Without shoppers who visit us weekly throughout the season and support our local farmers and producers, we wouldn't have a market. That's why each year we set aside one special Saturday to celebrate YOU!
Customer Appreciation Day is a time to celebrate our market and the people who help to make it what it is. Bring the whole family and enjoy a fun-filled morning!
The big day is finally here, and it will be everything you've come to expect, including:
- Fresh, local produce, baked goods, meats, eggs, and more
- Handmade wood items by artist Tyler Gaston
- Cooking demonstrations by Chef Josh Truitt of CH Fields Craft Kitchen
- Face painting with the Indiana Women's Flag Football League
- Live music by Danny Haynes (beginning at 10:00)
Some of our vendors will join in the spirit of the day with special promotions and sampling in their booths, as well. Those planned so far are:
- Free bulb of garlic with a purchase of $10 or more - 3 Ponds Farm
- "Round down" sale - Mahoning Creek Farm
- Samples of farm-made refrigerator pickles - Mother Earth Farm
Finally, be sure to stop by the Market Information booth for a free chance to win a basket of market products! While you're there, please fill out our Customer Survey and earn a 2nd entry into the drawing.
This day is really all about you, and you are what makes our market great! Thank you for your support over the years. We wouldn't be here without you!
Remember, our Wednesday market is also open this week, and we have been seeing more vendors join us on Wednesday over the past few weeks. Stop by and see what's new!
Our featured product of the week is so tasty, versatile, and downright beautiful - the TOMATO
Fun Facts:
- Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, and antioxidant that is good for the heart and helps protect against some cancers. They are also packed with vitamins A and C and potassium (www.sciencekids.co.nz)
- Cooked tomatoes are actually better for you than raw ones, as more beneficial chemicals are released (www.sciencekids.co.nz)
- Tomatoes are thought to have originated in Peru and were named by the Aztec (www.tomatodirt.com)
- According to the USDA, there are now 25,000 varieties of tomatoes. Other sources cap the number of types at 10,000 (either way, that's a lot!) (www.tomatodirt.com)
- As of 2013, the heaviest tomato (according to Guiness World Records) weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was grown in Edmond, Oklahoma in 1986. The grower sliced the tomato to make sandwiches for 21 family members (www.tomatodirt.com)
You can find many varieties at our market. Seeing as more than 90% of home gardeners grow tomatoes, it is no surprise that so many of our vendors grow these juicy summer treats, as well. They are delicious in soups, sauces, salads, roasted, juiced, or eaten just as they are.
Try out this simple recipe for fresh tomato salsa - you can find almost all of the ingredients at the market!
See you at the market!
We are still scheduling for our special tents through the end of September. If you are an artist, musician, or are involved with a community organization or kids' group, e-mail us at indianafarmmarket@gmail.com if you'd like to participate!
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CH Fields Craft Kitchen (inside the Hilton Garden Inn) "believes in real food, grown and harvested by the good folks in our community who take care of their land for future generations."
The Indiana Women's Flag Football League, established in 2015, is a non-contact flag football league open to all women ages 21 and up.
