Special Event - VEAP Food Drive

We are very excited to share our love of fresh seasonal produce with a food drive benefiting VEAP. We will be collecting fresh produce purchased at the Farmers Market this Saturday, June 25th, we will also be collecting non-perishable items. If you buy more than you need, consider sharing the extra with VEAP! VEAP serves the residents of Bloomington, Richfield, Edina and South Minneapolis. This is a great way for us to support those in need with some fresh vegetables. You can bring your extra produce to the City tent or the information desk inside Civic Plaza.

In addition, sweet corn should be arriving this weekend. Because of the unseasonably cool weather sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers and melons are coming in a little late this season. In any case, there are lots of green beans, carrots, cucumbers, herbs, kohlrabi, onions, beets and leafy greens available. The flowers are outstanding too! The cool weather has been good for them. Shop early for the best selection.

One of our favorite musicians, Michael Riddle will be playing this weekend from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and Kevin Thomas will be playing on August 1st from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. so be sure to stop and enjoy some great music.

It has been fun to read all of the wonderful comments on the "Love Your Farmers Market" web page! It's not too late to vote for the Bloomington Farmers Market, we love your support. It is very rewarding to see the impact the Farmers Market has in our community.

Meet the Vendor - Gnia Sheng Thao

It is nearly peak season and the produce looks great. I'm sure many of you have stopped to admire the produce at Gnia's booth - colorful Swiss chard, purple bell peppers (coming soon) and a beautiful combination of purple, green and yellow beans are sure to wow your dinner guests!

For the past 12 years Gnia and his family have been farming 11 acres of land in Rosemount. Farmers Markets keep their family very busy. They participate in 8 Markets. With 6 boys and 2 girls, he has a lot of help from his family but it never seems to be enough! A typical Friday entails waking up at 5:00 a.m. harvesting, cleaning and packing produce until midnight; sleeping for about 3 hours and then waking up early Saturday morning to help his wife and kids set up at the Minneapolis Farmers Market and then coming to the Bloomington Market. Once our market is closed Gnia returns to Minneapolis to pick up his wife and kids, goes back to the fields and starts harvesting, cleaning and packing for the 2 markets they attend on Sunday!

It is definitely a labor of love, as Gnia starts most of his seedlings in his basement and then moves them into his backyard greenhouse when the weather warms up in early spring. The seedlings are tenderly cared for in the greenhouse until they are ready to be planted in the field. Some of the challenges Gnia faces are, of course the weather, having enough rain and sunshine for his plants to grow. Another challenge is tractor break downs; luckily he has a son-in-law to help with repairs!

Gnia really enjoys bringing his produce to Bloomington and sharing his unique varieties with customers. He is always looking to try new things and it is a treat to see what he brings to market each week! Gnia loves to meet new people so if you haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet I highly recommend you stop by and say hello! Gnia is located on the North side of the Market between honey and flowers.

Quick Pickles

Eating Well in Season - The Farmers Market Cookbook

1 1/4 pounds pickling cucumbers, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup slivered onion
2 cloves garlic, slivered
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed

Place the cucumber slices in a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with salt; stir to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse, drain and transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Meanwhile, combine cider vinegar, white vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, dill and mustard seed in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers; stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to bring to room temperature and serve or keep covered and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Bloomington Farmers Market Information:

Hours
Market hours are 8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.; for safety and fairness there is NO shopping before 8:00 A.M. Also, for environmental health reasons, pets are not allowed in the Market.

Parking
The East Lot of Civic Plaza, where the Market is held, is for handicap parking only. There is plenty of free parking on the West Side of Civic Plaza. Follow the sidewalk around the north side of the building or cut through the lobby and see what's new inside the Center for the Arts. Additional free parking is available across 98th Street at Public Works off of James Ave.

Volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering at the Farmers Market, we could use your help taking attendance! Please contact Jill Murphy at 952.563.8889 or Keri Lahl at farmersmarket@ci.bloomington.mn.us for more information. We can also use your help spreading the word about the Bloomington Market. If you have a place to hang a sign about the Farmers Market (church, workplace, coffee shop, etc.) you can either print a poster yourself or pick up a copy at the City's information tent.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Best regards,

Keri Lahl
Market Coordinator

In this issue

To learn more

Special Event - VEAP Food Drive

Meet the Vendor - Gnia Sheng Thao

Quick Pickles

Eating Well in Season - The Farmers Market Cookbook

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!


