the drains in the floor. The new chocolate production facility, where we'd turned out our first batch of Mexicanos just last week, was already sitting in an unwelcome lake several inches deep, and the water was still coming. He grabbed his phone and started dialing, letting any Taza employee he could reach know that it might be a good idea for them to come by the factory, pronto.

Now, 72 hours later, we're taking stock. A dedicated, non-stop weekend bail-out, mop-up, and salvage effort by many of our amazing Taza staffers, on their own time, has cleared the way for recovery and rebuilding to start. We've hacked out the bottom 16 inches of drywall on every wall in our entire facility, carted ruined office cubicles to the dumpsters, and relocated our laptops to apartments and cafes until we have a functional workspace. Our chocolate production capacity will be shut down for at least a week, and cash flow will be a big challenge as we find a way to finance the repair of the facility we just made a major investment in upgrading. The silver lining? Our stockpile of bars, Mexicanos, and other Taza goodies is still stored on the second floor of our building, and remains safe, dry, and delicious.

Taza has always been a scrappy crew of chocolate fanatics, and we're determined to get back to the important business of making excellent chocolate as soon as possible. You have all shown us terrific support and love over our first 3 ½ years in business, and we ask for your support now - if you can, buy some Taza Chocolate (we also think you'd look great in a Taza t-shirt). Shop our online store, come out and see us at the farmers' markets, or find us at your local retailer. With great customers like you, we're going to keep on making the Taza Chocolate you love, come hell or high water.

Watch video from Channel 5 about Taza and the Somerville flash floods here.

Farmers Market Lawn Signs

A special opportunity is available to support the farmers market during the 2010 season by displaying a lawn sign in your yard to help promote the market. We are looking for several people who live in Winchester or surrounding towns who would be willing to display a lawn sign on their property from Friday afternoon through Saturday afternoon each week during the market season. If you would be willing to have a sign in your yard but do not want to have to remember to put it out every week, we will arrange to have a volunteer put out the sign on Friday afternoon and remove it on Saturday afternoon. All you have to do is make a few inches of lawn space available!

If you are interested in supporting the market by displaying a lawn sign, stop by the market manager's tent at the market to pick up a sign.

Thank you to everyone who has already agreed to display a lawn sign!

Follow the Farmers Market on Facebook and Twitter
Visit the farmers market Facebook page to share your photos of the market, post comments, and get updates about the market. Follow the market on Twitter to get the latest updates from the market on Saturday mornings.

Volunteer at the Market

We need volunteers this week (and every week) to help with the farmers market, especially for setup before the market between 8:30 and 9:30 and takedown after the market between 1:30 and 2:30. If you are able to help, please sign up at our online signup sheet to let us know when you are coming.

Thank you to everyone who has already volunteered to help. Your assistance is especially important in keeping the market running smoothly, and we appreciate everything you do!

We also have some short-term volunteer positions to fill for the next Environmental Fair, which will be held on the town common on October 16. Be a part of this fun, informative, and community-building event! Planning starts in July, with some of the legwork already underway.

We need Publicist/Marketing, Fundraiser Liaison, Volunteer Coordinator, IT/Website Specialist, and a Recycling Coordinator. Please email Fred Yen at fredyen@winchesterfarmersmarket.org for more information.