Recruiting Market Volunteers and Board of Directors Members

 

We’re already in the middle of planning the 2014 season for Oakley Farmers Market and we could always use more help.  Oakley Farmers Market is recruiting volunteers and potential members for our Board of Directors who are interested in helping to create a venue for community within Oakley while tackling issues of food security and providing space for entrepreneurs.

If you’re interested, fill out our volunteer form so we know where to plug you in and what you can commit to.  Please spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested.

Tomatoes, Eggplants, Bell Peppers at the Market this week!

This week’s market is sponsored by Eagledove Greenhouse. Check them out at the market this week as they’ll be demonstrating how to raise chickens and ducks in urban spaces! Be sure and visit them just around the corner from Oakley on Swannanoa River road. Interested in your business sponsoring the market, or know somebody who wants to show their support? Check out our sponsorship form for more information, or come see us at the info tent on market day!

 
If you missed it on the 6PM news, WLOS named steering committee member and market instigator Shelly Webb as the Person of the Week. Unfortunately she’ll be out of town this week, so the autograph requests will have to wait. Congratulations Shelly, you deserve it!

This week at the market, heirloom tomatoes should be coming in, along with eggplants, bell peppers, zucchinis, bush beans, and okra. Whisperholler farms still have some blackberries, peaches, apples, and nectarines. Get them while they last!

Vandele Farms is running a sale on boneless porkchops at $8/lbs, and all special order beef roasts are $5/lbs. Email Kathleen for special orders: kat@vandelefarms.com to special order any 3 to 4 lbs. roasts: Chuck, Shoulder, Eye of Round and London Broil. She’ll have them ready at market for pickup, if you email her quick!

Rachel’s Delectables is bringing mini cheesecakes for just $2 to satisfy your sweet tooth. Of if you prefer ice cream, the chocolate lab will be bringing some that you can top with their amazing chocolate treats! Look for organic lemonades and herbal ice teas to keep you cool during these hot summer markets!

Don’t forget, our new hours are 3:30-6:30pm! Bring the kids by the kids activity tent for face painting and a market wide scavenger hunt!

Want to show your support for the market, but only have a few dollars to give? Purchase an Oakley Farmers Market bumper sticker, available in the info tent. All proceeds go back to the market to keep the kids activities coming and the market running smoothly. Thanks for your support!

We’re always looking for volunteers to help setup or take down the market, or provide demonstrations of skills and maybe recipes using ingredients found at the market. Interested? Come see us at the info tent! See you tomorrow at the market!

Happy 4th! Market day tomorrow!

The market will be offering some great summer items at the market all summer long!  Bonny Bath has a special summer line called Titania’s Garden: A lovely blend of geranium, basil and hyssop; available in bath salts, scrubs and sprays.  And you can take care of those annoying bug bites with Buck Naked All Natural’s itchy bug salve. Little ones especially love the relief!  Be sure to stay cool while you shop with Sakshi’s fresh squeezed organic lemonade or  ice cream from The Chocolate Lab!

Asheville FRESH Herbs has your hydroponically grown lettuce and arugula fresh and ready!  When these tender greens start sufferring in the heat of the summer, you can be sure that Asheville FRESH Herbs’ hydroponically grown, freshly harvested (morning of the market, of course!) greens are staying cool.  Also check out their beautiful and affordable handcrafted wooden cutting boards.   When you purchase one, you are supporting a great cause because Asheville FRESH creates employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled, one of whom creates the cutting boards.

Catch the sale on boneless pork chops from Vandele Farms.  One inch thick cuts that are great for grilling, normally $9/lb, on sale for $8/lb!

More veggies are ready for you!  Fiddlesticks Farm has three varieties of tomatillos, ready for your favorite salsa verde and marinade recipes.  Angel Ridge Farm has yellow beans, Gladheart Farm has lemon cucumbers, beautifully dark and glossy midnight zucchinis, and all potted patio peppers are on sale at 25% off!  
Need to satisfy a sweet tooth?  Visit Fletcher Village Bakery and delight in their new gluten free coconut macaroons with chocolate drizzle.  And if you haven’t noticed, the award winning Tupelo Honey Cafe has some awesome threads to add to your wardrobe.  A personal favorite is the Abbey Road themed T-shirt with four chickens crossing the street – good stuff!

Remember to bring your kids by the new kid’s activity tent for a DIY bubble wand activity!  And Oakley’s own musician Chris Farmer will be performing this week.

Short on cash?  A number of our vendors accept credit cards.  Look for display signs at vendor stalls.

Want to help out?  Oakley Farmers Market is looking for outdoor furniture donations.  We are also seeking volunteers to help keep the market flowing smoothly.  Come visit us at the info tent to sign up!

See you this Thursday, July 5 from 2pm-6pm!

Cold Drinks for Hot Weather

Tomorrow is market day, and it looks like its going to be a hot one! Luckily our vendors are stepping up to the plate and making some organic drinks to keep you cool while you shop! Sakshi Gantenbein (you probably know him from his amazing dog collars or the smell of cinnamon wafting from his cart as he glazes walnuts and almonds) will be offering fresh squeezed organic lemonade, and Gladheart Farm will be making mint tea with mint grown just up the road at their farm! If you need more relief from the heat, the Chocolate Lab will be bringing ice cream!

Good news for the kids! Oakley Farmers Market has purchased a tent that will be set up every week just for kids activities! Each week will have kid activities to keep the little ones entertained while you fill your market baskets. It’s a great way to meet your neighbors or see old friends from around the corner!

Have you signed up for our newsletter? Every week we will preview what will be at the market as well as what entertainment and activities are going on. New this week is a recipe section featuring ingredients you can find at the market! Chris Smith will be playing music down at the end of the market between Gladheart Farm and Tupelo Honey. Also, Gina, one of the OFM steering comittee members, will be doing a sauerkraut demonstration at 4pm in the information tent. If you missed it a few weeks ago, plan on being there tomorrow!

The market is currently seeking outdoor furniture donations and a few good volunteers to help running the information tent, and anything else you could do to help. Thanks for making our market the best it can be! See you tomorrow!

 

 

Celebrate Summer at the Market!

It looks like another beautiful market day for the fifth week in a row! Join us at the market today to pick up some local and organically grown food, as well as crafts and personal care items. Gladheart Farm is bringing a cabbage mint drink to keep market-goers cool on what looks to be a very warm afternoon. Fellow Oakley resident Chris Farmer will be providing the musical entertainment. Join us behind the Oakley United Methodist Church on Fairview road, 2pm to 6pm!

The market is seeking outdoor furniture donations so we can provide more seating around the market. Anything that can put up with being outdoors would be appreciated. We’re also looking for volunteers to help staff our information tent and spread the word about Asheville’s newest farmers market! Please stop by the information tent today and let us know that you would like to help out. With your support, we can make this market a community institution for years to come!

New at the market this week:

Asheville FRESH Herbs: Handcrafted cutting boards

Bonny Bath: Painted Water Jars

Tupelo Honey: Shortbread Cookies

Rachel’s Delectables: New Honey Chestnut Mini Cheesecakes for $2.00.  And remember, the single serving cheesecakes come in small jelly jars that you can sell back (in good condition) for $0.32.  Good deal!

The Chocolate Lab: Ice Cream Toppings, White and Dark Dipped Apricots, Dark Chocolate Dipped Pistachios, and White Cocoa Almonds

See you all today, at the Oakley Farmers Market!