Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Week of September 13 & 16

There is a whole lot going on at the market this week (and all month), so I'm going to get right to it!

We had an exciting day last Saturday with the launch of our new Market booth accepting credit, debit, and SNAP/EBT.  We are excited to make shopping easier for our customers and to help increase access to fresh, local foods!  Thank you to our friends at the Center for Community Growth for being our partners in this effort and providing volunteers to staff the booth!  Read on for more details.


This week, there is more excitement on the way with a FULL lineup of special tents!  Bring the whole family - there will be something for everyone!

First, we welcome back Zepchild Barefoot Sandals to the Artisan Booth.  Stop by to shop handmade barefoot sandals, jewelry, and more!

The Community Tent features another chef demonstration from Josh Truitt of CH Fields Craft Kitchen (inside the Hilton Garden Inn).  CH Fields "believes in real food, grown and harvested by the good folks in our community who take care of their land for future generations."  Josh is a market favorite and is always cooking up something new and delicious!

Our Kids' Tent this week will be filled with students from IUP's Family and Consumer Sciences Program and some fun children's activities.

Finally, we welcome a new musician to the market!  Adam Fitz plays and sings soulful songs.  Hailing from Chicago, Fitz recently brought his rootsy originals and uniquely spun covers (known and unknown) to the Laurel Highlands of Western PA.  Today, Fitz is a father of two and works in a local school.  His life experiences have merged with the years on stage to produce an engaging performance filled with authenticity, depth, and an energetic, passionate performance.

Finally, S&T Bank will join us again to promote and sell tickets for The Best Slice of Indiana, a fundraiser benefiting the ICCAP Power Pack Program.


Whew, that's a lot of action for one Saturday!  We also hope you will...

SAVE THE DATE

Harvest for the Hungry
Saturday, September 30th 

On this day, customers can purchase extra produce and donate it at the Market Booth.  Donations will be delivered to the food bank at Zion Lutheran Church.  Help us fight hunger in our community!

VOLUNTEERS are needed for this event!  Please e-mail indianafarmmarket@gmail.com if you can help.  Assistance is needed with setup, cleanup, and staffing the booth.  You can volunteer 1 hour or all morning!

Finally, if you are as excited as we are about being able to use credit, debit, and EBT cards at the market, here is what you need to know:
  • Cards will be accepted at Saturday morning markets ONLY.
  • Participating vendors will post a sign in their booths stating that they accept market tokens.
  • When you arrive, visit the Market Information booth.  A volunteer will swipe your card and give you tokens.  
  • You can choose how much market money you want.  Credit/debit tokens are $1 each; SNAP tokens are $0.50 each.  
  • Credit/debit transactions include a small transaction fee to help us cover the cost of this service.  There are no fees for SNAP transactions
  • Spend your tokens like cash with participating vendors.  Note: Change cannot be given for purchases made with SNAP tokens.
  • Tokens do not expire.  If you do not spend your market money, you can use it next week, next month, or even next season!
While we hope that many shoppers will take advantage of this system, please remember that cash (especially in small bills) is still the preferred payment method for many of our market vendors!


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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