Vendors, Music & Activities for August 12

Posted on by E-G Market

It’s National Farmers Market Week!

We’ll be celebrating in our usual fashion with a free cooking demo that’s open to everyone. This year’s guest chef is Andrew Larson of Twigs Bistro in downtown Spokane. Andrew’s going to be preparing two tasty recipes—blueberry cucumber salad and corn soup— using fresh market ingredients. Thanks to the Washington State Farmers Market Association, we’ll be handing out free accompanying recipe cards so you can easily prepare these dishes at home.

Spokane Public Library is joining us again this week for storytime and a free family-oriented craft activity. They’ll be reading Farmers’ Market Day by Shanda Trent, On the Farm, At the Market by G. Brian Karas, and Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Frances Cony. These storytime and singalong events are great for young children – so parents, please come down with the family in tow for some great fun and games. Bring their friends and make a playdate out of it!

And that’s not all we have for kids this week. The free KERNEL activity will be market bingo. Kids will get a bingo sheet that they’ll complete with our vendors’ help. As always, KERNEL participants will get $2 in KERNEL cash for spending on fresh fruit and veggies once they’ve completed the activity.

Oh, and we haven’t forgotten that adults like free stuff too. At 6pm we’ll be holding a drawing for several copies of Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day, Leanne Brown’s award-winning, full-color cookbook that is brimming with affordable, easy-to-prepare and delicious recipes. Just be sure you’ve entered your name and contact info in the jar at the market booth before the drawing.

Plus you can get some priceless (and free) advice from the Spokane County Master Gardener Program volunteers, who will have a booth at today’s market. Got pests in your garden? Veggies not producing like they should? Wondering how to even start a backyard garden? The master gardeners can help. Pick their brains and take advantage of their extensive knowledge on all things green. They’ll also have a display on pulses—that is, peas, legumes, lentils—in honor of the International Year of Pulses.

Singer-songwriters Megan Harper & Mikayla Mandere are our musicians this week. It’s their first time playing at our market, so we’re excited to see what’s in store.

Here are all the vendors who are currently scheduled to join us today:

Produce

  • Song Sparrow Farms: Fresh, locally grown produce, including melons. Also does a CSA.
  • The Farm Yard: Neighborhood-grown fruits and vegetables. Some craft items.
  • Woodard Family Farms: A variety of locally grown produce.
  • R.P. Guerrero: Organic tree fruit and more from the Quincy area.
  • Vladimir Kuzmenko: A wide variety of co-op produce from across Washington State.
  • Riverfront Farm (Project Hope): Neighborhood-grown, scattered-site produce.
  • The Father’s Table: Neighborhood-grown produce.
  • Berry Basics: A wide variety of local produce with an emphasis on berries.
  • Where the Wild Things Grow: Wild-harvested fruit.
  • Other vendors also sell homegrown produce alongside their primary goods.

Meat & Honey

Baked Goods

Prepared

  • Simply Sweets: Baklava, soft brittles, truffles, mints and seasonal products.
  • D’s Roasted Nuts: German-style roasted nuts with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar.

Non-food

  • Eco-wise: Perennials and landscaping plants.
  • Heeling Hands Massage Therapy: Licensed chair massage and whole-body wellness.
  • Soap Simply: Handcrafted olive oil soap.
  • Mary Beauregard: Plastic canvas needlepoint.
  • KC Creations: Original photography, greeting cards, beaded earrings and other beaded items.
  • Urban Settlements: Spokane-based real-estate opportunities and guidance.

Feel free to RSVP to this week’s market at its event page on Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Market Poster Contest Winners for 2016

Posted on by E-G Market

The winners of this year’s Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market poster contest are Madison Whitmarsh (grade 3) and Brynn Hooper (grade 2), both of Garfield Elementary.

Typically we pick one winner from each participating school, but, sadly, Audubon Elementary submitted no entries this year. Fortunately, the strong showing from Garfield Elementary even led to an honorable mention for the first time: Sarah Banuelos. Our judges really liked her colorful vendor couple.

Madison Whitmarsh – Grade 3, Garfield Elementary
Brynn Hooper – Grade 2, Garfield Elementary

Madison and Brynn will each receive $15 in tokens to spend at the opening market on Friday, June 10. Their fully credited drawings will also be used for the print posters and handbills we use to promote the market throughout the season.

Many, many thanks to every student who entered a drawing. We really appreciate your participation.

Next year the contest returns to Trinity Catholic School and Spokane Public Montessori. Get your crayons and markers ready!

Market Poster Contest 2016

Posted on by E-G Market

Parents of students at Audubon and Garfield Elementary,  please take note!

The Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is holding its third annual poster contest for students in neighborhood schools. Audubon Elementary and Garfield Elementary are the schools that have been invited to take part this year. A notice should have been distributed in the students’ Monday folders about two weeks ago.

Students in grades 1–6 at these schools are asked to design a poster for the upcoming 2016 market season.