	*Issue #5 - July 25, 2009*
In this issue Special Event - Food Drive Meet the Vendor - Gnia Sheng Thao Quick Pickles To learn more Archived Farmers Market newsletters E-Subscribe Vendor List Vendor Location Map Music Calendar Master Gardener Calendar Market Poster Parking Map	Special Event - VEAP Food Drive We are very excited to share our love of fresh seasonal produce with a food drive benefiting VEAP. We will be collecting fresh produce purchased at the Farmers Market this Saturday, June 25th, we will also be collecting non-perishable items. If you buy more than you need, consider sharing the extra with VEAP! VEAP serves the residents of Bloomington, Richfield, Edina and South Minneapolis. This is a great way for us to support those in need with some fresh vegetables. You can bring your extra produce to the City tent or the information desk inside Civic Plaza. In addition, sweet corn should be arriving this weekend. Because of the unseasonably cool weather sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers and melons are coming in a little late this season. In any case, there are lots of green beans, carrots, cucumbers, herbs, kohlrabi, onions, beets and leafy greens available. The flowers are outstanding too! The cool weather has been good for them. Shop early for the best selection. One of our favorite musicians, Michael Riddle will be playing this weekend from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and Kevin Thomas will be playing on August 1st from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. so be sure to stop and enjoy some great music. It has been fun to read all of the wonderful comments on the "Love Your Farmers Market" web page! It's not too late to vote for the Bloomington Farmers Market, we love your support. It is very rewarding to see the impact the Farmers Market has in our community. Meet the Vendor - Gnia Sheng Thao It is nearly peak season and the produce looks great. I'm sure many of you have stopped to admire the produce at Gnia's booth - colorful Swiss chard, purple bell peppers (coming soon) and a beautiful combination of purple, green and yellow beans are sure to wow your dinner guests! For the past 12 years Gnia and his family have been farming 11 acres of land in Rosemount. Farmers Markets keep their family very busy. They participate in 8 Markets. With 6 boys and 2 girls, he has a lot of help from his family but it never seems to be enough! A typical Friday entails waking up at 5:00 a.m. harvesting, cleaning and packing produce until midnight; sleeping for about 3 hours and then waking up early Saturday morning to help his wife and kids set up at the Minneapolis Farmers Market and then coming to the Bloomington Market. Once our market is closed Gnia returns to Minneapolis to pick up his wife and kids, goes back to the fields and starts harvesting, cleaning and packing for the 2 markets they attend on Sunday! It is definitely a labor of love, as Gnia starts most of his seedlings in his basement and then moves them into his backyard greenhouse when the weather warms up in early spring. The seedlings are tenderly cared for in the greenhouse until they are ready to be planted in the field. Some of the challenges Gnia faces are, of course the weather, having enough rain and sunshine for his plants to grow. Another challenge is tractor break downs; luckily he has a son-in-law to help with repairs! Gnia really enjoys bringing his produce to Bloomington and sharing his unique varieties with customers. He is always looking to try new things and it is a treat to see what he brings to market each week! Gnia loves to meet new people so if you haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet I highly recommend you stop by and say hello! Gnia is located on the North side of the Market between honey and flowers. Quick Pickles Eating Well in Season - The Farmers Market Cookbook 1 1/4 pounds pickling cucumbers, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 cup cider vinegar 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup slivered onion 2 cloves garlic, slivered 1 teaspoon dill seed 1 teaspoon mustard seed Place the cucumber slices in a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with salt; stir to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse, drain and transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Meanwhile, combine cider vinegar, white vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, dill and mustard seed in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers; stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to bring to room temperature and serve or keep covered and refrigerate for up to 10 days. Bloomington Farmers Market Information: Hours Market hours are 8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.; for safety and fairness there is NO shopping before 8:00 A.M. Also, for environmental health reasons, pets are not allowed in the Market. Parking The East Lot of Civic Plaza, where the Market is held, is for handicap parking only. There is plenty of free parking on the West Side of Civic Plaza. Follow the sidewalk around the north side of the building or cut through the lobby and see what's new inside the Center for the Arts. Additional free parking is available across 98th Street at Public Works off of James Ave. Volunteering If you are interested in volunteering at the Farmers Market, we could use your help taking attendance! Please contact Jill Murphy at 952.563.8889 or Keri Lahl at farmersmarket@ci.bloomington.mn.us for more information. We can also use your help spreading the word about the Bloomington Market. If you have a place to hang a sign about the Farmers Market (church, workplace, coffee shop, etc.) you can either print a poster yourself or pick up a copy at the City's information tent. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday! Best regards, Keri Lahl Market Coordinator