What’s Happening at This Week’s Orange County HomeGrown Orleans Farmers Market
The Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market is located on the west side of the beautiful historic Congress Square Park in Orleans, Indiana and takes place each Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Please support your local growers, bakers, artists and handcrafters by shopping at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market. Bring your friends and family! Last week, we surveyed our wonderful vendors. Here’s what they expect to have at the Orange County HomeGrown on Saturday, July 5th, 2008:

From the Farm: beets, blueberries(?), broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggs, flowers, gooseberries, green beans, herbs (cilantro, mint, lemon thyme, oregano), kale, lettuces, maple syrup, spring onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, turnips, zucchini, plants, water plants, spinach, coleus plants, perennials, annuals
From the Kitchen: biscotti , brownies, cookies, fudge, peanut brittle, pies, quick breads, scones, salt rising bread, yeast bread, yeast rolls, doggie treats, ketchup, pizza sauce, sugar free pies, salsa, corn meal, homemade tortillas, strawberry jam, lemonade, persimmon pulp, caramel corn, lemonade, flavored roasted almonds
Art, Crafts, & Other Goods: baskets, bird houses, crochet, crochet rugs, fresh flower arrangements, jewelry, leather goods, photographs, purses, soaps, stationary, soft goods, hand sewn items, quilts, cloth books, painted saws, baskets, dolls, cutting boards, painted glass containers, aprons, hypertufa containers, stilts, lotions, lip balm, Barbie clothes, cell phone cases, painted saws, hand turned wooden bowls, bamboo poles for trellis or fishing poles, wool yarns, natural bug repellant, rosaries, herbal tinctures, massage oils, bath salts, bug bite salves, poison ivy salve

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS:
HomeGrown volunteers, Larry Gillen and Helen Vasquez, will be at the farmers market with an Orange County HomeGrown RiverWatch Exhibit and Adopt-a-River Information. Both programs seek to improve the water quality within our county. Start your Saturday morning doing your body and soul some good by joining our popular weekly free yoga class for men and women at 8:30 with instructor, Janet Kennedy. No experience necessary. All ability levels are welcome! If you don’t have a yoga mat, one will be provided for you. Other items to bring, if you wish: an old blanket, an old necktie or belt and an old sheet. The Orange County Recycling Co-op truck will be on hand to collect your household recyclables. Mary Lou Beckett, our favorite Master Gardener will be on hand to answer your gardening questions. And, as always, our Farmers Market Jammers will lift your spirits with their fun music. Bring your instrument and/or your singin’ voice and join in!

OUR VENDORS OF THE WEEK: This week, we’re featuring two vendors! Our Buck-a-Book trailer will be featured this week. We have thousands of books that have been donated to the farmers market for your selection. They are only $1.00 each or trade two books for one. This week, the book sale proceeds will go to the three public libraries in Orange County so that they can replenish their book shelves. Next time you clean off your book shelves, please consider donating your books to our Buck-a-Book trailer. The books you donate help with supporting our farmers market. Our other featured vendor is new to our market this season. The Hoover family (Dave, Pam, Jarrod and Emily) also known as Rooster’s Run Farm of Salem, sells wonderfully touchable wool yarn, weaving kits, pin cushions plus produce. They will be carding and spinning wool right in their booth. Stop by and see their antique sock knitter in action! If you are visiting either the Buck-a-Book trailer or Rooster’s Run Farm booth and the timer rings, you’ll get a coupon!

REPORT FROM LAST WEEK’S MARKET:
Despite the threats of thunderstorms, we had a great market! We had 37 vendors brave the cloudy skies. Visitors from Louisiana and Tennessee signed our guest book. The Award Winning FCCLA Team (Family Career & Community Leaders of America Culinary Arts) under the direction of Angie Timan cooked up tremendous fare (salad, slaw, zucchini fritters and kabobs) for our shoppers using produce purchased at the farmers market and meat and cheese purchased from Lost River Market & Deli. (They even did the dishes!!) They will be heading to Florida to compete for the national title on July 15th, so on that day, let’s send these young chefs our good thoughts! Our farmers market gave them $75 for them to use toward their trip. Sixteen musicians showed up to jam this week. Last week, we promised to give you a report on the Red Cross Blood Drive. There were 29 presenting donors with 24 successful donations. The best news is that eight of those donors gave blood for the very first time!!!

OTHER GREAT FEATURES AT THE MARKET:

Be sure to stop by and see our new BUCK A BOOK/BOOK A BOOK TRAILER where you can browse a great selection of books. (We have thousands!) We welcome the donations of books for the book trailer. All of the money from book sales goes to support Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market (Orleans). Just bring the books to the BUCK A BOOK/BOOK A BOOK TRAILER and choose a book for free. Visit us at the Host Tent and have a free cup of coffee courtesy of our neighbor, Maple Street Restaurant. We are fortunate to have friendly, helpful MASTER GARDENERS at every market. Bring your gardening questions to the MASTER GARDENER TABLE and they will be very happy to help you! A new feature of the Market is the addition of the Orange County Recycling Co-op truck. They will take household items for recycling, such as cardboard, newspapers, junk mail, paper, magazines, catalogues, plastic bottles #1 and #2, aluminum cans, scrap metal, metal cans, plastic grocery bags. Please rinse out plastic bottles and remove lids. Also, rinse out cans. Please break down cardboard boxes. Many of our produce vendors are WIC VENDORS and will accept WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutritional Program vouchers. Visit the LOST RIVER MARKET & DELI INFORMATION BOOTH and learn more about the new local grocery store in Paoli, located at 26 Library Street behind the Paoli Public Library. This full service member-owned food co-op market not only has a deli, but also bulk items, local and organic produce, local meats, cheeses, natural foods, wine and beer. Be sure to stop by to take a look. Everyone is welcome.

NEW VALLEY FARMERS MARKET HOURS:
The Orange County HomeGrown Valley Market is now open on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 6:30 p.m. The Market is located on the sidewalk connecting the Railroad Museum to the Casino property in French Lick. Shoppers can expect to buy homegrown greens and other produce, fresh from the chicken eggs, wonderful soaps and lotions, plants and flowers, jewelry, textile products, great books for a buck, and caramel corn and peanut brittle for your sweet tooth plus other creative items. Musicians are invited to join in the Market Jammers each week. There is also a Master Gardener on hand to answer your gardening questions.

FREE RECIPES:
Check out some yummy husband-tested recipes by visiting http://fromaliceskitchen.blogspot.com/ . There are over 100 recipes on the page so far. Recipes featuring ingredients found at Lost River Market & Deli and the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market are put to the test and added to the blog on a regular basis.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY:
Orange County HomeGrown is an all-volunteer, non-profit, community service organization. If you are interested in volunteering for any of its projects, such as the Orleans or Valley Farmers Markets, the Lawn Chair Concert Series or the Adopt-a-River of Lost River, we’d love to have you. Just call (812) 653-1047 or send us an email at orangecountyhomegrown@earthlink.net

TOWN OF ORLEANS WELCOME CENTER:
The Welcome Center, located on the North Side of the Square, will be open from 9:00 a.m. to noon each Saturday beginning June through August to greet visitors, answer questions, distribute town maps and brochures of others things to see and do in our area. Check out the town's website http://www.town.orleans.in.us/