The poster should:

  • be in color on white 8.5″ x 11″ (US letter-sized) paper; portrait or landscape style are both acceptable
  • contain the title: Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market — please make sure it’s properly spelled and punctuated!
  • illustrate the theme “community farmers market”

The deadline is Friday, May 6. Two winning entries — one from each school — will be selected and announced by Monday, May 9. Students are asked to submit only one (1) entry per individual.

The winning entries will printed as posters and flyers. They will be hung throughout the neighborhood and around Spokane prior to and during the 2016 market season to help promote the market. They will also be posted on the market’s and/or Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood’s blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

The two winners and their parent(s) or guardian will be asked to be present at the opening market on Friday, June 10 to be acknowledged in person. They will each receive a similar amount ($15 each) of tokens to be spent at the market.

More info about the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is available here on this website or on our Facebook page.

Students can check with their school office to see where they should submit your entries.

As always, we look forward to seeing what you create!

Vendors and Activities for September 11

Posted on by E-G Market

Today marks the fifteenth week of the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market — which means there are just five markets left in the season after this Friday (with next week, September 18, being our big annual Craftwalk event). So be sure to make each one before the season passes you by!

This week’s KERNEL activity is hula hooping. Participants will get a lesson on how to make a hula hoop of their own and take part in some fun hoop-related games. You know, for kids. It’s free and it’s for children of all ages.

There’s tons and tons of lovely fall produce starting to appear. Our vendors are happy to give you recipes and cooking tips with some of their more exotic squash. That’s just one of many advantages a farmers market has over a supermarket.

The Scone Ranger is back this week! We forgot to note last week that he was on vacation. Sorry if that left you disappointed and scone-less, but you can sate your craving today.

No matter how much he brings, Fred from Mama Torrez can’t stop selling out of their new hatch pepper salsa. If you haven’t had a chance to try it, we suggest arriving as early as possible to make sure the overwhelming demand hasn’t gotten the better of his supply. And if you missed their debut last week, stop by and stock up on Common Crumb‘s bread. We’re super pleased to have them there.

Cody is today’s musician. He’s a longtime participant with Project Hope Spokane and has been practicing violin for a few years. He’s slowly building a repertoire, and we’re pleased to give him a live platform to do that. Don’t be afraid to say hello and see if he takes requests.

There are still some dump passes for residents of Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood. Each pass equates to a $20 credit at the Spokane Regional Solid Waste Facility, which is a nice bonus when you’re offloading yard, household or garage waste. Claim yours at the market booth.

Here’s everyone who’s scheduled to be with us today:

  • Awesome Possum – Handmade all-natural lotion bars and lip balms
  • Common Crumb Bakery – A range of traditional breads and baked goods
  • Country Buddies – Jams, salsas and more
  • Courtney’s Crafts for Costa Rica – Handmade jewelry, scrapbooks and more
  • The Father’s Table – Neighborhood-grown veggies, herbs and starts
  • Food for All (aka Vinegar Flats) – Locally grown veggies and herbs
  • KC Creations – Beaded lanyards, leashes, earrings, photos and custom cards
  • Mama Torrez Salsas – Authentic salsas, pico de gallo and chips
  • Mary Beauregard – Plastic canvas needlepoint
  • Morning Sun Bakery – Cinnamon rolls, muffins, cakes
  • Orange Thyme – Natural balms, soaps, perfume oils, body butters and more
  • Post Street Plants – Flowers, vegetable plants and off-the-vine produce
  • Riverfront Farm – Locally grown vegetables from Project Hope Spokane
  • R.P. Guerrero Farms – Organic fruit (cherries, peaches, nectarines, apples)
  • Rufino Zisumbo – Chair massage
  • The Scone Ranger – Sweet and savory scones
  • Simply Sweets – Confectionery including baklava and brittles
  • Song Sparrow Farms – Locally grown vegetables
  • Vladimir Kuzmenko – Fruits and vegetables from the Yakima area

As a reminder, our market accepts EBT and FMNP (WIC) vouchers. For every $5 EBT clients put on their cards, they get an extra $2 in Fresh Bucks for spending on fresh fruit and produce.

Read down this far? Top marks. In return, we’ll let you in on our trivia challenge: $5 in market tokens to the first person who can name the movie from which the photo accompanying this point was taken. We’ll take your answer (today only) in person at the market info booth.

Market Poster Contest Winners for 2015

Posted on by E-G Market

The winners of this year’s Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market poster contest are August Nelson (grade 6, Trinity Catholic School) and Mason Brazill (grade 4, Spokane Public Montessori).

We’d like to give a special shout out to Trinity for putting in such an amazing showing. Over 70 students submitted drawings with dozens of creative takes on the food and fun of a farmers market — which naturally made it all the harder to choose!

August Nelson – Trinity Catholic School
Mason Brazill – Spokane Public Montessori

August and Mason will each receive $15 in tokens to spend at the opening market on Friday, June 5. Plus their drawings will be used for the print posters and handbills we use to promote the market throughout the season.

Many thanks to every student who entered! With enough time and resources we’d showcase every single drawing, because each one had something to recommend it.

Next year the contest returns to Audubon and Garfield Elementary, so get your crayons and markers ready!