This Saturday, August 11, 2012 the Urban Garden Market celebrates National Farmers Market Week with their second annual Corn Roast.
Along with the best sweet corn ever (one free ear per person), there will be a variety of exhibitors representing health care, agricultural, neighborhood, housing and other organizations plus face painting for the kids. The St. Joe County 4-H will be there represented by their County 4-H Queen/Ambassador Brooke Reed. So if you know of parents and/or children interested in 4-H (yes, 4-H is for city kids as well as those on the farm), let them know of this opportunity – or bring them with you.
A musical group, Old Time Music, will entertain us with their banjos, fiddles and guitars – real fun farmers market music. Many of you have heard them play at the Fiddler’s Hearth. You can also purchase home-made crafts, delicious baked goods, and barbecue for lunch (plus refreshing lemonade and ice tea at the Unity Gardens stand).
The power of farmers markets to strengthen social fabric is attracting national attention. A recent PolicyLink report states that “…direct interaction between growers and customers facilitates the formation of personal relationships in a way that is not possible at third-party stores.” Studies also show that farmers market visitors have 10 times more conversation than those shopping at a grocery store. The UGM has become a place for conversations not only with farmers but also with neighbors and friends who happen to meet at the market and stay around to visit. And then, or course, there's the freshly picked, nutritious produce — and lots of it!
If you've never visited the Urban Garden Market, this Saturday is a good time to start. As an extra bonus, the prediction is for cool and dry weather — quite a change from most Saturdays this season.
The Market is located at 1025 N Bendix, just south of Lincoln Way West. We open at 9, the corn should be ready by 10:30, and we'll be selling until 1 p.m. Hope to see you there!
