Vendors and Music for the 2016 Season Opener

Posted on by E-G Market

Well, some rain is falling as this post goes out, but it’s forecast to start trailing off late this morning, leaving the skies partly cloudy (or partly sunny, depending on your point of view) this afternoon for our 2016 season opener.

As this is such a big day for our market, we’re hoping that you greet the clouds as a welcome relief from Spokane’s recent record-breaking heat and join us in a new location with more vendors, more volunteers, more parking, more visibility, more sponsors, more activities and more community partnerships than we’ve ever had before.

Today’s Kids Eating Right – Nutrition and Exercise for Life (KERNEL) activity is companion planting. As part of the activity, kids will get a basil plant to take home. Plus, as always, every youth who participates gets $2 in KERNEL Cash to spend on fresh fruit or vegetables!

This year KERNEL will take place every week of the market under the shade of the metal pavilion at the new site (2310 N Monroe). Bring your family, friends, school classes and other K-6 groups and take advantage of this great free activity each week.

Our musician today is the amazing Todd Milne.

Todd plays electro-acoustic world fusion music using traditional instruments like the shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute) enhanced by a splash of technology. You might have seen him perform at other area farmers markets, where his music makes a great accompaniment to a bit of shopping and socializing. Check out this video of him performing at the Spokane Buddhist Temple in the South Perry District.

At around 3:45pm, we’ll be recognizing the winners of our annual market poster contest, Brynn Hooper and Madison Whitmarsh. These two Garfield Elementary students drew the pictures that we selected to feature on our poster and our handbills. They’ll each get $15 in market tokens for spending.

Now let’s get to all the vendors who are scheduled to join us today:

  • Mama Torrez Salsa: Original family salsa recipes from Mexico and flour tortilla chips
  • Sandi’s Bakery: Fresh-baked pastries, cookies, scones, muffins, breads and cupcakes.
  • SnowBerry Ridge Farm: Raw honey and honey products (e.g., beeswax, lip balm, natural soaps).
  • Song Sparrow Farms: Fresh, locally grown produce, including melons. Also does a CSA.
  • Farm Yard: Neighborhood-grown fruits and vegetables. Some craft items.
  • Sister Bees Kitchen: Handmade, gourmet granola and granola bars.
  • Transitions New Leaf Bakery: Baked goods and fresh produce from their garden.
  • The Scone Ranger: Scones that are so good, so moist, so habit-forming.
  • Simply Sweets: Baklava, soft brittles, truffles, mints and seasonal products
  • Mary Beauregard: Plastic canvas needlepoint.
  • Woodard Family Farms: Locally grown produce.
  • A Simplified Event: Homemade specialty pies, breads, cakes, cottage-style pasties.
  • KC Creations: Original photography, greeting cards, beaded earrings and other beaded items.
  • Seely Teriyaki: BBQ teriyaki chicken, stir-fried noodles and rice.
  • Morning Sun Bakery: Cinnamon rolls, pies, cookies, quiche (warm & cold), savory pies (warm).
  • Urban Settlements: Spokane-based real-estate opportunities and guidance.
  • KiYoTees: Recycled jean bags and tie-dyes.
  • Riverfront Farm (Project Hope): Neighborhood-grown, scattered-site produce.
  • Mary’s Tupperware: Tupperware containers for storing vegetables and fruits.
  • CC’s Holistic Gifts & Toast Toppers: Exceptional fruit spreads with no added sugar. Plus aromatherapies and salves.
  • Made with Love: Start-up bakery with fruit pies, artisan bread and more.
  • Black Fire Kettle Corn: Fresh-made delectable kettle corn.
  • Drumheller Heritage Gardens: Neighborhood-grown produce, eggs (quail, chicken). Also info on EF Exchange.
  • R.P. Guerrero: Organic tree fruit from the Wenatchee area.
  • Vladimir Kuzmenko: A wide variety of co-op produce from across Washington State.
  • Sunny Springs Gardens: Berkshire pork sausages and ground pork, plus eggs.
  • Heeling Hands Massage Therapy: Licensed chair massage and whole-body wellness.
  • Soap Simply: Handcrafted olive oil soap.

Plus the Christ Kitchen food truck will be there for freshly prepared meals to take home or eat at the market.

Clouds or no clouds, it’s going to be a big day. We look forward to seeing you there!

Market Vendors for 2016

Posted on by E-G Market
Spokane Farmers Market

The 2016 vendor lineup at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is one of our strongest and most diverse yet.

Here’s the current list of all the vendors who are scheduled to join us during the season on all or select dates:

  • Mama Torrez Salsa Company: Original family salsa recipes from Mexico and flour tortilla chips
  • Sandi’s Bakery: Fresh-baked pastries, cookies, scones, muffins, breads and cupcakes.
  • SnowBerry Ridge Farm: Raw honey and honey products (e.g., beeswax, lip balm, natural soaps).
  • Song Sparrow Farms: Fresh, locally grown produce, including melons. Also does a CSA.
  • Farm Yard: Neighborhood-grown fruits and vegetables. Some craft items.
  • Sister Bees Kitchen: Handmade, gourmet granola and granola bars.
  • Transitions New Leaf Bakery: Baked goods and fresh produce from their garden.
  • The Scone Ranger: Scones that are so good, so moist, so habit-forming.
  • Simply Sweets: Baklava, soft brittles, truffles, mints and seasonal products
  • Mary Beauregard: Plastic canvas needlepoint.
  • The Father’s Table: Neighborhood-grown produce. Also soaps and some crafts.
  • Woodard Family Farms: Locally grown produce.
  • A Simplified Event: Homemade specialty pies, breads, cakes, cottage-style pasties.
  • KC Creations: Original photography, greeting cards, beaded earrings and other beaded items.
  • Seely Teriyaki: BBQ teriyaki chicken, stir-fried noodles and rice.
  • Morning Sun Bakery: Cinnamon rolls, pies, cookies, quiche (warm & cold), savory pies (warm).
  • Urban Settlements: Spokane-based real-estate opportunities and guidance.
  • KiYoTees: Recycled jean bags and tie-dyes.
  • Riverfront Farm (Project Hope): Neighborhood-grown, scattered-site produce.
  • Mary’s Tupperware: Tupperware containers for storing vegetables and fruits.
  • CC’s Holistic Gifts & Toast Toppers: Exceptional fruit spreads with no added sugar. Plus aromatherapies and salves.
  • Boisjolie Bracelets: Barefoot sandals and a variety of bracelets.
  • Made with Love: Start-up bakery with fruit pies, artisan bread and more.
  • Anvil Rose Bakery: Homestyle cookies and brownies.
  • Black Fire Kettle Corn: Fresh-made delectable kettle corn.
  • Drumheller Heritage Gardens: Neighborhood-grown produce, eggs (quail, chicken). Also info on EF Exchange.
  • R.P. Guerrero: Organic tree fruit from the Wenatchee area.
  • Vladimir Kuzmenko: A wide variety of co-op produce from across Washington State.
  • Sunny Springs Gardens: Berkshire pork sausages and ground pork, plus eggs.

And when we say “neighborhood-grown,” we mean it. This is produce that is sown, tended and harvested literally no more than a few blocks away right before market. It doesn’t get any fresher.

On the first Friday of every month, we plan to feature the Christ Kitchen food truck for freshly prepared, on-the-go meals. Other food trucks will join us on occasion throughout the season.

As always, keep in mind that participating vendors can shift from week to week. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for weekly lineups, and be sure to talk to your favorite vendors to determine their schedule.

Our Market Is Moving!

Posted on by E-G Market

The Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is moving! Starting this season (which begins on June 10, by the way), you can find us in the parking lot of the Adult Education Center located at 2310 North Monroe.

This is amazing news for a number of reasons:

  • The market is now more visible and centrally located along North Monroe.
  • The new location is right next to the stop for the #24 bus line and the only lighted crosswalk on North Monroe.
  • We’ll have a perfect basis for collaboration with the Community Colleges of Spokane.
  • There will be even more room for vendors, music, activities and parking.
  • It’s only two blocks from the former site, so it remains just as accessible to our existing patrons.

The market day and times—that is, every Friday from 3-7pm—are unchanged.

The folks at the Adult Education Center and Community Colleges of Spokane who helped make this happen in incredibly short order deserve a huge thanks. We’re looking forward to working with them further.

We confess to leaving the parking lot of Knox Presbyterian with a heavy heart. They’ve been ideal hosts for the past three years — and they were unique in recognizing the mutually beneficial potential of our community-oriented farmers market from the very beginning. We still intend to honor their early involvement with waived vendor fees for Knox congregants. And we’re also working on ways to make sure that Korean food from Spokane Hope CRC, which shares the Knox building, is still available on select market dates.

In the meantime, please help spread the word by sharing this post far and wide! We worked our tails off for years to encourage people to seek out the market in the Knox lot, and now we’ve got to make sure all our loyal patrons are ready to move with us.

Vendors, Remember to Reapply for FMNP

Posted on by E-G Market

We’d like to remind all our produce vendors that all growers’ contracts for the WIC & Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) expired as of December.

If you want to accept FMNP vouchers for the 2016 season, you must reapply.

The returning grower’s application must be postmarked by April 1 to be considered; new vendors have until July 1. The Grower Application and Contract Agreement are available in English and Spanish from the following website:

http://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/WIC/FarmersMarket

Once you’ve filled it out, please mail your completed application to:

WA State Dept. of Health
WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
PO Box 47886
Olympia, WA 98504-7886

FMNP benefits our patrons, our market and growers like you, so please don’t delay your application.

Volunteers Needed for 2016 Season

Posted on by E-G Market

Our market is looking for committed volunteers for the 2016 season. This year the season will likely run from June 10 to September 30 (exact dates are still being finalized).

Specifically, we need people who are willing to help in the following areas:

  • Recruiting vendors before and during the market season
  • Liaising regularly with vendors throughout the season to ensure their needs are being met
  • Setting up and breaking down the market each Friday (takes place before 3pm and after 7pm)
  • Staffing the market booth to answer customer inquiries and swipe credit/debit/EBT cards in exchange for tokens
  • Organizing the annual school poster contest
  • Creating and distributing promotional materials (e.g., posters, flyers)
  • Maintaining the market’s social media (e.g., blog and Facebook)
  • Scheduling activities and musicians each week
  • Establishing partnerships with likeminded area nonprofits
  • Coordinating the market’s participation in FMNP and the WSFMA
  • Collecting vendor tokens, entering weekly tallies and requesting payment

You don’t necessarily need expertise in any of these areas! Our existing volunteers are happy to provide one-on-one mentoring.

We’re also open to working with organizations that are looking for internship placement opportunities. The market offers on-the-job experience in PR, marketing, entrepreneurship, management, budgeting, and lots more. It’s the perfect learn-by-doing environment to train young adults in these valuable job skills. And because our market is concerned with outreach, food access and community-building, it has the potential to be much more fulfilling than ordinary internships.

If you’re interested in any of these opportunities, please send us an e-mail.

As the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is a grassroots, community-oriented initiative, your involvement—even if it’s one market per month or one hour per week—is essential to making it happen.