Bring the family down for a little fun.

Looking for a fun way for your kids to explore the farmers market? Have them go around to every booth and check out what they have for sale. Once you have done this, give them $5 and say they have to spend it all. Then make some rules, you have to buy so many items, or you can't just spend it at one booth.

As a teacher, this is a very teachable, hands-on activity. Teaching kids the value of money is one thing, but to have them actually explore this is even better. This works best with children who can do some simple addition and subtraction and who can read. Any age could do it, but it just involves a little more work from the parents. Now parents, don't tell the kids what to buy and don't get upset if they buy something you would never have tried. Let them explore and try new things.

I did this with my 5 year old daughter last week. She went around and checked everything out. Once she was done, I gave her the $5 and she was off. She learned how to stand in line and ask for an item. Gave them the money and collected here change. She learned how to be careful with her money and really felt proud of what she did once it was all over.

Our rules for the game was, she had to buy at least 3 items and she had to spend all $5. Here is what she came home with. 3 Sunflowers, 4 Peaches, 3 cookies (Never really made it home) and a bunch of honey sticks.

Just another idea to involve the family at the Farmers Market.

Week 8 Drawing Winner

Linda Culley, left, won this week’s drawing at the Concordia Farmers Market. She received a reusable Farmers Market tote and $50 worth of Farmers Market produce and products. Culley is pictured with market vendor Harry Morrison. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, which takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 6th and Washington in Concordia.

Week 7 Weekly Drawing Winner

Brian Cramer, left, won this week’s drawing at the Concordia Farmers Market. He received a reusable Farmers Market tote and $45 worth of Farmers Market produce and products. Cramer is pictured with market vendor Jay Sleichter. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, which takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 6th and Washington in Concordia.

Weekly Update for July 21st

We hope you are enjoying the unseasonable July weather we have been having this week. I know it is nice to work outside in. All the vendors have been working hard to bring you the freshest produce possible. This week won't be any different! Thank you for supporting the market and please bring a friend.

Here are some of the items you may find at the market this week.

Colorado Bing and Rainier Cherries, Colorado Peaches and Homegrown Sweet Corn.

Tomatoes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Red, All Blue and Yukon Gold Potatoes, Onions, Pork, Radishes, Cucumbers, Rhubarb, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Squash and Zucchini, Green Beans, Blueberries, Herbs, Honey and Honey Sticks, Fruit and Pepper Jellies, Bierocks, Kolaches, All Natural Soy Candles, Herbs and Lavender

Week 6 weekly drawing Winner

Kay Thompson, left, won this week's drawing at the Concordia Farmers Market. She received a reusable Farmers Market tote and $45 worth of Farmers Market produce and products. Thompson is pictured with Market vendor Jay Sleichter. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, which takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 6th and Washington in Concordia.

Weekly Update for July 16

Not sure how to prepare the fresh products at our Farmers Market? Pick up a free Savor the Season recipe card at our information table, or click on the logo to the right to find more recipes and information.

New Items for this week: Colorado Bing and Rainier Cherries, Colorado Peaches and Homegrown Sweet Corn.

Tomatoes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Red, All Blue and Yukon Gold Potatoes, Onions, Pork, Radishes, Cucumbers, Rhubarb, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Squash and Zucchini, Green Beans, Blueberries, Herbs, Honey and Honey Sticks, Fruit and Pepper Jellies, Bierocks, Kolaches, All Natural Soy Candles, Herbs and Lavender

Week 5 Weekly drawing Winner

Aaron Hake, left, won this week’s drawing at the Concordia Farmers Market. He received a reusable Farmers Market tote and $40 worth of Farmers Market produce and products. Hake is pictured with market vendor Jay Sleichter. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, which takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 6th and Washington in Concordia.

Weekly Update for July 9th Farmers Market

I hope you take time to visit the Cloud County Fair this week. Before you go or on your way home stop by the Concordia Farmers Market too!

This week we will have Special Guest, Murial Anderson from the Orphan Train Museum. Check out their website here. http://www.orphantraindepot.com/

Our Vendors have indicated that they will have the following items this week.
Tomatoes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Red, All Blue and Yukon Gold Potatoes, Onions , Pork, Radishes, Cucumbers, Rhubarb, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Squash and Zucchini, Green Beans, Blueberries, Herbs, Honey and Honey Sticks, Fruit and Pepper Jellies, Bierocks, Kolaches, Herbs and Lavender

Finally, pick up one of our colorful Savor the Season recipe and information cards about 5 different vegetables that you can find at the Farmers Market. These cards come with a recipe and directions how to choose and store this item. You can find them at the sign in table.

