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, September 12, 2009:

From the Farm: broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, assortment of peppers including pepperoncini and poblano, cucumbers, eggs, eggplant, garlic, green beans, herbs, gourds, okra, onions, paw paws, potatoes, summer squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, fresh flowers, plants, water plants including sweet Amy water plants
From the Kitchen: bagels, cake, German cakes, 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, 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:
It’s Congress Square Park Appreciation Day so that means all of our donations for the day will go to the Town of Orleans for park upkeep. So be sure to come and show your appreciation for this perfect farmers market venue. Put on your dancin’ shoes ‘cause our square dancing friends are coming to show us how to do it! United Way will be present at the farmers market to distribute Senior Vouchers for those who qualify. Our chef buddies from the French Lick Resort Hotel are going to show us how to use the wonderful fall produce that’s coming in right now to cook up something delicious during their Farm to Fork Chef Demo. If you’ve not had a chance to play our Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt, you’re in luck. Visit us at our 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. As always, our beloved farmers market jammers will entertain us with their uplifting music! We might even have horse & buggy rides with Brack, Linda and our favorite farmers market horse, Luke! Barry’s Carnival which benefits MD will begin at 10 a.m. and go through 5 p.m.

OUR VENDORS OF THE WEEK: The Percifield family will be this week’s featured vendors. When they vend, they do so as a family! This talented family not only sells great products, but they often play with our jammers. You’ll find Ellen, Dave and their children, Katlin, Rosie, Seth and Tula selling delicious baked goods, groovy granola, caramel corn, soaps, jewelry, stilts and squirrel feeders. If you are visiting their booth when the timer rings, you’ll get coupon! (Ellen and Dave also known as Low Gap will be performing acoustic folk and bluegrass at the Orange County HomeGrown Arts Lawn Chair Concert Series in French Lick on Thursday, September 17th at 6:30 p.m.)

LOVE YOUR FARMERS MARKET CONTEST UPDATE:
As of September 6, 2009, we are ranked #12 of the top 100 farmers markets in the nation! This contest ends soon on 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: “We are there most every Saturday. It’s lively and fun. There’s always something good to buy!!” and “I am very proud of our homegrown farmers market. Each Saturday our community joins together to share produce, conversation and goodwill.” 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:
There was a full moon and a cool morning mist over the countryside as 71 vendors (including 12 Amish vendors) gathered at Congress Square Park for the farmers market. We counted 282 visitors at 11 a.m., a record for the season! Janet lead a yoga class which included a regular visitor from Jasper. Our friends from the Orleans Fire Department brought their emergency vehicles, goodie bags and fire safety information for our younger visitors. RiverSpirit Adopt-a-River/RiverWatch volunteers came to display some of the creatures that live in our rivers and streams and spoke with customers about how we can work together to keep our rivers and streams pristine. Brack was busy taking visitors for buggy rides with his horse, Luke. Several people played the Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt and earned coupons for doing so. Our jammers played music all morning out in the open air (without their tents) on this fine day.

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.

CONCERT THIS COMING SATURDAY!
Lick Creek Band http://www.lickcreekband.com will perform a concert this Saturday, September 12th at the Mitchell Opera House on 7th and Brook Streets in Mitchell, IN from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (812) 849-2337 for ticket information. Tickets are $7.00 and can be purchased at the door. Lick Creek Band plays a unique brand of “Eclectic Acoustic Music.” Tight vocal harmony is the most distinctive feature of the group. They have performed in hundreds of venues throughout Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Blending guitar and bass, Lick Creek affectionately renders rock, pop, jazz, and original music into their tuneful stylings.

Alice Wootton
Orange County HomeGrown
orangecountyhomegrown@earthlink.net
http://www.orangecountyhomegrown.org
(812) 653-1047