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 22, 2009:

From the Farm: apples, beets, black raspberries, red raspberries, cantaloupe, assortment of peppers, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, green beans, herbs, maple syrup, onions, potatoes, summer squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, fresh flowers, plants, mums
From the Kitchen: bagels, cake, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cornmeal, fudge, jams, jellies, lemonade (4 kinds), muffins, sugar free muffins, noodles, pies, quick breads, raisin bread, salt rising bread, scones, sour dough breads, tea, Kool-Aid, yeast breads
Art and Crafts: aprons, baby bibs, bags, baskets, bean bag toys, benches, bird houses, 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:
Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market along with Orange County Humane Society and Kirk Veterinarian Service will be celebrating the Dog Days of Summer. The Humane Society will bring some furry friends in need of a loving home for on site adoption. Dr. Kirk will provide free spaying or neutering for any pet adopted on site during this event. They’ll also have snow cones available for sale along with face painting with all the proceeds going to the Humane Society. Humane Society T-Shirts will be available for sale just across the street at Dr. Kirk’s office with all proceeds going to the Humane Society. We have another new event to offer this week! Be sure to bring an extra pen or pencil to the farmers market on Saturday because we’ll be playing Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt. Stop by the Host Tent to pick up a list of who you should look for. (We even have a kid’s version of the game so the whole family can play!) When you find that person at the market, ask them for their signature. (Someone might even be looking for YOU!) When you have six or more signatures, come back to the Host Tent to draw for a coupon. Those who participate will even have a chance to win a Humane Society T-Shirt.

OUR VENDOR OF THE WEEK: Dixie Durbin is our featured vendor this week. She makes the most beautiful greeting cards for all occasions. She also makes journals and other great gifts. You’ll find her booth right next to the Host Tent. If you are visiting her booth when the timer rings, you’ll get coupon!

LOVE YOUR FARMERS MARKET CONTEST UPDATE:
As of August 22nd, we are ranked #15 of the top 100 farmers markets in the nation! (This is up from #19 last week!) (To see the current list, go to http://www.care2.com/farmersmarket/top_markets ) Here are a couple of love note quotes left at the website about our farmers market: “Remarkable that such a small (but motivated!) community can produce such an abundant & lively market.” and “The produce is first class and it's a happy place with music in the air.” 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:
It was a gorgeous sunny summer morning, perfect weather for our Customer Appreciation Day. We had 76 vendors show up to sell. Our customer counts were high as well. At 9 a.m., we counted 140, at 10 a.m., we counted 230 and at 11 a.m. we counted 239. Visitors from all parts of Indiana, Alabama, Texas, Florida, and even Germany signed our guest book. Vendor, Alesia Hoover, made miniature scones specially wrapped for us to give away to our customers. They went down nicely with the coffee donated by our neighbor, Maple Street Restaurant. Fifty customers won prizes donated by our generous vendors. Our first annual Tomato Tasting with HomeGrown Board Members, Ian and Carla Mc Spadden was a big success. One hundred visitors tasted twenty-one different varieties of our locally grown tomatoes. Tasters got to vote for their favorite tomato. The winning tomato was “Black Cherry” grown by our vendor Dave Kintz. The Stonebelt Stargazers brought their telescopes and talked with visitors about the moon, the sun and the planets and invited people to attend their stargazing party that night at Spring Mill Park. Our jammer tent was bursting with 29 musicians (fiddles, guitars, mandolins, banjos, dobros, harmonicas, 3 bass players and lots of singers) They sure made some joyful music for the morning. Linda Lee and Brack Coulter along with “Luke” were busy taking visitors all around the town throughout the morning. Volunteers Janet and Nathan conducted surveys about the farmers market and the county provided by the Orange County Visitors Bureau Visit French Lick West Baden. They’ll be back again next week.

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. Their Customers Appreciation Day will be Tuesday, August 18th.

FREE LICK CREEK BAND CONCERT THIS THURSDAY, AUGUST 20: Lick Creek Band http://www.lickcreekband.com will perform pop, rock, jazz and all your favorites this Thursday, August 20 on the French Lick Springs Resort Hotel front lawn beginning at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) Plan on bringing your friends and family. Bring your lawn chairs or blanket or sit on one of the rockers on the hotel porch. To make an evening of this concert, why not bring a picnic dinner from the Lost River Market & Deli in Paoli or pick up a pizza Pluto's Pizzaria located inside the hotel. The hotel often times offers a cash bar during the concert series. During intermission, be sure to get an ice cream cone at Scoops Coffee & Creamery located right inside the hotel just off the porch. The concert will go on rain or shine (look for us on the porch in case of rain!) 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.