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, August 29, 2009:

From the Farm: beets, blackberries, raspberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cantaloupe, assortment of peppers, corn (?), cucumbers, eggs, eggplant, garlic, green beans, herbs, maple syrup, kale, okra, onions, potatoes, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, fresh flowers, plants, mums, water plants
From the Kitchen: bagels, cake, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cornmeal, focacia, fudge, jams, jellies, granola, lemonade (4 kinds), muffins, sugar free muffins, noodles, pies, quick breads, raisin bread, salt rising bread, scones, sour dough breads, tea, yeast breads
Art and Crafts: aprons, baby bibs, bags, baskets, bean bag toys, benches, bird houses, bookmarks, canes, candles, cat hammocks, chopping blocks, cloth books, clothespin bags, crochet, handcrafted crochet needles, cutting boards, horseshoe crafts, hypertufa, jewelry, leather goods, painted gourds, painted tools, planters, photographs, purses, quilts, recycled bags, rugs, rustic furniture, signs, soft goods, soaps, stationary, stilts, monogrammed towels, wooden bowls, wooden toys, wreaths, wool yarns, woven items, knit & crochet kits with unique pattern designs using plant fibers such as cottons and bamboo (Includes FREE jumps start lessons with any kit purchased with assistance as needed throughout projects)
Host Tent: farmers market gift certificates are now available

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS:
Roll up your sleeve this Saturday because the American Red Cross will be at the market to take blood donations. Those who donate will receive a free t-shirt and a $2.00 coupon to spend at the farmers market. For new mothers and the mothers-to-be visiting our market, the La Leche League of Orange County will be on hand to celebrate World Breast Feeding Month with information about the benefits of breast feeding. Lost River Intertribal Council will hold a ceremony complete with costumes, dancing, singing and storytelling. Tri County Antique Machinery Farm Association will have a Tractor Show right at the market, so stop by to chat with the farmers and see these beautiful old tractors. For those who’ve always wanted to play a musical instrument, Margie Delph will hold a beginning banjo/bass workshop. Don’t forget to stop by the Host Tent to pick up your coupon if you are in the Farmers Market Walking Club.

OUR VENDOR OF THE WEEK: Cathy Davison and Kathy Gifford are this week’s featured vendors. They make delicious homemade pies, cookies and breads. Why not pick up a pie, call up your buddies and invite them over for a homemade dessert? If you are visiting their booth when the timer rings, you’ll get coupon!

LOVE YOUR FARMERS MARKET CONTEST UPDATE:
As of August 24, 2009, we are ranked #12 of the top 100 farmers markets in the nation! (This is up from #15 last week!) We only need nineteen more votes to get ahead of San Francisco, California! This contest ends September 17th. (To see the current list, go to http://www.care2.com/farmersmarket/top_markets ) Here are a couple of love note quotes left this week at the website about our farmers market: “I am a people person and enjoy watching people enjoying life and each other, so my summer Saturday mornings are well-spent at the Orleans Farmer's Market!” and “Great market! We will drive the hour and a half to get to it. Lots of fresh produce, music, and friendly people!” If you think the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market is the best in the land, and then please cast your vote for us so that we can win the Love Your Farmers Market Contest and help us defeat the big city markets ranked above us! You can cast your vote online at http://fromaliceskitchen.blogspot.com When you get to this webpage, click on the Vote Today button on the right side of the screen. While there, check out some yummy husband-tested recipes. There are over 200 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.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
· If you are looking for a gift for someone special, farmers market gift certificates are now available for purchase. You’ll find them at our Host Tent. The gift certificates can be used to purchase any item from any of our friendly vendors.
· Buck-a-Book is in need of children’s books and cookbooks. Please consider donating or trading cookbooks at our Buck-a-Book trailer.
· We could sure use more volunteers to help with customer counts, veggie inventory, coffee help and set up and tear down. Please see Alice in the Host Tent if you are interested in giving of some of your time. No experience necessary, just a friendly smile is required.

REPORT FROM LAST WEEK’S MARKET:
We were supposed to be celebrating the Dog Days of Summer, but can you believe we were wearing sweatshirts this morning when we set up alongside 71 vendors? Our customer counts were even higher than last week. We greeted visitors from Texas and Florida all parts of Indiana. The produce looked especially colorful and abundant this week. The Orange County Humane Society and Kirk Veterinarian Service adopted out several puppies and kittens to loving homes while offering face painting for the kids. There were many who participated in the fun Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt and five participants won Humane Society T-Shirts. Linda, Brack and “Luke” were quite busy taking visitors on horse and buggy rides.

OTHER GREAT FEATURES AT THE MARKET: Be sure to stop by to see our BUCK A BOOK 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). Buy a book for a buck or trade two books for one book. Visit us at the Host Tent and have a free cup of coffee courtesy of our neighbor, Maple Street Restaurant. We also offer free ice water to wet your whistle, courtesy of our neighbor, The Dollar Store. 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! We have at least a dozen produce vendors who can accept WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. Look for their signs or see us at the Host Tent. These vouchers may be used for fresh fruits and vegetables only. Another great 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 our local community 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.

VALLEY FARMERS MARKET:
The Orange County HomeGrown Valley Market is open on Tuesdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. now located between the Indiana Railway Museum and the French Lick Springs over-flow parking lot just off of Highway 56. You’ll also find Valley Farmers Market vendors on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the French Lick Market on W. College Street next to French Lick Post Office with the French Lick Market.

FREE HOMEGROWN ARTS STORYTELLER CONCERT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd beginning at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) in back of the Paoli Public Library just off the square in Paoli, Indiana, featuring folk singer-songwriter, John Gage, of Kentucky HomeFront fame http://www.kentuckyhomefront.org/john_gage.html; Tom Cunningham, fiddler, singer, songwriter and storyteller http://www.fiddletales.com/locations.htm; and award winning storyteller, Arbutus Cunningham http://arbutuscunningham.com/ Plan on bringing your friends and the whole family. Bring your lawn chairs or blanket. Call (812) 653-1047 for more information. This concert is sponsored by Orange County HomeGrown Arts and is made possible through matching grants from the Indiana Arts Commission, the Jasper Community Arts Council and the Orange County Visitors Bureau Visit French Lick/West Baden.