KIDS DAY AT THE MARKET!

Hi Everyone! Saturday, August 1st, is Kid's Day at the Market! Bring your kids or grandkids to the Sandhills Farmers Market to help them get the farm to table connection! Talk to local farmers and crafters. Ask questions about making jams and jellies, and even jewelry.

Don't miss the cooking class for kids ages 9 - 16, "HANDS ON HEALTHY SNACKS" from 10:30 - 11:30 am. Free popcorn from 9 until noon.

This event is sponsored by the Sandhills Family Heritage Association, in partnership with the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Service, and Ft. Sill National Bank.

And don't forget to stock up on your fresh fruits and veges for the week. If you are interested in canning or freezing fresh produce for later, we have how-to information on that.

See you Saturday!

GREAT DAY AT THE MARKET

Special thanks to all of our customers, old and new, to our vendors, to our partners, and to our volunteers for making last Saturday a wonderful day at the Sandhills Farmers Market!

It was a great day for customers to hang out and get to know the vendors and volunteers, and exchange recipes. Special thanks to Beatrice who took the time to make a second trip to the Market to share not only her banana bread recipe, but also a sampling of her tasty banana bread! Special thanks also to Brian and his son who stayed awhile to talk about his love of gardening and talent for cooking!

Cecil had a bounty of vegetables, including field peas and several varieties of hot peppers. Rhonda's beautiful display of handcrafted jewelry caught the eyes of many customers. We had fresh local blueberries picked fresh that morning that sold out quickly. Not to mention our local melons that have been bursting with flavor all season long!

CES Agriculture Agent, Shauna Haslem, arranged for Master Gardener George Quigley to come out to the Market and answer questions to all who were interested. Thanks Shauna and George!

Thanks to all of the volunteers who come out each Saturday to support the Market and share with all the pleasure of their company.

Until next Saturday, Everyone!

THANK YOU!!

Sandhills Farmers Market would like to thank all of our customers, old and new, for supporting the local growers and craftspersons at the Market. Thank you!!

UPCOMING ACTIVITES AT THE MARKET

Master Gardeners workshop "Grow What You Eat" will be held on Saturday, July 18th, from 11:00 am until noon. Free to public.

NC Extension agent, Candy Underwood, will be teaching kids about healthy eating in "Hands on Healthy Snacks" on Saturday, August 1st, from 10:30 - 11:30 am. Free to public. Kids ages 9 & up. Pre-registration is recommended.

Please contact Starr at 910-436-3406 or email sandhillsfamily1@yahoo.com for more information.

MARKET CLOSED JULY 4TH

The Sandhills Farmers Market will be closed this coming Saturday in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. We will resume regular operating hours on Saturday, July 11th.

MARKET ACTIVITIES

The Sandhills Farmers Market has been very busy! It is wonderful to see all of our regular customers, as well as to get to know new ones! We have had some delicious vegetables so far this season. The tomatoes last weekend were so good!

Along with fresh produce and other items, the Market is pleased to offer many educational activities throughout the growing season. This Saturday, June 27, Dr. Erin Baker from SRAHEC will be availabe to do free blood pressure checks, and answer any questions that you may have. If you know anyone who can benefit from this service, please try and get them to the Market this Saturday. Dr. Baker will be there from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The Sandhills Farmers Market will be closed Saturday, July 4, in observance of the 4th of July holiday. We will resume regular operational hours the following Saturday, July 11, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

New to the Market this year is our Market newsletter. It contains information about upcoming events, health and nutrition, and recipes. If you would like to sign up for the free newsletter, please email us at sandhillsfamily1@yahoo.com.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

ORGANIZATION RECEIVES USDA GRANT FOR FARMERS MARKET

The Sandhills Family Heritage Association has been awarded a $31,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen and expand the Sandhills Farmers Market in Spring Lake. The grant is 1 of 85 distributed to various organizations in 43 states. “Farmers markets are an increasingly popular source of fruits and vegetables,” said Agricultural Secretary Ed Schafer. “Locally grown and locally known sales of fresh produce strengthen the connection between farmers and the community.”

The Sandhills Farmers Market provides an affordable, efficient, and effective market place for underserved, limited-resource landowners, farmers, and handcrafters to sell their products and goods. “Promoting sustainable farming to enhance income, building community based economics and increasing awareness of African American contributions to North Carolina’s economy are major components of our work,” said Ammie Jenkins, SFHA Executive Director. Additionally, through a series of farmer and consumer training workshops the market will promote community health and well-being.

The Sandhills Farmers Market brings multiple benefits to the Town of Spring Lake, Ft. Bragg and surrounding areas. For the community, it provides fresh, seasonal, nutritional and tasty produce. For the growers and producers, the Farmers Market means small-scale economic development. It also gives local growers and producers of agricultural products the opportunity to interact directly with their customers, providing an opportunity to build relationships and to exchange information. Through this exchange, the Market goes far in providing an educational forum to help preserve North Carolina’s rich agricultural and cultural heritage.

The Sandhills Farmers Market is located on 230 Chapel Hill Road in Spring Lake, NC and can be conveniently accessed from either Highway 87 or Highway 210. Opening day for the 2009 market season is June 13th. Hours of operation are on Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m from June through October.

The Sandhills Family Heritage Association is a community-based nonprofit 501©(3) organization that provides programs and services to build economic self-sufficiency and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of African American families in the Sandhills Region of North Carolina.

Growers and handcrafters may contact Ammie Jenkins at (910) 436-3406 or
910-497-0628 or email sandhillsfamily@yahoo.com.
Visit our blog at sandhillsfarmersmkt.blogspot.com

Getting Ready for 2009 Season

Welcome to the Sandhills Farmers Market blog. We'll be posting information about what's in season, varieties, some recipes and tips on how to prepare the food you buy.

Please sign up for the RSS feed so we can share news with you.

Our farmers are clearing their lands now and getting ready to plant. Here you see one of them laying down the black plastic mulch.

And this year our market will be open 2 days a week. So keep us in mind as you're doing your grocery shopping this summer.