Save Your Dates!

If you were an artisan at the market last year, then you know the artisan space is limited at the market and fills up quickly; especially on special event dates. The number of vendors this year has increased, and because we've limited the number of artisans that can sell at the market each week, the booth spaces reserved for artisans are quickly being reserved. If you are an artisan and do not have a 2010 application on file, get to work! What are you waiting for? The market opens in two weeks. We need those ASAP, and we need to know what dates you'd like to be at the market. If you wait too long, there may not be booth space on a date that you want.

So, complete that application posthaste and get it turned in to Christie. Once you've completed the paperwork and submitted it with a copy of your proof of insurance and payment, Christie will give you confirmation numbers for the dates that haven't already been filled. Time is of the essence here, and we want to be sure we include as large a variety of artisans as possible.

Future news for artisans will be coming shortly, but we still need your paperwork completed!

Calling All Quart Jars with Lids

Karen Huffman, our very capable and enthusiastic organizer of kids' activities at the market, has planned an activity for May 15th. The kids that visit the market will be making their own worm culture. Worms have been donated, but we are in need of some clean, clear, quart-sized jars with lids. We'll punch holes in the lids to allow for air flow to the worms, but we still need jars. If you have some that you'd be willing to donate, please let us know by emailing us at buyfreshlocal@gmail.com.

Vendor Survey

Thank you to everyone who completed the Vendor Survey! The information collected is going to help us make our market even better.

If you were at the Vendor Information Meeting on April 13th, then you received a copy of the Vendor Survey in your blue folder. If you didn't turn that survey in, you can always drop it in the mail to:

Vendor Survey
Attn: Debby Campbell
431 Johnston Drive
De Soto, MO 63020

If you'd rather save your nearly half dollar for something other than a stamp, and you haven't already turned your survey in, you can complete it online at the following link: http://dfmvendorsurvey.questionpro.com.

Thanks again to everyone who has already completed and submitted theirs.

Kress Farm 12th Annual Plant Sale

It seems everyone is in the planting mood. I was in Pizza Hut yesterday to drop off a flyer about our May 8th opening, and one of the ladies that works there informed me she put in 48 tomato plants. She intents to sale her goods at the market this season and has caught the "green thumb" bug. (Don't worry, it is highly contagious and has been spreading through De Soto for a while now. You've probably already been exposed to it or soon will be.)

Since planting is on our minds, I thought it would be good to share with you an opportunity to pick up some new plants and help a local garden. Kress Farm Garden Preserve is a non-profit organization situated on 150 acres just north of Hillsboro. They are dedicated to the preservation of the land, animals, and gardens of Kress Farm. It is completely run by volunteers with donations and money that they earn through various fundraisers.

One of their fundraisers includes a plant sale. This year, it will be held Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 9-3. The Preserve is located at 5137 Glade Chapel Rd, Hillsboro, MO 63050, and the sale will be held in their huge Maria Callas Pavilion, come rain or shine! For directions, click here.

It is a one day event, and there will be thousands of plants, many of which are donated by Kress Farm members and Jefferson County Master Gardeners. Some are grown by members from seeds, cuttings, and divisions of existing plants. They also sell an assortment of trees, shrubs, and perennials from Forest Keeling Nursery, cacti and succulents from Drummonds Nursery, perennials from Fox Farm Nursery, lilies from Show Me More Daylilly Farm, fruit trees from Stark Bros., and a large variety of plants from Steve Kotteman's Nursery. Food and drinks are also sold, and they have an incredible bake sale.

Master Gardeners are available to answer questions and the gardens are open for touring. Every penny goes to the maintenance of Kress Farm, and all of the workers are volunteers. The annual event draws 1200 to 1500 people. For more information about the plant sale, contact Mike McBride at sunshinecc4444@wildblue.net. For more information about the history and other events at Kress Farm, visit their blogspot here.

More Market Sponsors

In addition to DeSoto Chiropractic, Werner C. Stichling & Associates, and Payne's Farm & Vineyard, other business and people have decided to sponsor the De Soto Farmers' Market. These include Jefferson Regional Medical Center, The Bug Doctor, Belinda Harris, Hopson Lumber, and the DeSoto Rotary Club.

Many thanks to our fine sponsors!

Vendor Information Meeting

Don't forget that the Vendor Information Meeting is April 13th at 6:30 PM. It will be held at St. Andrew's UMC at 1004 Rock Rd. If you need directions or more information, please contact us at 636.586.4570 or buyfreshlocal@gmail.com.