Hope to see you Thursday.

Week 4 Weekly Drawing winner

Merlin Woodworth, right, won this week’s drawing at the Concordia Farmers Market. He received a reusable Farmers Market tote and $46 worth of Farmers Market produce and products. Merlin is pictured with his wife Linda. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, which takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 6th and Washington in Concordia. Come down on July 9th and visit with our special guest, Murial Anderson from the National Orphan Train Museum.

Weekly update for July 2nd Market

Start off your July 4th celebrations with at trip to the Concordia Farmers Market. We will have lots of produce to choose from and remember to sign up for the weekly give away. Last week the winners bag was valued at over $46! Here is what we will have.

Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Red, All Blue and Yukon Gold potatoes, Green Beans, Blueberries, Snowcones, Onions, Pork, Radishes, Cucumbers, Rhubarb, Peas, Bell Peppers, Beets, Cabbage, Candles, Squash, Zucchini, Eggs, Herbs, Honey and Honey Sticks, Fruit and Pepper Jellies, Bierocks, Kolaches, Bath Salts, Rhubarb leaf bird baths, English Troughs, Living Wreaths, Plants and flowers.

Bring down a friend or family member. If you can't make it, let someone else know about the market.

Week 3 Weekly Drawing Winner

Beth Myers, center, won this week’s drawing at the Concordia Farmers Market. She received a reusable Farmers Market tote and $45 worth of Farmers Market produce and products. Myers is pictured with Lise Guerra, special guest from the Cloud County Museum, and Jay Sleichter, market vendor. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, which takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at 6th and Washington in Concordia. Come down this Thursday evening to get all your produce for the July 4th weekend.

Summer is here! Weekly update for June 25th

It sure didn't take long for our weather to change from cool and rainy to hot and dry. Living in Kansas, we should be use to this. This week at the Concordia Farmers Market we will be having a special guest, Lisa Guerra from the Cloud County Historical Museum. She will be show everyone how they made the bricks for the "Wall Project". I am looking forward to see what she has to offer.

After you check out what Lisa has, please check out our vendors. Our vendors have indicated that they will have the following items for the June 25th market.

Red Norland, All Blue and Yukon Gold potatoes, Onions, Pork, Radishes, Cucumbers, Rhubarb, Peas, Peppers, Beets, Cabbage, Asparagus, Candles, Cherry Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Squash, Zucchini, Eggs, Herbs, Honey and Honey Sticks, Pepper Jellies, Bierocks, Kolaches, Bath Salts, Rhubarb leaf bird baths, English Troughs, Living Wreaths, Plants and flowers.

We hope to see you downtown on Thursday night. Please remember to sign up for our free drawing.

Week 2 Farmers Market Drawing Winner

Sharon Landry Wins Weekly Farmers Market Drawing

Sharon Landry, center, won this weeks drawing at the Concordia Farmers Market. She received a reusable Farmers Market tote filled with products worth over $30 from the Farmers Market vendors. She is pictured with Jay Sleichter, market vendor and Loren Swenson market vendor. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, located at 6th and Washington in Concordia from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Next week we will have special guest, Lisa Guerra from the Cloud County Museum.

June 18th Weekly update

After all the storms we had this week, the sun is out and the temperature is rising. The gardens are really going to start producing. This week at the Concordia Farmers Market we will have the following, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, green peppers, lettuce, spinach, onions, beets, strawberries, honey, honey sticks, pork, bierocks, candles, flowers from the Master Gardeners and much more. Come on down to 6th and Washington from 5-6:30. Hope to see you there.

Week 1 Farmers Market Drawing Winner

Rachel Kueker, center, won the first drawing of the 2009 Concordia Farmers Market. She received a reusable Farmers Market tote filled with products from Farmers Market vendors. She is pictured with Jay Sleichter, market vendor and Kristina Jeardoe market vendor. The Farmers Market vendors are sponsoring a new drawing every Thursday at the market, located at 6th and Washington in Concordia from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Farmers Market Kick-Off, June 4th

June 4th is the first day of the Concordia Farmers Market. It will run from 5:00-6:30. There will be a dance performance from The Dance Company at 5:30. We will also be handing out market magnets and have a sign up for a free Concordia Farmers Market Shopping bag filled with products from our vendors. This promotion will run all season long.

