I hope you were able to attend the Tomato Festival August 1st.
The 2nd week in August is National Farmers Week. This is a great time to make a donation to the IFM! We rely on our friends and customers to help support the Market. Would you like to make a donation, volunteer your time, join the sustainer circle, sponsor a contest or event at the Market? Please talk to Michelle.
IFM joins markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 3-9. National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition, a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building. This year the campaign is centered around the essential role that farmers market operators play in extending food access.
IFM will celebrate National Farmers Market Week on August 8. We will raffle a basket of Market products. Stop by the Manager booth to buy a ticket for a dollar each or six for $5. The winner will be announced at noon. If you’d like to show your support for the Market with a donation, we will be providing a $5 IFM gift certificate for a $20 donation and a $10 certificate for a $40 donation. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. If people would prefer to volunteer their time, we can always use help, especially on Festival days. The Sustainers Circle is a new idea this year. A group of Farmers Market shoppers have agreed to contribute a minimum of $250 per year for 3 years. The initial group includes 19 households with commitments of over $7000 annually. These contributions will help support the salaries of our two part-time staff, insurance and supplies, advertising and marketing. The support of sustainers, coupled with grant funding from foundations received and allocated through the budget of Grayson LandCare, enables our community to shop in person 27 times per year and online 50 weeks per year. The Independence Farmers Market, with community support, provides healthy food for our neighborhood and employment opportunities for farmers and small businesses, not to mention the community building of gathering with neighbors throughout market season.
It’s also time for the Grayson County Fair August 8 and 9 at Bottomley’s Warehouse in Elk Creek. The Fair Foundation is actively working on finding a new venue for the Fair and knows that the location is a problem for many in our community. However, it’s a free event for all ages that continues to expand and provides a showcase for agriculture which is Grayson County’s primary industry. If you’d like to enter the fair competitions, bring your entry to Bottomley’s Wednesday August 6 from 3-7pm. Categories include vegetables and fruits, field crops, flowers and plants, arts and crafts, photography, baked and canned goods, quilts and honey. There is also a youth livestock show. In addition, citizen scientist Cliff Morse will be sharing the Grayson LandCare table at the Fair and will be talking about new Chestnut research from 9 to noon and showing how to do oxalic acid testing at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 on Saturday August 9. If you want to learn more, we will be meeting at his house on Sunday to read the test results and check out his chestnut plantings.
August 15 is Christmas in August and our last Fiber Day. Start shopping locally for the holidays and support our talented artisan community.
Save the date for our first Garlic Festival on September 5. Geshe Morley will be our guest chef for the September Cooking Demonstration featuring garlic. Stay tuned for more details.
The Independence Farmers Market is a proud partner of Grayson LandCare, a member of VAFMA and is on the Virginia is for Lovers Farmers Market trail. For more information, please contact Michelle Pridgen, Market Manager at independencefarmersmarket@gmail.com or 276-768-0597. Visit the Market webpage, independecefarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/independencefarmersmarketva/