Market Sponsors

Isn't Jefferson County a nice place to live? Even if you don't wholeheartedly agree, I think you'll agree that these businesses are great because they've chosen to support the De Soto Farmers' Market with a sponsorship.

We anticipate several more sponsors, and we'll let you know who they are as we receive them. Be sure to patronize and thank these great sponsors.

Recipes, Recipes, Everywhere

Dont' forget that we are looking for recipes for a De Soto Farmers' Market Cookbook. Those can be submitted to Carrie via email at carrie.weatherholt@jeffcohealth.org. You can also just submit a comment to this post if you would like. However you submit your recipes, make sure that you do so by the May 31st deadline.

May 8th Meet Me at the Market

Planning for the May 8th market opening has been going on for quite some time now. We thought it might be good to give you a peak at what is planned. Now, early May is a little early for some produce, but we expect to have some leafy greens and spring crops. We will also likely have bedding plants, and Bardenheier Wineries will be selling wine at the market that day too.

However, that's only part of the planning. The event on May 8th is going to be called Meet Me at the Market, and it originally started as a way to remind people of all the good things that they do and support in our local communities. With that in mind, tours have been planned for the Food Pantry in De Soto. Buses will leave from the market throughout the morning and take people to the pantry to check it out. Blackwell Baptist Church and DeSoto Community Church of God are providing transportation and drivers for the tours.

The Food Pantry isn't the only organization that is supported, both financially and with manpower, by local citizens though. There's a whole host of community organizations and local non-profits that do great work in the area. In an effort to connect people to these great organizations, many of the organizations will have booths at the market on May 8th. Some of these include:

• Air Evac Lifeteam
• American Red Cross
• City of DeSoto Police
• CONTACT
• DeSoto Community Gardens
• DeSoto Historical Society
• DeSoto Lions
• DeSoto Ministerial Alliance
• DeSoto P.R.I.D.E.
• DeSoto Rotary
• Get Healthy DeSoto
• Jefferson County Community Partnership
• Jefferson County P.R.I.D.E.
• Smoke-Free Jefferson County
• University of Missouri Extension
• Valle Ambulance
• WIC

Many of these organizations are supported by your charitable contributions and tax dollars, and we think it's important that you come see how many good things you do through these organizations.

In addition to produce and showcasing local non-profits and community organizations, we will also have kids' activities, live music from 9-11, and demonstrations by the De Soto Police K-9 Officer. It is sure to be loads of fun! Be sure to stop by the market to pick up some tomato plants (there are supposed to be some really interesting varieties), buy a bottle of wine for your mother-in-law if you are so inclined (Mother's Day is May 9th), and check out some of the organizations that do such good work in our community.

We'll see you then!

Bringing SNAP to De Soto Farmers' Market

We passed a milestone this week and received approval from the USDA to be an authorized retailer for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program) benefits. That means that we have their blessing to accept SNAP at the market! (SNAP is the equivalent of food stamps, which have been phased out by the USDA.)

Our EBT machine will be shipped in a couple of weeks, and then we'll begin training on how to use it! The process is going to be seamless...at least, that's our hope. You never know with new technology, but we'll get all the bugs worked out so that a larger number of customers will have access to the market.

Here are the basics: we are likely going to use a token system. When someone who receives SNAP benefits comes to the market, they go to the Market Master booth and swipe their card. They then determine about how much they want to spend (in whole dollar increments) and receive that many $1 tokens. They can then use the tokens to purchase produce, some kinds of plants, and other items. That seems simple enough, right?

Well, there are some restrictions on what they can purchase with their $1 tokens. Here's what is says on the USDA's SNAP website about eligible products:

SNAP benefits CAN be used to buy:
Foods to eat, such as:

• breads and cereals;
• fruits and vegetables;
• meats, fish and poultry (this one doesn't pertain to us, since meat can't be sold at the market); and
• dairy products (same thing with this one).
• Seeds and plants which produce food to eat.
  

SNAP benefits CANNOT be used to buy: Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco (no issue with that at our market); and any nonfood items, such as:

• pet foods;
• soaps, paper products; and
• household supplies.
• Vitamins and medicines.
• Food that will be eaten at the market.
• Hot foods.

I'm certain that this isn't an exhaustive list, but it should give you some idea of what SNAP benefits can be used to purchase. For more information, check out the website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/Default.htm.

There are other benefits to this program and things that we are working on for the May 8th Meet Me at the Market Event, but you'll just have to stay tuned for those!