All Entries Tagged With: "Ferguson Farmers Market"
The Vine Market returns on November 19
Will you be serving locally grown food this Thanksgiving? 'Early Wonder' beets are just one variety of autumn veggies that you'll find at the Vine Market.
There are many, many reasons to be proud of my Ferguson community, but perhaps nothing gets me more excited than our awesome farmers market. Like a lot of locals, I usually get market withdrawal this time of year, since the outdoor venue wrapped up a few weeks ago. But thanks to the good folks at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, we’ll all be able to enjoy fresh local food even during the winter!
For the second year, St. Stephen’s is hosting The Vine Market, an indoor farmers market where you can find a nice array of locally grown vegetables and locally produced meat, cheese and baked goods. It’s not quite as large as the outdoor market, and it only takes place every third Saturday through April, but hey, who’s complaining?!
The Vine Market kicks off this Saturday, November 19, and Ferguson’s own EarthDance Farms will be there with a fabulous selection of organic autumn veggies. Look for ‘Watermelon’ and ‘White Icicle’ radishes, ‘Bolero’ carrots, ‘Gonzalez’ cabbage, ‘Red Sails’ lettuce, ‘Tyee’ spinach, ‘Purple Top’ turnips, ‘Toscana Lacinato’ kale, and ‘Bright Lights’ swiss chard, as well as garlic, shallots, acorn squash, scallions, arugula, Asian salad greens, baby pak choi, dill & cilantro, and even green tomatoes.
Need some recipe ideas? Check out A Veggie Venture from my fellow St. Louis blogger Alanna Kellogg.
The Vine Market is open Saturday from 9 to 11:30am and takes place inside St. Stephen’s beautiful gathering hall at 33 N. Clay, 63135. You can enter through the center door by the parking lot.
Pesto Festo returns Saturday with a fresh twist
Do you make delicious pesto? If so, you could win a cash prize at the Ferguson Farmers Market on July 16.
Just like the gardener always looking for new ways to boost his green thumb, the Ferguson nonprofit EarthDance Farms is forever cultivating fun, fresh ideas for spreading the word about organic farming. For three years, founder Molly Rockamann hosted Pesto Festo – her organization’s main fundraiser – as an indoor shindig here in Ferguson, drawing hundreds of green-minded revelers. But for 2011, she and her “freshman farmies” (a group of 30+ apprentices who work the soil at Ferguson’s Mueller Farm) will be taking their festival outdoors…
It’s this Saturday, July 16, at the Ferguson Farmers Market, and the lineup looks to be super fun. You’ll find yoga classes, live music, informational booths and, of course, a pesto contest. That’s along with all of the usual goodies at the market.
I happen to be one of the judges for the pesto contest, so if you decide that you’d rather not use cilantro in your recipe, just know that my feelings will not be hurt. Hint, hint…
In any case, here are the full details on Pesto Festo. Hope to see you there!
On Saturday, July 16th, EarthDance will be hosting Pesto Festo at the Ferguson Farmers Market. This community celebration of local FARMS—Food, Art, Relationships, Music…Sustainably!—invites all attendants of the farmers market to revel in the basil season and engage in a variety of family-friendly activities that promote both their health and the health of the environment. Highlights of the day’s festival will include a pesto cooking contest, a yoga class, a raw-foods cooking demonstration, and a musical performance from the Folk School. The City of Ferguson has generously agreed to close off Spot Drive for special vendors and educational, interactive booths promoting environmental stewardship and community building.
The Day’s Events
8:00 a.m. Market opens
8:15-9:00 Yoga Class
9:30 Pesto must be registered at the contest booth
10:00-11:00 Pesto Judging
10:00-10:30 Raw-foods cooking demonstration from Operation Food Search
10:30-11:00 STL Hoop Performance
11:00 Pesto Cook-Off winners will be announced
11:05 The Lulu’s from the Folk School will perform
12:00 p.m. Market closes
Pesto Cooking Contest Guidelines
This contest is for pesto sauces, but that will, by no means, limit your creativity! Think kale pesto, cilantro pesto, marjoram pesto, creamy pesto…
- Your pesto sauce and accompanying crudités must be registered at the contest booth by 9:30AM
- Three judges, including Shannon Howard of nocostl.com, will be critiquing your pesto sauce based on presentation, originality, and taste.
- Judges will announce the top three winners at 11:00AM
- The winners will receive $50 (first place), $25 (second place), and $10 (third place) Ferguson Farmers Market bucks, and, the top recipe will be featured at EarthDance’s Farmers Formal on November 5th!
For more information, visit the EarthDance website or contact rachel@earthdancefarms.org.
The Ferguson Farmers Market opens April 30
I love living in Ferguson all year round, but I’m pretty sure there’s no happier time here than the last week in April. That’s because it’s opening day at the farmers market!!
This Saturday, April 30, the Ferguson Farmers Market will launch its tenth season, and I don’t know about you, but I am psyched! I’ve spent the past couple months working on a fun new website/blog for the market, and market manager Kathy Noelker tells me that this year promises even more vendors and great local food than ever before.
All of your favorites will be back from last year, plus a few new surprises… That means you’ll find grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, double-yolk eggs, fresh baked goods, bedding plants, artisan crafts, handmade soap, gourmet pasta, and of course delicious local produce. Tom Lemp and the Vine will also be joining forces this season, cooking up the market’s famous made-to-order “Tomlettes.”
On opening day, the Ferguson Cycling Club will be on hand with free bike maintenance tips. You’ll also be able to shop more than 40 vendors and sign up for the 2nd annual Live Well Ferguson Twilight 5K.
The Ferguson Farmers Market is open Saturdays, 8am to noon, at Victorian Plaza, 20 S. Florissant Road, 63135. Ample parking is available or you can take the Ted Jones Bike Trail, which connects to Metrolink.
Hope to see you there!
Big News from the Ferguson Farmers Market…
October is usually a bit of a bummer in Ferguson, primarily because the farmers market is winding down. But not this year! On Saturday, October 30, the Ferguson Farmers Market will officially wrap up the 2010 season, bringing its outdoor offerings to a close. But guess what…the market is headed indoors for winter!
Local cheese, pasta, baked goods and organic meats – you’ll find all that and more at the brand new “Vine Market,” which will be co-hosted by the awesomely progressive folks at St. Stephen’s Church. Located just a few blocks from the regular market grounds, St. Stephen’s will welcome shoppers every third Saturday from 9 to 11:30am, beginning November 20.
In case you don’t know, St. Stephen’s is where EarthDance Farms hosts the Fresh Ideas Film Series. It’s also home of The Vine, the outreach ministry of St. Stephen’s responsible for selling those decadent ice cream cones you always see at the farmers market. Yum!
So what are you waiting for? Come check out the new Vine Market on November 20th! You’ll find St. Stephen’s at 33 N. Clay, 63135. For more info, email thevinemarket@gmail.com or call 314-753-7911.