We hope to see you there.

Concordia Farmer Market Grows more than just Produce.

Area producers are not only growing produce for the Concordia Farmers Market; they are also growing the market itself.

The Concordia Farmers Market received a $950 grant from the Kansas Rural Center, to help promote the market and increase activities as the weekly event. As part of the grant project, the market members will be giving away produce filled reusable bags, magnets and reminder cards. In addition, more signs and posters will be posted around town to remind people of the market, which runs every Thursday from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Sixth and Washington in Concordia.

The first Concordia Farmers Market of the season will be next Thursday, June 4. Concordia area growers plan to have a wide variety of produce to sell, including lettuce, radishes, peas, asparagus, spinach, potatoes, squash, and broccoli. Honey, jellies, pork, jerky, kolaches, eggs, and bierocks will also be available for purchase. In addition, market growers also will have rosemary, lavender, tomato plants, hanging baskets.

Throughout the summer, a variety of fresh, locally grown produce and products will be available. There will also be children’s activities, taste tests, performances, and other entertainment, to make the market an event for the entire family.

You can learn more about the market by checking out our website. www.concordiafarmersmarket.org

Eat Local!

Why eat locally grown foods?

Buying direct from local farmers supports the local economy.When you buy direct from local farmers, your dollars stay within your community, and strengthen the local economy. More than 90¢ of every dollar you spend goes to the farmer, thus preserving farming as a livelihood and farmland.1

This is important because as mergers in the food industry have increased, the portion of your food dollar paid to farmers has decreased. Vegetable farmers earn only 21¢ of your dollar; the other 79¢ goes to pay for marketing, distribution, and other costs.2

How can we eat local? You don't have to take drastic measures to eat local. Start off small. Here are 10 ways you can start.

How to Eat Locally
8 Ways to Eat Locally

1 Shop weekly at your local farmers market or farm stand

2 Buy from local grocers committed to stocking local food

3 Support restaurants and food vendors that buy locally produced food

4 Preserve food from the season — freeze, can, dry — to eat later in the year

5 Throw a "Locally-Grown Party" and serve all local food

6 Grow your own food in your yard or community garden plot

7 Visit local farmers and "u-picks"

8 Ask your grocer or favorite restaurant what local foods they carry

Sources:1 Like CSAs, farmers' markets provide farmers with close to 100% of the food dollar (minus a fee or small percentage paid to the market for maintenance) and a direct connection between farmer and consumer." In the words of the peach grower and writer David Mas Masumoto, farmers' markets are 'one of the saviors of the family farm. All those barriers created by the conventional marketing system are torn down. The consumer sees it isn't just a commodity — it's a peach, or a carrot, or a cabbage.'Spector, Rebecca. “Fully Integrating Food Systems: Regaining Connections between Farmers and Consumers" Edited by Kimbrell, Andrew. (2002) Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture. Foundation for Deep Ecology. P. 3532 In 1967, fruit farmers earned 31% of retail expenditures. In 1997, they earned only 18%. The fall for fresh vegetables is from 32% to 21%. These changes are accounted for by the increasing share of food expenditures spent on processing, marketing, and corporate profits, and most importantly by the concentration of power in food retailing which enables corporate buyers to drive down farm prices. [Elitzak 1997]Starr, Amory; Card, Adrian; Benepe, Carolyn; Auld, Garry; Lamm, Dennis; Smith, Ken; Wilken, Karen. Barriers and Opportunities to Local Agricultural Purchasing by Restaurants and Institutional Food Buyers. Colorado State University, Department of Sociology. April, 2002. www.eatlocal.net

Spring is on the way, Slowly

After a few days of 70's and we think spring is on the way, Mother Nature says, "Not so fast"! Our vendors are getting ready for another year at the farmers market. Many of them are starting seeds, planning gardens and even planting. If you are Irish, March 17th is potato planting day.

If you are looking for a specific vegetable or even a specific variety, let us know and we maybe able to grow it for you.

Have a great week!

Welcome

Welcome to the Concordia Farmers' Market blog. Our market season is fast approaching. We are opening for business on June 4th. The market will be on Washington Street every Thursday evening from 5:00-6:30. We hope to see you there.